An archived stack of papers: January 2007

Online Writing Tool I Want

In a stack of papers called Technology.

  • Jan
  • 30
  • 2007

Here’s my ideal system. Students all have accounts using the same information as their Blogger account. After logging into the system, students have a list of all open assignments, clearly indicating which assignments they need to complete and which are archived assignments already finished. Students type their essay into a textarea, in much the same way they currently type blog entries. Their... read more

A Review: CSU Online Writing Tool

In a stack of papers called Technology.

  • Jan
  • 29
  • 2007

I tried out CSU English Success’s Calibrated Peer Review (CPR) a bit. The report isn’t positive, but I hope the system will eventually improve. For now, pen and paper are better than using computers here.

The amount of time it would take to explain the CPR system to the... read more

One Size Doesn’t Fit All: Problems With NCLB

In a stack of papers called Testing.

  • Jan
  • 28
  • 2007

There’s a large problem with the English California Standards Tests (CST). These tests come to students every year around April and are the result of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA), better known as No Child Left Behind (NCLB). [Update: This same problem applies to Social Science since those questions are handed out by grade level, not be course enrolled... read more

Trouble With Standards: Part 3

In a stack of papers called Legislation.

  • Jan
  • 22
  • 2007

Here’s the big one, the trouble with English standards, along with a couple of things to consider in making standards better. We need to improve the quality of public education, but we didn’t finish that fight by creating standards and more testing. Keep pushing things forward, please. Most content standards in my state were adopted in 1998. What about in your state? How old are your content... read more

Trouble With Standards: Part 2

In a stack of papers called Legislation.

  • Jan
  • 21
  • 2007

Environment makes a difference in student education and standards don’t take that into account. That’s a perpetuation of the have-and-the-have-not society, yet I believe that’s exactly what education should combat. Also, standards assess students, not teaching. Standards look at the product, not the process. Education is a human system and cannot be treated as if it were merely cogs... read more

Trouble With Standards: Part 1

In a stack of papers called Legislation.

  • Jan
  • 20
  • 2007

Content standards are the road to hell paved with good intentions. I understand why they are there, but they are an accessory to the crime of poor education inflicted on our students. The way they are currently employed, they are part of the problem, not part of the solution.

[Update: I’ve decided to piece this up a bit more. I hope that doesn’t interrupt your regular... read more

Signs Of Progress

In a stack of papers called Instruction.

  • Jan
  • 12
  • 2007

These past 2 weeks, I’ve seen some good things happening in my seventh period. I’m trying to keep track of them so I know that it’s not all bad. The frustrations of seventh period stay with me all day.

A student looked at other students when reading her response instead of looking at me — she understood who her audience was. One day, two students offered... read more

Writing Frustrations

In a stack of papers called Writing.

  • Jan
  • 08
  • 2007

The Scarlet Letter essays are finished. They were awful. Out of 48 essays, only 15 passed, 8 in one class and 7 in the other. That also means that 6 students didn’t do this assignment. So if such a large percentage of my students don’t pass an assessment, that’s my fault, right? I’d like to say so and, in part, I do believe it. But part of me knows another truth:... read more

The Usefulness Of Testing

In a stack of papers called Testing.

  • Jan
  • 07
  • 2007

Test data becomes useful when it does a few things. I do not believe that any standardized test currently given in my state does these things. If we found a test that could do even half of these, I’d be ecstatic.

Test results rock when:

measuring what is taught, not the other way around; teachers get them in time to inform the current year’s... read more

Subconscious Browsing

In a stack of papers called Technology.

  • Jan
  • 05
  • 2007

I’m not quite sure what stream of consciousness led me to this, but I spent some time looking for online magnetic poetry sites. I don’t even teach much poetry.

I started off trying to perfect the way I’ll have my students put together time lines in class (I decided to use the Excel version: not as cool as... read more