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jbdrury

Re-thinking Newsweek and U.S. News Rankings - 0 views

www.bethesdamagazine.com/...rethinking-rankings.php

school rankings achievement montgomery county newsweek U.S. News bethesda measuring top schools best schools

shared by jbdrury on 18 Sep 09 - Cached
  • Re-thinking the Rankings
  • B-CC had been ranked as the nation’s 64th best high school on the 2008 Newsweek list, but it was missing from U.S. News’ top 100. One parent e-mailed: “Should I be worried?”
  • In the 2009 Newsweek rankings, released in June, four county schools (Richard Montgomery, B-CC, Thomas S. Wootton and Winston Churchill) were ranked among the nation’s top 100, with two others (Walt Whitman and Walter Johnson) narrowly missing
  • ...31 more annotations...
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      Not to detract from MCPS, but I have often wondered if the fact that the designer of the index happens to live in the Bethesda is at all a coincidence?
  • Most years, Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) has more schools in the top 100 of both lists than any other school system in the country
  • rankings validate that the school system is “seeing the benefits of providing the academic support that allows our students to aim high and achieve at the highest levels.
  • But do the rankings really mean much?
  • I feel obliged to question the validity of the methods used to rank high schools.
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      This is the basic explanation for how Newsweek ranks its schools; interesting to note that it is based almost solely on a sort of "preparation for college" mindset
  • Newsweek ranks schools based on the Challenge Index, which was developed by Washington Post education reporter (and Bethesda resident) Jay Mathews. A school’s Challenge Index score is the number of Advanced Placement (AP), International Baccalaureate (IB) and Cambridge tests taken by all students in a school year divided by the number of graduating seniors. (AP courses are well-known; IB and Cambridge also consist of rigorous courses for which students can receive college credit. Like AP, their standardized exams are graded by outside examiners.)
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      The author speaks directly with the designer of Newsweek's index
  • Mathews’ goal is to improve students’ academic preparation, especially in lower-and middle-income neighborhood schools. His solution is to expose more students to challenging course work, and he unapologetically describes his purpose as “advocacy as well as evaluation.
  • He says the Challenge Index’s key attributes make it the singular best measure of a school’s quality: It can be easily understood; it points directly to implementing positive change through rigorous course offerings; and it can be applied meaningfully to all schools—unlike quality evaluations based on traditional measures such as test scores, which, he says, are inherently biased toward schools in wealthier, upper-middle-class neighborhoods.
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      As a side note; this is my former social studies teacher and the person I credit most with making me want to become a teacher
  • Walter Johnson Principal Christopher Garran
  • Critics
  • have attacked the Challenge Index for not effectively capturing what it purports to measure (school quality), in part because it doesn’t gauge student achievement, only the number of rigorous course exams taken.
  • for ignoring graduation rates and achievement gaps among socioeconomic and ethnic segments.
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      U.S. News also uses its own "college prep" index, but includes standardized test results, and takes socio-economic and racial differences into account
  • U.S. News’ approach
  • far more computationally complex
  • a school must do significantly better on standardized state English and math tests than statistically expected given its economic makeup; be in the top half of its state (approximately) in the performance of its minority students
  • “College Readiness” formula combines two components: the percentage of 12th-graders who had taken an AP or IB exam during or before their senior year; and the percentage who passed at least one exam—equivalent to an AP test score of 3 and an IB score of 4.
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      He also directly quotes the manager of the U.S. News' index
  • U.S. News project, cites three ways its methodology is superior: “We measure success [tests passed]—not just quantity of tests taken. We factor in how well schools do in serving economically disadvantaged students and minorities. And we recognize schools within their respective state.”
  • The U.S. News rankings have been attacked by education experts for intermixing highly selective “elite” schools, such as Thomas Jefferson High School for Science and Technology in Alexandria, Va.—currently their top-ranked school in the U.S.—with schools having open admissions
  • Unlike U.S. News, Mathews eliminates some academically elite schools, setting the cutoff at the level of the highest average SAT/ACT scores of any “normal enrollment” school in the country.
  • “It would be deceptive for us to put them [schools above this threshold] on this list [because] the Challenge Index has been designed to honor schools that have done the best job in persuading average students to take college-level courses and tests. It does not work for schools that have no, or almost no, average students.”
  • As of 2009, schools with AP exam pass rates lower than 10 percent (schools that would have made the list in previous years) have also been eliminated from the main Newsweek ranking. Most of these schools, which are typically located in low-income neighborhoods, have recently introduced their students to academically challenging courses as a form of “shock therapy.”
    • jbdrury
      jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
       
      A summary of the author's thoughts; pro's and con's of both methods
  • Just as the Challenge Index is too limited in its concept of best schools, the U.S. News procedures try to cover too much. The crux of the problem is combining three essentially different criteria (college readiness, overcoming economic disadvantage and minimizing ethnic group disparities) into one ranking. Schools that excel in one aren’t necessarily those that excel in the other(s). Some schools that do the greatest job of preparing their minority students might not have total-school achievement scores that are among the best. Other schools characterized by superlative overall college readiness might score only slightly above average relative to their economic profile. In trying to incorporate “economic disadvantage” and the reduction of ethnic group (minority) achievement gaps together with schoolwide high achievement, the U.S. News ranking risks confounding different educational objectives. Depth and breadth of performance, and exceeding expectations, should be reported separately, rather than conjoined. Separate rankings would be easier to understand, more informative and less disputable—although perhaps less likely to help sell magazines.
  • Several principals, including Whitman’s Goodwin, noted how nonacademic programs that help students succeed and are a huge part of some students’ lives (arts, music, sports, civic activities, etc.) are not examined.
  • comparing large and small schools can be misleading
  • eferring to the many qualitative features that go into making a great school, Doran says, “The rankings are measuring the brain of the school—not the heart of the school.”
  • jbdrury on 18 Sep 09
     
    Having grown up in Bethesda, I am well aware of the preoccupation with the ranking of U.S. schools. This article shares some insight into how two of the more popular (or circulated) ranking systems come up with their results.
Lindsay Andreas

National Governors Association - 0 views

www.nga.org/...58ec82f5b198d18a278110501010a0

state education policy secondary postsecondary NGA National Governors Association

shared by Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09 - Cached
  • increase student participation in rigorous college preparatory courses, better align expectations between high school and postsecondary education, hold these systems accountable, and ensure students graduate from high school ready for college or the workplace in the global economy.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      An important part of our mission as secondary educators is to prepare students for either post-secondary work and the workplace.
  • While states invest significant resources in education programs, governors also recognize and appreciate the federal government’s contribution to provide additional resources or assistance for those most in need.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      It is important to remember the break-down in financing, and therefore, where real power lies. If we want policy change, we need to know the most effective avenues for lobbying. We may think Obama sets the education policy agenda but the reality is, governors have a lot of power and persuasion in the field. For example, it always amazes me how different public higher education systems are, and this is because certain states have made it a priority to fund higher education greatly.
  • In this new economy and era of education reform, now is the time to reform postsecondary education by increasing relevance and rigor, accountability, and linkages with kindergarten-12th grade (K-12) education and the workplace, and by expanding financial aid to students of all ages.
  • ...11 more annotations...
  • Provide capacity-building incentives to states to increase teacher supply and retention, as well as education research.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      On the national level, you only seem to hear about accountability but it is refreshing to see that the NGA takes a lot more into account. I really feel like they are better in touch with the realities of education policy.
  • Authorize states to provide diverse learning options and assessment options, including the option for growth models, determined at the state level.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      Again, they are concerned with other models of assessment for accountability. I think it is safe to say no one disagrees that there should be accountability but the approach varies greatly and I am more aligned with NGA approaches.
  • Congress should refrain from establishing any federal mandates to ensure maximum state and local flexibility to create aligned systems.
  • A one-size-fits all approach to high school learning is outdated and does not support the diverse needs of students. Governors encourage Congress to support state and local policies and programs that expand the availability of learning opportunities for students of all ages including, but not limited to, virtual school options, service learning, internships, apprenticeships, programs addressing out-of-school-youth, alternative learning programs, and the availability of financial aid.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      Thank you! School choices and meeting diverse needs. I really like their recommendations, they want to leave room for discretion.
  • Maximum flexibility in designing state accountability systems, including testing and other indicators of achievement, is critical to preserve the unique balance involving federal funding, local control of education, and state responsibility for system-wide reform. Maximum flexibility in state testing will help improve how students are assessed for academic proficiency and postsecondary readiness. Flexibility should include the option for states to utilize growth measures to assess student performance.
  • Teachers and school leaders must receive the professional support and training needed to provide students with the skills necessary to compete in a global society, particularly in science, technology, engineering, mathematics (STEM), literacy, and international and language studies.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      I think the support issue is very relevant because of my experience at McKinley. They are in the process of introducing AP and a STEM program but the teachers are confused about how it should work, I think if they were given more support and guidance, things would run much more smoothly.
  • High schools must compete with other more highly compensated professions for teachers and school leaders, especially in the areas of mathematics and science. Congress should continue to support and expand state-administered pilot projects on performance pay, especially in critical shortage areas or hard-to-staff schools.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      There are a lot of bright young people that don't think about getting into the education profession because it doesn't pay enough and doesn't get enough respect. I really do believe we must make the profession more attractive in order to get the best pool of professionals.
  • Federal policies should encourage—not discourage—promising state efforts in dual enrollment programs that permit students to obtain high quality college-level credits or provide the opportunity to earn an industry-recognized credential while still in secondary school.
  • Congress also should support state efforts that encourage more students to enroll in Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) coursework and pay for student AP testing.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      I don't necessarily know if I believe in these programs, I'm undecided. I did AP in H.S. and I don't know if I get the point exactly, however, if you are going to do these programs, make sure it is clear the goal of having such programs.
  • The use of a high school graduation rate in any accountability framework must serve as an incentive to promote state and local innovation to better engage and educate every student, and count all students who graduate from high school. Congress and the Administration should work closely with governors to ensure the proper use and application of the NGA Voluntary High School Graduation Rate.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      I think this is so on point, sometimes we do all this testing and numbers/stats but don't even know why we are using them. If we use them to better innovate, that seems like a good thing to me.
  • Governors believe that career and technical education programs and career and technical education teacher certification requirements should reflect the need to better integrate career and academic curriculum and integrate career professionals into the career and technical education teaching corps.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
       
      Amen! I believe in a balance between theory and practice, you need both! Let's invest in prep, it's not the most popular thing because it takes time to see the results but I think it is important and worth the wait.
  • Lindsay Andreas on 25 Sep 09
     
    This is the National Governors Association, education policy website, specifically, I have selected the policy position on High School Reform, as it is most pertinent to us, the end goes into higher education but that is for another time. The NGA is one of the best education policy sites. As we know, the states are the primary forces in setting education agendas and it is important to see what bi-partisan work they are doing. Governors are usually very influential in education politics.
Erin Power

Teacher turns 'crazy idea' into new school - CNN.com - 1 views

www.cnn.com/...index.html

School Administration Colorodo Teachers Unions

shared by Erin Power on 10 Sep 09 - Cached
  • Kim Ursetta
  • Denver, Colorado'
  • want to start a new kind of school," she said, a union-sponsored public school led by teachers, not a principal
  • ...14 more annotations...
  • We've been doing schools the same way in this nation for 150 years, so if we don't step up, then nothing is going to change
  • bility ranks among the top barriers blocking the nation's children from receiving the best education possible.
  • A board-certified, 16-year teaching veteran, Ursetta, 38, believes the lack of teacher flex
  • Although they follow school board-approved curriculum and standards, instructors can easily rearrange lessons to "make better sense for the kids" -- making better connections between different subject matter, Ursetta said.
  • The lack of quality school leadership is a big reason that experienced teachers leave their schools,
  • Race to the Top also aims to give a boost to charter schools -- special public schools that are given more independence in order to encourage innovation.
  • To qualify for Race to the Top, the rules call on states to create "data systems" linking student success with teacher performance.
  • National Education Association
  • members fear it opens the door to measuring teacher performance by how students score on tests.
  • "What we're really against is using a single [student ] test on a single day" to assess teacher performance, said NEA Executive Director John Wilson. "What we're more accepting of are multiple indicators," and teacher performance "observed in classroom should count as the major part of evaluation."
  • many teachers are reacting coolly to Race to the Top because they "feel like it's too much like No Child Left Behind and are looking for something different.
  • Dubbed Race to the Top, the program is essentially a contest pitting states against each other to win a share of $4.35 billion in grant money from congressional stimulus legislation.
    • Erin Power
      Erin Power on 10 Sep 09
       
      I think this is an interesting concept that we (as future teachers) should consider. Most of the teachers I've spoken to feel that schooling is not done the most efficient or successful way. Why not consider other options? The thing I love most about this article is that this school came about someone, Ursetta, simply thinking that way - what could other options be? Then Ursetta looked at the steps she had to make and brought it into actuality.
    • Erin Power
      Erin Power on 11 Sep 09
       
      This source relies on interviews and studies conducted by CNN. A teacher could use this site to remember to be inventive in their approach to administration. This is valuable to social studies teachers so they constantly keep rethinking and questioning how to teach
  • Erin Power on 10 Sep 09
     
    This article talks about a Colorado school which has gotten rid of administrators and is run solely by teachers
Richard Kirschner

Separation of church and state in the United States - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia - 0 views

en.wikipedia.org/...and_state_in_the_United_States

First Amendment - historical background

shared by Richard Kirschner on 20 Sep 10 - Cached
  • The separation of church and state is a legal and political principle derived from various documents of several of the Founders of the United States. The First Amendment to the United States Constitution reads "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof . . ." The modern concept is often credited to the writings of English philosopher John Locke, but the phrase "separation of church and state" is generally traced to an 1802 letter by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptists, where Jefferson spoke of the combined effect of the Establishment Clause and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. His purpose in this letter was to assuage the fears of the Danbury, Connecticut Baptists, and so he told them that this wall had been erected to protect them. The metaphor was intended, as The U.S. Supreme Court has currently interpreted it since 1947, to mean that religion and government must stay separate for the benefit of both, including the idea that the government must not impose religion on Americans nor create any law requiring it. It has since been in several opinions handed down by the United States Supreme Court,[1] though the Court has not always fully embraced the principle.[2][3][4][5][6]
  • The Fourteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution (Amendment XIV) is one of the post-Civil War amendments, intended to secure rights for former slaves. It includes the due process and equal protection clauses among others. The amendment introduces the concept of incorporation of all relevant federal rights against the states. While it has not been fully implemented, the doctrine of incorporation has been used to ensure, through the Due Process Clause and Privileges and Immunities Clause, the application of most of the rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights to the states. The incorporation of the First Amendment establishment clause in the landmark case of Everson v. Board of Education has impacted the subsequent interpretation of the separation of church and state in regard to the state governments.[37] Although upholding the state law in that case, which provided for public busing to private religious schools, the Supreme Court held that the First Amendment establishment clause was fully applicable to the state governments. A more recent case involving the application of this principle against the states was Board of Education of Kiryas Joel Village School District v. Grumet (1994).
    • Richard Kirschner
      Richard Kirschner on 20 Sep 10
       
      An excellent recitation of the historical background of the First Amendment with references to the influence of the Church of England and patriots such as Patrick Henry & Thomas Paine. Excellent list of references. Important resource to keep for future reference.
  • Richard Kirschner on 20 Sep 10
     
    This is one of the very best websites I have ever found addressing the First Amendment and religion in the public schools. It deals with student prayers, official participation, teaching about religion, student dress, etc.
  • Adrea Lawrence on 04 Oct 10
     
    How is this site different from candst.tripod.com/...jnt-sta.htm? How might teachers use this site?
Erin Power

Reauthorization of ESEA: Why We Can't Wait -- Secretary Arne Duncan's Remarks at the Mo... - 1 views

www.ed.gov/...09242009.html

Education Policy Duncan

shared by Erin Power on 27 Sep 09 - Cached
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      What a conundrum this is...
  • People want support from Washington but not interference. They want accountability but not oversight. They want national leadership but not at the expense of local control.
  • And now that I'm here I'm even more convinced that the best solutions begin with parents and teachers working together in the home and the classroom.
  • ...19 more annotations...
  • Many teachers complain bitterly about NCLB's emphasis on testing. Principals hate being labeled as failures. Superintendents say it wasn't adequately funded.
  • And many parents just view it as a toxic brand that isn't helping children learn.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      I like how he/his speech writers recognize here that schooling is something that belongs to the states. It seems like he's saying that the federal government is just stepping in for a moment, until things start going well.
  • Until states develop better assessments—which we will support and fund through Race to the Top—we must rely on standardized tests to monitor progress—but this is an important area for reform and an important conversation to have.
  • it places too much emphasis on absolute test scores rather than student growth—and it is overly prescriptive in some ways while it is too blunt an instrument of reform in others.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      SUPER DUPER BINGO! NCLB encourages hig TESTING standards, but not LEARNING standards!! Good for you Arne (that's what he wants his staff to call him...in case you didn't know.)
  • NCLB is that it doesn't encourage high learning standards. In fact, it inadvertently encourages states to lower them. The net effect is that we are lying to children and parents by telling kids they are succeeding when, in fact, they are not.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      This is one of the issues in my practicum schools and one of the big debates there right now.
  • They are simply not ready for college-level work when they leave high school.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      ...because the goals are and always have been, decent, but the means, are and always have been, bad (to keep it clean.)
  • In my view, we should be tight on the goals—with clear standards set by states that truly prepare young people for college and careers—but we should be loose on the means for meeting those goals.
  • We don't believe that local educators need a prescription for success. But they do need a common definition of success—focused on student achievement, high school graduation and success and attainment in college.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
       
      But do they really?
  • Before we do, however, we want to hear from you. We want your input.
  • We don't need another study. We must stop simply admiring the problem. We need action.
  • And so the work of reauthorizing ESEA begins in states and districts across America—among educators and policy makers, parents and community leaders. This work is as urgent as it is important.
  • And yet we are still waiting for the day when every child in America has a high quality education that prepares him or her for the future.
  • Our shared goals are clear: higher quality schools; improved student achievement; more students going to college; closing the achievement gap; and more opportunities for children to learn and succeed.
  • Let's build a law that respects the honored, noble status of educators—who should be valued as skilled professionals rather than mere practitioners and compensated accordingly.
  • Joellen Kriss on 27 Sep 09
     
    Secretary of Education Arne Duncan's speech at the Monthly Stakeholders meeting this past week. It's a part of a series of town hall style meetings that the secretary is holding with those who have a stake in the policy they will be shaping: teachers, parents and others. The speech is interesting mostly because, what he's calling for sounds great to me, but I wonder if there's any possibility of anything this reasonable ever happening. Secretary Duncan seems like an ok guy (didn't know he is a former superintendent) but I still wonder what the next big thing is going to turn out to be and how/if it's going to help.
  • Erin Power on 05 Oct 09
     
    The Duncan speech we were talking about in class
Richard Kirschner

Religion In the PUblic Schools: A Joint Statement of Current Law - 0 views

candst.tripod.com/...jnt-sta.htm

"extensive analysis of religion" "the First Amendment in Public Schools"

shared by Richard Kirschner on 20 Sep 10 - No Cached
  • Richard Kirschner on 20 Sep 10
     
    This is one of the very best websites I have ever found addressing the First Amendment and religion in the public schools. It deals with student prayers, official participation, teaching about religion, student dress, etc.
  • Adrea Lawrence on 04 Oct 10
     
    How might teachers use this site? What makes this site so strong for you?
James Leslie

Ideas about becoming a social studies teacher - 0 views

www.adprima.com/socialteach.htm

shared by James Leslie on 02 Sep 09 - Cached
  • Sadly, much too often, social studies courses are regarded as relatively unimportant subject matter, whether in elementary school, middle school, or high school. This perception leads to diminished attention paid to social studies as a serious subject area, yet in the overall development of the intellect of students, no other subject matter content holds as much promise.
    • James Leslie
      James Leslie on 02 Sep 09
       
      Social studies is more importan than many people think.
  • "I think we include social studies in the curriculum for the wrong reasons. It doesn't help us avoid the mistakes of the past, and if voting turnout is an indicator of good citizenship, it doesn't have much to do with that either. Social studies is probably best understood as an organized way of helping students develop understandings and appreciations that have long-term staying power, and that will influence them in positive ways to do the right thing when doing the right thing is hard to do."
    • James Leslie
      James Leslie on 02 Sep 09
       
      Can we find ways to enhance the use of what we may teach to students.
  • First, you must understand the content of the social studies at a level appropriate to that which you intend to teach. To understand content means more than mere memorization of facts. To understand content for a teacher means that you can explain it in more than one way to others, whether the content concerns facts, generalizations, principles, themes, and so on.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Second, you must be able to translate the content you so understand to make it learnable, interesting, and challenging for students at the age and grade level you are teaching. It requires rearranging what you know. This applies to social studies more than any other content area simply because social studies as a discipline lacks any widely agreed-upon structure.
    • James Leslie
      James Leslie on 02 Sep 09
       
      Interesting to note that teaching the same subject at different levels can look different.
  • Third, you must consider pedagogy. This means that you not only understand the content in more than one way, can translate it into a form understandable, learnable, challenging, and interesting to your students, but that you also have the skills to actually teach the content. Pedagogy without subject matter content isn't worth very much. Simply "knowing about" teaching methods won't do.
  • There is probably no more important skill required in teaching social studies than the ability to explain events, ideas, principles, and social interrelationships. In some ways, good social studies teaching rests on the ability to tell stories well. For social studies, this story telling ability is grounded in the depth and awareness of the connective possibilities of the content. Helping students make new connections, to find challenge and meaning in social studies content is what excellent social studies teachers do every day.
    • James Leslie
      James Leslie on 02 Sep 09
       
      There is a great need to make teaching history reletive to students today.
  • James Leslie on 02 Sep 09
     
    This is an interesting site that shares reasons why social studies is important and how a person can effectively teach it. It also has a link to the role of values that should be expressed in social studies.
Samantha Coleman

Perfect Site to Look for Perfect Job - 1 views

I graduated in Bachelor of Science in Secondary Education a year ago and until now I am still looking for the best venue where can I find a teaching job. Luckily, I have found out about Schools and...

started by Samantha Coleman on 23 Jan 13 no follow-up yet
Debbie Moore

The National Portrait Gallery/Education/Teacher Programs - 1 views

npg.si.edu/...schoolprograms.html

gallery education teacher social studies history

shared by Debbie Moore on 09 Oct 09 - Cached
  • Debbie Moore on 09 Oct 09
     
    The National Portrait Gallery is one of the Smithsonian Museums in the DC area. The great thing about NPG is that it has resources available online for teachers. There are a variety of school programs and teacher programs but the best offerings are the online exhibitions. It is like having the gallery right there in your classroom. Some of those exhibits include George Washington: A national Treasure, Presidents in Waiting, and A Brush with History. The online exhibits are usable in the classroom directly from a computer or lap top. For example, the George Washington online exhibit begins with a famous portrait accompanied by an audio explanation of the portrait and the symbolic and historical items found within the portrait. Using the portrait as a starting point provides students with a visual association of that person and the historical events surrounding that person. There is also a link to biographical information about Washington and his role in our country's history. The Teacher's Guide associated with the George Washington exhibit includes lesson plans, activities and other teaching ideas; all printable and useable in class. NPG also offers two publications both of which are available on line. "The Patriot Papers," designed for students, features various historical events in an interesting and engaging fashion. For example, there is a "Special Edition on Slavery" featuring information on slavery and the key players involved. One of the articles in this publication is "A Chat with Harried: 1869" and also includes her portrait. The second publication, NPG in your Classroom, provides information to teachers on how to integrate NPG into classroom lessons. There are many more valuable tools on this site such as a "Reading Portraiture Guide for Educators." Check out the site….it is awesome!!!
Debbie Moore

Socratic Seminars - 5 views

www.greece.k12.ny.us/...overview.htm

socratic learning socraticseminar teaching Education discussion

shared by Debbie Moore on 23 Oct 09 - Cached
  • Debbie Moore on 23 Oct 09
     
    This link is a part of a school district website in the state of New York. I found it while searching for information on Socratic seminars. It is really great because it provides all the information one needs to learn about teaching the dialogue method. Informational filters include an overview, elements of a Socratic seminar, frequently asked questions by teachers and students, dialogue and behavior guidelines for using this dialogue method and suggestions for the types of readings or materials that work best with this method. If you like the idea of using the Socratic method in your classroom, you will want to visit this site.
Joellen Kriss

Extra Credit: With IB Rules, the Fast Track Can End Quickly - washingtonpost.com - 0 views

www.washingtonpost.com/...AR2009090803338.html

International Baccalaureate

shared by Joellen Kriss on 13 Sep 09 - Cached
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 13 Sep 09
       
      The IB Program is a program of High School education that has been standardized in the high schools in which it is implemented. What makes it unique is that it is an international program and thus extremely helpful to those students who might move around a lot.
    • Joellen Kriss
      Joellen Kriss on 13 Sep 09
       
      Unfortunately this parent is ignoring all of the other extremely important benefits of the IB Program by focusing only on math and not any other parts of his childs education.
  • Because the IB Diploma Programme requires students to take two-year Higher Level exams after senior year -- the program does not officially start until junior year -- she was advised to defer the Math HL I course for a year and take Math Standard Level I this year as a sophomore.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • This restriction seems to apply only if she pursues the IB diploma; there might be no such constraints for IB certificate candidates. If this is the case, perhaps she could continue an accelerated math curriculum, maybe taking a class such as multivariate calculus before starting college, by leaving the IB diploma path.
  • we can't help thinking that she's being held back. Although the IB Programme might need to establish rules and guidelines for consistent implementation, there's always a chance that they don't always provide for our kids' best educational opportunities.
  • Joellen Kriss on 13 Sep 09
     
    This is a letter written by a parent into the Washington Post Education section. As an IB Diploma recipient, I find this extremely interesting, as the parent ignores all of the wonderful and beneficial things that one gets out of an IB education, questioning it because it doesn't allow his daughter to accelerate her math classes.
Lindsay Andreas

Holiday sales could launch e-book readers as mass-market must-haves - washingtonpost.com - 0 views

www.washingtonpost.com/...AR2009110404834.html

technology in education digitalized books e-book readers special

shared by Lindsay Andreas on 06 Nov 09 - Cached
  • Sales of electronic books jumped 68.4 percent last year and skyrocketed 177 percent to $96.6 million for the year through August, according to the Association of American Publishers. That's not counting the millions downloaded for free at public libraries, where e-books are fast becoming one of the most popular features. And Amazon has said that its e-book reader, the  Kindle, has become the best-selling product on its Web site.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 06 Nov 09
       
      At the National Book Festival, they had an entire mobile unit pushing the e-book movement. If you have a DC Public library card, they have a lot of electronic options!
  • "To me, it's just inevitable," says Haber, who knew printed books were goners when people told him they liked to touch and feel them. "I heard the same thing from LPs and CDs. The mass market, they want convenience and experience."
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 06 Nov 09
       
      Since our class is a certified green course, I thought this statement was rather appropriate.
  • Amazon executives have made near-instantaneous content a company goal. The latest Kindle, which began shipping last month, holds 1,500 titles and can wirelessly download books in 60 seconds. The company envisions a day when any book ever printed in any language can be downloaded in one minute.
    • Lindsay Andreas
      Lindsay Andreas on 06 Nov 09
       
      Talk about the great equalizer of the future! If this idea goes big and they can produce it for a more mass audience, this has unbelievable potential. You could potentially have access to so much information. The other thing that is slowly grabbing my attention is the fact that it would cut down on back problems. I had to carry around McKinley's AP US history book last week, and I just about died. If schools picked up on this technology they would just buy e-readers and no more carrying around 50 lbs + of textbooks. They would be more likely to read for homework if they didn't have to drag those beasts back and forth everyday.
Lindsay Andreas

Renaissance Learning-Advanced Technology for Data-Driven Schools - 0 views

www.renlearn.com/whatkidsarereading

young readers reading lists accelerated reader book database

shared by Lindsay Andreas on 17 Dec 09 - Cached
  • Lindsay Andreas on 17 Dec 09
     
    Lists of best sellers, publisher book-sale data, and online booksellers can tell you which books are purchased most often, but they do not know, like we do, which books students actually open and read, cover to cover. It is never a bad idea to know what kids are reading in order to connect in the classroom.
Child Therapy

Friendly And Highly Skilled Therapist - 1 views

My eldest daughter who is now eight years old used to be very confident and lively both at home and in school. But lately, I noticed that she was just quiet though her playmates made unnecessary no...

started by Child Therapy on 29 Oct 12 no follow-up yet
Alan Edwards

D.C. Launches Rigorous Teacher Evaluation System - 0 views

www.washingtonpost.com/...AR2009093004729_pf.html

teacher evaluation DC Michelle Rhee

shared by Alan Edwards on 02 Oct 09 - Cached
    • Alan Edwards
      Alan Edwards on 02 Oct 09
       
      Bill Turque's article in yesterday's Washington Post feels like a balanced view about a controversial plan. It definitely relates to some of the issues we've been chatting about in and out of our classes. These issues of teacher evaluation, standardized tests, teaching methods, and unions is important for anyone teaching in DC.
    • Alan Edwards
      Alan Edwards on 02 Oct 09
       
      So this year, it appears that the folks downtown will be testing a new method of teacher evaluation based on five in-class evaluations and the teacher's students grades and test scores. The program will only apply to about 20% of the teachers in D.C.
    • Alan Edwards
      Alan Edwards on 02 Oct 09
       
      DCPS will use a team of expert teachers to evaluate the teachers in 2 of the 5 evaluation sessions. They will look for active student engagement, diverse teaching methods, and teachers who work to create a safe learning environment for their students. I think that it's great that teachers will be a part of this evaluation process because great teachers have opportunities to give the best advice for these teachers. Moreover, the experts would have a degree of independence from the school's administration and union influence.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Rhee is investing $4 million in the system, called IMPACT, which will also assess teachers against an elaborate new framework of requirements and guidelines that cover a range of factors, including classroom presence and how carefully they check for student understanding of the material. But IMPACT is likely to be another flash point in Rhee's turbulent relationship with local and national teachers union leaders. They say that growth statistics are too unreliable to include in performance evaluations and that the new assessment system -- which the District can legally impose without union consent -- is an instrument to identify and remove struggling teachers, not a means to help them improve.
  • This year only reading and math teachers in grades 4 through 8 -- fewer than 20 percent of the District's 3,800 classroom instructors -- will be evaluated on the basis of growth on the annual District of Columbia Comprehensive Assessment System, or DC-CAS. Student value-added will account for half of their evaluation.
  • To allay teacher concerns that assessments will be tainted by personality clashes with principals, IMPACT will employ a corps of third-party "master educators" to conduct two of the classroom observations. The District's old system, like those in most other cities, required fewer classroom visits and left them largely to school administrators, who often had neither the time nor the expertise in subject matter to render fair evaluations, educators say. The master educators, who do not report to the principals, have backgrounds in the teachers' subjects.
  • IMPACT documents suggest that no nuance will be left unexamined in the 30-minute classroom visits. Observers are expected to check every five minutes for the fraction of students paying attention. Teachers are supposed to show that they can tailor instruction to at least three "learning styles" (auditory, visual or tactile, for example). They can lower their scores by "using sarcasm that visibly hurts or decreases the comfort of one or more students." Among the ways instructors can demonstrate that they are instilling student belief in success is through "affirmation chants, poems and cheers."
James Leslie

Considerations in Teaching Culturally Diverse Children :: Educational Resources :: ADD,... - 2 views

www.apples4theteacher.com/...modules.php

social studies diverse learners teaching

shared by James Leslie on 09 Oct 09 - Cached
  • There has been growing concern about how best to meet the educational challenge of learner diversity. Some researchers (National, 1991) have raised questions about the efficacy of teacher education programs which attempt to deal with learner diversity and which explore changes in prospective teachers' roles in modifying instruction. However, other researchers (i.e., Banks & Banks, 1989; Bennett, 1990; Sleeter & Grant, 1988) have recommended that the following be included within the teacher education curriculum: At least one course in multicultural education that takes into consideration the needs of all students Information about the history and culture of students from a wide number of ethnic, racial, linguistic, and cultural backgrounds Content about the contributions made by various groups Information about first- and second-language acquisition and effective teaching practices for working with students from limited English proficient (LEP) backgrounds Field experiences and student teaching opportunities with students from varying backgrounds
  • This background is important for the teacher to have in order to understand the rights and responsibilities of students as well as of teachers and parents. While having this information may not eliminate the stereotypes or misconceptions that teachers have about groups, it can serve to inform more directly future instructional decisions which they will make.
  • Many African Americans, Hispanics, Native Americans, and Asian Americans have had educational experiences where they suffered as a result of negative social, economic, and educational policies (Banks & Banks, 1989). Practices such as referral of these students in disproportionate numbers to special education classes continue even today. With additional information, teachers may be able to ask further questions or request technical assistance in providing appropriate instruction before a referral is considered.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • Communication can be increased by using the home language for conferences and providing written notices in both languages for those parents who have difficulty with English. Community liaisons, aides, translators, or volunteers who are bilingual can assist in this area. The teacher can solicit more participation and cooperation from parents if the message is communicated appropriately.
  • The incorporation of information about first- and second-language acquisition and effective teaching practices for working with students from LEP backgrounds is critical for teacher planning. Information about the language strengths and needs of students will be helpful for working with special personnel such as bilingual teachers and English as a second language teachers.
  • here is a need for field experiences and student teaching opportunities to work with diverse students. Prospective teachers can benefit interacting with these students before they enter the field and while they are still able to dialogue with teacher educators and teachers in the field. It can be a time to design instructional activities which can be applied within a variety of contexts and with different learners. With changes in school populations projected within this decade, it is important for prospective teachers to also have contact with the populations which they will ultimately serve.
  • James Leslie on 09 Oct 09
     
    This is an article on the challenges that can occur in teachings classrooms of diverse children.
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