http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/12/11/spit-it-out-or-think-and-defend/ Superintendent of Schools writes about learning and school management in rural Western New York. Wed, 02 Dec 2009 15:20:06 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/12/11/spit-it-out-or-think-and-defend/comment-page-1/#comment-1171 Crystal Fri, 15 Dec 2006 15:20:18 +0000 http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/12/11/spit-it-out-or-think-and-defend/#comment-1171 I really disagree with MRC. I think that things have changed. I see it in the expectations on our state assessments. We talk about no child left behind, and the way that we are accomplishing this is by lowering the bar for everyone. NY State doesn't want anyone to notice, but students taking the Math A, do not have to get a 65% to pass, they need to get a 40%. This does impact on our upper level students. It is pushing everyone along. The questions on the exams are surface questions, so when we are teaching and searching for example questions to put on a test that our thought provoking, we are coming up short. "NO Child Left Behind??", HA... it seems like it is becoming "Every child left behind!" I really disagree with MRC. I think that things have changed. I see it in the expectations on our state assessments. We talk about no child left behind, and the way that we are accomplishing this is by lowering the bar for everyone. NY State doesn’t want anyone to notice, but students taking the Math A, do not have to get a 65% to pass, they need to get a 40%. This does impact on our upper level students. It is pushing everyone along. The questions on the exams are surface questions, so when we are teaching and searching for example questions to put on a test that our thought provoking, we are coming up short. “NO Child Left Behind??”, HA… it seems like it is becoming “Every child left behind!”

]]> http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/12/11/spit-it-out-or-think-and-defend/comment-page-1/#comment-1158 Lisa Wed, 13 Dec 2006 02:24:47 +0000 http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/12/11/spit-it-out-or-think-and-defend/#comment-1158 Kim, take a look at the Dec 18 Time article, "How to Bring our Schools Out of the 20th Century." It is pretty much along the lines of your thoughts. It even addresses Wikipedia! Kim, take a look at the Dec 18 Time article, “How to Bring our Schools Out of the 20th Century.” It is pretty much along the lines of your thoughts. It even addresses Wikipedia!

]]> http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/12/11/spit-it-out-or-think-and-defend/comment-page-1/#comment-1153 phaedrus » Blog Archive » Spit It Out or Think and Defend? Tue, 12 Dec 2006 04:45:41 +0000 http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/12/11/spit-it-out-or-think-and-defend/#comment-1153 [...] In our last few days together, I want to try to highlight a few points and G-Town reminds me of the early days of our course. G-Town Talks » Blog Archive » Spit It Out or Think and Defend? We have a recurring theme here in G-Town surrounding our students and academic achievement. As our teachers analyze data and discuss new literacy strategies, I keep hearing the same thing. Our students don’t want to think. [...] [...] In our last few days together, I want to try to highlight a few points and G-Town reminds me of the early days of our course. G-Town Talks » Blog Archive » Spit It Out or Think and Defend? We have a recurring theme here in G-Town surrounding our students and academic achievement. As our teachers analyze data and discuss new literacy strategies, I keep hearing the same thing. Our students don’t want to think. [...]

]]> http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/12/11/spit-it-out-or-think-and-defend/comment-page-1/#comment-1152 mrc Tue, 12 Dec 2006 02:14:07 +0000 http://ghsprincipal.edublogs.org/2006/12/11/spit-it-out-or-think-and-defend/#comment-1152 We all remember our own educations fondly. And for those of us who became educators, it's often easy to forget that there were <em>other kids</em>, no doubt not doing so well, with us in those classes. At the time, our teachers were wondering where things had gone wrong too. But it's not like something suddenly went bad. There has rarely, if ever, been a civilization where the majority of the populace was actively engaged in thinking, writing, debating, and analyzing ideas in the way we'd like our students to do. I applaud your high expectations, but I don't think there's anything to lament. The challenge now is the same as it always was -- but you're calling it by name, which brings us as close as we've ever been to tackling it head-on. We all remember our own educations fondly. And for those of us who became educators, it’s often easy to forget that there were other kids, no doubt not doing so well, with us in those classes. At the time, our teachers were wondering where things had gone wrong too. But it’s not like something suddenly went bad. There has rarely, if ever, been a civilization where the majority of the populace was actively engaged in thinking, writing, debating, and analyzing ideas in the way we’d like our students to do. I applaud your high expectations, but I don’t think there’s anything to lament. The challenge now is the same as it always was — but you’re calling it by name, which brings us as close as we’ve ever been to tackling it head-on.

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