Philomena, Thanks. I had planned on doing it. I told a few last spring when I taught a seminar class; I think MOSAIC is a wonderful website. I am sure teachers in our area are not cognizant of the site and I'll spread the word. Mary
----- Original Message ----- From: Mena Date: Monday, July 12, 2010 9:43 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] a professor's reply To: mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > > Hi Mary, I also teach undergrad and grads literacy pedagogy...I > encourage my students to join the MOSAIC LISTSERV..so that they > can learn as well from this collaborative group of kindred > spirits. Philomena > > > > Philomena Marinaccio-Eckel, Ph.D. > Florida Atlantic University > Dept. of Teaching and Learning > College of Education > 2912 College Ave. ES 214 > Davie, FL 33314 > Phone: 954-236-1070 > Fax: 954-236-1050 > > > > > -----Original Message----- > From: medwa...@daltonstate.edu > To: beverleep...@gmail.com; Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension > Strategies Email Group > Cc: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > Sent: Sun, Jul 11, 2010 6:32 pm > Subject: [MOSAIC] a professor's reply > > > Folks, > > I thoroughly enjoy and LEARN from your responses on this > website. This fall I > > will teach an undergrad class in "Reading Assessment and > Prescription" (I didn't > > dream up the title) to senior teacher candidates. (I typically > have taught > > graduate courses.) > > > > I am enthralled with the discussion from "real teachers of > reading" and I will > > work to incorporate your suggestions, ideas, and strategies as I > prepare future > > teachers of reading. > > > > I concur with your perceptions of "why schools use basals" > (security for first > > year teachers and a guarantee for schools that "something is > being taught."). > > In our state we have state standards aligned with IRA standards > that > > explicitedly state what students should know and be able to do. > We prepare our > > teacher candidates to use multiple resources to teach the state > standards > > (correlated to state assessments). Frequently we're finding > when our candidates > > graduate they are employed by school systems who purchase > "canned products" that > > purport to meet state standards and they are required to use the > products. > > Teachers feel they are turned into "technicians" of reading and > are not able to > > use "best practices" to teach reading. > > > > THANKS for the information. I will continue to read your > missives with much > > interest. > > > > Mary > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: beverleep...@gmail.com > > Date: Saturday, July 10, 2010 5:32 pm > > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Chapter 1 (Book Whisperer) > > To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" > > > > > I, too, think basals have some value, especialy for new > teachers > > > with a not-so-wonderful teacher education program. THAT IS, if > > > the level of the basal meets the level of the student, which > > > precludes whole class instruction. It's only been recently in > > > my career, though, that I've seen a better alternative. When I > > > became a literacy coach, our district had just adopted an > > > official balanced literacy stance. Most of us had been > > > following balanced literacy practices for 20 years, though. I > > > was under the impression at that time that lit coaches were > > > nice, but not necessary. WOW was I wrong. To refer to Judy's > > > letter at this point, I would say that the exception to new > > > teachers needing a year with a basal's planning and support > > > would be the presence of a lit coach, with an appropriate > ratio > > > of 20 teachers:1 coach. There are so many wonderful books out > > > now to guide coaches, but one of the most powerful books is > > > Jennifer Allen's A Sense of Belonging: Sustaining and > Retaining New > > > Teachers. Every administrator on this list should take > > > advantage of their summer-of-less-work to read this book! Jan > > > Miller Burkins has great books as well. I have 9 or 10 > coaching > > > books that guide coaches to guide teachers into professional > > > educators. One of my profs said that the way to get > outstanding > > > teachers was to either hire them or to grow the ones you had. > > > We have the knowledge to do that now, just not the will. > > > Instead many of the Powers that Be wish to spend billions on > > > "teacher-proofed" materials. Even the Feds themselves have > > > admitted that the Reading First program spent well over 6 > > > BILLION dollars and didn't develop comprehending readers -- > why > > > would we want any other kind of readers??? RF was the biggest > > > program to take teacher judgment out of the equation and look > at > > > the results!! > > > Sent from my BlackBerry Smartphone provided by Alltel > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > > From: jvma...@comcast.net > > > Sender: mosaic-bounces+beverleepaul=gmail....@literacyworkshop.org > > > Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2010 15:09:50 > > > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email > > > GroupReply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading > > > Comprehension Strategies Email Group" > > > > > > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Chapter 1 (Book Whisperer) > > > > > > I am one who denigrated basals, but I do agree with Laura (see > > > below). In fact, for many reasons, I think new teachers SHOULD > > > start with basals. That is how we learn to teach reading in a > > > traditional way as we gather our own reading theories--and the > > > planning is done for them. Mosaic would have made no sense to > me > > > if I hadn't already had a foundation in teaching reading. > > > Unfortunately, last year (when California could still afford > new > > > teachers), I got in trouble for recommending that our newbies > > > use the basal for a year. They were foundering with > > > comprehension strategies and needed a foothold. Alas. When I > > > taught 3rd grade and focused on comprehension strategies, I > used > > > the basal as an anthology and we read almost all of the > > > selections. It seems to me that most basals have excellent > > > selections these days. My objection to the 5th grade basal is > > > that many of the selections are excerpts and they leave > students > > > feeling unfinished and dissatisfied. Sorry this is so > disjointed- > > > -you > > > can see I still have mixed feelings about basals. What I > > > detest most is the way the publishers throw waaaaay too much > > > thoughtless busywork into "a week" and don't give kids a > chance > > > to learn. But, as you may glean from my thoughts, I still > think > > > basals have some value. > > > Judy > > > > > > > > > > > > > > > (((Laura: I think the main reason schools are adopting basals > is > > > a lack of trust in teacher knowledge. To play devil's > advocate, > > > not all teachers come to the profession prepared to teach. Put > a > > > basal in the hands of a less seasoned teacher and perhaps > you'll > > > have a chance at good instruction. The more seasoned teachers > do > > > not need it of course. I think this all speaks to the level of > > > preparedness our teachers are coming out of university with. > ))) > > > > > > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > > 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. > > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > 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. > > Mary W. Edwards, PhD Professor School of Education 650 College Avenue Dalton, GA 30720 Phone: 706.272.2590 Fax: 706.272.2495 _______________________________________________ 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.
