The Clock, the Yardstick, and the Dream

From the Dalai Lama…

Two thought-provoking ideas here about our current economic crisis.

The Breakdown: “Why Aren’t Corporations Paying Their Taxes?” from The Nation. Thank you to journalist David Cay Johnston for his work.

And a favorite of mine, from The Story of Stuff, about Citizens United.

Thanks to MoveOn.org for sending me via e-mail. Sorry, not a Facebooker...

I can understand being upset about taxes, especially these days.  I even acknowledge this in class while speaking to fifth graders–it’s something many families may grumble about, I say.  But, I’m quick to remind myself and my students, this is how we get things done in our country.

We are coming to a time where we must make choices, and to put our money where our mouth (or heart) is.  I say this because this is the time that we can truly begin to define who we are.  If we value people over profits for others, if we believe in community over select individuals, if we believe in equal opportunity and a voice for everyone rather than a voice for those that pay to play, then we must make the decision and support it.

Perhaps the current struggle we find ourselves in is less about our taxes going up as it is about others’ taxes disappearing in the name of economic growth and the false promise of more jobs.  We’re not getting the returns out of business and the private sector that we may have once enjoyed, certainly not when jobs are being outsourced regularly.  Maybe if everyone paid their share of taxes, we wouldn’t be in this mess right now.

I did want to highlight a seldom recognized fact about school levies, which seem to be a disaster waiting to happen for everyone.  Please take a moment to look at the recent history of school funding in DeRolph v. State of Ohio.  In an epic failure of our legislative branch, no solution to an inadequate school funding formula relying too heavily on property tax has yet been achieved despite the practice’s standing as unconstitutional in the Supreme Court of Ohio’s opinions.

We are clearly not solving our problems.  There is much information and misinformation put in front of us, but if we wish to turn ourselves around and start to prosper rather than fall apart, we must tackle the widening gap of the classes.  It’s time we expect more of our leaders.  It’s time we demand that they address the root causes of our problems, and let’s let the facts determine the decisions.

With Ohio embroiled in debate of people vs. profits rivaled only in Wisconsin but certainly not the last of its kind, I felt a post was necessary.  Too often, as is the case now, the conversation in the media is very shallow, emotional, and intellectually hollow.  Let’s talk facts, view things in the larger scope, and really have a discourse.

If you haven’t seen the Economic Policy Institute briefing called “Debunking the Myth of the Overcompensated Public Employee” by Jeffrey Keefe, it’s time you did. Just this quote from the executive summary should say it all:

The data analysis in this paper, however, indicate that public employees, both state and local government, are not overpaid.  Comparisons controlling for education, experience, hours of work, organizational size, gender, race, ethnicity and disability, reveal no significant overpayment but a slight undercompensation of public employees when compare to private employee compensation costs on a per hour basis.

If you know a teacher–and I have the privilege to know some of the finest–you would know what a commitment they make.  I think this is true of firefighters, police officers, and other social service workers who chose to serve their communities.  We don’t make a ton of money, we work harder than anyone gives us credit, and we sacrifice a lot in the process.

I’d like to share some truths about what it is that we do (as teachers):

• We work 13 months out of the year; we just happen to do it mostly in a nine-month time frame.
• We work long after and before the kids we teach arrive at school.
• We chose this job because we valued people over profits.  We would rather build a future and contribute to others rather than take from them.
• We are more “we”-minded than “me”-minded.
• We are agents of positive change in our schools.  We push for smaller class sizes because we know they matter, though administration is the one to decide if it’s important enough to pay for another teacher.
• We work longer when necessary.  If you’re sick, a doctor charges you more, potentially until you’re bankrupt.  In school, we serve you to the best of our ability without fleecing your pockets.
• We do not receive bonuses, we don’t unfairly raise our rates, and we do not have all of our expenses, travel, or education paid for us.  We pay for much of what we think we need out of our own pocket.
• Sometimes we are the only ones working for a child.  We are the first responders to at-risk children’s social, emotional, and physical needs.
• We are trying to perform in a climate which decreasingly values us and our communities and increasingly attempts to control for political gains.

One final truth:  We are laborers, far from the professional elite in power.  We will need to organize, educate the public, and unite in order to withstand the current siege.  History has taught us all we need to know…

Enjoy a great video about the secrets of identifying birds.  In my next life, I want to hang out at the Cornell Lab of Ornithology.

Learn How to Better Identify Birds

Inspired by the Peace One Day celebration of International Peace Day on September 21, we shared a few thoughts in class about peace.  We read Todd Parr’s The Peace Book–a favorite of mine to read to my son, Jake–and we watched a video about International Peace Day.

I’ve thought a lot lately about peace, what it means, and what it takes to truly achieve it.  I shared a few quotes about peace, and then I asked the students to write what they thought peace was.  Here are there responses, mixed and only slightly edited by me.

Peace is when everybody’s happy and when there’s no fighting.

Peace is to be kind, helpful, calm, and grateful.  You should always be peaceful to others.

Peace is dessert.

Peace is being with my family or playing with my family.  Peace is also being a good friend.

Peace is freedom, and peace is anything that makes you happy–yourself and no one else.

Peace is to have fun, be nice, and to be a hippie.

Peace is a world full of happiness.  It’s helping others and loving and caring about our world.

Peace is making new friends and being who you are.

Peace is your favorite food or a warm summer day.  Peace is having fun and laughing.

Peace is helping a friend, caring for someone, and loving your family.

Peace is treating others the way you want to be treated and getting rewarded for the good things you do in life.

Peace is helping and giving to those who need it the most.  Peace is being outside.

Peace is extra recess.

Peace is happiness, harmony, and joy.  Without war, there would be peace.

Scrambling for textbooks at the beginning of this school year had me thinking about something:  why have them?  Don’t get me wrong, I think it’s important for all of our kids to have a textbook, if that’s a valuable tool we’d like our students to have.  But the thought of going without them prompted me to think that maybe we didn’t need them anymore, especially if we are trying to be 21st century schools.  Let me explain.

In particular, my teammates and I were looking to scavenger enough science textbooks for a new teacher to our grade level.  Now let me say this before I go further–I like our science textbooks and have a hard time considering going without.  I use it frequently as a great reading and content vehicle for instruction; the student texts, supplemental materials, and teacher’s manual provide great experiences for our fifth graders.  But in a time when school technology is far behind home technology, how can we expect to capture the attention of digital natives with tools from the digital immigrants’ “old country”?  I began to think I’d rather do away with waiting for expensive, antiquated tools if I could just have the right modern tools for the job.

See if this adds up to you: student books, teacher’s manual, transparencies, test generator, e-book (a nice attempt at 21st century print, though it only parrots the 20th century version), study guides, independent inquiry activities, simulations, reading support suggestions, and vocabulary cards–all part of the program packaged by the textbook publisher.  According to the prices I found on the publisher’s website, all of these print resources would cost the classroom roughly $876 by my estimates, on top of the $80 per student for their textbooks. This is just for science textbooks and related publisher materials. That’s a lot for books.

Gone are the days when students want to reach for a textbook for the answers. Where will they reach?  Shouldn’t we consider the possibility of replacing textbooks with laptops? Which will students use more in the real-world? Would we rather have students reading biographies about scientists or contacting scientists with questions about an area of interest? Would we rather have students experience abstract concepts with stagnant pictures and print or interactive diagrams and simulations? Textbooks are limited to their date and scope of publications, whereas laptops, information infrastructure, and online subscriptions are current and boundless in scope.

I’m not asking for textbooks to be abandoned. I’m asking us to consider the broader scope of information and the wealth of information for which we hope to give our students. Then, we must invest in the resources that will yield the greatest benefits for our learners. Given the choice, what would our learners choose?

Pay Attention

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Storyboard Template

“This plan all began in a bar” is the excuse I’ll be using for what I feel was a rough start to the world of tech presenter. You know you have a soul mate when they drag you into something you fear kicking and screaming and you come out wanting more. So, Elaine and I are making plans for more presentations. There are some doors that need kicking down. First, we’ll be knocking on some I suppose.

Somewhere here soon you’ll be able to find the presentation on Web 2.0 and Media Literacy that we test-ran at the SOITA conference. Come see it and read about it at Elaine’s blog. Congrats to a Larry Pogue and Michelle Knight and all the SOITA staff and volunteers on a great opening day. I look forward to coming again next year, and I’m so sorry that I won’t be making it to the next two days this year. I had a fantastic afternoon with Sean Beavers, learning about Google tools for educators.

Ah! Another weather alert arises on my screen to remind me of the impending possible-school-canceling-whopping-two-inches-of-snow that is heading our way! What joy to a teacher’s eyes!

http://mattmoyer.edublogs.org/files/2007/12/holiday-wish-list.mp3

Hark, the Holidays draw near! I’ve been in a wishing state of mind lately when it comes to professional hopes and dreams. Instead of sugarplums dancing in my head, there have been tech tools and dreams of peace in the lounge and goodwill toward administrators, teachers, and students alike. So, while no one will ever ask for this list, I’m hoping somewhere there’s a fat-cat in some suit that might hear these wishes and maybe grant a Christmas miracle.

• A data management system that provides teachers with pertinent and punctual information about their students.

In this Information Age, why must I rely on digging in a student’s file only to find a letter grade or a number on an achievement test that doesn’t tell me everything I want to know? I’d like to be able to analyze an achievement score down to an item-level and see trends in a students’ work in the classroom side-by-side with test results. I want to be able to see what services a student has received to date and whether psychological tests or an MFE or IAT meeting was held, when, and what the suggestions were. That information does no one good in the separate file cabinets. It belongs in the hands of a teacher who can utilize this information. If we can stream useful, timely information to soldiers on the battlefield, isn’t education worthy of such tactical assistance to better our society and my sanity?

• Equal resources for every teacher.

Yes, some teachers utilize technology more than others. Yes, teachers at all levels need various tools, software, hardware, and infrastructure. But, I feel that a district that restricts one level through lack of tools, professional development, or because of a prejudice view of teachers’ or students’ capabilities or desires, does a disservice to the entire district. If a district is not spending equal time and money at all levels, then there is poor leadership that costs students and teachers.

• A community of learners/teachers that has universal communication.

I want to know what great things my colleagues are doing and I want to do them, too–if they work. If teachers get together and focus (this is the key point), we can do some awesome things. We could rule the world if we want. Right now we’re just too tired from jumping so many hoops that we don’t feel up to running the world and a classroom. What if we could have meaningful collaboration with our fellow talented colleagues? What if we could share ideas and resources efficiently and effectively? What if we could actually support each other professionally? I’d like to think that if we could really converse with one another, we’d be thriving instead of just surviving. I’m all for the hive-mind approach and we’ll have the world in the palms of our hands by recess.

• A workplace with the comforts of home.

Isn’t everyone yearning for this in some way–especially our students? Don’t they want school to feel and act like home? What I’d like to see is a closer parallel with how I live at home with how I can work at school. I’d like to pull in my laptop and work with my tools, but with the added resources of the school. I’d like more tools, like a digital camera and videocamera and printers and scanners all within my reach. I’d like for students to have that same level of resources, or as close to it as we can get. I don’t want to have to fight for scheduling the laptops or strike out on taking pictures because the school’s two digital cameras are currently checked out. I don’t want to have to walk all the way to the library just to edit a picture or video or create a podcast efficiently.

OK. I’d like to see this: a showdown between the resources a school provides and what students have at home. Seriously. Let’s see who’s got the most resources. Digital Natives v. the Institution of School. I say ten paces and draw what you’ve got–make a straight list of what you’ve got where the other doesn’t. Who can claim to have the most resources?

These are just some of my raving holiday wishes–not really the only things I’m wishing for this season. I’d still like all that peace on earth and Goodwill clothing. Stuff my stocking with comments, please. Happy Holidays. Peace to you and your loved ones.