OK, I know. That headline was a cheap trick, but I couldn't resist. One of the great all-time moments in American History where the media got it all wrong. But then this picture got me thinking. What would our Dewey (we SMAC'ers can now claim John as one of our own) say about the media's coverage of NCLB? This blind procession of journalists who keep quoting test scores on the rise? Is that all our students are measured by? SAT, ACT, GRE, GPA? How about we measure them by different acronyms: GPS, LOL, BTW, WTF? Or I say we develop a human quotient to measure kids' future potential. I am going to find a quantitative article on this topic, I know it.
I was all jazzed up after our Friday discussions about Dewey and Wikipedia. One part of me resists the pronouncements from Dewey, the other part revels in clear thinking and actual opinions. I guess I'd have to land more on the side of marveling at Dewey's prescient thinking and emphasis on active learning, actual doing. A friend of mine told me the other night that Dewey was probably the best American Philosopher ever. Hmm...now that really got me thinking. He also said that Dewey himself was a legendarily bad teacher. I'll have to goog...er, I mean find a peer reviewed journal to verify that statement.
As for Google and Wikipedia, I say get used to 'em. They will be around for a while. And it's our job as (future) educators to make the most of the tools that we are given. Heck, I could teach with USA Today if I had to. If only to point out that they have a heck of a sports section. And the colors for the weather charts - don't get me going.
For those of you who read my last post about technophobia, note the inserted picture. I almost did it on my own. Soon I'll be ready to find a song on itunes!
Nice photo and great headline! Your musings about how we measure student achievement are powerful indeed. Have you run into any of Ted Sizer's work yet? He was one of the earlier educators/professors to think about portfolio work as a more holistic measure of student achievement over time. You might enjoy his "Horace" books. Big ideas in an easy-to-read storytelling/scenarios format. In your copious spare time, of course! :)
ReplyDeleteI love this photo, Joe. Where did you find it? To respond to your question on my blog, in undergraduate it was much easier to organize information/learning on Ctools. More people used the chat and discussion feature; more teachers uploaded lectures, outlines, study notes, practice tests, learning guides/activities. Students formed study groups; teachers set up review sessions and outside learning activities/opportunities.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that technology can be a good teaching tool, but not an end in itself.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is starting to show characteristics of your personality. You are doing an excellent job.
Joe,
ReplyDeleteI love reading your blogs. You are so funny and insightful. Thanks for raising thoughtful questions...a human quotient for measuring our student's success? Hm... something to think about. Keep up the awesome blogging, and let me know if you download a song from iTunes. :)
Oh, Joe, you're just moving on up in that technological world, aren't you? Well, I am proud.
ReplyDeleteWhat would Dewey say about all our silly acronyms? I think he would be disgusted. Or, if he had a sense of humor, he could be ironic and answer with "LOL" or "WTF" (or "H," if he's too classy for the "F.")
I also agree that people should just stop complaining about our good friends Google and Wikipedia. In a way, they are kind of like transplanted organs: you may not like that you had to get them, but without them, you wouldn't be able to survive.
There's some food for thought. Have a great evening!
-Stephanie
As someone who used to work in entertainment, I've learned not to trust anything said by anyone on TV, ever. Ok, that may be a little harsh, but from what I've seen the "news" is manipulated. The blind procession of journalists quoting NCLB and promoting it are and being paid to do so, and it really is quite sad. But that's what makes technology so great. It allows people to be their own consumers of news.
ReplyDelete