Lori Thanks for your words of advice. Leadership doesn't have to be an administrative position...and I truly feel that we as teachers can help to change things right from where we are now...in the classroom. SO...even though I eventually may find myself in an administrative position, what I am learning has import for me now in the classroom as well. Yes, there are constructivist schools or at least pockets of constructivism around. SO...there is hope, Lori. My own instructional facilitator is nudging me in that direction even faster than my natural inclinations are taking me! So...there are good leaders out there who are not caving in to NCLB pressure and I am proud to be working for a couple of those folks. :-) I do know I am lucky though...those pockets seem to be dwindling. All the more reason for we as teachers to understand the importance of teacher leadership so that we can advocate for what is best for kids. Interestingly, I started my career by teaching the way I had been taught...in a very teacher-directed manner with the thought in my head that I needed to give my students their knowledge. As I began to learn about how to guide students to develop their own understandings...to construct their own knowledge...I have seen my own philosophy of education shift. I am not a constructivist teacher...yet...but every step I take in giving more control over the learning to my students shows me that I am heading in the right direction. The students are more engaged...and learn more...when I give up more of the control to them. I think that few of us could say that we have been taught ourselves in the way Ellin recommends. We have no examples to guide us...so it is a long journey when you have to figure this out for yourself. I will say that the college class I have just finished is probably the first one I have experienced that was taught by a true constructivist...where the professor set up reading, conversations and learning experiences and helped us to develop our own learning community. There was not one lecture the entire three credits and I learned more than just leadership in that class...LOL-I learned that when I grow up, I want to be a constructivist just like Dr. Svenning! :-) Anyway, I actually got to see, for the first time, what a constructivist environment could be for adult learners. It was fascinating and it has me thinking about what she did to set that up and what I could do to set up that same environment in my own classroom. I wonder how many of us really have seen or experienced the learning environment Ellin describes in chapter two. If you are out there...enlighten us! What are some things we can do to start developing this wonderful environment for learning that is the literacy studio? Has anyone taken some baby steps toward the studio model? What is working? What is not working? Jennifer In a message dated 10/25/2008 5:21:51 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes:
Vision, leadership, learning communities, celebration of success...those are hallmarks of a truly great school and staff...are there any constructivist schools out there given today's climate of test scores? Lori **************A Good Credit Score is 700 or Above. See yours in just 2 easy steps! (http://pr.atwola.com/promoclk/100000075x1211625659x1200715650/aol?redir=http://www.freecreditreport.com/pm/default.aspx?sc=668072&hmpgID=82&bcd=emailf ooter) _______________________________________________ Understand mailing list Understand@literacyworkshop.org http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/listinfo/understand_literacyworkshop.org
