On a cracked gMail account

We're really not sure how it happened or what triggered it, all I know is that my wife's gMail got cracked and the ISP address notes the location of the "doings" somewhere in Nigeria.

Yes, it's cliche: an email asking for money scheme.

Somewhere around 3:30 am, someone (or something) scrapped her account, took her contacts and started sending everyone who has ever had contact with Lori the following email:

Hey,

This had to come in a hurry and it has left me in a devastating state.

I'm in some terrible situation and I'm really going to need your

urgent help. Some days ago,unannounced,I came to visit a resort center

in South Glamorgan England, UK..but I got mugged by some hoodlums and

lost all my cash,credit cards, I'm financially stranded right now and

my return flight leaves in few hours time but I need some money to

clear some bills, I didn't bring my cell phone along since I didn't

get to roam them before coming over. So all I can do now is pay cash

and get out of here quickly.I do not want to make a scene of this

which is why I did not call my house,this is embarrassing enough.I was

wondering if you could loan me some cash, I'll refund it to you as

soon as I arrive home just need to clear my Hotel bills and get the

next plane home, As soon as I get home I'll refund it immediately.

Write me so I can let you know how to send it.

The first email went out around 6:30am and by the end of the day, we got emails and phone calls from nice folk who just wanted to make sure.

We reported the incident to Google when we were unable to access the account (probably triggered by the number of spam emails sent out). Google was incredibly quick about responding to the issue after we completed the process of verifying the hijacking.

In the end, I was surprised at the email and what the cracker would gain from this little email scam. No links to follow, no nothing.

Then I noticed why: when I sent an email to her account, nothing appeared. In fact, no emails since the attack were in her InBox. And then I stumbled on this:

They set up another account and had all emails forwarded to that other email account. Just sitting in the shadows, waiting for "I'll help you out" emails to come through. Pretty sneaky, really.

What we learned:

• Change your passwords every once in awhile
• If your account gets hijacked, be sure to check all the settings to make sure your emails aren't being forwarded.
• Be thankful for nice people in your contact list who can be forgiving.

Flagging 21st Century Skills: As long as the news comes from people with titles

Perhaps we shouldn't even file this under the "made common sense awhile ago" category, but Education Week is reporting the following about the 21st Century Skills movement:

The phrase “21st-century skills” is everywhere in education policy discussions these days, from faculty lounges to the highest echelons of the U.S. education system.

Broadly speaking, it refers to a push for schools to teach ­­­critical-thinking, analytical, and technology skills, in addition to the “soft skills” of creativity, collaboration, and communication that some experts argue will be in high demand as the world increasingly shifts to a global, entrepreneurial, and service-based workplace.
But now a group of researchers, historians, and policymakers from across the political spectrum are raising a red flag about the agenda as embodied by the Tucson, Ariz.-based Partnership for 21st Century Skills, or P21, the leading advocacy...

Let me be clear: It's not about who is right or wrong and I'm not planning on standing on the moral high road because I've posted about this before. Instead, it reminds me of how education in the US works: spend money on going to conferences so that people who are not practicing classroom teachers can tell you that things look horrible and you have to do X now to save our schools. Lots of numbers and charts are flogged against the pathetic picture of the US educational system and it's high time to find some type of a messiah or Moses to lead us to the promised land or heaven or economic stability.

Those same conference attendees (who are in a place of authority according to the pay scale and the hierarchy) go back to their schools and start to spread the same message to the teachers in the name of being a team player. When the community asks what is being done about test scores (and mind you, it seems to be the numbers folk focus on...perhaps the fault of our press or our lack of involving our community into the real conversation of education individuals), there are solutions that involve time and money. And, in 3-5 years, another road-show rainmaker comes to town and a new presentation by a non-practicing classroom teacher and we cycle through the entire process in the hopes that "this time, things will be different."

You may not like this, but if a school really wants the standard-based movement with it's reliance on progress by numbers to work, cut out the middleperson (the teacher) and buy a lot of computers and hire a consultant and then you will have the numbers to prove that a student has mastered the material. Save a lot of money and possibly, promote the capitalistic spirit during these hard times. Students could graduate earlier and finally we'd have proof of how effective a standardized-based education can be.

If you are asking me, a classroom teacher, if I think all of this is the best thing for students, then after being a bit shocked that you've asked the person who spends most of their days with students and not with developing talks to give to lots of people for a large sum of money (oh, sorry, that's paying your for your expert knowledge), I'd probably say the following.

Probably not.

Probably not because there's more to an education to "mastering" standards and besides, to get a question correct on a multilple-choice assessment is not the most effective way to measure "mastery." In fact, the system as a whole is flawed and the one, large-scale example of this (the "Houston Miracle") was a numbers game. Remember: It didn't work as we were told and I am still amazed that many people (probably not practicing classroom teachers) still think that it is the way to go.

Which brings me back to the 21st Century Skills thing: it's business folks telling education how to do its task (because, yes I have to say it, US businesses are such models of excellence, aren't they?). Why are people who are reporting on education surprised when someone says that maybe the latest rainmaker, 21st Century Skills (with it's many-colored rainbow charts), may actually not be the answer. And maybe that's the real issue here: maybe in addressing education in the US, maybe it's not about finding "the answer."