Letting Go : How to Give Your Students Control Over Their Learning in the English Classroom

Meg Donhauser

ISBN 10: 0814128041 / ISBN 13: 9780814128046

Published by National Council Of Teachers Of English (Ncte) Sep 2018, 2018

About this Item

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Seller Inventory # 9780814128046

Bibliographic Details

• Title: Letting Go : How to Give Your Students Control Over Their Learning in the English Classroom
• Publisher: National Council Of Teachers Of English (Ncte) Sep 2018
• Publication Date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0814128041
• ISBN 13: 9780814128046
• Binding: Taschenbuch
• Condition: Neu
• Dimensions: 231W x 185H x 13D millimeters 231 millimeters width by 185 millimeters height by 13 millimeters depth
• Weight: 381 grams

About this title

Synopsis

Based in the Inquiry Learning Plan (ILP), a flexible tool that allows students to engineer their own goals and create an authentic final assessment, this practical approach provides a clear, customizable experience for teachers looking to shift ownership of learning to the student, whether wholly or in part.

The transition from rote lessons, traditional pedagogy, and standardized tests begins with the belief that students need to learn how to learn--and learn to love learning. Great idea--but how do teachers actually implement a curriculum that gives students room to do this? Letting Go: How to Give Your Students Control over Their Learning in the English Classroom explores an inquiry approach in which students differentiate their own learning with the space to choose texts, develop questions, and practice skills that are unique to their individual needs.

The authors--two classroom teachers and a school librarian--discuss strategies to scaffold the inquiry process while addressing the common pitfalls students encounter. Student examples of activities, reflections, and final products provide concrete models of how to use the strategies separately and how they relate. The authors break down the inquiry process and provide support for gradual release of responsibility and power to students. In doing so, they show that letting go is rewarding for both teachers and students because students realize what they are capable of and learn what they love. Student work showcases the impact these inquiry strategies have on students' understanding of themselves, their skill development, and their content acquisition. A companion website features complete ILPs for a more holistic view of the process, as well as reproducible materials.

About the Authors

Meg Donhauser is an English teacher at Hunterdon Central Regional High School. She first designed and began implementing the ILP in the Fall of 2010 with a very brave group of British Lit students. Since then, her work has been presented at state and national conferences and examined in publications including Ed Leadership.

Cathy Stutzman is an English teacher at Hunterdon Central Regional High School. She has been using the Inquiry Learning Plan since the fall of 2010 with American Literature and Sophomore Honors English students. She has presented at state and national conferences about her work with the ILP and about her collaboration with teacher-librarians in inquiry classrooms.

Heather Hersey is a School Librarian at Lakeside School. In 2010 and 2011, she team-taught American Literature classes using the Inquiry Learning Plan. Since then, she has presented at state and national conferences about the shifting role of the teacher-librarian as learning specialists in inquiry classrooms.