Ms. Lainey Alderman and some members of her fourth grade class at John Swett Elementary School in Martinez.
By Dr. Kate Scannell, Syndicated columnist
First Published in Print: 05/28/2011
LAST WEEK, I visited Lainey Aldermen's fourth grade class at John Swett Elementary School in Martinez with two related goals in mind. The first was to demonstrate how writing could be fun and exciting, how it could lead to adventures and experiences in bigger worlds that existed "off the page." My second objective was to gain a better understanding of what young people think about doctors and health care -- their important perspectives are virtually absent from mainstream polls and surveys.
My overarching plan was to merge both goals by teaching the students how to write a structured essay, and asking them to focus it on their experiences with doctors or hospitals. I told them I would include their opinions in this newspaper column, hoping to provide them a concrete experience of witnessing their words being carried beyond the classroom into a larger public conversation.
And, of course, I learned many amazing things during my visit. Read More