My February 7, 2009, Op-Ed in The Greenville News

Schools must reflect society we envision

Op-Ed in The State on Grading

From Ridge View's own, Deborah Robinson:

We need to change how we grade students

Choice in Reading and Test Scores

Often, teachers and administrators balk at many best practices for reading and writing instruction, claiming their obligations to testing and accountability as the reason for implementing practices that actually impede literacy development but appear to raise test scores.

Here is some really good news for CHOICE in reading; note that test scores have also responded positively:

A little independence takes pupils a long way

Thank you

Thank you all for asking me to speak at Ridge View HS. I enjoyed the hospitality and meeting each of you.

Please feel free to email me at paul.thomas@furman.edu with any questions or needs.

Have a nice weekend, and I assume a day off on Monday.

P. S. Just received information about a new book, Readicide; it may be interesting to some of you and it may sound a bit like some of my comments. . .I haven't read this, but it seems interesting.

Friday Sessions

I. Poverty and children's lives outside of school

Consider this research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (UK):

Experiences of poverty and educational disadvantage

Also, what have data from the SAT revealed about achievement, socioeconomic background, and gender?:

SAT Data and Reports

2008 National Report

See page 7 of the 2005 National Report of SAT scores

II. Rethinking our thinking about poverty

"Return of the Deficit," Dudley-Marling

"What These Children Are Like," Ralph Ellison (1963):

"I don't know what intelligence is. But this I do know, both from life and from literature: whenever you reduce human life to two plus two equals four, the human element within the human animal says, 'I don't give a damn.' You can work on that basis, but the kids cannot. If you can show me how I can cling to that which is real to me, while teaching me a way into the larger society, then I will not only drop my defenses and my hostility, but I will sing your praises and help you to make the desert bear fruit."

III. Are boys in crisis in schools?

Do we have a boy crisis?

IV. Best practice for boys. . .and girls. . .

Best Practice, Zemelman, Daniels and Hyde

Reading Next

Writing Next

IV. Change, change, change. . .We need to rethink literacy and expectations.

A) Graphic novels and comics

B) Science fiction

C) Young Adult literature

D) Video games, music (lyrics)

Research and Data: Student Achievement and the Home

Consider this research from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation (UK):

Experiences of poverty and educational disadvantage

Also, what have data from the SAT revealed about achievement, socioeconomic background, and gender?:

SAT Data and Reports

2008 National Report

See page 7 of the 2005 National Report of SAT scores

Ridge View High Workshop January 15, 2009: Parents

Parenting Boys

• Is there a "boy crisis" in education? Or, why we should be careful with anything being labeled a "crisis". . .

• Can we (and should we) address literacy and educational concerns separated by gender?

• How are boys different than girls?

• What are "learning styles" and "multiple intelligences"? Or, why we should accept there is not one-size-fits-all for any student to learn, regardless of gender. . .

• What are the literacy goals we should have for our boys? (Hint: Passing the state tests or scoring high on the SAT should not be our goals.)

• What should literacy (reading and writing) instruction look like in schools? (Not quiet and still classrooms, not worksheets, and not simply doing as they are told.)

• What are some current issues we should know about?:

(1) Graphic novels/ comics
(2) Single-gender classrooms
(3) Young adult literature
(4) Game culture