Their are no easy solutions, but as professionals, we must confront these issues and face the challenges they bring. Curriculum and learning are both seen as inquiry. Children are empowered as they take control of their learning. Since we learn by doing, the cycle begins with students engaging in uninterrupted learning experiences. Much of this time is spent reading a variety of materials and recording in some way the the information they learn.
Students then meet with others to explore meaning.
Next is a time for reflection and revision of their ideas before they prepare to share what they have learned with others. Before the end of the cycle, strategy lessons and instruction may help students increase their ability to interact with text. The Authoring Cycle renews itself as the questions generated by the first cycle serve as a starting point for the next. When I first learned about the Authoring Cycle, I must admit that I was skeptical about its practical use in the classroom. I was teaching seventh grade language arts and could not visualize it working in my classroom.