Curriculum Planning and Alignment

 


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Does the Canon Need an Overhaul? Introduction “The more that you read, the more things you will know. The more that you learn, the more places you’ll go.” - Dr. Seuss Reading is one of the great pleasures in life.  Seuss, concisely and in rhyme, summarized its importance, reading opens your mind beyond yourself, broadens your knowledge and your understanding of the world.  Educators are often tasked with selecting literature to use in their classrooms which meet state guidelines, while engaging students in meaningful ways. Many do this by selecting works from a commonly accepted list known as a literary canon. Generations of students have read literary canon works as part of their required curriculum.  Jordan Bates defines  literary canon  as “a body of books, narratives and other texts considered to be the most important and influential of a particular time, period, or place”.  The subject of the literary canon is a polarizing topic amo...
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Diagraming: Yes or No?

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     I realize that I come to this argument from a unique perspective. I teach at a classical charter school where sentence diagramming is introduced in lower school and enthusiastically embraced through the completion of upper school. My personal experience with sentence diagramming is a mixed bag at best. I *sort of* recall learning it in school, however I do not recall understanding why we were doing the exercise. Blame it on 1980’s progressive education practices, but it was put on the back burner by teachers at the time. I can attest to the fact that my grammar education suffered because of this. I find myself, at 46 years old, teaching and re-teaching myself so many things I would have learned if this piece of grammar would have been taught properly in my classes 35 years ago. Diagramming sentences is more than a rite of passage for students, it is an effective tool they will be able to use their entire lives; if taught correctly, they might even find it fun too. ...
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