So, we are back to the commodification factor here. Moreover, it seems to suggest that everyone reads the same book and does the same activities. If you look further at the materials here, there are books for grammar that contain very familiar worksheets including one where 5-6 graders are asked to select whether the correct article is "a" or "an." Grammar in isolation, yes, but also worksheets on such a tiny sliver of usage that I worry how long the worksheets for each part of speech must be.
When I first began teaching, everything was in packets. We were instructed to do a 3 week rotation of grammar packets followed by 3 weeks of literature packets followed by 3 weeks of writing packets. Someone spent loads of time making worksheets. While I appreciated the materials from time to time, I wondered where the teaching was if I had to simply introduce a lesson and then distribute a packet. Is there not a movie where one of the teachers dies during a school day and no one notices? They just pass out the worksheets.
Many years ago, one of the teachers at the school the former residents of the back bedroom attended had a math teacher request from each student a ream of paper so he or she could run off worksheets. You can imagine my reaction to this request. Now, too much of what I see as technology is worksheet on a computer screen. Again, commodification.
I am well aware that folks reading this blog do not do this. I am once again preaching to the choir. But when I see companies springing up offering books of worksheets, I want to, well, scream, cry, bang my head on the desk. And I bet kids feel even more strongly than do I.
As you return to your classrooms (and many of you are already there with or without kids right now), I wish you a year free of commodification.
