A different perspective if I may... I graduated 9 years ago from a school that had a clear philosophy of inquiry based learning. I had no exposure to a basal text, and direct instruction was also considered "evil". While I believe that the ideas presented in the Mosaic books is the best way for certain to learn, it is very disheartening as a new teacher to learn that many school districts do not hold similar views. Please expose your students to basals and whatever the required curriculum is for your district or state. When I first started teaching I was very angry that my school did not prepare me for what I saw as the "real world". There was little to no discussion about standardized testing especially those related to NCLB and AYP.
Just another viewpoint. Rosie -----Original Message----- From: medwa...@daltonstate.edu To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group <mosaic@literacyworkshop.org> Sent: Mon, Jul 12, 2010 9:52 am Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] a professor's reply 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. _______________________________________________ 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.
