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EZ English invades the classroom DelewareOnline reports that beginning this year, New Zealand high school students will be able to use "textspeak" on national exams, which means that points won't be deducted if a student types "l8" for "late," etc. Proponents of the move argue that efficiency is smart, because it allows users to communicate more ideas at a faster pace. Predictably, others are horrified at the development, claiming that it will lead to the erosion of language is spreading to the classroom, one locale where it should be the safest... http://www.delawareonline.com/ ...

simulating traditional face-to-face classroom methods using asynchronous online learning simply misses the point that we are operating in a new medium with unique properties. 

have both interaction and independence. Not long ago it was impossible to have both; more of one meant less of the other.

we identify connectivity and asynchronicity as the core properties of online learning, and which have the potential to create a uniquely effective higher-order learning environment. 

Dropout rates high, but fixes under way Survey: 9 of 10 students had passing grades when they left.

Nearly a third of high school students don't graduate on time

"The problem is solvable."

Practice and meaning are the most important parts of this art

When our students find the right connections, they will learn. They won't be able to help themselves. It is just what the brain does. And having that faith in learning is part of the "Art."

Hayden Billings, 4, put a box over his head and had fun marching into things. His sister Gaby, 9, told stories about medieval warrior women, while Sydney, 6, drank hot chocolate and played with Dylan, the baby of the family. In a traditional school setting, such free time would probably be called recess. But for Juli Walter, the children’s mother, it is “child-led learning,” something she considers the best in home schooling. “I learned early on that when I do things I’m interested in,” Ms. Walter said, “I learn so much more.” As the number of children who are home-schooled grows — an estimated 1.1 million nationwide — some parents like Ms. Walter are opting for what is perhaps the most extreme application of the movement’s ideas.

Interestingly, very few of the responses included teaching students about responsible use of online social networks

"It is important to keep in mind that just blocking access to social web sites at school is not the end of the story,"

Thirty-six percent of those polled by NSBA said students' use of MySpace and similar sites has been "disruptive" to their school district's learning environment.