Comments on: Multiple Ways of Knowing http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/ (bôr'dər-lănd') n. Located on or near a frontier. An indeterminate area or condition. Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:06:24 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: » Some S’s, But Not All Tending the Eclectic Kinder-Garden http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/#comment-71444 » Some S’s, But Not All Tending the Eclectic Kinder-Garden Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:42:41 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/#comment-71444 [...] *is* an art to teaching, and that our inherent nature that provides us and our students “multiple ways of knowing” shouldn’t be set aside or ignored just because someone else wants teachers and [...] [...] *is* an art to teaching, and that our inherent nature that provides us and our students “multiple ways of knowing” shouldn’t be set aside or ignored just because someone else wants teachers and [...]

]]> By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/#comment-71178 Doug Noon Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:57:41 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/#comment-71178 Kids from Texas who've ended up in my classroom during the past few years have lots to say about test preparation. They're seasoned veterans of the process, but interestingly, they're not necessarily any better at writing, reading, or problem solving than the rest of my students. If test preparation only helped kids do better on tests, you'd <em>at least</em> expect kids with lots of test-taking training to do better on them. But even that hasn't been the case. What a waste! And, Michaele, your story points out how the discourse has shifted. New teachers are told by principals that standardized test scores are more important than the kids. I do wish you luck with your new assignment. Kids from Texas who’ve ended up in my classroom during the past few years have lots to say about test preparation. They’re seasoned veterans of the process, but interestingly, they’re not necessarily any better at writing, reading, or problem solving than the rest of my students. If test preparation only helped kids do better on tests, you’d at least expect kids with lots of test-taking training to do better on them. But even that hasn’t been the case. What a waste!

And, Michaele, your story points out how the discourse has shifted. New teachers are told by principals that standardized test scores are more important than the kids. I do wish you luck with your new assignment.

]]> By: Michaele http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/#comment-71173 Michaele Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:35:25 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/#comment-71173 This one took me flying through a memory flashback- last year my principal was talking with two prospective student teachers who were visiting the school before starting their final practicum. The principal, giving the tour and expounding on what she saw as the highlights of "her" staff, commented that she especially found it reassuring that she could walk into every classroom and find teachers effectively teaching material/concepts in such a way that she *knew* would make all of the students in "her" school pass the state assessments. Doe-eyed nods of agreement came from the teacher-wanna-be's. Must be the cynic in me, because hearing the first part of her statement made me think "wow, what a sales pitch" instead of generating pride in working with colleagues who did good jobs (of course, I'd also had the chance to walk into some of the other classrooms and personally disagreed with the equation Silence=Education). And the second part of her statement sealed the deal that I would indeed, be glad that Uncle Sam was going to move us not too many months later. I know of one principal who finds her job, mandating mastery of the test, to be oh so much easier if her staff has blinders on, or is only clued in to that faulty oil light. The cruel joke? The school districts here in the BorderTown function exactly the same way. We should find out our new duty assignment by next week. Wish us luck- I feel the need to teach, and I feel the need to be with other thinkers. There's a time I would have said "...be with other teachers." This one took me flying through a memory flashback- last year my principal was talking with two prospective student teachers who were visiting the school before starting their final practicum. The principal, giving the tour and expounding on what she saw as the highlights of “her” staff, commented that she especially found it reassuring that she could walk into every classroom and find teachers effectively teaching material/concepts in such a way that she *knew* would make all of the students in “her” school pass the state assessments. Doe-eyed nods of agreement came from the teacher-wanna-be’s.

Must be the cynic in me, because hearing the first part of her statement made me think “wow, what a sales pitch” instead of generating pride in working with colleagues who did good jobs (of course, I’d also had the chance to walk into some of the other classrooms and personally disagreed with the equation Silence=Education). And the second part of her statement sealed the deal that I would indeed, be glad that Uncle Sam was going to move us not too many months later. I know of one principal who finds her job, mandating mastery of the test, to be oh so much easier if her staff has blinders on, or is only clued in to that faulty oil light.

The cruel joke? The school districts here in the BorderTown function exactly the same way. We should find out our new duty assignment by next week. Wish us luck- I feel the need to teach, and I feel the need to be with other thinkers. There’s a time I would have said “…be with other teachers.”

]]> By: John Connell » Blog Archive » Tests that Fail http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/#comment-70992 John Connell » Blog Archive » Tests that Fail Wed, 30 Jan 2008 20:27:58 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/#comment-70992 [...] Thanks to Doug Noon for the link: Multiple Ways of Knowing [...] [...] Thanks to Doug Noon for the link: Multiple Ways of Knowing [...]

]]> By: Doug Noon http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/#comment-70820 Doug Noon Wed, 30 Jan 2008 04:46:13 +0000 http://borderland.northernattitude.org/2008/01/29/multiple-ways-of-knowing/#comment-70820 The use of the tests to "motivate" people into compliance, or somehow to do a better job is what stinks. And I agree, Matt, it's about control and determinations of value. If we made our own choices locally about what the test results mean, and how to respond, they'd be just another source of information. As they should be. The use of the tests to “motivate” people into compliance, or somehow to do a better job is what stinks. And I agree, Matt, it’s about control and determinations of value. If we made our own choices locally about what the test results mean, and how to respond, they’d be just another source of information. As they should be.

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