Monday, March 21, 2011
An Educator's Guide to Twitter
I am newly intrigued by Twitter, slowly figuring it out, dipping my toes in, but not yet ready to jump. This is an excellent guide if your interested in getting started: An Educator's Guide to Twitter
WashPo Answer Sheet - The unusual next season of ‘Survivor’
Fantasy Revenge!
The unusual next season of ‘Survivor’: "Here is a dream write-up of the next season of the television show ‘Survivor’ that just about every public school teacher in the United States would love to watch."
The unusual next season of ‘Survivor’: "Here is a dream write-up of the next season of the television show ‘Survivor’ that just about every public school teacher in the United States would love to watch."
WashPo Answer Sheet - How test scores are used as a political prop
On the fact cherry-picking "reformers" and their continuing hypocrisy...
How test scores are used as a political prop: "Politicians have long used funding to mandate policy–often with little logic (consider the use of highway funds to force raising the drinking age to 21 under Ronald Reagan). This is happening with abandon in education, as policymakers ignore evidence as they insist on ‘reform.’"
How test scores are used as a political prop: "Politicians have long used funding to mandate policy–often with little logic (consider the use of highway funds to force raising the drinking age to 21 under Ronald Reagan). This is happening with abandon in education, as policymakers ignore evidence as they insist on ‘reform.’"
WashPo Answer Sheet - Ironic extremes: Lauding and bashing teachers
This will make you angry...
Ironic extremes: Lauding and bashing teachers: "How’s this for ironic extreme: An international conference is underway in New York about how to elevate the teaching profession, while, in Florida, a new law is about be put on the books that will go a long way to making sure nobody wants to be a public school teacher."
Ironic extremes: Lauding and bashing teachers: "How’s this for ironic extreme: An international conference is underway in New York about how to elevate the teaching profession, while, in Florida, a new law is about be put on the books that will go a long way to making sure nobody wants to be a public school teacher."
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Ferlazzo: “The Books Everyone Must Read”
"The Guardian newspaper created a great word cloud infographic showing The Books Everyone Must Read. They used “the results of over 15 notable book polls, readers surveys and top 100’s.” It’s definitely worth a look…"
Tuesday, March 15, 2011
NCTE Inbox - Writing Conferences
A Look at Conferencing
For more ideas on conferencing in online environments, take a look at Preparing Educators for Online Writing Instruction: Principles and Processes. Beth Hewett and Christa Ehmann show how instructors can engage students in productive conversations about their writing with or without face-to-face contact. See also "Online Writing Instruction: No Longer a Novelty" from NCTE's Council Chronicle.
For more ideas on conferencing in online environments, take a look at Preparing Educators for Online Writing Instruction: Principles and Processes. Beth Hewett and Christa Ehmann show how instructors can engage students in productive conversations about their writing with or without face-to-face contact. See also "Online Writing Instruction: No Longer a Novelty" from NCTE's Council Chronicle.
The following resources from NCTE and ReadWriteThink.org provide more tips and strategies for conferencing with students.
The Council Chronicle article “Formative Assessment: Helping Students Grow” (G) shares how teachers can measure how well their students are learning by implementing and responding to class discussions, quick writes, reader response journals, quizzes, and writing conferences.
"Conferring in the Writing Workshop" (E), a themed issue of School Talk, highlights advice from four experienced teachers of writing -- Ralph Fletcher, Carl Anderson, Joanne Hindley Salch, and Marianne Marino. They share responses that can be given to student writers in the classroom which have been found to enable students to stretch their ability as writers.
Two teachers reflect on their combined experiences in teaching middle school, teaching preservice teachers, and teaching online in order to adapt and apply strategies for bringing positive experiences in a computer-based environment to middle grade students in the Voices from the Middle article, “Lessons Learned from Integrating Technology in a Writer’s Workshop” (M). The result is five valuable lessons, each of which is explained theoretically and described practically through a writers’ workshop example, where teachers conference with their students.
The approach to conferencing and feedback outlined in the Classroom Notes Plus article “Reworking Conferencing for More Effective Writing Feedback” (S) draws upon some basic structures that exist in most writing workshop classrooms at both high school and college levels. But a few important adaptations improve the effectiveness of teacher feedback and student uptake of that feedback.
Teaching students how to talk about their writing and responses to other students’ writing may be key in improving their writing skills. In “Thank You for Sharing: Developing Students’ Social Skills to Improve Peer Writing Conferences” (S) from English Journal, the author suggests several activities that can help. The examples here show how students can conference with each other.
NYTimes Op-Ed Contributor: Let Kids Rule the School
Let kids be in charce of their own learning and curriculum?
Op-Ed Contributor: Let Kids Rule the School: "Eight teens were given the chance to create their own curriculum, and the results have been transformative."
Op-Ed Contributor: Let Kids Rule the School: "Eight teens were given the chance to create their own curriculum, and the results have been transformative."
Monday, March 14, 2011
NYTimes: Essay: No Face, but Plants Like Life Too
Is it more "right" to kill and eat plants than it is to kill and eat animals? Essay: No Face, but Plants Like Life Too: "Vegetable behavior, and other ruminations on what we kill so we can eat. "
Saturday, March 12, 2011
Sitomer: My blog was hacked!
My blog was hacked!: "Hi, my name is Whit Little and I have hacked Alan's blog today to talk to you about this most important of seasons.
The season of data.
See, as we all know it's coming up on testing time and in my role as the DDVP (Data-Driven Vice Principal) I want to make sure that you are properly placing all of your energy into the singularly most important area of a child's education: their standardized test scores.
And if you think it's unethical for me to hack into Alan's blog in order to relay the importance of the upcoming tests, might I remind you that the powers being granted to me, the DDVP, are currently growing in scale and scope to an unprecedented level.
Rightfully so, too. It's a new era and this is but one of many changes to come in the near future so get over yourselves.
And yes, there will be a test.
"
The season of data.
See, as we all know it's coming up on testing time and in my role as the DDVP (Data-Driven Vice Principal) I want to make sure that you are properly placing all of your energy into the singularly most important area of a child's education: their standardized test scores.
- Are your students prepared for the tests?
- Have you pre-tested the test material in order to make sure that your students are test ready?
- Have you generated data which can give an indication as to the data that will ultimately be generated from your students' test data?
- Have you had the requisite amount of conversations about the importance of these tests to your students? (i.e. Twice a day on M,T,F and and three times per day on Tu, Th as per Ed Code Section 6ZL9TH.90L87M-B)
- Has your faculty engaged in enough meetings about the importance about upcoming tests?
- Have you done your 'How to properly administer this test' workshop? (And don't give me any of that, 'But I've done this for years, why must I attend the same ol' meeting yet again?' nonsense. It shows a lack of respect for the tests and of the importance of the data that these tests will generate.)
And if you think it's unethical for me to hack into Alan's blog in order to relay the importance of the upcoming tests, might I remind you that the powers being granted to me, the DDVP, are currently growing in scale and scope to an unprecedented level.
Rightfully so, too. It's a new era and this is but one of many changes to come in the near future so get over yourselves.
And yes, there will be a test.
"
Tuesday, March 8, 2011
WashPo - Ravitch: Jon Stewart and other education heroes
Ravitch: Jon Stewart and other education heroes: "This was written by education historian Diane Ravitch for her Bridging Differences blog, which she co-authors with Deborah Meier on the Education Week website. Ravitch and Meier exchange letters about what matters most in education. Ravitch, a research professor at New York University, is the author of the bestselling “The Death and Life of the Great American School System,” an important critique of the flaws in the modern school reform movement."
Huffington Post - Sam Chaltain: Time for Obama to Become Our Teacher-in-Chief
Sam Chaltain: Time for Obama to Become Our Teacher-in-Chief: "On March 4, during an appearance in Miami with former Florida Governor Jeb Bush, President Obama announced he will spend the month of March conducting a listening tour across the country, and 'talking to parents and students and educators about what we need to do to achieve reform, promote responsibility, and deliver results when it comes to education.'
I think it's a great idea -- and the clock is ticking. So without further delay, I'd like to recommend three core questions Mr. Obama should ask at every stop:
1. What do we know about how people learn -- and how can we apply that wisdom to education policies and practices?
2. What does the ideal learning environment actually look like -- and how can we create more such places for kids, both in and out of school?
3. What other metrics of success can we use to gauge student learning -- and how can we apply them in ways that will continually improve both our schools and our teaching?
I think it's a great idea -- and the clock is ticking. So without further delay, I'd like to recommend three core questions Mr. Obama should ask at every stop:
1. What do we know about how people learn -- and how can we apply that wisdom to education policies and practices?
2. What does the ideal learning environment actually look like -- and how can we create more such places for kids, both in and out of school?
3. What other metrics of success can we use to gauge student learning -- and how can we apply them in ways that will continually improve both our schools and our teaching?
Washington Post Answer Sheet: The ed report that all 'reformers' should read
The ed report that all 'reformers' should read: "Here are two take-away messages for school reformers around the country that are embedded in an important new report about how the D.C. public school system is faring under the 2007 law that gave the mayor control. * The standardized test scores that have been trumpeted to show improvement in the schools cannot legitimately be used to show progress in student learning. This is true, the report says, not only for D.C. schools but for any and all other school systems that use standardized tests as a measure of achievement."
NYTimes: Bipartisan Group Backs Common School Curriculum
Bipartisan Group Backs Common School Curriculum: "The proposal goes beyond the common academic standards in English and mathematics that about 40 states adopted last year, by providing specific guidelines about what should be taught in each grade."
Monday, March 7, 2011
Ferlazzo: A “Round-Up” Of Recent Posts, Videos & Articles On School Reform & Union Issues
A “Round-Up” Of Recent Posts, Videos & Articles On School Reform & Union Issues: "There have been quite a few good and useful posts and articles on school reform issues over the past few days. Here they are, along with links to “The Best…” lists I’m adding them to:
* There have been some good posts challenging comments by some “school reformers” that the experience of having many years in the classroom is over-rated. They say that after the first few years, it has no impact on student achievement. Here are some posts rebutting that claim:
The Teaching Experience at the Shanker Blog
Teaching experience matters! is from NYC Public School Parents
Firing Teachers with Due Process is a good piece from Forbes that rebuts a different claim — that it takes many years to get rid of a bad teacher.
I’m adding those posts to The Best Articles For Helping To Understand Both Why Teacher Tenure Is Important & The Reasons Behind Seniority-Based Layoffs.
* I’m embedding this “must-watch” thirty minute video of a talk by one of my favorite education writers and researchers, Richard Rothstein. Here’s how the Education Testing Service describes it:
Rothstein, a former New York Times national education columnist, discusses the false narrative about public education — especially urban schools — that currently exists. Rothstein maintains that many education reform proposals, especially those that focus on teacher accountability, are based on a misinterpretation and misuse of data. He stresses the direct correlation between poverty and educational failure.
Rothstein makes many important points but, because of some of the key ones he makes, I’m adding the video to The Best Places To Learn What Impact A Teacher & Outside Factors Have On Student Achievement.
* Teach for America 20th Anniversary Alumni Summit: Conclusions, Questions, and other Ruminations comes from Education Notes Online, and I’m adding it to The Best Posts & Articles Raising Concerns About Teach For America.
* The relationship between education spending and test scores is an important piece that I’m adding to The Best Sites For Learning That Money Does Matter For Schools.
Both Sides Begin Efforts for Recalls in Wisconsin is also from The New York Times.
How To Make A Misleading Public/Private Earnings Gap Disappear is from The Shanker Blog.
The Budget: Who’s Really to Blame? is a cartoon from The Atlantic."
* There have been some good posts challenging comments by some “school reformers” that the experience of having many years in the classroom is over-rated. They say that after the first few years, it has no impact on student achievement. Here are some posts rebutting that claim:
The Teaching Experience at the Shanker Blog
Teaching experience matters! is from NYC Public School Parents
Firing Teachers with Due Process is a good piece from Forbes that rebuts a different claim — that it takes many years to get rid of a bad teacher.
I’m adding those posts to The Best Articles For Helping To Understand Both Why Teacher Tenure Is Important & The Reasons Behind Seniority-Based Layoffs.
* I’m embedding this “must-watch” thirty minute video of a talk by one of my favorite education writers and researchers, Richard Rothstein. Here’s how the Education Testing Service describes it:
Rothstein, a former New York Times national education columnist, discusses the false narrative about public education — especially urban schools — that currently exists. Rothstein maintains that many education reform proposals, especially those that focus on teacher accountability, are based on a misinterpretation and misuse of data. He stresses the direct correlation between poverty and educational failure.
Rothstein makes many important points but, because of some of the key ones he makes, I’m adding the video to The Best Places To Learn What Impact A Teacher & Outside Factors Have On Student Achievement.
* Teach for America 20th Anniversary Alumni Summit: Conclusions, Questions, and other Ruminations comes from Education Notes Online, and I’m adding it to The Best Posts & Articles Raising Concerns About Teach For America.
* The relationship between education spending and test scores is an important piece that I’m adding to The Best Sites For Learning That Money Does Matter For Schools.
* The “three great teachers in a row” myth is a piece by Valerie Strauss at The Washington Post. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About The “Value-Added” Approach Towards Teacher Evaluation.
* Why politicians should spend time at school is another piece from Valerie Strauss’ blog. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Effective Student & Teacher Assessments.
* Here are some useful pieces related to what’s going on in Wisconsin, and that I’m adding to The Best Resources For Learning About Attacks On Teachers & Other Public Sector Workers In Wisconsin:
Unions Hope States’ Attacks Nurture a Comeback comes from The New York Times.Both Sides Begin Efforts for Recalls in Wisconsin is also from The New York Times.
How To Make A Misleading Public/Private Earnings Gap Disappear is from The Shanker Blog.
The Budget: Who’s Really to Blame? is a cartoon from The Atlantic."
The Learning Network: Briefly Noted: Practicing Useful Annotation Strategies
The Learning Network: Briefly Noted: Practicing Useful Annotation Strategies: "Lesson Plan | Practicing note-taking methods and reflecting on the value of marginalia."
NYTimes On Education: Evaluating New York Teachers, Perhaps the Numbers Do Lie
On Education: Evaluating New York Teachers, Perhaps the Numbers Do Lie: "A teacher in Manhattan earns effusive praise from her principal, colleagues and students. But the school system’s formula pan her performance?
"
NYTimes "Room For Debate" Blog: Why Blame the Teachers?
Why Blame the Teachers?: "Across America, teachers have become the targets of criticism and budget cuts. Do they deserve it? 
"
Saturday, March 5, 2011
The Learning Network: One Size Fits All? Reflecting on the Role of Government
The Learning Network: One Size Fits All? Reflecting on the Role of Government: "Lesson Plan | Nine different activities for considering the role of government and political ideology."
The Learning Network: Of Budgets and Bargaining: Putting the Union Protests Into Context
The Learning Network: Of Budgets and Bargaining: Putting the Union Protests Into Context: "Lesson Plan | Activities for learning about the current protests over state budgets and unions."
Thursday, March 3, 2011
The Learning Network: More Great 'Read-Alouds' From The New York Times
The Learning Network: More Great 'Read-Alouds' From The New York Times: "We've updated last year's popular list of short, engaging Times pieces to read aloud in honor of the March 9 observance of World Read-Aloud Day."
NYTimes: Teachers Wonder, Why the Scorn?
Teachers Wonder, Why the Scorn?: "Many teachers see demands to cut their pay, benefits and say in how schools are run as attacks not just on their livelihoods, but on their value. "
Ferlazzo: The Best Posts Responding To Bill Gates’ Appallingly Clueless Op-Ed Piece
"Readers of this blog are familiar with the op-ed piece that Bill Gates wrote for the Washington Post this week where he said class size should be increased that teachers haven't gotten any better over the years (unlike other professions). Believe me, those are just the tip of the iceberg. He also made a similar presentation to a meeting of U.S. Governors this week.
There have been a number of excellent responses to Gates over the past twenty-four hours from...educators.
Here are my choices for The Best Posts Responding To Bill Gates' Appallingly Clueless Op-Ed Piece:
Though I wouldn't say mine are the best of the bunch, you might want to check out The Arrogance Of Bill Gates — Part Three and A Perfect Cartoon For Bill Gates.
Who Elected Bill Gates? is from Gary Stager.
Smart Guy (Gates) makes my list of “Dumbest Stuff I’ve Ever Read!” is from School Finance 101.
Can We Improve Education By Increasing Class Size? comes from GOOD.
An Open Letter to Bill Gates: Higher Class Sizes will Drive Teachers Out by Anthony Cody at Ed Week.
Expert Witness comes from Nancy Flanagan at Ed Week.
A partial response to Bill Gates’ op ed about teachers is by Ken Bernstein.
The Bill Gates problem in school reform is by Paul Thomas."
There have been a number of excellent responses to Gates over the past twenty-four hours from...educators.
Here are my choices for The Best Posts Responding To Bill Gates' Appallingly Clueless Op-Ed Piece:
Though I wouldn't say mine are the best of the bunch, you might want to check out The Arrogance Of Bill Gates — Part Three and A Perfect Cartoon For Bill Gates.
Who Elected Bill Gates? is from Gary Stager.
Smart Guy (Gates) makes my list of “Dumbest Stuff I’ve Ever Read!” is from School Finance 101.
Can We Improve Education By Increasing Class Size? comes from GOOD.
An Open Letter to Bill Gates: Higher Class Sizes will Drive Teachers Out by Anthony Cody at Ed Week.
Expert Witness comes from Nancy Flanagan at Ed Week.
A partial response to Bill Gates’ op ed about teachers is by Ken Bernstein.
The Bill Gates problem in school reform is by Paul Thomas."
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Huff Post: Matt Damon Calls Out President Obama, Education Policy
"This is not the man he voted for. Matt Damon sat down with Piers Morgan for an interview that will air Thursday night, and among other things, talked about his feelings on the first two years of President Obama's administration. During the 2008 Presidential campaign, Damon was a vocal Obama supporter, campaigning for the then-candidate at rallies, promoting him through a MoveOn video contest and attending fundraisers for him.
Now, he's not so enthused about Obama. When asked if he was happy with the way the President is running the country, Damon said, point blank, 'no.'
'I really think he misinterpreted his mandate. A friend of mine said to me the other day, I thought it was a great line, 'I no longer hope for audacity,'' Damon said. 'He's doubled down on a lot of things, going back to education... the idea that we're testing kids and we're tying teachers salaries to how kids are performing on tests, that kind of mechanized thinking has nothing to do with higher order. We're training them, not teaching them.
For the full interview, tune into Damon and the rest of the cast of the new film, 'The Adjustment Bureau' on 'Piers Morgan Tonight' at 9 PM EST on Thursday.
Read more: Barack Obama Education, President Obama, Entertainment, Education, Matt Damon Barack Obama, Matt Damon Barack Obama Education, The Adjustment Bureau, Piers Morgan Tonight, Matt Damon, Piers Morgan, Barack Obama, Entertainment News"
Now, he's not so enthused about Obama. When asked if he was happy with the way the President is running the country, Damon said, point blank, 'no.'
'I really think he misinterpreted his mandate. A friend of mine said to me the other day, I thought it was a great line, 'I no longer hope for audacity,'' Damon said. 'He's doubled down on a lot of things, going back to education... the idea that we're testing kids and we're tying teachers salaries to how kids are performing on tests, that kind of mechanized thinking has nothing to do with higher order. We're training them, not teaching them.
For the full interview, tune into Damon and the rest of the cast of the new film, 'The Adjustment Bureau' on 'Piers Morgan Tonight' at 9 PM EST on Thursday.
Read more: Barack Obama Education, President Obama, Entertainment, Education, Matt Damon Barack Obama, Matt Damon Barack Obama Education, The Adjustment Bureau, Piers Morgan Tonight, Matt Damon, Piers Morgan, Barack Obama, Entertainment News"
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
The Daily Show on Wisconsin and Teachers
A must watch from Jon Stewart that aired on Monday 2/28/11, split into two clips regarding the attack on teachers (unions).
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Crisis in Dairyland - Angry Curds | ||||
| ||||
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Crisis in Dairyland - Message for Teachers | ||||
| ||||
Ravitch: Rage Simmering Among American Teachers
Ravitch's original op-ed for CNN is here.
NPR's Talk of the Nation Discussion about "Rage Simmering Among American Teachers": "Education historian Diane Ravitch says the teachers on the front lines of labor rallies in Wisconsin reflect growing anger among educators nationwide. Teachers are sick and tired, she says, of being blamed for the ills of America's public schools."
NPR's Talk of the Nation Discussion about "Rage Simmering Among American Teachers": "Education historian Diane Ravitch says the teachers on the front lines of labor rallies in Wisconsin reflect growing anger among educators nationwide. Teachers are sick and tired, she says, of being blamed for the ills of America's public schools."
Rethinking Schools: Teaching About Labor Issues and the Wisconsin Worker Fight Back
Teaching About Labor Issues and the Wisconsin Worker Fight Back
According to Labor historian, Mark Naison, the movement of workers that began in Wisconsin and is now spreading to other states is "the most important labor struggle in the United States in the 21st Century."
The current uprising of workers in Wisconsin and other states presents a powerful opportunity to teach students about what the protests are about, and why their teachers and neighbors are joining the struggle. It's an opportunity to critically examine issues, and to model for students responsible civic action and engagement in the political process.
As members of teacher unions, we have an additional responsibility, summarized by the late Howard Zinn in an interview published in Transforming Teacher Unions:
"If teacher unions want to be strong and well-supported, it's essential that they not only be teacher unionists but teachers of unionism. We need to create a generation of students who support teachers and the movements of teachers for their rights."
Listed below are teaching resources for all grade levels.
Embrace this "teachable moment," and share with us (in the comments) what resources you are using, how you are using them, and how your students are responding.
Monday, February 28, 2011
Thomas - Two False Claims That Drive School Reform
Posted by Valerie Strauss at the Washington Post "Answer Sheet" blog. Thomas excellently breaks down the false claims about teacher-based merit pay and increased funding for charter schools being purported by the "ed reform" folks.
Ferlazzo: The Best Resources Documenting The Effectiveness of Free Voluntary Reading
Extensive reading (also known as Sustained Silent Reading or Free Voluntary Reading), the idea of having students read text of their own choosing without necessarily having to do book reports, etc, is an important instructional strategy that many of use. Its academic benefit has been widely documented, especially by Stephen Krashen.
I thought it would be useful to pull together some of research that backs-up its effectiveness.
Feel free to offer additional suggestions.
You might also be interested in My Best Posts On Books: Why They’re Important & How To Help Students Select, Read, Write & Discuss Them.
Here are my choices for The Best Resources Documenting The Effectiveness of Free Voluntary Reading:
81 Generalizations about Free Voluntary Reading is by Stephen Krashen.
The Benefits of Extensive Reading (ER) is by Richard R. Day.
Extensive reading: why it is good for our students… and for us, by Alan Maley, is from The British Council, and cites multiple studies.
Extensive Reading: Why? and How? is by Timothy Bell.
Extensive Reading: Why? and How? and is another study on extensive reading and ELL’s."
I thought it would be useful to pull together some of research that backs-up its effectiveness.
Feel free to offer additional suggestions.
You might also be interested in My Best Posts On Books: Why They’re Important & How To Help Students Select, Read, Write & Discuss Them.
Here are my choices for The Best Resources Documenting The Effectiveness of Free Voluntary Reading:
81 Generalizations about Free Voluntary Reading is by Stephen Krashen.
The Benefits of Extensive Reading (ER) is by Richard R. Day.
Extensive reading: why it is good for our students… and for us, by Alan Maley, is from The British Council, and cites multiple studies.
Extensive Reading: Why? and How? is by Timothy Bell.
Extensive Reading: Why? and How? and is another study on extensive reading and ELL’s."
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Ferlazzo: More Resources On Wealth & Income Inequality
It’s the Inequality, Stupid is from Mother Jones and has eleven infographics.
Malcolm Gladwell On Why Income Inequality is the Next Big Issue Facing America is an article and video."
Wednesday, February 23, 2011
Ferlazzo - “Film Education” Looks Like An Excellent Resource
Film Education is a UK site with tons of study guides and other resources on how to integrate movies into any curriculum. It also has some neat online activities.
I’m adding it to The Best Places To Find Theatrical Movies On Science, Math, & History."
I’m adding it to The Best Places To Find Theatrical Movies On Science, Math, & History."
Ferlazzo - Resources For Learning About Attacks On Teachers & Other Public Sector Workers In Wisconsin | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...
The Best Resources For Learning About Attacks On Teachers & Other Public Sector Workers In Wisconsin | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...
"The attacks on teachers and other public sector workers in Wisconsin by Governor Scott Walker and his allies could be a dangerous sign of things to come throughout the United States. Fortunately, the courageous and well-organized opposition could be an even more powerful indicator for the future.
I have a particular interest in what happens in Wisconsin — beyond its national implications. I lived in Milwaukee from age ten to fifteen, and know first-hand, and fondly remember, the hard work of educators in that state.
I hope readers will provide additional suggestions for this list — I’m sure there are plenty of good articles I don’t know about."
Ferlazzo - If You’re Not Suffering From “Rhee Fatigue,” Then Here Are Two Good Articles
If You’re Not Suffering From “Rhee Fatigue,” Then Here Are Two Good Articles: "
Michelle Rhee has been all over the news, and on this blog (see The Best Posts About Michelle Rhee’s Exaggerated Test Scores and 4 concerns about Michelle Rhee). If you’re not tired of hearing about her, here are two good articles that have just been published:
Still Waiting for Superwoman: What Michelle Rhee’s fans don’t get about education reform is from Slate.
The Meaning of Michelle Rhee is by Mike Rose."
Michelle Rhee has been all over the news, and on this blog (see The Best Posts About Michelle Rhee’s Exaggerated Test Scores and 4 concerns about Michelle Rhee). If you’re not tired of hearing about her, here are two good articles that have just been published:
Still Waiting for Superwoman: What Michelle Rhee’s fans don’t get about education reform is from Slate.
The Meaning of Michelle Rhee is by Mike Rose."
Stenhouse - Planning for writing instruction
“Writing is hard work,” says Mark Overmeyer in his book When Writing Workshop Isn’t Working. To make teaching writing easier, Mark answers the tough questions about writing workshop: How can I help students who don’t know what to write about? How can I help my students organize their writing? How do I manage writing conferences? And how do I plan for writing instruction. For this week’s Quick Tip, we pulled a section from Mark’s book where he talks about planning writing instruction for a school year.Planning for a year"
If certain units of study are going to be followed through the course of a year based on state, district, or school guidelines, setting deadlines for these units of study can be helpful when planning instruction.
For example, for many years when I taught fifth and sixth graders, my teammates and I ended the year with a unit that required students to create their own magazine. This project required students to use all of the writing strategies they had been working on all year, and the open-ended assignment allowed for maximum choice while still providing a tool for determining how much students had grown in the year. The magazine became a sort of community celebration as it continued over the years, and families looked forward to seeing what their students would create during this project. Since the magazine took approximately five weeks to complete, and it was one form of summative assessment, we placed it at the end of the school year. We worked backward from there, fitting in units that included research, narrative, memoir, and technical writing.
As we planned for the year, we noticed when we could fit writing in across the curriculum. For example, we could do a research unit closely connected to social studies topics. Students had a choice of what they wanted to research, but we connected it to our American history standards. Technical writing in the form of lab reports could happen in science class.Writing did not have to exist just in the domain of language arts, so if there were days when we would have to shorten our language arts block, we could plan accordingly and make sure to have writing happen in science or social studies.Writing in other content areas is not only a good idea in terms of planning and scheduling, but I think it is also good for students. Many of my reluctant writers in the past have loved science, and they were more than willing to write in the context of their favorite subject. They may have reluctantly completed a memoir, but then enthusiastically explained their thinking in science class.
Planning for a year is an excellent way to think backwards: once my teammates and I decided which type of writing would occur in each month, we could begin gathering our resources and planning for instruction.We knew what types of writing we would need to cover in order for students to be successful in each unit.
Though we knew we would have to adapt our ideas according to student need, having the plan created a strong scope and sequence that covered the requirements of our district curriculum. Organizing for the year ensured that we would give students ample opportunity to demonstrate their growth in writing.
An example of a yearlong plan is found in Appendix F.
Tuesday, February 22, 2011
Sitomer - Bring on the cell phones!
"The 'No Cell Phone' policy which so many schools still have in place just doesn't make sense to me. Why? Because the phone of today is, well... no longer a phone.
Yes, phones are phones. But they are also...
Yes, phones are phones. But they are also...
- planners so kids can keep track of all their assignments.
- research tools to quickly find facts, reference info, and the such.
- blah, blah, blah. (Really, if I kept listing and listing all the possibilities of today's phones, I'd never be able to stop typing right now and get to my bigger idea.)
Stenhouse DBQ Resources
3) PD Corner: Document-based questions |
The vast majority of our students will not become professional historians. In their careers, however, they will need to know how to find valid information, analyze it from multiple perspectives, and communicate it clearly. —Sara Cooper, from Making History Mine Analyzing documents from multiple perspectives and communicating ideas clearly are the essence of a document-based question (DBQ). DBQs challenge students to write and think critically in response to a set of documents. Get the gist of the DBQ process at Peter Pappas's site, Teaching with Documents. Find worksheet organizers to support students' analysis as well several example DBQs: http://www.edteck.com/dbq/ Want to construct your own questions around a historical theme? Dip into Paula Goldstein's treasure trove of primary source and DBQ resources: http://www.kn.pacbell.com/ Or discover the interactive National Archives Experience and build a question to support students thinking about American history or literature: http://www.digitalvaults.org/ Do your students struggle with analysis? Help them make sense of the evidence with History Matters. Review how to make sense of a variety of text types: http://historymatters.gmu.edu/ Hone your craft with Making History Mine by Sara Cooper. Chapter 5, "How Historians Think: Writing as a Way of Understanding," builds a foundation for the DBQ process: http://www.stenhouse.com/0765. (Click on the Table of Contents tab.) |
Alfie Kohn - STEM Sell: Are Math and Science Really More Important Than Other Subjects?
Alfie Kohn: STEM Sell: Are Math and Science Really More Important Than Other Subjects?: "What's the single most alarming educational crisis today? That's easy. It's our failure to pay more attention to the academic field of whichever educator happens to be speaking at the moment.
Just listen, then, and learn that while there may be other problems, too, the truly urgent issue these days is that we're just not investing in math and science instruction the way we should be -- with predictably dismaying results. No, it's that kids are outrageously ignorant about history, a subject that ought to be, but never is, a priority. No, it's that even in high school students still can't write a coherent paragraph. No, the real emergency is that reading skills are far from what they should be. No, it's that music and the arts are shamefully neglected in our schools. And so on.
Just listen, then, and learn that while there may be other problems, too, the truly urgent issue these days is that we're just not investing in math and science instruction the way we should be -- with predictably dismaying results. No, it's that kids are outrageously ignorant about history, a subject that ought to be, but never is, a priority. No, it's that even in high school students still can't write a coherent paragraph. No, the real emergency is that reading skills are far from what they should be. No, it's that music and the arts are shamefully neglected in our schools. And so on.
MLK Jr. - “The Purpose of Education”
Dr. King on the purpose of education in America: “The Purpose of Education”
Teaching Tolerance - Jim Crow Today
Jim Crow Today: "
It can be daunting but also amusing to set the context for Harper Lee’s classic To Kill A Mockingbird. If my students thought the 1992 L.A. Riots were “back in the day,” imagine how long ago the 1930’s feel to them. Not only that, but when I refer to the southern United States, several of them think I really mean “a place near L.A.” To conquer this, we spent a period locating Alabama on the map, sipping sweet southern tea and checking out Dorothea Lange’s Depression-era photos. I even play a compilation of tunes that were popular then, including A Tisket, A Tasket by Ella Fitzgerald. Overall, we have fun as we look back...
It can be daunting but also amusing to set the context for Harper Lee’s classic To Kill A Mockingbird. If my students thought the 1992 L.A. Riots were “back in the day,” imagine how long ago the 1930’s feel to them. Not only that, but when I refer to the southern United States, several of them think I really mean “a place near L.A.” To conquer this, we spent a period locating Alabama on the map, sipping sweet southern tea and checking out Dorothea Lange’s Depression-era photos. I even play a compilation of tunes that were popular then, including A Tisket, A Tasket by Ella Fitzgerald. Overall, we have fun as we look back...
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
NY Daily News - Public schools trail charters in funding for students
Public schools trail charters in funding for students: "Most city charter schools got $649 a student more than public schools did last school year, a new analysis by the Independent Budget Office finds."
Monday, February 14, 2011
The Learning Network - Ways to Teach About the Unrest in Egypt
The Learning Network: Ways to Teach About the Unrest in Egypt: "We'll continue to update this post, which provides a variety of ways to address the breaking news about Egypt in the classroom.
"
Ferlazzo - Today, A Reporter Asked Me What I Thought Of Michelle Rhee. This Is What I Told Him…
Today, A Reporter Asked Me What I Thought Of Michelle Rhee. This Is What I Told Him…: "
A local magazine here in Sacramento is doing a big story on Michelle Rhee who, apart from Governor Jerry Brown, might be Sacramento’s most famous newest resident. Their writer asked if I would be willing to answer a few questions, and we arranged a time to talk. The article won’t come out until late March, and who knows if anything that I said will even make it into print, but I thought readers might be interested in a short summary what I told him when he asked what I thought of the policies she and her allies in the “school reform” movement are promoting.
I responded by saying that I had four main concerns:
A local magazine here in Sacramento is doing a big story on Michelle Rhee who, apart from Governor Jerry Brown, might be Sacramento’s most famous newest resident. Their writer asked if I would be willing to answer a few questions, and we arranged a time to talk. The article won’t come out until late March, and who knows if anything that I said will even make it into print, but I thought readers might be interested in a short summary what I told him when he asked what I thought of the policies she and her allies in the “school reform” movement are promoting.
I responded by saying that I had four main concerns:
Sunday, February 13, 2011
NYTimes - On Education: Closing the Achievement Gap Without Widening a Racial One
On Education: Closing the Achievement Gap Without Widening a Racial One: "Ronald Ferguson has explored the reasons black students’ grades lag behind those of whites."
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Huff Post - McCaskey East High School Divides Students By Race, Gender For 'Better Mentoring'
McCaskey East High School Divides Students By Race, Gender For 'Better Mentoring': "UPDATE: After the segregated mentoring program sparked national outrage, McCaskey East High School has ended the policy, CNN reports.
Pennsylvania's McCaskey East High School has come up with a controversial plan to help the school's black students: to segregate them.
The policy applies only to homeroom, which meets each day for six minutes and once a week for 20 minutes, and was intended to help close the school's racial achievement gap.
Pennsylvania's McCaskey East High School has come up with a controversial plan to help the school's black students: to segregate them.
The policy applies only to homeroom, which meets each day for six minutes and once a week for 20 minutes, and was intended to help close the school's racial achievement gap.
Huff Post - Rita M. Solnet: Who's Kidding Who With These Reforms?
Rita M. Solnet: Who's Kidding Who With These Reforms?: "I summarized Florida's Education Summit yesterday indicating that the event may have moved us a step forward towards genuine dialogue on education reform. We are certainly better off than if the summit never occurred!
What we haven't looked at -- as a state or nation -- is the big picture on some of these proposed reforms. Let's take a step back and away from the intense debate and ask this question:
Who are these reform initiatives really intended for?
The triumvirate of reforms being aggressively pushed right now are: 1) ending teacher tenure; 2) merit pay based on standardized test scores; and, 3) closing schools/firing staffs.
What we haven't looked at -- as a state or nation -- is the big picture on some of these proposed reforms. Let's take a step back and away from the intense debate and ask this question:
Who are these reform initiatives really intended for?
The triumvirate of reforms being aggressively pushed right now are: 1) ending teacher tenure; 2) merit pay based on standardized test scores; and, 3) closing schools/firing staffs.
Friday, February 4, 2011
Ferlazzo - Talking To Students About Their Reading (& Their Data)
"As regular readers know, our school works closely with Kelly Young from Pebble Creek Labs on our curriculum and instructional strategies. One of the Pebble Creek-designed assessments we use in our English classes is having students complete the same two clozes three times each year — September, January, and June — to assess reading comprehension and vocabulary development. In addition, we have students read to two passages for one minute each to us during the same three times during the year in order to measure reading fluency. You can see The Best Resources For Learning About Formative Assessment for more information about these assessments.
But these assessments, especially the one for reading fluency, is about much more than data. Those few minutes are also opportunities for us to check-in with students to find-out how they’re doing. In addition, individual conversations teachers have with each student after the results of the assessments are known are good times to converse about their future hopes and goals (see My Best Posts On Students Setting Goals). These conversations help us connect genuinely useful data to genuine student self-interests. This, in turn helps students develop intrinsic motivation to achieve goals that they set for themselves — with some teacher assistance. I write more about this process in my upcoming book, Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers to Classroom Challenges.
This week I’ve been talking with my ninth-grade students about their fluency scores (next week we’ll be having similar conversations about their cloze assessments, and they’ll be using them to complete goal sheets and actions plans for the semester).
Here is how I talk with them about their reading and their data, especially mid-year — all in short, private conversations:
First, I begin by telling them I’m going to ask them a question, and that I’m going to ask them to answer it honestly. I promise I won’t react negatively to anything they say, and there won’t be any grade consequences at all. “How much time to read each night?” I ask (students are supposed to read for 1/2 hour each night). Almost universally, I’m convinced that students answer candidly.
Next, I take one of three tacts — depending on their fluency scores (of course, it’s not always as clear-cut but, for the sake of this post, you’ll get the idea):
IF STUDENTS HAVE NOT MADE MUCH PROGRESS: When this is the case, almost always students have answered my question by telling me they don’t read much. I tell them that it shows in their scores. They’re going to have to do a lot of reading in high school, and it’s going to be hard to keep up if they can’t read faster — homework will take a lot longer. The student and I might take a few seconds to calculate how much faster they could read a text if they are able to increase their reading by ten, twenty, thirty and even forty words a minute, and how much time they would be able to save. I know the interests of each student, and what they say they want to do after high school, so I might ask them how much reading they think they’ll have to do to study for that profession or to actually do the profession. I’ll ask if they are having a hard time finding a book they find interesting, and we’ll discuss ways to find one. I’ll end my asking them to think about what they want their fluency goal to be at the end of the year so they can be prepared to complete their goal sheet next week, and ask them to think about specific things they can do to achieve it.
IF STUDENTS HAVE MADE GOOD PROGRESS, BUT ARE STILL NOT READING AT THE LEVEL THEY NEED TO BE: When this is the case, I’ll tell them that the average student increases their reading fluency by ten words per minute in a full year, and that they’ve exceeded that goal in five months. After that pat on the back, I’ll say something like, “Boy, if you were able to make that amount of progress in half a year by reading _______ minutes each night (whatever amount they told me initially), imagine the progress you could make if you increased that amount — even a little bit — or read a little more challenging book?” Then we’ll have a conversation similar to the one I recounted in the first instance — doing a little calculation, talking about it’s impact on their future, asking them to think about their goal and action plan.
IF STUDENTS HAVE MADE PROGRESS & ARE ALREADY READING WELL: When this is the case, I’ll tell them that I’m going to be honest with them — they’re doing fine and will do fine in school. I’ll also ask them if they want to settle for “fine” or do they want to go for “great”? We’ll then have a conversation about their hopes for the future. I’ll tell them that one thing they need to remember, though, is that it can sometimes take more work to go from reading 190 words per minute to 200 than to go from 100 to 110. It’s like a competitive runner — it can be harder for someone to go from running a four minute mile to someone running a 1:55 mile than someone going from a ten minute mile to running a mile in nine minutes. A person might go from 100 to 110 words per minute reading a Goosebumps book for 30 minutes a night, but it’s unlikely someone is going to go from 190 to 200 by doing the same thing. They’d need to look at reading more challenging books and for reading for a longer time.
The backdrop for these conversations are multiple life skill lessons we’ve done (and which you’ll find in my book) on the effect of learning on the brain, how perseverance and self-control affect future success, and on the importance of taking personal responsibility. Of course, another key element is the relationship I’ve built with each student.
Contrast how we use data with students — authentic assessments, personal conversations & relationships, connections to student’s future hopes, and self-selected goals — with how data might be used in schools. In fact, I’ll end this post with a video showing one of those other ways.
But before you watch it, please take a minute to think of any suggestions you might have on how I can improve the quality of my “data-informed” conversations with students. I’m all ears….
"
But these assessments, especially the one for reading fluency, is about much more than data. Those few minutes are also opportunities for us to check-in with students to find-out how they’re doing. In addition, individual conversations teachers have with each student after the results of the assessments are known are good times to converse about their future hopes and goals (see My Best Posts On Students Setting Goals). These conversations help us connect genuinely useful data to genuine student self-interests. This, in turn helps students develop intrinsic motivation to achieve goals that they set for themselves — with some teacher assistance. I write more about this process in my upcoming book, Helping Students Motivate Themselves: Practical Answers to Classroom Challenges.
This week I’ve been talking with my ninth-grade students about their fluency scores (next week we’ll be having similar conversations about their cloze assessments, and they’ll be using them to complete goal sheets and actions plans for the semester).
Here is how I talk with them about their reading and their data, especially mid-year — all in short, private conversations:
First, I begin by telling them I’m going to ask them a question, and that I’m going to ask them to answer it honestly. I promise I won’t react negatively to anything they say, and there won’t be any grade consequences at all. “How much time to read each night?” I ask (students are supposed to read for 1/2 hour each night). Almost universally, I’m convinced that students answer candidly.
Next, I take one of three tacts — depending on their fluency scores (of course, it’s not always as clear-cut but, for the sake of this post, you’ll get the idea):
IF STUDENTS HAVE NOT MADE MUCH PROGRESS: When this is the case, almost always students have answered my question by telling me they don’t read much. I tell them that it shows in their scores. They’re going to have to do a lot of reading in high school, and it’s going to be hard to keep up if they can’t read faster — homework will take a lot longer. The student and I might take a few seconds to calculate how much faster they could read a text if they are able to increase their reading by ten, twenty, thirty and even forty words a minute, and how much time they would be able to save. I know the interests of each student, and what they say they want to do after high school, so I might ask them how much reading they think they’ll have to do to study for that profession or to actually do the profession. I’ll ask if they are having a hard time finding a book they find interesting, and we’ll discuss ways to find one. I’ll end my asking them to think about what they want their fluency goal to be at the end of the year so they can be prepared to complete their goal sheet next week, and ask them to think about specific things they can do to achieve it.
IF STUDENTS HAVE MADE GOOD PROGRESS, BUT ARE STILL NOT READING AT THE LEVEL THEY NEED TO BE: When this is the case, I’ll tell them that the average student increases their reading fluency by ten words per minute in a full year, and that they’ve exceeded that goal in five months. After that pat on the back, I’ll say something like, “Boy, if you were able to make that amount of progress in half a year by reading _______ minutes each night (whatever amount they told me initially), imagine the progress you could make if you increased that amount — even a little bit — or read a little more challenging book?” Then we’ll have a conversation similar to the one I recounted in the first instance — doing a little calculation, talking about it’s impact on their future, asking them to think about their goal and action plan.
IF STUDENTS HAVE MADE PROGRESS & ARE ALREADY READING WELL: When this is the case, I’ll tell them that I’m going to be honest with them — they’re doing fine and will do fine in school. I’ll also ask them if they want to settle for “fine” or do they want to go for “great”? We’ll then have a conversation about their hopes for the future. I’ll tell them that one thing they need to remember, though, is that it can sometimes take more work to go from reading 190 words per minute to 200 than to go from 100 to 110. It’s like a competitive runner — it can be harder for someone to go from running a four minute mile to someone running a 1:55 mile than someone going from a ten minute mile to running a mile in nine minutes. A person might go from 100 to 110 words per minute reading a Goosebumps book for 30 minutes a night, but it’s unlikely someone is going to go from 190 to 200 by doing the same thing. They’d need to look at reading more challenging books and for reading for a longer time.
The backdrop for these conversations are multiple life skill lessons we’ve done (and which you’ll find in my book) on the effect of learning on the brain, how perseverance and self-control affect future success, and on the importance of taking personal responsibility. Of course, another key element is the relationship I’ve built with each student.
Contrast how we use data with students — authentic assessments, personal conversations & relationships, connections to student’s future hopes, and self-selected goals — with how data might be used in schools. In fact, I’ll end this post with a video showing one of those other ways.
But before you watch it, please take a minute to think of any suggestions you might have on how I can improve the quality of my “data-informed” conversations with students. I’m all ears….
"
Thursday, February 3, 2011
NPR / The Root - The Scary Segregated School Trend
The Root: The Scary Segregated School Trend: "
On Tuesday, Michelle Obama announced that the 2012 Democratic National Convention will be in Charlotte, North Carolina. Cynthia Gordy of The Root argues that hopefully the location of the convention will draw attention to the increasing segregated school problem in North Carolina."
On Tuesday, Michelle Obama announced that the 2012 Democratic National Convention will be in Charlotte, North Carolina. Cynthia Gordy of The Root argues that hopefully the location of the convention will draw attention to the increasing segregated school problem in North Carolina."
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Huff Post - Janet Murguía: The Latino State of the Union -- A Challenge to Lawmakers
Janet Murguía: The Latino State of the Union -- A Challenge to Lawmakers: "President Obama's State of the Union address was a direct challenge to lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to work together toward a more prosperous and globally competitive America. The president called for investments in innovation, education, and infrastructure to jump-start economic growth. He also pledged to get the nation's fiscal house in order and reshape federal government in ways that make it leaner and more efficient. His speech touched on many subjects and policy issues of great concern to all Americans and especially the nation's Hispanics.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
WNYC - Study Finds NYC Charters Don't Serve the City's Poorest
New York City has long boasted of studies finding charter schools do a better job of educating low-income students than regular public schools. But a new study questions that data. Bruce Baker, an associate professor at Rutgers' graduate school of education, said charters do serve the same proportion of children receiving free and reduced-price meals. But those two categories are lumped together when they're actually quite different, he said.
'The charters seem to have a larger share of the kids who are the less poor among the poor,' he said.
'The charters seem to have a larger share of the kids who are the less poor among the poor,' he said.
Huff Post - Alan Singer: New York Times Promotes Latest Educational 'Gimmick of the Month'
Alan Singer: New York Times Promotes Latest Educational 'Gimmick of the Month': "The gimmick of the month club is alive and well. When I was a New York City high school teacher in the 1980s, on what seemed a monthly basis, teachers received a memorandum from bigwigs at the Board of Education, forward by the school principal, mandating the latest miraculous classroom practice that would solve all learning and discipline problems, as well as unsightly psoriasis (just joking). We called the notices memos from the Gimmick of the Month Club, sat through department meetings where we were briefed on how they were the real thing, and then ignored them until the next solution was forwarded down the pipeline. One of my favorites was when we were ordered to update our lesson plans changing educational objectives (EO's) to Instructional Objectives (IO's). We sat in the department meeting singing Old MacDonald had a farm, eo-io-oh no. Other changes were not so benign, as when millions of dollars were shelled out to purchase the latest 'scientifically' proven success guaranteed reading programs such as 'Success for All' hawked by a team from John Hopkins University.
Huff Post: Jenifer Fox: Race, Race, Race. Win, Win, Win
Jenifer Fox: Race, Race, Race. Win, Win, Win: "Last night's speech sent me racing back to the 1980s where the rhetoric around education was much the same as we heard this week in the State of the Union. I remember the 1980s. I had a Cabbage Patch Kid. Remember Cabbage Patch Kids? In 1983, there was such a demand for them around Christmas time that parents were making the evening news for having fistfights in stores over the remaining few dolls on the shelves. These were soft-bodied dolls with plastic heads, and the thing that made these dolls so wildly popular, was that in order to be mass-produced, computers generated millions of subtle differences among the dolls. No two dolls had the same face, clothes, or coloring. It is incredibly ironic that the Cabbage Patch craze occurred the same year the National Commission on Excellence in Education published A Nation at Risk: The Imperative for Educational Reform. The current mandates in education, coupled with the recent Sputnik rhetoric, sound like greater, not lesser amounts of standardized testing. Our race to win the future sounds disturbingly old fashioned.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Huff Post - Todd Farley: Points to Ponder About the Common Core Standards
Todd Farley: Points to Ponder About the Common Core Standards: "If there's one thing the uber-confident if minimally-experienced education reformers can agree on, it's that this country's students need 'high standards.' The thought is that the high expectations of 'high standards' in our schools will allow the United States to overcome any educational deficiencies we face (even the huge hurdle of our terrible teachers). This clamoring to raise the bar for our students is how we ended up with the revolutionary Common Core Standards, those academic benchmarks the reformers hope will lead us back to an educational promised land (also known as 'Finland').
But are the Common Core Standards really 'revolutionary'? Or are they fundamentally the same as the sets of standards that currently exist in each of the 50 states, different only in their wording? That is the question I recently set out to answer, when -- in an heroic act of corporate espionage that I undertook for you, dear readers -- I stealthily broke into the computer item bank of an assessment company I used to work for to look at their test questions and standards.
But are the Common Core Standards really 'revolutionary'? Or are they fundamentally the same as the sets of standards that currently exist in each of the 50 states, different only in their wording? That is the question I recently set out to answer, when -- in an heroic act of corporate espionage that I undertook for you, dear readers -- I stealthily broke into the computer item bank of an assessment company I used to work for to look at their test questions and standards.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
Ferlazzo: “A Class Divided”
We have used this in humanities several years in a row and it has led to some strong class discussion in our civil rights unit. Here's what Ferlazzo posted:
"I’ve just learned about the PBS website and film (available online) titled “A Class Divided” (and I learned about it from the excellent resource “TeachersFirst,” which I’ve described on more than one “The Best…” list).
Instead of reinventing the wheel, I’m just going to reprint the description written by TeachersFirst (I hope that’s okay with them):
This is one of the most requested programs for effectively conveying the reality of discrimination, what it feels like, and how it can change a person. Frontline, the PBS news-magazine show, produced this gripping piece that tackles the controversy, complexity, and consequences of discrimination that have shaped our society. This film and collection of activities are based on the 1970 documentary of the daring lesson that teacher Jane Elliott taught her third-grade class to give them a firsthand experience in the meaning of discrimination, immediately following the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. The film shows what she taught the children and the impact that lesson had on their lives. It includes three major segments: the footage of the original documentary of Jane Elliott’s third-graders, (approximately 20 minutes), the reunion of those third-graders 14 years later who talk about the effect her lesson has had on their lives, (approximately 7 minutes), and also Elliott teaching her lesson to adult employees of Iowa’s prison system and how their reactions to her exercise were similar to those of the children, (approximately 20 minutes). A Teachers’ Guide, as well as an abundance of supplementary materials that allow students to wrestle with realistic ideas, are available on this site.
I’m adding this resource to The Best Sites For Walking In Someone Else’s Shoes."
"I’ve just learned about the PBS website and film (available online) titled “A Class Divided” (and I learned about it from the excellent resource “TeachersFirst,” which I’ve described on more than one “The Best…” list).
Instead of reinventing the wheel, I’m just going to reprint the description written by TeachersFirst (I hope that’s okay with them):
This is one of the most requested programs for effectively conveying the reality of discrimination, what it feels like, and how it can change a person. Frontline, the PBS news-magazine show, produced this gripping piece that tackles the controversy, complexity, and consequences of discrimination that have shaped our society. This film and collection of activities are based on the 1970 documentary of the daring lesson that teacher Jane Elliott taught her third-grade class to give them a firsthand experience in the meaning of discrimination, immediately following the assassination of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. The film shows what she taught the children and the impact that lesson had on their lives. It includes three major segments: the footage of the original documentary of Jane Elliott’s third-graders, (approximately 20 minutes), the reunion of those third-graders 14 years later who talk about the effect her lesson has had on their lives, (approximately 7 minutes), and also Elliott teaching her lesson to adult employees of Iowa’s prison system and how their reactions to her exercise were similar to those of the children, (approximately 20 minutes). A Teachers’ Guide, as well as an abundance of supplementary materials that allow students to wrestle with realistic ideas, are available on this site.
I’m adding this resource to The Best Sites For Walking In Someone Else’s Shoes."
Friday, January 21, 2011
Huff Post: Lisa Nielsen: We Would Prefer Not To Take Your Standardized Tests
Lisa Nielsen: We Would Prefer Not To Take Your Standardized Tests: "Around the nation, more and more school districts like New York City are considering making teacher performance ratings public. One of the many problems with this, simply put, is that the state tests which these tests are based on, well... they suck. Yep. I said it.
My background is in K-8 as a literacy and technology as a former literacy coach, tech coach, library media specialist, and current innovation manager who spent many days grading these sub-par assessments. Because of my background and experience, I'm going to focus on the high standard literacy tests K-8 and explain why they suck.
Background In Reading Assessment
Students read at different levels. Each level has attributes associated with it and there are strategies that learners can take to move to the next level. Teachers assess student reading levels with something called a running record. Today with technology, these readings can even be recorded, so if necessary, the student's actual running record or reading assessment could be shared. Teachers generally assess student reading at the beginning, middle and end of the year and can easily measure the growth of a student say from a G-Level reader to a J-Level reader. This makes sense as a measurement of student learning. It also allows for students to independently take ownership of their reading level and it is very easy to get families involved in strategies to support students.
The Problem with State Reading Tests
State reading tests provide all students on a grade level with the same test. While the test is an accurate measure of the students who fit the reading level the state arbitrarily has chosen, most students are left behind either because the reading level is too advanced or too easy. In essence, the tests assess how well students are doing on something they can't read well yet... Answer: Not very well. OR...we assess them on something that is below their reading level... So we don't know growth, we only know they can read that well. In other words, we're not really assessing student reading level.
What we do know is that developmentally children become ready to read at different ages. We also know that forcing reading on children is actually a deterrent for attaining growth. Finally, we know two extremely important factors in the attainment of reading fluency is family involvement and socioeconomic class.
None of these factors are in the control of the teacher!
What I propose is we stop creating a test that makes teachers and students absolutely bonkers, and instead use the running record reading assessments that teachers already use to measure student reading level. Though, while this solves the issue of assessing reading more accurately, it doesn't take into account that the factors that accelerate reading, really have nothing to do with the teacher.
On to writing...
As shared in Four Reasons Innovative Educators Should Boycott Standardized Tests, the problem with the way writing is assessed in standardized tests, stems from the fact that they use an outdated and irrelevant method of assessment. If teachers are doing their jobs effectively, students aren't just focusing on 'hand-it-in' teaching. Instead, they're focused on 'publish it' learning, meaning students are communicating authentically to real audiences using the learning style that best match their strengths. Student work can ideally be kept in a portfolio that can be assessed for writing achievement.
Wouldn't you want to measure a teacher by how she helps her students publish for authentic audiences in areas of deep personal passion rather than how she helps a student write about a topic the state dictates?
The problem with the current method is this:
This should give just a little insight into why these 'teacher assessments' are really not the right way to go. If you're convinced, you might be thinking, okay, that sounds nice, but there's nothing we can do. The state makes us take these tests.
There is a movement bubbling up called The Bartleby Project started by John Taylor Gatto. It's a call to action for students to simply write across the top of their test, 'I prefer not to take your test.' The premise being that students and parents should be empowered to decided how their child should best be assessed and not forced by the state to be subjected to very questionable assessments.
The project has a growing following with a Bartleby Project Facebook Page, a number of reprints of John Taylor Gatto's Bartleby Project proposal from his new book, Weapons of Mass Instruction floating around the web, and a huge round up of videos on YouTube. I've included two Xtranormal creations below.
One is a short video from a child's perspective and the other is taken from John Taylor Gatto's proposal for those who prefer watching to listening.
Read more: Standardized Tests, Standardized Testing, Education, John Tayor Gatto, Education Reform, Ny Standardized Tests, Ny Impact, Education News
"
My background is in K-8 as a literacy and technology as a former literacy coach, tech coach, library media specialist, and current innovation manager who spent many days grading these sub-par assessments. Because of my background and experience, I'm going to focus on the high standard literacy tests K-8 and explain why they suck.
Background In Reading Assessment
Students read at different levels. Each level has attributes associated with it and there are strategies that learners can take to move to the next level. Teachers assess student reading levels with something called a running record. Today with technology, these readings can even be recorded, so if necessary, the student's actual running record or reading assessment could be shared. Teachers generally assess student reading at the beginning, middle and end of the year and can easily measure the growth of a student say from a G-Level reader to a J-Level reader. This makes sense as a measurement of student learning. It also allows for students to independently take ownership of their reading level and it is very easy to get families involved in strategies to support students.
The Problem with State Reading Tests
State reading tests provide all students on a grade level with the same test. While the test is an accurate measure of the students who fit the reading level the state arbitrarily has chosen, most students are left behind either because the reading level is too advanced or too easy. In essence, the tests assess how well students are doing on something they can't read well yet... Answer: Not very well. OR...we assess them on something that is below their reading level... So we don't know growth, we only know they can read that well. In other words, we're not really assessing student reading level.
What we do know is that developmentally children become ready to read at different ages. We also know that forcing reading on children is actually a deterrent for attaining growth. Finally, we know two extremely important factors in the attainment of reading fluency is family involvement and socioeconomic class.
None of these factors are in the control of the teacher!
What I propose is we stop creating a test that makes teachers and students absolutely bonkers, and instead use the running record reading assessments that teachers already use to measure student reading level. Though, while this solves the issue of assessing reading more accurately, it doesn't take into account that the factors that accelerate reading, really have nothing to do with the teacher.
On to writing...
As shared in Four Reasons Innovative Educators Should Boycott Standardized Tests, the problem with the way writing is assessed in standardized tests, stems from the fact that they use an outdated and irrelevant method of assessment. If teachers are doing their jobs effectively, students aren't just focusing on 'hand-it-in' teaching. Instead, they're focused on 'publish it' learning, meaning students are communicating authentically to real audiences using the learning style that best match their strengths. Student work can ideally be kept in a portfolio that can be assessed for writing achievement.
Wouldn't you want to measure a teacher by how she helps her students publish for authentic audiences in areas of deep personal passion rather than how she helps a student write about a topic the state dictates?
The problem with the current method is this:
- We are not measuring what is important. The student's ability to authentically communicate about topics of importance to them.
- We are valuing writing as the most important method of communication. While this method works well for some, others may excel at communicating through video, cartoon, animation, audio casts, etc. We are losing focus of what is important.
- Studies show that students empowered to use technology for communicating will demonstrate improvement, however, their scores on writing the old fashioned way with pen and paper will decrease. Sadly, I've seen teachers refuse to let students use their own technology because they didn't want their test scores to decrease. YIKES!!!
This should give just a little insight into why these 'teacher assessments' are really not the right way to go. If you're convinced, you might be thinking, okay, that sounds nice, but there's nothing we can do. The state makes us take these tests.
There is a movement bubbling up called The Bartleby Project started by John Taylor Gatto. It's a call to action for students to simply write across the top of their test, 'I prefer not to take your test.' The premise being that students and parents should be empowered to decided how their child should best be assessed and not forced by the state to be subjected to very questionable assessments.
The project has a growing following with a Bartleby Project Facebook Page, a number of reprints of John Taylor Gatto's Bartleby Project proposal from his new book, Weapons of Mass Instruction floating around the web, and a huge round up of videos on YouTube. I've included two Xtranormal creations below.
One is a short video from a child's perspective and the other is taken from John Taylor Gatto's proposal for those who prefer watching to listening.
Read more: Standardized Tests, Standardized Testing, Education, John Tayor Gatto, Education Reform, Ny Standardized Tests, Ny Impact, Education News
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Wednesday, January 12, 2011
Wormeli - What grade would you give your gradebook?
What grade would you give your gradebook?: "
If you struggle with setting up your gradebook or feel like there should be an easier – and better – way of grading, then Rick Wormeli has some sound advice for you! Check out this, and other great videos with Rick on our website dedicated to his book Fair Isn’t Always Equal.
"
If you struggle with setting up your gradebook or feel like there should be an easier – and better – way of grading, then Rick Wormeli has some sound advice for you! Check out this, and other great videos with Rick on our website dedicated to his book Fair Isn’t Always Equal.
"
Monday, January 10, 2011
Ferlazzo: “The Complete Dropbox for Educators”
I’ve previously posted about the great app Dropbox.
If you ever have any questions about how to use it effectively, Jeff Thomas has created The Complete Dropbox for Educators for you. It’s the ultimate Dropbox reference guide.
While I’m at it, here’s another much less complete guide that’s focused on How to Use Dropbox with an iPhone or iPod Touch.
If you ever have any questions about how to use it effectively, Jeff Thomas has created The Complete Dropbox for Educators for you. It’s the ultimate Dropbox reference guide.
While I’m at it, here’s another much less complete guide that’s focused on How to Use Dropbox with an iPhone or iPod Touch.
Ferlazzo: The Atlantic’s “2010 In Review”
The Atlantic’s “2010 In Review” is surprising accessible and includes several slideshows.
I’m adding it to The Best “Year In Review” Features That Aren’t Photo Collections — 2010.
I’m adding it to The Best “Year In Review” Features That Aren’t Photo Collections — 2010.
Ferlazzo: Martin Luther King Resources
Martin Luther King Resources: "
Martin Luther King’s birthday will be celebrated and honored in a few weeks.
I’ve updated The Best Websites For Learning About Martin Luther King.
Martin Luther King’s birthday will be celebrated and honored in a few weeks.
I’ve updated The Best Websites For Learning About Martin Luther King.
Ferlazzo: “Myths and realities about KIPP”
Myths and realities about KIPP is an excellent column in The Washington Post’s Answer Sheet blog. It’s written by Richard D. Kahlenberg, a senior fellow at The Century Foundation. Here’s an excerpt:
The big difference between KIPP and regular public schools, however, is that whereas struggling students come and go at regular schools, at KIPP, student leave but very few new children enter. Having few new entering students is an enormous advantage not only because low-scoring transfer students are kept out but also because in the later grades, KIPP students are surrounded only by successful peers who are the most committed to the program.
I’m adding this link to The Best Posts & Articles Analyzing Charter Schools.
The big difference between KIPP and regular public schools, however, is that whereas struggling students come and go at regular schools, at KIPP, student leave but very few new children enter. Having few new entering students is an enormous advantage not only because low-scoring transfer students are kept out but also because in the later grades, KIPP students are surrounded only by successful peers who are the most committed to the program.
I’m adding this link to The Best Posts & Articles Analyzing Charter Schools.
HuffPost: Larry Strauss: Why Teachers Go Bad
Larry Strauss: Why Teachers Go Bad: "Communism, terrorism, bad teachers -- the new enemy of freedom, finally getting the recognition they deserve.
Ineffective. Disorganized. Boring. Lazy. No class control -- or too much control. Bad things go down in those classrooms. Fights break out. Things get vandalized. Minds get wasted. So do millions of dollars of public funding.
Of course, you're not one of those bad teachers -- and neither am I, though I have often thought that there is at least a little bad teacher in all of us and that one of the greatest challenges of being an educator is guarding against those impulses. I suppose I should speak for myself on that account.
I have never seen or personally heard of anyone entering the teaching profession for the purpose of stealing money from the tax-payers and sabotaging the lives of children. They all seem to start out with the right intentions.
Ineffective. Disorganized. Boring. Lazy. No class control -- or too much control. Bad things go down in those classrooms. Fights break out. Things get vandalized. Minds get wasted. So do millions of dollars of public funding.
Of course, you're not one of those bad teachers -- and neither am I, though I have often thought that there is at least a little bad teacher in all of us and that one of the greatest challenges of being an educator is guarding against those impulses. I suppose I should speak for myself on that account.
I have never seen or personally heard of anyone entering the teaching profession for the purpose of stealing money from the tax-payers and sabotaging the lives of children. They all seem to start out with the right intentions.
NPR: 50 Years Since Integration At The University Of Georgia
50 Years Since Integration At The University Of Georgia: "
Fifty years ago, two-African American students walked onto the campus of the University of Georgia in Atlanta, effectively integrating the school. One of them was Charlayne Hunter-Gault.
Fifty years ago, two-African American students walked onto the campus of the University of Georgia in Atlanta, effectively integrating the school. One of them was Charlayne Hunter-Gault.
Ferlazzo: Human Trafficking
Human Trafficking: "
January 11th is Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
I have revised The Best Resources For Learning About Human Trafficking Today.
January 11th is Human Trafficking Awareness Day.
I have revised The Best Resources For Learning About Human Trafficking Today.
The Learning Network: Dark Materials: Reflecting on Dystopian Themes in Young Adult Literature
The Learning Network: Dark Materials: Reflecting on Dystopian Themes in Young Adult Literature: "Lesson Plan | Six ways to approach 'dark,' post-apocalyptic young adult fiction.
NPR: The Root: The McEducation of Charter Students
The Root: The McEducation of Charter Students: "
Some critics complain that educational reform acts such as 'No Child Left Behind' stress testing over actual learning. Natalie Hopkinson of The Root argues that these reform movements ultimately lead to the demise of true education for students -- especially those at charter schools.
Some critics complain that educational reform acts such as 'No Child Left Behind' stress testing over actual learning. Natalie Hopkinson of The Root argues that these reform movements ultimately lead to the demise of true education for students -- especially those at charter schools.
NYTimes: Gay or Straight, Teenagers Aren’t So Different
Gay or Straight, Teenagers Aren’t So Different - NYTimes.com
This fall, when an 18-year-old Rutgers student killed himself after a live video showing him having intimate relations with another young man was transmitted on the Internet, public attention once again focused on the risk of suicide among gay teenagers.
WNYC: Chancellor Joel Klein Reflects on His Tenure
Chancellor Joel Klein Reflects on His Tenure: "
City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is packing up after eight years running the nation's largest school district. Klein led the system through dramatic overhauls and the creation of hundreds of new schools and privately-managed charters. But there were also controversies over school closings and the use of high-stakes testing during his tenure.
Klein was the first chancellor appointed under a 2002 law giving the mayor control of the school system. His successor, Cathie Black, takes over on January 3 and Klein is moving on to a new job at Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
WNYC's Beth Fertig recently interviewed Klein about his tenure and asked the Queens native what he thought when he first took over as Chancellor.
City Schools Chancellor Joel Klein is packing up after eight years running the nation's largest school district. Klein led the system through dramatic overhauls and the creation of hundreds of new schools and privately-managed charters. But there were also controversies over school closings and the use of high-stakes testing during his tenure.
Klein was the first chancellor appointed under a 2002 law giving the mayor control of the school system. His successor, Cathie Black, takes over on January 3 and Klein is moving on to a new job at Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation.
WNYC's Beth Fertig recently interviewed Klein about his tenure and asked the Queens native what he thought when he first took over as Chancellor.
Ferlazzo: The Best Posts To Help Understand Google’s New “Books Ngram Viewer”
The Best Posts To Help Understand Google’s New “Books Ngram Viewer”: "
I’m still trying to “get my head around” how to use Google’s new “Books Ngram Viewer,” the amazing application announced yesterday that allows you to easily analyze “the 500 billion words contained in books published between 1500 and 2008 in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese and Russian.” I’m sure there are ways to use it effectively with students — English Language Learners and mainstream — but I just haven’t had a chance to think about how.
Please feel free to share ideas in the comments section.
In the meantime, though, I thought I’d start collecting posts and article that provide information about the service itself.
Here are my choices for The Best Posts To Help Understand Google’s New Books Ngram Viewer:
In 500 Billion Words, New Window on Culture is from The New York Times
New Visualization Tool from Google With Data From 5.2 Million Digitized Books is from Read Write Web
The cultural genome: Google Books reveals traces of fame, censorship and changing languages is from Discover
New Tool Tracks Culture Through the Centuries via Google Books is from Scientific American
Peter Pappas shares some good ideas on how to use it with students at his post, How To Quantify Culture? Explore 500 Billion Published Words
Word-Wide Web Launches is an interesting article and video from The Wall Street Journal
You can see great examples of the Ngram Viewer in action over at The Atlantic, which has created a slideshow of comparing the usage of a number of words over time.
Here are more examples: 10 Fascinating Word Graphs, From 200 Years of Google Books
I’m still trying to “get my head around” how to use Google’s new “Books Ngram Viewer,” the amazing application announced yesterday that allows you to easily analyze “the 500 billion words contained in books published between 1500 and 2008 in English, French, Spanish, German, Chinese and Russian.” I’m sure there are ways to use it effectively with students — English Language Learners and mainstream — but I just haven’t had a chance to think about how.
Please feel free to share ideas in the comments section.
In the meantime, though, I thought I’d start collecting posts and article that provide information about the service itself.
Here are my choices for The Best Posts To Help Understand Google’s New Books Ngram Viewer:
In 500 Billion Words, New Window on Culture is from The New York Times
New Visualization Tool from Google With Data From 5.2 Million Digitized Books is from Read Write Web
The cultural genome: Google Books reveals traces of fame, censorship and changing languages is from Discover
New Tool Tracks Culture Through the Centuries via Google Books is from Scientific American
Peter Pappas shares some good ideas on how to use it with students at his post, How To Quantify Culture? Explore 500 Billion Published Words
Word-Wide Web Launches is an interesting article and video from The Wall Street Journal
You can see great examples of the Ngram Viewer in action over at The Atlantic, which has created a slideshow of comparing the usage of a number of words over time.
Here are more examples: 10 Fascinating Word Graphs, From 200 Years of Google Books
The Learning Network: What Words or Phrases Were Overused This Year?
The Learning Network: What Words or Phrases Were Overused This Year?: "Student Opinion | Tell us what words and phrases you heard too much in 2010, whether buzzwords, catchphrases from television, advertising, movies or songs, or just words that were used too often as conversational filler.
The Learning Network: Looking Back at 2010: Teaching Ideas
The Learning Network: Looking Back at 2010: Teaching Ideas: "Our 'Farewell, 2010' news quiz and a collection of other 2010 retrospective puzzles, articles, images, essays and videos - along with ideas for using them in or out of the classroom.
Sunday, January 2, 2011
Ferlazzo: “Equality, a True Soul Food”
Equality, a True Soul Food is a piece by New York Times columnist Nicholas Kristof. It’s on income equality.
I’m adding it to The Best Resources About Wealth & Income Inequality — Help Me Create A Simple Lesson Plan Using Them.
I’m adding it to The Best Resources About Wealth & Income Inequality — Help Me Create A Simple Lesson Plan Using Them.
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