Arizona State Sued for Using the Kindle (via eSchoolNews)
Because the Amazon Kindle is not easily accessible by the blind, the National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind sued Arizona State earlier this week. I may sound a little harsh, but what prohobits the sight-impaired [...]
This was the video I submitted today as part of my application for the August 5th “Google Teacher’s Academy” in Boulder, Colorado. Not sure if this will be good enough, but we’ll see. It was fun to make!
I titled it, “Lincoln in 60 Seconds.” Video submissions for the [...]
Does anyone still use Second Life? The answer, according to a recent report (which is a bit of a pain to get, but free), is a strong yes. Not only is Second Life thriving, its citizens spend more hours each week in world than those in other multi-player online [...]
Live Notes from Future of Facebook Privacy Conference Call (With Screenshots) (via InsideFacebook)
InsideFacebook has put the whole conference call on their site. This details how the new privacy options are going to work. [...]
I know I can sound like an iPod in repeat mode. I admit to an obsession about the connections between teacher effectiveness and the conditions under which teachers work. But somebody has to crank up the noise around this issue and play it again and [...]
In a recently posted TED Talk, mathematician and magician Arthur Benjamin says the K12 math curriculum is all wrong.
Instead of building a pyramid with Calculus at the top, students should be getting a good foundation in Statistics.
… I’m here to say, as a professor of mathematics, [...]
A new report shows that Florida students who use vouchers perform no better than those who don't. Should Florida continue the program?
Yes, the vouchers cost less than public school
No, the vouchers don't lead to better results
(Photo from Education Next)
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[...]Happy holiday weekend to everyone.
What should be done with the stimulus money for education? Teacher Ken
"Matches can be purchased to burn all standardized tests, ending the
absurd notion that these exams have anything to do with educating a
child and preparing him or her for life."
[...] The Pasco school district wants to give its new, state-mandated virtual school a name that makes clear it's a real school and not just some Internet portal somewhere. It received 10 suggestions — way fewer than the number it usually gets when it asks for naming recommendations — and [...]
A new report raises concerns about the achievement levels of middle school students in many Southern states and outlines steps state leaders should consider to better prepare young people for high school.
The report by the Atlanta-based Southern Regional Education Board finds [...]
Oklahoma’s "bubble" or gap between soaring NCLB test scores and flat NAEP scores has been one of the worst in the nation, but Secretary of Education Sandy Garrett just announced that scores are being recalibrated for this spring’s data. We can expect Reading scores, for instance, [...]
For Christ's sake...
This from the Herald-Leader:
Texas church choir 'uninvited' by Ky. university
WILLIAMSBURG — The Southern Baptist Convention cut ties last week with a Texas church that doesn't adhere to the denomination's stance on homosexuality, and now the church's youth choir has been told it is no longer welcome to' [...]
As the drumbeat for evaluating educators' performance based on student outcomes grows louder (L.A. Times), two Florida school districts have already gone there this week.
Orange has removed 38 teachers from low-performing schools, saying their students didn't see enough gains on this year's FCAT exam. They'll still have jobs, but' [...]
Kudos to students and educators from Howe, Oklahoma for being featured this week on “George Washington Wired” for their live broadcast last Saturday from Mount Vernon!
(Mobile blogged with Wordpress for iPhone in line for tickets at the Washington Monument.)
[...]
I know, it's a holiday. But I don't know what else to do with myself.
Mayor says Detroit should be outraged over school shooting DetroitNews.com
Mayor Dave Bing on Thursday enlisted federal authorities and
everyday citizens in a community fight against youth violence like
Tuesday's bus stop rampage that wounded seven near Cody' [...]
The comments to the iSchool video I posted give some insight into some of the challenges involved in implementing one to one technology of any kind:
Chelsea asks, “Won’t students tune out if we use iPod Touches in the classroom?”
I say…The distraction argument has been made in [...]
Baines v Jefferson County Board of Education and Sheldon Berman.
This OpEd by Rick Bozich in C-J:
Partnership for 21st Century Skills has come out with science and geography road maps that show how to integrate “new” skills into old subjects. Last year’s maps covered English Language Arts and social studies. Math is in the works.
The science and geography maps provide educators with teacher-created models of how [...]
Edweek reporter Mary Ann Zehr attended and filed this report:
Authors Share Tips on How to Hook Boys on Books
By Mary Ann Zehr
Winchester, Va.
Boys like to read books about trucks, boys who get into trouble, sports, animals, and war. More than girls, they lean toward nonfiction. And don’t [...]
