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Les Howard
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For a child born out of wedlock in the 15th century, that’s quite an accomplishment. And yet, many would argue that this isn’t even close to being his greatest contribution to humanity. When the word…
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Les Howard
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by Lynn Newmyer Last week a few of my former students were peering into my partially open classroom door. They watched as I unloaded a box of new books onto already overstocked shelves and excitedly…
Schools seem to be in a no-win situation. Despite all the good that they do when it comes to student learning and mental health issues that students suffer from, the negative rhetoric around school continues. It wasn't too many weeks ago when the Secretary of Education sent out a Tweet that attacked the public-school system (which really needs to stop).
Here we are 17 years after NCLB (what has NCLB and mandates really helped?), and we still seem to have the same issues that we have always had. As hard as schools have been working to adapt to the sweeping changes in accountability and mandates or the constant stress of high stakes testing, they are still deemed unsatisfactory by politicians, policymakers and our various secretaries of education.
Our school system seems to be based on a political cycle and not a pedagogical one.
There is this constant need to ask or demand that schools change, which usually focuses on high stakes testing and international benchmarks like PISA. Unfortunately, when international comparisons on testing do not show expected improvement (PISA scores), schools are blamed for not being good enough. This cycle of negative rhetoric thrown at schools has undermined public education. And we need not look any further than teacher strikes in West Virginia, Oklahoma and Kentucky or student walk outs around the country to see that schools are at the center of a boiling point.
Are asking too much of our schools?
Via Mel Riddile
Speaking in front of an audience in a positive and safe classroom environment can help English Language Learners practice and learn. Veteran educators shar
Via Ana Cristina Pratas
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Les Howard
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As technology becomes more prevalent in the lives of students, educators must evolve their digital citizenship curriculum. Learn why incorporating digital literacy, cyber hygiene, and cyber civility into classrooms are changing.
No one has argued more strenuously than me for devoting scads of time to reading and writing instruction. But even I agree that content knowledge is important in reading and that time is needed to develop such knowledge. Unfortunately, time for reading instruction all too often comes at the expense of content learning.
What can be done to turn this around? Here are 10 suggestions. I wonder which ones will be most controversial in your schools.
1. Make sure reading texts present high-quality content (including excellent literature, as well as informational texts that explore our natural and social worlds).
It is often asserted that, “It doesn’t matter what they read, just that they read.”
Poppycock!
As a student, father, grandparent, citizen, scientist, member of the human race… I couldn’t disagree more. It’s like claiming that, “It doesn’t matter what they eat, just that they eat.”
Via Mel Riddile
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Les Howard
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There are three main areas of teaching that need to align in order for students to feel empowered to discover and share their voices: learning spaces, teaching strategies, and assessments.
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Les Howard
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The Trial Urban District Assessment of the Nation's Report Card expanded for 2017, by adding both new districts and a measure of all large school districts. While relatively few districts saw significant gains over 2015, urban districts as a whole seem to be gaining faster than the national average.
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Les Howard
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Want to know how to practice emotional intelligence? Here are 10 expert tips from our worldwide network to choose yourself more effectively.
Via Ariana Amorim
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Les Howard
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"President Trump is committed to reducing the federal footprint in education, and that is reflected in this budget," Secretary of Education DeVos told members of a key House subcommittee.
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A high school improvement group pushes for federal law to incorporate a comprehensive approach to literacy instruction.
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Students are easily distracted, but regular, short breaks can help them focus, increase their productivity, and reduce their stress.
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Les Howard
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Psychological research has pointed to “grit” as a better predictor of success than IQ. But there is more. Grit is a combination of passion and perseverance, a belief that failure can be overcome…
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Les Howard
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In light of recent school shootings, elementary education student Rachel Badura says she’s worried about taking a job that puts her life at risk.
There are some GenEd teachers who have an incredible ability to change their lessons to meet SpEd students where they are, while also maintaining the passion for truly reaching out to those students.
Others, however, know that SpEd students already have a network of support from their special education teachers so they don’t give them much time or attention. In fact, I’ve noticed that, often times, there’s not much of a purpose whatsoever for SpEd students to spend time in the GenEd setting, other than for interaction.
Via Mel Riddile
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Les Howard
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Executive function — a sort of air traffic controller of the brain — has been one of the hottest topics in education circles over the past 15 years. Yet experts disagree over what it is exactly, to what extent it really causes academic problems and whether anything can be done to improve one’s executive functioning. Even today, …
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Who suffers when our literacy rates are low? In this blog post by Tamara Bashore-Berg, we dive into the startling reality of Michigan’s literacy crisis and explore Dr. Nell Duke's argument that this issue is, at its heart, a public health crisis.
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Using project-based learning in support of clear curriculum goals leads to deeper learning and engagement for these school systems.
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A joint research project at several universities found that the "persistent presence" of smartphones comes at a "cognitive cost." Researchers in the schools of management at the University of Texas at Austin and the University of California, San Diego as well as the Department of Social and Decision Sciences at Carnegie Mellon ran two experiments to attempt to measure how well people finish tasks when their smartphones are nearby — even if the phones aren't in use.
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Les Howard
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Michigan schools continue to trail most states in academic achievement, according to the national NAEP test.
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A new study shows that students improve more on tests in their second year with the same teacher and the benefits are largest for students of color.
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By Tom Vander Ark - Student agency may be as important an outcome of schooling as basic skills according to a new Harvard study.
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Les Howard
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It is harder now for high school students to focus on and make sense of long, complex texts, particularly the underserved students who were already struggling with reading. The 24-hour news and entertainment cycle, cellphones, work schedules and family problems are just a few of the pressures competing for teens’ attention. That means when teachers …
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