[LIT] cross-walking curriculum & importance of learning how to learn

[dbreitweiser at cardinals.dsc.k12.ar.us]

Mary Lou,

Perhaps I misssed something in the conversation, but what does PEBC stand for?  Teaching metacognitive strategies interests me, but I'm not familiar with that acronym. I'm also anxious to purchase the book.  Sounds interesting!

Dana 


------Original Mail------
From: "Mary Lou" <mlb06 at cox.net>
To: "'A list for improving literacy with focus on middle grades.'" <lit at literacyworkshop.org>
Sent: Tue, 28 Nov 2006 06:20:35 -0500
Subject: Re: [LIT] cross-walking curriculum & importance of learning how to learn

HI,

I am grateful to both you and Bill for your responses to my question. By
strategies, I am referring to the instructional strategies that teachers use
to teach metacognition. I love the PEBC work in terms of how they relate
metacognition strategies (thinking strategies) in reading, writing,
mathematics, informational and research. 

Since posting my question, I met with my principal and found a text by Heidi
Jacobs. We have purchased this. Apparently, she is a "guru" of
cross-walking curriculum and her newest book includes Literacy across the
curriculum (Active Literacy Across the Curriculum.) I am hoping that it
will concretely describe a means to include the HOW of instruction when
curriculum mapping.

My principal's concern and goal is to curriculum map in order to adjust
timelines to better meet the goal of integration. I get it...But my feeling
is that at the same time, we need to collect data on the type of instruction
students deserve. I find that in some content area classrooms students
continue to be "assigned" projects and papers with little explicit
instruction. I see and hear way too much "independent research" by students
without the explicit instruction of HOW to complete and synthesize research.
So, the curriculum is "covered," but often students are not engaged in
"learning how to learn." 

What is the best means of collecting data on classroom instruction - or dare
I say the lack thereof? My feeling is that this information might guide our
professional development planning. We have had a great deal of professional
development in the area of literacy over the last 5 years, yet it seems that
there are pockets of teachers who still "don't get it." For some of those
folks, it is the drive of looming state tests in science and social studies
that seem to be pushing them away from literacy strategy based lessons and
pushing them toward instruction that "covers content." 

Mary Lou 



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