I read this article from Friday's New York Times, and this link is a blog from School Library Media (online). I was so surprised and thrilled when this topic came up on my RSS feed. I had similar thoughts with this blogger. I take issue with this portion of the article in particular:"But the most important part of information’s journey is the last few inches — the space between a person’s eyes or ears and the various regions of the brain. Does the individual have the capacity to understand the information?"
ALA (American Library Association) is always one step ahead. (see ALA Homepage) However, I also have to put in my plug for the teachers I work with. I read this article from Friday's New York Times, and thought, this is not a new concept!!
Classrooms are filled with curious minds clamoring to ask cognitive questions. Educators know this. From my perspective as a media specialist, in an elementary school with 18 classroom teachers, they are engaging students in meta-cognition methods of learning each day.
The problem excluding overcrowding, budget deficiencies, lack of materials, lack of support staff, to name a few, is mainly over testing too much and lack of time to teach. It is not what or how students are learning, but how much time they have engaged in this process. Ask any teacher you know and they will sadly tell you that most of their time, at least at the elementary level is giving assessments.
Teachers need the time to teach, where the emphasis is on learning not testing. Students have learned how to pass the CMT'S , because their day is spent perparing for the CMT. This is not a choice, it is Federal Law. School districts must achieve "No Child Left Behind" standards or face strict and severe sanctions and penalties.
Let our teachers do their job....Let them TEACH!!! Ok...I'll get off my box now.
5 comments:
Believe me, I could have written this same post about the situation in the UK at the moment. Why won't the powers that be realise that teachers do have some experience in these matters and are worth listening to?
It's so frustrating. And while we're at it let's cut out program such as physical education, music, art to name a few. My husband is a teacher (I'm a former teacher) and this year he has been on more committees regarding assessment. His administration only cares about testing. They are having a horrible year because of a lack of disciplinary actions with students and it is starting to put the teacher(s) in jeopardy. So let's let kids get away with breaking rules, violent behavior and a lack of authority because admin is too busy worrying about test scores.
I'm with TT about the teachers. Louisiana's education had problems way before this.
I felt forced into home schooling...just couldn't see my children thrown into that madness.
So true. And I think the purpose of testing has morphed into an excuse to label students. I homeschooled my son with autism and it was such a positive experience as compared to the babysitting he received in public school I am frankly amazed that it is allowed to continue.
Stop labeling. Stop wasting everyone's time. Let the teachers teach.
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Glad to have you on the 1% challenge!
Michelle
1morechapter.com
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