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Show j Gettina Students Involved JjyTOM BUSSELBERG FARMINGTON - Hun-reds Hun-reds of Davis County youngs-ts youngs-ts are being "turned on" to arnirig more than ever be- J' THANKS TO a new prog-r prog-r in implemented by hundreds Davis District teachers, stu-(:nis stu-(:nis are learning the power of ( .'"trolling their own lives and 'arning how to learn when rey're individually ready, ex-i'ans ex-i'ans Bonnie Middleton, dis- 1 lct social studies curriculum j' pervisor. Cajjed the "Workshop 'l'san "organization of ne materials and strategies ,lcn gives teachers the way Jnourish within each child ' :"ve basic dispositions that People have at birth," she d the board of education in a .;nt meeting. 'p1 K A way of creating a lrk-hfe climate in the clas-;X)m clas-;X)m m which the children involved independently all tf cept during the times C en they are taught by the nerin either a small group y nole class lesson." V;0Ing some teachers first ame involved three years A j njany more have taken an f i auctory seminar, with iiner one starting Thursday 11 '5 signed up and 30 others ady hoping for another seminar, Mrs. Middleton said in a telephone interview. "TEACHERS are really excited ex-cited about it," she said, recalling re-calling the case of a 4th grade teacher where one student previously pre-viously wouldn't read or pursue pur-sue anything academically. "He just blossomed. It helps the slow as well as the gifted to be in charge of their own lives. It takes a whole new direction." direc-tion." . Some adjustment is often required re-quired of teachers as they discover dis-cover it's not best to tell students stu-dents they can't go to recess until a particular assignment s completed, for example. NOTING ONE teacher spent $350 on materials although that's not required, Mrs Middeton said, adding that some have indicated. "I've waited for this all my life " Parents comments have all been positive, except for one who didn't understand the program, she adds. Teachers from kindergarten at Stewart Elementary in Centerville Cen-terville through the 5th grade at Farmington's Knowlton Elementary are immersed in the program, she explained, indicating in-dicating most teachers tare getting get-ting involved with additional seminars planned. THE PROGRAM takes six basic elements as foundation for learning: conditioning of the physical and social environment, en-vironment, providing instant personality activities along with the daily whole class lesson, les-son, self-concept vocabulary project, use of time and content con-tent for personal growth and parental involvement. A workshop schedule, listing list-ing tasks required of students is accompanied by teacher preparation pre-paration and classroom organization. orga-nization. The second phase comes though use of the five freedoms and activation of positive attitudes by the teacher toward the child and his learning process. THE FIVE freedoms are: freedom from fear, freedom of movement, of position and location for work, freedom of conversation while working and freedom of choice frequently. fre-quently. Positive attitudes asked of teachers include reverencing the dignity of the person in each child; believing that all children can learn; using positive posi-tive approaches in dealing with children and their problems; sensing the values that clearly allow them to see the difference differ-ence between people and things; to realize that, early in the education process, children chil-dren have to learn so well that they become aware of their power to learn. THE DAILY whole class lesson is the third element and concerns total pupil involvement involve-ment "with awareness of one- CONTINUED ON PAGE 3 New Teaching Methods itinued from page 1 asalearner, concentrating strength and dead-Mess. dead-Mess. he self-concept vocabul-project vocabul-project is a homework abulary assignment given yfor the entire school year, ocahulary lesson on dupli-id dupli-id paper the minimum re-rtment re-rtment is to be able to read word or phrase with ex pression and speed. STUDENTS MAY read more or even the entire paper but the encounter with the teacher has to be pleasent in some way. It requires that the teacher wait-no one knows when the child will reach the growth point making him want to participate. Time and content comprise the fifth element, individualizing individualiz-ing content for wherever a child is in learning, set up to build a 'dynamic relationship' between teacher and student. PARENTAL involvement is stressed also where parents are asked to visit the classroom, clas-sroom, sit with and help their children, sharing talents with the class. Basic dispositions children have by nature, according to the Workshop Way personnel, are "to love to seek the truth, meaning knowledge," "love what is fair and just," "tohave a simplicity and openess toward to-ward existence with all its human hu-man limitations," favorable attitude toward work and a sense of cooperation. DAILY TASKS are set up to nurture those feelings in areas including: decision-making, awareness of being, dead-sureness, dead-sureness, reflection, sharing with others, study habits, power pow-er to risk, responsibility, creativity, power of success, ability to finish and a sense of knowledge. |