Merry Christmas to All!
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Wherever you are, I wish you a very Merry Christmas. I wish you happiness,
joy, and many reasons to smile in the year ahead. I don’t know about you,
but I ...
Some Christmas Tunery
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Here at the Institute (where the Board of Directors still firmly believe in
Santa Claus), we like our seasonal music, both as consumers and as
producers,...
Finding Light in Winter by Mary Pipher
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The mornings are dark, the late afternoons are dusky, and before we finish
making dinner, the daylight is gone. As we approach the darkest days of the
ye...
Last Minute Gift Ideas!
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We've been bombarded with "last minute" gift idea promotions since at least
mid-November, but now, finally, the last minute is truly upon us. As a
publi...
Cartoons about the Holiday Season
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Here are some cartoons that got me to smile about this time of year. I hope
they will do the same for you. Happy holidays to all of my readers. Enjoy!
HAIRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAIRY HANUKKAH TOO!
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*HAIRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAIRY HANUKKAH TOO!*
* The Big Hairy Education Ape Spreads Holiday Cheer! Ah, December! The time
of year when the air tur...
About the Social Security Fairness Act
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On December 21, 2024, the US Senate passed the Social Security Fairness
Act, otherwise known as HR 82, a bill that restores full Social Security
benefits t...
Apologies to Dan Alicea
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I want to truly apologize to Daniel Alicea. On November 30, Dan wrote a
blog post about how, despite millions of dollars being available, Mulgrew
refused...
The 2024 NPE “Coal in the Stocking” Awards
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At NPE, we know who is naughty and nice when it comes to supporting our
public schools and their students.
The post The 2024 NPE “Coal in the Stocking” A...
Big Lies of Education: Grade Retention
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The Big Lie of grade retention in the US is that it is often hidden within
larger reading legislation and policy, notably since the 2010s: Westall and
Cumm...
Juntos lo haremos
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En el año que viene, tendremos que tomar decisiones difíciles sobre quienes
queremos ser en cada comunidad y como nación. Ha sido un año muy intenso.
Desde...
WTF, Democratic Caucus?
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Why is the failure of this current budget bill being blamed on Republicans
when almost every single Democrat voted against it? If only half of the
Dems had...
Peace through Beauty
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I am and always have been more musical than I have been verbal. I have
always found beauty in sound. Often it can be purely instrumental, such as
playing...
San Diego School Board Election Outcomes
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By Thomas Ultican 12/17/2024 Before the recent election, I wrote
recommendations for several school board seats in San Diego County. The San
Diego County R...
SPI Supports SB 48 to Keep ICE Off School Campuses
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State Superintendent Tony Thurmond sponsors Senate Bill 48 to keep
Immigration and Customs Enforcement off of school campuses, protecting
school attendance...
Schrödinger’s Cat
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Schrödinger’s cat is a famous thought experiment in which the renowned
scientist pondered how a cat in a closed box could be thought of as
simultaneously a...
In Memoriam: Nikki Giovanni
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The literary and cultural world has lost an irreplaceable voice with the
passing of Nikki Giovanni. As one of the most celebrated poets and
activists of ou...
Education Has Failed and What Can We Do Next?
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Education has failed to prepare children for the world today. Despite the
increased investment, impactful reforms, hardworking teachers and school
leaders,...
Defining Productivity, Cost, and Efficiency
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Recycled material here… The central problem with US public schools is often
characterized as an efficiency problem. We spend a lot and don’t get much
for i...
November Parent Engagement Resources
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Greeting a family in their preferred language is a small gesture that
demonstrates respect and eagerness to connect with parents. Creating a
Welcoming Envi...
Try Substack?
-
Seems like the popular new thing. Here’s my first try – it’s about
yesterday’s UFT Retired Teachers Chapter meeting – first ever not run by
Unity. (Spoiler...
Number 18 — A barely-hanging-on Blogoversary
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Blogoversary #18 SEPTEMBER 14, 2006 I started this blog while I was still
teaching, in 2006. I had just begun my 31st year as an educator. Just like
in pre...
Student "Growth" Measures Are STILL Biased
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This caught my attention:
New Jersey school districts may soon be evaluated differently, *with a
greater emphasis on student growth* as compared to stud...
AIN’T IT AWFUL
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As the terrible feelings of dread and angst spread across the world the
great majority of the American people feel powerless before the onslaught
of those ...
The Sky is Falling, or is it?
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Well, this is the first anniversary of the introduction of Generative AI in
the form of ChatGPT to the world of education. Before it was a week old,
over o...
Vote NO on the UFT Contract. Here is Why:
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The best reason to vote no on this contract is this: UFT Unity* lied* to us
in 2018. They misrepresented that contract. It was predicated on deals we
wer...
Metaphors in ‘I Have a Dream’ Speech
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In this article, we will explore the powerful use of metaphors in Martin
Luther King Jr.’s “I Have a Dream” ...
Read more
Testimony to the CPS Truancy Task Force
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I prepared testimony for one of two public hearings held by the Chicago
Public Schools Truancy Task Force, a body mandated by state legislation.
The meetin...
There Is A Teacher Shortage.Not.
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THERE IS A TEACHER SHORTAGE. And just to be sure you understand, it’s not
that teachers don’t want to teach. It’s not that there aren’t enough
teachers cer...
Book Banning Turns to Dick and Jane
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Breaking News: Dateline February 4, 2022 - Parents in Dimwitty, Alabama
have asked the Dimwitty Board of Education to ban the children's primer *Fun
with...
Have You Heard Has a New Website
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TweetHave You Heard has a new website. Visit us at
www.haveyouheardpodcast.com to find our latest episodes and our entire
archive. And be sure to check out...
Follow me at Substack
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I've moved. Follow me at Substack
I'm now posting regularly at Substack. You can subscribe for free to my new
Edu/Pol blog at michaelklonsky.substack.com
...
Aspiring Teachers Get New Help Paying For College
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[image: colorful classroom pattern]
*; Credit: shuoshu/Getty Images*
Cory Turner | NPR
New rules kick in today that will help aspiring teachers pay for c...
Tips Akses Situs Judi Qq Tanpa Perlu Takut Nawala
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Kegiatan berjudi slot melalui situs judi qq online, sekarang sudah
dilakukan oleh banyak penjudi Indonesia. Tentu, Kamu yang sedang membaca
artikel ini a...
The Threat of Integration
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I have lived in the same house in the Miracle Mile section of Los Angeles
for over 30 years, where up until now I have had little or no interaction
with th...
We fight for a democracy worthy of us all!
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The nation stands at a crossroads, said NEA President Lily Eskelsen García
in her final keynote address to the 2020 NEA Representative Assembly and
it’s up...
The Passing Of Chaz 1951-2020 Age 69
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I am the son of Chaz and like to inform you that he passed away this
afternoon from the COVID virus. My father passed in peace beside his loved
ones. We ar...
The Fight For Our Children
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*The number of suicides among people ages 10 to 24 nationally increased by
56 percent between 2007 and 2017, according to a new federal report showing
the ...
Read to Self: Just a Kid and a Book.
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Date: Monday, January 5, 2020 Place: My classroom Student: Mrs.Mims, could
we start doing Read to Self again because I got this great book for
Christmas an...
Keeping Progressive Schools Alive
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Dear Friends and Colleagues, Happy New Year and a special thanks to those
who respond to past blogs about choice, et al. I always mean to respond to
each c...
Reminiscences
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I just finished dumping the rest of my lesson plans. I guess I held on to
the calculus ones for so long because I spent so much time working on them
an...
Just Asking for some Teachers I know.
-
Recently Wisconsin Governor Tony Evers stated, We must … recognize that
part of supporting our kids in the classroom means supporting the educators
who t...
Cara Menang Bermain Judi Bola Online
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Bermain judi bola online tentu saja memiliki kesenangannya tersendiri baik
itu mendapatkan keuntungan maupun ketika menantikan hasil skor pada sebuah
perta...
A Critique of Standards-Based Grading
-
It first happened to me about ten years ago. I was beginning my third year
of teaching in a new school in Washington, DC. Social studies teachers were
si...
My First and Last Visit to Hudson Yards
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Figuring I did not need to invite any more darkness and vulgarity into my
head than that provided on a daily basis from Trump’s White House, and
after read...
The World According to Michelle Rhee
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The men behind the curtain fashioning the brave new world of corporate run
education in America! Michelle Rhee is the founder of StudentsFirst, The
New T...
Whose Opinions Matter in Education World?
-
It's hard to identify education heroes and sheroes. And perhaps even harder
to pinpoint just whose work is slanted, paid-for and dishonest.
Blockchain: Life on the Ledger
-
Originally posted on Wrench in the Gears:
I created this video as a follow up to the one I prepared last year on
Social Impact Bonds. It is time to examine...
New Local Businesses in Sacramento
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Starting a new local business in Sacramento is a monumental task, but can
be accomplished with footwork, perseverance and knowledge. One must learn
the loc...
Lesson Plan: Rhyme and Rhythm in Poetry
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I’ve started a recent unit on poetry with my class. I’m not a poet, and I’m
not a poetry fan (I don’t hate it, but I’m a prose gal), so this makes it
harde...
The Apotheosis of Betsy DeVos
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Betsy Devos has drawn few headlines in recent months, and that is a good
thing for the Secretary of Education. Her tenure began with Vice President
Mike P...
Education Is a Civic Question
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In their final post to end Bridging Differences' decade-long run, Deborah
Meier and Harry Boyte urge readers to put the energy, talents, wisdom, and
hard w...
Site News: New Home for Education News & Commentary
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Quick! Get over there! The daily education news roundup and education
commentaries that you're probably looking for are now being published over
at The Gra...
Should We Be Grateful?
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In an odd turn of events, and with little explanation, Michigan Governor
Rick Snyder has decided to return the state’s School Reform Office back to
the Dep...
An Open Letter to NC Lawmakers
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An Open Letter to NC State Lawmakers and NC State Superintendent Mark
Johnson: I am a NC native, voter, and public school teacher. I am
addressing you all ...
The Secret to Fixing Schools (My Next Bestseller)
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The Secret to Fixing Schools (My next bestseller) Prologue I just finished
watching a fascinating documentary on Netflix entitled, “The Secret”. The
film p...
Farewell, Sleep
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Today is the official last day of my spring break. I've done a scientific
survey: My natural bedtime is 2 AM, and my natural wake up time is 9:41
AM. Tom...
REPORT: States With the Best and Worst Schools
-
States With the Best (and Worst)Schools
By *Evan Comen, Michael B. Sauter, Samuel Stebbins and Thomas C. Frohlich*
January 20, 2017- http://247wallst.com
...
Test Refusal = People Power
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In recent months, social media has been ablaze with talk of regular folk
taking action to resist the Trump agenda. Protests are a daily occurrence,
and ev...
Random Musings and Observations. . . .
-
I’ve been gone a while from the blogging scene. Some of my more regular
readers no doubt noticed but did not hassle me about it. Thank you for
that. Sinc...
AB 934: A LEGISLATIVE FIX FOR VERGARA?
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By Michael Stratford | in the Politco Morning Education Report | via email
05/24/2016 10:00 AM EDT :: Two national education groups are backing a
Califor...
MY NEW BLOG
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My new blog will consist of fictitious headlines, meant to be a blend of
humor and satire. I apologize ahead of time if any other satirical site has
simila...
Thank you
-
Dear Readers,
Thank you for visiting *The Perimeter Primate*. This blog is being retired
for the time being. Although I no longer post here, I do still s...
I am Retiring
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I have some news: I am retiring from the PBS NewsHour and Learning Matters.
[[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other
conte...
New Beginnings: Kickstarter and EdWeek Teacher
-
Greetings to InterACT readers one and all! If you’ve been following posts
here recently you might recall that I’m moving my blogging activity to
other loca...
Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School
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*“With Adelaide L. Sanford Charter School closing, Newark families must
move on.”* The Star-Ledger (NJ), 6/25/2013
NEWARK — Bobby and Troy Shanks saw the...
Fresh Air, the iconic NPR interview show with Terry Gross, has just put its archive of all past shows online . Many, though not all, also have their written transcripts available. Plus, you can easily create playlists and share them, too. So much to listen to, so little time….
Regular readers know that I’ve been recording ten-minute radio shows to accompany my Education Week Teacher columns for several years. I interview one-to-four educators who contribute to each column. I’ll be starting up a new season later this month. In the meantime, though, you can listen to two-hundred previous shows at All My BAM Radio Shows – Linked With Descriptions . \
Here are some new additions to The Best Sites To Learn About Climate Change : The BBC has a 3D map that shows the climate from the past 100 years in a location and then projects its climate for the next century. It’s called How Much Warmer is your City? The University of Maryland has created a somewhat similar interactive map projecting the climate sixty years into the future. Here’s a video talk
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! l ist… This post originally appeared in 2015. I just don’t understand why some researchers spend so much time trying to debunk the value of deliberate practice. Another big study was released this week (thanks to Dylan Wiliam for the tip). Rethinking Expertise: A Multifactorial Gene–Environment Interactio
StockSnap / Pixabay I’m adding this video segment from tonight’s PBS NewsHour to The Best Websites For Learning About Civic Participation & Citizenship :
(Note: I am going to publish this same post once each month to remind regular readers and inform newer ones about how to access my “Best” lists) As regular readers know, I have about 2,000 categorized and regularly updated “Best” lists. You can find all of them in broad categories here . The link to that page can also be found at the top right of my blog: My Best Of Series I also have them all on
I’m fairly active on Pinterest and, in fact, have curated 19,000 resources there that I haven’t shared on this blog. I thought readers might find it useful if I began sharing a handful of my most recent “pins” each week (I’m not sure if you can see them through an RSS Reader – you might have to click through to the original post). You might also be interested in My Seven Most Popular Pins In 2018
KlausHausmann / Pixabay As The New York Times writes : Four hundred years ago, on August 20, 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown. Though America did not even exist yet, their arrival marked its foundation, the beginning of the system of slavery on which the country was built. There will be a lot of new resources coming online over the next two weeks, and I’ll
Mocho / Pixabay Edublogs is a great blog-hosting problem, and I highly recommend them. That being said, they’re still trying to fix a bug that now-and-then takes this blog off-line and gives a message saying “No Posts Found” when you come here. It started six weeks ago, and they’re still working hard to nail down the problem. It’s affecting other, though not all, blogs hosted on their platform. W
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… This post originally appeared in 2011. WikiImages / Pixabay The New York Times has a fascinating article today about Lincoln and The Mormons . It explains that he basically made a deal to leave them alone and they left him alone. This is what he told a Mormon leader: When I was a boy on the farm in
I’ve shared a lot about how various institutions crowdsource transcribing historical handwritten text, and how that kind of project can make history come alive for students (see The Best Sites Where Students Can Transcribe Historical Texts ). The Smithsonian now has a project that lets people listen to historical audio recordings and asks them to transcribe what they hear. It seems pretty cool –
How Can We Promote Resilience in the Classroom? is the new question of the week at my Education Week Teacher column. Feel free to leave responses in the comments section there or here…
BiljaST / Pixabay Five years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2019 – PART ONE. . Also, check out A Collection Of My Best Resources On Teaching English Language Learn
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… This post originally appeared in 2011. waldryano / Pixabay A few days ago I wrote a post titled Emphasizing Pride, Not Shame, In Classroom Management . In it, among other things, I shared some of the things I say to students if I know they are going to have a sub the following day. A friend saw the
I’m making a change in the content of the regular feature. In addition to sharing the top five posts that have received the most “hits” in the preceding seven days (though they may have originally been published on an earlier date), I will also include the top five posts that have actually appeared in the past week. Often, these are different posts. You might also be interested in IT’S THE TWELFT
Kunnasberg / Pixabay The American Institutes of Research just released a study finding that a program called Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) was very effective at improving academic progress for ninth-graders and enhancing their connection to school. Here’s how Ed Week summarized the program : …incoming freshmen are grouped into cohorts of about 30 students who take the same reading, math,
TheAndrasBarta / Pixabay I’ve previously shared Two Decent Videos About The European Union. They are still the ones I’d use in my Geography class. However, if you want one that is decent, but more detailed, you might find this video that was just shared by The Atlantic to be a reasonable alternative:
geralt / Pixabay The California State Department of Education has just unveiled a proposed Ethnic Studies Curriculum . The Sacramento Bee has an excellent article about it: California ethnic studies curriculum would be a first in U.S. The state wants feedback Here’s the state announcement: California is committed to providing excellent educational opportunities to all students. Research shows tha
geralt / Pixabay The YouTube channel “Sprouts” has just published this animated over of the International Baccalaureate Program. It’s not an official IB production, but seems to give a decent overview. As regular readers know, I’ve taught IB’s Theory of Knowledge class for years and regularly share related resources on this blog. Following the video, I’ve added links to previous posts about IB th
Q&A Collections: Teaching English-Language Learners is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. All Classroom Q&A posts offering advice on Teaching English-Language Learners (from the past eight years!) are described and linked to in this compilation post. Here’s an excerpt from one of them:
amberzen / Pixabay There are a lot of places where students can help preserve history by transcribing historical texts, and they’re listed and described at The Best Sites Where Students Can Transcribe Historical Texts . The Library of Congress has just announced a project where they are inviting people to help them transcribe materials from the Women’s Suffrage Movement. You can also read more ab
geralt / Pixabay I’ve previously shared articles on lunch-shaming, including Over The Top, Ya’ Think? District Tells Parents Kids May Be Sent To Foster Care If Lunch Bill Not Paid. Tonight’s PBS NewsHour ran this segment on the topic:
Six years ago, in another somewhat futile attempt to reduce the backlog of resources I want to share, I began this occasional “” post where I share three or four links I think are particularly useful and related to…ed tech, including some Web 2.0 apps. You might also be interested in THE BEST ED TECH RESOURCES OF 2019 – PART ONE , as well as checking out all my edtech resources . You might also w
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… This post originally appeared in 2011. geralt / Pixabay I often write about helping students exercise, and be aware of, metacognition (see Another Lesson Combining Metacognition, Writing, Speaking, & Listening ) and include extensive lesson plans about it in my latest book . Also, of course, check o
Q&A Collections: Parent Engagement in Schools is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. All Classroom Q&A posts offering advice on Parent Engagement in Schools (from the past eight years!) are described and linked to in this compilation post. Here’s an excerpt from one of them:
Each week, I publish a post or two containing three or four particularly useful resources on classroom instruction, and you can see them all here. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES ON CLASS INSTRUCTION IN 2019 – PART ONE. Here are this week’s picks: Helping Students to See the Beauty in a Place Like Baltimore is from Crawling Out Of The Classroom. I’m adding it to The Best Ways T
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… This post originally appeared in 2012. picjumbo_com / Pixabay Readers know that I do my best to follow new research and explore — and experiment — with ways to apply their findings to the classroom (or, in some cases where I believe the process used is ethically questionable and of dubious value, cr
A new study finds that, though African American male students tend to receive more severe consequences than their white peers when it comes to classroom discipline issues, they also receive fewer warnings leading up to them. Here’s another excerpt from the Science Daily article, Black students receive fewer warnings from teachers about misbehavior: “While at first glance, disparities in teacher w
Poverty USA is from the Campaign For Human Development, and shows different poverty-related statistics for each county in the United States. I’m adding it to The Best Visualizations Of Poverty In The U.S. & Around The World . Thanks to Google Maps Mania for the tip.
WikiImages / Pixabay This infographic came from Statista : Earth Overshoot Day came on July 29 this year. This is the second time the day, which marks the time at which humanity has used up its allotment of natural planetary resources for the year, occurred in the month. It had occurred in August between 2010 and 2017. I’m adding it to The Best Interactives Showing How Long Our Non-Renewables Wil
Here are some recent useful posts and articles on educational policy issues (You might also be interested in THE BEST ARTICLES, VIDEOS & POSTS ON EDUCATION POLICY IN 2019 – PART ONE ): WHY ARE MORE SCHOOLS GOING AFTER FAMILIES FOR LUNCH DEBT? is from PS Magazine. How segregation keeps poor students of color out of whiter, richer nearby districts is from Vox. I’m adding it to The Best Resources Fo
Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay The Guardian published a fun article on Venn Diagrams today , and I thought it would be a good excuse to publish a related “Best” list. Of course, I’ve published a bunch of post s explaining different ways I use Venn Diagrams in lessons. This eclectic collection, though, is more on the humorous or unique side, along with a couple of particularly useful ones thro
Show Me the Money! Ways Teachers Can Raise Funds for Their Classrooms is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Suggestions on how teachers can raise private monies to support their classroom are offered by Alfonso Gonzalez, Holly Spinelli, Susan Lafond, Amanda Koonlaba, and Barbara Gottschalk. Here are some excerpts: I’m adding it to my other resources on education funding .
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… mcpdigital / Pixabay In this video, some ducklings were able to get over the curb on their own. However, several found that it was just too high. Look at how someone provides assistance to those having trouble, and how he doesn’t tell them what to do. Instead, he offers it as an option, as a choice
I’m a data scientist who is skeptical about data is an interesting article at Quartz by Andrea Jones-Rooy. She goes on to say: When you encounter a study or dataset, I urge you to ask: What might be missing from this picture? What’s another way to consider what happened? And what does this particular measure rule in, rule out, or incentivize? I’m adding it to The Best Resources Showing Why We Nee
I have just learned about Wordwall from ELT Planning, which has a great post about it In fact, I think the post provides a better explanation of Wordwall than the actual site does! The screenshot above shows all the different templates you can use for creating games, and you can assign them to students (you’re given an url address to share) and get their results. There are also a zillion other ga
Author Interview: ‘The Right Tools’ is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. In it, Towanda Harris answers a few questions about her new book, “The Right Tools: A Guide to Selecting, Evaluating, and Implementing Classroom Resources and Practices.” Here are some excerpts:
janeb13 / Pixabay The American Battle Monuments Commission has tons of interactives related to both World War I and World War II. The best ones are: The Great War: A Visual History World War II: A Visual History I’m adding them to: The Best Resources For Learning About World War I The Best Online Resources For Teaching & Learning About World War II (Part Two)
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… www_slon_pics / Pixabay “What I Cannot Create, I Do Not Understand” That’s what was on Nobel-Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman’s blackboard when he died . I found this image in an article at Scientific American titled Hunters of Myths: Why Our Brains Love Origins . The entire article is somewh
PhotoMIX-Company / Pixabay I used to post weekly collections of my best tweets, and used Storify to bring them together. Unfortunately, Storify went under. Fortunately, however, Wakelet was a new tool that was able to import all of a person’s Storifys. So you can see all those previous Twitter “Best” lists here . I don’t want to risk putting all the work into those posts again and risk losing the
AbsolutVision / Pixabay The Heath brothers have written a number of books that can be applied to education. I’ve previously posted about an animated description of one of them: Video: “DECISIVE by Chip and Dan Heath –