I just finished reading your wonderful book "When children write: Critical
re-visions of the writing workshop." This is a great book! I always thought
that genuine teaching and research should inform teacher and researcher
about children's culture. Your teaching and research did that. I liked your
risky endeavor of facilitating children's culture through the writing
workshop. It seems to me that you are very right definding the beginning
point of your workshop as the event when one of the boys was encouraged (by
you) to write about a classmate. I also agree with the conclusion of your
book and critique of Romatic views on children. Indeed, just facilitating of
children's culture is not enough. Adult guidance is needed. Teacher is an
active and legitimate member of classroom community. It was interesting to
read about your doubts: on one hand, you seemed to want to interfer in
children's interpersonal relations; on the other hand, you was afraid to
inhibit children's writing and self-expression. It would be interesting if
you shared this dilemma with the children.
It was really interesting to read about a "failed utopia." I think it is
interesting genre of research. It requires a lot of courage and honesty
from the researcher. And it pays.
With great respect,
Eugene Matusov
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Eugene Matusov
Psychology Department
University of California at Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz, CA 95064
EMATUSOV who-is-at cats.ucsc.edu