>From the year I was "born again" into whole whole language (after 20 years on the road....we moved 18 times due to my exhusband's military career and I never had time to really learn to teach though I did some things right).... I have been whole language in all my many and various teaching experiences including higher ed/teacher ed over the next 25 years and still going strong. Whole language is a way of life and learning and a perspective on the world and all it contains - not just teaching. Though I must say teaching is my calling, one of the centers of my life. It is never a static place to rest either - always dynamic and growing.
Those who fall prey to the whole language versus phonics "supposed" dichotomy have no real understanding of whole language. Wish they would take the time to inquire more deeply. I've spent a lot of time reading about and understanding a variety of theoretical (and enacted) approaches and believe I can really explain how they fit into my theoretical perspective and/or I can explain in some depth why they don't but still try to understand why and where and when they work. They are just not as inclusive - and that goes for the sometimes unwillingness to explore a broad range of research and perspectives. Wow - think I just got up on my soap box. Know I am mostly preaching to the choir. A suggestion re the way we fall prey to frames and metaphors that trap us sometimes. I suggest that we give concrete vivid examples of what our practice actually looks like....and continue sharing children's stories. >From whatever perspective. Not just say phonics for example. Some lately responses have talked about phonics in ways that remind me of the "word work" I do through the years.... A valuable part of growth in literacy. The phonics I hate oversimplifies and is taken out of context and occurs in one size fits all and on and on. We may all be talking right past each other at least some of the time. Sally On 7/23/09 5:06 AM, "drmarinac...@aol.com" <drmarinac...@aol.com> wrote: > Maybe we should begin a whole language umbrella again..I still consider > myself a whole language teacher...and I teach graduate school:) Mena _______________________________________________ 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.
