Well, for a day, anyway. We spent Saturday at the Wine Country ‘Ukulele Festival in Napa. There aren’t too many things I’m willing to get up before dawn and drive long distances for, but the chance to touch base with some island friends, listen to Hawaiian music, and hook Brad up with a few workshops? That’s one.
Konabob jammin’ with Uncle Kimo Hussey
Katie Konrath over at Get Fresh Minds has opened the floor! A commenter on a previous post about the possibilities of change said:
Today, following up on that comment, Katie asks:
Should our schools be changing to meet the times?
I daresay she’ll have some good feedback, and I think home educators have a lot to say about what works in educating kids and what doesn’t. Go give her YOUR two cents!
Dare I say it? Public schools are showing a little bit of flexibility, at least in Oregon where high school seniors will be given a choice of three different methods to show competency before graduation. In other states, dropout rates and summer school attendance have soared in the shadow of mandatory exit testing, which doesn’t exactly serve much of a purpose.
In Oregon, the Board of Education has decided to offer a national test, a state assessment test, and what they call a local version: a student portfolio. The portfolio will show colleges and employers (because, you know, employers always ask to see your high school diploma) that a student showed proficiency in reading, writing, applied math, and speaking skills.
Son of a gun. Can it be possible that there are other ways to exhibit knowledge beyond testing?
