In This 2020-21 Pedagogical Twilight Zone, Value Relationship. | deutsch29

In This 2020-21 Pedagogical Twilight Zone, Value Relationship. | deutsch29

In This 2020-21 Pedagogical Twilight Zone, Value Relationship.

Thursday, August 20, 2020, was my first day of school for this COVID-19, 2020-21 school year. No students yet– the current plan is for students to return after Labor Day.

2020-21 promises to be a pedagogical Twilight Zone.

For teachers and administrators across the nation, the difficulty rests in trying to string days together to form some sort of continuity when the at-best predictability guarantee is only the day we are in and what we know in that day. Procedures and expectations are really confined to a single day. True, we might hope and wish and try to plan to make what happens today somehow logically connect to what will happen tomorrow, and as logical creatures, that is the way teachers and admin are attempting to plan for this school year, but even as we do so, we know that we are trying to construct a solid school year on a foundation that we already know simply cannot support the entire structure.

And still we plan. We must plan. And at this time of education during the pandemic, those plans are rife with contradiction.

Write all lessons in the online classroom platform, but also have paper copies on hand for students who do not have their computers on a given day.

Position student desks six feet apart, but fit all of the students in your classroom CONTINUE READING: In This 2020-21 Pedagogical Twilight Zone, Value Relationship. | deutsch29

“Instructional Lunch” Should be a Deal-Breaker | JD2718

“Instructional Lunch” Should be a Deal-Breaker | JD2718

“Instructional Lunch” Should be a Deal-Breaker

“Instructional Lunch” is a rally bad idea. It is a huge flaw in the NYC Department of Education’s blended learning plans for September. Students in most schools will not go to a cafeteria (where the whole school would mix, theoretically letting a spread event involved the entire student body). Instead, students will eat lunch in their classrooms while a teacher teaches.

The blended learning plans call for masks – except for lunch. A dozen or so children in a room with an adult will remove masks, and eat lunch. The DoE documents don’t mention that they will eat in silence, but I assume that’s because they want to make the principals the bad guys.

Here’s Mulgrew’s description (from an August 8 email to members):

Instructional lunch for students: Using the Breakfast in the Classroom model from elementary schools, many students will have instructional lunches to maximize their class time and minimize their contact with children outside their own class groups. Since not all types of instruction can happen during student lunch, school communities should discuss the types of instruction that can effectively happen during this time. You will still have a duty-free lunch, so in many cases a different teacher will teach your students during the instructional lunch period.

Imagine being the cluster teacher assigned to cover “Instructional Lunch” all day.

Later clarification has the teacher in the back of the room, looking at the students’ backs as they eat.

What is the motivation for “Instructional Lunch”?

The Mayor and Chancellor desperately want to open schools. Hell, most teachers would rather teach in CONTINUE READING: “Instructional Lunch” Should be a Deal-Breaker | JD2718

CURMUDGUCATION: More Pandemic Privatization

CURMUDGUCATION: More Pandemic Privatization

More Pandemic Privatization

"This New Nonprofit Is Training Better Online Teachers This Fall" gushes the EdSurge article that is barely disguised PR for yet another reformy initiative.

This summer a group of education leaders, many from the world of charter schools and education reform, sought to change that by launching the nonprofit National Summer School Initiative, or NSSI for short. Its solution was both a crash course in effective online teaching—and figuring out what good online teaching looked like—and a summer enrichment program for students across the country.

"Many" from charter/reform world is not really correct-- "entirely" would be more accurate. Crash course is right--the training "institute" lasted a whole week. And the company, which has already rebranded itself as Cadence Learning, is selling one more screen-delivered education program. This rebranding is a bit of an unforced rookie error, as Cadence Education is already a company in the early childhood ed biz, and the Cadence Learning Company is a Canadian pharmaceuticals firm. Boys and girls, first rule of 21st century business--before you choose a name, google it.

Poster boy for endlessly failing upwards

You can get a good sense of where this business is coming from just by looking at the priors of the folks running it. The spokesguy that EdSurge talked to was Chris Cerf, a lawyer who became part of the Joel Klein edu-team in NYC, then became Chris Christie's education chief for New Jersey. He left that job to work with Klein at the fiasco that was Amplify (it was totally going to change the face of education). Oh, and Edison Schools, too. After that, he became Cami Anderson's replacement as head of Newark schools. Now he's part of the leadership team at Cadence.

Also on the team are Kevin Anderle, from Achievement First and Teach for America; Savita Bharadwa, former chief of staff at Newark schools, as well as a consultant. Her degrees in electrical engineering, but she got a fake degree from the Broad Academy. so there's that. Then there's Rochelle Dalton, senior fellow at Bellwether, also formerly KIPP Foundation, and Teach for America. Aquan Grant, PrepNet--but she has a real education degree and spent two whole years in the CONTINUE READING: CURMUDGUCATION: More Pandemic Privatization

A VERY BUSY DAY 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

A VERY BUSY DAY

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day...

The latest news and resources in education since 2007

 

 

Big Education Ape: THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007 - http://bigeducationape.blogspot.com/2020/08/this-week-in-education-larry-ferlazzos_22.html

A Look Back: “Idolizing Just One Person Undermines The Struggle”

by Larry Ferlazzo / 11h

I’m taking a few days off from publishing new posts this week. I thought that new – and veteran – readers might find it interesting if I began sharing my best posts from over the years. You can see the entire collection here . I originally shared this series of posts in 2010. You might also be interested in The Best Sites To Teach About African-American History . In addition, you might also find

A Look Back: What Is The “Zeigarnik Effect” & How Did I Apply It In The Classroom Today?

by Larry Ferlazzo / 11h

I’m taking a few days off from publishing new posts this week. I thought that new – and veteran – readers might find it interesting if I began sharing my best posts from over the years. You can see the entire collection here . I originally shared this post in 2011. You might also be interested in another post I wrote about the same topic: More On The “Zeigarnik Effect” Bluma Zeigarnik was a Russi

A Look Back: Students Remember More When They Tell Stories

by Larry Ferlazzo / 11h

I’m taking a few days off from publishing new posts this week. I thought that new – and veteran – readers might find it interesting if I began sharing my best posts from over the years. You can see the entire collection here . In 2012, I wrote a short piece for ASCD In Service titled Students Remember More When They Tell Stories . Educators might still find it useful. I also include additional in

This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Useful Posts & Articles On Ed Policy Issues

by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h

Here are some recent useful posts and articles on educational policy issues (You might also be interested in THE BEST ARTICLES, VIDEOS & POSTS ON EDUCATION POLICY IN 2019 – PART TWO ): The latest on Sac City Unified Schools money: The district may run out by February 2021 is from The Sacramento Bee. I’m adding it to A BEGINNING LIST OF THE BEST RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT OUR SACRAMENTO DISTRICT

SEL Weekly Update

by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h

I’ve recently begun this weekly post where I’ll be sharing resources I’m adding to The Best Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Resources or other related “Best” lists. You might also be interested in THE BEST SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES OF 2020 – PART ONE. Finally, check out “Best” Lists Of The Week: Social Emotional Learning Resources . Here are this week’s picks: 6 Ways a Crisis Can Help Y

“‘Hacks’ for Teachers”

by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h

‘Hacks’ for Teachers is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Five educators share tips on practices teachers can use to save time and be more effective in the classroom, including by encouraging students to take responsibility for certain tasks, such as peer-editing.

A Look Back: “Sometimes The Only Thing Worse Than Losing A Fight Is Winning One”

by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h

I’m taking a few days off from publishing new posts this week. I thought that new – and veteran – readers might find it interesting if I began sharing my best posts from over the years. You can see the entire collection here . I wrote this post in 2013: An old community organizing adage goes like this: “Sometimes the only thing worse than losing a fight is winning one.” In organizing, that can me

A Look Back: Knowledge Isn’t Power — “Power is Power”

27by Larry Ferlazzo / 12h

I’m taking a few days off from publishing new posts this week. I thought that new – and veteran – readers might find it interesting if I began sharing my best posts from over the years. You can see the entire collection here . I wrote this post in 2013: I’ve been watching “Game of Thrones” on DVD, and just saw this great scene that teaches an important lesson about making change: Knowledge is not

Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists

by Larry Ferlazzo / 1d

(Note: I am going to publish this same post once each month to remind regular readers and inform newer ones about how to access my “Best” lists) As regular readers know, I have about 2,100 categorized and regularly 

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