Decisions based on Courage....

Found this quote, it says a lot about mankind...

The primary social
fact which blocks and hinders the success of our experiment in self-government
is that our citizens are not educated for self –government. We are terrified by ideas, rather than
challenged and stimulated by them. Our
dominant mood is not the courage of people who dare to think. It is the timidity of those who fear and hate
whenever conventions are questioned.
Alexander Meiklejohn

I try to be courageous.

Waiting for Superman....

Thanksgiving break is for family, eating, and lately watching movies. So the one I selected for my break was..." Waiting for Superman". Here are some of my thoughts , observations, and conclusions.

Ideas the movie commented on....

Wanting to believe in our schools and take a leap of faith.

The idea that a public school can work.

Reality set parents and students fear that they may have failing schools.

When there is a great public school there are not enough spaces.

Flat lines on Math and Reading scores show minimal growth for years.

What kind of feeling do you get when you walk in your child's school?

5th to 7th grade students fail they don't graduate.

Noticed a lot of talk about the negative aspect of the teachers unions.

I did not realize how much money goes to the Democratic party. An eye opener.

How sad to see children and parents put through the lottery for a chance at a good school.

It really hurt emotionally which I am sure what the film maker intended.

Glad to hear about the great teachers out there and not just the bad teachers.

Now the MAIN IDEA IF YOU WERE WATCHING CAREFULLY!!!!

The LARGER THE SCHOOL THE HIGHER PERCENTAGE OF STUDENTS WHO FAIL!!!

Let me repeat that LARGE SCHOOLS GRADUATE FEWER STUDENTS!!!!

Now why in the world are all the small rural schools closing due to finances (not because they are not teaching effectively) and merging to get larger numbers of students in one place? Iowa wake up there is enough money and technology and great teachers and innovative ideas to keep small schools open. Look at how much money society pays for students who do not graduate and ask yourself why we should not keep small schools open who do well with graduating students.

IT JUST DOES NOT MAKE SENSE!!!

Black Friday, Shopping, and other thoughts...

I pretty much (after looking at my STats) have figured that I blog solo, alone, a wolf pack of one. Most of the time I really don't care at all, once in a while when I think I have some great contribution to man kind, I do feel little bad about the blogpack of one identity. Not today because I feel like rambling...here goes.
Everyone wanted to know if I was going shopping on Black Friday!!! Why do they care? I don't plan on buying them anything, I have five kids, 4 grandkids, son in laws, daughter in law, sister, niece and nephews, friends, staff, and gifts for teachers and of course the gift which I am buying myself. With all of that you would think I would be out there shopping at midnight till I drop. Why!!! The onley sale price that would make me stay up late and fight through crowds of crazy people would be , EVERYTHING YOU EVER WANT IS FREE. Almost sure I did not get that add. If you did tweet me or facebook me about it (oops don't tweet or facebook and my phone has the cheap plan of call someone answer and then pay). So I though maybe I needed to stay up and buy stuff on line. Love the idea of on line because it does not make me go out in the cold and deal with clerks that can't count change back. Well I thought I would try so got on the sites had my codes for free shipping and discounts and everything I wanted to put in my cart (that is just funny computer nerds are laughing everytime someone pushes that button) was not the size not the color or just plain out of stock. So after an hour of getting nothing, yeah I took a break in the middle shopping on line is boring, I quit. So lets get back to black Friday. Some one asked me if I knew why it was called black Friday. My DAD used to work at Hormels and in the good old days the employees used to get their Black checks for Christmas and that told us how much we would get for presents. Of course I know what Black FRiday means, stores are making money. Amazed at some peoples definition of black Friday. Oh well google it people , don't guess. Black Friday I cleaned my kitchen spotless and will admit that at 7:00pm I did go to Menards (which the sign had the MEN off it so Jared and I laughed quite a bit about that..who is ARD and what do you buy there?) I baught what I needed and found Tesla Balls there on sale for $12. Could not pass that up so I baught four. So everyone is getting Tesla Balls for Christmas, might even go back for more. How fun it that....

Just listening...

I know I need to listen more and talk less. I often get so busy that when I have a conversation with staff, student, or parent I try to hurry the conversation. I don't do it to be difficult but rather because I have list two pages long. I also will admit that I have always been a busy person and have a lot of things to accomplish. Last week was the week before Thanksgiving break. Students were very irritated, some because they needed a break, and a few because they did not want the break. I also noticed parents seemed to be irritated with communications with staff . So on Wednesday (early out) I decided to stop and listen. I listened to a student tell me about his card collection and found out that he knew every name from memory. I listened to a staff member tell about concerns she had over testing and student success. I listened to more than one parent about concerns about thier child's progress and also about their lives. With all this listening I did not get done my two page list, hopefully the less important items will wait. I also did not get early like the rest of the staff due to calling parents back. I got home later than I expected but still had time to get my Thanksgiving food made. Now I need to remember to listen to my family. Listening seems easy but it isn't always....but it is necessary.

I CAN Hear....

Just got back from a Commission for the Deaf meeting held in Des Moines. I was appointed by the Governor to be the 'at large' commissioner. What that means is that I am not deaf, hearing impaired, nor do I have family members that are. My purpose on the commission is to give it a hearing individuals perspective. This is the second meeting I have attended and I come away with so much more than I ever expected. Of all the commissioners I am the only hearing member. We do have another member with a cochlear implant but I also am the only member who does not sign or read lips. When I get to a meeting we have 6 interpreters. I feel embarrassed that one is mainly for me. When everyone is talking I usually just sit and smile and nod and hope that someone will try to speak so I can read lips. Even if the people present try to slow down the signing I still don't get much out of it. The conversations are very animated and I know I am missing vital information before and after the meeting. During the meeting I can read the teleprompter but it is often a sentence behind the speaker and yes you can tell. If I try to watch the person signing I can't read the teleprompter and if I watch the interpreter I miss the person speaking and the expressions that go with the conversation. Both meetings I have come away with a headache. So much going on and so hard to focus. I also am not sure when it is polite to jump into a conversation and how to get the speakers attention. I am learning though just wish I had more time to take a crash course in signing. ALL OF MY OBSERVATIONS I AM SURE ILLUSTRATE HOW A DEAF OR HARD OF HEARING INDIVIDUAL FEEL EVERYDAY !!! Wow what I thought I knew about deafness was not even close to the actuality. Thank you to the Governor for giving me this opportunity. Thank you to the commissioners and the Department of Deaf Services for being patient with me. I would like to invite anyone to come to the next meeting in February and experience what quality people work and volunteer for this department of Human Services.

Grading Why?

The article. Grading to Communicate at http://t.co/wd8BzW03.

ad the article. Seemed like the author was still trying to grade but in a more creative way, or at least in a way that validated what he did. In observing young children that are usually not graded (unless you count an S, S+, S- which probably still is just not as mathematical) from ages of preschool to 3rd grade, I notice that the younger they are the more learning is enough and they love it and beg for it. I have had kindergarten students actually plead to start a new letter or unit. The older the student and the advent of grades the less the student seems to want to learn for the sake of learning. (not speaking of all students just most). I read an article about bonuses and work performance (can't remember the author) and the more a bonus is linked to a desired outcome over time the less productivity the employee achieved. I often think that grades are related to learning in a similar way. One example that I used with HS students was:In college I had to take a class called 'Women in Politics'. I was interested in the class but found out the instructor was natorius for being abusive and difficult . First day of class we all expected a syllabus with the requirements of how to get our grade. Instead we got a list of books. She said read the books and come to class prepared to discuss what you had read. If you do not contribute to the discussion don't come. A students asked how discussion would be graded , by how many responses? She said no the discussions would not be graded. Another student asked if there would be a final paper. The instructor said yes. Next questions as to length , form, sources sited etc. The instructor said just write what you learned from the readings and responses from the discussions. Next question was how was the final graded. The instructor said "I will take them home, go into my living room, throw them up in the air, those that fall to the right get a B those that fall on the left get a C those that stay in the air get an A, not completed work get and F. Every one laughed. She said 'laugh all you want that is how I do it'. Next class was much smaller since many students quit. I thought about it but did not. I checked out the books , read them, discussed them,(great conversations I must say) and even brought in books of my own. I wrote my paper turned it in. It must of landed on the right because I got a B. I feel sorry for those who quit the class because the students that stayed learned so much about 'women in politics' but so much more about learning for the sake of learning!