Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways helpful
I want to second Sally's invitation. I hope many of you will be able to make it. Elisa Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry -Original Message- From: Sally Thomas Sender: mosaic-bounces+elwaingortji=cbe.ab...@literacyworkshop.org Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 14:11:41 To: mosaic listserve Reply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are always helpful Kaui, You actually prove my point in your reply. I hear that you defer to the "powers that be" instead of trusting your own professional knowledge about teaching and learning. I understand that you believe you have to do this for the kids so they will pass the test. But what if the test is not worthwhile? What if it is not helping your kids be the best they can be? I can hear how much you want to be there for your students and are searching for answers that will help them, so I offer the following as a possible path to take in that search. I well remember MANY TIMES along the way in my own general when I had to start intensive inquiries into my educational beliefs and practices. I call them my "born again" times (with no disrespect intended for those to whom is this strictly a religious matter!). The teachers I network with, the research and informed education news and current educational books that I read regularly AND just as important what I've learned from and with children in my many classrooms over the years - all that tells me that the powers that be don't know very much about teaching. And they haven't even tried. For one thing, they've never even taught by and large. They haven't included our best educational leaders and our best teachers in their planning. And the tests measure only a superficial layer of what children need to know to be truly successful throughout their schooling and lives. This not to even mention the dreadful consequences of the constant testing time used up and pressures and stress felt by all. Standards and testing are going hand and hand in creating this situation. The standards are leading to school experiences that are more and more fragmented (almost because teachers want them to be more and more specific sadly - I do understand this urge). Problem is children do not remember information which is not experienced in meaningful contexts. They can learn it briefly sometimes (the spelling test on Friday is a great example - they forget it in their writing the next week! The kids that don't forget it by Monday usually had the words in the first place so the testing didn't really teach them anything - just gave them a privilege over the others.) Learning has to really hook to prior schema and hook deep to stay there. So they will not actually learn all the separate standards lessons for the test anyway. I'd like to invite you to participate in a list serve discussion next week on email. It happens 6 - 7:30 pm each day Eastern standard time - adjust in different time zones. We will be discussing Ken and Yetta Goodman's Declaration of Professional Conscience. This is part II of a previous discussion a month ago. That was rich and wide ranging and has led to many of us joining the challenge of gaining back respect for teachers and educators who have actually lived their work through the years, committed to what is best for their students, committed to life long learning and so on. http://www.rcowen.com/rcoprfdv.htm The invitation is open to anyone who would like to be included. It's asked that you read the Declaration (on the web page announcement) before joining in. Even if you won't be home or at your computer, you can sign up and you will get home to a plethora of emails all discussing back and forth implications of different issues dealt with in the Declaration. And you can add to the discussion your ideas later in the evening, tho some won't be responded to till the next day. TLN listserve by the way stands for The Learning Network. We have great discussions all the time but these focused discussion are giving all of us courage and more courage to stand up to those "powers that be" that think they know more than we do about children and teaching and learning. In solidarity, Sally On 5/22/11 11:41 AM, "kaui norton" wrote: > Thank you for your thoughts. I do see your point. I suppose I should say that, > although standards teaching may not be the best solution to our ongoing > struggles to educate, it is, nevertheless, here to stay. At least, till the > powers that be change their minds again! > When I say I like it, it is because I am tired of teaching a gadzillion > standards and benchmarks that are vague to say the least. In Hawai'i we have > a ridiculous number of standards to teach. It has always been a guessing game > for many teachers as to how to apply the standards mandated by our state. > Many teachers, old and new, are totally lost because there is no direc
Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways helpful
OMG...Sally I always refer to the early 90's when I heard Yetta and Kenneth Goodman speak at a whole language conference as a "born again" teacher moment! Mena 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: elwaingor...@cbe.ab.ca To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Sent: Sun, May 22, 2011 10:06 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways helpful I want to second Sally's invitation. I hope many of you will be able to make it. Elisa Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry -Original Message- From: Sally Thomas Sender: mosaic-bounces+elwaingortji=cbe.ab...@literacyworkshop.org Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 14:11:41 To: mosaic listserve Reply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are always helpful Kaui, You actually prove my point in your reply. I hear that you defer to the "powers that be" instead of trusting your own professional knowledge about teaching and learning. I understand that you believe you have to do this for the kids so they will pass the test. But what if the test is not worthwhile? What if it is not helping your kids be the best they can be? I can hear how much you want to be there for your students and are searching for answers that will help them, so I offer the following as a possible path to take in that search. I well remember MANY TIMES along the way in my own general when I had to start intensive inquiries into my educational beliefs and practices. I call them my "born again" times (with no disrespect intended for those to whom is this strictly a religious matter!). The teachers I network with, the research and informed education news and current educational books that I read regularly AND just as important what I've learned from and with children in my many classrooms over the years - all that tells me that the powers that be don't know very much about teaching. And they haven't even tried. For one thing, they've never even taught by and large. They haven't included our best educational leaders and our best teachers in their planning. And the tests measure only a superficial layer of what children need to know to be truly successful throughout their schooling and lives. This not to even mention the dreadful consequences of the constant testing time used up and pressures and stress felt by all. Standards and testing are going hand and hand in creating this situation. The standards are leading to school experiences that are more and more fragmented (almost because teachers want them to be more and more specific sadly - I do understand this urge). Problem is children do not remember information which is not experienced in meaningful contexts. They can learn it briefly sometimes (the spelling test on Friday is a great example - they forget it in their writing the next week! The kids that don't forget it by Monday usually had the words in the first place so the testing didn't really teach them anything - just gave them a privilege over the others.) Learning has to really hook to prior schema and hook deep to stay there. So they will not actually learn all the separate standards lessons for the test anyway. I'd like to invite you to participate in a list serve discussion next week on email. It happens 6 - 7:30 pm each day Eastern standard time - adjust in different time zones. We will be discussing Ken and Yetta Goodman's Declaration of Professional Conscience. This is part II of a previous discussion a month ago. That was rich and wide ranging and has led to many of us joining the challenge of gaining back respect for teachers and educators who have actually lived their work through the years, committed to what is best for their students, committed to life long learning and so on. http://www.rcowen.com/rcoprfdv.htm The invitation is open to anyone who would like to be included. It's asked that you read the Declaration (on the web page announcement) before joining in. Even if you won't be home or at your computer, you can sign up and you will get home to a plethora of emails all discussing back and forth implications of different issues dealt with in the Declaration. And you can add to the discussion your ideas later in the evening, tho some won't be responded to till the next day. TLN listserve by the way stands for The Learning Network. We have great discussions all the time but these focused discussion are giving all of us courage and more courage to stand up to those "powers that be" that think they know more than we do
Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways helpful
Me too. Thanks for your comment. I was a little afraid that using that descriptor might offend some people for religious reasons. But I meant it most sincerely, the moments that radically changed my understanding of teaching and learning. One of my moments was finally getting to learn about teaching/learning after settling down from 18 moves in 20 years as a military wife. I had taught all those years but not necessarily very well as I had almost zero professional development. This was the year in California of really taking on the teaching of writing. And I was a college and high school English teacher. When I finally read all the research, I can still remember standing on a table in the basement of the university library and calling out very loudly in anger, why didn't I know this 60 years of research? Why didn't I know that teaching grammar in isolation of real writing was not only useless but counterproductive. Why didn't I know. The Goodmans, yes, and the whole language summer conferences were more life changing moments. My personal metaphor for teaching has always been a kaleidoscope. (I love kaleidoscopes.) But I see these beautiful patterns (current schema/theory) Holding and trembling as new insights come in that can't be assimilated and the moment when it all tumbles and a new pattern emerges. Have felt a bit guilty that my metaphor is not organic - like a plant or flower (and I actually like those) but the born again/Kaleidoscope metaphors prevail. Sally On 5/23/11 8:13 AM, "Mena" wrote: > OMG...Sally I always refer to the early 90's when I heard Yetta and Kenneth > Goodman speak at a whole language conference as a "born again" teacher moment! > Mena > > > > > 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: elwaingor...@cbe.ab.ca > To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group > > Sent: Sun, May 22, 2011 10:06 pm > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards > arealways helpful > > > I want to second Sally's invitation. I hope many of you will be able to make > it. > > Elisa > Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry > > -Original Message- > From: Sally Thomas > Sender: mosaic-bounces+elwaingortji=cbe.ab...@literacyworkshop.org > Date: Sun, 22 May 2011 14:11:41 > To: mosaic listserve > Reply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" > > Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are > always helpful > > Kaui, You actually prove my point in your reply. I hear that you defer to > the "powers that be" instead of trusting your own professional knowledge > about teaching and learning. I understand that you believe you have to do > this for the kids so they will pass the test. But what if the test is not > worthwhile? What if it is not helping your kids be the best they can be? > > I can hear how much you want to be there for your students and are searching > for answers that will help them, so I offer the following as a possible path > to take in that search. I well remember MANY TIMES along the way in my own > general when I had to start intensive inquiries into my educational beliefs > and practices. I call them my "born again" times (with no disrespect > intended for those to whom is this strictly a religious matter!). > > The teachers I network with, the research and informed education news and > current educational books that I read regularly AND just as important what > I've learned from and with children in my many classrooms over the years - > all that tells me that the powers that be don't know very much about > teaching. And they haven't even tried. For one thing, they've never even > taught by and large. They haven't included our best educational leaders and > our best teachers in their planning. And the tests measure only a > superficial layer of what children need to know to be truly successful > throughout their schooling and lives. This not to even mention the dreadful > consequences of the constant testing time used up and pressures and stress > felt by all. Standards and testing are going hand and hand in creating this > situation. > > The standards are leading to school experiences that are more and more > fragmented (almost because teachers want them to be more and more specific > sadly - I do understand this urge). Problem is children do not remember > information which is not
Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways helpful
I'll be there with you, Maureen. I have good memories of teaching in the '80's and early '90's when teachers behaved as the professionals that we are. Let's take back our classrooms and our schools. Our students deserve better. Elisa Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry -Original Message- From: Maureen Morrissey Sender: mosaic-bounces+elwaingortji=cbe.ab...@literacyworkshop.org Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 18:07:56 To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Reply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are always helpful Sally, great response, I hope Kaui and others read it and it makes them think: why did I go into teaching in the first place? To spoonfeed pap to my students or to make a difference in their lives? To help them pass a test or to help them develop into lifelong learners, thinkers, readers. I'm afraid we cannot have it both ways. It's sad to me that the question authority days are over and many in the profession are deferring to the powers that be. We are the educated educators; we are the professionals who should be lifelong learners and reflective practicioners. We need to take back the educating of our students, even if we have to start grassroots again like in the '80s. Maureen ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways helpful
Hi Mindy, You didn't come across as defensive at all but merely inquisitive. You asked goof questions, in my opinion. First of all, one of the objections to the Common Core is that education is not the federal government's area of influence; it belongs to the States. I think this is spelled out in the Constitution. Second of all, because each State is so different it makes no sense to have a national set of standards that everyone must follow; that should be decided at the State level. Third, these new set of standards come to you without input from educators. This process has been heavily financed by the Gates Foundation and it is being accompanied by an increase in testing. The Core Standards are also tied to federal monies: States had to agree to adopt them and VAM in order to compete for Race to the Top funds. Just my take on this, Elisa Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry -Original Message- From: Melinda Jurus Sender: mosaic-bounces+elwaingortji=cbe.ab...@literacyworkshop.org Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 18:33:49 To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Reply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are always helpful Hi all, I'm enjoying reading all of the viewpoints on the Common Core Standards. Here is a question that I've always had in regard to the standards. Either my district, my state or my country is choosing the standards that our students will be learning that year. So no matter what, someone is making a decision on the course of learning for my grade level next year. What is the difference if it's done by my district vs. the federal level? When I compare the state/district standards to the Common Core they're not really that different, other than the Common Core have less individual indicators. Currently, I use my state standards. Soon I'll use the federal standards. Either way, I'm teaching them what a citizen needs to do well in life and in this country. With any standards I teach, I'm guiding them to question, think and read. We don't learn the material for the test. We learn the material because it's interesting, but also because more of their life will make sense if they understand these key concepts. I'm just wondering what I'm missing when I hear people upset that we'll all have the same standards, even though each one of our students already follows *somebody's* idea of what's important. Why not have it be common to everyone? I don't feel like I'm not educating my students if I'm feeding them the Common Core Standards. It's just a slightly different set of standards. I'm really curious about this, and hope it didn't come across as defensive. Thanks in advance for your insight, Mindy On Mon, May 23, 2011 at 6:07 PM, Maureen Morrissey < maureen.morriss...@gmail.com> wrote: > Sally, > great response, I hope Kaui and others read it and it makes them think: why > did I go into teaching in the first place? To spoonfeed pap to my students > or to make a difference in their lives? To help them pass a test or to help > them develop into lifelong learners, thinkers, readers. I'm afraid we > cannot > have it both ways. It's sad to me that the question authority days are > over > and many in the profession are deferring to the powers that be. We are the > educated educators; we are the professionals who should be lifelong > learners > and reflective practicioners. We need to take back the educating of our > students, even if we have to start grassroots again like in the '80s. > Maureen > ___ > 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways helpful
Good point, Meena. It seems we have to reclaim our own language; it is being stolen from us. We have to stop this from continuing. Elisa Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry -Original Message- From: Mena Sender: mosaic-bounces+elwaingortji=cbe.ab...@literacyworkshop.org Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 20:45:13 To: Reply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are always helpful I loved teaching in the 80's ..I loved the grassroots, whole language movement...but nowadays we have to be careful even about grassroots movements! I read on another LISTSERV that some in the Billionaire's Boy's Club are financing "grassroots movements". So be careful that you find out who is behind a grassroots movement. It was a lot easier to tell the "good guys" back in the 80s. Mena 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: Maureen Morrissey To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Sent: Mon, May 23, 2011 6:07 pm Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are always helpful Sally, great response, I hope Kaui and others read it and it makes them think: why did I go into teaching in the first place? To spoonfeed pap to my students or to make a difference in their lives? To help them pass a test or to help them develop into lifelong learners, thinkers, readers. I'm afraid we cannot have it both ways. It's sad to me that the question authority days are over and many in the profession are deferring to the powers that be. We are the educated educators; we are the professionals who should be lifelong learners and reflective practicioners. We need to take back the educating of our students, even if we have to start grassroots again like in the '80s. Maureen ___ 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.
Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways helpful
Hi Kaui, Can you expand on this comment you make below: "The picture is much bigger than that, and teachers play a huge part in it." Thanks, Elisa Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry -Original Message- From: kaui norton Sender: mosaic-bounces+elwaingortji=cbe.ab...@literacyworkshop.org Date: Mon, 23 May 2011 19:36:07 To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group Reply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are always helpful Mahalo Melinda. I appreciate all the comments I have read regarding standards. I never realized it was such a hot topic. I suppose, in education, we will always have differences of opinion which, isn't necessarily a bad thing. Isn't thinking for oneself, being an independent learner and using critical thinking skills important concepts we try to teach our students? For me, however, the standards are not the enemy. How we teach them is. I don't quite understand why so many believe we cannot teach and our students cannot learn what they need to if we teach standard based lessons? I have never felt my hands were tied. I still teach the same, but in a more focused manner. I don't believe being more focused is a bad thing. I think teachers need to really take a look at how they are teaching if they are so frustrated with what they are teaching. I believe, every philosophy of teaching has it's problems. There is no ONE right way. As an educator I try to figure out ways to meet the learning types of each of my students. Having a more specific notion of what to teach doesn't confine me, but instead, helps me to work what I am teaching around it. I still use all the same strategies. I still have whole group, small group, individual groups. I still use art, music, and P.E. to help cement the concepts they are learning. Again, I am very appreciative of all the comments, but I would, still, have to disagree with the idea that standards based learning is the problem with our educational system. The picture is much bigger than that, and teachers play a huge part in it. Kau'i =-) --- On Mon, 5/23/11, Melinda Jurus wrote: From: Melinda Jurus Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are always helpful To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" Date: Monday, May 23, 2011, 12:33 PM Hi all, I'm enjoying reading all of the viewpoints on the Common Core Standards. Here is a question that I've always had in regard to the standards. Either my district, my state or my country is choosing the standards that our students will be learning that year. So no matter what, someone is making a decision on the course of learning for my grade level next year. What is the difference if it's done by my district vs. the federal level? When I compare the state/district standards to the Common Core they're not really that different, other than the Common Core have less individual indicators. Currently, I use my state standards. Soon I'll use the federal standards. Either way, I'm teaching them what a citizen needs to do well in life and in this country. With any standards I teach, I'm guiding them to question, think and read. We don't learn the material for the test. We learn the material because it's interesting, but also because more of their life will make sense if they understand these key concepts. I'm just wondering what I'm missing when I hear people upset that we'll all have the same standards, even though each one of our students already follows *somebody's* idea of what's important. Why not have it be common to everyone? I don't feel like I'm not educating my students if I'm feeding them the Common Core Standards. It's just a slightly different set of standards. I'm really curious about this, and hope it didn't come across as defensive. Thanks in advance for your insight, Mindy On Mon, May 23, 2011 at 6:07 PM, Maureen Morrissey < maureen.morriss...@gmail.com> wrote: > Sally, > great response, I hope Kaui and others read it and it makes them think: why > did I go into teaching in the first place? To spoonfeed pap to my students > or to make a difference in their lives? To help them pass a test or to help > them develop into lifelong learners, thinkers, readers. I'm afraid we > cannot > have it both ways. It's sad to me that the question authority days are > over > and many in the profession are deferring to the powers that be. We are the > educated educators; we are the professionals who should be lifelong > learners > and reflective practicioners. We need to take back the educating of our > students, even if we have to start grassroots again like in the '80s. > Maureen >___ > Mosaic mailing list > Mosaic@literacyworkshop.org > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/ma
Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways helpful
Hmm, Meena. Are you agreeing or disagreeing with Krashen? I guess I'm wondering
what your "warning" is about?
Thanks,
Elisa
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
-Original Message-
From: Mena
Sender: mosaic-bounces+elwaingortji=cbe.ab...@literacyworkshop.org
Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 10:19:50
To:
Reply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group"
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are
always helpful
I love a dynamic conversation on Mosaic...I just have to contribute. I just
want to add a warning that the standards don't result in more attention to
testing and remove attention to learning that is "acquired and not taught" as
Krashen would say..see his ed week blog s below...
> On 5/22/2011 11:41 AM, Stephen Krashen wrote:
> > This is my comment on an ed week blog. Mary Ann Zehr reports on a paper by
> > Robert Liquanti with suggestions for ELL assessment. Mr. Liquanti's paper,
> > I argue, makes perfect sense if we assume that we LEARN academic language
> > consciously. I suggest that most of academic language is ACQUIRED. I
> > wonder if the testing community is even aware of this possibility.
> >
> > Re: Robert Linquanti, WestEd, Strengthening
> Assessment
> > Posted on: edweek blogs
> > Liquanti assumes that academic language can be
> "defined, taught and measured explicitly" (p. 16). If we
> accept this assumption, it makes sense to describe the
> trajectory of skills to be mastered ("mapping out key
> academic competencies," p. 23) and confirm that students are
> learning them using formative tests. But this
> assumption is not supported by research or
> observation. The arguments and counterevidence have
> been in the professional literature for decades: The system
> is very complex: Linguists are still struggling to describe
> "academic language" and there are no known cases in which
> people have mastered more than small amounts of academic
> language through deliberate study.
> >
> > A better hypothesis is that nearly all of academic
> language is acquired, or absorbed, the way language in
> general is acquired: Through understanding message, or
> comprehensible input. This is confirmed by studies
> that demonstrate the success of sheltered subject matter
> teaching, classes in subject matter taught in English, with
> presentations and readings made comprehensible for second
> language acquirers. This is also confirmed by studies
> showing that students acquire an enormous amount of academic
> language through extensive reading, probably the most
> powerful tool for reaching advanced levels of English
> competence. I have argued that extensive pleasure reading is
> the bridge from lower to higher levels of competence, and
> brings students to the point where many difficult texts and
> aural presentations are comprehensible.
> >
> > If even some of academic language is acquired and not
> consciously learned, we have to rethink the entire testing
> situation. If it is true, we should invest in libraries, not
> more subtle (and expensive) means of testing.
> >
> >
> - comments
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: kaui norton
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group
Sent: Mon, May 23, 2011 10:36 pm
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are
always helpful
Mahalo Melinda. I appreciate all the comments I have read regarding standards.
I never realized it was such a hot topic. I suppose, in education, we will
always have differences of opinion which, isn't necessarily a bad thing. Isn't
thinking for oneself, being an independent learner and using critical thinking
skills important concepts we try to teach our students?
For me, however, the standards are not the enemy. How we teach them is. I
don't quite understand why so many believe we cannot teach and our students
cannot learn what they need to if we teach standard based lessons? I have
never
felt my hands were tied. I still teach the same, but in a more focused manner.
I don't believe being more focused is a bad thing. I think teachers need to
really take a look at how they are teaching if they are so frustrated with what
they are teaching.
I believe, every philosophy of teaching has it's problems. There is no ONE
right way. As an educator I try to figure out ways to meet the learning types
of each of my students. Having a more specific notion of what to teach doesn't
confine me, but instead, helps me to work what I am teaching around it. I
still
use all the same strategies. I still have whole group, small group, individual
groups. I still use art, music, and P.E. to help cement the concepts they are
learning.
Again,
Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways helpful
I always agree with Krashen! :)
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: elwaingor...@cbe.ab.ca
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group
Sent: Wed, May 25, 2011 7:58 am
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards arealways
helpful
Hmm, Meena. Are you agreeing or disagreeing with Krashen? I guess I'm wondering
what your "warning" is about?
Thanks,
Elisa
Sent on the TELUS Mobility network with BlackBerry
-Original Message-
From: Mena
Sender: mosaic-bounces+elwaingortji=cbe.ab...@literacyworkshop.org
Date: Tue, 24 May 2011 10:19:50
To:
Reply-To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group"
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are
always helpful
I love a dynamic conversation on Mosaic...I just have to contribute. I just
want
to add a warning that the standards don't result in more attention to testing
and remove attention to learning that is "acquired and not taught" as Krashen
would say..see his ed week blog s below...
> On 5/22/2011 11:41 AM, Stephen Krashen wrote:
> > This is my comment on an ed week blog. Mary Ann Zehr reports on a paper by
Robert Liquanti with suggestions for ELL assessment. Mr. Liquanti's paper, I
argue, makes perfect sense if we assume that we LEARN academic language
consciously. I suggest that most of academic language is ACQUIRED. I wonder if
the testing community is even aware of this possibility.
> >
> > Re: Robert Linquanti, WestEd, Strengthening
> Assessment
> > Posted on: edweek blogs
> > Liquanti assumes that academic language can be
> "defined, taught and measured explicitly" (p. 16). If we
> accept this assumption, it makes sense to describe the
> trajectory of skills to be mastered ("mapping out key
> academic competencies," p. 23) and confirm that students are
> learning them using formative tests. But this
> assumption is not supported by research or
> observation. The arguments and counterevidence have
> been in the professional literature for decades: The system
> is very complex: Linguists are still struggling to describe
> "academic language" and there are no known cases in which
> people have mastered more than small amounts of academic
> language through deliberate study.
> >
> > A better hypothesis is that nearly all of academic
> language is acquired, or absorbed, the way language in
> general is acquired: Through understanding message, or
> comprehensible input. This is confirmed by studies
> that demonstrate the success of sheltered subject matter
> teaching, classes in subject matter taught in English, with
> presentations and readings made comprehensible for second
> language acquirers. This is also confirmed by studies
> showing that students acquire an enormous amount of academic
> language through extensive reading, probably the most
> powerful tool for reaching advanced levels of English
> competence. I have argued that extensive pleasure reading is
> the bridge from lower to higher levels of competence, and
> brings students to the point where many difficult texts and
> aural presentations are comprehensible.
> >
> > If even some of academic language is acquired and not
> consciously learned, we have to rethink the entire testing
> situation. If it is true, we should invest in libraries, not
> more subtle (and expensive) means of testing.
> >
> >
> - comments
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: kaui norton
To: Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group
Sent: Mon, May 23, 2011 10:36 pm
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Common Core - response to feeling the standards are
always
helpful
Mahalo Melinda. I appreciate all the comments I have read regarding standards.
I never realized it was such a hot topic. I suppose, in education, we will
always have differences of opinion which, isn't necessarily a bad thing. Isn't
thinking for oneself, being an independent learner and using critical thinking
skills important concepts we try to teach our students?
For me, however, the standards are not the enemy. How we teach them is. I
don't quite understand why so many believe we cannot teach and our students
cannot learn what they need to if we teach standard based lessons? I have
never
felt my hands wer
