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Date: Mon, 22 Aug 2005 07:17:31 -0700 (PDT)
From: Sandra Brewer <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: Re: Fwd: RE: Worksheet Ammunition
To: Janis Cramer <[log in to unmask]>
Cc: Connie Sears <[log in to unmask]>
In-Reply-To: <[log in to unmask]>
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Janis,
I also was frustrated by the rationale many schools used to choose their language textbooks.  With the schools I worked, the workbook issue was also prevalent.  One teacher chose a textbook because it was "skinny" and she didn't use a language book anyway.  Her stufdents just wrote a research paper for English class.  That was her entire curriculum for 11th grade.

Here's another issue that troubles me.  Some schools  liked the free novels that one company was giving away with Language adoption.   (Every company gave novels away three years ago, but only one company offered novels as a part of the Language adoption.) I estimate that schools have more novels stashed away than they could possible ever use.  I am seeing numerous schools abandon the teaching of writing and grammar/usage instruction in favor of teaching one novel after another because it's easier to pass out vocabulary terms and a long worksheet of questions than it is to teach reading skills, literary devices, and writing application. Do you remember the teacher who once told you that you could "kill a whole month" teaching a novel?  Who has that kind of time to "kill"?

I remember my first years of teaching well.  I had a small teacher's manual and a booklet of multiple choice questions.  I had to create all of the rest.  Now, the companies provide more than a teacher could possibly use with blackline masters, test generators, and workbook after workbook. They even provide the essay questions with sample answers to them. I wonder how many teachers use the essay questions.  Again, it's so much easier to pass out multiple choice questions.  (The companies even provide the scanners to grade them.)  In many schools, the students rarely have the opportunity to answer questions that require them to think because those kinds of questions require teachers to read, respond, and evaluate. They tell me they don't have time with class sizes and discipline problems.

Also, the state mandated  testing is set up in multiple choice.  Teachers are using more multiple choice testing.  Of course, correctly written multiple choice questions do generate critical thinking.  However, what I'm seeing is teacher-made multiple choice questions that mirror the format of the state tests but do not include the criteria necessary to promote critical thinking in students.

OWP has a major role to play in educating teachers.  The high school students I teach at the junior college come to me with very poor grammar-usage skills.  They don't know how to find their own errors because they don't even know what constitutes the error.

I am also tutoring a young secretary for a local attorney.  She is a bright young lady, but I am amazed at what she was never taught, everything from verb tense and possessive case to subject-verb agreement and pronoun antecedent agreement.

Thanks for reading my lists of frustrations.  Hopefully, OWP will have a couple of teachers from my region who will apply to the institute for next summer.

Sandy Brewer
OWP 1989


Janis Cramer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Note: forwarded message attached.
Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 13:21:41 -0400
From: "Sears, Connie L. (HRW-ATX)" <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: RE: Worksheet Ammunition
To: [log in to unmask]
CC: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]


Cindy,



Good luck!  You are fighting a tough battle!



During the language arts adoption this past school year, it was quit disheartening to Sherry Morgan, HRW Language Arts Consultant, and myself (who are both OWP Teacher/Consultants) that teachers across the state of Oklahoma were more interested in adopting a textbook that came with 3 free workbooks rather than how the textbook included comprehensive instruction on the writing process as Holt, Rinehart and Winston’s Elements of Language textbook does.  Quite frankly, we lost many adoptions because so many teachers preferred a textbook that was predominately grammar instruction, not writing instruction, and because Holt didn’t give away 3 workbooks as one of our competitors did!!!



Connie Sears

Holt, Rinehart and Winston

Oklahoma Sales Representative

405-470-2842 (phone & fax)

1-800-547-0846 (phone & fax)

[log in to unmask]




---------------------------------


From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Wednesday, August 17, 2005 6:02 PM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: ammunition




After the faculty meeting today, I realize I'm going to need all the ammunition I can get to counter the idea that test worksheets and more worksheets are what's needed to turn things around. Didn't you say you had research I could sight in this battle? I'm going to cruise the net, but it would be great if you could pass along anything you have in this vein. Thanks, Cindy



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<DIV>Janis,</DIV>
<DIV>I also was frustrated by the&nbsp;rationale many schools used to&nbsp;choose their language textbooks.&nbsp; With the schools I worked, the workbook issue was also prevalent.&nbsp; One teacher chose a textbook because it was "skinny" and she didn't use a language book anyway.&nbsp;&nbsp;Her stufdents just wrote a research paper for English class.&nbsp; That was her entire curriculum for 11th grade.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Here's another issue that troubles me.&nbsp;&nbsp;Some schools &nbsp;liked the free novels that one company was giving away with Language adoption.&nbsp;&nbsp; (Every company gave novels away three years ago, but&nbsp;only one company offered novels as&nbsp;a part of the Language adoption.) I estimate that schools have more novels stashed away than they could possible ever use.&nbsp; I am seeing numerous schools abandon the teaching of writing and grammar/usage instruction in favor of teaching one novel after another because it's easier to pass out vocabulary terms and a long worksheet of questions than it is to teach reading skills, literary devices, and writing application. Do you remember the teacher who once told you that you could "kill a whole month" teaching a novel?&nbsp; Who has that kind of time to "kill"?</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>I remember my first years of teaching well.&nbsp; I had a small teacher's manual and a booklet of multiple choice questions.&nbsp; I had to create all of the rest.&nbsp; Now, the companies provide more than a teacher could possibly use with blackline masters, test generators, and workbook after workbook. They even provide the essay questions with sample answers to them. I wonder how many teachers use the essay questions.&nbsp; Again, it's so much easier to pass out multiple choice questions.&nbsp; (The companies even provide the scanners to grade them.)&nbsp; In many schools, the students rarely have the opportunity to answer questions that require them to think because those kinds of questions require teachers to read, respond, and evaluate.&nbsp;They tell me they don't have time with class sizes and discipline problems.&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Also, the state mandated &nbsp;testing is set up in multiple choice.&nbsp;&nbsp;Teachers are using more multiple choice testing.&nbsp; Of course, correctly written&nbsp;multiple choice questions do generate&nbsp;critical thinking.&nbsp; However, what I'm seeing is&nbsp;teacher-made multiple choice questions that mirror the format of the state tests but do not include the criteria necessary to promote critical thinking in students.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>OWP has a major role to play in educating teachers.&nbsp; The high school students I teach at the junior college come to me with very poor grammar-usage skills.&nbsp; They don't know how to find their own errors because they don't even know what constitutes the error.&nbsp; </DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>I am also tutoring a young secretary for a local attorney.&nbsp; She is a bright young lady, but I am amazed at what she was never taught, everything from verb tense and possessive case to subject-verb agreement&nbsp;and pronoun antecedent agreement.</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Thanks for reading my lists of frustrations.&nbsp; Hopefully, OWP will have a couple of teachers from my region&nbsp;who will apply to the institute for next summer.&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV>Sandy Brewer</DIV>
<DIV>OWP 1989</DIV>
<DIV>&nbsp;</DIV>
<DIV><BR><B><I>Janis Cramer &lt;[log in to unmask]&gt;</I></B> wrote:</DIV>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=replbq style="PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; BORDER-LEFT: #1010ff 2px solid">Note: forwarded message attached.<BR>Date: Sun, 21 Aug 2005 13:21:41 -0400<BR>From: "Sears, Connie L. (HRW-ATX)" &lt;[log in to unmask]&gt;<BR>Subject: RE: Worksheet Ammunition<BR>To: [log in to unmask]<BR>CC: [log in to unmask], [log in to unmask]<BR><BR>
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<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Cindy,</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Good luck!&nbsp; You are fighting a tough battle! &nbsp;</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">During the language arts adoption this past school year, it was quit disheartening to Sherry Morgan, HRW Language Arts Consultant, and myself (who are both OWP Teacher/Consultants) that teachers across the state of Oklahoma were more interested in adopting a textbook that came with 3 free workbooks rather than how the textbook included comprehensive instruction on the writing process as Holt, Rinehart and Winston’s <I><SPAN style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Elements of Language</SPAN></I> textbook does.&nbsp; Quite frankly, we lost many adoptions because so many teachers preferred a textbook that was predominately grammar instruction, not writing instruction, and because Holt didn’t give away 3 workbooks as one of our competitors did!!! &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;</SPAN></FONT></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face=Arial size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial"></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
<DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Connie Sears</SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Holt, Rinehart and Winston </SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">Oklahoma Sales Representative</SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">405-470-2842 (phone &amp; fax)</SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">1-800-547-0846 (phone &amp; fax)</SPAN></FONT></B></P>
<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Arial size=3><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 12pt; FONT-FAMILY: Arial">[log in to unmask]</SPAN></FONT></B></P></DIV>
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<DIV>
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<P class=MsoNormal><B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold; FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma">From:</SPAN></FONT></B><FONT face=Tahoma size=2><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 10pt; FONT-FAMILY: Tahoma"> [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] <BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Sent:</SPAN></B> Wednesday, August 17, 2005 6:02 PM<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">To:</SPAN></B> [log in to unmask]<BR><B><SPAN style="FONT-WEIGHT: bold">Subject:</SPAN></B> ammunition</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt"></SPAN></FONT>&nbsp;</P>
<P class=MsoNormal><FONT face="Times New Roman" size=3><SPAN style="FONT-SIZE: 12pt">After the faculty meeting today, I realize I'm going to need all the ammunition I can get to counter the idea that test worksheets and more worksheets are what's needed to turn things around. Didn't you say you had research I could sight in this battle? I'm going to cruise the net, but it would be great if you could pass along anything you have in this vein. Thanks, Cindy</SPAN></FONT></P></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE><p>
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