Molding Student Brains in the Tech Era
Naveen Jain argues that in today's constantly changing world, students' knowledge of content is not as important as their ability to learn.
Wikipedia Is Not a Real Source—Or Is It?
An ed-tech consultant makes the case for allowing kids to use Wikipedia for classroom assignments.
Kids Today ...
A 6th grader in Marion, Ohio, held his teacher hostage in her classroom yesterday by threatening her with a pencil and barricading the door with desks and chairs.
Teachers Strike Tough on Parents
Frustrated about class cancellations that could last up to six more weeks, some parents in Bethel Park, Pa., dressed up like "teachers on strike" for Halloween.
Job Safety vs. Student Safety
It's dark outside and a student has stayed late to help you. Should you give her a ride home? One blogger says it's a "no-brainer."
Putting School Board Members in the Classroom
An unsigned editorial in the The Ledger of Polk County, Fla., argues that school board members should be required to substitute teach at least three days a month as part of their official duties: This would give them a real working knowledge of what Polk County teachers are asked to do each day. They would know the caliber of students who share a classroom, they would learn that parent communication is often nonexistent, and they would know the horrors of trying to cram every lesson required into a short day, all the while listening to overhead all-calls telling you what ...
Teachers Helping Teachers: Now's the Time
Here's an interesting twist: Teacher-author Roxanna Elden offers advice to veteran teachers on what not to say to new teachers who come to them looking for help. The general themes, in my reading, are to be specific and to avoid sounding condescending. Elden also notes that this time of year, when the realities of the work and the pressure are setting in, is often one of the most difficult for new teachers. In that connection, Happy Chyk (for one) is concerned signs of strain she has noticed among her colleagues—especially after hearing about the suicide of a teacher in her...
How Teaching to the Test Could Be a Good Thing
Maybe teaching to the test wouldn't be so bad if schools had better tests.
What Teachers Can't Control
Diane Ravitch argues that "value-added" ratings of teachers based on test scores badly underestimate the impact of out-of-school factors on students' performance from year to year.
Rhee Heads for the Door—Though Not Quietly
Today is Michelle Rhee's last day as school chancellor in D.C., and Bill Turque at the Washington Post says Rhee took the opportunity to issue a final warning to the city's teachers.
The Misrepresentation of Science
The scientific method portrays science as a clean, linear process, when in reality it's a creative and social endeavor, says one blogger.
'Where Is Your Test Data?'
Here's pretty scary vision of a school collaborative planning meeting. (I really hope that the transcript is made up and not adapted from an actual meeting. ... ) (HT: The Answer Sheet.)...
The Real Lives of Immigrant Students
Just in case you weren't aware: Our Teacher book club discussion of Just Like Us: The True Story of Four Mexican Girls Coming of Age in America by Helen Thorpe is going on all this week. I'm biased, of course, but it's a pretty powerful discussion so far—one that really takes you up close to the challenges that immigrant students (and their teachers) face. Here are some short, selected quotes I've pulled from the conversation so far—just to give you a taste: •Author Helen Thorpe: "Unlike other readers, teachers typically understand that the two students who lack legal...
Will Students Remember How to Read Books?
Ariel Sacks ponders the connection between memory and reading comprehension, and wonders how our increasing reliance on digital technology will affect it: There are so many things I don't have to remember, because they're readily available on the internet, through my phone or computer, that I wonder how it's affecting my memory use in general... and what about my students' memory use? How do the changes in the way we are using memory affect the new generation with their reading process? If we can identify these changes, how can we address these shifting needs in our teaching?...
Black Males: Disenfranchised at School
Young adult African-American males interviewed by the St. Petersburg Times reveal some common themes about their school days: They recall feeling disenfranchised, trapped in stereotyped roles, and lacking in meaningful connections with their teachers and other adults. "I feel like I intimidate most of them," one current high school senior says of his teachers. "They expect us to fill a seat, that's all." (HT: Education Equality Project, via Twitter.)...
Teacher Runs 50 Miles for Supplies
A special education teacher is running 50 miles across the state of Florida today to raise money for basic school supplies.
Obama Speaks Out on Bullying of Gay Students
The president takes a moment to reach out to gay students who have been bullied: "You didn't do anything to deserve to being bullied. And there's a whole world waiting for you filled with possibilities." Watch:...
In 'Superman's' Shadow
A Pittsburgh high school that is singled out for criticism in the film "Waiting for Superman" is working to salvage its reputation.
The Risks of 'Friending'
NYC Educator says that it's not even close to worth the risk for teachers to friend their students on Facebook: I don't friend students on Facebook, and I'd advise you not to do so either. Simply having done that could potentially bolster a false claim against you. Now that there's no rubber room, I suppose they send you to file papers somewhere. But in the case of a sexual accusation, you could be sitting home without pay or health insurance. To me, it's not worth the risk. Also, I don't really want to know what my students do on Facebook. ...
Field Trip to the Polls
A Cincinnati public school took three vanloads of voting-age students to the polls during school hours and gave them sample ballots--which only showed Democratic candidates.
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