road less traveled, The

Kappa Delta Pi Record, Summer 2001 by Pauwels, Pamela, Hess, Carol

Looking back at the previous school year and these four very special students, I knew I had created a contructivist classroom. Knowing that my students were naturally curious and learned best when the learning tasks were authentic (El-Hindi 1998), I decided that this was the way I wanted to teach. Constructivist teaching helps students internalize, reshape, and transform new information (Brooks and Brooks 1993). We demonstrated this idea when we spent one whole week on a single big book doing shared reading, repeated reading, rewriting the book, and learning for authentic language purposes.

Concluding-Not Final-Thoughts

My research into brain-based learning, the constructivist theory, and authentic literature-based instruction of reading empowered me as a teacher to apply research and theory effectively into teaching strategies that motivated learning. I only wish that I could bottle the feelings of student empowerment I saw in these four little girls: the smiling faces, the "ahas" when connections were made, the flowering self-esteems, the move from emergent readers into active readers, and, most important, the love of learning. If the strategies used with my four special education students worked so well, how would they work with regular education children? To find out, I am currently collecting data while team teaching in a regular education classroom, using the strategies discussed in this article.

References

Bannatyne, A. 1971. Language, reading, and learning disabilities: Psychology, neuropsychology, diagnosis, and remediation. Springfield, Ill.: Charles C. Thomas.

Brooks, J., and M. Brooks. 1993. The case for constructivist classrooms. Alexandria, Va.: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

Caine, G., and R. N. Caine. 1994. Making connections: Teaching and the human brain. Menlo Park, Calif: Innovative Learning Publications.

Caine, G., R. N. Caine, and S. Crowell. 1994. MindShifts: A brain-based process for restructuring schools and renewing education. Tucson, Ariz.: Zephyr Press.

Cowley, J. 1990a. Mrs. Wishy-Washy. Bothwell, Wash.: Wright Group.

Cowley, J. 1990b. Smarty pants. Bothwell, Wash.: Wright Group.

EL-Hindi, A. 1998. Beyond classroom boundaries: Constructivitst teaching with the Internet. The Reading Teacher 51(8): 694-700.

Farstrup, A. E., and J. S. Samuels. 1992. What research has to say about reading instruction, 2d ed. Newark, Del.: International Reading Association.

Frost, R. 1916. The road not taken. In Mountain interval New York: H. Holt & Co. Germinario, V, and H. C. Cram. 1998. Change for

public education: Practical approaches for the 21st century. Lancaster, Pa.: Technomic. Gillet, J. W, and C. Temple. 1994. Understanding reading problems: Assessment and

instruction. New York: Harper Collins College.

Martin, B., Jr. 1970. Brown bear, brown bear, what do you see? Chicago: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

Mercer, A. R., and C. D. Mercer. 1989. Teaching students with learning problems. Columbus, Ohio: Merrill.

Routman, R. 1988. Transitions: From literature to literacy. Melbourne, Australia: Rigby.