It was my intent, when I started this blog to feature more commentary on the benefits and problems I see with public education. I have kind of strayed from that to a degree, and while the personal stories are fine, I am hoping to change the direction back to the original idea of the whole endeavor.
I subscribe to various educational related websites (most of which are linked on the sidebar) and will be using those, as well as other resources to come up with ideas, as well as comment on articles written at those sites and others.
There will still be stories personal in nature, but expect to see more as well.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
IEP Review/Determination
Julia's will be coming up any day now. The teachers and special service providers (OT, PT and Speech Pathologist) had until October 23rd to complete their evaluations. I am assuming I will get the meeting date in the mail this week or next.
As happy as I am of course, that she is making huge amounts of progress in all areas (most especially speech), I really, really hope she is still eligible. Preschool has done wonderful things for Julia. The social aspect of the whole thing alone has been fantastic for her, and believe me, with parents like Ryun and I, it's amazing to me that we have any kids at all that enjoy being social (hello Emily). Ryun would always prefer to be alone and me? I am sure I have some form of social anxiety disorder...more on that in another entry at the personal blog.
I will update here when the decision has been made.
As happy as I am of course, that she is making huge amounts of progress in all areas (most especially speech), I really, really hope she is still eligible. Preschool has done wonderful things for Julia. The social aspect of the whole thing alone has been fantastic for her, and believe me, with parents like Ryun and I, it's amazing to me that we have any kids at all that enjoy being social (hello Emily). Ryun would always prefer to be alone and me? I am sure I have some form of social anxiety disorder...more on that in another entry at the personal blog.
I will update here when the decision has been made.
Monday, October 29, 2007
All I Ever Really Needed To Know
It occurs to me that I have never really expressed my views regarding how "unnecessary" school seems to me after a certain point. A somewhat heated conversation regarding educational funding at the Halloween party got me thinking about this again. The argument someone had was, in a nut shell, beyond the early years of learning to read, write, and do basic math, what did you really learn in middle and high school? Not much, or at least not much of relevance to "real life" is my guess.
"Well roundedness", it seems to me is the reason behind some of the classes you are required to take in later years. Foreign Language comes to mind, specifically. Aside from the fact that I have high doubts (and even did at the time) that I will ever use Spanish in my life, from my perspective, taking the class was a waste of 4 years time, given the fact that I barely remember how to say "hello", let alone anything else. While I enjoyed my American History class, aside from maybe being able to answer a few Trivial Pursuit questions that I otherwise might not have, I don't see it's relevance in my day to day life.
What do you think? Just how necessary is school after, say 5th grade?
All I Ever Really Needed to Know
I Learned in Kindergarten"
Robert Fulgham
Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.
These are the things I learned..
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life.
Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup - they all die. So do we.
And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: LOOK.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and sane living.
Think of what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
"Well roundedness", it seems to me is the reason behind some of the classes you are required to take in later years. Foreign Language comes to mind, specifically. Aside from the fact that I have high doubts (and even did at the time) that I will ever use Spanish in my life, from my perspective, taking the class was a waste of 4 years time, given the fact that I barely remember how to say "hello", let alone anything else. While I enjoyed my American History class, aside from maybe being able to answer a few Trivial Pursuit questions that I otherwise might not have, I don't see it's relevance in my day to day life.
What do you think? Just how necessary is school after, say 5th grade?
All I Ever Really Needed to Know
I Learned in Kindergarten"
Robert Fulgham
Most of what I really need to know about how to live, and what to do, and how to be, I learned in Kindergarten. Wisdom was not at the top of the graduate school mountain, but there in the sandbox at nursery school.
These are the things I learned..
Share everything.
Play fair.
Don't hit people.
Put things back where you found them.
Clean up your own mess.
Don't take things that aren't yours.
Say sorry when you hurt somebody.
Wash your hands before you eat.
Flush.
Warm cookies and cold milk are good for you.
Live a balanced life.
Learn some and think some and draw and paint and sing and dance and play and work every day some.
Take a nap every afternoon.
When you go out into the world, watch for traffic, hold hands, and stick together.
Be aware of wonder. Remember the little seed in the plastic cup? The roots go down and the plant goes up and nobody really knows how or why, but we are all like that.
Goldfish and hamsters and white mice and even the little seed in the plastic cup - they all die. So do we.
And then remember the book about Dick and Jane and the first word you learned, the biggest word of all: LOOK.
Everything you need to know is in there somewhere.
The Golden Rule and love and basic sanitation.
Ecology and politics and sane living.
Think of what a better world it would be if we all - the whole world had cookies and milk about 3 o'clock every afternoon and then lay down with our blankets for a nap. Or if we had a basic policy in our nation and other nations to always put things back where we found them and cleaned up our own messes. And it is still true, no matter how old you are, when you go out into the world, it is best to hold hands and stick together.
Thursday, October 25, 2007
Being A Parent Volunteer
A couple of weeks ago, I was asked to speak at the volunteer meetings being held at the MECC. I did so eagerly, even if I was asked the first time 5 minutes before the meeting started. I am a fairly confident speaker and how could I possibly be nervous speaking about one of my favorite things in the world?
I did well, at least from my perspective. Talking about being a parent volunteer, my love of the Middleboro School System, and being an active member of the PTA, even off the cuff, is something I never have trouble with.
I focussed mostly on what it meant to me personally, but also pointed out what a positive effect I think it has on the kids. I also discussed how being a parent volunteer keeps you "in the know." I love feeling like I have an inside track on what is going on.
I am always happy to speak on what it means to be a part of the Middleboro Schools family, even if I feel that words can't always adequately describe.
I did well, at least from my perspective. Talking about being a parent volunteer, my love of the Middleboro School System, and being an active member of the PTA, even off the cuff, is something I never have trouble with.
I focussed mostly on what it meant to me personally, but also pointed out what a positive effect I think it has on the kids. I also discussed how being a parent volunteer keeps you "in the know." I love feeling like I have an inside track on what is going on.
I am always happy to speak on what it means to be a part of the Middleboro Schools family, even if I feel that words can't always adequately describe.
Wednesday, October 24, 2007
Homework: Outlawed
You know, I find it contradicting that so much emphasis is put on spending quality family time together when most of that time is spent fighting (or getting aggravated with) your kid about how to do homework. Just how "quality" is that?
While I am on the subject, I was thinking the other day about how much homework Katherine has in 2nd grade. She usually has two papers, one math and one reading, spelling or English paper. On top of that, her teacher sends home a book bag with two to three books in it, which she is expected to read, record and re-read each night. Then, because she is receiving extra help with reading through Title I, she has a book that she brings home each night to read and record. I am a big advocate for literacy and am a big reader myself, but this seems just a little over the top. She gets home at 4, is in bed by 7-7:30 and has to squeeze in dinner and occasionally and extra curricular activity or two, on top of the homework load. Never mind if she wants a little free time to, you know, just be a kid. There have been a number of occasions in which I have gotten her up a little early in the morning to read one of the books, or finish her spelling or math. Thank God she is the "easy" kid when it comes to homework, and the above mentioned fighting really doesn't happen with her.
Anyway....homework...what are your feelings on the subject?
While I am on the subject, I was thinking the other day about how much homework Katherine has in 2nd grade. She usually has two papers, one math and one reading, spelling or English paper. On top of that, her teacher sends home a book bag with two to three books in it, which she is expected to read, record and re-read each night. Then, because she is receiving extra help with reading through Title I, she has a book that she brings home each night to read and record. I am a big advocate for literacy and am a big reader myself, but this seems just a little over the top. She gets home at 4, is in bed by 7-7:30 and has to squeeze in dinner and occasionally and extra curricular activity or two, on top of the homework load. Never mind if she wants a little free time to, you know, just be a kid. There have been a number of occasions in which I have gotten her up a little early in the morning to read one of the books, or finish her spelling or math. Thank God she is the "easy" kid when it comes to homework, and the above mentioned fighting really doesn't happen with her.
Anyway....homework...what are your feelings on the subject?
If I have come to one realization since having school-age children...
...it's this:
Math sucks. Math will always suck.
Can someone please tell me how I will survive high school math if fricking 5th grade math makes my brain hurt?
If someone else can tell me why it has suddenly become necessary for a 5th grader to know square roots, algebra and geometry, that would be great too.
Can we all say federal mandates? Sure we can.
Ugh.
Math sucks. Math will always suck.
Can someone please tell me how I will survive high school math if fricking 5th grade math makes my brain hurt?
If someone else can tell me why it has suddenly become necessary for a 5th grader to know square roots, algebra and geometry, that would be great too.
Can we all say federal mandates? Sure we can.
Ugh.
Saturday, October 13, 2007
MCAS Weirdness
In 3rd grade, Emily took the MCAS in the classroom, with the distraction of other students and whatever classroom distractions there may have been. She scored Proficient in both English and Math.
This past school year (4th grade), she took the test in a small conference room, with 3-5 other students. This was an accommodation added to her existing 504 plan, per her teacher's request. We just got the 4th grade results and she got "Needs Improvement" in both areas.
So with the Math, I can totally see this being a "true to life" result. I know it's more of a struggle for her (mainly due to the logical, organized way in which Math must be done). With the English though? The girl has an 8th grade spelling level and and a 10th grade reading level (this according to her neuro-psych eval done in January of this year). That aside, my own observations of her skill in this year, combined with her self expressed enjoyment of it, leads me to assume that something was just off on that day. It also makes me wonder if, despite the distractions of a classroom setting, she might do better in that situation.
This also proves, at least to me that passing the MCAS should not be the sole indicator of whether or not a child graduates high school, as Emily seems to indicate that sometimes, you can just have an "off day."
This past school year (4th grade), she took the test in a small conference room, with 3-5 other students. This was an accommodation added to her existing 504 plan, per her teacher's request. We just got the 4th grade results and she got "Needs Improvement" in both areas.
So with the Math, I can totally see this being a "true to life" result. I know it's more of a struggle for her (mainly due to the logical, organized way in which Math must be done). With the English though? The girl has an 8th grade spelling level and and a 10th grade reading level (this according to her neuro-psych eval done in January of this year). That aside, my own observations of her skill in this year, combined with her self expressed enjoyment of it, leads me to assume that something was just off on that day. It also makes me wonder if, despite the distractions of a classroom setting, she might do better in that situation.
This also proves, at least to me that passing the MCAS should not be the sole indicator of whether or not a child graduates high school, as Emily seems to indicate that sometimes, you can just have an "off day."
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