Search Results for: blog the no child left behind act and special education

Presidential Candidates Speak to NEA

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It is that time again when political candidates begin to fight for the support of educators. Eight of the presidential candidates met with the National Education Association (NEA) in Philadelphia. As expected, the candidates said just what the teachers wanted to hear. Illinois Senator Barack Obama was a popular speaker. He carefully discussed merit pay (which teachers are usually not in favor of). He placed a softer edge on the issue by promising to give teacher input to the topic. His idea was to work with the teachers and ease into the process together. Republican Mike Huckabee also gained support … Continue reading →

Education Timeline Through 2002

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This article will complete my timeline of education. As you can see, education has made many accomplishments through time. Many court cases and acts have helped make our education system what it is today. Education will continue to grow and flourish in the future. 1930 Dick and Jane books were published. 1943 The Supreme Court rules that students do not have to Pledge Alliance to the Flag. 1950 The National Science Foundation is created. 1954 Brown v Board of Education court ruling override the Plessy decision that favored segregation. Schools can no longer be segregated. 1957 President Eisenhower sends National … Continue reading →

Education Timeline Through 1926

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The first article outlining the growth of education discussed some early ideas and influences on teaching. The second article discussed the beginning of college and formal education. Today’s article will begin in 1825 an end in 1926. 1825 Noah Webster wrote the dictionary that we know today as Webster’s Dictionary. The book helps people spell and define words. 1827 Mandatory high schools for Massachusetts towns of 500 or more families. 1836 McCuffey’s Readers are in print as one of the very first textbook series. 1837 Mary Lyon establishes the very first college for women in the United States. 1852 Massachusetts … Continue reading →

Education Timeline Through 1821

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As noted in my earlier article, education has made many improvements over the years. These improvements are due to the occurrences of several important people and events. This article will continue my timeline of the history and evolution of education. 1712-1778 Time of Jean Jacques Rousseau. This Frenchman supported finding the goodness of children. He felt that children should be treated as individuals and that teachers should focus on natural abilities. 1743-1826 Time of Thomas Jefferson. Jefferson was a promoter of having free and widespread elementary education. He also supported higher education. He founded the University of Virginia in 1825. … Continue reading →

Education Timeline Through 1647

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Education has changed drastically across the years. It continues to change still today. There have been many people and events that have contributed to the world of education that we know today. In my next articles, I would like to outline some of the most prominent and influential persons and events. 470-399 B.C.E. Time of Socrates. Socrates was known for his methods of teaching. He introduced the practices of inquiry, questioning, and discovering truths. At the time, many thought that he was corrupting the youth. 427-347 B.C.E. Time of Plato. Plato was a student of Socrates. He wrote The Republic, … Continue reading →

Pros of Standardized Testing

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My past two articles have discussed the factors against standardized testing. While it may seem that there are many cons to standardized testing, there are also pros. If standardized testing were all cons, I would hope that it would not still be around. Many agree that some type of assessment is needed to measure if children are learning the required material. This assessment is not just to test what a child has learned but more what a teacher has taught. It would be very easy to come in and ‘play’ with the students all day. Knowing that there will be … Continue reading →

Factors Against Standardized Testing Continued

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Yesterday, I defined standardized tests and began detailing why some believe that standardized tests are not fair. Today, I would like to continue the discussion by adding even more factors that do not support standardized testing. Some believe that the tests are unreliable due to score variations. A reliable test will produce the same results each time the test is taken. However, standardized tests must factor in a “measurement error”. The results may be different each time the test is taken due to the child’s ability to focus because of mental and emotional factors. Therefore, a child may be able … Continue reading →

Factors Against Standardized Testing

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In my last article, I discussed the standardized testing that my district just completed. I also discussed how some research suggests that standardized tests are not fair. Other research places great value in standardized tests’ results. In this article, I would like to look at the first opinion of the tests. Why do some say that that standardized tests are not worth the paper it takes to publish them? One argument against standardized tests is that they assume all children have had the same experiences. While most children in a class can relate to the same type of living, this … Continue reading →

Standardized Tests

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Last week my district participated in the annual state assessment testing. This time of year is always stressful for teachers. We begin having meetings about what we should or should not do during the testing. There are rules for basically any occurrences that could happen. The state has a procedure for everything from students who come in late to students who throw-up on their test. Yes! I actually had this to happen one year. We had to place the test inside a Ziploc bag and return it to ensure that we did not keep the test to use as a … Continue reading →

The Rifle – Gary Paulsen

Okay, men, this book’s for you! I often look at the books I choose to review and lament that I don’t seem to have enough variety for the menfolk. I repent, and I present to you “The Rifle” by Gary Paulsen. Our main character in this book is not a person at all, but rather a rifle, handcrafted by master gunsmith Cornish McManus in the year 1768. He was accustomed to making everyday, run-of-the-mill rifles, but when he picked up the piece of wood that would become the stock for this particular firearm, he knew it had to be something … Continue reading →