Student Grouping

In the January 19th issue of Ed Week, there is an article about a Detroit school's pilot program that allows 7th & 8th grade teachers to regroup their students frequently in different math & language classes based on how they're performing.  Basically, the students are grouped by their skill levels and their performance.  If a student is breezing through a class, s/he could get moved to a harder level.

This creates a crossroads in my mind between two things I believe. First, I think that schools (from the beginning) should not group kids by age but should allow them to move around like this to address and tap into their different skill levels. For instance, a 1st grader might be in one level of math class but then be in a much higher level of reading class. The individual student would be able to progress at the pace exactly right for him/her, and the teacher would have less trouble figuring out how to meet the needs of different levels at the same time.

However, the interceptor thought here is that the group learns better with a variety of different people who have varying levels with diverse perspectives. This would create classes with less diversity (of all kinds) and less opportunity to learn as a group. Plus, it seems like it might set up a system that segregates students and highlights issues like poverty, race, etc.

The conflict becomes about objective. Is the goal educating better individual students or is it about creating better members of society. I will be interested to follow this school to see what the outcome is for the students and if there are any unintended consequences that arise.

Simulations

In the January 12th edition of Ed Week, there was an article about simulations for pre-service teachers. Two words of it caught my attention.  In a section, the author was saying that simulations give an opportunity to "experiment--and make mistakes--without the worry of doing harm to an actual child's learning." 


While I understand that simulations are a good place to practice, especially for people who might be nervous in front of a crowd, but "doing harm" sounds a little overly dramatic when we're talking about how a child learns.  The kids might be a little bored or confused, but then they'd tune out or ask questions before any harm came to pass. This sounds like the voice of a simulation manufacturer trying to sell more simulators.

Students & Technology

In the last couple of weeks, Canby (my town) School District has been in the news for the district's technology plan.  (First in an Oregonian Article and then on an episode of OPB's show Think Out Loud.) Basically, the district is working on an ambitious plan to put an iPod Touch or iPad in the hands of every student, and they started with 3rd graders (because of the change in the OAKS testing at that grade). All of this is being done through tech grants. Each student has the opportunity to use the device in a variety of ways through apps that allow:

• Practicing math skills using a variety of game-like programs
• Reading a book while also listening to it
• Reading into a voice recorder and listening to the playback
• Writing stories, poems, etc., 
• Easy access to other resources (i.e. dictionary/thesaurus while writing a story)
• Recording rough drafts of essays, listening to the playback, and making changes to things that "don't sound right"
• Hearing recordings of correct pronunciations of words (esp. for ELL students)
• Changing font size (for students with visual impairments) or volume control (for students with hearing impairments)

The motivation for this plan boils down to: using technology to help EVERY student.  Especially when class sizes are getting bigger and staff is decreasing, these devices provide the opportunity for the teacher to reach out to every student at the student's level, in a style best-suited for each student, to boost skills.  What a terrific tool for teachers to have. Plus, it's fun!  While this program is still pretty new, the data seems to back up their idea, because they have seen marked improvement from all groups of students.


With all of the press, there have been a swirl of comments posted, and I was shocked by some of the negative ones like...(paraphrasing here) letting technology do the work so the lazy teachers don't have to, just a way to dumb-down the education process, should focus more on the basics instead of the fun technology, we should teach these kids what the real world is like, etc. First, I know that there are crazies out there who see the negative elements of everything and who are afraid of technology. However, it seems to me that it's a great day in education when we have tools that:

• Help equalize students (poor, rich, ones with disabilities and handicaps, ell learners, etc.)
• Focus on lifting up all students
• Reach each student at his/her level and learning style
• Teach students how to find answers to their own questions
• Allow students opportunities to self-correct their work
• Gives different methods to practice (and to make new pathways in the brain)
• Moves student perception from "busy work" to fun time
• Doesn't cost the district funds (since it is being done through grants)

I often wonder if those negative people (many of whom seem to be older, because they say things like "back in my day") understand the challenges facing today's schools or if they realize what some people faced back in there day. Most students, no matter what difficulties they might face, are in school and deserve an equal education.  In addition, life is much tougher for a student now who does not finish high school.  So, maybe they don't get it or maybe they're just negative.  Either way, I'm glad that technology gives us the tools to help each student do his/her best.