[English] RateMyTeachers.com

[Kathy Skidmore]

My school is currently doing something similar, but internally. You'd
probably find 100 different attitudes towards it amongst the 100 staff. Some
people find it threatening, some welcome it, some dismiss it out of hand.
Most kids are honest, some responses have to be disregarded. I think the
jury's still out on the long-term value of the programme, though the
short-term outcomes have been interesting.
The main issue as I see it is the quality and relevance of the items on the
survey itself. The wording is extremely important e.g. What kids see as
"fun" or "relevant" can differ greatly from teacher perceptions. Also, what
is it we want or need as feedback?? What are the students' goals in
providing feedback??
It has certainly provided a robust discussion topic.


On 15/6/06 3:02 AM, "stephen at melbpc.org.au" <stephen at melbpc.org.au> wrote:

> Hmm .. what do people think?
> 
> --
> Friday June 02, 2006 10:16 am
> 
> "RateMyTeachers.com, North America‚s most popular education website,
> launches in Australia and New Zealand today."
> 
> http://au.ratemyteachers.com/
> 
> "RateMyTeachers.com has established itself in classrooms across North
> America as a useful resource for students, teachers, and parents alike.
> 
> Today marks the official launch of RateMyTeachers in the Australia and
> New Zealand. The site is an innovative idea, allowing students to share
> opinions and grade their teachers.
> 
> RateMyTeachers.com currently boasts 9.3 million teacher ratings, over 1.2
> million teachers, and is currently in use at more than 51,000 middle
> schools and high schools across the United States and Canada. The site
> has been in operation since August 2001 and has quickly spread across
> North America through word of mouth. Each year, more than three million
> students log in to RateMyTeachers to grade and review their teachers.
> 
> Joel Gordon, an English teacher at Amsterdam High School, New York
> believes RateMyTeachers "enfranchises our kids, gives voice to their long-
> stifled expressions in a subject area in which they have loads of
> experience and are eminently qualified to speak. These statistics are
> timely, relevant and 99% honest.‰
> 
> With the assistance of over 5000 student administrators, RateMyTeachers
> reviews every teacher rating before it is posted to the website. Any
> malicious or vulgar postings are removed. If a teacher is at odds with
> any rating, that person can easily flag the rating and comment for a
> second review. The majority of ratings are positive, with students
> celebrating their teachers.
> 
> Site co-founder Michael Hussey explains the goal of the site. "Students
> have a keen interest in rating their teachers‚ performance in the
> classroom. The growth of the site in the US and Canada is a testament to
> students desires to take an active role in improving the quality of their
> education. We are encouraging students to really own their educations; to
> demand the best of themselves and their educators."
> 
> 
> Websites: 
> http://au.ratemyteachers.com
> http://ratemyteachers.co.nz
> © 2006 RateMyTeachers.com"
> --
> 
> Ta Cameron ..
> Stephen Loosley
> Victoria, Australia
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