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Loren Kurpiewski

Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? | People & Places | Smithsonian Magazine - 0 views

  • professionals selected from the top 10 percent of the nation’s graduates to earn a required master’s degree in education
    • Kristen Koburger
       
      Although we are obviously all pursuing our masters in education, it is not required in America that teachers receive a masters in order to teacher. In fact, in some schools and in some parts of the country just getting a teaching certificate is enough to qualify adults to become teachers. I wonder if the standard to become an employable teacher in Amercia was raised, if there would be better quality teachers. I think that if becomig a teacher required more then a certificate or a bachelors degree, only those who are truely passionate about teaching would try to become teachers.
    • Rachael Webster
       
      Having such requirements might also increase the prestige associated with teaching. It seems like Finland subscribes to the idea that only the best may teach, while the US still believes that those who can't do teach. Why would you want someone who can't do something teaching it? It's such a nonsensical colloquialism, but one that permeates attitudes toward teachers.
    • Ron Lombard
       
      there is push to do this in the US - problem is QPA's and test score don't prove you can teach
    • Rebecca Delivuk
       
      If we increase the level of education required to teach, then we will probably have to increase teacher's compensation so they can pay off school loans. But honestly, I think increasing education is not the biggest need--changing teacher's unions so that low-quality teachers can be fired, and high-performing teachers can be rewarded, might be a more effective method.
    • Loren Kurpiewski
       
      I agree with Dr. Lombard in that QPAs and test scores don't prove anything about your teaching ability, but I think that spending the extra time, effort and money to earn your Masters is an indicator of your determination and eagerness to not only be a teacher, but be a *great* teacher.
  • “Children from wealthy families with lots of education can be taught by stupid teachers,” Louhivuori said, smiling. “We try to catch the weak students. It’s deep in our thinking.”
    • Rachael Webster
       
      While I don't relish the idea of anyone having a stupid teacher, I certainly do applaud the acknowledgement that the weakest students need the strongest teachers. We need teachers who view working with the least priviledged students as the primo jobs and jobs working with kids who already have everything as something that you'd take if you had to. If you want to be rewarded for your job, isn't seeing a kid go from the bottom up a lot more rewarding than seeing a kid who has everything inch up a little higher in his already awesome educational career? I sound like I don't think wealthier students deserve good teachers, and that's not what I mean. I'm just saying that the toughest jobs are the ones we should be the proudest and most excited to do.
    • Ron Lombard
       
      Now this approach makes sense in particular in the lower grades
    • Rebecca Delivuk
       
      BALLIN!
    • Brittney Story
       
      I love this quote! These weaker students are the ones falling through the cracks in America or being wrongly pushed ahead.
  • If you only measure the statistics, you miss the human aspect.”
    • Rachael Webster
       
      YES
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • His Race to the Top
    • Ron Lombard
       
      A review of literature will show this caused as much trouble as any good
  • small enough
    • Rebecca Delivuk
       
      like private schools in the USA
Nathan Bell

Free Technology for Teachers: 47 Alternatives to Using YouTube in the Classroom - 1 views

  • 1. School Tube is a website dedicated to the sharing of videos created by students and teachers. School Tube allows teachers and schools to create their own channels for sharing their students' works. School Tube also provides excellent how-to resources, copyright-friendly media, and lesson plans for using video in the classroom.
    • Kristen Koburger
       
      I like the idea of students sharing their work with other students from around the country (or even the world). I think students would take more interest in their assignments if they knew they would get to share them with others.
    • Rachael Webster
       
      I agree. Especially considering how one impact of technology is that many kids (heck, people) expect lots of attention over the most mundane things. If they get 43 comments on a Facebook status about brushing their teeth, only getting feedback from a teacher or classmates on their work is probably a lot less exciting, no matter how good the feeback is.
  • 12. CNN Student News is a daily web show highlighting a handful of stories. The stories covered by CNN Student News range from traditional serious news topics to how-to stories appealing mostly to students to light and fun stories. As a social studies teacher every week I find at least a couple of stories from CNN Student News that I can work into my curriculum. CNN Student News provides printable maps and a daily news quiz to go along with each episode.
    • Kristen Koburger
       
      I didnt know CNN had a student site. This is great!!! Getting students interested in news and current events can help widden their perspective on the world and maybe make them proactive citizens.
    • Loren Kurpiewski
       
      If I were a history teacher, I would integrate these videos into the class assignments, having the students watch the videos and write a brief summary of the content.
    • Brittney Story
       
      I loved this cite and I thought it was a perfect way to sift through all of the regular news to find news that is interesting to students in school.
  • 38. Art Babble is a video website designed and maintained by the Indianapolis Museum of Art. The purpose of Art Babble is to provide a place for people to learn about the creation of art, artists, and collections through quality video productions. Visitors to Art Babble will find videos related to many forms of and formats for art. Browse the video channels and you'll find videos covering a wide array of topics including abstract art, European Art and Design, African Art, graphic design, glass, sculpture, surrealism, and much more.
    • Kristen Koburger
       
      Some museums let you take virtual tours of parts of their museums. Free field trip!!! http://www.amnh.org/exhibitions/permanent/fossilhalls/virtualtours/
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  • The Week in Rap is produced by the same people that produce Flocabulary. Each Friday The Week In Rap posts a weekly news summary in the form of a rap music video. The videos cover stories from national and international politics as well as sports and entertainment news.
    • Max Applegate
       
      As number 47 on this once-titled "30+ Alternatives" list, The Week in Rap is a great last addition to the rest of the tools. Even though the site is subscription-based, you can view some free videos if you sign up and pay $5 a month for access to everything. The best part about this tool is that is stands as an alternative to schools that have YouTube or Vimeo blocked. I would love doing live performances of these raps, though! The lyrics are posted on the site and what better way to grasp students' attention than to stay topical. Flocabulary's videos reminda me of Auto-Tune the News, but with less vocoder, obviously. Haha. Putting these videos up on Fridays is the perfect time to unwind and consume the latest.
    • Loren Kurpiewski
       
      These videos seem like fantastic resorces for History, Social Studies, Science and Math teachers, but there doesn't seem to be a lot of content geared toward English or Literature studies. - Loren
    • Brittney Story
       
      Great resource for any subject!
  • TED Talks
    • Nathan Bell
       
      Shout out to the TED!!
Loren Kurpiewski

Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? | People & Places | Smithsonian Magazine - 2 views

  • The people in the government agencies running them, from national officials to local authorities, are educators, not business people, military leaders or career politicians.
    • Kristen Koburger
       
      Why dont we do this???? Having politicians and businessmen run the education system in this country is like having a ballerina play football. It doesnt make sense!
    • Rachael Webster
       
      I wish there was a "like" button here. So this is my LIKE.
    • Nathan Bell
       
      Double like.
    • Loren Kurpiewski
       
      LIKE!
  • “We are not much interested in PISA. It’s not what we are about.”
    • Rachael Webster
       
      I wonder if they would be saying the same thing if they were at the bottom, though. It's easy to say you don't care about test scores when your test scores are through the roof. If you're at the bottom of the pack and saying you don't care about test scores, then people say "Well, obviously. That's why they are doing so poorly."
    • Nathan Bell
       
      Yes, but isn't he saying that their focus is not preparing the students for some standardized test, but more in training them in how to be knowledgeable about the important things they need to know to be functional, productive adults? With that dreamy philosophy actually put to practice, it would seem to me that they would achieve success on the tests, and continue to not care much about them...
    • Chuck DiNardo
       
      I agree that the sentiment is that value in placed on learning rather than testing. It would be interesting to see from a budgetary standpoint how much money the U.S. invests in standardized testing and consider what they could accomplish if they put that money into more effectively helping students learn.
    • Rachael Webster
       
      I understand and agree with the fact that they put the focus on learning as opposed to testing. However, they still take the tests. If they were truly not concerned about the tests, they could just opt not to take them, right? If the US said that we were focused on the holistic learning process and not on tests, would anyone put any value in that statement considering our test performance?
  • Teachers in Finland spend fewer hours at school each day and spend less time in classrooms than American teachers.
    • Rachael Webster
       
      Interesting. In our curriculum class last night, China was being praised for how much more time is spent in the classroom (praised in a video clip).
    • Rebecca Delivuk
       
      I'm wondering if teachers might be a little more sane if they spent more time prepping and less time in-class... what do you think? And maybe it just varies by the teacher.
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  • Finland provides three years of maternity leave and subsidized day care to parents, and preschool for all 5-year-olds, where the emphasis is on play and socializing. In addition, the state subsidizes parents, paying them around 150 euros per month for every child until he or she turns 17.
    • Rachael Webster
       
      Sorry, I know I'm going a little crazy here with the commenting, but man. I sure wish the US had social policies like this.
    • Rebecca Delivuk
       
      I'm not sure I agree. Although I too am deeply concerned about the number of homeless, hungry, neglected, and poorly-parented (purposefully or not) kids in our American system, I am also concerned about the economic burden of subsidizing children to this extent. Is there a happy medium, a creative solution, so that family-related problems are not automatically relegated to the state?
    • Rachael Webster
       
      Well, I was more focused on the maternity leave. Not that I'd turn down $150/month for my kid, but the real issue is how far behind the rest of the world the US is when it comes to maternity leave and valuing the family.
  • Teachers use the extra time to build curriculums and assess their students
    • Ron Lombard
       
      Much like the setup in Japan / preparation time is used in an effective manner along with professional development
  • here are no mandated standardized tests in Finland,
    • Zachary Beebe
       
      nor should there be
    • Rebecca Delivuk
       
      and thus no teaching to the test!
    • Loren Kurpiewski
       
      I agree with this completely.
  • Ninety-seven percent of 6-year-olds attend public preschool, where children begin some academics. Schools provide food, medical care, counseling and taxi service if needed. Stu­dent health care is free.
    • Nathan Bell
       
      Any mention of differences in taxes? I think all of the things described here sound awesome, but if they're taxing the people of Finland at 60%, there's a snowball's chance in Hell it would ever happen here in the States.
  • Equality
    • Rebecca Delivuk
       
      I'm not sure straight-up "equality" is what we need in education, since every individual is different. Perhaps charter schools are good insofar as they can cater to a students strength. HOWEVER, the immense discrepency between city schools and suburban schools--check Philadelphia vs. satellite Radnor township, for instance--is insane and unjust. Equal opportunity should be a given in this "land of the free."
  • We prepare children to learn how to learn, not how to take a test
    • Loren Kurpiewski
       
      This is what we should be focusing on doing - creating life-long learners. Students should be excited over the process of learning, not just the end result.
Brittney Story

Home | Watch Free Movies and Documentaries Online | SnagFilms - 0 views

  •  
    I love this website! I think this is a great way for students and teachers to see a variety of educationally appropriate videos that also show the classroom discussions as well.  This site along with many of the other sites in the blog are great ways to incorporate technology into any class.  One of the videos that I found fascinating (Because i'm an art major) is the video about Michelangelo.  The great part about the site is that you can search by subject therefore making it easier for teachers to find what they are looking for.  
Brittney Story

Educational Leadership:Multiple Measures:Teaching with Interactive Whiteboards - 0 views

  • Interactive whiteboards have great potential as a tool to enhance pedagogical practices in the classroom and ultimately improve student achievement. However, simply assuming that using this or any other technological tool can automatically enhance student achievement would be a mistake. As is the case with all powerful tools, teachers must use interactive whiteboards thoughtfully, in accordance with what we know about good classroom practice.
    • Kristen Koburger
       
      I like this article because it reminds us that while technology, particularly interactive white boards, is great in the classroom, it is only as good as the teacher using it. The teacher needs to think about how they will use it in the classroom to ensure the best results for their students.
    • Brittney Story
       
      I love this idea of using the interactive white board to help students understand the topic as it relates to things current in the world.  Using this in addition to their textbook can show them that what was significant in the past is still significant today.
  • In many classrooms, teachers simply noted how many students obtained the correct answer instead of probing into why one answer was more appropriate than another.
  • ...2 more annotations...
    • Brittney Story
       
      There is no point in showing the results if your not going to discuss them!
  • A second feature is the use of graphics and other visuals to represent information. These include downloaded pictures and video clips from the Internet, sites such as Google Earth, and graphs and charts. Use of these aids was also associated with a 26 percentile point gain in student achievement.
Loren Kurpiewski

High School Educational Videos | Teacher Videos for Students | SnagLearning - 0 views

  •  
    This website looks like a fantastic resource for teachers, although I was saddened to find that they didn't include English or Literature in their list of subjects.
  •  
    This website looks like a fantastic resource for teachers, although I was saddened to find that they didn't include English or Literature in their list of subjects.
Chuck DiNardo

ArtBabble | ArtBabble - 0 views

  •  
    The website artbabble.org is a great example of the alternatives to youtube that the freetech4teachers article discusses.  It is a video sharing site devoted to inspiring creativity through art. I navigated to an abstract expressionism page and watched a pretty cool video on how different artists came to find their passion for the style and medium that they employ.  I understand the need to have alternatives to youtube available as classroom resources. The school that I currently work at has a block on youtube at all school computers. You can temporarily bypass the block as a teacher, but the process never fully works when you need it to during a class. In addition to firewall issues, sights like artbabble provide a more focused and efficient search than youtube. The search options are specifically designed for finding art related media, so you don't have to scan through tons of irrelevant information.
Kristen Koburger

Free Technology for Teachers: 77 Educational Games and Game Builders - 4 views

  •  
    This is a link to a website with links to educational games for many topics for many subject areas. Kristen Koburger
  •  
    This site is like Christmas every day! THANKS!
  •  
    Wow! These would be an absolutely fantastic way to add some fun to an otherwise boring lesson.
Chuck DiNardo

Pursuing Teaching as a Second, or Third, Career - 0 views

  •  
    I found this an interesting article seeing as I have taken other career paths prior to education and I know many of you have as well. With the state of the economy, many older Americans are looking to the field of teaching for a new chance to start a career. This influx of teachers from the baby boomer generation must adapt to a new era of educating students for a tech savvy future. Are the 50+ additions to the teaching pool more valuable with their real world experiences than the grad student half their age with the latest methodology and research.
  •  
    I know a handful of teachers who came to Education after years in the corporate world. They bring a lot to the classroom as, I'm sure, you will. Thanks for sharing this article.
Loren Kurpiewski

Writing with Writers |Scholastic.com - 0 views

  •  
    I think this is a fantastic resource for English teachers because it connects students with actual authors through author-planned workshops, which serves as a motivational tool and keeps the class interesting. Also, it provides teaching plans that comply with national standards and student activities based around each type of writing. These workshops would be perfect for display on an IWB because of the IWB's interactivity.
Rachael Webster

Interactive Whiteboard Resources: Literacy, Key Stage 4 - Topmarks Education - 1 views

  • Literacy - Key Stage 4 (15-16 year olds)
    • Max Applegate
       
      This resource is for middle school to high school classroom teachers and gives lesson plan ideas on Shakespeare. With the three choices of resources dealing with three of the Bard's most famous works, using an IWB seems like a natural fit. Even though Topmarks is British, the ideas behind literacy-technology interactivity remain fresh. This resource gives detailed ideas that incorporate IWB and literary exploration. Topmarks' section on Shakespeare allows teachers to closely study Macbeth, Romeo and Juliet, and The Tempest. This is useful to me because of the topics covered; Shakespeare can be boring to some students. These lesson plan ideas allow me to reinvent Shakespeare's works on an IWB so that students may interact and rethink their own ideas on classic literature.
    • Susannah Azzaro
       
      Nice summary. Sounds like a great resource for you!
  • A lesson which considers Shakespeare's representation of the island in 'The Tempest' through characters' visions of their environment. It provides students with artists' impressions of the island and focuses on language used in relation to the island.
    • Max Applegate
       
      This specific lesson on 'The Tempest' seems so interesting because of the graphical nature of the plan. Seeing things on the (IW)board as opposed to simply thinking about it may just be that final push that students need to connect.
    • Susannah Azzaro
       
      Awesome find, Max!
  •  
    This resource has a number of whiteboard activities for different areas of study. I focused on the English (Literacy) section. It seems somewhat limited in some respects, as it only has a few activities for certain books/plays, but the ones that were there were pretty cool. I really liked the Romeo and Juliet activities. I thought the intro scale about love at first sight would be a great way to get kids hooked, and the activities in which the kids put the things that happened in order were good as well. I liked some of the middle grades activities more. There was one in which you have to look at different newspapers coverage of the same event and make a Venn diagram of how the stories overlap. I think this really makes learning more interactive and meaningful to the students and utilizes the technology well.
Ron Lombard

20 Interactive Whiteboard Resources for Teachers - 0 views

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    Summary of available materials - resources for active whiteboard use, activity suggestions, and useful links Use in classroom: Can be utilized in the classroom by involving students in the utilization of the whiteboard to present materials to class based on a review of assigned materials related to specific topics. Student learn to utilize technology and take an active and interactive part in the teaching and learning process
Nathan Bell

Creativity Resource for Teachers » Language Arts - 0 views

  •  
    This is a collection of lesson plans and ideas from the home page of the Denver Art Museum. I walked through a few lessons, and they seemed to be interesting and engaging. It's making me wonder if any local museums have programs or collections of lessons that are based on artwork or historical artifacts in their collections. Hmm...
Zachary Beebe

IWB Resource - 0 views

  •  
    This article focuses on the misuse of technology, mainly smart boards, in the classroom. In the article the author states that some teachers may find their teaching to be gimmicky or that the students will only pay attention to the technology. In turn, those teachers will only use the smartboards for power point presentations or as a glorified chalkboard. That does not have to be the case, as those previous examples are probably the worst uses for a smartboard. The article quickly points out that these boards are interactive and should be used that way. In the classroom, the last way that I intend on using a smartboard, if I am lucky enough to have one, will be as a chalkboard. There are so many great ways to use it and the technology is ever evolving. I intend on making use of this device to the fullest extent.
Loren Kurpiewski

Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? | People & Places | Smithsonian Magazine - 0 views

  • expanded system of vocational high schools, which are attended by 43 percent of Finnish high-school students, who prepare to work in restaurants, hospitals, construction sites and offices
    • Nathan Bell
       
      I like the idea of expanded vocational school. The American system of what is now esentially compulsory "13th - 17th Grade" in undergrad just renders the Bachelors degree that much less useful when you're out of school and looking for a job.
  • equal status with doctors and lawyers
    • Nathan Bell
       
      As they should be! (maybe even higher status than lawyers) (who am I kidding, DEFINITELY higher status than lawyers!)
    • Loren Kurpiewski
       
      Wow. This is how it should be. Teachers here are ignored, questioned, suspected and even vilified for trying to do their job.
  • “We help situate them in the right high school,”
    • Rebecca Delivuk
       
      because let's face it, not all students are the same.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Neither Scandinavian nor Baltic, Finns were proud of their Nordic roots and a unique language only they could love (or pronounce).
    • Max Applegate
       
      This is where I can see Finland wanting to separate themselves from the rest of their neighbors in an effort to show their uniqueness within Northern Europe.
  • Public schools would be organized into one system of comprehensive schools, or peruskoulu, for ages 7 through 16.
    • Max Applegate
       
      This was the Finn's chance to deviate from the other education systems. From the looks of the number of languages learned, they did it right.
  • Besides Finnish and Swedish (the country’s second official language), children would learn a third language (English is a favorite) usually beginning at age 9.
Loren Kurpiewski

Why Are Finland's Schools Successful? | People & Places | Smithsonian Magazine - 0 views

  • “positive discrimination”
    • Nathan Bell
       
      Now there's an interesting term.
  • “It’s nonsense. We know much more about the children than these tests can tell us.”
    • Nathan Bell
       
      YES!
    • Rebecca Delivuk
       
      I second that YES!
  • There is one teacher (or assistant) in Siilitie for every seven students.
    • Nathan Bell
       
      Holy smokes.
    • Loren Kurpiewski
       
      Fantasic ratio!
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • laminated “outdoor math” cards. “Find a stick as big as your foot,” one read. “Gather 50 rocks and acorns and lay them out in groups of ten,”
    • Rebecca Delivuk
       
      I love it -- our kids need to spend more time outside, too, in creative and life-relevant activities :)
    • Loren Kurpiewski
       
      I love the idea of "outdoor math" cards. We need to have more of this outside-the-box thinking in (and out!) of our classrooms.
Loren Kurpiewski

GOOD Video: Future Learning Engages Students with Lessons On Demand - Education - GOOD - 0 views

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    I saw this video the other day on Google Reader. It sparked my interest because it is a very interesting idea and could be a great resource for teachers and students alike. I think on-demand video learning is going to be a huge part of the future of the classroom, and it is a great way for students to get a fuller understanding of something that maybe wasn't discussed in as much detail in the classroom.
  •  
    Khan Academy is AWESOME! I had bookmarked it last year, and then I forgot about it. I could use it now to help my daughter in Math! Thanks!
Loren Kurpiewski

A Clean Slate: Interactive Whiteboard Makes Lessons Snazzy | Edutopia - 0 views

  •  
    This article is a great resource for IWBs because it is inspirational and provides the reader with a variety of ways to make full use of IWBs in the classroom (even more ideas are included in the comments section!). This would be a great resource for teachers who are looking for new and interesting ways to put their IWBs to full use.
Chuck DiNardo

Scholastic.com | Online Activities: Weather Watch - 0 views

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    This is an interactive activity called the Weather Maker from the Scholastic online activities page. It allows you to manipulate the temperature at the equator and at the Earth's poles as well as to control the humidity. Based on the selected inputs, an animation of your home is exposed to the resulting weather conditions.  This could be a fantastic tool for the elementary science classroom as the students explore weather change. Various weather and precipitation outcomes can be inquired about and the students could control the weather maker and adjust the various elements to create the desired climate. Based on exploring the weather maker students can make observations and draw conclusions on seasonal climates, temperature change, and weather patterns. 
Ron Lombard

Teacher Scholastic - Perfect activities to use with any Interactive Whiteboard - 0 views

Excellent examples of effective activities for the utilization of the whiteboard -in particular for the areas of the social sciences the inclusion of primary sources for use in the classroom very ...

education whiteboards primary sources

started by Ron Lombard on 14 Oct 11 no follow-up yet
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