Big Education Ape - Mid Day Banana Break
Part Two Of My ASCD Article On Using Ed Tech In The Classroom
ASCD just published my article, Giving Teachers the Opportunity to Say “Yes” to Ed Tech, which is basically the second part of an article I wrote for ASCD Educational Leadership earlier this month.
Here’s a quote from it:
Here’s a quote from it:
Seattle School District Announcements
From SPS Communications regarding the Strategic Plan, SE Region and Hiring/Spending Freeze:
Strategic Plan
Seattle Public Schools will host five community meetings to share information and ask for public comments about updating the District’s current Strategic Plan, Excellence for All.
The updated plan will guide academic and operational priorities for the next three to five years and include ongoing benchmarking to measure the District’s performance.
The community meetings will be held:
· Monday, April 1, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Eckstein Middle School auditorium, 3003 N.E. 75th St. (Interpreters available in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Amharic and Tigrigna)
Strategic Plan
Seattle Public Schools will host five community meetings to share information and ask for public comments about updating the District’s current Strategic Plan, Excellence for All.
The updated plan will guide academic and operational priorities for the next three to five years and include ongoing benchmarking to measure the District’s performance.
The community meetings will be held:
· Monday, April 1, 6:30-8:30 p.m., at Eckstein Middle School auditorium, 3003 N.E. 75th St. (Interpreters available in Spanish, Somali, Vietnamese, Amharic and Tigrigna)
Living in Numbers and Inequities
[Prompted by a blog comment from a parent regarding his children’s privacy and the law (See: dianeravitch.net) and while heading into the city to join other educators, parents, students, people, assembling to give greater voice to the conditions of public education.]
The takeover of public education is a picture of a contrived perfect storm. Starving the beast. Creating poverty and disruption in communities throughout our cities and states, the world, through the works of reactionary forces funded with limitless means. The privatization of a country. A recherche of finality. An ascendancy of governance as leveraged as the most toxic of derivatives,
Supremacy of markets designed to consummate the aggregation of wealth for the few, while expelling the civil rights, the rights to equality of opportunity of at least the 47% who serve no economic viability, who are only seemingly considered an unconscionable approach on capital accumulation. That half a country’s population
The takeover of public education is a picture of a contrived perfect storm. Starving the beast. Creating poverty and disruption in communities throughout our cities and states, the world, through the works of reactionary forces funded with limitless means. The privatization of a country. A recherche of finality. An ascendancy of governance as leveraged as the most toxic of derivatives,
Supremacy of markets designed to consummate the aggregation of wealth for the few, while expelling the civil rights, the rights to equality of opportunity of at least the 47% who serve no economic viability, who are only seemingly considered an unconscionable approach on capital accumulation. That half a country’s population
Tom Kean: America's Most Confused Ex-Governor
Make it stop! Make it stop!
Q: There has been some criticism that it is bringing in more private interests and privatization of public schools.A [Tom Kean, former NJ Governor]: I have never been for private school vouchers. I have always felt public money should be in public schools, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have good charter schools, which are public schools, or that you shouldn’t have good public school choice.It doesn’t mean that money doesn’t matter, but it needs to be targeted money and targeted reform. More money into a failing system is just a more expensive failing system. I used to
Parents Worry Over New Online Database of Student Information
Public school parents are criticizing a new program that puts students’ information in an enormous online database.
Since December, the New York City Department of Education has uploaded student information, such as home addresses and test scores, to a cloud-based database shared with seven other states.
The database is maintained by an Atlanta nonprofit called inBloom. InBloom says it does not share information without permission from the school district. But parents said they were wary.
A recent story by Reuters raised possibilities that were disturbing to many parents: that their children’s data
Since December, the New York City Department of Education has uploaded student information, such as home addresses and test scores, to a cloud-based database shared with seven other states.
The database is maintained by an Atlanta nonprofit called inBloom. InBloom says it does not share information without permission from the school district. But parents said they were wary.
A recent story by Reuters raised possibilities that were disturbing to many parents: that their children’s data
Quick Hits: Pi Day Edition
Happy Pi Day! In honor of this mathematical day, take a look at these nine amazing charts. (The Washington Post)
The best way to celebrate Pi. Whether you are eating pie today or not, here are some of the best ways tocelebrate National Pi Day. (USA Today)
From homeless to Stanford. A teenager who spent part of his life going from one homeless shelter to another is now college bound! Lane Gunderman will attend Stanford University for free thanks to a full scholarship from the school. (Huffington Post)
Technology to improve learning outcomes. The trend of online learning in K-12 is continuing to grow. Research shows that technology mixed with face-to-face learning, or blended learning, is often extremely beneficial to students. ES’s Susan Headden recently profiled one such success story in The Right Mix.
The best way to celebrate Pi. Whether you are eating pie today or not, here are some of the best ways tocelebrate National Pi Day. (USA Today)
From homeless to Stanford. A teenager who spent part of his life going from one homeless shelter to another is now college bound! Lane Gunderman will attend Stanford University for free thanks to a full scholarship from the school. (Huffington Post)
Technology to improve learning outcomes. The trend of online learning in K-12 is continuing to grow. Research shows that technology mixed with face-to-face learning, or blended learning, is often extremely beneficial to students. ES’s Susan Headden recently profiled one such success story in The Right Mix.
What happened when a Rhode Island state senator took a student standardized test?
A Rhode Island state senator was one of the first of some 50 adults who have agreed to take a version of the state’s standardized test, part of an action aimed at protesting a new high school testing graduation requirement … Continue reading →
In the News: CPS gets more than fair share, GOP says
Illinois Senate Republican leader Christine Radogno said at a press conference Wednesday that Chicago "receives a disproportionate share of the state's education resources" thanks to "outdated (funding) formulas, a de-emphasis on the foundation level which equalizes school districts' property wealth and a shift to special grant(s)," Crain's Grez Hinz reports.
This week, CPS officials posted a Request For Proposals for logistics management services, including inventorying equipment, putting locks on doors, hiring movers and making sure that records get to the schools where the displaced students end up. CPS asked companies bidding on the job to give prices for 20, 40, 60, 80, 100 and 129 schools.
Mayor promises better city tax collections, defends decision to close schools
Mayor Nutter's annual budget address on Thursday, which was initially shouted down by protesters in City Council chambers, called for better collection of taxes and advocacy for increased funding in Harrisburg, but made no promises of additional city revenues for schools this year. Nutter also explained his advocacy of school closings and promised to provide safe transit for students to their new schools.
Here is the prepared text of the portion of his speech devoted to the school system:
read more
Here is the prepared text of the portion of his speech devoted to the school system:
read more
Boston Schools Adopt New Placement Plan for Students
Instead of busing children across the city to achieve racial integration, the Boston School Committee approved a plan designed to allow students to attend schools closer to home.
News of Press conference and Assembly bill to block privacy violations of children
Our press conference on the steps of Tweed this morning was terrific. Among those who spoke out against this
Grant High students protest standardized testing with walkout
A little more than a dozen students participate, saying that standardized testing is a waste of time and money that should be better spent on classroom instruction.