tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-56740073315095887452024-03-08T03:03:46.164-07:00Education DialogicsDr. Cheri Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591864762402189854noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674007331509588745.post-29656977812985527882010-10-22T14:57:00.000-06:002010-10-22T14:57:23.876-06:00Hypocrisy University: The Ol’ Boy System Rides High in the Southwest<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is time for a hypocrisy check at a certain southwestern university.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a most strange series of seemingly unrelated events the institutional schizophrenia displayed within this university is truly baffling.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A professor is summoned to the VPAA’s office because “colleagues” overheard vigorous swearing coming from inside the professor’s office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The professor was alone, so the alleged litany of profanity was not directed at anyone reporting the offense. The reporters remain anonymous and the professor is directed not to swear in the workplace. The VPAA refused to disclose the names of the supposed complainants.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A staff member is summoned to the Human Resources office because “students” complained about her use of profanity.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The profane usage in question was the word shit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reporters remain anonymous and the staff member is given a warning.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Human resources personnel refused to disclose the names of the supposed complainants.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">A professor, known to dislike her dean, is summoned to the VPAA’s office because “colleagues” expressed concern about her mention of guns and said they think she is a threat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The professor denies the allegation but does confirm that guns have been mentioned twice during the school year – once in a discussion with colleagues following the Alabama shooting and once when there was a safety meeting where professors were directed to barricade in their classrooms should there be a shooter during classes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The professor in question pointed out that the doors to the classrooms in her building all opened out and provided no means to lock them from the inside.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She quipped, “Maybe we should all pack.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A moderately intelligent person would recognize the statement as a joke – a dark joke, perhaps in poor taste, but certainly not threatening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Despite this becoming a virulent rumor on campus, the reporters remain anonymous and the professor remains suspect. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The VPAA refuses to disclose the names of the supposed complainants.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The University instituted a stricter smoking policy and now smokers must smoke in designated areas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These designated areas amount to an ashtray in the middle of a lawn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of the designated areas provide shelter from the elements and the penalty for smoking elsewhere includes being fired.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The campus community is encouraged to report transgressions with the assurance of anonymity.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The one thing that professors and staff can do with impunity on this campus is bed their students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact it appears that the activity is blessed by said VPAA, who was witnessed at a party chumming with the 40+ professor, his 20+ girlfriend/student/live-in lover, and the dean mentioned earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A new policy was recently enacted that will likely dismiss professors who engage in choosing their next partner from among their students. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the second case in the past two years of 40+ male professors bedding their students and the university apparently grandfathering them from penalty. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I see a pattern emerging that allows people to be accused of both petty and large infractions with their accusers enjoying immunity from ownership of their accusations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This certainly creates an atmosphere of distrust and tension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It also creates an opportunity for false accusations to thrive and perhaps serve a hidden agenda.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is a pretty subtle way to harass select employees.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On the other hand if one is a drinking buddy of officeholders with a little power, it appears that the usual rules of decorum and ethics are ignored.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>These good, God-fearing men have an ol’ boy network par excellence.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=educatdialog-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0131950843&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Dr. Cheri Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591864762402189854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674007331509588745.post-88201434079437707002010-10-18T23:30:00.000-06:002010-10-18T23:30:01.606-06:00Bullying: Chickens Provide Insight<div class="WordSection1"><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">We already know that bullying in schools is epidemic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Recent suicides related to bullying, especially of kids who self-identify as gay or who others perceive as gay, have shed new light on the issue and we rightly call for solutions.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why has bullying reached such a crescendo?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is no doubt that bullying is occurring in schools, with middle schools and junior high schools being particular vicious.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If we really take the time to look around and listen we can surmise that bullying is on the rise in every public venue.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Politicians bully each other daily, holding legislation hostage to their own egos and selfish agendas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bosses bully subordinates. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Mothers and fathers bully each other and bully their children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Corporations bully consumers, without whom the corporations could not exist.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why are we surprised when children bully anyone they perceive as weaker than them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">For those of you who are urban from birth, let me explain chickens.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have six chickens living peacefully in their enclosure for a long time and one day one of the chickens catches a wing in the wire surrounding the enclosure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if the chicken manages to wrest itself free of the wire the other chickens begin to peck at the injured chicken until they kill it. For the chickens this behavior is simply instinct – cull the weak.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It often seems that bullying one’s way to the top of whatever height one is scaling at the time replaces civil discourse and behavior.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Everywhere our students look they see examples of adults who bully and are rewarded for the effort. </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is more efficient to describe the children in school who don’t get bullied.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those who do get bullied include</span> </div></div><div class="WordSection2"><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Small kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shy kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fat kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Poor kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Gay or lesbian kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Religious minority kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Black kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Brown kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Nerdy kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Loners</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">New kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Smart kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dumb kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ugly kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Pretty kids</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Big-busted girls</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Small-busted girls</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kids with big ears or noses</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kids who wear glasses</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kids with freckles</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Kids with red hair</span></div><div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt 0.5in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -0.25in;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Skinny kids</span></div></div><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You get the idea . . . this list could get considerably larger.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With all kids as potential targets it is time to take this issue seriously.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But what does that mean, to take it seriously?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Let us begin our serious attack on bullying by deciding to counter every move of every bully in our adult lives.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Demand that public officials behave out of honor and duty, not self-interest.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When they don’t do so, vote them out of office.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Counter your bullying boss with complaints and lawsuits.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Provide them a vote of no confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Don’t spend your money with companies who bully you and if you don’t think you have a choice because the company holds a monopoly in your area – telephone companies, cable TV companies, cell-phone companies and the like – then organize protests, write letters, put pressure on them to be responsible to the people who pay their salaries.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Organize a boycott of their products.</span><br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Influence your own extended families to provide a safe environment for children. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Report child abuse, no matter who perpetrates it, to the appropriate authorities. Demand that the adults in your life treat you respectfully, regardless of your relative position on the hierarchy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Two things have to happen in schools to stop the bullying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, all of the adults involved in the school have to value all of the children.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Coaches can’t scream, “Pussy, fag, and little girl to their male ball players.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teachers can’t turn a blind eye, and therefore signal tacit approval, to bullying.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The adults in school need to be brave and determined and relentless in demanding civility and fair play.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Second, children need to be taught to counter the bully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It must become”cool” to call out the bullies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teach the bullied to shed their cloaks of victimhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teach the bullied to literally step into the space of the bully and tell them, “No more!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bullying is a choice and far too many adults benefit from the spoils of being a bully.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bullies share a characteristic. No matter where they are in life at the moment, beneath the façade of the bully is a coward.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When confronted, the majority of cowards skulk away.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
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</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=educatdialog-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0131950843&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Dr. Cheri Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591864762402189854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674007331509588745.post-46288897471994033612010-10-18T21:21:00.000-06:002010-10-18T21:21:03.739-06:00Why I Blog<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Considering that I have spent the past 35 years in one intellectual setting or another you would think I am weary of discussing issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The sad truth exists that I crave conversation about issues that matter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The academy should fairly seethe with weighty conversations covering social issues, education, politics, and religion, the state of the economy, interesting books and people. . .<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Not the case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talk about class size.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talk about recruiting and retention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talk about the lack of sufficient money for carrying out our work as we understand it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We talk about governance, the quality of the food on campus, and whether or not the heat or air is working efficiently.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our building we talk about the constant smell of sewer gas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have a theory about that one that I should probably keep to myself – at least until I retire.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">After 10 years at this institution I can report that I have yet to engage in a planned, deliberate discussion of ideas.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Somewhere in the minutia of making a university work the notion that we must make time for discussing matters of substance just seems to get lost.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe this is true on every campus, but my own experiences would belie that conclusion - so I blog.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I invite you to engage in conversation about ideas of substance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The world is not confined to the petty, territorial machinations becoming typical on college campuses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even if we pull our heads into the turtle shell it is not likely we can wait out the storms hovering above us.</span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=educatdialog-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0131950843&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Dr. Cheri Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591864762402189854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674007331509588745.post-55718657801925065842010-10-13T21:56:00.001-06:002010-10-13T21:58:23.010-06:00Pet Peeve Time: Midterm Grades for University Students<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I missed a couple of days posting a blog not because I had nothing to say, rather because I was buried in figuring mid-term grades for my university students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since two of my courses are online and the other is supported online this should have been a relatively simple task.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After all, there are electronic grade books built into the learning management system my university uses.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>More about that issue when I blog, probably several times about teaching online.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Even if the electronic grade books worked well, and they don’t, I would object to generating midterm reports for my university students.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You may be thinking about now, “What an old curmudgeon!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe I am, but I can’t be sure, since when I was a young professor this expectation did not exist.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">College courses require a syllabus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The syllabus requires a thorough rendering of what is assigned, what is graded, and how each assignment fits within the larger determination of grades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a university student I always knew exactly how I was doing in any given class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I could and did read the syllabus.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I jealously kept track of my own progress.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had a goal and I knew precisely what I needed to accomplish to reach the goal.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Providing midterm grades for both undergraduate and graduate students serves the purpose of taking the personal responsibility of achievement away from the student.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’ve already had three calls today; from graduate students who are “so surprised” by their poor showings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Bunk!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you have failed to do half of what is expected of you, you ought to have a clue that you aren’t doing well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you don’t, then you are too stupid for graduate school.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Probably a little harsh; on the other hand my excuse is fatigue from doing a job those individual students should do themselves.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=educatdialog-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0131950843&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Dr. Cheri Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591864762402189854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674007331509588745.post-67888077189390085392010-10-13T21:23:00.006-06:002010-10-13T21:37:12.573-06:00Teachers Squirm When the Topic is Race<span style="font-family: Calibri;"> <div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">October 13, 2010</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teachers Squirm When the Topic is Race</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">I recently assigned graduate students in a class called the Social Context of Instruction a discussion question that went something like this,</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">African-American students in your class bust on an achieving classmate and say the person is ‘acting white.’<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How do you handle both sides of this equation?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Since my students have access to this blog a caveat is in order.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I don’t fault any of their responses because it is clear that language is inadequate for tackling these issues.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, there isn’t a single African-American teacher in the class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would have loved some black voices chiming into the conversation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Maybe we’ll get some here.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Without exception the graduate students, all of them currently teaching in secondary schools, skirted the actual question and wrote about (it is an online course, so discussions do not occur in real time-no doubt the subject of a later blog) either what they were comfortable with discussing or some variation.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">To also be fair, I don’t have an answer to the question.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It isn’t a simple question like it appears <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">prima facie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>The nuances and interplay of history, culture, social interaction, and the need to protect one’s standing in the adolescent community all play into the dynamic.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The phenomenon is not limited to black culture. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">Young Hispanic men fight inwardly with the imperative of traditional machismo and the lure of academic accomplishment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Native American children of both genders must pull away from the cultural expectation of ‘fitting in’ which is defined as not ‘standing out’ if they are to negotiate the expectations of culture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As a young woman several of my family elders reminded me not to bring attention to my accomplishments, lest someone find me arrogant.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The same advice dictated that I not always outdo boys at games or I’d never have a date.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When I completed my doctorate my grandfather, an aging Native American farmer, worried that my accomplishment would shame my husband who did not share my ambition for a doctorate.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">The mix of family expectations and cultural memory won’t allow us to ignore race or gender or economic status.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We must address these issues even when they make us uncomfortable.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><br />
</div></span><div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=educatdialog-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0131950843&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Dr. Cheri Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591864762402189854noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674007331509588745.post-78726795440915004262010-10-10T19:48:00.000-06:002010-10-10T19:48:20.199-06:00Charter Schools: The Magic Bullet for Education?On September 27, 2010 Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced “the award of 5 Charter Schools Program 2010 National Leadership Activities grants, totaling $3.5 million to non-profit organizations for projects of national significance to improve charter school quality across the country.” Please read the statement carefully – that is 5 grants to non-profit organizations for a total of $3.5 million dollars. That is some serious juice for private organizations charged with leading the way to education reform of public charter schools. What exactly are we getting for that money? And who are these people?<br />
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According to the<a href="http://www.ed.gov/news/press-releases/us-department-education-awards-35-million-charter-school-leadership-grants-suppo"> press release</a>,<br />
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<ul><li><a href="http://www.azcharters.org/pages/schools-search">The Arizona Charter School Association (AZCSA)</a> is going to develop a start-up model that includes key characteristic of a good leader and best practices for schools serving a high percentage of low-income, Native American, and Hispanic students. <b>Price tag </b>- $444,480</li>
<li><a href="http://www.cei-pea.org/">The Center for Educational Innovation – Public Education Association (CEI-PEA)</a> Plans to “build the capacity of charter schools to implement effective academic and operational programs and meet accountability requirements; improve professional development and evaluation for charter school teachers.” <b>Price tag </b>- $756,797</li>
<li><a href="http://www.incschools.org/">The Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS)</a> plans to explore the potential of charter schools in three - make that 3 – communities. Of course the value added piece is the design teams and support groups that will share their discovered knowledge with others. <strong>Price tag</strong> - $807,058</li>
<li><a href="http://www.qualitycharters.org/">The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA)</a> These folks are developing a model set of policies and practices for model authorizers and then disseminating the results to other authorizers. I’m not even sure what this means, but with the cost it must be important. <strong>Price tag</strong> - $834,670</li>
<li><a href="http://www.wested.org/cs/we/print/docs/we/home.htm">West Ed</a> is developing eight – make that 8 – modules for online delivery of best practices professional development for charter school teachers which will then be disseminated online to other charter school entities to facilitate online instruction for charter schools. <strong>Price tag</strong> - $656,995</li>
</ul>What all of these groups have in common is that they are private entities. They are not living day-to-day in the public schools of this nation. Even though they are non-profit groups we certainly notice that their quest to reform charter schools is expensive. I personally developed eight modules for one online graduate course for the cost of my salary; and I did it for eight different courses in one academic year. <br />
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Arizona was one of the first states to pass a charter school law and it quickly leapt onto the bandwagon. It was also one of the first states to have charter school officials indicted for misuse of public funds and charter schools closed as a result of bankruptcy.<br />
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I assume all of these groups are well intentioned but after many years in education I am skeptical about slick advertising that promises a magic bullet for curing the problems of schools. The evidence is still out on charter schools. Many are doing a good job and many are poorly conceived and whither before getting much of a track record. <br />
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Charter schools are public and if they provide the panacea that everyone believes they do, why not reconfigure our public schools on the charter model? Make schools and classes smaller, staff them with teachers who buy into the school philosophy and emphasis, and take away the oppressive regulations foisted on ordinary public schools. Let teachers teach and students will learn.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=educatdialog-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0131950843&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Dr. Cheri Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591864762402189854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674007331509588745.post-78514773532206135492010-10-09T20:21:00.000-06:002010-10-09T20:21:18.730-06:00Intellectual Disabilities, College Attendance, and Becoming a TeacherI read with incredulous interest Joanne Jacobs October 7, 2010 blog about the Education Department earmarking $10.9 million in grants to help students with intellectual disabilities attend college. Really? Are you kidding me? Jacobs points out that intellectual disability is the PC term for mentally retarded.<br />
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Having spend 23 of my 30+ years in education in higher education I can tell you that an oft- heard complaint of college professors is that our students seem less prepared for college level work than they did 10 years ago. Extending IDEA to the college classroom seems a recipe for disaster. Already campuses boast Disabilities Offices that put together the equivalent of an IEP (Individualized Education Plan) for college students; these are students with various learning disabilities. At least on my campus most professors comply with these plans but are careful about how they do so. I’ve had countless students who present me with one of these plans with accommodations ranging from taking exams privately to having exams read to them in the disabilities office. I get the need for a private exam space. Many of us need quiet, non-distraction for thinking. I am a little alarmed by the exam needing to be read to the person. Since I train secondary teachers it is important to me that they can read. I’ve learned over the years through a little experimentation that these students do much more poorly on the exam if I, or a select graduate student, read the exam to them. It does make me question if more than exam reading is taking place in the disabilities office.<br />
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Originally conceived after the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990, these offices set out to make campuses and higher education available to students who were wheelchair bound, blind, deaf, or otherwise denied access to the intellectual pursuits their active brains, but non-compliant bodies denied them. No problem. This is a fair and much needed accommodation for people who have something to contribute to the intellectual health of the nation. How sad if the great physicist and cosmologist, Stephen Hawking had been denied an education because of his physical limitations.<br />
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Jacobs, in her blog, points out that until now community agencies have served the purpose of providing life skills training, job shadowing, and the like to intellectually disabled people. Does this service – and service it is – really belong on college campuses? Once the camel’s nose is under the tent will colleges have to provide accommodations for intellectually disabled student who want to become teachers?<br />
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Teacher education programs are already dealing with this phenomenon. In the past 10 years I have had no fewer than 15 students who wanted to be teachers, often special education teachers, and who, simply put, did not possess the intellectual prowess to master the content, let alone pass it on to the next generation of students. At least three of those 15 students had IQs in the 70 range and of course could not pass the state teachers exam, even with accommodations. Their failure to pass the exams, though taken multiple times, then reflected badly on our program. The powers that be in the state want to know why all of your students are not successful. If these are the numbers for one professor, in one small program, what must be the case for the hundreds of teacher preparation programs across the country?<br />
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To quote my dear, late grandmother, who I know didn’t originate the adage, “You just can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.”<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=educatdialog-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0131950843&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Dr. Cheri Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591864762402189854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674007331509588745.post-894670548112911612010-10-08T21:04:00.000-06:002010-10-08T21:04:19.520-06:00Dropping Out: The Ugly Secret Behind the DataIn 1940 my 16 year old mother graduated from high school. At the time the graduation rate was about 50% of 18 year olds. The newspapers reported the great success of increasing graduation rates. Following the close of World War II graduation rates had increased to the 65% range and once again the news touted the continuing success of America’s public schools. The language has changed since then. We don’t hear about graduation rates; now we hear about dropout rates. The connotation of contrasting graduation rates and dropout rates is obvious to the most casual reader when they are juxtaposed.<br />
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It is difficult to determine the graduation rates in 2010 because people with a political agenda have become much more sophisticated at manipulating the data to suit their particular view of public education, vouchers for private schools, and likely a real belief that education is failing. But is it?<br />
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Schools don’t look like they did in 1940 or 1955 or 1965. Before the early 1970s schools were still mostly segregated by race. There hadn’t been a migration of people from beleaguered or war torn nations creating an influx of new immigrants that allowed schools to declare, “One-hundred languages spoken here!” Unfortunately those 100 languages are spoken largely by the students who are expected to learn in the language of instruction, English.<br />
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Any text about bilingual education will explain the four major approaches to preparing non-English speakers for English-speaking classrooms. It is unclear from those readings which of the four methods is most successful. Laws guiding the rules for bilingual education vary by state and by region and sometimes those laws defy common sense. I give you states that have adopted English as the official language when their populations reflect large numbers of new immigrants who have not yet acquired skills in English. This is a social issue, not a school issue. <br />
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Schools take all the children – rich, poor, homeless, adjudicated, gay, straight, special needs – some of which are extreme, and they do the best they can. Politicians would have the public believe that all public schools are failing, that all private schools do a better job, that charter schools (which are public) are the silver bullet for assuring success. The research suggests that private schools do no better than public schools when educating children at the lowest tiers of society, attending on vouchers. Research also suggests that smart kids, from middle class families will do well wherever they attend school. Charter schools also receive a mixed report card; some are good and some are poor.<br />
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For the past 50 years the number one reason for young women to drop out of school is unplanned pregnancy. Some progress has been realized in this area, with schools establishing programs that make it possible to finish high school with a child. There are still too many schools that subtly and not so subtly “shove” those girls out of school, lest they taint their classmates.<br />
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During the same time period, the number one reason for boys to drop out of school is to get a job in order to help support their families. Many boys who are already at risk are “shoved” out of school by administrators who don’t want to deal with their issues.<br />
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These social issues are emblematic of the baggage students bring to school and sometimes the baggage that causes them to leave school. Is this the result of poor teaching? If the lessons were more interesting or more relevant could we keep the pregnant girl and the boy who needs to work in school? Will good test scores in math and reading resolve the issue of being homeless, frightened, or hungry? <br />
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The graduation rate is somewhere around 75% nationwide, considerably better than after World War II and pretty amazing when considered against the social problems that remain unaddressed and unresolved.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=educatdialog-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0131950843&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Dr. Cheri Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591864762402189854noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5674007331509588745.post-17465422809333038452010-10-07T18:53:00.001-06:002010-10-07T19:01:43.785-06:00Criminalizing Normal Childhood BehaviorLet's talk about Zero Tolerance Policies. These are policies that purport to have zero tolerance for certain behaviors in schools. Typically these behaviors include fighting, having weapons or drugs, and engaging in sexual harassment. No problem. Who could disagree with such policies? <br />
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The problem with these policies lies in the lack of discretion used by those who are charged with enforcing the policy. We've all read the stories.<br />
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<ul><li>A kindergartner is expelled for kissing a female classmate. Then the parents of the little girl sue for sexual harassment.</li>
<li>A whole 4th grade class is suspended after a field trip to the National Aquarium and their teachers are docked a day's pay because the children bought laser pointers for a souvenir.</li>
<li>A third grader is suspended for having a teeny, tiny Lego gun (not 1/2 inch long and plastic) in his backpack.</li>
<li>Countless young women suspended for sharing a Midol or an aspirin.</li>
</ul>Where is the common sense? If young men get in a fistfight, a fairly common occurrence when I was in school; now the police are called, assault charges are filed, and young lives are derailed. There must be a better way. I remember my various brothers having to shake hands, apologize, and agree to work harder at understanding the other person. You have to wonder if the escalation of consequences has also signaled upping the ante with various weapons and continuing grudges being the result.<br />
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The five-year old sexual deviant has to be one of my favorite examples of the adults in charge failing to understand anything about developmental levels and normal behavior. I distinctly remember first tackling, then straddling, then kissing a little boy in my first grade class. When the same little boy and I were in third grade we got in a fistfight - more of a shoving match - but a fist fight by today's standards. In high school we dated some. I think this sequence could have been predicted. Had we had ink wells in our desks and had I worn pig tails, then he probably would have turned my blond hair blue. What was considered innocent and normal in the 1950s is now deviant and criminal.<br />
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Until the adults in charge of schools can demonstrate some basic common sense let's do away with Zero Tolerance Policies.<div class="blogger-post-footer"><iframe src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=educatdialog-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=0131950843&fc1=000000&IS2=1<1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="width:120px;height:240px;" scrolling="no" marginwidth="0" marginheight="0" frameborder="0"></iframe></div>Dr. Cheri Quinnhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07591864762402189854noreply@blogger.com1