Liberal Vocabulary Test.

[IllustriousPotentate]

A teacher in Bennington, VT has been accused of giving a liberal vocabulary quiz question in school.

An example of just one of the questions:

I wish Bush would be (coherent, eschewed) for once during a speech, but there are theories that his everyday diction charms the below-average mind, hence insuring him Republican votes.

http://www.cnn.com/2..l.quiz.ap/index.html

Some parents are enraged, and the Superintendent is taking it seriously.

What do you think? Is this another example of liberal bias in our nation's public schools? Or should teachers have the prerogative to express their political views in their lessons?

[Redbob86]

That's pretty low, imposing his political views on children.

[DMXRoid]

At 11/25/05 05:46 PM, IllustriousPotentate wrote: A teacher in Bennington, VT has been accused of giving a liberal vocabulary quiz question in school.

An example of just one of the questions:

I wish Bush would be (coherent, eschewed) for once during a speech, but there are theories that his everyday diction charms the below-average mind, hence insuring him Republican votes.

http://www.cnn.com/2..l.quiz.ap/index.html

Some parents are enraged, and the Superintendent is taking it seriously.

What do you think? Is this another example of liberal bias in our nation's public schools? Or should teachers have the prerogative to express their political views in their lessons?

Yes, of course this is an example of liberal bias in public schools. Can you imagine what would happen if a teacher busted out a vocabulary test with the following questions on it:

"African-Americans should regard affirmative action as a (discommodity, exuberance) when it comes to their advancement as a race, as the policy (denigrages, cachinnation) their achievements as individuals."

No, teachers should not express, or try to impose, or have silly little subliminal tricks to promote, their political ideology in the classroom, not because politics has no place in education, but because the ideological spectrum is so narrow in the field of teaching that there's no way to ensure that for every person who asks the Bush question, there's another who asks the Aff Axn question.,

[RedSkunk]

That's awesome. Bennington is where I was born, and worked over the summer.

Anyways - a "liberal" place? No. Besides the college. Anyways, I don't believe that this single instance is indicative of a "liberal bias" in the school system. I think it would be hard (read: not possible) to really prove any sort of political bias in the nation's high schools. If there was any bias in my high school, it was surely to the right. Would I complain about the teacher I had in 11th grade who would take digs at Clinton? Sure. But we didn't throw a shitfit, get highlighted on CNN.

Were these tests imposing on the students? Hardly. They were vocabulary tests. And god forbid students are exposed to politics.

I'm sure all the NG posters who are right of center will complain about PC here, huh? pf.

[MoralLibertarian]

At 11/25/05 05:46 PM, IllustriousPotentate wrote: What do you think? Is this another example of liberal bias in our nation's public schools? Or should teachers have the prerogative to express their political views in their lessons?

No, it's one teacher and one question on a test. And besides, Bush does speak like an idiot lots of times, even though not always.

Obviously the parents lodging these complaints have never been to college.

[JoS]

Doesnt Vermont require that Creationism be taught in all classes that teach evolution and to be presented as a viable alternative to evolution theories?

[MoralLibertarian]

Probably not. But if I'm wrong I'll admit it in front of everybody.

[fli]

It's not a Liberal bias--
It is a teacher who is encroaching his or her own personal belief. Any teacher can do this, intentionally or not. (Read my story about getting in trouble.)

Well... I am trained to be an English teacher... and I distinctly remember getting in trouble with the CA Standards of Teaching. Why? Because it says I was trying to teach religion in class not in context to the lesson.

It was pretty stupid, especially when you consider that I am an Atheist. Anyways, for one lesson plan-- I found the perfect mnemonic device called the ‘Heavenly Being’ method.

‘Heavenly Being’ is a mnemonic device I created to help myself learn the traditional names of English verb forms such as Future-Perfect Progressive, etc.

Me, I hate grammar. But I am certainly good at Kellogg-Reed diagramming, and identifying the form and functioning parts of sentences. I could be a real grammar Nazi if I wasn’t so laid back with my own writing.

So anyways…
I created the ‘Heavenly Being’ method, and it is the greatest mnemoic device (and perhaps the only one of a kind) to learn the English Verb forms.

Lemme explain.
‘Heavenly Being’ stands for [HAVE + {-en} + BE + {-ing}]. If you can understand that, then you practically know every verb form possible. If you don’t, then don’t worry. If you really want to know how it works, email me. It’s pretty darn useful, even for foreign language classes.

Now when I was getting in my teaching hours, my teacher-mentor allowed me to teach the verb forms to her class with one of my own lesson plans. In one hour, every student got this down. Now to teach this stuff normally takes a week or two. The students seemed to really like me because they didn’t have to try to talk “proper English” and my own level of speech was more or less on their own. I was proud that even this one little asshole dumbass student was able to learn from me.

I felt good, and just as I was about to walk out, my teacher-mentor called me back in very sternly. She told me that what I done was very inappropriate, that I tried to inoculate my own personal religious beliefs into them. Needless to say, I was uber-upset. I am an Atheist, and I just used ‘Heavenly Being’ as a mnemonic device. I wasn’t preaching them anything.

Well, I got a bad comment on my records, even though I was able to successfully teach a lesson in one class session that would normally take a week or two. So towards the end, I had to scrap my beautiful lesson plan, and I seriously can’t think of a way to teach English form tenses without being tedious and boring.

I thought I wasn't out of context. Perhaps that teacher was pissed because I got her students to learn? They did pretty well on the pop quiz 3 days later... (Only one C and B.)

[Ted-Easton]

You cannot expect a person to entirely remove their own views from their career every day and dole out information like a robot. It's ridiculous to expect this.
I find the questions humourous and statements otherwise equally so.

[RedSkunk]

At 11/25/05 06:22 PM, BrotherJoS wrote: Doesnt Vermont require that Creationism be taught in all classes that teach evolution and to be presented as a viable alternative to evolution theories?

No.

Don't Canadian schools require classes on the proper way to feed, shelter, and clean your moose?

[fli]

At 11/25/05 06:28 PM, Ted_Easton wrote: You cannot expect a person to entirely remove their own views from their career every day and dole out information like a robot. It's ridiculous to expect this.
I find the questions humourous and statements otherwise equally so.

But surely you cannot purposely impose your own views onto young and impressionable students either...

I think that test question was very wrong.
You don't need to talk about Bush, Republicans or intelligence in a vocab test.

Teachers have to be careful not to give any blatant bias on an issue not only because it is wrong, but because it is a fallacy. How can you teach a student to be neautral when the teacher is full of bias?

Now, if this sentence was an issue for a debate class... things may be different.

[RedSkunk]

I think the quiz was a dumb move, if only because of the attention it attracted. But I do not believe in this "avoid personal opinion at any cost" doctrine that is currently floating around. I don't think people give students enough credit. They aren't idiots, fli, a quiz with a question like this won't make them suddenly start foaming at the mouth. If anything, the current atmosphere in our high schools – devoid entirely of any political or critical thinking at all – is contributing to the problem of a listless, ignorant population.

[JoS]

In 1992 a Vermont school district passed a resolution stating that "creation be presented as a viable theory on an equal status with the various theories of evolution"Source.

Also here.

Sorry i dont have any mainstream sources, this is just what I was going on when I did a quick google search.

[Lucky-Mabey]

I think there is nothing greatly wrong with this. (If you only cite facts and others opinions its a valid thing to put in a formal writing like a test)

[RedSkunk]

At 11/25/05 07:02 PM, BrotherJoS wrote: In 1992 a Vermont school district passed a resolution stating that "creation be presented as a viable theory on an equal status with the various theories of evolution"Source.

Also here.

A random school board or two does not equal state-mandated creationism.

[Elfer]

I think this is an example of liberal bias in a teacher.

[Thespus]

At 11/25/05 05:46 PM, IllustriousPotentate wrote: A teacher in Bennington, VT has been accused of giving a liberal vocabulary quiz question in school.

An example of just one of the questions:

I wish Bush would be (coherent, eschewed) for once during a speech, but there are theories that his everyday diction charms the below-average mind, hence insuring him Republican votes.

That's funny. Sick. But funny.

http://www.cnn.com/2..l.quiz.ap/index.html

Some parents are enraged, and the Superintendent is taking it seriously.

Good. He shouldn't be slandering the Right Wing like that.

What do you think? Is this another example of liberal bias in our nation's public schools? Or should teachers have the prerogative to express their political views in their lessons?

Now, you just said that the Superintendent is taking it seriously and you claim this a liberal bias? Have you seen standardized tests?! You're making a rash generalization based on the actions of a liberal teacher and attacking the entire public school system for it? Shame. Shame.

[LordXanthus]

From the article:

"Chenkin, 36, a teacher for seven years, said he isn't shy about sharing his liberal views with students as a way of prompting debate, but said the quizzes are being taken out of context.

"The kids know it's hyperbolic, so-to-speak," he said. "They know it's tongue in cheek."

Now that sounds like a fun teacher. Highschoolers are not impressionable enough for their opinions to be swayed by things like this, or at least they shouldn't be. If anyone were to switch parties based off of this little joke, they are horrifically undereducated, and apparently lack the intellectual fortitude to form their own opinions.

[PuffTheMagicPanda]

Bar the below-average mind bit the question is pretty much innofensive and fairly factual isn't it? one of bush's charms to american voters is his plain speech, is it not? and he is sometimes incoherent so perhaps the 'for once' thing could be seen as a point of view thing but all in all it isn't THAT bad, parents groups are so uptight.

[a possibly relevant aside]
Being British, although i do understand where it comes from, the whole american way of calling preachy left wing people liberals seems pretty odd, from what liberal actually means saying you're against it is basically like admitting you're a bigot who wants to tell people how to live their lives (at least that's how most people except the FAR right would read it) cultural differences are fun :D

[Elfer]

Oh, wait, this was a high school?

Quit your bitching, seriously. If you think this one question is a serious problem, you're obviously underestimating high school students.

[Thespus]

At 11/25/05 09:08 PM, Elfer wrote: Oh, wait, this was a high school?

Quit your bitching, seriously. If you think this one question is a serious problem, you're obviously underestimating high school students.

I was just about to say that. Not only that, it was a high school in Vermont. If it were a high school in, say, Texas, then it might be bad. No. I didn't mean that. Texas, I'm sure, holds very intelligent people.

[cylon]

I don't like the question, but I probably would if it were phrased even a bit different, like instead of "I wish Bush..." the teacher had "Mr. Chenkin wishes that Bush...". It's a slight difference, but to me it takes the phrase out of the 'mouth' of the student and puts it into the teacher's mouth. Ending it after "for once during a speech," would be cool too - everything after that seems so unneccessary and pointless.

Are questions like these the norm or something?

At 11/25/05 06:27 PM, fli wrote: So anyways…
I created the ‘Heavenly Being’ method, and it is the greatest mnemoic device (and perhaps the only one of a kind) to learn the English Verb forms.

I think I read about that in the Politics Reg's lounge? It was pretty neat.

Is there any way to take it and alter the name at least so you can use it without people attacking it for something it's not?

[fli]

At 11/25/05 06:58 PM, red_skunk wrote: I think the quiz was a dumb move, if only because of the attention it attracted. But I do not believe in this "avoid personal opinion at any cost" doctrine that is currently floating around. I don't think people give students enough credit. They aren't idiots, fli, a quiz with a question like this won't make them suddenly start foaming at the mouth. If anything, the current atmosphere in our high schools – devoid entirely of any political or critical thinking at all – is contributing to the problem of a listless, ignorant population.

That's what you think lil' red.
Now I do believe that if it isn't necessary-- then don't go into it. This was a vocab test. Any other sentence could have done equally well.

I know students are idiots. I know they won't instant be converted to think Bush is an idiot, or that all of them will foam at the mouth with rage. But this question was so wrong on so many levels.

There are appropriate times Skunk for political talk, and a student's vocab test isn't one of them. Trust me, writing a different sentence that isn't so politically loaded will not mean that the education system will be devoid of political and critical thinking. In fact, this sentence is contrary to critical thinking aspect of education. Teachers try to teach students on how to read, write and think critically. The teacher's goal is to teach a student to view two sides of an argument and weigh them equally, and to show them the necessary ways to find fallacies in each side of the argument.

Even a debate student can tell you that this sentence was an Ad Hominem, and thus a fallacy.

It isn’t that hard to write a neutral sentence for a vocab quiz that isn’t so politically loaded. While it maybe boring to a teacher, it is the teacher’s duty to maintain a certain level of naturalness and poise until the right moment. After all, it’s not the teacher’s critical thinking we are concerned. It is about the students.

The only appropriate time when a teacher should take sides is during debate, or to show a student the process of critical thinking. And even then, a teacher is a conductor of the debate.

This vocab test didn’t need to comment on Bush, when it is obvious it will cause a stir.

At 11/25/05 10:01 PM, cylon wrote:

At 11/25/05 06:27 PM, fli wrote: So anyways…
I created the ‘Heavenly Being’ method, and it is the greatest mnemoic device (and perhaps the only one of a kind) to learn the English Verb forms.

I think I read about that in the Politics Reg's lounge? It was pretty neat.

Is there any way to take it and alter the name at least so you can use it without people attacking it for something it's not?

No-- there isn't...
I mean, it's pretty straight foward. HAVE + {-en} = Heaven. (Because it sounds like it.)
BE + {-ing} = being.

So hence... 'Heavenly being'... There's no way to change it, so I guess I have to scrap my lesson plan.

[fli]

At 11/26/05 01:26 AM, fli wrote: I know students are idiots. I know they won't instant be converted to think Bush is an idiot, or that all of them will foam at the mouth with rage. But this question was so wrong on so many levels.

tee-hee...
"I know students AREN'T idiots..."

[The-Jason]

Just to fill you in on a pedagogical philosophy that's been out there for a while...

One of the teaching styles outlined in this philosophy is "social reconstructivist." The idea behind this is that the teacher uses the classroom as a forum for politics. The teacher, being the purveyor of information in the classroom, uses the opportunity to attempt to mold the students to a certain political belief.

That being said, I would like to clarify that I don't necessarily think that the teacher in question follows this particular philosophy of teaching. Many teacher are liberal but, as it has been proven on these message boards time and time again, it is difficult if not impossible to completely divorce one's political views from their behavior. Since a teacher is a very public and highly scrutinized individual, political bias seems incredibly blatant. Perhaps the teacher went over the top with the vocabulary test but with the assertion that the students understood the "tongue-in-cheek" humor behind the test, this particular instance should probably be let go.

The problem is that it deals with a hot-button issue.

1- The teacher was dealing with a political issue in a classroom.
2- The class was a subject that, at least in the instance of a vocabulary test, does not involve politics.
3- The teacher asserted viewpoints that are more opinion than fact. Whether you support Bush or not, the characterization of his speaking ability was just that: a characterization. Simply put, it was meant to be comical.

Because it was a hot-button topic, the press would just love to publicize something like that. Bring attention to a teacher who made one possible transgression when the better thing to do would be to let it go.

By and large, the educators in this country are doing a service. Just like any other job, they make mistakes. I'm not saying that mistakes shouldn't be rectified or paid for, but let's not put a spot light on a teacher every time the ability to overexaggerate an incident presents itself.

[Elfer]

Another point: Since it was a vocabulary test, it would have been an English teacher, and they're pretty much expected to be crazy opinionated wack jobs that nobody takes seriously.

[Altarus]

The question was blatantly offensive. He implied all Republicans had less than average intelligence, which was probably about 50% of the class. If he wants to express a political opinion fine, but here he went too far.

Offending half the class decreased his effectiveness to teach. I might be able to stand in front of a class everyday and say "Guess what, you are all stupid morons!" It might be true, but it is NOT a productive statement.

[Elfer]

Being an English teacher decreased his effectiveness for teaching, since literary analysis is primarily fraud anyway.

[MortifiedPenguins]

At 11/26/05 12:54 PM, Wyrlum wrote: The question was blatantly offensive. He implied all Republicans had less than average intelligence, which was probably about 50% of the class. If he wants to express a political opinion fine, but here he went too far.

Offending half the class decreased his effectiveness to teach. I might be able to stand in front of a class everyday and say "Guess what, you are all stupid morons!" It might be true, but it is NOT a productive statement.

yes but doesn't your constitution give off the freedom of speech. Plus the fact that this is a good example.

Seriously what is with your country, anything that is slightly offensive is deemed to be wrong. Here's one for you, the Japanese tried to (exterminate, cajole) the americans at Pearl Harbour.

Oooh waits thats biased and offensive towards Japenese people

[SteveGuzzi]

Of course what he did is messed-up. He basically suggested that Republicans are of a "below-average mind". I don't see anything good coming from him inserting his own political views into the material by which he grades his students.

I think this leans more towards being smart-assed and spiteful as opposed to being humorous and thought-provoking. I also think that the people who don't see how this is a problem are just the ones that didn't get their political views shitted-on this time around.