The powers that be do not / will not change their minds until those
doing the work stop saying that things are here to stay.
My two cents.
Renee
On May 22, 2011, at 11:41 AM, kaui norton wrote:
Thank you for your thoughts. I do see your point. I suppose I
should say that, although standards teaching may not be the best
solution to our ongoing struggles to educate, it is, nevertheless,
here to stay. At least, till the powers that be change their minds
again!
When I say I like it, it is because I am tired of teaching a
gadzillion standards and benchmarks that are vague to say the
least. In Hawai'i we have a ridiculous number of standards to
teach. It has always been a guessing game for many teachers as to
how to apply the standards mandated by our state. Many teachers,
old and new, are totally lost because there is no direction in how
to go about teaching to the standards, thus, we have teachers who
don't teach them resulting in students who move on without the
knowledge that they are expected to learn.
Unfortunately, testing is always going to "drive" how we teach and
what we teach. I don't see it changing any time soon. So...if
that is so, then I believe I need to do the best, for my students,
with what I am given. Of course, I will make every effort to fill
the holes that appear. Honestly, I feel we are fighting a losing
battle and need to cut our losses. I do know, they can't mandate,
yet, how I teach the standards or what else I teach with them.
THerefore, it is my responsibility to ensure my students get more
than what they need to pass a test.
"The important thing is not to stop questioning."
~ Albert Einstein
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