All Grown-ups Were Once Children

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's preface to The Little Prince declares that “All grown-ups were once children – although few of them remember it.”

Later on this delightful story affirms “Grown-ups love figures. When you tell them you have made a new friend, they never ask any questions of essential matters. They never say, 'What does his voice sound like? What game does he love best? Does he collect butterflies?' Instead, they demand: 'How old is he? How many brothers has he? How much does he weigh? How much money does his father make?' Only from these figures do they think they have learned anything about him.”

“If you were to say to the grown-ups: 'I saw a beautiful house made of rosy brick, with geraniums in the windows and doves on the roof,' they would not be able to get any idea of that house at all. You would have to say to them: 'I saw a house that cost $20,000. Then they would exclaim, 'Oh, what a pretty house that is!'”

“Just so, you might say to them: 'The proof that the little prince existed is that he was charming, that he laughed, and that he was looking for a sheep. If anybody wants a sheep, that is proof that he exists.' And what good would it do to tell that to them? They would shrug their shoulders, and treat you like a child. But if you said to them: 'The planet he came from is Asteroid B-612,' then they would be convinced, and leave you in peace from their questions.”

“They are like that. One must not hold it against them. Children should always show great forbearance toward grown-up people.”

The structure of high-stakes testing pulls educators toward a system in which content is assessed in ways from which numbers can easily be obtained. For example, a multiple choice evaluation is preferred to a portfolio. A “choose the best answer” approach is preferred over a project. Some educators rationalize such approaches by asserting that assessing in any other way would take too much time.

I propose that we focus on other things besides our grown-up desire to obtain numbers quickly. Focus learning instead on engagement, on questioning, on problem-solving. Address the ways to involve students in the entire process and spectrum of learning and not just spotlighting the content which “fill in the circle” tests tend to emphasize. The educational products we ask our children to make determine the mental processes we expect them to exercise. Having our students wade through the type of learning activities for something that can easily be reduced to a series of numbers because grown-ups demand such processes does a tremendous disservice to our children.

As of now in schools, March is the month of drill and review in preparation for THE TEST. One of my graduate students, a first year teacher, recently reflected of what happens in March. "I am quickly becoming accustomed to what exactly is deemed as "important" in the schools. I, personally, was terrified come state testing time because I was so unfamiliar with the process, emphasis, and everything else that comes along with the standardized tests. You could feel the aura in the school change. Nerves were increasing and all of the teachers were on edge."

Instead, March could be the month when our children look forward to showcasing their creations and demonstrating their learnings. Teachers could have been assessing students' progress along the way in a manner that complemented their learning. For an example of a state doing just that, read How Nebraska Leaves No Child Behind.

Saint-Exupéry exclaimed, “No grown-up will ever understand that this is a matter of so much importance!” David Thornburg asks "When did joy leave education?" I pray that we all remember the excitement, the wonder, and the joy we felt as children while learning, and that teachers again can feel while teaching.



References and Citations:

Look at what is happening in North Carolina with respect to senior projects and alternative assessments.

How Nebraska Leaves No Child Behind by Sonja Steptoe, Time Magazine online, 5/30/07

Image Copyright Daryl Cargel; used with permission

Quotes taken from The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Harcourt Inc.

Lessons Emphasized with 1:1 Laptops in Schools

The State of Illinois has begun a Technology Immersion Pilot Project (TIPP). As background, Lt. Governor Pat Quinn has, for a number of years, had a vision of getting laptop technology into the hands of every student in the State of Illinois. Before attempting something of this magnitude state wide, the TIPP pilot project was passed by the legislature in 2004 but only funded in fiscal year ’07 (July ’06 – June ’07). According to the Illinois State Board of Education press release, “The pilot program is designed to promote the integration of technology into teaching and learning through the provision of wireless laptop computers, related software, hardware, staff development, technical support, and other instructional materials to students, teachers and relevant administrators in participating districts.”

Over the course of the fiscal year, individual schools wrote grant applications, hardware was purchased and distributed, and professional development resources were procured. To those familiar with large scale pilots and grants, you already know a lot more processes went into this, with many quality institutions and people working many long hours to make it possible. You also know that, due to the sheer amount of work, red tape, etc. things do not move forward as quickly and clearly as one wishes.

This first year laptops were placed with 6th grade classrooms in fifteen schools scattered throughout the state. It’s hoped that, 7th grade and 8th grade students will get laptops over the next two years, if the grant is further funded.

I am a grant facilitator (professional development resource) at one of the schools. My role is to assist teachers to help their students learn. It’s quite a challenging and exhilarating experience working in such an environment. One of the points I immediately recognized is that it’s not enough just to place technology into school without support, both professional development and technical.

One of the first things I did, after getting the necessary background information, was to meet with the teachers involved in the grant. I felt that establishing a professional relationship with the teachers was essential. This was done by having the Principal and I making it clear that my job was to support the teachers in their learning endeavors, and then by listening to them as to what they wanted to accomplish. Together we planned activities which suited their needs and the needs of their students. When the activities began, I was present and available for any support the teachers needed. This tended to make them feel more secure in whatever learning approach they attempted. The teachers were willing to try new things if they saw ways for their kids to learn in a deeper, richer, more meaningful ways and if there was proper support.

Since the teachers’ time to converse during the school day is very limited, this has led to meeting with them as we walk the hall ways and climb stairs, before school, during lunch, during their precious prep time, during class observations, through email, etc. Many of the conversations were with not only the teachers the grant directly applies to, but other middle school teachers and other personnel. Some of the discussions lasted just a few minutes, while some were much longer; sometimes it was just to reaffirm my availability; at other times I was asked to relay a concern or a message another faculty member who could have assisted somehow in our learning activity; still other times it involved changes of plans. Some of the conversations dealt with other people than the teachers the grant is immediately supposed to serve. As examples, the librarian has been impressive in her attempts to help students learn literacy skill needed in a digital age, as well as in her willingness to share ideas on learning activities. The Principal and Assistant Principal have been very supportive in helping me negotiate through the school district’s policy maze, as well as emphasizing their support of my presence and role in the school community. The principle grant writer, the school’s tech teacher, has been immensely helpful as well with just in time training for the teachers and with providing other needed technical support. She and the teachers involved in the grant are attempting to work out solutions to a myriad of logistical concerns such as security, access, upkeep, schedule conflicts, etc. The gist of all this is that this is a learning process for everyone involved.

When I was asked to fill out a contact-time log as part of the reports submitted for the grant records, it was obvious that there was no real trend as far as the meetings and discussions mentioned above. One of my supervisors told me that she understood my strange teacher contact-time log because she had gone through the same process in the past when working on professional development in her school.

At the end of this fiscal year, I will have worked with the teachers for about three months; not a long time as such things go. And yet already I note a growing sense of realization and excitement regarding what these tools can do to help them enhance and even change learning.