Yeah, Testing Will Change Things

Rick Scheibner sent a tweet today about a former student being killed. Stephen Rahn followed with his experience of a former student being killed. I had a former student (19 years old) who killed a former student who would be a senior this year. Gangs were mentioned though we appear to be trying to cover up the gang relatedness. Brian Crosby has mentioned the turmoil his school has faced with break-ins. And how many more of us could add to the sadness with other experiences? Too many to count.

Our other students live in this climate, even when we as adults are able to turn it off for a period of time and recall that "time heals all wounds." I recently read a study that implied our kids (kids of previous generations too) expend energy, and require "noise" in their lives as a coping mechanism. It is in the quiet times, when kids have time to reflect, that their minds tend to wander into their world of personal concerns.

If this is true, when it comes time for high-stakes tests, our kids are required to sit in silence, and their minds begin to wander, what do they really think about? The next question, or the fears they face in their world that most of us will never understand? How do we test that?

Testing
Sharpen pencil
Who will we leave behind?
Darkened circles; multiple guess
Assess

Image Credit: No More Tests

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Celest Goes to Class - in person!

Brian Crosby at Learning is Messy has kept the world informed about his class, and an inspirational student named Celest. Read and Watch the story here, here, and here.

I also wrote about Mr. Crosby's earlier in the year. Celest, was not expected to be in a classroom in person this year, but she did it! Check out the announcement.

Mr. Crosby posted a photo with Celest face on the laptop, as the Skyped her in for the class picture taken in January 2007. Another photo from May is posted too, and Celest is in the picture - in person!

Cancer is such a weird disease. Just a few weeks ago Celest was in California for special treatments. Many of us following the story prayed for Celest, and sent her an eCard.

Mr. Crosby is moving to 5th grade with these students next next year. Hopefully Celest will get to be in the classroom more frequently.

It's not about the technology, it is what the technology allows you to do. In this case it was about helping a student become a part of a peer group, learning the material in an unconventional way, and most importantly developing the human network. "No man is an island" nor should one be forced to become an island. Technology helped a person who in many places would be forced to be an island, but thanks to Mr. Crosby and his class a potential island became part of the mainland. Inclusion, education, teaching, and learning at its best.