Ima Teacher

Posted on 6/05/09

On 6/05/09, Deb ms/IA to Tom wrote:
> Oh I hope I did not give the impression that AR is my 8th grade reading
> program! It isn't! It is 25 percent of my reading grade but it is
> not my reading program! Everybody is into giving student choices so
> AR is the student choice portion of my reading program. I choose the
> almost 30 reading selections (classics and current writers the kids may
> not even be exposed to and different genres) and their matching skills
> for the bulk of my reading program. AR is management and
> accountability for their practice reading. Students choose their books
> to read and I conference with them on those choices and progress. I
> did explain that in my administrative e-mail and data. I also
> included the Iowa Core Curriculum standard that fits AR! So AR isn't
> the reading program!
>
> I have all summer to look around at other ways to monitor independant
> reading!
>
> Deb ms/IA
>
>
> On 6/05/09, Tom wrote:
>> I hear you Deb. I hope the admin group see's your passion for the
>> students and your job. Granted, the premise of your job is still
>> the same, there are many ways to measure reading comprehension
>> outside of AR too. With all the budget cuts in the educational
>> world, I guess be happy we still have jobs and are creative enough
>> to come up with a plan B. AR in our school was an extra. It was
>> nice to have, showed results and kids loved to take home scores and
>> talk about a book. Without AR those skill sets are still possible
>> but perhaps not as easy. That could be where some misconceptions
>> come from too about AR. If something is easy, it allows teachers to
>> stop teaching and claim the program does it for them. If you
allow
>> AR to work this way, it will do you no favors. (Speaking to any
>> teacher that thinks this way).
>>
>> I love the way AR works but also realize that it is just part of the
>> reading program, not THE reading program. Personally, I think AR
>> is the best program out there for Librarians that have to monitor
>> data (From a personal reporting standpoint) to actually being a
>> program that is well used and liked by students at the same time.
>> I love the flexibility of the program and how you can apply
>> different themes and such from a creative standpoint. Its so
easy
>> to build your reading program around it, but you have to be careful
>> that it does not consume your program. Decisions on products and
>> finances always change and as teachers we need to be able to change
>> with those decisions weather we agree with it or not. Sometimes
>> the changes are short term and may be as little as 1 year. So the
>> next time the opportunity comes along, try your best to get more
>> teachers and schools in your district to buy into it. Its easy
to
>> silence one voice, but a group of voices carries so much more power
>> in decision making.
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>> On 6/04/09, Deb ms/IA....update wrote:
>>> I met with the principal and he informed me that the
>>> administrative team talk about AR and already decided to
>> stop
>>> the AR program (keep the STAR). I still presented him with
>> all
>>> of the data I had with the 8th grade program. Due to our
>>> district not following the best practices of AR, I am the only
>>> person using it so its easy to dump. I closed out my classroom
>>> and completed a three day class and then I put all my research
>>> and documents together along with a best practices 9 page
>>> document and suggested that we wait one year and implement the
>>> program as it should be implemented and then decide if it should
>>> be continued. I zapped that e-mail off today. It went to ever
>>> person on the administrative team. I even volunteered to head
>>> up the program and come in and answer any questions. So now I
>>> wait and see.........
>>>
>>> I also now need to research how I make up for this loss in my
>>> curriculum and still monitor children and their reading
>>> comprehension. My kiddos read 1,300 some odd books this
>> last
>>> school year. I can't fathom doing that many book talks, book
>>> reports or projects!!!!
>>>
>>> Please excuse me for not answering back sooner. I appreciate
>>> your help Ima, Tom and test. I was busy ending the year,
>>> cleaning my room and typing up all this research and taking a
>>> class. NOw I can begin summer break!
>>>
>>> Deb ms/IA
>

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