Thank you for posting these 2 links.
The first one is right on the money.
The second reminds me of the first time the ELA was administered to the 4th grade. The children had to read a selection on Symbolism. Now they understood SpongeBob, but had no idea about how a work of art was symbolic.
(Those 9-years old should know better!!)
The second clip brings back memories of training them for the ELA's listening section. We always had them listen to pretty sophisticated fables and take notes. We had to introduce essay terms like echoing back the question and using "first" "then" and "finally".
When I helped score the 8th grade ELA, one class used terms like "indeed" and "hence" but they lacked the ability to find the supporting details. That second scene from The Wire could have come straight from that class.
This show did a fine job depicting
why NCLB is not working.
I don't disagree that the show in some measure "depicts why NCLB is not working," but that seems kind of irrelevant. There are lots of ways to show that NCLB is not working and these of course do not phase the ideologues who propagandize for testing. Particularly when it comes to hyper-segregated urban schools.
I guess I've come to think of testing (and anti-testing) as an effective rhetorical sleight of hand to not talk about inequality in places like Baltimore.
I don't doubt that Simon and Burns hearts are in the right place but that too also seems beside the point as they package the negro children from ghetto for television consumption.
btw--Andres Alonso now runs the joint down here in Baltimore. His supporters paint him as some kind of messiah-like change agent. He, of course, wants to raise test scores.
Alonso's claim to fame here in NY was his contention that teachers are the only variable in whether or not kids succeed in school. Certainly they're one variable, but I found his contention preposterous on its face.
Again, this show is not a drama set in schools like Boston Public or even my old school that is shown in the opening of Welcome Back Kotter. Italian-Americans from that school went on to college and fine careers. And some very famous people graduated from that school. On the other hand there are programs that show a positive side of life too. And I saw a positive classroom in The Wire. I saw students working hard to solve math problems. I saw them working cooperatively and using manipulatives.
I saw them being respectful to their teacher and their teacher being respectful and reaching out a helping hand to them. I saw all this happen when the "corner" kids were taken out of class and put in a new program aimed at helping them succeed in life.
The show is about drugs and crime in and around that area of the school. Hence, the same characters. However the school could have been AnyTown, USA, and I still would have related to the message rather than content of the show.
btw, our old NYC friend Alonso spent very, very few years in a classroom.
And, he does not believe that outside factors effects a child's education.
His focus in on test improvement. And pity the teacher who tells them that the child comes from an abused home, or falls asleep in class. He expects teachers to overcome those problems.
And, yes some teachers do help students. But sometimes it is hard to reach all of them that come through our doors. Alonso will not measure your successes, just your failures.
I've seen every single show in every single season, NYCE. Watch them all and don't get too frustrated by the often overwhelming number of characters. Investing time in this show is well worth it.
I've watched a few hours of season 4 now, and you're right. It was hard to get into for a while but I think I'm hooked.
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