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A teacher edited his student's rough drafts for statewide test to make sure punctuation and capitalization were correct on their exams. She stated she felt the pressure of performing well on the exams. Other states have been found to cheat on the standard test created by No Child Left Behind. How do you feel a teacher should be punished for violating standard assessment rules for a broken system like NCLB? Do you feel NCLB standards help or hurt students? teachers? Why do they hurt and why do the help? Why do you fell there are so many scandals with teachers cheating for students? Do they not have confidence in their teaching abilities and/or their students?

Such a heartbreaking and timely article. Great summary and questions.

This was an article by Robert Earl from "The Atlantic". It focuses on how American High School students are using their cellphones to listen to music, texting, in the hallways and any opportunity to use it in the classroom with the teacher's permission. According to the University of Michigan, 71% of the students receive or send text messages by their cellphones in class. Many students say they "can focus on their schoolwork better if they are listening to music through their earbuds". There are four advantages that benefits the students and two disadvantages of using cellphones in the classroom. The most important message is that either way students must be taught to love learning -- to embrace the process of finding answers. We as educators to need to embrace using all types of technology in the classroom as well.

This article is explaining how the author believes that the internet is now the most powerful tool in the classroom today. The author argues that teachers must give up some of their power in the classroom and allow students to take more control of their own education through the opportunities the internet offers. She does make the point that teachers will still have a pivotal role in the classroom even with all the new technology.

Founded in 1943, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) is an educational leadership organization dedicated to advancing best practices and policies for the success of each learner. Our 175,000 members in 119 countries are professional educators from all levels and subject areas--superintendents, supervisors, principals, teachers, professors of education, and school board members. This article discusses the advantages to using mobile devices classroom; it is stated that laptops create a wall while kids enjoy working together on their cell phones. In survery teachers and admininstrators use at home or classroom argue should be used in the 21st century classroom.

This is a great find. Glad someone is sharing this as a resource for other to check out. ASCD is a great resource and always offers great curriculum and technology resources as well.

"Imagine a system that provides teachers with real-time insights to understand how a student is performing. The teacher can then use the data to spot weak areas and adjust the lesson plan accordingly. This type of tailored instruction has the ability to greatly improve student performance." We've been learning about individualized instruction in all of our classes, and now Xerox researchers have been tracking students for the past 7 years in New York and California to invent a system where teachers "could determine what concepts were being taught successfully and which were missing the mark-- and they could do it on a student-by-student, class-by-class basis."

Funding | News The federal government is awarding $121 million in grants with the aim of improving academic and career outcomes for those with disabilities, supporting technology, technical assistance, research and other programs with the aim of "promoting inclusion, equity and opportunity for all children and adults with disabilities to help ensure their economic self-sufficiency, independent living and full community participation."

This site talks about the steps to take to find useful and safe games for game-based learning (GBL) as a way to engage students in the curriculum.

Good advice for selecting games depending on your access to technology and as an option for differentiation.

This article discusses the use of free web 2.0 tools that can be used in the classroom to help promote 21st century skills. They highlight four web tools, Jing, Wix, Google Sites, and Blogger, that can be integrated in school environments. The article provides specific classroom examples from four teachers, on how they were able to use these tools with their students.

This was a great article for class. We will talk about about some of the tools listed.

This article talks about how iPads and other tablets are a learning tool for students with disabilities, not just for novelty. Students who have trouble communicating verbally can use apps to talk to peers, teachers and parents. It allows them to be more like their peers and can spark new friendships if used in the right way. It can be used in all classes, including Math and Science, allowing students to be more independent than they have ever been.

This article sounds interesting. I wish I could have read the entire article.

This article discusses" blended learning." This is where they move from a one-size-fits all teaching to a personalized form of teaching. The capability for children to use technology and have someone also physically teaching will enhance the learning of a child.

Personalized learning is key! Nice find.