Dr. Amy B Hollingsworth Berkhouse
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Common Core - Fight Against It, or Overcome It?

11/28/2014

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“When you challenge other people's ideas of who or how you should be, they may try to diminish and disgrace you. It can happen in small ways in hidden places, or in big ways on a world stage. You can spend a lifetime resenting the tests, angry about the slights and the injustices. Or, you can rise above it.”

Carly Fiorina

Every teacher has probably said, at least once in their career, “If you spent as much time studying for your test, as you spent trying to cheat on this test, you’d have gotten an A.” Unfortunately, many teachers now spend copious amounts of time complaining about Common Core and standardized testing. I have seen enormous amounts of time devoted to bashing the CC, bashing the department of education, bashing testing, and bashing reform. Instead of teachers putting all their energy into improving their lessons, some are putting all their energy into the negativity around the Common Core.


In this article, We Need to Do More than Talk about the Goddamn Test, by Jim Horn, he says:
Since 2002, standardized tests have been used to label, demonize teachers, sort and culturally-sterilize students, and shut down schools to benefit the education technology complex and the low-life losers of the charter industry.


By the way, where the hell are the hackers when we need them provide copies of the tests that Pearson and Cuomo keep secret?  Where is Anonymous and their commitment to fairness and democracy??

Obviously, Jim is frustrated with testing. I can completely understand why he thinks the ways he does. I happen to view the Common Core and standardized testing another way. I think the Common Core standards and standardized testing give teachers a clear curriculum path, prioritize disciplinary knowledge instead of “play time” in the classroom, and are giving us valuable data about what works, and what doesn't work in education. Charter schools are giving families choices about which schools they feel are right for their children.


In The New York Times piece that Jim refers to, “We Need to Talk About the Test,” by Elizabeth Phillips, she voices similar frustration. She puts forth a real concern about standardized testing:
I’D like to tell you what was wrong with the tests my students took last week, but I can’t. Pearson’s $32 million contract with New York State to design the exams prohibits the state from making the tests public and imposes a gag order on educators who administer them. So teachers watched hundreds of thousands of children in grades 3 to 8 sit for between 70 and 180 minutes per day for three days taking a state English Language Arts exam that does a poor job of testing reading comprehension, and yet we’re not allowed to point out what the problems were.
What do standardized tests really mean? What is their purpose? Why are they necessary? Every educator has witnessed the decline in the rigor of education over the last 30 years. Do you remember a point in your own education where you stayed up all night studying for a test, creating flashcards, making notes, reading the textbook, and collaborating with peers in cram sessions? Do you think students do these same things today? Are they even willing?  The only hints our teachers used to give us were "Read the chapter." I remember once sitting down to read a whole chapter of my Intro to Biology textbook that weighed 15 pounds. I highlighted, I took notes from it, I did the questions at the end of the chapter. I went to the library. Now, students want a video summary of the chapter, so that they don't have to read.


Where are the places that our students live, that allow them the time to focus on studying? In stable households, where a child can devote time and energy to studying. These are generally middle or upper-class households. I was successful in high school and college because I had two working parents who could provide a stable house, a car, utilities, a desk to study at, and the materials I needed. I wasn’t hungry or malnourished, as are many children living in poverty. I wasn’t distracted by siblings screaming and fighting in the background, by a child of my own, or by parents who were in desperate need of money, or they’d lose the family home. Both of my parents were college-educated, and could help me with my homework, and suggest ways to study. Many students these days are not as lucky as I was, but should we not even TRY to educate them in a rigorous fashion? Many teachers have to deal with IEPs, home life problems, gang problems, poverty problems - they feel like they have to prioritize keeping their students alive, and not teaching. And that makes me sad.


As it became required that every student be given a chance at a high school education, some teachers may have become more lax so that students "like them." "Popular teacher, and "hard teacher" aren't words students often mutter together. Many teachers teach things that their students enjoyed, instead of covering the entire curriculum. They began offering study sheets, which helped the students get better scores on their teacher-generated tests. The teacher-generated tests showed no consistency between teachers in the same schools, in the district, or in the state. You knew which teachers had easier tests or were more fun, and you clamored to get that teacher. Teachers found they enjoyed teaching so much more when they didn’t have students complaining about how hard their tests were, so they might have told students what exactly was going to be on the test, allowed an open book test, or even allowed students to take group tests. Is a "good teacher" the one parents and students like, or the one who completely teaches the discipline? I'd like to argue that teachers should be both. Both rigorous, and kind. Both thorough, and thoughtful. Both challenging, and fair. I believe all teachers can meet the objectives of Common Core, while keeping their creative flair.


Teachers, like Jim, who was first mentioned, wish they had a cheat sheet for the test. But in essence, they do. They have the standards. What is going to be on the test is thoroughly outlined. Teachers are free to teach their discipline to the best of their abilities, with their own creative flair, as long as they meet or exceed the bare minimum that Common Core requires. The reason Common Core emerged was because there was no consistency in education across America. Good teachers were frustrated with their students, and began dumbing-down the curriculum. Good students were frustrated by their home lives, peer interactions, and hormones, and put less and less energy into their studies.


Standardized testing points out the gaps in educational quality. Just as a doctor does a blood panel during your yearly physical, and then knows where your levels are at, standardized tests tell us what level our students are at, compared to other students across the country. As Elizabeth points out, “yet we’re not allowed to point out what the problems were,” teachers KNOW where the problems are. We know that students come to our classes unprepared from previous grade levels. We know students transfer from other districts, where they received inadequate teaching. We know students are passed on to the next grade, “because they are sweet,” and not because they are smart. Social promotions are part of the problem - letting a child pass on to the next grade level, even if they didn’t master the concepts, because it seems cruel to hold them back.


I would like to challenge every teacher - Instead of spending your precious teacher-energy complaining about the tests, every teacher in every school should vow to spend all their energy helping these kids pass (as many already do). They should research each lesson in their lesson plan and make it better, by identifying the standard it is meant to teach, and increasing the rigor of their lessons (Make one of your lessons better TODAY. Then, make one better tomorrow. Then one the next day…). They can spend their time helping the entire class, instead of leaving the class sitting and waiting, while the teacher attends to one problem student. Teachers can flip their class, so students can watch lectures at home, and teachers help the students through activities or projects during school. And, teachers can turn to experts to help them make more valuable lessons, deal with students in a way that encourages growth and success, and improve themselves as teachers by reading sites such as edutopia and The Teaching Channel.


I witness so much energy wasted, complaining about the tests. I observe teachers getting burnt out. I feel these students being anxious and frustrated. I see parents angry at the schools. And I see a way to fix this. I worked with The UT Austin. Charles A Dana Center “Professional Teaching Model (PTM).” The premise of the PTM is that teachers collaborate to look at what children should have learned in the previous grade, coming into their class. They identify what the children should learn in this grade. And finally, they assess what children will be learning the next year. Here is a worksheet, that shows how this works. This is an amazing model, because it utilizes teachers as the professionals that they are. It fosters collaboration, and constant improvement. And it accomplishes what we all want - more student success.



If every teacher in every school improved one of their lessons every six weeks, instead of hating the standards, can you imagine the leaps and bounds education would take forward? 
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Is a Student Emotionally Ready for Dual Credit Courses, if They Are 15 Years Old?

4/15/2014

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I was recently asked for my thoughts on dual enrollment at my school. Dual enrollment is where students are taking a university course, that counts as credit for both high school and college. While I think this is an awesome opportunity for students - giving them access to college, getting them college credit, making one course count for two similar purposes - there are some drawbacks. 

I spoke to Sherri Coon, who wrote the article "Is Dual Enrollment Right For Your Teen?" She interviewed two teens who were helped by duel enrollment, another college professor who talked about the difference between Advanced Placement courses and Dual Enrollment Courses, myself, and a parent. The article is very detailed, and provides a lot more info than I could post here (you should read it, if you are thinking of putting your child into dual enrollment courses).



Here was my response to her question "What should people know about Dual Enrollment courses?
Dr. Amy B. Hollingsworth is an instructor at The University of Akron, who works closely with dual enrollment students in her biology course. "One of the known issues with dual enrollment (DE) is that students don't feel like they belong in either high school or college," Dr. Hollingsworth says. "A student who is 16, and in a college course, may have trouble relating to the other students in the class, which can make them feel isolated. In my lab course, where my students work in groups, I have seen 16-year-olds feel very uncomfortable when the others are talking about drinking or going to fraternity parties," she adds. These students may not feel that they belong in high school, either. "While I feel it is an advantage curriculum-wise, I don't think students are truly emotionally prepared for college at 15 or 16. Unless they are in a distance-learning situation (where the college course is broadcast to their high school via the web or on a screen in a lecture hall) or have excellent counseling, first generation students may feel isolated," she shares. "The word we use for it is 'liminality.' This is where they are at a crossroads between being a teenager and being made to skip the crucial years of understanding oneself, and going straight into college without the emotional maturity," Dr. Hollingsworth adds.
I think back to all those things I learned during high school, that were not part of the curriculum. Learning to be a social person. Learning to navigate the school system. Learning to drive, playing in the band, being a cheerleader, working with my peers. And then, I think about college. During that time, I took courses, learned to live on my own, learned about credit cards (ouch!), went to parties, joined a sorority, worked as a waitress to pay my bills.


Maybe students NEED these two sets of experiences (high school, and college), in order to work their way through their young adult years. If you do high school and college at the same time, you skip some experiences from both high school and college. In order to give students more academic experiences, are we forgetting about them just needing TIME to grow up?
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Getting the Most Out of Your Morning - What's Your Routine?

4/10/2014

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My son and I have a very specific routine in the morning. I came up with this routine because I hate it when moms are screaming at their kids to get up, get ready, or get out the door. I save screaming for only emergencies. Life threatening emergencies.


I set my iPhone to go off one hour before the bus comes. I get out of bed, look at my phone to make sure no one sent me anything urgent, and put on my slippers. I walk over to my son's room, and open the door, turn on the lights, and say "Time to get up, love of my life!" I feel like the first thing my son should hear is how much I love him. When I think about all the parents who are screaming "GET UP! GET DRESSED OR WE'RE GOING TO BE LATE!!!" I feel anxiety, just writing that. I want to start our day on a positive note.


I don't stop there and make sure he's up. Essentially, the first get up is just a warning. You are going to have to get up. I make sure he at least moves. Then, I take the dog out the front door to go potty. As I re-enter the house, I call upstairs "Are you up?" I wait for an answer. If no answer, I call again, "Hey darling, you up???" I've never had to go back upstairs to roust him, but I'm sure that's coming when he's a teenager.


I do my blood sugar and take my shot (I'm a Type I diabetic). Then, I make a pot of coffee. I pour my son's bowl of cereal. After that, I go back upstairs.


If he's up, I ask him if he knows what he is going to wear. I could pick out his clothes the night before, but he sometimes gets cranky about putting on the outfit we chose. So, I let him choose what he's going to wear. I make suggestions, sure, but I leave the choice up to him. He always wants to wear jeans and a short sleeved t-shirt. I'd be cold, but he prefers it.


As he's getting dressed, so am I. I'm usually taking longer to get dressed and beautiful for the day, so he eats his breakfast while I'm finishing. Then he puts on his shoes, and gets out a few items he wants for lunch. He'd prefer to eat clementine oranges for lunch, but I demand a protein. I also have him get out a vegetable. He loves grape tomatoes, so that's usually what he packs. After I come downstairs, I make his PBJ sandwich. 


He always puts his shoes in one place, by the door. He always puts his book bag on a specific chair. His coat is always on the back of that chair. My keys and coffee cups are in the same spot every day. Pretty much everything in the house has a home, or a special spot we keep it. This keeps me from the freak out of "Where are my KEYS!@!!"


Everything has a spot.


The routine is pretty much the same every day.


There is an alarm set on my phone that goes off at 8:02 for the bus. He knows, and I know, that means business. We have never missed the bus, praise the Lord!


We don't talk much, because I'm not a morning talker. I'm usually planning my day in my head. We save the chit-chat for after school.


I feel sorry for parents who have chaos. I'd recommend getting into a routine where you eat the same thing each morning, go through the same prepping routine, and have alarms set. Starting your day off on a positive note, and with love instead of screaming, makes every day better.



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How Does Doing Nice Things for Other People Affect Your Life?

4/8/2014

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This is a beautifully done video, about the effects doing good things for other people has on our lives. Doing kind things for others doesn't just make them happy. It makes YOU a better person. There is both intrinsic and extrinsic joys to doing things for other people.
Teachers, when you are kind to your students, it matters. Even when they do naughty things, in the long run, you will have an influence on their lives. How will your students remember you?
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Inspiring Student Success, #1

4/6/2014

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http://inside.at.utep.edu/?p=947
Each week, I’ll be highlighting the things that I find the most  inspirational towards educational, personal, or professional success. Hopefully, you find them just as inspiring as I do.


1. Aristotle on Success


“Good habits formed at youth make all the difference.” – Aristotle


This is just one of the reasons to make sure your children have discipline. Forming good habits are the keys to success in school, and in life.


2. Buddha on Anger


“You will not be punished for your anger, you will be punished by your anger.” – Buddha


I believe that a lot of teachers get mad at their students, because teachers take student behavior very personally. Remember, if you allow yourself to remain angry at students, you will become cynical. Keep your optimism, and remember that you really ARE making a difference, every day, in a student’s life.


3. Emerson on Choices


“It is not the length of life, but the depth of life.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson


Is it better to know a lot of things, and just learn a little about them? Or is better to be exposed to a lot of things, and make the choice about what you want to delve deeper into? This is really the purpose of college. It used to be the purpose of high school. I strive to give my child lots of great experiences, and then allow him to choose what to be passionate about.


4. Mercedes Lackey on Regret


“If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.” – Mercedes Lackey


If only I had finished that dissertation. If only I had gotten that degree. If only I had pursued my passions. If only I had spent more time with my child. Decide what’s important in your life, and then DO IT! Write out your goals, and how to achieve them, step by step. It may take years of planning, or just the push to get it done.


5. The Dalai Lama on Kindness


“Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible.” – Dalai Lama


I can either be kind to my co-workers, or I can be snippy. I can either be nice to my mother, or I can be crabby. I can treat my child with affection, or I can yell and scream at him. I can show my students that I care, or come off as an arrogant prick. I always have a choice.


6. Sanders on Other People


“There are over 7 billion people on this earth and you let one ruin your day. Don’t.” – Jonathan Sanders


See the above quote. Life is too short to let one crabby person ruin your day. Be it a co-worker, someone who cuts you off in traffic, a doctor, a teacher, a student, a friend, or a family member. Make the active choice to move on.


7. Eric Foner on Ideas


“Ideas win wide acceptance based less on ‘truth and logic’ than on their suitability to the intellectual needs and preconceptions of social interests.” – Eric Foner


The idea means more or less, depending on who you are pitching it to. Sometimes the best ideas are lost, simply because it was not their time. Keep thinking.


8. Joshua Marine on Challenges


“Challenges are what make life interesting and overcoming them is what makes life meaningful.” – Joshua Marine


If school is not challenging you, what are you doing to make it a challenge? You can always extend the subject matter. That is how I’ve come to love Biology and Education. Neverending challenges!


9. Diogenes on our lives


“I am searching for the bones of your father but cannot distinguish them from those of a slave.” – Diogenes


We are not simply greater than other people just because of how we’re born, nor are we lesser than others. Our only difference is in the impact we leave on the world.


10. Bill Gates on uniqueness


“Don’t compare yourself with anyone in this world… If you do so, you are insulting yourself.” – Bill Gates


No one else has your set of traits and experiences. No two teachers are alike. Nor are two pastors, friends, women, or children. Strive to be the best YOU that you can be. You will never be at that moment in your life again. Make the best of everything.




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How to Become Successful, Despite a Remark Meant to Put You Down

10/7/2012

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Have you ever had someone say something to you that cut you to your core? That maybe was said playfully, but that hurt you badly? What if that one thing stuck with you the rest of your life? I've battled with one remark that haunts me, to this day.
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Marie Forleo is a blogger who I love, and she shared a video this morning that made me think back to one of my life-shaping experiences. She said:

"Have you ever had someone say something about your work that felt like a punch in the gut? Where you were almost shocked how downright ignorant and mean it was?
While most of us get that learning to deal with criticism is an essential part of the creative game, that intellectual awareness doesn’t always help us emotionally.

Especially when you’re first starting out.

Words sting. And unfortunately, the harshest words often linger in the back corners of our minds longer than we’d like to admit.

That’s why I want to tell you a story about this guy who put me down on an escalator and how I’ve used that experience to lift myself up."


This one really struck home with me..

When I was in seventh grade, my geometry teacher would greet me every morning with "Hey, Hollingsworthless." Worthless. WORTHLESS.

I spent every day of that year, essentially being told I was worthless. That it was part of my name - HollingsWORTHLESS. 

I became determined to prove him wrong. Even though the other kids laughed at me. Even though I felt awful, I held my head high, and mastered his math class. In fact, as a girl who "isn't supposed to be good at math," I got the highest grades in the class. 

I graduated from high school. I got a degree in Biology, and then a Master's Degree in Ed Administration, and just finally finished my PhD in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) education.

I've spent every moment of my life, proving I wasn't worthless. So, now that I'm DOCTOR (and he's not), I teach hundreds of teachers every year what demeaning your students can do to them. No teacher should ever be allowed to make their student feel worthless.

But would I trade that horrible experience? I would not be the same person I am today, without it. I wouldn't trade that awful remark for anything.


Now, I not only teach at a university, I run a website for empowering women in science. I'm an author (written eight books, now working on my ninth), a motivational speaker, and an all-around awesome chick.

His put-down became the fuel that fired me up. I won that game, hands down.



What experiences have you had, in your own life, that fueled your fire? I'd love to hear them in the comments below!

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    Dr. Amy B. Hollingsworth

    Author

    Dr. Amy B Hollingsworth has worked in education for over 20 years. Most recently, she was a Learning Coach at the NIHF STEM School in Akron. She served as the Executive Director of Massillon Digital Academy. She was the District Technology Specialist at Massillon. She also was the Natural Science Biology Lab Coordinator at The University of Akron. She specializes in Biology Curriculum and Instruction, STEM education, and technology integration. She has written six lab manuals, and an interactive biology ebook. She has dedicated her life to teaching and learning, her children - Matthew, Lilly, and Joey, her husband Ryan, and her NewfiePoo Bailey.

    What's Amy Reading?

    • College Insurrection
    • The Chronicle of Higher Education
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    • HuffPo College
    • Girls in STEM
    • The Simple Dollar
    • Tim Ferriss
    • Edudemic
    • Mashable
    • Inside Higher Ed
    • Gawker
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