Delay Common Core Testing

"Delay Urged On Actions Tied to Tests By Schools" by Motoko Rich, New York Times, June 11, 2014

There should be a two year wait before school districts make decisions on teachers by the results of the new common core testing results.

The process of putting the new core in place and then developing the tests to see what the students know has been too fast.

Schools in California are suppose to have each student taking the tests online.  As a substitute teacher. I see net-books used that are small to see the questions, log ins not working, networks crashing.  Middle school students switch to different web pages to listen to music while they work.  Many students do not care about standardized testing so it seems like a weak link when evaluating a teacher.  Are you a 'bad' teachers if you have a room of students who do not care about their education?

I have students that have trouble reading and the new core shows them far below basic because that can't read.  They may know the material but are being tested a way that does not show their knowledge. 

I would love to see other teacher's comments on this article!

An Undecorated Classroom?

An article in the New York Times, June 10, 2014 says that a busy, decorated classroom distracts students from learning.  I don't remember too many discussions, while earning my teaching credential ,about what the classroom walls should look like.

By sixth grade, children have more ability to tune out the distractions all over the walls.  So when you enter your classroom next year, think about what the students will be looking at while you are trying to teach.

It is simple really, just don't go overboard on classroom decorations.

• have a simple calendar section
• post only current art projects that the students make
• have a simple word wall
• use less neon colors and attention borders
• put most of the distracting materials in the back of the classroom so you can tell who is looking at them and not at you while you doing direct instruction.

When in doubt just remember less is best.

(Based on an article by Jan Hoffman "A Wall as a Barrier to Learning".)

Math Anxiety

When you worry about a math test it can lead to a decrease in working memory so you really can not remember.

When learning new formulas, I recommend rewriting the formula every time you use it.  I also recommend you say the formula out loud.  This lets you see it many time, hear it many times and write it many times.  When you take a test you don't need to worry because you will recall it.  It may seem like overkill but it works.

Also tests should not be timed anymore.  The stress of time makes a student worry.  Ask to take the test in the library for as long as you need.  If your grade improves you and your teacher will understand the time is creating your anxiety.  A good teacher will let you take all your tests that way.

Also when you feel like you are not good a math.  Some will say, " you just don't have a math brain", so you just give up.  You may not be good at math but what you do need is more practice with math.  Maybe most of the class totally understands new material after doing 10 problems but you might need 20 problems.

So you need to work harder and perhaps hire a tutor to work with you.  Math is like a foreign language.  You need to learn the vocabulary and understand each step.

From "Reducing Math Anxiety by Liana Heitin June 10 ,2014

Idea of a New Attention Disorder Spurs Research, and a Debate

This is an article by Alan Schwarz published in the New York Times 4/12/2014.   It states that there are more than six million children in the US with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.  There is concern over this being too often diiagnosed and too much medication.

But now there is a new disorder called sluggish congitive tempo.  This consists of students show lethargy, daydreaming and slow mental processing.  Researchers feel this in present in around two million children.  This disorder has been identified back in 1980 but it was not recognized the the Diagnositc and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

They feel some students are not hyperactive but merely inattentive.  This diagnosis would be for the childre who are the daydreamy ones, the ones who don't turn inthe homework, forget to put their name on their papers.

The drug companines are involved trying to find a medication to fix this problem.

But think about it.  Isn't day dreaming part about what being a kid is all about.  Don't children learn responsibility when they forget to turn in their homework.  I think many children are just being children and don't need medication or a diagnosis.  They just need to be kids.

Intensvie Tutoring and Counseling Found to Help Struggling Teenagers

I found this article in the New York Times, January 27, 2014 by Motoko Rich.

According to testing about half of the African American boys have not master basic math skills.  there have been a few studies which show with intense tutoring and behavioral counseling in eight months they can learn three years of normal math.

Administrators understand that 'it is nearly impossible for a teacher in a class of 25 or 30 students to tailor lessons to individual needs, particularly with those who struggle to understand concepts they should have learned years earlier."

To meet the needs of these students experts are arguing an hour of tutoring a day can make a different.  The tutor would be in the classroom with them keeping them focused.  They can be paid only $17 per year because they don't need to be credentialed teachers.  These tutors would not be having to manage large classes.  These tutors might also need to help the students with emotional coping skills to calm themselves during classes.

Students who have faced failure in math probably don't have a lot of positive or stable adult role models and these 'new' tutors could make a difference in a life of a child.

I think the most important item for success is a change of attitude within the child.  A child needs to determine they want to learn.  By that attitude change, learning can take place.

How to Rate a College Class

I found this article "Frequent Tests Can Enhance College Learning Study Finds by Benedict Carey, in the New York Times on 11/21/2013.  Benedict states that grading college students on quizzes given at the beginning of every class, rather than just a midterm and final improve attendance and performance.

Taking a test or writing down all you can remember can deepen the memory of the material.  The people doing this testing showed that frequent quizzes seem to help the students from lower economic homes.  When a students only has a midterm and final to show they learn the material, it allows only one test to bomb and then a passing grade is just a dream.  Frequents tests give feedback to the student on what to study and how well they are grasping the material.  In most colleges this would mean more work for the professors.  How many would really do this?

So daily quizzes can be done on a computer.  They can only be seven questions long.  It is also good to put in a question that the student missed previously so they keep learning what they missed.  Daily quizzes improve attendance because their is a zero for that day if they are not there. It makes the student keep up daily on the reading or problems to solve.  They can immediately tell what they don't understand and get additional help.

So if you want to rate a college class, check out the teacher syllabus.  See how many tests are given and take the class where the professor seems to work hard to help his/her students succeed.

It's not Dyslexia but it is a Reading Problem

I actually came across this problem in my classroom.  I had a student who could read anything.  He enjoyed reading aloud in class. But he could not understand or comprehend what he was reading.

I cam across this article in the Vanderbilt Magazine, Summer 2013, "Maybe It's Not Dyslexia".  Peabody College became part of Vanderbilt University and are know for their teaching program. Usually when a student has trouble reading we call it Dyslexia. Most people think of dyslexia as a problem when a student thinks b's are d's or whey have trouble sounding out words.

But when a student reads perfectly and then flunks the comprehension test, teachers feel  like they are not trying.  The true problem is "Specific Reading Comprehension Deficits, or S-RCD.  Usually this problem is not discovered until the student is in third or fourth grade.  The study showed that up to three to ten percent of children can't understand what they are reading.

This study has show that different parts of the brain are not working perfectly with dyslexia and S-RCD.

Unfortunately the article does not say how to help those with S-RCD.