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Monday, May 24, 2010

Preschools in forests take root in the US - Boston.com

Preschools in forests take root in the US - Boston.com

Preschools in forests take root in the US

By Manuel Valdes
Associated Press Writer / May 24, 2010
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VASHON ISLAND, Wash.—When they're outside, the children in Erin Kenny's class don't head for cover if it rains or snows. They stay right where they are -- in a private five-acre forest. It's their classroom.
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They spend three hours a day, four days a week here, a free-flowing romp through cedar and Douglas fir on Vashon Island in Puget Sound.
The unique "forest kindergarten" at Cedarsong Nature School is among several that have opened in recent years in the U.S., part of movement that originated in Europe to get kids out from in front of televisions and into the natural world.
"American children do not spend much time outdoors anymore," Kenny says. "There's a growing need and an awareness on parents' part that their children really need to do more connecting with nature."
In addition to Kenny's, at least two other schools have been established: one in Portland, Ore., and another in Carbondale, Colo.
Kenny opened Cedarsong's doors in 2008, starting out with five children. She plans to expand the school to five days a week next year. She charges $100 a day, whether it's one day a week or three. Kenny says there's a growing waiting list.

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Springfield has one week. Feel lucky? Do ya? � Fred Klonsky's blog

Springfield has one week. Feel lucky? Do ya? � Fred Klonsky's blog

Springfield has one week. Feel lucky? Do ya?

by preaprez

The General Assembly gathers today with one week to solve the budget issues of funding and revenues.
What are the odds?
Not good.
If General Assembly won’t do their job by the end of the week, any further decisions will require Republican votes and you can forget about that happening.
Whatever chance we have to pass a tax increase and prevent education cuts will come by our mobilization.
On Tuesday in Chicago parents, teachers and students will be rallying against any education budget cuts. The rally will be at 4PM at the Board of Education, 125 S. Clark Street in the Loop.
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Southwest Frisco residents' effort to leave Lewisville school district gains ground | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News | Latest News

Southwest Frisco residents' effort to leave Lewisville school district gains ground | News for Dallas, Texas | Dallas Morning News| Latest News

Southwest Frisco residents' effort to leave Lewisville school district gains ground



07:07 AM CDT on Monday, May 24, 2010

By WENDY HUNDLEY / The Dallas Morning News

For residents in southwestern Frisco, there's no question where their loyalties lie.
They love Frisco. They identify with the fast-growing city. But they say there's one obstacle preventing them from feeling fully integrated into their community: Their children don't attend Frisco ISD schools, but are part of the Lewisville school district.
"We live our lives in Frisco, so we want our children to go to school here," said Alvin Huerta, one of the founders of WeAreFrisco.org, a grassroots movement that seeks to have the 2.2-square-mile area deannexed from LISD and join Frisco's school system.
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Said Fran Wilson, whose children attend LISD schools, "Lewisville is a wonderful school system. But our children are missing so much by not going to school in their own community."
The effort, begun two years ago by three people and a website, appears to be gaining momentum, with a record turnout for the recent LISD election that ousted three incumbents and put the first Frisco resident on the school board.
The discontent among Frisco parents is no surprise to LISD. "The school board is well aware that they want to be part of Frisco ISD,"
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My Concerns About Charters| Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

“Week-In-Review Sites | Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

“Week-In-Review Sites

by Larry Ferlazzo
I’ve just updated The Best “Week In Review” Sites For English Language Learners.
As usual, feel free to suggest additions.

One Week Left For Submissions To The Next ESL/EFL/ELL Blog Carnival

by Larry Ferlazzo
The June 1st edition of the next ESL/EFL/ELL Blog Carnival will be hosted by Mary Ann Zehr at Learning the Language.
Any blog posts, including examples of student work, that are related to teaching or learning English as a

Global Media Literacy Resources

by Larry Ferlazzo
I’ve just updated another “The Best…” list — The Best Tools To Help Develop Global Media Literacy.
Again, ideas for additions are welcome.

Pirates!


My Concerns About Charters

by Larry Ferlazzo
I’ve previously written about the concerns I have about charter schools (see Charter Schools and Creaming). I can certainly see their value in some circumstances, especially where districts are not being responsive to the needs of local communities. But they are often oversold by some as THE key way to improve schools.
The New York Times Magazine ran an article today titled The Teachers’ Unions Last Stand that — in my mind, at least — had a number of inaccuracies. One of them was an inaccurate comparison of a “regular” public school and a charter school that was described as having the same kind of student population, but the charter students
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Examining Charter Schools - latimes.com

Examining Charter Schools - latimes.com
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Education - Everything you need to know about the world of education.

Education- Everything you need to know about the world of education.

D.C. students wide-eyed at Gettysburg


Military historian Gropman leads field trip for Amidon-Bowen students.
MORE ON EDUCATION


Bad standards: Not just in Texas

Texas isn’t the only place with lousy social studies standards, though you might be forgiven for thinking so considering all the attention that Texas Board of Education has received in recent months as it adopted a new set of standards.

Why transparency in college admissions is bad

Impose transparency on the holistic system used by selective colleges--a subjective judgment based on several factors--and the result is no less maddening. The admissions office would have to issue statements like "the candidate's extracurricular involvements were not as intense and her teacher recommendations not as impressive as those of candidates we accepted."

During a tour of the Gettysburg battlefield, military historian Alan Gropman shares stories behind the Gettysburg Address, shown on a display, with Amidon-Bowen Elementary School students. (Emily Langer-TWP)
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Rise & Shine: Charter cap fight enters last week, or maybe day | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Charter cap fight enters last week, or maybe day | GothamSchools

Rise & Shine: Charter cap fight enters last week, or maybe day

by Philissa Cramer
  • The state has just a week to boost its Race to the Top bid by lifting the charter cap. (Wall Street Journal)
  • But with lawmakers booked up most days, a charter cap deal needs to happen today, the Post argues.
  • Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein touted charter schools at black churches yesterday. (Daily News)
  • The union said it could soon turn to the less charter-friendly Assembly in the cap fight. (Daily News)
  • But negotiations might have moved forward on Saturday, with a colocation council in the works. (Post)
  • The Daily News says the UFT is wrong to push for limits on how many charters can open in one area.
  • The charter cap war is also an ad war between the union and charter advocates. (GothamSchools, Post)
  • NYC Charter School Center head James Merriman says “faux reforms” aren’t enough. (Crain’s NY)
  • Many state politicians who oppose charter schools went to nonpublic schools themselves. (Post)
  • MTA board members will make a final determination on the fate of student Metrocards June 23. (Post)
  • City students and teachers can sing and act so well they could be “Glee” cast members. (Daily News)
  • Nearly 1,000 incoming kindergartners won’t get seats at their zoned schools. (GothamSchools, Post)
  • PS 143 in the Corona section of Queens has the longest waiting list, with 110 children. (Daily News)
  • Overcrowding isn’t abating at Francis Lewis HS, the city’s second-biggest school. (Queens Courier)
  • Two new school buildings in Midtown are being built on private developers’ dime. (NY1)
  • Race to the Top could have long-lasting implications for the fate of American teachers unions. (Times)
  • The Times says Hawaii is shortchanging students by cutting school days to save money.
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Schools Matter: Track or educate?

Schools Matter: Track or educate?

Track or educate?

by skrashen
Track or educate?
Sent to the Topeka Capital-Journal, May 24
There is rejoicing in Kansas because the state has received a grant to help track progress of individual students on standardized tests "from birth to college" ("Ks. Receives ed data grant," May 22). I think this is a tragic waste of money.
We already know which students and schools are doing well and which are not, and we know why: Research tells us that students from high-income families who attend well funded schools score as high any students in the world on international tests. Children of poverty in poorly funded schools score below international norms.
At a time when schools are badly under-funded and when money is tight, we are, apparently, eager to spend millions tracking and testing students when we should be spending money on educating them.
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Local News | Roosevelt High School teacher gives her students a review in cursive | Seattle Times Newspaper

Local News | Roosevelt High School teacher gives her students a review in cursive | Seattle Times Newspaper

Roosevelt High School teacher gives her students a review in cursive

Today's students may still learn cursive writing, but so rarely use it they forget how. One Roosevelt High teacher in Seattle decided to try to remedy that by giving her students a short cursive refresher class.
By Linda Shaw
Seattle Times education reporter

Play video: Teaching cursive to high schoolers
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Just like in third grade, a dozen high-school juniors and seniors slant their papers to the right, with one corner pointed toward their stomachs. They pick up their pens or pencils and follow along as a guest instructor leads them through the loops and slants and curves of cursive writing.
Sure, they learned cursive when they were in elementary school, but they use it so rarely that they've forgotten a lot of it.
Even for these students — high achievers taking advanced-placement Latin at Seattle's Roosevelt High School — cursive is quaint.
"I never write in cursive," said Annika Kounts, wh
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