Dumb educational trends

[Charles Wallace]

Lack of critical thinking about technology use. In other words, if it has an electronic aspect, then it must be better than the older model (whether that was books or teacher led groups or something else).

 

I think of the many hours of time waste on a computer that was time not spent with a book or with a microscope or a magnifying glass.

 

I'm not against using computers. I do think that we tend to accept junk just because it is delivered via a computer.

 

Oh, no kidding!

 

My dd recently took a for-fun online class where they were supposed to be studying XYZ subject. One of the first things the teacher asked them to do was to create some kind of computer-based animation thing illustrating some aspect of XYZ. This took FOR. EVER.

 

I have this little calculus in my head: Time invested {in relation to } content learned. The more the first part goes up, the more the second part had better go up too. She learned *zilch* about XYZ. She learned a lot about the computer-based animation thing. Now mind you, if this had been a computer animation class, then great! However, it was not; it was an XYZ class.

 

I'd love -- LOVE -- to see some data measuring this idea: Let's say two academically comparable kids are given PDQ data. Who knows what it could be -- nonsense words, Merovingian history...something not many people have existing knowledge of. One kid invests time in creating a project (a PowerPoint, a computer animation thing, whatever) to demonstrate her knowledge. The other child spends an exactly equal time learning the material through "ol-school" methodologies: rote memorization, repetition, reading about it, discussion.

 

Then test them.

Then test them a week later.

Then test them a month from now.

 

I would love, like I said, to see who performed better.

[Charles Wallace]

Open classrooms

Heterogeneous grouping for everything

Group projects

Hostility towards writing

Whole language

Reform math

Self esteem training

Emphasis on creative writing

*Meaningless time intensive projects

 

I had open classrooms in 5th and 6th grade. Awful.

 

One of those years we did a self paced math curriculum. I finished it early in the year and then had nothing to do for math for months. We also spent a lot of time learning non-base ten bases, and the teacher clearly didn't get it. I liked it, although it was a huge waste of time.

 

 

*Example of meaningless time intensive project: My dd13 is in public school this year. They are currently doing a unit on poetry. They aren't learning about any poets, or reading classic or well known poetry. Instead, they wrote 10 original poems. For one of these poems, instead of writing it out on paper or the computer, they were to search magazines for the words, cut the words out, and paste them on a piece of paper. So far my dd has spent at least three hours on this ridiculous cut and paste job, because it's hard to find words like "smashing" and "tidbit" in a magazine. The teacher told them if they couldn't find the actual word, they could cut out individual letters and spell it that way. :banghead:

 

Speaking as a public school teacher who is currently doing a unit on poetry, this makes me want to :banghead: even more, so I will: :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

 

This kind of thing makes me just want to tear my hair out. Seriously. People like that are the reason many of my kids know almost nothing.

 

If it makes you feel any better, here is what we did today:

 

1. Reviewed the concept of iambic pentameter by getting up and "stamping out" the iambic pentameter rhythm on the floor.

 

2. Reviewed alliteration, consonance, and assonance by having a quick oral (ungraded) quiz.

 

3. Had an informal contest to see which group could find the most evidence for devices of sound in two poems -- neither one in English. (Sound being universal, you don't have to understand what the words mean in order to hear alliteration, for example...and I've found that when you literally cannot understand the words' meanings, you "hear" the word for what it is in a way you don't do when it's already in your vocabulary.)

 

4. Students defended their answers by referencing specific words in the poem and identifying the correct devices of sound those words used.

 

Oh, and other than the poem they're required to memorize, they don't have any homework.

 

It's not all fluff. I swear.

[Charles Wallace]

 

My other pet peeve: Invented (or "Creative") Spelling

 

i thik thats pelled kre8v.:D

 

Don't make me spell right!!! YOU WILL CRUSH MY SOOOOOUUUULLLLL!

 

MY PAIN, LET ME SHOW U IT.

[LauraGB]

i thik thats pelled kre8v.:D

 

Don't make me spell right!!! YOU WILL CRUSH MY SOOOOOUUUULLLLL!

 

MY PAIN, LET ME SHOW U IT.

 

I wish I could laugh at this (because it would be pretty funny). I have nieces and nephews who spell like this into high school. Nothing to be done, you see, because "the schools knows best". :glare:

 

So, yeah :iagree: Creative Spelling is an atrocious joke.

[Charles Wallace]

4. Including pop-culture in schools. I start shivering with cold rage when I see children dealing with Harry Potter and hip hop in schools, as if they didn't have enough of that in their free time.

5. Exclusion of the study of classics from most schools. You know, education is a system, you can't really exclude culturally significant fields as you feel like.

 

 

I could not agree more. Oh, don't go to Teachers.net and read the Language Arts boards. Seriously. I went there today and someone was asking, "Where can I get lesson plans for The Lovely Bones"?

 

Srsly? The Lovely Bones?

 

To what class are you going to be teaching this schlocky exercise in sentimentalism -- one that features a child being raped and murdered, no less?

 

You mean to tell me there was nothing -- not ONE book -- that had greater intellectual, literary, or cultural value? Not one?

6. Project-based learning.

7. Shift of focus from text to image and "non-verbal learning" and other ridiculous concepts which are only an excuse to read less and, consequently, think less.

 

YES. I completely agree. Possibly you need to add "grade less" to that as well.

 

14. "All opinions on all subjects are legitimate. You have no grounds to claim what you claim, you can't argument your claims, but hey, that's okay cause it's alllll eeeequal buuut diiiiferent". PC. ****ed PC.

 

 

 

Yeah, I'm heartily sick of that one. Sorry, but 2+2=4. Water freezes at 0 degrees Celcius at sea level. A circle contains 360 degrees. The first words in Hamlet are "Who's there?" Those are not a matter of opinion; they are facts. Opinions unsupported by facts? They might as well be coming out of the mouth's other end.

[Guest]

could find the most evidence for devices of sound in two poems -- neither one in English. (Sound being universal, you don't have to understand what the words mean in order to hear alliteration, for example...and I've found that when you literally cannot understand the words' meanings, you "hear" the word for what it is in a way you don't do when it's already in your vocabulary.)

 

We've done the stamping out of meter, but I love this idea about onomatopoeia and sound devices in other languages. Could you pretty please point me toward the ones you used? I'd really like to try it with my daughter.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Speaking as a public school teacher who is currently doing a unit on poetry, this makes me want to :banghead: even more, so I will: :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

 

This kind of thing makes me just want to tear my hair out. Seriously. People like that are the reason many of my kids know almost nothing.

 

If it makes you feel any better, here is what we did today:

 

1. Reviewed the concept of iambic pentameter by getting up and "stamping out" the iambic pentameter rhythm on the floor.

 

2. Reviewed alliteration, consonance, and assonance by having a quick oral (ungraded) quiz.

 

3. Had an informal contest to see which group could find the most evidence for devices of sound in two poems -- neither one in English. (Sound being universal, you don't have to understand what the words mean in order to hear alliteration, for example...and I've found that when you literally cannot understand the words' meanings, you "hear" the word for what it is in a way you don't do when it's already in your vocabulary.)

 

4. Students defended their answers by referencing specific words in the poem and identifying the correct devices of sound those words used.

 

Oh, and other than the poem they're required to memorize, they don't have any homework.

 

It's not all fluff. I swear.

 

Oh my, can you make a you tube video teaching and demonstrating those aspects of poetry? I had this material at a prep school, but I always had trouble figuring out the rhythm and such since I am a bit musically challenged;) I know that I would be tickled pink if I had some videos to help me teach my ds some of these materials:001_smile:.

Edited April 10, 2010 by priscilla

[Spy Car]

Speaking as a public school teacher who is currently doing a unit on poetry, this makes me want to :banghead: even more, so I will: :banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead::banghead:

 

This kind of thing makes me just want to tear my hair out. Seriously. People like that are the reason many of my kids know almost nothing.

 

If it makes you feel any better, here is what we did today:

 

1. Reviewed the concept of iambic pentameter by getting up and "stamping out" the iambic pentameter rhythm on the floor.

 

2. Reviewed alliteration, consonance, and assonance by having a quick oral (ungraded) quiz.

 

3. Had an informal contest to see which group could find the most evidence for devices of sound in two poems -- neither one in English. (Sound being universal, you don't have to understand what the words mean in order to hear alliteration, for example...and I've found that when you literally cannot understand the words' meanings, you "hear" the word for what it is in a way you don't do when it's already in your vocabulary.)

 

4. Students defended their answers by referencing specific words in the poem and identifying the correct devices of sound those words used.

 

Oh, and other than the poem they're required to memorize, they don't have any homework.

 

It's not all fluff. I swear.

 

Have you taken a look at the Michael Clay Thompson poetry materials?

 

Bill

[Charles Wallace]

We've done the stamping out of meter, but I love this idea about onomatopoeia and sound devices in other languages. Could you pretty please point me toward the ones you used? I'd really like to try it with my daughter.

 

Gladly!

 

1. The first eleven lines of Beowulf

This is great for understanding patterns of alliteration -- your student may see that there tend to be three to four sounds alliterated per line (e.g., "Monegum maegthum meodsetla ofteah..." and may see that two tend to come before the caesura (the pause or break).

 

2. "Cancion del Jinete," by Federico Garcia Lorca

Overall, assonance is crucial here -- the "ah" sound particularly. Repetition may also be identified.

 

Hope that helps!

[Charles Wallace]

Have you taken a look at the Michael Clay Thompson poetry materials?

 

Bill

 

No -- any one in particular you'd recommend?

[SproutMamaK]

i thik thats pelled kre8v.:D

 

Don't make me spell right!!! YOU WILL CRUSH MY SOOOOOUUUULLLLL!

 

MY PAIN, LET ME SHOW U IT.

 

Okay, I literally (and I do mean literally, not "literally") laughed out loud.

[NoPlaceLikeHome]

Gladly!

 

1. The first eleven lines of Beowulf

This is great for understanding patterns of alliteration -- your student may see that there tend to be three to four sounds alliterated per line (e.g., "Monegum maegthum meodsetla ofteah..." and may see that two tend to come before the caesura (the pause or break).

 

2. "Cancion del Jinete," by Federico Garcia Lorca

Overall, assonance is crucial here -- the "ah" sound particularly. Repetition may also be identified.

 

Hope that helps!

 

I am very serious Charles:) You should consider poetry and language arts You Tube videos similar to the Khan Academy videos:) I know I would subscribe since it is always nice to give someone else's perspective especially when you find meter challenging;)

[Guest Cindie2dds]

Mine is the opposite of most. I regret that they taught us metric conversions and then got rid of it. I use metric at work and it is soooo much easier than American conversions. So much of the world is learning the American language why can't we give up our silly 16/16ths=1in 12in=1ft=1/3 of a yard. BLAHHHH. :confused:

 

Metric makes soooo much more sense! If it wouldn't have been such a disservice to my own kids, I would have taught them metric only and tossed American conversions.

 

I agree! I remember we had speed limit signs in both to help the conversion go smoothly. My parents pointed it out and we would do math conversions in the car, then, poof! It just disappeared one day. What happened?

[Spy Car]

No -- any one in particular you'd recommend?

 

This is a 6 part poetics program (which are one component part of the larger MCT language arts program).

 

I have not used these (yet) and know them only through the samples, and the marvelous reviews from parents on this forum. People talking about their youngster discussing "eye-rhymes" and assonance and consonance, and meter (in the elementary school years). MCT uses "real" poetry as examples and the depth seems quite impressive.

 

I'm looking forward with great anticipation to using this program with my son, but he is 5 and we still have a few years to go before then.

 

I was just struck that some of the things you've mentioned in this thread make me think your teaching style is very sympathetic with the MCT approach.

 

Here is a link to a page with the samples. I think you will enjoy them.

 

http://www.rfwp.com/series36.htm#575

 

Bill

[FlockOfSillies]

<hanging head in shame> My mother was the reason my school started having McDonald's Days. A couple of times I forgot my lunch, and since we only lived half a block from school, she'd drop it off to me at the side gate. OR, worse yet, she'd make a hot lunch at home and bring it to me. It was SO embarrassing. Eventually the school instituted McDonald's Day so the other kids wouldn't feel bad about not having a hot lunch.

[Jean in Newcastle]

The one dumb educational trend that my college prep school picked up was discovery science in 7th and 8th grade. My partner and I did all the experiments, carefully wrote down all the data and then because our experiments never worked, didn't learn a thing! No one ever came afterward to tell us how it was supposed to work and why.

[Charles Wallace]

This is a 6 part poetics program (which are one component part of the larger MCT language arts program).

 

I have not used these (yet) and know them only through the samples, and the marvelous reviews from parents on this forum. People talking about their youngster discussing "eye-rhymes" and assonance and consonance, and meter (in the elementary school years). MCT uses "real" poetry as examples and the depth seems quite impressive.

 

I'm looking forward with great anticipation to using this program with my son, but he is 5 and we still have a few years to go before then.

 

I was just struck that some of the things you've mentioned in this thread make me think your teaching style is very sympathetic with the MCT approach.

 

Here is a link to a page with the samples. I think you will enjoy them.

 

http://www.rfwp.com/series36.htm#575

 

Bill

 

Thanks!!!

[TXMary2]

Everybody is a winner, gets a trophy, gets a ribbon thing really bugs me. Life is full of competition so let's just let the kids realize that and deal with it. Also, not using red ink to correct papers because it might make kids feel bad about themselves. Who comes up with this stuff?:tongue_smilie:

[TXMary2]

before the caesura (the pause or break).

!

 

Sadly, the only reason I know what "caesura" means is because I saw the movie "Eddie and the Cruisers." LOL

[JumpedIntoTheDeepEndFirst]

Self-taught, self-paced spelling in elementary school. (Yes, your student "partner" would quiz you-no teacher supervision.)

 

Self-taught, self-paced grammar in high school. (You corrected yourself and had no explanation/supervision/grades.)

[FairProspects]

Block scheduling

(okay, admittedly good for science, catastrophic for world languages and math)

 

Mandantory subject blocks

(60 min literacy block, 30 min math block, 30 min. circle time, 30 min. "specials" = 0 min recess for K'ers)

 

State standardized tests

 

Alternative diplomas

(Certificate of Initial Mastery & Certificate of Advanced Mastery - Oregonians might remember these :lol:)

 

Portfolios

(someone actually thought colleges would prefer to read these over transcripts :D)

 

Senior projects

(because regular coursework and college/scholarship essays aren't enough work; we need to force volunteerism too)

[stephanie78]

File Cabinet Math- This was a file cabinet of Math packets (run off worksheets stapled together) that got progressively more difficult. The idea was that everyone could work at their own pace through the cabinet. Great in theory, but there was never any instruction. I have to hear something and then try it to get it to stick. So, I would get most of it wrong and then the teacher would circle my incorrect answers and give the packet back. I was not expected to redo it, nor was it ever explained to me. I could have answered each problem with a smile face and it would have been the same.

 

I had actually forgotten about it but that was how I was taught math my third grade year! I didn't remember it until you mentioned it. It was awful!

[Charles Wallace]

Sadly, the only reason I know what "caesura" means is because I saw the movie "Eddie and the Cruisers." LOL

 

That's okay, Mary. That same movie is where I first learned about Rimbaud.:D

[lauracolumbus]

This is a 6 part poetics program (which are one component part of the larger MCT language arts program).

 

I have not used these (yet) and know them only through the samples, and the marvelous reviews from parents on this forum. People talking about their youngster discussing "eye-rhymes" and assonance and consonance, and meter (in the elementary school years). MCT uses "real" poetry as examples and the depth seems quite impressive.

 

I'm looking forward with great anticipation to using this program with my son, but he is 5 and we still have a few years to go before then.

 

I was just struck that some of the things you've mentioned in this thread make me think your teaching style is very sympathetic with the MCT approach.

 

Here is a link to a page with the samples. I think you will enjoy them.

 

http://www.rfwp.com/series36.htm#575

 

Bill

 

I agree. I attended most of MCT's sessions at the Midwest Homeschool Convention I feel like I got a crash course in poetry at his poetics session. For the first time I am looking forward to covering Shakespeare and great poets w/my dc.

 

Laura

[lauracolumbus]

I was put in a speech therapy program in the early 70s b/c it was a new program. My speech problem was caused by my move from Ohio to NYC. I guess I spoke hick. Fortunately, I was allowed to skip it eventually. They also originally put me in one of the lower levels of class b/c of my accent.

 

Laura

[Sahamamama]

4. Including pop-culture in schools. I start shivering with cold rage when I see children dealing with Harry Potter and hip hop in schools, as if they didn't have enough of that in their free time.

 

 

:iagree:And encouraging students to "build reading fluency" with Junie B. Jones. :001_huh:

[kalanamak]

Urdu has some amazing poetry, and is commonly spoken by subcontinent natives living in the US. Try getting one to make a recording of a, e.g. love poem vs. a political poem in Urdu. Not only is the language beautiful, many, many beautiful sounding poems have been written in it. I used to listen to my ex read his father's and other's Urdu language poetry, and I learned to pick up the topic by the sound of the words.

[Sara R]

How about writing personal response essays? We had to do these for grade twelve departamentals.

 

I had to do this in ed school as well. They called them "reflection papers," and they were basically glorified journal entries. Supposedly you became a better teacher by "reflecting" on the ideas you learned in class. In reality I think it was because my ed school peers were incapable of writing a genuine research paper. They struggled with the reflection papers.

[woolybear]

Some of these responses are so interesting to me. I don't remember anything that unusual. Then again, I don't remember much of my early school days!

 

My junior high was rebuilt in the 70's. Every classroom had a wall that could be folded back to make two classrooms into one. I don't remember that ever being used. They just kept them as single classrooms with one strange wall.

 

Woolybear

[woolybear]

:lol:This is actually cracking me up. That anyone would've thought this would help kids learn to read is just beyond ridiculous. I can't believe everyone else didn't laugh at him too.

 

 

I was one of the guinea pigs in this this ridiculous, horrible reading "experiment". Thankfully I was transferred out of this 1st grade class and placed in the top track where words were normal. I could already read and this made me cry every day. I mean, honestly, WTH?

 

 

The Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA)

The Initial Teaching Alphabet (ITA) spelling system was designed by Sir James Pitman (grandson of the man who devised shorthand) to help young children learn to read more quickly.

 

There are 44 characters in the Initial Teaching Alphabet...

 

It uses the 26 letters of the Roman alphabet and another 14 characters to represent sounds such as "oo" and "th". Sentences written in ITA are all in lower case.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ITA was introduced into selected schools in England in 1961. Both the children (and their parents!) had to master the use of the expanded alphabet in all of their schoolwork. Of course, ITA was only was only an interim solution to reading and writing and consequently, after the age of seven, the proper alphabet had to be learnt!

 

Many 'learning to read' books were produced in ITA and a popular series was 'The Downing Readers".

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Haiku]

 

• The idea that the state has to educate you no matter how much you don't want to be there and screw things up for everyone else
  

 

 

Tara

[Pippen]

No Child Left Behind. Increasingly it's all about the test scores.

 

We're seeing frequent changes or adjustments in curriculum--especially language arts--in order to address test scores. We're talking major, expensive changes like our middle schools adopting a new textbook two years ago, adding an extra section of LA for all students this year (which was needed because they weren't doing any writing), and now considering a new districtwide reading curriculum where all classrooms are on the same page each day, because test scores at one of the middle schools are low. Lots of money, lots of training time/$, and lots of teachers teaching outside of their subject area. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that schools with limited budgets couldn't shift resources to one group without harming another.

 

Elementary schools here with at risk populations have shifted attention to struggling populations at the expense of stronger students. Our gifted program is all but gone, they've gone to full inclusion for special ed, and curricula selection is based almost entirely on meeting the needs of the weaker students. I'm all for helping struggling students, but the pendulum has swung far where I live and it's really hurting the good students.

 

Maybe this is just my state, but you should hear the stories teachers are telling me about how the state goes about identifying "highly qualified" teachers in order to meet NCLB standards. One middle school teacher I know has a master's degree in math education and isn't certified in our state based on missing an adolescent psychology class in college, but according to the state criteria she is highly qualified. In contrast, her two undergraduate classes in English were enough to certify her and she will be highly qualified once she's taught middle school LA for a year.

Edited April 25, 2010 by Pippen

[woolybear]

My favroite memory of open classrooms is from 5th grade. All the students would sit in the middle of open space while the four teachers in our unit would yell at us to wear deodorant because we all made the area smell terrible. This happened every Wednsday afternnon. I think it was part of social studies!

 

I am extremely aware of odor to.this.day!!!

 

 

No way!!:001_huh:

[woolybear]

I had the same French teacher for 8th and 9th grades. She used to say, "It's Friday, who wants to work on Friday?"

 

She would turn off the lights, lie down on the windowsill, and put on some ethereal music. Then she proceeded to lead us in guided visualization and meditation exercises. So much for learning French. :glare:

 

I had a Spanish teacher in high school who would say in her nasaly voice, "I've got my period today. I don't want to do anything." Ummm....are you kidding? Yuck, I so didn't want to know that. And why is that an excuse for not doing anything? Especially the teacher.

 

Oh, I can't believe all the memories you guys are bringing back. I think I blocked a lot of this out before.:eek:

[woolybear]

I think journals *can* be a good thing to help ones writing. However, I can't tell you how many journal entries I wrote in numerous journals the night before they were due. Pointless. I didn't want to keep a journal for my teacher to read.

[kathkath]

This is one reason why I wanted to hs. The thought of it kills me. My ds is extremely creative and can give excellent oral narrations, but OMG if someone asked him to do that I think he would hide under the table for the next 12 years. It would traumatize him. The K moms around here are thrilled with it and use it as an example of how "advanced" the K programs are. I hold my tounge instead of ranting about how a child can possibly be expected to do something that they have not yet learned to do.

 

To *write* at that level can refer to drawing a picture as well, and I imagine the teacher explained that.

[Guest eneal15]

And this starts in K when the kids have to "journal". One school called it "kidspell". ugh

 

 

Actually KidWriting is very powerful! Students come into Kindergarten with a range in abilities; some can write small words others can't even hold a pencil. In the beginning years, it is very important to acknowledge the attempts of writing text. Teachers do NOT just let students KidWrite everyday and move on. What you are missing in your quote is the lesson that taught BEFORE the writing attempt. I use KidWriting DAILY and my nonwriters at the beginning of the year were writing fictional stories and nonfiction reports by the end. I wish that teachers got the respect that we deserve. I work hard everyday devoting all of my extra time to teaching, and I know that I do a phenomenal job of educating the many students that cross my path! I just wish people like you guys saw that.

[Haiku]

I work hard everyday devoting all of my extra time to teaching, and I know that I do a phenomenal job of educating the many students that cross my path! I just wish people like you guys saw that.

 

Interestingly, as a homeschooling mom, I would say the exact same thing to the schools.

 

Tara

[FaithManor]

OKay, I have a new trend that the hive hasn't mentioned yet....In our county, most of the high schools are getting rid of their labs! Yes siree, you can't test lab skills or most of what's learned by doing labs on a standardized test so apparently, there just isn't any other reason to have them! The teacher in me just wants to puke.

 

My personal favorite from childhood, was the "lecture on bullying" in which all of the honor roll students were taken to the library and told by the principal that the best way to avoid bullying was to let our grades drop, not participate in class, and try to appear less nerdy by acting dumb! As you can imagine, he was a real winner of an administrator.

 

Oh and we had "reading groups". If you were in group 1, you didn't get any attention because you already functioned at or above grade level so you just played around at your desk during reading time. Group 2 got some attention. Group 3 got the most but since the only reading aloud done in school time was done during your reading group, that meant that the only thing the students of group 3 heard were people who were stumbling over the same words. It didn't take long for us third grade group 1'ers to figure out that group 3 would never be able to sound out certain words correctly because THEY NEVER HEARD THEM CORRECTLY! Stupidity. However, those of us in groups 1 and 2 had great fun writing messages to each other instead of learning something.

 

Wait! There is another one....students correcting each other's work. We always had to pass our papers to the person behind us and the person behind me in 5th and 6th grade was the kind of child who was so obnoxious that he should been kept gagged and caged. So, he would always deliberately mark everything wrong and the teacher would have to re-grade my assignments anyway. Red pen all over every assignment and lude cartoons drawn in the margins, usually anatomically correct. I hated taking my work home to my parents. One day, my dad blew his top and had a long talk with the principal. He ended the policy of allowing students to correct work.

 

Faith

[ereks mom]

:D

[SusanAR]

My older dc( 30 and 28) learned to read (well I afterschooled:001_smile::001_smile: with phonics, and THAT is how they learned to read) using METRA reading in ps in the 80's UGH! MIND NUMBING!!

[kalanamak]

SRA reading.

 

 

I thought that was supposed to be one of the better ones, but I was reading about SRA from way back when. I read about it when I was researching curriculum. I'd love to hear your beef.

[kalanamak]

:D

 

I did, too! Remember the nature stories and the colored folders you read, and worked your way up the colors?

[angela in ohio]

And this starts in K when the kids have to "journal". One school called it "kidspell". ugh

 

 

Actually KidWriting is very powerful! Students come into Kindergarten with a range in abilities; some can write small words others can't even hold a pencil. In the beginning years, it is very important to acknowledge the attempts of writing text. Teachers do NOT just let students KidWrite everyday and move on. What you are missing in your quote is the lesson that taught BEFORE the writing attempt. I use KidWriting DAILY and my nonwriters at the beginning of the year were writing fictional stories and nonfiction reports by the end. I wish that teachers got the respect that we deserve. I work hard everyday devoting all of my extra time to teaching, and I know that I do a phenomenal job of educating the many students that cross my path! I just wish people like you guys saw that.

 

We can respect your efforts as a teacher while still completely disagreeing with your methods. :001_smile:

[jewellsmommy]

I went to elementary school in the 80s. I never memorized basic arithmetic. I counted on my fingers. No one bothered to tell me otherwise, or to show me otherwise. When I taught 4th grade about 10 years ago, the school was using something called "Touch Math". It was awful, just like counting on your fingers- but with dots and this cute little template taped to your desk. Had I just been encouraged to memorize it, I would've been better served. Thankfully, my 3rd grade teacher insisted I learned my multiplication tables.

 

 

Interesting to see this. I have been reading about teaching a child that is right brain dominant and it recommends this touch math technique.

[Jean in Newcastle]

I thought that was supposed to be one of the better ones, but I was reading about SRA from way back when. I read about it when I was researching curriculum. I'd love to hear your beef.

 

Pros - it allowed individualization in the classroom where kids could work through the levels on their own.

 

Cons - It isn't any better or worse than any graded reading program. It uses a multiple choice or fill in the blank approach. It isn't evil - just not as good as reading living books and interacting directly with them through narration and discussion.

 

https://www.sraonline.com/download/SRAReadingLabs/SampleLessons/The%20Story%20of%20CinderellaLC_BLUE2A.pdf

[Oney Jones]

 

I think of the many hours of time waste on a computer that was time not spent with a book or with a microscope or a magnifying glass.

 

I'm not against using computers. I do think that we tend to accept junk just because it is delivered via a computer.

 

Very true. One of the most common gripes among librarians is that students do not know how to sift through all the information and come up with data that is scholarly and verified. Teachers in the classrooms do not have time to teach information literacy with all the other crap they have to deal with. So many students think someone's opinion on a blog is the result of research.

[Oney Jones]

 

Actually KidWriting is very powerful! Students come into Kindergarten with a range in abilities; some can write small words others can't even hold a pencil. In the beginning years, it is very important to acknowledge the attempts of writing text. Teachers do NOT just let students KidWrite everyday and move on. What you are missing in your quote is the lesson that taught BEFORE the writing attempt. I use KidWriting DAILY and my nonwriters at the beginning of the year were writing fictional stories and nonfiction reports by the end. I wish that teachers got the respect that we deserve. I work hard everyday devoting all of my extra time to teaching, and I know that I do a phenomenal job of educating the many students that cross my path! I just wish people like you guys saw that.

 

I know many great teachers. I just happen to know I can do just as good a job as a great teacher. There is no reason to get defensive. Why are you visiting a homeschooling site anyway?

[m0mmaBuck]

I went to elementary school in the 80s. I never memorized basic arithmetic. I counted on my fingers. No one bothered to tell me otherwise, or to show me otherwise. When I taught 4th grade about 10 years ago, the school was using something called "Touch Math". It was awful, just like counting on your fingers- but with dots and this cute little template taped to your desk. Had I just been encouraged to memorize it, I would've been better served. Thankfully, my 3rd grade teacher insisted I learned my multiplication tables.

 

He would come home with these math problems with dots and/or double dots on each number. Then he would commence to counting the dots to add or subtract. Horrible. Even after 6 mos of homeschooling and knowing that he knows the answers, he still taps the numbers.

[Oney Jones]

Journal topics like, "If you could be any type of insect, which one would you be, and why?"

 

I don't want to be a bug. I cried a lot in second grade.

 

 

:smilielol5:

 

 

I hated the (seriously!!) "What I Did Over Summer Vacation" essays. My dad worked. My mom worked. My brother and I fought. Not much to write about.