We're All Listening Jim

Dear all who listen to Jim,

I just tried to make the points named below - and failed to convince even mz assessment-happy peers - however, Binghamton, Albany, Empire State and even Buffalo supported my opposition to Systemwide Assessment.

Now, "they" from Albany will want us to asseess even more, and we can choose either to go with national tests or devise our own. I am afraid that both could alter negatively the ways I teach. Any suggestions what to do best if we have to do what we don't think is possible in a meaningful way?

Cheers nevertheless,

your Achim

-----Original Message-----
From: Teaching Breakfast List on behalf of Stearns, Karen ([log in to unmask])
Sent: Mon 4/26/2004 8:49 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Cc:
Subject: We're All Listening Jim

Jim, thanks for this email. It certainly put the recent discussions in perspective for me, and all of the points you raise are excellent ones. How, e.g., would an exit exam test technological/digital literacy? We already know that P-12 assessments have not caught up with the technological revolution.

I'll share a quick anecdote that has been important to my teaching life. My younger brother heads up World Vision, a world hunger organization after many years of CEO level positions in other corporate for profit sectors.

He has two Ivy League degrees and was an undergraduate neurobio. major (no money for A&S) in the Ag. School (no relationship b/w what he's doing now and that degree for ex. ) at Cornell and a Finance major at Wharton.

I have asked him over 4 decades now "what are the most important things you learned from a world class education?"

He always says the same thing:

1. I learned to think critically about any subject.

2. I learned to express myself orally and on paper.

He does not reference content knowledge. The "what he learned" can only be assessed in the life lived...oh, yes, we could have an exit writing or oral (even more interesting if doable) "exam" as some schools do. I admit I would support that kind of an exam...as I find myself working with students' writing as much as I do any "content" in my courses.

Ok, interruption....more later...but had to respond to Jim's post.

Karen Stearns
Adolescence Education