This is a response to Susan's blog from March 30, 2009:
Yes! Attitude has to be the number one factor here. I know that I wrote about the lack of motivation among teenage boys (shown in the study Boys Adrift by Dr. Leonard Sax...awesome study, go check it out, especially if you have boys), but this issue is so key to our future I think. Sax states that in 1949, 82% of the undergraduates at American universities were men. In 2008, that number is more like 42%. Fewer and fewer boys are going to school and those that are in high school right now see school as only an insignificant precursor to whatever they're doing after school...when they're real day begins. This is the time for them to play video games, be with friends, or indulge in drugs or alcohol.
Susan is absolutely write when she says the factors that shape a student's attitudes...teacher's roles in this should be to continue to motivate that kid...I would rather work with a below average student who truly gives his best every time than a smart kid who is just lazy and won't do the work.
Can I indulge myself for a moment?
OK, thanks.
My proudest moment as an educator was when I was teaching a class of lower level juniors the skills necessary for the HSPAs...most of the kids had IEPs or 504s and one of the girls was pulled out by the child study team and told she was going to be exempt from taking the HSPAs. Her response was no, she didn't want to be, because Mr. Craig would be disappointed in me and he's worked too hard to give me what I need to pass the test. I was floored. And I only knew about it because a friend of mine was the special ed teacher in the room for the meeting. The student never told me. When I found out, I told her how proud I was of her. That's the type of kid who can do anything, I think. She had the right attitude but maybe not all the skills, but she got there and she eventually passed by a pretty wide margin. I think this is what Susan is getting at when she talks about attitude. If every kid had this girl's attitude, I think a lot of our problems would get a lot smaller.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Curriculum Mapping Our Way to Relevance
Giessman suggests here a complete overhaul of public school traditional curriculum so that it is more relevant to today's students. Instead of focusing on typical school subjects, he suggests an interdisciplinary approach involving subjects such as "communication, problem-solving, professional skills...social entrepreneurship, invention, ethics, and cultural dialogue". You would still need to address the skills that traditional subjects like English and math address, but now teachers could be combined and put in teams to address a real world problem like "a comprehensive plan to reduce school energy costs". This, I imagine, could involve all aspects of traditional curriculum:
1) English - writing a proposal for the project
2) Math - determining cost; establishing ratios of profit; demonstrating effeciency of new program
3) Science - establishing how and why the new system works
4) Social Studies - examining historical approaches to the plan; investigating what others have done and interviewing participants
5) Arts - designing plans/brochures for project
Of course, this sounds great. It reminds me of PBLs I would do from time to time which are great for this kind of real world, collaborative learning. I would love to see it implemented, but, and Giessman makes this point as well, what do we do about standardized testing? It seems clear that a massive overhaul of our educational system would have to happen for us to even begin to think about this kind of approach in American public schools.
I completely agree that our students are ready for this, but is our government? Our teachers?
1) English - writing a proposal for the project
2) Math - determining cost; establishing ratios of profit; demonstrating effeciency of new program
3) Science - establishing how and why the new system works
4) Social Studies - examining historical approaches to the plan; investigating what others have done and interviewing participants
5) Arts - designing plans/brochures for project
Of course, this sounds great. It reminds me of PBLs I would do from time to time which are great for this kind of real world, collaborative learning. I would love to see it implemented, but, and Giessman makes this point as well, what do we do about standardized testing? It seems clear that a massive overhaul of our educational system would have to happen for us to even begin to think about this kind of approach in American public schools.
I completely agree that our students are ready for this, but is our government? Our teachers?
What Knowledge, Skills, and Attitudes Do You Think Your Students Will Need to Be Successful? Are You Teaching to Their Needs?
I think that after the last couple of weeks of class, it has become increasingly clear that students of the 21st Century need an incredible amount of skill in a vast array of areas, the most signifcant, in my opinion, is reading. (Of course, I'm going to say that!) Why reading? Without reading, the skills that need to occur, like technology literacy or interpersonal dialogue, cannot occur. I was just reading a study done that suggests that American boys are becoming more and more disconnected from the written word. The study compares American boys with Finnish boys, whose formal education does not begin until age 7 or 8. Yet, Finland consistently beats the US in both standardized test scores and student GPA and is near the top of the list every year, and a lot of the reason is attributed to the importance of reading among the entire population of Finland. Very few of my students read novels, or even newspapers and magazines, of their own choice. This, I think, is one of the most serious problems we have; not only is their little reading going on, there is little encouragement to even begin to read. When I asked my students how many of their homes have books openly displayed, over half the class responded no. Our kids are not seeing the importance of the written word and that could be the most crippling blow to our classroom in 2020.
Am I teaching to that need? I really hope so---I'm only on my third novel of the year, but we've done over 20 short stories and poems in class, but I firmly believe that it's quality, not quantity...by forcing, and I do mean forcing, the students to read the novel, I hope to get the value of the book across to them and force them to see the connection they can make from the book to their own lives. If that connection can be made, maybe we have a shot.
Am I teaching to that need? I really hope so---I'm only on my third novel of the year, but we've done over 20 short stories and poems in class, but I firmly believe that it's quality, not quantity...by forcing, and I do mean forcing, the students to read the novel, I hope to get the value of the book across to them and force them to see the connection they can make from the book to their own lives. If that connection can be made, maybe we have a shot.
What Do The Curriculum Documents For Your Subject/Grade Level Look Like? Are They Easy to Use?
The curriculum documents for my subject area are incredibly user-friendly. Each page is laid out in five sections:
1) Purpose - this details the purpose of this particular unit in this particular course. For example, for a 10th grade level, College Prep American Literature course: By reading, analyzing, evaluating and discussing several short narratives, students will develop an understanding of how these works laid the groundwork for later American literature. Students will identify various literary themes throughout the works. They will use background information to identify and evaluate the themes of a play while paying close attention to character development.
2) Student Outcome - this details the learning objectives for that unit. For example:
Distinguish fact from opinion.
Understand simile and imagery as seen in various American Indian poetry.
Focus on historical narrative and understand that the narratives lay groundwork for later American literature.
Understand the purpose of a work.
Understand allusion.
This is just a sampling of the outcomes for this unit.
3) Content Outline - here the actual works to be studied are outlined, with the purpose behind each selection:
“A Spectacle of Great Beauty” by Christopher Columbus with focus upon fact and opinion.
The War God’s Horse Song, A Dancing Song, Firefly Song and other Native American poems with an emphasis on simile, imagery, and repetition.
“The Iroquois Constitution” with emphasis on metaphor.
“The Narrative of His Journal” by deVaca with focus on historical narratives.
“The New Land” by John Smith with focus on the purpose of a work.
“The History of Plymouth Plantation” by Bradford with emphasis on allusion.
“The Trial of Martha Carrier” by Mather with emphasis on tone.
4) Procedures/Frameworks - here is where an almost day-by-day lesson objectives/activities are laid out:
Using background for The New Land, students will identify the three geographical groups.
Each day students will be presented with a journal entry that will be relevant to the topic for that day. (Ability to connect topic to present lifestyles.)
Write a letter to Columbus as the King of Spain indicating three areas about which you want more information. Explain the reasons for the interest.
Stories are all read in class with discussion, evaluation, and analysis for each one.
Reading checks are given randomly in order to keep students on task with work.
Vocabulary words are distributed each Monday, defined for Wednesday when they will be discussed, and students will expect a quiz on these words each Friday.
Poetry discussion in groups – look for imagery, simile, metaphor. Present findings/analysis to classmates.
Again, this is just a sampling.
5) References and Resources - here is simply a list of materials needed for this unit:
Teacher-prepared handouts, quizzes, study guides.
Prentice Hall Literature – Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes
The Crucible and “The Crucible” video
As you can see, these are incredibly easy to use while also going into a great amount of detail.
1) Purpose - this details the purpose of this particular unit in this particular course. For example, for a 10th grade level, College Prep American Literature course: By reading, analyzing, evaluating and discussing several short narratives, students will develop an understanding of how these works laid the groundwork for later American literature. Students will identify various literary themes throughout the works. They will use background information to identify and evaluate the themes of a play while paying close attention to character development.
2) Student Outcome - this details the learning objectives for that unit. For example:
Distinguish fact from opinion.
Understand simile and imagery as seen in various American Indian poetry.
Focus on historical narrative and understand that the narratives lay groundwork for later American literature.
Understand the purpose of a work.
Understand allusion.
This is just a sampling of the outcomes for this unit.
3) Content Outline - here the actual works to be studied are outlined, with the purpose behind each selection:
“A Spectacle of Great Beauty” by Christopher Columbus with focus upon fact and opinion.
The War God’s Horse Song, A Dancing Song, Firefly Song and other Native American poems with an emphasis on simile, imagery, and repetition.
“The Iroquois Constitution” with emphasis on metaphor.
“The Narrative of His Journal” by deVaca with focus on historical narratives.
“The New Land” by John Smith with focus on the purpose of a work.
“The History of Plymouth Plantation” by Bradford with emphasis on allusion.
“The Trial of Martha Carrier” by Mather with emphasis on tone.
4) Procedures/Frameworks - here is where an almost day-by-day lesson objectives/activities are laid out:
Using background for The New Land, students will identify the three geographical groups.
Each day students will be presented with a journal entry that will be relevant to the topic for that day. (Ability to connect topic to present lifestyles.)
Write a letter to Columbus as the King of Spain indicating three areas about which you want more information. Explain the reasons for the interest.
Stories are all read in class with discussion, evaluation, and analysis for each one.
Reading checks are given randomly in order to keep students on task with work.
Vocabulary words are distributed each Monday, defined for Wednesday when they will be discussed, and students will expect a quiz on these words each Friday.
Poetry discussion in groups – look for imagery, simile, metaphor. Present findings/analysis to classmates.
Again, this is just a sampling.
5) References and Resources - here is simply a list of materials needed for this unit:
Teacher-prepared handouts, quizzes, study guides.
Prentice Hall Literature – Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes
The Crucible and “The Crucible” video
As you can see, these are incredibly easy to use while also going into a great amount of detail.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Motivation?
Question: Why are American students lacking in motivation?
The above question is a blatant generality. I know it. However, I’m willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that everyone reading this post will have, at one point in their careers, have struggled with the challenge of motivating a student to do what they want them to do. I think so much of what we do is motivation; so much of what our parents must do at home is motivation. The connection between student achievement and success on assessment (including standardized tests) has to lie with motivation. For years, Americans have been relegated to the shadows while our competitors in other countries consistently beat us with regards to achievements in practically every aspect of education. The answer has to lie in motivation.
Now, don’t get me wrong. For every news story about how American students are falling behind our Asian competition, there is a complimentary story about an inspiring teacher or coach who gets their class or team to succeed when either everyone else has given up or the odds are insurmountable. Well, as I sit here in the hospital waiting for the nurse to come back with our new son, I’ve been reading of one such story, so I thought I’d share it with you.
Have you ever read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson? It’s the story of a mountain climber who gets lost on his way down from the summit of K2 who stumbles into a Pakistani village; first he is captivated by the villagers’ hospitality, but as he recovers from exposure, he begins to realize the educational system the Pakistanis have in place, which is next to nothing. Because the village cannot afford a teacher, the Pakistani government provides one, albeit at a rate of one dollar a day; the teacher does not even stay for a period of time, either. The village shares the teacher with another village and the students in this village only see the teacher three days a week. Mortenson describes what the children do when the teacher is absent:
After the last note of the anthem had faded, the children sat in a neat circle and began copying their multiplication tables. Most scratched in the dirt with sticks they’d brought for that purpose. The more fortunate, like Jahan [the village chief’s granddaughter], had slate boards they wrote on with sticks dipped in a mixture of mud and water. “Can you imagine a fourth-grade class in America, alone, without a teacher, sitting there quietly and working on their lessons?” Mortenson asks (32).
The novel details Mortenson’s attempts to build a school in this remote village in the mountains of Pakistan. He goes through frustration with fundraising, confrontations with village elders, and other problems before he can build his school, and what starts out as one school, becomes over 50. I picked the passage above to share because I felt the answer to the question I asked lies in this passage. Kids in Pakistan are so grateful for every shred of education they receive; they will draw their math in the dirt to continue the education. Would our kids go so far? Of course, some would. Who is ultimately responsible for this motivation? (I guess I’m ending a question with a question, so sorry about that.)
The above question is a blatant generality. I know it. However, I’m willing to bet dollars to doughnuts that everyone reading this post will have, at one point in their careers, have struggled with the challenge of motivating a student to do what they want them to do. I think so much of what we do is motivation; so much of what our parents must do at home is motivation. The connection between student achievement and success on assessment (including standardized tests) has to lie with motivation. For years, Americans have been relegated to the shadows while our competitors in other countries consistently beat us with regards to achievements in practically every aspect of education. The answer has to lie in motivation.
Now, don’t get me wrong. For every news story about how American students are falling behind our Asian competition, there is a complimentary story about an inspiring teacher or coach who gets their class or team to succeed when either everyone else has given up or the odds are insurmountable. Well, as I sit here in the hospital waiting for the nurse to come back with our new son, I’ve been reading of one such story, so I thought I’d share it with you.
Have you ever read Three Cups of Tea by Greg Mortenson? It’s the story of a mountain climber who gets lost on his way down from the summit of K2 who stumbles into a Pakistani village; first he is captivated by the villagers’ hospitality, but as he recovers from exposure, he begins to realize the educational system the Pakistanis have in place, which is next to nothing. Because the village cannot afford a teacher, the Pakistani government provides one, albeit at a rate of one dollar a day; the teacher does not even stay for a period of time, either. The village shares the teacher with another village and the students in this village only see the teacher three days a week. Mortenson describes what the children do when the teacher is absent:
After the last note of the anthem had faded, the children sat in a neat circle and began copying their multiplication tables. Most scratched in the dirt with sticks they’d brought for that purpose. The more fortunate, like Jahan [the village chief’s granddaughter], had slate boards they wrote on with sticks dipped in a mixture of mud and water. “Can you imagine a fourth-grade class in America, alone, without a teacher, sitting there quietly and working on their lessons?” Mortenson asks (32).
The novel details Mortenson’s attempts to build a school in this remote village in the mountains of Pakistan. He goes through frustration with fundraising, confrontations with village elders, and other problems before he can build his school, and what starts out as one school, becomes over 50. I picked the passage above to share because I felt the answer to the question I asked lies in this passage. Kids in Pakistan are so grateful for every shred of education they receive; they will draw their math in the dirt to continue the education. Would our kids go so far? Of course, some would. Who is ultimately responsible for this motivation? (I guess I’m ending a question with a question, so sorry about that.)
Sunday, March 1, 2009
What Should be Done About Standardized Tests?
The question: Should there be less standardized testing in the current school system, or more? Should all schools, including colleges, institute exit exams?
The answer: Yes.
It should be that easy, right?
The gentlemen quoted in this article all give the right answers to these questions, but all of them lack a method to figuring out how to go about it. Popham says, "Standardized tests can be written that accurately measure a school's instructional effectiveness...", but how? Does it become the responsibility of the school to individually measure its students by creating its own standardized tests? That is what my school does, but I have yet to see that data unequivocally states that this is the most effective method. My school also does not assess any midterms or finals, so think about that, too.
Zemsky's questions regarding standardized testing is very crucial. He questions who is being tested, the teacher or the student? What is being tested: the material learned of the teacher's method of teaching it? Again, vital questions to ask, but what is the best method? He does make a point of saying how the tests simply measure who the best test-takers are.
Toch makes the most significant statement regarding these tests and bias when he mentions NCLB's consequences for schools that fail to make progress with "the poor, students of color, English language learners, and the disabled." For years, this has been my most significant criticism of the HSPAs: its unfairness to ESL students. I would have a student who was in my classroom for a month, recently transplanted from another country, who would be forced to take the HSPA. How fair is that? We basically set him up for failure. Toch also goes on to say the skills being tested are lower level skills and legislators fear of raising the bar because it may lead to more kids failing.
Neill has the most significant statement in the whole article: "High school grade point average is a better predictor of college success than either the SAT or the ACT." Enough said.
And finally, we end withe Caperton of The College Board, who inundates us with his propaganda, who basically reverses Neill's opinion: "The SAT, in combination with the grade point average, provides students, parents and admissions counselors with the best predictor or academic success in college."
I got a 990 on the SATs. OK, not proud of it. (There are extenuating circumstances, as always...) I only took it once, because I knew I was going to CCM for two years, and then transferring. My GPA in high school was a 3.4...in college, it was a 3.6, and I graduated with honors. Of course, I'm only one person, but my two cents says SATs and other standardized tests are not the way to go.
The answer: Yes.
It should be that easy, right?
The gentlemen quoted in this article all give the right answers to these questions, but all of them lack a method to figuring out how to go about it. Popham says, "Standardized tests can be written that accurately measure a school's instructional effectiveness...", but how? Does it become the responsibility of the school to individually measure its students by creating its own standardized tests? That is what my school does, but I have yet to see that data unequivocally states that this is the most effective method. My school also does not assess any midterms or finals, so think about that, too.
Zemsky's questions regarding standardized testing is very crucial. He questions who is being tested, the teacher or the student? What is being tested: the material learned of the teacher's method of teaching it? Again, vital questions to ask, but what is the best method? He does make a point of saying how the tests simply measure who the best test-takers are.
Toch makes the most significant statement regarding these tests and bias when he mentions NCLB's consequences for schools that fail to make progress with "the poor, students of color, English language learners, and the disabled." For years, this has been my most significant criticism of the HSPAs: its unfairness to ESL students. I would have a student who was in my classroom for a month, recently transplanted from another country, who would be forced to take the HSPA. How fair is that? We basically set him up for failure. Toch also goes on to say the skills being tested are lower level skills and legislators fear of raising the bar because it may lead to more kids failing.
Neill has the most significant statement in the whole article: "High school grade point average is a better predictor of college success than either the SAT or the ACT." Enough said.
And finally, we end withe Caperton of The College Board, who inundates us with his propaganda, who basically reverses Neill's opinion: "The SAT, in combination with the grade point average, provides students, parents and admissions counselors with the best predictor or academic success in college."
I got a 990 on the SATs. OK, not proud of it. (There are extenuating circumstances, as always...) I only took it once, because I knew I was going to CCM for two years, and then transferring. My GPA in high school was a 3.4...in college, it was a 3.6, and I graduated with honors. Of course, I'm only one person, but my two cents says SATs and other standardized tests are not the way to go.
NCLB/State Testing/Teaching to the Test
When NCLB first come on the scene, I was a first year teacher, so I had already met all the "highly qualified" standards that NCLB implied. This was really my first experience with it. I remember all this pressure for veteran teachers to adhere to the new standards, but as far as I know, most veteran teachers didn't take it too seriously. As I earned more and more experience, the implications of NCLB became clearer, especially when I got a greater understanding of what it said about standardized testing and the teachers' roles in preparing for that standardized testing.
State testing, as well as SAT testing, accounts for much more of my curriculum that I would like. I would love to give assessments the way I think they should be given, not modeled after a particular type of test. In order for me to adequately prepare my students for these tests, I cannot just start teaching these "test-taking" skills a month prior. I need to model my assessments and writings after what the College Board and the HSPAs are doing so that the students feel comfortable with these types of assessments all year long, not just a month prior.
When I create an assessment, I usually have either a SAT test prep book near me (I say "book" lightly; the thing is as thick as the King James Bible, so "tome" may be more appropriate) so I can model not only my questions, but my directions after the test questions and directions. When I grade my assessments, sometimes (not always), I use the SAT or HSPA writing rubric to grade my students, again, so they are prepared for the types of grades they will receive. When this is done, ideally the students will some sense of comfort when they go in and take these tests that they've seen all this stuff before. When it comes closer to test time, that's when I get into more deliberate and intentional "teaching to the test".
As much as I hate to say, it is acceptable to "teach to the test" in many circumstances. Just the term "high-stakes testing" makes it so. I've heard that term about five times from administrators this season, in regards to the state tests. It's pretty much taken for granted that English and math teachers are doing deliberate HSPA test prep in thier classrooms. It's pretty much mandated that we're using the HSPA practice workbook and all the wonderful exercises that are in it. However, the bottom line is that the kids need to pass this test, if not to improve some skill, than to at least graduate high school. I have two classes of lower level students who this type of "teaching to the test" is expected. It is necessary as well. Teaching to the test is acceptable in this situation because these kids need to feel comfortable and confident in their abilites to take these tests. I start off the year addresses all of these skills in direct instruction and repeated practice. Then we apply these skills to novels and short stories read in class. Then in February, we go back to this direct instruction and what they've done in the fall helps them in this crucial stage: right before the test. The students should now be at the point where they are comfortable and confident in thier abilities, especially considering the test is two days away.
State testing, as well as SAT testing, accounts for much more of my curriculum that I would like. I would love to give assessments the way I think they should be given, not modeled after a particular type of test. In order for me to adequately prepare my students for these tests, I cannot just start teaching these "test-taking" skills a month prior. I need to model my assessments and writings after what the College Board and the HSPAs are doing so that the students feel comfortable with these types of assessments all year long, not just a month prior.
When I create an assessment, I usually have either a SAT test prep book near me (I say "book" lightly; the thing is as thick as the King James Bible, so "tome" may be more appropriate) so I can model not only my questions, but my directions after the test questions and directions. When I grade my assessments, sometimes (not always), I use the SAT or HSPA writing rubric to grade my students, again, so they are prepared for the types of grades they will receive. When this is done, ideally the students will some sense of comfort when they go in and take these tests that they've seen all this stuff before. When it comes closer to test time, that's when I get into more deliberate and intentional "teaching to the test".
As much as I hate to say, it is acceptable to "teach to the test" in many circumstances. Just the term "high-stakes testing" makes it so. I've heard that term about five times from administrators this season, in regards to the state tests. It's pretty much taken for granted that English and math teachers are doing deliberate HSPA test prep in thier classrooms. It's pretty much mandated that we're using the HSPA practice workbook and all the wonderful exercises that are in it. However, the bottom line is that the kids need to pass this test, if not to improve some skill, than to at least graduate high school. I have two classes of lower level students who this type of "teaching to the test" is expected. It is necessary as well. Teaching to the test is acceptable in this situation because these kids need to feel comfortable and confident in their abilites to take these tests. I start off the year addresses all of these skills in direct instruction and repeated practice. Then we apply these skills to novels and short stories read in class. Then in February, we go back to this direct instruction and what they've done in the fall helps them in this crucial stage: right before the test. The students should now be at the point where they are comfortable and confident in thier abilities, especially considering the test is two days away.
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