Unlock with PatreonThe Problem with CI
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Corrado Russo
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8 thoughts on “Corrado Russo”
Welcome to the club, Corrado, and to the sub-club of Latin teachers who are fighting the good fight in our classrooms and in our schools. I don’t know for sure, but I am guessing that New England, because of the ingrained tradition of teaching Latin (and the bad pedagogy that is part and parcel with that tradition), is going to be one of the more hostile areas for introducing CI methods. As you have probably witnessed with Jeff Brickler’s recent posts, you are not alone in needing to educate colleagues, parents and administrators who have been led to think that Latin is different and therefore exempt from being taught using 21st century pedagogy. At least you have the school’s mission on your side with all the talk of “research based” teaching. This is something to keep hammering away at (though gently) because you are in the right. Keeping a low profile, arming oneself with clear and persuasive summaries of the research and the standards, and making class engaging and enjoyable for all kinds of learners, which will get the majority of students and their parents on your side–this is what we can do in order to make long-term change without endangering our jobs by inciting too much knee-jerk push-back. We have to remember that Krashen’s research on the affective filter also applies to our “adversaries,” who will disregard the evidence and refuse to hear us as long as they feel under attack. We may not be able to change this, but we can certainly work in ways that do not exacerbate an already tense situation.
You will find a lot of support here. Bonam fortunam tibi exopto
..keeping a low profile, arming oneself with clear and persuasive summaries of the research and the standards, and making class engaging and enjoyable for all kinds of learners, which will get the majority of students and their parents on your side–this is what we can do in order to make long-term change without endangering our jobs….
Perfectly said.
Hi Corrado,
You might know this already, but just in case, the Newburyport MA schools use TPRS a lot, and they often have workshops. Also, there is a strong TPRS group in southern Maine. They have a yahoo group (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/TPRSmaine/) and often have great workshops. I live in Vermont, so I’m always checking out what’s out there nearby.
Good luck!
Welcome Corrado. You’ve got the best name I’ve ever heard!
Have you Latin guys heard about the pope talking about the decline in Latin? Below is what I read about it, from Ed Fallon of Iowa talk radio and ex congressman. I don’t really get the last reference about Latin America.
– “Pope tackles key issue. We look to the world’s faith leaders to provide incisive direction on the key challenges facing humanity: war, climate change, poverty, discrimination. Thus, it was encouraging this weekend to learn that Pope Benedict XVI is tackling a critical yet often neglected injustice: the decline of Latin. Next up on the papal agenda: making Latin the official language of Latin America (thank you, Dan Quayle).”
Who is Ed Fallon? He seems to be making fun of the mother language of the Western World to get a laugh. I don’t like it. Who is this guy and what is his point?
Yes it does Ben, and I don’t agree with that one bit. I value and respect languages and what they mean to us, and I really think Ed does too. This is most likely an instance of him putting foot in mouth. What I think he is doing, and I think this because I’ve become familiar with his work, is trying to push religious leaders to talk about issues that are most important to human beings’ survival in this moment, like the ones he mentions. I copied/pasted that blip of his so that I could get some feedback from the Latin guys what he’s actually referring to. So guys, what is he referring to?
I read that, not as poking fun at Latin per se, but as taking the Catholic Church to task for failing to deal with much more significant issues such as war, climate change, poverty and discrimination. There was also a not-so-subtle poke at Republicans for being clueless about the world around us. (Dan Quayle reference)
Thank you all so much for your replies and suggestions. It is so nice not to feel alone.
Jim, thanks for the complement! Regarding the quote from Ed Fallon: my guess is that Ed views Benedict’s recent interest in Latin (e.g. the founding of a pontifical Latin academy) as merely a nod to “ultra-traditionalists” for whom Latin is a symbol of the church’s former greatness (especially when it was taught with ‘traditional’ drill-and-kill methods). I’m not sure how I feel about his comments.
There is no question that “ultra-traditionalists” would use Latin as a banner in their war against progress, but that doesn’t mean that an interest in Latin per se is not worth fostering, even if you are of a different religious/political bent. In fact, teaching Latin using CI methods could make the inner workings of the church more accessible to the laity, and break down the very linguistic, social, and cultural divisions that traditionalists are nostalgic for.
I don’t really get the joke about Latin America either. Maybe Ed is suggesting that the pope is so out-of-touch with the laity that he would rather talk about some arcane dead language with Latin Americans than address the social, economic, and religious issues that really matter to them. Seems like an uncharitable way of looking at what could be a really exciting time for Latin, but, a pundit’s gotta make a living, I guess.