CHARLES BEAMS spoke of The Real Story 2 to DAN TRIPLETT on 08-28-96
CB>Responding to a message by Dan, to Ruth on ...
CB> 
CB>DT>In order for children to match the picture with the first letter
CB>DT>they  would have to know the answer.
CB> 
CB>Or solve a problem, or research a question, or confer with a resource
CB>person, or visit the library, etc.  Perhaps you're thinking of only
CB>one  type of worksheet - one with questions that involve only strict
CB>recall of  facts.
You make a good point here and you are correct that I am thinking of 
specific work sheets (the boring, canned, meaningless, busywork kind).  
What you are describing is not what the type of work sheet to which I am 
referring.  I think I would probably agree with using work sheets that 
facilitate a lesson or provide a student with a format for recording 
data, interviewing a person of interest, researching information from 
library material, etc.. I think this is what you are describing.  
CB> 
CB>DT>In other words, the matching doesn't _teach_ the skill.
CB> 
CB>Children do lots of things in school that don't involve primary 
CB>instruction in a topic.  If we eliminated everything from school that
CB>wasn't instruction in a new topic, the kids would only need to show
CB>up  for half-an-hour a day.
I don't think I am suggesting that we eliminate anything.  I believe 
there is a better way to reinforce concepts and make learning 
experiences far more meaningful than a eliminate could ever do.   
CB>DT>For many children this type of activity is busy work and it's
CB>boring.  
CB>So is washing up the dinner dishes, but I do it every day.  
Charles, you are talking apples and I am talking oranges.  If we can 
make learning more meaningful and get more kids engaged in their own 
learning don't you think they will be more excited about school?  You 
really think a kindergartner or 1st or 2nd grade kid cares that some 
things in life are boring?  The fact that some things in life may be 
boring seems a poor excuse to pass off boring kindergartner as a 
legitimate way to teach kids.  (I said boring kindergartner....we have 
already established that some WS are good.)
  
CB>DT>For example, if I want a "match the letter to the picture" I can
CB>DT>find  computer games that will do that.
CB> 
CB>Don't you think that an electronic worksheet is still just a
CB>worksheet?   I don't see the difference except that the computer has
CB>a little more  color and sound.
It's very different in my mind.  It's interactive for one, it offers a 
variety for two, it is entertaining for three, and it's not boring for 
four, and it usually is a choice that is completely left up to the 
child.  I challenge you to this:  Put out match-the-letter usually or 
count-the-objects usually and also have the computers on match the 
letter/number games.  Which do you think the children would rather do?
Dan
CMPQwk 1.42 445p
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