Most Popular Education Posts
- American School Boards – Abolish or Improve?
- New Ed Tech Director Appointed, But is She too Close to Business?
- Let Kids Run the Banks To Educate Them for the 21st Century
- Arts Focused Education is Essential to Develop Attention, Cognition, Self-Control Skills
- Michelle Rhee Skirts the Law, Lays off Teachers
New Ed Tech Director Appointed, But is She too Close to Business?
Published November 06, 2009 @ 09:42AM PT
Educational technology has a new leader, coming from one of the most well respected, and education-fond corporations out there. Following months of rumor and anticipation is has been announced that former Apple executive Karen Cator will lead education technology initiatives at the Department of Eduction.
She outlined here philosophy by explaining "We need to craft an entirely new research agenda around this issue so people can’t write that technology doesn’t work. We know it works...but we need to get good at saying and articulating what exactly technology can do” reports EdWeek. Cator used to be a teacher, and was formerly technology director in Alaska, but some critics fear that she isn't so concerned with skills, but most interested in inserting the concerns of business into schools.
Off to a quick start, the Department of Edcuation is asking for your help to update the National Technology Plan, and what direction it should take under the leadership of Karen Cator. Submit you suggestions: "What would you like to see considered in the National Educational Technology Plan?"
Let Kids Run the Banks To Educate Them for the 21st Century
Published November 05, 2009 @ 05:08PM PT
Educating children is changing. It must change. Computing literacy and learning about the digital world is crucial, but kids also need to be geared to be literate in solving problems, thinking creatively and collaborating. Arithmatic, reading and writing are no longer sufficient skills for the US to able to compete globally. New Hampshire Public Radio explain how schools are preparing their students for the 21st century by building these skills, partnering with multinational corporations and local business to develop a new modern curricula.
The curricula of The Partnership for 21st Century Skills is being implemented in 14 schools. They've determined that most schools and policy makers are too focused on an old model: mastery of four core subjects. They think that's not enough for success: global competence, civic engagement and financial literacy are now just as important.
It's done in math by teaching the subject in a wider context - linking it to business practices and giving students more basic financial skills. Partnerships are made with credit unions, and students have in some schools then set up their own branches to understand marketing, finance, and in turn teaching younger schools by operating a bank-in-school program for middle and elementary schools. These skills are crucial, and can be easily layered on top of currents subjects to create a more rounded, specific, and engaging curricula, so a students will never ask "Why am I being taught this, it'll never be any use."
American School Boards – Abolish or Improve?
Published November 04, 2009 @ 01:32PM PT
Public schools in the United States continue to be governed by appointed or elected school boards – except in cases of takeovers and charter schools that report directly to states. But some seem to be asking if school boards are relevant in today’s world. Often there is no mention of them in national conversation about school reform. Other times, there is prominent mention of them in the headlines because of bad governing skills and just plain bad behavior. And yet school boards continue to set policy, to hire and fire superintendents, and to manage huge amounts of taxpayer money. Can we really afford to ignore them? How can we insure effective school boards?
For starters, public schools belong to the public. The public either elects their school board members or elects a Mayor who appoints them. Either way, school boards represent their communities in the oversight of their schools. In this way, the local school board remains the heart of the democratic process and possibly the purest form of public service. Local communities should continue to have the right to govern their own schools – to lose that would be to lose public support for public schools.
Arts Focused Education is Essential to Develop Attention, Cognition, Self-Control Skills
Published November 03, 2009 @ 01:17PM PT
We're constantly hearing about how poor math and science education is — poor results, falling behind the rest of the world, not producing enough scientists who can help us compete on the world stage and, most importantly, become the next generation of astronauts. But travels to Mars aside, all this talk draws our attention away from the role art plays in education.
Michael Posner and Brenda Patoine don't believe art's effects are solely calming or inspirational, they argue that art training improves cognition, and strengthens the brain's attention networks. As we learned recently it's the ability to pay attention, avoid distraction and demonstrate self-control (so called "executive attention networks") that are crucial to a student's potential for future academic success, necessitating the need for role-play at young age to develop young brains. So if there's any substance to Posner and Patoine's claims, we must take seriously and expand drama and art training. No wonder the Greeks were so smart.
Posner and Patoine contend that their neuroscientific claim isn't actually all that controversial "within the context of what we call activity-dependent plasticity, a basic tenet of brain function." Solid data is increasingly emerging, and its results may lead to the conclusion that more than anything, children need balance in their curricula. Drilling them with math-tests and spelling bees may help improve test-scores and look good to parents and politicians, but making them better rounded human-beings, able to pay attention and demonstrate a high-level of sustained cognition, isn't so respected — that is a fact that I can't get my head around.
Michelle Rhee Skirts the Law, Lays off Teachers
Published November 02, 2009 @ 09:14AM PT
Michelle Rhee is again causing controversy in D.C., "skirting the law by deciding unilaterally to lay off teachers and staff," reports the Washington Post. It was either do this or trim summer school programs — $9 million dollars needed to be saved from the budget. It's a decision that is leading to a lawsuit and has already seen protesters out in the street.
Rhee choose to ignore a council directive to cut summer school initiatives, coming up against a potential mayoral contenders for next year, D.C. Council Chairman Vincent C. Gray. He's shocked by her decision, explaining "Why bother to have a legislative body if the people in the executive branch do whatever they choose because they don't like the decision of the legislative body?" Chancellor Rhee is making some progress in terms of test scores and enrollment, but she simply explained "Change is hard," when testifying under oath.
There's a clear theme and philosophy that I see between this news and an Atlantic profile a year ago: Rhee's contention that she's making the changes that schoolchildren need, choosing to represent their interests rather that interests and wants of adults. Improving test scores and enrollment demonstrates progress, but at what cost?
Bill Gates: The Real Secretary of Education?
Published October 30, 2009 @ 11:18AM PT
The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation are well known for their work funding a wide variety of global health and agricultural programs, but what might be less well known is their work supporting U.S. education. Last year, Gates agreed to give 15 states $250,000 with which they could prepare fantastic grant proposals that would help them wow states into giving them federal stimulus money. Some states were left out of the bounty, which would make them less likely to receive Race to The Top Funds. Last month, Gates agreed to fund all states as long they agreed to the Foundation's reform-minded checklist.
But it's not just occasional proposal-minded grants that the Gates foundation distributes, but around $200 million annually to improve public schools. The Foundation have had such success that Education Secretary Arne Duncan appointed two of his team from the Foundation.
Some ponder whether Gates' influence on states, — forcing them to sign up to his foundation's reform minded agenda — makes him "The Real Secretary of Education," and by moving from education investment to investing in shaping education policy, he's cetainly cosying up to the Obama administration. For those supporting Duncan's measures, the Gates Foundation is a good ally to have onside. Those opposed will be wondering whether it's appropriate for a private foundation to working so closely with the government — especially since, as a private foundation, the Gates Foundation doesn't have to disclose how it spends its money.
Sesame Street, Einstein, Disney and How Young is Too Young to Teach?
Published October 29, 2009 @ 12:03PM PT
Forty years ago, on November 10, 1969, the first episode of Sesame Street was broadcast — "televised preschool" created by educators, experts in child development and officials at the Carnegie and Ford foundations. It was often close to controversy with everyone from feminists to conservatives complaining about certain aspects. Someone from the BBC even went as far as calling it 'a form of 'indoctrination' with 'authoritarian aims'," reports Reason Magazine. They contrast Sesame Street's success and popularity with the recent Baby Einstein "educational" DVDS, summing up that they'd be better known as "Baby Warhol."
There of course has been a backlash against Disney's Baby Einstein DVDs, with refunds now being offered. President Bush backed the maker of the DVDs but pediatricians explained that kids shouldn't be watching TV at all at such a young age (0-2). Indeed some fear it may in fact be harmful for under-2s to watch any television. Disney is now refunding money on its DVDs with the "tacit admission that they did not increase infant intellect." Making false claims of genius doesn't help parents make informed choices about when is a good time to begin education, especially not when it goes against the commonsense to keep very young children away from television. Meanwhile, Kid TV watching is at an all-time high!
