A Holly Jolly Classroom

The days before Christmas break are always interesting to plan for.  Teachers don’t want to start anything new, because students will be away too long to remember what they did before the break.  Students are so excited they can’t sit still in their seats; because they are so ready for time off they can barely stand it.  Classrooms are filled with the smell of gingerbread cookies and cupcakes lovingly crafted at home for sharing.  Smiles are on practically everyone’s faces. 

What is a teacher to do?  Continue as normal?  Some teachers choose to.  Sometimes things get in the way so much that it is impossible to finish every state standard on time if there isn’t a nose-to-the-grindstone attitude in class.  I can understand that.  But, if at all possible, it is good to wrap up a unit the day before break and leave that last day for more creative endeavors. 

One idea that is clearly still standards based is to have students write letters of thanks and cheer to soldiers.  This lesson could work for any K-12 classroom.  Even the tiniest tots  Making the kids think about the people who sacrifice for them is a great thing.  Besides, the soldiers like to hear a thank you from time to time. 

Another is to make cards or write stories for elderly that are in a nursing home without family to visit with them.  When I was a kid, we always did this for Girl Scouts.  We’d even deliver the letters ourselves and then Christmas carol.  One year, I recall even playing an impromptu piano recital for a small group of them.  I felt honored to make them smile, and I’m fairly certain that many students would feel the same if they were given the opportunity.

There’s a program at my school where the Spanish teacher and the History teacher take the kids to a child care facility.  Kids that are abandoned or abused often don’t get to enjoy Christmas as much as their more fortunate peers.  Asking students to bring a gift to share with the kids and then delivering it to the home is a great experience for both.  The kids who donate and the kids who receive both learn the importance of taking care of each other.  I can’t help but smile when students whip out their smartphones to show me a picture of ‘their kid’ at the home and talk about how they can’t wait to go back to see ‘their kid’ again. 

Finally, letting students have a board game day is another fun idea.  Many kids don’t play board games anymore.  It is coming to be a lost past-time, as they are so wrapped up in games on their phones and on consoles.  Playing a board game promotes interaction and excitement, if the right one is chosen.  For example, the game Apples to Apples is fantastic for vocabulary development and cultural literacy.  It is social, causing people to ask questions and justify their answers.  Laughter abounds, but, as a teacher, I still feel confident that students are learning.  They ask when they don’t know a word a person on their card. Students justify their choices.  It is brilliant. 

There’s nothing traditional school-like about any of these holiday break ideas, but in each of them, students are clearly becoming more literate.  These are the kind of things that make school fun and relevant.  When the students can learn and still have fun, that is the best kind of education. 

Statistics or Sadistics

This clever title comes from the book "Statistics for People Who Think They Hate Statistics" by Neil Salkind. 

Statistics makes me queasy.  I see an article with a bunch of numbers and graphs in it, and I panic.  The idea of writing using stats is almost unthinkable to me.  However, quantitative research is highly lauded in both the Literacy field and in Learning Technologies.  This means I have to get over my fear and learn it. Just because it scares me, doesn't mean it is without value.

This is a somewhat voluntary adventure in numeric reporting.  That's right- this course is not required for me.  I'm not running away from it.  I'm running toward it.  Putting off learning statistics is only going to serve to delay the inevitable. 

My professor is Dr. Gerald Knezek, a Regents Professor at University of North Texas.  After the requisite survey of basic course requirements, he had our class do an exercise in looking at the basics of statistics.  Asking us to make a table of the heights of all members of the class, he required us to line up in order of height.  This kinesthetic technique is effective in helping the beginning student to understand mean, median, and mode. 

Thankfully, I'm not completely new to statistics.  I have read quantitative research articles before, even though I didn't understand every term.  I've had the Masters level statistics course.  I have the gist of some of the terminology.  However, I still appreciated the fact that he went way back to square one. It makes me feel like I can conquer this content.

Using the SPSS program, we then ran some basic reports.  I was surprised by how easy it was to use.  After filling out an excel spreadsheet and importing it into the program, it spit back the standard deviations.  Then we talked about the Cohen's d effect size.  A simple subtraction and division formula, even I could handle it. Sometimes computers can truly make life easier.  This is one of those times.  I'm looking forward to seeing what else the program can do for me. 

After this initial class, I don't think that statistics is sadistic.  It is just that I need to understand what it all means to be able to use it.  Bring it on!

A Response to Hirsch's The Knowledge Deficit

Although there is some repetition from previous books, as other reviewers have pointed out, sometimes repetition is necessary to get the point across.  I believe he did this purposely.  His argument remains the same across his books- that the American school system needs to establish some common curriculum content and sequencing in order to allow students to gradually acquire knowledge. That said, the main points of the book are different than his others. 

In this book, Hirsch explains how our current education system rides on the beliefs of Romanticism, that learning naturally unfolds.  If this were true, then there would be no need for formal education, nor explicit instruction.  It is true that some learning happens through implicit instruction.  Hirsch explains how vocabulary develops through exposure to rich content and communication. 

When considering how reading develops, he positions himself in a moderate position, recognizing the need for phonics instruction and grammar while still considering situated meaning and rich material.  For Hirsch, one thing that can be removed from school instruction is the endless string of skill-based strategies, because he believes reading isn't about a skill, but rather it is about comprehension.  We need to focus on developing background knowledge for that which is presumed to be self-evident. 

He also points out how testing is necessary, but that the standards don't match what is tested. How can they, when they are so generalized and vague? He points out that teachers are left in an uncomfortable predicament, "The tests are coming!  We don't know what topics the children will be asked to read about.  The tests will probe reading comprehension skills, so we must teach those skills!" (94).  When nobody is sure what content will be on the examinations, and the examinations determine funding, there is no other reasonable approach to reading instruction than to view it as skills based.  He points out that if standards were clear and tied to the tests, then schools would be able to fulfill the requirements for meeting AYP. 

Beyond the accountability issue, there is also the issue of a common culture.  In order to trust each other, we need to share some things in common.  He argues for somewhere between 40 to 60 percent.  This would allow more than enough room for diversity and local tradition.  But, he does question the concept of local tradition.  Local districts don't have specific standards listed either.  They want local control, then leave it to the teacher to decide what to teach.  For Hirsch, this is a problem.

As a high school teacher who has had high success on standardized tests, I am still critical of these tests.  I don't mind standards, but I do wish they were more specific.  I find myself playing a guessing game about what the state really wants.  I'm not sure, so I try to find a combination of texts that I believe will build a diverse background.  Combining selections from the textbook and things that I bring to the table, I do the best I can.  But, my students are capable of so much more.  They are hungry for information, and get excited when they see connections to their world or to other subjects.  They like to be challenged, as long as the task is within their reach.  There are many things wrong with our school system.  One of them is that we do need a more coherent curriculum.  Social Studies and English should work hand in hand to build background knowledge based on classical literature, history, and American values. 

The problem is the "nuts and bolts" question.  What are we going to teach?  Who will decide? In Cultural Literacy, Hirsch provided his list of suggestions.  Harold Bloom also has a list of suggestions.  Looking at both those lists, I agree with some choices, but not others.  As a digital native, I'd like to see more contemporary choices represented.  In order to settle this question, I propose that an annual or biannual convention be put together with the purpose of determining the list.  Let a combination of people be represented.  Make sure to include teachers in addition to professors, business leaders and politicians.  Include leaders of minority and majority interest groups.  Get the discussion started. 

Goodreads- More Than Just Ratings

About three years ago, Donalyn Miller (http://bookwhisperer.com/) introduced me to http://www.goodreads.com/ as a tool she uses in her classroom.  I signed up for an account, and started to keep track of my own reading.  At first, I went on it rarely.  I had few friends that also used the site, so it was hard to justify spending time publishing reviews and ratings if my purpose was to share with those close to me.

This summer, I participated in National Writing Project http://www.nwp.org/, and my friends list grew.  I decided to give it another go.  7 months later, I've determined that the social sharing with my friends isn't the most important feature of the site.  It is nice to see what a few key fellow readers post, but I get so much more from it.

Authors have pages on the site, which often links to their blogs.  Within the site, there's a way to send them messages too.  I've used this feature more than once.  For instance, my students are in love with Alyson Noel's Immortals series http://www.alysonnoel.com/.  They lamented the fact that there weren't any more books to read.  I told them that we could actually send her a message on the site.  They helped me compose a short fan message to her, and were thrilled when she responded with a thank-you-very much.  Making an author a real person is one way to increase the popularity of reading stories by that author.  I can't keep those books on my shelf, because the kids are passing on the word about how Noel tells a story that they love, and that she even talked back to us.  Her message was only a few lines long, but that was all it took.

Interestingly, authors can connect with users too.  One day I received a message from Brannon Hollingsworth to be his friend, along with an invitation to join his contest to receive an autographed copy of his book.  I won, and he responded via a youtube video response .  Since then, we've exchanged a few messages about the possibility of cooperating on a project.  I read his book quickly, and posted one of the most detailed reviews that I've ever written.  I felt I owed that to him.  Thankfully, the book was good, I gave it a 5 stars.

Every day I check the free giveaways button to see if there are any books that I might be interested in.  Whenever I win, I feel like I've won the lottery.  I look forward to my free book coming in the mail.  Sometimes I hate the free books, sometimes I love them.  But, it is building my bookshelf with more books I can share with my students.  This is huge, as any public school teacher knows.  I'm lucky enough to get a new free book every couple weeks.

If you haven't tried Goodreads, do yourself a favor and sign up now.

Reading Children's Books Online

I have an addiction.  No matter how many books I buy, I always want to purchase more.  Although I could go to the public library, it is often hard to get there during operating hours.  Amazon.com is my best friend.  My wallet just can't support my insatiable need for new quality books.

One of the biggest drains is children's books.  They can be so pricey! My son has a huge collection of picture books that are his favorites.  But I keep hearing about other amazing books.  When I figure out ways to read them for free, it makes me giddy. 

After surfing http//www.pinterest.com today (another minor obsession), I found an amazing resource.  The website is http://www.wegivebooks.org/books, a Pearson Foundation Initiative.  There are so many great books available on it for absolutely free.  What is better is that they donate books to one of three amazing organizations based on how many books you read online.  Today I started with Sir Scallywag and The Golden Underpants by Giles Andreae and Korky Paul, which left my toddler in a giggling fit.  It was perfect.  After we read it, he pointed at another book and demanded, "This one!"  He was looking at When It's Time to Eat in Tinga Tinga, which was perfect for him because he loves animals.  After reading each book, I added them to my account's library for easy retrieval. 

The three organizations that are partnering with this site are Tinga Tinga Tales, which donates books to children in Africa; United Through Reading, which arranges for deployed parents to video themselves reading aloud to kids; and Jumpstart For Young Children, which provides books for low income neighborhoods in the United States.  All three options are wonderful organizations that are promoting literacy.  What could be better?

 

Civic Responsibility in Young Americans

Astonishing as it may seem, most American's don't know the most basic information about our government.  In July 2011, Marist Poll tried to see how many people know July 4th history.  According to their findings, only 58% of residents know that the United States declared its independence from Britain in 1776.  Younger people are less informed than older.  Only 31% of those people under 30 knew this basic piece of information.   http://maristpoll.marist.edu/71-independence-day-dummy-seventeen-seventy-when/ 

The Intercollegiate Studies Institute has been keeping an eye on citizens' level of knowledge.  They also came up with disappointing results.  In 2006 and 2007, they gave a multiple-choice examination to college freshman and seniors in over 80 schools.  Both years, the average student failed.  In 2008, they tested a diverse set of adults and found that both high school graduates and college graduates were likely to fail, 71% of participants failed the exam.  

In the past two years, the group has been focused on determining how much a college education helps in promotic civic engagement.  They found that the most important thing was whether or not the citizens were knowledgeable.  "Greater civic knowledge is the leading factor in promoting the kind of active civic engagement that has proven to be emblematic of effective citizenship." http://www.americancivicliteracy.org/2011/major_findings_finding1.html

High school students are also lacking in their knowledge.  According to the 2010 Nation's Report Card, high school seniors' knowledge has decreased since 2006.  http://nationsreportcard.gov/civics_2010/  When 97% of students surveyed indicate that they've recieved instruction in civics and government, something isn't sticking. 

We need to consider giving more instruction, or determining better ways to instruct students in civic responsibility.