Diane Ravitch has this up on an open letter to the Los Angeles School Board. A report here on Deasy and the electronics fiasco.
You might recall that the Smartboard in the classroom made me ill with a headache and nausea and causing adrenal distress, making me extremely tired. I had to shut it and the “wand” used with it off and felt better within about 30 minutes. I wonder how many kids in the classroom were affected and not know enough to speak up? (or worse–when they complain of nausea and want to see the nurse are thought to be making excuses?)
A commenter on the Deasy article posted this link on the electro-magnetic (radiation) exposure to the teachers and the kids in the classroom.
I was watching the South Bend news station last night where they were proudly promoting a woman whom had donated money to the school system to purchase smartboards for those classrooms that did not have one, I believe it was kindergarten through second grade. For someone who hasn’t see them–these things are huge monstrosities that cover probably six feet across (guessing).
The news video showed a child at the smartboard pointing to a picture and the word that goes with it. A teacher spoke and said it was a great way to see how well the child was learning. While the story was running, I was thinking that a child could just as easily go to a chalkboard and demonstrate what they have learned.
And then there’s the waste of electricity plus exposure to electronic pollution. When there is a smartboard in a classroom, there is little or no space for writing on the blackboard. So I am left with the option of using the smartboard, which I won’t do anymore after the experience I had, or speaking in front of the class to get an idea across, which sometimes is not the best option, especially for someone who is dyslexic and needs the visual cues of writing on a chalkboard.
Finally, I don’t see where the smartboard actually helps a child to learn better. Somebody made some major bucks on foisting yet another useless tool onto the cash-strapped public schools.
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In other, more sobering news:
The New York principals write a letter outlining why Common Core is failing the kids. Reading of the effect on children who react with physical symptoms is heartwrenching. Those poor kids will hate learning, when it’s their natural instinct to learn and explore. Way to go, Common Core! /snark
Additionally, the letter states that children whom have never been labeled as learning deficient are now being so labeled and missing out on music and art classes that would most definitely help them to learn.
As I read about the students feeling like failures, my heart sinks. I know how they feel–my dyslexia (undiagnosed) would have surely put me in the “dumb” category when that wasn’t the case. I already felt dumb, however, and through my own will learned to adapt. If a child is labeled as dumb by testing that does not allow for differences in learning, that child will never realize their true brain power. They will not seek to move beyond the label placed upon them.
And this comment from Neanderthal really strikes to the heart of this debate:
neanderthal100
I paid a young man $1000 plus just the other day for a maintenance job for my house…Graduated around 2007..
He said to me…”You know, I never could do fractions when I was in school because they wanted us to use the calculator and it made no sense to me..I could get the right answer on the calculator but I never understood what I was doing.
I took so many tests that my guessing was really good.and I passed.
My father was shocked to find there were no vocational classes that I could take so he taught me the skills I need to know .
Now that I have to measure for my job and get paid for what I do….I learned the fractions and they are so easy.
I remember the math that I did was always for test questions…
My nephew is having a hard time because it is even worse now with this new math..
His teacher tells him everyday that he has to know this or that for a test and he gets ill on every test day.
Why don;t they have classes for construction workers?
That would have made so much more sense as I do not like the math with the y’s and x’sI am very glad I am out of school and if and when I have children. I will teach them myself”
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Pretty telling, isn’t it, when a child doesn’t learn the skills needed for a paying job. This is just insanity.
Eagle 