"Dramatically Transforming..."

In the current issue of the UFT (United Federation of Teachers) newspaper, there is an article about "Literacy in the social studies classroom" (p. 8, by Patrick Sprinkle). Five teaching-learning strategies are outlined. The author's intentions are good. Methods he recommends  would indeed be dramatic in places where teacher-centered "chalk & talk" still dominates. However, I have to say that HSLI is light years ahead of such strategies. Here are two:

• "Think, pair, share"---"This approach creates a more collaborative classroom, allows more voices to be heard and exposes students to different perspectives while also encouraging a more student-centered classroom."

>>Good, in a very rudimentary sense, but still a practice controlled largely by the "sage on a stage." Our school HSLI smashes boundaries in our 70 minute class periods, taking the teacher completely from center stage, except during the 10-20 minute mini-lesson. 

~Students control Unison Reading groups.

~Students control their independent work time. 

~Students control the share time at conclusion of each period. 

~Students even largely control our school's "Ladder of Consequences," signaling for others to be more promotive as they aid in stabilizing the classroom atmosphere. 

• "One-sentence interviews"---"This technique can get students to verbalize their beliefs after reading a text...Students would take seven to eight minutes asking each other this question and writing down their responses. Again, this technique creates a more collaborative and democratic classroom...It also acknowledges that history is not handed down from on high but is subject to multiple and competing interpretations."

>>Great intentions but unless this strategy is employed several times weekly, students will remain mostly in their own worlds. Even if this strategy is employed well, students will spend the majority of time writing rather than working cooperatively with others, as they will need to do in the "real" world. 

Perhaps in our school we do need to emphasize more about student perspectives and interpretations of various texts. But we are doing well employing a structure which leaves no option but do interact cooperatively, communicating, with a small group of peers for at least fifteen minutes per period, per core class, per day*.

*with Friday as an exceptional day when students spend two full hours of the afternoon in "enrichment" elective classes of their choosing (i.e yoga, Taekwando, dance, music, etc.)