Many times I've "planned" a nice charter school staffed entirely by this group!! To quote Susan Boyle: "I dreamed a dream..."
On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 7:03 PM, Stewart, L <[email protected]>wrote: > and Beverlee Paul, I would like to work for someone just like you. Imagine > the possibilities! > > Leslie R. Stewart > Grade 3 Teacher > [email protected] > 203-481-5386, 203-483-0749 FAX > ________________________________________ > From: > [email protected][mosaic-bounces+lstewart= > [email protected]] On Behalf Of Beverlee Paul [ > [email protected]] > Sent: Tuesday, November 10, 2009 7:13 PM > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] philosophical wonderings > > A very wise college prof I had says, "Anything that can be used, can be > abused." > > I feel the same about cooperative learning a la those extremists or > extremists with math manipulatives, etc. My favorite example is from a > teacher in Colorado, who had a zap right as she heard herself say, "Boys > and > girls, shush up! No talking!! It's time for oral language!!!" I'm glad > she could laugh at herself and share because I think about that statement a > lot. > > If you have to break apart a group functioning beautifully and assign > cooperative roles, think again. If you have to keep dumping out those > unifix cubes onto the table of a child who's trying to explain to his near > neighbor how you can mentally do "that" in at least 2 different ways, and > "let's see if there's even another," think again. If you take a group of > book lovers who have come to you starving for literature to feed their > passion and who thoughtfully and collaboratively discuss at a higher level, > don't get out the role sheets, for heaven's sake. Think again. > I agree with my old college prof. And we in education could do with a > little benign neglect in our teaching methods and a good pair of eyes and > ears to observe with. Sometimes our kids slip past us. > On Tue, Nov 10, 2009 at 10:41 AM, Stewart, L <[email protected] > >wrote: > > > "In my experience, strategy instruction works. For all kids, not just > > strugglers. I do not believe it is only for struggling readers. I would > > like to see the list discuss what aspects of strategy instruction, as it > is > > currently being implemented, turns kids off from the love of reading so > > that we can all learn what to avoid." > > > > I never meant to imply that only struggling readers need strategy > > instruction. Certainly all of my students need experience determining > theme > > and author's craft, etc. But I think if I hear one more child say I can > > make a text-to-self connection and then make the most minimal connection > to > > the text they are reading I may go crazy! I hear mind-numbing > conversations > > and weeks of instruction on one strategy in multiple classrooms across > > multiple grade levels. I certainly think children should find ways in > which > > they relate to text but that will come with more exposure to text and a > lot > > more CONVERSATIONS with peers as well as teachers. Strong readers don't > > think about the strategies in isolation. Our school is advocating a > model > > where the child reads with me in a small guided group for maybe 20 > minutes > > once or twice per week and then reads their independent reading book, > > attempting to utilize the same strategy we discussed in guided and then > > writes about it in a letter to me. Sorry Fountas and Pinell...I just > don't > > think that is what authentic reading is about. I don't follow the plan. > I > > do pull guided groups, but afterwards my kids go back and read a book > with a > > small group of their peers and talk about it and they may or may not > discuss > > the strategy they practiced with me. Writing about reading flows > naturally > > after conversations about reading. The teachers on this site all love > > reading and teaching reading. What about those teachers who don't? I > think > > the model can be deadly and it is difficult to implement by even the most > > experienced teacher. I know that I am not supposed to have read the > books > > my children are reading, but how can I comment and model if I don't know > the > > text? So, I have five reading groups and they are all in different > texts. > > I don't get a lot of sleep, but so far I don't think I've lost any > future > > readers of America to the reading war and I am proud of that. > > > > Leslie R. Stewart > > (203)481-5386 X310 FAX (203)483-0749 > > [email protected] > > > > Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don't matter > > and those who matter don't mind." > > ~ Dr. Seuss > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Mosaic mailing list > > [email protected] > > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > > > > > > -- > "There is nothing so unequal as equal treatment of unequals." Chief > Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > -- "There is nothing so unequal as equal treatment of unequals." Chief Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
