An open response to a random press release sent my way by someone from CBS Evening News. I am not sure why they think I would want to share this along with you, but I had a few minutes sitting here and this kind of tickled my fancy tonight for some reason.
Hi Colin,
While I loved the fleeting thought that CBS News might actually be interested in my little blog, that feeling quickly passed. If you actually read my blog before sending this out, then it might have occurred to you that I would more closely identify with the the real story behind the story you guys covered; The absolute mess of assessment in our educational system.
If students are cheating on tests, the easy answer is to blame the students for their lack of ethics. Given all the positive role models for ethical behavior children have these days (our government, wall street, etc.) then surely it is their fault that they are trying to find an easier way to endure the mind numbing regurgitation exercises we foist upon them on a regular basis.
Instead, it might be a bit more effective to talk about the real story here. Why are teachers using assessments on which students can cheat? Just like with The plagiarism on research papers, the problem is most often not in the copying, but in the failure of the initial assignment to present a rigorous and authentic assessment situation. Only the fault doesn’t lie entirely with the teachers. Though I came from being a classroom teacher, I am not sure I could still face the immense pressures teachers are under these days.
So are my questions When is CBS going to take a stand and look at the need for rigorous, authentic work in our classrooms? When is CBS going to stop focusing on cheating students and focus on cheating test companies and corrupt governmental departments that brought about the total failure of Reading First? When is CBS going to stop focusing on fear-mongering and instead join in the effort to bring about real change in the educational system?
My readers aren’t really in to re-postings of press releases without additional comments, but since I have taken the time to write you back in hopes that someone on your end is reading this I will also take the time to share the news about your story so my readers can construct their own conclusions regarding my interpretation of the story.
Thank you for taking the time to consider my questions.
Chris
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On Fri, Nov 21, 2008 at 6:00 PM, Small, Colin wrote:
Hi Christopher,
My name is Colin Small and I work for the CBS Evening News. A story aired this week that I think your blog readers might be interested in. Our science and technology correspondent Daniel Sieberg examined videos made by kids, for kids, teaching each other just what teacher’s don’t want them to learn: how to cheat.
Check it out the story here:
http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/11/20/eveningnews/eyeontech/main4622153.shtml?tag=topStory;topStoryHeadline
And this is a blog post on the same subject: http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2008/11/20/eveningnews/techtalk/entry4620394.shtml
Please let me know if there are any questions.
Thanks,
Colin