Friday, February 27, 2009

Game On...

So although I continue to tell my friend Zac Chase that I can't help him solve the world this week, he has issued a really valuable challenge that I can't help but start to think about.
Here’s his charge:

Blog or comment with the three shifts, changes, movements we should demand at the national level to move education somewhere. These should be basic, actionable, transparent steps that are taken or not taken. Don’t just blog it, though, talk about it. Bring it up in department meetings, faculty meetings, podcasts, dinner table discussions, the dog park. Take the conversation outside of the echo chamber. Talk about it with people inside and outside of education (we’re all inside, btw). If you put it online, tag it 3steps4ed. If you like, re-post this to your online space, do that.

Follow the tag, write about what feeds your reader. From there, we’ll move forward. If you’ve already written your three down, go back and re-tag it.

It is no surprise that SOMETHING has to be done about what standardized testing is doing to public education. We talk about that all the time. I created this picture and have had some ideas about standardized testing rumbling around in my head since the Message for Obama Group pool on Flickr. In talking to Zac, it's a start, but I would argue not necessarily definite and actionable. So it is something that I need to continue to ponder and develop as an action...I am sure the more folks I talk to the more the idea will formulate and the closer I can get to something that is actionable...

Recap:

  • Think of the three actionable steps that need to be taken at the national level to move education.
  • Talk about them with others. Ask for others’ thoughts first.
  • Post, tweet photograph your thoughts and tag them 3steps4ed and see where it takes you~
Like I said, I don't have time to change the world today...but I love how Zac contantly challenges my thinking so I wanted to share this to get others thinking as well.

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1 comment:

  1. Hi Kristin--
    Great post...also wondering this: is it the tests or the perceptions that some teachers and administrators have about how to prepare kids for them that needs to change? I don't know that anyone should be giving up any class time, really, to prepare kids for tests. Do you?

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