Return-Path: <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Received: from literacy (localhost [127.0.0.1]) by literacy.nifl.gov (8.9.0.Beta5/8.9.0.Beta5/980425bjb) with SMTP id VAA14013; Thu, 29 Oct 1998 21:56:00 -0500 (EST) Date: Thu, 29 Oct 1998 21:56:00 -0500 (EST) Message-Id: <35C3D52E.3ABC@bellsouth.net> Errors-To: azaheer@famlit.org Reply-To: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Originator: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Sender: nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov Precedence: bulk From: Carolyn Beiers <ssbeiers@bellsouth.net> To: Multiple recipients of list <nifl-family@literacy.nifl.gov> Subject: [NIFL-FAMILY:1748] Re: sports X-Listprocessor-Version: 6.0c -- ListProcessor by Anastasios Kotsikonas Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii X-Mailer: Mozilla 3.01C-BLS20 (Win95; U) kriss wrote: > > > > >The best thing we can teach the teachers is to let the kids explore the > paper>and discover what they are interested in. > >Mike Peterson > >On a tall soapbox in Plattsburgh NY > > > > I say we carve these words on a bronze plaque and put them in the > NIE Hall of Intelligence! Did I say bronze? Make it silver! Silver? > Nay! It shall be of GOLD! > > Speaking as a teacher of 28+ years, and a part-time NIE coordinator > of the past 7 years, I believe truer words have never been spoken > on the subject. (Even the part about the big bucks, because I know > how much I make at each job and there is no contest...) > > I teach in a state juvenile facility and I use a vast range of > teaching materials. My kids are 12 - 18 and are on a wide span of > ability levels. At any one time I may have kids who are working on > a third grade level at the same time other students are studying > for their GED. > > I have often challenged other teachers to give a newspaper to each > student in their classroom with no instructions whatsoever, and see > what happens. I can guarantee that the only sound they'll hear for > at least 30 minutes is the rustling of newsprint, and it is a > *beautiful* sound. > > The newspaper can act as the "great equalizer" in the classroom. > Several years ago I had a student who was 15 years old and a virtual > non-reader. He was 100 miles away from the only ones he truly > loved - his mom and his coon hounds (I don't know for sure which > he loved better; he pulled a gun on his mom to avoid going to school > and he accidentally shot one of his hounds on a weekend visit...) > He could barely spell his name, but when the newspapers came out > he was always the first one to ask for the sports. He could figure > out from the pictures and the numbers which of his teams were doing > well and he would always tell me about it. As long as he had the > newspaper in front of him, he was on the same playing field as > everybody else in the classroom. > > My students go to two places in the paper first: The court news to > see which of their buddies has been arrested, and the classifieds > to see about a good job or a cheap car. I have to be careful > about using my own program so there is no conflict of interest, > but I am certainly not above using another newspaper to help out in > the classroom. The kids love it, they benefit from it, and hmmmmm... > Has anyone heard me say anything about curriculum materials so far? > > Kids need to read! One of my kids who is currently in jail took > _Call of the Wild_ to detention with him last night and said he had > to virtually fight his way into his cell through all the other kids > who wanted to read it. But it would be fine with me if he'd had a > copy of the Archie Comix. Kids need to read! And they need to read > what they like to read. And I have yet to run across a student in all > my years of teaching who didn't like to read the newspaper. > > Like Mike said, let them make their own discoveries in the paper and > then go from there. That doesn't rule out the usefulness of curriculum > guides (I provide 45 of them in my Newspaper In Education program, all > the way from pre-K through adult ed.). But a good teacher can and will > use the paper to serve the best interests of his or her students. > > Thanks for putting my thoughts into a much more succinct package, > Mike, and forgive me for crowding you on the soap box. ;-) > (And for those of you who are wondering about the kid with the > coon hounds, he went on to a local high school, lived in a great > foster home, played football with one of my sons, and was quite > successful in the special education program at the school. Year > before last, I watched him graduate.) > > -david > > David Pettit, NIE Coordinator > Owensboro Messenger-Inquirer > Owensboro, Kentucky "kudos to kriss!" What a wonderful example of "teaching to the strengths of the student." In my opinion, teaching through these strengths (and interest) facilitates learning. If we don't allow our students to lead us, then aren't we trying once again to impose our own standards and curriculum on them. This didn't work the first time they were in school. In fact, it more than likely contributed to their failure. For the most part, our adult students don't even realize they have strengths simply because most of their school experience has been from "teaching to their weak areas." If this didn't work the first time, why repeat! Activating prior knowledge and recognizing the strengths of each student is a powerful tool we can use as we help our students reach their goals. And, by the way, kriss. . . .I agree, the newspaper is also a powerful teaching tool!
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