Full Kevin Wheldall citations here: http://www.musec.mq.edu.au/staff_list/professor_kevin_wheldall/ I can't find an article on line anymore (except behind academic blocked sites, here http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/19404150903264294?journalCode=rald20#.Ui5xdSIW3eU) so I'll try to attach it (430 K, MonaTobias2008Article.pdf) and see what happens. His preamble is interesting for me because it shows that it is **possible** for someone to make the shift from a left wing social class warrior to a (fill in your own descriptor) phonics warrior. But of course this observation from me has little real value, it is just another evidence less narrative, a nice story, which tweaked my particular memes evocatively. On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 10:04 AM, Helen Grimmett <helen.grimmett@monash.edu>wrote: > > > > I have as an > > expert constructionist made it work well for the disadvantaged in a > single > > classroom but failed totally in making it scale. > > > And therein lies the rub. The type of relationship building that is > required to make it work must be created anew in each single classroom and > cannot possibly be scaled up because it will look, feel and sound different > in each one. The only way to scale it up is for every teacher to understand > for themselves that this is what is required and go about making it happen > in their own classroom. Teachers can be led to this understanding but it > can't be provided as a 'package' of what to do and say. It has to be worked > out in each and every interaction between teacher and student/s. Not very > economical, but totally necessary. > > Helen G > > > Dr Helen Grimmett > Lecturer, Student Adviser, > Faculty of Education, > Building 902, Room 159 > Monash University, Berwick campus > Phone: 9904 7171 > > > > > On 10 September 2013 10:12, Bill Kerr <billkerr@gmail.com> wrote: > > > I have some reading to do (and it will take time since I'm very busy on > > something else at the moment). Thanks to those who have provided source > > material. I have commenced some reading and am not satisfied so far but > > don't propose to do nitpicking or "emotionally charged" responses as some > > have here. > > > > Here is my brief opinion on what counts as evidence. Evocative personal > or > > individual stories / narratives and opinions do not count as strong > > evidence IMO. A narrative no matter how well told or touching is only a > > story about how one or a small group of individuals learnt to become good > > readers, who progressed to love literature and use it expertly etc. > > > > Also a theoretical model that appeals strongly to widely recognised > > progressive norms (freedom, autonomy, creativity etc.) does not in itself > > count as evidence ... unless demonstrated to scale to help large groups > of > > disadvantaged progress to become literate citizens. > > > > What would count as convincing evidence for me is hard data about a large > > group of disadvantaged youngsters (more than one inspirational teacher > in a > > single classroom) who have significant socio-economic barriers stacked > > against them and a way was found for them to turn them from not literate > to > > literate, in this real, imperfect capitalist world. > > > > What I believe (perhaps wrongly) is that such evidence exists but that > some > > find it hard to look at because of ideological predispositions, that we > all > > have filters and blinkers and they operate in devious ways. > > > > I do not regard myself as an expert on reading instruction (and so I do > > have a lot of work to do) but I do regard myself as an expert on > > constructionism (Papert's and Minsky's version) used in the context of > > teaching maths and programming in disadvantaged schools. From that > context > > I am setting a high bar, as any reformed smoker would. ie. I have as an > > expert constructionist made it work well for the disadvantaged in a > single > > classroom but failed totally in making it scale. > > > > > > > > On Tue, Sep 10, 2013 at 5:21 AM, White, Phillip > > <Phillip.White@ucdenver.edu>wrote: > > > > > Michael - first, many thanks for pointing out that the joy of reading > is > > > much much more than just reading for information. i was sloppy in my > > > singular use of the term "information", particularly in these days of > > high > > > stakes testing where comprehending "informational texts" is so highly > > > regarded. i was using "information' in the sense of finding out about > > and > > > exploring the world that one is really interested in - an yes, i'm > > > working with a second grader who values reading as a way to learn > > > everything about Justin Bieber. she's enthralled by the notion of a > > > penthouse, where he lives. > > > > > > and really, discovering story world of Virginia Woolf's in the early > 60's > > > saved my ass. > > > > > > phillip > > > > > > > > > Phillip White, PhD > > > Urban Community Teacher Education Program > > > Site Coordinator > > > Montview Elementary, Aurora, CO > > > phillip.white@ucdenver.edu > > > or > > > pawhite@aps.k12.co.us > > > ________________________________________ > > > From: xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu [xmca-l-bounces@mailman.ucsd.edu > ] > > > On Behalf Of MICHAEL W SMITH [mwsmith@temple.edu] > > > Sent: Monday, September 09, 2013 11:04 AM > > > To: eXtended Mind, Culture, Activity > > > Subject: [Xmca-l] Re: A Question about Reading and Motivation > > > > > > My research with adolescents suggests that the joy of reading includes, > > but > > > is not limited to the comprehension of information as the responses > from > > > one 8th grade girl illustrates. She does indeed talk about the > pleasure > > of > > > learning information that she can put to use: “And then, using it? I > > guess > > > I just have a lot of the stuff, just sort of in my brain and then when > > that > > > kind of subject comes up, they’ll need the information I have. And > then, > > I > > > can usually just tell people, ‘Oh, I just read this book, and it turns > > out > > > yadda-ya’ or sometimes I won’t even tell them I read the book. I’ll > just > > > say, ‘Did you know?’ or ‘Oh I heard about that.’" > > > > > > > > > > > > She also talks about the pleasure of entering a story world, which > seems > > to > > > be something different than the way comprehension is traditionally > > > understood: “ I get bored with my life sometimes. Not like super > bored, > > > like midlife crisis bored, but just reality gets boring sometimes and > its > > > cool to think about other stuff. I’m reading *The Clan of the Cave > Bear*, > > > the second one, and it’s cool cuz it’s not everyday life, it’s > something > > I > > > haven’t experienced, but I’m sort of semi-experiencing it.” > > > > > > > > > > > > Because she semi-experiences what the characters do, she can use her > > > reading to think about her life: “Sometimes when, like, big stuff > > happens > > > in my life, I’ll think about what my favorite character would have > done, > > > the ones I admire most. Also, sort of subconscious. I don’t stop and > > think > > > about what someone would do, it’s just something that happens. Like, I > > bet > > > so-and-so would be really brave about this, or, one of my favorite > > > characters would have totally sped after this guy. And then sometimes I > > > follow their example and sometimes I don’t. . . . They all have > different > > > approaches, different ways they approach things, and then I try to > apply > > > that to my life, to see which way works for me. Characters are just > ways > > of > > > thinking, really.” > > > > > > > > > > > > Sometimes the pleasure she describes seems to be a more detached > > > intellectual pleasure: “I like to think also about what the author > could > > > have written instead of what they did write, like different endings, > > like a > > > dramatic part, I’ll stop and think about what could happen next, and > then > > > read and see what does happen. I just finished reading one, and it’s > got > > a > > > really cliffhanger ending, and I haven’t bought the next book yet, and > > I’m > > > coming up with all these ideas about what happened next.” > > > > > > > > > > > > And finally, she talks about the pleasure she gains from using her > > reading > > > to deepen her relationship with others: “When I take [the books] home, > > > actually I start reading my book on the car ride back from the book > store > > > most of the time. My dad and I always go to Baja Fresh after the book > > > store, because it’s right there and pretty good Mexican food. We have > an > > > inside joke, we say, ‘Are we going to eat like people or are we going > to > > > read and eat at the same time,’ and I say, ‘Dad, shush I’m reading.’” > > > > > > > > > The young people we talked to were remarkably articulate about the > > variety > > > of ways they took joy from reading. > > > > > > Michael > > > > > > -- > > > Michael W. Smith > > > Professor and Chair > > > Department of Teaching and Learning > > > Temple University > > > College of Education > > > 351 Ritter Hall > > > 1301 Cecil B. Moore Avenue > > > Philadelphia, PA 19122 > > > > > > > > >
Attachment:
MonaTobias2008Article.pdf
Description: Adobe PDF document