Here’s a quick roundup of some of the discussions that have gone on at this site – and in the larger blogosphere – over the last week or so:

How much importance do we place on teaching state/local history?

• History Is Elementary started things out by asking, “Is State History Being Erased?“
• Florida School Boss responded with his take: “Is State History Elementary?”
• That prompted my response called “In Defense of Teaching State and Local History”
• To which Elementary History Teacher responded with “Teaching State History: Point/Counterpoint”
• I followed that with “In Defense of Teaching State and Local History, Redux“
• Florida School Boss has the last word – for now – with “State History Debate.”

This is an excellent discussion that comes from three different – and at times very different – perspectives. I think we’re getting somewhere.

How do we go about using blogs in education?

• In “Another Question for Interviews,” David Warlick suggests evaluating a professor’s familiarity with blogging.
• “Don’t Ask This Question, Part I” details the importance – or lack of importance – that blogs have in mastering curriculum and teaching.
• “Don’t Ask This Question, Part II” explains why asking a professor about blogs might be a mistake.
• In “Don’t Ask This Question, Part III: A Call for Evidence, I take a look at why we need to be critical about the role of blogging in education.
• David weighed in with “In Defense of Education Blogs”, which assesses the importance of conversational/anecdotal [ie., not text-based] learning.
• I replied with “Don’t Ask This Question, Part IV: Evidence Examined” and made a few suggestions for how we can better define and improve the use of blogs in teaching.

First, I want to thank David again for participating in such candid discussion. It’s worth noting when a professional is willing to engage in difficult debate, but I suppose that’s one of the many reasons why he’s an authority in education technology. I had a great deal of respect for David and his work before this exchange – and that has only increased.

Second, this volley is, in my opinion, pretty good stuff. We’re addressing difficult issues on an emerging and potentially valuable technology. You should weigh in, too.

… and what in the world is happening in Hillsborough County?

• I gave a summary of the recent ruckus with the Hillsborough County School Board and offered my take on the events.
• Stephen Downes responded and evaluated my argument – he interpreted things very differently, it’s worth a read.
• The Wall let us know that they think that Jennifer Faliero should resign with all deliberate speed.
• Pro on HCPS provides some pith.
• Florida School Boss questions whether a board needs to be a solid unit throughout the decision-making progress; he’s right on the money.
• Steve Otto of Tampa Bay Online isn’t certain that everyone needs to sing Kumbaya, either.

I’m going to think for a day or so before responding re: Hillsborough.

In the meantime, check out recent reviews of John Pearson’s “Learn Me Good.” and Linda Perlstein’s “Tested.” When you’re done with those two, don’t despair; next week I’ll post a review for Dennis Fermoyle’s “In the Trenches.”

It is Labor Day weekend… you should have time to read all these links because hey, you’re not working!

Elementary History Teacher has an excellent reply to Florida School Boss’s piece on teaching state/local history.

In “Teaching State History: Point/Counterpoint,” EHT expresses her surprise with FSB’s stance on the lack of value of teaching state history, then lays out a solid argument for its curricular importance – it’s worth a full read.

There’s a potential stumbling point that the Boss might have in Florida that EHT doesn’t have to deal with in Georgia, EHT says – and that’s the vagueness of Florida’s state standards. EHT points out:

Here are the standards for eighth grade Social Studies standards [Adobe PDF, opens in new window] in Georgia as well as eighth grade Florida standards [Adobe PDF, opens in new window]. Notice that both courses follow an outline of American History. The standards that deal with Florida specifically are somewhat broad while Georgia’s standards are more specific noting people, places, battles etc. that the instructor should make mention of regarding state history.

So I believe it all comes down to the words “relative details” that FSB and I might disagree on.

Take a quick peek at those two examples – I have no doubt that FSB’s mind would be more at ease if Florida’s standards were less conceptual and more specific. Such loose standards likely produce great variance in how state education is treated in Florida. If there were fewer examples of underdoing/overdoing it, we’d all be a lot happier. EHT goes on:

Social Studies has moved beyond name the explorer who, what year, and locate on a map type of assessments. We want students to be able to think critically about what they are learning and to connect their learning to details they have learned in the past whether they are life long residents of a particular state or not.

Indeed – and this is an especially important thing to remember as schools respond to NCLB requirements inappropriately and, as a result, cut time for history.

By the day the movement that pushes for global citizenry in public education grows stronger. It has to occur to school leaders that before one can be a global citizen, he needs to be a citizen of his Rabun Gaps, Cooperstown or Jacksonville – and an American citizen. Those global citizens need real answers to questions like, “So where are you from? and “What’s it like there?”

When those questions commonly elicit blank looks, nervous blushing or one-word answers, it’ll be too late.

RELATED ARTICLES:

• In Defense of Teaching State and Local History