Who writes these things?" people ask me. I have to tell them, without a hint of irony, "No one." It's symptomatic of the whole muddled mess that is the $4.3 billion textbook business.
Textbooks are a core part of the curriculum, as crucial to the teacher as a blueprint is to a carpenter, so one might assume they are conceived, researched, written, and published as unique contributions to advancing knowledge. In fact, most of these books fall far short of their important role in the educational scheme of things. They are processed into existence using the pulp of what already exists, rising like swamp things from the compost of the past. The mulch is turned and tended by many layers of editors who scrub it of anything possibly objectionable before it is fed into a government-run "adoption" system that provides mediocre material to students of all ages.
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Tucson Schools Enhance Learning with the Arts | Edutopia - 0 views
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Brain-based research supports an effort to improve student achievement through an interdisciplinary curriculum that combines creative pursuits and academic subjects.
Twittering, Not Frittering: Professional Development in 140 Characters | Edutopia - 0 views
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Suzie Boss writes a comprehensive overview of the growing use of twitter in education. I find it so interesting that many of the complaints about twitter are also the initial complaints I heard about blogging. This is a very nice overview of twitter for those who are wondering "what is the fuss?"
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Overview of the use of twitter in education from edutopia.
Ten Big Ideas of School Leadership | Edutopia - 16 views
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From a principal of 30 years... -
From a principal of 30 years...
Groups | Edutopia - 4 views
Top 3 Education Articles of the Week | Ed Tech Trends and Go Paperless - 13 views
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twitter, edtech, paperless, e-book, mobile learning, Twitter, iPads, edutopia, mobile devides
"0" As a Grade | Edutopia Group Discussions by and for Educators - 3 views
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Controversial discussion on the merits of a "0" grade.
Student Pledges: Preventing Harassment and Bullying at Your School | Edutopia - 4 views
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Harassment and bully prevention at school with a pledge.
Summer PD: New Teacher Boot Camp Week 3 - Using Storybird | Edutopia - 12 views
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Part three of our New Teacher Boot Camp: Boot Campers are playing with this powerful drag-and-drop storytelling tool this week.
Replicating Success: Project-Based Learning | Edutopia - 19 views
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In this Schools that Work story, we profiled a rural school district in Northwest Georgia using their resources carefully to replicated successful Project-Based Learning.
Ten Tips for Classroom Management | Edutopia - 17 views
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It's free! Tips for managing a class. Perfect for back to school. A guide for creating a trusting, friendly, safe community within the classroom.
Improving Executive Function: Teaching Challenges and Opportunities | Edutopia - 8 views
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Neurologist and educator Judy Willis on the importance of igniting and developing students' executive function -- a part of the brain that controls critical thinking, creativity, and complex decision-making.
Laptops on Expedition: Embracing Expeditionary Learning (Edutopia) - 0 views
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At first, it may look like they're taking part in a graduation ceremony, but the students who march across the stage at Maine's Falmouth Audubon Society to shake hands with their principal and teachers aren't walking away with diplomas. They're walking away with tangible results of their learning. In this particular case, the eighty-five seventh graders from King Middle School in Portland each received a copy of "Fading Footprints," a CD-ROM they produced about Maine's endangered species. During the ceremony, which included thank-yous to teachers and experts who had helped on the project, some students explained the process. "I made sure all the links worked." Others talked a little about what they learned. "You can ask me anything about the harlequin duck." Then they all repaired to a courtyard for cake and punch.
A Textbook Example of What's Wrong with Education | Edutopia - 0 views
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There's no quick, simple fix for the blanding of American textbooks, but several steps are key to reform:
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