Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Week… 2-16-14 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL:

Let Them Eat Character

I am a big supporter of educators helping students develop many of the qualities highlighted in the concept of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) — perseverance (or “grit”); self-control; personal responsibility, etc.   I apply it regularly in my classroom, write in my blog about practical ideas on implementing SEL lessons in schools, and have even authored two books on the topic (and will have a th

by Larry Ferlazzo / 2h 

More Presidents’ Day Resources

Here are the latest additions to The Best Resources About Presidents’ Day: Why Presidents Day is Slightly Strange is from The Washington Post. Presidents’ Day Activities is from The National Education Association. Presidents’ Day is from The History Channel

by Larry Ferlazzo / 52min

“Ways To Develop Life-Long Readers”

I just published my latest post at Education Week Teacher, Ways To Develop Life-Long Readers. Donalyn Miller, Mark Barnes and Christopher Lehman contribute their ideas. Here are some excerpts:

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1h 

Great Chart: “the differences between teaching writing and teaching writers”

I’m adding this to The Best Websites For K-12 Writing Instruction/Reinforcement (even though it’s obviously not a website): A chart that illustrates the differences between teaching writing and teaching writers #engchat #elachat #nctechat pic.twitter.com/Hk6rwK34Uj — Allison Marchetti (@AllisonMarchett) February 6, 2014

by Larry Ferlazzo / 22min hide  //  save

Infographic: “Top 7 Common American Hand Gestures That Can Get You in Trouble Abroad”

I’m adding this infographic to The Best Sites For Learning About The World’s Different Cultures: via Pimsleur

by Larry Ferlazzo / 22min 

Video (& Comments): Shanker Institute Conference On Foundations & Education

I’ve written a lot about the role of private foundations in education (see The Best Resources For Learning About The Role Of Private Foundations In Education Policy). The Shanker Institute just hosted a short conference on that topic, and you can see all their videos from that date here. In this post, though, I just want to focus on Joanne Barkan’s presentation and, even more specifically,specific

by Larry Ferlazzo / 45min 

This Weekend’s New Sochi Resources

Here are the latest additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The Sochi 2014 Winter Olympic Games: Our Favorite Moments of the Sochi Olympics (So Far) is from The Atlantic. Crazy Olympic team uniforms at Sochi is from The BBC. Jamaica Has an Official Song to Sync to Its Bobsled Run is from The Atlantic. An Olympics Performance Perfect For A Lesson On “Grit” is a post I wrote earlier. Ski Jum

by Larry Ferlazzo / 38min hide  //  save

Tweets From My “Integrating Social Emotional & Brain-Based Learning Into Instructional Strategies” Workshop

As I mentioned in a previous post (If You Weren’t Able To Attend Our Workshop On “Developing A Self-Motivated Student Culture,” These Tweets Have It Covered), I presented two workshops at this weekend’s Learning And The Brain Conference in San Francisco. You can see the PowerPoints and supporting materials for both of them here. In addition, Kevin Washburn, a great educator and writer out of Alab

by Larry Ferlazzo / 9h  

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Week… 2-15-14 …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EF

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFLLARRY FERLAZZO’S WEBSITES OF THE DAYMore Reasons Why Our Students Should Continue Their Academic CareerHere are new additions to The Best Resources For Showing Students Why They Should Continue Their Academic Career: Wage Premium From College Is Said to Be Up is from The New York Times. Going To College May Cost You, But So W

by mike simpson / 

2-16-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:

Think Your Local TV News Is Local? Think Again

ht to Alternet.

by Jim Horn / 1h 

Propaganda, Plagiarism, and Public Misleading on CREDO (Reprise)

The corporate charter industry is working every angle to put the best makeup on the CREDO charter study of 2013.  And "news coverage" in Tennessee shows their efforts paying off.Two examples of Tennessee media  “coverage” of the 2013 CREDO charter school study are provided below, and as you can see, they are both lifted from the Tennessee Charter Schools Association blog post.  Who said

by Jim Horn / 3h 

Charters: Another point of view

Sent to the Wall Street Journal, Feb. 16, 2014Mathew Kaminski's enthusiasm for Success Academy and for charters in general, ("Teachers Union Enemy No. 1", February 15) presents only part of the story. The high test scores achieved by Success Charter Schools in New York has been thoroughly discussed in a series of blogs by Diane Ravitch (http://dianeravitch.net/category/harlem-success-aca

by skrashen / 24min 

Part 5: Classroom Video Camera Project . . . Who Benefits? Who Loses?

Part 5: Classroom Video Camera Project . . . Who Benefits? Who Loses?Jim Horn and Denise WilburnPart 4 and links to previous postsDoes anyone think that children’s educational data stored in third party corporate “cloud” computers are secure?  No one in his right mind would answer yes to that one, and yet the U. S. Department of Education forced through changes to FERPA regulations in 2011 to allo

2 by Jim Horn / 59min 

Florida "Justice" Redux

A couple of questions to consider in the Jordan Davis murder by Michael Dunn:How does a jury convict of attempted murder charges (which it did) and fail to convict on murder charges (which it did not), when there is a dead body of the atttemptee in the room bleeding on the floor?If a black man in Florida, or anywhere else, shot with deadly force into a car filled of unarmed white boys, how many mi

2 by Jim Horn / 28min

2-8-14 Schools Matter All Week

Schools Matter:  Schools Matter All WeekNo Excuses?: Giving Power a PassNo Excuses?: Giving Power a Pass*"After several decades of rigorous effort, it is fair to say that the majority of our attention in political science has been given to interstate war and civil war," explains Christian Davenport, adding:I would say that it would be interesting to count the number of articles over the

by mike simpson / 

All Week 2-16-14 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE:

Some thoughts on #edTPA: Guest Post by Celia Oyler

Celia made the these observations on Facebook in response to the article listed below that appeared in the Times Union. Student teachers in New York face daunting new exams The other fall out is that quite a few excellent beginning teachers are choosing NOT to get certified in the state of New York. Quite a […]

by Timothy D. Slekar / 0min 

My March Speaking Schedule

How cool is it to be able to write such a post title? I have two events in March, both out-of-state (i.e., not in Louisiana). First, I will be a panelist at the first Network for Public Education Conference in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, March 1 and Sunday, March 2.  I am scheduled to be on a […]

2 by deutsch29 / 32min 

#Edreform is Omni Consumer Products #robocop

I’m not too excited about the Robocop reboot. It seems like it lost the original’s wit, humor, and surprisingly serious commentary about a largely predicted dystopian future. All right, enough serious talk about a movie with a car called the 6000 SUX. Although, very close to what soon became a reality: the SUV. But in honor […]

1 by Shaun Johnson / 1h 

All Week 2-15-14 @ THE CHALK FACE

@ THE CHALK FACE knows SCHOOLS MATTER: All Week @ THE CHALK FACE Living and Learning in Perpetual CrisisLiving and Learning in Perpetual Crisis* What do the fiscal cliff and Common Core (CC) have in common? For the answer consider this scenario: An arsonist sets a home on fire, and then risks his life fighting the blaze—but the house eventually succumbs to the flames. The media and the public prai

by mike simpson / 

8h 

2-16-14 V.A.M.: Value Added Measure

V.A.M.: Value Added Measure:

The Michelle Rhee New Teacher Recruitment Video

by Adam Bergstein / 16min 

What Does P.B.S. Really Stand For: The Public Broaccasting Service or Pension B.S.?

by Adam Bergstein / 4h 

2-15-14 V.A.M.: Value Added Measure

V.A.M.: Value Added Measure: Humpty Dumpty Sat On a Wall (Courtesy of a Suburban Mother Goose)Below is an excerpt from one of two poems, referencing Greek mythology on a high-school PARCC Common-Core test (http://www.parcconline.org/computer-based-samples).Ovid's poem (and the subsequent one by Anne Sexton) captivate some audiences, but I doubt the selections will do much for my largely foreign-b

by mike simpson / 

2-16-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness (the public and scholarly writing by P. L. Thomas, Furman University):

The Mistrial of Jordan Davis: More Evidence Problems for Denying Racism

In On the Killing of Jordan Davis by Michael Dunn, Ta-Nehisi Coates confronts the injustice of simply being born an African American son: Jordan Davis had a mother and a father. It did not save him. Trayvon Martin had a mother and a father. They could not save him. My son has a father and mother. We cannot protect him from our country, which is our aegis and our assailant. We cannot protect our ch

13 by plthomasedd / 1h 

2-15-14 the becoming radical | A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by P. L. Thomas, EdD

THE BECOMING RADICALRadical ScholarshipEMPATHYEDUCATES!the becoming radical  A Place for a Pedagogy of Kindness by Living and Learning in Perpetual CrisisLiving and Learning in Perpetual Crisis.1 by plthomasedd / 1h No Excuses?: Giving Power a PassNo Excuses?: Giving Power a Pass1 by plthomasedd / 1h remnant 54: “it starts with an earthquake”remnant 54: “it starts with an earthquake”.1 by plthomas

by mike simpson / 

The Lego Movie: Making Education Reform Simple | Connected Principals

The Lego Movie: Making Education Reform Simple | Connected Principals:

The Lego Movie: Making Education Reform Simple

by Sam LeDeaux • February 16, 2014 • 0 Comments

I’m not much of a movie guy, but I did see The Lego Movie last weekend. My son left with a list of new toys he wants, and I left thinking about the educational metaphor I just watched. If you have not seen the movie, don’t fret; I won’t give up any information you haven’t already gotten from reading reviews or hearing others rave about it.

First, movie background:

President Business is the powerful “leader” of Lego Land. He knows exactly how everything should work, and wants everyoneand everything to abide by the instructions. When they don’t, micro-managers are sent to get everyone back on track, and/or punish those who work off script.

Master Builders are imaginative and can create anything when provided basic materials. Instructions serve as a baseline to work off of for these inquiry based explorers. When caught creating new awesomeness off script, micro-managers capture and imprison Master Builders for not following instructions.

The Special is someone who simply needs to believe in himself to achieve and 

Portland Public Schools to present critical new offer today, with threat of Thursday teachers strike looming: PPS News | OregonLive.com

Portland Public Schools to present critical new offer today, with threat of Thursday teachers strike looming: PPS News | OregonLive.com:

Portland Public Schools to present critical new offer today, with threat of Thursday teachers strike looming: PPS News

February 14, 2014 - In preparation for a strike scheduled on Feb. 20, teachers at Grant High School held a symbolic walk-out at 3:20 Friday afternoon, just after students left school for the day. Beth Nakamura/The Oregonian

Portland Public Schools negotiators are set to present their newest contract offer to the teachers union today, in a critical step that could move both sides closer to a deal that could avert the first strike in Portland Public Schools history.

People on both sides said the tone of talks shifted significantly on Thursday, when teachers union negotiators on Thursday revealed concessions on major issues that have long held up a deal.

Negotiators will be under more pressure than ever on Sunday, with the looming threat of a walkout scheduled to start just four days later.

If district and union leaders cannot hammer out a deal by Thursday morning, nearly 2,900 teachers are set to take to the picket lines in Oregon's largest district. About 48,000 students and their families would be affected by the strike.

At the Oregonian, we've been following the situation closely for months. Here are some  more of the latest updates:

* WHAT'S HOLDING UP THE DEAL?Though PPS leaders are cautiously optimistic about a deal, several major issues that have stymied progress for months are still on the table.

We looked into the issues holding up the deal, and the dynamics of what may need to happen with a new contract.

* CLASS SIZES: Class size has become a rallying cry for union leaders as they seek a new contract, but an analysis shows Portland teachers have some of the lowest class sizes among medium- and large-sized districts of the metro area.

* TEACHERS MOVE OUT: In a show of solidarity, teachers at several schools moved their personal belongings out of their classrooms at the same time on Friday.

At Northeast Portland's Grant High, teachers walked out together after cleaning 

PPS CONTRACT TALKS

• Portland Public Schools to present critical new offer today, with threat of Thursday teachers strike looming: PPS News
• Portland teachers strike preparations: Teachers clean out belongings; students describe stress in classroom
• Portland teachers strike: Leaders cautiously optimistic, workload and salary among key unresolved issues
• Portland teachers strike preparations: Woodlawn School teachers in NE Portland rent storage pod
• Portland teachers strike preparations: Cleveland High School students in SE Portland describe stress in classrooms

NYC Educator: Brunch in NYC Schools

NYC Educator: Brunch in NYC Schools:

Brunch in NYC Schools

The NY Daily News has discovered that lunch is served very early in city schools. I'm not particularly sure why, under 20 years of GOP mayors, that this escaped their attention. This is not remotely new. It turns out that, when you overload buildings and fail to create sufficient space, you can't fit kids on a reasonable schedule. When you look at empty space in a building as an opportunity to privatize, and dump new schools into existing buildings, you can't fit kids on a reasonable schedule.

Physics are a factor in this. If you place 5,000 kids in a building, and only 500 fit in a cafeteria at a given time, it follows that to give them all lunch, you need to have ten periods of lunch. In my school, which has run up to 13 periods, we know this very well. In fact, I'd venture that just about any school that needs trailers is overcrowded.

There is a simple solution to this problem. All you need to do, if there are too many kids to offer reasonable lunch times, is:

A. place fewer kids in buildings, or
B. expand the capacity of school cafeterias

However, it's likely that neither of those things, in itself, will solve the issue of rampant overcrowding. That may involve creating more space, and indeed a whole lot more space than Emperor Bloomberg conceived of. In fact, that will cost a great deal of money, and the traditional mode of government obtaining said money, taxes, is viewed as a plague by leaders like Andrew Cuomo.

Mayor Bloomberg said he would get rid of school trailers by 2012. He later clarified, explaining that he would not get rid of school trailers by 2012. 

Are Your Schools Underfunded? Then Organize! | NEA Today

Are Your Schools Underfunded? Then Organize! | NEA Today:

Are Your Schools Underfunded? Then Organize!

February 16, 2014 by twalker  
Filed under Featured News, Top Stories

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By Amy Jordan
On a cold Saturday morning, more than 100 educators, parents and students showed up to school board meeting in Loudoun County, Virginia, a big turnout for a meeting like this. Forty-three people spoke during the public hearing and 2,400 signatures were delivered calling on the school board to fully fund public education in the growing school district, efforts led by the Loudoun Education Association (LEA.)

How did LEA get so many people involved? Through a focused commitment to organizing

.
Step 1: Rally around a single issue
You’d think students in the wealthiest county in the nation would have everything they need to succeed in school, but that’s not the case in Loudoun County, Virginia, which is also one of the fastest growing school systems in the country.
For the past two years, the county’s School Board and Board of Supervisors have chosen not to keep pace with Loudoun’s growth by cutting the superintendent’s spending proposals by millions of dollars.

“The children are in over-crowded classrooms, they are receiving less differentiated instruction due to the amount of students in the classroom, teachers are not being given competitive pay, and the technology is quite sad,” said second grade teacher Erin O’Dore.

And now educators, parents and students themselves have had enough.

“In Loudoun County we’ve had so many years of budget underfunding and people are just fed up,” said Joey Mathews, president of the Loudoun County Education Association.

So LEA officers and the LEA Board of Directors got together on weekends to plan how to organize around a