Latest News and Comment from Education

Thursday, April 23, 2020

'We must act': Earth Day in the time of pandemic

'We must act': Earth Day in the time of pandemic

‘We must act’: Earth Day in the time of pandemic


In the fall of 2019, the journalist David Corn wrote in Mother Jones about a mental health crisis among climate scientists, who face “the constant background of doom and gloom of science.” He cited a filmmaker, Christine Arena, who learned about researchers, “There’s deep grief and anxiety for what’s being lost, followed by rage at continued political inaction, and finally hope that we can indeed solve this challenge. (…) They are on the front lines of contending with the fear, anger, and perhaps even panic the rest of us will have to deal with.”

Climate science has not always been such a deeply doom-and-gloom subject. Fifty years ago this week, on April 22, 1970, nearly 10 percent of Americans turned out for the first annual Earth Day. The event was a cross-generational, multicultural effort to clean the air and water, ban DDT, save the whales, halt offshore drilling and remove lead from paint and gasoline.
At the time, there was also the hope of a bipartisan, cross-sector effort to head off climate change. As Nathaniel Rich documented two years ago in the New York Times Magazine, in 1965 a Science Advisory Committee executive report on carbon dioxide “warned of the rapid melting of Antarctica, rising seas, (and) increased acidity of fresh waters.”
No coordinated global effort was immediately undertaken, and emissions continued to rise into the 1970s. But in the next decade or so, there were promising congressional responses. In 1987, Sen. Joe Biden introduced legislation to establish a national climate-change strategy. In 1988, there were 32 climate-related bills introduced in Congress, and eventually Sen. Timothy Wirth led the way to the omnibus Energy Policy Act of 1992.
Before 1989, Rich wrote, “Some of the largest oil companies, including Exxon and Shell, made good-faith efforts to understand the scope of the crisis and grapple with possible solutions.” Rich cited an Exxon 1978 internal memo warning that “humankind had only five to 10 years before policy action would be necessary.”
Alarmed by the anti-environmentalism of President Ronald Reagan and his appointees, such as James Watt and Anne Gorsuch, many Republicans helped lead the battle against CONTINUE READING: 'We must act': Earth Day in the time of pandemic

Latinx Teens: Distance Learning Is a Giant Stressor amid Coronavirus - News Taco

Latino Teens: Distance Learning Is a Giant Stressor amid Coronavirus - News Taco

Latino Teens: Distance Learning Is a Giant Stressor amid Coronavirus







Latino teens are more worried than their peers that they won’t be able to keep up with school work or extracurricular activities amid coronavirus, says a new survey by Common Sense and SurveyMonkey.
70% of Latino teens fear falling behind in homework.
62% of Latino teens fear lagging in activities like band and sports.
These are far higher percentages of worry about online, distance learning than their white (49% and 53%), black (66% and 54%), and other (40% and 50%) peers.
How “real” is this teen angst?

Many Teens Are Not Connecting with Teachers During the Coronavirus Pandemic

Coronavirus has shut down schools and fueled the rise of online, distance learning.
But not all teen students regularly communicate with their teachers.
One in four teens connect with teachers less than once a week. Over 40% haven’t attended an online or virtual class since in-person schools closed, according to the Common Sense survey conducted with 849 U.S. teens between March 24 and April 1, 2020.
The problem, the data suggest, is no access to the Internet.

Inequities in Internet Access Are Thwarting Distance Learning

Learning is stalled for the 12 million U.S. students who live in homes with no broadband Internet.
“With the majority of kids now learning from home instead of school and, as this poll indicates, struggling to keep connections with teachers, the nation is confronting a huge equity challenge,”said Jim Steyer, CEO of Common Sense. “It’s more critical than ever that students have access to technology for learning and safety no matter where they live.”
Broadband access is especially critical for Latinos.
About 23% of Latino children live in homes with no high-speed Internet. This is a higher percentage than their white (10%) and Asian (5%) peers, according to a 2018 study by Pew Research Center.
18% of Latino students said they don’t have access to a computer at home.

NYC Public School Parents: After the Pandemic: Our Children Deserve an Education Revolution by Michael J. Hynes

NYC Public School Parents: After the Pandemic: Our Children Deserve an Education Revolution by Michael J. Hynes

After the Pandemic: Our Children Deserve an Education Revolution by Michael J. Hynes



Mike Hynes is the Superintendent of Port Washington schools and a progressive education leader for change.  In my opinion he would make a terrific Commissioner of the NY State Education Department.

After the Pandemic: Our Children Deserve an Education Revolution

Michael J. Hynes
April 21, 2020

It’s amazing how quickly we go from one way of life to another in the blink of an eye. It happens in an instant. One day we live our life a certain way…and the next day it is turned upside down. This global pandemic has historically changed our economy, way of life, use of technology and how we physically interact with each other. All within a few months.
Millions of parents have suddenly found themselves responsible for overseeing their children’s education from home. This is a formidable challenge to be facing on top of all of the other stresses due to the pandemic. My hope is that our parents, educators and policymakers will finally realize how important school is and why it must evolve once our children resume going back to school in September.
Now is the time for our school leaders to generate a new compelling philosophy of education and an innovative architecture for a just and humane school system. We must refocus our energy on a foundation built on a sense of purpose, forging relationships and maximizing the potential and talents of all children. Let’s take advantage of the possibility that our nation’s attention can shift 180 degrees, from obsessing over test scores and accountability to an entirely different paradigm of physical, mental, and emotional well-being for students and staff.
It is our collective responsibility to foster engaging and meaningful environments when educating our children in the new era of a post pandemic education. As the great philosopher John Dewey stated over one hundred years ago, “If we teach today’s students as we taught yesterday’s, we rob them of tomorrow.” The first sentence in the 2018 World Bank Group’s Flagship Report- Learning: To Realize Education’s Promise states, “Schooling is not the same as learning.” I couldn’t agree more. The report continues to speak about that as a society, we must learn to realize education’s promise. Now is this the time to revolutionize this antiquated system built on old structures and ideologies. I recommend we change the purpose of schooling to the following core values:
·       Emphasize well-being. Make child and teacher well-being a top priority in all schools, as engines of learning and system efficiency.
·       Upgrade testing and other assessments. Stop the standardized testing of children in grades 3-8, and “opt-up” to higher-quality assessments by classroom teachers. Eliminate the ranking and sorting of children based on standardized testing.  Train students in self-assessment, and require only one comprehensive testing period to graduate from CONTINUE READING: NYC Public School Parents: After the Pandemic: Our Children Deserve an Education Revolution by Michael J. Hynes

Marie Corfield: Strange Days Indeed Pt. 2 — How Big Is Your Button?

Marie Corfield: Strange Days Indeed Pt. 2 — How Big Is Your Button?

Strange Days Indeed Pt. 2 — How Big Is Your Button?


Some reflections on life in these strange new times from someone who's lived through a few of her own

You can buy one of Hicks' books by clicking on the links throughout this post.

















These are my thoughts and feelings; this is my experience. Take what you like and leave the rest. I mean no judgment on you or your beliefs. This is just what works for me.


In Part 1 I talked about my grandparents, who raised me, and how their generation survived not only the Spanish Influenza, but the Great Depression and two World Wars—without Zoom meetings, cell phones, social media, Netflix, drive-by birthdays, or anything else that's helping us get through "these difficult times".
Sure, it's easy to wax nostalgic and think the entire country was united around the leaders of the day, everyone working together for the common good, but that would be too perfect. Yes, there was opposition, but it wasn't screaming in your face in real time, 24/7/365. Many people were simply too busy trying to survive.

Violet from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory
Oh how life has changed. With the sheer volume of information now available at the tap of a button, I feel like one of those kids in Willy Wonka's chocolate factory who couldn't resist all the temptation surrounding them until they were consumed by it. And who's to blame? Me, of course.

I have a big button. And I've allowed it to be pushed pretty hard over the years. Politics, war, injustice, Taylor Ham vs. pork roll (it's a Jersey thing)—you name it, I can sound off CONTINUE READING: 
Marie Corfield: Strange Days Indeed Pt. 2 — How Big Is Your Button?

San Francisco board proposes giving A’s to students - The Washington Post

San Francisco board proposes giving A’s to students - The Washington Post

San Francisco school board proposes giving A’s to all students for covid-19 period as districts adopt varying grading systems




The closing of most of America’s schools and the quick rush to distance learning because of the spread of covid-19 has prompted changes in the way many districts are asking teachers to grade student performance during this period.
Most districts appear to be moving to a variant of a pass/fail system for the spring semester as they attempt to implement “hold harmless” policies during a time of transition and anxiety.


In Ohio’s Perrysburg Schools, for example, officials posted to the district website a statement saying it was moving to a system in which students who usually get grades will get either a “P” for pass or an “I” for incomplete. For high school students, a “P” will have “the weight of a 4.0 for regular classes and 4.5 for Honors,” which are A’s.
“We know that the stress put on families is tremendous and we are doing our best to determine the right path to take in the education of our students,” it says. “We continue to use the analogy of flying the plane as we build it.”
Differences in districts in the state of California show the variety of approaches being implemented nationwide.
The California Education Code says, “There is nothing [in the code] which governs whether a class can be offered as credit/no credit, pass/fail or a modified A-D. Given the circumstances of COVID-19, some districts are considering a variety of options.”
In the San Diego Unified School District, students will not receive a grade lower than they received CONTINUE READING: San Francisco board proposes giving A’s to students - The Washington Post

NAEP Scores Drop in History, Civics: DeVos Blames Public Schools, Not NCLB, RTTT, ESSA, CCSS | Diane Ravitch's blog

NAEP Scores Drop in History, Civics: DeVos Blames Public Schools, Not NCLB, RTTT, ESSA, CCSS | Diane Ravitch's blog

NAEP Scores Drop in History, Civics: DeVos Blames Public Schools, Not NCLB, RTTT, ESSA, CCSS



The National Center for Education Statistics released NAEP scores in history and geography, which declined, and in civics, which were flat.
Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos went into her customary rant against public schools, but the real culprit is a failed federal policy of high-stakes testing narrowly focused on reading and math. If DeVos were able to produce data to demonstrate that scores on the same tests were rising for the same demographic groups in charter schools and voucher schools, she might be able to make an intelligent point, but all she has is her ideological hatred of public schools.
After nearly 20 years of federal policies of high-stakes testing, punitive accountability, and federal funding of school choice, the results are in. The “reforms” mandated by No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top, the Every Student Succeeds Act, as well as the federally-endorsed (Gates-funded) Common Core, have had no benefit for American students.
Enough!
When the ESSA comes up for reauthorization, it should be revised. The standardized testing mandate should be eliminated. The original name—the Elementary and CONTINUE READING: NAEP Scores Drop in History, Civics: DeVos Blames Public Schools, Not NCLB, RTTT, ESSA, CCSS | Diane Ravitch's blog

Teacher Tom: When We Choose to Not Pounce on "Teachable Moments"

Teacher Tom: When We Choose to Not Pounce on "Teachable Moments"

When We Choose to Not Pounce on "Teachable Moments"


"Don't worry Leon, you can always make some more blood."

I heard Luke say it in passing, consoling his friend, as I was on my way to somewhere else. Not having heard what came before or after, it struck me as both hilarious and intriguing. I couldn't help but try to bring it up again. When next Luke and I met on the playground, I said, "You can always make some more blood."

"It's true, Teacher Tom! Your heart pumps and makes more blood. That's why you don't run out when you bleed." Luke knows a little something about bleeding. "And you know what else? Blood is really blue."

I was sitting on the ground with Audrey and a couple of other kids. Audrey interrupted, "No, blood is red."

"No, really," Luke said, turning to her persuasively, "It's blue inside, but when it comes out it looks red."

"Luke, it's red. I've seen it."

"No really, it's true, it's blue."

I thought I could clarify. "I think what Luke is saying is that blood looks blue when it's inside our body. See my vein?" I CONTINUE READING: Teacher Tom: When We Choose to Not Pounce on "Teachable Moments"

Access Denied: Why Don’t We Have Internet for All? – Have You Heard

Access Denied: Why Don’t We Have Internet for All? – Have You Heard

Access Denied: Why Don’t We Have Internet for All?


The gaps between the Internet haves and have-nots have never been more glaring. Christopher Mitchell of the Institute for Local Self Reliance helps us understand the origins of our digital divide and how to get to a system of high-quality, affordable internet for all. Full transcript of the episode here.
The financial support of listeners like you keeps this podcast going. Please donate at Patreon.com/HaveYouHeardPodcast.



Why Are Lecturing and Questioning Still Around? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Why Are Lecturing and Questioning Still Around? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Why Are Lecturing and Questioning Still Around?




The lecture is 800 years old (Lecture).



Teachers questioning students is millenia-old.



Yet these staple instructional practices while criticized–often severely by pedagogical reformers are alive and well in charter schools, regular public schools, and higher education. And they exist amid a revolution in teachers and students using high-tech devices in and out of the classroom.
Are these ways of teaching simply instances of traditional practices that stick like flypaper because they have  been around for a long time–inertia–or have these practices changed with the times because they are useful ways of communicating knowledge and learning?
LECTURE
Lecturing has been panned by pedagogical reformers for decades.  Over and over again, critics have said that lectures are inappropriate because students forget the facts and learn better when they interact with teachers. Furthermore, with so many high-tech ways of presenting information, prepared talks are obsolete. Yet lecturing remains the primary way professors teach undergraduate courses, high school teachers present information, gurus, and officials across business and government communicate with followers (e.g., TED talks, podcasts, U.S. Presidents speaking from the Oval Office).
If lecturing is so bad for learning and seen as obsolete, how come it is still around? Surely, it is more than inertia or hewing to a sacrosanct tradition of  transmitting knowledge. With new technologies and media (e.g., the printing press, television, computers) no longer is the familiar (and medieval) dictation of text to students necessary. Yet the lecture persists.
As Norm Friesen argues (see The Lecture ) , the persistence of the lecture as a CONTINUE READING: Why Are Lecturing and Questioning Still Around? | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Survival of the Sheep: Considering 100 hungry points of view | JD2718

Survival of the Sheep: Considering 100 hungry points of view | JD2718

Survival of the Sheep: Considering 100 hungry points of view


A logic puzzle? Now?
I’m glad I’m back writing, but need a break between remote teaching, the UFT, the politicians and the pandemic… That’s a lot of scary stuff and frustration and unknowns… Let’s squeeze in some math to lower the temperature.
Last week I ran discussions with no outside assignments. And some of the discussions were logic puzzles, run like problem solving sessions. And I dusted off this old favorite about leprechauns, and as the kids pushed to an answer, someone said “is this the same as the wolf and sheep problem?”
I did not know the wolf and sheep problem (which I told him). But when we were done, I looked it up. Brand new problem for me, but fits right in with some of my favorites: the pirates and leprechauns.  Here it is – try to reason it out for yourself:
I took the language from a page that seems to be selling a logic course – but I prefer the title I found on Braingle:

Survival of the Sheep

On an island in a far away country there is a population of 100 wolves and 1 sheep. They are the only two living species on the island. The following facts are known to be true:

CURMUDGUCATION: Voice Cloning: One More Way Teachers Can Be Replaced

CURMUDGUCATION: Voice Cloning: One More Way Teachers Can Be Replaced

Voice Cloning: One More Way Teachers Can Be Replaced


So, Venture Beat is a website touts itself as the leading source for transformative tech news and events that provide deep context to help business leaders make smart decisions and stay on top of breaking news.

That includes "sponsored" news like this very special piece from Lovo, a Berkeley-based company whose sub-title is "Love Your Voice" and whose co-founder explains their mission as "Making human voice scalable, ubiquitous, and accessible." That co-founder is Tom (Seung Kun) Lee, who has been COO for Orbis, done digital marketing for LG CNS, and worked for MuleSoft-- and that's all just since 2016. He got his Business Administration and Management degree from U of C, Berkley in 2016; it took him six years but that may be because it appears he took 2013-2015 off to be a Squad Leader in the Republic of Korea Army.

Anyway. Lee is quoted heavily in this advertisement for Voice Cloning which claims that this awesome AI-powered tech is "becoming the new normal."

And just in time, too. The "global elearning  market" was going to hit total market value of $325 billion by 2025, driven by, among other things, "the need  to educate people at low cost." Need? Whose need is that exactly, and is this "need" like "I need to eat food or I will die" or more like "I CONTINUE READING: 
CURMUDGUCATION: Voice Cloning: One More Way Teachers Can Be Replaced

Diane Ravitch in Conversation with Denisha Jones and Susan Ochshorn - Network For Public Education

Diane Ravitch in Conversation with Denisha Jones and Susan Ochshorn - Network For Public Education

Diane Ravitch in Conversation with Denisha Jones and Susan Ochshorn


Start: Wednesday, April 29, 2020  7:30 PM  Eastern Time (US & Canada) (GMT-05:00)

End: Wednesday, April 29, 2020  9:00 PM  Eastern Time (US & Canada) (GMT-05:00)


The Network for Public Education invites you to join us for a video conference with NPE President Diane Ravitch. Diane's guest this week will be early childhood education experts Denisha Jones and Susan Ochshorn. Join Diane, Denisha and Susan for a conversation about early childhood education in the time of the coronavirus. Participants will have the opportunity to ask questions as well.

SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007



SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... 
The latest news and resources in education since 2007




I’m Using This New NPR Video In Class Today: “Six Tips For Safe Grocery Shopping During A Pandemic”

mohamed_hassan / Pixabay I’m going to use this new NPR movie in my ELL Newcomers class. Actually, I’ll be turning the sound off and stopping at the illustrations and sentencing sharing each of the six tips and then have students play a Quizizz game I’ll make about the advice:

YESTERDAY

Cinco de Mayo Is Coming Up – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources

alaingutz / Pixabay Cinco de Mayo, May 5th, commemorates the defeat of the French by the Mexican Army in 1862. It’s a holiday in some parts of Mexico, and is celebrated by Mexican immigrants and Mexican-Americans in the United States. You might be interested in The Best Sites For Teaching & Learning About Cinco de Mayo .
“Six Ways to Teach Poetry”

Six Ways to Teach Poetry is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Five teachers share strategies for teaching poetry, including by using a “Poem of the Week” to promote social justice and by using photos to prompt student engagement. Here are some excerpts:
Looking For “Silver Linings” In The Coronavirus Crisis Is A Gross Example Of Privilege

It isn’t the first time I’ve seen some ed tech proponents talk this way over the past month, but Coronavirus Opens Door To Rethinking Education is just gross. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: It would be difficult to find someone is more a “glass full” kind of person, but there is no “silver lining” to a pandemic, tens of thousands of deaths, society-wide disruption, and chaos for our s
“Video: ‘Tips for Remote Teaching With ELL Students'”

OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay I’ve been doing some videos for Ed Week. The first one was on “ 7 Tips for Remote Teaching. ” Next, came “ 7 Tips for Parents Supporting Remote Learning .” And, now, today, comes one providing “Tips for Remote Teaching with ELL Students,” co-scripted by Katie Hull (apologies for it being a bit “glitchy,” particularly at the beginning):
DeVos Proves Again That “The Cruelty Is The Point” – DACA Recipients Barred From Aid

The Cruelty Is the Point is the headline of an important article Adam Sewer wrote for The Atlantic eighteen months ago as he discussed Trump Administration policies. Education Secretary DeVos demonstrated another example of this today. Read about it in The New York Times article, DeVos Excludes ‘Dreamers’ From Coronavirus College Relief .
This Week’s Resources To Support Teachers Coping With School Closures

Wokandapix / Pixabay I have a number of regular weekly features (see HERE IS A LIST (WITH LINKS) OF ALL MY REGULAR WEEKLY FEATURES ). It’s time for a new addition to that list, and this post introduces a weekly compilation of new and good resources to support those of us dealing with school closures. Some will be added to The Best Advice On Teaching K-12 Online (If We Have To Because Of The Coron

APR 21

“Reading & Writing Instruction in the Age of the Coronavirus”

Reading & Writing Instruction in the Age of the Coronavirus is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Keep it simple, keep it flexible, and keep the routine familiar are among the suggestions three educators give in assigning students work while distance learning. Here are some excerpts:
Harvard Business Review Highlights Three Tried-And-True Classroom Management Strategies

ractapopulous / Pixabay The Harvard Business Review often writes about strategies to use in business that can easily be applied in the classroom Today’s article, How to Persuade People to Change Their Behavior , is another example of that cross-over (just to be clear, however, most business practices have no place in schools – see The Best Posts & Articles Explaining Why Schools Should Not Be Run
“Six Ways Educators Can Support LGBTQ Students During COVID-19”

Six Ways Educators Can Support LGBTQ Students During COVID-19 is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. During the best of times, LGBTQ students often have a tough time navigating safely through the negative actions thrown their way. Two educators explain how teachers can help these students remotely. Here’s an excerpt:
NBC News Video: “From Smallpox To The Coronavirus: The History Of Vaccinations Explained”

Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay I’m adding this new video to A BEGINNING LIST OF THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE CORONAVIRUS.


Ed Tech Digest

Eight years ago, in another somewhat futile attempt to reduce the backlog of resources I want to share, I began this occasional “” post where I share three or four links I think are particularly useful and related to…ed tech, including some Web 2.0 apps. You might also be interested in THE BEST ED TECH 
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007