It isn't that the feds NEED programs and other methods of teaching
reading to be testing quantitatively. It is that they WANT them to be.
When the National Reading Panel met, they started out by systematically
throwing out all research that didn't meet their overall,
already-established phonics-first philosophy, then went on to use terms
like "scientifically proven" to drive home their goal of turning
classrooms back into what they remembered from the 1950's, with the
teacher in charge of "delivering instruction" and turning Whole
Language into a divisive, politicized term based on lies, myths, and,
at best, misunderstanding of the process. NCLB functions under the
philosophy of a "daddy knows best" kind of paradigm, where everything
is "either/or" and "good/bad" and children are reduced to numbers,
rankings, and ratings while teachers are demeaned, deprofessionalized,
and defeated, perhaps in the hope that public school as we know it will
bite the dust and privatization can rise up in the education field. All
this from an administration which consistently altered scientific
research in other areas, such as global warming and environmental
standards, in order to reward big business with more money and more
power. In the education field, big business has been rewarded mightily
by NCLB. Follow the money.
As for "scripted instruction".... well, frankly, I think the phrase is
an oxymoron.
Renee
On Feb 20, 2009, at 6:39 AM, Kristin Mitchell wrote:
Elisa and others,
I've been following this conversation with much interest (as I'm sure
many are!) and I think I've already piped in with this, but I need to
bring it up again (it's possible I never did in the first place, I'm
almost 6 months pregnant and I left my brain at about 8 weeks!). Last
month's issue of The Reading Teacher had an article about SSR (which
for me is simply Independent Reading...it's what kids do while I do
guided reading). For me, the premise of the article was how federal
dollars will most likely never be used to support something like SSR
because they cannot do "medical research" to PROVE that it works.
Even though I've seen test scores go up from a group that got "Guided
Reading" using their SS textbooks (I wish I were kidding) their entire
5th grade year. As 6th graders they recieved Guided Reading and lots
of choice independent reading time from me and their reading scores
went up. While this is not "reasearch" that can prove anything,
it's pretty strong evidence for me to continue how I teach reading to
upper grades.
Unfortunately, the feds need programs and other methods of teaching
reading to be tested quantitatively. Which, is not a reality in
schools. There is no fair playing field when it comes to research on
teaching reading. Until "outsiders" (non educators who direct our
policies whether they be gov't or buisness) realize that schools are
NOT clinical places where you can have strict control groups this will
always be the case. Things like Mosaic of Thought will not have
support until someone can magically produce a control group of kids
that can be tested "fairly."
I hope I made sense!
Kristin Mitchell/4th/CO
"Be the change you want to see in the world"
-Ghandi
Each child is different and deserves different approaches to learning
based on a solid philosophy backed up by pedagogical principles and
research (expert and teacher).
Elisa
Elisa Waingort
_______________________________________________
Mosaic mailing list
Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
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.
"We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect
Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the
common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings
of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this
Constitution for the United States of America."
_______________________________________________
Mosaic mailing list
Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org
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.
