Group items tagged

Why do we have schools? Instead of answering this question by listing all the good things that schools provide, which anyone can do, I will turn the question around: What is bad about having schools?

Why do we have schools? Instead of answering this question by listing all the good things that schools provide, which anyone can do, I will turn the question around: What is bad about having schools?

Solution Tree, a leading educational professional development company, has released Mind, Brain, & Education, a new book that explores neuroscience's implications for improving teaching and education.Mind, Brain, & Education is a landmark publication in the emerging field of educational neuroscience. The book showcases insights into the learning process and explores its implications for educational theory and practice. With an introduction and chapter by David A. Sousa, one of the primary researchers in the field, and chapters by 16 leading experts, Mind, Brain, & Education provides a comprehensive overview of the history and current research being conducted in this emerging field.The researchers who contribute to the volume use the growing knowledge of how the brain functions and develops to explore the field's implications for pedagogy and the classroom. "It's an excellent, timely, informative book on the history and current status of the field that has come to be known as educational neuroscience," said Robert Sylwester, emeritus professor of education at the University of Oregon. "The 10 chapters that constitute the heart of the book were written by a wonderful mix of outstanding researchers and educators, from Michael I. Posner, a renowned pioneer in the use of neuroimaging technology in psychology/education and the recipient of the 2009 National Medal of Science, to Judy Willis, who left a career as a neurologist to become an elementary/middle school teacher." Mind, Brain, & Education is the sixth book in the Leading Edge™ series. The Leading Edge™ series unites education authorities from around the globe and asks them to confront the important issues that affect teachers and administrators-the issues that profoundly impact student success

Dennis is a former English teacher and administrator in urban and suburban schools for many years. Dennis has always gravitated toward K12 leadership, learning and technology topics. He has graduate degrees from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English and Harvard University's School of Education. In addition to blogging about K12 learning, leading and web 2.0 tools/pedagogies at innovation3.edublogs.org, he is president of the Massachusetts affiliate of ASCD, a member of the Leadership Council for ASCD; a member of the Massachusetts Working Group for Educator Quality; Co-Facilitator of the Massachusetts High School Redesign Task Force; and a member of Massachusetts STEM Summit V Planning Committee. The web 2.0 conversation is not about technology tools; it is about student learning. Dennis subscribes to the definition of Professional Learning Communities that Rick and Becky DuFour and many other leaders of education have espoused. In simple terms, * learning (for us and for students) is our purpose, * we can improve student learning if we learn together collaboratively, and * monitoring student learning is the only way to know: 1. what students are learning, 2. how we are teaching and 3. how we get better at it. A former English teacher and administrator in urban and suburban schools for many years, he has always gravitated toward K12 leadership, learning and technology topics. He has graduate degrees from Middlebury College's Bread Loaf School of English and Harvard University's School of Education. He is married with three children and four grandchildren. Among other things, he loves running, cycling, kayaking, contemporary poetry, photography and the outdoors. In the summer of 2007 his professional life changed when he attended the Building Learning Communities Conference 2007 and in three days experienced, for the first time, the power of Web 2.0 tools and their potential for transforming schools and learning. That experience

Cardiff University is recognized in independent government tests as one of The British leading educating and analysis colleges. Established by Royal Charter in 1883, the University today brings together impressive modern facilities and a powerful approach to educating and analysis with its proud culture of service and accomplishment. Cardiff University is the biggest University of mature education and learning in Wales, with the Cardiff Center for Long term Studying offering several hundred programs in locations across Southern Eastern Wales. The University's lifelong learning actions also include the professional growth work performed by educational institutions for companies, and many of these is custom-made to match an individual business's needs. The Center also provides business terminology training at all levels. Founded: 1883. Structural features: Merged with University of Wales College of Medicine (UCWM) in 2004. Location: Close to Cardiff city center. Healthcare care learners also at hospital website, Heath Recreation area University, 1 mile away. Getting there: Cardiff Primary Place on the national train network; trainers to bus station (next to train station); M4 from London and M5 (west county and Midlands). For school, frequent teaches from Primary Place to Cathays station (on campus), regional vehicles from bus station (53, 79, 81 for main campus; 8 or 9 for hospital site). Academic features: 4-year incorporated food techniques, 5-year two-tier techniques in structure and town planning. 5-year medical and dental programs, plus foundation season for those without science backgrounds; medical teaching throughout Wales. Awarding body: Cardiff University; Wales University for some healthcare programs. Main undergrad awards: BA, BD, BDS, BMus, BN, BSc, BEng, BScEcon, LLB, BArch, MB BCh, MPhys, MChem, MEng, MPharm. Length of courses: 3 years; others 4 and 5 decades. Library & IT facilities: Integrated collection,

Eaton-Johnson Middle School is located in North Carolina, approximately 45 minutes north of Raleigh. The school is considered by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as a rural school, however, this is also inner city. Eaton-Johnson Middle School is located in a district with a high unemployment rate, high crime rate, and a high gang rate. When the school first implemented Synergy, the school was also suffering from low teacher morale, an unclear mission, and very little parent involvement. We had to do something, because EJMS was also considered a priority school which meant that the state was looking very closely at our instructional programs, teachers, school community, and the administration.

An an era driven by globalized relationships, innovative social technologies, and fueled by accelerating change, how should we reinvent schools?

Society confronts educational change in an odd, entirely counter intuitive manner. On one hand we acknowledge that education can and should do a better job of preparing our children for the future while on the other we cling to the models of education that we knew. This led educational writer Will Richardson to state that 'the biggest barrier to rethinking schooling in response to the changing worldscape is our own experience in schools'. Our understandings of what school should be like and our imaginings of what school could be like are so clouded by this experience that even the best evidence for change is overlooked or mistrusted.

Partanen, Anu. (2011). What Americans Keep Ignoring About Finland's School Success. The Atlantic. Retrieved January 9, 2012, from http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2011/12/what-americans-keep-ignoring-about-finlands-school-success/250564/

Primary School is the foundation of a child's educational life. How is he/she going to perform and what kind of attitude he/she exposes towards receiving education depends completely upon the care and assistance one receives in their primary school level. So, it is the responsibility of every conscious parent to provide their kid with the best care and support during the most formative period of their life. To support them successfully and completely, enrolling them in a primary school is not the only thing you have to do. They need extensive care and only an efficient primary school tutor can create the environment which will enable them to learn, making it an extremely enjoyable act.

Our goal is to transform school systems by developing professional communities of teachers and school leaders with interactive online courses and on-site support programs that enable schools to cultivate the critical learning students need for the 21st century world. Research-Based. WIDE World professional development programs are based on Teaching for Understanding, a classroom-tested framework developed through research at the Harvard Graduate School of Education. Online. WIDE World courses are conducted online and are asynchronous. This allows for flexible, adaptive, and convenient learning for all participants, regardless of location or schedule. Job-embedded. Through our courses, WIDE World learners integrate research-based strategies in their own workplace. Online coaches support cycles of learning, applying, and reflecting as teams of educators improve lesson plans, instruction, and data-driven action projects. Team-Based with Coaching. Systemic change requires coordinated effort from all stakeholders. Expert coaches help teachers, leaders, and specialists work in teams to develop a common language for defining and achieving shared goals. Tailored for Local Impact. WIDE World works with you to design professional development programs adapted precisely to address the needs of your school, program, district, or system and build local capacity for continuous improvement. Global Learning. In the online environment, participants collaborate with innovative educators from across the US and around the globe.

"Marin County educators gathered this week to imagine a world without standardized tests, one in which teachers would teach less and students would study less - yet score near the top on international tests of math, reading and science. Teaching would be a highly regarded profession in this world, and decisions about curriculum and other aspects of education would be made at the school - rather than the state or county level. The "achievement gap" between rich and poor schools would be unknown, as all schools would provide their students with a high level of education, along with free meals, counseling and health care. This mythical world of teachers' dreams has a name: Finland."

Victorious Kidss Educares is a co-educational IB school, it offers classes from nursery upwards, providing a blend of academic, sporting, cultural and artistic activities in a high quality environment.It is one of the best IB School in Pune that houses state-of-the-art classrooms, a laboratory and library, and audio-visual room and art studio, and a playground for sports and recreation. All of which contribute to giving our students a world-class education with lifelong benefits. Visit us @ http://www.victoriouskidsseducares.org

Education Recovery and Reinvestment Center The new search tools on our Education Recovery and Reinvestment Center help you find the resources you need or take you directly to the pages that meet your needs. * Fund Finder: Identifies total distribution of funds to your state. * State Resources page contains state-specific information. * The LPA Resource page contains specially developed tools and resources. * The calendar of events is updated regularly. District and School Administrators * The School Reform and Improvement Database contains research on school finance models, optimal resource allocation for school improvement, whole district reform, and teacher retention strategies.

Education Recovery and Reinvestment Center The new search tools on our Education Recovery and Reinvestment Center help you find the resources you need or take you directly to the pages that meet your needs. Here is a sample of what you will find:

The Internet provides unique opportunities for educators to access, use, modify, and share educational materials. Open Educational Resources (OER), as these free materials are called, can include "full courses, textbooks, streaming videos, exams, software, and any other materials or techniques supporting learning"http://www.hewlett.org/oer . The OER movement shows considerable potential to reduce cost, improve quality and widen access to educational opportunities. WikiEducator was launched in 2006 to turn tomorrow's promise for OER into today's reality for teachers, lecturers, and trainers around the world. WikiEducator is an international community of educators committed to the development of OER at all levels of the education system. WikiEducators are returning to the core value of education, namely to share knoweldge freely. In this session, experienced WikiEducators will share what the concept of "OER" and explore ideas on how to get the most from this rewarding project.

Learning: Peering Backward and Looking Forward in the Digital Era Margaret Weigel Project Manager, Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education margaret_weigel@pz.harvard.edu Carrie James Research Director, Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education carrie_james@pz.harvard.edu Howard Gardner Hobbs Professor of Cognition and Education, Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education hgasst@pz.harvard.edu

"The education futurists see the development of Web 2.0 as the final death knell of the 20th century learning model. The proliferation of open source learning tools, social media technology, mobile learning tools, and the ability of educators to cheaply and effectively construct rich, complex, individualized learning experiences for students is bound to revolutionize education."

You hear it repeatedly. You can't throw technology into schools without training and support for teachers. If you purchased a truckload of iPads for your school then you better have a plan for developing teachers that are skilled in using them ... but what does it really mean to be "skilled .. What constitutes effective professional development

"Though many devices enter our classrooms for different reasons -- they are not neutral. Some are used to reinforce the authority of formal teaching; some engage students in the process of imaginative discovery. By balancing conventional and subversive academic possibilities, these latter objects show us the real potential of learning technologies. Not as sterile knowledge-delivery devices policed by authorized educators, but as boundary objects between endorsed educational utility and creative self-expression gone rogue."

Education version of Glogster allows for school accounts and private glogs

Glogster is proud to present Glogster.com/edu, a NEW addition to the site for all your educational needs! This is just the first step in making education and technology more engaging for educators and students! We will continue to add more and more features and improvements to make sure all your educational needs are fulfilled! Feel free to give us any feed back that you think would make this site better for educators and students.