1000 Things to Write About
Each day I will be adding a new thing to write about and an example. Add some of your own or write with me.
Discover Writing
A Place to Share for Writers and Teachers
August 2009 Blog Posts (29)
He who makes the tests, makes the rules! (So be spooked.)
Time to be spooked. Parents should be spooked. Teachers should be spooked. The national workforce should be spooked. And kids (who are going to be on the wrong end of this stuff) ought to be very, very very spooked.I mean, is this the wave that is inevitably going to wash over us all?
Really, how long before all of us -- and by all of us, I mean ALL of us -- are being mandated to… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 31, 2009 at 5:30am — 1 Comment
Gosh, Hello!
Hi all! Sorry for my absence from the Ning. I've been moving from Condo to House and darn it's a lot of work. Just wanted to say...Howdy. I plan on wading back into the Ning pool as I settle into the new house.
Cheers,
Gaetan
Cheers,
Gaetan
Added by Gaetan Pappalardo on August 30, 2009 at 9:47pm — 2 Comments
The Painted Lady
Added by Manuel Garces Jr. on August 30, 2009 at 6:35pm — 1 Comment
Is there a way to force public schools to be as good as private schools are apparently forced to be?
I wonder if I would send my child to private school if I could easily afford to do so. And I bring it up because, for the parents who can afford it in America today, private school is where they (for the most part) are generally sending their kids.Even if the local public school is good.
And why? Because if the local public school is good, I am assuming the private school is forced to be better if they are going to be able to charge the crazy fees that they do.… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 29, 2009 at 11:24pm — No Comments
How are the textbooks accepting accountability for their shortcomings?
I just read a line from a teacher who said this (and oh, it's so telling)...I love my school, but this year I'm trying real hard to be positive. I've taught novels the past two years and am now being told I must adhere to the textbook curriculum because of low test scores. Wow! Boring textbook anthology and worksheets are going to help my students do better on a bubble test? ARGH!
For me, I wonder where the data is to prove that sticking to the "textbook… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 29, 2009 at 11:23pm — 1 Comment
In too many ways, August can be the tail that wags the dog.
One of the biggest problems I have with our current national assessment system is that they have almost mastered the art of shaming and belittling those who do not make the cut while doing an exceptionally poor job of of recognizing those who have made strides in a positive direction or really give an exceptional effort at doing more with less. It's as if under-performing the task of meeting their objectives deserves a SHOUTING DOWN FROM THE ROOFTOPS while those that make gains,… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 27, 2009 at 12:05pm — No Comments
The "If Only" Chip I'd Gladly Cash In: KIds Coming in as Blank Slates
There are a lot of "if only" type scenarios when it comes to reaching teen readers -- especially reluctant teens readers -- but I'd say if there was one "if only" chip I could be given to cash in and nevermore be able to moan about how difficult the task can sometimes be to get kids to read books, I'd say that I'd lay claim to the "If only our students came to us as blank slates" chip, take my winnings and shut my trap.Because the truth is students don't come to our… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 26, 2009 at 5:30am — No Comments
To a Remarkable Woman: Faviola Garcia
I came into the Liberty family a few years ago. Quite a formidable group. I have to say at first I didn't love most of them...no, I take that back. I didn't like most of them very much, at first. Faviola was the exception. She was warm, she was gracious. And most of… Continue
Added by Manuel Garces Jr. on August 23, 2009 at 7:52pm — 4 Comments
TSA, LAX and My Low-Cut Shimmery Underwear on Security’s Conveyor Belt
Walking through the airport to go do some PD for a school in Texas this week (BTW, I’ve been on the road WAY too much this summer) I found myself, as all of us inevitably do when we travel, in a security line.A security line that was going absolutely nowhere.
Goodness, I said to myself, don’t we all just love how efficient airports are these days? And with nothing to do other than to contemplate the inner machinations of brilliance on display and try to take a… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 22, 2009 at 5:30am — No Comments
A few laughs: who don't they help through the week?
Do we need a longer school year filled with more intensive learning for our nation's children? How in the world can you not vote yes when you see some of the products of our current system?And if you need more proof, here's another 4 minutes worth of goodies...…
Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 21, 2009 at 5:30am — No Comments
The Real Test of a Highly Qualified School Administrator Is...
So how do we create stronger bonds in our schools? I mean relationships are everything, right? Without camaraderie, without trust, without believing truly in the heart, soul, and good intentions of the people for whom we work, how can a school really be expected to function?So I have a proposal. I say the only people who should be allowed to work as administrator in public education must pass the test of the wife as seen in this clip.
You wanna be principal of… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 20, 2009 at 5:30am — 3 Comments
Smashing Through Our Problems Head Through Glass First
This is interesting... an engineering student (yes, a graduate student in engineering) not understanding the concept of an automatic sliding glass door.And so he SMASHES THROUGH THE THING HEAD FIRST!!
Now at first, I thought, well, the guy is just an idiot. Except, then I realized, don't we often try to solve a lot of our problems in schools in much the same manner -- especially in the realm of NCLB. I mean when they don't know the… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 19, 2009 at 11:28pm — 1 Comment
The true sundial of my life.
New Year's Eve is -- and always has been -- one of the most over-rated holidays on the calendar for me. Perpetual disappointment. (Actually, is it even an official holiday or is it just riding the coattails of Christmas in some way?) And while I am totally a night owl and will happily stay up chatting about most anything with folks until 3:00 a.m. if the topic/company warrants it -- yep, been know to do it on school nights, too -- getting obliterated, counting backwards from 10 to 1… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 18, 2009 at 5:30am — No Comments
Is it Mr. Danza or will he be, "Yo, Mr. D!"?
So I see that former TV star Tony Danza is thinking about starring in a reality show called TEACH. That's right, a reality show. Currently, according to highly placed sources at some internet tabloid drivel I ran across while mindlessly surfing the web, I came across this story.Yep, the guy from Who's The Boss is gonna tackle the classroom. An inner city high school classroom… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 17, 2009 at 11:00am — 3 Comments
How I Dislike Agreeing with Someone With Whom I Usually Do Not Agree
Look, I am a small, petty person prone to grudges and outbursts against the follies of people who I believe are negatively affecting the quality of life for others -- especially when I believe they could be doing better (if only their intention was to do so).Therefore, as a teacher, it's hard to like the job Arnold Schwarzenegger is doing as the governor of California in terms of the way he is captaining our educational agenda. It just doesn't seem to me as if he values… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 15, 2009 at 5:00am — 4 Comments
Do we have a rabbit in our Title 1 school hat?
So GM suddenly has a new car that can get up to 230 MPG. That's amazing! But it makes me wonder, how long have they been holding onto this kind of technology?Did bankruptcy, a federal bailout and general economic calamity finally cause them to say, "Okay folks, time to break out the real assets. Guess we have no choice other than to… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 14, 2009 at 5:30am — 1 Comment
What Will The Teacher Fairy Put Under My Pillow?
I think there is an interesting parallel to be drawn between this recent TIME Magazine article titled, "Why Exercise Won't Make You Thin" and a longer school day and year.Don't really have a clue as to what it is, but hey, I gotta type something right now, don't I? I mean if a blogger blogs in the forest and no one is there to comment... aw, forget it, I am WAY off… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 13, 2009 at 5:30am — No Comments
Walk a mile in a real teacher's moccasins!
I often make my way through this world as a consumer looking up and wondering, "Does the CEO of this company actually know that this is how his/her business is running right now?"I mean do they fly commercial on their own airplanes like regular schmoes (I mean folks) like me do without warnings being sent to the flight crew that the big kahuna is on board so they better look sharp? Do they roll through their own drive-thru hungry for some dinner, have cable schedule… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 12, 2009 at 12:46pm — No Comments
Hard to get an old dog... MY ASS!
Here's a story about one of my best friend's in the world.He got a parking ticket. And didn't pay it. And then another. And didn't pay that either. And then a few more. Never paid any of them.
So the other day, he was in a rush -- had to get a package off to Fed Ex to meet a HUGE business deadline, the kind that causes cold sweats when big deals are on the line.
And he rushed to his car after getting the final documents notarized and poof! his… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 11, 2009 at 5:30am — 1 Comment
Walk a mile in a real teacher's moccasins!
I often make my way through this world as a consumer looking up and wondering, "Does the CEO of this company actually know that this is how his/her business is running right now?"I mean do they fly commercial on their own airplanes like regular schmoes (I mean folks) like me do without warnings being sent to the flight crew that the big kahuna is on board so they better look sharp? Do they roll through their own drive-thru hungry for some dinner, have cable schedule… Continue
Added by Alan Sitomer on August 11, 2009 at 1:19am — No Comments
Latest Blog Posts
Most Popular Blog Posts
Blog Topics by Tags
The Proof Sandwich
Latest Activity
Glenda Pompa joined Barry Lane's group
Handouts in the Cloud
Here you will find many great handouts on writing from Barry Lane , Gretchen Bernabei and others. Just download and start using them.See More
Wacky We-Search
Here is a place to post your Wacky We-search Reports. Post each report as a new discussion, or if you are a teacher you can post similar reports in the same blog ie: Drug Ads etc.. Can't wait to see all the examples.See More
© 2013 Created by Barry Lane.
Powered by
