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Saturday, December 17, 2011

The Innovative Educator: Could The Key to Teacher Effectiveness Mean Dropping Certification Requirements?

The Innovative Educator: Could The Key to Teacher Effectiveness Mean Dropping Certification Requirements?:


Could The Key to Teacher Effectiveness Mean Dropping Certification Requirements?


Teachers Matter: Rethinking How Public Schools Identify, Reward, and Retain Great EducatorsMarcus A. Winters explained that there is no correlation between certification and teacher effectiveness at a recent Manhattan Institute for Policy Research event held to announce the publication of his new book, “Teachers Matter.” Winters went on to propose the idea of  removing the barriers to becoming a teacher, suggesting that since there is no correlation between certification and teacher effectiveness, anyone with a college degree should be given the opportunity to teach if they are able to find someone to hire them. The fact is that many of us who went through teacher preparation and certification programs know they were not very helpful when it comes to the realities of the classroom. It is no surprise then that such certification has little impact on student success.

I think Winter’s idea deserves some attention, particularly in the case of secondary studies, but I wonder why he




What's Popular This Week on The Innovative Educator?

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 hour ago
Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see my top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews in the past 7 days. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you. If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired, share and/or leave a comment. 10 Reasons Cell Phones Should Be Allowed In School... Aug 24, 2010, 19 comments *1783* Pageviews Cure ADHD without Drugs with These Resources from ... Feb 5, 2011, 22 comments *1719* Pageviews Teachers Union Advice Protects Teachers Rather Than... Dec 11, ... more »

10 Talking Points to Lift the Ban on Cell Phones

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 hour ago
If you want to begin the process necessary to lift bans on cell in your school or district, create responsible use agreements, and change school policy these talking points will help. These are the talking points you'll need to be prepared whether you are talking with (or happen to be) your building principal, classroom teacher, district administration, school board, policy review committee, or any combination of these. Ten Talking Points to Lift The Ban and Begin Using Cell Phones for Learning 1. Harness the power of the tools already in student's pockets - The ubiqu... more »

What's Popular This Week on The Innovative Educator

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 hour ago
Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see my top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews in the past 7 days. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you. If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired, leave a comment. 15 Key Facts about Homeschool Kids in College Dec 2, 2011, 18 comments 2,320 Pageviews 10 Reasons Cell Phones Should Be Allowed In School... Aug 24, 2010, 18 comments 1891 Pageviews The history of the cell phones for learning movement... Dec 4, 2011 ... more »

Facebook Timeline: The 21st Century Resume - Available Now!

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 hour ago
Educators who are up to the task of preparing our students with the essential tools for success today will want to know that starting now, Facebook Timeline is available to all, so if you haven't gotten it, now's the time to get it. Timeline provides an easy way to rediscover the things you shared, and collect all your best moments in a single place. It is a tremendous resource for any school admission counselor or human resource executive interested in seeing if a candidate is a good match. It's the job of today's innovative educator to ensure their students know how to create an... more »

To Tweet or Not to Tweet?

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 hour ago
Know someone who is questioning if Twitter is worth their time? Show them this video which highlights why Twitter is a powerful tool that should be given consideration. It also addresses the importance of regulating your social media diet. The video features powerful conversations that happen on Twitter like those in #edchat. It also questions learner's use of Twitter and if students are tweeting about subjects. (by the way, they are tweeting about AP courses) It shares some good ideas about using Twitter with students (Find additional ways to do that here). The video goes o... more »

Teachers Union Advice Protects Teachers Rather Than Prepares Students to Use Real World Tools

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 hour ago
In a recent story on NPR, New Jersey teachers union spokesman Steve Wollmer became the latest to completely miss the point and give bonehead advice suggesting a variety of policies for teachers to follow when using social media. His advice: "Don't ever friend or follow your students on Facebook or Twitter, never post during work hours or use work materials such as a school computer, and certainly never post anything about your job online, especially about students," Wollmer says. "I think that's where some of these teachers have found themselves in difficult situations." Ignor... more »

Find Great EdTech Blogs and Vote for Your Fav Edublog Awards Nominee!

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 week ago
It's time for the annual Edublog awards! This is a great way to find blogs for those interested in educational technology. You can vote for the nominees in this category at this link. Here are the nominees in alphabetical order. - 140+: In the Moment - Anseo - ArturoGoga - Ask A Tech Teacher - CanadianTechEd - Cindy L. Meester's Blog - Cool Cat Teacher Blog - CristinaSkyBox - Ed Tech Ideas - edSurge - EdTech in High School - Edudemic - eLearning Blog Dont Waste Your Time - Electric Educator - Free Technology for Teachers ... more »

Live Thursday: An "Out of the Box" Conversation on Education with Me and Steve Hargadon

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 week ago
Join me today, Thursday, December 8th, for a live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar as Steve Hargadon and I discuss a variety of "out of the box" topics, including using cell phones to enhance learning, child-centered and customized learning, the changing role of teachers, "hacking" education, learning without teachers or grade levels, schooling that hurts children, opting out of school, home education, and more! DETAILS Date: Thursday, December 8th, 2011 Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern / 12am (next day) GMT (international times here) Duration: 1 hour Location: In... more »

Prepare Students for Success in the World with a 1-Page Proposal

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 week ago
Although school should prepare students for success in today’s careers, in many classrooms students are being prepared for yesterday’s job search. If they’re lucky, their school may take a break from test-prep and help students create a paper-based, one dimensional resume, but for many jobs that is an outdated form of displaying accomplishments and does nothing to set students apart from the rest as I wrote about in the story of this frustrated and jobless college grad. Armond McFadden is another student anxious to find work that taps into his talent for photography, videography, ... more »

SCHOOL ON A SWINGSET (Instead of a classroom)

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 week ago
*Guest post by Sara-Elizabeth Cottrell* *Editor's note: This is another article in my effort to dispel myths about learning and showcase ways people are thriving and learning without being "schooled." The purpose being that educators discover alternative ways to foster learning that may be more effective for some children.* Distracted and bored Twenty-one years ago, my parents were faced with a dilemma about where to send my brother and me to school. The small private school we attended didn’t offer middle school, and the public schools in our rural Georgia county were at the bot... more »

FREE Teaching Generation Text Webinar Today!

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 week ago
To register for this webinar for FREE, Either go to SimpleK12 where you can register for any webinar, or use this direct attendee registration link, which is only good for our webinar: https://www2.gotomeeting.com/register/975369746

The history of the cell phones for learning movement

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 week ago
Are you going to follow the pack or be an education pioneer? When it comes to using cell phones for learning, if you're not on board yet you'll be left in the dust. Here's a timeline that outlines how schools have gone from banning to embracing these powerful learning tools. WhenWhat Early 1990sSchools banned all electronic devices, (pagers, beepers, cell phones) which tended to be associated with drug dealing or gangs. Late 1990sCell phones became commonplace, smaller, and cheaper. Text messaging became popular, especially with teens. 1999 - 2002After the Columbine High School... more »

What's Popular This Week on The Innovative Educator.

noreply@blogger.com (The Innovative Educator) at The Innovative Educator - 1 week ago
Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see my top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews in the past 7 days. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you. If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired, leave a comment. 5 Ways to Use Cell Phones To Combat Bullying Nov 27, 2011 *2,110* Pageviews 20 Reasons Why Standardized Testing Is Crap Nov 29, 2011 *1741* Pageviews 5 Things Students Want Teachers to Know abt Online Learning... Nov 15, 2011, 5 comments *1593* Pageviews 20 Ways to Get... more »