[MOSAIC] Mosaic Digest, Vol 3, Issue 23

[sally.thomas4 at verizon.net]

Seems like this is one of the fundamental problems with "programs."  No matter 
how good - and this one sounds like it is based on some approaches we would 
agree with - when the teachers use it as a program, they don't change.  And 
the students don't get the fundamental messages (which the teachers 
inadvertently convey throuth their discourse tec.)  so the program doesn't 
change much.  Even well conceived programs need to be used by teachers who 
understand the assumptions, the underlying whys and goals and etc.

I remember that this one of the issues with the CLAS - the California approach 
to authentic assessment back in thge day before it got wiped out.  Even though 
it was created by really knowledgeable educators and recognized as excellent. 
it still got implemented (0ften) as a mandated approach.  Because the teachers 
that used it didn't have the opportunity to re-create it themselves, thus 
internalizing the underlying theoretical assumptions, it didn't work.   
(0other reasons too e.g. politics etc. but for me an important lesson to be 
learned was that it was assumed that teachers would change because they were 
given an excellent asssessment as a model.  Real change needs opportunity to 
experience new strategies ourselves.  And with childrne.  That is why I love 
so much the approach taken by Keene et al through Mosaics and this list.)

Sally


From: Carlevarom at aol.com
Date: 2006/11/26 Sun AM 08:51:47 CST
To: mosaic at literacyworkshop.org
Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] Mosaic Digest, Vol 3, Issue 23

A few years ago I witnessed Read 180 being used in a SPED classrooms and I  
remember that the teachers really liked it.  Read 180 sets your classroom  
into 
stations, with the computer program building background knowledge and I  
think checking comprehension on a literal level.  The teacher has a guided  
reading time as well. It uses Scholastic trade books for reading materials and  
also 
uses Scholastic's Book Counts (I think that is the name) to check  
comprehension.  The books are leveled by lexile levels.  The students  really 
liked it 
and it did get middle school teachers to work in small  groups.  If you buy 
it, 
be sure you have all the materials (there are lots  of cds to order) since I 
also remember it being used in summer school and  teachers lamenting that not 
all the needed materials were there. I would not  rule it out if funds are 
available.
Marsha
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