tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post7980591416853212609..comments2024-03-02T15:23:18.091-05:00Comments on D-Ed Reckoning: Vae Victis*KDeRosahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06853211164976890091noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-3753657212565091002007-02-23T19:04:00.000-05:002007-02-23T19:04:00.000-05:00About the AP comp. test, I may be pretty naive, bu...About the AP comp. test, I may be pretty naive, but how do you not show up for class and stay employed?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-50438472821107043632007-02-22T16:39:00.000-05:002007-02-22T16:39:00.000-05:00I'm probably going to start advocating for a direc...I'm probably going to start advocating for a direct instruction "track" here in Irvington.<BR/><BR/>It's obvious to me that constructivism goes all the way up through high school; there's no real break between K-8 and 6-12. <BR/><BR/>In fact, I'm beginning to think that high school constructivism may be worse than K-5 constructivism.<BR/><BR/>High school constructivism means the teacher is completely off the hook, because the kids are supposed to be mature enough at this point to "take responsibility for their own learning," etc.<BR/><BR/>Grade school teachers don't think children should take responsibility for their own learning.<BR/><BR/>The horror stories are incredible.<BR/><BR/>One mom told me her child's AP comp teacher never showed up for class & assigned very little writing.<BR/><BR/>Finally she bought her kid the AP Comp test prep book and the kid taught herself to write out of the book. She got a 4 on the AP test.<BR/><BR/>When you've got kids like that in a school district - and we've got quite a few of them - you can track only the self-teaching kids into Honors, track everyone else out.<BR/><BR/>Many or most kids will be put in classes easy enough they can teach themselves.<BR/><BR/>I think the only move open to me is to start pushing for direct instruction.<BR/><BR/>Big caps, small caps; either way.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-24076560591827228572007-02-22T16:33:00.000-05:002007-02-22T16:33:00.000-05:00the wholesale betrayal of professional integrityI ...<I>the wholesale betrayal of professional integrity</I><BR/><BR/>I have a lot of trouble with that one, too.<BR/><BR/>The fact that our administrators here look us in the eye and say things like "all the research shows" is <I>extremely</I> difficult for me to take. <BR/><BR/>It's profoundly unprofessional; it's anti-intellectual to boot.<BR/><BR/>I've never really recovered from having our assistant superintendent for curriculum send me an inch-thick printout of "research" supporting constructivist math.<BR/><BR/>When I went through it I found only four "studies" of TRAILBLAZERS, 3 of which were done by the authors of TRAILBLAZERS. The 4th was done by the creator of EVERYDAY MATH.<BR/><BR/>Stonewalling and spin are routine behaviors here; they are the opposite of "professionalism."Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-85497389984210192192007-02-22T13:01:00.000-05:002007-02-22T13:01:00.000-05:00Don't take me the wrong way -- the betrayal of stu...Don't take me the wrong way -- the betrayal of students and education is reprehensible -- but what really infuriates me about this is the wholesale betrayal of professional integrity. And people wonder why I'm so critical of other academics.rightwingprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12419372059353408855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-55902423445644027582007-02-21T18:16:00.000-05:002007-02-21T18:16:00.000-05:00Nice, Ken. A few of us have been working on vanqui...Nice, Ken. A few of us have been working on vanquishing these foes, but they are pesky devils. They keep popping up, reborn from some modest spore that's gotten loving attention from a kind-hearted horticulturist. And (continuing the gardening metaphor), Engelmann's exposition of the suppression of FT results shows how far efforts have gone to prevent evidence-based education from taking root. Sadly, I fear we are seeing another illustration of the extreme lengths to with the anti-evidence folks will go in the recent attacks on Reading First.<BR/><BR/>Keep it up, please.<BR/><BR/>JohnL<BR/>http://TeachEffectively.com/JohnLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02180934387309782275noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-31409785370397210732007-02-21T17:58:00.000-05:002007-02-21T17:58:00.000-05:00Unfortunately, it's never the end, when it comes t...Unfortunately, it's never the end, when it comes to education.<BR/><BR/>No more in bad taste than it is to inflict the crappy education they are no doubt inflicting upon your school.KDeRosahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06853211164976890091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-32487035512427722282007-02-21T17:35:00.000-05:002007-02-21T17:35:00.000-05:00My girlfriend just read your post. She said... an...My girlfriend just read your post. She said... and I quote:<BR/><BR/>"That is basically the end of it. What's left for you to blog about. He said it all." (Not sarcastically)<BR/><BR/>Would it be in bad taste for me to read this outloud at the next school board meeting?TurbineGuyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09781298806992944235noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-6928963447990382552007-02-21T17:04:00.000-05:002007-02-21T17:04:00.000-05:00I love it when my colleagues, in response to my in...I love it when my colleagues, in response to my invoking the way I was taught (I attended elementary school and JHS from 1974-1983), claim that I cannot compare my schooling to that of the students I teach today. What a load!<BR/><BR/>I grew up middle class in the Bronx, and my JHS was filled with behavior problems and "top" classes filled with mediocre students. Somehow my friends and I managed to learn and thrive without the feel-good "theories" debunked so thoroughly on this blog (somewhat heterogeneous classes notwithstanding).<BR/><BR/>Quite condescending, no? <I>These</I> students can't handle the traditional methods of teaching because they're just too poor/oppressed/culturally maligned/[fill in the blank]. They just can't handle it like I could, I guess.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-33168690497585817232007-02-21T15:51:00.000-05:002007-02-21T15:51:00.000-05:00Allow me to clarify.Jimmy carter was a horrible pr...Allow me to clarify.<BR/><BR/>Jimmy carter was a horrible president and an even worse former preseident, but he is no Hitler.KDeRosahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06853211164976890091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-72394720280266909632007-02-21T15:48:00.000-05:002007-02-21T15:48:00.000-05:00"Jimmy Carter--history's greatest monster"For thos..."Jimmy Carter--history's greatest monster"<BR/><BR/>For those of us who don't know the Simpsons (that would be me!), this sounds like you consider Jimmy Carter worse than Hitler, Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, etc.<BR/><BR/>May not be the intended effect ...<BR/><BR/>-Mark RouloAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-30766926481111922022007-02-21T15:44:00.000-05:002007-02-21T15:44:00.000-05:00Hi Ms Teacher.When I write "educators" I mean educ...Hi Ms Teacher.<BR/><BR/>When I write "educators" I mean education policy makers and administrators, not teachers.<BR/><BR/>Teachers usually don't have an option here, which is not to say that there aren't quite a few ideologues in the teacher ranks. There are.<BR/><BR/>If it were not for the internet, only the education policy gurus would know about Project Follow Through.KDeRosahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06853211164976890091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-14988170392514776312007-02-21T14:53:00.000-05:002007-02-21T14:53:00.000-05:00FYI, back in the 70's I was still a student myself...FYI, back in the 70's I was still a student myself. I think what your quibble should towards is those who knew about the success of the program and tried to sweep it under the rug. The more I learn about Direct Instruction, the more outrageous it is to me as an educator <I>today</I> that this instructional approach was never talked about in my credentialing program.<BR/><BR/>Teachers don't go into teaching to fail students. We also are often told what curriculum to teach by those with much more power than we have. Those who fail to follow the directives of their superiors, risk losing their jobs. <BR/><BR/>I think for many teachers, part of the apathy that may now exist has to do with the fact that some may wonder if Direct Instruction is just another fad. Education has been the whimsy of many who too often bail out when what they say works, doesn't. Then guess who is left to blame . . . teachers who were just doing what they were told to do in the first place.ms-teacherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07800541997565774872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-48394535219843475702007-02-21T13:23:00.000-05:002007-02-21T13:23:00.000-05:00I try to throw in a Simpsons reference whenever I ...I try to throw in a Simpsons reference whenever I can. The other day, a commentor had a great grounds keeper willy quote.KDeRosahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06853211164976890091noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25541994.post-45137010418441062102007-02-21T13:08:00.000-05:002007-02-21T13:08:00.000-05:00"Jimmy Carter--history's greatest monster"There's ..."Jimmy Carter--history's greatest monster"<BR/><BR/>There's nothing better than reading commentary from a Simpsons fan :-)Brett Pawlowskihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12975091738110736912noreply@blogger.com