Ann's+page

I said that we should use color and now I can't find where //to do that either. I will let you know

May 29: 1:44 AM ( I can't sleep) I have been thinking alot about education in general these days. this was spurred on by some podcasts and readings that I did. What is the purpose of education today? How many of the facts, skills that we feature in our expectations will be necessary for a student to succeed in life? I have been asking people what they have been using in real life that they learned in elementary school? Reading and math are the two answers that I receive most often. Reading is clarified as to how to read. Reading for learning is never mentioned. When I ask this same question but on the high school experience, writing is the most frequent answer. So I ask myself, why do we spend 6 hours a day teaching social studies, science, art, music, PE, in addition to reading and math? I sense that we are not sure or confident about what students really need. We teach what we are told to teach. It's relevance to life is not critical. We are teaching the standards. State standards are composed and endorsed by state educators. When was the last time they were in the classroom? What crystal ball do they use to see what students will need in 10 years to live the good life? How many of these state educators have an idea of what students are capable of or interested in across the state? I watched a video podcast on project based learning yesterday. It was written and produced by a high school student. It sounded pertinent and knowledgeable. I wondered how I would function as an advisor as compared to an educator (teacher) which I view myself as at this time in history. Can education continue to use the methods and research of the past to educate for the future? Even marzano, as great as I think he is, I wonder if he has a vision as to what students will truly need for 2025. I read a book about future, The End of the Rainbow. It made me think about life in a totally different way. There education was collaborating with people in three different countries to produce a simultaneous concert. That sorta blows my mind. I can't even envision three teachers in different classrooms collaborating to produce a concert simultaneously in the city of Milwaukee. It excites me to imagine what education will be like in 5 years, 10 years, etc. I want to see what it will be like and be a part of the changes. The underlying fear is that I will not see education changing to keep up but rather still in the same old rut holding people back from reaching for the stars and finding their true potential. How can I be a positive agent of change///

6/18/07 Hi! Wow, you had a lot of good thoughts about the state and future of education! I am going to think more about what you wrote and hopefully write some myself about these topics. I do want to respond about teaching the whole child and that is why music, PE, etc. are important. But I also feel so tied down by the standards lately, or are they helping guide me better in my teaching? One thing I do want to tell you right now is that you already are serving as an agent of change with all of the experiences with technology that you have started to provide the students at Fairview. And teachers, but we'll see how that goes! I promise that I will try. Stay in touch! :) Heather

7-26-07 Hi, I am procrastinating the act of going into school and working on my lost book list. I have 23 of 27 pages done and need to get it finished but..... I read the following "points" in my newspaper from the Reading Today an International Reading Teacher publication. National Writing Project's time-tested approach evolves and adapts to a new millennium.(title) "Writing has now become even more imortant that it was years ago," says Richard Sterling, executive director of the NWP. Writing instruction should be part of every subjecct, Sterlinmg says, it should be taught early on in one's school career, and it should continue on throughout everyone's educaiton. Nothing helps you organize your thinking as well as writing, Sterling says: done well, it forces you to state things in a way that is coherent, cogent, and clear." "Sterling says that the same technological change that makes writing more crucial for everyone also can help educators. Text messaging, the increasing ease ofwebsite creation, and the popularity of blogs and social networking sites like MySpace have vastly increased the number of young people writing for a real audience." "Sterling says one problem is that currently, the ecitement and innovation is happening outside of school. the challenge, he says is to make the school environment as challenging and engaging as the nonschool options for expression." "Sterling identifies three improtant principles that underlie reform in the teaching of writing: Teachers of writing should write themselves. Use a broad range of techniques Encourage students to write a lot. I thought the above exerpts were good reminders of who we are and what we are about. There is a revised website to visit [|www.writingproject.org] Have fun! Ann M

8/2/07 Dan just started a BLOG and now I realize that it really is writing, it's like a journal only with pictures and links. So far, his brother who is also somewhat of a computer geek, is one of the only people who responds to it. But I think it's kind of cool. We need to get our middle schoolers doing this (or are they already?) ,in an internet-safe way. Which reminds me, I heard a really good speaker this summer who we could get come to talk to staff, parents, and/ or students about internet safety. He had an eye-opening and very good presentation. I have the contact info.
 * ) Heather

Heather 8/2/07 I have tried several safe sites for our middle schoolers but it hasn't quite taken off yet. I haven't given up but any encouraging words would be great. What is the address of Dan's blog. Does he have an RSS feed? Let me know so that I can read his blog with my thousands of others. I am very interested in the contact you have to talk about internet safety. We have a real need for that. I sermonize the 7th and 8th graders in my research class, but I think they brush it aside as "that old lady doesn't know what she is talking about." Ann

Susie 8/6/07 Yes, it would be super to get the upper kids blogging. Thinking about your first musings, Ann. . .Why do we teach science, SS, and the rest, despite the vital importance of math and reading? I believe it is because some kids have a passion for these subjects as do some adults. It's early exposure and passion that really hook people. Responding to interests in a meaningful way is what develops lifelong learners. Reading and math are the means and tools to the real passion. If only we could teach social studies better. . . There was a major editorial carried in several papers last week calling for citizenship tests before people could vote. Let's just roll back the civil rights clock (NOT) It's true what Santayana said, if you forget the past you are doomed to repeat it! And yet an uneducated electorate is extremely dangerous, from the Roman Republic to our present day. Guess Social Studies must be one of my passions:)

I've been rereading some YA novels from the post WWII period written by Margot Benary-Isbert, She was German, but was dislocated by the division of Germany and eventually moved to the US. Comparing the themes and the plots with comtemporary novels is just amazing. Tattoos for example are so popular now, yet in her era the elite/deadly SS tattooed all their troops, and of course the Jews were marked in this way too. It really provides a stark change in attitude in only 50 years.

on the Internet safety issue, I'm also noticing the tell-all attitude that has already had a negative affect on some young people's political aspirations, several campaign workers have had to resign.

Hi! I liked Susie's statement, "Responding to interests in a meaningful way is what develops lifelong learners. Reading and math are the means and tools to the real passion." Very good. Heather 8/12/07