It was scary reading how many structural and organizational issues exist in our school system that seriously don't work. I know tracking has been questioned for awhile now but I don't think people are really thinking about it too much. "The messages children internalize
because of grouping practices are probably more destructive than we
realize and their effects more long-lasting than we care to admit.
Students may develop enduring classroom personalities and attitudes.
They may, for instance, begin to believe that their placement in
these groups is natural and a true reflection of whether they are
“smart,” “average,” or “dumb.” (111). This is one of the last things we want students feeling. So it makes perfect sense that there is a major issue with this "solution" but there are hug drawbacks. And what do we do? Continue doing the same thing. The same idea goes with retention. "Aside from a short-term benefit for
some students – a benefit that has been found to have no lasting
effects – there is no evidence that retention brings children up to
grade level. Several decades of research that showed retention fails
to improve achievement." (114). Another idea that apparently doesn't work at all yet it happens to thousands of students every year. And on top of it: "Children who are retained actually
learn less than they would have had they been promoted." (114).
I still struggle to understand why we've come to make standardized testing so important. It's been used in so many wrong ways for years by men like Lewis Terman: “Their dullness seems
to be racial, or at least inherent in the family stock from which
they came... Children of this group should be segregated in special
classes... they cannot master abstractions, but they can often be
made efficient workers.” (115). Is this what we've decided to keep standardized testing for? I think it's a decent way to look at what students are learning, but it's certainly not something that should be determining students' futures, especially in such a racist way. I hope this example is not something that is happening regularly.
I also liked what this chapter said about the curriculum: "The problem is that the curriculum is
often presented as if it were the whole, unvarnished, and uncontested
truth. Instead, we should think of curriculum as a decision-making
process." (119). But what's being left out? Are these decisions being made based not on multicultural education, but on something much more narrow-minded?
This chapter was very informative about
the recurring problems in our school system but was limited in
solutions. Most of the offered solutions were temporary fixes or
traced back to the fact that we need to adjust the entire system in
this country. How do we start doing something like that?! That's what
we need to focus on.
Chapter 10: Implications for teachers,
schools, families, and communities
I really enjoyed this chapter in the sense that it encouraged teachers to invite other languages into the classroom. That alone can do many things for students who feel different or like outcasts because of their language (380). Teachers need to be more welcoming of
the native languages students have when it's not English. I
feel this intimidates most teachers if they don't understand that
language. But getting them to use that language in the classroom and
showing those students that it's okay sounds like it would greatly
benefit the student and their families, knowing they can still use
their native language at home and it's not going to have any negative
effects on what is going on in school.
"All teachers can become role models for
all students as long as they are caring and knowledgeable about their
students. One way in which teachers can build substantial
relationships with students is by offering help to those who do not
seek their aid." (385). First generation college students generally
have no on to give them prior experience so they kind of don't even know where to start looking, even though the answer may be simple to us. This chapter was a bit more helpful in coming up with newer ideas that can make a difference in the classroom, and I hope they do. I hope this becomes common practice in schools across the country. A serous change needs to be made.
I agree with you that standardized testing is becoming way too important and messing with the curriculum. Teachers now have to teach to the test and not the material and its putting too much pressure on the students as well. Teachers cannot be creative with their lessons because they have to be teaching to the test and if they are behind then they get into trouble. They need to take the pressure off these kids about standardized test and just let the kids learn.
ReplyDeleteTeachers need to be able to adapt their lessons and try to use different languages to help the students out. Teachers are told that the students have to speak English in the classroom and their students have to as well, but if a teacher can speak another language to help the student out they should so the student can succeed. Even if the teacher uses ebonics in the classroom to help their students learn they should do the students enjoy the class.
I know that many teachers, parents and students are against standardized tests, but I think that testing is helpful and should be done somehow. Teachers always complain that t hey have to teach students to test, instead of teaching student the content, which is an absurd for me. Teachers should teach the content and critical thinking skills and most likely their students will do well on standardized tests.
ReplyDeleteUsing another language in class to help ELLs students is very complicated in my point of view. It is not clear how much of the academic language in their mother tongue ELLs students understand, their academic English is usually better than their academic native language.
You are right that Chapter 5 pointed out a lot of problems but few solutions. For example, on p. 120 the text points out that an alternative to tracking would be to "detrack." However, what else could be done? On p.121 there are a few other ideas such as cooperative learning, peer tutoring, and multilevel teaching. These other ideas seem interesting, but the text does not give much detail. I would like to hear more about multilevel teaching. I think this means that you would have multiple grade levels in a class. This is something that I am a proponent of. Why does a class have to be just freshman or just juniors? I recently spoke with an ELA teacher discussing a public speaking class that he taught where the class was mixed from freshman all the way through seniors. He said at first he was nervous about how everyone would interact, but he said it was one of his best classes ever. I find mixed age groups work really well with older children helping the younger ones and young children acting more maturely to impress their older peers.
ReplyDeleteI definitely see in my students and my own kids the destructive effects of tracking on their sense of self and motivation. I can't stand it and I don't know how to make them feel better about it! I inadvertently think of the students taking AP classes as the smart ones! ughhhh...
ReplyDeleteI do like the suggestion to be able to welcome other languages into the classroom, especially to encourage students to use their native language words when they can't think of the word in English. Everyone in the class benefits from that! When Kate and I met over the weekend, we talked about also allowing videos and visuals to help communicate when there is a language barrier in class.