tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.comments2023-07-07T04:54:42.112-04:00Walking to SchoolMary Tedrowhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07568681356512308199noreply@blogger.comBlogger187125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-79370511906662719632013-04-02T08:30:38.177-04:002013-04-02T08:30:38.177-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Mary Tedrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07568681356512308199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-14610727624412017922013-04-01T12:57:09.508-04:002013-04-01T12:57:09.508-04:00Great points all around, Mary, especially the last...Great points all around, Mary, especially the last one. Where the accountability for the people who ignore the warnings and the predictable negative consequences, and force students and teachers into these untenable situations?David B. Cohenhttp://accomplishedcaliforniateachers.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-45534710599333462122013-03-18T20:29:01.524-04:002013-03-18T20:29:01.524-04:00Eric, thanks for sharing that link. I watched the ...Eric, thanks for sharing that link. I watched the whole thing and found the argument a clear parallel. I urge others to check out the Ted talk.Mary Tedrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07568681356512308199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-74486805756724162072013-03-18T12:33:20.008-04:002013-03-18T12:33:20.008-04:00I agree completely, Mary. Thanks for your thoughts...I agree completely, Mary. Thanks for your thoughts. <a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/dan_pallotta_the_way_we_think_about_charity_is_dead_wrong.html" rel="nofollow">This recent TED talk</a> highlights ways in which charities face similar problems. I'm not sure what it says that the same talk can apply so readily to both charitable and educational organizations.Eric Hoeflerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13338179460401153699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-62503751006849940072013-03-08T07:14:49.684-05:002013-03-08T07:14:49.684-05:00Thanks Mary. Great points. There just simply aren...Thanks Mary. Great points. There just simply aren't enough rules to cover all the variables especially given the rapid pace of change. We need to cultivate empathy in ourselves and in our communities so we can have the kind of psychological flexibility these times require. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03035586259880646311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-57042553937523702162013-03-07T13:26:23.448-05:002013-03-07T13:26:23.448-05:00@Mark: what a cool school! Thanks for adding the ...@Mark: what a cool school! Thanks for adding the link. They say it all.Mary Tedrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07568681356512308199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-24912595465023133612013-03-06T20:55:43.593-05:002013-03-06T20:55:43.593-05:00Your post reminded me of the motto of this wonderf...Your post reminded me of the motto of <a href="http://georgetown.edublogs.org/" rel="nofollow">this wonderful elementary school</a> (and also that every teacher has an up to date blog). Top of the page: Be Nice • Work Hard • Learn WellMark Ahlnesshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17272987393319865752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-53264074077755337852013-03-06T20:19:36.740-05:002013-03-06T20:19:36.740-05:00I get so frustrated by all the rules...they all as...I get so frustrated by all the rules...they all assume the worst of our children. We have one cultural more - respect. Respect ourselves by working hard and speaking up for ourselves, respect others by treating them kindly and respect our classroom by taking care of it...the kids always come up with a zillion things they can respect. I think this is because they are already "trained"Dahliahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13803552491619839111noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-30729767125570939272013-02-10T13:07:40.118-05:002013-02-10T13:07:40.118-05:00So....can we all agree we need a human being invol...So....can we all agree we need a human being involved in these assessments somewhere? Jem Muldoon's observations about Computer Adaptive Tests (CAT) can be read here: <br />http://jemmuldoon.blogspot.com/2013/01/concerns-about-online-assessment-yes.html <br />Thanks Jem for adding your observations about the psychological stress of taking these tests.Mary Tedrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07568681356512308199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-40334125062462670842013-02-10T12:48:05.167-05:002013-02-10T12:48:05.167-05:00Yes! to the idea of a "good mistake." Ea...Yes! to the idea of a "good mistake." Early in my teaching career I was blind to this notion. I didn't understand the types of inferences young people make as they struggle to make meaning of texts - inferences based on their knowledge of the world, not the knowledge held by some multiple-choice test creator.<br /><br />And therein lies the biggest problem with multiple-choice Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-385704164087420252013-02-10T12:33:31.566-05:002013-02-10T12:33:31.566-05:00I am also delighted when I see my students TRYING ...I am also delighted when I see my students TRYING to do their best on the MAP because they want to see if they can beat their previous scores, but no doubt about it, I love the intentional, intelligent rebel just as much. It's the apathetic ones who get me down.morgetronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11817172265416669063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-39996405537456446572013-02-10T12:15:07.478-05:002013-02-10T12:15:07.478-05:00So love your post. My rants on the MAP tests are s...So love your post. My rants on the MAP tests are so validated by the observations you describe. I needed to hear how the tests play out in reality. Here's to the creative disrupters!Jem Muldoonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00617130417814287164noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-55698396781548786782012-12-26T10:28:32.719-05:002012-12-26T10:28:32.719-05:00Thank you, Mary. I am a teacher and a mother, too,...Thank you, Mary. I am a teacher and a mother, too, and "yes" to all you said. KLCzepielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03752558043075024372noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-56273772923556985862012-12-25T18:05:31.139-05:002012-12-25T18:05:31.139-05:00such important words. thank you. i wept yet again ...such important words. thank you. i wept yet again reading your blog. kindergeekhttp://twitter.com/kindergeeknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-29735576818888187882012-12-23T20:12:26.663-05:002012-12-23T20:12:26.663-05:00Mary, I feel the same way. As a first grade teache...Mary, I feel the same way. As a first grade teacher and parent of young girls I've avoided learning the names of the children or seeing their pictures. I've learned about the adults who died, but not the children. I can't bear it. Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04725549451973770515noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-74924986463704837502012-12-23T11:52:49.296-05:002012-12-23T11:52:49.296-05:00The New York Times article this morning seems to i...The New York Times article this morning seems to indicate that the "Savage Inequalities" are looming even larger. http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/23/education/poor-students-struggle-as-class-plays-a-greater-role-in-success.html?_r=1&Mary Tedrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07568681356512308199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-49332340448262033932012-12-14T11:48:08.588-05:002012-12-14T11:48:08.588-05:00And, of course, there are always problems with tes...And, of course, there are always problems with testing and such... one of my friends, when she was in school, was kept in the ESL program several years past when she was proficient, just because she scored well and so made their scores look better.<br /><br />As for your comment on only leaving some kids behind - yeah. Except for there is one group of students, gifted students, that have been Kaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-19467471186961039192012-11-25T12:35:16.922-05:002012-11-25T12:35:16.922-05:00I read the book again two summers ago and realized...I read the book again two summers ago and realized I was living the modern version of Kozol's experience. We must keep telling our stories until the right people listen.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09641440117634365012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-54157314907073518172012-11-24T17:24:46.147-05:002012-11-24T17:24:46.147-05:00YES!YES!YES! YES!YES!YES! LJTeachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16027052029963334158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-87525583686921506222012-11-23T22:37:38.094-05:002012-11-23T22:37:38.094-05:00Teaching is the least celebrated profession yet on...Teaching is the least celebrated profession yet one of the noblest. <br /><br /><a href="http://www.earnmydegree.com/" rel="nofollow">online degree education</a>Carol Leehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15616177100704497947noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-62120658785147785422012-10-16T05:47:29.549-04:002012-10-16T05:47:29.549-04:00Nice post. Thanks for sharing this post with us.
...Nice post. Thanks for sharing this post with us.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.openhighschool.org/" rel="nofollow">Utah Charter School</a>Roberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18415676457739814771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-82003682720482598042012-10-08T11:18:53.868-04:002012-10-08T11:18:53.868-04:00Allison, I'm so glad this resonates with you. ...Allison, I'm so glad this resonates with you. Teachers do much that should be celebrated. Rather than thinking of this as a defence of teachers, I'd like you and others to consider this as an OFFENSIVE move. Not offensive in the distasteful realm, but an opportunity to tell others how deeply complex and intellectually engaging our work is. Unfortunately, no one is out there waiting toMary Tedrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07568681356512308199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-12668721335481481352012-10-07T20:46:41.113-04:002012-10-07T20:46:41.113-04:00Thank you for your defense of teachers. Makes me ...Thank you for your defense of teachers. Makes me want to stand up and cheer.Allison Jacksonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-69781013255812913102012-10-06T19:33:39.068-04:002012-10-06T19:33:39.068-04:00Yep. Some career switchers are great. Others are c...Yep. Some career switchers are great. Others are complete disasters like the math teacher at one of my schools who dealt with difficult students by refusing to teach them. And then failed the entire class who had to repeat an entire year. In any case, without professional training, a sensible induction program and a career ladder that supports good teaching we are just running experiments on Mary Tedrowhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07568681356512308199noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88218403407510136.post-10396404206221006762012-10-06T18:40:08.138-04:002012-10-06T18:40:08.138-04:00I very much like this. I agree with most of your c...I very much like this. I agree with most of your comments. The only thing I would say is that Teach for America and Career Switcher programs are not all bad. Yes, they do place the emphasis on content; however, that does not necessarily mean that the teachers they produce are poor teachers. <br /><br />One of the best teachers I ever had was a Career Switcher teacher. One of the things I liked Kaynoreply@blogger.com