[lit-ideas] Re: on the agenda
- From: JulieReneB@xxxxxxx
- To: lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 19 Mar 2004 13:35:38 EST
<<It's all right to be fully serious, not just halfway, and write to the
editor of that particular textbook, with a cc to the publisher. >>
The last couple offending pieces of homework have not been from textbooks,
but were merely handouts -- no mention of source or origin. See more below.
<< Why not also cc the principal of your daughter's
school and members of the school board, urging them to adopt another
textbook? >>
Well, see, it's like this.....the Middle School my daughter attends (and I do
not know if this is true of all the MS's in the city) does not use textbooks.
The classes rely solely on handouts, worksheets, xeroxed or printed stories,
and in-class reference books. I learned this the hard way the first few
assignments Bronnie was given. She was to answer a fact sheet about Canada.
She
was having trouble finding, in her Atlas, exactly what she needed. "Where's
your book?" "What book?" "The book you're studying this in so you can look it
up." "We don't have a book." Repeated the conversation re. math homework
and science. Finally she explained to me slowly and carefully that *they don't
use books*. We turned to the internet, of course. I can't figure out if the
teachers themselves create the bulk of these handouts or if they download
them from some curriculum in the sky or if the City's School Board disseminates
them or what. I'm going to be asking at the next P/T conference. I have noted
lately that Bronwyn has been correcting spelling and punctuation mistakes
(accurately) on the handouts before turning them in. Subversive enough?
<<"You're supposed to select the
*best* answer. We're not saying any of the answers are correct.">>
I'm stuttering.
<< Textbooks get updated more often, but no, there's no conscious
correlation between what's taught in the text and what's on the tests>>
'Scuse me??? How is that *possible*?! Isn't there ..... someone somewhere
in charge of overseeing education in the country? Someone who might say
something like, "Hmm....we want the children to do well on these tests
demonstrating
that they know the content they are being tested on ....what say we use their
time in school to teach them that content!".
<< Maybe they'll even pay the editors more than minimum
wages.>>
Tell me your joking. Or at least being a tad hyperbolic.
Julie
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========Original Message======== Subj:[lit-ideas] Re: on the agenda
Date:3/19/2004 6:20:19 AM Central Standard Time
From:cskir@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
To:lit-ideas@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Sent on:
Julie wrote:
Carol.....I want to write a letter to the nice
> people churning out these worksheets -- who is at the very top to whom I
may
> complain loudly? I'm halfway serious. Btw, are these handouts consistent
with
> standardized testing?
Dear Julie,
It's all right to be fully serious, not just halfway, and write to the
editor of that particular textbook, with a cc to the publisher. Since they
hear from very, very few parents, they're likely to respond, and even take
your criticisms to heart. Why not also cc the principal of your daughter's
school and members of the school board, urging them to adopt another
textbook? Be careful, though: you may find yourself on the textbook adoption
committee, or even running for a place on the school board.
As for your question about standardized tests, funny you should bring that
up now. I happen to be studying them this semester. You'll find similar
sloppiness there. Complain and you'll hear, "You're supposed to select the
*best* answer. We're not saying any of the answers are correct." I'm not
joking. Most commonly used standardized tests (the WAIS-III, Stanford-Binet,
Stanines, etc.) are quite old and haven't been updated for at least a dozen
years. Textbooks get updated more often, but no, there's no conscious
correlation between what's taught in the text and what's on the tests. That
much I know. The textbook company I worked for, for instance, also owns the
Psychological Corporation in San Antonio, which produces loads of
achievement tests, personality tests, blah blah. Left arm has no idea what
the right arm is doing, and moreover, neither arm cares.
Achievement test questions are, supposedly, created with greater care and
subjected to test-retest, parallel forms and other types of reliability
measures. Textbook questions, however, have no such quality controls. Should
this be the case? Of course not, but that's how it is...for now. Gripe about
it and the publishers may be forced to pay as much attention to the text
itself as to its cover. Maybe they'll even pay the editors more than minimum
wages.
Pragmatically speaking, if your daughter wants to do very well on the
standardized tests, find out which she'll be taking and study for it. The
questions don't change from year to year, in most cases. One book on the
particular test probably covers it. Disregard what her textbook says, except
for class grading purposes. With this method, she'll do well in both
standardized and classroom tests, and she'll grow up properly subversive.
Best,
Carol
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