Comments on: Junk Mail Can Be Dangerous http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/01/21/junk-mail-can-be-dangerous/ Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:37:15 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.2 hourly 1 By: Doug Noon http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/01/21/junk-mail-can-be-dangerous/comment-page-1/#comment-58 Doug Noon Sat, 21 Jan 2006 23:41:29 +0000 http://gwegner.edublogs.org/2006/01/21/junk-mail-can-be-dangerous/#comment-58 Graham, your comment, "So off the mark, it's scary" is right ON the mark. It's ironic that our standards documents advocate constructivist practices while our mandated assessment tools are altogether behavioral. The call for "plain English report cards" as opposed to "meaningless jargon-filled report cards" is a direct assault on the qualifications of teachers to make professional observations about their students. No matter what kind of grade report we use, grades tell as much about the grader as they do about the graded. The teacher's expectations, and whose knowledge is valued in the classroom are key to understanding any grade report. Reducing this kind of information to a supposed objective indicator is impossible and dishonest. When they want information that "anyone" can understand, policy-makers and administrators aren't interested in truth; they want "spin," instead. I think it's wise to keep an eye on where this stuff is coming from so that we don't get confused about which direction to turn in this hall of mirrors. Graham, your comment, “So off the mark, it’s scary” is right ON the mark. It’s ironic that our standards documents advocate constructivist practices while our mandated assessment tools are altogether behavioral. The call for “plain English report cards” as opposed to “meaningless jargon-filled report cards” is a direct assault on the qualifications of teachers to make professional observations about their students.

No matter what kind of grade report we use, grades tell as much about the grader as they do about the graded. The teacher’s expectations, and whose knowledge is valued in the classroom are key to understanding any grade report. Reducing this kind of information to a supposed objective indicator is impossible and dishonest. When they want information that “anyone” can understand, policy-makers and administrators aren’t interested in truth; they want “spin,” instead.

I think it’s wise to keep an eye on where this stuff is coming from so that we don’t get confused about which direction to turn in this hall of mirrors.

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