Comments on: Some Semblance of Normalcy http://othersideofthedesk.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/some-semblance-of-normalcy/ It's much more fun over here. Mon, 11 Aug 2008 02:25:51 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: I have a confession to make. « The Other Side of the Desk http://othersideofthedesk.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/some-semblance-of-normalcy/#comment-127 I have a confession to make. « The Other Side of the Desk Wed, 25 Apr 2007 18:18:43 +0000 http://othersideofthedesk.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/some-semblance-of-normalcy/#comment-127 [...] Fryer left a comment on the post I wrote yesterday, and I think he hit the nail right on the head when said that [...] [...] Fryer left a comment on the post I wrote yesterday, and I think he hit the nail right on the head when said that [...]

]]> By: wfryer http://othersideofthedesk.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/some-semblance-of-normalcy/#comment-124 wfryer Wed, 25 Apr 2007 04:00:14 +0000 http://othersideofthedesk.wordpress.com/2007/04/23/some-semblance-of-normalcy/#comment-124 Thanks for sharing your thoughts in this post. I really resonate with the reluctance you're feeling too about our focus on the Virginia Tech tragedy. When I presented in Michigan last week, I saw in their paper in the same section as the article about the VT massacre an article about a bombing in Iraq that killed 183 people. I don't think many of us are maintaining perspective here. I also don't like the sense that the news media and the American public are bathing in this event at Virginia Tech. It was a tragedy, it was horrible, but I don't think it should become a defining cultural event for all of us, no matter where we live, and the news media seems determined to make it one. I also don't think it should be a media circus, like the OJ Simpson trial. This reminds me of what Neil Postman wrote in "Amusing Ourselves to Death," essentially that broadcast news is primarily about ENTERTAINMENT rather than informing a critical public about issues of note. Glad to hear the TAKS test is over for you and your students. The comment about the civil war President reminds me of the importance of depth versus breadth issues. Somehow we've got to change educational standards and expectations in our country so teachers can stop trying to teach a curriculum that is a mile wide and an inch deep. We can't do it, yet the mandates and the testing pressures say we have to. Hang in there! Summer is almost here! :-) Thanks for sharing your thoughts in this post. I really resonate with the reluctance you’re feeling too about our focus on the Virginia Tech tragedy. When I presented in Michigan last week, I saw in their paper in the same section as the article about the VT massacre an article about a bombing in Iraq that killed 183 people. I don’t think many of us are maintaining perspective here. I also don’t like the sense that the news media and the American public are bathing in this event at Virginia Tech. It was a tragedy, it was horrible, but I don’t think it should become a defining cultural event for all of us, no matter where we live, and the news media seems determined to make it one. I also don’t think it should be a media circus, like the OJ Simpson trial. This reminds me of what Neil Postman wrote in “Amusing Ourselves to Death,” essentially that broadcast news is primarily about ENTERTAINMENT rather than informing a critical public about issues of note.

Glad to hear the TAKS test is over for you and your students. The comment about the civil war President reminds me of the importance of depth versus breadth issues. Somehow we’ve got to change educational standards and expectations in our country so teachers can stop trying to teach a curriculum that is a mile wide and an inch deep. We can’t do it, yet the mandates and the testing pressures say we have to.

Hang in there! Summer is almost here! :-)

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