Dear WinkWorld readers,

I’ve got good news, bad news, and terrible, horrible, no good, very bad news.

My question: Why do “reformers” think that we need to “standarize” kids?  The kids and grandkids in our family are not the least bit standardized; they are each very unique individuals. I bet your family is the same.

The good news is that most of the public now realizes that standardized tests might not be all that they were cracked up to be, as NCLB and Rttt (Race To The Top) tried to make us believe. In fact, those tests were really about one publisher making a lot of money off the backs of districts struggling with fewer dollars…not to mention, off the backs of struggling students, who often begin to believe they are stupid.

Let’s be clear: The tests are stupid; the kids are smart.

The bad news is that these tests are no longer going to be mandated by the feds.  Sadly, many states have bought into the existing myth that standardized tests are good. So, in many places the mandated tests continue.  The dollars keep rolling into the publisher.

In addition, we have even bigger bad news:  Even if standarized tests go away, they will be replaced by a new myth, ‘personalized learning.’  Sounds good, doesn’t it?  Do not be fooled.  Personalized learning is nothing more than a new superhighway to standardizing kids through mandated modules and daily testing; it will also be called competency-based education (CBE)…just to keep us confused. Our new national education policy (ESSA) supports this approach to testing, as does the National Governors Association, even though they have admitted that there is no evidence supporting this major shift.

Computer companies, publishers win again; kids, families, and districts lose again.  And after all of this money is spent on personalized learning/CBE, I guarantee that my kids and grands will still not be standardized.

For more on this, read  Personalized: What does it mean? by Steve Krashen.  He also posted this information Facebook.

And, now for the really terrible, horrible, no good, very bad news:  The corporate take-over of public education is  not only  in the U.S., but is really a world-wide plan to take over education.  The following is one example.

Anya Kamenetz: Pearson Is Creating a Worldwide For-Profit Educational Empire

Thank you, Steve, Diane, and Anya: You are such handy research assistants.

Our work is not done.

Do you really want to support kids in your local schools?  Please go sit with kids on a regular basis, listen to them, know them, and read to them.  You could start with: Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Today on the ranch.

I seem to remember reading some pesky memo, which said that I was to have my syllabus for my Mallorca class posted on Canvas by today.  No problem–I was making great progress, when these two little guys popped into the kitchen to warm up from our cold spring snow and rain.  There goes the syllabus…

They were shivering so badly, and we just kept rubbing and rubbing to try to warm them.  After a couple of hours, we did get each of them to take some warm milk.

We have now moved both of them to a nice, warm pile of hay in the barn.

Let the clean up begin.

I am hoping that this will be the first and the last WinkWorld I write from the dirty, smelly kitchen floor.  Back to the syllabus.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

This post is primarily for my teacher friends and colleagues in TESOL (Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages).  Mostly, I am sharing photos to capture these happy memories. A few reflective comments follow the photos.

Below is the gorgeous Chesapeake Bay.

Baltimore has a spectacular building, which honors the victims of 9/11.  The photo below is a 27th floor window with the names of the victims.

World Trade Center of Baltimore

Top of the World Museum.

Dawn is in front of the amazing skyline.  The famed National Aquarium is off to your left.

Below is just one of the photos I took of Dawn, as she was taking photos.

25 + 25 = 50, right?  When I got to the registration desk, where they were sharing 50 Year ribbons, the ribbons were all taken.  No problem.  I initially joined the professional organization in 1966, as a student.  Thank you, Dr. Ehrensberger, for encouraging me to join.

Finally, my friend and colleague, Dr. Pam Sharpe-Ostermann, and I have been meeting at TESOL for 25 years, and we have many photos of the two of us with daffodils from the various locations.  Dawn took this photo spontaneously, as Pam and I were walking down the hall.

TESOL ended noon on Saturday, and 2 hours later I walked by the gorgeous Convention Center.  We had completely been replaced by cheerleaders with lots of blue eye shadow, bright red lipstick, huge bows on the tops of their head, with lots of big hair, which did not blow in the wind. And, did I mention the sequins?

I was surprised to find that Baltimore is quite a festive place.  Across the street, Luke Bryant performed last night, and happy, happy people poured into this hotel after the concert.  I see that Rhyanna is next; followed by Earth, Wind, and Fire, and then Chicago.  In addition, the Baltimore Orioles play 3 blocks from here; fans fly in regularly for their games. At the moment, I can look down and see all of the orange caps and sweatshirts flow down the sidewalk, as they walk to the game.

One last comment: Years ago, when I was a teeny-bopper, we visited Baltimore on a hot summer day.  My one lasting memory of that day is a drive through the row houses and seeing the families sitting on the stoops in the oppressive heat.  I have never forgotten, and every time I hear of Baltimore, that image of despair, runs through my brain.  As I was riding the light rail train from the airport into the Convention Center, we went right by the same row houses.  A lot of money has obviously been spent in Baltimore–certain areas of Baltimore.

See you next year in Seattle for TESOL 2017.  Dawn is already planning a research project for us to share.

Dear WinkWord Readers,

This post is for all of my TESOL (Teachers of Speakers of Other Languages) friends and colleagues.  See you soon in Baltimore to celebrate 50 years of professional development and friendship.  Yes, I really did join TESOL 50 years ago.  However, this will be my first time ever to talk about stories from birth to death….   More information is posted at the site listed below.

Breaking Borders with Stories: Birth to Death

9:30 to 10:25 Friday, April 8, 2016

Hilton Holiday 6

Baltimore, MD

And, for those readers who still want to read about Betty Jay’s 90th birthday party, just click on WinkWorld News. Yes, it is still there.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

In this edition, I will try to capture bit of magic: The 90th birthday party for Betty Jay, who has always been like my mother, since she and her husband, Bill, moved into our house, when I was 5-years-old to take care of my brother and me.  They were there 3 + years, and those years must be significant, as all that I am I owe to her in large part.

First, you need to know that we think she still looks like Betty Boop, which triggered the theme for our party.

Betty humored us by wearing her Betty Boop t-shirt to her party.

Before the party, all 6 Bormann siblings, who had driven and flown in from various states, arrived to surprise Betty with a serenade: Major Magic.

Betty and great-grand, Kira.

Betty and family.

Driving Miss BettyBoop to her party.

We all love you, Betty, and we are looking forward to your 100th birthday party!

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

Thank you, Tammy McMorrow, for sharing, yet another classroom treasure with us.

Enjoy.

March Madness

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

As someone once said to me, “I love your daughter’s blog, but yours is all about learning.”  I wasn’t sure how to respond, but I could tell that the speaker meant no ill-will; none taken.

Dawn Wink: Dewdrops.

This time WinkWorld will be personal, and not about learning, she said with tongue firmly planted in her cheek…

I’ve always really liked my birthday, but this one was very special, as I received beautiful greetings from so many friends and family members.  In addition, it was the 10th anniversary of being a cancer survivor.  I so remember when I was hoping for one more year of life; five was beyond my dreams.  The two drugs, herceptin and arimidex, had just come off trial in March 2006, when I was diagnosed, and the doctor thought we should try.  Way to go, Dr. Zhou! I am amazed by my good health and so very thankful.

When I got on Facebook for my birthday, I started my day with a photo of this cake, which was created by a former student from Mallorca, Spain.

This cake was created by Dawn Doig who now lives in Ulaabaatar, Mongolia.  Dawn, how did you ever find turquoise food coloring in Ulaabaatar?!  Thank you from the bottom of my heart.

WinkWorld Readers, where in the world is Ulaabaatar, Mongolia?

Next, I received this photo from my brother, Jim Richardson.  Maybe I have seen this before, but I have no memory of this photo.  Thank you, Jim, for this treasured gift.

This photo really tugs at my heart, as my mother died of cancer less than a year before the picture was taken.  I look at this photo and wonder: Who did my hair?  Who washed and ironed that dress? I have no idea.

Yes, my blog is usually about “learning,” and this one is very personal.  For the first 30 years of my career, I believed the idea that we must separate the professional from the personal.  However, I started to notice that my personal life informs my professional life and visa versa.  Now, I realize that I cannot separate who I am, as a person, from who I am as a professional.  Once I realized this,  I started bringing my whole self into my teaching and learning; the last 20 years of my career in education have been far richer and deeper.

Yes, I started teaching 50 years ago. Life is crazy good.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

We, prairie people, get really excited about hummingbirds, and with all of the news of the Tucson Festival of Books, I forgot to tell you that I found a nest right outside of my room on a branch at eye level.  At first the mama hummingbird would immediately fly away, but now she is doing some serious nesting, and will let me get within a foot of her before she flits away.

Here is the nest from below.

Here are the eggs in the nest.

And, we wait….

Welcome to the World: Two baby hummingbirds.  And, the feeding has begun with a flurry.

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

The Tucson Festival of Books (TFoB) ended yesterday with 140,000 of my best friends celebrating literacy.  I arrived on the University of Arizona campus Saturday 8 a.m. and finally left reluctantly after singing and dancing to the music of José Luís Orozco 5 p.m. on Sunday. Lots of his music right here.

If you read the previous WinkWorld, you may remember that I was worrying about having to miss Jonathan Kozol.  Not to worry.

Another highlight for me was working the Teachers’ Professional Development table with a local high school girl.  I asked her if she had any fantasy books, which she could recommend as gifts for Wyatt and/or Luke.  Check our her list here, and she continued on the other side.  An avid reader, indeed.

She also told me about a unicorn on the UofA campus:  Who knew?

However, my absolute FAV photo of the TFoB is posted below.  I found these two right outside the Free Books Tent. Thanks, Stocker Foundation!

Dear WinkWorld Readers,

TFoB:  Life is just too short to ever miss this wonderful event where 10s of thousands of readers come to celebrate literacy.  Previously, I shared the 2014 Tucson Festival of Books (TFoB), when the participants numbered well over 100,000 wild and crazy readers and authors.

2014 TFoB

Tucson Festival of Books: WOW

I am excited to meet 4 new authors, when I facilitate for their panel discussion.  Each of these authors has a webpage/blog and/or presence on social media, which I share below.  In addition, I am lucky enough to get to help in the Education Building of UofA with the Professional Development for teachers.  How lucky am I?  And, think of all of my new friends.

4 New Authors/Friends Follow.

Amy Sue Norton, Women Fiction Writers

Lisa Fenton and Liz Steinke

Melissa Clark

Here is my planned schedule:

Saturday, 11:30 to 12:30, Student Union, KIVA, “Mending Webs: Adventures in Reuilding a Life”

Sunday, 10:30 to 1:30, College of Education Building, Professional Development for Teachers desk – I will be either at their table on first floor, or at their table on 3rd floor.  Teacher friends, hope you can stop by and say hello.

Stalking Scholars

My absolute fav scholar to be in attendance is Jonathan Kozol, but sadly his two presentations are at the very same time as my previously mentioned commitments.  No worries, I’ll be out stalking him on the UofA grassy mall, and he is hardly the first scholar whom I have stalked.  Last year, it was Noam Chomsky; I had great success.  However, the first time I ever stalked a scholar, it was Adelberto Guerrero during the mid-80s.

http://www.joanwink.com/store/teaching-passionately/teaching-passionately-professor-beto/