Trojan Tech

Discussion and debate concerning the privatization of public schooling in the US often revolves around vouchers and charters. But the chipping away at school autonomy and public commitment to private financing began quite some time ago. One of the "stealth" areas of public tax money going to private companies that often flies under the radar is "educational" technology. It was, without doubt, the greatest trojan horse foisted on the education establishment since the mega publishing of textbooks. (And often the same companies own both.)

When I was beginning my education classes in higher ed., the technology "miracle" was just beginning to be touted (post overhead projector miracle, that is.) A supposed revolution from the humble chalkboard, the overhead was supposed to add volumes of time to instruction since rewriting on a board wouldn't be necessary. You could also project transparencies and add images to classroom teaching.

Every room ended up with an overhead, whether used much or not. And, not surprisingly, it wasn't a silver bullet for educational improvement. Once classrooms were full of overheads, the publishers of books added overhead transparencies to their collection of "must buys."

Computers were the save-all in my education classes. Their potential seemed to be unlimited and most everyone was convinced that students somehow were so enthralled with computers and their screens that you could buy motivation and interest. First came the hardware and limited functions like simple math programs and word processing. Soon the educational software came, often, like transparencies, correlated with the textbooks. Then Microsoft began addicting the educational establishment to their products by "giving" discounts or whole computers to schools. Everything became essential to student learning and educational improvement. The newest software, the newest design, the newest motivator all were sold as if without them, education would be in the dark ages.

I can't conceive of the billions/trillions of dollars that have flowed into the educational technology products of the last few decades. And Microsoft's addiction strategy, like a good drug dealer, worked tremendously well. Do they work? Some do, and quite well. But why hasn't the educational establishment produced them? And, if education is so hallowed, why didn't companies offer the educational products for free?

Microsoft XP, Office, Powerpoint, Student Information Systems, curricula supplements, and full curricula delivery, on and on, billions of dollars spent from local school districts straight to corporate America. Often at extremely inflated prices, even at pretended "educational discounts." The Trojan horse was to shove the hardware into the classroom, and soak education for all it was worth for the actual content.

Before the corporate assault on the Internet (which continues), there was a small shining light out there that believed in collaborative software offered free to the community of users. As districts struggle under funding limitations, they need to reflect on whether they can afford something like Microsoft Office, or if a free, open source software package like OpenOffice.org couldn't save millions for more important use elsewhere. Firefox should be the standard educational browser; Wikipedia [and other Wiki projects] the standard encyclopedia; free web hosting services the standard for teacher/educational web pages; free internet classroom spaces such as Nicenet.org. There are thousands of programs and software packages out there available for education that would circumvent the Trojan Tech world. And the more educators use them and become involved, the less money will have to be fed to the educational corporate machine.

Let's not be suckers.

Sociology of the "N" Word

Talk about the power of language and history.

It is a word so infused with power and meaning that my typing it here is a political act. Niggah is woven into the fabric of life here. I must hear the word used more than 100 times a day, mostly in the hallways, but often in class as well. It horrifies teachers and parents alike, and attempts to treat it as a bad, pejorative word with students falls quietly into the abyss. We have had faculty meetings where one of the main topics of consideration was how to deal with the ubiquity of "that" word. [The photo to the right is by Brazilian photographer Sebastiao Salgado from Gold Diggers, Brazil copyright 1998 Sabastiao Salgado. This picture is part of a study dealing with workers. It is a powerful image because it shows the simultaneous victimization and power of the worker.]

It is, in many ways, a clash of generations. The generations, both black and white, who lived through and often fought the civil rights movements still feel the power of the pejorative word. It is a part of us. But in the streets it was recaptured, rephrased and turned on its head. In an interview in the documentary Tupac: Resurrection Tupac Shakur explains, "Niggers was the ones on the rope, hanging off the thing; Niggas is the ones with gold ropes, hanging out at clubs." Not that Shakur can speak for all, or even a few. Yet the use of the term in rap and comedy began to suffuse the culture, particularly of the young. The word is a nexus of political struggle among and between blacks, between blacks and non-blacks, with whites, and between classes. It both highlights discrimination and the power of the discriminated.

I believe that race must be talked about. It is everywhere. As a history teacher, perhaps I am more aware of its presence and influence. And for all our continuing racism and discrimination, we still tend to quietly shove the issue of race into the nearest closet. Denial hasn't gotten us far. But the inability to talk about race will harm us immeasurably. Many of my students have unique perspectives on race and discrimination because they have lived many facets of it. Many are multiracial, multilingual, multiethnic, adopted, in mixed race families and all around searching for identities in a culture that still tends to think in terms of black and white. Perhaps it is the insight of the discriminated and ignored to take the "n"uclear word and turn it from oppression to liberation.

The real power of the word is that non-blacks still cannot use the word non-pejoratively. It has become a privilege of young blacks to use the word while denying it to others. And it is a gift to become part of the "in" group, to be a brother, a friend, family, if the word is bestowed on non-blacks. In small groups of close friends, as I walk by in the hallways, I'll often hear the word used by hispanics to black friends, who then use it with white friends. That takes the word and its history by the neck and tosses it around until it isn't only powerless, but actually a social glue. Talk about turning swords into plowshares. Yet, an internet search of the word will still turn up the KKK.

I am painfully aware that it is not that simple and that it will remain a center of contention among many factions struggling over the ownership and meaning of the word. It hasn't been disarmed. But it is being discussed and played with. I am certain that we will not control the word through heavy handed tactics and insisting that our meaning is the only meaning. I would hope that I would refuse to give any word that much power. At least it brings our racial, and racist, culture into the light. That can only make it less dangerous.

All I know is that two years ago when a student in the hallway impulsively looked at me and before thinking said, "Whassup, nigga?" I didn't feel insulted. I felt connected.

Teacher Power

As an elected member of the Aurora Education Association Board of Directors, I have more positive influence on both my own and colleagues working conditions, and on the profession than I ever could possibly have as an isolated classroom teacher. A recent book on the profession and the professionalization of teaching, of, by, and for teachers is Don Cameron's, The Inside Story of the Teacher Revolution in America. The fact is that there has been a constant struggle in the US over the vision of the place of teachers in the civil society. One view, the most common throughout the world, sees teachers and teaching as a socialization process and the teacher as the main mechanism for inculcating norms and constraints on the citizenry. In its extreme form, it is little more than the teacher as propagandist and disciplinarian. The way to organize such a role is to make the teacher subject to direct employment by the state and view them as assembly line workers producing new patriotic citizens. The other role is to identify those "defective" students who are a challenge to the given social structure.

The other, less common view, sees teachers and teaching as an independent profession, inspired by the example of Socrates, with a responsibility to the student. That responsibility is to facilitate the enlightenment and liberty of a student as an independent, fully human mind who is responsible for finding their own place in civil society. It is a profoundly democratic vision, one that also can trace inspiration to the Greek city state (particularly Athens). In its extreme form, the classroom is a voluntary association of students and teacher with no greater responsibilities, one that could potentially degenerate into elitism.

The American Revolution brought these contrary views of teaching and education into a long running struggle in American Society. We have never really committed to a vision of either, and have swung often between the two poles. Most of the contemporary conversation about "reform", namely eliminating teacher due process and "tenure", charter schools, vouchers, "teacher proofing" curricula based on dubious research, and "accountability" intend on bringing teaching in line with the first, more "worker" role of teachers.

At times little stands between the cynical view of teacher as worker except the teacher Associations. They are profoundly democratic and professional. This is one thing often missed by critics of teacher "unions" who contend that the "union" really doesn't represent its members. It just shows how ignorant those critics are as to the workings of the Association. In fact, it is a democratically representative organization from the bottom to the top. The positions and policies of the organization are set by the teachers and members themselves through democratic processes. It is one of the only areas of education, excepting local school board elections, that is democratic.

So, when the Aurora Education Association Board of Directors meets in an all day meeting, as we recently did, to discuss the concrete issues that are facing our district, and to plan our vision and direction for the future, it is one of the few checks and balances on a system that would cut out the voice of teachers as professionals. And one of the research studies that we spent some time discussing shows unequivocally how the conditions of teaching and teachers as professionals are learning conditions. When the day comes [hopefully it won't] when teachers lose their professional strength and ability to influence the educational bureaucracy, it will be the saddest day not for teachers, but for students.

'Tis the Season

Suddenly the rush is on. In a yearly ritual of stampeding last-minute finishes, Jeramy, Will, Melissa, and Roberto come begging for a piece of the puzzle. Applying to college can be a harried struggle for sure. I have friends who have shown me boxes of information received from colleges and universities trying to recruit their new crop of students. The race is on. First, sorting through that information is a challenge.

When I was shopping for a house (real estate agents always call them homes) in the past, I was advised to decide what you wanted first, then sort through the houses that met your criteria closest. That same advice is useful for students looking for colleges also, since looking at every school and every piece of information would deserve a degree in and of itself, as well as a deep bank account.

My contribution to the puzzle is the letter of recomendation, either for admission, scholarships, or both. It is game that can create a lot of anxiety. Having sat on admissions committees in the past, I know that these recommendations are usually for sorting out the middling students whose other scores, like the ACT or SAT, aren't great, but good. Most of the decisions revolve around that one score or a few set of scores.

If I can't write a glowingly honest recommendation for a student, I usually suggest that they ask someone else who may know them better, or in whose classes they were more successful. Trying too hard comes through in a recommendation. It would seem after years of the process that writing one of those honest recommendations would be fairly routine. But I have never been able to turn these into a template. Even when trying, I end up rewriting the whole recommendation. So, I have learned to just simply sit down and begin from scratch each time.

The process of describing a student or former student, summing up that person, their life, and essentially their worth as a potential college student is unremittingly unfair. But, needs to be done, it does. Each one is a painful process. Each one requires some real agonizing. Yet, at the end, it is often a pleasure to be able to speak highly of a particular student. Many times, the process leads to getting to know and view that student in new and unexpected ways. I suppose that is why this time of year I still accept that impossible task on an impossible deadline.

To whom it may concern: . . .

Bio Hazard

A&E sponsors a Biography of the Year challenge that essentially consists of writing a 300 word or less persuasive essay presenting an argument for who has significantly impacted society in 2005, either positively or negatively. [An example of a previous 9-12 winner.] It is a worthwhile assignment, in my view, because it requires thoughtfulness about individuals who have made a difference within a chronological context. Biography is also one genre of history that tends to be up close and personal.

The writing challenge is just as important. To take an individual's impact and twist it within 300 words that is persuasive, creative and fits the criteria is a challenge to be sure. Overall, an excellent exercise in thinking, analysis, history and writing. It is also interesting and even compelling for me to have a sense of who student's seem to think are significant contemporary personalities.

Some of those chosen include Rosa Parks, George W. Bush, sport figures like Terrell Owens, and lesser known people, such as a math teacher here at school, and parents.

I would like to share just one.

Millions of people across the US are seething with anger. " Where are the weapons of mass destruction?" they ask. "Why have we been continually lied to by President Bush and his advisors?" And what is the real reason behind the slaughter in Iraq?

Cindy Sheehan showed just how deep and broad that anger is, when she set up camp outside of George Bush's Crawford, Texas ranch for the month of August. Her son, a US soldier, was killed in Iraq in April 2004. Casey Sheehan re-enlisted with the Army in August of 2003, knowing that his unit would eventually be deployed in Iraq. Casey was killed in Sadr City.

Angered that her son was sent to fight and die in an unjust war for reasons that have proven untrue, Cindy Sheehan is speaking out about the Iraq Invasion. Cindy has joined other moms and families who have lost loved ones in the conflict to tell Americans about the true costs of the war.

The war in Iraq has sent to their graves more than 1,000 Americans, almost 120 coalition soldiers and somewhere around an estimated 10,000 Iraqis--a good portion of whom were civilians. The was has cost American over $120 billion as of last June, and there is no end in sight. The war has cost us the respect of many in the world and of many astute Americans. Cindy Sheehan helped us all confront the realities of the war and helped to open an honest debate.