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A discussion of constructivists curriculums in which Posner played a major role. His 2004 book, Analyzing the Curriculum was popular in education classes, science and psychology classes. He changed the way Americans and educators thought about education. Posner, G. J. (2004). Analyzing the curriculum (3rd ed.). New York: McGraw Hill. http://www.etni.org.il/etnirag/issue4/nellie_deutsch.htm

This article discusses the introduction of algebra to Elementary school students.

Web video created and narrated by educational maverick Sir Ken Robinson. In it, he explains, in a student-centered way, why it is crucial for teachers to embrace technology in the classroom.

I think Sir Ken Robinson's ideas about the curriculum were right! One thing he mentioned that stuck out to me was about the divergent thinking being the essential capacity for creativity. He stated that there were several possible answers instead of just one. He used the example of the ways to use a paper cup to support his ideas. He explained how knowledge deteriorates over time when students become "educated". He says that what is considered as copying or cheating is referred to as collaboration in the environment. I think society is constantly changing and some aspects of the curriculum may need to be modified to meet those needs but not completely. I think with the changing curriculum, students and teachers are so overwhelmed by the emphasis placed on standardized testing that it is difficult for learning to occur in a fun, relaxed environment, except in lower grade levels where the students are still excited about learning. I agree with Sir Ken Robinson in saying that we can meet the future by doing the past, when the stakes weren't so high and so many students weren't being medicated, learning could occur in an environment that wasn't divided!

Joshua, I am so glad you posted this video! I think that all educators need to watch this video simply because it is real. Technology should be essential in the classrooms today's simply because it is what the students see and use when they are not in school. Think about how many students have cell phones, Ipad's, Ipods and video games, we should be taking into consideration these things to strengthn education. I agree with Jessica on the divergent thinking--we sometimes forget that no 2 students are the same so their perspectives on learning and life will be totally different. I think a lot of times we do want the "perfect" classroom but the truth of the matter is we have to consider all learning styles. Students learn best from each other and group work is something that Sir Ken made a point in his presentation. In this course we talk a lot with each other SO that we can learn from each other so why not implement this same learning style into the classrooms?

Shelly Frei, 2007. Using blogging and webcasting as tools for teaching and education of students in K-12 environments. She makes it clear that this is the future of education. Frei, S. et. al. (2007). Integrating technology into the curriculum: professional development for successful classrooms. Huntington Beach, CA: Shell Education.

Great book! Have been reading it lately for ideas!

This discusses copyright laws in regard to posting on personal websites and blogs. It also discusses using videos in the curriculum for educational purposes versus public performances. The article briefly talks about what happens if you get caught for a violation of copyright. A list of helpful websites regarding copyright and fair use are attached to the article. The blog ends with a section of comments.

This article is about schools being vertically aligned in the curriculum. The focus is upon mathematics and the question is whether or not it is a job well-done.

This article talks about the characteristics of pbl, the reasons to use pbl, examples of pbl, and more. It serves a a great framework on how to get started.

I just took on the position of a 7th/8th grade math lab teacher and the person before me spent a lot of time using packets to teach the students material. I very quickly realized that this method only left the material in the students' mind for a day or two. So for the past week i've been trying to figure out exactly how to use methods of instruction like project-based learning. PLB is an amazing method that more teachers should be aware of, the only issue is that there seems to be a lot of planning up front for this to be a success. I've decided though, that if all that time of planning up front would help my students to KNOW mathematics, then it's worth it.

Reading the article and being a 7th grade math teacher I have realized that their are alot of teaching stratgies that could work if we had more time to actually focus on mastery and understanding. Alot of teachers are placed on calenders on what has to be taught. With the Texas curriculum being so data driven it has become hard for us to really use those fun teaching stratigies.

This article can benefit anyone who is an educator. We will all have students in our classroom with a disability and this article gives way to vary instruction and incorporate ways to make sure the student is learning the same as any other student. Reading IEPs thoroughly and knowing ways to modify curriculum for the student with disability is key.

This article talks about different ways teaming brings about success. Near the bottom of the article the use of vertical alignment teams are discussed. Good read!

Why not? The sky is the limit. We are only prevented to succeeding where we think there are no possibilities! This is really neat.

Wow! I did my Method's at this school and I thought it was phenomenal then, I can only imagine now. This may be an article that I take back into my school because we have a group of 4th graders who are missing skills. It is hard to get the students prepared for the 5th grade level when they are missing 2nd and 3rd grade skills. Today I was talking to a teacher about what the students are being taught in the 3rd grade and she did not know. I think that if the teachers are communicating with the other grade level they are more aware of what to expect the next school year. This may also promote colloboration with other grade levels so that many skills are not missing. I am sure this will benefit all teachers and make learning more effective. It is all about team work!

In a research done by Sarah Thuele Lubienski and her husband Christopher, they found that once they controlled for a family's socioeconomic background, students who attended public school actually outperformed private school slightly.

I enjoyed this article! I enjoy the debates of whether public or private schools are better. I like that the writers pointed out that many public schools are doing better than private schools. There are so many factors that come into play when dealing with topics such as these. For instance, parental involvement. There's more than what meets the eye, many people need to see that rather than set their hearts on one type of school that is "correct". Good stuff!

I totally agree with ending of this article and how children do in school.(its truly up to if students like their teachers). What happened to that parental support so that with any teacher a student can be successsful. Every time the debate comes up I really wonder how much control the students have over US teachers.

This article lists all the benefits of attending a private school versus attending a public one.

I really enjoyed this article and definitely agree that students benefit from a private school education. I taught private Kindergarten for two years. The curriculum I taught was on a 1st and 2nd grade level and with the small student-teacher ratio (I had 10 kids max), I was able to work with students one on one and focus on each students weakness area to improve it. Also, at the end of the year, the students had benchmark tests they took and scored well above the percentile compared to other students their same age in the areas of math, reading, social awareness, etc. If financially feasible, I think students especially younger ones greatly benefit from private school. Great selection of article.