tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post3936641147089793085..comments2024-03-26T04:19:38.862-07:00Comments on kitchen table math, the sequel: redkudu onCatherine Johnsonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comBlogger6125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-6690693138546759592010-06-12T13:18:20.248-07:002010-06-12T13:18:20.248-07:00"Did you go to one of the how to fold paper t..."Did you go to one of the how to fold paper to make a book trainings?"<br /><br />What do you mean, *one*? :)<br /><br />It's almost as if the idea of doing any learning without an artistic aspect is unbearable. What I've observed is that people spend more time thinking of a way for kids to express their understanding through visuals. Sometimes I'm even successful in getting someone, a close colleague usually who knows how I am, to understand that what they have planned does not, in fact, indicate the student has learned anything.<br /><br />I think students could do a lot less work (because this stuff *is* work - time-consuming and mind-numbing, but work nonethless) and learn more. Better lessons, precise learning goals and what accomplishment and mastery look like...etc.<br /><br />I was a kid who loved the art projects, to be truthful. Usually because the content I was given was so easy for me to absorb and memorize, I enjoyed doing other things. I was always artistically inclined, and would use whatever I was practicing then (calligraphy, watercolor, weaving) as part of my project.<br /><br />But when I see high school kids struggling to spell, to write complete sentences, to answer simple understanding questions about short reading passages, the idea of handing out a project and the time it would waste makes me shudder.Redkuduhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756085609311571044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-59027324466573254502010-06-12T08:01:34.259-07:002010-06-12T08:01:34.259-07:00OK, I'll fess up. Our third grade team had stu...OK, I'll fess up. Our third grade team had students write a newspaper about themselves when they had their Top Banana week. They could include jokes, a want-ad, travel news, whatever. It was voluntary, but I only had a couple of kids ever choose not to make one. Of course the quantity of writing varied widely, but they seemed to like the want-ads for selling their siblings and dogs.<br /><br />As a parent, I preferred when my sons did Top Banana over the first grade Rock Star poster and the second grade Big Cheese timeline of their life. None of these were required assignments, though.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01239123267984420065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-52459515365886464482010-06-12T07:55:07.155-07:002010-06-12T07:55:07.155-07:00Wait- Did you go to one of the how to fold paper t...Wait- Did you go to one of the how to fold paper to make a book trainings?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01239123267984420065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-30648867873688764892010-06-11T18:03:51.252-07:002010-06-11T18:03:51.252-07:00Tell us!Tell us!Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-18435498295896854702010-06-11T17:49:27.137-07:002010-06-11T17:49:27.137-07:00I'm also tired of being sent to trainings wher...I'm also tired of being sent to trainings where I am taught to be a lazy grader.Redkuduhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13756085609311571044noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7691251033406320222.post-7883144543430974462010-06-11T10:21:43.626-07:002010-06-11T10:21:43.626-07:00I'm so glad you said this, Redkudu.
For years...I'm so glad you said this, Redkudu.<br /><br />For years now, I've thought: How much time does it take to 'grade' a poster as compared to a paper?<br /><br />I speak as a person who has graded student essays.Catherine Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03347093496361370174noreply@blogger.com