future of teaching

The Stakes Is High For Assessment [Collaborateurs]

by Jose Vilson on April 18, 2013

De La Soul's Stakes Is High

De La Soul’s Stakes Is High

In my latest post at the new Collaborateurs blog (formerly known as Future of Teaching), I bring up a small group of people (including Executive Director of the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans, David Johns) to task about assessment:

It’s not that I disagreed with him per se. While the argument he made was generic enough that everyone could agree, I felt the general tenor of his argument made it seem like teachers aren’t “in” on what he’s talking about. His argument hinges on the idea that the resistance to the current political climate stems from teachers not wanting to assess children. It’s a weird argument since I don’t know of a teacher who doesn’t want to find out what their students can do and already know, whether the assessment is teacher-made or otherwise.

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Mr. Vilson, who’s got a few more days until his own high-stakes assessment …

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Hey, Bill Gates: You Evaluatin’ Me? (Part I) [Future of Teaching]

by Jose Vilson on March 18, 2013

Here’s the first in a two-part essay about Bill Gates’ interview with The Washington Post:

He is correct in stating that students get evaluated all the time, from the first time they enter a classroom all the way through college and beyond. Getting a degree demands having plenty of tests getting thrown at you, high-stakes or otherwise. These tests often determine if you achieve the next level or not, and whether we like them or not. That’s our current education system, so ramping up the amount of tests only perpetuates the status quo. I’m not in the camp that says, “Teachers shouldn’t get evaluated, but students should.” Professionals get evaluations all the time.

I just can’t help but wonder if we actually evaluate students the right way, and if the measure we currently have for student achievement helps determine success in life after college. One should argue that far too many factors come into play when looking on a case-by-case basis.

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If You Smell What I’m Cooking, Read This. [Future of Teaching]

by Jose Vilson on March 11, 2013

Clearly, we need to define what “teacher” means a little more, and “educator,” for that matter. We also need to understand what that means for teacher voice. I spark a discussion here:

The term “celebrity teacher” is such a difficult one too, because it presumes that the spotlight should focus strictly on the teacher and not on the ways in which that teacher helps students. The profession doesn’t lend itself to alpha dogs and sunbathers of the egoistic type. Yet, I have a hard time with the idea that, in a landscape with people so replete with opinions about our profession, that we shouldn’t have the same viability when we speak about it ourselves.

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The Dark Side of Teacher Leadership [Future of Teaching]

by Jose Vilson on February 26, 2013

I’m usually a fan of teacher leadership, but sometimes, it makes me nervous. Observe:

I wonder if teachers who are deemed teacher leaders understand why so many of us put teacher in front of leader when speaking in front of teacher leadership.

This falls on some of our colleagues too, who jump right into the teacher leadership role and misunderstand what comes with the title i.e. the perception that, yes, they will lead as teachers. No teacher should have to feel reserved when it comes to their professional opinion, but fellow teachers do value expertise and approach when it comes to leadership, no matter who it comes from.

Read more at The Future of Teaching. Comment. Like. Share. Thanks!

Mr. Vilson, who had to ask …

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Leonard Cooper’s Genius And What He Represents [Future of Teaching]

February 18, 2013 Mr. Vilson

This is an excerpt from my latest offering at the Future of Teaching blog: Is it because so many either sympathize or empathize with a story about a kid who, already perceived as unintelligent due to his mannerisms, actually beats the competition? Is it because some of us have a very limited understanding of “knowledge” [...]

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Heart Matters When You Speak

February 5, 2013 Mr. Vilson

Excerpt from my latest at The Future of Teaching: Instead, what the audience got that night was me speaking from the heart. Sure, I prepared, but I hoped to convey the passion and love I have for teaching as I do in conversations with you, or in my own writing. Sometimes, while striving for perfection, [...]

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Karen Lewis on Using The Bosses’ Tools [Pre-MLK Jr. Day]

January 20, 2013 Short Notes

A few notes: The Los Angeles United School District and its teachers union came to an agreement on teacher evaluation that makes some sense. [LA Daily News] John Holland outlines with no equivocation the difference between responsibility and accountability. [Future of Teaching] Sherman Dorn gives us five oft-overlooked facts about President Barack Obama that might [...]

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Short Notes: We Are Powerful Beyond Measure

December 9, 2012 Short Notes

A few notes: I’ll be writing lots on the Future of Teaching blog. Here’s my first offering of the week, a congratulatory note for Dr. John Holland. [Future of Teaching] We need you to take action. If you’re against the continuing proliferation of testing, please sign. Thank you! [AFT] What does it mean to be [...]

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Nate Silver Got Nothin’ On Me [Future of Teaching]

November 15, 2012 Mr. Vilson

An excerpt from my latest post at Future of Teaching: As a data specialist, I often find myself thinking of how hard we work to find abstractions of things we can’t quantify. We try to equate learning into achievement, because points matter so much more than the amorphous shifting of ideas into and through our [...]

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If You Build The Relationship, The Network Will Come [Future of Teaching]

October 31, 2012 Mr. Vilson

An excerpt from my latest at the Future of Teaching: Nowadays, people have little qualms about making friends online and meeting them in person. To wit, the Teaching 2030 team still has strong ties, even though we rarely get to see each other collectively. Part of that came from having a common goal and vision, [...]

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