Standards vs. Creativity

I'm continually amazed at how educational standards are so different and out of touch.  Math and Language Arts have common core standards that are supposed to be nationwide, yet all other subjects are state specific.  I understand that someone needs to give teachers a blueprint to prepare our students for the future, but the latest NJCCCS struck me as very odd.

For my technology standards, there are such examples of creating online communities and participating in chats with students from other countries.  Really?  I literally laughed at these standards and my first thought was, "how in the world can I pull that off?"  These are just a few examples of standards I think are not only unrealistic, but also unnecessary.

I firmly believe that there should be national standards.  Think about it, why on Earth would we want each state to determine what students learn.  How is that creating a cohesive student ready to take on the world outside of school?  The best educational minds should take on this project so that each and every student comes out with the same knowledge base.  Notice I said educational minds.  Sometimes I think that these standards are made by people who have no clue what it is like to teach.  It's almost like the issues many inner city schools are facing, when business people are brought in to fix the system.  I don't know about you, but I would not want the future of a multi-billion dollar company in the hands of a teacher.  So why is the opposite fine?

However, the one thing that must be prevented with national standards is the minimizing of creativity.  These standards need to be specific, but also open ended so teachers can do what they do best, which is to use their creative minds to help students learn.  Making standards too specific will hinder teachers and drain them and our students of creativity. 

I truly hope this happens one day.  It seems too simple to me, but I'm sure there are more complications than I can imagine.  However, sometimes the simplest, most straight-forward idea is often the solution.

The Home Stretch

Yes, it's only April 20th, but in school news, the year is starting to wind down.  You see between final exams, Memorial Day, state testing and Easter break, teachers need to start planing the endgame for their classes. 

I always find this time of year a bit difficult.  With all the interruptions, it is hard to gauge exactly how much time you have left.  Despite how some teachers feel, I don't worry at all if I don't get to everything in my plans.  I get excited at the prospect of getting done earlier than usual, in which case, I have so many things I would love to try as end of the year projects.

Some of these ideas came from my two graduate courses.  Despite being a technology teacher, I had never created a website before.  My first foray into it went very well and the ease of use was liberating.  I would love to have my students make their own websites in my Multimedia class to show off their body of work in the class, a sort of electronic portfolio.

I have also created my first digital story, and while I loved it, I feel this might be very time consuming for my classes.  In addition, the technology is quite detailed to incorporate what I feel are needed elements such as music video.

Other ideas I have are to have students use the online site toondoo.com to create online comic books.  I have also looked into a 3D animation program called Alice, which enables students to dabble in computer programming, without having to know how to code.

The main issue is time, but isn't it always that?  If I don't get to these things, I hope I take the time over the summer to work on these unique projects.  I always have good intentions, but when summer rolls around, sometimes all we need as teachers is to recharge and relax.

Anybody Out There?

I often find myself saying that exact phrase just about every day in class.  Maybe it's me being an adult, but I really don't remember my teachers constantly telling us to listen up.  I seem to remember that when an adult, particularly a teacher spoke, we listened.  Maybe not intently, but we listened more than students do today.

I often am dumbfounded by this simple human task that today's students sorely lack.  So what is causing this phenomenon to happen?  Is it that teachers are simply not engaging students on their level?  I tend to believe this is not the issue, since it seems that the students who lack listening skills are the same ones day in and day out.

Perhaps it is parenting that is the cause of the issue.  Again, I have a hard time with this as I am a parent of two young girls and I can see my oldest one already having trouble listening.  Then again, that could just be a toddler thing.

Since this seems to be a more recent issue, I try to examine what has changed over the last 20 years.  I would put my money on the over stimulation of kids these days.  If we list all of the things that are available to engage kids, we find that many were not around back then (video games, iPods, Facebook, YouTube, instant messaging, cell phones and on and on).

Maybe kids just don't know how to process and take all of this information in.  Nobody is really teaching them how to deal with the constant barrage of media.  Maybe the reason they have problems listening is that there is just too much going on and something has to give.  In a student's eyes, what would they tune out first?  My bet is the least interesting which very well could be school.

Do We Expect Too Much?

the other day, I was having a conversation with a fellow teacher about student expectations.  We were discussing how there seem to be so many more students failing than when we were in school.  We laughed and said we sound old, that our teachers probably said the same thing when we were in school.  However, it really got us thinking... are we expecting too much from our students?

As we kept chatting, we remembered that when we were in middle school, neither of us studied much but still were able to get good grades (A's and B's).  I honestly don't remember working that hard or stressing about school in general.  This led to us discussing what we actually learned versus what we are teaching nowadays. 

We slowly realized that the content students learn has trickled down grade levels over time.  What we learned in high school, is now being taught in middle school and what we learned in middle school, is now being taught in elementary school.  We could not seem to pinpoint when this happened, but figured it was in response to the United States losing ground against other countries. 

So are we expecting too much from students?  Are they not capable of what we think they should know?  I guess only time will tell, but by student failure rates, something is not right.

Manipulating Grading Scales

When I went to school, we used a traditional grading 10 point grading scale (A = 90-100, B=80-89, etc).  Somewhere along the way, this changed in some schools.  For instance, in my school an A =92-100, B=86-92 and so on.  I'm not quite sure what the basis is for a grade scale such as this.  I am thinking that the original thought was that it would push students to reach for those A's and B's, thus raising overall grade point averages. 

However, I'm not quite sure that is what has happened.  I am guilty of it myself, but many times I grade by student.  Meaning a lot of teachers know the A students after a few weeks.  If they struggle a bit, but are hard workers, we are more likely to give them those extra points for the A.  This essentially negates the scale, since we are grading by letter, not really number.  If an A started at 88, then we would grade to that number. 

In addition, our school has a policy that no student can receive lower than a 50.  I believe this is done so that failures don't look as bad.  So theoretically a student can do virtually nothing in class and get a 50.  It reminds me of when there was rumor that you get X number of points for just filling in your name on the SAT test. 

To me, using points to grade is irrelevant.  What should be used is similar to state testing.  A scale such as Advanced Proficient, Proficient, Below Proficient and Failing is much better.  That would emphasize skill based learning and reduce the pressure of grade point averages.  I doubt we will see such a grading scale in my teaching career, but one never knows.

What Are Blogs?

Really, what are blogs?  I never really understood the name blog when I first heard it.  Frankly, I still don't get it.  After all, aren't blogs the same things as people writing articles online?  That is what it used to be called.  It has just been repackaged and called a blog.

Then again, online articles and columns, from say sports or news websites, are a bit different than a traditional blog.  I consider a blog something that the average everyday Joe writes and posts online.  The blog gives us the forum to post our thoughts and opinions for people to read.

However, in reality, my blog is no different than a news reporter's thoughts.  We just give it a fancy name to fit into the web dictionary.  Maybe it's just me, but I don't quite understand blogging.  We are spending our limited time to post thoughts that we don't even know if anyone will read.  That is sort of strange in concept.  However, they are more popular than ever, especially among the younger generations.  Perhaps it is their way of communicating, their norm and I am the one who is out of touch.

Art - The Great Equalizer

This is my second year teaching Multimedia Technology, a course that I label as "digital art", as it uses Adobe Photoshop, Illustrator and InDesign to create projects.  I have noticed an interesting trend during this time, which is that I don't have to differentiate in this class as much as others.

What I find is that the students who might not be the best academically, but are creative, excel in this type of a course.  On the other end of the spectrum, the gifted students struggle.  I find that those higher achieving students constantly state that they are not creative.  At first I found it hard to believe as my opinion was that most gifted students are talented in all areas.

However, it got me thinking as to why this is happening.  My theory is that these types of students have grown up becoming very book smart.  They know their facts, they understand concrete concepts and have great memories.  However, they have been so rigid in their learning, that they struggle to some up with something when given a blank canvas.  It is so foreign to them, that the easy get frustrated.

While they don't enjoy this feeling, personally, I find it refreshing.  These students are so used to routine and how they learn, that a real challenge is good for them.  It will help them grow and expand their problems solving abilities.  After all, what good is it to be able to spout out facts and figures, but can't come up with new and interesting ideas.  They need to understand that there is a balance that needs to be obtained and that being stuck is a positive thing.

Why Do We Feed Them Everything?

I had a strange thing happen in my Enrichment class last week that really opened my eyes.  I asked the students for feedback on the project we just completed.  As I was looking through the print outs, I noticed one student typed "no structure".  I decided to pull him aside to ask what he meant by this comment.

The project was a personal budget, where teams of students were assigned a career and a salary.  They were to develop a budget in Excel that included researching online for a house and car.  They also had required expenses (electric, water, etc) and optional expenses (social, dining out, etc) to choose from.  Their goal was to use their money wisely and save money.  Each month, the teams were given a scenario where they had to alter the budget (adding or removing items) and manage their money wisely.

I asked the student if his comment was positive or negative.  He said both.  He said that he liked the freedom but wished he was told what do to a little more.  I said that the point of this class is to problem solve and discover.  I mentioned that I felt students these days are fed too many answers and need to be able to think on their own.  He paused and then agreed.

It dawned on me that this is one of the key issues with students today; they all want to be told the answers.  They want that instant gratification that comes along with texting, the Internet and video games.  Unfortunately, I think teachers give in too much on this aspect.  We need to make these students discover and learn from their mistakes.  After all, that is what is instrumental in personal growth and learning.

NCLB - Great Idea.... In Theory

I recently finished the book "The Death and Life of the Great American School System" by Diane Ravitch.  Below is my posting on our school website which gives an overall opinion on one topic from the book:

I will start his off by saying that I have only been in education for four years.  However, I think that, in some ways, that is an advantage when it comes to assessing some of the issues Diane Ravitch focuses on in this book.  While I don’t have the many years of experience that many of my colleagues do, I can offer a simplistic viewpoint of a “newbie” who has many years of experience dealing with Corporate America.

I have to say that the combination of reading this book and observing how education works has struck a nerve with me.  As teachers, we are constantly under fire from numerous angles, yet I truly believe that we are all trying our hardest to do what is right for the students.  However, what others fail to realize, is that our hands are tied in many areas.  

The main issues I see is NCLB.  Ms. Ravitch does a great job summarizing what NCLB was meant to do, and, unfortunately what it has done.  A valiant idea has forced teachers to “teach to the test”.  I see so many teachers who have to alter their curriculum in order to prepare students for testing.  Weeks of practice and repetition in order help our students achieve a proficient score on a test that the state makes, and deems as an accurate measure of “learning”?  To me, it seems like we are teaching them how to take a test rather than focusing on learning.

In addition, while I agree that Math and Language Arts should be the key areas for students, I keep seeing examples of other subjects being pushed aside.  What happened to developing a well-rounded student?  How about focusing on those students who excel in Art, Music or Science?

Lastly, the goal of 100% proficiency by the year 2013/2014 is  a perfect example of a great sounding idea from someone painfully unaware of the education system.  While we should all strive for this goal, it is very unfair to punish schools who do not meet these standards, when we all know, they are impossible to reach given the structure of the program.

Like so many of my colleagues have mentioned above, why doesn’t anyone ask the people in the trenches, educators, to help reform what everyone else thinks is broken?

Why I Teach

Coming from the corporate world, teaching is a totally different culture.  In the corporate world, we have someone constantly giving us feedback, be it a boss or co-workers.  We usually know where we stand and how our performance is.  We also see the efforts of our work since most things are tangible or measurable.  But what about teaching?

I knew that when I became a teacher, I would have a lot of freedom in my classroom.  However, I did not realize that I would not get much feedback from administrators, mentors or supervisors.  To me, I wanted more than just 3 observations per year (and now only 1 since I am tenured).  Compound that with the fact that you really don't know how much your students will take with them once they leave your class and you can see how tough it must be to know if you really are making a difference, let alone doing a good job!

It made me wonder, why do teachers teach if they rarely get praised and have no clue if they are really helping students?  At times this gets somewhat frustrating as I want to make a difference with my students and I want to teach them things that they can use in the future.  Most of my classes are project based since I believe that application (as opposed to memorization) is the best form of learning.

I have realized that this is the best way I can see if I am really helping students learn.  By focusing on projects, I have been able to see more tangible results.  I can see students improve their computer technique throughout the year.  I have even had students come back after leaving my classroom to say that they have used something I taught them.

I also try to stay focused on real world applications in my classes.  Luckily, I can bring many years of corporate experience to my lessons.  I constantly give examples and stories of how what they are learning has been and can be used outside of school.  Doing this, brings a more personal atmosphere to my classroom.  It makes my day to hear students say that mine is their favorite class, or to hear them mention that mine is the only class they do work in (!!??).

As educators, sometimes we have tough days and feel defeated.  We start to get frustrated by those 1 or 2 classes that drive us crazy.  We question if what we are doing is making a difference.  Then, out of nowhere, a student will show you something they did in another class using a technique learned in your class.  Or a student struggling with grades in other classes says how much they enjoy yours.  You ask why and they say, "Because you get it, you get students".

I had that exact conversation with a student this year.  That is why I teach.

What to do With Education?

Last night I saw the much heralded documentary Waiting for "Superman".  As an educator, I had heard a lot about this particular movie and was very eager to see what aspects of education it was going to tackle.  I did not know much about it, so I was somewhat surprised to learn about a whole new aspect of education that, I believe, most students take for granted.

The documentary focused mainly on inner city schools and the poor conditions the students face.  It shows some very personal stories about students trying to get into a better school through lottery systems as there are not enough spaces available.  While it was both heartbreaking and encouraging, the most interesting aspect I walked away with is the fact that most kids take education for granted.

In this documentary, good kids, who want to succeed and work their butts off struggle to get into a school that can truly help them.  Instead they are stuck in low performing schools, some called "dropout factories", with no hope for the future.  It made me angry to a point, with some of the students I teach.  We all have them, the ones who complain, say things are too hard, do the bare minimum and want to coast by.  They take for granted the great education they are getting and don't see that there are so many others who would love to be in their position.

It gave me a renewed energy to work more with those kids and push them past "acceptable".  I know I can't stand there and lecture them about what they take for granted, they will just roll their eyes.  However, what I can do is not accept the bare minimum, thinking that it is their choice to get that grade if they want.  In fact, is started today with a student and a project he wanted to hand in.  I told him he was capable of more, gave him suggestions, and told him I would check back in a bit.  He did not complain and with a mere 15 more minutes of work, he improved the project. 

We tend to sped so much time either with the students who need attention or the ones who want to excel.  Often we forget the middle group, who might need our help more than the rest.  These are the students that have the potential, but not the desire.  It is our job as educators to instill that desire in them and help them push past what they think is acceptable.

They Are Just Kids

One thing I have noticed with teaching is that I tend to view my students as older than they really are.  We forget that they are still kids.  In my case, 12-14 year old kids as I teach Middle School.  Each student has their own persona or "reputation", even if they don't know it.  We have the quiet kids, the outgoing kids, the hyper kids, the artists, the writers, etc.  And then we have the trouble makers.  The students whose name on our roster makes us cringe.  The students who keep us on edge all the time. 

I have been very fortunate in my early years of teaching, to be able to reach these students.  I hardly have behavior problems and I even hear these types of kids say, "I love this class".  Sometimes I wonder how I am able to do this.  I think partly it is because I teach in a computer lab, so they are always busy doing something.  However, I also think I must have some intangible  way about me that relates to these students.

One thing that discourages me is to see these students always getting in trouble.  I try my best to talk to them about decision making and consequences, but I still see it happen quite often.  I see them walking through the halls, acting tough.  I see them after school hanging out on the corner with nothing to do.  We see them as problem students, with a tough image. 

However last week, something happened that really surprised me.  I was leaving school, driving down the road.  I see a group of these tough kids on the corner hanging out.  I drive past and don't make eye contact as I think they won't want to tarnish their image acknowledging me.  However, as I passed them, I glanced in my rear-view mirror and, much to my delight and surprise, I see them waving to me.  It truly warmed my heart and served as a subtle reminder that, after all, they are just kids.

Rubrics - Hazardous to Student Learning?

Coming from the corporate world, one thing I never quite understood in education was the rubric.  After all, I never had any of those when I was in school!  Throughout my four years of teaching, I have come to understand why they are a necessary evil, but I believe that they can be a detriment to student potential as well.

My big gripe with rubrics is that I feel many students will look at it and do the minimum, thus skirting some sections because they are only worth "X" amount of points.  While I believe that students should be informed of how they will be assessed, I never give a rubric to a student while they are working on a project.  Instead, I give them a project worksheet, which details each element that is required and what categories they will be graded on.  However, I do not reveal what point totals go with what section.  I feel this keeps students on their toes, thus motivating them to maximize each requirement.

Another thing I make sure to do with my rubrics is allow for flexibility.  My course projects are very visual in nature, thus I always leave a few subjective sections on the rubric.  I let the students know that two sections on each of my rubrics are "Improvement Shown" and "Creativity & Effort".  I give my students plenty of feedback on their projects, so I expect to see growth and improvement as we progress in the course.  To me, that is the essence learning.  I also want them to make sure I will always reward/penalize for effort.  Many times I have had a great looking project, but a student missed one or two requirements.  On the other hand, I will get a very poor looking project, but every requirement is met.  The Creativity & Effort section allows me to recognize a great effort or a lack of.

Another wrinkle I have found is that many times, the student lands in between the scoring category (did not earn all 10, but better than 5).  Again, in this case, I allow for flexibility and have no hesitation scoring in between the scale (it is my rubric after all).  Lastly, I always revisit my rubrics.  If I notice that the grades just don't look right or there are too many high or low grades, I will revise a rubric. 

My goal as an educator is to help students grow and learn from their mistakes.  If we are not careful, rubrics will be used by students as an easy way out.