Why education technology can’t save remote learning - Axios

Why education technology can’t save remote learning - Axios

Why education technology can’t save remote learning

The coronavirus-sparked shift to widespread remote work has been generally smooth because most modern offices were already using a raft of communication, collaboration and administrative tools. Remote learning has faced a much rougher transition.

Why it matters: Even the best technology can't eliminate the inherent problems of virtual schooling. Several key technological stumbling blocks have persisted in keeping remote learning from meeting its full potential, experts tell Axios.

1. The needs of IT departments and students can be at odds. A university's chief information officer or a school's IT administrator judge software on how secure it is; how well it integrates with other systems; and how easy it is for an administrator to control. Student users just want a simple interface and features that make learning easier.

• "That gap is a source of a lot of issues and the continued success of legacy software in education," said Peter Reinhardt, CEO of Segment, which focused on education technology before pivoting to be a customer data platform.
• Ed tech has become a tough area for startups and capital investment because risk-averse school tech administrators tend to stick with software they, or their counterparts in other districts or institutions, are already using.

2. Existing tech can't just be grafted onto remote learning. "The variety of the tools we use in business... were designed for business and not students," said Eric Reicin, president and CEO of BBB National Programs, which oversees advertising and privacy practices for businesses.

• That means products like Zoom or Slack or Microsoft Teams that have been vital for keeping offices going during the pandemic may be ill-suited for young students, who may struggle with usability and their own attention spans.
• But it also means that these sorts of tools may not comply with existing guidelines and requirements schools and districts have for the tech they're able to use, which can vary considerably across different counties and states.

3. The digital divide looms over everything. Low-income students have less access to devices CONTINUE READING: Why education technology can’t save remote learning - Axios

Commonweal: Stop Using Catholic Schools to Shame Public Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog

Commonweal: Stop Using Catholic Schools to Shame Public Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog

Commonweal: Stop Using Catholic Schools to Shame Public Schools

There was a time long ago when public schools were thriving, and Catholic schools were also thriving. They were not in competition for students or money. But as our financial demands began pressing on both sectors, Catholic schools began closing and struggling to survive. Among rightwing ideologues, it became conventional to proclaim Catholic schools as “better” than public schools because they were free to kick out the students they didn’t want.

Mollie Wilson O’Reilly, an editor at Commonweal, calls on certain tabloids (i.e. Rupert Murdoch’s New York Post) to stop using Catholic schools to shame public schools. She hearkens back to that long-ago ethic when the different sectors served different populations and knew it.

The Post is unlikely to cease its attacks on the city’s public schools, because Murdoch loves school choice and lionizes charter schools. The Post eagerly prints press releases from Success Academy without ever bothering to fact-check or to acknowledge that SA is an exemplar of high attrition rates and high teacher-turnover rates.

O’Reilly writes (and this is only part of her article):

I can’t comment on the soundness of the decisions being CONTINUE READING: Commonweal: Stop Using Catholic Schools to Shame Public Schools | Diane Ravitch's blog

Teacher Tom: "The Supposition that Every Child is a Kind of Idiot Who Must be Taught to Think"

Teacher Tom: "The Supposition that Every Child is a Kind of Idiot Who Must be Taught to Think"

"The Supposition that Every Child is a Kind of Idiot Who Must be Taught to Think"

Much of what passes for education, not just in the US, but around the world, starts with the premise that children aren't all that bright, that they are essentially lazy, and that they can't be trusted to know what's best for themselves. Of course, few of us would admit to thinking such thoughts about preschoolers, but there are plenty of adults who will authoritatively assert these criticisms about older children, like teenagers.

Having worked with young children for most of my adult life, I can assure you that every one of them is a genius (a conclusion that is supported by NASA), they are far less inclined toward laziness (if it even exits) than most adults I know, and concerning matters beyond safety, schedules, and courtesy, who am I to tell a child that I know better? The teenagers I've known don't tick any of those stereotyped boxes either, but even if I stipulate that the haters are correct, that many, if not most, teens are ignorant, lazy, and self-destructive, then my question is: How did they get that way? I mean, honestly, how did they un-learn their genius, their motivation, and their ability to make good decisions for CONTINUE READING: Teacher Tom: "The Supposition that Every Child is a Kind of Idiot Who Must be Taught to Think"

Texas schools tell teachers with medical risks to return to classrooms | The Texas Tribune

Texas schools tell teachers with medical risks to return to classrooms | The Texas Tribune

Texas schools tell teachers with medical risks they must return to classrooms during the pandemic

Several school districts are trying to accommodate teachers with health conditions who want to work from home, but many are being called back in as more students return to classrooms.

Need to stay updated on coronavirus news in Texas? Our evening roundup will help you stay on top of the day's latest updates. Sign up here.

After several miscarriages over the last few years, Joy Tucker is finally pregnant with her third child at the age of 37.

A school counselor at the Houston-based Windmill Lakes campus at the International Leadership of Texas charter school, Tucker talked to her doctor about the risks she and her child would face if she were to contract COVID-19 from students or other employees. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warns that pregnant people may be at an increased risk of severe COVID-19 illness, or even preterm birth. At her doctor’s recommendation, Tucker turned in a note asking her school if she could work remotely.

School leaders denied that request, saying she would have to return to work in person in September. If not, Tucker would have to use the rest of her paid leave to remain home, leaving her no time to recover after the baby’s birth. Her options quickly dwindling and her baby due in January, Tucker lawyered up and filed a grievance with the school district.

“I want nothing more than to go back to work and be with my kids,” said Tucker, who chose to use paid leave instead of returning in September. “If I have to choose between mine and my baby’s life, or going to work in a situation where we could get sick or we could die, there’s no choice to make — I have to stay home.”

Caitlin Madison, a spokesperson for the charter school, declined to comment on Tucker’s case but said, “since this school year started, the ILTexas policy has been that if we have students on campus, then we need to have our employees on campus as well.” About 28% of students in the district have chosen to return to campus.

“The only work-from-home exception for campus staff has been if they are sick with COVID or were potentially exposed to COVID and require a 14-day quarantine,” she added.

International Leadership of Texas is one of a number of Texas schools denying some CONTINUE READING: Texas schools tell teachers with medical risks to return to classrooms | The Texas Tribune

Why Is McKeesport Area School District Still Open After COVID-19 Outbreak? | gadflyonthewallblog

Why Is McKeesport Area School District Still Open After COVID-19 Outbreak? | gadflyonthewallblog

Why Is McKeesport Area School District Still Open After COVID-19 Outbreak?

At least six staff members and students at McKeesport Area School District (MASD) tested positive for COVID-19 in the last week alone.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Education (PDE) Website, two or more cases in a school building within a 14-day period call for some sort of closure to ensure the safety of students and staff.

So why are none of the district buildings closed?

The western Pennsylvania district located southeast of Pittsburgh reopened on a hybrid schedule on Sept. 2 with about a third of parents opting to keep their children out of the buildings and in the district-run cyber program.

Since then, finding concrete information about Coronavirus infections at our public schools – MASD or others – has not been an easy task.

Local newspapers only occasionally report on them and rarely put single incidents in context. Nor is there any government or other comprehensive database that collects CONTINUE READING: Why Is McKeesport Area School District Still Open After COVID-19 Outbreak? | gadflyonthewallblog

USDA Q&As Relating to the Nationwide Waiver + 2020–21 Seamless Summer Site Application Updates - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

USDA Q&As Relating to the Nationwide Waiver - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

USDA Q&As Relating to the Nationwide Waiver

Coronavirus (COVID-19) Main Web Page

On October 14, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) issued Policy Memorandum SP 01-2021, CACFP 01-2021, SFSP 01-2021: Questions and Answers (Q&As) Relating to the Nationwide Waiver to Allow Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) and Seamless Summer Option (SSO) Operations through School Year 2020–2021 – EXTENSION – Q&As #2. The Policy Memorandum provides clarification related to the operation of the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, SSO, SFSP, and Child and Adult Care Food Program (CACFP) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Topics include transition to the SSO or SFSP, closed enrolled sites, eligibility carryover, afterschool snack service, At Risk offsite and onsite care flexibilities, and weekend meal service.

More information will be shared during the next Tuesdays @ 2 School Nutrition Town Hall on October 20, 2020.

No California Department of Education management bulletin will be forthcoming.

Contact Information

If you have any questions regarding the waiver, please contact your Child Nutrition Program’s County Specialist. The County Specialist for each program can be found in the following Form IDs in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System Download Forms section:

• CACFP: Form ID, CACFP 01
• School Nutrition Programs: Form ID, Caseload
• SFSP: Form ID, SFSP 01

Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609

USDA Q&As Relating to the Nationwide Waiver - Nutrition (CA Dept of Education)

2020–21 Seamless Summer Site Application Updates

Main Coronavirus (COVID-19) Web Page

On Friday, October 9, 2020, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the extension of twelve Nationwide COVID-19 waivers. These waivers extend program flexibilities, including the option to serve meals through the Summer Meal Programs, until June 30, 2021.

The California Department of Education (CDE) Nutrition Services Division (NSD) recognizes that these extensions will require School Food Authorities (SFA) to once again update School Nutrition Program (SNP) site applications in the Child Nutrition Information and Payment System (CNIPS).

For many SFAs, these updates will represent the third SNP site application update that has been submitted in CNIPS during this School Year (SY). In an effort to prioritize application review and approval, the CDE NSD requests that SFAs with approved site applications that are dated through December 31, 2020 please refrain from submitting additional site updates for the period of January 1, 2021 through June 30, 2021 at this time. The CDE NSD will advise when SFAs in this circumstance should begin to update site applications for the remainder of the SY.

SFAs that have an application dated through December 31, 2020 that is still awaiting approval can expect to have these applications returned by their SNP Specialist. The CDE NSD requests that these SFAs update site applications to reflect program operations for the duration of the SY. This approach will ensure that multiple versions of site applications will not need to reviewed and approved for SFAs in this situation.

The CDE NSD appreciates your patience and flexibility on this approach as we continue through these unprecedented times.

Resources and Contact Information

If you have any questions or need assistance regarding SNP site applications, please contact your SNP Specialist. The SNP Specialist list is available in the CNIPS Download Forms section, Form ID Caseload. You may also contact an SNP Office Technician by phone at 916-322-3005 or 916-322-1450, or call 800-952-5609, Option 2, to be directed to your SNP Specialist.

For CNIPS technical questions, please contact the CNIPS Help Desk by phone at 800-952-5609, Option 6, or by email at cnips@cde.ca.gov.

Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609

2020–21 Seamless Summer Site Application Updates

Stephen Dyer Evaluates Flawed Fordham Charter Report | Diane Ravitch's blog

Stephen Dyer Evaluates Flawed Fordham Charter Report | Diane Ravitch's blog

Stephen Dyer Evaluates Flawed Fordham Charter Report

The Thomas B. Fordham Institute released a report on Ohio charters, claiming that they were very successful. (TBF is a rightwing organization that supports charters and vouchers.) The Columbus Dispatch wrote that the report demonstrated that charter schools in Ohio are more successful than the state’s public schools. But Stephen Dyer reviewed the report and concluded that its findings are based on cherrypicking schools and manipulating data. In fact, he writes, Ohio’s charter sector continues to be low-performing compared to the state’s public schools, whose students lose funding to charters. The state has recently taken almost $900 million annually from its public schools to pay for a mediocre charter sector.

Dyer is a former state legislator who has written often about the charter industry. He is now Director of Government Relations, Communications and Marketing at the Ohio Education Association. (I served on the board of the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation/Institute from 1998-2009).

He writes:

Fordham Strikes Again

Cherry picking schools; manipulating data; grasping at straws

Look, the Fordham Institute has been improving lately, calling for more charter school oversight and talking a good game. But I guess sometimes old habits die hard, and in Ohio – the cradle of the for-profit charter school CONTINUE READING: Stephen Dyer Evaluates Flawed Fordham Charter Report | Diane Ravitch's blog

NYC Public School Parents: Today's Contract Committee meeting - disappointing with few questions & confusing answers from DOE

NYC Public School Parents: Today's Contract Committee meeting - disappointing with few questions & confusing answers from DOE

Today's Contract Committee meeting - disappointing with few questions & confusing answers from DOE

Above is the video from today's Contract Committee of the Panel for Educational Policy. It was a short meeting, mostly composed of Charlotte Hamamgian, the DOE Executive Director of Contracts and Purchasing, reading aloud the list of summaries of all the different contracts, which together cost about  $400 million this month. Only two PEP members asked questions, Kathy Park Price with a quick follow-up from Isaac Carmignani; unclear how many others listened in or if there was a quorum.

It was extremely disconcerting how the most elementary questions about the busing contracts were responded to with confusing, inadequate and sometimes downright contradictory responses from the DOE officials in charge. including Lindsey Oates, the DOE CFO and Sean Fitzpatrick, the executive director of the city Department of Education's pupil transportation unit.

• When Kathy asked about how much was paid to busing for the entire month of Sept. when schools were closed till Sept. 29, Lindsey Oates said 100% payments were made; adding that one or two days may have been at 85%.  Then Sean Fitzpatrick interjected to say that DOE paid Sept. 23 and 24 at the 85% rate, but after that at CONTINUE READING: NYC Public School Parents: Today's Contract Committee meeting - disappointing with few questions & confusing answers from DOE

Testimony on Attendance Reporting Bills | Class Size Matters | A clearinghouse for information on class size & the proven benefits of smaller classes

Testimony on Attendance Reporting Bills | Class Size Matters  | A clearinghouse for information on class size & the proven benefits of smaller classes

Testimony on Attendance Reporting Bills

The NYC Council Education and Health Committees held oversight hearings on October 16 on the reopening of schools, as well as two proposed bills to require detailed attendance reporting: Int. 2058 and Int. 2104. Below is my testimony on the issue of class size and how to sharpen these bills to require more precise and disaggregated reporting on the three kinds of instruction students are receiving: in-person face-to-face learning, blended online learning, and full-time remote learning.

The most depressing statistic revealed at the hearings: 77,000 students still don’t have access to devices for remote learning.

The DOE also failed to provide any data on how many students are attending school in-person only to receive instruction on their computers, how many more teachers are needed to staff all three types of programs sufficiently, and/or how many houseless students have logged into any sort of online classes.

The most hopeful finding: Only 0.2% of students and staff randomly tested randomly so far in the public schools have been shown to be positive for COVID-19; more on this here. Dr. Jay Varma, the Senior Advisor for Public Health to the Mayor, also revealed at the hearings that their estimates of the actual current COVID-19 infection rate in NYC is between 0.1-0.7% –rather than the much higher positivity rate which according to the state is 1.3%, and according to the city is 2.17%, which instead reflects how many New Yorkers have tested positive at any one time.

Testimony on Attendance Reporting Bills | Class Size Matters  | A clearinghouse for information on class size & the proven benefits of smaller classes

THE PRIDE OF OVERTON CLUSTER – Dad Gone Wild

THE PRIDE OF OVERTON CLUSTER – Dad Gone Wild

THE PRIDE OF OVERTON CLUSTER

“What we see changes what we know. What we know changes what we see.”
― Jean Piaget

It was a deep hit ball to the outfield. As the ball traveled towards the wall, the outfielder moved towards it. Tracking its movements with his own. At the perfect moment, he lept high, glove meeting ball at its apex. Robbed! What was a sure home run, was suddenly just a long out.

The outfielder might have been cool in his reaction, but in a living room, in Nashville, a 10-year old boy lept from the couch screaming, “MMMMOOOOOOOOKKKIIIEEE!!!!”

The outfielder in question was Dodger outfielder Mookie Betts. The 2018 National League MVP selection. The game was game 7 of the National League Championship. It was the fifth inning and at the time Bett’s team, the Dodgers, were trailing by a run. Seeing as the Dodger’s only won by one run, some might say they wouldn’t be going to the World Series without that catch. Keep in mind that’s an 8-foot fence and Betts is only 5’9.

The rest of the country might have thought what they were seeing was something out of the ordinary, but here in South Nashville we’d tell them, “Nah, that’s just Mookie.”

Bett’s you see is the proud product of Overton High School. That’s right, public school Overton High School. Not BGA, or MBA, or and of the other private schools that regularly snap up all the CONTINUE READING: THE PRIDE OF OVERTON CLUSTER – Dad Gone Wild

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007

A VERY BUSY DAY
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...
The latest news and resources in education since 2007

Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/10/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_17.html

“The Do’s & Don’ts of Hybrid Teaching”

by Larry Ferlazzo / 11h

The Do’s & Don’ts of Hybrid Teaching is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Three educators offer lessons from their hybrid teaching experience, including emphasizing differentiation and “flipping” the classroom. Here are some excerpts:

Research Studies Of The Week

by Larry Ferlazzo / 11h

I often write about research studies from various fields and how they can be applied to the classroom. I write individual posts about ones that I think are especially significant, and will continue to do so. However, so many studies are published that it’s hard to keep up. So I’ve started writing a “round-up” of some of them each week or every other week as a regular feature . By the way, you mig

Tuesday’s Must-Read Articles & Must-Watch Videos On School Reopening

by Larry Ferlazzo / 11h

Prawny / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : Surprising Results in Initial Virus Testing in N.Y.C. Schools is from The NY Times. ‘Historical failure’: Thousands of students being left behind by Sacramento school district is from The Sacramento Bee. Tens of thousands of students—likely a lot more—have not been logging into their vir

Oct. 4th Is United Nations Day – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources

by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h

Chickenonline / Pixabay October 24th marks the seventy-fifth anniversary of the United Nations. You might be interested in The Best Sites For Learning About United Nations Day .

All My “Best” Lists Offering Multilingual Resources

by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h

ryantbarnettusu / Pixabay I have over 2,100 frequently revised and updated “Best” lists on just about every subject imaginable, and you can find them listed three different ways in three different places (see Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists ). I’m starting to publish a series where each day I will highlight the “Best” lists in a separate category. Today, it’s on Multili

“Readers Respond: Should Politics Be Kept Out of the Classroom?”

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

Readers Respond: Should Politics Be Kept Out of the Classroom? is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Many readers share their responses to the question of politics in the classroom, ranging from the importance of separating it from “partisanship” to stating that “teaching is political.” Here are some excerpts:

Monday’s Must-Read Articles On School Reopening

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

Skitterphoto / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : California teacher unions fight calls to reopen schools is from The L.A. Times. ‘Out of Control’: When Schools Opened in a Virus Hot Spot is from The NY Times. Remote learning is deepening the divide between rich and poor is from The Washington Post. CDC Offers Cautions, Guidance f

The National Day Of Writing Is On Oct. 20th – Here Are 37 Related Teaching & Learning “Best” Lists

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

Free-Photos / Pixabay From The National Council Of Teachers Of English : Writing is an important part of life. It helps us communicate and work with each other, supports our learning, and helps us remember. The National Day on Writing® celebrates writing—and the many places, reasons, and ways we write each day—as an essential component of literacy. Since 2009, #WhyIWrite has encouraged thousands

The Best Social Studies Websites – 2020

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

The end-of-the-year “Best” lists continue. I’m adding this one to ALL END-OF-YEAR “BEST” LISTS FOR 2020 IN ONE PLACE! You can see all previous Social Studies lists here . Here picks for this year: HERE’S THE “COLUMBUS DAY” LESSON I DID WITH MY ELL HISTORY CLASS THE BEST RESOURCES FOR TEACHING & LEARNING ABOUT HOW THE STOCK MARKET WORKS FREE NY TIMES SUBSCRIPTIONS FOR ANY US HIGH SCHOOL TEACHER &

Everything You Wanted To Know About Teaching With Movies & Video Clips But Were Afraid To Ask

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

15299 / Pixabay I have over 2,100 frequently revised and updated “Best” lists on just about every subject imaginable, and you can find them listed three different ways in three different places (see Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists ). I’m starting to publish a series where each day I will highlight the “Best” lists in a separate category. Today, it’s on Teaching With Mov

What Is The Most Simple & Best Lesson You Have Done On Information Literacy & “Fake News”?

by Larry Ferlazzo / 2d

pixel2013 / Pixabay I want to teach a lesson on information literacy/fake news to my IB Theory of Knowledge class in a week or so. I have a ton of ideas at The Best Tools & Lessons For Teaching Information Literacy – Help Me Find 

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007