Comments on: My Evil Plan http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2009/05/15/my-evil-plan/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Tue, 02 Mar 2010 16:24:44 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Ms. Yingling http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2009/05/15/my-evil-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-124092 Ms. Yingling Fri, 22 May 2009 16:04:42 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/?p=1409#comment-124092 Just goes to show that a little enthusiasm and good book choices can change the most reluctant reader. Good for you! I always have an evil plan. It's a great phrase. Just goes to show that a little enthusiasm and good book choices can change the most reluctant reader. Good for you! I always have an evil plan. It’s a great phrase.

]]> By: Rick http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2009/05/15/my-evil-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-123782 Rick Mon, 18 May 2009 16:26:32 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/?p=1409#comment-123782 As a long-time literacy educator myself, I have never been able to dismiss this "rhetorical" question as being rhetorical - how do kids come to hate reading and writing? I mean, how do we do this to them? Literacy is profound and powerful. Or just plain fun. How do we convince kids it's a pain? We've missed the boat badly with our over-emphasis on cognitive strategies and skills. Of course those things do matter. But just as obviously, sociolinguistic factors like choice, purpose, and audience matter, too. Keep doing your evil sinister thing, Doug. As a long-time literacy educator myself, I have never been able to dismiss this “rhetorical” question as being rhetorical – how do kids come to hate reading and writing? I mean, how do we do this to them? Literacy is profound and powerful. Or just plain fun. How do we convince kids it’s a pain? We’ve missed the boat badly with our over-emphasis on cognitive strategies and skills. Of course those things do matter. But just as obviously, sociolinguistic factors like choice, purpose, and audience matter, too. Keep doing your evil sinister thing, Doug.

]]> By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2009/05/15/my-evil-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-123777 Doug Noon Mon, 18 May 2009 14:44:56 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/?p=1409#comment-123777 Dina, I've had a fairly free rein in the instructional decision-making dept. for a long time, as a matter of fact, but I didn't realize how powerful the choice feature in a reading program for 6th-graders could be - until just this year. I have a copy of In The Middle on my shelf, and read it some while ago. I'll take a look at it again, and find a copy of the Reading Zone. A collaborative teacher-research project with the reading workshop sounds good to me. Dina, I’ve had a fairly free rein in the instructional decision-making dept. for a long time, as a matter of fact, but I didn’t realize how powerful the choice feature in a reading program for 6th-graders could be – until just this year. I have a copy of In The Middle on my shelf, and read it some while ago. I’ll take a look at it again, and find a copy of the Reading Zone. A collaborative teacher-research project with the reading workshop sounds good to me.

]]> By: Dina http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2009/05/15/my-evil-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-123771 Dina Mon, 18 May 2009 13:01:56 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/?p=1409#comment-123771 Doug, Go straight home (if you're not there already) and start reading Atwell now. NOW. I mean it. Given your evil plan's success, it will make you feel like you can change the world again. "In The Middle" and "The Reading Zone" are indispensable. I have spent several happy hours this past week knowing I have the full support of my new E/LA director in putting Atwell's workshop approach into place next year, scribbling on steno pads, thinking about how many desks I can replace with cheap bean bags. Let's pilot some stuff together. I can see the article for NCTE now: "Co-Teaching in New York and Alaska: PLNs At Work"... :) Doug,

Go straight home (if you’re not there already) and start reading Atwell now. NOW. I mean it. Given your evil plan’s success, it will make you feel like you can change the world again. “In The Middle” and “The Reading Zone” are indispensable.

I have spent several happy hours this past week knowing I have the full support of my new E/LA director in putting Atwell’s workshop approach into place next year, scribbling on steno pads, thinking about how many desks I can replace with cheap bean bags. Let’s pilot some stuff together. I can see the article for NCTE now: “Co-Teaching in New York and Alaska: PLNs At Work”… :)

]]> By: Mark Ahlness http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2009/05/15/my-evil-plan/comment-page-1/#comment-123743 Mark Ahlness Mon, 18 May 2009 01:44:07 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/?p=1409#comment-123743 Doug, you are a serious, serious Evildoer. Thanks for sharing this, as well as your piece in March describing your Plan. Reading these makes me proud to be a teacher again - Mark Doug, you are a serious, serious Evildoer. Thanks for sharing this, as well as your piece in March describing your Plan. Reading these makes me proud to be a teacher again – Mark

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