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Birth of the Modern Internet
Arpanet (a military precursor to our internet) adopted a protocol which became the basic language of the internet in 1983. In the coming years, the internet became a vast resource of information and communication. As the internet developed, it also allowed people to take part in the creation of information. I have had access to this ever expanding information ever since my computer programming father downloaded a rudimentary game on our PC back in 1987. I get most information from the internet. -
Multiple Intelligence Theory
Dr. Howard Gardner proposes his theory of multiple intelligences, in which he hypothesizes that standard IQ testing can not account for the different ways in which people are smart. He suggests eight areas of intelligence. Throughout the next few decades, many schools begin to apply principles of multiple intelligences to the classroom. In addition to reading and writing, students learn and present information in creative and kinesthetic ways. -
A Nation At Risk
A major landmark in the school reform movement, A Nation At Risk was published after studies had concluded that American schools were failing and that major reforms were needed. Goals were set for student and teacher proficiency. The standardized testing movement and NCLB can be directly traced back to this report. -
First Sight Word
In Kindergarten we took several minutes each day to go over high frequency words at the back carpet. I clearly remember seeing the word 'Christmas' and knowing how to read it. This was the first memory I have of reading in school. -
Fall of the Berlin Wall
The end of the cold war also marked the end of the use of education as a means of competing with the Soviet Union. Prior to this event, the United States set specific goals to raise educational standards in math and science to keep pace with the technology of the Soviets. Following this and the subsequent dissolution of the USSR, the educational burden was loosened and technology became utilized in other ways. -
Pennies for Pages
As the summer began at the end of second grade, my mother told me about and enrolled me in a reading program at a local bank. The bank promised to deposit a penny into the bank account of each participant for each page that he or she read during the summer. I dilligently read that summer and charted my progress on the page provided by the bank. At the conclusion of the summer, I brought my sky blue form back to the bank, complete with a brief description of the 2000+ pages read. -
Individuals with Disabilities Education Act
IDEA, an update of the Education for All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, provided a framework of rights for all children that entitles them to a free appropriate public education in the least restrictive environment. It also set up safeguards for parents and students so that every child has access to what is appropriate to him or her, in instruction, testing, and school environment. -
Introduced to The Phantom Tollbooth
I don't quite recall how I got this book in my hands, but it was at some point during a fairly dull summer. This book was the first in which I lost myself to the world of its characters. As I read, I became enthralled with the changing setting and the fantastic situations presented. The Phantom Tollbooth also taught me a love of word play that I keep with me to this day. -
An Incorrect Prediction
My love of reading came to an abrupt halt in the beginning of my 6th grade year - my first in middle school. Early on in the book "The True Confessions of Charlotte Doyle" we were asked to make a prediction about what would happen in the upcoming chapter. My prediction wasn't only appropriate, it was also completely correct. But when I received my journal back the next day, it was marked wrong. I guess my teacher figured that I had just looked ahead. I stopped reading that book then and there. -
Oklahoma City Bombing
The Oklahoma City Bombing wasn't the first major national event that happened in my life, but it probably was the first that I was able to comprehend well. Most of the history that I dealt with in school was distant. This happened when I was 13 years old though, and I understood the impact. At the time, I was working on a research project about the FBI and so I decided to incorporate information about how they captured McVeigh. I really enjoyed reading about the details of the investigation. -
Hip Hop Influences
Around 8th grade I started listening to two particular hip hop groups who made lots of references in their songs. Its almost as if listening to the Beastie Boys and the Wu Tang Clan was my first foray into the world of research. The concepts and events that they referenced to support their points caused me to be interested in looking up these topics. -
Church Confirmation
The church I attended when growing up held a year long confirmation class for upper middle school students who desired to enter into church membership. The class focused not only on reading scripture, but also on reading about and examining church history. I gained a substantial amount of background knowledge from this class as well as a wealth of new vocabulary. This helped me understand scripture better and additonally helped me to develop a sense of contextualization. -
Sophomore Language Arts with Mrs. G.
Language Arts was always one of my least favorite classes, that is until my sophomore year in high school. My teacher, Mrs. Giordani provided a spark in learning literature. She handed over the responsibility of learning to her students and let us grapple with subject matter. At the same time, she supported our development. She allowed us to make mistakes, facilitating progress rather than directing instruction as she saw fit. -
Creation of Google
Google is created and, although it isn't the first search engine, it quickly becomes one of the most popular ones in use. Google helped individuals to truncate the search time for reliable information. I transitioned from starting my inquiriy into subjects using the card catalogue to using this internet search engine. -
Columbine Shooting
In some ways, Columbine has shaped teaching to include practices that are inclusive and promote discussion amongst different groups of kids. When I was growing up, we talked about preventing bullying or exclusion because "it was the right thing to do." It still is the right thing to do, but in the back of the minds of some teachers, the books we choose and the discussion we have with students are partially related to preventing events like this. -
Freshman Seminar
In my freshman year of college, I took a seminar class called "Baseball and American Life." It chronicled the changes that society went through and how those changes were paralled in baseball. This class was the first in which I recall enjoying the writing assignments. I wrote an essay about why batters no longer hit .400, and I wrote a historical fiction piece about a broadcast in the 1930's. Both required lots of research, but neither felt tedious. -
Learning Focused Schools
As NCLB passed, Max Thompson expanded his Learning Focused School program in the same year to help schools meet the new standards. Implemented in many schools throughout the nation, LFS served as a bank of strategies which coorelated with percentile gains on assessments. Many districts saw LFS as a panacea to their testing problems. However, I think LFS disregarded the importance of providing relevant instruction and building relationships with students. -
History and Systems of Psychology
In one of the capstone classes for my undergraduate degree, my final paper had the following words scrawled across the title page: Your writing is not good. The thing is, my professor was just being accurate and I completely agreed with him. It was actually liberating for me to have a professor call me out on subpar work. I spent less time on the research than I should have, and I tried to write all 18 pages of it in a night. It was a reminder that my best work takes time and effort. -
Internship at Dauphin County Prison
My senior year internship as a treatment specialist at the Dauphin County Prison was a chance for me to connect the reading of my collegiate research with real life. My forensic psychology professor gave me a variety of texts to read during the prior semester. Actually working with inmates and treatment staff helped me to see the validity of some research that I previously did not hold in a high regard. The point came when I needed to supplement my experience with new research, and so on I read -
Rise of the Philadelphia Phillies
As the Philadelphia Phillies rose to prominence in the mid 2000's, the number of websites dedicated to the team grew as well. One particular blog, "beerleaguer" provided a serious alternative to an otherwise hoard of lackluster discussion boards. Populated by a well educated fanbase (in more than sports), this site informally taught me rhetoric, logical fallacies, and how to place an argument into context. I spent many hours on the site reading, but seldom felt like I was wasting time. -
Common Core State Standards Initiative
The CCSS was proposed in 2009 and subsequently adopted by most of the states. It calls for an increased rigor of learning and testing so that students are prepared for the changing demands of college and career. The CCSS requires that reading and writing permeate all curriculuar areas. Some groups have voiced opposition to the Common Core, stating reasons such as excess difficulty, overcomplexity, and inauthenticity. -
Moved to 5th Grade
I taught 2nd grade for 5 years. Because of multiple changes in administrative directives, I had become quite indifferent towards making literacy an authentic experience. Most of the time I was happy to follow along with the basal reader. However, that summer I was moved to 5th grade and pitted against a class that wanted more than the same old 8 page stories. This is when I discovered the power of authentic literature. We all went from frustration to fascination at what real stories could do.
