10-8-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

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

October’s (2013) Best Tweets — Part Two

Every month I make a few short lists highlighting my choices of the best resources I shared through (and learned from) Twitter, but didn’t necessarily include them in posts here on my blog. I’ve already shared in earlier posts several new resources I found on Twitter — and where I gave credit to those from whom I learned about them. Those are not included again in this post. If you don’t use Twit

4 by Larry Ferlazzo / 7min 

Fun Theory Of Knowledge Lesson To Examine The Role Of Gestures In Language

Today, in our IB Theory of Knowledge class, students had to build towers with two sheets of paper, a 10 inch piece of tape, ten paper clips, and a scissors — without talking, and complete it in twenty minutes. We were studying what ideas could — and couldn’t — be communicated with gestures. Afterword, students discussed what ideas were easy or hard to communicate, and if complex ideas required us

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 3min

“The 21 Luckiest People In The Entire World” Is A Great GIF Collection For ELLs

The 21 Luckiest People In The Entire World is a pretty amazing GIF collection from BuzzFeed. Show these to English Language Learners and have them describe what they are watching, perhaps alternating with the Back-To-The-Screen exercise I use with videos (read about it here). I guarantee that you’ll have a highly-engaging lesson…

7 by Larry Ferlazzo / 36min 

Tell The NY Times How You Feel About “Teaching To The Test”

The New York Times will be publishing a “Sunday Dialogue” this…Sunday on the idea of “teaching to the test.” Responses must be submitted by this Thursday. You can read the Invitation to a Dialogue: Don’t Teach to the Test here. You might also be interested in The Best Posts On How To Prepare For Standardized Tests (And Why They’re Bad).

7 by Larry Ferlazzo / 46min 

The Best Resources On The Importance Of Saying “I’m Sorry”

I’ve written several posts, and discussed in my books, the importance of saying “I’m sorry” to students. I just discovered another useful related article, and thought readers might find it helpful if I brought all of those posts together. Here are my past posts on the topic: More On Saying “I’m Sorry” To Students The Importance Of Saying “I’m Sorry” To Students “But Teachers Never Apologize” Quot

3 by Larry Ferlazzo / 35min

10-7-13 Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… | …For Teaching ELL, ESL, & EFL:Delicious Unveils New RedesignI continue to be a fan and regular user of Delicious as a place to save and organize links (though I actually bookmark sites with Diigo, who then a automatically forwards them to Delicious — it’s always good to have a back-up). Delicious has just unveiled a new redesign. You can read about it at

1 by mike simpson / 10h

10-8-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:

A Memo on Eva Moskowitz's March and the #TaleofTwoSchoolSystems

Harlem Success 1, Eva’s oldest school, suspended 22% of its pupils at least once during the 2010-11 school year, while the average for regular elementary district schools was 3%.Most recent tax filings for Success Network show Eva earns at least $475,000, which is two times the salary of Chancellor Walcott.While she refuses to pay rent for normal services and space costs, it was reported in 2012 h

2 by ed notes online / 12min mark as read  //  save

NYC Public School Parents Comment on Charter Phony Demand Claims

The charter industry spends thousands of dollars per students to pull demand. One of today's march organizers, the CEO of CMO PublicPrep, recently had to pull an offer to pay families ( $100 in AmEx gift cards + $100  to college fund 529) under pressure form DoE/the charter lobby because it exposes how desperate these schools are to create demand.... Clearly demand does not drive policy- so why do

1 by ed notes online / 12min 

Media release Tues. Oct. 8, 2013: Parents and Advocates comment on today's charter school march

New York State Education Law requires that when a district provides space or services to a charter school it shall do so at cost.  Yet the DOE provides free space and services for more than 100 co-located charter schools.  Using figures from the NYC Independent Budget Office, we estimate that the space and services these charter schools currently receive is worth more than $100 million a year. A l

2 by ed notes online / 51min 

NYC Public Schools Rally in Opposition to Charters....

But Cannot Close Schools to Do So. Protests take place after school but are ignored by pro-charter press. Sign for Oct 8 Charter Rally:Keep Eva's salary at half a millionIn essence, there is a lockdown today so Public Schools cannot hold a mass Anti-Charter Rally which would dwarf the one being held today on school time.If public schools were allowed to close this morning, use their resources to o

1 by ed notes online / 13min 

Tuesday 9AM: Counter Charter School Rally at City Hall

Don't Forget the Counter Charter School Rally at City Hall This Tuesday Morning @ 9AM.Various progressive education groups and individuals will be rallying at City Hall near Chambers Street to counter the angry Charter School cabal because Mayoral Candidate Bill DeBlasio vows to have charter schools pay rent for their school spaces... and possibly put a moratorium on adding any more charter school

1 by ed notes online / 6h 

Ravitch in Park Slope Tues Night, Draws Crowds Nationwide - and Matt Damon

There's been lots of commentary about the tide turning against ed deform (A Comment from Western New York: Yes, the Tide Is Turning) and (Common Core Tests in NY Spur Opt Out Movement) -- but the large crowds showing up on the Diane Ravitch "Reign of Error" book tour must be making ed deformers shudder. Find details of the tour on the Ravitch blog:  My Trip to the West Coast…and Back.Not

1 by ed notes online / 6h 

10-7-13 Ed Notes Online

Ed Notes Online:MORE Weekly Update #70: Are you coming out for Win Back Wednesday?You should be getting the idea of why you should drag your ass over the 52 Broadway this Weds (Oct 9) for the 4PM "Win Back Wednesday" rally. Certainly if you read my earlier piece on what is going on in Newark where the pressure of an insurgent social justice oriented caucus has led to the Unity style lead

1 by mike simpson / 3h

The GED Test Is About to Get Much Harder, and Much More Expensive - Kavitha Cardoza - The Atlantic

The GED Test Is About to Get Much Harder, and Much More Expensive - Kavitha Cardoza - The Atlantic:

The GED Test Is About to Get Much Harder, and Much More Expensive

The new version of the exam has tougher questions and a higher registration fee--plus it requires computer proficiency.

 

Eugene Hoshiko/AP Photo

Kiana Rucker dropped out of school when she was 15 years old to look after her younger brothers and sisters. Five years later she had a baby herself. For years, she relied mostly on food stamps, medical assistance, and subsidized housing to get by. But it always bothered her. “I don’t want to rely on anyone," Rucker, now 35, says. “I don’t want government help.”

So in 2010 Rucker decided to get her General Educational Development certificate. She took classes at Southeast Ministries, a nonprofit in one of the poorest neighborhoods in Washington, D.C. This past June--three years and five attempts later--she got a phone call saying she had finally passed the GED test. "The first thing I said was, 'Are you sure you have the right person?'" Rucker says, laughing. For the first time she feels she has a future. "So many things I can do now," she says. "Go to college, get into a trade, just get a job period. Because 

Every Public School Should Be An NYZ: A No Yelling Zone. | Ward 8 DC Teacher

Every Public School Should Be An NYZ: A No Yelling Zone. | Ward 8 DC Teacher:

Every Public School Should Be An NYZ: A No Yelling Zone.

by ACINTRONJR • OCTOBER 8, 2013

Have you ever worked in a public school where teachers often yelled at students? I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen educators yell at students. Now, before you think I’m completely innocent, I can assure you, I’m not. I’ve had several “bad teacher moments” too. However, after a few years of observing my school’s climate and culture, I can’t help but notice how much yelling at students is painfully counterproductive. This may sound obvious, but you’d be surprised how many educators defend the need to yell, and not tell.

Far too many times, I’ve heard minority educators say, “yelling at kids is just part of our culture.” Or. “You have to understand our kids.” Sorry, but as a minority educator and human being, I simply can’t agree. Although I can understand how one’s upbringing helps shape one’s reality, 

Louisiana Educator: Building the Plane in Flight

Louisiana Educator: Building the Plane in Flight:

Building the Plane in Flight

Scott Richard, Executive Director for the Louisiana School Boards Association, pointed out some of the serious problems with the new Common Core State Standards in recent comments to the Press Club. I agree with Richard that the standards are being rushed into full effect without adequate preparation. BESE and the State Department of Education are ramming this additional reform into our public schools in a big hurry based on the assumption that these new standards will magically improve the performance of our students. This so called “reform” may be more like throwing a tired swimmer a huge rock and then telling him to swim with it an extra hundred yards to shore. We may not be pleased with the results.

Unlike some of the more vocal critics of the Common Core, I don't believe the CCSS is a Federal Government takeover of our educational system. That has pretty much already happened in many respects. I don't believe the Common Core is a secret plan to shape the minds of our children to make them into willing robot-like workers for the multinational corporations. And I don't believe 

OECD Skills Test: U.S. Adults Lag In Practical Workplace Skills:

OECD Skills Test: U.S. Adults Lag In Practical Workplace Skills

Posted: 10/08/2013 5:01 am EDT  |  Updated: 10/08/2013 8:10 am EDT

The scores for what's billed as the world's most comprehensive adult skills exam are out -- and it's bad news for Americans.

Americans performed below the international average on math, reading and problem-solving on the exam, known as the Program for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies. U.S. math skills lagged far behind top performers, including Japan and Finland. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, based in Paris, released the results early Tuesday.

"These findings should concern us all. They show our education system hasn't done enough to help Americans compete -- or position our country to lead -- in a global economy that demands increasingly higher skills," U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in a statement. "While the PIAAC study places our highest-skilled adults on par with those in other leading nations, the findings shine a spotlight on a segment of our population that has been overlooked and underserved:  the large number of adults with very low basic skills, most of whom are working."

The test is designed to gauge literacy and other skills necessary in the global economy. Statisticians have called it the richest international comparison in cognitive skills and 

Eduflack: Where Are the Parents in Education Nation?

Eduflack: Where Are the Parents in Education Nation?:

Where Are the Parents in Education Nation?

Ask 

@leoniehaimson

NYC Public School Parents

With day one of the 2013 Education Nation Summit in the books, and day two offering up a terrific array of speakers, one has to be impressed.  Throughout yesterday's program, participants heard from many of the nation's leading education voices — superintendents, national organization heads, entrepreneurs, innovators, and all-around visionaries.

Spotlights were placed on new initiatives designed to spark new thinking.  There was even a constant reminder of an ongoing student competition, seeking to signal the best of the best in young education innovation.

Today promises tales from the celebrity sector of education, as names such as Tony Bennett (the I Left My Heart in San Francisco singer, not the I Left My Post in Florida state supe) and Goldie Hawn slated to address the audience.

In watching the 1 percent of the education community, if you will, though, Eduflack was left with a lingering question.  Where were the parents?  Where were the voices of those caregivers left to decide which school provides the greatest opportunity for their kids?  Where were the mothers worried about school safety or the fathers concerned about their son dropping out without employment opportunities?  Where were the parents in the academical village?

As a lead up to the two-day summit, NBC now offers two town halls to address some of these stakeholder issues.  Education Nation first offered up a summit with students, which is always an eye-opening and interesting development.  It also provided a town hall for teachers, letting educators discuss many of struggles and concerns they are facing each day in the classroom.

One can argue that these two voices also needed to be front and center during the two-summit itself.  No, I'm not talking the celebrity teacher who is trying to make a name for himself with his latest 

Report: Californians make more, but pay less toward education than those in other states | EdSource Today

Report: Californians make more, but pay less toward education than those in other states | EdSource Today:

Report: Californians make more, but pay less toward education than those in other states

October 8th, 2013 | Add a Comment | 
By Kathryn Baron

California has made some historic strides in it efforts to boost school funding and provide additional resources to the neediest students, but a new report finds that spending on each student still falls below nearly every other state, in part because Californians pay less in taxes to support schools.

California’s lackluster school funding is nothing new, but the study by the California Budget Project, a nonprofit fiscal and policy analysis organization, found that “California’s financial support for schools lags its capacity.”

“The state has more per capita in personal income than the rest of the United States but spends much less per capita income than the rest of the United States,” said Jonathan Kaplan, senior policy analyst for education at the Budget Project.

The Budget Project describes per capita personal income as “a measure of the financial resources available to help support schools and other public systems and services.” Most folks use the common definition – taxes.

The Budget Project traces this gap back to Proposition 13. The 1978 ballot initiative imposed limits on property tax increases. Until then, local tax revenues accounted for nearly half of school 

Billionaire couple donates $10 million to keep Head Start programs open during shutdown - by Lillian Mongeau

A billionaire couple from Texas has stepped in with a $10 million interest-free loan to cover the cost of keeping Head Start programs open this month for more than 7,000 children in six states, where programs were closed by the government shutdown. For now, California children won’t have to rely on the ... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit the Edsource Today website for full links, other c

11 by Lillian Mongeau / 4h

And Then I Met A Teacher | Connected Principals

And Then I Met A Teacher | Connected Principals:

And Then I Met A Teacher

October 8, 2013

By William Parker

He met a teacher, and it changed everything.
Jim Wengo was fresh out of high school when he started working at the local butcher shop. But his high school agriculture teacher, John Krivokapish, had other plans for him. When he heard of an area college work study program for those who could score well on a civil service exam, Mr. Krivokapish walked into the butcher store and told Jim’s boss he needed to borrow him for a couple of hours.
Removing the blood stained apron, Jim followed his teacher to the local college where he took an exam on the spot. That test resulted in Jim’s opportunity to begin college.
He kept working as a butcher while he finished his degree. Then he was recruited into the Army where he served as an officer and engineer until his retirement. He traveled the world, raised a family, built his dream home, and now enjoys the benefits of a life of hard work and God’s grace.
He met a teacher, and it changed everything.
Dennis Queen had a difficult relationship with his father. When he dropped out of a high school, a local elementary school principal, Don Ross, drove over to his house and talked him into enrolling in 

4LAKids - CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION

4LAKids - some of the news that doesn't fit: CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION:

CHARTER SCHOOLS AND THE FUTURE OF PUBLIC EDUCATION

BY STAN KARP IN RETHINKING SCHOOLS | VOLUME 28 NO.1 - FALL 2013 | HTTP://BIT.LY/1CPPAVL

Ethan Heitner

7 October 2013  ::  Somewhere along the way, nearly every teacher dreams of starting a school. I know I did.
More than once during the 30 years I taught English and journalism to high school students in Paterson, New Jersey, I imagined that creating my own school would open the door to everything I wanted as a teacher:
Colleagues with a shared vision of teaching and learning.
Freedom from central office bureaucracy.
A welcoming school culture that reflected the lives of our students and families.
Professional autonomy that nourished innovation and individual and collective growth.
School-based decision-making that pushed choices about resources, priorities, time, and staffing closer to the classrooms where it matters the most.
But reality can be hard on daydreams, and I got a glimpse of how complicated these issues are when my large comprehensive high school embraced the reform trend of the day and moved to create small theme academies inside the larger school. As the lead teacher of a new communications academy, I soon faced a host of thorny questions: Who would our new academy serve? What would the 

Anger in the Heartland Over Unfair Teacher Tests | toteachornototeach

Anger in the Heartland Over Unfair Teacher Tests | toteachornototeach:

Anger in the Heartland Over Unfair Teacher Tests 

by Alan Singer

Cortland, New York is dairy country. The town and the State University of New York campus in Cortland are surrounded by dairy farms. Many of the students at the college come from the local area. This is where they grew up and this is where they want to stay. Many plan to become teachers in the local schools. But there is anger brewing in this heartland community over unfair new teacher tests.

On October 1 and 2, I visited SUNY-Cortland and nearby SUNY-Oneonta where I was invited to discuss corporate influence over education policy in the United States, the new teacher certifications, and the implications of common core standards for classroom practice. At both campuses I spoke with packed crowds and as is usually the case, I think I learned more from them than they learned from me.

At Cortland the opposition to unfair teaching tests was more pronounced and better organized. Students are outraged at the attitude of the governor toward public school students and teachers. Instead of providing money and support to struggling schools and 

Yes, you do have time to read:

Yes, you do have time to read

By Valerie Strauss, Published: October 8 at 4:00 amE-mail the writer

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(istockphoto/Perkmeup Imagery)

Wish you had more time to read? Well, you probably already have the time, says cognitive scientist Daniel Willingham, professor and director of graduate studies in psychology at the University of Virginia and author of “Why Don’t Students Like School?” His latest book is “When Can You Trust The Experts? How to tell good science from bad in education.” This appeared on his Science and Education blog.

By Daniel Willingham

We all know that most Americans don’t read much. A recent poll showed that a common reason they don’t read is “lack of time.” Fifty-one percent suggested that was a major factor that kept them from reading more books.

It’s tempting to quote Sir John Lubbock: “In truth, people can generally make time for what they choose to do; it is not really the time but the will that is lacking.” That’s the line of thinking taken in this Atlantic blog post,noting that many of us spend plenty of time watching television.

This line of argument is true enough, but probably won’t help much. So without scolding, here are some ideas on how to think about reading and time differently.

1) Don’t assume that that you have to have a long block of time to read. Bit