Chapter 3

Balance the Basics: An Argument for

Parity Between Reading and Writing

 

 

The main point made by Thomas Newkirk in chapter 3 is that writing is sorely neglected in education today.  One problem is argued by James Moffett in Teaching the Universe of Discourse when he says "writing does not fit this disciplinary model--it lacks 'content' that other disciplines are built on.  Writing is both more pervasive, applying to all subjects, and less substantial in terms of information and material to be learned.  In the battle for curricular space, writing loses time and again."

 

There are many facts and concepts to be learned in all other subject areas - much content.  Because writing does not consist of facts to be learned, it is more abstract and is usually pushed to the side.  In my experience, writing is the first thing to be relegated to "when I have time to get to it" by teachers.  There is so much to teach and not enough time to teach it.  I believe a major problem is that teachers don't really understand how to teach writing and why it is necessary.  Most educators would tell you that you have to teach students to write a 5 paragraph essay in response to a prompt.  Elements would be determined by whether it is narrative, expository, or persuasive. 

 

While people do need to know how to write those types of essays, writing encompasses so much more.  People in many jobs, probably most, read and respond to emails daily.  People do this in their personal lives.  Think about all the texting we do.  Police write reports of accidents or other incidents.  Doctors must write detailed, accurate accounts of patient illness, diagnosis, and treatment.  Attorneys must produce clear, persuasive arguments in writing to be read by judges.  Teachers must write for many purposes:  lesson plans, notes to parents, newsletters, IEPs, RTIs, other documentation for students files, etc.  The list could go on and on.

 

If teachers could come to realize that writing is, or should be, involved in every content area we teach, then writing would become a regular, natural part of student work everyday.  Students should be writing in many useful and appropriate forms - not just prompt after prompt.  In that way, students would learn to use writing in a very natural and useful way.  Writing also helps the thinking process.  Children would understand their lessons better if they could do more writing, stretching their thinking processes.

 

One last thing - a bit of a pet peeve of mine.  Writing should not be used as a punishment in school.  Too often, I see students go to time out in another room and have to write something as a punishment.  This in no way helps the student and certainly doesn't promote a love of writing - quite the opposite!  Encourage a love of writing, just as we try to do with reading, and I think we'll all be surprised at what they can do.



Holding on to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones, Chapter 2

After completing chapter 2 of Holding on to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones, I have to agree with the author that in many ways education hasn't changed since the 1940s when scientific research began to guide the course of education.  Teachers should be allowed to, no - actually encouraged to - teach children to read, using good teacher judgment.  There is a science to learning to read, not fads that become popular and are thought to work for all learners.  There have been several contradicting reports as to the value of independent reading and matching readers to books correlating with their reading levels.

Being in the classroom for many years has shown me the value of matching my students with books they are interested in and that are written on a level they are able to read and comprehend.  Igniting a passion for reading within children is such an exciting thing.  Once this passion is ignited, students discover the excitement and joy of reading.  Most often, unless there is a learning disability, the student takes off from there and learns to love reading.  While I do use research based methods, there is a lot of teacher judgment and individualized instruction involved.  I would hate to have my ability to use my own judgment taken from me. 

Chapter 2: The Teacher as Schmidt            

 





I discovered the meaning of Mr. Newkirk's title for this chapter.  He has gone back into history to find out where many of our teaching dilemmas originated.  In 1899 when the U.S. was at war with Spain, pig iron was needed for the war effort.  An efficient expert watched workers and decided that strictly controlling the movements of the workers, their work output would be doubled.  He began with a worker named Schmidt.  To earn more money, Schmidt had to work when told, rest when told, and never talk back or question.  It didn't take long for this concept to take hold in the educational field.  Obviously, Mr. Newkirk is equating the worker named Schmidt to today's teachers.

 

A plan was developed to enable larger urban school districts to become strictly organized and supervised.  One plan was William Harvey Wells' book, The Graded School: A Graded Course of Instruction for Public Schools with Copious Practical Directions to Teachers and Observations on Primary Schools, School Discipline, Schol Records, Etc ([1869] 1962).  I think the title pretty much says it all!  Schools were equated with businesses.  It was thought that by running a tightly controlled ship, the product could be attended to more efficiently, whether the product was pig iron or children.

 

Those supporting this principle asserted, "Teachers cannot be permitted to follow caprice in method.  When a method which is clearly superior to all other methods has been discovered, it alone can be employed..."  "The fundamental decisions about instruction must be made by management, not the 'rank and file'--for only a scientifically astute supervising class could oversee the full sequence of 'production.'"  Today we frequently hear all about research based teaching methods, etc.  While I value and read research, that doesn't mean that research can tell me the best way to help individual students.  As long as students are different from one another (and we know they are and always will be), teachers have to use much discretion in discovering the best way to help each unique individual.

 

The next part of chapter 2 is called "The Failure of Educational Research."  Another post will follow when I finish reading it.

 



 

Holding on to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones:

Six Literacy Principles Worth Fighting For 

by Thomas Newkirk

 

 

This book is divided into three sections, with chapters within each of those sections.  The first section, "Part 1: The Mechanization of Teaching," contains the first two chapters.  I wondered immediately at the title of the first chapter, "The Curse of Graphite."  Mr. Newkirk begins with a history of electronic methods for scoring tests.  The first of these machines was developed in the 1930s by Reynold B. Johnson.  His experiments produced the "Markograph."  The Markograph could score graphite marks on a test sheet.  Hence, the #2 pencils passed out annually at our standardized testing times.  In 1935 the Iowa Test of Basic Skills was developed and quickly became the standard in American classrooms. 

Even now, students are tested on items that can be scored electronically.  This obviously eliminates so many qualities we attempt to instill in students, such as reasoning and thinking outside the box.  Teachers are engulfed in the standards movement, emphasizing standards-based instruction, enabled by scripted teacher instructions.  Mr. Newkirk advocates a balance between standards and teacher initiative, allowing for teacher decision making.  He states, "Unfortunately, in my experience many of the reforms that have been put in place are so restrictive--even distrustful of teacher creativity--that they strip teachers of agency and ownership of their own craft.  This is a heavy, unconscionable price to pay."  I agree that teacher judgment seems to be more and more pushed aside in the name of uniformity and standardization.  Standards themselves are a good thing.  We should have a plan for what needs to be taught.  I object to the scripted teacher editions.  However, it does make it easier for a substitute to come in and teach without knowing anything about our students.  But what does that say about what teachers are permitted to do in their classrooms?  Sadly, not much.

Mr. Newkirk discusses the situational aspect of teaching, such as helping a child who is having trouble decoding a word.  He highlights the number of variables that need to be considered by the teacher, all in a short amount of time, such as previous success by the child, frustration level, significance of the particular word, interest, prior knolwedge, child's strengths and weaknesses, teacher's patience level, and the behavior of the other children.  "Group comparison research may suggest patterns for large populations, but teachers must make decisions in complex and individual human situations.  consequently, there is an inevitable mismatch between the guidance research can provide--and the decisions teachers must make."

Another point is that standardization can lead only to sameness, not quality instrsuction.  I cannot count how many times I've said that "fair doesn't mean equal."  I think all good teachers will acknowledge that the way we treat students depends on so many varied factors.  Students need to be taught and treated according to their individual needs.  Even in the area of discipline, each student is an individual case.  That's what makes many hard and fast discipline systems fail.  Individual students respond to discipline in varied ways.  While some may require a more firm hand, others would be humiliated with the same treatment. 

One point made by the author that summarizes his thoughts in this chapter is "I will make the case that when curriculum is defined as covering 'content,' writing in particular is the activity that gets crowded out."  He goes on to say, "Time is chopped up into shorter and shorter units.  Depth gives way to breadth; and time-intensive activities like writing and revising fall by the wayside."  I know from talking to many teachers that this holds true.  Other than fourth grade teachers, most say that they have a difficult time giving writing the instructional time it deserves because of all the other requirements and deadlines they have to meet.

I look forward to reading Chapter 2 -- "The Teacher as Schmidt."  I don't know the symbolism of the name yet, but will eagerly read to find out!



 

 

 

 

 

 

I have begun reading Holding on to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones (2009) by Thomas Newkirk.  Mr. Newkirk taught at-risk high school students in the 1970s.  He is now Professor of English at the University of New Hampshire.  Mr. Newkirk is also the director and founder of its New Hampshire Literacy Institutes.  He has studied literacy learning from the preschool level all the way through the college level.

 

                         

 

Books by Thomas Newkirk:

The Art of Slow Reading (2011)

Holding on to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones (2009)

Teaching the Neglected "R" (2007)

Misreading Masculinity (2004)

Performance of Self in Student Writing (1997)

Taking Stock: The Writing Process Movement in the 90s (1994, coedited with Lad Tobin)

Nuts & Bolts: A Practical Guide to Teaching College Composition (1993)

 

Children Want to Write - coeditor with Penny Kittle

The Essential Don Murray - coeditor with Lisa Miller

 

Thomas Newkirk has been named the 2010 recipient of the Gary Lindberg Award for his outstanding contributions as a faculty member of the University of New Hampshire.