An archived stack of papers: March 2006
Comment Experiment
In a stack of papers called Technology.
- Mar
- 21
- 2006
IdeaBox was in a little basket on my doorstep a while back. A quick way to add commenting to any page, I finally put it to good use.
Yesterday, I nervously printed out copies of “How Do You Know?” for my juniors. It... read more
HSEE
In a stack of papers called Testing.
- Mar
- 20
- 2006
Does the existence of a high school exit exam imply that there should be a whole host of other tests? If students take a test to prove that they can leave high school, shouldn’t they have to take a test to prove they can enter? A High School Entrance Exam (HSEE)?
Even if a freshman has low skills, if s/he isn’t a special education or English language learner student, the schedule will... read more
Standardize Students
In a stack of papers called Testing.
- Mar
- 19
- 2006
One student learned very little during the first 8 years of his free education, before reaching high school. Neither a special education student nor an English language learner, that student would be placed into English 1/9 at my school, together with several other freshmen. That student would be woefully unprepared.
Another student walks onto campus ready to pass the California High School Exit... read more
How Do You Know?
In a stack of papers called Personal.
- Mar
- 18
- 2006
My parents are moving to Kauai soon. This morning, I drove over to help move junk from their house to a dumpster set up in their neighborhood, available certain weekends for free to all residents to fill. We took all kinds of things down there, some of them objects that I’ve seen sitting on the side of their house for decades.
But it was my old wagon that had the most impact on... read more
Wanted: Music Credential
In a stack of papers called Legislation.
- Mar
- 17
- 2006
This is my second year teaching a section of guitar class. The first time I taught the course was in the 2002-2003 school year. Back then, I had to fill out some paperwork to justify my position as a teacher of a course for which I have no credential or coursework. A few years of performing in various capacities and a few recordings seemed to do the trick. The work I’ve done with music is nothing... read more
Connected
In a stack of papers called Connections.
- Mar
- 16
- 2006
I just got home from a choir and band performance at a local mall. There were lots of parents, students, teachers, and administrators there and it was, indeed, a very good thing. They performed just outside a Barnes & Noble store, where I met the manager and my friend said that he would work with our English department for fund raising, summer reading lists, whatever we need. We made a nice contact... read more
No Novel Left Behind (NNLB)
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Mar
- 15
- 2006
The sudden intake of air from shock over my suggestion, a true gasp filled the room rather quickly. A brief moment of silence punctuated the end of the gasp-sentence, an exclamation point for the clearly surprised opinion of a few gathered around the table. The words fell out of my mouth in a cluster and felt, to me, as if rocks loudly tumbled onto the floor, the rough sound of stone on stone. Not that... read more
Reading Should Be A Pleasure
In a stack of papers called Reading.
- Mar
- 14
- 2006
Because it is required, do teachers routinely enforce a hatred of reading in most teens? Is there a way to read a book as a class, yet keep the same joy in reading it by choice? Can teachers keep to a reading schedule without falling back on daily quizzes to check for completing the reading? Are in-class projects that demonstrate an understanding of the previous night’s reading as effective at... read more
Books Or Skills
In a stack of papers called Reading.
- Mar
- 13
- 2006
A short entry today, as it is based largely on conjecture of what the English Curriculum Committee’s meeting will be about this Wednesday. I overheard my friend on the phone today about a few things and required reading came up. A few years ago, we had the conversation about mandatory texts for each level of English instruction and even boiled down the suggested titles for each level. At my... read more
Blogging For Teachers
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Mar
- 12
- 2006
San Jose State University requires ENED 353: Methods of Teaching English of all students seeking an English teaching credential. In the fall and again this spring, I delivered a presentation about blogging to that class. It went well both times and I really feel like it gave most of those teachers a chance to do something they wouldn’t have otherwise. I am honored to have been asked back a second... read more