Tuesday, January 17, 2012 4:17 PM
Message body
I ask myself these questions daily as I work with my children to achieve in school.
I am frustrated because they make minimal progress and "hate school". I wonder if it is because they teach to the test so much that they miss the human element. The joy of learning.
Today was a snow day and school was cancelled. I had given the kids plenty of screen time in previous days so I didn't mind getting out some teaching tools and working with the 1st and 3rd grader on math skills. I taught them both the same concepts about telling time and helped them advance thru 4 levels of difficulty towards proficiency. It was interesting to see the younger one stick with it longer before losing interest. Later, I played a counting money bingo game with the 3rd grader and found she could add 2 coins quite easily. The game didn't provide enough levels of difficulty to help her progress though.
With my middle school aged kiddos, I worry more about their social influences than their curriculum. The language on the bus. Religious persecution on Facebook. Invitations to sleepover parties. Life is much more complicated for them.
So Papa, I would love to send my kids to your model school. Charter schools are just getting baby steps here in WA. Funding is so low, the Supreme court upheld a lawsuit against the state regarding the state's failure to properly fund public schools. We are years behind other states as far as innovation in education.
Good luck as you search for answers.
Love Teresa
Duane Jacobs <jacobs.realestate4u@yahoo.com> wrote:
>January 17, 2012
>Question of the day – well, perhaps, question of the century
>Note: Alright, you couch potatoes. It’s time to get your head out of the clouds. I really want you to give this some thought then some action.
>Question: What if we designed a public charter school in which students could achieve their unique potential through a two-tier (academic and social) system in which everyone had the opportunity to become challenged up to their capacity to learn, while maintaining chronological peer activities?
>Background:
>Yesterday, I met with one of the best teachers on the planet. As we visited she shared a horror story about her experiences in the public schools. The story was almost exactly, word-for-word what I have been sharing for forty years. Namely, that one size doesn’t fit all. She shared a scenario in which she would give students an assignment, designed to take 4 minutes to complete. One student would complete the assignment in five minutes, others in twenty minutes, still others in the allotted 45 minutes; while some were just about to get their pencil and paper and begin the process of figuring out what to do to get started. Were any of the students “bad”? What should the students who finish early do with the remainder of the time (no, the answer is not more of the same, busy work)?
>I watched with amazement over forty years in the classroom as students did exactly what was described above. I still see it today in church classes. Recently Jean and I taught nine, seven-year old children. The most amazing, yet consistent with my years of observation, is that these students varied from one end of the spectrum to the other in their ability to communicate, to read, to understand principles.
>I am going way out on a limb here and making a universal statement.
> Students vary in their ability to read, communicate, and understand principles.
>I have studied this phenomenon carefully, discussed it, research it, and listened while great teacher after great teacher share their frustration and disappointment. They either attempt to change the system by implementing strategies that change the dynamic, give in and go with the flow, becoming part of the problem, or leave the classroom for better pay and less frustration.
I am frustrated because they make minimal progress and "hate school". I wonder if it is because they teach to the test so much that they miss the human element. The joy of learning.
Today was a snow day and school was cancelled. I had given the kids plenty of screen time in previous days so I didn't mind getting out some teaching tools and working with the 1st and 3rd grader on math skills. I taught them both the same concepts about telling time and helped them advance thru 4 levels of difficulty towards proficiency. It was interesting to see the younger one stick with it longer before losing interest. Later, I played a counting money bingo game with the 3rd grader and found she could add 2 coins quite easily. The game didn't provide enough levels of difficulty to help her progress though.
With my middle school aged kiddos, I worry more about their social influences than their curriculum. The language on the bus. Religious persecution on Facebook. Invitations to sleepover parties. Life is much more complicated for them.
So Papa, I would love to send my kids to your model school. Charter schools are just getting baby steps here in WA. Funding is so low, the Supreme court upheld a lawsuit against the state regarding the state's failure to properly fund public schools. We are years behind other states as far as innovation in education.
Good luck as you search for answers.
Love Teresa
Duane Jacobs <jacobs.realestate4u@yahoo.com> wrote:
>January 17, 2012
>Question of the day – well, perhaps, question of the century
>Note: Alright, you couch potatoes. It’s time to get your head out of the clouds. I really want you to give this some thought then some action.
>Question: What if we designed a public charter school in which students could achieve their unique potential through a two-tier (academic and social) system in which everyone had the opportunity to become challenged up to their capacity to learn, while maintaining chronological peer activities?
>Background:
>Yesterday, I met with one of the best teachers on the planet. As we visited she shared a horror story about her experiences in the public schools. The story was almost exactly, word-for-word what I have been sharing for forty years. Namely, that one size doesn’t fit all. She shared a scenario in which she would give students an assignment, designed to take 4 minutes to complete. One student would complete the assignment in five minutes, others in twenty minutes, still others in the allotted 45 minutes; while some were just about to get their pencil and paper and begin the process of figuring out what to do to get started. Were any of the students “bad”? What should the students who finish early do with the remainder of the time (no, the answer is not more of the same, busy work)?
>I watched with amazement over forty years in the classroom as students did exactly what was described above. I still see it today in church classes. Recently Jean and I taught nine, seven-year old children. The most amazing, yet consistent with my years of observation, is that these students varied from one end of the spectrum to the other in their ability to communicate, to read, to understand principles.
>I am going way out on a limb here and making a universal statement.
> Students vary in their ability to read, communicate, and understand principles.
>I have studied this phenomenon carefully, discussed it, research it, and listened while great teacher after great teacher share their frustration and disappointment. They either attempt to change the system by implementing strategies that change the dynamic, give in and go with the flow, becoming part of the problem, or leave the classroom for better pay and less frustration.
wow!!!!!! I am touched to be so fortunate to have wonderful nieces like you and Bonnie. She was the one I was visiting with regarding this question and the example I used. Thanks for the wonderful testimonial. Mr Gardea, where are you? Way more Joy's; where are you? You, my dear are legend. Me, your dad, many of my children,especially David--well, all of them have been the recipients of the blunt end of the educational stick. Because of the educational system's intractability, we continue to loose wonderful teachers through shere exaustion in attempting to make square pegs fit in round holes. You say you are disappointed in how you went through school. My dear Joy, that is the most refreshing story of determination and faith, finding an equally determined teacher who had the tools, the insight, and the guts to commit education. Now, look at you. I consider you the epitome of success in faith, in life, in love, in pursuit of excellence.
God bless you for all that you do. Now, keep kicking butt
Love,
Uncle Duane
From: "RICE, JOY J TSgt USAF AMC 19 OG/RA" <joy.rice@us.af.mil>
To: Duane Jacobs <jacobs.realestate4u@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 12:24 PM
Subject: RE: the act of committing education
I think it sounds very promising! I'm not smart enough to know how to make the change but the best educational experience of my entire life was not in a traditional classroom. I was a fool and started ditching school my sophomore year in high school. Of course I had absolutely no "excused absences" so when the pattern worsened my junior year I lost more credits than what I could make up in time to graduate. My best friend who had the forward thinking I lacked convinced me that I really did need a high school diploma and lucky for me my dad supported me in my decision to move to the alternative school and finish up in time to walk with my class in graduation. At the time, the Alternative School was a new thing is Round Valley and a "last chance" for those who were pregnant or getting into trouble. There was 1 teacher, (Mr. Gardea who had such a positive impact on my life that I can hardly find the words to express it) and about 12 students. Not one of us in the classroom was on the same page of any text book, or even the same reading level for that matter. We each had our own story of how we wound up there but you've never seen a room full of delinquents work so hard for their education and the chance at a high school diploma. What was technically my senior year, I completed all class work for my senior and half of my junior year, brought my grades up, helped with community projects the school took part in, and walked right on time with my class in 1997. I'm not proud of not getting it right the first time, but I have nothing but pride in my school and what I accomplished there.
For the sake of those that are super smart like Sarah, and those that need the occasional nudging like myself, I sure hope some form of this can get implemented in the schools.
Love to you, Aunt Jean, and the rest of the Jacobs clan.
Janene
-----Original Message-----
From: Duane Jacobs [mailto:jacobs.realestate4u@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 1:00 PM
To: doors3068@aol.com; millionaress@yahoo.com; msfisher10@comcast.net; julieann@randrrealtyonline.com; neumanngl@yahoo.com; news@email.glennbeck.com; depearso@yahoo.com; naomipen@msn.com; phil4mayor@gmail.com; Utgopr2000@aol.com; cory.pulsipher@gmail.com; quilts30@q.com; raquel@mrgcd.us; rentfroleonard@gmail.com; retiredccmchief@msn.com; rharris41@rochester.rr.com; RICE, JOY J TSgt USAF AMC 19 OG/RA; jackr@foodandcare.org; rockondoug@hotmail.com
Subject: the act of committing education
January 17, 2012
Question of the day – well, perhaps, question of the century
Note: Alright, you couch potatoes. It’s time to get your head out of the clouds. I really want you to give this some thought then some action.
Question: What if we designed a public charter school in which students could achieve their unique potential through a two-tier (academic and social) system in which everyone had the opportunity to become challenged up to their capacity to learn, while maintaining chronological peer activities?
Background:
Yesterday, I met with one of the best teachers on the planet. As we visited she shared a horror story about her experiences in the public schools. The story was almost exactly, word-for-word what I have been sharing for forty years. Namely, that one size doesn’t fit all. She shared a scenario in which she would give students an assignment, designed to take 4 minutes to complete. One student would complete the assignment in five minutes, others in twenty minutes, still others in the allotted 45 minutes; while some were just about to get their pencil and paper and begin the process of figuring out what to do to get started. Were any of the students “bad”? What should the students who finish early do with the remainder of the time (no, the answer is not more of the same, busy work)?
I watched with amazement over forty years in the classroom as students did exactly what was described above. I still see it today in church classes. Recently Jean and I taught nine, seven-year old children. The most amazing, yet consistent with my years of observation, is that these students varied from one end of the spectrum to the other in their ability to communicate, to read, to understand principles.
I am going way out on a limb here and making a universal statement.
Students vary in their ability to read, communicate, and understand principles.
I have studied this phenomenon carefully, discussed it, research it, and listened while great teacher after great teacher share their frustration and disappointment. They either attempt to change the system by implementing strategies that change the dynamic, give in and go with the flow, becoming part of the problem, or leave the classroom for better pay and less frustration.
LaRae Terry, Glenn Jacobs, Lola Fetzer, and others have worked on a system over the years which will totally change the pedagogy. A brief description of the proposed two-tier system follows:
* Students all start in kindergarten or first grade in a single tier classroom.
* Within the first three weeks students will find their
* level of mastery
* Cognition
* affect
* Proficiency in reading
* Ability to apply concepts
* Preferred method of learning, ie tactile, reading/memorizing, visualizing, etc.
* Begin the process of individualized movement through the academic arena
* Students will remain with their chronological peers in tier two for
* Social skills
* Physical skills
* Communication/interactive skills
* As students find themselves learning/achieving/comprehending they will move forward to the next level. Will students be all over the place academically? Absolutely! Will any student be “held back” because concepts were not internalized. No, because there will be no such thing. Students will master competencies, then, move on. Will students be moved forward after they achieve competency. Yes, continually. Students could conceivably move through the entire academic fortress from kindergarten through grade level fourteen in a matter of three or four years. Others would continue to progress at an accelerated rate because they would not be passed on to the next, inevitable, failure due to lack of comprehension. (The big mistake made in education is in expecting students to achieve competency in areas which they do not have the requisite background.
ADHD, learning disabilities, divergent cultures, unfamiliar languages, and other distorting factors would be minimized because students would not only be socializing with age-appropriate students, they would no longer have to “fake” it by sitting like a very quiet lump of coal hoping they would not be called out to speak or share, sit and think of ways to while the time away because they are bored out of their gourd, or in any way feel compelled to do things that are socially inappropriate because they are in the wrong place and time.
God bless you for all that you do. Now, keep kicking butt
Love,
Uncle Duane
From: "RICE, JOY J TSgt USAF AMC 19 OG/RA" <joy.rice@us.af.mil>
To: Duane Jacobs <jacobs.realestate4u@yahoo.com>
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 12:24 PM
Subject: RE: the act of committing education
I think it sounds very promising! I'm not smart enough to know how to make the change but the best educational experience of my entire life was not in a traditional classroom. I was a fool and started ditching school my sophomore year in high school. Of course I had absolutely no "excused absences" so when the pattern worsened my junior year I lost more credits than what I could make up in time to graduate. My best friend who had the forward thinking I lacked convinced me that I really did need a high school diploma and lucky for me my dad supported me in my decision to move to the alternative school and finish up in time to walk with my class in graduation. At the time, the Alternative School was a new thing is Round Valley and a "last chance" for those who were pregnant or getting into trouble. There was 1 teacher, (Mr. Gardea who had such a positive impact on my life that I can hardly find the words to express it) and about 12 students. Not one of us in the classroom was on the same page of any text book, or even the same reading level for that matter. We each had our own story of how we wound up there but you've never seen a room full of delinquents work so hard for their education and the chance at a high school diploma. What was technically my senior year, I completed all class work for my senior and half of my junior year, brought my grades up, helped with community projects the school took part in, and walked right on time with my class in 1997. I'm not proud of not getting it right the first time, but I have nothing but pride in my school and what I accomplished there.
For the sake of those that are super smart like Sarah, and those that need the occasional nudging like myself, I sure hope some form of this can get implemented in the schools.
Love to you, Aunt Jean, and the rest of the Jacobs clan.
Janene
-----Original Message-----
From: Duane Jacobs [mailto:jacobs.realestate4u@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, January 17, 2012 1:00 PM
To: doors3068@aol.com; millionaress@yahoo.com; msfisher10@comcast.net; julieann@randrrealtyonline.com; neumanngl@yahoo.com; news@email.glennbeck.com; depearso@yahoo.com; naomipen@msn.com; phil4mayor@gmail.com; Utgopr2000@aol.com; cory.pulsipher@gmail.com; quilts30@q.com; raquel@mrgcd.us; rentfroleonard@gmail.com; retiredccmchief@msn.com; rharris41@rochester.rr.com; RICE, JOY J TSgt USAF AMC 19 OG/RA; jackr@foodandcare.org; rockondoug@hotmail.com
Subject: the act of committing education
January 17, 2012
Question of the day – well, perhaps, question of the century
Note: Alright, you couch potatoes. It’s time to get your head out of the clouds. I really want you to give this some thought then some action.
Question: What if we designed a public charter school in which students could achieve their unique potential through a two-tier (academic and social) system in which everyone had the opportunity to become challenged up to their capacity to learn, while maintaining chronological peer activities?
Background:
Yesterday, I met with one of the best teachers on the planet. As we visited she shared a horror story about her experiences in the public schools. The story was almost exactly, word-for-word what I have been sharing for forty years. Namely, that one size doesn’t fit all. She shared a scenario in which she would give students an assignment, designed to take 4 minutes to complete. One student would complete the assignment in five minutes, others in twenty minutes, still others in the allotted 45 minutes; while some were just about to get their pencil and paper and begin the process of figuring out what to do to get started. Were any of the students “bad”? What should the students who finish early do with the remainder of the time (no, the answer is not more of the same, busy work)?
I watched with amazement over forty years in the classroom as students did exactly what was described above. I still see it today in church classes. Recently Jean and I taught nine, seven-year old children. The most amazing, yet consistent with my years of observation, is that these students varied from one end of the spectrum to the other in their ability to communicate, to read, to understand principles.
I am going way out on a limb here and making a universal statement.
Students vary in their ability to read, communicate, and understand principles.
I have studied this phenomenon carefully, discussed it, research it, and listened while great teacher after great teacher share their frustration and disappointment. They either attempt to change the system by implementing strategies that change the dynamic, give in and go with the flow, becoming part of the problem, or leave the classroom for better pay and less frustration.
LaRae Terry, Glenn Jacobs, Lola Fetzer, and others have worked on a system over the years which will totally change the pedagogy. A brief description of the proposed two-tier system follows:
* Students all start in kindergarten or first grade in a single tier classroom.
* Within the first three weeks students will find their
* level of mastery
* Cognition
* affect
* Proficiency in reading
* Ability to apply concepts
* Preferred method of learning, ie tactile, reading/memorizing, visualizing, etc.
* Begin the process of individualized movement through the academic arena
* Students will remain with their chronological peers in tier two for
* Social skills
* Physical skills
* Communication/interactive skills
* As students find themselves learning/achieving/comprehending they will move forward to the next level. Will students be all over the place academically? Absolutely! Will any student be “held back” because concepts were not internalized. No, because there will be no such thing. Students will master competencies, then, move on. Will students be moved forward after they achieve competency. Yes, continually. Students could conceivably move through the entire academic fortress from kindergarten through grade level fourteen in a matter of three or four years. Others would continue to progress at an accelerated rate because they would not be passed on to the next, inevitable, failure due to lack of comprehension. (The big mistake made in education is in expecting students to achieve competency in areas which they do not have the requisite background.
ADHD, learning disabilities, divergent cultures, unfamiliar languages, and other distorting factors would be minimized because students would not only be socializing with age-appropriate students, they would no longer have to “fake” it by sitting like a very quiet lump of coal hoping they would not be called out to speak or share, sit and think of ways to while the time away because they are bored out of their gourd, or in any way feel compelled to do things that are socially inappropriate because they are in the wrong place and time.
Attachments
- smime.p7s
Dear Brother Duane,
What you say is exactly right -- and millions of students and teachers (and administrators) KNOW it!
But when you go to do anything about it . . .
"We've never done it that way!"
"We are not sure of the legal liability of doing it that way!"
"Why are you trying to rock the boat?! The State will reduce our budget if we do it that way!"
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