TALK ON OBE NEEDED, SAYS FORD

After hearing critics condemn Outcomes Based Education as a system that just doesn't work, Doris Ford believes there is still plenty to talk about before the final verdict is in.

"I just think we need to come together and have conversations about this," said Ford, a teacher at Clippard Elementary and past president of the Missouri State Teachers Association. "There have been all kinds of labels and names used and I think that many times it just becomes confusing."

Terms like active learning, alternative assessment, high-stakes environments, performance assessment, portfolios, scaffolding and many more have been introduced as part of OBE. However, not everyone seems to understand or agree on one definition for these terms.

"This is all still very new to a lot of people," Ford said. "I really believe that the intent of OBE is to help a student achieve as much success as possible. It is someone who not only knows the basics, but also how to solve problems and think on his or her own."

Ford believes OBE has failed in states like Texas because it was too rigidly enforced and failed to accommodate the various needs and abilities of teachers and students.

"I do not have the feeling that the state board of education intends to dictate how each school district will adapt to Outcomes Based Education," Ford said. "It is law, and it will be here for some time but we're a long way away from finding a curriculum that we know will work from year to year."

Ford said OBE would not be effective if it were used the same way in every school. "What works at Clippard School might not work at some other grade school," Ford said.

"You might have a teacher who is most effective delivering a lecture and another who works better with students in groups," she said. "I think each school district should define what works best for them in order to produce a student who can become a success in the real world."

OBE has received much criticism for stressing values. "I think there are some values we could teach that are universal," Ford said. "Don't we all agree that honesty and equality are values everyone can share?"

Another criticism is that OBE would have material from one class introduced into another. An example is given in the book "Making Connections: Teaching and the Human Brain" by Renate Nummela Caine and Geoffrey Caine.

A potato is introduced to a history class. "It could become apparent that the history of the potato really is fascinating. Did students know it was the vegetable of the poor until a famine hit England and the wealthy were forced to eat it? The class could study the famine and the historical and social implications, including the relevance of prejudice and social class distinctions."

A workshop Tuesday titled "Parental Involvement" will deal with national goals, state reaction and local development for schools in global competition. The workshop will be from 5 to 7 p.m. at Cape Girardeau Central High School. College credit will be given for those who participate in the workshop from 7 to 8 p.m. A fee of $89 will be assessed to those seeking college credit for the second phase of the workshop.