Michelle Malkin is asking What are your kids reading in school today? On the same day that I’ve received an invitation from a local school district to talk about literacy. Here are the relevant bits from their invitation:
Dear John:
———– ISD is in the early stages of a design process that will eventually result in a new PreK-12 writing curriculum. This curriculum will provide guidance to teachers at all levels and subject areas as to the most effective ways to engage their students in literacy-related activities in support of subject area learning. Our intent is to create a curriculum that promotes students’ exposure to, interaction with, and production of the kinds of texts that are valued in the core disciplines. For example, rather than “teaching science,” we aim to “raise scientists” in a scientific learning community.
To this end, we are scheduling interviews with selected members of the community whose professional lives involve consistent reading and writing-related activity in the service of improving their professional knowledge and job performance. We would like to interview you on December 13, 2006.
These face-to-face interviews will last about 45 minutes and will be videotaped, with your permission. The interviews will take place in a group setting, with a moderator, and consist of four segments:
1. Trace your professional path —we will ask you to briefly trace your career development and the role that being literate in your field played in your development;
2. Explore the valued texts in your field —we would like to see and discuss the kinds of texts that are valued highly in your line of work (e.g., the texts that you read; the texts that you are required to produce), so we ask that you bring samples of these texts with you to the interview;
3. Listen to you think aloud while reading one of the texts from your field—we will ask you to choose one of the texts that you bring and to read and think aloud for us, so that we can hear how an accomplished mind in your field thinks while reading; and,
4. Seek your advice —we would like to know what you think teachers should remember when raising students to be successful in your field.
We hope you are able to join us in this important endeavor. Your expertise will shape our curriculum design efforts substantially.
I plan to participate. It’s interesting that they’re inviting me almost soley based on my work here at Blogs of War. I believe they’re inviting 5-6 other participants but I’m not sure who else is on the list.
I can probably offer more advice than they’re interested in hearing. I’m sure Blogs of War readers could as well. I’m looking forward to watching this process unfold and seeing if it really has an impact on the district’s curriculum. I’ll keep you updated.
2 Responses
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December 8th, 2006 at 12:57 am
The youth of America,especially in public schools,need mentors,inspiration and guidance. Go do it!
I know you could make a difference.
December 16th, 2006 at 4:56 pm
Just look at what smut the school libraries are st…
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