Group items tagged

Learning Essentials -Big win for Core knowledge vs. isolated skills

The last thing education needs is more policy - this saddens me because it's just one more reason teachers won't feel empowered and treated as professionals.

Instead of taking sides, we should think about how to use digital tools well. The reasons for doing so are compelling

Finally, any theoretical benefit of practice homework must be weighed against the effect it has on students' interest in learning. If slogging through worksheets dampens one's desire to read or think, surely that wouldn't be worth an incremental improvement in skills. And when an activity feels like drudgery, the quality of learning tends to suffer, too. That so many children regard homework as something to finish as quickly as possible - or even as a significant source of stress -- helps to explain why it appears not to offer any academic advantage even for those who obediently sit down and complete the tasks they've been assigned. All that research showing little value to homework may not be so surprising after all.

improving teen literacy by teachers reading aloud, even using picture books, in literature, math and history

NCLB revisions could redefine professional development

But the body of research reveals that staff-development costs, including central-office and local staff, hours of teacher time, stipends, salary increases, substitutes, facilities, instructors, and material expenditures hover in the range of $8,000 to $16,000 per teacher, per year, especially in larger districts. Most districts have no idea they spend that much on staff development. Sadly though, most administrators agree their professional-development outlay has no correlation with student-achievement results.

Might help create a blended classroom, even when you have to share the blender.  Common sense advise for the real world of underequipped classrooms and stretched thin teachers.

Getting kids to read- some inspiring post here

Donalyn Miller is a 6th grade language arts and social studies teacher in Texas who is said to have a "gift": She can turn even the most reluctant (or in her words "dormant") readers into students who can't put their books down. After responding to reader questions in her popular, "Creating Readers" Ask The Mentor column, Donalyn returns to blog. She writes about how to inspire and motivate student readers, and responds to issues facing teachers and other leaders in the literacy field.

In Finland, Mr. Lankinen said, "people dream to be teachers."

OH my...I don't know the answer, but it can't be just "more of the same"

interactive map showing graduation rates by state. SHOCKING!

Makes some compelling arguments about education, especially considering his conclusions are based upon real evidence, not dodgy research or theories.

Good overview of large-scale studies and the results