Tear Down the Walls

Imagine a School without Walls

It was 1968, I had just graduated from college, and I was ready to shake up the world. I heard about this new approach to teaching being used in Britain called “Open Classroom.” The more I read about it, the more natural it seemed to me. It was kid centric--children actively involved in the learning process. Schools would take down walls between the classrooms and kids would be learning in hands-on small group instruction, instead of a teacher standing in front of room teaching all the kids the same thing at the same time. I embraced the Open Classroom approach and even had the opportunity to teach in the environment. The problem – teachers in my district were not properly trained and many resisted the change. It was considered another teaching “fad” and within a few years the walls went back up.

Today I hear the same thing that was said when we returned to our isolated classrooms in the early 70’s. We need to get back to basics. Our schools are failing. Kids aren’t learning. But today it is so different. Huge changes to education are possible--without physically taking down walls--so kids can learn at their own pace.

How? Technology!

Technology is not going away, and it isn’t a fad!  We do face challenges when trying to change a mindset of educators who see themselves as the deliverers of all information and expect students to give back same information on a test and parents who think their kids are computer savvy just because they can play video games.    

Let’s not lose a generation of kids! For years, I have seen the positive results of using technology with young children, and I keep imagining a tomorrow in which all children will have access to technology, the best learning tool we have.

Should a Test Detemine a Child's Future?

Our Kids Deserve Better!

I recently went to a local Education and Technology Conference in the NY area, hoping to hear about exciting new things going on in the field.  But I was disappointed to find the latest things being discussed there were smart boards, and a program to track students' grades and their interests... Really!?

I am OK with them discussing the pros of using smart boards, but this is not new or very exciting to me.   The presenter then went on to describe this tracking system being used throughout this large district in the city.  I couldn't believe what I was watching and hearing.  She pulled up on the screen  a  profile of a 6th grade girl.  She explained how the testing can identify the child's interest and how they would encourage the child to follow a particular path based on this test.   Since this girl showed an interest in drawing, they would encourage her to take art classes and that she should follow a career path that had an art focus.  Perhaps work at an Art Museum was one option.   

First of all she is in 6^th grade.  Do you know how many 6th grade girls like to draw and doodle?   Second, why wouldn’t they suggest a math or science career?  We sure do need creative people in those fields.  It is the people who can think outside the box who will come up with the new cure for diseases or new energy sources.  Sadly, they are relying on testing to determine a child’s future without giving the child the proper guidance.

This really hit home for me.  Many, many years ago when I started high school, I was placed in a vocation track instead of the academic track, which would enable me to go to college.  It was probably based on the entrance exam without ever looking to find that I had graduated at the top of the class.  I was told that the classes I needed to be a teacher were too difficult for me.  I didn’t believe them, and I made sure I took those “difficult” classes.  I went on to college, finished in 3 years, but I often think about other kids who did believe what they were told, and as a result never achieved their full potential. 

It is so crucial to have high expectations for every child and not to set limitations--based on a test, a label, or other judgement.  They are our future-- Our kids deserve better!

Standardized Testing

It's that time of  year again... 

Kids are spending precious school hours prepping for those dreadful standardized tests.  Parents are anxiously waiting for the results.  When I was a mom with school age children, I know centuries ago, we didn't have facebook, twitter... but we did have phones.  As soon as we would receive the results, our phone would start ringing.  Anxious moms would ask me how my daughters did.  Their child either did horribly or was a genius--all based on that one test.  My response was always the same, year after year.  "My girls did exactly how I expected."   Period.

My girls never even knew their test scores.  I would take the results of the test, glance at them, and put them in a drawer.  Really! One test and your child is a genius, the smartest kid in the school? Or the dumbest?  It's only ONE TEST!  I can tell you now, one of my girls did horribly on the math section of a standardized test.   Had I told her or even mentioned it to anyone, or had she overheard me, she may have believed she wasn't good in math.  She was so quick in math!  There was no way that test was a reflection of what she knew.  Kids believe what others say about them.  Think about it: A standardized test is only one small snapshot of your child.  Your child may have had a bad day, or skipped one of those silly little boxes which then screwed up all the answers.

My advice:   Don't make a big deal when your child takes standardized tests, and especially do NOT post or discuss your child's scores on social media sites.   If your child is doing well all year, then expect he/she will have good results on the tests.  If your child has been struggling, then the teacher and you should have had a plan of action way before the standardized testing.  Tell your child like I did when you get the results.  "You did exactly how I expected and I'm proud of you for trying so hard!"  Then, move on... There's so much more to really learn!