Friday, January 30, 2015

Responding to Campano

Campano advocates moving from a deficit model, in which kids are positioned as not having the knowledge, skills, and dispositions that are expected and tested; to an enrichment model, where we see kids’ histories, experiences, and locations as assets (pages 14-19).  Can you give some examples of how this could be (or is) put into action in your own classroom environment—in your pedagogy, in your curriculum, in your relationships with kids?

Responding to Sagor

Chapters 1-3 in Sagor provide an overview of the whys and hows of teacher inquiry/research. 

We will be working through the processes he describes, so don't worry if they are not clear to you right now. The first step is "finding a focus" (p. 12).  Without overthinking, what are some issues/problems that you could see researching?  These could be big picture issues about pedagogy, such as grading, for example, or they could be one kid or a small group of kids who are having specific issues in your class, either academically or behaviorally. 

Why are these issues important to you?  When did they arise?