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NCLB Waivers: Can teachers go back to teaching…important stuff?
Indiana, along with nine other states, has been granted a waiver allowing it to sidestep the No Child Left Behind requirements and the potential penalties associated with them. The waivers will allow the states to draft their own standards, and while testing will still be an inescapable necessity, the focus will be less on the test and more on the education, or so lawmakers hope.
No Child Left Behind, the law enacted by former President Bush in an attempt to bring American schools up to the same level as much of the world, mandated that every child be competent in reading and math by 2014. One of the few legislative efforts garnering bipartisan support, NCLB promised high standards and outcomes while threatening serious punitive action should a school fail to achieve 100% literacy as defined by NCLB. In an effort to comply, many school systems have traded innovation for rote learning of test taking skills. NCLB costs billions of dollars, and has not produced any significant return on the massive investment. Instead, NCLB has directly and indirectly caused teachers to often abandon creativity and innovation in favor of memorization and test taking drills. It’s no wonder that our children are bored at school, and that so few of them really seem to learn anything new. Given the increase in governmental and societal bureaucracy, maybe teaching our kids how to carefully and thoughtfully fill out forms is a good thing. I don’t think that was the intention, however.
President Obama, in an effort to address some of the more onerous components of NCLB, has made it possible for states to, upon federal approval of educational plans and standards, evaluate students in many ways, not just standardized testing. Literacy can be judged in more areas than math and reading. Learning how to learn can become a goal in itself, which will serve our kids not just in elementary school, but throughout their lives.
None of us stops learning the day we graduate from high school or college. Dropping out of school doesn’t equal dropping out of lifelong learning. It’s simply impossible to not learn as we go through our daily lives. Mundane tasks such as driving to work often teach us valuable lessons. If we find that one route is more congested than another, we find a different way to drive to work. This leads to learning new ways around town, finding a previously unknown country road, or finding that our time management skills need to improve so we’re not late. Every time we turn on the evening news we learn about the world. Logging onto the Internet puts us within keystrokes of learning a new skill, or language, or a new point of view.
Education shouldn’t just be memorizing the multiplication tables or learning how the parts of a sentence go together. While it’s important to know these things, it’s also important to know how to listen. Evaluating a set of instructions is just as important as knowing the state capitals. Literacy isn’t really measured by the ISTEP test, but by how a child is able to use what she’s learning in science class. It’s realizing that the skills learned on the football field – teamwork, observation, decision making ability – are critical in the business world. These things are almost impossible to evaluate with multiple choice questions.
A waiver is just one small step toward realizing the goals of universal literacy, but it’s a significant step. The system as it is now doesn’t encourage innovation and creativity. There’s no time for art or music in a NCLB environment. Field trips to watch the happenings at a nature preserve are a luxury, when they should be a required activity. Even though the lessons learned from such a field trip are difficult to measure with multiple choice questions, they’re still very important lessons for our kids to learn. The only way we’ll really know if waivers are effective is if we give the system time. Americans are pretty impatient, though. I hope we can learn the patience we’ll need to give this a chance. If we do, maybe we’ll really leave no child behind.
School Vouchers
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The Alliance School–School Done Right
A couple of months ago I came upon an article about a charter school that has truly addressed bullying with amazing success. They have also created a school with few distractions from learning – like rules, ridicule, and suppression of children’s natural desire to learn. I emailed Alliance School, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and asked about their educational philosophy and, specifically, what they did that made such a huge difference in the amount of bullying in the school. Tina Owen, the Lead Teacher for the school, wrote back and graciously allowed me to share her response online. While she wrote back right away, I was very slow in getting this posted.
10 Things that We Do at The Alliance School to Prevent, Reduce & Address Bullying
1. All of our teachers are trained in peacemaking circles and restorative justice practices. Alliance teachers use circles in the classroom regularly, so that the students are comfortable with them. When minor conflicts arise, these circles are an incredibly effective way of ending the conflict before it turns into violence or bullying. We also have a restorative justice class where the students are trained in circle-keeping, so that they can run circles for the community.
2. We have a commitment to addressing name-calling immediately. And both students and staff address it when they hear it. If the behavior is repeated, the student can be referred to the circle or to the Discipline Council for consequences.
3. We have advisory classes where students focus on team-building and relationship strengthening, and these advisory classes loop through the different grade levels, so that students form strong bonds with their peers. These classes are the cornerstones for relationships in the school, so we are very deliberate in our planning and in assigning teachers to the advisories. We also created a ninth grade cohort, and we make a special effort in building strong bonds between the freshmen, so that they support each other throughout their high school experience.
4. We involve students in decision-making for the school. When there are major changes being considered, the students discuss the changes in their advisories and vote on whether or not the changes should be made. This way, students feel that the culture of the school belongs to them and that they have the power to make the school experience positive for everyone involved. Our school community is very democratic in nature, because we believe that if things are going to be positive, the whole community has to work together. We are even a teacher-led school. Everyone has a voice and everyone has power.
5. We have a “Bullying/ Harassment Form” that students can fill out when they feel that they are being bullied. The forms are readily available, and the process for turning them in is simple. The staff members who receive the forms are comfortable addressing the complaint, following through with investigating and assigning consequences. The form also gives students a space to write what they think the best consequence will be, because sometimes, as adults, we address things too harshly or not harshly enough, and the student filling out the form usually has a really good sense of what will work and what will not work in addressing the behaviors. We are also careful to remind students to report the behavior again, if it doesn’t stop after the intervention. Sometimes, when students report bullying and then it happens again, they think that the administrator did nothing, and the administrator thinks that it stopped, because nothing else was reported. Be sure to encourage students to come back if the behavior continues.
6. We have a “Student Discipline Council” that handles repeated incidents of disruptive or hurtful behaviors. This council is made up of students who meet with students, discuss behaviors, determine consequences and mentor the student to improve behaviors. If a student’s behavior is serious enough or if his or her behavior does not improve after meeting with the Council, the Council has the ability to refer the student to a hearing process to be considered for transfer out of the school.
7. We encourage students to start diversity clubs and gay-straight alliances, and then we support the efforts of the clubs. The presence of these clubs sends a strong message about the school’s acceptance of all people.
8. We also have a staff that is incredibly accepting and supportive of all students. Our philosophy is "Do no harm." So we do not have rules about hats, tardiness, and cell phones, but instead we focus our energies on addressing actions that are harmful to others. The students know that we are serious about our mission of being a safe and accepting place for all students, and they believe in and work towards that mission with us.
9. We encourage students to bring bullying to our attention. Cyberbullying counts too. We either have them send us the messages that they see online (whichever teacher is a social media user and doesn’t mind taking on that role), or we have them print out what they see and bring it to us. We provide safe and anonymous ways for students to report what they see. Some kids will not report bullying if they believe that they will be named in the process, so we are careful to listen and address the bullying without making the witness the new target.
10. We teach students about different cultures, beliefs, and practices, and teach them how to work with each other and with people who are different from themselves. This is not something that students automatically know how to do, and it is the most important quality for the workplace. Most of our classes use cooperative learning and groups, as instructional strategies, and we work very hard to connect student learning to their lives in real and relevant ways. We also use service learning as our instructional philosophy, because it gives the students the opportunity to meet and to learn about people who are very different from themselves. For example, we run a food pantry for low-income senior citizens in the neighborhood, and this has been a great way of building connections between the adults and young people.
To learn more about the Alliance School, check out their website or email Tina Owen, at ldyowen2003@yahoo.com.
Public School Done Right?
I was saddened by the news of Jamey Rodemeyer’s suicide in September, but I’m sorry to say I wasn’t shocked. Although I’ve never been bullied for being gay, I have been bullied for being skinny, wearing glasses, being smarter than the other kids, reading too much, wearing wierd clothes, lacking social graces, and my last name. I was miserable in school. I missed a lot just to avoid the bullies. There was a period of time when even a family member was taking part in the Debbie Bashing. I was a depressed middle school kid who grew into a depressed teen who matured into a depressed adult. Telling an adult was not an option. If they even believed me, I was seen as either thin-skinned (I was) or a tattle-tale (I wasn’t). What I wouldn’t have given to have had the chance to go to a school like The Alliance School in Milwaukee.
The Alliance School is a charter school within the Milwaukee public school system. One it the prime objectives of the school is to educate kids and the community about bullying. According to news reports and their website, they’re succeeding. Their vision statement outlines their hope for a utopian school where kids can learn without being worried about harrassment and having to refrain from being themselves in order to fit in.
I’ve written to them because I want to know how. How do they make it happen? How do they teach the kids and parents to accept others as they are? How do they engender not only acceptance in the kids, but a genuine desire to learn? I’m hoping to be able to bring back some of these answers to this blog in the near future.
In the meantime, you can read about this remarkable institution in People Magazine, the Milwaukee Public School System, ABC News, and US News and World Report. You can watch the 20/20 segment on the school that was broadcast on October 7, 2011 on the 20/20 website.
Brought to you by the letters M, A, T, and H
Every home schooling parent that I know dreads teaching math. Maybe no the basic stuff – addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division – but definitely anything beyond that. Even though we all use math every day, probably a hundred times a day, we are intimidated by it. Since hiring a math tutor is a bit beyond my budget, I fall back to my favorite resource, the Web.
Khan Academy – The Khan Academy is an amazing site. There are videos, exercises, and excellent explanations of thorny math problems like word problems, slope and Y intercept, averages, and the always dreaded two trains heading toward each other. Not satisfied with providing only math help, Salman Khan also presents videos for Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Organic Chemistry, Astronomy and Cosmology, History, and too many finance topics to list here. It’s amazing. Watch this sample.
Math.com – This site has everything math from basic math to calculus and beyond. There are games, study tips, reference tables, test prep and what they call "Cool Tools." Cool Tools are tips and tricks for working math problems, as well as things for us "mature" learners like a mortgage calculator, loan comparison calculator, a rent vs. buy comparison tool and an affordability calculator.
Coolmath.com – This site looks like a pre-school version of a math game with its bright colors and fun graphics. Don’t be confused, though. This site packs a lot of information in your browsing experience while still being fun. "Articles like Math Survival Guid: Heal the Pas, COnquer Anxiety and Build Success" or I was a Mathphobe! reminisce and sympathize with the math angst many of us feel, while educating us while we’re not looking. There are math games, lessons, and practice. Stumped by a term? Look it up in Coolmath’s Online Math Dictionary. From pre-alegbra through trigonometry and calculus – it’s all here. The younger crowd isn’t forgotten here, either. Coolmath4kids.com is a sister site with all the topics the Coolmath site left out.
These are just three of the many math sites that are free and totally awesome. For more, check out the resources at Homeschool Indiana.
Young Writers Unite!
In just a couple of days, National Novel Writing Month kicks off. On November 1, writers of all kind will be hunkering down to their computer/netbook/iPad/legal pad and work day and night to punch out 50,000 words by November 30. And it’s not an adults only endeavor. There’s a Young Writers Program that you can take advantage of whether you’re home schooled, unschooled, or traditionally schooled.
One of the most important things a person learns is communication. We start as babies and never stop learning this skill. From the first baba to our last words on our death beds, we are constantly communicating with other people. Some of that communication is via the written word, and here’s where many people fall short.
Imagine you’re up for a job. It’s a great job, good pay, great benefits, and it’s down to you and one other person. As a person who’s done a bit of hiring in the past, I know that when it comes down to a choice of two or three people, I go back to the resumes and my notes. If someone interviewed well, but had a lot of grammar and spelling mistakes I’m going to mark him down a few points. I’ll hire the other person in this situation.
So, how to improve written communication? Write. Whether it’s fiction or a personal journal or even just ads for craigslist, putting one word in front of the other is the best way to hone your skills. There are a multitude of ways to do that without being hideously boring and tedious. Worksheets are NOT the way.
Some engaging ways to encourage writing:
- Blogging – it doesn’t have to be public. Password protect it and give the URL to Grandma and Grandpa. They’re a built-in adoring fan base.
- Grocery lists – this is purely a spelling exercise. You can extend it by having the child categorize according to the order in which your favorite grocer’s shelves are arranged. Not only do they learn spelling, but categorization, time management, and efficiency as well.
- Thank you notes – I know, this one is so old fashioned. It shouldn’t be thought of as a passé activity of the upper crust. It is just good manners, and offers a writing opportunity that is more structured and formal. Since the best thank you notes are handwritten, it also encourages neat handwriting.
- Writing classes – there are dozens of programs out there both online and offline. Check out A to Z Home’s Cool Homeschooling for a list of resources.
- Keep a journal – this allows for uncensored stream of consciousness writing. Ideas that may seem insignificant can sometimes blossom into great works.
And of course, competitions such as NaNoWriMo. With appropriate support and achievable goals, activities such as NaNoWriMo can be very helpful in focusing and directing that creative drive we all have in one form or another.
The most important thing, however, is to write. Write something at least once a day. Keep a dictionary and thesaurus within easy reach, and take every opportunity to show your kids how to use them. Show them by your example how important putting pen to paper is, and that how well you write often makes as big an impression as how you look or speak. For more on writing and homeschooling, check out the resources page at Homeschool Indiana.
E-Education
The key to home education, in my opinion, is being ready to learn and divulge knowledge at any given moment. That moment might be while you’re conveniently in front of your home computer or in a library, but it’s much more likely to occur in the grocery check-out lane, at the zoo, or hanging out at the park. That’s the moment when your scholars will ask why leaves turn color in the fall, or what’s the difference between fat and saturated fat, or why do some monkeys have tails and some (apes) don’t? Perhaps you are waiting at the doctor’s office and want to read the book you left at home. The vast resources of the literary world and the Internet can’t be plucked from thin air, can they?
That’s where technology is beginning to shine. Between e-book readers like the Kindle and the Nook, and tablet internet devices like the iPad, the entire world is literally right there, in thin air. E-book readers, of which there are many variations, are really just storage devices for paperless books. There are a lot of features that are device specific, but they all do the same basic thing – allow you to keep tons of books with you and keep chiropractor bills to a minimum. Some allow you to share books, others allow you to borrow library e-books, most have some sort of wireless delivery mode. If you’re a big library book aficionado, the Sony e-reader will be best suited to your needs.
Want to share books with friends? Check out the Nook.
Shop almost exclusively at Amazon, or read a lot of classic lit? A Kindle should be the perfect fit.
Some, like the Kindle, even let you load background reading music of your choice for a total reading experience.
Maybe an e-book reader sounds great, but you don’t want to carry multiple devices like an e-reader and a laptop. The Apple iPad may be what you need.
The iPad was released this year, and unless you were living under a rock somewhere you can’t have missed the hype. It lives up to most of that hype, but you get the goods for a price. What you also get for that price is thousands of free apps, and tens of thousands of other apps. You also get video, audio, web, email, and e-reader apps from every vendor. Some of the apps are amazing, some not so much. You have to be discriminating and do your research. Among the best apps I’ve found for my teen son are Pocket Universe: Virtual Sky Astronomy ($2.99), BodyParts (Free), and Flashcards Deluxe ($3.99). For a list of 40 great educational apps, check out Online Classes. For a list of what Apple considers the most popular apps, check out their App Store. Don’t neglect the iTunes U. It’s found in the iTunes store under Podcasts. Everything I’ve looked at there has been free, and great quality. There are also a multitude of other podcasts on interesting topics. Just do a search on your topic and you’ll be overwhelmed with content.
If you want to go with the iPad, I strongly suggest the WiFi/3G 16GB model. At $629 it’s pricey, but if you add the Bluetooth keyboard ($79) you have a reasonable laptop replacement at a significant weight savings. Which is important if you’re also carrying a purse, a diaper bag, several stuffed animals, a couple dozen Hot Wheels cars, and the stand-by paper and crayons. It fits in the diaper bag and doesn’t really add noticeably to your load. It also has a pretty decent battery life, and won’t die in two hours (unless you’re doing some heavy video viewing). While 16GB may not seem like a lot of space, you can swap out content with iTunes so that you stay fresh and relatively boredom free.
If you want the content, but don’t want to put out the cash, you can download the e-readers from each website. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Borders all have their own e-reader software. Unfortunately reading Apple’s e-books on a laptop isn’t possible at this time.
As the technology improves, and we all make our needs known to the companies manufacturing these devices, the usefulness will increase and the price (hopefully) will decrease. It’s become a digital world, and we homeschoolers are going digital as well.
Activity!
For almost six months I’ve been trying to get a home school support group started. We belonged to one for a couple of years, but things happened and we parted ways. Thus, the White and Tippe County Homeschool Meetup was born. Months went by and no one came. People looked, but seldom left a message. Then, a month or so ago, things started to change! We got a couple of members and they got together! Soon there were a couple more. Now we have six families and around 15 kids in the group. I’m so excited!
We had our first “official” get together this past week at Pizza Hut, and while there was some mistaken location issues, we had fun. We’re meeting again in a week and a half for a library get together. I also resurrected the Yahoo mailing list, albeit with a new name – The White and Tippe County Homeschoolers. The mailing list is for parents only, but if we get enough kids that want to have a list we will create one for them.
I’ve added to the resource page of the Indiana Homeschool site, as well. There are some great geography links and I will soon be adding some links for homeschooling high school, along with some great record keeping sites.
I guess sometimes patience really does yield rewards!
I have been remiss…
I know. MIA for almost two months. Scandalous. Shameless. Inexcusable! So, in penance, I present to you a two-fold educational post. The two parts aren’t even related, but just topics I’ve been thinking about lately.
First – Ten Dollar Words.
These are words that are rather pretentious. Some obnoxious people use them to inveigle their way into what they may believe to be a more cerebral crowd. At times, however, the use of such words presents more of a velleity than a true desire for advancement, since the speaker often finds the company of such pseudo-intellectuals to be tedious. At other times, the magniloquence of the discourse is repellent and causes the assemblage to eschew the speaker . When taking place during an argument, ten dollar words tend toward the acerbic and stygian – leading the speaker to objurgate and castigate his co-combatant in redundant fashion. Obviously, many of these supererogatory words tend to mark the speaker as a balatron filled with hubris if used incorrectly – particularly when used in a situation when less formal confabulation is much more appropriate.
How many did you have to look up? I did a lot of looking up in writing that paragraph. So, on to topic two – World Geography. I know, totally unrelated. Still, these are the two things I’ve been thinking of recently.
World geography came up because my DS asked me where Saudi Arabia was in Iraq. Yeah, really. I know. Home schooled child and all. I have obviously missed an important topic. It came up because another son is about to be deployed to Kuwait, or Saudi Arabia, or the UAE, or someplace like that and the home schooled son was trying to picture where his brother is going. Luckily, I am prepared for this (the world geography part – not the son in the Middle East part). I have a set of links on Indiana Homeschool that are perfect. I didn’t even put them up tonight before posting this. Nope – they were already there a month ago. One of my favorites, while it WAS put on the list tonight, is Test Your Geographic Knowledge. It’s a very cool quiz on just about every region of the world.
A link that isn’t on my Indiana Homeschool site but should be (and will be soon) is World Map. You can view maps by hemisphere, continent, or country. You can even purchase maps from the site. For free maps, be sure to check out Free World Maps. To get really good copies, you have to purchase them, but you can download low res versions for free.
This is one of the low res maps. You can get them with far greater detail, this is just an overview type map.
For physical geography, I think the best site around is Geography for Kids. There are tutorials, games, maps, and links to other sites. The Geography Online link takes you to a page with a logical progression of exploration that will give you (and your kids) a geographic knowledge base with which you can build upon.
Happy exploring!