Tired of testing

Mr. Chapin's song 'Not on the Test' could probably be interpreted differently by people based on their perspective. Who is at fault for teachers only teacher what is on the test? And if we truly do that, why aren't they passing? I laugh every time I see the video but it's one of those sinister laughs...like I'm seeing something that is so sadly TRUE. I feel like I'm fighting against the tide.
Then I look around at my school and what different classes are doing to prepare. I have to admit that most of the year, they are trying to incorporate thinking skills and creative freedom, but in this last push until testing time we're all about (or maybe should be about) that test! There is one classroom where I see what the kids are doing and have visions of not making AYP b/c of this group of 8th graders. It's going to happen...but what do you do? I guess there are different ways to react to a video like this. Shock! Laughter! Meaningful discussion! Prayer! Empathy! Ignore it all! Part of me is stressed for those 8th graders not reviewing at this point before the test and part of me is like 'whatever!'
whatever?!
Not making AYP is painful for a school and its teachers. Perhaps some of that filters down to the students in the form of more multiple choice practice questions on a daily basis and the students who get pulled for double academics (is more really better?) and miss out on an elective. I don't know!
It's two weeks before our first tests start and it's nauseating! And I don't even teach the kids!
But don't worry...they don't teach it if it's not on the test (wink wink)
Click below to link to a funny standardized testing promotion from Tennessee. It's on Teacher Tube.

I laughed.
And that's good that I laughed because I did a whole heck of a lot of work today and walked about 3 miles in the building (yes, I'm wearing a pedometer!) and didn't leave until after 5 as I had to check on the computers that collapsed with the table in one of our labs...what a day.
Enjoy the laugh!

Rural Suburbia

I live in what I would call 'rural suburbia'. The population of my county has about the same number of people population-wise as the school system where I work has students. My neighborhood is a planned town community that will eventually be (somewhat) self-sustaining. The homes are close together, linked together by careful landscaping and sidewalks. The library and school are in place and shops will be along someday...post (dare I say it?!) recession. What is interesting about this county is that the people this neighborhood and a few other neighborhoods like it have brought with them the demand for crazy things like high speed Internet access (thank the Lord we have it where we live!) and quality technology in the schools. Hmph. Rural suburbia comes crashing down on a happily rural community!

So today I was in a meeting where somebody pretty high up where I work commented on the high speed access to our students and 'who wouldn't want that?!' and while YES! I love my high speed access, I think I can find some people who don't want that. They don't want their taxes raised and they don't understand the relevance of 21st century skills in their world. And me, being the empathetic soul that I am, sort of gets it that the concept of living in a flat world just doesn't seem to mesh with a county seeking to embrace the State Fair. But rural suburbia is pulling through and putting pressure on the school board to check in on our small school system and see that the computers are working.

But I hope a lot of things happen before my hypothetical children enter this school system of rural suburbia. They will be far ahead of their peers in access and literacy if things don't generally change. I know, I'm a snob! But sometimes the way we perceive ourselves down here v. how outside counties perceive us bugs me. Where I work is truly rural suburbia in its identity...an identity crisis happening every day somewhere in the county. Looking at where I live and how people where I work judge this county...people just crack me up! People in glass houses...seriously should not throw stones.

Social Networking and Teachers

I read this article from this month's NEA Today about the need for teachers to be wary of what they put on their social networking sites. They listed several examples of teachers being fired or 'not teaching anymore' because of inappropriate content on their MySpace pages. It said that the Ohio Education Association made the recommendation to its members to remove profiles from social networking sites such as myspace and facebook to avoid any type of attention or situation from their school systems.

I get the two sides of the argument...and maybe there are more than two sides to this one. But at what point do we ask the following questions: How real are these people you hire that they aren't going to drink and do drugs in the same percentages as your average worker in the private sector? What do our first ammendment rights truly include when it comes to online communication? Where does our classroom persona end and our teaching persona begin? Where do we draw the line? Granted, I would prefer that my hypothetical childrens' teachers not post information about their partying activities in a venue where my children view them. I would probably also prefer to think of their teachers as law-abiding citizens that aren't engaging in illegal activities of any kind and/or bragging about it. Maybe my hypothetical childrens' hypothetical teachers should make their profiles private if they plan to share more than what their students (or I)might need to know about them. But like everything, isn't there room for balance? Recommending that an entire group of public employees not use social networking sites doesn't seem effective, fair or logical.

I just started using facebook. I will not put pictures up there of me that I wouldn't want my mom to see, but I'm not stupid. Maybe it should be addressed with new teachers as they come in...sort of a reminder about public profiles and persona.

I don't know. Interesting how contradictory we can be as educators-to reach out and encourage collaboration, real-time communication, learning and growing and yet so quickly have it stifled in ourselves.