My Christmas Wish- "We can make it better for everyone"

George Lucas's 2012 article in @Edutopia  is very relevant to the @AR_TPN, Arkansas Teacher Practice Networks. There is no more important job than supporting our colleagues in our diverse state. Our mandate is to touch 10,000 teachers through our efforts over the course of the Gates Education Grant. Fantastic idea. Lucas said, "There is no other job more important than education. It is the foundation of our democracy. By seizing on what's working, and recreating those successes from one classroom to the next, we can make it better for everyone." My Christmas wish is that we "make it better for everyone" through the collective power of our teacher leaders. We can and should.

Touch
Our "touch" will be both high and light. We will touch our colleagues through face to face meetings and through digital platforms to reach a larger audience. I know that I use Twitter to reach my Global Professional Learning Network, PLN. I have watched as my colleagues personally felt validated through their participation in Twitter chats and could count it for professional development. We can and should reach out and touch our colleagues with our knowledge.

Foundation of Democracy
Teachers have an important mandate to educate the voices of the future. By "seizing on what's working, and recreating those successes" according to Lucas "we can make it better for everyone." Democracy is involving everyone. The Arkansas Teacher Practice Networks organization will attempt to seize on what is working and help spread this information within our networks to empower our colleagues to educate better the voices of the future. We can and should empower and educate.

Better for Everyone
The teacher leaders were able to spend two days dwelling on the possibility of their personal power. We hope to harness to power of our collective and various digital platforms. It is time for our teacher leaders to step up and share their knowledge for Arkansas teachers through +Twitter  +Instagram Google+ +Blogger  +YouTube  +Pintrest and other digital platforms like Teachers.do. 

My Christmas wish is simple "make it better for everyone."  Thank you to @GeorgeLucas and +Edutopia for this insightful and still relevant idea. We can and should do this. 

Resources
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/importance-of-education-george-lucas
http://www.gatesfoundation.org/What-We-Do/US-Program/College-Ready-Education
http://tpn.wested.org/
http://www.apsrc.net/

Suzanne Rogers, M.Ed
https://about.me/Rogers_Suzanne

I am a parent of two college cubs, an AP English teacher, ELA Coach and PD facilitator.

I've taught 1st grade, MS, and HS in public, private, and charter schools in 3 states.

This is a test. This is only a test of the American Education System.


 "This is a test. This is only a test of the American Education System"

As an Arkansan Educator, I read with interest @Edusanity's recent blog post by +Jason Endacott who blogged about the +NWEA  MAP data craze at his son's school.  As a fellow #Eduparent, I share a similar concern, as do all parents. We want our children to be recognized as special, unique individuals. More importantly, as an #Eduparent, we owe it to our schools to be the voice of reason. 

Last July I blogged about the #Unitedoptout plan. I urged reason then, and I continue to urge reason in the rising tide of testing angst. This is only a test. Your child is not a number.


 "My child is NOT a number."  I remember hearing that same refrain from a parent of one of my first grade students at @HolyFamilyAcademy in Honolulu, HI.  My students were assigned a number so they could put their papers in order by number, line up in a specific number order, and imagine this...think numerically! I knew that this child's name was +Christine Gibo. I knew that her mother taught in the classroom beside me. I knew their family history and how they left from California to become Keiki O Ka 'Aina.  I wanted my students to not be afraid of numbers. I wanted them to think numerically at an early age. We could math games by calling out a number! The students could move and think numerically at the same time. How wonderful! #5 could join hands with #8 and #13 would join them. They could line up by odd numbers or even numbers.


Fun memory aside, I know that some parents worry about the Social Security number assigned to their baby prior to leaving the hospital. I remember the concern when numbers were put on packaging for inventory purposes. I remember when there was some concern that immunizations put the mark of the devil on children. (Really?Truth!) 


So, as  an #Eduparent how do I calm parents regarding the upcoming 8-9 hours of PARCC testing? Perhaps we need to sound the Klaxon and remind parents "This is a Test. This only a test."

"This is a test of the American Education System. The Administrators of your school in voluntary cooperation with the Federal, State and local authorities have developed this system to keep you informed.  This is only a test of the American Education System.

All joking aside, 8-9 hours of testing each year is only two half days of school. Most parents have their children out of school that much for family activities such as dental appointments, picking up Grandma from the airport, big sister's graduation, and other important events. These test scores are not currently recorded and shared with colleges and universities. We must tame the fires. We must help our parents understand that these test scores are not the "be all and end all" of their children's educational lives. This test score does not truly define their child for all time. This is one brief moment that will provide information regarding the education of their child.  Remember, "This is only a test of the American Education System."

Suzanne M. Rogers, M.Ed.

Endacott, J. (2014, March 07). [Web log message]. Retrieved from http://www.edusanity.com


Shmoop Editorial Team. (2008, November 11). Macbeth Time Quotes Page 2. Retrieved March 9, 2014    from http://www.shmoop.com/macbeth/time-quotes-2.html