Why Principals Don't Fire Bad Teachers, Even When Given The Option. Win McNamee / Getty Images Randi Weingarten, president of American Federation of Teachers, speaks during the 2008 Democratic National Convention in Denver.
Transforming Education: How Do We Start a Movement? What's the Purpose of School in the 21st Century? - Education. Consider some of the basic symbols of education in the United States: the textbook, the chalkboard, and the apple.
Thanks to technological innovations and cultural forces, we’ve seen textbooks supplanted by videos and e-books, SMART Boards replace chalkboards, and the apple on the teacher’s desk pushed aside by the latest gadgets from, well, Apple. Just as our classrooms have changed significantly since the 1800s, so have our ideas about the purpose of schools. Our views on education were defined by John Dewey's theory, which states—and I'm simplifying—that the general purpose of school is to transfer knowledge and prepare young people to participate in America’s democratic society.
If you could build a school system from scratch, what would be different? (commentary) View full sizeCory Olsen | MLive.comTech savvy: Then-third-grader Damion Jacob smiles as Godfrey-Lee Superintendent David Britten looks up the spelling of a word on his iPad.
Britten encourages teachers and students to use smart phones and other handheld devices. LANSING, MI – If you could build the Michigan education system from scratch, what would be different? I have tremendous respect for Godfrey-Lee Superintendent David Britten. He served his country before going into teaching and serving his community, and I think his non-traditional approach gives him a fresh perspective. Bad for the Brain: Goodbye to Unsustainable Education Models. My Prediction: Within five to ten years in some countries, open Internet access for information acquisition will be available on standardized tests.
This access will significantly reduce the quantity of data designated for rote memorization. Tools and Skills. Common Sense on E-rate and CIPA: Toolkits for Schools and Districts. Engaging Education. Instead of glowing in the light of a new day, each morning thousands of educators walk the halls of schools beneath burdensome shadows. For looming not too far off on the horizon are the towering silhouettes of imminent standardized tests. And whether intentionally or not, many educators cannot help but allow the presence of such looming silhouettes to drive their teaching methods. Their motivations are usually good, for who would fault them for trying to prepare students for success on these standards-based, institutionally important assessments.
So, they type up their lesson plans, replacing engaging hands-on activities with dull practice tests and repetitive lessons on testing strategies. And as these looming silhouettes approach, more and more educators spend more and more class time reluctantly teaching to the test. The(Un)Connected Classroom: When Will Education Catch-up with Technology?
"the classroom is one of the least connected places left’ So true and quite sad, we Will Change this!
" – @ken_ingle (Twitter.com, 11 April, 2012) Dear Teacher:Be Remarkable Today! To Fix America's Education Bureaucracy, We Need to Destroy It - National. Successful schools don't have a formula, other than that teachers and principals are free to follow their instincts.
AP Images America's schools are being crushed under decades of legislative and union mandates. I Miss Being a Teacher. A student stops me before school and asks, "Can you talk like Apu from the Quick-E-Mart.
My brother said you do it really well. " I do my best to comply and then he responds with, "Hey, do you want to hear my impression of Bon Iver announcing a soccer game? " I laugh hysterically at his impression and then I scurry over to the office to pick up the test booklets. I don't think I'm very "out of touch" in this hybrid teaching/coaching position. I'm still paid like a teacher. Characteristics of 21st Century Teachers. As others try to discover the next revolutionary idea to elicit changes in education, educators in the classroom are making things happen now, despite the hurdles they sometimes face.
Innovative educators today are often referred to as 21st Century Teachers, and share many unique characteristics. I believe that 21st Century Teachers: The Best Ideas for Our Schools. This past week I was fortunate to attend the NASSP 2012 Annual Conference as a presenter, 2012 Digital Principal Award recipient, and most importantly a learner.
On Friday morning I attended a session facilitated by Dr. Gary Stager, a progressive educator whose work I have come to know over the past couple of years. Gary’s message is one that resonates with me and many other educators who frequent digital spaces. All around the world there are ideas that are put into action. These ideas, for the most part, put student learning front and center and consist of experiences that enhance essential skills that all learners should possess. Image credit: Education needs paper and pavement people. When surveying writers, I always scrutinize their resume to see if the person is a paper or a pavement kind of person.
A paper person has read a lot of paper and perhaps written a lot of paper. Rebel Alliance #EduRebel.