HI, Tom, good to hear your voice again.  Once again you speak in such a
student-centered way.  I enjoy reading your input and perspectives.

Jan Steinbauer
Director of Literacy Programs
jsteinbauer at vermonthumanities.org
 
Vermont Humanities Council 
11 Loomis Street
Montpelier, VT 05602
802-262-2626    ~   FAX 802-262-2620
www.vermonthumanities.org

-----Original Message-----
From: focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov
[mailto:focusonbasics-bounces at nifl.gov] On Behalf Of Woods
Sent: Thursday, June 29, 2006 11:52 PM
To: The Focus on Basics Discussion List
Subject: [FocusOnBasics 386] Re: individualized workbook approach

When I was doing my teacher preservice, the lesson was drilled into us, 
workbooks=BAD, experiential/hands-on=GOOD.

So it was with great relish that I developed courses for my students 
(aged 17-60+) that were rich in hands-on experiential learning. And it 
was with great consternation that I listened to one of my younger 
students say to me, "don't you just have some workbooks I can do?"

I think we have to be mindful that students have preferences and it's 
wrong to write off one mode of learning such as workbooks just because 
it doesn't fit with our own preferred mode, or those of 'experts' who 
know what's best. First of all, we have to take the student wherever he 
or she may be in terms of abilities, goals, and preferences. Then we try

to get him or her to think differently about things. We can't actually 
change students' thinking, but we can give students things to think 
ABOUT. This, in turn, creates the conditions in which the students 
themselves will expand or alter their thinking. I believe it is risky to

try to rush this process. If my student is ready for workbooks and I try

to get him to do do other things, I risk scaring him off, or I risk 
trying to make him conform to MY goals, not his own. That's what was 
done to them when they were children. My students, who are mostly pretty

alienated from school and education, are wise to this. Their radar goes 
up in a flash when they sense it.

While workbooks (or textbook chapters) are not my preferred way of 
learning, we do offer them to students who want them. American Guidance 
Service (AGS) publishes a wide variety of textbooks in the different 
subject areas, and they also sell CD roms with workbook pages, chapter 
tests, etc. They are quite comprehensive and while their scope is at the

high school level, they are written at a lower reading level than 
regular high school texts. Students who choose this path do so because 
credit requirements are explicit. It is very highly structured; there 
are no surprises or guessing games. They can work at their own pace and 
they can work on their own time, often working far more productively 
than they could if they simply attended a class. It has always amazed me

that I could never get my students to do 'homework' but I can give them 
one of those AGS text books and they will work 20 hours a day on it.

Is it the best way to learn? Not for me it isn't. But it's what the 
student wants, what the student is ready for presently. Maybe I will be 
able to make it a hook to entice the student to pursue some topic more 
deeply.

Tom Woods
Community High School of Vermont


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