Comments for The Peavine Quarter http://www.peavinequarter.com A Place of the Mind Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:51:52 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.4 Comment on Computers in a Classroom by Liz Thompson http://www.peavinequarter.com/computers-in-a-classroom-2/#comment-1206 Liz Thompson Wed, 05 Oct 2011 20:51:52 +0000 http://www.peavinequarter.com/?p=353#comment-1206 I applaud you, Mike. If you decide to run for office, you have my vote. I appreciate the fact that you don't disdain technology altogher but suggest a cautious eductionally empowering approach. Wonderful. I applaud you, Mike. If you decide to run for office, you have my vote. I appreciate the fact that you don’t disdain technology altogher but suggest a cautious eductionally empowering approach. Wonderful.

]]> Comment on Does Family Income Matter? by Al Burgemeister http://www.peavinequarter.com/does-family-income-matter/#comment-887 Al Burgemeister Mon, 18 Jul 2011 16:32:05 +0000 http://www.peavinequarter.com/?p=301#comment-887 The assertion about family income vs academic success seems to be valid. What is not so easily explained is why the correlation between per-student spending and academic success is not as predictable. Milwaukee Public Schools has one of the highest per-student spending rates in Wisconsin and the lowest achievement. I wish it were otherwise. The assertion about family income vs academic success seems to be valid. What is not so easily explained is why the correlation between per-student spending and academic success is not as predictable. Milwaukee Public Schools has one of the highest per-student spending rates in Wisconsin and the lowest achievement. I wish it were otherwise.

]]> Comment on Reformists and Reformism by Bonnie http://www.peavinequarter.com/reformists-and-reformism/#comment-726 Bonnie Mon, 20 Jun 2011 13:40:19 +0000 http://www.peavinequarter.com/?p=272#comment-726 You hit the McNail on the head. The recent visit from Jeb Bush highlights the technology-at-all-costs affirmations from Florida, Wisconsin's mighty union battle does the same for the "union-busting," and the struggle to keep education out of corporate hands is also being waged in Michigan, Ohio, and New York. Public education is the last corporate frontier. My opinion--Michelle Rhee is education's Ronald McDonald, and Tom Luna is playing the role of Hamburglar. You hit the McNail on the head. The recent visit from Jeb Bush highlights the technology-at-all-costs affirmations from Florida, Wisconsin’s mighty union battle does the same for the “union-busting,” and the struggle to keep education out of corporate hands is also being waged in Michigan, Ohio, and New York. Public education is the last corporate frontier. My opinion–Michelle Rhee is education’s Ronald McDonald, and Tom Luna is playing the role of Hamburglar.

]]> Comment on House Education Committee Remarks for 3-2-2011 by Brad Watson http://www.peavinequarter.com/house-education-committee-remarks-for-3-2-2011/#comment-395 Brad Watson Fri, 04 Mar 2011 00:28:51 +0000 http://www.peavinequarter.com/?p=179#comment-395 Mike, I so miss having you around at times like these. Thanks so much for your article and its expertise. I especially appreciate your comments on the evaluation process. I believe this is where much of the called for reform must take place. We need administrators who are willing to spend time actually getting to know what goes on in a classroom. I, for one, am fairly confident in what I do in the classroom and therefore would not fear but welcome the observation and any helpful criticism. Sadly, in the past ten to twelve years, I have not had an administrator in my room for more than 30-45 seconds evaluating my classroom teaching. How can anyone make a fair evaluation of what is going on educationally in my room, or any other, in that amount of time? Now, more than ever before, I am thankful for the years of work you put into the bargaining process. You probably didn't get much thanks at the time, so let me send a much belated, but much deserved, thank you for that time and service. You are the consumate professional. Mike,
I so miss having you around at times like these. Thanks so much for your article and its expertise.

I especially appreciate your comments on the evaluation process. I believe this is where much of the called for reform must take place. We need administrators who are willing to spend time actually getting to know what goes on in a classroom. I, for one, am fairly confident in what I do in the classroom and therefore would not fear but welcome the observation and any helpful criticism. Sadly, in the past ten to twelve years, I have not had an administrator in my room for more than 30-45 seconds evaluating my classroom teaching. How can anyone make a fair evaluation of what is going on educationally in my room, or any other, in that amount of time?

Now, more than ever before, I am thankful for the years of work you put into the bargaining process. You probably didn’t get much thanks at the time, so let me send a much belated, but much deserved, thank you for that time and service. You are the consumate professional.

]]> Comment on Luna’s Reform Proposals by Bonnie http://www.peavinequarter.com/luna%e2%80%99s-reform-proposals/#comment-329 Bonnie Sun, 06 Feb 2011 06:47:40 +0000 http://www.peavinequarter.com/?p=163#comment-329 The Common Core State Standards sneaked through legislative approval a week or so ago. Washington has been fighting them tooth and nail. I would love to hear what you think about a nationalized curriculum and assessment. The Common Core State Standards sneaked through legislative approval a week or so ago. Washington has been fighting them tooth and nail. I would love to hear what you think about a nationalized curriculum and assessment.

]]> Comment on Does Size Matter? by Bonnie http://www.peavinequarter.com/does-size-matter/#comment-328 Bonnie Sun, 06 Feb 2011 06:39:40 +0000 http://www.peavinequarter.com/?p=169#comment-328 Indeed, it does! And though the SDE has recently changed some of its documentation listed on the site, a couple of weeks ago, there was a document with the state averages that showed that at the secondary level, they were acknowledging 11.3 students per class. My class average is 29. With the 11.3 number, each class will easily increase by four students. And at my school, we have already absorbed a teaching position in the department with the last retirement. With these numbers, each English teacher will be teaching an additional 40-45 students over what we were two years ago, and those numbers don't include the population growth that comes each year. Indeed, it does! And though the SDE has recently changed some of its documentation listed on the site, a couple of weeks ago, there was a document with the state averages that showed that at the secondary level, they were acknowledging 11.3 students per class. My class average is 29. With the 11.3 number, each class will easily increase by four students. And at my school, we have already absorbed a teaching position in the department with the last retirement. With these numbers, each English teacher will be teaching an additional 40-45 students over what we were two years ago, and those numbers don’t include the population growth that comes each year.

]]> Comment on Math by Gaming Math | The Peavine Quarter http://www.peavinequarter.com/from-the-files/essays/math/#comment-227 Gaming Math | The Peavine Quarter Mon, 06 Dec 2010 18:59:36 +0000 http://www.peavinequarter.com/#comment-227 [...] Peavine Quarter A Place of the Mind Skip to content HomeCurrent PostsFrom the FilesCourt StreetMathThrough a Cynic’s Eyes: The Teacher as Writer ← The Flat World and Education – [...] [...] Peavine Quarter A Place of the Mind Skip to content HomeCurrent PostsFrom the FilesCourt StreetMathThrough a Cynic’s Eyes: The Teacher as Writer ← The Flat World and Education – [...]

]]> Comment on Pay to Play by Charles Bogard http://www.peavinequarter.com/pay-to-play/#comment-207 Charles Bogard Sun, 21 Nov 2010 03:53:33 +0000 http://www.peavinequarter.com/?p=110#comment-207 Some supportive comments from the editors of Scientific American magazine: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=hearing-the-music-honing Some supportive comments from the editors of Scientific American magazine:

http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=hearing-the-music-honing

]]> Comment on Math Requirements by Bonnie http://www.peavinequarter.com/math-requirements/#comment-205 Bonnie Sat, 20 Nov 2010 00:33:53 +0000 http://www.peavinequarter.com/?p=31#comment-205 In class today, I gave my students an estimation problem. They were multiple thousands off. In one class, given just one problem, I heard 167, 7,200, and 68,000 as honest estimations of a number that was truly 10,080. You will see me brandishing no stones, as I know these same students cannot write complete sentences. However, it does make me wonder what the pending increase in math requirements for graduation in Idaho will do to and for students, teachers, and administrators, both locally and at the state level. I wonder, and then I sigh. In class today, I gave my students an estimation problem. They were multiple thousands off. In one class, given just one problem, I heard 167, 7,200, and 68,000 as honest estimations of a number that was truly 10,080. You will see me brandishing no stones, as I know these same students cannot write complete sentences. However, it does make me wonder what the pending increase in math requirements for graduation in Idaho will do to and for students, teachers, and administrators, both locally and at the state level. I wonder, and then I sigh.

]]> Comment on Through a Cynic’s Eyes: The Teacher as Writer by Jude Glad http://www.peavinequarter.com/from-the-files/essays/through-a-cynics-eyes-the-teacher-as-writer/#comment-141 Jude Glad Fri, 24 Sep 2010 14:17:22 +0000 http://www.peavinequarter.com/#comment-141 No longer a consultant, now a full time writer and editor. Dreams do come true, especially when one's friends believe they can. Thank you, Michael. No longer a consultant, now a full time writer and editor. Dreams do come true, especially when one’s friends believe they can.

Thank you, Michael.

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