Edutopia - June/July 2008 - (Page 7)

Feedback “The uniqueness of every child and every child’s gift must once again become a national priority.” USEFUL SKEPTICISM I suggest that writer Grace Rubenstein (“Reinventing the Big Test,” April/May 2008) apply as much skepticism to the NCEE’s reports as she might have applied to the MCAS when it was ⇒rst brought out. The NCEE made essentially the same predictions twenty years ago, and its plan for transformation of American schools was dismissed by just about everyone as ridiculous. David Marshak many activities the children have to do in one day that the values being learned are speed and “near enough is good enough.” I stopped counting the number of worksheets that have come home, and it is only week eleven. Not one is ⇒nished! Yet the values of right and wrong, etiquette, sharing, tolerance are left alone! What is going on? Kathryn Newton DARING THANKS What an honor and surprise to be among the Daring Dozen (“The Daring Dozen 2008,” April/May 2008). This recognition has deeply moved me. Thanks for all you do to enable young people (and their teachers) to be creative and express themselves through so many different media! Edwin Gragert Build a better test? (“Reinventing the Big Test,” April/May 2008) Why bother? The fraudulent idea that schools should be measured and punished for not achieving NCLB standards is intellectually silly, politically pandering to the neocon Right, and degrading to the generations of teachers and children who suffer under this misosophy. Schools must relearn what children are, how they learn, and how they grow a soul—all the things abandoned for the past thirty years to entertain the madness of the standardized testing regimes that control federal funding with an iron ⇒st. The revolutions confronting educators will never again be so trivial as tweaking the bad ideas of the last century. The uniqueness of every child and every child’s gift must once again become a national priority. These children may outlive our generation by hundreds of years, their medicine will astonish us and the integration of ubiquitous technology in everyday reality will not only reinvent learning but also reinvent lifestyle. You can test till you all turn blue, but you are doing little more than killing time. Frank Krasicki Here in my home state of Louisiana, LEAP and ITBS are the standard in K–12 education. The tests cover the big three traditional Rs, “cultural literacy” in core subject areas, and, supposedly, critical thinking. They consist of reams of “multiple guess” questions and a handful of written responses. What’s interesting is not what they test, but rather what they don’t. When was the last time you went into a job interview and were asked to ⇒ll in bubbles using a No. 2 pencil? Have you ever tried to make a sale by writing a short essay on an arbitrary prompt? In a brainstorming session, have you ever been limited to only one of four ideas? For some strange reason, the folks in Iowa City and Princeton (not to mention at the State Department) don’t feel that listening, speaking, and creativity are worthy enough for the new accountability. In today’s changing economy, an ability to listen attentively, think out of the box, and speak “like, you know, good,” are more important than ever. Unfortunately, as teachers scramble to prepare their students for the be-all and end-all test, these invaluable but untested skills are being passed over. Folwell Dunbar ASSESS UNCOMMON KIDS By creating a project for the students to do as a hands-on activity, one is better able to assess student understanding, and having students participate in peer education solidi⇒es their understanding (“Ask Ellen,” April /May 2008). The world of technology is a great teaching tool. I have been amazed by my own children’s ability to demonstrate understanding through their presentations and PowerPoints. Through this avenue, it is easier to create a rubric to assess students’ comprehension and to promote peer teaching. Sheri Evans FAIR GROUND My colleague and I developed an assignment for our preservice teachers to learn about fair-use guidelines of copyright (“Copy Wrongs,” April/May 2008). It’s in the form of WebQuery, similar to a WebQuest, but a little less prescribed and more student-centered (cwu.edu/~loverroi/316/copyrightWQ.html). I thought your readers might be interested in the activity. Ian Loverro WHEREFORE SIMPLE VALUES? I have my ⇒rst child in kindergarten in Australia this year, and I agree wholeheartedly with “Childhood’s End” (April/May 2008). There are so FEEDBACK is a vital part of the conversation. Comment on articles at Edutopia.org or write to letters@edutopia.org or Edutopia, P Box 3494, San Rafael, CA .O. 94912. Please include your name and contact information. EDUTOPIA.ORG EDUTOPIA 7 http://www.cwu.edu/~loverroi/316/copyrightWQ.html http://www.cwu.edu/~loverroi/316/copyrightWQ.html http://EDUTOPIA.ORG http://EDUTOPIA.ORG

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Edutopia - June/July 2008

Edutopia - June/July 2008 Contents UpFront Feedback Dispatches Sage Advice Ask Ellen Head of Class Cool Schools Design Young Minds, Fast Times Wii Love Learning No More Pencils, No More Books Tech Without Support All the Right Moves Room to Learn Heart & Soul Pop Quiz: Jeff Corwin

Edutopia - June/July 2008

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