I got a comment from an elementary school teacher in Idaho. She sounds like the kind of teacher I would want for my grandchild, who starts first grade this September. She knows what matters most.
She reminds me of Mrs. Ratliff, the high school English teacher whom I wrote about in my last book. I dedicated a chapter in the book to her. It was called “What Would Mrs. Ratliff Do?” She taught her students to read, to write, and to think. She had high standards, the standards she set. She had high expectations. She had a red pencil and she knew how to use it. She cared about her students and we knew it.
This teacher sounds like Mrs. Ratliff for the elementary grades. I hope that Tom Luna, the state superintendent of Idaho, doesn’t ruin her classroom by putting her students online. It would benefit the companies that got him elected, but it would cheat the kids. He should trust the professional judgment of teachers like this one.
Diane
| I am an elementary education teacher in Idaho. I have taught both 2nd and 4th grades, and have been in the profession for 20 years. As far as technology is concerned, I keep my young students away from it as much as possible. Instead, I teach them to be writers, mathematical thinkers, and great readers. I engage them and encourage them, and yes, I demand the best from them. When my students leave my classroom they are able to write paragraphs, letters, and stories with interesting words, proper format, and almost perfect punctuation-and most importantly they leave my room loving to write. I help them become lost in novels and learn from well-written stories. I show them how to find out information (without Google) and how to learn how to spell words (without Spell Check). They figure out how important math is in their lives, and they learn to enjoy being mathematical thinkers. They learn why education is important and how they will use it in their lives. They find meaning in learning; power in knowledge.I am confident that when my students use that fancy typewriter, fancy dictionary, and fancy encyclopedia, called a computer, they will be able to produce amazing things from it/with it because they have the foundation that will allow them to do so.I have my masters degree in technology, and I am very good at all things technology. But, I am only as good as I am because I learned to read, write, think, and do math from a good teacher, good parents, and good grandparents.Luna’s online education plan will cost a lot more than money. It will cost our students a real education. But, how would he understand that since he has never been a teacher.By they way, can you check into Apangea. It’s a program that Luna pushes in Idaho. It is an online math program that, in my opinion, is very poorly put together. Anyway, I wondered if that company gave him money too..or maybe he owns a piece of it. He sure is pushing it and promoting it and I wonder for whose benefit. Has he heard of the free Khan academy?-an excellent online math tutoring program. |
Diane Ravitch's blog 
“As far as technology is concerned, I keep my young students away from it as much as possible. Instead, I teach them to be writers, mathematical thinkers, and great readers. I engage them and encourage them, and yes, I demand the best from them. When my students leave my classroom they are able to write paragraphs, letters, and stories with interesting words, proper format, and almost perfect punctuation-and most importantly they leave my room loving to write. I help them become lost in novels and learn from well-written stories. I show them how to find out information (without Google) and how to learn how to spell words (without Spell Check).”
Online learning and integrating technology in the classroom are two different things. Not allowing the students to use technology productively is a huge disservice! As a teacher of 27 years, believe me , I know how to teach w/o the benefit of technology, but why would I? 21st century students need real world application. Teach them to write, and then let them blog with students all over the world! Let them be pen pals with students in Australia or Mississippi, and then have a Skype session! Read a novel, and create a multimedia presentation about it, or join with other classes online, (Global read Aloud project) and have a book discussion! Please do not think that you can not integrate old-school teaching with technology! (Now back to the topic )
When I think of online learning, I see isolated students in front of a screen. Don’t they already spend enough time doing that? There is nothing wrong with independent learning, but when that is ALL there is, especially for our younger ones, it presents a problem. Is the computer going to comfort a student, praise them when they finally “get it? Allow them to utilize their social skills? Laugh at a good joke? Give them a High 5 when they leave at the end of the day? Realize there might be abuse in the home? Make sure they get a good meal? And yes, I know the parent is supposed to do this, but what if they aren’t, why should we punish our kids?
All online learning will do is line the pockets of the rich, allow states to cut teachers, and take away the human contact some of our kids need to make it!
This is a delicate line to take. Yes, the students need the foundations of english, math , social studies, science, etc. but in this day and age they also need to know how to use the present and future technology. The best education is to blend education and technology together and teach students to be thinkers and problem solvers being able to use whatever is available.
OMG I am 61 years old and have taught and worked with teachers for more than 40 years and i couldn’t teach WITHOUT technology! There has always been technology in teaching it has just changed over the years. To not use up to date technology in teaching is unfair to your students and does them a great disservice. To imply that students can only learn ‘the basics’ without using technology is totally ridiculous. I have worked with luddite teachers who have eventually seen the value of technology and the results for their students have been amazing and gratifying for all concerned. I would hate to have my grandchildren in classes like this!