High-Stake Assessments + Brain-dumps

Disclaimer: What I share on this blog are my views and do not necessarily reflect the views of my school district.

Just a thought…

When I was once in the IT field, one was once stressed in passing tests such the series of MCSE (Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer), A+, and CSA (Certified Solaris Administrator) certifications. To these and other tests, there exsited a dark-side that people (usually desperate) tend to gravitate. What I am speaking of are braindumps. Please follow the link to Wikipedia where it gives a more definate explaination. There is a negative connotation to them because one is supposed to gain IT knowledge through classroom experience, however braindumps alleviate that need for official training. 

Knowing that this exists, I wonder if students or just students in jeopardy will become hip to the previously mentioned IT trend of retrieving large relevant chunks of information in preparation for these high-stake assessments. With the stress of passing the test, is this what high-stake assessment vendors push on teachers to push on students to make the grade?

Your thoughts please…

Data… The Gentle Juggernaut

data (n) : pieces of information; information

The beast of data is everywhere. We are bombarded by data so much that we take it for granted. In my honest opinion, we fail to see its importance until this smelly beast is either taken from us without consent OR we are notified that it no longer belongs to us; for example, see current Facebook Terms of Service (TOS) issue.

Another example…. In general on the  school front, there exist a  struggle with maintaining an accurate database on parent contact information (which is vital when emergencies arise) and also grades (do all of those stacks of graded/ungraded assignments get inputted into the digital grade book? One missing grade can make or break a student.)

I can go on and on about data… but my main question is when did the value of this data beast increase throughout the many years to become the humongous juggernaut today? Something to think about. Can we blame No Child Left Behind (NCLB)? The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA)? What do you think?

Am I Too Cool For My Corrective Lenses?

I have been wearing my glasses since the seventh grade – the adolescent years. Before then, I think that I had one teacher, Ms. Williamson, in the third grade that recommended to my parents that I needed glasses; because I would squint a lot to see the board. I would not say that my parents neglected me in not getting me glasses. However I was able to function well enough without them.

In my reflection, if my parents listened and obtained glasses for me in the third grade, would I have been a better reader or my academics in general improved? Would my vision be improved now as an adult? Would I have had less friends because of them? Were glasses too expensive then for my parents to purchase for me? I wonder if any other of my classmates needed glasses?

In my honest opinion, we take having good vision for granted. Students (that are not labeled of having a vision impairment) who do not wear their glasses but need them because they have myopia struggle to learn daily. To make my point, if you currently wear glasses remove them and try to picture yourself in a classroom (even in the front) trying to read something on the board, or a worksheet. After a while for me, it becomes frustrating and annoying.

I am sure that you know a student that needs to wear their glasses and do not wear them. Politely pull them to the side and ask them why. Please share your responses.