THE BECOMING RADICAL
EmpathyEducates!
the becoming radical
A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness
by
EmpathyEducates!
The Answer Sheet: Justifying Richard Sherman by his GPA at Stanford
Justifying Richard Sherman by his GPA at Stanford
The “Grit” Narrative, “Grit” Research, and Codes that Blind
By Paul L. Thomas, Ed.D. | Originally Published at The Becoming Radical. January 30, 2014 The answer to Grant Lichtman’s Does “Grit” Need Deeper Discussion? appears to be an unequivocal yes—based on the exchange in the blog post comments, the Twitter conversations, and comments at my blogs […]
A Grandmother’s Plea For Justice – Education is a Human Right
Irene Robinson (left) waits with granddaughter Akilra Roberts for the bus. Because the bus only runs at the beginning and end of the regular school day, Akilra has trouble getting home from after-school activities. (Armando L. Sanchez / Hechinger Report) On education people preach. Everyone acknowledges that […]
JAN 30
Senate Committee Passes Bill Giving Schools Boards a Say in School Closings
Photograph; Sen. Ron Rice is sponsoring a bill that would require local school boards to approve the closing of a public school. The bill was prompted by the Newark school reorganization plan. (File Photo) By Peggy McGlone/The Star-Ledger | Email the author | Follow on Twitter | […]
Charter School Network Launches New Teacher Recruitment Program
When is a teacher not a teacher? In 2014, this question is a just one. Ask yourself if you agree, a qualified teacher is a student in training, or might it be that “A year of taking classes two days a week while assuming full-time, school-based responsibilities […]
JAN 29
Extending the School Day Is a Lot Harder Than It Seems
Photograph; Second graders at Patrick Henry Elementary School follow along to an exercise video during indoor recess. Recess was made mandatory in Chicago elementary schools when the school day was lengthened in 2012. (Armando L. Sanchez / Hechinger Report) By Sara Neufeld | Originally Published at The […]
JAN 28
Major Changes To School Report Card Proposed, Including Closing Poorly Performing Schools
Photograph; Schenk Elementary School fourth-grader Meadow Corfits solves a math problem on her classroom’s chalkboard in this September 2013 file photo. By MATTHEW DeFOUR and MOLLY BECK | Originally Published at Wisconsin State Journal. January 28, 2014 Wisconsin’s lowest-performing public schools would be forced to close or […]
Ahead of State of The Union, Advocates Wonder Whether Obama Forgot Public Schools
Secretary of Education Arne Duncan rides the bus with Columbus Elementary students to the Mexico-U.S. border in Columbus, N.M. on Sept. 10, 2013. | The Washington Post via Getty Images By Joy Resmovits| Originally Published at Huffington Post. January 27, 2014 President Barack Obama is widely expected […]
Minority Kids Disproportionately Impacted By Zero-Tolerance Laws
Photograph; Kyle Thompson, 15, of Farmington, Michigan was arrested and kicked out of school after a tug-of-war with a teacher over a note.By Halimah Abdullah | Originally Published at Cable News Network [CNN]. Saturday, January 25, 2014 (CNN) — A year ago, Kyle Thompson was a soft-spoken, […]
JAN 27
If Fewer or No Tests, Then What?
By Paul L. Thomas, Ed.D. | Originally Published at The Becoming Radical. January 25, 2014 When I responded to Students Should Be Tested More, Not Less by Jessica Lahey and the related target=new href=http://isites.harvard.edu/fs/docs/icb.topic951136.files/powerOfTestingMemory-roedigerKarpicke.pdf>study by Henry L. Roediger III and Jeffrey D. Karpicke, in the blog post […]
JAN 25
State Chiefs to Arne Duncan: We Won’t Share Student Data
Graphic by Betsy L. Angert | AngertAesthetics By Catherine Gewertz | Originally Published at
A Critical Truce in the War between Traditionalists and Progressives
Harry Webb has launched A War of Words: “The war is between traditionalists and progressives and it is an old war.” Yes, this is an old war, and what is most frustrating about this battle for me is that, once again, critical perspectives are left out entirely. So let me offer here a brief critical truce to this war between traditionalists and progressives. First, Webb’s post highlights some of the
YESTERDAY
JAN 30
The “Grit” Narrative, “Grit” Research, and Codes that Blind
The answer to Grant Lichtman’s Does “Grit” Need Deeper Discussion? appears to be an unequivocal yes—based on the exchange in the blog post comments, the Twitter conversations, and comments at my blogs on “grit.” Those conversations have been illuminating for me; therefore, I want here to address several excellent ideas that have been generated. First, I want to make a distinction that I think I ha
JAN 29
An Open Apology, with Explanations: Math, Behaviorism, and “Grit”
An Open Apology, with Explanations: Math, Behaviorism, and “Grit”.
A Child’s Story: “Because she’s older and the teacher, she’s right and I’m not”
A child’s birthday should be a ritual of joy, a celebration of living as well as of being a child. Rachel sits in class on her eleventh birthday in Sandra Cisneros‘s “Eleven,” however, feeling many things except joy: Only today I wish I didn’t have only eleven years rattling inside me like pennies in a tin Band-Aid box. Today I wish I was one hundred and two instead of eleven because if I was one
SOTU 2014: Orwellian Educational Change under Obama Continues
Orwellian Educational Change under Obama: Crisis Discourse, Utopian Expectations, and Accountability Failures Paul L. Thomas Furman University “It is rather the same thing that is happening to the English language. . . .[T]he slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts,” Orwell (1946) warns in “Politics and the English Language.” Few examples are better for proving
JAN 28
Preparation for the Teacher of English Composition (1930)
Preparation for the Teacher of English Composition (1930).
What We Know (and Ignore) about Standards, Achievement, and Equity
Calling for, establishing, and implementing high (or higher) standards has been a part of U.S. public education at least since the 1890s when the Committee of Ten called for higher standards for high schools to prepare students for college. The more recent accountability era built on standards (and multiple versions of revised standards) and high-stakes tests (and multiple versions of those tests)
JAN 27
Bad Journalism, Test-Mania, and High Education: “A Flabbergasting Reality”
Bad Journalism, Test-Mania, and High Education: “A Flabbergasting Reality”.
A Critical Truce in the War between Traditionalists and Progressives
A Critical Truce in the War between Traditionalists and Progressives
YESTERDAY
The "Grit" Narrative, "Grit" Research, and Codes that Blind
The "Grit" Narrative, "Grit" Research, and Codes that Blind
JAN 29
SOTU 2014: Orwellian Educational Change under Obama Continues
SOTU 2014: Orwellian Educational Change under Obama Continues
JAN 28
What We Know (and Ignore) about Standards, Achievement, and Equity
What We Know (and Ignore) about Standards, Achievement, and Equity
JAN 27
The Same One Hour 10,000 Times Is Not 10,000 Hours: Behaviorism, Math, and Utter Failure
The Same One Hour 10,000 Times Is Not 10,000 Hours: Behaviorism, Math, and Utter Failure
Richard Sherman's GPA and "Thug" Label: The Codes that Blind
Richard Sherman's GPA and "Thug" Label: The Codes that Blind