[LIT] building background knowledge...and Caroline

[Ty Dartez]

Hi Caroline,

That's an interesting question....one I'd also love to hear what other 
districts are doing. My district supports Four Blocks/Big Blocks and 
Reading/Writing workshop, and Six Traits. (Our literacy coordinator has 
attended our local Red Clay Writing Project, our local branch of the 
National Writing Project, but starting this year we are required to use 
the Georgia State Frameworks for our set curriculum. I am disappointed 
about this, because I feel that it takes so much of our freedom away, 
though I do realize that it means every student will get a certain 
"standard".

What's frustrating to me is that I believe the first "framework" only 
gives a month or so to work on narrative, which isn't a lot of time to 
introduce a workshop model to students, teach about writing notebooks, 
etc. while also building community, etc.

I find the beginning of the year framework, especially, very 
restrictive, though the others are flexible enough. But this is our 
first year using them, and I know our wonderful literacy coordinator is 
open to suggestions about how to make the curriculum work for us.

What's good about the frameworks is that if kids move around in-county, 
they will not be too behind on anything....and of course it gives us a 
model by which we can share lesson plans, etc. since we will all be 
doing similar things. Plus also when I get a new group of students each 
year I can pretty much know what they at least were supposed to have 
done last year, so I guess there are some positives....It's just that 
one of my favorite things about teaching is having the chance to be 
creative with lesson plans, etc. so that aspect is frustrating for me.

May Dartez
6-8 Title L.A.
Jackson County, GA
On Jul 5, 2007, at 7:26 AM, Caroline Mooney wrote:

> i'm wondering this: do most of the school systems you all work for use 
> a specific program, or are you makiing up your own curriculum like we 
> are at dps?
>
> lynn, email me anytime at cmooney at charter.net. i'd love to hear about 
> your progress.
>
> caroline
> ________