My apologies. I didn't realize that you had to subscribe for a year. I get the paper and didn't feel the need to see it on my screen. I should have clicked on the "Free Trial" link myself. That'll be a lesson to me about "free". You'd think I'd have that down by now.
As to the specific argument, much of it has to do with unintended consequences of using metrics and targets blindly like a hammer. Pricilla's previous post with the Edweek article says it all and more. The Financial Times piece is not important from the standpoint of the specific arguments -- nothing new to anyone here -- but it does make the point very nicely that this is a business issue as well. We might as well suggest that corporate managers read the Edweek article that Priscilla posted, as well as the position papers of the NCTE and Joanne Yatvin's minority report, etc. They would recognize their situation in yours, just as you can recognize yours in theirs. There is plenty of room for cross-connections here. The problem is a shared one. So I simply wanted to communicate to you that this is not a metter of "us against them" -- educators against business. Rather, it is about the use and misuse of numbers and targets, and about how they skew corporate operations (and, as we know, education). I figured that you would find new support and strength in just knowing that this is a problem in the business world as well and that people are talking about this in the corporate world with the same passion. It is important stuff. Perhaps it is worth a trip to the library, where you can read the piece for free -- truely for free. Or maybe not. The point is, it's the message -- that your battle is being waged in the business world as well -- that is important. Perhaps just knowing that this is the case is sufficient. Despite the heavy hand of the Business Rountable, which makes me livid (try http://www.businessroundtable.org//taskForces/taskforce/issue.aspx?qs=6545BF159F849514481138A6DBE7A7A19BB6487BF6B38 ) you can rest assured that "the business world" is not united against you in support of NCLB. There are sound business arguments that debunk the simplistic reliance on numbers. I thought the column in the Financial Times was the perfect vehicle for communicating that to you. I should add that all of this leads us back to MOT -- to constantly questioning and trying to improve what we do. The difference between MOT and high stakes testing is the difference between asking thick or thin questions, between authentic and cheap fix, between thoughtful analysis and thoughtless consumption. Same problem in the business world, different language. My apologies for not testing the "Free Trial" button. Dave Middlebrook The Textmapping Project A resource for teachers improving reading comprehension skills instruction. www.textmapping.org | Please share this site with your colleagues! USA: (609) 771-1781 [EMAIL PROTECTED] ----- Original Message ----- From: "Renee" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "Mosaic: A Reading Comprehension Strategies Email Group" <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, July 25, 2007 11:02 AM Subject: Re: [MOSAIC] the business case against high stakes testing > > On Jul 24, 2007, at 7:59 PM, Dave Middlebrook wrote: > >> I've had a few off-line replies -- very nice, thankyou -- but this is >> going >> nowhere on the listserv. I thought it worth a second try. Given all >> the >> conversation recently on points related to this subject, I was >> surprised >> that there hasn't been a flurry of interest here. OK. So it's from >> the >> Financial Times, Not an education publication. All the more reason to >> check it out: See yourselves from a different angle! Get some new >> schema! > > Dave, I'm sure the reason you are not seeing conversation about this > article is because it requires a login or signing up for a "free" > 15-day trial. The problem is that when you click on the offer to get a > free trial, what you have to do is actually subscribe for a year (they > get your credit card number) and the free trial is tacked on to the > subscription, which is pricey. > > Is there a possibility that you might be able to give us some of the > main points? > Renee > > "The thing always happens that you really believe in; and the belief in > a thing makes it happen." > ~ Frank Lloyd Wright > > > > _______________________________________________ > Mosaic mailing list > [email protected] > To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to > http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. > > Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive. > > _______________________________________________ Mosaic mailing list [email protected] To unsubscribe or modify your membership please go to http://literacyworkshop.org/mailman/options/mosaic_literacyworkshop.org. Search the MOSAIC archives at http://snipurl.com/MosaicArchive.
