|
Click here to go to the current Guestbook |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Our Old Guestbook Entries
|
| |
| |
Date: | Wed Jul 31 20:01:42 2002 |
Name: | GLORIA PERALES |
E-mail: | mabemp@yahoo.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | friend |
Comments: | HI,just started to us your site becuase a friend told me
about you guys and so far i have found it very intersting.I'm a teacher's
aide.So we are going to use some of your ideas.thank you so much for this
site.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jul 31 11:48:15 2002 |
Name: | Rebecca Deepchandani |
E-mail: | rebeccadeep@attbi.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Pittsburg, CA |
How the site was found: | by looking at the back cover of a book. |
Comments: | Thank you for the valid and rational observations.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jul 31 08:16:50 2002 |
Name: | Brian Boyd |
E-mail: | bjboyd21@yahoo |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jul 31 08:16:44 2002 |
Name: | Brian Boyd |
E-mail: | bjboyd21@yahoo |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jul 30 21:00:54 2002 |
Name: | Colin Offord |
E-mail: | Principal@levin.school.nz |
Organization: | Levin School |
Location: | New Zealand |
How the site was found: | Referenced in Education Week |
Comments: | Just here for a look. Especially interested in standardised
testing, re research for my masters.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jul 29 05:30:46 2002 |
Name: | Mary Culver |
E-mail: | maculver@crocker.com |
Organization: | Planet Earth |
Location: | Deerfield, Massachusetts |
How the site was found: | Alphie gave it to me |
Comments: | I'm actually here to browse, not to leave a message.
However, it may happen later. Thanks.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Jul 27 19:10:16 2002 |
Name: | Ruth Lazarus |
E-mail: | mikelaz@avenew.com |
Organization: | Village Day School |
Location: | Oak Park, IL |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | I co-run a small, therapeutic school, and need ideas for
how to advocate with other school administrators for why we don't give
"good attendance awards". I know the reasons, but is compromise possible
when we are told this is a must?
|
| |
Name: | Susan Davis |
E-mail: | Zkingsue@aol.com |
Organization: | St. James Middle School |
Location: | Myrtle Beach, SC |
How the site was found: | Book...The Schools....Deserve |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jul 23 09:42:24 2002 |
Name: | Thomas J. Neuville |
E-mail: | tneuville@millersville.org |
Organization: | Millersville Univ. |
Location: | Millersville, PA |
How the site was found: | I have talked to, listened to and read Alfie |
Comments: | What we do to typical children is scary...what we do to
children with disabilities is criminal. keep up the good work.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jul 23 08:19:54 2002 |
Name: | geula zamist |
E-mail: | zamistg@ramaz.org |
Organization: | ramaz early childhood center |
Location: | New York |
How the site was found: | Harvard |
Comments: | the absolute HERO of my ten days at the HARVARD Principals
Center its still shocking to think that so many people are willing to
reduce whole wonderful children to little pencil marks on paper thank you
for being a voice of reason in an insane world!
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jul 22 06:06:53 2002 |
Name: | Kellie J. Thayer |
E-mail: | kelliejo1960@aol.com |
Organization: | Gifted Teacher |
Location: | Logan-Rogersville, Rogersville, MO |
How the site was found: | search for positive discipline and Alfie Kohn |
Comments: | I like what I read -- want to read more about it!
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jul 18 16:00:41 2002 |
Name: | roosevelt a. farmer |
E-mail: | georgia1939@cs.com |
Organization: | retired |
Location: | 701 N. king charles rd. raleigh, nc 27610 |
How the site was found: | looking for a book by kohn |
Comments: | I enjoy reading your books,essays, etc. You are a seminal
researcher for this time. Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts with
us. Your thoughts encourage me to "step up to the plate" and do what I can
to help save our children. Again, thanks!
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jul 18 13:25:19 2002 |
Name: | Pam Abreu |
E-mail: | abreupam@hotmail.com |
Organization: | las vegas city schools |
Location: | Las Vegas, NM |
How the site was found: | my professor |
Comments: | I dislike high stakes testing!
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jul 16 15:34:57 2002 |
Name: | cynthia.boudreau |
E-mail: | |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jul 16 14:09:02 2002 |
Name: | Kas Smiley |
E-mail: | ksmiley@dlrgroup.com |
Organization: | DLR Group |
Location: | Portland, Oregon |
How the site was found: | Kingston School Web Page - Bend Oregon |
Comments: | Great information - Thanks!
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jul 16 12:42:15 2002 |
Name: | Genevieve Hill |
E-mail: | petunia35@earthlink.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | on a link from a differentiated instruction site |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Sun Jul 14 13:01:45 2002 |
Name: | George Morrison |
E-mail: | morrisg1@staff.ednet.ns.ca |
Organization: | Halifax Regional School Board |
Location: | Lower Sackville Nova Scotia |
How the site was found: | Educational Leadership/June99 |
Comments: | We recently had our Minister of Education call for a back
to basics curriculum and we all ready have standardized tests that have
proven to be both expensive and frustrating.Teachers are very concerned. I
am doing a summer institute and exploring the usefulness of standardized
tests.Hope you don,t mind if I quote you - thanks.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jul 11 20:28:52 2002 |
Name: | Dave Welch |
E-mail: | darwel@swbell.net |
Organization: | DARWEL Group |
Location: | Dallas |
How the site was found: | Saw book in store |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jul 11 20:07:41 2002 |
Name: | Raewyn Allen |
E-mail: | r.a.allen@massey.ac.nz |
Organization: | Massey University |
Location: | Palmerston North New Zealand |
How the site was found: | Surfing the Web via Teachers Web.com |
Comments: | This is a very informative and helpful website, Thankyou!
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jul 11 14:33:27 2002 |
Name: | Skip Kutz |
E-mail: | kutzs1@sasktel.net |
Organization: | Saskatchewan Urban Native Teacher Education Program |
Location: | Saskatoon, Saskatchewan |
How the site was found: | Lycos search |
Comments: | Thanks for the keen insights and sensitivity. This site
provides some hope in the face of our sometimes cynical and hateful world.
Let's teach our kids to be better people than we are.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jul 10 09:41:18 2002 |
Name: | Erin Forman |
E-mail: | erin_forman@email.com |
Organization: | grad student @ Spalding University & middle school teacher |
Location: | Louisville KY |
How the site was found: | professor recommended |
Comments: | I completed my first year of teaching last year, and found
the focus on standardized testing and test preparation a frustrating waste
of time. The test questions I was privy to during "practice" test sessions
had very little to do with anything the students could connect with. The
scores that we (students and teachers) are being judged by do not
accurately reflect the students' abilities. After reading a few questions,
most kids quickly conclude that the test does not merit a genuine effort,
and teachers begging them to do their best makes it seem even sillier to
them. A 7th grade science open response "practice" question asked that the
students come up with "2 ways to conserve energy at your school". One of
my students responded that she would "stop going up and down the stairs so
much". Enough said. Thanks for providing me with hope and new ideas for
next year.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jul 8 19:58:50 2002 |
Name: | Shawn Rutt |
E-mail: | srutt123@worldnet.att.net |
Organization: | Reading School District |
Location: | Reading, Pa |
How the site was found: | Read book |
Comments: | You have made a convert. I loved what you had to say on so
many different topics. Hope to implement many of your ideas this year.
Hope all goes well
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jul 8 18:32:35 2002 |
Name: | Roxanne Collins |
E-mail: | thor@thevision.net |
Organization: | n/a |
Location: | California |
How the site was found: | Search engine, while looking for John Taylor Gatto |
Comments: | I can't tell you how pleased I am to finally see new
perspectives proposed and discussed with respect to problems in public
education. It is clear that the time is long past due for real school
reform, this time based on new ways of thinking and a new set of attitudes
about both education and children. I know I'll be coming back to this site
time and again. Thanks. Roxanne
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jul 8 17:26:25 2002 |
Name: | Elizabeth Klutho |
E-mail: | EKlutho@yahoo.com |
Organization: | School Sisters of Notre Dame |
Location: | ST. LOUIS |
How the site was found: | Internet |
Comments: | I am interested in middle schools available in Nurnberg.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jul 8 11:13:57 2002 |
Name: | Ramón Martínez |
E-mail: | rmmart1@yahoo.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Minneapolis, MN |
How the site was found: | link from Rethinking Schools |
Comments: | Thank you for your words and discussion regarding the
attacks of Sept 11. It is unfortunate that not enough people exercise
their public voice about this event. Thank you for doing so!!
|
| |
Date: | Sat Jul 6 12:24:54 2002 |
Name: | AliNekuye fard |
E-mail: | ali_tantan@hotmail.com |
Organization: | Home |
Location: | 46 no; Ansar ST;esteghlal Blvd |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | Thanks
|
| |
Date: | Fri Jul 5 07:55:51 2002 |
Name: | tina turner |
E-mail: | tturner@niagararc.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | honors spec. chem course at queen's |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jul 4 18:12:42 2002 |
Name: | Tom O'Kelley |
E-mail: | tjok@attbi.com |
Organization: | Tacoma Public Schools |
Location: | Tacoma, Washington |
How the site was found: | In the back of *Punished by Rewards* |
Comments: | Mr. Kohn, I have been reading *Punished by Rewards* this
week, and have been realizing why I hated school, despite being able to
learn MUCH faster than any of my classmates, and why *my* middle school
students behave and produce so much better for me than for any of their
other teachers. I now have some great defenses for my stands on how to
work with kids, and have realized that in my 20 years of middle school
teaching I haven't gone far enough away from the rewards side of the
scale. I am going to work very hard to get the rest of my team's teachers
to read the book, as well as our school's administrators. Maybe then we
can properly assist our kids in getting the education they need and
deserve to get. Also, when are you going to do a lecture in Washington
state that I mught be able to attend. I seriously doubt I'd be able to
present myself as an Oregon State Board member. (Though I may try!) Thank
you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!
Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! --Tom O'Kelley__ PS: On the
first day of the first psych course I took in college, I verbally
challenged the instructor to show any proof that torturing and starving
rats and dogs would give the slightest clue as to how people think. He got
very upset with me. Turns out that he, Dr. Thorndike (sp?), was a grandson
or something of Dr. Thorndike. Tee hee. I dropped the course and took it
in a later year from a different professor. :)
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jul 2 09:17:15 2002 |
Name: | Julia A. Hill |
E-mail: | jhill14@wi.rr.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
How the site was found: | Web source: Rethinking School |
Comments: | Thank you for your sincere thoughts and dedication to
making a change in education.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jul 2 06:48:22 2002 |
Name: | Karen Magruder |
E-mail: | gregkarenmag@gru.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | Gainesville, Florida |
How the site was found: | Interested in a job in education |
Comments: | One summer I attended "Project Zero" at Harvard University
- Teaching for Understanding. However, in Florida, as well as many other
states, state testing is more important than teaching for understanding. I
agree with Mr. Kohn's ideas on state testing and what it does to our kids!
|
| |
Date: | Sun Jun 30 11:04:51 2002 |
Name: | Lori Johnson |
E-mail: | deneen2002@hotmail.com |
Organization: | Salvation Army Headstart / Student at St. Xavier Univ. |
Location: | 20 s. Campbell, Chicago, IL |
How the site was found: | Saw an interview Oprah |
Comments: | I really enjoy your work. I like your views on rewards and
punishment and being an educator of young children, I try to find a more
positive solution that will work. It gets hard sometimes, but I keep on
striving and searching for ways to do whats best for them. They are
looking to me for amswers and help, and I have to be there for them. The
area that I work in is a poor area with a lot of gun violence and domestic
abuse, so you know that I have my work cut out for me. I am very dedicated
to my babies, I have been working in this area for nine years now among
the violence. Yes, I get scared sometimes, but my children are depending
on me to be there, so I have to be. If you have any answers or information
for me, I would really appreciate it. Thank You
|
| |
Date: | Sat Jun 29 06:25:05 2002 |
Name: | moira kelly |
E-mail: | moirakelly7@aol.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Test-Crazy state of Florida |
How the site was found: | teacher friend |
Comments: | I just completed reading A Look At Getting Back To Basics:
First Lesson: Unlearn What we Learn by Alphie Kohn. Thank you...thank
you...thank you... I am a former fourth grade teacher in this politically
test-crazy state of Florida. I have recently moved to the less (for the
moment) test anxious atmosphere of second grade. I am afraid that this is
only a temporary movement and that my next one is out of the
classroom...out of the field of education; which is unfourtunate for the
future children I might have had as well as for myself. I have the sick
"pit in my stomach" feeling of watching a beloved house burn down as I
reflect on what is happening to the field of education in my state. I want
to pick up a garden hose, stay with it, help...but the horridness of it
and the monstrosity of it creates this awful paralizing feeling inside and
makes me feel as if my only way of surviving is to turn and run. Thank
you, your article has helped me feel justified in my feelings and has
enabled me to pick up the hose and, at least for the moment, do
something...what I can do...create a loving curious, open, consistant
envirnment for my students.
|
| |
Date: | Fri Jun 28 04:44:56 2002 |
Name: | David Nuss |
E-mail: | dnuss@attbi.com |
Organization: | Gervais School District |
Location: | Oregon |
How the site was found: | Attended COSA Confernence |
Comments: | I heard you at the COSA conference in Seaside in June,
2002. You made some very good points on testing that should be shared with
parents and taxpayers, who have been brain wasted on the standards focus,
currently demanding so much of our time these days.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jun 25 11:58:19 2002 |
Name: | Jolynne Roper |
E-mail: | mailto:jolynne222@hotmail.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | New Mexico |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | I am trying to ger started on homeschooling and have know
idea where to look first so if any knows where or how please let me
know!!!!!!!!!!!!
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jun 25 10:47:53 2002 |
Name: | Jaime Rosso |
E-mail: | jaime@garlic.com |
Organization: | Gilroy Unified School District |
Location: | Gilroy, CA |
How the site was found: | Gilroy High teacher |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jun 25 06:34:07 2002 |
Name: | V Graham |
E-mail: | sakinah3@yahoo.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | Teachnet Article |
Comments: | Your article in the Teachnet Gazette was intersting but I
have a difficult time with your philosophy. One of the strategies you
suggested was saying nothing when a child shows positive behavior and
having a discussion when they show negative behavior. That would mean the
child only gets you attention for negative behavior. My husband did this
unconciously as he was raising a daughter by himself. She is now 12 and
really awful because bad behavior gets her an audience with him. Also, the
comment that states what was done without judgement would have the same
affect as a positive statement because the mere fact that you noticed is
positive feedback.
|
| |
Date: | Sun Jun 23 13:39:05 2002 |
Name: | Barb Olson |
E-mail: | olsonb@web.sheridan2.k12.wy.us |
Organization: | Sheridan County School District #2 |
Location: | Sheridan Wyoming |
How the site was found: | C span |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Sun Jun 23 11:33:59 2002 |
Name: | Rene Hill |
E-mail: | love2knit2@yahoo.com |
Organization: | University of Phoenix |
Location: | Las Vegas, Nevada |
How the site was found: | class assignment |
Comments: | I could not access the assigned site as it is no longer
there
|
| |
Date: | Sat Jun 22 16:11:06 2002 |
Name: | Melinda Butler |
E-mail: | mebutler@iusb.edu |
Organization: | Indiana University South Bend |
Location: | Northern Indiana |
How the site was found: | typed in "alphie kohn" in google!! |
Comments: | I am currently working on my doctorate and am extremely
interested in issues regarding standardized tests... teaching toward the
test, and actual achievement of students. Having taught in the school
system for a number of years I have seen what happend when people teach to
test.. as well as the stress that "the test" puts on the educational
environment. I have seen what has happened to wonderful schools/teachers
when their "success" was measured only by the state mandated numbers. I
better get off my soapbox... I would have lots to say!!
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jun 17 10:16:02 2002 |
Name: | Dana Sukey |
E-mail: | anad25@hotmail.com |
Organization: | Student Teacher @ Queen's University |
Location: | Kingston, ON |
How the site was found: | discussed in one of my education classes/heard Alfie Kohn speak as well |
Comments: | I just wanted to say, that I am thankful to find that there
are people out there like Alfie Kohn, who are not only intelligable, but
also personal and who are brave enough to get their opinions out there.
Alifie Kohn has the ability to get his ideas across in a manner that
transcends all levels of education. He has a way of making even the
dullest facts and figures come to life, a way that makes people second
guess previous biases. We need to be thankful for innovators and pioneers
in education like Aflie Kohn...We need to learn from him and become more
like him!
|
| |
Date: | Fri Jun 14 11:49:33 2002 |
Name: | Monica Chesla |
E-mail: | andyscoot@msn.com |
Organization: | Hiram Elementary school |
Location: | Hiram OH |
How the site was found: | yahoo |
Comments: | I am a big fan of yours! I hope some day you will be coming
to Cleveland. I would love to hear you lecture!
|
| |
Date: | Fri Jun 14 11:47:49 2002 |
Name: | Monica Chesla |
E-mail: | andyscoot@msn.com |
Organization: | Hiram Elementary school |
Location: | Hiram OH |
How the site was found: | yahoo |
Comments: | I am a big fan of yours! I hope some day you will be coming
to Cleveland. I would love to hear you lecture!
|
| |
Date: | Fri Jun 14 11:43:26 2002 |
Name: | Monica Chesla |
E-mail: | |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jun 13 10:19:35 2002 |
Name: | David Steele |
E-mail: | davids1994@aol.com |
Organization: | Santa Monica Alternate School House |
Location: | Santa Monica, CA |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | We have a public progressive school, K-8 with multi grade
classes, no grades and a strong focus on the school as a learning
community. The parents pulled so many of the students from the CA S9
standard tests that they cannot compile a score for the school. For any of
you who have questions about this kind of education, IT WORKS!
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jun 13 05:11:27 2002 |
Name: | Matthew Heusser |
E-mail: | Heusserm@student.gvsu.edu |
Organization: | Civil Air Patrol |
Location: | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
How the site was found: | Web Search |
Comments: | I read "The problem with A's, Praise ..." at my school's
bookstore abotu a year ago. I also volenter as a Captain in Civil Air
Patrol, where I teach youth (12-20 yrs) leadership principles. It's
interesting that most of my Cadets would be totally opposed to your
message because it's too "communist." For the past two years, we've had a
drill team, and tried to "motivate" them with the idea that "if we win at
XX level, we'll have a pizza party or go to an adventure park, or ski
trip, etc." I tried to apply some of the concepts in Kohn's work, and I
noticed something. When the competition was over, the cadets had
completely forgotten about the reward. They didn't CARE - because the very
act of being a drill team became it's own reward. I can't say I competely
agree with all of Kohn's ideas - like the case against competition - but
in a leadership dimension, there is certainly something there to
what he writes. I've also recently become a journal article writer for
www.cadetstuff.org, and managed to shoe-horn some of Kohn's ideas into my
articles:
http://www.cadetstuff.org/features/200112/200112_huesser_styles_4.htm Note
that the sarcastic style is for two reasons: (1) I do think Kohn needs to
be taken with both eyes open, and (2) To reach the intended audience.
Thanks for the insight - I like to learn, and think you do as well, or you
probably wouldn't be reading this.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jun 13 05:04:11 2002 |
Name: | Matthew Heusser |
E-mail: | Matthew_Heusser@McGraw-Hill.com |
Organization: | Civil Air Patrol |
Location: | Grand Rapids, Michigan |
How the site was found: | Web Search |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jun 12 00:20:59 2002 |
Name: | Al Teal |
E-mail: | al@alteal.com |
Organization: | none |
Location: | Hinesville |
How the site was found: | Fox News Channel |
Comments: | In the free world, competition is required. Humans are
programmed by nature to compete. You will have to have dictatorial rule
over people to keep them from competing. You are apparently someone who
lacks the desire or the ability to compete on your own. I have a theory:
You cannot achieve excellence yourself so you would like to see excellence
outlawed. Your ideas, if implemented, would add the US to the list of
totalitarian nations.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jun 11 19:00:17 2002 |
Name: | Matthew Foldenauer |
E-mail: | mfoldenauer@comcast.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | Arlington, VA |
How the site was found: | google search for name |
Comments: | I saw your appearance on Hannity and Colmes. Did you get
beat up a lot as a child? I'm glad that the great military leaders of
American history weren't tought using your philosophies.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jun 11 12:30:35 2002 |
Name: | ken horton |
E-mail: | khorton@mysaterynet.mb.ca |
Organization: | Mystery lake School division |
Location: | thompson, manitoba |
How the site was found: | Browsing |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jun 10 17:13:24 2002 |
Name: | Jamie Rhodes |
E-mail: | jamielrhodes@hotmail.com |
Organization: | Graduate Student at LaGrange College, GA |
Location: | Newnan, GA |
How the site was found: | Referenced your book, The Schools Our Children Deserve |
Comments: | This was required reading for my graduate MAT program and
such an unbelievable and refreshing eye-opener! If only every parent and
teacher would read this book... and realize that our children's
intelligence is being undermined on a daily basis, surely a grass roots
movement would arise in protest. I hope to get this book in the hands of
every parent, teacher and headmaster that I know. Thank you for the
insight... most parents have no idea that other methods exist!
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jun 10 16:04:29 2002 |
Name: | Kelly Kent Johnson |
E-mail: | boatersx4@aol.com |
Organization: | public school teacher |
Location: | Newport News, VA |
How the site was found: | through Disney's Learning Partnership website |
Comments: | I couldn't agree more with Alfie Kohn's sentiments. I have
tried to be an advocate for these beliefs in my 21 years of teaching!
Cheers to you!
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jun 10 12:34:48 2002 |
Name: | melinda andolina |
E-mail: | mma65@msn.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | Canisius College |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Sun Jun 9 05:36:19 2002 |
Name: | Patrick Beilby |
E-mail: | pbeilby@ksc.th.com |
Organization: | Femina Lace |
Location: | Bangkok |
How the site was found: | The back of 'Punished by rewards' |
Comments: | The best advice for any parent or manager(I am both) is to
be found in your book 'punished by rewards'. A new and better way to
explain and understand our society and for me and my children a chance of
finding real happiness and at the same time achieving excellence. The best
book that I have picked up in a long time, Alfie Kohn, thank you so much.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Jun 8 20:21:34 2002 |
Name: | Karen Boltwood |
E-mail: | Bennafernoa@aol.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Rochester, NY |
How the site was found: | on the back of Mr. Kohn's book |
Comments: | As a parent of a first-grader who is struggling with
learning disabilities, I am totally against standardized testing! We have
been fighting with the teachers and principal since January to get help
for our child, but they seem to prefer the "cookie-cutter" approach to
teaching the future of our country! Thank you, Mr. Kohn, for your
wonderful books!
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jun 6 19:02:50 2002 |
Name: | Kris Fujita |
E-mail: | Kris_Fujita@notes.k12.hi.us |
Organization: | Chiefess Kamakahelei Middle School |
Location: | Hawaii |
How the site was found: | The forward to Susan Ohanian's book "What Happened to Recess...?" |
Comments: | I am a huge fan of Susan Ohanian and have heard a great
deal about "Punished by Rewards." I leaped for joy when I read you words
in the forward to her latest book -- "Knock out the artificial supports
propping up 'Success For All,'Open Court,''Reading Mastery,' and other
prefabricated exercises in drilling kids to produce right answers (ofetn
without any understanding), and these programs will then collapse of their
own dead weight." YES! YES! YES! This will prove to be so true but only
after too many children have paid the price... These programs are the
current "flavors of the month" here in Hawaii and it's a real struggle to
keep this kind of thinking out of our public middle school. Thank you,
Alfie Kohn, for providing us with more ammunition to keep up the good
fight.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jun 5 12:09:17 2002 |
Name: | Joseph Milnes |
E-mail: | jhmilnes@yahoo.com |
Organization: | Springfield School District |
Location: | Springfield (Delco), P! 19064 |
How the site was found: | from an article |
Comments: | I'm fascinated with Kohn's work and am preparing an
analysis of his Educational Theory for a doctoral level class that I am
taking at Widener University. I have 8 guiding principles to get through
the analysis. I have read three of his books; The Schools Our Children
Deserve, Punished by Rewards, and The Case Against Standardized Testing,
as well as, several articles that he has written. When I came across this
website I was hoping that he actually looks at this site and could lend
some assistance. Aftre all who would better know the answers then "St.
Alfie" (professor's reference)himself. Here are the guiding principles:
Theory of Value: What knowledge and skills are worthwhile learning? What
are the goals of educaiton? Theory of Knowledge: What is knowledge? How is
it different from belief? What is a mistake? A lie? Theory of Human
Nature: What is a human being? How does it differ from other species? What
are the limits of human potential? Theory of Learning: What is learning?
How are skills and knowledge acquired? Theory of Transmission: Who is to
teach? By what methods? What will the curriculum be? Theory of Society:
What is society? What institutions are involved in the educational
process? Theory of Opportunity: Who is to be educated? Who is to be
schooled? Theory of Consensus: Why do people disagree? How is consensus
achieved? Whose opinion takes precedence?
|
| |
Date: | Sat Jun 1 20:47:33 2002 |
Name: | Cameron |
E-mail: | acameron@uni.edu |
Organization: | Graduate Student |
Location: | Iowa |
How the site was found: | Back of book |
Comments: | I am interested in hearing you speak. Will there be any
lectures in Texas in the upcoming year?
|
| |
Date: | Sat Jun 1 12:26:29 2002 |
Name: | Georgia Hedrick |
E-mail: | saraw1@msn.com |
Organization: | Roaring Lion Ebook Writing |
Location: | Reno, NV |
How the site was found: | Heard about it from Literacy for all |
Comments: | I have wanted to get to this site for a long, long time.
I'll be back. I am of the thought that 'real teachers don't test' because
they don't have to. They know. With enough teaching experience, they most
certain scoff at standardized tests. I would like every single
administrator to take a standardized test and publish their scores--they
also would be forbidden to take elementary level tests. No fair. In WCSD,
the testing department has increased 3-fold. In WCSD, some schools have no
library money in the budget. Nothing. gh
|
| |
Date: | Sat Jun 1 07:05:55 2002 |
Name: | Suzanne Gerczak |
E-mail: | sgerczak@aol.com |
Organization: | Alief Independent School District |
Location: | Houston, TX |
How the site was found: | On the back of one of Mr. Kohn's books |
Comments: | I love Mr. Kohn's work! His books always offer new insight
into the many issues in public education.
|
| |
Date: | Fri May 31 09:32:12 2002 |
Name: | aubrey chanecka |
E-mail: | chanec87@cortland.edu |
Organization: | Student at SUNY Cortland |
Location: | Cortland NY 13045 |
How the site was found: | from a proffesor |
Comments: | Dear Mr.Kohn, I was wondering if there were some more
information on grading how and why? Just like the article on the teaching
part of your homepage. I need info for a class and I need to make a
website about it and I love the topic! Great articles!
|
| |
Date: | Thu May 30 07:58:53 2002 |
Name: | Ann Spielmaker |
E-mail: | annieS@lee.k12.fl.us |
Organization: | FGCU |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | Friend |
Comments: | Greetings
|
| |
Date: | Tue May 28 07:02:23 2002 |
Name: | Gary W. Senyo |
E-mail: | gsenyo@ucasd.iu5.org |
Organization: | PSEA Committee For The Preservation Of Public Education |
Location: | Pennsylvania |
How the site was found: | by Alfie |
Comments: | I recommend this site 4 or 5 times a year in my reports to
educators. It is for enlightened thinkers looking for a better way and who
are tired of the anti-teacher rhetoric of the Bush - Ridge era.
|
| |
Date: | Mon May 27 16:35:49 2002 |
Name: | joanne felix |
E-mail: | joski14250@aol |
Organization: | uft |
Location: | NY |
How the site was found: | googlre.com |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Sun May 26 15:32:16 2002 |
Name: | Karen Villacres |
E-mail: | davidv49@hal-pc.org |
Organization: | mother |
Location: | 3618 Valley Haven |
How the site was found: | Kingwood, Tx. 77339 |
Comments: | I have a soon to be third grder who has so much anxiety
over performence that she requires therapy. Any information that you could
send me would be helpful. I am planning to order some of your tapes and
books. She is in the public school system currently. I have been advised
to seek "cognitive behavioral therapy" for her. She has been diagnosed
with general anxiety disorder. As her mother I know that her anxiety is
mostly related to performance.
|
| |
Date: | Sun May 26 09:37:47 2002 |
Name: | Judith Van Tyne |
E-mail: | vantynje@aol.com |
Organization: | School Board of Alachua County-Head Start |
Location: | Gainesville, FL |
How the site was found: | a 2001 article in Young Children magazine |
Comments: | I am a training and resource specialist for Head Start and
have conducted many workshops on disabilities, early childhood development
and behavior. In each of these I try to find the time to discourage the
use of praise and give teachers an alternative - by noticing and
acknowledging or "You did it!" I am always looking for support for this
approach so I thank you from the bottom of my heart for sharing your deep
understanding of the negative effects of praise, etc.
|
| |
Date: | Sat May 25 22:00:41 2002 |
Name: | Robin Hoare |
E-mail: | robinsnest@paradise.net.nz |
Organization: | -- |
Location: | New Zealand |
How the site was found: | Read "No Contest" first |
Comments: | I believe Alfie's ideas should be studied closely if we
want to cure our sick society
|
| |
Date: | Fri May 24 10:37:38 2002 |
Name: | Don Perl |
E-mail: | myexcel.com |
Organization: | Perl against CSAP |
Location: | Greeley Colorado |
How the site was found: | Substance |
Comments: | Dear Alfie Kohn, We spoke on the phone last year, and you
were kind enough to send me your book, The Case Against Standardized
Testing. I had boycotted the CSAP test. I couldn't bring myself to
continue in this district, and so I resigned at the end of the 2001 school
year. This year I am planning some political action by renting an
educational booth at Greeley's "Fiesta Days." I'll let you know how things
go. In the meantime, if there is any advice you could send me, or
literature I could access, I would be grateful. In solidarity, Don Perl
|
| |
Date: | Wed May 22 07:03:59 2002 |
Name: | Cathie Rollings |
E-mail: | Rollings43@cs.com |
Organization: | Randlolph County Partnership for Children |
Location: | Ashboro, North Carolina |
How the site was found: | link through ooeygooey.com |
Comments: | please email me if you are speaking anywhere in N.C. region
and article updates.
|
| |
Date: | Tue May 21 14:45:43 2002 |
Name: | Jim Bellis |
E-mail: | jbellis@together.net |
Organization: | Self |
Location: | South Burlington, Vermont |
How the site was found: | Software Success News Letter |
Comments: | Your thoughts are an inspiration for those of us who are in
the work-world and must deal with the conventional wisdom of work
incentives. You definitely got it right. The major issue now, as I see it,
is how do you get your ideas to be accepted as mainstream thinking?
|
| |
Date: | Tue May 21 08:04:24 2002 |
Name: | Dennis Baker |
E-mail: | baker@glattnet.ch |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | Dear Mr. Kohn: Having just read your editorial in USA
Today, you thoroughly lose me. You cite research that "overwhelmingly"
shows that lagging students are stigmatized by retention. I agree, but I
fear you are suggesting promotion even when the child is far behind the
grade level. Will promoting the child to a more advanced grade help or
hurt the child? Will the child get more behind, frustrated and lacking in
self-confidence and self-esteem? Would you concede that the Marva Collins
approach is so much better? Is the solution to believe in children and
stick with them and refuse to give up? All children are capable of
learning. We as Americans and teachers must accept the basic premise that
ALL children can learn. They only need adults who believe in them, i.e.,
teachers, who should endeavor to help those children who fall behind, for
whatever reason. As a backup, summer school (and I can speak from personal
experience) at least gives a child another chance, perhaps with less
pressure than during the regular school year. Best regards, Dennis Baker
|
| |
Date: | Mon May 20 18:47:21 2002 |
Name: | sarah kerry |
E-mail: | tskerry@msn.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | textbook citation |
Comments: | I am taking a classroom management course and your beliefs
make so much sense to me. I love how you say it like it is and should be.
Thanks.
|
| |
Date: | Fri May 17 22:30:27 2002 |
Name: | Mary Ellen Ramplin |
E-mail: | meramplin@netscape.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | Citation in textbook |
Comments: | Thank you for having the necesary information ready for
download.
|
| |
Date: | Fri May 17 22:29:38 2002 |
Name: | Mary Ellen Ramplin |
E-mail: | meramplin@netscape.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | Citation in textbook |
Comments: | Tank you for having the necesary information ready for
download.
|
| |
Date: | Fri May 17 13:14:10 2002 |
Name: | Clotilde Isabel Silva Waddington |
E-mail: | katy@tropical.co.mz |
Organization: | None - Cnosultant on teacher training and child learning |
Location: | Maputo, Mozambique |
How the site was found: | In the book punished by Rewards |
Comments: | Just to say that it´s wonderfull to see our must deep
feelings, intuitions and beliefs so well articulated. Thank you.
|
| |
Date: | Fri May 17 13:09:16 2002 |
Name: | Howard Weiner |
E-mail: | howard619@msn.com |
Organization: | Adelphi university |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | Mentioned in book on standardized testing |
Comments: | Dear Dr. Kohn, I agree with your characterization of high
stakes testing as well as the problems with the use of rewards and
punishments resulting from comparing these test results to impact on the
culture of the school and classroom. I'm currently using the "Good Work"
model to examine socially responsible teaching and view the problems and
conflicts teachers have to confront stemming to a large degree from the
impact of the factors you address. I'd love to discuss my research with
you should you be interested. Howard Weiner, Ph.D 718/417-2697
|
| |
Date: | Wed May 15 15:38:48 2002 |
Name: | Todd Bannon |
E-mail: | tabannon.geo@yahoo.com |
Organization: | Climax-Scotts Jr./Sr. High |
Location: | Climax, Michigan |
How the site was found: | Western Michigan University education class |
Comments: | We're reading Beyond Discipline in our class and it is
creating some lively debate, to say the least. For such a young group of
students, I am surprised by the conservative attitudes towards classroom
management. I am enjoying your book and your ideas. I am currently
plotting ways to convince my administration to allow me use your
techniques. As a probationary teacher, I have a difficult time convincing
my principal that my "casual" tactics actually have good results.
|
| |
Date: | Mon May 13 08:48:57 2002 |
Name: | Stephen Verdon |
E-mail: | bobbijn@aol,com |
Organization: | none |
Location: | Los Angeles, CA |
How the site was found: | Inserted kohn into google |
Comments: | None, I am researching educators. I am a student in a
classroom management class, and my instructor thought Alfie's methods were
akin to my ideas.
|
| |
Date: | Sat May 11 11:03:05 2002 |
Name: | John Stowell |
E-mail: | jmstow@ev1.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | Katy TX |
How the site was found: | Gerald Bracey's 11th. report |
Comments: | Well Done! You're a brave man with integrity.
|
| |
Date: | Fri May 10 07:33:54 2002 |
Name: | Jamie Emerson |
E-mail: | jemerson@auracom.com |
Organization: | Peterborough Youth Services |
Location: | Peterborough, Ontario |
How the site was found: | attended a seminar in Belleville, Ontario |
Comments: | At a time in Ontario when there are so many deeply
concerning social policies, school refrom is the most sinister. As the
director of a Children's Mental Health Service, we see it's impact every
day. "Zero tolerance" has become the operational philosophy of the school
system. Thanks to school reform, it has been extended far beyond certain
kinds of behavior to include zero tolerance for any kid struggling with
social or emotional problems, any kid living in a home that is under
resourced, any kid with learning problems and even any kid whose learning
style is not compatible with standardized testing. We are not "raising the
bar" in terms of improving the quality of education, we are raising the
bar to exclude more and more kids from success in our educational system
and by extension, positive participation in our society. How deep a
thinker do you have to be to realize that the inevitable consequence of
this will be more people who are unemployable or in low paying jobs that
don't pay the bills, greater rates of all kinds of social problems,
streets that are increasingly unsafe and more of our tax dollars going to
fund prisons instead of education or health care. If you think I
exaggerate, just look south of the border.
|
| |
Date: | Thu May 9 15:17:12 2002 |
Name: | rtrwv g |
E-mail: | fdsg |
Organization: | |
Location: | bvbf |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | ddfhdfhvcn
|
| |
Date: | Mon May 6 21:44:50 2002 |
Name: | Helen Dombrowski |
E-mail: | davnhel@eagleslair.net |
Organization: | Early Childhood Special Education |
Location: | Bend, Oregon |
How the site was found: | I guessed. |
Comments: | I heard Alfie speak in Portland,Oregon last year and I was
thinking about all the innovative ideas he presented. In my OSU class on
Behavior in Children, we are using Beyond Behaviorism, Changing the
Classroom Management Paradigm, H. Jerome Freiberg, Editor, and Alfie's
theories on democratic practices are sited. Just want to thank you Alfie,
for all your hard work! Helen Dombrowski
|
| |
Date: | Mon May 6 14:14:15 2002 |
Name: | lekaysia |
E-mail: | essence@cconnect.net |
Organization: | help |
Location: | newbern nc southgate |
How the site was found: | just searching the web |
Comments: | i need a program called ccc please try to find somthing
like it atleast
|
| |
Date: | Mon May 6 08:40:44 2002 |
Name: | Thomas Roche |
E-mail: | tom.roche@enterpriseinns.plc.uk |
Organization: | Enterprise Inns |
Location: | West Midlands, United Kingdom |
How the site was found: | Google search on Alfie Kohn |
Comments: | I read No Contest and Punished by Rewards. Both struck a
chord. I work in a call centre environment where Pavlovian concepts of
reward and punishment reign supreme. Unfortunately, most people around me
believe my thinking belongs on another planet. Kohn's work has helped me
see everything differently, from education to politics.
|
| |
Date: | Sun May 5 19:50:31 2002 |
Name: | Dorothy Whitley |
E-mail: | dwhitley1@pdq.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | Houston, TX |
How the site was found: | From late night TV |
Comments: | I'd like a schedule of your TV appearances or the programs
you will appear on regularly. For my own benefit and to pass this
information along, I'd like your schedule. Thanks. dwhitley1
|
| |
Date: | Sun May 5 08:28:06 2002 |
Name: | L. H. Blackwell |
E-mail: | |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | message board post |
Comments: | I never thought I would see the day that learning
information, having the ability to recall it and to score well on a test
would be considered a bad thing. Shame on you. You get a D. It would have
been an F but I think you are trying; just looking in the wrong direction.
|
| |
Date: | Fri May 3 17:41:54 2002 |
Name: | elizabeth villegas |
E-mail: | shavelav6@sbcglobalnet.com |
Organization: | home |
Location: | home |
How the site was found: | internet |
Comments: | help me ,please my son is slowly sinking into this stage of
little self worth and i dont know how to help him.......
|
| |
Date: | Thu May 2 08:59:38 2002 |
Name: | Michelle Mapel |
E-mail: | mkmapel@hotmail.com |
Organization: | Student |
Location: | Simpson College, Indianola, IA 50125 |
How the site was found: | I attened Alfie's Lecture in Des Moines and he mentioned it! |
Comments: | I was very energized when I left the lecture! It was great
to listen to someone who shares my enthusiasm for teaching.
|
| |
Date: | Thu May 2 08:02:33 2002 |
Name: | lindsay Strachan-baker |
E-mail: | lbaker@csnewfrontiers.qc.ca |
Organization: | New Frontiers School Board |
Location: | chateauguay, Quebec |
How the site was found: | I attended the schools that learn conference in Toronto |
Comments: | I was in total agreement with your philosopy on
standardized testing and I presented all the info. last night at my school
Governing Board. I really enjoyed the conference and was very impressed
with your presentation. thank you so much. Lindsay Baker
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 30 14:22:04 2002 |
Name: | Del Nelson |
E-mail: | delnelsonatARC@aol.com |
Organization: | American River College |
Location: | Sacramento, CA |
How the site was found: | One of my class student teams, studying the teachings of Dr. Deming, referred me |
Comments: | As always, Alfie is doing what Dr. Deming espoused, "Chip,
chip, chipping away!" In addition to testing I would like to see a
refernce or two to the nonsense of appraisals. Del
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 30 14:21:01 2002 |
Name: | Del Nelson |
E-mail: | delnelsonatARC@aol.com |
Organization: | American River College |
Location: | Sacramento, CA |
How the site was found: | One of my class student teams, studying the teachinhs of Dr. Deming referred me |
Comments: | As always, Alfie is doing what Dr. Deming espoused, "Chip,
chip, chipping away!" In addition to testing I would like to see a
refernce or two to the nonsense of appraisals. Del
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 30 01:23:54 2002 |
Name: | Matze |
E-mail: | |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Mon Apr 29 15:37:33 2002 |
Name: | Timothy Woods |
E-mail: | timothywoods@attbi.com |
Organization: | Dracut Public Schools |
Location: | Dracut MA 01826 |
How the site was found: | Conference |
Comments: | Your lecture at the Toronto conference 4/18 was
outstanding! Your material is referenced often in the C.A.G.S. courses I
am taking so it was a pleasure to see you in person. Anytime you will be
in the New england area please let us know.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Apr 29 14:14:48 2002 |
Name: | karen zoppa |
E-mail: | k.zoppa@uwinnipeg.ca |
Organization: | MACRO - Meaningful Assessment and Curricular Reform Organiztion |
Location: | Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | I am looking for national or provincial organizations that
share our desire to eliminate "outcomes" and "standards" in the our
schools and educational policies. If anyone can help, please e-mail me.
Thanks.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Apr 27 18:54:47 2002 |
Name: | Quinn Morris |
E-mail: | quinn_morris2000@yahoo.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | North Carolina |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | I have am in the middle of Punishment by Rewards and i just
wanted to express gratitude for Mr. Kohn because everything he says i
experience everyday at my school. I'm glad he finally brought it out in
the open.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Apr 27 18:53:50 2002 |
Name: | Quinn Morris |
E-mail: | quinn_morris2000@yahoo.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | North Carolina |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | I have am in the middle of Punishment by Rewards and i just
wanted to express gratitude for Mr. Kohn because everything he says i
experience everyday at my school. I'm glad he finally brought it out in
the open.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Apr 18 11:45:16 2002 |
Name: | Dr. Marla K. Banks |
E-mail: | banksm@mcmurryadm.edu |
Organization: | McMurry University |
Location: | Abilene, TX 79697 |
How the site was found: | web listed in text |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Wed Apr 17 22:19:36 2002 |
Name: | Bruce Foden |
E-mail: | bfoden@post.kosone.com |
Organization: | ON-YOUR-MARK Training & Technical Services |
Location: | Wellington, Ontario K0K 3L0 |
How the site was found: | You gave it out |
Comments: | I attended your lecture at Queen's U this evening. Thanks
for the refreshing critique of the 'accountability' mess. Interestingly,
the newscast just an hour before your talk carried word from the new
minister that the teacher testing requirement will be 'reviewed', a clear
signal that that policy, and possibly most of the impetus for the Ontario
approach to education reform, was driven by the lately departed Premier!
|
| |
Date: | Wed Apr 17 07:54:29 2002 |
Name: | Michael Mirigian |
E-mail: | mikemirigian@clovisusd.k12.ca.us |
Organization: | Clovis West High School |
Location: | Fresno, CA |
How the site was found: | On the back cover of "The Case Against Standardized Testing." |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 16 10:00:50 2002 |
Name: | Margaret Delligatti |
E-mail: | mdelligatti@d112.lake.k12.il.us |
Organization: | Wayne Thomas Elem./ NLU graduate student |
Location: | Highland Park, Il |
How the site was found: | Lecture at NLU on 4-15-02 |
Comments: | After attending the lecture at NLU I realized how
underappreciated good teachers really are. My concerns were affirmed at
this event. A recent article in "Chicago" magazine posted the test scores
for hundereds of schools in the Chicagoland area. Upon paying for the
material, which I now use for entertainment purposes only, the teenage boy
at the register was bragging about how his private school was ranked at
the top of the list. The only school, "above his" was a noted instiution
on the North Shore. I hate to tell this poor young man that this really
means his tuiton is being wasted on bad education! Maybe someone should
give this information to his parents so they could save their money for
his college experience!
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 16 09:28:33 2002 |
Name: | Dr. Jan R. Bartlett |
E-mail: | jbartlet@iastate.edu |
Organization: | Iowa State University |
Location: | Ames, Iowa |
How the site was found: | referred to by Alfie Kohn |
Comments: | Alfie spoke yesterday at the Alternative Education
Conference in Des Moines and I took 6 of my graduate students who are
preparing to be counselors & consultants. We are using his book: The
schools our children deserve in the practicum course. He was clearly
passionate and provided the group with valuable information and an
excellent reframing of the context for learning. Thanks for your
dedication to this topic. My colleague and I approach our teaching here at
the university in much the same way. Learning is learning, no matter the
age, the context, or content. We are discussing not using grades and
seeking to make our new curriculum much more student centered and "working
with" rather than "doing to."
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 16 09:27:31 2002 |
Name: | Dr. Jan R. Bartlett |
E-mail: | jbartlet@iastate.edu |
Organization: | Iowa State University |
Location: | Ames, Iowa |
How the site was found: | referred to by Alfie Kohn |
Comments: | Alfie spoke yesterday at the Alternative Education
Conference in Des Moines and I took 6 of my graduate students who are
preparing to be counselors & consultants. We are using his book: The
schools our children deserve in the practicum course. He was clearly
passionate and provided the group with valuable information and an
excellent reframing of the context for learning. Thanks for your
dedication to this topic. My colleague and I approach our teaching here at
the university in much the same way. Learning is learning, no matter the
age, the context, or content. We are discussing not using grades and
seeking to make our new curriculum much more student centered and "working
with" rather than "doing to."
|
| |
Date: | Mon Apr 15 13:25:04 2002 |
Name: | Kellie Dixon |
E-mail: | kaggy@earthlink.net |
Organization: | University of Texas / Graduate student/ Ed Psy |
Location: | Austin, Texas |
How the site was found: | Research for curriculum class |
Comments: | Mr. Kohn, I fascinated by your veiw point. I was unable to
attend your lecture when you were in San Antonio, but I hope I will have
another oppurtunity. My worry is not changing how students react to "no
grades", but their parents, universities, the business world. We are a
competitive society and base all selection on some form of competition.
Thank you for your message. As a new teacher, it gives me hope for our
educational system.
|
| |
Date: | Fri Apr 12 22:17:21 2002 |
Name: | Lauriekay Meacham |
E-mail: | wildsky@earthlink.net |
Organization: | Wild Sky Art Studios |
Location: | Pacific, WA |
How the site was found: | internet search |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Fri Apr 12 12:57:08 2002 |
Name: | Brent Reid |
E-mail: | dumbledore@shaw.ca |
Organization: | |
Location: | Vancouver Island, BC, Canada |
How the site was found: | Your publisher |
Comments: | Our province is the latest to throw out the wisdom and
expertise of experienced teachers and replace it with dubious data
gathered on invalid standardized tests. Dr. Kohn presents us with sound
counter-arguments, alternative strategies, and hope. The pendulum will
swing back. Until then, our job is to minimize the damage caused to
children by this harmful, politially expedient foolishness.
|
| |
Date: | Fri Apr 12 05:40:32 2002 |
Name: | DeAnn Webb |
E-mail: | dwebb2@towson.edu |
Organization: | Student-Education Major |
Location: | Towson, MD |
How the site was found: | www.enc.org |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Wed Apr 10 11:36:05 2002 |
Name: | William Stierle |
E-mail: | touchdwn83@aol.com |
Organization: | Corporate Culture Development |
Location: | Santa Monica, CA 90404 |
How the site was found: | book |
Comments: | Thank you for your insight and research. I refer people to
read your book at every workshop I present. I am interested in more
business applications and workplace applications.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 9 21:31:54 2002 |
Name: | Jane Stimmel |
E-mail: | jcam@tfb.com |
Organization: | Sage Meadow Elementary School |
Location: | Fallbrook, CA |
How the site was found: | Book jacket |
Comments: | We will be opening our doors for the first time in the Fall
2002, and we plan to use the constructivist approach through and through.
It seems that finding the right teachers might be the hard part. Any
advice?
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 9 19:25:35 2002 |
Name: | Margarita G. Lizarra |
E-mail: | margaliz@bestnetpc.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | Through the Star Channel |
Comments: | Beloved Mr. Kohn; I hope that every single teacher of this
planet becomes aware of your educational platform about behavior and
humane development. As an educator I not only apply your principles but I
am trying every single day to become that wonderfull person that others
can emulate .My behavior can promote ethical behaviors that ultimately
will round off a caring and extraordinary humane being. Dr. Kohn ,keep it
up. I just want you to know that I am working with you. I thank you from
my heart and ask God to bless yoy and those who are pro better citizen .
Remember, that I am with you in this campaing. Respectfully, Margarita
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 9 19:25:29 2002 |
Name: | Margarita G. Lizarra |
E-mail: | margaliz@bestnetpc.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | Through the Star Channel |
Comments: | Beloved Mr. Kohn; I hope that every single teacher of this
planet becomes aware of your educational platform about behavior and
humane development. As an educator I not only apply your principles but I
am trying every single day to become that wonderfull person that others
can emulate .My behavior can promote ethical behaviors that ultimately
will round off a caring and extraordinary humane being. Dr. Kohn ,keep it
up. I just want you to know that I am working with you. I thank you from
my heart and ask God to bless yoy and those who are pro better citizen .
Remember, that I am with you in this campaing. Respectfully, Margarita
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 9 19:24:33 2002 |
Name: | Margarita G. Lizarra |
E-mail: | margaliz@bestnetpc.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | Through the Star Channel |
Comments: | Beloved Mr. Kohn; I hope that every single teacher of this
planet becomes aware of your educational platform about behavior and
humane development. As an educator I not only apply your principles but I
am trying every single day to become that wonderfull person that others
can emulate .My behavior can promote ethical behaviors that ultimately
will round off a caring and extraordinary humane being. Dr. Kohn ,keep it
up. I just want you to know that I am working with you. I thank you from
my heart and ask God to bless yoy and those who are pro better citizen .
Remember, that I am with you in this campaing. Respectfully, Margarita
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 9 10:47:24 2002 |
Name: | Fay Becks |
E-mail: | |
Organization: | Parent |
Location: | Ontario |
How the site was found: | Radio |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 9 10:35:07 2002 |
Name: | Lillian Lance-Dinelle |
E-mail: | ldinelle99@rogers.com |
Organization: | School Council Chairperson(Ottawa, On/Canada) |
Location: | Ottawa |
How the site was found: | Heard Alfie speak in Ottawa |
Comments: | Keep talking!
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 9 09:43:48 2002 |
Name: | Philip Way |
E-mail: | phil.way@sympatico.ca |
Organization: | Progammer/Analyst at Govt. |
Location: | Ottawa |
How the site was found: | On handout at presentation given by Alfie |
Comments: | The purpose of education is to prepare the cognitive elite
for positions of power in a meritocracy (i.e. USA). Your theories apply
coginitive abuse to those who are the best and brightest. We aren't equal.
Get over it. http://www.magnolia.net/~leonf/common/equality.html
|
| |
Date: | Mon Apr 8 18:22:11 2002 |
Name: | Kristi |
E-mail: | kristimb20@aol.com |
Organization: | PHM Schools - student teacher |
Location: | Mishawaka, Indiana |
How the site was found: | searching for a comparable philosophy of education |
Comments: | I would like to personally thank you for having the
strength to voice your opinions about the current status of education. I
found your September 11th article particularly wonderful and it felt good
to see many of the thoughts I've had (thoughts that people have told me to
keep to myself so as to not offend anyone) put down on paper. Finally a
TEACHER that gives our kids some credit. Thank you for helping solidify my
current view of where education is and where I want to take it in my
classroom.
|
| |
Date: | Sun Apr 7 21:52:31 2002 |
Name: | Vicki Rashbaum |
E-mail: | vmamacita@aol.com |
Organization: | Barnard School |
Location: | New Rochelle, NY |
How the site was found: | heard Alfie Kohn at Lesley College, June 2001 |
Comments: | everyone who works in a school and cares about children's
minds should hear and really listen to what Alfie Kohn has to say. We all
need to wake up and feel uncomfortable...and look for new ways to
stimulate children's thinking and decision making.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Apr 6 22:27:55 2002 |
Name: | Leonard Rifas |
E-mail: | rifas@qwest.net |
Organization: | EduComics |
Location: | Seattle, Washington, USA |
How the site was found: | [See below] |
Comments: | Found your site through doing a websearch on "the issue is
not" (for an assignment on how ideologies are formed by making and
breaking connections between ideas.) This brought me to "Grading: The
Issue is Not How but Why." I love your wonderful book on competition, _No
Contest_, which I read some years ago.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Apr 4 20:21:11 2002 |
Name: | Jerome Rogauskas |
E-mail: | rogauskas@yahoo.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | just started reading your book. Its an affirmation of my
gut instincts.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Apr 4 06:32:56 2002 |
Name: | Grace Gibbons |
E-mail: | nygrace@aol.com |
Organization: | Parent, elem. ed student |
Location: | Northern Dutchess County, New York |
How the site was found: | Books |
Comments: | I sputter, stutter, get angry and cry. Then I read Alfie
Kohn (and some others) and find the words. I am hoping to find others in
the area who are like minded. Not only am I often feeling alone in my
thinking, but I'd like to do something for my own kids and others'. Where
can I turn?
|
| |
Date: | Wed Apr 3 18:40:21 2002 |
Name: | Laura Holson |
E-mail: | LHOLSON@aol.com |
Organization: | North East ISD |
Location: | San Antonio, TX |
How the site was found: | a colleague's recommendation |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Wed Apr 3 12:18:02 2002 |
Name: | Sue Skahill |
E-mail: | SueMaeg@aol.com |
Organization: | Governors State Univ. |
Location: | University Park, IL |
How the site was found: | professor |
Comments: | I am looking for a biography or info. on the author. I am
doing a research paper and I need to include info. about Mr. Kohn
|
| |
Date: | Wed Apr 3 11:19:17 2002 |
Name: | LuAnn Masella |
E-mail: | luannmas@netscape.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | from starnet |
Comments: | After reading an article about rewards and punishments by
Mr. Kohn I was very intriqued. After seeing Mr. Kohn on t.v. I am actually
thinking about going back into the education field because of his
beautiful, wonderful and positive influence. I hope he will influence more
to see what is so clearly the right direction for our educational system.
Thank you Mr. Kohn for giving hope to those who may have had difficulty in
seeing it before.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Apr 3 07:34:00 2002 |
Name: | Yvette Paredes-Gonzales |
E-mail: | ydpg7@netscape.net |
Organization: | San Antonio ISD |
Location: | San Antonio, TX |
How the site was found: | Mentioned in lecture |
Comments: | I enjoyed your lecture at Trinity University. You make some
really strong points about the abuse of rewards and how kids respond to
them. I ,for one, will try to make those "baby steps" to giving kids more
choices in the classroom.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Apr 2 07:31:12 2002 |
Name: | Kris Donohue |
E-mail: | katwoman11@msn.com |
Organization: | lehman college student |
Location: | Bronx NY |
How the site was found: | Education Digest article |
Comments: | I am doing a research project and I chose Standardized
testing. I had only heard about students in upscale schools protesting and
thought, What brats. Now I really understand their frustration. Wow, I
never had to take any test like the ones I have read about. Who can I
write to in order to give an opinion? Please If you have the time would
you get back to me.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Apr 1 20:46:00 2002 |
Name: | Susan Bee |
E-mail: | sbee@gorge.net |
Organization: | Goldendale Middle School |
Location: | Goldendale, WA |
How the site was found: | Classroom Connection e-ail |
Comments: | I am working to have my students intrinsicaly motivated
rather than extrinsically. And am interested in reading Mr. Kohn's books
|
| |
Date: | Mon Apr 1 13:45:14 2002 |
Name: | Rita D. LUNA |
E-mail: | rugged@2by2.net |
Organization: | n/a |
Location: | Texas |
How the site was found: | from a flyer |
Comments: | I whole heartedly agree with your opinion of our schools
being more focused on being number one in the state >My son who is in
the fourth grade is already burned out with school and he hates math>
Schools are more focused on getting these children to excel on the TAAS
tests and the children are tiring out so quickly. Please help our children
to be normal children.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Apr 1 13:44:34 2002 |
Name: | Rita D. LUNA |
E-mail: | rugged@2by2.net |
Organization: | n/a |
Location: | Texas |
How the site was found: | from a flyer |
Comments: | I whole heartedly agree with your opinion of our schools
being more focused on being number one in the state >My son who is in
the fourth grade is already burned out with school and he hates math>
Schools are more focused on getting these children to excel on the TAAS
tests and the children are tiring out so quickly. Please help our children
to be normal children.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Apr 1 06:38:30 2002 |
Name: | Joanna Lewton |
E-mail: | |
Organization: | Capital City Public Charter School |
Location: | Washington DC |
How the site was found: | browsing the internet |
Comments: | As an aducator and a parent I have been struggling to put
into words the frustrations and strong feelings I have always had about
(against) standardized testing-- Ms. Kohn's articles have helped me with
this and I am grateful!
|
| |
Date: | Fri Mar 29 21:41:46 2002 |
Name: | Alicia Ornelas |
E-mail: | aodd9@aol.com |
Organization: | I'm a student in major of English Language at Universidad autónoma de Chihuahua |
Location: | México |
How the site was found: | I was looking for information about Teaching English Techniques, to a research paper |
Comments: | Excellent!
|
| |
Date: | Thu Mar 28 11:25:11 2002 |
Name: | Ntokozo |
E-mail: | mntokozo@ |
Organization: | Everest Consulting |
Location: | Johannesburg, South Africa |
How the site was found: | From my Ph D thesis supervisor, Prof Tom Ryan of the University of Cape Town. |
Comments: | I would like toget more papers by Mr Kohn on the question
of intrinsic motivation. What influence did Mr Kohn have on Deming's
System of Profound Knowledge - the fourth attribute: Psychology. I am
looking for additional material to understand Deming on this point. Please
kindly pass it on on other scholars of Mr Kohn and Deming.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Mar 25 16:24:07 2002 |
Name: | elizabeth peckham |
E-mail: | mommapek@aol.com |
Organization: | island park school district |
Location: | island park ny |
How the site was found: | web search |
Comments: | I am looking for help in the classroom
|
| |
Date: | Mon Mar 25 10:15:36 2002 |
Name: | Vera Mae Haines |
E-mail: | vmhaines@sky.lakeheadu.ca |
Organization: | Lakehead University Faculty of Education |
Location: | Thunder Bay, Ontario |
How the site was found: | A fellow colleague mentioned it. |
Comments: | I am interested in possibly having you come and speak to
our 4th year/one year B.Ed. students. Several educators have been
suggesting you. Thanks!
|
| |
Date: | Sat Mar 23 21:12:49 2002 |
Name: | Mary VanCoons |
E-mail: | marwil@earthlink.net |
Organization: | homeschooling mom |
Location: | Los Angeles |
How the site was found: | Plugged " Alfie Kohn" into server |
Comments: | To Alfie and Rich Gibson: Thanks for reminding me to have
the courage of my convictions through your works and writings! We have
"opted out" of the "corporate warehousing" of our children (public
schools)and have never been happier!! Look forward to attending your next
seminar in our area! Gratefully, Mary
|
| |
Date: | Wed Mar 20 11:55:19 2002 |
Name: | Jo Alexopoulos |
E-mail: | jalexopoulos@moheganmail.com |
Organization: | Mohegan Tribe of Indians |
Location: | Uncasville,CT |
How the site was found: | Google Search Engine |
Comments: | Alfie always makes me think and then think again about how
to put the thoughts into actions. Thinking is good, but if it stays only
in one's head, it's power is reduced - sort of like hiding the light under
the basket.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Mar 19 02:16:51 2002 |
Name: | Michelle Burtnyk |
E-mail: | mburtnyk@sfu.ca |
Organization: | education student |
Location: | BC, Canada |
How the site was found: | an EBSCO link |
Comments: | great articles - really made me stop and think about some
basic assumptions i had made about standardized testing(particularly gr.12
provincial exams here in BC)
|
| |
Date: | Mon Mar 18 19:17:49 2002 |
Name: | Ashley M. Parks |
E-mail: | 3parks@swva.net |
Organization: | Rooftop of Va Head Start |
Location: | Galax, Va |
How the site was found: | link from Creative Curriculum |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Mon Mar 18 13:43:21 2002 |
Name: | Barbara Lewis |
E-mail: | blewis63@hotmail.com |
Organization: | Mohawk School System |
Location: | Sycamore, Ohio |
How the site was found: | Heard about books written by Alfie Kohn |
Comments: | I am trying to spread the word as best I can. I print and
put things in the teachers mail boxes all the time, but our administrators
are the worst. They have bought the whole standardized test mania hook,
line and sinker and of course the state of Ohio dangles money in front of
their noses. It is awful. How do we get the money part out of the picture?
|
| |
Date: | Mon Mar 18 11:03:38 2002 |
Name: | CHRISTINE OCONNOR |
E-mail: | KRAVITZC@YAHOO.COM |
Organization: | CHILD & YOUTH SERVICES |
Location: | NURENBURG, GERMANY |
How the site was found: | SURFING THE INTERNET |
Comments: | I AM AN EDUCATOR FOR THE US MILITARY HERE IN GERMANY. ALFIE
YOU INSPIRE ME! THANKS FOR ALL YOUR GOOD WORKS.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Mar 18 10:27:22 2002 |
Name: | Arzie Galvez |
E-mail: | agalvez@lausd.k12.ca.us |
Organization: | Los Angeles Unified School District |
Location: | Los Angeles, California |
How the site was found: | colleague |
Comments: | Please add me to your email list
|
| |
Date: | Sun Mar 17 11:23:29 2002 |
Name: | David Newman |
E-mail: | dnewman@neagri.com |
Organization: | Northeast Agri Systems, work - S. June Smith - volunteer |
Location: | Lititz, PA and Lancaster County, PA |
How the site was found: | Recommended at Board Retreat |
Comments: | This is the other side of the story we just aren't readind,
seeing or hearing in the general media. Everyone needs to hear thes
message, not just the educators. It really sits you down and makes you
thing about what is going on.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Mar 14 11:26:53 2002 |
Name: | Anne-Marie Stone |
E-mail: | stoner@gisco.net |
Organization: | SUNY Potsdam |
Location: | Norwood, N.Y. |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | Hey Alfie, Had the opportunity to see your lecture in
Ottawa. Your work is so important...and you do it so well. A quote I am
sure your familiar with..."Where anything is growing one former is worth a
thousand re-formers":Horace Mann...Thank you for being a former!!!AMS
|
| |
Date: | Wed Mar 13 17:14:43 2002 |
Name: | troylana |
E-mail: | troylanam@hotmail.com |
Organization: | sd 73 kamoops/thompson |
Location: | kamloops, bc canada |
How the site was found: | primary teachers conference, richmond,bc |
Comments: | damnit....youve made me think again!!
|
| |
Date: | Wed Mar 13 12:24:11 2002 |
Name: | doreen wheeler |
E-mail: | millermouse1221@yahoo.com |
Organization: | education student |
Location: | spring arbor, mich |
How the site was found: | back of book |
Comments: | great material! Enjoy reading your stuff!
|
| |
Date: | Mon Mar 11 10:07:41 2002 |
Name: | mary legris |
E-mail: | marylegris@hotmail.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Minneapolis |
How the site was found: | from a lecture |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Sun Mar 10 12:12:47 2002 |
Name: | John Holmes |
E-mail: | john-holmes-is@bigfoot.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Winnipeg, Canada |
How the site was found: | CBC radio _ Competition interview |
Comments: | Thank you. Your site very Proficiently Reveals many of the
reasons why we Home School our children. By the time these issues get
turned around or even addressed, most of the children in schools now will
have been trained in this institutional way of thinking. I don't beleive
it is in the best interest of our governing forces to allow the freedoms
that you are speaking of. It is not controllable and therefore not
profitable. I do think that we must keep these things out in the open,
though. It is too important to stop what you are doing. John
|
| |
Date: | Sat Mar 9 10:16:15 2002 |
Name: | Lucinda Barrington |
E-mail: | LuciBarr@aol.com |
Organization: | California State University Fullerton |
Location: | Fullerton, CA |
How the site was found: | Professor suggested |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Thu Mar 7 18:44:22 2002 |
Name: | R Hamel |
E-mail: | eggpl2@aol.com |
Organization: | Vocational School Board Member |
Location: | Charlton, MA |
How the site was found: | ACLU |
Comments: | I have been looking for someone like you who can argue
successfully against the MCAS. At our Voc school we will be fortunate to
award 50 diplomas to our graduating of 2003.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Mar 7 14:02:51 2002 |
Name: | Steven Greenstein |
E-mail: | blue42@mindspring.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Wed Mar 6 23:18:28 2002 |
Name: | marc and andrea bergeron |
E-mail: | mrbergeron@hotmail.com |
Organization: | UCDSB |
Location: | Ontario |
How the site was found: | attended Ottawa conference |
Comments: | Wonderful lecture, and we enjoyed the book. Thanks.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Mar 6 18:57:33 2002 |
Name: | Fernando Cogley |
E-mail: | fcogley@prtc.net |
Organization: | Cambridge College |
Location: | San Juan, Puerto Rico |
How the site was found: | Book Reference |
Comments: | Very impressed with the ideas of Alfie Kohn on how to
reform education. The Nation and Puerto Rico needs a real change in public
policy towards education. In this concepts a new beggining can be found.
Lets start...
|
| |
Date: | Wed Mar 6 13:50:52 2002 |
Name: | Colin Charles |
E-mail: | rakuon@msn.com |
Organization: | Columbus Public Schools |
Location: | Columbus, Ohio |
How the site was found: | nbci.com |
Comments: | I am interested in stopping mandated standardized testing.
|
| |
Date: | Sun Mar 3 14:45:53 2002 |
Name: | Terri Hall |
E-mail: | thall@idir.net |
Organization: | parent & secretary of PTA,employee of usd353 |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | I would like to thank the teachers with everything they do
they make the time to keep us busy parents inform. Thank you.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Feb 27 21:11:19 2002 |
Name: | Jamie Bell |
E-mail: | Jamie_Bell@ocdsb.edu.on.ca |
Organization: | Ottawa-Carleton District Board of Education |
Location: | Richmond Ontario |
How the site was found: | Your Ottawa Lecture, Feb 21 |
Comments: | I thoroughly enjoyed your visit here. Your talk was
inspiring...a little sanity goes a long way these days.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Feb 27 14:16:43 2002 |
Name: | Frank Monahan |
E-mail: | frankmon22@hotmail.com |
Organization: | just a guy |
Location: | Seattle WA |
How the site was found: | Searching after I read an article on MSN.com |
Comments: | This is truly inspiring. I just read a short article about
Mr. Kohn, and I must say HOORAY! this inspired some e-mailing around my
circle of friends and some wonderfull insights. IT CAN BE DONE!
|
| |
Date: | Wed Feb 27 12:28:26 2002 |
Name: | Jean Dummer |
E-mail: | jfdummer@stkate.edu |
Organization: | College of St. Catherine |
Location: | St. Paul, MN |
How the site was found: | Inquired after reading books |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Wed Feb 27 09:05:59 2002 |
Name: | John Kajander |
E-mail: | kajanj@tirr.tmc.edu |
Organization: | TIRR Systems |
Location: | Houston, Texas |
How the site was found: | Google Search Engine |
Comments: | Just sent Mr. Kohn an e-mail message at comments@.... on
some research on motivation. I would be grateful if we can receive a
response. thank you
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 26 23:37:39 2002 |
Name: | Adelard Gendron |
E-mail: | agendron@ilos.net |
Organization: | Management |
Location: | Winnipeg |
How the site was found: | listening to information radio |
Comments: | I agree that their is to much emphasize on competition in
our schools THis usually has a more negative effect on children when their
minds and personalites are developing.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 26 22:11:11 2002 |
Name: | Eric J. Nichols |
E-mail: | jovaneric@aol.com |
Organization: | AR Dept of Education |
Location: | Pine Bluff, AR |
How the site was found: | From the textbook "Building Classroom Discipline." |
Comments: | This is just for research purposes.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 26 22:10:44 2002 |
Name: | Eric J. Nichols |
E-mail: | jovaneric@aol.com |
Organization: | AR Dept of Education |
Location: | Pine Bluff, AR |
How the site was found: | From the textbook "Building Classroom Discipline." |
Comments: | This just for research purposes.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 26 21:51:43 2002 |
Name: | Gord Kidder` |
E-mail: | ggordd@mb.sympatico.ca |
Organization: | Retired |
Location: | Winnipeg, MB |
How the site was found: | CBC web sight |
Comments: | I agree with your views on chilhood competition.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Feb 25 20:16:21 2002 |
Name: | Jeannie Smith |
E-mail: | gsmith2877@rogers.com |
Organization: | Ottawa-Carleton District School Board Teacher |
Location: | Ottawa Ontario Canada |
How the site was found: | Feb. 21, Ottawa Congress Centre speech |
Comments: | Thanks for reaffirming my beliefs. Your message must get
out to all administrators who can support us as teachers to effect a
change in primary classrooms.
|
| |
Date: | Sun Feb 24 17:42:41 2002 |
Name: | Peggy Kauzlarich |
E-mail: | pegjokauzlarich@hotmail.com |
Organization: | Graceland student |
Location: | Lamoni Iowa |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 23 21:08:47 2002 |
Name: | BETTY R. GRAHAM |
E-mail: | gmra@sympatico.ca |
Organization: | teacher |
Location: | PINECREST SCHOOL (OCDSB) |
How the site was found: | MENTIONED AT THE CONGRESS CENTRE |
Comments: | YOUR MESSAGE AT THE CONVENTION WAS GREAT AND ON THE MARK.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 23 12:09:34 2002 |
Name: | Ruth |
E-mail: | lajunta@kingston.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | Kingston,Ont. |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | Thank you for coming to Ottawa. Ontario needs this
information. It was real morale booster being there! Now it's time to get
back to the work of fighting these tests. I hope to be in Belleville with
some parents who aren't yet convinced these tests are such a bad thing. I
believe that once parents know how children are being ranked and sorted
they will put a stop to this nonsense.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 23 09:55:52 2002 |
Name: | Saasha M. Huston |
E-mail: | smhus@sunflower.com |
Organization: | Raintree Montessori School |
Location: | Lawrence, KS |
How the site was found: | Raintree friends, your books and tapes |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 23 09:49:05 2002 |
Name: | Rob Kirk |
E-mail: | RobandHelen@tesco.net |
Organization: | Part Time Student, Full time Process Technician |
Location: | Ipswich, Suffolk, UK (80 miles from London) |
How the site was found: | From Punished by Rewards book |
Comments: | Currently reading the Punished by Rewards book. Final year
project of an Engineering Management degree is to research and recommend
an incentive scheme to be fitted in to my current workplace. Many books
give a lot about the supposed good sides, but little about the dangers.
This book is opening my eyes to the fact that there are deep concerns with
these schemes, even if the set up and structure of a company is spot on.
Will continue the book, as it is helping well. I shall pass on to my
sister after I have finished. She is a teacher and I saw her with some
gold stars the other day. Think she should have a read. Thanks Alfie. Rob.
|
| |
Date: | Fri Feb 22 20:04:44 2002 |
Name: | Roma Esterly |
E-mail: | Roma93107@hotmail.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Santa Barbara, CA |
How the site was found: | John Marciano |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Fri Feb 22 13:27:16 2002 |
Name: | j douglass hume |
E-mail: | dhume035@uottawa.ca |
Organization: | university student |
Location: | ottawa |
How the site was found: | you told me about it last night |
Comments: | I really enjoyed your presentation last night and your
concerns about stadardized testing and more importantly the whole notion
of accountability in education. What concerns me as a student in the
education faculty is now I have to write a standardized test to become a
teacher in the Province. This is presented by the government as a way of
accountability. I simply suggest that the one size fits all mentality
dominant in the system with concerns to students has spread to teaching as
well. there is one valuable type of teacher seems by the actions of the
government their suggestion. I think this is scary!!
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 21 22:42:15 2002 |
Name: | Kathy Marsden |
E-mail: | kathymarsden@shaw.ca |
Organization: | |
Location: | near Vancouver, Canada |
How the site was found: | email from a friend |
Comments: | Thank you so much for your excellent essay "Teaching about
September 11." I only wish more people were willing to open their hearts
and minds to these concepts.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 21 20:32:32 2002 |
Name: | Mary Horsley |
E-mail: | mphorsley@earthlink.net |
Organization: | Accomack Co. Public Schools |
Location: | Accomac, Va. |
How the site was found: | Reggio Listserv |
Comments: | I am teaching first grade but because I don't fit in with
this structured system have been force to resign as of June. I am going on
to a Reggio inspired Child Dev. Center in NH. But I worry about my friends
who are so frustrated with testing yet so close to retirement. Who is
going to help them?
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 21 17:01:20 2002 |
Name: | Tracy Carter |
E-mail: | tcarter@vvm.com |
Organization: | The Learning Zone |
Location: | 2207 Florence Rd., Killeen, TX 76542 |
How the site was found: | Read The Schools Our Children Deserve |
Comments: | WOW!! I just completed your book The Schools Our Children
Deserve. It was my style in a nutshell. Fortunately, I am the owner,
administrator and educator of a growing non-secular, private school in
Killeen, TX., who can practice our philosophies on a daily basis. Guess
what America?? It works!! I wish all schools could share our views.
Presently, our school educates children in grades Kindergarten through 2nd
grade with plans to expand to fourth grade for the 2002-2003 school year
and a grade or so each year until 12th. Just this week, my husband and I
pulled our oldest daughter out of her public third grade class and placed
her with us. She is a very bright child who was in the "TAG Cluster Class"
at one of our elementary schools. Unfortunately, our bright, happy and
curious child turned into a nervous, stressed-out mess! Due to this
wonderful TAAS, that so much emphasis is placed on, she is convinced that
she will not be able to pass the test and advance to fourth grade. After
months of frustration, crying, sickness and stress, we decided that our
child's self-esteem and health was much more precious than a d... test. It
is such a shame that our educational system has come down to this. Where
is the excitement for learning that our children so deserve and desire?
Thank you Mr. Kohn for a superior book. You reassured me that not only am
I doing what is best for my own four children, but for the children in
this community as well. Bless You!
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 21 06:32:38 2002 |
Name: | Gordon Lucas |
E-mail: | gordonin2adventure@powerup.com.au |
Organization: | Student Teacher |
Location: | Brisbane Australia |
How the site was found: | Building Classroom Discipline (C. M. Charles) |
Comments: | I very much agree and like what your philosophy of teaching
is about. I would like to read more...
|
| |
Date: | Wed Feb 20 22:15:13 2002 |
Name: | Fatima Grabowski |
E-mail: | grabber.5@netzero.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | CBC radio |
Comments: | I didn't catch the whole radio program but I agreed with so
much of what you said. I seriously considered withdrawing my children from
the Grade 3 testing but I bowed to pressure from the school that it would
adversely effect their results and that it really wasn't such a big deal
to worry about. Now I will have to decide what to do when they get to Gr.
6. I do hope that your message of how inaccurate standardized tests are
gets out to lots of people.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Feb 20 17:31:50 2002 |
Name: | John Hart |
E-mail: | jhart@lazergraphics.com |
Organization: | Lazer Graphics |
Location: | Peterborough |
How the site was found: | CBC Radio |
Comments: | Impressed with your accurate assessement of
"standardization". Was it George Bernard Shaw who said that we must pay
attention to the person who did fit the "norm" or we would make no
progress? Will try to make your lecture in Belleville.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 19 15:44:39 2002 |
Name: | Renee Telling |
E-mail: | rtelling@sierranevada.edu |
Organization: | |
Location: | Lake Tahoe CA |
How the site was found: | searching the net via dogpile.com |
Comments: | I am a senior at a private college in Lake Tahoe and I have
recently read several of oyur books. I am now focusing my senior thesis on
child motivation in the classroom. I am quite fascinated by your work and
want to thank you for your research!! What an awesome wealth of knowledge!
I plan to be a teacher and incorporate your mehtods into my classroom.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 19 01:59:58 2002 |
Name: | John Glansbeek |
E-mail: | jwglans@msn.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Seattle |
How the site was found: | Link from Michael 1P |
Comments: | good article posted by Michael
|
| |
Date: | Sun Feb 17 21:16:42 2002 |
Name: | Dana Rawls |
E-mail: | jimndana@mindspring.com |
Organization: | parent |
Location: | Atlanta |
How the site was found: | website provided in The Schools Our Children Deserve |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 16 21:32:32 2002 |
Name: | Laurie Tandy |
E-mail: | landrt12@aol.com |
Organization: | Old Adobe School |
Location: | Petaluma, California |
How the site was found: | Been reading Alfie for years! |
Comments: | I just visited the site for the first time in about a year.
It was very inspiring - as a beleaguered California (test-frenzied state)
teacher, it was just the medicine I needed to keep focused on teaching for
learning, not testing. In our state teachers and schools receive monetary
rewards for doing well on standardized tests. It makes my stomach turn. I
heard Alfie speak last year in San Francisco, and as a result, two
colleagues and I wrote "essays" to the state on the afadavits we were
required to sign before administering the STAR Test. (essays which
explained how we felt about being coerced into secrecy regarding test
contents- Our administrator suggested we make copies in case there were
any repercussions!) We actually thought of refusing to give the test or
sign the afadavit and were told we could be fired! So - once again testing
time looms before us like a two headed monster, ready to devour critical
thinking, exploring and investigating,and joyful learning. Thank you,
Alfie, for keeping the anti-testing and extrinsic rewarding fires burning.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 16 16:30:06 2002 |
Name: | Ruth Freeborn |
E-mail: | lajunta@kingston.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | Kingston |
How the site was found: | from a flyer |
Comments: | Thank You for coming to Ontario.We really need to get
parents and teachers in this province to speak up on the issue of
standardized testing. In our board our kids are tested in every grade now
except 11 and 12.My child did not write the provincial grade 6 tests and
now I find that the board has a test for grade 7. We will not have our
child participate in this escalating testing. Thank You Alfie for helping
to get the message about these tests out to the people of Ontario.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 16 10:27:04 2002 |
Name: | Lorna Barth |
E-mail: | lbarth@u.washington.edu |
Organization: | University of Washington, Bothell Education Dept. |
Location: | Bothell, Washington |
How the site was found: | ran a search |
Comments: | Your view of education is wonderfully refreshing and I like
your sense of humor.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 16 05:32:00 2002 |
Name: | nowzet jameel saleem |
E-mail: | |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 14 18:14:53 2002 |
Name: | Michelle Picarello |
E-mail: | meshell88@aol.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | New York |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 14 16:39:23 2002 |
Name: | Val Askew |
E-mail: | valaskew@yahoo.com |
Organization: | Ann Arbor K-8 Open School |
Location: | Ann Arbor, MI |
How the site was found: | from learned friends! |
Comments: | Feb. 2002: Our K-8 OPEN school is looking for a new
principal. I would be delighted to hear from any qualified Alfie Kohn
proponents. I can fill you in on the details of this unique (in our town,
anyway) position. I am doing this as a concerned parent, not an official
representative of the school.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 12 23:04:26 2002 |
Name: | Leslie Hawley |
E-mail: | lhawley@sunflower.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Lawrence, KS |
How the site was found: | Raintree Montessori |
Comments: | Thanks for the great work! You have articulated what I have
been trying to communicate for years. We need to get your message out to
the masses.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 12 19:28:33 2002 |
Name: | Susan Goodpaster |
E-mail: | sdgoodpaster@yahoo.com |
Organization: | Peace River Hurricane Island Outward Bound |
Location: | Arcadia, FL |
How the site was found: | my professor - NLU - Marie Nelson |
Comments: | Thank you for broadening my horizon and helping me to see
another educated, well researched side to educating our youth.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 12 17:36:37 2002 |
Name: | carter rose |
E-mail: | caro97497@yahoo.com |
Organization: | ecoeducators |
Location: | pob 152, wolf creek, oregon 97497 |
How the site was found: | by perserverence |
Comments: | in all my 60 years on this planet i've always felt
competition to be self defeating. i have certianly felt defeated every
time i've participated in competitions. thankyou for no contest.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 12 10:36:04 2002 |
Name: | Hank Darke@cmcss.net |
E-mail: | hank.darke@cmcss.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Mon Feb 11 23:45:40 2002 |
Name: | Arron Eisen |
E-mail: | aeisen@interlog.com |
Organization: | AY Jackson SS |
Location: | Toronto |
How the site was found: | address by Alfie Kohn |
Comments: | excellent and inspiring speech at Coliseum in Toronto
|
| |
Date: | Mon Feb 11 20:44:33 2002 |
Name: | John R. Brown |
E-mail: | john_robert_brown@yahoo.com |
Organization: | Toronto DSB and OISE/UT |
Location: | Toronto, Ontario, Canada |
How the site was found: | Alfie plugged it in his keynote address last year! |
Comments: | Just keep up the good work!
|
| |
Date: | Mon Feb 11 20:30:07 2002 |
Name: | Nancy T. Hedden |
E-mail: | hedden@epix.net |
Organization: | Wyoming Seminary Lower School |
Location: | 1560 Wyoming Ave. Forty Fort PA 18704 |
How the site was found: | ASCD Education Update |
Comments: | I was revived from the depths by reading your book The
Schools Our Children Deserve. Can you provide me with research
possibilities for literature vs basal reading instruction.We are
threatened with basals because of low comprehension scores. We are
currently literature based. HELP!
|
| |
Date: | Mon Feb 11 15:57:15 2002 |
Name: | Elli Cooper |
E-mail: | elzplace@prodigy.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | Vacaville CA |
How the site was found: | My mom sent it to me! |
Comments: | I have a son with Central Auditory Processing Disorder and
the school pushes to have him take the STAR TEST etc...! I refuse to have
him take them because he can't handle them and I don't believe that he
should have to take them. They say that it will affect his education.
|
| |
Date: | Sun Feb 10 23:31:30 2002 |
Name: | Annie |
E-mail: | sixpence2@earthlink.net |
Organization: | Concerned Recently Retired Teacher |
Location: | TEXAS |
How the site was found: | Watched lecture on STAR TV program |
Comments: | As much as I agree with you on most points, I am baffled as
to how you got through the "American Educational System"(if you were
educated by American public school system) and "learned" so much !!! How
can we break the current trends whenever children come to
school/headstart/and other educational programs with negative social and
learning skills already programmed into their young minds? I want to know
how to help accomplish this. With so much knowledge of "how we learn" why
is it that Politicians just don't "get it"? Get rid of NEA, and other
socialistic and political groups and then tell Colleges to help future
teachers learn "HOW" to develop better curriculum and activities so that
they might be better prepared. Hold Parents accountable for their child's
disrupting of other's learning and maybe we can have happier teachers and
students working together to discover new things! Looking forward to
reading your books
|
| |
Date: | Sun Feb 10 19:35:10 2002 |
Name: | Mario Gonzales |
E-mail: | mariog84@aol.com |
Organization: | Social Security Administration,Adv Ldrshp Prog |
Location: | Baltimore, MD |
How the site was found: | web search |
Comments: | As a participant in SSA's Advance Leadership Program
certain readings are required. The Manager's Bookshelf includes a review
of Punishment by Rewards. My interest was to learn more about the author.
I information about what effects rewards have on people was of interest to
me. Thanks.
|
| |
Date: | Sun Feb 10 00:08:30 2002 |
Name: | rochelle kuchar |
E-mail: | rokuchar@rogers.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 9 23:29:38 2002 |
Name: | Tonya Bonifay |
E-mail: | alanbonifay1@attbi.com |
Organization: | Hangtown Trade School |
Location: | El Dorado, California |
How the site was found: | Web-search (via your name in a journal article) |
Comments: | Mr. Kohn, I am currently in my first year of teaching, and
also working on my teaching credential. I teach 7-12 grade Language Arts
at a small public charter school. Our school has a strong sense of
community and purpose; it is peopled with wonderful, caring staff and
students I wouldn't trade for any other group of kids, and I love my job.
However, my credential classes leave me feeling depressed over so many
things about American education; we seem to be so wrong-headed about most
of it. Discovering a sane, articulate person to confirm my gut beliefs
about what learning ought to be, has been like a gift to my soul. Keep up
the good work!
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 9 16:22:25 2002 |
Name: | Julia Arnold |
E-mail: | julia.arnold@tdsb.on.ca |
Organization: | Toronto District School Board |
Location: | Toronto |
How the site was found: | I attended your presnetation in Toronto, 8 Feb.2002 |
Comments: | I was intrigued and excited by your presentation. I was
thrilled and motivated and also began to reflect on my own work in dealing
with the Provincial standardized test. Lots to reflect on. Thank you!
|
| |
Date: | Fri Feb 8 21:09:51 2002 |
Name: | Susan Hudson |
E-mail: | shudson8892@yahoo.com |
Organization: | Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation |
Location: | Toronto, Canada |
How the site was found: | got it from one of Alfie's talks |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Fri Feb 8 18:10:09 2002 |
Name: | J. Brookins |
E-mail: | jenna4r@hotmail.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Texas |
How the site was found: | watched lecture on 9406 (STAR) |
Comments: | Having just graduated high school five years ago, I have to
admit that Alfie Kohn makes more sense than my entire grade school
education. The downfall of the "rewards" system in our education program
is evident my life and in my struggle to rid myself of "G/T syndrome." I
feel fortunate to have retained most of my intrinsic desire to learn, and
even more fortunate to have stumbled upon this program during my channel
surfing. Thanks for a very informative lecture. Someone pat me on the
head, please. (j/k)
|
| |
Date: | Fri Feb 8 17:48:42 2002 |
Name: | J C Lam |
E-mail: | writers_craft@hotmail.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Toronto |
How the site was found: | mentioned in your lecture today |
Comments: | Your address to District 12's membership blew me away. I
was expecting yet another dry speech, given by someone who was mildly
enthusiastic about his subject matter. Boy, was I wrong. I won't forget
your message about civil disobedience and defending our students' right to
authentic learning.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 7 18:06:25 2002 |
Name: | Oliver Heuler |
E-mail: | info@golf-forum.org |
Organization: | Golf-Forum |
Location: | Germany |
How the site was found: | Marshall Rosenberg (author of "nonviolent communication") gave me this address. |
Comments: | I read all the books and I am 100 percent convinced that
your messages are really useful. The PISA-Study proves that you are right.
The schools in Finnland do almost exactely what you preach and they are
far ahead of all the rest. Please also read the books of Ken Wilber. This
will put your work in a broader perspective.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 7 11:47:51 2002 |
Name: | Alphonse Buccino |
E-mail: | abuccino@earthlink.net |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | A former academic and present policy wonk who admires your
work. AB
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 7 11:00:00 2002 |
Name: | Toney Jordan |
E-mail: | toneyjordan@cs.com |
Organization: | Savannah-Chatham Board of Public Education, |
Location: | Savannah, Georgia |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | Saw you last summer(July 2001) in Scottsdale, AZ at the
Nova Southeastern summer institute. Keep up the good work!!!!!
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 7 10:29:53 2002 |
Name: | susan dabney |
E-mail: | srdabney@earthlink.net |
Organization: | Campbellsville University/student |
Location: | Campbellsville, Ky |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Thu Feb 7 10:08:08 2002 |
Name: | chad Wise |
E-mail: | cwise@nobleknights.com |
Organization: | Medina City Schools |
Location: | Medina, Ohio |
How the site was found: | Book jacket |
Comments: | I just finished taking my Praxis examination to become a
principl here in Ohio. The test was 2 hours long, had 120 questions, and
was all multiple choice. I passed, but didn't get any feedback on the
questions I "missed." This reminds me of how our children feel when we
"do" this to them. How can an aspiring principal who is opposed to
traditional classrooms and testing survive in education today? I am
considering going back into the classroom where I can really be an agent
for change!
|
| |
Date: | Wed Feb 6 00:05:10 2002 |
Name: | Mary Davidson |
E-mail: | marehr@aol.com |
Organization: | Hood River County School District Early Intervention |
Location: | Hood River, Or |
How the site was found: | typed in Alfie Kohn and voila! |
Comments: | I have read Alfie's books, heard several tapes and hope to
get to a lecture one of these days. I really appreciate the ideas and
suggetions for altering my teaching styles. Using conflict resolution with
peschoolers has been inspiring and fun to hear their solutions. Keep up
your inspirational work Alfie.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Feb 5 22:29:42 2002 |
Name: | Russ Knopp |
E-mail: | rknopp@waitsburgsd.wednet.edu |
Organization: | Waitsburg School District |
Location: | Waitsburg, WA 99361 |
How the site was found: | from a book |
Comments: | Thank you for thoughtfully writing about education and what
is best for students.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Feb 4 02:11:36 2002 |
Name: | Shaun Kerry, M.D. |
E-mail: | office@world-prosperity.org |
Organization: | World Prosperity, Ltd. |
Location: | worldwide |
How the site was found: | In "The Case Against Standardized Testing" |
Comments: | Please visit my web site at www.world-prosperity.org. It
contains many references and praises of Alfie Kohn. I am a social
psychiatrist and activist and am in the process of making a feature length
dramatic film depicting the root causes of social dysfunction. I would
like the opportunity to speak with you regarding stories and other
material that could be used in the screenplay. I believe that a popular
film would be the most powerful form of activism that I could immagine.
|
| |
Date: | Sun Feb 3 15:39:51 2002 |
Name: | Jose A.Bañez |
E-mail: | joebanez@juno.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Sun Feb 3 12:20:00 2002 |
Name: | Mario H. de la Plata |
E-mail: | delaplat@ix.netcom.com |
Organization: | Dimensión Cuatro Internacional |
Location: | Kissimmee, Florida |
How the site was found: | Watched on TV |
Comments: | How can I obtain the text of Kohn's lecture shown on DishTV
Channel 9406 [STAR] regarding test scores, etc.? This lecture should be
distributed all over America.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Feb 2 14:02:29 2002 |
Name: | Tim and Linda Hampton |
E-mail: | ourpast@plumasnet.com |
Organization: | Interested grandparents and former instructor |
Location: | Greennville, Ca / Plumas Unified Schools |
How the site was found: | Lecture of 2/2/02 on Starnet |
Comments: | We really enjoyed your view of what education is doing
today and agree completely. We have a grandchild who has Central Auditory
Processing Disorder who suffers from standardization of test scores
because he has a hard time processing what information is given to him.
Learning is an individual thing with each student and, certainly, teaching
to learning rather to test scores is the answer to improving our
children's outcome.
|
| |
Date: | Fri Feb 1 11:09:51 2002 |
Name: | Cynde Hujarski |
E-mail: | hujarski@adelphia.net |
Organization: | parent interested in education |
Location: | cleveland, OH |
How the site was found: | Alfie Kohn name used by our school's curriculum director, laura purnell |
Comments: | I am becoming an enlightened parent anxious to learn more
about the best way to work with our schools for better educational
practices.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jan 31 19:00:00 2002 |
Name: | Edmund D. Daszewski |
E-mail: | DASZLER@YAHOO.COM |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | key word search |
Comments: | I believe the "intrinsic motivation" you have written about
is nothing less than Divine grace. I have raised six children. The extent
of their success has been directly proportional to their inner desire and
the ability (facilitation?) given them by their Creator to accomplish that
which they desire to do or be; I had nothing to do with it save maybe
being, along with my wife, a principal influencer. The process of learning
and applying and "succeeding" is so etherial. What more can be said?
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jan 30 23:58:25 2002 |
Name: | Timothy Allen |
E-mail: | |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | Logical rigor |
Comments: | This is some of the most ridiculous, absurd, comical,
farcical, ludicrous, risible and preposterous rubbish I have seen. Want to
get schools back to respectable levels? Eliminate tenure, the leftist bias
and the mind-warping political correctness. In a nutshell... chase out the
NEA! But then again, to see all that you would need an open mind...
something modern educators lack.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jan 30 23:00:52 2002 |
Name: | George Hunter |
E-mail: | ghunter@rev.net |
Organization: | Roanoke City Schools (retired) |
Location: | Roanoke, Virginia |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | Alfie, Thanks for your article on the aftermath of
September 11. I have shared it with all the courageous honest people I
know. (I wish I knew more.)It may get you blacklisted by chauvinistic
cowards and deceivers, but your integrity is of far greater importance. I
am glad you value the lives of children everywhere. George Hunter
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jan 30 18:43:06 2002 |
Name: | Christine Ryder |
E-mail: | SCLC75@aol.com |
Organization: | NEA |
Location: | Southington, CT |
How the site was found: | on your biography |
Comments: | I had the pleasure of hearing you speak at the NEA
Northeast Regional Conference in Newport last weekend. SO much of what you
said about testing hit home. But the part that touched me most was your
comments about "rigor". My middle school went through an evaluation last
year and we were greatly panned for lacking rigor. I would like to include
your remarks in my committees follow-up report. Thank you for giving me
pause to think.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jan 29 22:49:19 2002 |
Name: | Doris B. Armstrong |
E-mail: | wdarmstrong@att.net |
Organization: | retired h.s. English teacher |
Location: | 286 North Maple Ave., Ridgewood, NJ 07450 |
How the site was found: | A USA Today article you wrote, which was linked to NCTE's website. |
Comments: | I've read your books, I'm on your side in educational
philosophy, and I'm glad I am no longer trying to teach in a public school
with competition its watchword. I attained an Ed.D. after I retired, but
have had no interest in teaching future teachers, as I am qualified to do.
Now, it's been too long to reconsider; I'm 77 and have many other
interests. Just the same, what can I do to help the cause?
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jan 29 16:36:10 2002 |
Name: | Richard H. Crampton |
E-mail: | cramptr@elmo.nmc.edu |
Organization: | Traverse City Area Public Schools--President |
Location: | Traverse City, Michigan |
How the site was found: | PEN Weekly NewsBlast |
Comments: | I met you in Grand Rapids, MI (MASB Conference). Since
then, I have read your book: THE CASE AGAINST STANDARDIZED TESTING:
Raising the Scores, Ruining the Schools. I like your ideas; I agree, but
we are being stopped by the test pushers. Thank goodness that John Engler
will soon be gone. Standard & Poors rates Traverse City Schools very
high; however, the information they use is outdated. Keep up your good
work. rhc
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jan 29 13:12:25 2002 |
Name: | Aaron Carr |
E-mail: | atcarr06@hotmail.com |
Organization: | Orange County Schools |
Location: | North Carolina |
How the site was found: | search |
Comments: | I am a first year teacher who resigned from Charlotte
Mecklenburg Schools in mid year because I was required to go along with
almost everything I felt strongly against (high emphasis on testing,
coercion, Open Court literacy/phonics program). I believe strongly in
Kohn's work and hope it spreads.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jan 28 17:35:25 2002 |
Name: | Brenda Lewis |
E-mail: | bhlewis@cc.usu.edu |
Organization: | Utah State University |
Location: | Utah |
How the site was found: | assigned to visit for class |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jan 28 11:57:02 2002 |
Name: | Gary w. Senyo |
E-mail: | gsenyo@ucasd.iu5.org |
Organization: | PSEA - Committee For the Preservation of Public Education |
Location: | Pennsylvania |
How the site was found: | Alfie spoke to the NEA NE conference |
Comments: | Great speech - I have seen him quoted many times as he is
right on. Our committee studies anti-public education incidents, trends
and issues. We concluded long ago there is only 1 need behind these tests
such as our PSSA, and that is to shut down public schools and turn them
over to for profit - private entities so they may make a quick buck and
leave. Once down - they will have eliminated the one thing that created
and maintains the middle class - free and equal public education...
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jan 24 23:19:05 2002 |
Name: | Andrew Weltchek |
E-mail: | weltchek@marcusattorneys.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | South Orange, NJ |
How the site was found: | vivisimo search |
Comments: | As John Holt argued in "Instead of Education" (Penguin
Books 1976), is it not the unavoidable and unchangeable message of
cumpulsory schooling that the student cannot be trusted to and is not
capable of learning without the school? And thus, as Mr. Kohn's work so
clearly suggests, is not the student then necessarily alienated from
himself and society. If the medium is the message, then the message of
cumpulsory schooling is stupidity. And this message cannot be changed in
cumpulsory schools. As Holt put it: "As long the S-chools [sic] have these
powers this part of the curriculum [i.e. the curriculum of stupidity]
cannot be changed, and all who work in such schools help to teach this
curriculum whether they want to or not, and even when they think they are
teaching the very opposite." Thanks for your work. Please keep it up.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jan 23 16:25:27 2002 |
Name: | Jim Carvalho |
E-mail: | JCarvalho@sanjuan.edu |
Organization: | San Juan Unified School District |
Location: | Orangevale Open K-8 School |
How the site was found: | CSTA, Ed Week |
Comments: | Grading in all its forms (report cards and grade levels) is
more appropriate for lumber and dairy products than for children and
learning. Many of us need your constant prodding and reminders.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jan 23 15:37:51 2002 |
Name: | H. P. Wansley |
E-mail: | dixie31@statesville.net |
Organization: | myself |
Location: | 247 Grant Road, Statesville, N. C. 28625 |
How the site was found: | USA TODAY |
Comments: | Agree with your article in USA TODAY. Totally. Have you
also considered addressing the problem of the National Teachers Exam and
all its "specialist test". ETS is running a monopoly - with no
competition. Who is the person or persons formulating these tests? Also
you are not allowed a copy of the test(s) to see your correct and
incorrect answers. Wow - what a deal they have. I would like your comments
on this. Thanks.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jan 23 14:15:14 2002 |
Name: | Judy Bates |
E-mail: | judyb@jvil.com |
Organization: | Regional Safe Schools Program |
Location: | 107 E. 1st North, Carlinville, IL 62626 |
How the site was found: | Jim Broadway |
Comments: | I am interested in purchasing some copies of your book
which addresses the case against standardized testing.(Jim Broadway
mentioned them in his Illinois School News Service publication several
months ago.) Also, as some other email writers have requested, I would
like a transcript of the Lehrer interview, too. I have been an educator
for over 30 years and have personally railed against standardized testing
for years -- like a voice crying in the wilderness. Surely, if we all
begin to focus on the same thing and come together, we can make a
difference! Thanks for what you do.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jan 23 13:10:29 2002 |
Name: | Dr. Betty Nielsen Green |
E-mail: | bngreen@volusia.k12.fl.us |
Organization: | Volusia County School Board |
Location: | Daytona Beach, Florida |
How the site was found: | From Stephen Krashen's message to a listserver |
Comments: | Thank you for an informative and thought provoking article
in USAToday Editorial Response -- January 22, 2002. In Florida we also
have to conform to the Sunshine State Standards, and it is heartbreaking
to see teachers teaching to the standards only in order to document that
they have followed orders from LEA and SEA agencies. This ofcourse, is
done in the name of accountability
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jan 22 19:53:47 2002 |
Name: | William R. Cary |
E-mail: | wrcary@msn.com |
Organization: | Retired high school science teacher |
Location: | Terre Haute, IN |
How the site was found: | USA Today |
Comments: | I have followed your ideas for a number of years. Why can't
you (us) get more people to understand? I retired as a constructivist and
firmly believe that student learning icreases and teacher burnout
decreases with the empowerment of student.
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jan 22 15:16:04 2002 |
Name: | Angela Baxter |
E-mail: | abaxter@mpls.k12.mn.us |
Organization: | Minneapolis Publis Schools |
Location: | Minneapolis, MN |
How the site was found: | Went to a lecture |
Comments: |
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jan 22 12:34:03 2002 |
Name: | Robert Skoglund |
E-mail: | humblefarmer@midcoast.com |
Organization: | The humble Farmer |
Location: | HC 61 Box 249, St. George, Maine 04857 |
How the site was found: | USA Today |
Comments: | I am reading your January 22, 2002 USA Today comments on my
Public Radio program. Keep telling it like it is. Schools can't be rated
like laundry detergents. Measurable outcomes are certainly the least
significant results of learning. I have written many newspaper columns
saying this and I blab it on my Public Radio program every chance I get.
Tell me what else we can do to help point out that testing is not going to
raise the IQ. What, bad word? Raise everyone's score and you are still
going to have the same bell curve. Let anyone who doesn't believe it teach
for 25 years. I once taught a kid to wipe his nose on his sleeve. My
friends were horrified to hear it until I explained that it was an
improvement over licking it off his upper lip with his tongue. Thank you.
The humble Farmer, Maine Public Radio http://www.TheHumbleFarmer.com
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jan 21 14:08:00 2002 |
Name: | Kirby Chittenden |
E-mail: | kirby@lifeback.com |
Organization: | Grand Haven Area Public Schools |
Location: | Grand Haven, Michigan |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: | I appreciated your presentation on the Lehrer Newshour
(PBS)recently. How could I obtain a transcript? Our district and state
have gone overboard with the entire idea of standards-based assessment.
Your comments about the sacrifice of quality learning are so true.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jan 17 15:13:04 2002 |
Name: | Karin Grice |
E-mail: | karing@emeraldheights.com |
Organization: | Emerald Heights |
Location: | Redmond, WA |
How the site was found: | Read "Punished by Rewards" |
Comments: | I see that most of the messages posted here are from
educators or those who are interested in the application of these views to
the school setting. As a human resources professional my focus is on
employees, their performance and their pay and in helping our organization
shift its thinking away from linking pay to performance. After reading
"Punished by Rewards" I came to the realization that traditional
pay-for-performance programs do not work, and I have now taken leadership
in helping our management staff arrive at this same conclusion and agree
to develop a program that departs from the traditional rewards system most
companies have. Shifting each manager's thinking to what we've dubbed "the
road less traveled" has been and continues to be a huge challenge, but I
can see some progress already as key people have begun to discuss a new
and different way of thinking about rewards. There is much work to be done
as we develop a program that moves away from giving a raise at the end of
the performance appraisal, i.e., a program that does not link pay to
performance. There are many details to work out. Sometimes I think it
would have been easier if I had never been exposed to these radical ideas
and found them so appealing and sensible. But, no, I decided to follow
this less traveled road because I couldn't in good conscience do anything
else. In our discussions every step toward this new philosophy is an
accomplishment since one concern or question leads to another and another
for resolution. Once completed, though, I believe we will have a very fine
program, one that will increase employee and management satisfaction to a
great degree. I would be interested in hearing from others directly who
have been down this road. Any advice, cautions, success stories would be
greated appreciated.
|
| |
Date: | Mon Jan 14 22:47:27 2002 |
Name: | Judith Rutkowski |
E-mail: | JudyLou2@msn.com |
Organization: | Northwood Elementary PTA |
Location: | Royal Oak MI |
How the site was found: | Friend |
Comments: | How exciting to find someone who is articulate on a
viewpoint with which I completely concur but often find difficult to
express well in the "Standards" climate in which we find ourselves. I'll
come back often!
|
| |
Date: | Sun Jan 13 20:16:48 2002 |
Name: | Julie Page Ales |
E-mail: | pageales@pacbell.net |
Organization: | Teacher, PVUSD |
Location: | Santa Cruz County, CA |
How the site was found: | from reading your books! |
Comments: | Dear Mr. Kohn, I would like to organize with other teachers
who would like to speak out against testing -- both High Stakes Tests and
the SAT9. Anyone know of a website organization geared to this? Thanks!
Julie
|
| |
Date: | Sun Jan 13 14:11:09 2002 |
Name: | Duane Brown |
E-mail: | dbrown@bfree.on.ca |
Organization: | Apps Mill Nature Centre |
Location: | Paris Ontario, Canada |
How the site was found: | reading things |
Comments: | What you have been writing about " standardized tests" is
now happening in our schools in Ontario, Canada. It alarmed mw so much
that I take my children out of school for the week ( 5 wasted days) they
do the test. I work as an outdoor education teacher at a Nature Centre,
and I try to observe some of the things that you and others talk about
with regards to how children think, and reason, and explore. It is
interesting. keep up the interesting writing.
|
| |
Date: | Sat Jan 12 02:56:35 2002 |
Name: | Ms. Sterdivant |
E-mail: | avenue7@hotmail.com |
Organization: | Project PASS |
Location: | North Carolina |
How the site was found: | Search Engine |
Comments: | Please confirm if your organization has a forum available
in North Carolina, where concerned parents may protest the state
assessment tests and get the state policy and processes changed or
eliminated regarding requirements for graduation.
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jan 10 13:51:14 2002 |
Name: | Allen Hillen |
E-mail: | ahillen@usd353.com |
Organization: | Unified Sc hool District #353 |
Location: | Wellington, Kansas |
How the site was found: | From my colleague, Dean Johnston |
Comments: | I agree with most of what you say about "tests" and I plan
to spread our thoughts to anyone who will listen! I enjoyed hearing your
points of view on President Bush's new "education plan aka testing plan."
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jan 10 02:24:35 2002 |
Name: | Rebecca Wolfe, Ph.D. |
E-mail: | rr.wolfe@verizon.net |
Organization: | Monroe Public Schools |
Location: | Monroe, Washington |
How the site was found: | typed in "alfiekohn.org" |
Comments: | Thank you for your presentation on the Lehrer Newshour (on
PBS) recently. Do you know how I can obtain a copy of it? Either a
transcript or a video would be great. I'd like to quote you in an article
that I'm writing, so the transcript would be adequate. I would like to
find studies or research on the effect of standardized tests on
second-language students, particularly children. I feel that my students
(75 ELL kids) should be exempt from these tests in their early years, but
our state requires that only those who have very low scores on the LAS
test (Language Assessment Scale) AND who have been enrolled in school less
than one year can be exempt. Any advice or info. related to this problem?
|
| |
Date: | Thu Jan 10 00:49:20 2002 |
Name: | barbara shulgold |
E-mail: | shulgold@yahoo.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Oakland, CA |
How the site was found: | through a friend |
Comments: | My friend suggested you might enjoy and be able to make use
of the following TRUE story. I have a very good friend who lives in an
extremely wealthy suburb of Dallas. Two of her children, both severely
dyslexic, go to the local K-5 public school. At the day which was the end
of the last grading period she drove up to the school to pick them up and
found both in tears. It seems that the administration in its wisdom had
decided to give each child in the school a ribbon to wear for the day, its
color announcing to everyone what that child's grade point average was (
red ribbons for A, green for B, etc.) Well, of course her children
received the "lowest" ribbon and they were understandably devestated. My
friend wasted no time in going in a rage to the principal's office and
asking what on earth had given the school such an idea. "Oh, you don't
understand," the principal replied,"This is a motivational tool. The
children will see that some kids have "A" ribbons, and that will encourage
them to try to get one next semester." My friend was way too apoplectic
with rage to even respond and marched out to take care of her
broken-hearted children. That night as she lay in bed she kept going over
and over in her mind what she should, could have said to the principal. It
wasn't until three a.m. that she came up with the solution. She jumped out
of bed and ran to the file cabinet, pulling out their W2 form for last
year. She highlighted the six figure "bottom line," laminated the form,
punched a hole at the top, tied a string through it, and returned to bed
to finally get some sleep. The next morning she put her handiwork around
her neck and headed off to school again. She again walked into the
principal's office and proceeded to make small talk until she was quite
sure the principal had noticed and read what was hanging from her neck.
"Why are you wearing that ?" she asked. "Oh, this thing?" said my friend.
" I am wearing it as a motivational tool. I thought if you saw it, it
would inspire you to work harder at teaching, so maybe someday you can
make as much money as we do." To the principal's credit she
responded,"Touche." There will be no ribbons at report card time in the
future. This is an absolutely true story. You are welcome to use it, share
it, comment on it. And, for Heaven's sake, TEACH from it. Best wishes,
Barbara Shulgold
|
| |
Date: | Tue Jan 8 16:20:03 2002 |
Name: | Joe Shaver |
E-mail: | timberjoe1@aol.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | Albany, NY |
How the site was found: | Saw you in Syracuse last year |
Comments: | Mr. Kohn, I wanted to know your feelings about Bush's
education plan, specifically about his speech today (1/8/02). I just
graduated college in December and I have wanted to be a teacher since I've
been in fourth grade. For some reason, I keep thinking that it is going to
be impossible to teach the way that I want to teach with all of our state
mandates and now national mandates. Are our politicians driving all
teachers out of the profession due to lack of respect? If we are going to
be in such need of new teachers in the coming years, how are we going to
find them when we have to "prove" our ability and accountability through
standardized tests? I don't know, I'm just feeling confused as I enter
this great and wonderful trade. Thanks for all you do in education...
|
| |
Date: | Sat Jan 5 11:00:12 2002 |
Name: | Laurie Messner |
E-mail: | lmessner@telusplanet.net |
Organization: | Equine Assisted Growth & Learning |
Location: | Nanton, Alberta Canada |
How the site was found: | EAGALA Newsletter |
Comments: | I enjoyed your article in the last EAGALA newsletter. I
look forward to hearing you at the upcoming EAGALA conference.
|
| |
Date: | Wed Jan 2 14:39:13 2002 |
Name: | Charla Duncan |
E-mail: | cduncan407@msn.com |
Organization: | |
Location: | |
How the site was found: | |
Comments: |
|
|
Back to the Home Page | Contact AlfieKohn.org |
www.alfiekohn.org -- © Alfie Kohn