Workshop number 9 – thoughts
September 24, 2012 in Pedagoo, SLFringe by Ann D'Arcy
First of all, thank you to Pedagoo and Feargal for arranging Saturday’s teachmeet.
When I first signed up to host a workshop I was really unsure of what it would be like. Would I feel like a “blue group” child among all of these intelligent people? Would anyone want to listen to what I had to say? Would they think I was merely telling them what hey already know? I need not have worried. The lovely people who were there made me feel so welcome and it was great to see Tweeters I had been conversing with for a while.
My workshop was on Reading Workshops in which I have great faith. Giving children a choice of what to read and what activities to do as follow up work seems such an obvious way to engage hem in their learning. I feel it removes the competitive element of ability grouping both for the child and the parents and encourages reading for pleasure.
The teachers who attended the workshops were very supportive and encouraging when I got flummoxed and nervous! (Supplying chocolate may have helped!). The feedback on the day and through twitter was positive. I was given food for thought about how the concept would work in P1 and 2 and together we discussed and found ways to adapt for the early stages. I hope I have encouraged some to try out the idea.
Thank you all.
Ann / misiesd.
Ann,
I really enjoyed your workshop and found it hugely inspirational. The fact that you are doing all this in school and sharing with others out of school when this is your last year before retirement is also hugely inspirational. Shame your school dont seem to realise what a good thing they’ve got with you, but at least you have found like minded people through pedagoo to take on your good work.
I just tweeted you re ideas for reading workshops with P1. Maybe you could post these as a comment here?
Thanks
Aileen Kelly
Glad you found the workshop helpful and thanks for your kind comments.
The group who talked about infants reckoned that it would be too much to ask teachers to choose non-scheme reading books for P1 but thought that children could choose from the range of scheme books at their level, giving some “personalization and choice”.
As their wouldn’t be enough choice for a different book per person they would be grouped according to which book they had chosen.
Lesson would start, similar to upper school,with a class lesson followed by independent work with choice of “stations” from a limited number. Teacher at 1 station and, if possible, PSA at another and 2 stations for independent work.
Hope this is of some help.
Ann