[eMINTS] rephrasing question

[Ida Cessna]

I just attended a workshop on how the brain learns best with Dr. Pat
Wolfe.  Her comment on teaching is very appropriate here.  She says
we are teaching our kids to live on a planet that has not yet been
discovered.  Will knowing the 17th President of the United States
benefit them?  Our students have to know concepts along with facts. 
I often remind parents of the changes that have taken place in
society over the past 50-100 years.  Our students will see even more
changes.
Ida Cessna
eMINTS/STARR  

---- Original Message ----
From: wmchamberlain at gmail.com
To: emints at lists.emints.org
Subject: Re: [eMINTS] rephrasing question
Date: Wed, 30 Jan 2008 10:39:05 -0600

>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%20performan
>ce%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/STA
>RR.htmhttp://schoolweb.missouri.edu/poplarbluff.k12.mo.us/lowe/
>>
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