[MOSAIC] Comprehension (long &personal for those who care to delete)

[Kukonis at aol.com]

Dave said....
But I 
don't know.  I would have thought that, having been a young  person, I would 
be able to recognize myself in today's young people.   And sometimes I do. 
But Bill's kids leave me completely without reference  points.
 
I have been following this conversation with earnest... and though  certainly 
not an answer I do have some schema I would like to put out there as a  
mother of a senior in high school and  a senior in college as well as my  thoughts 
as a first grade teacher . Probably not to PC but here  goes....

First, I am thankful that Bill brought this to attention because it is hard  
to suffer through class after class and then read on the listserv everybody  
else's insightful ideas... esp. when you've tried versions of them...I often 
see  the kind of stuff Bill is talking about in my first grade class and I don't 
 always attribute it to their lack of interest....maybe it is easier to see 
it  more  this way because they are so young......how could a little one look  
apathetic or uninvolved in everything? 
However, when stuff is not connecting I can usually sight developmental  
levels, parental values, inconsistent modeling, overabundance of information,  
other talents not being tapped, poor sequencing of skills, (and the list goes  
on) as part of the problem... and usually it is on my end.... not that  I am not 
trying everything I can think of ...but the demands of  school, kids, and 
personal life seem to crash into one another....... on  their side and mine;
 
At the older level, I can see it from my  daughters' perspectives.... they 
are both excellent students, both  have won scholarships... both are very 
different .... however,  there have been  periods in their lives where I see lack of 
interest  big time. When questioned they usually say :too much too soon..... 
can't fit in  all that I have to do and what I want to do  and the wealth of  
instantaneous information out there into a cohesive whole... in other words  
school is relentless... I tend to agree...... and also the trickle down effect  
is HUGE watching it first hand. I think there are times in kids' lives when  
things need to be self-directed or when they need a down time to adjust to the 
 next big thrust
 
Although no real answers for Bill..... this discussion reminds me of the  
power of pace and sequence, the need to engage the whole life of the child.  
blah, blah, blah. Reminds me of something Lori wrote back about having kids  
attention ... that when they are attending they are not necessarily connecting  
.....
Pam
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