This powerful collection from the groundbreaking Rethinking Schools magazine takes high-stakes standardized tests to task. Despite overwhelming evidence that the tests are invalid ways to measure teaching and learning -- and continuing signs of their unjust effects on students and teachers -- "reformers" and policymakers continue to force high-stakes tests into the public schools. Through articles that provide thoughtful and emotional critiques from the frontlines of education, Pencils Down deconstructs the damage that standardized tests wreak on our education system and the human beings that populate it. Better yet, it offers visionary forms of assessment that are not only more authentic, but also more democratic, fair, and accurate.

Pencils Down! has been forty-five years in the making. It is hoped that by sharing classroom experiences, the reader will be entertained, enlightened, and educated. The ideas presented are written for all educators: veteran, novice, substitute and student teachers, parents who homeschool, college and university professors, as well as for anyone who has a child in his or her care. The guide offers the fruit of my experiences, gleaned from a lifetime in the classroom. Writing this book has been a labor of love, and it is my sincere hope that all educators reading this book will find some fresh insight into the wonderful profession of teaching. Pencils Down! will take you on a journey whose itinerary begins in elementary school and spans more than four decades. I have taken that journey at the head of the class.Many an author has written a book on education without ever having stepped into a real classroom. I have stepped into many classrooms, many times, over many years, and now feel qualified to write my first book.Having successfully survived as a teacher forty-five years in the public and private sectors of both the New York and Nevada school systems prompted me to write this book, a book packed with lessons that work, school humor, enrichment activities, and sage advice ready to be used by anyone who desires to instill a love of learning in a child. You may wish to do many of the lessons with your students. Most of the text deals with activities based on beloved children's books. I have selected more than fifty children's books I most enjoyed reading and teaching my students. Although some of these books never achieved Newbery Medal award status, each book teaches something of life's lessons, and each is a gem. My first priority was selecting excellent children's books. I have selected a broad and diverse collection of children's books with the hope that by using these books daily with all elementary school children, each child can learn to love books and appreciate the extended benefits of lifelong literacy.To give you a true flavor of what is covered, a summary of each part follows. Welcome to Pencils Down!Part One: School HumorYou are reading this either because you are contemplating a career in teaching or are curious to find out whether a veteran teacher can still be sane after spending forty-five years in the classroom. Part One presents the humorous side to an otherwise serious profession. You will get a glimpse of nineteenth and early twentieth century rules for teachers and peruse a copy of the contract teachers were made to sign. Both will make you wonder why anyone would consider a career in education. You will find out what teachers make and be privy to the public's low opinion of teachers' salaries. If you survive the reality show for educators, you may continue reading the book. School anecdotal incidents, accrued from many years in the classroom, will be shared. You will learn why God created the teacher and will be introduced to the new school policy. A test designed for preschoolers will challenge you. Answers from kindergartners and first graders as to why we read and write will be sure to surprise and amuse you. Actual student test answers and parental notes are included, both good for a chuckle. The difference between an educator and a teacher will be clarified. Today's schools, vs. schools in the 50's and 60's, will make you wish you were teaching in a simpler era and make you wonder if schools are still teaching math. An Australian school's answering machine will make you smile, as will the eleven things you did not and will not learn in school. Part Two: Getting to Know You"Getting to know you, Getting to know all about you.

"Raymond Chen is the original raconteur of Windows." --Scott Hanselman, ComputerZen.com "Raymond has been at Microsoft for many years and has seen many nuances of Windows that others could only ever hope to get a glimpse of. With this book, Raymond shares his knowledge, experience, and anecdotal stories, allowing all of us to get a better understanding of the operating system that affects millions of people every day. This book has something for everyone, is a casual read, and I highly recommend it!" --Jeffrey Richter, Author/Consultant, Cofounder of Wintellect "Very interesting read. Raymond tells the inside story of why Windows is the way it is." --Eric Gunnerson, Program Manager, Microsoft Corporation "Absolutely essential reading for understanding the history of Windows, its intricacies and quirks, and why they came about." --Matt Pietrek, MSDN Magazine's Under the Hood Columnist "Raymond Chen has become something of a legend in the software industry, and in this book you'll discover why. From his high-level reminiscences on the design of the Windows Start button to his low-level discussions of GlobalAlloc that only your inner-geek could love, The Old New Thing is a captivating collection of anecdotes that will help you to truly appreciate the difficulty inherent in designing and writing quality software." --Stephen Toub, Technical Editor, MSDN Magazine Why does Windows work the way it does? Why is Shut Down on the Start menu? (And why is there a Start button, anyway?) How can I tap into the dialog loop? Why does the GetWindowText function behave so strangely? Why are registry files called "hives"? Many of Windows' quirks have perfectly logical explanations, rooted in history. Understand them, and you'll be more productive and a lot less frustrated. Raymond Chen--who's spent more than a decade on Microsoft's Windows development team--reveals the "hidden Windows" you need to know. Chen's engaging style, deep insight, and thoughtful humor have made him one of the world's premier technology bloggers. Here he brings together behind-the-scenes explanations, invaluable technical advice, and illuminating anecdotes that bring Windows to life--and help you make the most of it. A few of the things you'll find inside: What vending machines can teach you about effective user interfaces A deeper understanding of window and dialog management Why performance optimization can be so counterintuitive A peek at the underbelly of COM objects and the Visual C++ compiler Key details about backwards compatibility--what Windows does and why Windows program security holes most developers don't know about How to make your program a better Windows citizen

Readers will love having this invaluable collection to guide, inspire, support and encourage them throughout their college experience.

This the story of how a young man turned $25 into more than 200 schools around the world and the guiding steps anyone can take to lead a successful and significant life. The author began working summers at hedge funds when he was just sixteen years old, sprinting down the path to a successful Wall Street career. But while traveling he met a young boy begging on the streets of India, who after being asked what he wanted most in the world, simply answered, "A pencil." This small request led to a staggering series of events that took the author backpacking through dozens of countries before eventually leaving one of the world's most prestigious jobs at Bain & Company to found Pencils of Promise, the organization he started with just $25 that has since built more than 200 schools around the world. This book chronicles the author's journey to find his calling, as each chapter explains one clear step that every person can take to turn your biggest ambitions into reality, even if you start with as little as $25. His story takes readers behind the scenes with business moguls and village chiefs, world-famous celebrities and hometown heroes. It is filled with compelling stories and shareable insights. All proceeds from this book support Pencils of Promise.