kyteacher/366

"We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half truths, prejudices, and..."

Mon, 16 Jan 2012 12:45:45 -0500

“We are prone to let our mental life become invaded by legions of half truths, prejudices, and propaganda. At this point, I often wonder whether or not education is fulfilling its purpose. A great majority of the so-called educated people do not think logically and scientifically. Even the press, the classroom, the platform, and the pulpit in many instances do not give us objective and unbiased truths. To save man from the morass of propaganda, in my opinion, is one of the chief aims of education. Education must enable one to sift and weigh evidence, to discern the true from the false, the real from the unreal, and the facts from the fiction.”

- Source: Martin Luther King, Jr., “The Purpose of Education,” Maroon Tiger, January-February 1947.

"A growing body of research over three decades shows that easy, unearned praise does not help..."

Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:42:00 -0500

“A growing body of research over three decades shows that easy, unearned praise does not help students but instead interferes with significant learning opportunities.
…
Children rewarded for being smart, in study after study, become more likely to shy away from hard assignments that might tarnish their star reputations.
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Instead, children praised for trying hard or taking risks tend to enjoy challenges and find greater success. Children also perform better in the long term when they believe that their intellect is not a birthright but something that grows and develops as they learn new things.”

- Source: Chandler, Michael Alison. “In Schools, Self-esteem Boosting Is Losing Favor to Rigor, Finer-tuned Praise.” http://www.washingtonpost.com. Washington Post, 15 Jan. 2012.

Who’s afraid of “The Tempest”?

Sat, 14 Jan 2012 14:28:00 -0500

Who’s afraid of “The Tempest”?:

Salon writer Jeff Biggers takes on the Tucson Unified School District’s decision to ban a number of books in an attempt to come into compliance with Arizona’s law stopping the teaching of Ethnic Studies in that state.

What Do the Common Core State Standards Mean for History Teaching and Learning?

Fri, 13 Jan 2012 19:56:00 -0500

What Do the Common Core State Standards Mean for History Teaching and Learning?:

Six educators from around the country share their take on what the Common Core Standards will mean for social studies instruction.

"As long as high school students have to travel to eight different classes where eight different..."

Thu, 12 Jan 2012 22:42:00 -0500

“As long as high school students have to travel to eight different classes where eight different teachers talk about grading / standards / learning in eight different ways, students will spend far too much trying to figure out the adults instead of figuring out the work. When that happens, too many students will fall through the cracks and fail. If we built schools where there was a common language of teaching and learning and common systems and structures so that kind people of good faith can bring their ideas and creativity and passion to bear within those systems and structures and help kids learn, we will find that more teachers can be the kind of exemplary teachers that Mr. Kristof wants.”

- Source: Lehmann, Chris. “Beyond The Great Teacher Myth.” Practical Theory, 11 Jan. 2012.

Source: Creative Commons licensed photo by Krissy Venosdale.

Wed, 11 Jan 2012 18:01:00 -0500

Source: Creative Commons licensed photo by Krissy Venosdale.

What’s Missing From Education Reform Debate

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 19:21:00 -0500

What’s Missing From Education Reform Debate:

Mark Naison, professor of African and African-Americans Studies at Fordham University, maintains that the methods used to rate teacher effectiveness cannot measure those things that truly matter - a teacher’s ability to connect with and inspire students to achieve beyond what they thought was possible.

Helping Students Motivate Themselves

Mon, 09 Jan 2012 20:38:00 -0500

Helping Students Motivate Themselves:

Teacher and author Larry Ferlazzo discusses ways to help students develop an intrinsic motivation to learn.

Teaching Historiography to Secondary Students

Sun, 08 Jan 2012 20:05:00 -0500

Teaching Historiography to Secondary Students:

High school social studies teacher Aaron Eyler makes the case for teaching students how to construct historical narratives.

Sunni Brown makes the case for doodling, claiming that it can...

Sat, 07 Jan 2012 18:51:00 -0500

Sunni Brown makes the case for doodling, claiming that it can improve both our creative thinking and our comprehension.

"While there appears to be some consensus among professors that lecturing isn’t effective, few are..."

Fri, 06 Jan 2012 18:46:00 -0500

“While there appears to be some consensus among professors that lecturing isn’t effective, few are willing to innovate. Many are threatened by what modern technology might do to their job security. Mazur argues that educators need to realize their role in the classroom is changing for the better, from a source of information to a guide in how to use it.”

- Source: Makice, Kevin. “Lectures Are Slow to Leave Education.” Wired.com. Wired, 5 Jan. 2012.

Source: Creative Commons licensed photo by Krissy Venosdale

Thu, 05 Jan 2012 16:52:00 -0500

Source: Creative Commons licensed photo by Krissy Venosdale

"Right now, we need bold schools, not old schools. By that, I mean we need schools to take serious..."

Wed, 04 Jan 2012 13:59:00 -0500

“Right now, we need bold schools, not old schools. By that, I mean we need schools to take serious steps to not only reinvent themselves, but to step out and advocate for a new, more meaningful definition of what learning means for our students, one that goes beyond simply “higher student achievement” or “increased student performance.””

- Source: Richardson, Will. “Are You an Old School or a Bold School?” http://www.districtadministration.com. District Administration Magazine, 23 Dec. 2011.

Some Things Really Disappoint Me

Tue, 03 Jan 2012 14:50:00 -0500

Some Things Really Disappoint Me:

Texas educator Scott Floyd challenges one school’s data room as well as our obsession with standardized testing and the numbers it produces.

Photo

Mon, 02 Jan 2012 22:14:00 -0500

Do the IMPOSSIBLE by David Crandall

Sun, 01 Jan 2012 13:54:00 -0500

Do the IMPOSSIBLE by David Crandall