Schoenfeld, Robert (2006). Service- Learning: Bringing Together Students, Parents, and Community to Create a Better World. New Horizons for Learning Journal, 1-6.
Summary:
Robert Schoenfeld uses this article as a springboard for teachers who are considering Service Learning Projects, but need advice on completing first steps. Schoenfeld defines Service Learning as "a method of teaching and learning that enriches the student's life by engaging him/ her in meaningful hands- on service to address real- life needs." He also insists that when students are responsible for choosing the "real- life needs," the culminating project becomes much more engaging and meaningful. There are 7 main components of Service Learning: Connecting service with learning, reflection, civic engagement, working as a team, experiential learning, journaling and celebration. When service learning embodies all of these ideas, it becomes truly impactful, carrying a lasting effect.
The article also mentions first steps in getting started on Service Learning Projects. The author insists that dividing the students into sub- groups is more affective in getting things accomplished. Those sub- groups are then responsible for researching issues they are most passionate about.
While he does give some ideas for projects, they are very simplistic in their design and scope. The projects he suggests are more about learning of the community needs rather than developing solutions to help remedy and eradicate them.
Quotes: "Ask the parents to get involved by engaging their child in conversation about needs in the community, and by discussing and researching with their child avenues for meeting those needs."
"Service-Learning is a method of teaching and learning that enriches the student's life by engaging him/her in meaningful hands-on service to address real-life needs in the community while also gaining valuable knowledge and skills that connect with classroom studies."
"The best way to get the student excited about the Service-Learning project is to involve them with researching and choosing the project."
References:
Grimm, R, Dietz, N, Spring, K, Arey, K, Foster-Bey, J. (2005 September) Youth helping youth. Corporation for National and Community Service, Learn and Serve.
Meyer, Hofschire, and Billings. (2004) The impact of service-learning on student achievement, A statewide study of Michigan Learn and Serve grantees. RMC Research.
Astin, A. W., Sax, L. J., & Avalos, J. (1999). The long-term effects of volunteerism during the undergraduate years. The Review of Higher Education, 21 (2): 187-202.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Quality of Instruction
Piccolo, D.L., Harbaugh, A.P., Carter, T.A., Capraro, M.M., & Capraro, R.M. (2008). Quality of instruction: Examining discourse in middle school mathematics instruction. Journal of Advanced Academics, 19(3), 376-410.
Summary:
This research wanted to know how to provide students with skills and mathematical competence through asking and engaging in rich mathematical discourse with teachers. It is found that students who verbally elaborated their ideas, with or without guidance, outperformed students who were provided the explanation of an idea. Through questioning students thought process, this study shows that when students were asked “why” questions, learning was enhanced more so than when students were not able to successfully answer a question. This provided an opportunity for students to listen and participate during mathematical lessons rather than just memorizing concepts. It is stated that, “Rich, meaningful discourse between teacher and student in a mathematical classroom is a complex, yet important, objective for educators to understand and implement in the classroom.” The students need to be able to not only hear what the teacher is teaching, but to actually generate their own understanding of the content.
Quotes:
“Mathematics instruction has evolved into a more democratic, collaborative, and conceptually based form of learning. However, the dialogic interaction that accompanies these pedagogical changes remains relatively unexplored.”
“Teaching standards recommendation that mathematics teachers initiate and “orchestrate discourse by posing questions that elicit, engage, and challenge students’ thinking”, by “listening carefully to students’ ideas,” and by “asking students to clarify and justify their ideas orally and in writing.”
“Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others” and the students need to learn “what is acceptable as evidence in mathematics.”
“Because teachers ask most of the questions and do not encourage students to ask their questions, students are likely to refrain from questioning.”
“When students pose questions, they are thinking about their thinking. These metacognitive strategies can help students learn to take control of their own learning by self-defining learning goals and self-monitoring progress in achieving those goals.”
“Teachers can use open-ended questions to cue students, to improve on weak responses, to develop a discussion atmosphere, or to foster curiosity and inquiry.
“Probing questions are defined as questions that encourage students to express their knowledge or understanding and to clarify, justify, interpret, or represent their knowledge or understanding. Guiding questions are classified as questions that are related to experiences or learning with real-world examples or representations by guiding students to interpret and reason about experiences or learning with real-world examples or representations.”
Text Sources:
Carlsen, W.S. (1991). Questioning in classrooms: A sociolinguistic perspective. Review
of Educational Research, 61, 157 – 178.
Corwin, R., Storeygard,J., Prince, S., Smith, D., & Russel, S. (1995). Supporting
mathematical talk in classrooms. Hands On, 18(1). Retrieved on May 7, 2008,
from http://mercury.ornl.gov/metadata/esip/sgml/esipweb/record14996.sgm
Donovan, S.M., & Bransford, J.D. (2005). How students learn: Mathematics in the classroom. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Graesser, A.C., & Person, N.K. (1994). Question asking during tutoring. American Educational Research Journal, 31, 104-137.
Kawanaka, T., & Strigler, J.W. (1999). Teachers’ use of questions by eighth-grade
mathematics classrooms in Germany, Japan, and the United States. Mathematical Thinking & Learning, 1, 255-278.
Lampert, M. (1990). When the problem is not the question and the solution is not the
answer: Mathematical Knowing and teaching. American Educational Research Journal, 27, 29-63.
Mason, J. (2000). Asking mathematical questions mathematically. International Journal
of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology, 31, 91-111.
Nelson, G.D., Kulm, G., & Manon, J.R. (2000). Improving mathematics teacher practice and student learning through professional development. Proposal to the Interagency Educational Research Initiative, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC.
van Zee, E., & Minstrell, J. (1997). Using questioning to guide student thinking. The Journal of the Learning Sciendce, 6, 227-269.
Summary:
This research wanted to know how to provide students with skills and mathematical competence through asking and engaging in rich mathematical discourse with teachers. It is found that students who verbally elaborated their ideas, with or without guidance, outperformed students who were provided the explanation of an idea. Through questioning students thought process, this study shows that when students were asked “why” questions, learning was enhanced more so than when students were not able to successfully answer a question. This provided an opportunity for students to listen and participate during mathematical lessons rather than just memorizing concepts. It is stated that, “Rich, meaningful discourse between teacher and student in a mathematical classroom is a complex, yet important, objective for educators to understand and implement in the classroom.” The students need to be able to not only hear what the teacher is teaching, but to actually generate their own understanding of the content.
Quotes:
“Mathematics instruction has evolved into a more democratic, collaborative, and conceptually based form of learning. However, the dialogic interaction that accompanies these pedagogical changes remains relatively unexplored.”
“Teaching standards recommendation that mathematics teachers initiate and “orchestrate discourse by posing questions that elicit, engage, and challenge students’ thinking”, by “listening carefully to students’ ideas,” and by “asking students to clarify and justify their ideas orally and in writing.”
“Communicate their mathematical thinking coherently and clearly to peers, teachers, and others” and the students need to learn “what is acceptable as evidence in mathematics.”
“Because teachers ask most of the questions and do not encourage students to ask their questions, students are likely to refrain from questioning.”
“When students pose questions, they are thinking about their thinking. These metacognitive strategies can help students learn to take control of their own learning by self-defining learning goals and self-monitoring progress in achieving those goals.”
“Teachers can use open-ended questions to cue students, to improve on weak responses, to develop a discussion atmosphere, or to foster curiosity and inquiry.
“Probing questions are defined as questions that encourage students to express their knowledge or understanding and to clarify, justify, interpret, or represent their knowledge or understanding. Guiding questions are classified as questions that are related to experiences or learning with real-world examples or representations by guiding students to interpret and reason about experiences or learning with real-world examples or representations.”
Text Sources:
Carlsen, W.S. (1991). Questioning in classrooms: A sociolinguistic perspective. Review
of Educational Research, 61, 157 – 178.
Corwin, R., Storeygard,J., Prince, S., Smith, D., & Russel, S. (1995). Supporting
mathematical talk in classrooms. Hands On, 18(1). Retrieved on May 7, 2008,
from http://mercury.ornl.gov/metadata/esip/sgml/esipweb/record14996.sgm
Donovan, S.M., & Bransford, J.D. (2005). How students learn: Mathematics in the classroom. Washington, DC: The National Academies Press.
Graesser, A.C., & Person, N.K. (1994). Question asking during tutoring. American Educational Research Journal, 31, 104-137.
Kawanaka, T., & Strigler, J.W. (1999). Teachers’ use of questions by eighth-grade
mathematics classrooms in Germany, Japan, and the United States. Mathematical Thinking & Learning, 1, 255-278.
Lampert, M. (1990). When the problem is not the question and the solution is not the
answer: Mathematical Knowing and teaching. American Educational Research Journal, 27, 29-63.
Mason, J. (2000). Asking mathematical questions mathematically. International Journal
of Mathematics Education in Science and Technology, 31, 91-111.
Nelson, G.D., Kulm, G., & Manon, J.R. (2000). Improving mathematics teacher practice and student learning through professional development. Proposal to the Interagency Educational Research Initiative, American Association for the Advancement of Science, Washington, DC.
van Zee, E., & Minstrell, J. (1997). Using questioning to guide student thinking. The Journal of the Learning Sciendce, 6, 227-269.
Summerhill School: A new view of childhood
Neill, A.S. . (1992). Summerhill school: a new view of childhood. New York, NY: St. Martin's Press.
Summary:
Summerhill School was founded in 1921 by Alexander Sutherland Neill in England. The book, Summerhill School is a reflection written by Neill of his vision and the educational philosophy that guided the progressive educational program. The first three chapters of the book focus on the idea of Summerhill School and the principal of self-government that regulates every facet of life for students. The book includes a forward written by Albert Lamb, a former Summerhill student. He describes his experience from the perspective of a child, however it is not much different from Neill’s account of the school. The basic foundation of the boarding school is built on the idea that children are inherently good. When fear is abolished, children are happy and therefore like to learn. Classes are optional at Summerhill, however most children choose to attend. Neill believed that the way we teach does not make a difference in what students learn... student interest will determine how engaged a student is. In addition, Neill discusses the importance of free thinking children and how traditional schools contribute to a “sheep psychology”. This book was recommended to me by my former 8th grade teacher when I asked about the theory behind the school I attended. I’m interested to continue reading the book and know more about this radical school.
Selected Quotations:
“Self-government for the pupils and staff, freedom to go to lessons or stay away, freedom to play for days or weeks or years if necessary, freedom from any indoctrination whether religious or moral or political, freedom from character moulding” (Neill, 3).
“In a way, our task as teachers is to fight against a mass psychology, a sheep psychology where every animal has the same coating and the same baa, baa… barring the black sheep, and the challengers” (Neill, 5).
“I have come to believe that the greatest reform required in our schools is the abolition of that chasm between young and old which perpetuates paternalism. Such dictatorial authority gives a child an inferiority that persists throughout life; as an adult, he merely exchanges the authority of the teacher for that of the boss” (Neill, 4).
Summary:
Summerhill School was founded in 1921 by Alexander Sutherland Neill in England. The book, Summerhill School is a reflection written by Neill of his vision and the educational philosophy that guided the progressive educational program. The first three chapters of the book focus on the idea of Summerhill School and the principal of self-government that regulates every facet of life for students. The book includes a forward written by Albert Lamb, a former Summerhill student. He describes his experience from the perspective of a child, however it is not much different from Neill’s account of the school. The basic foundation of the boarding school is built on the idea that children are inherently good. When fear is abolished, children are happy and therefore like to learn. Classes are optional at Summerhill, however most children choose to attend. Neill believed that the way we teach does not make a difference in what students learn... student interest will determine how engaged a student is. In addition, Neill discusses the importance of free thinking children and how traditional schools contribute to a “sheep psychology”. This book was recommended to me by my former 8th grade teacher when I asked about the theory behind the school I attended. I’m interested to continue reading the book and know more about this radical school.
Selected Quotations:
“Self-government for the pupils and staff, freedom to go to lessons or stay away, freedom to play for days or weeks or years if necessary, freedom from any indoctrination whether religious or moral or political, freedom from character moulding” (Neill, 3).
“In a way, our task as teachers is to fight against a mass psychology, a sheep psychology where every animal has the same coating and the same baa, baa… barring the black sheep, and the challengers” (Neill, 5).
“I have come to believe that the greatest reform required in our schools is the abolition of that chasm between young and old which perpetuates paternalism. Such dictatorial authority gives a child an inferiority that persists throughout life; as an adult, he merely exchanges the authority of the teacher for that of the boss” (Neill, 4).
Words and the Development of Orthographic Knowledge
Bear, D. Ivernizzi, M. Johnston, F. and Templeton, S. (1996). Words and the Development of Orthographic Knowledge. In Words Their Way. (pp. 13-31). Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc.
Summary: I read a chapter called Words and the Development of Orthographic Knowledge from the book Words Their Way. This was a chapter about how children learn to read the English language. It also provided great insight about word study for phonics, vocabulary and spelling instruction and what one will see as children learn to read. There are three levels of how children progress through the process. 1. Alphabetic: individual letters match up to individual sounds following a left to right sequence. 2. Pattern: groups of letters function as a single pattern or unit to represent sounds. 3. Meaning: groups of letters represent directly the meaning units underlying words. For each level there are three stages. 1. What students do correctly - an independent or easy level. 2. What students “use but confuse” - students experiment; where instruction is most useful. 3. What is absent in students’ spelling - spelling concepts are too advanced; instruction for what is absent is frustrating. This chapter walked the reader through the journey that most children follow. However the authors pointed out that for EL students and children with learning disabilities the process is slightly altered. The end of the chapter gave a short history of English spelling and how that connected to children’s learning of English spelling.
Analysis: This chapter was a great read. It gave easy to understand information about student development and lots of examples at each level and stage. As a teacher of students that are learning to read, I was able to put all of my own students into different points in this process. Even though I was differentiating activities prior to reading this chapter, I am going to be able to differentiate some of my teaching based on the information in this chapter. I felt that this book was not only helpful for me to read as a educator but I think that parents of children would greatly benefit from reading it. So many times I talk to parents about how children learn to read and this book laid it out in a way that parents that are not educators could understand.
Quotes:
“Developmental spelling theory suggests that invented spelling is a window into a child’s knowledge of how written words work and can be used to guide instruction.” (13)
“Word study is based on stage of spelling.” (15)
“When students use the alphabetic principle, they find matches between letters and spoken word by how the sound is made or articulated in the mouth.” (21)
“Transitional learners approach fluency in both reading and writing. They move away from a literal application of the alphabetic principle and begin to chunk elements of written language structures: their reading changes from word-by-word to phrasal reading fluency.” (23)
“Students’ reading an speaking vocabularies grow along with their conceptual development. The research in upper-level word study and development has highlighted the importance of reading in vocabulary development. From adolescence on, except perhaps for slang, most of the new vocabulary students learn comes from reading.” (26)
“In word study, teachers show students how to move back and forth between the spelling of a word and its meaning. Students begin to see how spelling tells them about meaning and how pronunciation can blur meaning.” (27)
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
teaching styles
Kohn, Alfie. "It's Not What We Teach; It's What They Learn". Education Weekly: September 10, 2008.
Summary:
This article talks about the ways teachers deliver the content of their lessons. Many times, especially in high school and college, teachers relay all the content knowledge through lectures. This does not necessarily give all students access to the information. This is the same for the reward systems teachers use. Many teachers try to promote actions through rewards such as grades. They believe by having these "fair" grades students will strive to do well. However, this is not necessarily the meaning the student is receiving. In fact, these rewards can have the complete opposite effect. Thus, it is important to be more of a listener than a lecturer as one teaches.
Evaluation:
Though Kohn gave some great food for thought in terms of how meaning is conveyed, it was just that. Great question to get one thinking but no solutions or suggestions on how to answer these questions. I would like to know what methods have worked for people or even what people have tried.
Reflection:
I had never really thought about how the message I am sending to my students is taken by them. Are the ways I try to motivate them to take ownership of their education having the opposite effect? I am curious how I can make sure the proper meaning is reaching my students.
Quotes:
- "More generally, they're apt to realize that what we do doesn't matter nearly as much as how kids experience what we do." (1)
- "It's the message that's received, not the one that the adults think they're sending, that counts." (2)
-"Results don't follow from behaviors but from the meaning attached to behaviors." (2)
Pulling Together: Integrating Inquiry, Assessment, and Instruction in Today's English Classroom
Schnellert, L., Datoo, M., Ediger, K., & Panas, J. (2009). Pulling Together: Integrating Inquiry, Assessment, and Instruction in Today's English Classroom. Markham, Ontario, Canada: Pembroke Publishers.
Summary:
Ch. 1-3: The first 3 chapters of this book are spent discussing ways to rethink the way English Language Arts is thought about and taught. In the authors’ perspectives, ELA is the perfect place to help broaden student’s understanding of “themselves, others, life, and the world.” By reading and writing a variety of texts, students are able to examine and reflect upon the world we live in. They emphasize the thought processes that students must engage in to be able to do just that, and offer strategies for teachers to use to achieve these aims. They lay out the framework for thematic unit planning with helpful graphic organizers for teachers, samples of a unit plan, and conversations about the role of modeling for these units. Chapter 3 goes on to discuss performance-based assessments, both formative and summative, with an emphasis on focusing on the student’s strengths and needs, goals, and planning notes. Again, there are sample rubrics and graphic organizers. They touch on the idea of using student surveys of interest to guide planning, providing choice within units of study, and the process of inquiry and reflection in student learning.
Evaluation/ Reflection:
In my never-ending search for resources for language arts, I was looking for specific guidance in the principals of project-based learning in the language arts classroom. The first 3 chapters touched on a few principals that I can revisit to improve my teaching, and I am hoping to glean even more from the following chapters. There are definitely key terms that catch my eye as I look ahead: inquiry, new literacies, critical literacies, to name a few. I like that the authors offer strategies with sample lessons and graphic organizers.
Sources:
Atwell, N. (2007) The reading zone: How to help kids become skilled, passionate, habitual, critical readers. New York, NY: Scholastic
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) The Age of Persuasion. Episode, “The YouTube Revolution,” http://www.cbc.ca.ageofpersuasion/2008/09/the_youtube_revolution.html
Summary:
Ch. 1-3: The first 3 chapters of this book are spent discussing ways to rethink the way English Language Arts is thought about and taught. In the authors’ perspectives, ELA is the perfect place to help broaden student’s understanding of “themselves, others, life, and the world.” By reading and writing a variety of texts, students are able to examine and reflect upon the world we live in. They emphasize the thought processes that students must engage in to be able to do just that, and offer strategies for teachers to use to achieve these aims. They lay out the framework for thematic unit planning with helpful graphic organizers for teachers, samples of a unit plan, and conversations about the role of modeling for these units. Chapter 3 goes on to discuss performance-based assessments, both formative and summative, with an emphasis on focusing on the student’s strengths and needs, goals, and planning notes. Again, there are sample rubrics and graphic organizers. They touch on the idea of using student surveys of interest to guide planning, providing choice within units of study, and the process of inquiry and reflection in student learning.
Evaluation/ Reflection:
In my never-ending search for resources for language arts, I was looking for specific guidance in the principals of project-based learning in the language arts classroom. The first 3 chapters touched on a few principals that I can revisit to improve my teaching, and I am hoping to glean even more from the following chapters. There are definitely key terms that catch my eye as I look ahead: inquiry, new literacies, critical literacies, to name a few. I like that the authors offer strategies with sample lessons and graphic organizers.
Sources:
Atwell, N. (2007) The reading zone: How to help kids become skilled, passionate, habitual, critical readers. New York, NY: Scholastic
Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) The Age of Persuasion. Episode, “The YouTube Revolution,” http://www.cbc.ca.ageofpersuasion/2008/09/the_youtube_revolution.html
Tough Questions for Tough Times
Parrett, W. & Budge, K. (2009). Tough questions for tough times. Educational Leadership, 67 (2), 22-27.
Summary: The authors of this article studied six high-performing, high-poverty schools in Washington, Minnesota, Idaho, and New York. Despite high levels of poverty in their communities, these schools showed sustained improvements on multiple measures of student success, specifically, achievement test scores, graduation rates, attendance rates, and behavior measures. In investigating how school leaders' actions influence a turnaround in low-performing schools, the authors found that the leaders focused on questions in three main areas: (1) building the necessary leadership capacity; (2) focusing the staff's everyday core work on student, professional, and system learning; and (3) creating and fostering a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment for all. These questions guided the staff's decision making about how to use stimulus funds intended to improve the achievement of underserved students.
Evaluation: The authors of this article never stated explicitly the methodology they used to conduct this study. As a result, it is unclear whether they relied on focus groups, written surveys, or some other strategy to gather information from these school leaders. In addition, the authors did not always make clear how many of the study's participants posed the questions identified in the report. Therefore, it was sometimes difficult to gauge just how important each question was in relation to the others.
Reflection: I was most intrigued by the fact that all schools in the study had implemented data systems to guide their work. In fact, using data-based decision making was one of the two most common explanations offered for the schools' success, along with fostering caring relationships. In addition, I was struck by the finding that these schools credited much of their success to a high level of instructional program coherence. I wonder how the school leaders balance these systematic practices with individual teacher freedom and creativity. I found this article interesting as a starting point for thinking about professional development needs at a low-income school.
Summary: The authors of this article studied six high-performing, high-poverty schools in Washington, Minnesota, Idaho, and New York. Despite high levels of poverty in their communities, these schools showed sustained improvements on multiple measures of student success, specifically, achievement test scores, graduation rates, attendance rates, and behavior measures. In investigating how school leaders' actions influence a turnaround in low-performing schools, the authors found that the leaders focused on questions in three main areas: (1) building the necessary leadership capacity; (2) focusing the staff's everyday core work on student, professional, and system learning; and (3) creating and fostering a safe, healthy, and supportive learning environment for all. These questions guided the staff's decision making about how to use stimulus funds intended to improve the achievement of underserved students.
Evaluation: The authors of this article never stated explicitly the methodology they used to conduct this study. As a result, it is unclear whether they relied on focus groups, written surveys, or some other strategy to gather information from these school leaders. In addition, the authors did not always make clear how many of the study's participants posed the questions identified in the report. Therefore, it was sometimes difficult to gauge just how important each question was in relation to the others.
Reflection: I was most intrigued by the fact that all schools in the study had implemented data systems to guide their work. In fact, using data-based decision making was one of the two most common explanations offered for the schools' success, along with fostering caring relationships. In addition, I was struck by the finding that these schools credited much of their success to a high level of instructional program coherence. I wonder how the school leaders balance these systematic practices with individual teacher freedom and creativity. I found this article interesting as a starting point for thinking about professional development needs at a low-income school.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Needed: Thoughtful research for thoughtful schools.
Meier, Deborah. Needed: Thoughtful research for thoughtful schools. In E. C. Lagemann & L. Shulman (Eds.), Issues in education research (pp. 63-82). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.
Summary
Deborah Meier begins her chapter about education research with the following anecdote:
"Out walking one night I came upon a man circling under a lamppost. I asked him, 'What did you lose?' 'My watch,' he said. 'Are you sure you lost it here?' 'Actually,' he admitted, 'I lost it over there [he gestured into the dark], but the only light I can find is over here, so that's where I decided to look.'"
Meier goes on to discuss in detail a topic she loves discussing -- policymakers fetish with standardized, quatitative data that we know does not really reflect the learning happening in our schools today. Her chapter covers several important points with regards to this topic: what standardized tests really do measure, the role of rank ordering, the impact of coaching to the test, the fallacy of psychometrics, when coaching is an abuse and when it is not, and the impact of tests in the public eye. She concludes her chapter with a persuasive appeal that education shifts towards a new paradigm.
Evaluation/Reflection
Meier's rhetoric is clear and concise, and as with every other thing she has written, I finish this article with my emotions stirred and my anger heightened. I grow very frustrated with the research that has been done on testing and standards, and the lack of constructive development in this area in the past decade.
If anything, we have grown more attached to standardized results, and this despite the research on the test themselves that says their results are not true indicators of learning. Her anecdote appeals to me, because it is so absurd, and yet, is this not what policymakers are doing? We look for answers in the light, but answers about education are not so cut-and-dried. Meier usefully concludes with examples from many different other forms of familiar assessment -- and I think they are compelling. Alternative assessment makes sense to me, especially as discussed in this very intriguing article.
Summary
Deborah Meier begins her chapter about education research with the following anecdote:
"Out walking one night I came upon a man circling under a lamppost. I asked him, 'What did you lose?' 'My watch,' he said. 'Are you sure you lost it here?' 'Actually,' he admitted, 'I lost it over there [he gestured into the dark], but the only light I can find is over here, so that's where I decided to look.'"
Meier goes on to discuss in detail a topic she loves discussing -- policymakers fetish with standardized, quatitative data that we know does not really reflect the learning happening in our schools today. Her chapter covers several important points with regards to this topic: what standardized tests really do measure, the role of rank ordering, the impact of coaching to the test, the fallacy of psychometrics, when coaching is an abuse and when it is not, and the impact of tests in the public eye. She concludes her chapter with a persuasive appeal that education shifts towards a new paradigm.
Evaluation/Reflection
Meier's rhetoric is clear and concise, and as with every other thing she has written, I finish this article with my emotions stirred and my anger heightened. I grow very frustrated with the research that has been done on testing and standards, and the lack of constructive development in this area in the past decade.
If anything, we have grown more attached to standardized results, and this despite the research on the test themselves that says their results are not true indicators of learning. Her anecdote appeals to me, because it is so absurd, and yet, is this not what policymakers are doing? We look for answers in the light, but answers about education are not so cut-and-dried. Meier usefully concludes with examples from many different other forms of familiar assessment -- and I think they are compelling. Alternative assessment makes sense to me, especially as discussed in this very intriguing article.
From Baghdad, With Love
Kopelman, Jay, & Roth, Melinda (2006). From Baghdad with love. Connecticut: The Lyons Press.
Summary:
From Baghdad, with Love is an emotional account of Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman’s deployment to Fallujah, Iraq in November of 2004. While the memoir adeptly places the reader in the context of the war, its main focus is on Lava, a puppy found in an abandoned building by members of the First Battalion, Third Marines, known as the Lava Dogs. Despite the military’s General Order 1-A forbidding pets, Kopelman and the Lava Dogs become attached to Lava. Surrounded by insurgents, car bombs, rotting bodies and an uncertain future, Lava is a constant reminder to these men of what it means to be human. Eventually, Kopelman looks into saving Lava and transporting him to the States. Kopelman writes, “On some level, saving the life of my dog saved me—and all those he touched—psychologically and emotionally, and continues to do so.”
I am considering using this book in my classroom to give students a glimpse of the hell of war and what our troops experience. One of the strengths of Kopelman’s account is his emphasis on the emotional toil of war. In addition, because Jay Kopelman resides in San Diego, I am hoping he may be a resource for the project I am drafting.
Relevant Quote
“Still, the best part is how these Marines, these elite, well-oiled machines of war who in theory can kill another human being in a hundred unique ways, become mere mortals in the presence of a tiny mammal. I’m shocked to hear a weird, misty tone in my fellow Marines’ voices, a weird misty look in their eyes, and weird, misty words that end in ee.
‘You had yuckee little buggess all over you when we found you, huh? Now you’re a brave little toughee. Are you our brave little toughee? You’re a brave, little toughee, yesiree.’ “
Summary:
From Baghdad, with Love is an emotional account of Lieutenant Colonel Jay Kopelman’s deployment to Fallujah, Iraq in November of 2004. While the memoir adeptly places the reader in the context of the war, its main focus is on Lava, a puppy found in an abandoned building by members of the First Battalion, Third Marines, known as the Lava Dogs. Despite the military’s General Order 1-A forbidding pets, Kopelman and the Lava Dogs become attached to Lava. Surrounded by insurgents, car bombs, rotting bodies and an uncertain future, Lava is a constant reminder to these men of what it means to be human. Eventually, Kopelman looks into saving Lava and transporting him to the States. Kopelman writes, “On some level, saving the life of my dog saved me—and all those he touched—psychologically and emotionally, and continues to do so.”
I am considering using this book in my classroom to give students a glimpse of the hell of war and what our troops experience. One of the strengths of Kopelman’s account is his emphasis on the emotional toil of war. In addition, because Jay Kopelman resides in San Diego, I am hoping he may be a resource for the project I am drafting.
Relevant Quote
“Still, the best part is how these Marines, these elite, well-oiled machines of war who in theory can kill another human being in a hundred unique ways, become mere mortals in the presence of a tiny mammal. I’m shocked to hear a weird, misty tone in my fellow Marines’ voices, a weird misty look in their eyes, and weird, misty words that end in ee.
‘You had yuckee little buggess all over you when we found you, huh? Now you’re a brave little toughee. Are you our brave little toughee? You’re a brave, little toughee, yesiree.’ “