--- On Sun, 5/31/09, Scott Woods <[log in to unmask]> wrote: --- On Sun, 5/31/09, Scott Woods <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > From: Scott Woods <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: Class size ATEG Digest - 28 May 2009 to 29 May 2009 - Special issue (#2009-127) > To: [log in to unmask] > Date: Sunday, May 31, 2009, 9:10 AM > Paul, > > I would be interested in seeing research that shows a > strong link between reducing class size and increasing > performance. The research I have seen strongly suggests > that the most important factor in improving student > performance is changing what teachers do. Reducing > class size can reduce the amount of disruption in a class, > but there is little research base (that I have seen) to > suggest that if we reduced the size of every class in the > country to 15 students that much would change in what > students know and can do. > > As an English teacher, I would prefer having fewer > total students, but I could probably teach as well if, at > least twice a week, I had all 112 of my students in a > lecture hall together. That would give me eight hours > of extra time to respond thoughtfully to their writing. > > > Scott Woods > BASIS Scottsdale > > > --- On Fri, 5/29/09, Paul E. Doniger > <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > > From: Paul E. Doniger [log in to unmask] > > > > > > > > > Yes! And all research in education that I've ever > seen agrees that class size is a vital component in > successful learning. This is especially important to > the writing classroom. > > Paul E. Doniger > "If this were play'd > upon a stage now, I could condemn it as an improbable > fiction" (_Twelfth Night_ 3.4.127-128). > > > > > > > From: Scott > <[log in to unmask]> > To: > [log in to unmask] > Sent: Friday, > May 29, 2009 8:30:56 PM > Subject: Re: > Class size ATEG Digest - 28 May 2009 to 29 May 2009 - > Special issue (#2009-127) > > I too am normally reluctant to classify a remark as stupid; > however, > the list member who indicated that class size was > irrelevant in teaching > writing must have been brought up by a school board > member. My alma mater, > MSC, whose regular Freshman English program I have praised > highly, had > a secondary program in basic writing skills for those who > had failed the > English placement exam. I had scored a 100 in the > exam but my advisor had > accidentally put my test in the "Dummy English" > pile; therefore, I had to > take a non-credit > English class on the same semester as my first Freshman > English class. My advisor apologized to me later but > I replied that I had > learned more in Dummy English than in regular English > because the class size > was quite small--around ten students--and we wrote a theme > each day instead > of one a week. The professor in the Dummy Class was > also an excellent > teacher. > > Having taught across the academic curriculum, I can aver > that, in my > experience, class size is more important in English > composition than in any > other academic class, including mathematics and foreign > languages. > > N. Scott Catledge, PhD/STD > Professor Emeritus > > *************************************************************************** > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the > list's web interface at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, > please visit the list's web interface at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select > "Join or leave the list" > Visit ATEG's web site at > http://ateg.org/ > > > > To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the > list's web interface at: > http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html > and select "Join or leave the list" > > Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/ Interesting---then again I am always interested in knowing those who do the research have actually spend a week teaching public schools or not? thanks To join or leave this LISTSERV list, please visit the list's web interface at: http://listserv.muohio.edu/archives/ateg.html and select "Join or leave the list" Visit ATEG's web site at http://ateg.org/