These two videos from Edweek.org bring up a very good point about using technology to teach. The both talk about technology as a tool, not the be all to end all in the classroom. Sure teachers should be current on what is available to help them teach their subject but technology only enhances their pedagogy and does not replace it. There are many highly qualified teacher out there right now that have never heard of Web 2.0 and that does not make them less of a teacher. It is great that there is all this cool stuff out there on the web to communicate but if the message is flawed than technology can only make it worse. I believe that the more tools I have as a teacher the better I will be able to immerse my students into the subjects I choose to teach. Wether it is technology, developmental psychology, educational equity or any I have yet to take, as a teacher I am only as good as how well I can get my students to understand me. I hope that I will take away from the classes that I am taking, the tools to teach my students effectively.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
willametteLive.com || The Charter School: Public Education of Choice
willametteLive.com || The Charter School: Public Education of Choice
This article in a local paper, Salem Weekly, talks about the advantages of charter schools on a local level. It goes into the Salem Keizer Districts support of the 4 local Charter Schools and how they would be happy to see more of them formed. I think they are an excellent solution to the growing need for a better system of education. I think that if you can get your child into one of these schools you are giving them a great advantage in learning. The writer Therese ONeill interviewed one of my favorite teachers, Marie Carver, of the Jane Goodall Environmental Middle School about the benefits of their charter school. Immersive curriculum, smaller class sizes and better parent involvement are just a few examples of why this Charter Schools seems to work so well. I also would like to point out that these teachers are very dedicated to the curriculum, often giving up spring break and other holidays or teacher perks in order to lead field trips and habitat cleanup days. I hope that more charter schools come to Salem with different focuses such as community service, government, business and any other focus that could be good for students.
Times are tight for everyone and because the Charter Schools are part of the public school district they will be feeling the budget squeeze just like other schools. Hopefully the people being elected next week will see the value of these schools and maybe make them available to more students.
Times are tight for everyone and because the Charter Schools are part of the public school district they will be feeling the budget squeeze just like other schools. Hopefully the people being elected next week will see the value of these schools and maybe make them available to more students.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Teachers expectations dictate students outcome.
This article in the October 13th issue of Education Week talks about the effect of the teachers expectations, and how this influences their student's achievements. It can sometimes very subtle how a teacher treats some students differently, even with racially prejudice. Knowing that a student comes from a disadvantaged home a teacher may set lower expectations and in so doing setting that student up to perform lower. The article talks about soft bigotry and how it can become a vicious cycle of discrimination. Making any assumptions about how a student is going to perform will affect that students outcome.
The article sites a study done in the 1960s where teachers where told that their students where all going to be strong learners based on assessment. This predestination made teachers believe that each student could achieve great things and because the teacher believed it, the students believed it. In the end every student improved and the teachers found them to be exceptional students. I think this shows some of the dangers of prejudging our students before we actually can assess their achievements. It also shows us that every student has the potential to be a great student and to achieve. They just need someone to believe in them because if they feel this, then they will believe in them self.
The article sites a study done in the 1960s where teachers where told that their students where all going to be strong learners based on assessment. This predestination made teachers believe that each student could achieve great things and because the teacher believed it, the students believed it. In the end every student improved and the teachers found them to be exceptional students. I think this shows some of the dangers of prejudging our students before we actually can assess their achievements. It also shows us that every student has the potential to be a great student and to achieve. They just need someone to believe in them because if they feel this, then they will believe in them self.
Sunday, October 10, 2010
Merit-Pay Findings Show No Impact... Duh!
In this recent article in Education Week, September 29, 2010 they discus a recent study of 300 teachers in Nashville Tenn. where merit-pay showed to have no significant effect on student performance. I know they have to perform these studies to make points, but I could have told you that. At the beginning of this school year my class mates and I where all asked why we wanted to become teachers. Answers like for the love of children, the need to make a difference, for the enjoyment of seeing a student succeed, for the stability, or even to have summers off where are answers given. Not once was "for the money" given as a motivation to spend $23,000 dollars and two years of our life working towards a job that may or may not be there when we graduate. The reason? Everyone knows teachers don't make sh*t.
The average middle school math teacher in America makes roughly $50,000 a year (source Careeronestop.com). I know they get summers of so the really only end up working 9 months out of the year but if you have ever lived with a teacher you know that they rarely work only the 8 hours they are required to be in class. There is also the hours of grading and lesson plans and all the time spent in before and after school activities. So if I do some rough math and say that they only work and extra 3 hours on top of their in class work than I estimate this to be almost 2,000 hours a year which if you calculate that at the average annual rate for a middle school math teacher it works out to be $25 an hour. Do you think this is enough?
Ok so they might get summers off but they don't have any money to spend without some really good planning or really frugal camping. As far as stability goes, doesn't someone who dedicates their life to our children deserve something.
Back to the study... They gave up to $15,000 in bonuses to teachers who could meet their benchmarks and in the end spent well over 1.2 million dollars. That could have payed four teachers, salaries for a year. I think we need to spend a little research on the effect of giving a teacher 200 students to teach in one year and how that effects education. Might be interesting, or you could just ask me; it is not good.
I know this is a huge debate right now in America and we need to see evidence. So lets throw more money at doing research so we can prove what teachers already know.
The average middle school math teacher in America makes roughly $50,000 a year (source Careeronestop.com). I know they get summers of so the really only end up working 9 months out of the year but if you have ever lived with a teacher you know that they rarely work only the 8 hours they are required to be in class. There is also the hours of grading and lesson plans and all the time spent in before and after school activities. So if I do some rough math and say that they only work and extra 3 hours on top of their in class work than I estimate this to be almost 2,000 hours a year which if you calculate that at the average annual rate for a middle school math teacher it works out to be $25 an hour. Do you think this is enough?
Ok so they might get summers off but they don't have any money to spend without some really good planning or really frugal camping. As far as stability goes, doesn't someone who dedicates their life to our children deserve something.
Back to the study... They gave up to $15,000 in bonuses to teachers who could meet their benchmarks and in the end spent well over 1.2 million dollars. That could have payed four teachers, salaries for a year. I think we need to spend a little research on the effect of giving a teacher 200 students to teach in one year and how that effects education. Might be interesting, or you could just ask me; it is not good.
I know this is a huge debate right now in America and we need to see evidence. So lets throw more money at doing research so we can prove what teachers already know.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Rhee may not get to finish what she started.
This article in Education Week discuses the implications of a recent election in Washington D.C. to Michelle Rhee who is their Education Chancellor. Because her boss, Mayor Adrian Fenty lost the election she may loss her job. If you have ever heard her name then you know she has been a vary controversial figure in education. She has made broad changes throughout our nations capitol's education system, firing many teachers, school employees and principles. She has closed several schools and spent a lot of money to revamp the system, and made a lot of enemies.
Only three years as Chancellor, the numbers speak for themselves. She has raised test scores, increased the number of students who are going to college, decreased the number of drop outs and decreased the budget. If she losses here position because of politics, Washington D.C. will loss a great student advocate. As she point out in this article, she will be fine, but the students will be the ones who loss out. It is sad that because the media never picked up on the positives of her tenure, she may only be remember for the controversy.
I hope that if she does lose her job, she might consider moving to Oregon, or maybe into a position of great range of effectiveness.
Only three years as Chancellor, the numbers speak for themselves. She has raised test scores, increased the number of students who are going to college, decreased the number of drop outs and decreased the budget. If she losses here position because of politics, Washington D.C. will loss a great student advocate. As she point out in this article, she will be fine, but the students will be the ones who loss out. It is sad that because the media never picked up on the positives of her tenure, she may only be remember for the controversy.
I hope that if she does lose her job, she might consider moving to Oregon, or maybe into a position of great range of effectiveness.
Charter Schools Program
Charter Schools Program This is a link to the federal governments Charter School program I found on Education Weeks website.
Friday, September 24, 2010
School Closures, a fundamental flaw in NCLB
This article online at edweek.org sites a study that proves that there are many fundamental flaws with "Shooting the goat" just because it is under performing. Unlike a goat, schools are complex problems that have more solutions than can be put into words. This article points out just one of the many implications caused by shutting down a school that is underperforming. They site a study of the NY City School District that shows that closing schools effects the the poorer students the most. They don't have the resources to cope with this kind of change in the middle of critical education periods.
This article on opposingviews.com has more concrete information regarding the failure of NCLB. It points out that the people who are hit hardest are the ones who already are the most disadvantaged.
If you think about this on a more local level, it could be devastating to Oregon if some of their poorer schools where to close. Mostly because these schools tend to be in rural areas. Can you imagine if Dallas High School where closed because of poor test scores? Where would these kids go? What about even more rural areas of Eastern Oregon? These children already are so separated geographically, then you have to make them move to a new school and have to readjust to a new social structure.
I also think that shutting down a school makes poor economic sense as well. You shut down a school, then you move all the children to another school that is probable already taxed to its limits and you have a perfectly good physical location that stands empty:-( It makes more sense to me that you change some of the parts and try and give any underperforming schools additional help so that they can change their own situation. I agree that major change needs to take place in this country, but it needs to be done in a way that puts the children first.
P.S. This looks like a great resource for everyone involved in education:
http://nationsreportcard.gov
This article on opposingviews.com has more concrete information regarding the failure of NCLB. It points out that the people who are hit hardest are the ones who already are the most disadvantaged.
If you think about this on a more local level, it could be devastating to Oregon if some of their poorer schools where to close. Mostly because these schools tend to be in rural areas. Can you imagine if Dallas High School where closed because of poor test scores? Where would these kids go? What about even more rural areas of Eastern Oregon? These children already are so separated geographically, then you have to make them move to a new school and have to readjust to a new social structure.
I also think that shutting down a school makes poor economic sense as well. You shut down a school, then you move all the children to another school that is probable already taxed to its limits and you have a perfectly good physical location that stands empty:-( It makes more sense to me that you change some of the parts and try and give any underperforming schools additional help so that they can change their own situation. I agree that major change needs to take place in this country, but it needs to be done in a way that puts the children first.
P.S. This looks like a great resource for everyone involved in education:
http://nationsreportcard.gov
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