Stanford and Dakota Step Testing

Well, next week all the students in our school, except for the seniors, will be taking either the Stanford test or the Dakota Step test. These tests help teachers determine what students have retained and what areas need to be taught in more depth because the students are not remembering those skills.

The tests are also what the government uses to determine if each school has met the AYP (annual yearly progress) level set. If we meet the levels, the the school is safe for one more year, but if we fail to pass the level, then the trouble starts. First we put on alert and must make changes to ensure that we will make it next year. If we continue to fail to meet the levels expected, the consequences get more severe and may result in the removal of the current staff and administration and a take over by others to ensure that the levels will be met. That is very scary.

So how seriously do you take the test and how much effort do you put into doing well on it? Should the government weigh school effectiveness on one test? What are some better ways to measure a school effectiveness?

competitive sports and sportsmanship

Read this blog. Should competitive sports be about competition and winning, about learning and developing new skills or about learning sportsmanship? What combination of these three concepts should exist in school sports? What about in other activities that encourage competition - like band contests, FFA and FCCLA contests and oral interp?

March book review for Honors 11

A character in time and place


Read a book from the list that is not in your usual reading genre or is different from the normal types of books you read. Then research the time period(s) the novel is set in. Find information on the local, national, and world happenings going on at the time(s), the fashion styles, the entertainment and music of the time(s), etc. Then create a newsletter in Publisher of at least four pages that presents one of your character's views of time and setting of the novel. Include how the setting and time, and what went on then affected the character and the plot of the novel. Include relevant pictures and be sure to cite all your information. Be creative and show me that you have read and understood the novel. These are due on March 25th, 2008.

Cell Phones as Learning Tools in the Classroom and Out

Read this blog and tell me what you think.

Web 2.0 and education

Read this blog paying special attention to the list of trends and the list of what teachers can do to join this generation of techies. What do you tink? Is Redfield there yet?