question of homework

Over the last year, I have thought about the topic of assigning homework to students. I think I have decided that, in general, I don't like the idea of giving out homework on a daily basis. In certain grades, such as kindergarten, I don't think it should be given out at all. Kindergartners are not only learning a lot academically, but they are are adjusting socially and emotionally to being away from home and away from the family. Kindergartners can be ready for first grade if they are taught by an effective curriculum and by a teacher who is able to meet their needs in the classroom.

As for older kids, I think homework can help their learning, but should be limited. In the middle school years, students are suddenly hit with six different teachers and 6 different subjects. When a student comes home with homework for all six subjects (or maybe 5 because one subject is PE), as a teacher, you are going to "shut them down". Students will become tired, frustrated and feel anxiety because of a lack of a break. Middle school teachers should really consider collaborating their homework so that only one subject per evening is being focused on. And, there are subjects that are just not necessary to assign homework in. My son's social studies teacher purposely does not assign homework to his students because he knows that they already have a lot with their other subjects and because he is productive and focused in his classroom and the lessons that he teachers. As a parent, I appreciate the fact that he has thought about he issue and developed his curriculum accordingly. I wish I could say the same for the other teachers.

Happy Halloween!

Feeling nostalgic being that Halloween is/was a great time to be a mom. This was my favorite picture forever and the only one I ever kept with me. So, happy Halloween everyone! I think I may go to some suburban neighborhood and spook kids a bit. This is William and Jahnavi, now 18 and 20.

Protecting our students

I was flipping through channels on my tv tonight and I caught the last ten minutes of Dr Phil. I'm proud to say that I don't watch his show regularly, but today's topic was on "Cyber bullying" and how it affects children in the schools. As I continued to listen, they talked about creating curriculum that helps children identify and handle bullying.

Most people are aware that the Columbine High School shooting in 1999 was a result of bullying. According to the FBI over 70% of school shootings are caused by bullying. In addition, bully is linked to academic failure, depression, substance abuse, delinquency, gang proliferation, self-harm, and suicide.

Florida has recently passed The Jeffrey Johnston Stand Up for All Students Act. It:

"prohibits the bullying or harassment, including cyber bullying, of any public K-12 student or employee. It requires the Department of Education to adopt a model policy to prohibit bullying and harassment and directs all school districts to adopt a similar policy. School districts are directed to work with students, parents, teachers, administrators, and local law enforcement on developing this policy. School districts will be required to report all instances of bullying or harassment and to notify the parents of the bully and the parents of the victim. The required communication among parents, students and teachers about incidents of bullying will help to prevent acts of violence and future tragedies. Schools should be a safe place for teachers and children to teach and learn" (http://www.jeffreyjohnston.org/jeffslaw.htm).

This act will be enforced by withholding federal funding from districts and schools that do not comply with the designated actions. My first thought when the show ended was, where are teacher expected to find time to role-play and teach students how to handle bullying? Also, why are teachers and schools being held accountable for cyberbullying when it's not likely happening within the school (due to sensors and filters)? Something certainly needs to be done in situations where bullying is occurring, but are teachers the best equipt to hunt down students who gossip because it could be viewed as bullying? Who should be held accountable for identifying bullies? What is acceptable behaviors to teach our students when they are experiencing bullying? "Just ignore them"? Or "Walk way"? Does this work? What do you think?

Become a Reporter!

This was on one of the other blogs I read. How ridiculously awesome would it be to bring writing and language to life... it can actually have a purpose and meaning. I'm not sure what this was a part of, but it brings it all back for me.... Plus the line "Sen. Biden is now my homeboy" just had me in stitches. (fyi: for equal opportunity purposes, there is also one this kid did with McCain. It was longer, so I skipped it :)

Dave Eggers on tutoring, from TED on the web

Ok-I couldn't upload the link. so,
It's www.ted.com

I couldn't upload the entire video, for it is 24 minutes long. The TED people are amazing. If you go to this site, thinkers and shakers receive the TED award and you can watch their acceptance speech and just browse through inspiration. For those English lovers, the writer Dave Eggers has a fantastic foundation, Once upon a school. This non profit group pulls in which writers and creative people to create a tutoring center. The video is great-watch the first 5 minutes, and from 17 minutes on. The center in S.F. was commercially zoned, so they have part of tutoring center as a 'Pirate supply shop'. Inspired by this, Brooklyn is a 'Superhero Supply shop' and on and on..around the country and world. It's great to see artists co-operating and helping youth who need more 1-1. You should check it out. (PS I didn't know how BIG 24 minutes would be-uploading video can only be 100 MB. I don't know how much that is.

James Crawford in the hizzy

duders,
it is I, again.
so this james crawford guy, hes got things to say...on this website.
He also has things to sell, the stuff that wont set you back any dinero is below the links that lead you to the things that will.
indeed.
more good stuff on the politics of bilingual education in the US.

peter

Restricting bilingual education in oregon

duders,
Ive been sick, and have been listening to the radio.
Heard this on bilingual education.
enjoy...its cringeworthy.

peter

Math Instruction A Go-Go!

Tomorrow is my first foray into math instruction at my dyad placement. I would be lying if I said I wasn't a bit nervous. I am taking over a small group of 3 that is following the first grade Everyday Math curriculum. Well, they aren't quite following the curriculum the way everyone else is.

You see that is where my problem is. Since the curriculum spirals quickly, the group has been slowed down to focus more intensely on specific skills. They have been going through their Student Workbook, and teaching from there essentially. Since we haven't gotten to the fundamentals behind math instruction I have found myself a bit nervous and anxious. Will I do it right? Will I be going too quick? Too slow? How can I bring in more manipulatives? How do you meet the needs of all 3 of them as their needs, and their quirks are so disparate.?.

We'll see at 10:45 tomorrow.

Apprentice the Future

Ah Peter, it's easy to agree that 'Global Economy' means, competing right here in our backyard. At least, sometimes that's what I envision. Let's be honest here. Right now, our main source of college educated folks are coming from abroad. They are cheap intelligence to import, while we at home figure out a way to fit into the mix. If we could really round out the potential future for our youth, we could have a viable populous. This does mean apprenticing in a wide variety of fields, many far from four year university. Imagine if in middle/high school you could begin to explore music, engineering, computer tech., editing, etc. I think many would be happy about that.

hey dudes.
So I was reading the New York Times (stop laughing) and they had this article, that might be of interest to you...as it is related to both the election, and education.
Indeed.
Peter

hi

hello, how's it going?

Open Says-a-me!

I have been thinking about equality myself. Working in a special education classroom in a more affluent area has provoked many questions for me. Is it right that one school receives a grant for $60K while other schools don't? Is it right that the special education students are in a wing away from all of the other students in the school? Are those students getting the same education that other students their age, in the school, are getting?

That doesn't even get into the ideas of homework, after school programs, and physical structural issues. The one thing that is clear to me is that there are schools with more resources than others. Some might argue that those schools have gained some of their resources, the 60K grant for example, through their own hard work. But even the idea of extra resources brings up issues of inequity caused by access and gatekeeping.

It makes me wonder how the playing field can be leveled? How can schools in less affluent areas create similar networks of volunteers and money? How can they be given the access that they are seemingly denied? It also makes me wonder whether those are questions that need to remain latent for me, as a student-teacher, because it is beyond my scope?! Should I not actively worry about those questions, the questions that are systemic in nature, and focus on the change I can affect as a classroom teacher? It is a struggle of wanting to move a mountain but only being able to move a few wheelbarrows of dirt.

Pumpkins to Earth

I have a tech question.
I want to put the blog, The Tempered Radical in the 'blogs we follow'. How is this done? I can't seem to locate it on the dashboard. Lorax?

Thoughts. I am amazed at the capacity of human beings to learn. For the last two weeks, 75 sixth graders have been bringing pumpkins to school. These shining orange squashes looked fantastic sitting around the room. We have been studying maps. So, of course our glorious squash would soon become, the Earth.

First, my dyad mate, the teacher and I made up a lesson about geography for them. They received new colorful social studies text books with great information about different types of maps. But, we thought-how can we get them to be engaged and absorb the skills about maps? We decided to pick one country, Africa, and set up 5 groups per class. Each group would have the responsibility for coloring their map (from an enlarged plain map of Africa) physical or political or language groups, completing a key, making a nice compass rose, maybe adding some flags, etc.

I love watching the teacher present the same lesson to three different sixth grade classes! But, what was really noticeable was how the children worked together. As I walked around the class, I found them equitably dividing work up between them. I think that given the opportunity, youth do seek equality and justice, if they are fostered in respect and equity. We didn't have to do much of anything. They got the art, the paper, the research, the maps, decided which among them would write or color. The best part is seeing these lanky youth stretching their arms, standing up and painting, just using their bodies. They flourish. I do not think these students should be sitting all day. Art, coloring, mapping, walking, engaging in groups are all types of activities that stimulate different parts of their expanding brains. It was a beautiful sight!

To top it off, one week later they painted the pumpkins for two whole days. This was even more fantastic. All of a sudden, they had to take their two dimensional map understanding and place it on something round. It was a big stretch for some for others, not so much. You could feel the ZPD moving like a slinky, paintbrushes in hands trying to remember which continents and which seas, etc. Then, carrying their (at times enormous!) pumpkins outside where they lined up against the wall, three deep and a total of 75 baby blue and green globes was beauty to behold! A big thanks to teachers willing to go the distance, paint in hand!

Equality is fiction.

Okay, so I admit I am going through some emotional times and so I am feeling unusually analytical- like deep, sometimes cheesy, sometimes harsh, contemplating life sort of stuff. That was your warning in case you weren't sure.

I have been thinking deeply about the inconsistencies of life and about the inequality of nature. I have been asking myself about the nature of equality and thinking in fact that the "nature" of equality is a paradox; nature is not equal, there is nothing equal about it. Everything in nature is set up to serve an overall cycle that includes individuals (of all species) serving ultimately as prey to some other predator. Go with me for a minute on this self-indulgent journey, just humor me.

How can we possibly have equality, perhaps equality of opportunity in particular, in education when we require children to do activities, homework outside of school in environments which are not equal in work space, in parent or family resources, in size, in study area, in materials, or in parent involvement? How can we possibly have equality when each of us is born and raised with traits and characteristics that are deemed valuable or detrimental by the larger society? How can we possibly expect equality in education in the form of all children passing the WASL or other standardized tests when it is a given of nature that we are all different (and unequal) in every way (looks, talents, abilities, learning styles, development, interests, preferences, dreams, drive, etc.)? You can standardize tests, but you can't standardize results because you can't standardize the most important variable: students, people, personalities.

Aside from nature's dealing of cards there is human influence that further expands and makes obvious the inequalities of people. How can we expect equality in education when we don't even give children the right to equality of health care? Don't we know as an "educated" bunch that a child, or an adult for the matter, cannot really focus on learning (and other such non-essential functions) until their basic needs - food, water, shelter, and physical safety- are met? Didn't we learn this from Maslow? If you do not have food or water or the physical things that keep you alive don't you agree that education seems a little superfluous?

How can we possibly expect equality of education when our entire ruling fundamental of life in the states is capitalism, a system based on INEQUALITY (inequality of materials, of goods, of quality food, of money, of power, and indeed of opportunity) and competition? If every child succeeded equally in school where would it get us as a capitalist country anyway? Doesn't this simply push educational inflation? That is, the notion that once upon a time families had one working parent and high school degrees and then people began to have two working parents and additional training to get ahead and then people held two jobs and a Bachelor's degree and now to just to stay afloat most families MUST have two working parents and to make anything more than ends meat both must have Bachelor's degrees or beyond. While this may seem great, an educated population, for a global economy, it does little but make us education-poor as individuals in this country. It does not bode well for many of us individually, it only makes the competition harder, the game of life tougher.

I wonder too if it is our right, our responsibility, or none of our business, as educators and businessmen and politicians to push educational goals on children. I understand that it is our intention to do what is best for the child to prepare them in their youth for the opportunity to make decisions for themselves in their young adulthood, to ensure that they have a full range of options to choose from when they get to that point. However, it also seems that there are some families who for cultural reasons or other reasons do not identify wholly with the pursuit to place education first in their lives and in the lives of their children. Is this neglect? Or is this the right of a parent who has their own ideals for the children?

Another word about equality is impossible. Even as you put in place programs to help some (children in schools, but also adults with social programs) you inevitably disable others or make others feel cheated, either for the work they have done to get ahead or because the help available to them is not the same, or equal, as it is to others. As you help the wolf population to recover from excessive hunting you are no doubt disabling the deer or the rabbit or others. This domino affect is the nature of things, the nature of nature, and nature, to reiterate, is not equal.

If we consider ourselves above or beyond allowing natural selection to take its course, if we feel the need as a "civilized" society to intervene then why do we seem okay about letting people slowly suffer through a world of denied respect, denied living wages, and especially denied medical care? That seems at least as harsh. I am not saying that we shouldn't care or shouldn't help, but I am questioning how much good our interventions really do and I am saying that our societal priorities are completely out of whack and that we, as educators and individuals, are out whack if we honestly believe that true equality of opportunity is possible. Even as I write this I am feeling sacrilegious because I feel like it is a known part of the job description that teachers should be hopeful and optimistic and strive for better, but sometimes I think we all need a little dose of reality.

More Critical Thinking...

Here is more on the basics of the Foundation for Critical Thinking... There whole concept of critical thinking was central to the beliefs of the elementary school (public, formerly Title I) that I used to work at.

This image shows the things that he is talking about, and saves you the 5 minutes!

Universal Standards or Habits of Mind?

There were two things from Bridging Differences that struck me this week, and made me consider my own beliefs. The first related to national standards:

...it is hard for many sensible people to understand why there should be 50 different state standards in mathematics, biology, chemistry, even American history. Isn’t mathematics the same in Oregon as in Virginia? Why should every state have its own version of chemistry? It is somewhat odd that we expect our students to participate in international assessments when state standards are so disparate.Of course, the issues become less certain and more subjective when we turn to American history or world history, yet the questions—if not the answers—have a certain undeniable similarity. We do want all American students to be prepared to discuss the causes and consequences of the American Revolution, the Civil War, and the world wars. We do hope that they can reflect on issues involved in the development of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights (10/7/08)

Since the blog is a dialogue, a rebuttal came carrying this quote:

Why require that all graduates (ideally all citizens?) understand (agree on?) the causes of the Civil War, WW I…..et al as you suggest? Ditto for chemistry, calculus, etc.? Probably we can agree quickly about basic literacy (at a 6th grade level—after that, it’s debatable), and arithmetic/measurement? Both of which were traditionally part of a pre-academic course of study. Personally? I’d like evidence that they can exercise the “five habits of mind” in assorted ways, that suggest their understanding of the nature of science, history, math, literature, the arts—but not any particular coverage.

I often find myself waffling in my beliefs regarding particular topics and ideas. I can see both points, but never necessarily take a stand. I think we should have consistent standards, particularly around reading, writing, and math. I'm not sure working to draft 50 different standards is useful or efficient. Duplication 50 fold?

Alas I've come to grips with that fact that the latter quotation is where I stake my flag. The ability to know facts and information is fantastic but isn't enough, in my eye, to be a positive agent of change in our society (which is my belief about the purpose of schooling). You need to be able to understand and utilize that information. I believe that knowledge is what you learn through the practice of these skills, and habits, that are integral to life. Simply knowing facts is great for Jeopardy, but what about for tackling ways to create a neighborhood association, or help stop global warming? We need the tools so that we can act in concert with the great wealth of knowledge about our country. Another resource that would be useful is The Foundation for Critical Thinking.

Pop Culture So Bad?

From The Essential Conversation by Sara Lawrence-Lightfoot, p 33:

"We do not resist the distractions and bad influences of technology, television, and rap music taking over our lives, letting popular culture rule and permitting the developmental needs of our kids to get overlooked."

In the broader context, it is a valid point that there are a variety of other factors that are at play when we are educating our children. But I take great offense at the inclusion of rap music, largely because of the cultural context of the music. Why not simply say music? Is the rap music made largely by African Americans that much worse, as an influence, than say the country music made by white people?

I think there is an issue of parents filtering what their children see or use, with age-appropriateness being of particular importance. But I take exception at rap music being singled out.

Bring your lesson plans and campfire songs!

Why is it that we tend to see lots of really hokey, campy songs in elementary school? Is it that many of the teachers were camp counselors? Are they still yearning to be campers (year-round mind you)? Or is it that they feel compelled to bring their students back to their folksy roots? I'm not sure, but I am a bit perplexed by it, particularly as I sit listening to my indie-rock-streaming KEXP!

Of the classrooms I have worked in, across a few different schools, I've only encountered 2 that deviated from that norm. Perhaps it is my bias towards more modern music, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear the kiddos rapping along to Nas' "I Can" or singing the Postal Service's "Sleeping In," or simply using Jack Johnson's "Reduce Reuse Recycle" for the clean-up song. The teachers used some of the campy songs during a sing-along/music time, but they mixed in other songs as well for the students to sing, as well as listen to in the background. There is certainly the issue of function and placement during the day, but why not other genres?

My assumption is that many teachers are afraid of using more modern music during the day because of the appropriate-ness or the content. Perhaps it is a fear of others not approving, and not seeing the music as kid-friendly. I am not sure, but I am going to explore this assumption a bit more during the course of the year.

Meanwhile, the root of all this is a hip-hop rendition of the Lorax that a friend of mine made (I'll upload it soon). He looped a beat from RJD2 and read it, or rather rapped it. The result is the antithesis of the type of reading found here. Both accomplish the stated goal of presenting text in an engaging way, but the former is more modern. The moral of the story... Hip Hop (and other genres) should be used more frequently in classrooms.

Also check out: Langley Schools of Music Project here.