Remembrance
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John-David Brown (April 28, 1961 - June 3, 1987)
Bertha Brown (June 19, 1896 - August 19, 1987)
Dorothy Brown (December 19, 1925 - December 30, 1990)
...
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...
THE POLITICAL GENERATION GAP: WHAT'S NEXT?
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*THE POLITICAL GENERATION GAP*
*WHAT'S NEXT?*
Ah, the generation gap—a perennial favorite topic for debate, eye-rolling,
and Thanksgiving dinner argu...
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...
ICYMI: Three More Sleeps Edition (12/22)
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If your household calendar is tied to the school calendar, your holiday is
likely under way. If your calendar is like ours, you are running a tad
behind ...
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...
"Gross National Happiness"
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The small, landlocked South Asian Kingdom of Bhutan uses an index called
"Gross National Happiness" to guide all of it's economic and development
plans....
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...
The Amazing Power of Snowpants
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It started out as a simple Facebook dispatch from Detroit Public Schools
teacher Ann Turner (now retired), an early childhood educator, on the day
after so...
UFT Retirees: Be Very, Very Concerned!
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Retirees,
You need to pay attention. You're being manipulated by the new leadership
of your chapter.
Before I go on, let me make one thing clear: I have ...
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...
Linda McMahon’s Fresh WWE Lawsuit
-
On November 19, 2024, President-elect Donald Trump selected Linda McMahon
as his choice to lead (or rather, to dismantle) the US Department of
Education. N...
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.
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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
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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?
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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
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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
-
*“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...
SchoolPRPro / Pixabay My friend and colleague Katherine Bell did a survey of our students, and their reflections about distance learning have just been published by The Washington Post at From ‘pretty good’ to ‘really difficult’ — students at one high school talk about online learning during the pandemic. You might also be interested in a similar four-part series I recently did at Education Week
Atlantios / Pixabay May 22nd has been named The International Day for Biological Diversity by the United Nations. Started in 2006 by the U.S. Congress, Endangered Species Day is the third Friday of May. You might be interested in The Best Resources For World Biodiversity Day (& Endangered Species Day) .
Adapting Social Studies for Remote Teaching is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Three social studies teachers share the instructional strategies they are using in distance learning, including project-
Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay I wouldn’t add it to The Best Commencement Speeches , but this compilation of speech excerpts for this year has some good ones:
Sacramento’s public television has a weekly half-hour discussion show called Studio Sacramento. Here’s how they describe today’s show, “School at Home”: Students are in school but they’re at their homes. How is at-home learning working for one district? Joining host Scott Syphax with an update from Sacramento City Unified School District are School Board President Jessie Ryan, Superintendent Jorg
PublicDomainPictures / Pixabay I have a zillion history-related “Best” lists. However, I thought it would be useful to bring together the different resources I use in my IB Theory of Knowledge classes when we study the “idea’ of history (I also use some of these in my actual history classes). I know I’m missing a ton of good stuff, so let me know what it is! Here they are: Excellent History Quest
priyampatel4 / Pixabay Here’s how National Geographic describes this new video: In March 2020, many cities and countries around the world went into lockdown, restricting movement and encouraging social distancing in an attempt to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Five filmmakers, Nick Moir, Veda Shastri, Alexia Webster, Felix Gaedtke, and Guglielmo Mattioli documented their cities under lockdown in 3
kreatikar / Pixabay The United Nations has designated May 21st at the World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development . You might be interested in a massive “Best” list: The Best Sites For Learning About The World’s Different Cultures .
Social Studies Instruction in the Age of the Coronavirus is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Five social studies teachers discuss their online instructional strategies, including emphasizing relevancy and maintaining high standards. Here are some excerpts:
I’m adding these new resources to various “Best” lists. You can find links to all of those many lists that relate to race and racism at “Best” Lists Of The Week: Resources For Teaching & Learning About Race & Racism: Asian Americans is the PBS site for the series of the same name. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Asian Pacific American Heritage Month . Improving Teacher Workforce Diversity is
The Centers For Disease Control released guides for reopening different sectors of society called Communities, Schools, Workplaces, and Events: Guidance for Where You Live, Work, Learn, Pray, and Play. One part of it was Interim Guidance for Administrators of US K-12 Schools and Child Care Programs . I might be missing something, but I’m not sure most districts are going to find it very helpful.
TheDigitalArtist / Pixabay The latest TED-Ed lesson and video is on “What is a coronavirus?” I’m adding it to A BEGINNING LIST OF THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS .
Eight 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 TWO , as well as checking out all my edtech resources . Here are this
qimono / Pixabay Schools are obviously going to have lots of challenges during the next school year (see A teacher predicts what his classroom (and others) will look like in the fall) . An additional issue is going to be getting substitute teachers. One challenge is going to be that – if we are teaching in a physical school – there will be far more teacher absences than there have been in the pas
Free-Photos / Pixabay Based on a survey done in Ed Week , the journal suggests that student engagement in distance learning is “plummeting.” My classes seem to holding fairly steady (especially in my live daily ELL Newcomers class), though a few in my IB Theory of Knowledge class who have been on the periphery from the start have pretty much disconnected. In an effort to “hold on” to what I have,
Tumisu / Pixabay We Might Have Gotten Remote Learning Wrong. We Can Still Fix This School Year is the headline of a new op-ed piece I’ve written for Education Week. It’s an expanded version of my previous post, ARE WE GOING ABOUT THIS WHOLE “DISTANCE LEARNING” THING ALL WRONG?
This is just the latest press attention to a huge issue they most of us teachers already know about… Imagine the stress and pressure going on in so many of our students’ homes right now. I’m adding this info to The Best Places To Learn What Impact A Teacher (& Outside Factors) Have On Student Achievement .
BedexpStock / Pixabay Ma Xi Lee, our district’s extraordinary Director of Social Emotional Learning, invited me to participate in this podcast . Here’s how she describes it: This week’s episode features important voices in our Sac City community- those of teachers. Teachers are critically important for students’ academic growth as well as their social and emotional well-being. Particularly during
Teach Current Events as ‘History in the Making’ is the headline of a new excerpt from The Social Studies Teacher’s Toolbox . It was published at Middleweb, and is authored by Elisabeth Johnson and Evelyn Ramos. The Social Studies Teacher’s Toolbox is one of three books Katie Hull and I have edited and were released last week. I’m adding this excerpt to a section where excerpts from all of them ar
Students’ Thoughts About Online Learning is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Seven high school students share their feelings about distance learning, especially compared with learning in person, and they aren’t pretty. Here are a few excerpts:
A meta-analysis of math and reading interventions targeting middle and high schools students experiencing academic difficulties found several interventions helpful, but found one that was not – offering incentives to students. It has a long title: Targeted school‐based interventions for improving reading and mathematics for students with, or at risk of, academic difficulties in Grades 7–12: A sys
Using Movement to Engagement Students In Traditional and Virtual Classrooms is the topic of my latest ten-minute BAM! Radio show. I’m joined by Valentina Gonzalez and Jenny Vo in the conversation, who have also contributed written commentaries to my Ed Week Teacher column. I’m adding this show to All My BAM Radio Shows – Linked With Descriptions .
A lot of sites have sprung up over the past two months offering lesson plans of varying qualities to teachers. Of all the ones I’ve seen so far, only two deserve to be added to The Best Places To Find Free (And Good) Lesson Plans On The Internet: National Museum of American History has a lot of very impressive lesson plans that can be used online or in the physical classroom. Science in the City
Wokandapix / Pixabay I have a number of regular weekly features (see HERE IS A LIST (WITH LINKS) OF ALL MY REGULAR WEEKLY FEATURES ). This is a relatively new addition to that list. Some of these resources will be added to The Best Advice On Teaching K-12 Online (If We Have To Because Of The Coronavirus) – Please Make More Suggestions ! and the best will go to The “Best Of The Best” Resources To
Katie Hull and I did a two-part video series with Ed Week on creating the conditions for encouraging student intrinsic motivation during remote learning. They just released Part One. I’m adding it to THE “BEST OF THE BEST” RESOURCES TO SUPPORT TEACHERS DEALING WITH SCHOOL CLOSURES . You can see a series of animated videos we on this topic on my videos page . You might also be interested in Best P
‘Challenges, Curiosity, Creativity, & Community’ in the Online Science Classroom is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Four science educators share online teaching tips, including having students conduct hands-on experiments at home and maintain scientific notebooks. Here are some excerpts:
BiljaST / Pixabay Six 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 and THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2019 – PART TWO. A
As regular readers know, three books following the format of our ELL Teacher’s Toolbox , and which Katie Hull and I edited , just came out (clicking on the covers below will lead you to their Amazon pages). And just as all the student hand-outs from our books are available free-of-charge, with no registration required, the same is true of these three. Just go to publisher’s webpages for each of t
TED-Talks just unveiled a neat project of inviting graduates and their supporters to record a message: Due to the outbreak of COVID-19, millions of students won’t have the opportunity to be honored at an in-person graduation this year. However, billions of us can still celebrate these students online. TED invites all members of the class of 2020 to record and share a #gradua TED talk . Let’s ligh
10-4: How to Reopen the Economy by Exploiting the Coronavirus’s Weak Spot is the headline of a pretty interesting article in The New York Times today. In it, some professors/researchers propose a strategy for re-opening the economy and schools. It’s definitely not one I’ve heard before now. I’m still not sure I fully understand it, but that may be only because it’s still very early in the morning
Science Instruction in the Age of the Coronavirus is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Four science educators share their experiences adapting to online instruction, including through collaborative learning and the use of online labs. Here are some excerpts:
I’m fairly active on Pinterest and, in fact, have curated 21,000 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 MOST POPULAR PINS OF 2019 Here
The upcoming question-of-the-week at my Ed Week Teacher column is: We all know end-of-year activities are important – what celebratory or reflective lessons do you have in mind? Let me know by Sunday, May 17th! Send your ideas – in 200 words or less – along with a one sentence biography to me through one of several ways: * By leaving a comment on this blog * By sending an email to me at at lferl
I’ve recently begun this weekly post where I’ll be sharing resources I’m adding to The Best Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Resources or other related “Best” lists. You might also be interested in THE BEST SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES OF 2019 – PART TWO Finally, check out “Best” Lists Of The Week: Social Emotional Learning Resources . Here are this week’s picks: Researcher Behind ‘10,000-H
I’ll be sharing lots of new and interesting resources over the next week. Here’s a list of what to expect: Over at Education Week, I’ll be finishing-up a two month focus on supporting teachers during the school closure crisis with series on virtually teaching science and social studies. After publishing over sixty posts during the past two months, including videos, written commentaries, infograph
geralt / Pixabay Contact tracing is the next key strategy in fighting COVID-19. Here are three new videos that do a very good job of simply explaining what that is and what it might look like. Also, at the bottom, I’ve included a useful video that compares this pandemic with the 1918 Spanish flu. I’m adding this post to A BEGINNING LIST OF THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS .
‘I Am Doing My Best’ – Teaching Math During the School Closure Crisis is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Four math educators offer advice about remote instruction, including providing more specific targets and cultivating home connections. Here are some excerpts:
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 THIRTE
What Have We Learned During the Rapid Transition to Remote Learning? is the title of my latest ten-minute BAM! Radio show. I’m joined by Ashley McCall, Claudia Leon, Elvis Epps and Lori Barber, who have also contributed to my Ed Week Teacher column. I’m adding this show to All My BAM Radio Shows – Linked With Descriptions .
Tumisu / Pixabay Yesterday, I shared my predictions of what the next school year might look like (see It’s Going To Be A New Classroom World In The Fall – Here Is What I Think It Might Look Like ). Today, I thought I’d write about what long-term changes COVID-19 might bring to schools – even after a