Teacher's unions need to get out of politics. Why does so much money go to backing political candidates and causes? The article in Newsweek is just another story about unions protecting teachers who are hurting children. How long are teachers going to put up with this? Why are we? Because we think the union will get us more money? Because we want the insurance they provide?
I have opted to join Northwest Professional Educators because I don't want any of my dues going to back political candidates or causes. (Regardless of party affiliation.) If I want to give money to a political party, candidate or cause, I will send them a check. For $25 a year for students, I have two million dollars worth of liability insurance while I student teach. For $16.50 a month after I become a teacher, I will have the same insurance and legal coverage. They also have grants for beginning teachers and a newsletter about issues in education. Another thing I like is, NWPE will not take a position on legislation regarding education unless 80% of their members support it. I recently got an email from them about the legislation in Idaho about early graduation asking my opinion. When they could not get an 80% consensus, they did not issue a statement in support of or against the measure. I liked that. Here's a quote from their website: "NWPE stays focused on what is best for students and those who place them as their highest priority."
Here's their website if you are interested: http://www.nwpe.org/
Just another option in case you feel like I do and don't want your union dues financing politician's or political causes you may or may not agree with.
Brenda
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
Thoughts on professionalism part 1
Our conversation last night in class about professionalism really resonated with me. Believe it or not, I had to hold myself back to keep from talking too much. I'd like to preface my comments in this blog with this disclaimer: my comments are not directed to anyone in class but are thoughts I've held for a long time. This will probably be my first installment on this subject. Here are just a couple of ideas I have about how we can change the way our profession is viewed.
1. Stop complaining about how we are perceived by the public. Sometimes this reminds me of a two year old stomping their foot and saying "I am important, I am important!" Of course we are important, we just don't need to keep telling ourselves and others. I think we need to quit seeking the approval of others. Do our job, do it well and quit complaining. Some people will never change their minds about how they view teachers so quit stomping your feet.
2. Quit talking about teacher pay all the time. We all knew what teachers made when we started going to school, why do we continuously complain about it? Don't get me wrong, I think there are times and places for this discussion, it just feels like it's all we talk about. It's time to show that teachers deserve better pay, rather than complaining. Wouldn't it change the discussion if we could refer to specific results and tie that to pay increases. Like it or not, our society is results driven. We need to show results in connection to pay increases. When I see how many people are joining the teaching profession from other career fields, I wonder if the low teacher pay resonates anymore with the general public.
3. Be realistic about your role. Sometimes teachers put themselves on pedestals, like some kind of savior of children. I think we over romanticize the profession sometimes. Sorry, but I don't think teaching is a life or death profession like a brain surgeon. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying teachers don't have a huge impact on lives; they do. However, I have survived even after having a couple TERRIBLE elementary teachers. Their mistakes could be classified as teacher malpractice. Even with that, I will graduate from college. If a brain surgeon made a mistake of the same degree, I would be dead.
4. Stop complaining about the required tests to become a teacher. Every profession has to pass tests. I don't think we should give the impression that we are afraid of them or they are irrelevant. I think some evidence of mastery of core content knowledge is reasonable if you are expected to teach these subjects. I don't want to give the impression that I am a fan of the Praxis. I don't think a good score on the Praxis means you will be a good teacher any more than a good score on the CPA test means you will be a good accountant. It does mean that some minimum standard has been met. I have yet to have someone tell me, "I studied my heart out for that test and didn't pass it." More often, the comment I hear is, "I didn't study at all and I passed it."
That's probably enough for my first entry on professionalism. I will do another blog on the union. :)
Brenda
1. Stop complaining about how we are perceived by the public. Sometimes this reminds me of a two year old stomping their foot and saying "I am important, I am important!" Of course we are important, we just don't need to keep telling ourselves and others. I think we need to quit seeking the approval of others. Do our job, do it well and quit complaining. Some people will never change their minds about how they view teachers so quit stomping your feet.
2. Quit talking about teacher pay all the time. We all knew what teachers made when we started going to school, why do we continuously complain about it? Don't get me wrong, I think there are times and places for this discussion, it just feels like it's all we talk about. It's time to show that teachers deserve better pay, rather than complaining. Wouldn't it change the discussion if we could refer to specific results and tie that to pay increases. Like it or not, our society is results driven. We need to show results in connection to pay increases. When I see how many people are joining the teaching profession from other career fields, I wonder if the low teacher pay resonates anymore with the general public.
3. Be realistic about your role. Sometimes teachers put themselves on pedestals, like some kind of savior of children. I think we over romanticize the profession sometimes. Sorry, but I don't think teaching is a life or death profession like a brain surgeon. Please don't misunderstand me, I'm not saying teachers don't have a huge impact on lives; they do. However, I have survived even after having a couple TERRIBLE elementary teachers. Their mistakes could be classified as teacher malpractice. Even with that, I will graduate from college. If a brain surgeon made a mistake of the same degree, I would be dead.
4. Stop complaining about the required tests to become a teacher. Every profession has to pass tests. I don't think we should give the impression that we are afraid of them or they are irrelevant. I think some evidence of mastery of core content knowledge is reasonable if you are expected to teach these subjects. I don't want to give the impression that I am a fan of the Praxis. I don't think a good score on the Praxis means you will be a good teacher any more than a good score on the CPA test means you will be a good accountant. It does mean that some minimum standard has been met. I have yet to have someone tell me, "I studied my heart out for that test and didn't pass it." More often, the comment I hear is, "I didn't study at all and I passed it."
That's probably enough for my first entry on professionalism. I will do another blog on the union. :)
Brenda
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
Bringing the Rain to Kapiti Plain
By Verna Aardema Illustrated by Beatriz Vidal, Dial Press, 1981
Ages: 4-8; Older children would also find it enjoyable as part of or introduction to a lesson.
Genre: folktale
Keywords: Africa, water cycle, plains, drought,folktale
This book is about a drought on Kapiti plain. Because the rains were late, there was no grass to feed the animals. A young man, Ki-pat, whose job it was to watch the herd, ingeniously ends the drought. This book is a re-telling of an African folktale.
I loved the rhythm of the text. The rhyming words add to the rhythm and you find yourself enjoying the beat of the story. The illustrations are pleasing to the eye and add to the overall mood of the story.
Geography: This story would be great to use as part of a study of Africa. Students would begin by locating Africa.
Economics: It could also be used to teach the impact of the environment on economics. Ask questions like: what would happen if the rain didn't come? or how does the environment affect our life in the Treasure Valley?
Science: You could integrate science with social studies by studying the water cycle or different biomes. Making shoe-box biomes would be a great project to re-inforce what they have learned. Children could also pick an animal that lives on the African plains and research the animal, write a report, or do a presentation about that animal. Studying weather would be another natural connection to this book. Just like the discussion of above about economics, it would be valuable to connect this with the students' lives by discussing the affect weather has on them.
Language Arts: For a connection to language arts, you could discuss and read other folktales. The students could then construct their own folktale, or re-write one like this author.
This is a great book that could be used across the curriculum.
Monday, March 22, 2010
CRAAP assignment website #2
Here is my take on the second website. Resource Quality Evaluation Worksheet
Title of the resource you are evaluating: Iroquois Indian Tribe History
Directions: Please evaluate your information source according to each of the criteria below by selecting the number that best represents your response.
Currency: The timeliness of the information
Is the information (while perhaps historic) current or out-of-date? Has it been revised or updated?
For example, if an historical text refers to a minority group using what would be considered derogatory language, rate it not current.
Not Applicable Not Current Somewhat Current Current Very Current
0 1 2 3 4
The information is somewhat current. They refer to the Iroquois as "Indians" which is kind of out of date but at the same time was the term used historically.
Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? Is the information at an appropriate level?
For example, an elementary textbook would not be at an appropriate level and therefore not relevant.
Not Applicable Not Relevant Somewhat Relevant Relevant Very Relevant
0 1 2 3 4
I would score this a 3, relevant. This web-site is designed for people doing genealogical research. If you were doing this research about your ancestors, I think you would find it relevant.
Authority: The source of the information
What are the author’s qualifications to write on the topic?
For example, an anonymous author on Wikipedia has far less authority than a named author on a website sponsored by a university.
Not Applicable Not Authoritative Somewhat Authoritative Authoritative Very Authoritative
0 1 2 3 4
I would give this website a 1, not authoritative. This web-site is written by two individuals who started it ten years ago. It is not affiliated with an university, or any authority.
Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the informational content.
Where does the information come from? Is the information supported by evidence? Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
For example, information found on About.com is somewhat accurate because it is not supported by evidence and it is unclear whether the information is reviewed.
Not Applicable Not Accurate Somewhat Accurate Accurate Very Accurate
0 1 2 3 4
I would give this web-site a 2 (somewhat accurate) for accuracy. I'm not saying it's not accurate, it's just that there is not any reference to where they got their information.
Purpose: The reason the information was published
Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda? Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
For example, an anti-Semitic website has an inappropriate purpose that shares biased opinion with the goal of disseminating hate.
Not Applicable Inappropriate purpose Somewhat Appropriate Purpose Appropriate Purpose Very Appropriate Purpose
0 1 2 3 4
I would give this web-site an appropriate purpose, a 3. I think for the purpose they designed it for, it is very appropriate. It is not meant to be a research site for doctoral candidates, just provide some information for families searching for their ancestors.
Title of the resource you are evaluating: Iroquois Indian Tribe History
Directions: Please evaluate your information source according to each of the criteria below by selecting the number that best represents your response.
Currency: The timeliness of the information
Is the information (while perhaps historic) current or out-of-date? Has it been revised or updated?
For example, if an historical text refers to a minority group using what would be considered derogatory language, rate it not current.
Not Applicable Not Current Somewhat Current Current Very Current
0 1 2 3 4
The information is somewhat current. They refer to the Iroquois as "Indians" which is kind of out of date but at the same time was the term used historically.
Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? Is the information at an appropriate level?
For example, an elementary textbook would not be at an appropriate level and therefore not relevant.
Not Applicable Not Relevant Somewhat Relevant Relevant Very Relevant
0 1 2 3 4
I would score this a 3, relevant. This web-site is designed for people doing genealogical research. If you were doing this research about your ancestors, I think you would find it relevant.
Authority: The source of the information
What are the author’s qualifications to write on the topic?
For example, an anonymous author on Wikipedia has far less authority than a named author on a website sponsored by a university.
Not Applicable Not Authoritative Somewhat Authoritative Authoritative Very Authoritative
0 1 2 3 4
I would give this website a 1, not authoritative. This web-site is written by two individuals who started it ten years ago. It is not affiliated with an university, or any authority.
Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the informational content.
Where does the information come from? Is the information supported by evidence? Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
For example, information found on About.com is somewhat accurate because it is not supported by evidence and it is unclear whether the information is reviewed.
Not Applicable Not Accurate Somewhat Accurate Accurate Very Accurate
0 1 2 3 4
I would give this web-site a 2 (somewhat accurate) for accuracy. I'm not saying it's not accurate, it's just that there is not any reference to where they got their information.
Purpose: The reason the information was published
Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda? Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
For example, an anti-Semitic website has an inappropriate purpose that shares biased opinion with the goal of disseminating hate.
Not Applicable Inappropriate purpose Somewhat Appropriate Purpose Appropriate Purpose Very Appropriate Purpose
0 1 2 3 4
I would give this web-site an appropriate purpose, a 3. I think for the purpose they designed it for, it is very appropriate. It is not meant to be a research site for doctoral candidates, just provide some information for families searching for their ancestors.
CRAAP assignment website #1
CRAAP is an acronym for Currency, Relevance, Authority, Accuracy and Purpose. It's a list of questions to help you evaluate the reliability of information. For this assignment I evaluated a website published by the Carnegie Museum of Natural History about American Indians and the Natural World. Here are my answers to the questions:
Resource Quality Evaluation Worksheet
Title of the resource you are evaluating: American Indians and the Natural World
Directions: Please evaluate your information source according to each of the criteria below by selecting the number that best represents your response.
Currency: The timeliness of the information
Is the information (while perhaps historic) current or out-of-date? Has it been revised or updated?
For example, if an historical text refers to a minority group using what would be considered derogatory language, rate it not current.
Not Applicable Not Current Somewhat Current Current Very Current
0 1 2 3 4
Somewhat current. I thought most of the information looked good but I didn’t like the title. I would’ve preferred a term different from “American Indians”. Date on website was 1998, so it’s pretty outdated.
Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? Is the information at an appropriate level?
For example, an elementary textbook would not be at an appropriate level and therefore not relevant.
Not Applicable Not Relevant Somewhat Relevant Relevant Very Relevant
0 1 2 3 4
I thought the information was relevant. The information was readable for upper elementary grades.
Authority: The source of the information
What are the author’s qualifications to write on the topic?
For example, an anonymous author on Wikipedia has far less authority than a named author on a website sponsored by a university.
Not Applicable Not Authoritative Somewhat Authoritative Authoritative Very
0 1 2 3 4
Somewhat authoritative. It is sponsored by Carnegie Museum of Natural History. I don’t think this is as authoritative as a university but it’s not Wikipedia and seems to be a fairly neutral source.
Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the informational content.
Where does the information come from? Is the information supported by evidence? Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
For example, information found on About.com is somewhat accurate because it is not supported by evidence and it is unclear whether the information is reviewed.
Not Applicable Not Accurate Somewhat Accurate Accurate Very Accurate
0 1 2 3 4
Somewhat accurate. This isn’t a reviewed or refereed article. The information was not supported by evidence. There is no indication of where the web-site authors obtained the information.
Purpose: The reason the information was published
Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda? Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
For example, an anti-Semitic website has an inappropriate purpose that shares biased opinion with the goal of disseminating hate.
Not Applicable Inappropriate purpose Somewhat Appropriate Purpose Appropriate Purpose Very Appropriate Purpose
0 1 2 3 4
Very appropriate purpose. This information is published only to inform. I could not find any other goal or purpose in publishing this information.
Resource Quality Evaluation Worksheet
Title of the resource you are evaluating: American Indians and the Natural World
Directions: Please evaluate your information source according to each of the criteria below by selecting the number that best represents your response.
Currency: The timeliness of the information
Is the information (while perhaps historic) current or out-of-date? Has it been revised or updated?
For example, if an historical text refers to a minority group using what would be considered derogatory language, rate it not current.
Not Applicable Not Current Somewhat Current Current Very Current
0 1 2 3 4
Somewhat current. I thought most of the information looked good but I didn’t like the title. I would’ve preferred a term different from “American Indians”. Date on website was 1998, so it’s pretty outdated.
Relevance: The importance of the information for your needs.
Does the information relate to your topic or answer your question? Is the information at an appropriate level?
For example, an elementary textbook would not be at an appropriate level and therefore not relevant.
Not Applicable Not Relevant Somewhat Relevant Relevant Very Relevant
0 1 2 3 4
I thought the information was relevant. The information was readable for upper elementary grades.
Authority: The source of the information
What are the author’s qualifications to write on the topic?
For example, an anonymous author on Wikipedia has far less authority than a named author on a website sponsored by a university.
Not Applicable Not Authoritative Somewhat Authoritative Authoritative Very
0 1 2 3 4
Somewhat authoritative. It is sponsored by Carnegie Museum of Natural History. I don’t think this is as authoritative as a university but it’s not Wikipedia and seems to be a fairly neutral source.
Accuracy: The reliability, truthfulness, and correctness of the informational content.
Where does the information come from? Is the information supported by evidence? Has the information been reviewed or refereed?
For example, information found on About.com is somewhat accurate because it is not supported by evidence and it is unclear whether the information is reviewed.
Not Applicable Not Accurate Somewhat Accurate Accurate Very Accurate
0 1 2 3 4
Somewhat accurate. This isn’t a reviewed or refereed article. The information was not supported by evidence. There is no indication of where the web-site authors obtained the information.
Purpose: The reason the information was published
Is the information fact, opinion or propaganda? Does the point of view appear objective and impartial?
For example, an anti-Semitic website has an inappropriate purpose that shares biased opinion with the goal of disseminating hate.
Not Applicable Inappropriate purpose Somewhat Appropriate Purpose Appropriate Purpose Very Appropriate Purpose
0 1 2 3 4
Very appropriate purpose. This information is published only to inform. I could not find any other goal or purpose in publishing this information.
Google Earth Lesson Plans
Our family loves Google Earth. It's so fun to see places far away. When our son was living in Costa Rica for a couple of years we could literally look at streets he walked down and places he shopped. It sure made the Earth feel small. I was looking for an interesting and useful site for teachers and found one where people have posted lesson plans using Google Earth. The format kind of reminds me of a webquest. There are both teacher led and student led lessons. Some are posted by teachers in the UK. I will be bookmarking this site for future reference. Brenda
Here's the link: http://www.gelessons.com/lessons/
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Heros: Abraham Lincoln
As I've read Lies My Teacher Told Me, I haven't always enjoyed it. It can be depressing to have the wrongs of our country and it's people paraded through your mind or have images of your heroes shattered.
For this reason it was with a little trepidation I began the chapter about Lincoln. I've always been fascinated by his life. I even received a coffee table size picture biography for a gift several years ago. I became more and more excited as I read this chapter. I was so relieved to find out that Lincoln really was a good guy!!
My favorite quote that proves he abhorred slavery is on page 188. "Fondly do we hope--fervently do we pray--that this mighty scourge of war may speedily pass away. Yet, if God wills that it continue until all the wealth piled by the bondman's two hundred and fifty years of unrequited toil shall be sunk, and until every drop of blood drawn with the lash shall be paid by another drawn with the sword, as was said three thousand years ago, so still it must be said, "The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether."
Wow!! How powerful to read his words, you can almost hear his voice. I read a lot of this to my husband and we both asked repeatedly, "why have I never heard this before?" This chapter renewed my hope that there really were people in our history who could be classified as heroes.
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