[eMINTS] rephrasing question

Wed Jan 30 10:39:05 CST 2008

I think the answer to your question on how to deal with the parents is to
tell them you want the students to be able to think. Information is no
longer confined to libraries, we have ready, easy access to it. Finding
information is not the problem, using the information to solve their
problems is the goal we should strive toward.

Wm Chamberlain
5th Grade

On Jan 30, 2008 10:22 AM, Julie Fessenden <jfessenden at hannibal.k12.mo.us>
wrote:

> Perhaps my words "deal with" are not the ones I should use, but right
> now I can't think of the ones I want to use. And to piggy back on Josh's
> comment--how do you work with the parents and students who are of this
> opinion and stay true to your philosophy.
>
> Julie (who is home with a sick child and probably thinking too much!)
>
> Julie Fessenden
> 5th Grade
> Oakwood Elementary
> >>> "Josh Bennett" <JBennett at sparta.k12.mo.us> 01/30/08 10:12 AM >>>
> It's interesting that you bring this up. I have noticed, as well, that
> my students want to be spoon-fed the information so they can
> "regurgitate" it later onto a test. I have met a lot of resistance from
> some of my kids when we do projects or open-ended writing. I've noticed
> that some parents are in this mind set as well... "Just tell me what my
> kid needs to know...".
>
> I'd be interested in hearing other people's takes on this. I am in my
> first year and have many of the same questions. :)
>
> Josh
>
> Josh Bennett
> 4th Grade Teacher
> Sparta Elementary School
> jbennett at sparta.k12.mo.us
>
> >>> jfessenden at hannibal.k12.mo.us 1/30/2008 10:10 AM >>>
> We too are in our third year of PLC and have just been looking at
> 90-90-90 schools.  I'm not saying there is a philosophical conflict
> between the two.
>
> In some of the research it states that parents of low-income children
> want their children taught through direct instruction.  I have noticed
> this in my teaching.  I have taught in areas of high poverty and others
> of affluence.  In the schools with higher numbers of low-income
> families, parents expect and favor direct instruction.  In communities
> with more affluent children parents favor the inquiry learning.  This is
> what the research says and what my experience has found.
>
> My question is--how do you deal with the parents who want direct
> instruction and are accustomed to direct instruction?
> Julie
>
> Julie Fessenden
> 5th Grade
> Oakwood Elementary
> >>> "Liscombe, Eleanna L." <eleanna.liscombe at fhsdschools.org> 01/30/08
> 9:31 AM >>>
> I believe 90-90-90 schools are schools that have 90% minority, 90% Free
> and reduced lunch, yet are in the top 90% in achievement.  Here's a link
> to read more...
>
> http://www.sabine.k12.la.us/online/leadershipacademy/high%20performance%2090%2090%2090%20and%20beyond.pdf
>
> I've often heard 90-90-90 schools cited in PLC (professional learning
> community) conferences.  PLC models refer to the use of a philosophy
> (Rick and Rebecca DuFour and Robert Eaker) , which does not have much at
> all to do with the type of instruction...rather how we view teaching vs.
> learning, teacher collaboration, and students who struggle in schools.
> Here's a link to a file on PLCs you can copy and paste into your
> browser.
> www.ritap.org/ritap/content/plc_presentation-nov_2005-john_golden.ppt -
> Apparently many of the 90-90-90 schools use the PLC model.
> My school is in our 3rd year of PLC training and this is my 3rd year as
> an eMINTs teacher.  I've not had problems with the philosophies clashing
> with each other.   Hope it helps!
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: emints-bounces at lists.emints.org
> [mailto:emints-bounces at lists.emints.org] On Behalf Of Julie Fessenden
> Sent: Wednesday, January 30, 2008 7:19 AM
> To: emints at lists.emints.org; prlowe at myway.com
> Subject: Re: [eMINTS] MAP Prep Book Discussion
>
> Pam,
> Thank you so much for posting this!  The testing pressure is
> unbelievable and your voice of reason is just what I needed to hear!
> I've always believed your philosphy.  Right now it seems inquiry is not
> popular, but direct instruction is.
>
> Have any of you read about 90-90-90 schools?  Some of the research I've
> been given shows that low-income parents want direct instruction for
> their students.  I've found this to be true.  How do you overcome this
> thought pattern?
> Julie
>
> Julie Fessenden
> 5th Grade
> Oakwood Elementary
> >>> "Pam Lowe" <prlowe at myway.com> 01/29/08 11:25 PM >>>
>
> The following are my thoughts about preparing for the MAP, adding to the
> discussion of MAP Prep Books. If you donÆt agree with me, thatÆs fine.
> WeÆre all indivand weÆre all busy people.  So, treat the following like a
> buffet, take
> the thoughts you like or agree with and discard the rest or delete the
> whole message.  J
>
> First, let me say that I dislike the fact that publishers are scrambling
> to make big bucks by capitalizing on teachersÆ and schoolsÆ fear of not
> doing well on the test.  They know that schools are between a rock and a
> hard place trying to meet the standards of NCLB.  Every state has a
> booklet geared toward their state expectations.  I would hate to see
> teachers make these books their main focus for MAP preparation.  IÆm
> guilty of having done that in pastà running off numerous copies of
> problems for practice.  I recently thumbed through a popular MAP Prep
> Book the other day and noticed that most of the DOK levels were geared
> at 1 and 2.  IÆm not saying that we donÆt need to mock test, or that it
> would be inappropriate to use an occasional problem from one of these
> books as an example, IÆm just saying that if I teach the content and
> also teach my students hlearning opportunities in order to flex their
> thinking abilities that
> they
>
> should be able to tackle any problem armed with strategies and
> confidence.  I truly believe and have experienced that if teachers do
> both these things throughout the school year, it eliminates last minute
> cramming of material and skills before the test that stresses everyone
> involved.
>
> Sure, there are going to be good testing years and years that are not so
> good, simply because there are some factors that are out of our control.
>  The key thing is to look at where your students started from the year
> before.  If you can raise them an achievement level, youÆve done well.
> I always make a bar graph at the beginning of the year of my studentsÆ
> scores from the previous year by achievement levels.  I make a poster
> and label it, ôIf We Had Been a Class Last Year.ö  It shows the whole
> class where we are beginning.  We circle the Proficient and Advanced
> categories and write, ôOur Goal.ö  I talk to each individual child
> privately and discuss their scores so they know what their individual
> goal is for the current year.  It encourages a team atmosphere and each
> child knows his/her goal.  We keep the poster up all year as
> encouragement and refer to it often.
>
> Occasionally I have a teacher say to me, ôI donÆt think itÆs fair that
> we donÆt know whatÆs on the test so that we can prepare for it.ö  That
> would defeat the whole purpose.  WeÆre supposed to be about trying to
> encourage autonomous thinkers.  Knowing whatÆs on the test so that we
> can prepare is, first, teaching to the test and second, taking a step
> back to the days of the old study guide, where you know whatÆs going to
> be on the test and you memorize (DOK Level 1).  Once it clicked with me
> that part of the test is about content and the other part is about how
> well students can think, it changed everything.  My focus changed and it
> alleviated the stress for me and for my students.
> I tell my students on the first day of school that one of my primary
> goals is to guide them in such a way that they could be presented any
> problem or assignment and be able to problem-solve and reason out an
> answer(s) on their own, as well as, justify or explain their answer,
> implement a plan or perform an investigation.  ThatÆs my job, to teach
> them to think so that they can learn for a lifetime.
>  Pam LoweSTARR TeacherSoutheast Missouri State University1 University
> Plaza, Mailstop 5500Cape Girardeau, MO
>
> 63701-4799800-401-6680573-651-5956http://www4.semo.edu/rpdc/STARR/STARR.htmhttp://schoolweb.missouri.edu/poplarbluff.k12.mo.us/lowe/
>
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