Wednesday, September 28, 2011

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - Text Of President Obama’s Back-To-School Speech Today

Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day… - Text Of President Obama’s Back-To-School Speech Today:

Text Of President Obama’s Back-To-School Speech Today



President Obama will give a speech to the nation’s students later today, and the White House has released an advance copy of his remarks.

There doesn’t appear to be anything particularly interesting in them, though he does give a nice shout-out to teachers (personally, though, I’d rather see a little more action in support of helpful policies, instead):

Now, teachers are the men and women who might be working harder than anybody. Whether you go to a big school or a small one, whether you attend a public, private, or charter school – your teachers are giving up their weekends and waking up at dawn. They’re cramming their days full of classes and extra-curriculars. Then they’re going home, eating some dinner, and staying up past midnight to grade your papers.

And they don’t do it for a fancy office or a big salary. They do it for you. They live for those moments when something clicks, when you amaze them with your intellect and they see the kind of person you can become. They know that you’ll be the citizens and leaders who take us into tomorrow. They know that you’re the future.

You can read my commentary on his previous annual speeches to students here.


Interview With Superintendent Pam Moran On Instructional Coaching



Two days ago, The New Yorker Magazine published a lengthy and important article on “coaching” and


The Best Sites For Learning About The Alphabet



This is a kind of combination “The Best…” list — it includes sites where beginning English Language Learners and other beginning readers can learn the alphabet, and it also contains some more “higher-level” resources to learn some stories behind the alphabet.

With that said, here are my choices for The Best Sites For Learning About The Alphabet: