Missouri Education Watchdog: What did your kids (or kids you know) receive for Christmas? Will those Gifts Make them Creators or Consumers?

Missouri Education Watchdog: What did your kids (or kids you know) receive for Christmas? Will those Gifts Make them Creators or Consumers?:

What did your kids (or kids you know) receive for Christmas? Will those Gifts Make them Creators or Consumers?

by stlgretchen

Blogger David McElroy has an article about the Christmas presents children receive and how these presents reveal what adults expect of them. He has some interesting thoughts on how children learn to create (or not).

I remember one of my favorite gifts at Christmas when I was seven

2011 Lesson #3 – “Do then think”: take risks | Connected Principals

2011 Lesson #3 – “Do then think”: take risks | Connected Principals:

2011 Lesson #3 – “Do then think”: take risks

by sharris

Avalon learning space in action - kids love the ideas wall

Okay … this lesson probably commenced in my early childhood if I count the number of hospital visits from bumping into (stupidly designed) concrete telegraph poles in Auckland, slipping off high chairs to raid the top kitchen cupboards or eating poisonous plants because they looked nice. But the notion of learning by doing really took ground in 2005 when I visited the Icelandic Ministry of Education. Their motto: ‘do then think’. Why,

Daily Kos: A good part of what is wrong with Congress

Daily Kos: A good part of what is wrong with Congress:

A good part of what is wrong with Congress

by rss@dailykos.com (teacherken)

can be seen in this Washington Post article, just posted, from which I quote the following:

Between 1984 and 2009, the median net worth of a member of the House has risen 2 1 / 2 times, according to the analysis of financial disclosures, rising from $280,000 to $725,000 in inflation-adjusted dollars.

Over the same period, the wealth of an American family has declined slightly, with the median sliding from $20,600 to $20,500, according to the Panel Study of Income Dynamics from the University of Michigan.

All figures have been adjusted for inflation and exclude home equity, which is not included in

Being a Student Ally: Teachers as Necessary Voices of Protest « Cooperative Catalyst

Being a Student Ally: Teachers as Necessary Voices of Protest « Cooperative Catalyst:

Being a Student Ally: Teachers as Necessary Voices of Protest

by rad fag

Standing up to authority is about standing up for our students, our communities and ourselves.

A few months ago I was teaching a somewhat uninspiring writing curriculum to a group of sixth graders as part of teacher training program. As young educators, participants in the training were expected to prepare original lessons from a pre-written curriculum and teach them to classes of about twenty students on a daily basis. We were observed by mentor teachers several times a week, and met with those mentors about once a week to receive feedback on our growth as aspiring teachers. Even with many great supports in place, my colleagues and I were struggling to make the curriculum our own, as well as making it engaging for our students. The program, which was private and in league with many of the standard “reform” movements of the day, put a great

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top Late Afternoon Posts #ows #edreform

Dick Cheney appeared in a military courtroom. « Fred Klonsky

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Dick Cheney appeared in a military courtroom. « Fred Klonsky:Dick Cheney appeared in a military courtroom.from Fred Klonsky's blog by Fred KlonskyWhen former Vice President Dick Cheney appeared in a military courtroom at Fort Meade, Maryland, last week, it was his first public appearance in more than 19 months. Cheney has been held without trial for the past year and a half; only now is a hearing being conducted to determine if there is sufficient evidence to refer his case ...more »

Connecting the Classroom to the Capitol « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education

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Connecting the Classroom to the Capitol « The Whole Child Blog « Whole Child Education:Connecting the Classroom to the Capitolby Klea ScharbergWhat works best for children? What must we all—educators, families, policymakers, and community members—do to ensure their success? Answering those questions pushes us to redefine what a successful learner is and how we measure success. ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative seeks to change the conversation about education from a focus on narrowly defined academic achievement to one that encompasses a ... more »

Now is not the right time for more charter schools in Michigan

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Now is not the right time for more charter schools in Michigan:OPINION: Now is not the right time for more charter schools in MichiganOn Dec. 14, our state legislators passed Senate Bill 618 to allow more charter schools in Michigan. Wasting no time, Gov. Rick Snyder signed it into law on Dec. 20. The leaders in Lansing like the idea of choice and competition, and when the population in Michigan is growing, that way of thinking would be just fine.But ... more »

Charter schools are not the solution: The widow of famed UFT leader Albert Shanker blasts ‘reformers’ - NY Daily News

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Charter schools are not the solution: The widow of famed UFT leader Albert Shanker blasts ‘reformers’ - NY Daily News:Charter schools are not the solution: The widow of famed UFT leader Albert Shanker blasts ‘reformers’ They are unwilling to work within the systemBY EADIE SHANKER NEW YORK DAILY NEWSMonday, December 26 2011, 3:50 AMLegendary teachers union leader Al Shanker would not have supported the current charter school movement.Battle over airwaves pits UFT vs. pro-charter forcesEditorial: Jobbing school reformBam education plan ... more »

SIMMONS: Keep a watchful eye on high cost of school reform - Washington Times

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SIMMONS: Keep a watchful eye on high cost of school reform - Washington Times:SIMMONS: Keep a watchful eye on high cost of school reformBy Deborah Simmons-The Washington TimesSunday, December 25, 2011**FILE** D.C. Mayor Vincent C. Gray (Associated Press)STORY TOPICSEducationD.C. Public Education Finance Reform CommissionChristmasFOLLOW US ONFACEBOOKQUESTION OF THE DAYDid you spend less this Christmas because of the economy?YesNoUndecidedOtherLogin to VoteView resultsCOMMENTS (1)RECOMMENDTWITTERLINKEDINREAD LATEREMAILPRINTTEXT SIZE: +| -CLICK-2-LISTENSHAREANALYSIS/OPINIONThere’s a na... more »

Education Inspector General Kathleen Tighe Selected to Lead Recovery Board -- WASHINGTON, Dec. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --

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Education Inspector General Kathleen Tighe Selected to Lead Recovery Board -- WASHINGTON, Dec. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --:Education Inspector General Kathleen Tighe Selected to Lead Recovery Board WASHINGTON, Dec. 26, 2011 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kathleen S. Tighe, the Inspector General for the U.S. Department of Education and a strong proponent of transparency and accountability in government, has been selected by President Obama to serve as the new Chair of the Recovery Accountability and Transparency Board.(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100702/RECOVERYLOGO)... more »

The Quiz: Test yourself on education in 2011 - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

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The Quiz: Test yourself on education in 2011 - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:The Quiz: Test yourself on education in 2011by Valerie StraussThe year 2011 was monumental in education — monumentally good or monumentally bad, depending on your view.School reformers who believe in using business principles to run public schools had a banner year. More states expanded the number of charter schools, promoted vouchers and moved toward using student test scores to evaluate teachers.Read full article

Today's Big Education Ape - PostRank Top AM Posts #ows #edreform

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solidaridad: Social Justice Schools Conference by CEJ and PEAC February 2012Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All)-1 minute agosolidaridad: Social Justice Schools Conference by CEJ and PEAC February 2012:Social Justice Schools Conference by CEJ and PEAC February 2012by Robert D. Skeels * rdsatheneWhat does real school transformation look like? How will we win? Real transformation is rooted in the communities that schools serve, respect the rights of all school employees, and is fully funded.February 10 February 11, 2012Fri: 4:30 to ... more »

The Educated Reporter: Do Teacher-Student Facebook Friendships Cross the Line?

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The Educated Reporter: Do Teacher-Student Facebook Friendships Cross the Line?:Do Teacher-Student Facebook Friendships Cross the Line?by Emily Richmond I'm off for a few days for the holidays. Given that some other states and districts are actively debating new rules limiting student-teacher contact via social media, I thought this prior post was worth another look. Missouri recently passed a law to severely limit online interactions between teachers and their students on social networking sites. It quickly became known as Missouri’s “Facebook ... more »

solidaridad: Social Justice Schools Conference by CEJ and PEAC February 2012

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solidaridad: Social Justice Schools Conference by CEJ and PEAC February 2012:Social Justice Schools Conference by CEJ and PEAC February 2012by Robert D. Skeels * rdsatheneWhat does real school transformation look like? How will we win? Real transformation is rooted in the communities that schools serve, respect the rights of all school employees, and is fully funded.February 10 February 11, 2012Fri: 4:30 to 7:00pmSat: 8:30 to 5:00UCLA Community School3201 W. 8th StreetLos Angeles, CA 90005RSVP: Jimenez.rosa@gmail.com or (909) 753-9007 ASAPChildcare, Food, ... more »

Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN #edreform

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Top Content this Week - The Educator's PLN:Top Content this WeekTop Content Rank1NYS Teacher Evaluation ControversyAdded by Thomas Whitby on December 22, 20112Understanding TPACKAdded by Thomas Whitby on December 22, 20113To Tweet Or Not To TweetAdded by Thomas Whitby on December 9, 20114Edutopia: A Neurologist Makes the Case for the Video Game Model as a Learning ToolAdded by Thomas Whitby on November 12, 20115SchoolisyzationAdded by Thomas Whitby on December 18, 20116Favorite FREE Web 2.0 AppsPosted by Thomas Whitby on November ... more »

State community colleges set to ration classes

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State community colleges set to ration classes:State community colleges set to ration classesNanette Asimov, Chronicle Staff WriterSunday, December 25, 2011(page 1 of 2) SINGLE PAGEPrintE-mailShareComments (118)Font | Size: 44David Paul Morris / Special To The ChronicleDiana Wachner writes in a Life Review class. Community colleges plan to focus on essential classes only.IMAGES View All Images (6)MORE EDUCATIONProfessor works for healthy surf tourism industry 12.25.11California finally gets a piece of Race to the Top 12.17.11S.F. Leadership High on state's list of ... more »

All My “Best Of 2011″ Lists In One Place | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…

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All My “Best Of 2011″ Lists In One Place | Larry Ferlazzo’s Websites of the Day…:All My “Best Of 2011″ Lists In One Placeby Larry FerlazzoI’ve posted quite a few “Best Of 2011″ lists. And you can find links to all of them in this post.You might also be interested in:The Best Of The Best — 2007/08The Best “The Best…” Lists Of 2009All My “The Best Of 2010″ Lists In One Place!Here are All My “Best Of 2011″ Lists In

Teach for America: Liberal mission helps conservative agenda - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post

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Teach for America: Liberal mission helps conservative agenda - The Answer Sheet - The Washington Post:Teach for America: Liberal mission helps conservative agendaby Valerie StraussThis was written by Andrew Hartman, who teaches history at Illinois State University. He is the author ofEducation and the Cold War: The Battle for the American School. This was originally published atjacobinmag.com. It is long but well worth your time.By Andrew HartmanRead full article

"A Sunday Kind Of Love" - Etta James spending Christmas in hospital

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Etta James spending Christmas in hospitalDecember 25, 2011 | 7:48 am 30The family of Etta James said they hope to share Christmas with the hospitalized singing legend if she is feeling well enough.If doctors can revive her from her sedation by Sunday, her family will try to hold a small Christmas celebration in her hospital room."She always felt Christmastime was for the children," said her son, Donto James. "The biggest thing she ever wanted was for people to be with ... more »

Schools Matter: Will Haslam Continue to Lead TN Schools Continue Down the Corporate Rabbit Hole?

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Schools Matter: Will Haslam Continue to Lead TN Schools Continue Down the Corporate Rabbit Hole?:Separate and Unequal in Body and Mindby Jim Hornby Judy RabinWhile the scrooges in the halls of Congress, the multi-billion dollar testing industry and the greedy, fascist proponents of more tests to measure and punish poor students and those who teach them sit down to their Christmas dinner, here's yet another story that is finally changing the conversation about education from "no excuses" to "it's the ... more »

“Math is #1” The Lives They Lived - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com

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The Lives They Lived - Interactive Feature - NYTimes.com:Mr. GellerRichard Geller, b. 1946 When Richard Geller died, students put his catch phrase, “Math is #1,” all over Stuyvesant High School, in New York City, where he had taught. It was taped onto lockers. It was drawn on a couple of desks. It was handwritten on a T-shirt. In the classroom, Geller was passionate and intense and demanding. One student remembered her math grade was the lowest one on her report ... more »

Merry Christmas Baby Elvis Presley

Big Education Ape - PostRank (PostRank: All) - 17 hours ago

Merry, merry Christmas babySure did treat me niceI said merry Christmas babySure did treat me niceGave me a diamond ring for ChristmasNow I'm living in paradiseWell I'm feeling might fineGot good music on my radioWell, I'm feeling might fineGot good music on my radioWell, I want to kiss you babyWhile you're standing beneath the mistletoeI said, merry, merry, merry, merry Christmas babyYou sure did treat me niceYes, you did, yes, you didYes, you did, yes, you didI said merry, merry ... more »

NYC Educator: Happy Christmas

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NYC Educator: Happy Christmas:Happy ChristmasI hope you're having a great day. Just in case you aren't, it may give you some perspective to hear the story of someone having a day that's even worse.Posted by NYC Educator at 10:06 AM

"Peace on earth and good will to men!"

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The Peace Speech - John F. Kennedy:The Peace SpeechCommencement Address at American UniversityPresident John F. KennedyWashington, D.C.June 10, 1963 Let us examine our attitude toward peace itself. Too many of us think it is impossible. Too many think it unreal. But that is a dangerous, defeatist belief. It leads to the conclusion that war is inevitable--that mankind is doomed--that we are gripped by forces we cannot control. We need not accept that view. Our problems are manmade--therefore, they can be ... more »