Comments on: Article Reviews for January 28th http://dbabb.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/article-reviews-for-january-28th/ Just another Edublogs.org weblog Tue, 08 Apr 2008 01:17:43 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: jen5729 http://dbabb.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/article-reviews-for-january-28th/comment-page-1/#comment-8 jen5729 Sun, 03 Feb 2008 19:33:00 +0000 http://dbabb.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/article-reviews-for-january-28th/#comment-8 I definitely see your point about the book/movie relation. Whenever I read a book I have visions of what the people look like down to what the house they live in looks like. Sometimes it is difficult to go to a movie about a book I have read and try to change my visions that I have already comprehended in my head. Was that the author's purpose? To make me imagine certain information? Good point! We also have Open Court in our building. We have never really been told to use it and we seem to have some freedom with how we use it as well for now. That would be very frustrating to have to go ahead and let the other teacher teach in a way you do not agree with. Does she compromise at all with the situation? Is this a place where we speak out more and fight or let the other teacher go on with their plan? It is a difficult question. I definitely see your point about the book/movie relation. Whenever I read a book I have visions of what the people look like down to what the house they live in looks like. Sometimes it is difficult to go to a movie about a book I have read and try to change my visions that I have already comprehended in my head. Was that the author’s purpose? To make me imagine certain information? Good point!

We also have Open Court in our building. We have never really been told to use it and we seem to have some freedom with how we use it as well for now. That would be very frustrating to have to go ahead and let the other teacher teach in a way you do not agree with. Does she compromise at all with the situation? Is this a place where we speak out more and fight or let the other teacher go on with their plan? It is a difficult question.

]]> By: mhammer http://dbabb.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/article-reviews-for-january-28th/comment-page-1/#comment-7 mhammer Sun, 03 Feb 2008 13:52:23 +0000 http://dbabb.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/article-reviews-for-january-28th/#comment-7 I am expected to teach reading using the first grade basal readers with my special needs students. This is a problem because my action research for this degree is based on the implementation of a reader's workshop. I went to administration regarding the basal readers and I was told "tough luck -- that is what the other first grade teachers are using and that is how they are getting their grades for report cards and you need to do the same". So I have been attempting to use the basal readers 2 days out of the week (for the sake of grades) and reader's workshop the other 3 days. On the days when I work from the basal readers, my students groan and grumble and sit there disengaged and unmotivated. On the days when we have reader's workshop they are excited, motivated, and on task. As a teacher, this is the worst feeling in the world! This is the 1st school I have worked in that has "mandated" what I teach and what curriculum I teach from. I am expected to teach reading using the first grade basal readers with my special needs students. This is a problem because my action research for this degree is based on the implementation of a reader’s workshop. I went to administration regarding the basal readers and I was told “tough luck — that is what the other first grade teachers are using and that is how they are getting their grades for report cards and you need to do the same”. So I have been attempting to use the basal readers 2 days out of the week (for the sake of grades) and reader’s workshop the other 3 days. On the days when I work from the basal readers, my students groan and grumble and sit there disengaged and unmotivated. On the days when we have reader’s workshop they are excited, motivated, and on task. As a teacher, this is the worst feeling in the world! This is the 1st school I have worked in that has “mandated” what I teach and what curriculum I teach from.

]]> By: koubs1 http://dbabb.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/article-reviews-for-january-28th/comment-page-1/#comment-6 koubs1 Fri, 01 Feb 2008 14:57:23 +0000 http://dbabb.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/article-reviews-for-january-28th/#comment-6 Hi Diana! I agree with the thoughts in both of your responses. Fear seems to be a natural instinct and certainly is real for the person experiencing it so it can not be discounting. I think our responsibility as educators is to help kids get to the root of the fear or anxiety before it gets to the level of paralyzing. I also like your thoughts on the movies vs. books and that probably is the reason although I have never thought about that. We get to imagine what the characters look like and try to get into their heads but the movie lays it out for us and often our imagination is better. In response, I am sure your experience is not unlike that of many teachers. I think we have probably all at times been asked to do something we did not agree with and in each situation have to determine what we can do about it and how much we disagree with the practice drives how far we are willing to go and fight it. I also think that the thing that makes scripted programs (and possibly those who love them) so difficult is that they are so inflexible in the implementation and it is hard to find a compromise. It seems that teachers who are not up to date on current practice or confident in their teaching really support scripted programs becuase it is easy for them to stay in the box and not have to step out of their comfort zones. Hi Diana! I agree with the thoughts in both of your responses. Fear seems to be a natural instinct and certainly is real for the person experiencing it so it can not be discounting. I think our responsibility as educators is to help kids get to the root of the fear or anxiety before it gets to the level of paralyzing. I also like your thoughts on the movies vs. books and that probably is the reason although I have never thought about that. We get to imagine what the characters look like and try to get into their heads but the movie lays it out for us and often our imagination is better.
In response, I am sure your experience is not unlike that of many teachers. I think we have probably all at times been asked to do something we did not agree with and in each situation have to determine what we can do about it and how much we disagree with the practice drives how far we are willing to go and fight it. I also think that the thing that makes scripted programs (and possibly those who love them) so difficult is that they are so inflexible in the implementation and it is hard to find a compromise. It seems that teachers who are not up to date on current practice or confident in their teaching really support scripted programs becuase it is easy for them to stay in the box and not have to step out of their comfort zones.

]]> By: thinton http://dbabb.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/article-reviews-for-january-28th/comment-page-1/#comment-5 thinton Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:03:49 +0000 http://dbabb.edublogs.org/2008/01/28/article-reviews-for-january-28th/#comment-5 I thought it ironic to come across your comments about fear in Friere's letter. I have so often struggled with overcoming fear when contemplating a new direction in my life. Fear is sure enough real and it is difficult to move forward when confronted with it. For the most part, I have been a good reader. However, I must admit that some of the text in our Ed.S. program has proven to be more difficult than what I have encountered before. It has required a new way of studying and has given insight into how some of my students must feel as they strive to master the skills needed for good comprehension. Friere talks about the discipline required of the "task of studying". "Studying requires the development of rigorous discipline, which we must consciously forge in ourselves. No one can bestow or impose such discipline on someone else; the attempt implies a total lack of knowledge about the educator's role in the development of discipline." This leads to my question of how do we help our students to build that discipline innately? I thought it ironic to come across your comments about fear in Friere’s letter. I have so often struggled with overcoming fear when contemplating a new direction in my life. Fear is sure enough real and it is difficult to move forward when confronted with it. For the most part, I have been a good reader. However, I must admit that some of the text in our Ed.S. program has proven to be more difficult than what I have encountered before. It has required a new way of studying and has given insight into how some of my students must feel as they strive to master the skills needed for good comprehension. Friere talks about the discipline required of the “task of studying”. “Studying requires the development of rigorous discipline, which we must consciously forge in ourselves. No one can bestow or impose such discipline on someone else; the attempt implies a total lack of knowledge about the educator’s role in the development of discipline.” This leads to my question of how do we help our students to build that discipline innately?

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