Mind the Gap

“Mind the Gap: Session 2”

1. Chapter one:  In recounting her journey through many educational reforms, Diane Ravitch makes a number of provocative statements. Choose two, quote them, and personally respond.

            The first provocative statement that caught my eye was on page 3 when Ravitch states, “I have tried to show in my work the persistence of our national infatuation with fads, movements, and reforms, which invariably distract us from the steadiness of purpose needed to improve our schools”. This statement is one that begs for attention and notice. If someone who has worked among the country’s top leaders in education can point out something, why are we still experiencing problems, in the same areas nonetheless? I believe this can somewhat be answered by Ravitch’s initial statement; our country is especially concerned with the most popular idea any given time. If one person publishes an article about it, more and more people are likely to jump aboard and go for something, even if it does not make sense. It leaves me feeling as though we are doomed to repeat (and already have to some extent) the events of the past.

            “Doubt and skepticism are signs of rationality. When we are too certain of our opinions, we run the risk of ignoring any evidence that conflicts with our views. It is doubt that shows we are still thinking, still willing to reexamine hardened beliefs when confronted with new facts and evidence” (2). As one who is constantly open to new ideas and ways of learning, I am left questioning why more people are not in tune with this type of ideology? I find that some of the colleagues I have or have had are unwilling to hear out or even try a certain idea/thought that I may present. I have always believed this is harmful in the effort of collaboration and building community among the school staff. For me, Ravitch supports this idea in a way that simply points to the negative of being unwilling to take a second look at the facts.

2. Chapter two:  On page 16, Ravitch gives a brief definition of a well-educated person.  How would you characterize a well-educated person? What should any well-educated person know in today’s world?

            I would characterize a well-educated person as one who possesses a wide breadth and depth of knowledge, on many subjects. Additionally, I agree with Ravitch in that a well-educated person “has learned how to explain ideas and listen respectfully to others” (16). Acquiring and retaining knowledge is just one component to education, being able to articulate that knowledge after it has been synthesized is vital. Even more, listening attentively to what others have to say shows that you have a willingness to learn and having a dialogue about a certain subject increases awareness of other viewpoints. Lastly, having some type of personal experience related to the subject is important in gaining a deeper knowledge. In essence, I believe a well educated person is one who is not ignorant and if so, they seek the means to acquire that unknown.  

            In today’s world, I think the above listed qualities are important even still. I believe in today’s world, due in large part to technological advances, staying current with any type of information is an active, constant progress. More importantly, possessing knowledge of other cultures is a trait of a well-educated person. I have a huge admiration for those people who have visited many different places and cultures, as it deepens ones understanding and knowledge on another level.

3. Thinking about the class discussion on the book, what stands out for you?  What would you have liked to say that you did not say?

            In general, the fact that Ravitch reflected to the extent she did is what resonates most with me. Something that is difficult for many people, being able to admit when something you once believed in is not all it seems, she is ready to stand up and point the finger at herself. She even says, “…my views changed as I saw how these ideas were working out in reality” (2). I immediately was struck by this admission, as it is not something I have encountered too much in my readings. I feel as though much of what I see are “fads” not working effectively and those in position to change them just move to the next fad and try to use those methods to fix the former. If more people were willing to take on this type of thinking I believe the issue of school reform would look very different. I am strong-willed and do believe that I have the power to help in the school reform movement. However, the issue of school reform leaves me feeling somewhat discouraged about the direction of education, in that, there does not seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. I will remain to stay focused on my goals in and around this topic area and hope for the very best, for the sake of education.

4. Choose one gap you listed from your subject area and identify 3 resources: a web site, an article, and a book that can help you fill that gap.  List these and discuss what you learned from one of these.

            The following resources were obtained in collecting more information on spelling development in grades K-2:

·      National Association for the Education of Young Children (http://www.naeyc.org)

·      Word Crafting: Teaching Spelling, Grades K-6 by Cindy Marten

·      From Childhood Education, Spelling Development Research Necessitates Replacement of Weekly Word List by Maryann Manning and Clark Underbakke

                                    This article gave me a perspective that is one I really appreciated. I felt as                                     though it really suited my philosophy on education and I plan to try out some                                     suggestions to see the outcomes in my own classroom. This article begins by                                     painting a portrait of how many young children in grades K-2 do not possess                                     confidence in themselves, particularly in the subject of literacy, due to the                                     current practices of spelling. Manning and Underbakke point out that educators                                     play a role in this by “insisting they use conventional spelling…” (236). Their                                     arguments for why this insistence is harmful immediately caught my attention.                                     This article speaks to the issue of why spelling development is one that has many                         levels, all of which may occur at different times. Most importantly, Manning and                                     Underbakke conclude that educators have an array of strategies to use that will                                     not harm the confidence of our students.

5. Your annotations of resources are meant to be both scholarly and brief.  In the blog, discuss in detail why/how any two of these articles were useful to your topic/question(s). 

            Resource #1: “The Development of Children’s Orthographic Knowledge: A Microgenetic Perspective” by Ann C. Sharp Ralph E. Reynolds and Gale M. Sinatra

            After reading this article, I was delighted to not only feel supported in my opinions of spelling, but I was also enlightened. First off, this article was organized in a way that made it an easy read and in a way that is clear and concise. In general the study was conducted to examine a new perspective as it applies to spelling development. The new terminology acquired through reading this left me excited to delve even deeper into the issue of spelling development. In addition, information was presented on past theorists and ideologies. For instance, phase view (as it pertains to spelling development), overlapping-wave perspective, Henderson, Frith, Ehri, Read, etc. Moreover, the authors point to the fact that more research is necessary and the results, if conducted, could be tremendous. I feel as though my philosophy of spelling coincides with their findings and on which theorists they cite. From this I learned about theorists I had never heard of before, which is promising as I continue on with my research. Before reading this article I felt as though I might have bit off more than I could chew, not knowing which direction to go in my research. I finally feel some confidence in which way I am headed.

            Resource #2: “The Effects of an Adapted Interactive Writing Intervention on Kindergarten Children’s Phonological Awareness, Spelling, and Early Reading Development: A Contextualized Approach to Instruction” by Sharon A. Craig

            In this article, I was able to gain another perspective in the world of literacy. One specific statement that still sticks with me is “Moreover, children who learn to use phonological information to encode and decode print consistently demonstrate the greatest gains in reading and spelling in the first grade and maintain these gains in future years of schooling” (Byrne & Fielding-Barnsley, 1995; Byrne, Fielding-Barnsley, & Ashley, 2000; NICHD, 2000) [715]. I am eager to further my research using some of sources this author used, as I believe there are important connections that were made within the article, that can help me further decipher the intricacy of spelling development.

6. Question for Meg: I am concerned with my guiding questions and feel they are too broad. Do you have any suggestions? Is too broad a bad thing? 


I responded to the following blogs:


Alana-mademoisellescott.blogspot.com


Nora-astudentbecomesateacher.blogspot.com


Melina-MAIT-MelinaR.blogspot.com