Russ on Reading: I Blog; Therefore, I Am

The issue of debate that Russ describes, whether one can think deeply without having acquired basic skills, seems, to me to serve mostly as an excuse by one educator to dismiss a large portion of his student base instead of taking an opportunity to be part of their intellectual development. This person is basically saying that he/she won't 'waste time' on students who are not at some predetermined performance level. Those students are often the most insightful and original thinkers; what a loss to this educator who refuses to engage with them.




Russ on Reading: I Blog; Therefore, I Am:        Descartes said, “I think; therefore, I am.” I want our students to say, “I read and write; therefore, I can think.” Rene Descar...

finally someone sees through it

apparently no x-ray glasses were required.
http://educationvotes.nea.org/2014/06/03/al-law-using-public-dollars-to-subsidize-tuition-at-private-schools-ruled-unconstitutional/

When will the madness end?

From Pennsylvania:  new legislation targeting teachers.http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2014/06/pa-newest-state-to-assault-teaching.html?m=1

More than words

Campaign to get us thinking about what we say.
http://www.cnn.com/2014/04/30/living/duke-you-dont-say-identity/index.html?c=us&page=0

Yay Carol Burris

And without due process protection, she could be fired fot telling the truth..


http://m.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/04/29/the-scary-way-common-core-test-cut-scores-are-selected/

Don't drink the koolaid

And don't eat the sandwich:     http://curmudgucation.blogspot.com/2014/03/poop-sandwich.html?m=1   

I hate it when a supposedly secure and dependable website suddenly loses all my information. We have a state-run website for teacher job openings (public schools). It used to be a one-stop application process; not quite so much now, but still, I've had my profile there for several years. Today I looked and saw something intriguing, but before I could proceed, there was an alert to update my profile. OK, start date needs to be fixed. No problem, right?  WRONG! All the rest of my info seems to be gone. Damn if I want to go through all that shit again. This is at least the second time their server has done this, and I'm tired of it. There isn't another place to see all, or almost all, of the public school openings in the state. Outside stuff like Monster and Indeed is outdated by the time they list it, and their search functions are useless.

a new Science blog

Labcoat Life, at Nature
http://www.nature.com/scitable/blog/labcoat-life

Public Television and Public Schools

Should be supporting each other, right? Maybe not, when corporate funding comes into play.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/peter-dreier/public-television-education_b_5130372.html


Don't forget David Sirota's investigation of the money trail behind the PBS  'documentary' series bashing public pension programs.

Public Schools for Sale? | Moyers & Company | BillMoyers.com

Public Schools for Sale? | Moyers & Company | BillMoyers.com




This might partially make up for some of the nonsense he's aired recently...

Now here's a scalable plan for "accountability"

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/02/16/texas-parents-give-grades-to-legislators-its-ugly/

If we continue to perpetuate the myth that "everyone should go to college", then the counselors will keep meeting the kids (and parents) who inspire these unspoken comments:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/02/10/the-greatest-line-i-never-said-by-college-admissions-counselors/
As a public school teacher, I can name a few administrators who fall into the same category...

Some things just get better with time...

so why do we keep chasing after the NEXT great thing? sometimes the one right in front of you is just dandy, thank you very much. Not that I want to give up my computer, but I also think there is too much technology for its own sake, especially in the classroom. (Evaluation checklists aren't helping that, I might add...)
http://dianeravitch.net/2014/02/15/in-praise-of-the-pencil/

If I have to hear the word "DATA" one more time...

I have all the 'data' that I need. It's in the understanding or confusion on the kids' faces when we teach. It's in the work they complete and I check. It's in their quiz grades and test grades. It's in their lab data sheets. In other words, my gradebook. why should all (or any) of that be on the wall? I'm with Carolyn on this.  http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/wp/2014/02/14/how-data-walls-in-classrooms-can-humiliate-young-kids/ 

World views

On the subject of teaching science, if you want to prove old ideas wrong, you must first know what the heck they are:
http://www.artofteachingscience.org/evolution-might-be-a-law-but-student-ideas-are-important/




On my choice of college major, please stay out of my intellectual endeavors. That's like telling me what books I should spend time reading. I'll choose, thank you. That degree in art history has served me well, for instance in teaching social studies (long story, but there it is) and using political cartoons and ads in lessons. Plus, I love visiting old buildings, and I did a lot more on trips abroad than just go shopping!
http://dianeravitch.net/2014/02/15/alexandra-miletta-what-i-learned-by-studying-art-history/


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/style-blog/wp/2014/01/30/president-obama-disses-culture-with-art-history-degree-punch-line/


http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2014/01/30/but-what-do-the-art-history-majors-think-of-president-obama/

And intelligence too, I presume...

If this is true, then teachers are brilliant.

 

At this rate, I'll be a bloody GENIUS by the end of the year. Changes are coming so fast I'm getting whiplash. Everything I was taught in college seems to be wrong now. Or invalid. Or not good enough.

Said I...

AMEN, SISTER!

Here's an idea worth pondering.