Saturday, October 15, 2011

We are here to make a better world - Abbie, The New Crew is on It! #OWS

"We are here to make a better world.

We ended the idea that you could send half-a-million soldiers around the world to fight a war that people do not support.

No amount of rationalization or blaming can preempt the moment of choice each of us brings to our situation here on this planet. The lesson of the '60s is that people who cared enough to do right could change history.

We didn't end racism but we ended legal segregation.

We ended the idea that women are second-class citizens.

We made the environment an issue that couldn't be avoided.

The big battles that we won cannot be reversed. We were young, self-righteous, reckless, hypocritical, brave, silly, headstrong and scared half to death.

And we were right."

Abbie Hoffman

About OCCUPY TOGETHER

September 23rd, 2011 · Sam · AnnouncementsComments Off

Welcome to OCCUPY TOGETHER, an unofficial hub for all of the events springing up across the country in solidarity with Occupy Wall St. As we have followed the news on facebook, twitter, and the various live feeds across the internet, we felt compelled to build a site that would help spread the word as more protests organize across the world. We hope to provide people with information about events that are organizing, ongoing, and building across the U.S. as we, the 99%, take action against the greed and corruption of the 1%.

We will only grow stronger in our solidarity and we will be heard, not just in New York, but in echoes across the world.

For more information about us, the movement, and answers to questions, please check out our FAQ.

Important note: Occupy Together will never ask for any monetary donations. We suggest that, if you want to donate monetarily, that you visit this site to help those who currentlyOccupy Wall St.

LIVE: Intro to Direct Democracy & Facilitation Training

October 14th, 2011 · Ella · Announcements15 comments

Today, Friday, October 14th, at 5:45EST there will be an Intro to Direct Democracy & Facilitation Training session streamed on the globalrevolution livestream channel. We encourage you all to tune in.

Q&A followup directly after, provided everything goes as planned. Spread the word!

If for some reason the technology fails, it’s also going to be recorded and uploaded for everyone to reference here: occupytogether.wikispot.org

EMERGENCY CALL TO ACTION:

October 13th, 2011 · Ella · Announcements23 comments

UPDATE: THE PEOPLE HAVE PREVAILED
Read about it on OccupyWallSt.org here!

Prevent the forcible closure of

Occupy Wall Street!

A Call to Action to Keep Our State Charter Free | Seattle Education

A Call to Action to Keep Our State Charter Free | Seattle Education:

A Call to Action to Keep Our State Charter Free

by seattleducation2011

Occupy Wall Street has resonated with people around the world. The young and the old, different religions,cultures and ethnicities, people from different educational backgrounds with completely different financial histories have taken to the streets today in Rome, Tokyo, Madrid, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, London, Dublin, Taiwan, the Philippines and Hong Kong.

If, in one of the wealthiest nations in the world, the United States, there is a child poverty rate of 21%, that is almost one-quarter of our nation’s children, one can imagine that for others the situation would be even worse.

Financial institutions and the hedge fund millionaires have managed to destroy the lives of people around the world and the world, the 99%, are pushing back.

These same people who destroyed our economy and that of other countries now want to privatize our educational system in the state of Washington as they have elsewhere in this country by way of charter schools.

We can change the world rearrange the world #ows

GRAHAM NASH
"Chicago"

So your brother's bound and gagged
And they've chained him to a chair
Won't you please come to chicago just to sing
In a land that's known as freedom how can such a thing be fair
Won't you please come to chicago for the help that we can bring

We can change the world rearrange the world
It's dying - to get better

Politicians sit yourselves down, there's nothing for you here
Won't you please come to chicago for a ride
Don't ask jack to help you `cause he'll turn the other ear
Won't you please come to chicago or else join the other side

We can change the world rearrange the world
It's dying - if you believe in justice
Dying - and if you believe in freedom
Dying - let a man live his own life
Dying - rules and regulations, who needs them open up the door

Somehow people must be free I hope the day comes soon
Won't you please come to chicago show your face
From the bottom of the ocean to the mountains of the moon
Won't you please come to chicago no one else can take your place

I Am the Ninety-Nine Percent, And Actually I’m Pissed « Cooperative Catalyst #ows

I Am the Ninety-Nine Percent, And Actually I’m Pissed « Cooperative Catalyst:

I Am the Ninety-Nine Percent, And Actually I’m Pissed

by John T. Spencer

So, a few days back, I wrote about privilige and power. It might have come across as complacent or sanctimonious. However, I want to make this really clear: I’m pissed.

I’m pissed that we continue to fund war without question while parents schools are stuck hawking “holiday paper” (because, you know, there are a ton of people buying Kwanza presents), candied hams and cookie dough.

I’m pissed that my students spend almost a quarter of the year taking tests and that the annual 30 hour test is longer than the Bar Exam, the MCATS, the teacher certification test and pretty much every other test required of adult professionals.

I’m pissed that the laws are formed by transnational corporations who create curriculum, “advise” on standards, push for accountability and then provide the resources, tutoring and conferences that help people reach a

School Tech Connect: I'm Guessing A Month

School Tech Connect: I'm Guessing A Month:

I'm Guessing A Month

by noreply@blogger.com (Tim)

Let's have a contest.

Let's guess how long it will be before Toni Preckwinkle decides to support some future Civic Committee--penned legislation that limits the IELRB's ability to rule on matters related to the length of the school day.

I'm guessing about month.

I know I need to let this go, but there have been developments lately as discouraging as Preckwinkle's rightward lurch on the pension issue. I'm going through my folder from the last election, and I have yet to find any evidence

Times They are a-Changin #ows

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - “In giving up a little control, Jobs found a lot more power”

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - “In giving up a little control, Jobs found a lot more power”:

“In giving up a little control, Jobs found a lot more power”

by Larry Ferlazzo

I have been astounded by how much has been written about Steve Jobs since his death and how little much of it actually said.

The New Yorker, though, had a very short piece which I think is the best I’ve read and has much we can all learn. It’s called How Steve Jobs Changed, and describes how one of the keys to Apple’s success was Jobs making compromises about how much control the company would have on its products. Instead of keeping it completely closed, as he initially insisted upon, Apple subsequently opened up the iPod to mp3 compatibility and let thousands of outside developers create apps for the iPhone and iPad.

The last line in the article, I think, is particularly useful for us teachers and others in education to keep in mind:

Daily Kos: 1 in 6 blogathon: Our children are unhealthy - poverty, food insecurity and obesity

Daily Kos: 1 in 6 blogathon: Our children are unhealthy - poverty, food insecurity and obesity:

1 in 6 blogathon: Our children are unhealthy - poverty, food insecurity and obesity

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

Our children are unhealthy. This is in part due to hunger and poverty. It is also due to poor diet and lack of exercise. Each day as I look at the students in our middle class school in the Maryland suburbs of the national capital city, I see the effect.

Obesity -

* Childhood obesity has more than tripled in the past 30 years.
* The percentage of children aged 6–11 years in the United States who were obese increased from 7% in 1980 to nearly 20% in 2008. Similarly, the percentage of adolescents aged 12–19 years who were obese increased from 5% to 18% over the same period.
* In 2008, more than one third of children and adolescents were overweight or obese.

The figures are from The Centers from Disease Control and the pattern has continued - the best estimate in

Live from Madison, Wisconsin's March to End the Wars #ows

Live from Madison, Wisconsin's March to End the Wars |:

Live from Madison, Wisconsin – The March to End the Wars

October 15, 2011

By bluecheddar

Today there will be an anti-war march from Library Mall at the UW Madison campus heading up to the Capitol. I’ll be setting up and *hopefully* will have some live content via this livestream. This march is sponsored by the Madison Area Peace Coalition and is Endorsed by AFSCME 171, the South Central Federation of Labor, and Occupy Madison. From MAPC “Gather at Library Mall at 11:30am. Come early if you need parking.March will begin after Noon. We will reach the top of State Street by quarter to 1:00 pm.”

Watch live streaming video from bluecheddarchannel at livestream.com

Why livestream?: I’m trying livestream today and hope to be parking my set-up fairly close to the top of State St. near the Capitol. I’ve rejected both justinTV

More from Occupy Wall St: Teaching About Direct Democracy « Outside the Cave #ows

More from Occupy Wall St: Teaching About Direct Democracy

by Stephen Lazar

One of the most powerful parts of visiting Occupy Wall Street is experiencing the Human Mic and direct democracy in place there. This morning, I came across this incredible video that captures both that I will be showing in class on Monday (via Zaheer Ali / @ZaheerAli):

Popout

As impressive as the video is, it’s important to remember this is a piece of propaganda put out by the movement. We’ve been working on sourcing the past week, so this will give students a great opportunity to try out their

How Florida Charter Schools Want to End Local Control | Scathing Purple Musings

How Florida Charter Schools Want to End Local Control | Scathing Purple Musings:

How Florida Charter Schools Want to End Local Control

by Bob Sikes

From the ever useful John O’Connor at State Impact Florida comes a story about local school boards rejecting charter school applications. Boards in Seminole , Polk and Clay counties have rejected charter school applications. In Polk, the state’s most powerful and well-connected charter group, Charter USA, will be appealing the boards rejection to the state’s Board of Education.

Charter Schools USA said it would appeal the Polk County decision to the state Board of Education. Attorney Ed Pozzouli criticized the school board for making this into a legal battle.
“One would ask why they would spend additional tax dollars to prevent a quality school to come into the community,” he told the Lakeland Ledger.

That’s rich. Pozzouli knows his spin will be reported and unchallenged. He furthermore knows that Polk’s school

RAND study of New Orleans schools gives anti-charter groups some ammunition | The Washington Independent

RAND study of New Orleans schools gives anti-charter groups some ammunition | The Washington Independent:

MorgueFile/arundo

RAND study of New Orleans schools gives anti-charter groups some ammunition

By admin | 10.14.11 | 4:47 pm

A new policy report from RAND takes a comprehensive look at the education scene in New Orleans, comparing the city’s many charter schools to traditional neighborhood schools.

The report relies on answers to a series of surveys sent out to principals asking about instructional time in the classroom, the length of the school year, satisfaction with alternative teacher accreditation pipelines like Teach For America and teacher professional development.

Here are some key findings, beginning with responses concerning educational manners:

• Charter schools average two fewer education days per year than traditional schools, 177 to 179.

• The instructional day was half an hour longer in traditional schools than charters, 7.6 to 7.1 The national average, according to National Center on Time and Learning, is 6.7 hours.

• On a scale of 1 to 4, teachers at charters averaged a 2.5 to the statement they can maintain discipline in the classroom; teachers from traditional schools averaged 1.9.

Some results are counter-intuitive, but the study seems to play into the hands of organizations and advocacy groups skeptical of charter schools as reliant on less qualified teachers and as contracting out transportation and nutritional services.

English for the Nursing Assistant

English for the Nursing Assistant:

Welcome!

This Web site is intended to help ESL learners prepare for their academic studies in becoming a Certified Nursing Assistant. In this Communication unit, you will have many opportunities to listen, take notes, practice speaking skills and learn the vocabulary necessary for a profession in the health care field.

Modern School: Gay Cannon Fodder

Modern School: Gay Cannon Fodder:

Gay Cannon Fodder

by Michael Dunn

In honor of the one-year anniversary of Modern School, I am reposting some of my favorite articles from the past year. The following was written when the repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell seemed imminent. Now it has finally happened. My commentary is still relevant.

Gay Cannon Fodder

From WikiCommons

Congress’ repeal of Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell is being celebrated by LGBT activists and liberals as

Schools Matter: Wake County's General Tata Pushing for Resegregation Plan to Be Apporoved Tuesday

Schools Matter: Wake County's General Tata Pushing for Resegregation Plan to Be Apporoved Tuesday:

Wake County's General Tata Pushing for Resegregation Plan to Be Apporoved Tuesday

by Jim Horn

The lame duck Tea Partiers who were trounced last week in the Wake County School Board races can't accept the fact that their brand of Jim Crow segregation is not popular, ethical, or even good for business in the Raleigh and Research Triangle, an area that prides itself for its diversity and top-notch schools.

In fact, the resegregationists say they cannot wait for the November 8 run-off to see if a diversity-friendly majority will be returned after the last two years of divisive turmoil instigated by the Tea Party Gang of Five. Despite voters' mass repudiation of their brand of John Birch politics, the Art Pope puppets have decided to push forward with putting the resegregation plan on Tuesday's agenda.

Eli Broad's superintendent, Gen. Tata, who was hired by Pope's Gang of Five, has now come out in support of

Parent Engagement Big Education Ape Style

Big Education Ape

A. P.arent E.ngaged

Engaging Parents and the Community since 2000

Get Involved Read Ed News Now!

Why YouTube Videos Will Never Replace Teachers - Education - GOOD

Why YouTube Videos Will Never Replace Teachers - Education - GOOD:

Why YouTube Videos Will Never Replace Teachers

by Liz Dwyer

flipped.classroom
The "flipped classroom"—which switches the order of classroom instruction and homework—is the latest education craze. Instead of receiving in-class lectures from a teacher, students watch a video lesson on YouTube. The next day, they head to school and do homework under the teacher's supervision. Flipped classroom advocates say the model is more effective because students have their teachers and peers with them to give them feedback when they encounter problems with homework.

But there's a major flaw in this innovative model: the nation still has a tremendous digital divide. Uruguay ranks

Florida’s Republican Leaders Advocating for “Government Intrusion, Regulatory Controls and Market Intervention” | Scathing Purple Musings

Florida’s Republican Leaders Advocating for “Government Intrusion, Regulatory Controls and Market Intervention” | Scathing Purple Musings:

Florida’s Republican Leaders Advocating for “Government Intrusion, Regulatory Controls and Market Intervention”

by Bob Sikes

For the second straight day, a top editorial voice took aim at Florida republican plans for the state’s higher education apparatus. Following up this week’s Gainesville Sun piece, respected Tallahassee Democrat columnist Paul Flemming builds his critique of their plans around quotes from Governor Rick Scott and State Senator Don Gaetz. Thomas finds the two’s points of view to be at best misguided. At worst, hypocrisy.

These two Republicans, part of a political movement devoted nearly exclusively to the unwavering belief in the power of market forces and unfettered capitalism, are both now advocating government intrusion, regulatory controls and market intervention to dictate that Florida universities produce more science and technology graduates and fewer of everything else.

Hmmmm.

Thomas does not have the point in it’s entirity. Few dispute that lawmakers have oversight responsibilities on

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