tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10027250161112877362024-03-05T04:28:18.062-06:00SMaRT Education Initiative - 1 to 1Since inception in 1998, SMaRT's focus has been primarily on education. We now offer a blog that offers insights and dialogue about the latest technological initiatives to effect education in the United States and abroad. Enjoy.Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-79105721852697674532009-06-24T04:27:00.008-05:002009-06-24T10:02:59.095-05:00Our world has changed (Part I)<div style="text-align: justify;">Every now and then, just to lighten things up a bit, I will share personal stories or little bits and pieces of information that prove one thing. Thomas Friedman was right. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; ">Our world has changed</span>.<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'll start with this.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My six year old son has discovered YouTube.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I repeat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">My SIX year old son has discovered YouTube.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">And what little gems did we unearth?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">How about this.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PuHGKnboNY">The official White House Barack Obama </a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PuHGKnboNY">Inauguration</a><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3PuHGKnboNY"> video</a> (stuff I like to watch): One million, two hundred forty seven thousand, four hundred and sixty eight (1,247,468) views.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H_FXyiHH-Zw&feature=PlayList&p=F3CFF7FB344AEB34&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=7">Alvin and the Chipmunks sing Crank That Soulja Boy</a> (stuff HE likes to watch): SIX MILLION, TWO HUNDRED THIRTY SIX THOUSAND, NINE HUNDRED AND SEVENTY ONE (6,236,971) views.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">I'm not making this up.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Folks, our world has changed. <br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-1837307552062633682009-06-23T10:10:00.009-05:002009-06-24T04:27:13.213-05:00The power is yours--seize it<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Drums keep pounding rhythm to the brain</span></span></span></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">La-dee-la-dee-dee</span></span></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">La-dee-la-dee-da</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Wait till you have reached the age,</span></span></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">History has turned the page, </span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">We still want to hear a brand new thing, </span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">We still need a song to sing, </span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> And the beat goes on.....</span></span></span></i></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And the beat goes on.....</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And the beat goes on.....</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And the beat goes on.....</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And the beat goes on.....</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And the beat goes on.....</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">(Sonny Bono, “The Beat Goes On”)</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Yes it does.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The debate rages on, hot and heavy, about the relative merits of NCLB and national standards. And so it should; these are important issues that merit careful consideration and conscientious, well-informed debate. For what it's worth, I think the idea of national standards has merit (after all, 2+2=4 whether you're in Georgia or California) and I think that all schools should be held to a measure of accountability. But this post isn't about that. We'll save that particular debate for another day.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">This post is about </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">power.</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It's about what we do (or don't do) to arm ourselves with information and place ourselves in a position to make </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">well-informed</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> decisions about what is, and what is not, in the best interests of our schools and our children. </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It's about not allowing ourselves to be swayed by hype and hyperbole. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It's about </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">knowing. </span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Because knowledge, as they say, is power. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">**********************</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Have you heard it?</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">There has been a great deal of talk of late about improved NAEP test scores, particularly among African-American and at-risk students, as "proof" that our current efforts at reform are working. Words like "unprecedented, " "historic highs" and "steady progress" have been bandied about in official press releases and in print media with such regularity that it would be easy to assume, given these glowing and optimistic reviews, that we have turned a corner and that we're finally making meaningful and substantive progress in public education. I don’t think anyone expects perfection from our schools.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'lucida grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But we do want to know, or perhaps it might be more accurate to say that we need to believe, that we’re moving forward.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But faith is not enough.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Faith must be supported by facts, so rather than rely on an executive summary or someone else’s characterization of these scores, I decided to go to the best available source when I needed the most up-to-date data on the current state of student achievement.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I went straight to the New York Times.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Nah…</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I went to the official </span></span></span><a href="http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/pdf/main2007/2007496.pdf"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Nation's Report Card</span></span></span></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">. This is raw data, straight from the Department of Education, breaking down NAEP results in a surprisingly clear, concise and readable fashion. No hyperbole. No characterization.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Just the facts.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And I couldn't believe what I read. </span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: center;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">*******************</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">First of all, let's talk about the word </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">progress</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">. It means, generally speaking, </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">to move forward</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> in some way. But when you carefully examine NAEP data, what will you see?</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">You’ll see:</span></span></span></span></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:nonecolor:#333333;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">A two point increase in the average 4th grade reading score from 219 in 2005 to 221 in 2007. But this is progress, right? Not really. Because the average score in 2002 was 219. The biggest spike in reading scores actually occurred between 2000 and 2002, when the scores went up by six points. But that was </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">before</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> NCLB was enacted into law. </span></span></span></span></li></ul> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:nonecolor:#333333;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Eight grade reading scores were up by only one point, from 262 in 2005 to 263 in 2007.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But here’s the rub. </span></span></span><u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The average score was 263 in 1998</span></span></span></u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">. </span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">That means in spite of spending hundreds of billions of dollars on reforms targeted at improved literacy, we show no statistical improvement over the course of the past decade</span></span></span></b></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">This data also shows that the gains our students make in the 4th </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">grade are lost by the time our students reach the 8th</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> grade.</span></span></span></span></li></ul> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:nonecolor:#333333;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Fourth grade mathematics scores show steady progress from 1990 (average score 213) to 2007 (average score 240).</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But, again, there’s an issue. The biggest gains occurred before NCLB, when scores rose from 213 in 1990 to 235 in 2003.</span></span></span></span></li></ul> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-pagination: none;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1;tab-stops:list .5in;mso-layout-grid-align: none;text-autospace:nonecolor:#333333;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The same is true of eight grade mathematics.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Scores were up by two points, from 279 in 2005 to 281 in 2007. However, once again, the pre-NCLB gains were larger, when scores increased from 263 in 1990 to 278 in 2003.</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:11.0pt;text-align:justify;line-height:15.0pt;mso-pagination:none;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But here’s the real story</span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">. None of these improvements persist through to the end of high school. </span></span></span></b></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">NAEP long-term test results show that since 1990, the scores of 17-year-olds have stagnated in math and fallen in reading.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">So is this progress?</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Decide for yourself.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But here’s one more statistic.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And this is the one that pushed me over the edge.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Over and over and over again, we hear about how our African-American children are doing better.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">That’s wonderful if true.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But is it?</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Here’s one stat.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The Nation’s Report Card webpage documenting average 4th grade reading scores starts with the headline: “</span></span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">White, Black, Hispanic, and Asian/Pacific Islander fourth-graders scored higher in 2007 than in 1992.”</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></b></span><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Okay, fair enough. Read further. In 2007, the average 4th grade reading score for African Americans was 203.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">This is the “historic high.”</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But then download the full report card.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Go to page 21, where you’ll find the 4th grade reading scale. Then note where an average score of 203 places you.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">An average score of 203 is below basic!</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I was so dumbfounded, so utterly flabbergasted by this, I asked my mother, a retired teacher, to look at the report.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">She saw the same thing, shook her head and whispered “My God.”</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Then I got angry.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Really, really angry.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">(And I will try, gentle reader, not to have this blog devolve into an expletive-laced tirade).</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">A 203 is NOT progress.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It’s pathetic.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It’s appalling.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">This is AMERICA not Guam! I don’t care who you are or where you’re from, 4th grade students in THIS country should NOT have an AVERAGE reading score of below basic. Ever.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And then to have the temerity, the unmitigated GALL, to characterize this as progress, insults even the most basic notions of reason or intelligence.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">(See, no expletives.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I’m proud of myself).</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Imagine this.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Imagine if a teacher said to you of your child, “We are sooooo very proud of your child.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">S/he’s made soooooo much progress.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">S/he’s now IMPROVED to below basic.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">You must be very proud.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">We are.”</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">What would you do?</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I’ll tell you what I would do.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">X-Box…..</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">gone.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Cable television……</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">out.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Television……</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">off.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">iPod…….</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">forget about it.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Air Jordan’s……</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">don’t even look.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Jeans....</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">from Sears.</span></span></span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Play time…..</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">limited.</span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><br /></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Bed time……</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">8 o’clock EVERY night.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Homework…..</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">constantly, all the time, every day until you leave my house, get a job or win the lottery.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Fuzzy wuzzy, feel good tolerance of woeful academic performance…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">not in my house.</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Not ever.</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Folks,</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">when I see scores like this, I’m reminded of a scene from the movie Armageddon where the Bruce Willis character is informed that the only way to save the world is to send his team of deep sea drillers into outer space to drill a hole in an asteroid and drop a nuclear bomb in the hole.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The Willis character looks at the NASA rep (played with surprising restraint by Billy Bob Thornton) and says (as only Bruce Willis can), </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">“You’ve got to be kidding.</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">That’s the best you can do.</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">You’re NASA. You’re geniuses.</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And this best you can do?</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Oh God….”</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">That’s what I think about education.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Public education is full of, well…</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">educators.</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">You guys are </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">really, really smart.</span></span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">You have PhD’s.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">You write textbooks.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">You study the human brain.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">You passed statistics.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">You get billions and billions of dollars and year, </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">and this is the best we can do?</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It is at this point that I can almost understand (almost….) some republican concerns about increased education spending. Trillions of dollars and this is our return?</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">A generation of functionally illiterate kids who are hopelessly ill equipped and ill-prepared to compete and succeed in the world as it exists now? This is what you give me?</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And then you have the nerve to look me in the face and characterize THIS as progress?</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Oh man……</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">So one of three things is true.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">We either:</span></span></span></span></p> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .5incolor:#333333;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">cannot fix public education because the problems are too deep, too entrenched, for systemic change, and no one has the gumption, the courage, to say so; </span></span></span></span></li></ul> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .5incolor:#333333;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">can fix public education but don’t know how and no one has the gumption, the courage, to say so; or</span></span></span></span></li></ul> <ul style="margin-top:0in" type="disc"> <li class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify;mso-list:l1 level1 lfo2; tab-stops:list .5incolor:#333333;"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">can fix public education, and we know how to do it, we just don’t choose to do it.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">And why should we? Public school is for poor kids anyway.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">As long as our talented tenth is thriving, we still need someone to bag our groceries and to sell us Jimmy Choo shoes.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">So pumping out ill-informed, uneducated worker bees into our economy suits us just fine. (Of course, we can never, ever say that…that would be positively un-American).</span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></li> </ul> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Whatever the cause, the effect is the same. There’s not enough work for the worker bees anymore. And with about 50 million illiterate Americans and climbing, who do you think is going to pay for all these unemployed and underemployed worker bees? Look at your paycheck.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">See all those Federal, state and local deductions?</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">That’s right.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">YOU will.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">YOU will end up paying for our failure to educate our children.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Or more likely, our children will end up paying this debt.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">A debt they didn’t create and don’t deserve.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Didn’t like the bailouts?</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Stimulus package tick you off?</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Well, if we keep this up, if we don’t fix our schools, if we keep characterizing average scores of below basic as “historic highs,” if we don’t start calling it like it is, then the looming crisis, both human and economic, will make our current economic travails look like a hiccup by comparison.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Believe me, I am, by nature, an optimist.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">I do not ascribe to the politics of fear and polarization.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But this is real folks.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It’s real and it’s happening right now.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But please, please, please, don’t take my word for it. Don’t blindly accept my characterization.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">That’s the point of this post.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Agree with me, disagree with me, tell me I’m full of it, it’s cool—but check it out for yourselves.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Arm yourselves.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Inform yourselves.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Then decide.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style=""><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">There are many forms of power; most unattainable to the common citizen.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">But some forms of power are yours and can never be taken away </span></span></span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">should you choose to exercise that power.</span></span></span></i></span><span style=""><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">One is the power of the mind.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It’s yours.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Use it.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The other is the power of information.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">One of the great benefits of living in the Digital Age is that information is readily available.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">There is simply no excuse for not knowing.</span></span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">So take it.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Power.</span></span></span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> </span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It doesn’t belong to Obama, or Duncan or your elected officials.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">It’s yours.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">Seize it.</span></span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span style=""><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">The power to think, the power to decide, the power to </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);">act</span></span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"> and the power to shape our individual and collective future.</span></span></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></p> <!--EndFragment-->Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-47582248424713020282009-06-18T10:41:00.006-05:002009-06-18T12:01:57.594-05:00I'll throw it out there...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuxMLNgx-cQkg1usVj01dbwLQvL2SgTdbGj14tKqHQETTROVyl1cNrkUJ3AXcyPjtwf2PVQwHfx6OPXylquFO0aaD9v3DsAxff1hDhA716VaCBDdJxPcmDblFGIeCRTCSiykXMkDmNCFU/s1600-h/Finderpic"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 220px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGuxMLNgx-cQkg1usVj01dbwLQvL2SgTdbGj14tKqHQETTROVyl1cNrkUJ3AXcyPjtwf2PVQwHfx6OPXylquFO0aaD9v3DsAxff1hDhA716VaCBDdJxPcmDblFGIeCRTCSiykXMkDmNCFU/s320/Finderpic" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5348709972192865026" /></a><br /><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family:'trebuchet ms';font-size:13px;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-style: italic;font-family:verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">"Hey Mike, aren't you blogging anymore?"</span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I'm sorry. I've received several emails like this. I have been silent for a while. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">It's not because I've run out of things to say. To the contrary, I've probably started, then stopped, at least a dozen new blogs. I have a great deal that I would like to say. What I've struggled with, ergo my silence, is what I </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">should</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> say.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I started blogging because I had all these ideas, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">all this stuff</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, just sitting in my head and on my hard drive collecting intellectual dust. I didn't know if any of it had any merit; I didn't know if it was any good, so I thought...let's just throw it out there and see what happens. I didn't really expect much. Then I received my first comment. I was floored. Then a second, a third. Then I started finding references to my blog that I didn't know existed; references that indicated, to my silent surprise, that some of the things I'd written moved and inspired. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Wow. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Suddenly, I began to feel a measure of responsibility. I didn't want to just add to the white noise that too often characterizes the ongoing, and annoyingly circuitous, dialogue about educational reforms; I wanted to say something of merit, of substance. I wanted to add something of value--especially for the teachers who I believe are on the front lines of our efforts at educational reform. And as I scanned through my first wave of blogs, I realized that I didn't really talk much about technology per se. I didn't talk about the newest or most interesting hardware and software. I didn't identify specific instructional uses of technology. As I read through the posts, one by one, I realized that I essentially offered commentary.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">But is that okay? Is that enough?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">A few weeks ago, my company, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><a href="http://www.smartts.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">S</span></a><a href="http://www.smartts.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">mart Technology Services</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">, launched a new </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><a href="http://smartts.blogspot.com/"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Smart Tech Blog</span></a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> "that c</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); line-height: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">overs technological trends, design elements, and marketing schemes that affect us in the office, on the street, and at home."</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> The blog is written by our marketing manager, Jeff Wichmann. Jeff writes in a concise and informative style; with his own unique wit. You should check it out or add it to your blog roll.</span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">Of course, this still begs the question, what do I do? Where is my place? What can I add that is of meaning and value?</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I guess, in the end, I have to trust what's in my heart.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I could, I suppose, talk more about widgets and gadgets, but there are already a number of people doing that far better than I ever could. I could, I suppose, focus more on curriculum design and alignment strategies, and I will certainly do more of that in the future, but again, there are already a number of bloggers out there doing that far better than I ever could. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So I will continue to offer commentary. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">I will continue to do what I think, what I hope, has some value to you. Because once again, I find that I have all these ideas, </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: italic;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">all this stuff,</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> sitting in my head and on my hard drive. </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">So I'll throw it out there.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;">And we'll see what happens.</span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); line-height: normal; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 0px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 0px; font-family:Verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: collapse; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); line-height: 18px; -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:small;"> </span></span></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span></div></span>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-74607766134723234742009-05-11T09:14:00.011-05:002009-05-11T12:33:26.340-05:00Why do we have summer vacation?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZN8h67_4LEoSGVSe85ZdZMr_YJ0TlaWLPhNvdfd4vilfVn91EJpm0YWr0EVO8E3eNrAB5xp21_lVoUhsutD40B7NwfM0ybXqSXmV6Sss2UcdmL827joW-Upo_gPayj1txiv24lFi64HEF/s1600-h/j0433174.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZN8h67_4LEoSGVSe85ZdZMr_YJ0TlaWLPhNvdfd4vilfVn91EJpm0YWr0EVO8E3eNrAB5xp21_lVoUhsutD40B7NwfM0ybXqSXmV6Sss2UcdmL827joW-Upo_gPayj1txiv24lFi64HEF/s320/j0433174.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334613930415487682" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><br />Oh boy.....<br /><br />I'm venturing into <span style="font-style: italic;">very</span> dangerous, very sensitive territory here, so please allow me to qualify a few things at the outset.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">First</span>, as anyone who follows this blog knows, my mother was a school teacher for over 20 years. So I truly appreciate how hard teachers work and the mental and physical demands of the job. I get that. I really do. Teachers, <span style="font-style: italic;">I'm on your side.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Second</span>, as a parent, I also understand the importance of family time; of the need for a contiguous, uninterrupted block of time to play together, vacation together or just be together.<br /><br />That said, I'll throw this out there.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Why do we have summer vacation?</span><br /><br />This question occurred to me as I read the increasing number of plurks and tweets from educators eagerly awaiting the end of the school year. I understand that. I felt the same way when I was a student (<span style="font-style: italic;">14 more days to go, 13 more days to go...</span>), and would undoubtedly feel the same way if I were a teacher. But as the parent of a school age child, and as someone who has only worked in the private sector, I find myself increasingly confused by the uniquely American phenomenon of taking nearly 2 months off from school. I addition to being out of sync with virtually every other facet of our society, I'm beginning to think that this practice has disastrous implications for the cognitive development of our children.<br /><br />I'll elaborate.<br /><br />Being a lawyer just sucks. Really. <span style="font-style: italic;">You work all of the time</span>. Even if you're one of those large law firm lawyers billing $500 an hour and making a kings ransom in salary (which is the benefit), the attendant cost is that you work constantly and you have to be reminded about your children's birthdays. I know there have been entire <span style="font-style: italic;">years</span> where I did not take a week off. There was a three year stretch where I did not take a vacation at all. I have never taken two consecutive weeks off. If I took a month off, I may as well stay wherever I landed because I'd become irrelevant or get fired.<br /><br />Here's a bit of insight from behind the veil. I don't care what employers <span style="font-style: italic;">say</span>, they don't like it when employees take vacations. They really don't. I've huddled up with enough business owners when vacation requests come in to know that they might give you the Cheshire cat grin and say: "Have a <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> nice vacation (toothy grin on cue)." But what they're <span style="font-style: italic;">thinking</span> is: <span style="font-style: italic;">"I ought to fire you, you thankless sack of [expletive deleted] because while you're busy hanging out at Disneyland with the wife and kids, I'll be here running the business that allows you to pay your damn mortgage. Yeah, have fun and pray to God that I don't come across someone while you're busy getting a tan that I think is better suited to do your job." </span><br /><br />Two months off just doesn't work in real life. Not for anything. Until Congress made it illegal, <span style="font-style: italic;">women were getting fired for getting pregnant and having babies!</span> (An extreme and awful practice by the way). My point is this, business is not seasonal. Life is not seasonal. The "real world" for which we are preparing our kids is not seasonal.<br /><br />Three words for everyone. "Employee at will." Look it up.<br /><br />Point #2.<br /><br />If our kids aren't in school, especially Pre-K through 8th grade children, <span style="font-style: italic;">what the hell else do they have to do?</span> Work for the board of trade? Really, what are they going to do? Watch video games? That's healthy. Play sports? They could do that and <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> be in school. Go on vacation with the family? Great. Take two weeks. Now what?<br /><br />Right now, parents from sea to shinning sea are scrambling to figure out what they're going to do with their little bundles of joy when that final school bell rings. I know I am. And that's all fine and good for parents with means and options; they can send their kids to camps or summer programs. But what about the millions of parents who are struggling just to keep the lights and gas on? Who can't pay their mortgage or their rent? Free summer school is an answer for some; especially in Title I schools,<span style="font-style: italic;"> but this is not a systemic solution available to everyone. </span><br /><br />All that takes a back seat to the biggest problem.<br /><br />The BIGGEST problem, in my humble opinion, is that kids get REAL dumb REAL fast during the summer. It's amazing how much of the stuff we just spent the last 10 months cramming into their still developing brains gets lost. After Christmas break, my son seemed to forget how to write his name. (So now time <span style="font-style: italic;">away</span> from school does not mean time <span style="font-style: italic;">off</span> from school--much to my son's disdain and vocal displeasure). We take this time off, kids get a great tan and then spend the first month or so of the <span style="font-style: italic;">next</span> school year playing "let's catch up" instead of "let's push forward." The more I think about it, the more I think this whole summer vacation thing just doesn't make sense.<br /><br />Yes, there should be some time off. Some sort of summer sabbatical. According to my friend and colleague <a href="http://ilearntechnology.com/">Kelly Tenkely</a>, the schools in her county take a three week summer break and three additional three week breaks throughout the school year. This seems to make more sense to me. Kids, take your three week break and then, to use my mama's words, "get your rusty butt back in school." Now we could (and probably should) change things up a bit in the summer. We could have a shorter school day. We could change the hours so we're not getting our kids up <span style="font-style: italic;">before</span> the crack of dawn. (Who's BRILLIANT idea was THAT anyway?) We could allow the children more free time or the ability to craft individualized lesson plans. Perhaps we could also use this time to focus on subjects that get the short shrift during the standardized test driven school year such as art, music, and yes, sports and physical exercise. We could have school camps where the kids are learning, having fun and developing a stronger sense of community. This time could be used for meaningful, more deliberate professional development rather than those awful (and generally ineffective) in service days during the school year that many teachers seem to hate.<br /><br />And finally, but most importantly, perhaps this could be a time where teachers are encouraged to experiment with innovative instructional practices, such as the use and integration of technology, because they’re not consumed and driven by standardized test prep. There's a whole lot we could do during the summer that’s different if we're creative and willing to think outside of the box. It doesn’t have to be more of the same.<br /><br />So what do you think? Is a summer vacation a needed and necessary respite? Or does putting the brakes on learning and saying, "we'll see you in two months" do more harm than good? Is this really right for our times; especially in high-poverty communities with a large number of at-risk students where the school might be the only stabilizing factor in their lives? Sure, this time off made sense when most of our students spent the summer harvesting crops or helping out on the farm. But if I may, this is 2009, not 1909. If you were to poll most kids in inner-city public schools today, I suspect very few of them spent their summer shucking corn.<br /><br />So is “summer vacation,” like so many other traditions in our schools, something that we should take a <span style="font-style: italic;">l</span><span style="font-style: italic;">ong</span> look at and ask ourselves, <span style="font-style: italic;">“Is this really in our student’s best interests?" </span><br /><br />I'm open here. I'm not dogmatic about this and I'm not necessarily trying to make a case. So by all means, let me know what you think. Am I off? Are there alternatives? I'd like to know. Because I don’t need to be right. But I would like to arrive, logically and dispassionately, at the right answer. Because a lot of what we’re doing right now just isn't working.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Kids first</span>, remember? It's a motto I see prominently displayed in most schools.<br /><br />So what do we do?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">13, 12, 11</span>….the final school bell is about to ring.<br /><br />What should we be doing when that final bell rings to truly put our kids first?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-75603198784006262212009-05-10T02:03:00.011-05:002009-05-10T11:30:56.844-05:00Yes I can......(Happy Mothers Day)<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq5vJMyyqmPCYL_npZ_5o8xNtPbpwZL_mKvbnHDY0CwP3XqdYqN30Q9CqMu9bsb2XMlhP1ICSXUD-Y4gLLQl696aZwVwoI0a1ZkGzxNHMaN2CPutdOkQ1_XSTWmKMnJzCaA0R_hkSxI1q/s1600-h/Finderpic"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 319px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq5vJMyyqmPCYL_npZ_5o8xNtPbpwZL_mKvbnHDY0CwP3XqdYqN30Q9CqMu9bsb2XMlhP1ICSXUD-Y4gLLQl696aZwVwoI0a1ZkGzxNHMaN2CPutdOkQ1_XSTWmKMnJzCaA0R_hkSxI1q/s320/Finderpic" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5334195581884822418" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />A flower is a beautiful thing.<br /><br />It is fragile; easily damaged. It must be watered and nurtured. It needs good soil. It requires the warmth of he sun.<br /><br />But when all of these things work together, water, earth, sun and a kind and gentle hand, a simple seed can grow and bloom into something more; something extraordinary, something.......<span style="font-style: italic;">beautiful.</span><br /><br />And so it goes with a life.<br /><br />All life.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*******************<br /></div><br />I was a geeky, skinny little kid. My teeth were too big for my face, I wore coke bottle glasses, my hair was like steel wool, utterly impervious to combs, and unlike my brother, <span style="font-style: italic;">who was born cute</span>, I was, well, pretty darn funny looking. I cannot count the number of times that girls in my grammar school class would say to me, "Your brother is<span style="font-style: italic;"> fine</span>. What happened to you?" Kids can be cruel in that way. It did not help that I was one of those really "smart" kids that could NOT be cool even when I tried (and I did try), I could not dance (that stereotype about all black folks having rhythm....nope, not true), and unlike my brother, <span style="font-style: italic;">who could bring it, </span>I lacked a whit of athletic ability.<br /><br />I wanted to be Michael Jackson.<br /><br />Instead, I was Tito.<br /><br />No worse.<br /><br />I was <span style="font-style: italic;">Marlon.</span><br /><br />But I loved to write. Writing was my escape, my refuge. Writing is what I did well.<br /><br />And virtually everything I wrote, I shared with my mother. No matter how busy she was, no matter how exhausted from the physical and emotional demands of waking before the crack of dawn to teach school all day and then raise two rambunctious boys at night, she received everything I wrote with genuine enthusiasm. She carefully and conscientiously read whatever I presented, whether it was a comic book, a short story, a poem or a play, and after wading through the misspelled words and my barely legible cursive handwriting, she would look up, smile, and often say, "This is really good honey."<br /><br />I knew some things were better than others. <span style="font-style: italic;">Everything </span>I wrote couldn't be the next great American novel. But that's not how my mother made me feel. Everything was special. She made <span style="font-style: italic;">me</span> feel special. Powerful. She made sure that I understood that what you do, what you think, what you take the time to create, means something. It's a gift. It matters.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">You</span> matter.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*******************<br /></div><br />I will never forget one particular incident. I wrote a poem for a homework assignment. I think I was in 4<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">th</span> or 5<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> grade. My mother loved the poem. I turned it in, got a B. I was a bit disappointed, I thought the poem was better than that, but what can you do? But my mother was having none of that. She was enraged. And you have to understand something about my mother. She doesn't do <span style="font-style: italic;">enraged</span>. Annoyed? Yes. But not <span style="font-style: italic;">enraged</span>. My mother is the ultimate moderate; even tempered, solid, steady.<br /><br />But not this day. This day, she was not pleased. She thought I got jobbed.<br /><br />So without telling me, she took my poem, sent it into a magazine and they published it along with my picture. At the next parent teacher meeting, my mother <span style="font-style: italic;">hard</span> charged in, magazine with published poem in tow, and presented it to the teacher.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">How's THAT for your B?</span><br /><br />To this day, we laugh about that.<br /><br />God bless mothers.<br /><br />Mother, may God bless you.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*******************<br /></div><br />Everything I am, I do or become; all I create, all I impact, however small, I lay at your feet. There would be no blog, no JD, <span style="font-style: italic;">no me</span>, without you. The words would not flow so freely if not for you.<br /><br />If not for you, I would not have the courage to gaze into the great unknown, into the future, and think silently, but confidently...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yes I can.</span><br /><br />So thanks Mom.<br /><br />Your <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">lima</span> beans, which you would make by the vat, were simply horrendous; beyond description. To this day, I will not eat a <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">lima</span> bean. Ever. I will not make my children eat <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">lima</span> beans. Ever.<br /><br />But <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">lima</span> beans notwithstanding, you were my wind, my blessing.<br /><br />You <span style="font-style: italic;">rock.</span><br /><br />Happy Mothers Day to you and to mothers everywhere.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-12583746630811208742009-04-24T09:16:00.004-05:002009-04-24T09:42:22.444-05:00A vision for School 2.0...<div style="text-align: justify;">This is my shortest blog....like <span style="font-style: italic;">ever.</span><br /><br />It's less a blog and more just a thought I'd like to share. Do with it what you will.<br /><br />Thanks to my wacky, wonderful PLN, I started my morning listening to <a href="http://the60sofficialsite.com/">The Age of Aquarius/Let the Sun Shine In</a>. Then I started thinking about this whole "School 2.0" thing and what it means to me.<br /><br />For me, in my vision of the future, School 2.0 is all about school repurposed as a community center. Classroom cohorts give way to communities, both local and global. And technology is not a cold lifeless thing, but is used to edify, educate and to create connections.<br /><br />For me, School 2.0 is all about <span style="font-style: italic;">connections</span>. It's all about bringing us together; learning together, growing together, living together.<br /><br />Pretty neat, huh?<br /><br />Happy Friday everyone.<br /><br />And wherever you are, take a moment, open your blinds, open your windows, and let the sun shine in.<br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-72795360782132632912009-04-22T09:16:00.006-05:002009-04-23T09:43:19.147-05:00Inspiration from Earth Day<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgr5Q-lG2GIThcSsCTFeJ_l0Lza9Crh8uUpKKCgoEVwSauB4m3cSp1Mo2ikKKzCNFEhwh680HTIVIOM9xvuHNzAshzwX3KejqkUNsumKas_Q9ygUcgYMIx-Sp14OdgCltVT5-03YC8wVgB/s1600-h/j0430849.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 234px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgr5Q-lG2GIThcSsCTFeJ_l0Lza9Crh8uUpKKCgoEVwSauB4m3cSp1Mo2ikKKzCNFEhwh680HTIVIOM9xvuHNzAshzwX3KejqkUNsumKas_Q9ygUcgYMIx-Sp14OdgCltVT5-03YC8wVgB/s320/j0430849.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5327525344954371634" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Every child should have a laptop.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Every child?</span><br /><br />Yes. Every child in every school, whether rich or poor, should be handed a laptop, netbook, or some other portable, wireless device on their first day of school along with textbooks, pens, paper and other school supplies.<br /><br />Impossible you say.<br /><br />Nutty idea.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Ok. Here's another one.<br /><br />Wireless access should be a public utility. It should be available to every household in the same way that electricity is available to every household. It should not be the province of the few. It should be a resource for all.<br /><br />Never happen you say.<br /><br />Nutty idea.<br /><br />Well how about the idea of an "Earth Day?" Back in 1969 when the idea of Earth Day was proposed, I'm sure there were a number of naysayers who thought...<span style="font-style: italic;">yeah right</span>. This is stupid. More hippie, commie nonsense. This will go nowhere.<br /></div><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Earth Day is now observed in 175 countries. It is the only event celebrated simultaneously around the globe by people of all backgrounds, faiths and nationalities. More than a half billion people participate in Earth Day Network campaigns every year. It is now, by some estimates, "the largest secular holiday in the world."<br /></div><br />How's <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> for a nutty idea?<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">My last blog post was titled: <a href="http://smart1to1.blogspot.com/2009/04/you-take-inspiration-where-you-find-it.html">You take inspiration where you find it</a>. That sentiment is certainly very true today.<br /><br />Every great event in the course of human history begins with an idea. An idea becomes a cause. A cause can become a movement that, one day, changes the world.<br /><br />So I'll say it again...<br /><br />Every student should have access to a laptop.<br /><br />Every home should have wireless access.<br /><br />Crazy idea, right?<br /><br />Maybe.<br /><br />But maybe, just maybe, it's an idea that could become a cause that, one day, changes more than just our schools, but changes our world. Think of a world completely connected. Think of a world where the barriers between "us" and "them" become blurred, then broken down. Because if you think of it, there really is no "them." It's just "us." One world, one planet, one cause, one destiny. <br /><br />Happy Earth Day everyone.<br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-28003234377384415872009-04-21T14:35:00.010-05:002009-04-22T03:24:04.763-05:00You take inspiration where you find it...<div style="text-align: justify;">It's funny where you find inspiration.<br /><br />I am not a big fan of beauty pageants. When I was a boy, the Miss America pageant was a <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> big deal. (Yes, I'm that old). My family and I would crowd around our Zenith for 2 plus prime-time hours and eagerly await for Burt Parks to say the magic words:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"And the title goes to..." </span><br /><br />People may forget, but when Vanessa Williams won the Miss America pageant back in 1983, that was almost as big a deal then as Barack Obama is now. That might sound incredulous, but it's true. For decades, the Miss America pageant was as much a part of Americana and American folklore as baseball, apple pie and Chevrolet.<br /><br />But that was a long time ago. The Miss America pageant has been relegated to cable television and beauty pageants now seem, I don't know, strangely out of place. Young women parading around in poofed up hair and bathing suits, while not the worst thing in the world, seems kind of dated; passe.<br /><br />That said, I was kind of intrigued when I opened my web browser this morning and read the headline:<span style="font-size:100%;"> <span style="font-weight: bold;">"It's Blogger vs. Beauty in Gay Marriage Tiff.</span>" I thought...<span style="font-style: italic;">alrighty now. This should be interesting.</span> So I read the article.<br /><br />Apparently, </span>during Sunday night's Miss USA competition, Perez Hilton (a pageant judge) asked Carrie Prejean, Miss California, a question about her views on same-sex marriage. She answered that it was "great" that the option is available in some states, but that "in my country and in my family, I believe that a marriage should be between a man and a woman -- no offense to anyone out there."<span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><br /><br />Prejean later told Fox News that "God was testing my character and faith" by making her answer the controversial question in front of such a large audience. She reinforces her point by telling Fox that "I have nothing against gay people and I didn't mean to offend anyone in my answer."<br /><br /><div class="articleTxt smallText" id="articleTxt7">Prejean also went on to state that she believes her comment on gay marriage "cost me my crown," but she "wouldn't have had it any other way. I said what I feel."<br /><br />Following suit, Hilton appeared on MSNBC as well as CNN's 'Larry King Live,' arguing against Prejean's point of view. Following the show, he called her a "dumb b----" on his Twitter page, and though he apologized for it, later rescinded the apology.</div><br />My first thought after reading the article was to think that Hilton overreacted a bit. He asked a question, it was answered politely and respectfully (albeit in a manner he did not like) and that was that. He had the right to disagree with her answer, but to get personal, to attack the person, I thought was a bit out of bounds.<br /><br />That's just my opinion.<br /><br />And as I moved through the day, the more I thought about this young lady and her answer, and the more I thought...<span style="font-style: italic;">Right on, Miss California. </span>NOT because I agreed with the substance of her answer (I'm not touching that issue here; wrong place, wrong time) but because she stuck to her convictions and said what she believed when she had to know, given who was asking the question, that her answer would not be well-received.<br /><br />That took guts.<br /><br />And I think there's a lesson in that for those of us in education technology.<br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">**************<br /></div><br /><br />This is, by turns, an exciting and trying time. What we are trying to do in our respective spheres of influence; to integrate technology into our curriculum and classrooms, to change deep-seeded pedagogical practices, to usher in something new, is a <span style="font-style: italic;">very, very</span> difficult thing to do in education. There have been times when I will readily admit that I find myself mired in frustration. I have never <span style="font-style: italic;">ever</span> in my professional career encountered a system so mired in its traditions and so institutionally resistant to change.<br /><br />Do you sometimes feel as though you’re baying into the wind? I do. Do you sometimes feel completely alone? I have. Do you sometimes feel as though your ideas are merely tolerated, but not embraced, by your peers and colleagues? I have often felt that way.<br /><br />So what keeps me going?<br /><br />I find comfort and inspiration in these words:<br /><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">"It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat."</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">"Citizenship in a Republic,”<br />Speech at the Sorbonne, Paris, April 23, 1910<br />Theodore Roosevelt<br /></div></blockquote><br />What keeps me going is <span style="font-style: italic;">faith.</span><br /><br />It is my fundamental and passionate belief, <span style="font-style: italic;">it is my faith</span>, that we are on the right side of the educational equation. Modern interactive technologies, when used in a pedagogically sound manner, are the most powerful tools for teaching and learning ever invented. But more than that, technology is the great equalizer. It knows no bias. It does not discriminate; it takes no account of race, faith or gender. It simply allows the user to access, learn, and ultimately, <span style="font-style: italic;">to create.</span> To that end, it renders the limitations imposed by time, space, scarcity and lack almost irrelevant. When fully integrated and equitably available, technology allows 21st century schools to be what they are ideally supposed to be—an avenue to the American Dream for all children.<br /><br />So, yes, to that degree <span style="font-style: italic;">it is about the technology.</span><br /><br />Let’s call it like it is.<br /><br />Let’s stop apologizing for being advocates of technology integration and talking about technology by talking <span style="font-style: italic;">around</span> technology. Let’s be clear about what we believe and why. Let's fight the fight that needs to be fought, head on, with courage, conviction and clarity of purpose.<br /><br />Tell the world what you believe.<br /><br />I'll go first.<br /><br />I believe that <span style="font-style: italic;">every</span> child in <span style="font-style: italic;">every</span> school should have ubiquitous, one-to-one access to technology.<br /><br />I believe that technology should be fully integrated into our curriculum and classrooms; not to replace but to augment and support current learning strategies.<br /><br />I believe that there is a time, place and undeniable value to lecture-based instruction. But I also believe in student-driven, constructivist learning and believe that constructivist, project-based instruction should be integrated into our core curriculum and not relegated to special projects.<br /><br />I believe that the "either/or" dichotomies that have plagued efforts at education reform are just silly. The presence of technology does not mean the end of books, art, talking or teachers and people who raise that red flag need to stop.<br /><br />I believe that basic skill proficiency is critical, especially in high poverty and minority communities, because basic skills are the building blocks of all knowledge. But too narrow or singular a focus on basic skills, and assessments which merely reward the ability to ram, remember and regurgitate, do not prepare our children to compete and succeed in the world as it exists now.<br /><br />I believe that public education has failed a generation of children, especially poor, black and inner-city children. The drop out rate in our 50 largest cities is stunning; tragic. I'm not faulting individuals. The problems are systemic.<br /><br />I believe that teachers, on the whole, get a raw deal. We hand you chalk, recycled textbooks and <span style="font-style: italic;">maybe</span> a functioning overhead projector and then expect you to engage a generation of "fast twitch" kids who live in a world "fueled by technology, knowledge and innovation." Then we blame <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span> because our educational outcomes are not up to par. That strikes me as fundamentally unfair.<br /><br />That said, I have not lost hope.<br /><br />I believe that our strength and resiliency as a nation revolves around our extraordinary ability for <span style="font-style: italic;">change. </span> As a nation, we have shown, <span style="font-style: italic;">time and time again</span>, that we <span style="font-style: italic;">can </span>change, that we <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> stop, that we <span style="font-style: italic;">can</span> dig our heels in the metaphorical sand and say...<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">No more.</span><br /><br /></div>And so it will be with education.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">It may take my lifetime, but we <span style="font-style: italic;">will</span> reform our schools. I truly believe that. (How we get there is a topic for another day). But I also believe that ubiquitous access to technology should be an integral part of school reform. Technology should be as accessible to children inside of our schools as it is outside of our schools and in virtually ever other facet of our daily lives. So if asked, <span style="font-style: italic;">I am staunchly pro-technology,</span> and my mission from now until the day I retire (or until I'm fired for writing blogs that link beauty pageants and education technology) is to help schools acquire the technology they need and then use that technology in a pedagogically sound manner. I know not everyone agrees with that, technology integration is a hot-button topic, but that's cool.<br /><br />Because sometimes, you just have to step up, stand up, and let the world know what you believe.<br /><br />Come what may.<br /><br />So well done Carrie Prejean. Well done. You may have lost a crown. But in my book, you're a winner.<br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-85111715055290596662009-04-08T18:25:00.015-05:002009-04-09T06:56:53.304-05:00Call your shot...<div style="text-align: justify;">I've heard that Arnie Duncan is a <span style="font-style: italic;">baller</span>.<br /><br />That's black folk speak for "he can play basketball."<br /><br />Whether this is literally true or not; I don't know. I've never seen him play. I do know Duncan and Obama used to play together here in Chicago. But does he have a <span style="font-style: italic;">game? </span> Who knows. But Arnie Duncan is a tall guy, he looks like he's in pretty decent shape, so I'm inclined to give our Secretary of Education the benefit of the doubt.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">***************<br /></div><br />This weekend, I had the unique pleasure of wading through the minutia of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. <span style="font-style: italic;">Fun. Fun. Fun. </span>Can someone <span style="font-style: italic;">please</span> explain to me why all Federal legislation is virtually incomprehensible? I mean...<span style="font-style: italic;">everyone is DC is a lawyer! </span>Seriously. Go to DC and check it out. Your senator? A lawyer. Congressman? A lawyer. Hotel concierge? Underemployed lawyer. Cab driver? Unemployed lawyer. So why is it that finding someone in DC to construct a <span style="font-style: italic;">basic</span> sentence is so hard? I thought the ability to write was a prerequisite to passing the bar exam. I guess times are a changing.<br /><br />In any event, as I waded though rhetoric and conditions, qualified by caveats and assurances, sports metaphors kept racing through my mind. (Maybe it was because I was watching the Final Four while trying to figure out where all of this money was going). After spending hours reading, cross-checking, extrapolating and analyzing, I thought to myself....I <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> I know what Obama and Duncan really want to say here but can't. It would be...uncouth. But when you break ARRA down, <span style="font-style: italic;">when you get to the heart of the matter</span> after all of the regulatory gobbly-gook, what I <span style="font-style: italic;">think</span> they want to say is:<br /><br />Rethink everything.<br /><br />Or to use a basketball metaphor, I could see Arnie Duncan standing in the lane like Shaq, guarding the hoop (or in this case, a $5 billion dollar fund that he controls) like a hawk, saying to school boards, superintendents, school districts and principals from sea to shining sea: <span style="font-style: italic;">Bring it!</span> Show me what you've got. You've got <span style="font-style: italic;">some</span> money, but I want to know what you did, how you did it, and what you came up with that's <span style="font-style: italic;">new.</span> And don't even TRY to come into the lane with some soft, tired, unoriginal retread masked as reform. If you do, I will knock that weak garbage back in your face. Come strong or not at all.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Show me something!</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">***************<br /></div><br />A true baller is also a shot caller. A shot caller is someone who will tell you what they're going to do before they do it, dare you to stop it, <span style="font-style: italic;">and then do it. </span> Jordan was the ultimate shot caller. I'll never forget one game where Dekembe Mutombo of the finger wagging fame was playing one of his typically annoying "I-just-blocked-your-shot-so-I'm-going-to-wag-my-finger-in-your-face" games against the Bulls. Jordan was fouled and walked to the free throw line. He yelled: "HEY MUTOMBO," <span style="font-style: italic;">closed is eyes</span>, dribbled the ball and proceed to make the free throw <span style="font-style: italic;">with his eyes closed.</span><br /><br />Yeah baby!!<br /><br />THAT'S a shot caller!!<br /><br />And THAT'S what we need in education.<br /><br />With an unprecedented 5 BILLION dollar fund in his back pocket, $5 billion that schools will <span style="font-style: italic;">only</span> get for showing innovative instructional practices, it's as though Duncan and Obama are <span style="font-style: italic;">daring</span> the shot callers to step up. Shot callers are <span style="font-style: italic;">doers. </span> Shot callers are <span style="font-style: italic;">innovators. </span> Shot callers are Don Quixote; people who dream the impossible dream. People like my girl <a href="http://www.plurk.com/GingerTPLC">Ginger Lewman </a>knocking it out of the park at <a href="http://www.usd253.org/home/tplc">Turning Point Learning Center</a> doing GREAT things with GREAT people in the heartland of Kansas. People like Kelly Tenkely, rocking it out with a <a href="http://ilearntechnology.com/">website</a> on technology integration that you can actually <span style="font-style: italic;">use,</span> creating something with her hands, her mind and her passion for absolutely no money that is of use and value to anyone, anywhere, anytime. People like my guy Korbus who is, I think, writing a <a href="http://www.e4africa.co.za/">primer for the educational uses of laptops</a> for, like, <span style="font-style: italic;">all of South Africa.</span><br /><br />Shot callers.<br /><br />So you know I think? I think if I were a board member, superintendent, principal or a teacher in the trenches, I wouldn't be satisfied with that first wave of stimulus money. That's basically back fill and catch up money. I would want want more. That 5 billion Duncan has? <span style="font-style: italic;">That my money</span>. I would call my shot. I've got kids who need me, parents who depend on me and <span style="font-style: italic;">5 billion reasons</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">to bring it</span>; to come up with something new; something strong, something truly innovative.<br /><br />So at the end of the day, don't fixate on the words of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. (Unless, of course, you're a lawyer and you like doing that sort of stuff). Focus on the <span style="font-style: italic;">meaning. </span>And what is the <span style="font-style: italic;">meaning?</span> That the status quo is not good enough. Come strong. Bring it like Jordan. Come get this money. But don't do it for yourself. Do it for your kids. Because they need <span style="font-style: italic;">you. </span> Because if <span style="font-style: italic;">you </span>don't do it, who will?<br /><br />So create.<br /><br />Think outside of the box.<br /><br />Fight for the future of your kids.<br /><br />Innovate.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Rethink everything.</span><br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*****************<br /></div><br />I'm sending a shout out to all of the ballers and shot callers.<br /><br />We've got <span>a MAJOR one-time infusion of new funding. </span>Kudos to Obama and Congress. But more is waiting.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Bring it!</span><br /><br />Show Duncan and Obama what you've got. <span style="font-style: italic;">Show the world what you've got.</span><br /><br />We're watching......<br /><br />Waiting.......<br /></div><br />Call your shot.Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-50716818608892382832009-04-07T09:23:00.005-05:002009-04-07T10:54:50.852-05:00Pedagogues--gotta love 'em<div style="text-align: justify;">Pedagogues.<br /><br />Gotta love 'em.<br /><br />I remember the first time I heard the word. My younger brother, who works as a teacher in a high-risk, special needs school, was offering up his opinions on the difference between educational theory (or those who prattle on endlessly about educational theory) and the reality of life in the classroom. My brother is a black and white, "either/or" kind of guy; all right angles, no shades of gray. If he likes you, you'll know. If not, leave the room very quickly.<br /><br />Anyway, many of his exact words on this particular occasion were largely unprintable, but I perked up when he used the word "pedagogue." I knew the word "pedagogy," but this one was new. <span style="font-style: italic;">Pedagogue.</span> But every time he said it, it rolled off his tongue the same way someone would use the word <span style="font-style: italic;">excrement. </span> <br /><br />I remember laughing and asking my baby bro why he was being so harsh. Wrong question. He let loose with a expletive laced tirade about pedagogues that would make our mother seriously rethink our private school education.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">****************<br /></div><br />On occasion, I will volunteer my time in my son's kindergarten class. Six words come to mind every time I do this: "Oh...my...dear...God" and "controlled chaos." It's <span style="font-style: italic;">insane.</span> I have no earthly idea how the teacher, God bless her, does this everyday. There are too many kids in the classroom, classroom management is an ongoing battle, there are kids with wildly different learning abilities and styles and if you drop your gaze for a moment to focus on a single child, classroom chaos will soon ensue as the other children, now bored, begin to (literally) take their education into their own oh-so-curious little hands.<br /><br />After each one of these visits, I better understand my brother's frustrations with pedagogues. They talk. And talk. And talk. They write white papers. They give lectures. They theorize.<br /><br />They have PhDs.<br /><br />They<span style="font-style: italic;"> know.</span>... <br /><br />And you know what?<br /><br />Most of them don't <span style="font-style: italic;">know</span> a damn thing.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">****************<br /></div><br />It seems there are reform hawks on one side and teacher unions on the other. I sit squarely in the middle. I am a reform hawk that vigorously defends and supports our teachers because I think that meaningful eduction reform must <span style="font-style: italic;">begin</span> with engaging and motivating teachers. I also really appreciate the work they do. The pay is crappy, the hours are terrible, the work is often thankless and the working conditions are often antiquated and hopelessly out-of-date. But when something goes wrong....bad test scores, lousy graduation rates, truculent, underachieving kids, who do we blame? Teachers. It's a lousy deal. An unfair deal.<br /><br />And I don't like unfair.<br /><br />So here's <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> deal. My thought for the day. There's a lot of talk about education reform these days, especially with all this new stimulus money swirling about. But if you've never been a teacher, spent time in a classroom, managed thirty kids that are not your own; if you've never been in the trenches; <span style="font-style: italic;">if you've never been a teacher</span>, then all you are to me is a citation. Go write a white paper or give a lecture at Harvard.<br /><br />Because I have no use for pedagogues.<br /><br />I'd rather spend my time talking to teachers.<br /><br />I rather spend <span style="font-style: italic;">my</span> time taking to someone who actually knows something.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-37297797169610537702009-04-04T17:16:00.010-05:002009-04-05T00:05:01.194-05:0021st Century Skills-- Use it or lose it?<div style="text-align: justify;">It's funny how an entire lifetime can boil down to a few seminal moments. Fleeting images, mental and emotional vignettes that flash through the recesses of our minds, little things...small things...but ultimately, the things that both shape and define our lives.<br /><br />I clearly remember one such moment from my youth.<br /><br />I was a chatty little lad. (Which I'm sure <span style="font-style: italic;">stuns</span> those of you who know me). I liked learning new and fancy words and then impressing my friends and family by using these new and fancy words in new and fancy sentences. My mother once joked that I started talking fluently at 2, and over 40 years later, she's <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> waiting for a pregnant pause.<br /><br /><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Rimshot</span>, please.<br /><br />Anyway, <span>o</span><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">ne</span> day when I was in the 7<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span> or 8<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> grade, I heard the word "gauche" for the first time. I think it was during an episode of Gilligan's Island; from the lips of one of the most iconic characters in broadcast television history--Mr. Thurston Howell, III of course. I remember thinking, <span style="font-style: italic;">what a cool sounding word</span>. I liked the way it rolled off the tongue. <span style="font-style: italic;">Gauche, gauche, gauche.</span> Saying it made me feel so <span style="font-style: italic;">grown up</span>. Like a <span style="font-style: italic;">man.</span><br /><br />The problem is I had no idea what it meant.<br /><br />I thought it meant "sophisticated, proper, something classy." (After all, if Mr. Howell said it, <span style="font-style: italic;">it had to be something good</span>). So I <span style="font-style: italic;">vividly</span> remember the day when my father (a very, very large man), my mother, my brother and I were in our kitchen talking casually after dinner and as everyone was about to leave the room I had one of those "let-me-show-mommy-and-daddy-how-grown-I-really-am" moments.<br /><br />I said, "Mom, Dad...."<br /><br />All eyes turned to me. I had the floor.<br /><br />"Our house is so <span style="font-style: italic;">gauche</span>."<br /><br />Silence.<br /><br />Dead silence.<br /><br />Then my Dad's upper lip did this thing where it quivered, got really thin and turned kind of blue.....which meant he was really mad. My mother, an even tempered person if ever there was one, looked at me without a <span style="font-style: italic;">hint </span>of amusement and said, "What did you say?"<br /><br />At this point, I began to suspect I had done something terribly, terribly wrong.<br /><br />I got as far as "Um...." before my mother said:<br /><br />"Don't ever say that again."<br /><br />Now I was in full-blown retreat.<br /><br />"But Mom, <span style="font-style: italic;">gauche</span> is a good thing."<br /><br />Her expression softened a bit but I could tell she was still not pleased. "No, it is <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>a good thing," she said.<br /><br />"Michael," my mother looked me squarely in the eyes and spoke in a cool measured tone.<br /><br />"Don't <span style="font-style: italic;">ever</span> use a word unless you know what it means."<br /><br />With that she left the room along with my father whose upper lip had thankfully returned to its normal size and color. I breathed a sigh of relief. But they never did tell me what "gauche" meant. Since I couldn't even spell the word, I was unable to look it up in the dictionary. I didn't find out what gauche meant until years later.<br /><br />I remember that day too.<br /><br />For years, I thought the word "gauche" was spelled "gosh" (which explained why I couldn't find it in the dictionary). But when I finally figured that out that the "o" was in fact an "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">au</span>" and the "sh" an "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">che</span>," I was able to pull out our twenty pound, eleven inch thick unabridged dictionary (remember those...I am <span style="font-style: italic;">such</span> a digital immigrant) and look up the cool sounding word with the really funny spelling. As my finger worked its way down the page, I remember feeling what could best be described as an uncomfortable mix of intellectual curiosity and anxiety. Then I found it.<br /><br />Gauche.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Awkward, clumsy, inept, unsophisticated, inelegant, graceless, unpolished, uncultured, ill-bread, ill-mannered. </span><br /><br />Each word was like a punch in the stomach. I grew up at a time when there were certain things you simply did <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> say to your parents. Like calling your house gauche. My parents were hard working people. We did not have a lot, but whatever we had, they worked really hard to get. And even though my intentions were good, I'd insulted them.<br /><br />I felt like a fool. Worse than that, I felt like an <span style="font-style: italic;">educated</span> fool. I'd gleaned what I thought was a bit of knowledge that I thought would make me sound <span style="font-style: italic;">more</span> intelligent, but I ended up sounding far less intelligent than had I said nothing at all. I have no idea if my parents remembered this incident (they certainly never mentioned it again) but it was a lesson I will never forget.<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br />Never use a word unless you know what it means.</span><br /><br />Which brings me to phrase "21st century skills."<br /><br />I'm sure you know what they are.<br /><br />But do you know what it means?<br /><br />Because I don't.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">***************<br /></div><br />A few weeks ago on on <a href="http://www.plurk.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">plurk</span></a>, a teacher posed the following question:<br /><br />"What would you say if asked to give a one line description of 21st century skills?"<br /><br />Now you can usually send out a "<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">plurk</span>" or a "tweet" on virtually any subject, including whether or not you should put pickles on a tuna sandwich (you most assuredly should <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span>) and get a host of responses. Micro-blogging networks like twitter or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">plurk</span> can be an enormous source of information, so I'm not being at all critical of the forum. I like the forum. But I was really curious about this particular <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">plurk</span> because I had yet to find a single, cogent definition of "21st century skills" myself.<br /><br />So I waited.<br /><br />And waited.<br /><br />And waited.<br /><br />Finally, a response:<br /><br />"I can't think of anything at all."<br /><br />About ten minutes later, a second response:<br /><br />"Wow...that's hard...I'm thinking."<br /><br />Then a third:<br /><br />"I'm game. Here's my shot--it is the ability to use tools of technology to adapt your environment to create active responses."<br /><br />That was it.<br /><br />And I thought,<span style="font-style: italic;"> if that's the best we can do</span> <span style="font-style: italic;">we have got a REALLY big problem.</span><br /><br />I recently read a "tweet" from Gary <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Stager</span> that said, in part, "ed tech needs to get its act together...." I'm not sure what Mr. <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">Stager</span> was referring to on this particular occasion, but I think our use (or overuse) of the phrase "21st century skills" may be one such example.<br /><br />The importance of developing what we term "21st century skills" is at the very <span style="font-style: italic;">core</span> of our case for education technology. But have you found an actual definition? What I've found are "frameworks" (a grossly overused word), a matrix or lists itemizing and describing what "21st century skills" are. But as any good English teacher will tell you, there is a fundamental difference between a <span style="font-style: italic;">description</span> and a <span style="font-style: italic;">definition</span>. So while we're pounding the pavement, shaking our fists and baying into the wind about the need for pedagogical <span style="font-style: italic;">change, change, change</span>...we're doing so predicated on a premise--the importance of developing "21st century skills"--that we struggle to define.<br /><br />And <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> folks is a problem.<br /><br />Remember, I want us to win this fight. But those of us "in" the ed tech camp; those of us who think that technology and other multimedia tools should be fully integrated into our curriculum and classrooms are still the minority. If I may put on my lawyer hat for a moment, we have the burden of proof. We have to convince the majority to move away <span style="font-style: italic;">from</span> something, <span style="font-style: italic;">to</span> something. So if we're going to succeed, and to date we have not succeeded, at least systemically, we had better be <span style="font-style: italic;">very, very</span> clear about why.<br /><br />So let's try and break this down. What exactly is the problem here? Why has the phrase "21st century skills" become such a lightening rod of confusion and controversy?<br /><br />The problem, and I will try to tread lightly here because I respect and admire the work of organizations like the Partnership for 21st Century Skills, is that the phrase "21st century skills" is problematic. It is, at best, misleading and, at worse, offensive to a large segment of our audience. If nothing else, it creates an unnecessary and counterproductive distraction that potentially leads us away from more substantive discussions on the merit of education reform through meaningful technology integration.<br /><br />Vision if you will a conversation with the most truculent and technology-resistant teacher in your school. We'll call him Don. Don's been teaching without computers for about 25 years and you're trying to make your case for technology integration. You're really passionate, your arms are flailing about, you've got charts, graphs, stats and a really cool power point presentation. Don is not moved. You show him "Shift Happens." Don is still not budging. You show him "Pay Attention." Still nothing. Then you give him this:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">"Don, in order for our kids to compete and succeed in the 21st century, they have to have </span><span style="font-style: italic;">21st century skills</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> and they're not developing those with the way we're teaching now."</span><br /><br />Now Don perks up. "Excuse me?"<br /><br />Don folds his arms, a wry smile forming on his face, and he asks, "What do you mean, 21st century skills? What <span style="font-style: italic;">exactly</span> are 21st century skills? Give me one such skill.<br /><br />You say:<br /><br />"Creativity!"<br /><br />Don starts to laugh. "Excuse me? Creativity? That's a <span style="font-style: italic;">21st century skill?</span> I'd take Mark Twain over most of the drivel that we spew out today as art, literature or music. Are you suggesting that we didn't need to be creative in the 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">th</span> century? I know a few <span style="font-style: italic;">hundred</span> highly successful people, all former students of mine, who might take some umbrage at that. Try again. Give me another 21st century skill."<br /><br />"Communication skills!"<br /><br />At this point, Don looks visibly annoyed. "Communication skills? What have I been doing for the past 25 years? <span style="font-style: italic;">What have my students been doing for the past 25 years? </span> Writing on scrolls? Communication is not a 21st century skill. It is a basic human necessity. Please explain to me how something as fundamental to our existence as communication is a 21st century skill? Have you ever read Plato? He was as skilled a communicator as has ever existed in the course of human history <span style="font-style: italic;">and he lived over 2000 years ago.</span> Barack Obama was a product of 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">th</span> century education and I'd say he was a pretty skilled communicator. Communication is most assuredly <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> a 21st century skill. Unless of course you're referring to communicating via text message, a practice that I think is compromising our student's ability to read, write or speak effectively. Give me something else."<br /><br />Now you're starting to sweat a bit. This time your voice is a bit more sheepish. "Critical thinking?"<br /><br />Don rolls his eyes. "Yeah, and I guess those of us unfortunate enough to have been born in the 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">th</span> century are just plain stupid. Oh however have we managed to survive, develop a vaccine for polio, <span style="font-style: italic;">send a man to the moon</span> and build your beloved supercomputers without the ability to think critically."<br /><br />Don looks you squarely in the eyes.<br /><br />"What you're giving me are important <span style="font-style: italic;">life</span> skills. I'll certainly concede that. But these are not skills that are unique to the 21st century or the 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">th</span> century for that matter. So help me out here. Explain this to me as though I was one of your students. Can you give me a simple, one sentence definition of what a 21st century skills is?<br /><br />You pause. Reflect. Then say: "Don, 21st century skills are the skills our kids need to compete and succeed in the 21st century."<br /><br />Don sighs and says, now almost sympathetically, "Isn't that where we started?"<br /><br />And you've lost. Don's gone and no matter how many times you show him "Shift Happens" or thrust PISA results under his nose, you probably won't get him back.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*************<br /></div><br />In the law there is something called a "red herring." A red herring is defined as "a diversion intended to distract attention from the main issue." By basing our case, in whole or in part, on the importance of "21st century skills," we may be handing those predisposed against technology integration the perfect red herring. We find ourselves so busy defending what is and what is not a 21st century skill that the main point about pedagogical change gets lost.<br /><br />So let's try to get down to the heart of the matter.<br /><br />What are we <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> trying to say when we refer to the importance of 21st century skills? <span style="font-style: italic;">What is the point?</span> Can we offer up something simple, something straight-forward, something that fully, but succinctly, embodies the essence of what we're trying to say?<br /><br />I've come up with this:<br /><br />Rather than talk about the importance of "21st century skills," I point out that our <span style="font-style: italic;">first</span> job as educators is to help our children survive and thrive in the world as it exists now.<br /><br />That's it.<br /><br />John Dewey, whose views on “progressive education” provided the theoretical foundation for constructivism, once wrote: “If we teach today as we taught yesterday, we rob our children of tomorrow.” Dewey did not say that our kids needed "20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">th</span> century skills" because he did not need to. His premise, as true now as it was then, is that as our world changes the way we teach must reflect these changes. When most of our children left school after the 8<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">th</span> grade to work on farms, we taught one way. When industrialization changed our means of production, our economy and our world, our schools adjusted accordingly. (Perhaps not for the better, but they changed). Now the personal computer, wireless technology and the global reach of the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18">internet</span> have changed every facet of our world. And to paraphrase Thomas Friedman, "we ain't going back."<br /><br />So what do we do?<br /><br />Our job, as educators, is to adapt and adjust to that change and to prepare our children for that world. For their future. And a part of that challenge is to make sure that our kids are familiar and fluid with the tools of the 21st century and can use those tools to be and create something of value to the world as it exists now. If we fail to do <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span>, then we fail <span style="font-style: italic;">them</span>. There's no better or worse here. It's not about 21st century skills versus 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19">th</span> century skills and no, kids today don't have to be smarter than we were.<br /><br />But they do need to be different.<br /><br />Because our world is different.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Now</span> we can explain what some of those differences are. <span style="font-style: italic;">Now</span> we can discuss some of the cognitive and practical skills that students need to have mastered before entering the workforce in order to compete on this new, flattened global stage. But note, I present it this way to avoid throwing up the red herring of so-called "21st century skills." The "Don's" of the world might object to the idea of technology, they might balk at the concept of "21t century skills," but no good educator should balk at the idea that our common challenge is to prepare our children for the world as it exists now. How you define and characterize that world is up to you. But going forward, I will shy away from the catch-all phrase "21st century skills" whenever possible because I don't think it helps our case.<br /><br />Now having trudged through all this you might think: "Mike, this is all about <span style="font-style: italic;">semantics.</span> All this who-shot-John about<span style="font-style: italic;"> a phrase. </span> It doesn't really matter. We shouldn't get tripped up over <span style="font-style: italic;">words." </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Oh really? </span><br /><br />Teachers.....front and center here. How many times have you heard your students plead to you in their most long-suffering voice when unhappy with a grade or your assessment of their work....but [Mr./Ms.______________], you're not being fair. <span style="font-style: italic;">You know what I mean."</span><br /><br />And how do you respond?<br /><br />No, I <span style="font-style: italic;">don't</span> know what you mean.<br /><br />I know what you <span style="font-style: italic;">said</span>.<br /><br />We're making a case for change. Right now that case has not been terribly successful. So I ask you to reconsider one element of our case. I ask you to consider this.<br /><br />21st century skills.<br /><br />Yes, we know what they are.<br /><br />Yes, we know what we <span style="font-style: italic;">mean.</span><br /><br />But does our constant reference to "21st century skills" help or hurt our cause?<br /><br />Should we use it?<br /><br />Or lose it?<br /><br /><br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-1590771302065576182009-03-23T18:56:00.023-05:002009-03-26T18:15:34.742-05:00You are who you choose to be...(It's about the choices we make, Part II)I thought, <span style="font-style: italic;">"This cannot be happening."</span><br /><br />I am a GUY.<br /><br />I eat food off of the floor.<br /><br />I think bacon should be a food group.<br /><br />I think tofu is just <span style="font-style: italic;">wrong</span>.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">During football season, I am in front of my big screen television, butt firmly on couch, remote firmly ensconced in hand, from the Thursday night ESPN game through the Monday night ESPN game.<br /></div><br />I am a GUY.<br /><br />A GUY does not CRY.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Especially at some flippin' cartoon featuring the voices of, <span style="font-style: italic;">who</span>, Jennifer Aniston and <span style="font-style: italic;">Harry </span><span style="font-style: italic;">Conncick</span><span style="font-style: italic;">, Jr?</span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><em></em></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><br /><div style="text-align: center;">**********<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />I use to channel surf a lot, especially on lazy Saturday afternoons. (This was loooooong before I had children; since then I have not used the word "lazy" and "Saturday" in the same paragraph, much less the same sentence). Remote in hand, day old pizza by my side, I would shift aimlessly from channel to channel. <span style="font-style: italic;">Click.</span> TNT. <span style="font-style: italic;">Click.</span> ESPN. <span style="font-style: italic;">Click</span>. TBS. <span style="font-style: italic;">Click</span>. The Oxygen Channel. Shudders and convulsions. <span style="font-style: italic;">Click.</span> Quickly back to ESPN.<br /><br />Anyway, while channel surfing some time ago I literally stumbled upon a movie, a cartoon of all things, called "The Iron Giant." I <span style="font-style: italic;">vaguely</span> remembered that this movie was given two thumbs up by Siskel & Ebert, and I had absolutely nothing better to do, so I thought, <span style="font-style: italic;">"What the heck. Let's waste a few hours and a few hundred thousand brain cells watching a cartoon."</span><br /><br />I didn't expect much. After all, I am a GUY. A GUY does not watch cartoons.<br /><br />I won't provide a recap of the entire movie other than to say it is one of the best movies EVER made. I mean EVER, EVER, EVER. It's that's good. But what really killed was the end. (Spoiler alert).<br /><br />The year is 1958. The location, a small town in Maine. An atomic missile has been fired and is descending on the town in a misguided effort to destroy the Iron Giant, a giant metal machine that becomes a gun when confronted with a gun. The Iron Giant, who is feared by the townspeople and relentlessly pursued by army, is told by nine-year old Hogarth, his only friend, that when the missile comes down "everyone will die." The Iron Giant understands. He places a large metallic finger under Hogarth's chin, raises it gently, and says, "You stay. I go. No following."<br /><br />The Iron Giant takes off, flying towards the missile. The missile reaches its apex, starts down. The score by Michael Kamen begins to swell. The Iron Giant can see the missile. Hogarth's words to the Iron Giant, spoken earlier in the movie, voice over the scene:<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"You are who you choose to be."</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />The missile, now very close, is bearing in on the Giant.<br /><br />The Giant utters only one word:<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"Superman."</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The score reaches a crescendo. The Iron Giant and the missile collide. The Giant is destroyed. But the town is saved.<br /><br />I sat there is stunned disbelief. First chills. Then, my eyes narrowed. I blinked involuntarily. I thought, no way. No FREAKING way. This is NOT happening. But I could not stop. My eyes misted over.<br /><br />I cried. At a stupid, moronic <span style="font-style: italic;">cartoon</span> of all things. I was absolutely dumbfounded. This is just <span style="font-style: italic;">not </span>what I do. But something about this scene, something I couldn't quite fathom, really moved me.<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Click.</span> I changed the channel. I needed to get back. Back to football. Back to <span style="font-style: italic;">blood</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">bruises</span>. After all, I'm GUY.<br /><br />And a GUY does not cry.<br /><br />But I would mentally revisit that moment many times during the ensuing years.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">***********<br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />While writing a series of new blogs yesterday, and weighed down by various pressures, I stumbled across the following <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UkZOZIO63I">post</a> on You Tube. It is the ending to the Iron Giant. Just the ending. If you have the time, you should watch it.<br /><br />I did. And it still gave me chills.<br /><br />So what is it about this scene? And why do I share it with you?<br /><br />Two reasons.<br /><br />Sometimes I get tired. I never imagined that convincing educators about the educational value of technology would be so difficult. I knew education had its traditions, I understood some of the financial constraints, but I never imagined it would be so hard. Thank God I work for a great company and great people. For visionaries. Smaller minds probably would have fired me a long time ago.<br /><br />Sometimes I think, <span style="font-style: italic;">screw it</span>. Sometimes I think we should just incorporate a charter school or establish a school within a school, write some grants, raise some money and do it ourselves. It couldn't be any harder than having to convince truculent board members or "on-the-8th-day-God-made-me" administrators about <span style="font-style: italic;">anything</span> that smacks of pedagogical change. Sometimes I want to say: <span style="font-style: italic;">You keep on trumping up those 50% graduation rates.</span> In the meantime, we'll keep fighting the good fight to prepare our kids for something more than a career flipping Whoppers.<br /><br />But then I'm reminded why we're here. The kids. That's why we fight. Because we should be able to say to every child in every school, <span style="font-style: italic;">and really mean it,</span> "You are who you choose to be."<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span>What a beautiful thing to say. What a <span style="font-style: italic;">powerful</span> thing to say. And we have the power, we have the means, to make this true, or certainly more true than it is now, for millions of children who depend on our schools and the decisions we make today.<br /><br />Change begins with choice.<br /><br />And with who<span style="font-style: italic;"> you</span> choose to be.<br /><br />So with the Michael Kamen score swelling through the recesses of my mind, my resolve, though tested, remains firm. Launch the missiles. Slam your doors. Hold on to your industrial-age traditions. I understand.<br /><br />I'm ready.<br /><br />Progress can be slow. Change can be painful. But I'm going to keep moving forward.<br /><br />Because <span style="font-style: italic;">that's</span> who I choose to be. </div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-9417070532486230092009-03-18T03:37:00.023-05:002009-03-18T18:12:13.497-05:00It's about the choices we make<div style="text-align: justify;"><div style="text-align: justify;">Let me start by saying that I'm no longer <span style="font-style: italic;">really</span> angry.<br /><br />When I picked up a newspaper and read about the AIG bonuses, I was stunned and fired off a rapid fire, stream-of-consciousness <a href="http://smart1to1.blogspot.com/2009/03/im-angry-folks-really-angry.html">blog</a> about the hypocrisy of unconditionally bailing out an AIG while our schools and the students who depend on our schools continue to suffer. Apparently, I was not alone in my outrage. But today my mood has changed. Anger has given way to introspection. This morning, I find that I am far more more reflective.<br /><br />I find myself thinking a lot about choices.<br /><br />Life is not a zero sum game. Too often, we create these arbitrary ideological splits, these unnecessary "either/or" dichotomies that fail to account for nuance or shades of gray. I try not to do that. I try to look at the big picture, at the totality of opinions and varying points of view, but I also think it is fair to say sometimes life requires that we take a side and make a choice. In fact, I will go one step further. I think, in the end, our lives and our legacy are <span style="font-style: italic;">defined</span> by the choices we make.<br /><br />AIG was not the only news of the day. I also learned that over 1000 people have died as a result of the Mexican drug wars. (You might be thinking, what does <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> have to do with education technology? Please bear with me for just a moment, I'll get there). Over 1000 people dead is a staggering number. A tragic, stunning loss of life. It was this fact--<span style="font-style: italic;">over 1000 people have died</span>--coupled with the news about AIG that made me focus so much about choices.<br /><br />In a world too often defined by political correctness and efforts to offend no one while concurrently trying to appeal to everyone, we often find ourselves afraid to voice a simple opinion. We're afraid to make a <span style="font-style: italic;">choice.</span> I absolutely abhor most of Rush Limbaugh's politics, and I find his self-aggrandizing style alternatively amusing and offensive, but, like it or not, the man has an opinion and he's not afraid to let it rip. I respect that. I sometimes wonder if Hillary Clinton's political fortunes would have been different had she simply told the American people <span style="font-style: italic;">what she thought.</span> I thought her speech at the Democratic National Convention was <span style="font-style: italic;">amazing. </span>I thought, where was <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> Hillary for the past 18 months? She finally let it rip. Sometimes it's okay to stand before the world and say, "Here I am. This is what I believe. Tear it down if you want, but <span style="font-style: italic;">this</span> is where I stand."<br /><br />Choices, everyone. We must all make choices.<br /><br />I've made mine.<br /><br />How many more innocent people have to die before we realize we can't win a war against drugs? Our jails are filled beyond capacity with poor black boys and poor Hispanic boys many of whom will be denied the opportunity to participate meaningfully in the American Dream because they have criminal records. How many more young children simply walking down the wrong street at the wrong time will die in a crossfire of bullets as rival gangs fight over "territory" and the right to control a street corner? We spend <span style="font-style: italic;">billions</span> of dollars on this war, but what ground have we seized? Where is our Normandy? What have we gained? More importantly, how many innocent souls have we lost?<br /><br />The point I'm making here isn't about drugs. It's about choices. We can only do so much. Our tax dollars will only go so far. Average people have to make difficult choices everyday about where and how they will spend their money. You may need a new car. But your child needs braces. What do you do? You may need a new suit, but your child needs clothes for school. What do you do? The house needs a new roof, but your son or daughter also needs tuition for college. What choice do you make?<br /><br />I'm not a politician. I'm one man writing a blog that only a relatively few number of people will read or see. But if asked to make a choice, I will say it again and again and again..<span style="font-style: italic;">.we have got to invest first in our children. </span> We have <span style="font-style: italic;">got</span> to invest more in our schools. Our schools should be models of innovation that educators from every nation follow and admire. Students in every district, rich or poor, should be able to walk into any classroom in any school and put their hands on the very best, most sophisticated, most powerful learning tools available to 21st century learners.<br /><br />But that is not now the case.<br /><br />So if asked to choose, I'd rather we took the monies fighting a war that it seems we cannot win and invest this money in the war we must win--a war for the hearts, minds and future of our children. Let's invest this money, <span style="font-style: italic;">dollar for dollar,</span> in education. Let's refurbish our schools. Let's create 21st century classrooms. Let's get technology out of the labs and into our student's hands. Let's make wireless access <span style="font-style: italic;">a public utility; </span>available to every household. Let's create new scholarships, fund new grants and provide universal access to low, fixed rate student loans. Let's blow open the doors of opportunity for every child by creating a system of public education that embraces every child, empowers every child and equips every child to compete and succeed in the global economy of 21st century.<br /><br />Ask yourself this--If you could spend 100 billion on developing a cure for colon cancer or 100 billion on developing toxin free, hormone free, pesticide free, easily mass-produced food that is both healthy and inexpensive, food that could be made readily available to everyone irrespective of income, which would you choose? It is a difficult decision. But I would choose the latter. I would choose to invest in something that <span style="font-style: italic;">creates</span> life. I'd rather invest in avoiding a problem than fixing a problem.<br /><br />So in a strange way, the AIG story and the causalities as a result of the Mexican drug wars formed mental bookends in my mind. Both stories, in the end, are about the battles we choose to fight and the choices we choose to make.<br /><br />I've made my choice.<br /><br />Want to bolster our economic future?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><span style="font-style: italic;">Create better schools.</span><br /><br />Want to wage a meaningful war against drugs?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Create better schools.</span><br /><br />That's where I stand. In plain and simple language.<br /><br />And I'm not afraid to go before anyone, anywhere, anytime, make my case for schools and for children, and say <span style="font-style: italic;">tear it down if you want to but </span><span style="font-style: italic;">this is what I believe. </span><br /><br />But what about you?<br /><br />What's your choice?<br /><br /><br /><br /></div><br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-6803435536465364022009-03-17T08:39:00.005-05:002009-03-17T09:13:28.529-05:00I'm angry folks; really angry<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm upset.<br /><br />Along with most tax-paying citizens, I find the thought of paying a bonus to <span style="font-style: italic;">anyone</span> in <span style="font-style: italic;">any</span> department at AIG to be simply unfathomable. <span style="font-style: italic;">And don't give me the bit about contract law. </span> I spent 15 years as a corporate attorney, I know the drill. Most of the employees in question are <span style="font-style: italic;">employees at will. </span> Yes, they might be contractually obligated to a bonus, <span style="font-style: italic;">but they are not contractually obligated to a job</span>. For me, the choice would be very, very simple. Take your bonus and walk or forego the bonus and work with us, <span style="font-style: italic;">and the taxpayers who saved your job,</span> and let's turn this thing around.<br /><br />But more than that, I'm upset that while AIG has received, to date, about 180 Billion in bail out funds (and that's your money folks), apparently without conditions precluding the payment of bonuses, the Senate concurrently saw fit to scale back and whittle down the funding appropriated for schools. So let me get this straight. AIG.....here's a check. A really BIG check. Schools....here's <span style="font-style: italic;">some</span> money, but let's hold off before we do too much more because we're not sure an investment in education is "stimulating" enough.<br /><br />Fine.<br /><br />That would be my Exhibit A under the definition of "short sighted thinking."<br /><br />If AIG fails, <span style="font-style: italic;">we will survive</span>. The country will go on. If our schools continue to fail the millions of children each year who are dropping out, checking out, or doing just enough to get by but are otherwise functionally illiterate and virtually unemployable, then the looming <span style="font-style: italic;">human</span> crisis will make the current <span style="font-style: italic;">capital</span> crisis look tame by comparison. I am not an economist. I have not spent one day on Wall Street. <span style="font-style: italic;">But I think our first priority should be to invest in people.</span> In children. And in the institutions that will dictate our future.<br /><br />Of course, that's just me.<br /><br />Maybe I'm wrong.<br /><br />Maybe I'm just baying into the wind.<br /><br />But I'm angry, folks.<br /><br />Really angry. <br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-16092655462566725182009-03-13T13:07:00.005-05:002009-03-13T13:13:27.845-05:00At Smart, we take the frustration out of technology...Ok.....<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rbyEvCr-e78">this</a> is just funny.<br /><br />Thought I'd lighten it up a bit.<br /><br />Back to saving the world next week.<br /><br />Have a great weekend everyone.Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-23650018158624480542009-03-12T02:41:00.004-05:002009-03-12T11:18:09.189-05:00Education Department to Distribute $44 Billion in Stimulus Funds in 30 to 45 Days<div style="text-align: justify;">According to a press release issued by the White House on Sunday, March 7, 2009:<br /><blockquote style="font-style: italic;">$44 billion in stimulus funding from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) will be available to states in the next 30 to 45 days. The first round of funding will help avert hundreds of thousands of estimated teacher layoffs in schools and school districts while driving crucial education improvements, reforms, and results for students. </blockquote>According to the release, another $49 Billion will be made available in the next 6 months.<br /><br />The read the entire press release, go <a href="http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2009/03/03072009.html">here</a>.<br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-67101496429512993422009-03-12T02:08:00.008-05:002009-03-12T07:30:26.977-05:00Obama takes on education<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">At a speech given before the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce yesterday, President Obama proposed what he termed his "five pillars of reform."<br /><br />They are:<br /><ul><blockquote><li>Investing in early childhood initiatives like Head Start;</li><li>Encouraging better standards and assessments by focusing on testing itineraries that better fit our kids and the world they live in;</li><li>Recruiting, preparing, and rewarding outstanding teachers by giving incentives for a new generation of teachers and for new levels of excellence from all of our teachers;</li><li>Promoting innovation and excellence in America’s schools by supporting charter schools, reforming the school calendar and the structure of the school day;</li><li>Providing every American with a quality higher education--whether it's college or technical training.</li></blockquote></ul></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"></div><blockquote><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;"> </div><div style="text-align: justify;"> </div></blockquote><div style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt; text-align: justify;">During his speech, President Obama pointed out that: "By 2016, four out of every ten new jobs will require at least some advanced education or training."<br /><br />Whether you agree with his proposed reforms or not, I think President Obama should be commended for his commitment to improving the quality of education available to our children. And if you don't agree with his proposed reforms, or think government should be doing more (or less), I would encourage you to speak up and speak out. Democracy is not a spectator sport. Our collective future depends on individual involvement.<br /><br />To read the full transcript of the speech, go <a href="http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-of-the-President-to-the-Hispanic-Chamber-of-Commerce/">here</a>.<br /><br />To view a video of the speech, go <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C1lLH4g1vSg&eurl=http://www.whitehouse.gov/blog/09/03/10/Taking-on-Education/">here</a>.<br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-2678882505916580542009-03-11T09:50:00.012-05:002009-03-11T15:42:58.936-05:00Web 2.0--What exactly is it?<div style="text-align: justify;">(Sung to the music of Simon and Garfunkel's "Mrs. Robinson")<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Where did you go</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Web 1.0?</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">A nation turns its longing eyes to you,</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What will we do?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">What's that you say</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Mr. IT guy</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Web 1.0 has left and gone away</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Well, boo, hoo, hoo...<br /><br />What will I do?</span><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">With Web Version 2?<br />Oh, what will I do?<br /></span><br /><br />One of the primary uses for this blog is to inform. But not just inform, but to make information accessible and easy to understand. Technospeak for many of us is like Latin; <span style="font-style: italic;">it's absolutely </span> <span style="font-style: italic;">unfathomable.</span> And even though I am fairly technically literate (but I am by no means a "tech guy"), I find that the sheer volume of material available on the web to be overwhelming. <span style="font-style: italic;">Millions </span>of blogs, hundreds of educational websites and web-based applications, twitter, plurk, facebook, myspace, and now the ever-growing phenomenon of the "professional learning network." It can be too much. I can remember when I started bookmarking helpful websites and informative web pages. After about two weeks, my bookmarks drop down menu started to look like the Dead Sea Scrolls. Even worse, by the end of Week 2, I couldn't remember <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span> I had bookmarked half of the items I'd bookmarked during Week 1.<br /><br />Folks, there's a<span style="font-style: italic;"> lot</span> of stuff out there.<br /><br />But if this vast wealth of information and knowledge isn't trickling out of cyberspace and into our classrooms more effectively, <span style="font-style: italic;">what's the point?</span> Despite rapid advances in hardware and software, for many teachers email is still exotic. And blogging, wikis, podcasting, social networks, things like that? Well, you may as well be speaking in Latin because <span style="font-style: italic;">that</span> conversation is going nowhere.<br /><br />So I will try and do some of the heavy lifting for you. In future posts I will try and explain, in clear, concise and simple terms, what a lot of this "stuff" is, how it works and its value in the classroom. Yes, I will still wax philosophical on policy issues (because policy and yes, <span style="font-style: italic;">politics,</span> ultimately dictate and define the future of our schools) but when talking about technology, I will steadfastly avoid techospeak.<br /><br />I will break it down.<br /><br />I will, with a nod to Don Henley, <span style="font-style: italic;">get down to the heart of the matter.</span><br /><br />So let's start.<br /><br />Let's start with the phrase "Web 2.0." You hear it all the time. I hear it all the time. We tell teachers how to teach using "Web 2.0" tools. We talk about learning in the age of "Web 2.0." <span style="font-style: italic;">But what exactly is Web 2.0? </span>Did the internet <span style="font-style: italic;">change?</span> Do you need to run out to Best Buy and buy some new widget or gadget? <span style="font-style: italic;"></span>Did you somehow miss something?<br /><br />Nope, not really and no.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Web 2.0 does not refer to a <span style="font-style: italic;">new</span> internet. The technology (at least relative to those of us who simply use the internet) hasn't really changed. You still type www. (fill in the blank) and <span style="font-style: italic;">viola</span>, you go somewhere. But the big difference, in plain and simple terms, between Web 1.0 and Web 2.0 is this.....<br /><br />Web 1.0.....you went there to read stuff.<br /><br />Web 2.0...you go there to <span style="font-style: italic;">do</span> stuff.<br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />A classic "Web 1.0" activity would be going to the online version of your local newspaper to read a news story because you forgot to pick up a newspaper that morning or because you wanted to reread story that was published a few days or a few weeks ago. Going to the internet to read news, sports, weather and entertainment updates posted onto your web browser's home page are other examples. These are all fairly static activities. You read, you get what you want and you click the little red "x" to sign off.<br /><br />Wikipedia is a classic example of "Web 2.0." You don't just go there to read; you can add, edit or correct information. In fact, the information you read was created and is continually updated by <span style="font-style: italic;">people just like you</span>. Web 2.0 is an <span style="font-style: italic;">interactive</span> web. You use it to buy stuff (eBay), advertise stuff (craigslist), hear stuff (iTunes), share stuff (blogs, podcasts, twitter, plurk ) and learn stuff (online professional networks). In the wonderful world of Web 2.0, we don't just use the web to get content, but we also create content we use. We are <span style="font-style: italic;">producers</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">consumers</span> at the same time. We are <span style="font-style: italic;">prosumers</span> in a cycle of ever-changing, ever-evolving data and information.<br /><br />So teachers, when you hear the phrase "Web 2.0," don't fret. Don't feel as though you've missed the boat. You haven't. If you've ever downloaded an mp3, posted a comment on a blog, <span style="font-style: italic;">written </span>a blog, used eBay, posted a picture on Flickr, or God-forbid, done something really high-tech like created a myspace or facebook page, <span style="font-style: italic;">you are already a part of the Web 2.0 revolution.</span> Or as we like to say, "webolution." The only difference is that <span style="font-style: italic;">this </span>webolution will be televised and available to every living soul on the planet with access to a computer and the internet.<br /><br />That's power. And that power is yours. <span style="font-style: italic;">If you choose to seize it.</span><br /><br />Web 2.0.<br /><br />Simply stated, it's all about using the web to do stuff.<br /><br />So you see, it's not so complicated. My challenge, <span style="font-style: italic;">our challenge, </span>is to harness the extraordinary power of Web 2.0 to help our teachers better teach, reach and engage our students.<br /><br />If you have ideas or examples of how you've used Web 2.0 tools to reach your students, please share them. You never know who might be reading, watching and learning.<br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-25197694576399075652009-03-09T09:41:00.004-05:002009-03-09T09:55:57.520-05:00Arnie Duncan labels NCLB "toxic"<div style="text-align: justify;">I read the following article this morning. Arnie Duncan was interviewed about the impact and future of NCLB. I've attached the link for your review and consideration:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.onpointradio.org/notes-and-updates/2009/03/arne-duncan-no-child-is-toxic/">http://www.onpointradio.org/notes-and-updates/2009/03/arne-duncan-no-child-is-toxic/</a><br /><br />I think Mr. Duncan makes some good points during his interview, but NCLB's problems go far deeper than simply "rebranding." There is nothing inherently offensive about the name or the mission of NCLB (in fact, I rather like the name), but I think we can all agree that the <span style="font-style: italic;">means</span> are fundamentally flawed. Arbitrary performance based standards at the expense of <span style="font-style: italic;">content</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">comprehension</span> are not the answer. This was especially evident during the last two weeks when hundreds of schools across the country simply stopped teaching in order to focus on their statewide standardized assessments.<br /></div><br />In any event, read the article and let me know what you think.<br /><br />Is Mr. Duncan on the right track?Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-35547058078898766742009-03-07T15:36:00.006-06:002009-03-07T16:07:19.404-06:00Why can't we seem to move forward?<div style="text-align: justify;">I just wrote the following comment to a surprising and unexpected <a href="http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=808">blog post</a> about my blog written by Kelly Tenkely. Kelly has a wonderful blog called <a href="http://ilearntechnology.com/">iLearn Technology</a> that offers some truly helpful hints and practical tips for integrating technology into your classrooms. If you haven't read it, you should. Better yet, add it to your blogroll.<br /><br />In any event, I decided to share my comment because it reflects, in no uncertain terms, my current mood. It reads:<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thank you for the kind words about my blog. I hope, in my own small way, to add something of merit to the conversations that may, over time, lead to meaningful education reform. But I never forget that it's not me, but people like you, the teachers, who are the real difference makers. You're in the trenches everyday fighting the good fight for the hearts and minds of our children.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Yesterday on twitter you posed an interesting question. You wrote: "Reading outstanding edu blogs, how is it that so many can see the change that needs to happen and yet we can't seem to make it happen?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I initially responded with a "rah-rah" answer about "keep moving forward" and about the power of "faith and conviction." I still believe those things. Very much so. However, after receiving your "tweet," I spent the evening reading edublog after edublog. The more I read, the more frustrated I became. You are so correct; the problems are well documented and the proposed solutions are not novel. And yet still we debate; we talk, and opine and propose but very little actually changes. Why? Because those of us in the edublog universe are so smart and everyone else is so dumb? I hardly think so. So what is the problem? If we know the questions, if we can identify the problems, if we know what we're doing isn't working, why don't we change?</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">I'm troubled. These are disturbing questions that could easily take you to an angry and cynical place. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Or......</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">It can steel your resolve. It can make you more determined than ever to be the change you seek. But I'll write more on that later.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">In the meantime, I will continue to ponder your outstanding question.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Thanks again for the compliment. I am and remain honored to collaborate, question and learn with you.<br /><br /></span>Kelly's question was dead on and the more I thought about it, my response seemed silly and superficial. I'm not Tony Robbins; we need more than presentation level slogans to architecture level problems. We need to move forward, but we seem stuck.<br /><br />Why?<br /><br />Help me blogosphere. I have my opinions, opinions I will reserve for now, but how would <span style="font-style: italic;">you </span>have answered Kelly's question?<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">How is it that so many can see the change that needs to happen and yet we can't seem to make it happen?</span><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-65706007391059394802009-03-06T09:06:00.002-06:002009-03-06T09:10:34.728-06:00Education funding under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act<div style="text-align: justify;">Highlighted below is a link to documents prepared by the Congressional Research Service which <i><b>estimate </b></i>the amount of education funding that each state will receive from certain aspects of the final American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. Specifically, these documents estimate what each state would receive under the bill’s following program allocations: State Stabilization Funds, Title I, Title I School Improvement, IDEA, McKinney-Vento Homeless Education Assistance, Education Technology, and Child Care and Development Block Grant Discretionary Funding.<br /><br /><a href="http://edlabor.house.gov/blog/2009/01/school-districts-will-benefit.shtml">http://edlabor.house.gov/blog/2009/01/school-districts-will-benefit.shtml</a><br /><br /><br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-64993281585004575192009-03-05T05:50:00.002-06:002009-03-05T06:04:45.812-06:00Two Steps to Meaningful Technology Integration--Where Do We Start?<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">Yesterday morning, <a href="http://kevinhoneycutt.org/">Kevin <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Honeycutt</span></a> posted the following question on <a href="http://www.plurk.com/"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">Plurk</span></a>.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">"Greatest tech integration challenges. What do you think?"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;" > </span><span style="font-family:georgia;"><span style="font-style: italic;">That</span>, as they say, is the $20 Million Dollar question.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">I don't necessarily think there is a single answer to the question. The issues are far too varied and complex. </span>But I'd like to share a few thoughts.<br /><br /><span style="font-family:Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">Let's start with what we know. I think there's more than enough educational software out there to get the job done. Open source software and web based applications have also greatly reduced the cost and complexity of integrating technology into most classrooms. The hardware is certainly there. The present day cell phone is more technologically advanced than the supercomputers we used to send a man to the moon. What we don't have is a systemic, easily replicable design for how to bring all of these resources together in an easily digestible, pedagogically sound manner for teachers who may or may not be tech savvy. In other words, the key, I think, isn't better hardware or software, but better curriculum design. Because better design leads to better pedagogy and better pedagogy leads to better educational outcomes. </span></span><br /><br />So I think we should start with design.<br /><br />And how should we do that? Where does design start? Well...if you've hired an interior designer, contractor or an architect, where do <span style="font-style: italic;">you</span> start? Do you go out and buy a bunch of bricks, wood, glass and mortar, dump it in a pile and say, "Here you go."<br /><br />Of course not.<br /><br />You start by watching <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">HGTV</span>.<br /><br />Just kidding.<br /><br />As simple as it sounds, you begin with a conversation.<br /><br />I am of the opinion that it doesn't matter what we put into our classrooms, meaningful technology integration cannot work and will not work unless and until <span style="font-style: italic;">teachers are a part of the design process at the outset </span><span style="font-style: italic;">because teachers, not technology, will dictate the success of our efforts</span>. Although one of the goals of 21st century pedagogy is "learner-centered" instruction, this does not mean that the use of technology in our classrooms should be the instructional equivalent of The Lord of the Flies. Yes, the role of the teacher should change from the industrial age model of the "sage on a stage" to a 21st century "guide on the side," <span style="font-style: italic;">but the kids can't teach themselves. </span> Meaningful technology integration is a <span style="font-style: italic;">process. </span> It doesn't begin because you've invested in a room full of really great looking computers, whiteboards and other pretty, shinny stuff. It begins with a great <span style="font-style: italic;">teacher</span> who facilitates and guides the learning process.<br /><br />So if we are to design a meaningful architecture for technology integration and 21st century learning, what should Step #1 be? <span style="font-style: italic;">Forget about the technology.</span> Make it invisible. Start by focusing first on <span style="font-style: italic;">teachers </span>and understanding what they need to encourage better learning.<br /><br />Now I know some of you might think, "Whoa...wait a minute. Focus first on understanding and meeting the needs of <span style="font-style: italic;">the teacher? </span> Shouldn't we focus first on meeting the needs of <span style="font-style: italic;">the student </span>or the desired learning outcomes?"<br /><br />That's the conventional wisdom. But I don't think so.<br /><br />When attempting to improve outcomes, the really successful private sector business owners that I know, and I've known a few, don't necessarily start the conversation by asking what the customer needs or wants. Based on the occupation or context, that's almost implicit. They <span style="font-style: italic;">start</span> by going to their <span style="font-style: italic;">employees</span> and asking them what <span style="font-style: italic;">they</span> need in order to give the customers what they want. Because the product doesn't sell itself. The product is channeled through and fueled by informed and motivated <span style="font-style: italic;">people</span> who then produce the desired result.<br /><br />I think the great failure of most efforts at educational reform lie in the fact that they were top down efforts; fueled and formulated by politicians and policy wonks, not educators, who then essentially dumped their "reforms" into the laps of teachers with demands to <span style="font-style: italic;">just do it. </span>And too often these "reforms" were sharply out-of-sync or out of touch with the day-to-day reality faced by most teachers. (Think <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">NCLB</span>). So if we want different results, we have to approach efforts at education reform differently. <span style="font-style: italic;">We have to invite the teachers to the party at the outset.</span><br /><br />So be wary of <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">pre</span>-packaged "solutions" wrapped in grandiose promises of renewed and revitalized classrooms. Before buying more stuff, think about how you can teach your teachers how to better use their <span style="font-style: italic;">existing</span> stuff. Start small. Keep it simple. Think about starting by engaging a small group of teachers who are open and receptive to the idea of technology integration. If they're tech savvy; great. If not, that's okay. Because being tech savvy isn't a prerequisite. What is? Teachers who understand that in the information age, the best <span style="font-style: italic;">teachers</span> are also the best <span style="font-style: italic;">learners. </span><span>Teachers who are </span>willing to go out on a pedagogical limb and try something unfamiliar and new are the teachers who will innovate and lead in the 21st century. <br /><br />That's why District-wide implementations at the outset tend to be tough. It's generally too much too fast. But you don't need an entire district to make your case. You don't need an entire school. Start with a handful of kids and a few teachers within each school and work your way up and out. Build on success. Use the technology that you have access to share your stories with your stakeholders, particularly your parents. Create a classroom website (it's easy). Make the students and the work they produce using technology your <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">ambassadors</span> for change.<br /><br />But start by engaging your teachers.<br /><br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-52275808234999902362009-03-04T10:24:00.014-06:002009-03-05T10:59:53.435-06:00Meaningful Technology Integration--The Heart of the Matter<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">"I've been trying to get down to the heart of the matter."</span><br /> Don Henley, "The Heart of the Matter"<br /></span><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"><br />Why haven't we been more successful at integrating technology into our curriculum and classrooms? Why is technology, and all its power and promise, still relegated to the back of the educational bus by many school boards and district administrators? Why hasn't there been a howl of protest from outraged parents demanding that schools integrate 21st century learning tools into our schools <span style="font-style: italic;">right now?</span><br /><br /></span>Yesterday, I read a <a href="www.plurk.com">plurk</a> from "Beth," a teacher with 27 years experience who might be losing her job along with 14 other technology integration specialists because their jobs were considered "non-instructional." This would leave, I believe, approximately 1 technology integration specialist for every 1500 students in this particular district.<br /><br />The reaction was one of shock and outrage while "Beth" lamented over what she could do. As I tried to sleep last night, I was haunted by something Beth wrote: "It will be the students who suffer the most."<br /><br />So what do we do? <br /><br />Beth's plight, and the plight shared by so many teachers, principals and administrators across the country trying, with varying degrees of success, to meaningfully integrate technology into our schools and classrooms is rooted, I think, in one core cause. <br /><br />It's time to get down to the heart of the matter.<br /><br />It's time to appeal to the heart.<br /><br />When we are moved, we act. When we <span style="font-style: italic;">feel</span>, we respond. Right now, those of us "in" education technology do a great job....<span style="font-style: italic;">of talking to ourselves</span>. I'm continually inspired and informed by the leaders and visionaries of the ed tech movement. I marvel at their use of technology and ability to identify new and clever widgets, gadgets and applications. NECC is a blast (loved Nashville, wasn't so hot on San Antonio), but after two years of attending, is it just me or does it seem like<span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>we're primarily still just talking to each other?<br /><br />I think what we need to do is tell a better story. We need to get people to <span style="font-style: italic;">care.</span> We need to find a way to engage that fifth grade teacher in Indianapolis who doesn't give a damn about computers but who is sick and tired of looking at bored and blank faces every day. We need to better engage school boards who see us coming, clutch their wallets, and think: "Oh no. YOU just want us to buy a bunch of computers and we have MUCH bigger fish to fry. We don't have money for teachers or textbooks and you want us to invest in <span style="font-style: italic;">laptops?"</span><br /><br />The foundational issue isn't the merit of our cause, but how we share and frame our <span style="font-style: italic;">message. </span>How do we reach our audience? How do we effectively share our vision with our school boards, administrators and the thousands of teachers who have never heard of NECC and will never attend? Too often our message gets lost, diluted or muddled. Or it becomes confusing and technocentric.<br /><br />So do we do that?<br /><br />How do<span style="font-style: italic;"> you</span> do that?<br /><br />What I have found, for what its worth, <span style="font-style: italic;">that the least compelling way to talk about technology is to talk about technology.</span> It's boring. Cold and boring. And in my humble opinion, presentations that involve pointing and clicking through an <span style="font-style: italic;">application</span> in front of a large roomful of people are painful to watch. (Organizers at NECC, <span style="font-style: italic;">please </span>take note). If the people pointing and clicking would simply turn around and look at the people in the room, they would often see a room full of confused and disengaged faces (and these are <span style="font-style: italic;">teachers</span> we're talking about). Process and applications should be addressed in smaller, more hands-on sessions. Inspire people about <span style="font-style: italic;">why.</span> Make the case <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span> technology is important; <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span> technology is meaningful, <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span> technology engages our students and <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span> technology improves student outcomes. Because if we don't get beyond <span style="font-style: italic;">why</span>, we'll never get to how.<br /><br />One of the best presentations that I've ever attended was by Dr. Tim Tyson and it was one of the <span style="font-style: italic;">least</span> technical presentations I've ever attended. But it was beautiful; moving. It made we want to <span style="font-style: italic;">act.</span><br /><br />My challenge to you is make us <span style="font-style: italic;">feel</span> it. Make people <span style="font-style: italic;">care.</span> Appeal to the heart, not just to the mind.<br /><br />How you do it is up to you.<br /><br />But if you have ideas, share them. Because if we're going to win this fight; we're going to win it together.<br /><br /></div><span style="font-style: italic;">"Beth" this post is dedicated to you.</span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /><div style="text-align: center;">*************<br /></div><br />The following video is one of several that I have created when presenting to educators. It's a rather serious, somber piece; but it is designed to be. You will also note that it doesn't talk about technology at all. (The word "technology" only appears one time at the very end). The idea isn't to sell the viewer on technology, but to elicit a mood where people will be more receptive to the idea of having a discussion <span style="font-style: italic;">about</span> technology. Again, if people are moved, <span style="font-style: italic;">if you touch the heart,</span> then they are more likely to listen. And if someone is listening,<span style="font-style: italic;"> really listening,</span> that's when a meaningful conversation can begin.<br /><br />Primary sources: 2004 National Technology Report, "Shift Happens," USA Today<br /></div><br /><br /><br /><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwVN-R9Cyidbka5yO8a73l0nZa_ASAGYbzHtr1ikPpuy8y3XRpmIsRG0j0wTIsgFunkJnJ7gvA6tgN415omdg' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-48440639543370335622009-03-03T20:43:00.008-06:002009-03-04T12:04:44.525-06:00I visited an elementary school today...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bRRggYxvyosLA4XNs6oqB6M0xpDYAivBfdz6Sq_PeQK70WMcOqwGvNNXmSqkLBm_rCWNVIRd2XelxE8m9RptZgrsz6A6M3gF7rbsslCMZmI6IpwVINdc99UqV_yhgUJsyIh1IS5gaOXP/s1600-h/j0401956.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8bRRggYxvyosLA4XNs6oqB6M0xpDYAivBfdz6Sq_PeQK70WMcOqwGvNNXmSqkLBm_rCWNVIRd2XelxE8m9RptZgrsz6A6M3gF7rbsslCMZmI6IpwVINdc99UqV_yhgUJsyIh1IS5gaOXP/s320/j0401956.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5307818278612419298" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">I visited an elementary school today.<br /><br />An elementary school that will go unnamed in a community that I will not identify other than to say it is in one of the most economically challenged communities in the country.<br /><br />I was at the school to meet with a kindergarten teacher. A beautiful human being this teacher; a living, walking testament to all that is good and noble about public education. Her classroom is overcrowded and yet she starts every day by addressing each student by name, looking them in the eyes and cheerfully saying "good morning." She ties shoes, wipes noses and tucks in shirts. Although many of her students come from families that are poor, some almost destitute, she refuses to compromise her standards; she expects her students to pay attention, to be polite, to remain on task and to complete their homework (yes, homework!) each and every day. She expects her classroom to be a place of <span style="font-style: italic;">learning</span>. She pushes, but with kindness. She encourages, without ever, to my knowledge, being condescending.<br /><br />But more than that, she treats her children as though they are <span style="font-style: italic;">someone. </span> In a place of so much despair and so few role models, in a place where so much says to these children, both explicitly and implicitly, <span style="font-style: italic;">you're nothing...you'll never amount to anything,</span> she regards each and every child as precious.<br /><br />And that means something.<br /><br />Her name is Ms. "G."<br /><br />Ms. G has, on more than one occasion, gone into her own pocket to buy resources for her classroom. Books on tape, tape recorders, used books, pencils and pens, posters for the wall, decorations for her classroom....basic things, simple things. Things she should not have to buy. But she does. She wants to make her classroom as personal and as appealing as possible. She wants to make school fun and engaging for these children. For her, this isn't just a job; its almost a moral imperative. "If we don't get to these kids now, we'll lose them," she once told me. "Mike, when a lot of these kids start school, they can't write their own names. They don't recognize letters or colors. They're loved but they're just not prepared. They need so much but often get so little."<br /><br />But when we talk, she's never downbeat. I can sometimes tell she's a bit tired, and I can certainly see the impact of time; of a lifetime spent in the service of children other than her own. Her face is deeply lined and wrinkled, she looks older than her years and her hair almost completely gray. But her eyes shine. Her spirit seems undiminished. She remains hopeful.<br /><br />She still believes, as much now than ever before, in the value of education.<br /><br />But she also knows that something must change. She knows that we can't teach children today the same way she was taught. She doesn't claim to understand exactly what I'm doing, or how technology should be used in the classroom, but she supports my efforts.<br /><br />"It's a new day," she said. "A new time."<br /><br />Yes it is.<br /><br />A new time that requires new tools.<br /><br />But as I feel my way through this new life--my life as an education technology advocate--I find that this journey is taking unexpected twists and turns. It has certainly, if nothing else, been an organic process. When I started down this road just over two years ago, I was so impassioned about the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">transformative</span></span> power of technology that I titled my first white paper "1-to-1." I didn't think that technology should simply be <span style="font-style: italic;">present</span> in our classrooms, I thought that every student in every school should have 1-to-1 access to technology.<br /><br />I so clearly remember attending <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">NECC</span></span> for the first time. It was stunning. I remember being astounded by the dizzying array of educational applications for laptops and whiteboards, document cameras and interactive educational software. I was inspired by a speech by Bruce Dixon. I was touched by Tim Tyson's stories about the incredible movies produced by his 6<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">th</span></span> grade students. I got to shake Gary <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">Stager's</span></span> hand! It was as though I'd stumbled upon a whole new universe, a universe existing within the shadows of my existing reality; a universe of infinite possibility powered by these extraordinary tools.<br /><br />It was as though a veil had been lifted and I saw Oz in technicolor for the first time.<br /><br />Two years later, I still believe in that universe of infinite possibility. I still believe in the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">transformative</span></span> power of technology. I still believe that <span style="font-style: italic;">every</span> child in <span style="font-style: italic;">every</span> school in <span style="font-style: italic;">every</span> school district, whether large or small, rich or poor, should have ubiquitous access to these extraordinary learning tools. Technology is to the 21st century what books were to the 20<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">th</span></span> century and the printing press was to the 19<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">th</span></span> century. But I find, as I move forward, my focus has shifted, perhaps softened, a bit. It is now a journey tempered between embracing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">transformative</span></span> power of technology and recognizing the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8">transformative</span></span> power of people.<br /><br />Because that's where it all begins.<br /><br />With people.<br /><br />With teachers.<br /><br />And with the simple act of caring.<br /><br />School should be the great equalizer. Irrespective of where you live, who you are, your background, religion, race or culture, you should, in America, be able to attend the school of your choice and know that you will receive an education that will equip you to compete and succeed in the world as it exists now.<br /><br />That, as so eloquently written by Thomas Wolfe, "is the promise of America."<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">And that, I think, is the ultimate power of technology. </span><br /><br />The technology that we have at our disposal <span style="font-style: italic;">right now,</span> technology that anyone can purchase or lease at virtually any electronics store, has the power to render time and space irrelevant. It allows children from every part of the globe to rise above everything they know and to access <span style="font-style: italic;">the sum of all human knowledge</span> anywhere, anyplace, anytime. It makes direct and unobstructed access to facts and information, once the province of the few, the right of the many. That has power. So forget about whether you're tech savvy or not. Forget about whether you like technology or not. Forget about whether you're old school or new school, democrat or republican, mac or <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9">pc</span></span>. <span style="font-style: italic;">No other learning tool in the course of human history,</span> not books, not the printing press, not radio, not television, can make the same claim.<br /><br />So what should we be debating?<br /><br />We can certainly debate <span style="font-style: italic;">how</span> technology should be used in our schools. We can certainly debate <span style="font-style: italic;">when</span> technology should be used in our schools. What we should not be debating at this point in our nation's history is <span style="font-style: italic;">if</span> technology should used in our schools. The world <span style="font-style: italic;">has</span> changed, we're <span style="font-style: italic;">not</span> going back, and as fondly as I remember pounding out term papers on my old IBM select typewriter and fax machines that used thermal paper, I wouldn't try and open a business with one.<br /><br />So to everyone, <span style="font-style: italic;">and I do mean everyone,</span> debating the need for 21st century tools in 21st century schools, I once again extend a challenge. Quit your job. Open a business. And try to pay <span style="font-style: italic;">your</span> mortgage for one full year using only the tools found in most inner city public school classrooms. I'm not trying to sound harsh or unfair, but I think if you're being intellectually honest, many of us, <span style="font-style: italic;">including me</span>, would have to say, "<span>I can't do it. I don't have the tools.</span>"<br /><br />Exactly.<br /><br />Neither do they.<br /><br />The difference is that our students can't do anything it.<br /><br />But we can.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;">In <span style="font-style: italic;">School That Learn</span>, MIT educator and best-selling author Peter <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10">Senge</span></span> writes: </span></span><br /><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">Schools may be the starkest example in modern society of an entire institution modeled after n assembly line. Like any assembly line, the system was organized into discrete stages. Called grades, they segregated children by age. Everyone was supposed to move from stage to stage together. Each stage had local supervisors–the teachers responsible for it. Classes of twenty to forty students met for specified periods in a scheduled day to drill for tests. The whole school was designed to run at a uniform speed, complete with bells and rigid daily time schedules.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">Those who did not learn at the speed of the assembly line either fell off or were forced to struggle continually to keep pace. It established uniformity of product and process as norms, thereby naively assuming that all children learn in the same way. It made educators into controllers and inspectors, thereby transforming the traditional mentor-</span><span style="font-style: italic;" class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11">mentee</span></span><span style="font-style: italic;"> relationship and establishing teacher-centered rather than learner-centered learning. Motivation became the teacher’s responsibility rather than the learner’s. Discipline became adherence to rules set by the teacher rather than self-discipline. Assessment centered on gaining the teacher’s approval rather than objectively gauging one’s own capabilities.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"><span style="font-family:georgia;"> </span></span></blockquote> <span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">This industrial age model sounds pretty grim, but it is, with minor modification, the blueprint for most schools today. And it is, without question, a model that is hopelessly out of sync with our present day needs and reality. Nothing else in our society, not our businesses, hospitals, factories or farms operate essentially the same they did almost 150 years ago. Nothing, except for our schools.</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">So why are we here? Why do we fight this fight? Why do we make the case for technology? For change? For School 2.0?</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">The point of technology integration isn't about technology any more than investing in textbooks is about <span style="font-style: italic;">books. </span><span>It's not about the product, it's about the purpose.</span><span style="font-style: italic;"> </span>It's about pushing away from a pedagogy that focuses on </span><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">"knowing" and the rote repetition and regurgitation of facts to a thinking pedagogy that focuses on understanding, comprehension, communication and the ability to apply information and data in real world contexts. Knowing "what" electricity is, for example, or being able to identify its elements for a standardized test, is one thing. Understanding how it works has led to advances and innovations in science, medicine and technology that have forever reshaped and redefined every facet of our world. </span><br /><br /><span style="font-family:georgia;">In </span><span style="font-style: italic;font-family:georgia;">A Whole New Mind</span><span style="font-family:georgia;">, author Dank Pink writes: “The last few decades have belonged to a certain kind of person with a certain kind of mind–computer programmers who could crank code, lawyers who could craft contracts, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12">MBA's</span></span> who could crunch numbers. But the keys to the kingdom are changing hands. The future belongs to a very different kind of person with a very different kind of mind–creators and <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13">empathizers</span></span>, pattern recognizers and meaning makers. These people—artists, inventors, designers, storytellers, caregivers, <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14">consolers</span></span>, big picture thinkers—will now reap society’s richest rewards and share its greatest joys.” </span><br /><br /><span style=";font-size:100%;">Now I know there are some who debunk the importance of Dan Pink's "soft" right brain skills. I am also away of <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15">pedagogues</span> <a href="http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2009/03/04/23pushback_ep.h28.html?tmp=762473025"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0);">who dismiss the idea that critical thinking and analytical skills can be developed independent of specific course content</span></a>. I say let the pedagogues debate. B<span style="font-style: italic;">ut it's 2009 and </span></span><span style="font-style: italic; font-size:100%;">long past time that we got beyond the second level of Bloom <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16">Taxomony</span></span>. </span><span style=";font-size:100%;">Because in the age of information technology, the "Digital Age," it doesn't really matter what you know. M</span><span style=";font-size:100%;"><span style="">emorizing facts is not a terribly marketable skill. What's needed is the ability to find, make sense of, and use relevant information for specific purposes.</span></span><span style=";font-size:100%;"> </span><span style=";font-size:100%;">What's needed is the capacity for lifelong learning. </span> <span style=";font-size:100%;">What's needed is a 21st century pedagogy for 21st century schools and, like it or not, technology is a critical component of that pedagogy.</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">So, to quote the Morgan Freeman character from the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17">Shawshank</span></span> Redemption, "We can get busy living or get busy dying." I choose life. I choose hope.</span><br /><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;">I choose change.</span><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"> </span><br /><span style=";font-family:georgia;font-size:100%;"> But I promise, I won't forget you Ms. G. </span>Because the educational foundation upon which we all stand was built by people like you.<br /><br />No computer, no matter how fast, will ever replace you.<br /><br />But maybe, just maybe, 21st century tools in the hands of 21st century teachers will help the next generation of Ms. G's do their jobs, and reach their students, just a little bit better.<br /><br />So I dedicate my efforts to you.<br /><br />To Ms. G and to Ms. G's everywhere who are fighting the good fight for the hearts and minds of our children.</div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1002725016111287736.post-68605752962403185192009-03-03T15:23:00.008-06:002009-03-03T15:52:31.083-06:00And we continue to wonder what the problem is with our "21st century schools"<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7m0TzYXYUpOPiYp9ul4NMsrWRKOhiDayxnQiSbZVpGQn07uPBw54AWg6BxFnI6wVlXmXnsQPDRKLl4kz8rrb0915tj5UFWokVvzTbVNtNfYzkXA-c91idN8_0rUgLcjybIfKQax9TTz-l/s1600-h/j0422120.jpg"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 233px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7m0TzYXYUpOPiYp9ul4NMsrWRKOhiDayxnQiSbZVpGQn07uPBw54AWg6BxFnI6wVlXmXnsQPDRKLl4kz8rrb0915tj5UFWokVvzTbVNtNfYzkXA-c91idN8_0rUgLcjybIfKQax9TTz-l/s320/j0422120.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5309079762971679378" border="0" /></a><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">This morning, I sent an educator that I know an email about using <a href="http://www.skype.com/">Skype</a>. Skype is a wonderful web-based application that allows you to place a call from your computer to another Skype user on their computer <span style="font-style: italic;">for free</span>. All you need is an Internet connection. It’s safe, fun and secure and teachers from Maine to California are using Skype to communicate and collaborate with schools and classrooms from across the country and across the globe.<br /><br />In any event, this particular educator hadn’t heard of Skype so I recommended that she give it a try.<br /><br />About an hour later, I received an email in response:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"></span><blockquote><span style="font-style: italic;">“I will try and download skype. The computer I have at the high school is terrible. You would think a system like [ours], which is very up-to-date with many things, would give me a decent computer! I am on the 'waiting list'.. Lol. I even tried to buy my own computer to use but they wouldn't let me use it, go figure.”</span></blockquote>When I recommended that she download Skype on a personal computer if downloading it onto the school-issued computer proved too difficult, she replied:<br /><span style="font-style: italic;"><blockquote>“It's funny because the students are given the new computers but some of them are not even hooked up yet. In the special education rooms there might be one that is ready to work. I work with some teachers who were given new laptops but refuse to use them, so they are sitting in the closet. But because they were "given" to that teacher, I can't use it. It makes no sense at all!!!<br /></blockquote></span>Alrighty now.<br /><br />And we continue to wonder what the problem is with our "21st century schools."<br /></div>Michael Summershttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02852516929563612430noreply@blogger.com0