I certainly believe that tools are essential to doing a good job; however,
when Lucille pointed out that a plumber wouldn't just use a plunger, what
she didn't say is that if someone who is not trained well as a plumber
begins to work on waterpipes - no matter how many tools the person has -
entire ceilings and/or floors can be ruined due to lack of professional
plumbing knowledge.  It isn't enough to carry a toolbox full of tools.  You
can't just use a wrench for a job because it happened to work on the last
job.  You have to know what works, why it works, and when it works, and then
select the right tool.  
 
The same thing is true in teaching.  You can provide every tool in the
world, but if a teacher has no training in the teaching of reading, results
are not going to be professional.  A trained reading teacher knows how to
use the tools, when to use the tools, and in which situations to use them.
A professional also knows how to recognize what the end outcome should be
and knows how to measure that outcome...whether qualitatively or
quantitatively...and a professional will stand behind the quality of the
"product" produced in the classroom.  When a teacher decides to teach one
way, with one set of materials, for every student in the classroom, that is
the same as using the same tool for every plumbing job.  I prefer to think
of this another way.  
 
When I go to the doctor, I want the doctor to have a good bedside
manner...to involve me in the decision-making...to talk to me as an
adult...and to show me respect...but I also want the doctor to be smart,
up-to-date, knowledgeable in the field, and able to test me and then make
good decisions about what would be best for me.  I do not want a doctor to
tell me to take a medicine just because he has stock in the company, or he
read an ad in Reader's Digest that suggested this is the best thing to take
this week.  I pay for a doctor's educational background and I trust the
doctor has stayed current in his field and has gone to conferences, and has
enough knowledge to know when something works...and when it doesn't...not
just from his own experience, but from the studies that were done in his
field that he has read.  I want to be able to check his record so I know how
many patients he loses and know if that is average, above-average, or
downright shocking.  I want to be able to check public records for this
information so I can be a good consumer.  
 
If those of us in the education field want to be respected, students should
expect the same things of their teachers and the education system.  

-----Original Message-----
From: learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:learningdisabilities-bounces at nifl.gov]On Behalf Of Bruce Carmel
Sent: Wednesday, February 01, 2006 4:46 PM
To: The Learning Disabilities Discussion List
Subject: Re: [LearningDisabilities] Reading wars


I agree with Lucille. In my experience, beginning readers and people with
learning disabilities learn best when we use all the "tools"
Such as: 
--Supported reading: shadow reading, echo reading, choral reading
--Being read to
--Writing instruction
--Reading aloud
--Silent reading
--Language experience
--Phonics instruction in the context of all of the above
(There are more, of course)
 
And then I need to use the different tools sensibly. I think there needs to
be a system.  How does it all fit together? What is working for each
student?  Where is there a gap for which I need a new tool? Etc....
Bruce Carmel  


Lucille Cuttler <l.cuttler at comcast.net> wrote:

Thank you for words of wisdom. You express succinctly my thoughts.

What's so hard about understanding you need ALL tools for the job? Would a
plumber attempt a repair with only a plunger?

Lucille Cuttler







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