Thanks Jennifer for your comment on my post. Prior Experience I guess I see the relevance readily because I work with students from Asia. They seem to be very focused on career goals, and the importance of English on their future, and all seem to be geared toward ivy league universities. Maybe i am just seeing the cream of the crop, but it seems unlikely that they all would have the same motivation lo these 14 years that I have been working with them.

Question So I guess my question is why are they so intrinsically motivated when our students especially in later years, not? It has to be the mode of delivery don't you think. They are taught with the self fulfilling prophecy that they will achieve. Of course there is a down side to that too, the high morbidity rate among Asian students. Perhaps they are too highly motivated.

In answer to your question about Open Education, yes it is somewhat like ability grouping but it was in my school across three grade levels 1-3. When the students went into the forth grade they were classified as either above, on or below grade level instruction in each subject. So I guess I am wondering if the introduction of performance based testing has been the demise of the open education concept?

What do you want to remember? Teach self sufficiency and independence in learning situations within their grasp.

Kimberly, something that you said was indeed important and that is the user friendliness of the activity you described in the portfolio management. Help them to be self sufficient.

Prior Experience Even in P K, I had my students do as much on their own as was developmentally possible. They were capable of doing far more than anyone, at that time their parents, gave them credit for doing. The introduction of procedures for center changing, or appropriate care of the materials in the classroom, where things belonged in the classroom, how to use the art center, it didn't matter what the procedure, they were, in time, able to independently accomplish those tasks. They not only self monitored but they monitored the other kids in the class and ensured that everyone was doing things the appropriate way. This was my key to being able to introduce so many learning activities simultaneously and have a classroom that was a busy workshop as opposed to utter chaos.

Comment I am a real Harry Wong fan and believe in his philosophies about the introduction of procedures and having the kids take responsibility for much of their learning. The Jewish mother's in us say we have to do for them because that shows that we care. No, WRONG, we have to let them do it themselves, because we care. The making of the portfolios and having them place all of their work in them is one tremendous example of teaching them to do things for themselves not only a meaningful activity for them but a teach timesaver as well. Don't get bogged down by all of the day to day, minutia that teaching involves. Actively engage your learners in that process.