An Orphan Blunder With Witnesses

Professor Amilca Cintron is the resource that brought to the school, which I worked at in Puerto Rico, the training of “Developing Efficient Readers and Writers” and provoked in me a chain of questions with answers being left to the side as “An orphan blunder with witnesses”.

What does a half filled cup mean to you … half full or half empty?

Do you consider a half to be something?

Have you ever climbed a hill? Did you reach half way to the top of the hill? Do you consider that the half climbed means something?

Is 50 the half of 100? Do you have something when having a half?

If zero equals nothing should gaining a half be nothing also?

Is the strategy used to measure achievements by the Department of Education of Puerto Rico a just one as exposed in Circulate Letter N. 01-2006-2007?

A= 90-100

B= 80-90

C= 70-79

D= 60-69

F= 0-59

Thanks for answering the poll below.

Law 149, the Organic Law of the Department of Public Education of Puerto Rico establishes that:

The teacher is the main resource of the educational process. It's "Prime" function is to help students discover their abilities, to perform them and to develop attitudes and ways of behavior enabling them to function as members of the community.

The Secretary, principals and school boards will accept the teacher's teaching autonomy, including freedom to: a.Make changes as it deems appropriate in order to adapt the syllabus of curses to a social-cultural profile and geographical student. b.Adopt teaching methods in their professional judgment to better arouse interest and curiosity of students under study.

Do you think that teachers are being fair using an evaluation system where children’s half work is evaluated as the above?

Why then, if knowing and understanding that “something” is not just, it does not end?

Why then are all the schools evaluating using the same system in despite of the necessities of the students?

Are the students really the objective in the Department of Education?

Is the stronger the one to survive or “the truth”?

Do we understand what “bullying” means? Are we "bullying" children at a different level?

Is education being pertinent, challenging, or molded to be significant for students?

Does quantity mean quality?

Who is perfect to judge "imperfection"? Who is normal to label “abnormal”? Who is righteous to establish "wrong"?

Have you ever been in a situation where something is an obstacle to your function? Obstacles such as: Family environment, family scholarship, physical ambiance, school surroundings, government situations, external motivation, health, social situation, political situation, non qualified personal, lack of resources, parental fellowship, etc.

Why, if obstacles that affect are determined, they are not considered?

How do you show to discover the worthy beyond the bad?

How do you make a necessary process delightful instead of painful?

Does good education necessarily end up in a good product?

Are there people in “difficult situations” that gain achievement?

Is the law of “No Child Left Behind” being applied?

Have you ever questioned the reality as having a different view?

Do you know how to show another person alternatives and give them tools to be used to resolve in real life issues?

How do you teach acceptance of “diversity” when “intolerance” is manifested?

Who determines the skills developed to be used in life and not only in school?

Do those who try or want to teach something consider the learning process as “important” found in a natural law…”that each level has steps to follow”?

Are the contributions of good educators used, and being considered in the process of learning such as: Bloom Anderson, Dr. Norman Web and Goodman, etc.?

Learning processes that involve steps such as:

1. Visual discrimination
2. Hearing discrimination
3. Oral expression
4. Motive coordination

Learning processes that involve steps such as:

1. Memorization
2. Comprehension
3. Application
4. Analysis
5. Evaluation
6. Creation

Are we going to continue “bullying” the children of the world; existing an orphan blunder with witnesses?

Are we going to treat learners as humans with processes in their achievements?

Will we remember that we learn something each day using processes, in spite of our age? Not only schools are learning centers, since learning will occur in any location; our environment, where we are, such as: barrens, forests, streets, ocean, beach, culture centers, churches, homes, public libraries, shopping malls, festivals, family activities, concerts, etc.

Will we find it fair if our evaluation indicates that our 50% of learning achievement means failure?

Aren't we supposed to give what we want for ourselves?

Is the actual evaluation system really measuring the education's purpose which is to: discover their abilities, to perform them and to develop attitudes and ways of behavior enabling them to function as members of the community?

I suggest letting the education flow its own natural way. We could be leaders searching appropriate knowledge, but first we need to follow steps and become demonstrators, not only advisors or spectators. If God gave His Son to rescue the humanity, I ought to believe in human nature’s abilities.

We need to find a fair technique and method to measure learning achievements. If we do not react we could become obstacles in children's future; some will overcome it but others will be deceived and frustrated. A real witness of an orphan blunder shares her story in the video at the end which I encourage you to watch.

Thanks to Prof. Amilca Cintron, for provoking in me a chain of questions. Thanks to Froggy213 for understanding and being a co-fighter. Thanks to HubPages for permitting me to write in their pages my concerns. Thanks to a reader that answers will not be left to the side as “an orphan blunder with witnesses” but as a blunder that could be restored with responsibilities. Thanks to God that blesses, giving wisdom to those who ask.

Blessings to all!

© Maria Magdalena Ruiz O"Farrill