Comments on: Collaboration…Blocked by a Firewall Near You

By: tweenteacher.com » Joanne Jacobs comment:”Stop facilitating and start teaching”

Mon, 07 Jul 2008 04:16:56 +0000

[...] just saw Doug Fisher speak at the UCI Writers Project (of which I am a Fellow this summer). [see my post: Collaboration...Blocked by a Firewall Near You.] He very clearly says that Focused Instruction should be only a fraction of the actual [...]

By: tweenteacher

tweenteacher — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 15:28:25 +0000

You also find that trend when new teachers are birthed onto the teaching scene. They’ve learned so many strategies and techniques in the ed programs (assuming it’s a decent program - but don’t get me started on that), but then don’t see how to apply them when logistically faced with 36 students. Then in teaching there’s this theory that there needs to be “hidden techniques” vs. “real class techniques”. I think allowing collaboration, handing-off levels of teaching to the students is a scary prospect for many teachers, yet in fact, it aides in engagement (which helps classroom management) and improves student achievement through the D-word (differentiation) while giving texture to teaching techniques. It’s a no-brainer, especially in this world when social networking is making our world smaller by the click (except in education, that is). I believe you are familiar with a certain viral video?
For those who aren’t, who may be reading this comment, check out Mr. Winkle Wakes on YouTube. - Heather

By: Mathew

Mathew — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 23:59:57 +0000

As a literacy coach, I must say it’s the same with teaching something like reading strategies. Often the teacher models the strategies but then keeps them all to themselves. The idea, of course, is to provide a gradual release to hand over whatever the tools are to the students.

By: Mathew

Mathew — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 22:31:21 +0000

Thank you for blogging about this session. The graphic alone makes it worth it.

By: David Cohen

David Cohen — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 16:40:27 +0000

I just received a copy of the latest Fisher and Frey book on this topic, so thanks for the preview. They also have a great book on how to make a whole school more “literacy-rich” for adolescents - a truly outstanding, practical, and concise book for anyone examining school-wide practices around literacy. He’s a great presenter, too - glad you had a chance to see him.