While strolling through Freedom Park looking for vanishing points and a camouflaged heron, my eye caught these unusual berries - all dressed up in fall colors of brown and pumpkin! Here in Florida one needs to look closely for hints of the seasonal changes since they are not as obvious as much further north (or south!) of the equator. But the drier air (at least for this week) and the slightly cooler mornings are teasers for more change on the horizon.
Incremental change is often difficult to see unless you are looking for it, but some sort of change happens daily, even if microscopically...a point emphasized via an impromptu discussion with an educational colleague about the alphabet soup that continues to come down from above. We are drowning in the various assessments required by this entity or that one - so many that it appears the interest is more focused on gathering research data than individual student success. There is so much value in anecdotal information from a wise observer and facilitator (aka classroom teacher), but the pendulum swing to the extreme standardized testing side has taken a toll on teachers, instruction, and ultimately learning...when will we ever learn? Freedom Park, Naples, FL
Thursday, September 30, 2010
09.30.10
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I so agree. Standardized tests were not made for children - they don't understand that children develop at different rates, learn in different ways and that learning is so much more than rehashing.
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