As an FYI - here is an image of the state-based Prevalence Data of ADHD Diagnosis. I am not sure where the data comes from but the map does look like the sketch in Robinson's "story". Now, as we will discuss - recognizing patterns in one thing but understanding the causation is another. I bet we could think about a large number of factors that might be considered. And what about environmental factors?
I think the blogging is working. It feels to me that it is developing, at some level, a sense of community as well as giving people a voice. I like it but...it is hard to keep track of and I am remiss to "grade" them so to speak. I mean, how do you decide this is an "A" discussion and this is a "B" discussion. So, the grading part will evolve through time - I ask you to be patient. I may have missed something you wrote - for example I don't have many blogs on the 2nd Ken Robinson video. I may have missed these so please let me know! The deadline for completing these blog reviews is Friday! I hope to look through all of them and get your first SBG grade out by then. Wish me luck. If you want to know what you are "missing" please talk to me tomorrow in class.
Kind of my closing thoughts on these two topics (and please feel free to continue any discussion) is that the educational balance is gone. There are some very powerful and loud forces out there with strong opinions about education and what kids should look like at the end of the funnel. I may be cynical here and perhaps biased but I don't think teachers have much of a voice over the process - please disagree with me! It does make some sense - teachers are busy and have little time or energy to engage in policy discussions. So the people with control and time have intervened, sometimes for the good; sometimes for the bad. But we can make a difference one kid, one classroom and one school at a time. I believe that is the way that change will occur.
Enough blabbing - gotta run and get ready for class. See you all tomorrow.
