21st Century School Teacher

The latest greatest on Michelle Rhee (I just can't help it...) She's on my radar, and with schools opening in D.C., the articles and posts just keep coming.  Here are several from today to peruse...  If you haven't been paying attention to her moves, you may want to... If she is successful in turning around one of the worst education systems in America, her decisions will likely fuel similar change in districts across the nation...  She's all about the kids--I admire that...  It certainly is not politics as usual with Michelle... 

Here are some links from washingtonpost.com...  Interesting reading!
 
Better or Worse, It's Rhee's School System Now: Her First Year Has Left a Big Impact V. Dion Haynes, A01 ...the fingerprints of Chancellor Michelle A. Rhee will be found all over Washington...making unpopular decisions....

New chief seeks to fix DC school system where others failed BRIAN WESTLEY
...of Columbia Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee is making bold changes as she tries...38, the Ivy-League educated...

With the Democrats in Denver A17 (Post) ...He offered ongoing teacher contract talks in the District as "a real life example." Chancellor Michelle Rhee's...

Opening Day in the D.C. Classroom A16 ...a retired high school science teacher, and I have just read the latest proposal of D.C. Schools Chancellor Michelle A....

A Look Back at Michelle Rhee's First Year... Jahi Chikwendiu

We're Teaching Books That Don't Stack Up from washingtonpost.com
By Nancy Schnog Sunday, August 24, 2008; Page B01

An interesting editorial about English teachers and the teaching of literature--what students are NOT getting from their summer reading lists...  Some pertinent questions...
I too think that many novels are put on required reading lists at inappropriate grades--her point about dissecting literature is probably true, as well. 

I guess my beef has always been with programs like Accelerated Reader--where students are tested and then told what level of book they should read.  If the book that they are interested is too low or too high--forget it.  I understand the premise, that students should be reading in their zone of proximal development, but are we really sending the right message when we require kids to read certain books and give them points for reading these books from limited lists? 

Let me give an example as to why I'm a little cynical...  Last year, I wanted to bring my new class of seventh graders to the media center to explore the shelves and find some good books to check out.  After briefing students on my expectations--blank stares...  "What is it?" I asked... "Mrs. W, how can we check out a book if we don't know our AR reading level?"  Um...I'm thinking...you've got to be kidding me! 

"A book isn't available to you unless it is at your reading level" is the message the students learned the year prior. I see that not all books are appropriate reads for all kids--but if a kid is having a hard time finding the right selection, isn't that what the librarian or teacher is for, not some score based on a 5 minute vocabulary test?  And really, the 5 rule (or whatever it's called) seems to work great...  If there are 5 or more words on a page that you don't understand, possibly the book is too hard. 

I don't know about you, but I've probably stopped reading as many books as I've completed--that's called knowing when the effort is no longer worth it to you.  No wonder so many kids haven't found the joy in reading a good book, when we don't allow kids to explore, test, practice, and enjoy what speaks to them...

And programs like these really stink for the high scoring AR readers.  Several of my students scored at the 12 and 13 level (Okay, to me that doesn't even make sense--clearly these 7th grade kids do not have the schema or background knowledge to read texts that are written for an adult audience...)  There are like three books in the middle school library that these high level readers can choose from... 

And now that they know their AR score, how do they pick a book to read in a public library, or a book store for that matter?  How do they find a book without it's AR ranking printed boldly on the spine?

I think that when they rank these books, they count the words on a page, words per sentence, and letters per work and then based on this, an reading level score is tabulated.  Some wonderful books with content that is age appropriate is overlooked by kids because it scores too low based on some calculation algorithm--that doesn't take into account many other variables like theme, age of the protagonist, etc.

My suggestion for librarians, teachers, districts, whoever--is to help kids choose the right books by reading them first.  Okay, you can't read them all, but all teachers should have a list of books that they can recommend that are appropriate in content and reading level for a variety variables: reading ability, gender,  age , etc.

Wow--now that was a tangent!  

What I think is book selection for teaching reading and teaching literature in the 21st century should include both classical texts and contemporary--fiction and nonfiction--multicultural texts, and texts that are self-selected by the kids.  Teachers should have choice when selecting novels for instruction--every class is different, and the unique needs of a classroom community should also be taken into account when choosing a book for whole-class instruction.  

Just a few days ago my favorite author turned 88 years old--whew!  I don't know what it is about Bradbury's writing, but I just love it, and him...  Possibly it's the metaphors, or maybe it's the many questions his stories evoke...  There's something about Ray.  88 years young, and still writing--his daughter living in Arizona scribes for him--since his stroke in 2000.  His latest work?  Now and Forever.  Check out a text excerpt from his new book--from harpercollins.com...

I love his short stories for the classroom because they are short enough to read and use in one day.  If you've never taught with a Bradbury short stories, my favorites to try in the classroom are "All Summer in a Day," and "The Rocket."  Both are powerful tales that lead to rich discussions.  Two of my favorite longer stories are "The Veldt" and "Sound of Thunder."   

DonorsChoose.org

What if there were a simple way to provide students with the books, technology, and supplies that they need to learn?

What if people from all walks of life could connect directly with public schools, learn about specific classroom needs, and choose how to help?

Check out this site--if your classroom is in  dire need of something, this is a great place to start...  And if you're looking for a great philanthropic activity for your class--helping another teacher and classroom might be a fine way to show you care...

By Evan Thomas, Eve Conant and Pat Wingert | NEWSWEEK Published Aug 23, 2008 From the magazine issue dated Sep 1, 2008

Another great Newsweek article about Michelle Rhee--this article again seems to paint a picture of the tiger--working tirelessly to reform education.  In an earlier post, I discussed having a teaching mantra...  Michelle Rhee's reads somewhere close to "The interests of children always before the interests of adults...."  I have to admire her gusto, and will continue to follow this story, as it seems to me that the outcomes of her bold moves in education will reverberate through school systems nationally...  Again, my hat's off to this visionary! Go get em'.
 

Schools say they're ready August 23, 2008
School officials across the Washington area said they will be prepared for their first days of school this week even if it's considered to be at...
Students get paid to attend school  August 23, 2008
Wasington D.C. will pay middle school students for attendance and behavior in an effort to get them to focus on school. . . The city plans to spend...
An Unlikely Gambler  August 23, 2008
Not long after Michelle Rhee took over as head of the Washington, D.C., public schools a year ago, she announced a plan to shut down almost two...
Festivities, Anxiety Mark Kickoff Event  August 22, 2008
The morning began with the buoyant spirit of a pep rally -- all cheers, prizes and inspirational words from Mayor Adrian M. Fenty and other...
DC Mayor Promises School Will Open On Schedule  August 22, 2008
Nearly every construction job seems to take longer than expected. But with DC youngsters expected back in class on Monday, some city officials have...
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I've been following Michelle Rhee, Chancellor for D.C. schools, because it seems to me that she is a risk taker and forward thinker.  Interestingly, D.C. schools are going to start rewarding middle schoolers (3,000 of the little critters) for coming to school--with $100 cold hard cash for each 2 weeks students attend.  Interesting, I say, because I agree that these are the years that tend to make or break it for many middle schoolers--whether they find their way to high school or to the hard-knock life... 

But it also seems to me that the connections that high-risk kids make at this age, with mentors and role models, is the most likely variable in keeping them in school (I have not read any research in this area--just a gut feeling).  So I'm wondering how cash in the pockets of high-risk kids will translate into appreciation for academia.  It seems that cash in hand is a start, but certainly won't be enough alone to change old habits--and then again...  Like I said, interesting...

"They have a lot of incentives to do the wrong thing outside of school, and what we need to do is counterbalance that," Rhee said.

I'm not sure how many kids who tend to "do the wrong things outside of school" will spend their money, but $200 could translate to some trendy clothes for some kids or drugs and alcohol for others...  What should tax payers be subsidizing?  I'm not sure what the parameters are, but hopefully students are being held responsible for attendance as well as their effort in class...  And ultimately, how will D.C. measure whether this model is a success or failure?

Don't get me wrong, add another $200 to my paycheck a month, and I probably wouldn't miss a day either--but I'm also a pretty responsible person.  Will the cash make the difference?  I'm guessing not--parents, teachers, coaches, and administrators might--so hopefully they can piggyback of off this reward process to help these 3,000 targeted kids make the right choices and keep them in school. 

Photosynth—a free photo-sharing service launched Thursday by Microsoft Live Labs is a fabo new online software program that utilizes multiple photographs of one thing --a room, a house, something stationary, a landscape-- taken from several angles, and collages them together into a three-dimensional panoramic  image.

Free to new users who receive 20 gigabytes of memory to try it out. Download it from the Photosynth site,  and you can browse "synths" that other users have already created and uploaded...  Pretty cool--you have to have a broadband connection and your images can be viewed by all--fun!

" Imagine being able to share the places and things you love using the cinematic quality of a movie, the control of a video game, and the mind-blowing detail of the real world. With nothing more than a bunch of photos, Photosynth creates an amazing new experience."

Wetpaint has a new education ambassador...  not sure what that really means for the typical educator, but if you haven't looked at Wetpaint  to set up a classroom wiki, you might want to take the tour now.  And if you haven't used a wiki in the classroom yet, it might be time to take the plunge... It's super easy to get started!  :)

It’s almost September and I’m reminded--I won’t be teaching—no opening day, no new class of sevies, no action packed, quirky lessons to plan… (tear)

For years my husband and I talked about the “what if” he got a job promotion, which would mean we’d have to move from our home town—and my answer was always, emphatically, “Um, I’m not giving up my teaching position—are you crazy!”  I did have it good, really good—great kids, great school, awesome principal, amazing colleagues—you name it…  What happened?  (The dirty word in our house is “cancer.”)  And if one round wasn’t enough, after I had my daughter, it came back again--argh… After several surgeries and chemo, I got a clean bill of health—but if you’ve had cancer, you know as well as I do that there’s a possibility it will be back… 

When my husband was extended a new job opportunity in a different city, he took the deal so that I could stay home with Katie and be a stay-at-home mommy.  And I love being home with her--who wouldn’t?  She’s the most amazing little creature I’ve ever known. 

Still, as the new school year begins, I can’t help but feel a little melancholy—I love to teach… 

I’ll probably be out of the classroom at least this year—maybe next… To channel some of my “teacher” energy, I’ve created this site and blog—a place where I can talk about education and have a reason to keep abreast of what’s new.  I’m an ardent advocate for incorporating new 21st century literacies into curricula, so it made sense to put some work into defining what 21st century education means to me.  Technology--the internet more specifically, was my best friend when I was going through treatment for cancer... So here I am...

Today, as I was reading my regular list of bloggers’ posts, I realized how much we are all alike—we teachers.  We have our good days and bad days, our victories and disappointments, and through all the B.S. we still manage to remain visionaries--and for who?  For those little critters that grace our classrooms.  Teachers love kids (period).

I happened upon a blog post written several years ago—a professor’s lesson to have first year teachers come up with their own mantras for teaching.  I liked the idea.  What’s my teaching mantra?  And as I post this, I still haven’t landed on it—I’m gonna work on it though…  I’ll make that my next post—and in the mean time, you too might consider yours…  What is the great truth about who you are as a teacher?  Do you have a mantra?

Update: Coming back to my mantra...  I think it would have to be something close to teaching from the heart--for the heart.

I love my profession, and I'll know I'll be back in the classroom soon.