When 55 out of 55 Ain't Good

Tip o' the hat - Scott & David

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To Test Or Not To Test

Carl Chew - 6th grade Seattle Public School teacher refuses to give the state mandated WASL test.

He's a bad guy
He's a good guy

I've known about this for a few days, and wanted to do some reflecting.  Some say it is what is needed, others say he took the wrong approach.  I say, at least someone did something...anything...and was willing to make a statement heard 'round the country.

Chew has at least a few people talking about the issue of testing, and how it proves nothing of what a child knows.  I don't care if my mechanic passed the Jeopardy-like quiz game we play in schools under the misnomer of No Child Left Behind, but I do appreciate the fact that he knows what to do to my engine and tires to give me better mileage; especially since the ones who probably did guess correctly are now running the companies and countries that are screwing the world to the wall with petroleum price gouging.  </rant>

I think I respect Chew's actions.  He stated the reasons he refused to administer the test.  I can't say I disagree with him. Could I question his actions?  Sure.  I would rather see parents and students boycott testing week...simply refuse, en masse, to attend school on test days.  If the state wanted to reschedule, then boycott again.  That, my friends, would work in one year.  Politicians would "hear" that message.

But no one listens to teachers...no one.

Mr. Chew's action has probably done more to educate his students, and students in his district, than anything on the WASL.  So perhaps the WASL did have some educational benefits after all...it allowed someone to teach about standing up for personal beliefs, standing against national injustices, and being a leader in a cause (even if some disagree with his views).  Talking to politicians, as Mr. Jamieson suggests Chew should have done, doesn't work.  They don't listen; they legislate, and justify later.  Wait and see. 

With Gary Stager as my muse, I predict after the 2010 election changes will be made to NCLB (perhaps even the name).  Reading First doesn't work, duh.  NCLB doesn't work, and this in from the irony pages, NCLB leaves many children behind because they are not academically talented.  But in the future, I will listen to their music, entrust my car to them to get better mileage, and watch them win the Super Bowl.  Hmmm.  They all get paid more than me, and I did well on my tests.  Who are the real dummies in all this?

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Clay Shirky speech of "Cognitive Surplus"Clay Shirky, Will Richardson,

Thanks to Will and Arthus.  Take time to read Will's thoughts.

My quick thought from a powerful 20 seconds (beginning at 15:54). 

We are looking for the mouse.  Every place where a user, reader, listener, or a viewer has been locked out...who has been served up a passive, fixed, or canned experience - could we carve out a piece of cognitive surplus to make a better thing happen?  I'm betting the answer is yes.

Does anybody describe the educational experience for k-12 students any better than that?

I also appreciate the "doing something is better than doing nothing" because we can learn from the surplus of activity even if it fails.  How can teachers, and more importantly students, begin to get comfortable with this idea of learning?

By the way...don't you think he looks a little like Tom Hanks?

Sticklers

Will this work in feed readers?  I hope so.

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Google Sites - Intro To How Schools Could Use This Tool

Thanks to fellow GA blogger Stephen Rahn for this post. Just passing it along.

Wish I could have our school people see it, but it's blocked :-)

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Chris Pirillo - Culture Must Change Itself

How did I find this? Through following Chris on Twitter.

In education we discuss the echo chamber, preaching to the choir, and why others don't "get it."
It's not just in education...it's everywhere.

Favorite thoughts - paraphrased

• We have to educate people to know that the Internet is about connecting people, whether online or in person. This is not a bad thing, but too many people think it is.
• Often times we have to find like-minded people in places away from where we live.
  

How I Used My iPhone

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Sticklers

Based on This Story
Commented on by Wes Fryer

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