New Literacies in Action, Ch. 1-4

My favorite lines so far (quoting Marco Torres of SFETT about his "failing school"):

I convinced the parents that test scores are basically based solely for school reputations. They don't do anything to develop human spirit in children. They don't do anything to support educators and make them feel better about the jobs that they do, and, most importantly, kids, especially here in my community, a lot of them have very low self-esteem. So, if I can make them feel good, make them feel special, then the parents feel good, and the parents feel special....That is very rewarding and those little quick victories in their lives, builds will for them to make bigger decisions. (p. 65)

While I am awed and humbled (not the right word - more that he makes me feel inadequate as a teacher) by this man's work, I applaud his vision, the way he "gets" right at what is so important and what is so wrong in our educational system. He's talking about Latino students in urban Southern California, but he describes my nearly-Appalachian rural students precisely.

All the focus on accountability and standardization and the same leaders decry the lack of creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, empathy, and workplace skills in our graduates. Well, duh! How many bubble tests does it take to kill the joy of learning?

New favorite PD title

As it is with everything, the latest becomes the favorite, but rarely have I found an author who so eloquently channels the words I think but haven't spoken or written. The book is Thomas Newkirk's Holding on to Good Ideas in a Time of Bad Ones: Six Literacy Principles Worth Fighting For. The six principles include balancing reading and writing instruction, making a place for expressive writing, welcoming pop culture, embracing and sharing the pleasure of reading and writing, simplifying the curriculum, and acknowledging the difficulties of successful teaching. The first couple of chapters outline the history of literacy education and educational testing which have led us to the current morass.