Bev, Thanks for the nice compliment. I've often wondered if back then each school system focused on writing at different grades, and I just happened to be there at the right time? Now most states have their high stakes tests around the same time, so that is the year the focus becomes more intense. (Don't all states have to follow a national mandate, sometime around 4th, 7th, and 10th grades?)
I have such vivid memories of those writing experiences, driving my mom nuts with stubborn refusal to write yet another report about something I hated (bats, rats, etc. were topics handed to me when I wanted to write about horses, lions, or penguins.) I remember the tears I shed, and the cajoling words from my mother (this is the voice that plays in my head when writer's block takes hold, the voice I have to listen to for a moment, then put in a jar for the next time my minds gets in the pattern of procrastination!) I also have a vivid memory of my third grade teacher allowing (forcing?) three other students and myself to go into the teacher's supply room and create our own dramatic stories. I'm not sure if she thought we were dumb, or she thought we were brilliant. We'd work for a week, then act out our story for the class. At any rate, we were allowed to select our own topic and present it in a way that felt right for us. What does this tell us about teaching children? I think that Ellin and others are so right when they encourage us to allow the natural curiosity of children to evolve. We should listen more carefully to what drives them. We (or the powers that be) have over thought curriculum guidelines, categorizing things into almost unrecognizable blobs to be absorbed and regurgitated. Children with any curiosity or interest lose it because it's not valued. It's hard to inspire someone who thinks they aren't allowed to be curious. It's hard to inspire someone who thinks their interests and passions don't matter. What we teachers need is a way to think about how we teach so it can come back to the child. How can we teach them to develop curiosity about the world in such a way that they get the information they need to be responsible citizens of the world, ready to solve the problems we've never thought of? Their problems are going to require deep thinking, and we're not going to be here to guide them. They need to learn to be their own guides. Joy/NC/4 How children learn is as important as what they learn: process and content go hand in hand. http://www.responsiveclassroom.org --- On Mon, 7/7/08, Beverlee Paul <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: From: Beverlee Paul <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Subject: Re: [Understand] Reading/writing connection To: [email protected] Date: Monday, July 7, 2008, 12:33 AM I think lots of students did write in the 70s, especially in the high schools. I'm just not sure they were taught how to write. However, you certainly were, Joy! **************************Writing was essential. Ok, it was not the writing workshop we have today, but I remember writing in school. I remember writing poetry, essays, narratives, reports, letters, etc. We wrote all the time. Maybe I was just lucky (I didn't think so at the time.) _________________________________________________________________ Use video conversation to talk face-to-face with Windows Live Messenger. http://www.windowslive.com/messenger/connect_your_way.html?ocid=TXT_TAGLM_WL_Refresh_messenger_video_072008 _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list [email protected] http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
