Teaching to the Middle

After reading the series of articles in www.nytimes.com, on middle schools, I see the growing issue of where to place students. If we take away middle schools, the next step is figuring out where to end elementary school and begin high school. I certainly think students might benefit from attending smaller elementary/high schools.

According to the articles, there are many difficulties that exist within today's middle schools. These are students at a highly transitional stage in their lives, and they are forced into "the middle." Teaching middle school seems to be a job that many teachers take if they HAVE to. It is a teaching position where students need to be nurtured as their entire world changes without their consent.

In relation to technology in the classroom, I think it is important to use technology when students are at the middle level. If their reading ability is dropping, find something they will enjoy reading or writing about. Find, through technology, ways to engage students in motivated literacy activities. I think that if we start using technology as a tool to teach reading and writing, the young-drop-out rates will drop. I certainly agree that if middle schools are not working then we need to change something. I am curious to see how the options they are trying in NYC schools work out.