Our district looked at it as the perfect differentiated "program" (I don't believe writers' and readers' workshop to be programs. I think of them as structures). The mini lessons are whole group, but in conferring you can meet each child where they are and push them forward. If children need lessons on voice, you go there. I also think of Calkins' lessons as a guide -a starting place. Just as in anything you do, you gear the lessons to what your students need. I never taught from a teacher's manual lock-step either.
Jan On 6/22/09 11:13 AM, "Delores Gibson" <dgib...@dps109.org> wrote: > I teach in a white middle to upper middle class community. I think the > teachers feel that this program was written so general so that it could fit > any school but that it does not challenge our students. I constantly have > teaching say to me..."How long can you teach about small moments?" They want > to teach the students how to have a voice in their writing. They wanted more > concrete lessons on punctuation and grammar. The 3,4&5 grades have Fletcher > and they feel the same way. Needless to say I am the only teacher who still > believes in whole language, who is a member of mosaic, and who is reading > Tanny's book along with the Daily5, and the new academic vocabulary books A > few teachers are starting to go to workshops with me but they still have a > different set of beliefs. I wish our school district had done more > in-services because I think the program never had a chance. > Dee > > -----Original Message----- > From: mosaic-boun...@literacyworkshop.org > [mailto:mosaic-boun...@literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of Jan Sanders > Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 12:57 PM > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] TRENDS and ISSUES In Literacy Pedagogy -anything elsenew > and exciting? > > I don't quite understand the "no meat to it" statement. When our district > started using writers' workshop and Calkin's lessons the student writing > improved immensely. One of the huge changes we saw and loved was that the > students really wrote from the heart and from experiences. Gone were the > formulistic paragraphs and boring essays. > > We had lots of staff development though, and each school had a literacy > coach to help them muck through it all. > Jan > > > On 6/22/09 10:13 AM, "Delores Gibson" <dgib...@dps109.org> wrote: > >> I was and still am a fan of Lucy Calkins. So when my school district >> decided to adopt her writing program I thought it would be great. I >> guess her presentations didn't translate well into a writing program. >> My colleagues hate the program and none of them use it. They feel it is >> to simple and there is no meat to it. I think that they just don't get >> her and the district didn't do a good job with helping them understand >> the program. I think everyone wants a more Six Traits approach and now >> I can't get anyone to even read ANY of her books. It's nice to connect >> with fans. Thanks. >> Dee >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: mosaic-boun...@literacyworkshop.org >> [mailto:mosaic-boun...@literacyworkshop.org] On Behalf Of >> drmarinac...@aol.com >> Sent: Monday, June 22, 2009 8:14 AM >> To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org >> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] TRENDS and ISSUES In Literacy Pedagogy -anything >> elsenew and exciting? >> >> Try to attend a presentation by Lucy ...listening to her tell the >> students' stories in person was really moving...I was lucky enough to >> attend...I think it was in early nineties ...at a Whole Language >> Conference at a Florida University that also featured Yetta Goodman:) I >> swear...FL classroom teachers at that time were ruled by a unified >> curriculum that required testing students after each isolated skill >> learned (in reading and math)... After that conference we were like >> born-again teachers:) >> >> >> -----Original Message----- >> From: thomas <sally.thom...@verizon.net> >> Sent: Sun, Jun 21, 2009 9:34 pm >> Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] TRENDS and ISSUES In Literacy Pedagogy -anything >> elsenew and exciting? >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> Lucy is one of mine too. This one more life changing than her later >> books >> even. >> >> >> On 6/21/09 5:22 PM, "beverleep...@gmail.com" <beverleep...@gmail.com> >> wrote: >> >>> Sally, I feel the same way about Lucy Calkins' Lessons from a Child. >> Taylor's >>> Learning Denied and Lessons from a Child are >> professional-life-changing books. >>> You are never the same again after you've read them. Bev >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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. >> >> >> >> >> >> >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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. >> >> >> *****************************************************************************>> * >> ********************** >> This e-mail message contains information that may be privileged or >> confidential and >> is the property of the Board of Education of Deerfield Public School District >> No. 109. >> It is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. If you are not >> the >> intended recipient of this message, you are not authorized to read, print, >> retain, >> copy, disseminate, distribute, or use this message or any part thereof. If >> you >> have >> received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and >> delete all >> copies of this message. >> >> _______________________________________________ >> 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. >> > > Jan > Unless we reach into our students¹ hearts, we have no entry into their > minds. > -Regie Routman > > > > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > > > ****************************************************************************** > ********************** > This e-mail message contains information that may be privileged or > confidential and > is the property of the Board of Education of Deerfield Public School District > No. 109. > It is intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. If you are not > the > intended recipient of this message, you are not authorized to read, print, > retain, > copy, disseminate, distribute, or use this message or any part thereof. If you > have > received this message in error, please notify the sender immediately and > delete all > copies of this message. > > _______________________________________________ > 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. > Jan We must view young people not as empty bottles to be filled, but as candles to be lit. -Robert Shaffer _______________________________________________ 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.
