Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories Homeless feeding questioned Disc golf course coming to Cave Junction park Human remains found in burning trailer Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt Cecil, Stricker to face off again in mayor's race Crime, Courts and Emergency Services Fallen White City firefighter to be honored at national service Barn fire may have been human-caused Emergency services Inmates to get mental health, addiction treatment Missing Medford man found safe in Sweet Home Politics and Elections Cecil, Stricker to face off again in mayor's race Commissioner candidates Talbert, Roberts duel for endorsements Falls: Jackson County sheriff's race isn't over Former sheriff calls Winters' retirement decision 'very wise' Will 'GMO effect' shape election? Education EP school district launches new app Striving to make the grade Fresh produce goes home with Jackson Elementary families State mandates eye exams for kids 7 and younger Eagle Point School District goes silent on gun issue Environment Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt Josephine County ballot measure would ban commercial and government pesticide use Low water exposes Emigrant Lake's past Wagner Creek work would restore streambank Deer-killing disease won't taint meat for hunters State news Nation - World Obituaries Calvin Schaefer Norma Mae Prilliman Elizabeth Anne Jones Jesse Jay Gilchrist Lorraine Antcha Weather Photo Galleries Since You Asked Videos Web Cams Mail Tribune 100 Sports Latest Stories South rebounds with rout of Roseburg Ashland drops MWL boys match to Churchill Hay rallies Pirates past Henley Gadget play gives Grizz win over Comets GP dashes North’s hopes Varsity 541 College Sports Stanford cruises past Washington State High stakes for No. 12 Oregon, No. 18 UCLA Raider men win handily Raiders shut out Eastern Oregon Georgia star Gurley suspended for alleged violation Pro Sports Gordon-led Royals beat Orioles 8-6 in ALCS Donovan hits post in US swan song Birdie binge puts Laird in front at Frys.com Giants-Cards: Here we go again in NLCS Colts hold on for 33-28 win over Texans Community Sports Business Latest Stories Ranchers offer livestock exchange Lithia buys Clovis dealership Blog: When Life Gives You Lemons... Medford airport has busiest September ever County hopes to spur renewable energy Real Estate News Lithia buys Clovis dealership Rental vacancies increase Jackson County real estate sales, prices continue rebound Pallet Wine Co. expands in downtown Medford Medford's Pixel Productions moves to new quarters People In Business Transportation Lithia buys Clovis dealership Agriculture Ranchers offer livestock exchange 1-800-Flowers CEO: Labor shortage an issue for Harry & David Pallet Wine Co. expands in downtown Medford Opinion Latest Election Letters, Oct.11 Another View: Congress must act on firefighting budget Letters to the Editor, Oct. 10 Matthew T. Mangino: Trials, pleas and the burden of proof: A search for justice Our View: Talbert is the right choice for commissioner Editorials Another View: Congress must act on firefighting budget Our View: Talbert is the right choice for commissioner Our View: Cheers and Jeers Our View: Measure 86 would allow a prudent investment Our View: Top-two primary would empower more voters Letters to the Editor Election Letters, Oct.11 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 10 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 9 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 8 Letters to the Editor, Oct. 7 Guest Opinions Mt. Ashland is responding to community concerns Siskiyou Plus Spring Bear Hunt: What lies beneath? Guest Opinion: Who's to blame for 2014 wildfires? Guest Opinion: Measure 91 will snuff out local tax measures Is Ashland taking over Jackson County elections? Lifestyle Latest stories Nibbling away at the Earth Community blog: Listen Like You Mean it! Community blog: Listen Like You Mean it! Name that wolf Community blog: Battered, fried bhaji bring street food to the table Food Community blog: Battered, fried bhaji bring street food to the table Community blog: Kicking it off, a game, a season, or a pint (How about all the above?) Apples and pears make great autumn duo Community blog: Cardamom makes proverbial pairing with pears New owners bring new philosophy at 2Hawk Home and Garden How to create a fashionable painted floor cloth Dear Monty: 7 prepping tips for home showings Harvest your frost-tender tomatoes for storage Fall is a good time to plant certain perennials Start now for a bowl of winter sunshine Health Community blog: Listen Like You Mean it! Community blog: Listen Like You Mean it! Dr. Murray Feingold: Take precautions to prevent home accidents Health Watch: Make TV time workout time Community blog: Do We Need Steps For Health? Hiking Biking Faith Religion Briefs Religion Briefs Religion briefs First Church of Nazarene plans cleanup Religion briefs Milestones and Achievements New Arrivals Still stifling laughter 40 years after 'Young Frankenstein' New Arrivals Wedding New Arrivals Columnist for a Day Rogue Healthy Aging Tempo Latest stories Agave offers tasty tacos Call for musicians Works in progress A stylish take on baroque Southern Oregon Music Festival returns to downtown Medford Theater Randall Theatre presents 'Blithe Spirit' A tribute to a great lyricist 'Mrs. Mannerly' is a matter of manners There's no accounting for poor manners Friends of Jim Giancarlo remember Ashland theater icon Music Benefit for Nita Day at The Wild Goose Cafe in Ashland Call for musicians A stylish take on baroque Southern Oregon Music Festival returns to downtown Medford Rogue Valley Symphony season debut combines virtuosity, emotion Community Events Works in progress Southern Oregon Pride Festival celebrates diversity Greater Medford Multicultural Fair Volunteers needed for Downtown Art + Sound Medford's Third Fridays Dining Agave offers tasty tacos Asian cuisine for all seasons at Misoya Bistro Spoons 'Get Giddy' at Porters Jacksonville's Thai House is everything good Thai should be Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries Blogs TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW Human remains found in burning trailer ... Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt ... Fallen White City firefighter to be honored at national service ... Human remains found in burning trailer ... Fear of orphaned cubs nixes new spring bear hunt ... Fallen White City firefighter to be honored at national service ... Common Core databases raise privacy concerns Suddenly, all-encompassing databases and access to them are becoming causes for concern. The latest incident is eBay giving notice that its data system has been breached by hackers. Or Cover Oregon self-destructing. By Betty R. Kazmin MailTribune.com By Betty R. Kazmin Posted Jun. 1, 2014 @ 2:00 am By Betty R. Kazmin Posted Jun. 1, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Social News Suddenly, all-encompassing databases and access to them are becoming causes for concern. The latest incident is eBay giving notice that its data system has been breached by hackers. Or Cover Oregon self-destructing. Now the U.S. Department of Education is embarking on the creation of databases that will store every aspect of our children's lives, from the time they enter kindergarten until they complete their education at the high school, college or graduate-school level. The Common Core State Standards, adopted by 45 states including Oregon, are well-intended. Their purpose is to insure that classrooms nationwide are meeting rigorous academic standards. To measure their Common Core success, students will take computerized statewide tests. The test results will be stored in databases, along with students' grades, attendance, disciplinary issues, socioeconomic status and other factors the government deems relevant. This data on our children will be stored permanently. It may also be shared with a simple key stroke. "Safeguard Use of Student Data, White House Report Urges" is an eye-catching headline in the May 14 issue of Education Week. As the Common Core facilitates the creation of databases covering all aspects of our children's lives, there is growing awareness of how easily that information can be misused. The White House report, released on May 1, calls for guarantees that data collected on schoolchildren be used solely for education purposes. "Schools and districts ... must retain 'direct control' over that information," the report says. It continues, "the federal government must insure educational data linked to individual students gathered in school (are) used for educational purposes, and protect students against their data being shared or used inappropriately." It also notes that technological innovations can now provide students and teachers with real-time feedback, which "promises to transform education by personalizing learning." What a great idea. If only I could have personalized algebra lessons for my nearly 200 math students each day. Do any of our political leaders or government agencies understand how real classrooms function? Do they not notice how often databases are breached, data-entry errors occur, or the potential damage done? I see the creation of massive databases as a double whammy danger to our children and to their teachers. Another recent headline (Education Week, April 16 issue) sums up one danger. "Ed-Tech Vendors' Privacy Policies Under Scrutiny." The article reports on growing public awareness of "the ways technology vendors handle children's educational information" and the danger that poses to students' privacy. It names several "prominent ed-tech" players, saying "each already has access to the information of tens of thousands of U.S. schoolchildren." The article says Education Week's own research raises serious questions about "the use of tracking and surveillance technologies ... (and) ... the collection, use and sharing of massive amounts of student 'metadata.' " It is not school districts or school personnel creating and managing these massive databases; it is for-profit educational technology companies. Once they possess student "metadata," there is little regulation on how they can use it. That use connects to the second danger I foresee. The concept of personalizing learning is based on educators having access to relevant data on all their students. During the decade when I taught nearly 200 math students daily in the Los Angeles Unified School District, would I have been expected to study each student's relevant data each semester? Or each week? When in my busy school week, which included hours of work at home, would I have done that? Schools have traditionally met the individual needs of students by grouping them according to their interest, aptitude and success in various subjects. My typical teaching schedule included regular pre-algebra and algebra 1 plus honors pre-algebra and honors algebra 1. Students took algebra 1 as seventh-, eighth- or ninth-graders, depending on their readiness. Do policymakers believe today's teachers can create dozens of different lessons daily for each class of 35, after first studying 180 or more students' stored data? An insert of 37 pages in the April 23 issue of Education Week is headed "Vision Meets Reality — The Common Core in Action." It gives advertising for new relevant products equal space with actual reporting. A great amount of scarce resources will be devoted to Common Core even as it becomes more controversial, like so many other education experiments. But Common Core creates a new challenge. Who will safeguard the ever-growing, massive student databases and protect our children's privacy? Betty R. Kazmin of Medford taught algebra for 20 years in Los Angeles public and private secondary schools, and served on the board of education in Willard, Ohio. By Betty R. Kazmin MailTribune.com By Betty R. Kazmin Posted Jun. 1, 2014 @ 2:00 am » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501