"A child's learning is the function more of the characteristics of his classmates than those of the teacher." James Coleman, 1972
Tuesday, May 23, 2006
New Anti-DIBELS Site
Susan Ohanian announces launching of a new DIBELS site sponsored by the Vermont Society for the Study of Education (VSSE) that provides scholarly information and opinions about DIBELS.
Have we finally figured it out? I have been perplexed by the use of DIBELS for the last four years. Of course, when we teachers are told to do something we usually do it. When we speak out we are labeled negative or uncooperative. I am a certified elementary/special education teacher as well as a certified reading specialists. I have been teaching in these three areas for a total of 22 years. DIBELS is nothing more than a screening test and not a good one at that. Now it is being used to "drive" instruction and monitor reading progress. YIKES!!!! Why do we teachers who know our children best not shout loudly and clearly when something doesn't seem right. We are the experts. Let's act like it. Stand up for our children. For some, we may be the only advocate they have. Yes DIBELS is convenient and inexpensive, but our children are worth more. You get what you pay for. Aren't our children worth more than $1.00 each. Now with the current report the U.S. Department of ED has released. I wonder how much Roland Good and his cronies at the University of Oregon's net worth has risen? There are better ways to make money Mr. Good than taking advantage of our children and this nation's educational system.
Again, I totally agree! I teach first grade, and our school seems to thing that DIBELS is the be-all, end-all answer to reading. Hell, they see my kids as an "area...intensive, strategic or benchmark." They don't know my kids, yet I am required to do mundance, primative, insuliting intervention strategies that are ineffective, not to mention neglect the other children in my class, b/c it's "scientifically research proven" to work. BS!!!! I have 3 college degrees in early childhood education, yet I am treated like they just yanked me off the street and stuck me in a classroom! The people making these decisions obviously are not the ones in the classroom teaching!
Have we finally figured it out? I have been perplexed by the use of DIBELS for the last four years. Of course, when we teachers are told to do something we usually do it. When we speak out we are labeled negative or uncooperative. I am a certified elementary/special education teacher as well as a certified reading specialists. I have been teaching in these three areas for a total of 22 years. DIBELS is nothing more than a screening test and not a good one at that. Now it is being used to "drive" instruction and monitor reading progress. YIKES!!!! Why do we teachers who know our children best not shout loudly and clearly when something doesn't seem right. We are the experts. Let's act like it. Stand up for our children. For some, we may be the only advocate they have. Yes DIBELS is convenient and inexpensive, but our children are worth more. You get what you pay for. Aren't our children worth more than $1.00 each. Now with the current report the U.S. Department of ED has released. I wonder how much Roland Good and his cronies at the University of Oregon's net worth has risen? There are better ways to make money Mr. Good than taking advantage of our children and this nation's educational system.
ReplyDeleteAgain, I totally agree! I teach first grade, and our school seems to thing that DIBELS is the be-all, end-all answer to reading. Hell, they see my kids as an "area...intensive, strategic or benchmark." They don't know my kids, yet I am required to do mundance, primative, insuliting intervention strategies that are ineffective, not to mention neglect the other children in my class, b/c it's "scientifically research proven" to work. BS!!!! I have 3 college degrees in early childhood education, yet I am treated like they just yanked me off the street and stuck me in a classroom! The people making these decisions obviously are not the ones in the classroom teaching!
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