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'Recently Kris Nielsen , the Teacher Dropout I featured on my blog last month, wrote this to me on Facebook: A while back, I asked you if you saw any redeeming qualities about CCSS. Your answer got me thinking. Since then, you could say I've seen the light. To follow is the post he wrote that appears on his blog Middle Grades Mastery. Almost a year ago, I offered my time to the middle school at which I was employed to give a two-night presentation that promised to ease parents’ conc
This transformation, just like the transformation of our website, is a thoughtful evolution where each iteration strives to be better than the one before. Our collaborative power and common passion for STEM education fuel this progress and is a testament to the proven success of networks. As we have continued to grow past the original 13 member states and organizations, our impact has also grown, enabling us to improve the education and future quality of life for more than 8 million students acr
'The Seattle Times reports the teachers union shares concerns the faculty at Garfield High has raised about district-required standardized tests. As a result, the Garfield teachers announced that no teachers at the school would be giving the tests this winter, even though the district requires them to do so. Nearly all the faculty signed a letter to the district saying they’re not against testing, but they think their standardized exams (MAP) is a flawed test that fails to help them or their
'You may have read the post from an overbearing mom who was trying to control her kid because she purchased a phone for him. The level of contempt this mom shows for her son is disheartening. Fortunately, this mom’s whole desire to impose lessons upon him falls short if he rejects her gift. Teaching your child that money equals control is a shameful and dangerous lesson.
Speaker: Andrew Cohen, Founder & CEO of Brainscape
The instructor’s PPT slides are brilliant. You’ve splurged on the expensive interactive courseware. Student engagement is stellar. So… why are half of your students still forgetting everything they learned in just a matter of weeks? It's likely a matter of cognitive science! With so much material to "teach" these days, we often forget to incorporate key proven principles into our curricula — namely active recall, metacognition, spaced repetition, and interleaving practice.
'David Karp began learning HTML at 11 and soon after was designing websites for local businesses. Unlike Nick Perez who spent years being drugged and tortured in a school that didn’t understand his particular passion, Karp attended high school for one year before dropping out. This allowed him to focus on doing projects that enabled him to pursue his passions.
'Parents and educators agree that in the age of “ Generation Text ” it is important to be prepared to help children become responsible citizens of the digital world. What they don't agree on is how to go about this. While some flocked to follow the advice of the overbearing mom whose iPhone gift came with contractual strings, other parents, educators, and teens alike were appalled by the disrespect and contempt conveyed by such an approach.
'Parents and educators agree that in the age of “ Generation Text ” it is important to be prepared to help children become responsible citizens of the digital world. What they don't agree on is how to go about this. While some flocked to follow the advice of the overbearing mom whose iPhone gift came with contractual strings, other parents, educators, and teens alike were appalled by the disrespect and contempt conveyed by such an approach.
'A friend recently asked what school/districts I recommend near New York City. When my boyfriend and I discussed this a few years back I rattled off numerous schools and districts like this one. Back then my job consisted in part of supporting schools with something called the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) which honors students passions, talents, interests, abilities and learning style.
'Innovative educators know that looking to Finland as the golden standard for education because of their test scores makes little sense for a number of reasons. This includes the fact that if we adjust for poverty and speakers of other languages in our nation, their results are no more remarkable than ours. Internationally, these tests are no more than a measure of poverty and ability to speak the national language in any given country.
'Guest post by TimeOutDad As an aspiring school leader, as an educator, as a parent, I am deeply worried about the education of our children. There’s been a lot of buzz about the Common Core Standards and how they’re supposed to somehow get our children college and/or career ready by raising the standards for all. Sounds great, right? Well, the message that seems to have been sent to the test-makers is, “Let’s make these high-stakes tests harder than ever.
'By Kris Nielsen. O riginally posted at Middle Grades Mastery. This is the second installment in the This is How Democracy Ends series. Part one is here. This is How Democracy Ends–Part II – Reality Check –will give an abbreviated version of why the Common Core State Standards Initiative (CCSSI) is worse than we think and why it has been pushed so hard on states, districts, and schools.
Mathematics, a subject steeped in abstract concepts, often poses challenges to students, especially those in grades 5-10. But imagine a bridge that transformed this intricate maze into an interactive adventure.
'by Amy | Edited version. Original posted on Unschooling NYC on January 7, 2013 Is it respectful to post an iPhone contract of rules regarding the use of a gift given to a child by his parent? Is it respectful to post a photo of a child’s room taped off with duct tape and marked as hazardous & then say you had to do it to get the kid to clean the room?
'There is more than one way to look at someone. "My students don't know how to learn. They don't know how to succeed. And, it doesn't seem like they care to change any of that. " -Crystal Kirch, My biggest struggle this year High school math teacher Crystal Kirch’s biggest struggle of 2012 was met with both cheers from those who could commiserate as well as jeers from those who were concerned that students were not the culprit, but rather the victims of a system that set
'Dayna Martin is a mother of four who is raising her children without school, textbooks, standards, or a curriculum. Instead her children''s passions, talents, and interests drive their learning. Check out Dayna''s interview below on the Jeff Probst Show as she explains why she''s unschooling her kids, and what her role is in their development and education.
'Patricia Zaballos shares some radical notions about how kids can become writers in her article in Life Learning Magazine. These notions share little resemblance to what writing looks like in schools today. Though she has extensive experience as a public school student and teacher, her insights are drawn from her fifteen years spent homeschooling her own kids and watching them become writers as well as more than a decade of facilitating writer’s workshops and the twenty years she spent becomi
'Scientific American recently reported what many innovative educators instinctively know. Image: Katie Sayer/Flickr "H umans are better at remembering information if it appears as a social network post." The article reveals that r ecollecting Facebook posts is easier than recalling the same information in a book. It also takes less effort to remember posted matter than someone''s face, according to new research.
'More and more parents are opting their children out of standardized tests. In a recent opt out group discussion, parents shared they were told that if their child attended school, but did not take the test, they would have to sit at their desks and do nothing. They would not even be allowed to read but rather sentenced to sit and stare into space. Rather than waste children’s time, one parent asked, “Wouldn't it be amazing if there was an educational opportunity available in communities dur
'The powerful and wealthy in our country pay to send their children to schools that are not testing f actories, but for those who can't afford this luxury, children are used, abused, chewed up and spit out of the system if they are not compliant. Even if it means they will get hurt or sick. It's sort of like one of those alien movies where those in power feel they have the right to run these tests on aliens because they are sub-human.
'Many innovative educators realize that there are better ways to assess than standardized tests. As a result, they are supportive of students whose parents have decided to opt their children out of tests. This leaves teachers with a dilemma. Rather than sit and stare, what can those students do while their classmates take the test. This can be difficult considering most schools allow student to only have pencils, scrap paper and a testing booklet on their desk.
'Thinglink is a cool tool that brings ideas into a nice visual graphic. Check out this one based on my article, "The 5 Cs to developing your personal learning network.".
'Looks like more and more cities are following the lead of NYC and embracing the use of social media in schools. Most recently the Chicago Public Schools has put together toolkit of resources —video, documents, and links to other sites—for principals and staff who want to use social media to connect with their school communities. The toolkit , has useful resources that will be helpful regardless of what city or town you work in.
'17-year-old Nikhil Goyal nails it with his take on the Best of 2012: The Five Most Extraordinary Things to Happen in Education for GOOD magazine. Goyal hits on five transformative developments effecting education this year. The one I''m most jazzed about for innovative educators is how students were able to use the power of social media to have a voice in the education conversation.
'I've been thinking about all the things that should be standardized in life but aren't. Here are the most annoying ones that come to my mind. Phone chargers (Really iPhone 5???) On/off switches on computers (Push, slide, front, side?) Television remote controls (How do you turn this dang thing on?) Carry on luggage (Forget the sizers, just give a standardized stamp or seal!
'Join BAM radio''s Rae Pica for a discussion about overcoming the biggest obstacles in project-based learning. While interest in project-based learning continues to accelerate, this approach to teaching has its share of skeptics and detractors. In this segment we lay out the benefits of project-based learning and dispelling the concerns, doubts and objections.
'Another year is behind us as 2012 has come to an end. Before you get to the list of the hottest posts of the year, I want to say thank you to all the educators, parents, and young people who’ve spent it here and in The Innovative Educator group thinking and learning with me. I think more broadly and more deeply because of the feedback and advice you have provided to me throughout the year.
'Vicki Abeles, producer of the film Race to Nowhere is asking for innovative educators to take a minute or two to tell your story in front of a camera. Please share what actions -- big or small -- you, your family, or your school taken to break out of the “ Race to Nowhere." Think about the small steps you've taken. Did you sign a petition, ask for homework-free holiday breaks in your school, speak to a teacher or administrator about homework, testing or the school schedule?
'Here’s the roundup of what''s been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see the top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews. I hope there''s something that looks of interest to you. If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired, share it with others and/or leave a comment. Entry Pageviews High school dropout pursues passions, becomes millionaire.
'Here’s the roundup of what''s been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see the top weekly posts along with the number of page views. I hope there''s something that looks of interest to you. If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired, share it with others and/or leave a comment. Articles Page views Are CCSS sending children over an education cliff.
'Here’s the roundup of what''s been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see the top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews. I hope there''s something that looks of interest to you. If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired, share it with others and/or leave a comment. Entry Pageviews Dear overbearing phone mom - No thanks!
'Noa Rosinplotz at Spelling Bee via Flickr More and more students are waking up, standing up, and speaking out against standardized testing. Most recently 6th grade student Noa Rosinplotz posted the following story on her Facebook Page aptly named Datapoints. T he Little Datapoint and the Big Bad Test Once upon a time, there was a little datapoint named Rosin Plotz, Noa.
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