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Well, as a library media specialist and foreign language teacher, I'm a little miffed! I tried to subscribe to your mailing list and discovered that only teachers of English, math, science, computer are expected to subscribe. There is no option for the rest of us! I selected technology since I am very involved in that area. Please don't forget - or let the public forget - that there ARE other important areas in the curriculum which are not (yet?) included in the SOLs.
Dear Ms. Gibson,
As a director of instruction, my interest is in all areas of our standards; therefore, I share Ms. Gibson's concern. Thank you for your attention to continuous improvement; it is a model that will serve us all well.
By Silvia J. Fernandez on Feb 14, 1999.
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By Wendy Gibson on Thursday, January 14, 1999 - 01:25 pm:
By Roxane Gilmore on Friday, January 15, 1999 - 01:53 pm:
Thank you for using the website. I am sorry that you are "a little miffed" because foreign language and media specialists are not included in the SOL's. The SOL's were in place before I began work on this project, so I had no contol over what was or was not included. As a teacher of foreign language, I can assure you that I did not intend to slight foreign language or any other areas in the creation of this website. Because I designed this site with the help of volunteered or donated resources and services, I had to limit the initial scope of the project. The intention is to expand the site to include other areas whether they are covered by the SOL's or not. But we had to begin somewhere and the SOL's provided a good starting point.
Your point is well taken that we need more options for signing up for the mailing list, and we will address that and try to include at least an "others" box for those who do not fall into one of the SOL content areas. We do not want anyone to feel slighted or unwelcomed, and we want everyone to use the entire site.
Let us know if you have any other suggestions. We have received and incorporated other suggestions from individuals who have used the site. Since I want this site to be as useful as possible, I am willing to listen to how the users think the site can be improved. While all of the changes suggested can't be implemented, we will look at and consider all of them. Perhaps you would like to volunteer to help design and expand the site into other areas, or create a site yourself that addresses other non-SOL topics.
By Betty Lambdin on Tuesday, January 19, 1999 - 10:04 am:
By Silvia J. Fernandez on Sunday, February 14, 1999 - 09:29 am:
As a lower school teacher and curriculum developer in foreign languages, I agree with Ms. Gibson. I also understand Ms. Gilmore's point, but expected a more realistic answer. Academic areas that are still not considered 'core' areas will not have a chance if support does not start from the top FIRST. I have talked to many teachers from the Hampton Roads and Washington, D.C. areas, and I have found out that, the schools that are making a difference in these 'other' areas, are those with total support from the administration and community. It would help us all if people in charge of creating forums, programs, web sites, etc., underscore what an integral part each component is to make the whole. After all, students' readiness for a competitive, global world depends on the motivation they receive from each of their teachers.
The reality for many of us, especially in the elementary 'non-core' areas, is the lack of available resources. Our time is consumed in providing the program resources that are not readily available. This is a monumental effort that leaves little time to support outside efforts. In my opinion, the suggestion to volunteer to create a web site is simplistic and does not address the whole issue. Thank you for providing this forum.
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