Return-Path: <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.10.2/8.10.2) with SMTP id i531bD913377; Wed, 2 Jun 2004 21:37:23 -0400 (EDT) Date: Wed, 2 Jun 2004 21:37:23 -0400 (EDT) Message-Id: <40CB3441@webmail.utk.edu> Errors-To: listowner@literacy.nifl.gov Reply-To: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: jataylor <jataylor@utk.edu> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-aalpd@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-AALPD:1459] RE: : What causes us to change? X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas X-Mailer: Infinite Mobile Delivery (Hydra) SMTP v3.62.01 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset="ISO-8859-1" Status: O Content-Length: 3375 Lines: 68 Hello everyone! Eileen asked about exploring the causes change while we examine the research, and several of us noted the complex interactions of factors influencing change. From your own experiences, what other factors are involved in leading to lasting change? George, regarding the causes of change, you write, "In terms of pd, it was a combination of evolution, discovery, paying attention to a hunch that beckoned me, but wouldn't have gone too far unless I acted upon it, active experimentation, reading, and discussion with others." I hear you saying that thinking change does not go too far unless it is acted upon. Is this correct? If so, what do you and others think it is about taking action that seems to facilitate lasting change? Bonnie, you write, "I'm perhaps more likely to experience transforming change through the press of circumstances than any one "technique": in other words, if I need it, I adopt it. This includes ease with technology, different attitudes toward the role of the teacher, and (I wish I did this more) rubrics and other tools for documenting performative progress and benchmarks." Will you tell us more about the press of circumstances and also what you mean by different attitudes toward the role of teacher? What do you or others think how attitudes toward the role of teacher may affect change? Thanks, Jackie >===== Original Message From nifl-aalpd@nifl.gov ===== >In conjunction with looking at changes that result from pd (or don't), >maybe we should reflect on what does cause us to change, as Bonnie did. >Can we somehow weave the two together? > >Eileen > >Yes, that seems to be the core question. The short answer is many >things. > >For me, it's more of an assimilation of many resources, plus some new >conception that has a bearing of truth to it and then the living it out >through active experimentation in actual situations. > >I think of my shift (gradual) from a very strong advocate of whole >language to that of advocating balanced reading theory. Victoria >Purcell-Gates' FOB 97 article was very influential, but it was because >what she said (and what I drew from it) resonated with something I had >been grappling with, which then clicked. What particularly stood out for >me was the way she described balanced reading theory in a manner that >could appeal both to the phonemic and whole language folks, indicating >the pluralism and tension inherent within the concept that gave it its >dynamism. That left room for a lot of flexibility in application of the >model, while providing a conceptual tool to think through how learning to >read takes place. While I continue to gravitate to the whole language >continuum of balanced theory, this new concept better enabled me to >integrate basic skill application in my teaching in which I freely go >back and forth from isolated skill work to integrated texts. The goal in >all of this for me, is to help learners make valid inferences as they're >trying to figure out how to read a text and to provide an opportunity for >sustained practice with relatively small amounts of material. > >In terms of pd, it was a combination of evolution, discovery, paying >attention to a hunch that beckoned me, but wouldn't have gone too far >unless I acted upon it, active experimentation, reading, and discussi on >with others. > >George Demetrion
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b30 : Thu Dec 23 2004 - 09:45:50 EST