Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Thursday, July 7, 2011
The Big Testing Monster
Over the years, testing and the issues associated with testing, have consistently remained in the news. The most prevalent testing story in the news this week is that of cheating in the Atlanta Public Schools. In Atlanta the cheating was not only widespread, but carried out by teachers and administrators. The entire school system had a culture in which rising test scores was rewarded by high level administrators, any evidence of cheating was ignored (sometimes even hidden) and whistle-blowers were reprimanded. Shocking? Perhaps, but this has happened or is alleged to have happened in other school systems like Chicago and Washington DC. Some point toward Campbell's Law and the natural tendency toward corruption when quantitative indicators are used to monitor social processes.
Testing places incredible stress on schools. In most schools everything and everyone is scheduled around testing. It is priority number one. Teachers stop teaching if their students have an exam. The entire school has to cease any noisy lessons so as not to disturb the students taking tests. God forbid you need the school psychologist, assistant principal or guidance counselor during that time. They are busy proctoring exams for students requiring accommodations. The school secretary is completely stressed trying to keep track of every single test booklet and tracking down students absent on testing days. The principal is stressed because these tests are the main way that he/she is judged by parents, future parents and the central administration. The superintendent is stressed because parents are worried, not on how their children will do necessarily, but on how the results will effect their property values. And sometimes the students feel incredible stress, depending on how the school handles the situation. Some students get butterflies, cannot sleep and worry about "passing". I am not trying to make excuses but simply point out that the system places stress on those working in the schools and beyond. (Just an aside, the integrity of those of I have worked with is beyond reproach.)
The tests are supposed to be for the benefit of the students, but so much energy is placed on the administration of the tests and the end results, the best interest of the students sometimes get lost along the way. In Atlanta, this certainly happened. Many students in need of remedial services did not receive those services because their "fake" test scores made them ineligible. Sad indeed.
I often think that we are trapped in this system and cannot find a way out. There is an incredible demand for accountability, but no one seems to know how else to place checks and balances on public schools. I am not exactly sure what the answer is and may want to explore the options in other blog posts, but I know the current system is flawed in multiple ways. I think Atlanta is evidence of exactly how flawed.
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Declaration of Independence Wordle
Tonight I caught the end of a discussion on the Twitter New Teacher Chat (#ntchat) that centered around the use of Wordle in the classroom. Wordle creates word clouds that gives more frequently used words prominence. The word clouds help to illustrate themes and ideas and are just plain cool! I think I'm hooked. For more ideas, check out What Katy Did...
School House Rock Wednesday #4
In my opinion, an explanation of interjections cannot compare to this video.
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Trial by Jury
"Better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer" -- William Blackstone.
Today, a jury in Florida found Casey Anthony "not guilty" of first degree murder, aggravated manslaughter or aggravated child abuse. To those of us occasionally caught up in the story and trial, the verdicts came as a shock. I think many, perhaps even the jurors themselves, believe Casey was somehow culpable in the death of her daughter. But the evidence was obviously not enough to convince a jury of Anthony's peers that she was guilty "beyond a reasonable doubt" of murder.
Cheney Mason, one of Anthony's defense attorneys, blasted the media in a post-verdict press conference. The media's obsession with the trial and murder certainly did have an effect on public opinion, but what does this all say about our judicial system and trial by jury? It is not by any means perfect, but the alternative is hardly palatable. Is there a difference between law and justice (I'm watching Alan Dershowitz on Piers Morgan right now)? I think these are all very interesting questions to ponder with our peers and within our classrooms and this trial certainly provides an interesting case study.
Monday, July 4, 2011
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