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More education jargon and what it really means
Here are 10 education terms with definitions that tell you what they really mean to people who use them in our national education conversation. Yesterday I published the first installment of education jargon, written by Joanne Yatvin, a veteran public school educator, author and past president of the National Council of Teachers of English. She is now teaching part-time at Portland State University. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
U-Va. star professor: Why I won’t ‘un-resign’
Computer scientist William Wulf was a star professor at the University of Virginia until he recently resigned to protest the forced resignation of popular President Teresa Sullivan by leaders of the governing board. Sullivan was reinstated earlier this month after a revolt on campus, but Wulf has refused to reconsider his decision, despite pleas by faculty and administrators, including Sullivan herself. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Education jargon: What ‘no excuses’ and other terms really mean
This* was written by Joanne Yatvin, a veteran public school educator, author and past president of the National Council of Teachers of English. She is now teaching part-time at Portland State University*. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Khan Academy: Readers weigh in
Recent posts on the Khan Academy — including an e-mail I posted from founder Sal Khan — sparked a lot of interest and reaction from readers. The Khan Academy is essentially an on-line library of more than 3,300 videos on subjects including math, physics, and history that are designed to allow students to learn at their own pace and for teachers to use as instructional tools. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Sal Khan responds to a critic — and the critic answers back
A guest post I recently published critiquing the Khan Academy received a great deal of response, including an e-mail from Salman Khan, founder of the academy. Now here’s the next part of the debate: A response from the critic. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
How do you identify ‘irreplaceable’ teachers?
This* was written by Matthew Di Carlo, senior fellow at the non-profit Albert Shanker Institute, located in Washington, D.C. This post originally appeared on the institute’s blog. * By Matthew Di Carlo The New Teacher Project (TNTP) has a new, highly publicized report about what it calls “irreplaceables,” a catchy term that is supposed to describe those teachers who are “so successful they are nearly impossible to replace.” The report’s primary conclusion is that these “irreplaceable” teachers often leave the profession voluntarily, and TNTP offers several recommendations for ho... more »
College admissions season begins with launch of 2012-13 Common Application
Rising high school seniors who want to get a jump on their college applications should know that the Common Application used by more than 450 colleges and universities has just gone live for the 2012-13 admissions season. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Florida education chief resigns amid controversy
Gerard Robinson is resigning as Florida’s education commissioner at a time of growing discontent with — and a series of blunders involving — the state’s standardized test-based accountability system. Unfortunately for Florida residents, the problems he faced during a year in office — after being recruited from Virginia where he was education secretary under Gov. Bob McDonnell — aren’t going away with his departure. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Louisiana’s pretend voucher ‘accountability’ plan
From the you-can’t-make-up-this-stuff department: Louisiana’s governor and schools chief are championing an “accountability” plan for private schools in the state's voucher program that doesn’t hold these schools accountable if they have fewer than 40 voucher students. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
5 ways to teach kids to use technology safely
This *was written by Lynette Owens, director of Trend Micro’s Internet Safety for Kids and Families division.* By Lynette Owens The Internet has always been around as far as our children can tell. Today, as many as half of all kids up to age 8 use Internet-connected devices, 7.5 million kids under 13 use Facebook, and 30% of apps on parents’ phones are downloaded by their kids. They’re playing games, watching videos, or using Skype with far-off relatives. As early as kindergarten or first grade, they are being introduced to their teacher’s website using the PC or laptop in t... more »
Texas’s standardized tests flawed, researchers say
Researchers say they have found a design flaw with the standardized tests that Texas students must take for “accountability” purposes — and the implications could be important across the country. According to studies done by Walter Stroup, an associate professor at University of Texas at Austin, and two other researchers, the design flaw in the Texas Assessment of Knowledge and Skills (TAKS) assessments suggests the exams “are virtually useless at measuring the effects of classroom instruction,” this story in The New York Times says. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [... more »
Yes, algebra is necessary
This *was written by cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, professor and director of graduate studies in psychology at the University of Virginia and author of “Why Don’t Students Like School?” His newly published book is “When Can You Trust The Experts? How to tell good science from bad in education.” This appeared on his Science and Education blog.* Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
U-Va. star professor: Why I won’t ‘un-resign’
Computer scientist William Wulf was a star professor at the University of Virginia until he recently resigned to protest the forced resignation of popular President Teresa Sullivan by leaders of the governing board. Sullivan was reinstated earlier this month after a revolt on campus, but Wulf has refused to reconsider his decision, despite pleas by faculty and administrators, including Sullivan herself. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
U-Va. star professor: Why I won’t ‘un-resign’
Computer scientist William Wulf was a star professor at the University of Virginia until he recently resigned to protest the forced resignation of popular President Teresa Sullivan by leaders of the governing board. Sullivan was reinstated earlier this month after a revolt on campus, but Wulf has refused to reconsider his decision, despite pleas by faculty and administrators, including Sullivan herself. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Education’s biggest design flaw
This *was written by Marion Brady, veteran teacher, administrator, curriculum designer and author.* By Marion Brady I live on the west bank of the Indian River Lagoon on Florida’s East Coast. Across the Lagoon, in the distance, is Kennedy Space Center. For years, I walked out on my dock and watched space shuttle launches. Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]
Study: The problem with principal training and how to fix it
This *was written by Will Miller, president of The Wallace Foundation, which works to improve education and enrichment for disadvantaged children.* By Will Miller Leadership is a critical issue in every profession. In professions where lives are on the line – from medicine to the military – the rigorous processes for selecting, training and mentoring of doctors and officers shows how seriously the development of new leaders is taken. Our best medical schools and military academies are hard to get into and tough to complete, with plenty of real world practice in internships and ... more »
Michelle Rhee in Britain: A false narrative
This *was written by education historian Diane Ravitch, a research professor at New York University and author of the bestselling “The Death and Life of the Great American School System.” This first appeared on her blog. * Read full article >> [image: Add to Facebook] [image: Add to Twitter] [image: Add to Reddit] [image: Add to StumbleUpon]