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Friday, November 23, 2012

Big Education Ape - Morning Wink 11-23-12 AM Posts #SOSCHAT #EDCHAT #P2



BIG EDUCATION APE - MORNING WINK  AM POSTS



Thankful (After Thanksgiving) | The Jose Vilson

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 minutes ago
Thankful (After Thanksgiving) | The Jose Vilson: Thankful (After Thanksgiving) by Jose Charlie Brown Thanksgiving I try to be thankful everyday. I’m always reminded that I have ancestors who didn’t and don’t have the same fortune I have, and how blessed I am to partake in meals with *all* of my family. It’s hard to celebrate a day you know was dedicated to what pilgrims perceived as manifest destiny but that the victims and survivors perceive as the pillage, rape, and genocide of their people. Of our people. Our blessings in the present came from a legacy of a foul philosophy place... more »

Grading Schools Isn’t the Answer. It’s the Problem. - NYTimes.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 24 minutes ago
Grading Schools Isn’t the Answer. It’s the Problem. - NYTimes.com: When ‘Grading’ Is Degrading Bee Things By MICHAEL BRICKPublished: November 22, 2012 - FACEBOOK - TWITTER - GOOGLE+ - SAVE - E-MAIL - SHARE - PRINT - REPRINTS - Austin, Tex. Related in Opinion - Times Topic: Education [image: Opinion Twitter Logo.] Connect With Us on Twitter For Op-Ed, follow@nytopinion and to hear from the editorial page editor, Andrew Rosenthal, follow@andyrNYT. IN his speech on the night of his re-election, President Obama promised to find common ground with oppos... more »

It's Black Friday. Time to support Walmart workers. Here's how. : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 31 minutes ago
It's Black Friday. Time to support Walmart workers. Here's how. : blue cheddar: It’s Black Friday. Time to support Walmart workers. Here’s how. by bluecheddar Overpass Light Brigade holds light-up letters that spell "Respect the workers" in front of a Kenosha, Wisconsin Walmart. November 22, 2012 (Go all the way to the bottom of this to see the Kenosha Walmart security visit photo.) If you said to me, “Hey. I really need to get to the nearest Walmart. Where do I go?” I would have to say, “I have no idea. There’s a big one on the West side of Madison somewhere.” I also don’t re... more »

Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Grading or Degrading?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 34 minutes ago
Mike Klonsky's SmallTalk Blog: Grading or Degrading?: Grading or Degrading? by Mike Klonsky *Michael Brick*, writing in yesterday's N.Y. Times, ("When Grading is Degrading") offers a devastating appraisal of current reform policies which are based increasingly on fostering competition and on grading schools and teachers. Brick takes a look at the situation in Texas, which he calls "nobody’s model for educational excellence", where the state has long used complex algorithms to assign grades of Exemplary, Recognized, Acceptable or Unacceptable to its schools. *So far, such competiti... more »

Obama's 2nd term to test his education program - CBS News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Obama's 2nd term to test his education program - CBS News: *Obama's 2nd term to test his education program* * * President Obama has already begun to sketch the outlines of an ambitious second-term agenda, touting his mandate on tax rates and making comprehensive immigration reform a top legislative priority. But when it comes to education reform, looming battles over politics and funding threaten to leave students and educators nationwide in the lurch - and could derail the president's legacy on an issue he's long touted as paramount to his vision for governing. The Department of E... more »

The US education system didn't get any thanks at our table this year | ZDNet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
The US education system didn't get any thanks at our table this year | ZDNet: *The US education system didn't get any thanks at our table this year* Summary: It wasn't so long ago that many students and parents considered themselves lucky to have access to public education in the States. I'm afraid, though, that I'm headed into 2013 utterly discouraged by the system. [image: Christopher Dawson] By Christopher Dawson for ZDNet Education | November 23, 2012 -- 08:43 GMT (00:43 PST) *No One Loves Corporate Ed Reform except Money * Thanksgiving Day was rather nice in the Dawson househo... more »

Daily Kos: 66.5

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Daily Kos: 66.5: 66.5 by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) I was born on May 23, 1946, into a middle class Reformed Jewish family in New York City. Today, my half-birthday, I am a Quaker married to an Orthodox Christian, living in a middle class neighborhood in Arlington VA. I have remarked to my wonderful spouse, Leaves on the Current, that in 2 months, when I reach 66 2/3, I will qualify as a Long Playing Record of some sort :-) - for those of you old enough to remember when LPs were the dominant form of hove music entertainment. At this stage of my life, I often find myself refle... more »

Snyder's draft of major K-12 changes ‘opens the door to private investors' | Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies | hometownlife.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Snyder's draft of major K-12 changes ‘opens the door to private investors' | Observer and Eccentric Newspapers and Hometown Weeklies | hometownlife.com: Snyder's draft of major K-12 changes ‘opens the door to private investors' *Corporate Ed Reform It's About The Money* Gov. Rick Snyder has made it clear he believes the state needs to restructure the way it pays for and oversees public education. The draft of his new act to govern the financing of education would allow K-12 students to choose school districts, expand use of online learning and hand out monetary incentives of $2,5... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-23-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 hour ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] A Wonderful Article About Destructive Reforms by dianerav The New York Times has a terrific article today by Michael Brick about the destructive policies that are called “reforms.” This is the first time in my memory that an article in the newspaper of record–albeit an opinion piece–has acknowledged that both political parties share the same demented and punitive approach and that their ideas are hurting, not helping. Please read it. It gives me hope that our message is breaking through the elaborate public... more »

STEM Visa Considered for a House Vote Next Week | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
STEM Visa Considered for a House Vote Next Week | NewsTaco: STEM Visa Considered for a House Vote Next Week by Voxxi By Raisa Camargo, Voxxi After the Thanksgiving break, Congressional members in the House will consider voting on a Republican-backed STEM Visa bill next week adding to their list of legislative priorities during the lame-duck session. The STEM Jobs Act was introduced by House ranking member Lamar Smith (R-Texas), this fall as an effort to increase the number of green cards to persons with advanced degrees in science, math, engineering and technology. The House bill is... more »

Ed Notes Online: Join the 6% Club: Parents Who Opt Out of High Stakes Tests

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Ed Notes Online: Join the 6% Club: Parents Who Opt Out of High Stakes Tests: Join the 6% Club: Parents Who Opt Out of High Stakes Tests by ed notes online Parents have the RIGHT to opt their children out of this cycle of madness. If just 6% of the children per school site were opted out of this grossly over-rated system of assessing students and holding educators accountable, we could begin to have a productive dialogue about more humane and complex systems of assessment and education. Just saw this video (http://youtu.be/RJ26p7IKAgI) in an email from Janine Sopp. The growing opt... more »

The economics of higher education 101

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
The economics of higher education 101: The economics of higher education 101 Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 23, 2012 at 4:00 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » ((Butch Dill – Associated Press) ) The cost of going to college is one of the most difficult issues facing education policymakers. Here Catharine Hill, president of Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, NY, explains the basics of higher education economics. During her almost seven years as president, Vassar’s signature effort has been ... more »

‘Farm-to-School’ initiative puts fresh produce in classes Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
‘Farm-to-School’ initiative puts fresh produce in classes Page 1 of 2 | UTSanDiego.com: ‘Farm-to-School’ initiative puts fresh produce in classesSan Marcos district works with Redlands farmer to promote nutrition, better eating [image: Knob Hill Elementary School in San Marcos fifth graders shop for produce during a Farmers’ Market held at the school Wednesday. BILL WECHTER@] Knob Hill Elementary School in San Marcos fifth graders shop for produce during a Farmers’ Market held at the school Wednesday. BILL WECHTER@ SAN MARCOS — When you hear the popular phrase “farm to table,” it... more »

Daily Kos: Division of Labor: Conquering the "Public"

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 2 hours ago
Daily Kos: Division of Labor: Conquering the "Public": Division of Labor: Conquering the "Public" byplthomasEdDFollow Anthony Cody, in his Living in Dialogue blog, has recently addressed the strategy common among "No Excuses" Reformers (NER) using a corporate playbook to render all that is public*private*: Cody identifies "division [as] the key weapon that reformers will be using in the years to come." Divide and conquer has never been more powerful and subtle than it is in the education reform debate, driven by Big Money (Bill Gate), faux-progressives (Michelle Rhee and Arne Dunca... more »

Daily Kos: Krugman: Grand Old Planet

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 9 hours ago
Daily Kos: Krugman: Grand Old Planet: Krugman: Grand Old Planet by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken) Yes, that is G-O-P. And Krugman starts with - and focuses on - a key figure in that political party, Senator Marco Rubio, whose recent remarks sidestepping a definitive statement on the age of the earth offended some, but was dismissed by others as merely positioning himself for 2016 and pandering a bit to the religious right voters who are dominant in such primaries. But we shouldn’t let go that easily. Reading Mr. Rubio’s interview is like driving through a deeply eroded canyon;... more »

U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement | HispanicallySpeakingNews.com: U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement November 22, 2012 | by HS News Staff [image: U.S., Mexico Sign Education Agreement] Photo: U.S.-Mexico relations Click Here to Enlarge Photo The United States and Mexico signed an agreement to promote student exchanges and increase educational opportunities for young people from both countries, the Mexican Education Secretariat said. The agreement, which covers educational cooperation over the next two years, was signed Tuesday by Mexican Education Secretary Jose Angel Cordova. ... more »

Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out : The Consequences | Parents Across America

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 12 hours ago
Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out : The Consequences | Parents Across America: Part 4: High Stakes Testing and Opting Out : The Consequences by DoraTaylor *The Consequences* As long as policy and funding are determined by test results, we will be dealing with the consequences. There is the narrowing of focus to math and reading and less focus on history, social studies, the arts, foreign languages, writing, physical education, or developing research and critical thinking skills. The emphasis on test scores precludes looking more carefully at the cause of low test scores w... more »

The in box. The most angry union meeting I have ever seen. « Fred Klonsky

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
The in box. The most angry union meeting I have ever seen. « Fred Klonsky: The in box. The most angry union meeting I have ever seen. by Fred Klonsky *Hello Fred!* *Been real busy with Union stuff.* *I think the Governor just stepped in the pile that was left by the neighbors dog. Tuesday evening I attended what can only be described as “The most angry Union meeting I have ever seen” The Correctional employees including security and non-security workers are tired, fed up, angry, and ready for out right war. If PQ does not immediately get his act together the workers across the Stat... more »

Quebec: The Fight for Free Education Continues | OccupyWallSt.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 13 hours ago
Quebec: The Fight for Free Education Continues | OccupyWallSt.org: Quebec: The Fight for Free Education Continues by OccupyWallSt [image: Marchers in Montreal; banner reads "The strike is for students, the struggle is for everyone" in French] If you listen to the mainstream media in Canada and Québec (or elsewhere), you could be forgiven for believing that Québec's student movement is running on cold embers these days. After a historic and lively protest movement that saw hundreds of actions and hundreds of thousands of people in the street demanding an end to the continued neoliber... more »

Stand With Striking Walmart Workers

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Stand With Striking Walmart Workers: Walmart Workers Walmart has become the focus of viral, historic strikes by workers in stores and at warehouses across the country. Time and time again, when Walmart workers have come together to call on the company to address issues with understaffing, scheduling, wages, benefits, safety, and just plain respect in the workplace, the company has attempted to silence them. Without an end to the retaliation and mistreatment, *Walmart workers around the country are prepared to strike on the biggest sales day of the year - Black Friday, November 23... more »

UFT Sues the DOE to Obtain Full Access to Joel Klein Emails - ParentAdvocates.org

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 14 hours ago
Parent Advocates - ParentAdvocates.org: UFT Sues the DOE to Obtain Full Access to Joel Klein Emails The UFT sued the Department of Education on Nov. 15 over its failure to comply with Freedom of Information requests for copies of emails that link former Chancellor Joel Klein and senior DOE staffers with City Hall political figures and charter school proponents. The union charged that the copies of the emails that were provided after a wait of nearly two years were so heavily redacted and blacked out that the DOE’s “unlawful conduct” has violated the state law that makes governme... more »

Norquist's grip is loosening. Chambliss: "I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge" : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
Norquist's grip is loosening. Chambliss: "I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge" : blue cheddar: Norquist’s grip is loosening. Chambliss: “I care more about my country than I do about a 20-year-old pledge” by bluecheddar [Don't miss out on the convenient links at the bottom of this post. Wisconsin legislators who signed Norquist's pledge need to know what you think of them.] Here’s a sign that the elected officials who’ve been helping Norquist drown government in a tub are abandoning ship. U.S. Senator Saxby Chambliss of Georgia told local Gannett TV st... more »

School Tech Connect: Thank You!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 15 hours ago
School Tech Connect: Thank You!: Thank You! by noreply@blogger.com (Tim Furman) I pretty much write this blog for myself; it always surprises me when anyone else drops by. But thank you for doing so! Also, thanks to the Illinois Policy Institute for the chuckle today. Thank you, warriors.

“My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two)” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
“My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two)” | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…: “My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two)” by Larry Ferlazzo I’ve just posted My Best Posts On Building Parent Engagement In Schools — 2012 (Part Two) over at “Engaging Parents In School,” my other blog. You might also be interested in seeing all my parent engagement “The Best…” lists in one place here.

Upcoming battles in California Legislature pit education reformers against teacher unions and their backers - San Jose Mercury News

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
Upcoming battles in California Legislature pit education reformers against teacher unions and their backers - San Jose Mercury News: Upcoming battles in California Legislature pit education reformers against teacher unions and their backers By Sharon Noguchi snoguchi@mercurynews.com Posted: 11/22/2012 02:53:34 PM PST Updated: 11/22/2012 02:53:35 PM PST * "We're not opposed to education reform," CTA President Dean Vogel said. "We're opposed to stupid reform."* A nearly $6 billion infusion from Proposition 30 and a Democratic supermajority in the Legislature are a welcome pre-ho... more »

I GIVE THANKS « Teachers Fight Back

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 16 hours ago
I GIVE THANKS « Teachers Fight Back: I GIVE THANKS by alkleen I’m thankful that I retired several years before the Teachers Retirement System of Illinois was accused of bankrupting the State, the Country and the entire Western Hemisphere. I’m thankful I taught during a time when parents and students were considered as important as the teacher when it came to a student’s success. I’m thankful I taught before millionaires and billionaires decided they would reform education and that they knew what worked more than any teacher. I give thanks that I taught in an era before political cor... more »

OCCUPY EDUCATION - adventuresinlearning: A Student’s Definition of...

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
OCCUPY EDUCATION - adventuresinlearning: A Student’s Definition of...: [image: adventuresinlearning: A Student’s Definition of a Successful Student written during an Imagining Learning listening session in Charleston, SC. Imagining Learning is looking for more students and communities to help organize listening sessions around the country. Email us at david@imagininglearning.us for more information.] adventuresinlearning: A Student’s Definition of a Successful Student written during an Imagining Learning listening session in Charleston, SC. Imagining Learning is looking for more stu... more »

Students Share What They’re Thankful For | toteachornototeach

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 18 hours ago
Students Share What They’re Thankful For | toteachornototeach: Students Share What They’re Thankful For by aristotlethewise *Thanksgiving In Schools: Harlem Village Academies * *Students Share What They’re Thankful For* PopoutEvery year at Thanksgiving, the Harlem Village Academies ask their students to reflect on why they are thankful. So in the spirit of the season, enjoy their adorable and at times unexpectedly astute issues of thanks. They express thanks for their school and teachers, as well as for modern conveniences that became less given during Hurricane Sandy. One girl has a... more »

I Just Want To Celebrate

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
I just want to celebrate another day of livin' I just want to celebrate another day of life I put my faith in the people But the people let me down So I turned the other way And I carry on, anyhow That's why I'm telling you I just want to celebrate, yeah, yeah Another day of living, yeah I just want to celebrate another day of life Had my head on the dollar bill But the dollar bill flew away But the sun is shining down on me And it's here to stay That's why I'm telling you I just want to celebrate, yeah, yeah Another day of living, yeah I just want to celebrate another day of livin' I ... more »

A story of educational courage

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
A story of educational courage: A story of educational courage Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 22, 2012 at 2:00 pm - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - Share: - - - More » This is an excerpt from a book titled “Educational Courage: Resisting the Ambush of Public Education,” which profiles people working in support of public education against a tide of school reform that has turned out to be more destructive than helpful. The book of essays by different authors is the brainchild of Nancy Schniedewind & Mara Sapon-... more »

Education finally gets serious about the undead apocalypse with this Zombie Scholarship

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 20 hours ago
Education finally gets serious about the undead apocalypse with this Zombie Scholarship: [image: Education finally gets serious about the undead apocalypse with this Zombie Scholarship] Education finally gets serious about the undead apocalypse with this Zombie Scholarship *Rob Bricken* At least *one* organization is worried about the *real* problems facing our nation's future.ScholarshipExperts.com is offering a $1000 "Zombie Scholarship" for people who want to help the living stay living once the dead walk the earth. The details: Applicants must: • Be thirteen (13) years of ag... more »

Pass / Fail : Financially troubled charter school company says finances now in order | 89.3 KPCC

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
Pass / Fail : Financially troubled charter school company says finances now in order | 89.3 KPCC: Financially troubled charter school company says finances now in order by By Adolfo Guzman-Lopez [image: Mercer 7348]*An elementary school student does work at her desk Credit: Larry W. Smith/Getty Images* Two years after it almost closed 14 Los Angeles-area schools, ICEF Public Schools says it’s on a stable financial footing. A $700,000 donation saved the nonprofit from closing schools that serve 4,500 students. The ICEF in its name stands for Inner City Education Foundation. After th... more »

How to speak Minnesotan : blue cheddar

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 21 hours ago
How to speak Minnesotan : blue cheddar: How to speak Minnesotan by bluecheddar “Well, we might as well get started with our first lesson here. These 3 workhorses of Minnesota conversation will carry you through your first scary hours. In fact they should be good for a week if you only speak when spoken to which is a good idea anyway.” If you’re making a journey to Minnesota or Northern Wisconsin for Thanksgiving this season, you absolutely must watch this. I especially want to call your attention to a few pointers found in the nonverbal communication and body language portion (9 ... more »

Now on Sale at Walmart, Education Rephorm | EduShyster

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Now on Sale at Walmart, Education Rephorm | EduShyster: Now on Sale at Walmart, Education Rephorm by edushyster2012 Walmart is leading the effort to give low-income Americans more ¢hoi¢e in education, while insuring that they remain low income. It is a well known fact that students who attend our union-stifled public schools are ill prepared for their future careers—at Walmart. That is why Walmart is leading the effort to fix our failing schools by introducing some much needed competition into our public education monopoly. Much like shoppers at Walmart have a choice of many differe... more »

NYC Educator: Happy Turkey Day

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
NYC Educator: Happy Turkey Day: Happy Turkey Day by NYC Educator I want to take this opportunity to thank everyone who bothers to read this little blog, all those who've contributed to it, and all those who took time out from their Thanksgiving Day to read this. We have a lot to be thankful for. We have the best job in the world. There is no greater privilege than that of influencing, guiding, and helping our young people. I'm very proud to be a teacher, and all teachers have much to be proud about. Though they trash us in the media, though we're used as a political football, and... more »

Jersey Jazzman: Have a Reformy Thanksgiving!

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Jersey Jazzman: Have a Reformy Thanksgiving!: Have a Reformy Thanksgiving! by Duke *We have a national Thanksgiving crisis.* * * * * * * International comparisons clearly show our turkeys are drier, our mashed potatoes are waterier, and our pumpkins pies have less pumpkin per slice than every other developed country in the world (save Finland). A recent Gates Foundation project, the MET (Measures of Effective Thanksgiving) showed that surveys of students taken at "kids tables" around the country rate Thanksgiving dinners anywhere from "*sucks*" to "*really sucks*" to "*can I leave ... more »

Edmodo | Secure Social Learning Network for Teachers and Students

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 22 hours ago
Edmodo | Secure Social Learning Network for Teachers and Students: Make your Classroom a Community Edmodo In Action Edmodo is transforming the way that teachers and students connect, engage and learn both inside and outside the classroom. Check out our Edmodo In Action videos for examples of how its being used. Attend a Webinar - Introduction to Edmodo - Spotlight Webinar: Conferences Powered by Edmodo - Registration for EdmodoCon 2012 is Now Open Latest News Election 2012: Polling Students via Edmodo Wondering Coast to Coast: A Read Aloud Project Vote for Your Favorite S... more »

A time to say thanks… - Wait, What?

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
A time to say thanks… - Wait, What?: A time to say thanks… by jonpelto Jonathan Pelto I want to wish all my readers and their families a happy, healthy and safe Thanksgiving and to thank you for reading my blog, participating in the discussions and joining in the effort to educate our fellow citizens about the happenings in the world around us. There are some among us who have many things to be thankful for, and some whose list is less than what it should be, but I hope that everyone can find warmth and comfort on this day. A special wish for peace and comfort goes out to those who... more »

Thanksgiving Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Thanksgiving Proclamation by Abraham Lincoln: Proclamation of Thanksgiving *Washington, D.C. October 3, 1863**This is the proclamation which set the precedent for America's national day of Thanksgiving. During his administration, President Lincoln issued many orders similar to this. For example, on November 28, 1861, he ordered government departments closed for a local day of thanksgiving.* *Sarah Josepha Hale, a 74-year-old magazine editor, wrote a letter to Lincoln on September 28, 1863, urging him to have the "day of our annual Thanksgiving made a National and fixed Union Festi... more »

Do American Indians Celebrate Thanksgiving? | NewsTaco

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Do American Indians Celebrate Thanksgiving? | NewsTaco: DO AMERICAN INDIANS CELEBRATE THANKSGIVING? By Dennis W. Zotigh, New America Media/Indian Country Today In thinking about my earliest memories of elementary school, I remember being asked to bring a brown paper sack to class so that it could be decorated and worn as part of the Indian costume used to celebrate Thanksgiving. I was also instructed to make a less-than-authentic headband with Indian designs and feathers to complete this outfit. Looking back, I now know this was wrong. The Thanksgiving Indian costume that all the ot... more »

Conservatives Griping About Obama's Thanksgiving Proclamation: Try a Helping of FDR | The Nation

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 23 hours ago
Conservatives Griping About Obama's Thanksgiving Proclamation: Try a Helping of FDR | The Nation: Conservatives Griping About Obama's Thanksgiving Proclamation: Try a Helping of FDR John Nichols on November 21, 2012 - 9:51 PM ET * * ** ** To his credit, Barack Obama puts a modestly enlightened spin on his Thanksgiving proclamations. This year’s proclamation recalls that “the Pilgrims at Plymouth Colony…enjoyed the fruits of their labor with the Wampanoag tribe—a people who had shared vital knowledge of the land in the difficult months before” and notes “the contributions that ge... more »

LISTEN TO DIANE RAVITCH 11-22-12 Diane Ravitch's blog

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Diane Ravitch's blog: [image: Click on picture to Listen to Diane Ravitch] I Give Thanks to You by dianerav On this day, I pause to thank you, the readers of this blog. I thank you because you care about children and the future of education. I thank you because you understand that the way we educate our children today shapes the society we will live in for decades to come. I thank you because you teach me, you encourage me, you give me strength. I thank those of you who are parents, doing what is best for your child or children. I thank those of you who are educators, who have dedicat... more »

Final grades, exit interviews - Bites - Opinions - November 22, 2012 - Sacramento News & Review

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Final grades, exit interviews - Bites - Opinions - November 22, 2012 - Sacramento News & Review: Final grades, exit interviews Local Reep fails Mother Earth, K.J.'s opposition says goodbye, school-board member bails By Cosmo Garvin cosmog@newsreview.com This article was published on 11.22.12. *Related stories:* Losing it K.J.'s rent problem, Blue Diamond roughs up union.SN&R, 11.27.08. [image: spacer] *The Sierra Club’s annual legislative report card is always* good for a couple of head-scratchers. For example, Republican*Assemblywoman Beth Gaines * was our only local rep to vot... more »

Test your Thanksgiving smarts

coopmike48 at Big Education Ape - 1 day ago
Test your Thanksgiving smarts: Test your Thanksgiving smarts Posted by Valerie Strauss on November 22, 2012 at 9:37 am - [image: Smaller Text] [image: Larger Text] Text Size - Print - Reprints - - - - Sash and Malia Obama with Courage, the turkey President Obama “pardoned” in 2009. (By Marvin Joseph – THE WASHINGTON POST) Here are 10 questions that will test just how much you know about the history of Thanksgiving. Answers, with explanations, are below. *1) True or False. The Pilgrims who sailed to the New World in 1620 on the Mayflower had a smooth Atlant... more »







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