swimmermom3 Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 How are you using MCT's Classics in the Classroom (if you use it)? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 20, 2009 Author Share Posted August 20, 2009 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Country Girl Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 :lurk5: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Colleen in SEVA Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 more :lurk5: from me :lol: I have owned it for years... and agree with it completely... but I have no idea how to put it into practice. :) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom-ninja. Posted August 20, 2009 Share Posted August 20, 2009 Ok, I've looked on the abbrevation list, and I don't see MCT. What is MCT? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Matryoshka Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 What is MCT? Michael Clay Thompson. He has an LA curriculum and a bit more at Royal Fireworks Press. I don't own Classics in the Classroom, so I can't help with the original question... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I have read Classics in the Classroom twice and am at a loss as to how to implement it. As I am with all of the MCT materials. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I was :lurk5: myself, and thinking, hmm, it can't be a very good sign if no one can say how to implement it! (I just ordered the whole MCT Town level-dd9 thought it looked like so much fun!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 more :lurk5: from me :lol: I have owned it for years... and agree with it completely... but I have no idea how to put it into practice. :) I have read Classics in the Classroom twice and am at a loss as to how to implement it. As I am with all of the MCT materials. Sigh. I was afraid of that. I am getting a handle on most of the LA products, although I'm still working on Essay Voyage. However, I'm in the same boat when it come to Classics in the Classroom. I've read it. It makes sense. Now what? I could let it go, but I think the poetics piece is going to be challenging and satisfying. So there is the nagging thought in the back of my mind, "If MCT seems to know what he's doing with the rest of it, shouldn't Classics be a great program too?" Another sigh. I was never very good at logic.:tongue_smilie: Okay. Fine. I'll go over to the MCT Yahoo group and ask.:blushing: I'm just kind of lazy and you are all so smart... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I don't think Classics in the Classroom is a book to be implemented in the way his other books are. He basically says the teacher/parent chooses 8 classics to be read and discussed in class, followed up with quizzes and essays and another 8 classics that the student chooses from a list and reads independently and then discusses informally with the parent/teacher. What to discuss with the student during the informal discussions is covered in the book. The section below was copied from the RFWP website about how to implement Classics in the Classroom. Students should read an extensive list of classic works that are the common experience of educated individuals in the world. The in-class titles are great books that are assigned, and that are evaluated with quizzes and essay tests. The student should perceive most books as being hard to read, i.e., challenging. We tend to assign everything, but students need choice. The outside classics are chosen by the student with guidance. They are designed to double the reading quantity and to give students a reader’s-- rather than a student’s-- experience. They are therefore best evaluated with amiable conversations, book talks. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 I don't think Classics in the Classroom is a book to be implemented in the way his other books are. He basically says the teacher/parent chooses 8 classics to be read and discussed in class, followed up with quizzes and essays and another 8 classics that the student chooses from a list and reads independently and then discusses informally with the parent/teacher.What to discuss with the student during the informal discussions is covered in the book. The section below was copied from the RFWP website about how to implement Classics in the Classroom. Students should read an extensive list of classic works that are the common experience of educated individuals in the world. The in-class titles are great books that are assigned, and that are evaluated with quizzes and essay tests. The student should perceive most books as being hard to read, i.e., challenging. We tend to assign everything, but students need choice. The outside classics are chosen by the student with guidance. They are designed to double the reading quantity and to give students a reader’s-- rather than a student’s-- experience. They are therefore best evaluated with amiable conversations, book talks. Melissa, I remember reading that and thinking that it sounds so simple. Then I started trying to apply it to the schedule with my ds (11) who is studying ancient history this year. I start falling apart.:tongue_smilie: Okay so I need, 8 classic books. We are reading Rosemary Sutcliff's versions of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Does that count? I figure Death of Socrates counts but does Geraldine McCaughrean's Gilgamesh, the Hero count? How about D'Auliere's Book of Greek Myths? Do children's versions of classics work? Then I would need to find online either tests or quizzes for each one? Maybe my problem is I have planned myself into a stupor this year and just want a nice schedule all layed out. This probably really is as simple as it looks.:blush: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I'm probably not the one to ask. Personally, I took a much broader interpretation figuring he was writing more to school teachers and not parents. My interpretation: Read lots of classics and discuss about half of them in-depth, leaving the other half to be simply enjoyed by the student. We do that! :D I don't use quizzes since I can have one-on-one discussions and know my child is reading the book. We do have some writing assignments that go along with literature. I also use a literature curriculum with my oldest dd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vida Winter Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 I like to use it as a book list. When I first received it I made a small pencil mark by the books we already owned, and a check mark by the ones we've read. It's a very good list, but I can't say I'd expect to get much more out of it than any other book list on the internet -- it's simply reference material. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 I'm probably not the one to ask. Personally, I took a much broader interpretation figuring he was writing more to school teachers and not parents. My interpretation: Read lots of classics and discuss about half of them in-depth, leaving the other half to be simply enjoyed by the student. We do that! :D I don't use quizzes since I can have one-on-one discussions and know my child is reading the book. We do have some writing assignments that go along with literature. I also use a literature curriculum with my oldest dd. Melissa, that's pretty much the approach I take now. I have Lightning Lit and we did some of that last year. I don't have a lot of it scheduled this year. Can I ask what you are using for literary analysis. I think your oldest is the same age as my youngest. I saw the Excellence in Lit in your sig. Isn't that for high school? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melissa B Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Melissa, that's pretty much the approach I take now. I have Lightning Lit and we did some of that last year. I don't have a lot of it scheduled this year. Can I ask what you are using for literary analysis. I think your oldest is the same age as my youngest. I saw the Excellence in Lit in your sig. Isn't that for high school? I think the website says Excellence in Literature I is meant for 8th grade and up. But, it also says that the requirements are that the student is reading at a high school level and has a good grasp of grammar and writing. The program is basically reading books, reading context material surrounding the books, discussing books (optional) and writing about the books. There isn't anything else to it. My dd is a strong reader and wanted to read more challenging works. She wasn't interested in lit programs with comprehension questions, vocabulary pages, word puzzles, etc. and neither was I. EIL has been a great program. We tested it out last spring and it has been a wonderful fit for us, but I wouldn't have tried it this early with a child that wasn't interested in literature and excited about the program. We are going much slower than the schedule. The schedule suggests one focus book and one additional book (usually by the same author) for honors to be completed in each unit. Our plan is to read both those and one more, but we will spend at least twice the suggested time on each unit. So, she will finish up level two as she enters high school. Here's the list of readings for level one (as noted on her website): Unit 1: Short Stories by- • Sarah Orne Jewett • Edgar Allen Poe • Guy de Maupassant • O. Henry • Eudora Welty • James Thurber Unit 2: Jules Verne • Around the World in 80 Days Unit 3: Mark Twain • A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court Unit 4: Charlotte Bronte • Jane Eyre Unit 5: George B. Shaw • Pygmalion Unit 6: Robert Louis Stevenson • Treasure Island Unit 7: George Orwell • Animal Farm Unit 8: William Shakespeare • The Tempest Unit 9: Jonathan Swift • Gulliver’s Travels Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
radiobrain Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 (edited) I was :lurk5: myself, and thinking, hmm, it can't be a very good sign if no one can say how to implement it! (I just ordered the whole MCT Town level-dd9 thought it looked like so much fun!) Don't worry about it! The "regular" LA curriculum is different. MCT does things a bit differently, but it is so worth it! I am sure when you get your town level stuff you will say... "what...??!!" but seriously.... once you really look at it and don't freak out about how it should be "scheduled" you will do fine! I would say that any MCT component should be penciled in just as "grammar town" or "Caesar's English 1" then write down how far you got in it that day. Some days will be only a few pages (with a LOT of discussion) and others will be like 30 pages. Remember that the first book is grammar town *then* you go to Paragraph town, and you start CE as soon as you want. Poetics can also be anywhere. Sorry for the implementation of Town.... just didn't want you to get discouraged while reading a thread about a different MCT product. :) Edited August 21, 2009 by radiobrain spelling Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EKS Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Another issue I have with Classics in the Classroom is that his list of books is organized by author instead of by level. So to find titles for my 7yo I have to search through a list with titles ranging from K level to adult *and* I have to be able to recognize titles that would be appropriate for him. This is fine for books I already know about, but then, I wouldn't need a list for that. If it was divided up into even just three levels it would be very helpful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nmoira Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 (edited) Melissa, I remember reading that and thinking that it sounds so simple. Then I started trying to apply it to the schedule with my ds (11) who is studying ancient history this year. I start falling apart.:tongue_smilie: Okay so I need, 8 classic books. We are reading Rosemary Sutcliff's versions of the Iliad and the Odyssey. Does that count? I figure Death of Socrates counts but does Geraldine McCaughrean's Gilgamesh, the Hero count? How about D'Auliere's Book of Greek Myths? Do children's versions of classics work?We're still not doing formal literature studies, but I've found Classics in the Classroom useful for those times that DD the Elder is eager to discuss something she has read. It shifted my mindset a bit, made me more willing to listen rather than direct the conversation. It's a quick read, and I review it every few months. Assuming you're talking about your 11 year old, for literature studies I'd be inclined to choose classic children's literature instead of retellings, no matter how good the retellings: E. Nesbit, Lewis Carroll, Kipling, Twain, etc. Ambleside Online has some fantastic literature lists, sorted by year. I intend to pick certain works for in depth study and have a list of acceptable books for the "home" reading requirement. Mr. Thompson is adamant that discussion should not be required of all books. That's not to say I think retellings (of myths, legends, epics, etc.) don't have a place in literature studies; of course they do, but IMHO they should not substitute for age appropriate original works. Edited August 21, 2009 by nmoira clarification Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HappyGrace Posted August 21, 2009 Share Posted August 21, 2009 Thanks, Radiobrain-I will not get discouraged-I've read every thread on here about MCT LA and most of the yahoo group too! And the pdf on the site about the order to do them. I think I have a feel for it. It's more loosey-goosey than I'm used to, but I think that will be a great fit for dd! I plan to do exactly what you said-pick up the book each day and do some and let our discussion/interest lead the pace. Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swimmermom3 Posted August 21, 2009 Author Share Posted August 21, 2009 Melissa, thanks for the rundown on Excellence in Lit. I've received Janice Campbell's newsletters for a while. I used LL 7 & 8 with a 5th grader so I don't know why I didn't think I could use Intro. to Lit with a 6th grader at a slower pace. I'll have to think on that. For some reason, maybe because I am seriously "in like" with the rest of MCT's materials, I want to be able to apply his philosophy to lit too. Don't worry about it! The "regular" LA curriculum is different. MCT does things a bit differently, but it is so worth it! I am sure when you get your town level stuff you will say... "what...??!!" but seriously.... once you really look at it and don't freak out about how it should be "scheduled" you will do fine! I would say that any MCT component should be penciled in just as "grammar town" or "Caesar's English 1" then write down how far you got in it that day. Some days will be only a few pages (with a LOT of discussion) and others will be like 30 pages. Remember that the first book is grammar town *then* you go to Paragraph town, and you start CE as soon as you want. Poetics can also be anywhere. Sorry for the implementation of Town.... just didn't want you to get discouraged while reading a thread about a different MCT product. :) Radiobrain, your glowing review about MCT is one of the reasons I purchased his whole program (even though I already had what I needed for the year:tongue_smilie:). We're still not doing formal literature studies, but I've found Classics in the Classroom useful for those times that DD the Elder is eager to discuss something she has read. It shifted my mindset a bit, made me more willing to listen rather than direct the conversation. It's a quick read, and I review it every few months. Assuming you're talking about your 11 year old, for literature studies I'd be inclined to choose classic children's literature instead of retellings, no matter how good the retellings: E. Nesbit, Lewis Carroll, Kipling, Twain, etc. Ambleside Online has some fantastic literature lists, sorted by year. I intend to pick certain works for in depth study and have a list of acceptable books for the "home" reading requirement. Mr. Thompson is adamant that discussion should not be required of all books. That's not to say I think retellings don't have a place in literature studies; of course they do, but IMHO they should not substitute for age appropriate original works. Thanks for your input on this. I think I will stick with two of the retellings, like Caesar's Gallic War by Coolidge and change out some of the others for age appropriate original works. We have a heavy work load this year, so I'm wondering if we read original works, discuss them (or not), write a couple short papers and cover some literary terms, would that be enough for literary analysis? Thanks, Radiobrain-I will not get discouraged-I've read every thread on here about MCT LA and most of the yahoo group too! And the pdf on the site about the order to do them. I think I have a feel for it. It's more loosey-goosey than I'm used to, but I think that will be a great fit for dd! I plan to do exactly what you said-pick up the book each day and do some and let our discussion/interest lead the pace. Thanks! HappyGrace, the more I go over the materials, the more I love them. However, the "loosey-goosey" approach is just right for this particular ds and myself.:D Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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