Ode to Standardized Testing:

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You can see it in students’ hollow little eyes, and read it in the angsty tone of recent edu-bloggery. The shaming season is upon us.

It’s time to label kids and their teachers based on unreliable tests given under the most bizarre and unnatural conditions. We call this unholy ritual “high standards.” It’s like the Hunger Games, but without provided supplies or anyone actually winning.

Nevertheless, there are wonderful things going on in the world of online edu-ligtenment and pedagogi-bonding – some inspiring, others sobering, and some just lotsa truth smacking you upside your weary head. 

Stuff You Shouldn’t Miss From The Past Week in Edu-Bloggery:

Dear Educator – Meghan Loyd, For The Love… “However today I was reminded that I change the world.”

Loyd has a new and improved blogsite, and has finally added that ‘About Me’ section Scott Haselwood wanted (he’s very particular about these things). The defining theme at For The Love has always been unrelenting passion for kids, for teaching, for ‘the calling’ – but something about this brief post, this week, put together this way… It kinda got to me. That’s good, right? 

Get to @meghanloyd on Twitter and find out more ‘About Her’ and her upgraded edu-licious bloggery. Watch out for the unicorns – they’re usually hanging out near the rainbows. #oklaed 

Intro to Genius Hour – Jennifer Williams, JennWillTeach, has been steering her online writing towards practical classroom strategies and reflection – as opposed to those of us who mostly lob antagonistic grenades from the sidelines. 

This week she began her foray into Genius Hour – intentionally setting aside one day a week, or about 20% of classroom time, to encourage students to explore and learn in any direction they choose. Williams goes in as neither a starry-eyed idealist following every new edu-trend nor a jaded cynic resistant to all change. She’s a realist, albeit a sassy one (it’s much of what I love about her), determined to explore anything of potential service to her kids and their growth as learners and people and stuff. I hope she keeps us in the loop for the rest of this part of the journey.

Keep @jennwillteach in your loop on Twitter and find out for yourself how things unfold. #oklaed 

In an Effort to Keep Our Kids Safe, We May be Silencing Their Voices – Jamila Carter, in this piece shared by EduShyster, offers one of the more balanced critiques of highly regimented, ‘no excuses’ type learning environments.

I’m generally hesitant to 100% condemn approaches which might work for some kids in some situations. I cringe anytime I read well-intentioned discursiveness claiming hugs and warmies as the universal keys to all academic advancement for all kids everywhere.

Carter has clearly wrestled with the complexities, however, and come through unconvinced that compliance = self-discipline or scores = progress. Her conviction is tempered by thoughtfulness, but it’s still pretty persuasive conviction. 

Follow @jubimom on Twitter and find out what else she’s thoughtfully passionate about, and @edushyster for a wide variety of investigative revelations about all sorts of edu-shenanigans.

Mentor, vb. trans. – Sherri Spelic, edified listener – Spelic has been getting all KINDS of deep and reflective lately. I’ve even considered staging an intervention.

The problem is, I really like some of the results – like this post, for instance. It’s a simple reflection on folks on the Twitters who’ve meant a great deal to her on her journey – not merely as entertainment, but as… you know… reflective thinky carey stuff types. Like, NOT what I do at all – but still totally legit and important. 

I almost issued this as an edu-blogger challenge, but as I said – not so much for the feelings over here. YOU can have feelings, however, perhaps even sharing them with @edifiedlistener on Twitter should you wish.

Happy Testing Season, Kids! – Rob Miller, A View From The Edge, MIGHT be using some of that infamous sarcasm of his again – despite Jay’s warnings about such dark methodology. Either way, this is a fun little vent on standardized testing and a good way to wrap up this week’s, um… weekly wrap-up.

I’ve GOT to work on my phrasing. 

Follow @edgeblogger on Twitter for more pith and vinegar about a wide variety of edu-topics. #oklaed 

**Filing For OK State Elections is almost here: April 13th – 15th, 2016!**

A record number of educators are running, and why not? It’s half the calendar for twice the pay and obvlously almost zero expectations – if there’s not already a promising edu-candidate in your district, you should run yourself!

Keep up with #OKElections16 here, or by joining Oklahoma Parents and Educators for Public Education on Facebook (and following @angmlittle on Twitter).

Oklahoma Education Journal has been keeping up with many of the candidates and current legislative silliness as well. You can follow them on Twitter as @OkEdJournal.

FortySixNews.com is new to me and I don’t actually know much about who they are or what they’re about yet, but they have an entire page devoted to state elections in general, which I’ve already found useful several times. They also seem to have a knack for breaking news whenever an interesting new candidate enters an Oklahoma race. Worth bookmarking this site. They’re also on Twitter at @FortySixNews.

Finally, giving credit where credit is due, The McCarville Report has come through repeatedly when I’m researching OK candidates for state office this cycle. Their mojo says they lean pretty far right (they even link to our good friends at Middle Ground News), but their stuff on edu-candidates has been spot on so far. If you’re trying to keep up, you should probably bookmark them as well. Like all the cool kids, @McCarvilleRept is on Twitter as well.

Breathe deep, my darlings – we’ve many miles to go. But if you wanted a job that was possible, you should have become an accountant or started selling shoes. This here’s one of them ‘idealist’ gigs.

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Go Not Softly Into That Dark Budget Cut

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It’s been several wild weeks for #OklaEd and #OKPE4PE (the definitive Facebook Group for Parents & Educators who support public education in Oklahoma). I’m sure more weirdness is coming. The beauty of it is that we never know what or when. 

Where is fairly predictable. 

In the meantime, though, it’s possible you’ve missed some quality edu-bloggery from #OklaEd and beyond – some of which isn’t even about fighting legislative insanity.

Must-Reads From the Past Week 

What I Am For! – Scott Haselwood, Teaching From Here, reminds us that while we’re so often backed into battles over what we’re against, there are far more important things we’re actually, you know… FOR.

It’s far too easy to forget this simple reality. Fortunately, Haselwood not only reminds us, but does it so very well.

Be FOR @TeachFromHere on the Twittering, and I suspect he’ll remind you of many good realities along the way. It’s kinda his thing.  #oklaed 

On Advocacy and Activism – Cory Williams, An Early Modern Millennial, ponders the blur between educator and advocate, citizen and employee, and the unending empty lip service paid to public education. Along the way I think we saw a little bit of his soul showing through.

Follow @MrWilliamsRm110 on Twitter. He’s actually fairly sharp, despite the hair, and maybe he’ll show more of that soul of his.  #oklaed

I’m Done With 21st-Century Learning! – Rob Miller, A View From The Edge, has had his fill of the noncompulsory drafting of rhetorical scholastic gilding. It’s recrementitious! He has this weird idea that we should label good teaching less and practice it more. Huh.

Experience pedagogical and practical venery with @edgeblogger on the Twitters and see what other bedlam he propagates. You won’t end up chapfallen.   #oklaed 

Green Band Bandits – Sarah B, LadyWolf2016, is a relatively new voice in #OklaEd bloggery, but she’s already raised the bar for social justice in the classroom. Not that we’re into such things often in Oklahoma – we’re more of a ‘The 19th Century Will Rise Again’ kinda state. Still, there are oases of 14th Amendment-ness here and there…

I’m not a big nurture-y, feely-lovey guy myself – my kids respond better to Wheaton’s Law than to Cyril the Cyber-Bulling Awareness Cicada or whatever – but THIS is an impressive tale of young people learning to find energy in building one another up instead of feeding on the fragmented power of tearing others apart. 

Feed on @LadyWolf2014’s energy on Twitter and see for yourself how good it feels.  #oklaed 

Finding My Voice – Cassie Nash, Just Teaching It Real, is another fresh voice in blogging à la #OklaEd, and an immediate favorite of mine. We always say to be yourself and write what you know – apparently Nash takes this to heart:

I need to quit being fearful of teaching writing because I know they struggle – why give them another opportunity to fail at something they already find daunting? Perhaps a bit of this is my fear that I’m not teaching them as well as someone else could… 

Writing doesn’t come naturally to me. It’s hard. So what is it that propels me forward with this project? I think I have a few things to say. I’ll bet they do too.

She’s funny, too – but pointing that out on a Blue Serial summary simply puts too much pressure on an exciting new baby blogger, so you’ll simply have to stumble across that reality on your own. 

Be introspective with @cassieknash on the Place of Tweeting and find out what else she has to say. I know I will.  #oklaed 

Retro-Link

I don’t normally link to my own stuff on the weekly wrap-up (which, come to think of it, it rather odd – given my penchant for self-promotion), but reading this week about the hacking and slashing of so-called ‘extra-curricular programs’ already beginning across Oklahoma just kills me. Such a preventable problem, hurting the most those least able to do anything about it. We all know what sorts of programs go first, and it’s just wrong. 

Ethically, pedagogically, professionally, politically, emotionally, statistically, spiritually, fiscally, and historically wrong.

Extra-Curriculars – “Algebra is important, but so are athletics. If our goal is ‘college, career, and citizenship ready,’ Basketball is far more likely to help you with the latter two. Algebra wins for the first, but mostly that just means that doing math qualifies you to do harder math. Most of these kids are never going to be professional athletes. But neither are they likely to become professional mathematicians, or chemists, or historians, or novelists. The skills and knowledge gained in each of those realms nevertheless serve a larger good. They help to form a fuller, better, hopefully somewhat happier person.”

And they’re $#%&ing it up on purpose, and we’re going to Teacher Hell if we don’t make them stop.

That’s It This Week.

Take deep breaths, rejuvenate a bit this weekend, and then teach like you’re their only hope this coming week. Love them like no one else does. Push them like no one else has. Tap into all that experience and learnin’ you’ve got to try one more way to make those damn horses drink that water. 

Win or lose, short-term or long, at least we can say we left it all in the classroom. At least we can say we refused to let them be taken softly. 

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Politics Make Me Tired

I’m certain that’s a large part of why many otherwise productive, caring people in our worlds don’t seem to get involved or vote their convictions more often.

We may be participating in some noble, time-honored practice when we inform ourselves about candidates and legislation and mark those little ballots time and again, but it feels very much like we’re tearing off pieces of ourselves and our loved ones to sacrfice to the cruel gods of democracy, in hopes they will be kinder to us in the coming season.

BUT (and I have a BIG BUT) – there are still some wonderful things being woven among the interwebbing which you simply must not miss. Bursts of enlightenment and edu-bloggery which will make your day richer, your attitude better, and any elitism you may manifest a bit more justified.

I’ve been distracted by #OKElections16 and Blue Cereal Celebration Week recently – but not too distracted to look out for YOU, my dear #11FF.

Stuff You Shouldn’t Miss From The Past Week Few Weeks Month in Edu-Everything:

A Touch of History w/ Modern Relevance…

How Female Computers Mapped the Universe and Brought America to the Moon – Natalie Zarrelli on Atlas Obscura shares the story of how women at Harvard Observatory were gathered to do the ‘boring clerical work’ of deciphering endless reams of data and translating complex mathematics into a better understanding of the universe. Yes, it’s history – but it’s also Women in #STEM, it’s gender studies, it’s rather motivational/inspirational/celebrational, and – icing on the brownies, here – it’s a helluva good read and there aren’t too many big words.

Follow @nataliezar on the Twittering. She’s a new one to me, but I’m already a fan. Plus, I think she owns a bunny. 

Samuel Pepys Checks His Smartphone… er. Watch, 1665 – Isabella Bradford, on Two Nerdy History Girls. “So even though all that Pepys’s watch could to was tell the hour, he still couldn’t help but check it repeatedly – and ostentatiously – throughout the day in a very smartphone manner…” This is a short, fun read that still leaves you feeling smarter at the end. Follow @2nerdyhistgirls on Twitter and discover how entertaining getting smart can be. 

Christian Shaw: Satan’s Victim or Demon Seed? – This tale, brought to us by Strange Company, should sound familiar to anyone who’s read in any detail about the Salem Witchcraft Trials, although it’s a different case entirely. I find it particularly fascinating because of the difficulty in determining which parts are malicious, which are mental illness, which are childish hysteria, and which are simply… inexplicable. The protagonist is a young lady of what today would be Middle School age, and the dilemmas of those involved won’t be entirely unfamiliar to anyone trying to decipher young people today – even those not possessed by evil spirts.

Follow @HorribleSanity via the Twitter app of your choice. You never know what you’ll experience as a result. 

The Victorian Easter Bunny – Mimi Matthews on her self-tltled blog does a nice little bit on bunnies with eggs. And yeah, I mostly included this one because it’s Easter and it’s a good read. Actually, most everything @MimiMatthewsEsq shares is a good read, so go follow her on the Twitters.

RELATED NOTE: In case it’s not obvious – KEEP YOUR EASTER BUNNIES FICTIONAL. Rabbits are fragile, high-maintenance creatures who make horrible gifts for children. I love mine, but they ARE NOT TOYS. For those of you looking for worthwhile organizations to support, she has a nice pitch for the House Rabbit Society at the end of the piece. I have first-hand experience with this organization and they are quality through-and-through. 

And The Bestest Edu-Bloggery…

Stop Normalizing, Idealizing “Exceptional” – Paul Thomas, of The Becoming Radical, sometimes leaves me confused, or challenged, or occasionally even angry. That’s exactly why I read him.

I confess it’s all the more enjoyable, then, when he says so succinctly, so poignantly, and so powerfully, what I’ve tried so poorly to express for years. Bonus points for using the Violent Femmes effectively.

Follow @plthomasEdD on Twitter and be challenged with me. 

One Right Answer – Peter Greene, on Curmudgucation, ponders the absurdity of preparing students for a complicated and ever-changing world by requiring them to guess what version of ‘CORRECT’ is being mandated from on high THIS time.

Follow the sometimes-complicated and often correct (but never mandated) @palan57 on the Twittering and let him provoke your thoughts regularly.

When Bias is a Crayon – Molly Tansey on Young Teachers Collective. I don’t even want to ruin this one by trying to do a proper teaser. Just… trust me. Go read it. Then, after you’ve processed it in the intended way, read it again and see how many other poignant and pithy realities are woven through it – intentionally or not. 

If you’re an educator and not following and supporting @YTCollective, then you’re doing it wrong. Find them, follow them, share them. While you’re at it, show @lena_tansey some edu-love as well.

My #OklaEd peeps have been busy fighting the insanity of another legislative session, but I have no doubt they’ll be prominently featured next weekend for a variety of brilliant outbursts. Until then, my adored and adorable colleagues – GET INVOLVED and GET MAGNETS. 

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