The Innovative Educator

Considering BYOT / BYOD next year? Get started with this sample policy & answers to FAQs

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Wed, 30 May 2012 10:47:00 +0000

One of the best ways to prepare students to be prepared for the world is to help them use the tools of their world responsibly. Allowing students to bring their own devices is a terrific way to do just that, but even though some schools may have the wireless capacity and infrastructure, the admins / teachers may want to have a policy in place. Below is the policy shared with me by Tim Clark who serves as the Coordinator of Instructional Technology for Forsyth County, GA Schools.

What is great about this district is that they empower schools to modify the policy to their needs. Standardizing a policy in a district that can be customized to the needs of the students in a particular school is a best practice that all innovative districts should consider.

Of course the policy is just one of the ingredients needed for success. Forsyth County Schools addresses many of the others in their frequently asked questions which you can find here.

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Check out Teaching Generation Text: Using Cell Phones to Enhance Learning for more ideas about thinking outside the ban to harness the power of student-owned devices for learning including policies, contracts, management ideas, and research.

Parents don’t look the other way

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sun, 27 May 2012 11:49:00 +0000

Written by Lisa Nielsen | Edited by Lisa Cooley, The Minds of Kids

“Most men would rather deny a hard truth than face it.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Humans come equipped with a primitive defense mechanism aimed at reducing anxiety: "If I ignore it, it'll go away." Very human, very natural, very understandable. We all do it. It may even have some evolutionary advantage. After all, facing away from a problem can lower blood pressure and keep stress under control.

But problems have a momentum of their own; they only get worse when they're ignored.

When we don’t face the truth because it might frighten and upset us, we move to the place called Denial. But emotions have little to do with logic. (Article Source). If denial is a small dark room, joining with others and facing the truth together brings out the light of day.

But denial is where some parents are living. They are looking the other way. Ignoring problems or worse, justifying them.

I suppose it’s understandable. Parents across the nation are faced with the reality that the education system that they placed their faith in, that they experienced themselves, may have flaws that are not being fixed and they are led to believe they have no control over them. This is a hard reality to face and would turn the world of any parent upside down. So these parents sometimes turn their faces away. They throw down mattresses and close the blinds and live happily in their room of Denial.

This is exactly the reality that New York mom Christine Dougherty had to face after her 12-year-old son Joseph, with her guidance and support, decided he was going to opt out of his school’s standardized tests. Instead, he requested the right to engage in more meaningful learning. Despite the wishes of Ms. Dougherty and her child, bully principal Thomas Capone forced Joseph to take the test. Joseph’s teachers called him a fresh little boy for not following their orders to do as he was told.

Joseph’s mother fought back doing everything she could to counteract a number of manipulative tactics by her son’s principal and the teachers under his charge. The principal furthered the lie that parents have no rights when it comes to the best interests of their child. He flat out refused to respect the wishes of Joseph and his mother demanding they comply, “OR ELSE...he’d have no choice but to look into having Joseph taken away from his mother!”

Christine was not living in denial and was not dissuaded. She stood up to the principal and did everything she could to have her son’s wishes granted.

Unfortunately, not all parents are as brave, strong, or able to face facts as Ms. Dougherty did. Instead, when they heard of the situation, some took up residency in a horrible state called denial.

They went after this mother and defended the principal rather than looking at the facts behind what this principal had done. They refused to acknowledge that across the state New York teachers, superintendents, and principals one and all were speaking out, starting petitions, writing to the ed secretary all expressing agreement with Ms. Dougherty’s belief that these tests are not good for children. Those who learned of this principal’s actions were horrified that a man, entrusted with the care of children, had overstepped his bounds in such a way and violated the rights of both parent and child.

There was also an explosion of Tweets by administrators, teachers, and parents alike appalled by the actions of this school’s leader and his minions. Fortunately, many citizens are guided by a moral compass that puts the rights of kids first; they did not condone this man’s actions.

Unfortunately, several of the parents at Ms. Doughterty’s son’s school found a comfortable home in their state of Denial and to solidify residency, they started a Facebook page that bashed the mother and those who outed the bully principal (like here, here, here, here, here, here, and here). What they did not realize was that instead of the support they expected, they received a flood of comments from those who supported the mother and did not agree with these parents or the principal. Since the intent of this page was to keep a Denial alive, all those who posted comments stating they supported the mother and disagreed with the principal were swiftly bashed, banned, and censored from sharing the other side of the story.

Such tactics are understandable when you take into consideration that they were made by those who have no intention in giving up residency in their state of Denial. (Perhaps the river in Egypt is nice and warm and good for swimming? Too bad about the crocodiles.)

Parents like those who rose up against this mother for standing up to the system and protecting her child represent an unfortunate segment of our population that has lost faith in themselves or other parents to decide what is best for their own children. We have come to a point in America where many parents are all too willing to hand their children over to an institution to raise them even when it is as clear as day that impositions such as these tests are hurting children like Joseph.

How can the mega billion industry of one-size-fits-few, standardized test-taking be mistaken for what is best for children? You can believe it is what’s best for the system if you choose, but that is a system that cannot bear the burden of criticism, and needs full compliance in order to survive.

There are parents who dig their heels in and continue to ignore the truth rather than acknowledge the harm that is taking place with children in their schools. There’s a name for what they’re doing. Denialism: which means choosing an alternate reality as a way to avoid an uncomfortable truth.

Because, here’s the thing: much of traditional education as we know it today is not good for children. Many of the practices we all know and have lived with are not serving our children best.

And that is so hard to face!

“The human mind isn't a terribly logical or consistent place. Most people, given the choice to face a hideous or terrifying truth or to conveniently avoid it, choose the convenience and peace of normality.” ― Jim Butcher, Turn Coat

Parents have been indoctrinated by the system that says: do as you’re told. Drop off your children and parental rights at the door. They have been conditioned not to trust themselves or their instincts when it comes to their kids. They have accepted that (as shared on the Facebook page and in blog comments), “the best interests of their children are left to the experts.” They explained that, as a professional, the principal, NOT PARENTS, know what is best for children, explaining that Mr. Capone, “obeys rules because he has the experience that should be trusted.”

And here’s the scary part.

The parents at Ms. Dougherty’s school who “liked” this Facebook page had this advice for her:

“Do not let your heart decide what is best. There is not a scintilla of doubt in my mind that the principal had best interests of the child in mind when he took this action.”

The action they are referring to was the disregard of the judgment of a parent who feared for his well being. These parents were defending a principal who forced a child to do something against the wishes of himself and his mother and falsely (informed his family that failure to follow orders could result in him being taken from his parents.

GAH!!!

Despite the fact that they were surrounded by parents and teachers who told them they believed the principal was right and they should just do as they’re told, Joseph and his mother stood strong. Ms. Dougherty had done her homework and knew that the government did NOT have the right over her as a parent to force her child to engage in an activity she did not condone.After contacting child protective services it was also revealed that had this principal wasted the time by making a false report of abuse and maltreatment, he would actually be endangering the ability to properly focus on the children who had real abuse issues. Note opting out does not fall in the category of child abuse or maltreatment. Visit this link to learn what does.

Joseph’s mother had EVERY right to act as she did. She took ownership of her son’s freedom to learn in the way that serves him best.

If these parents had left their state of Denial behind, they’d have to face a hard reality. For now, parents like these are much more comfortable defending the status quo. Though several did admit that they understood that forced testing was wrong, they believed their children still needed to do as they were told.

“I hate these tests and that we are forced to give them, and what they represent..reducing children to numbers and data. However, unfortunately it is the law that children take these tests.”

She went on to say that as long as the principal forced her child to do this in a professional way, then he was right. This well meaning parent goes on to explain,

“The only way this testing goes away is if voting parents take an active interest in changing the politics surrounding education and voting for candidates who truly have the children’s interests at heart, and not statistics that make them look good.”

ACK!!!!

Americans never voted on a law that made our kids the mega billion dollar profit bearing guinea pigs of the school system! This was not a referendum placed on a ballot. This is an illegal imposition that is hurting kids and making mega-billions for greedy corporations who care nothing about children but followed the money into the “Race to the Top” testing frenzy.

Parents:
It’s time to WAKE UP! Listen to your heart. Leave the dark room. It’s sunny out here; there’s fresh air and fresh debate and clear thinking about children and what is best for them. And our numbers are growing.

Don’t trust principals, politicians, or corporations that push bad policies that harm children. Be on your child’s side, and trust your instincts if you feel your child is suffering! Take back your parental rights. Give the freedom to learn to your children. Do not let anyone bully you into doing otherwise.

Know the facts!

“Child protective services would not take a report on a parent who is opting their child out of standardized tests due to emotional stress or illness. Opting out of standardized tests is NOT something that teachers and principals should call in as mandated reporters.” -Jason DeSantis | Central Register for Child Abuse | 8006351522

Principals or others who convey this information are threatening parents and violating their rights.If anyone tries to do so, you have the ACLU and the Office of Civil Rights on YOUR side. Both are filing complaints against this principal and others like him around the nation. If your child’s rights are being violated, contact them. You may also want to contact your local child advocacy group.

Parents, not the government employees or corporations, have the best interests of your children at heart. Fight to protect your children! Protecting your child is your right.

The Hottest Posts That Everyone's Talking About This Week

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sat, 26 May 2012 10:08:00 +0000

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see the top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you. If it does, check it out. If you’re inspired, share it with others and/or leave a comment.

Using Cell Phones to Increase Student Achievement ...

May 20, 2012, 2 comments

2,314 Pageviews

A Simple Ed Reform Solution - Connect School Life ...

May 23, 2012, 2 comments

2,029 Pageviews

Let's Flip! A new cartoon from Jeff Branzburg

May 22, 2012, 2 comments

1911 Pageviews

It's wrong to group kids by date of manufacture

May 21, 2012, 15 comments

1701 Pageviews

What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This...

May 18, 2012, 11 comments

1353 Pageviews

Dropping Out was a Great Idea

May 13, 2012, 25 comments

1248 Pageviews

The Key to Making Every Child’s Dreams Come True – Found at SAR Academy

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Fri, 25 May 2012 10:54:00 +0000

~Guest post by Sharon Marson

Schoolwide Enrichment Program Coordinator, SAR Academy, Riverdale, New York

A teary-eyed parent says, "Now my child feels really successful. Thank you for what you are doing.” Another shared that Tuesday (the day our new program is scheduled) is “a day my child refuses to be absent. I'm not allowed to pull him out of school for a doctor's appointment and he has even tried pretending he is well when clearly he has fever, in order to not miss an E-slot." The children themselves ask, "How many days until next Tuesday?" and stop me in school regularly to thank me for "making" this program.

What has brought such joy and excitement to parents and children? The Schoolwide Enrichment program. This has enabled me to bring to fruition the dream of providing every early elementary child with the opportunity to participate in an Enrichment slot (E-slot) during the course of their week. It has been an incredibly fulfilling journey. No longer are only a select few of those who are high performing in reading or math given the opportunity to participate in Enrichment. Now, more than 450 children are able to choose among seventy offerings that are aligned with their passions, strengths, and/or interests. The offerings, primarily facilitated by a talented faculty and parent-body, correspond with multiple-intelligence theory, engage children in project-based learning, and are built on the pedagogy of Dr. Joseph Renzulli, seminal thinker, innovator, and researcher in the field of Gifted Education.

The program is based on the idea that we should apply the pedagogy of gifted education to enrichment opportunities for all students. The broadened conception of giftedness, allows children to explore an area of interest, talent, or passion in depth, while in a small multi-age group with other students and a facilitator who also shares this interest. Enrichment Clusters are a delivery vehicle for disseminating enrichment pedagogy to every student and is founded on the belief that everyone has the potential to demonstrate gifted behavior. They are organized around interdisciplinary themes and are built on inquiry and advanced content and methodology, which allow students to secure and then apply new skills to real-world issues that are personally meaningful. The challenging learning pursued is grounded in the production of a product, performance, or service for an authentic audience. Our ultimate goal with this broad enrichment initiative is to help children discover and take pride in the diverse gifts and talents with which he or she is endowed, develop their interests and strengths, and understand how they can share their gifts with the world.

What is success?

Just ask the kids and you’ll find there isn't a child who can't tell you when he or she feels successful or which activity engenders a sense of accomplishment. That is what our program is doing for children. We are giving students the equal-opportunity to succeed. They are happy. They are defining themselves as gifted in multitudinous ways. They feel accomplished. That is why they can't miss a moment of it.

See what this looks like in action at the video below. You can help the school raise money to grow their endeavor to create life-long, impassioned learners with a vote for the video at this link.

Want to connect with others who are discussing the Schoolwide Enrichment Model? Join us on Facebook here.

A Simple Ed Reform Solution - Connect School Life to Real Life

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Wed, 23 May 2012 10:10:00 +0000

"Dennis Littky provides a setting where young people and adults can explore the world together, discover their passions and apply themselves to solving their own and the world's problems!"
- Deborah Meir

Many high school students complain they don’t like school for some very good reasons. They report it is boring, irrelevant, and disconnected from real life. They have a passion for life, but not for school. But it doesn’t have to be this way and there’s a place where it isn’t. It's called The MET and it is one of dozens of schools around the world that make up the Big Picture Company.

These schools are havens for public school students who have struggled in conventional classrooms. There is a waiting list to get in and once they do, not only do they have one of the highest attendance rates, but there is also a 98% college acceptance rate. What’s more, unlike many graduates of traditional schools, Big Picture graduates say they feel prepared for college and career success.

What’s their secret?
Connect school life to real life by doing things differently.

Here’s how

Instead of teachers… There are advisers who work with students making a multi-year commitment to serve as their coach, mentor, teacher, and friend who guide and supports them in managing their personalized learning plan and Learning Through Internship/Interest placement. Home visits are not only encouraged, they’re a part of the relationship.
Instead of grades… There are authentic assessments such as public exhibitions of work, check ins, reflective journals, portfolios, and feedback from their real world mentors at work.
Instead of desks in rows in classrooms where the focus is the teacher… There are chairs around a table in what resembles a conference room where the focus is each other.
Instead of bells and classes… There are meetings and appointments.
Instead of relegating all learning to be locked inside the school building... Students spend two days a week pursuing their interests and/or passions with mentors where they are learning through internships(LTIs) that they seek out in the real world. Additionally, all learning that happens outside of the school day and year is captured and documented for in school credit.
Instead of banning and blocking… Students are empowered to learn with the tools they own and choose. This means they can borrow or bring their own laptops, cell phones, etc.
Instead of administrative school policies that are handed down… Students are encouraged to take a leadership role in the school and student voice is valued in decision making processes.
Instead of starting the day in class... Students get: an early morning Pick-Me-Up. Blogger Ewan McIntosh explains it this way: Someone shares a story, what they've been doing: a student, a teacher, the Principal, an 'outsider'. They effectively give a face-to-face blog, where the comments come thick and fast and a dialogue begins.
Instead of only focusing on being prepared to work for someone else… Students can participate in the Innovation and Entrepreneurship program where they learn to run businesses, and the best are supported and funded. These students are provided with real offices in which to do run their real businesses.
Instead of standardizing to the system… Learning is customized to each student via their individual learning plans which look like this and this that are developed based on the student’s individual interests, talents, and needs. These are created and updated with the learning team which includes, but is not limited to, the student, parent(s), advisor, and internship mentor. Students share and celebrate their work via exhibitions.
Instead of grades and test scores as the primary measure of student success… The main goals of assessment are to help the student reflect on his or her work, create strategies to improve, and develop his or her own internal standards. Evaluation processes should be learning experiences within themselves, strengthening the quality of students’ work and their understanding of themselves as learners. The use of multiple assessment tools is vital to determine a student’s progress and finding creative solutions to help students build on strengths and address gaps. The whole student must be addressed, looking at each project and activity in light of the student’s personal learning plan. MET students learn to reflect on their work with the question, “Is it good enough?” the work is measured against standards of the real world held by the mentor and internship worksite as well as the exhibition panel. Everyone involved in the student’s life and learning – including their family, peers and mentors – is asked to participate in the evaluation process. The MET’s key elements for student assessment include: exhibitions; digital portfolios; narratives; and, transcripts.
Instead of test scores as the primary measure of teacher and school accountability… The schools is held accountable to the students and parents via School Accountability for Learning and Teaching Surveys, which are the culmination of intensive surveys of parents, students, and teachers. When it comes to students, of utmost importance to school leaders are things like, that students feel respected, cared about, and inspired by their teachers, they feel comfortable talking to school staff, that staff keeps them interested and will work with students until they understand the area of study. When it comes to parents, school leaders want them to know that staff cares about their children, that the child is learning to their potential, and that they are safe. At The MET school they had high parent engagement and the school scored highest in the state in most every category.

There is a method to their magic. Here are some of the components that drive the work at The MET. Many of these practices are incorporated at varying levels at all Big Picture Schools.

Learning goals*
There are five learning goals for students which are guided by four arenas explained below. Learning goals are a framework for looking at real-world concepts and abilities necessary to being a successful, well-rounded person. The learning goals are not content-oriented curricula, nor are they completely distinct categories. Good project work incorporates many overlapping elements of the learning goals.

Empirical reasoning - How do I prove it?
This goal is to think like a scientist: to use empirical evidence and a logical process to make decisions and to evaluate hypotheses. It does not reflect specific science content material, but instead can incorporate ideas from physics to sociology to art theory.
Personal qualities - What do I bring to this process?
This goal is to be the best you can be: to demonstrate respect, responsibility, organization, leadership, and to reflect on your abilities and strive for improvement.
Quantitative reasoning - How do I measure, compare or represent it?
This goal is to think like a mathematician: to understand numbers, to analyze uncertainty, to comprehend the properties of shapes, and to study how things change over time.
Social reasoning - What are other people’s perspectives on this?
This goal is to think like an historian or anthropologist: to see diverse perspectives, to understand social issues, to explore ethics, and to look at issues historically.
Communication - How do I take in and express ideas?
This goal is to be a great communicator: to understand your audience, to write, read, speak and listen well, to use technology and artistic expression to communicate, and to be exposed to another language.

Here is what student learning looks like in these four arenas.

1) Real World Learning*
These are the core elements that make real-world learning work at Big Picture schools.

Learning plans for EVERY student - There are neither formal courses nor a standard curricular sequence. Instead, with an advisor, mentor, and family, each student charts quarterly planned activities against the school’s five learning goals and a series of questions.
Interest exploration -
In a school that views students’ passions as the spark to deep learning, an early task facing Met students is to uncover their own interests.
Learning through internships (LTI) - The primary vehicle for learning at The Met, LTIs push students to gain knowledge and skills in the context of authentic work and to develop one-on-one relationships with an adult professional—real world learning in name and practice.
Making academics come alive - Advisors and LTI mentors work in concert to provide students with the academic content needed to complete project-based work, with advisors and other staff typically providing whatever tutoring or assistance is necessary back at school.
Summer learning -
Pursuing activities like travel, adventure programs, apprenticeships, or college classes is a requirement for every student. These summer experiences should push students into unfamiliar territory—teaching special needs kids in a camp or building a school in the Dominican Republic. Advisors help students find such opportunities as well as the financial aid or funding they may require.

2) Reflection and Accountability*
These are the key structures through which students demonstrate accountability for their learning.

Narrative assessment - Narrative assessments take the place of grades and report cards. They document a student’s academic and personal progress, noting specific areas of growth and areas needing attention, and suggest revisions to the subsequent Learning Plan. At the end of each year, students use their narratives to prepare, with help from their advisor, a one-page transcript, an official and public document that records the year’s work and learning.
Exhibitions -
Each quarter students give a roughly 45- minute exhibition presentation of work to a panel comprising the advisor, mentor, family, peers, and other staff. Students present evidence of progress in all aspects of their Learning Plan and respond to questions and critique from panelists.
Senior Institute Gateways - Tenth graders apply to the senior institute (11th/12th grade). In addition to a portfolio, they present letters of recommendation (from the advisor, mentor, family, and a peer), plus a written defense that shows they are ready to take increasing responsibility for their own learning and to play an active leadership role in school.
Internalizing high standards - Students report that they work harder and learn more than they ever have before. The processes of giving and receiving feedback, collecting a portfolio of work, and making regular public presentations contribute greatly to a school culture that embraces high standards.

3) Voice and agency*
Students are encouraged to speak up, to find and tap their voice, to identify their strengths and pursue their passions.

Journals - Journals help students express ideas and concerns that are still rough or not meant to be broadly shared. Students practice putting down on paper what they think, supported by an adult committed to listening.
College portfolios - Students apply to college, even if they do not go—right away or ever. (Over three-quarters head straight to college.) The school embraces the college application process as a tool for helping students dream big, set high standards for their work, and hone their presentation of self.
Public speaking and writing - Speaking and writing for public audiences are a constant. Morning “Pick-Me-Ups” (the school-wide gathering that starts each day) provide a ready stage, as do “town meetings” and other school events. Internships offer another forum, as students make presentations to their adult work colleagues. Students are also encouraged to raise their voices as citizens.
Success stories - The book-length autobiographies written in junior and senior year stand alongside the unwritten personal stories they weave, day in and out. As seniors receive their diploma, advisors deliver the “short version” of these success stories, an oral tribute to the graduate for all to hear.

4) Sustained relationships*
Relationships under gird all learning. Keeping adults and other students at bay is not an option. Students build close relationships with an advisor, community mentors, and other faculty, if they are to fulfill their personal learning plans. They must also commit to an advisory group made up of peers, plus substantial give-and-take with the larger school community and students accept their parents as learning partners.

Advisors - Teachers are known as advisors and facilitate the learning of the students in their advisory group. They help students create learning plans, identify interests, find internships, develop projects, and manage their time. They also work closely with their advisees’ mentors. Advisors stay with the same students until they graduate resulting advisor-student bond runs deep.
Mentors - Mentors guide and coach students in their Learning Through internships (LTI) work. As part of the student’s learning team, the mentor helps students develop projects that have real consequence and value—to the student, mentor, and workplace. Mentors stand as living examples of career possibilities and as role models of contributing community members.
Advisories - Advisors and their students—are home base, the close-knit unit where students and faculty gather for an hour each morning to launch their day and where they return every afternoon for a half-hour before the day ends. Advisories give students a place to practice new skills and develop their identities with a safety net.
Parents - Families, not just students are enrolled in the school. This means parents are essential “learning partners” who sign a contract agreeing to attend quarterly learning plan meetings and exhibitions.. Parents, teachers, students, and siblings frequently gather on campus for shared activities.
The School as Family - Small size, intimate advisory system, and insistence on parent participation go far towards making the school feel like a family and several features extend these connections and family feel even after graduation.

Thanks to the innovative leadership of Dennis Littky and Elliot Washor, Big Picture Schools are one of the few learning models that manages to get public funding despite the fact that they are devoid of the cornerstones that make up most schools such as classes, teachers, incessant testing, or grades. They’ve been doing this for 17 years by helping student to capture real-world/real-life learning and translate it as necessary into the buckets required by the traditional public school system or transcripts required by some colleges…though in many cases colleges find the authentic and insightful portfolios and learning plans more useful than transcripts.

Unfortunately, due to the accountability movement as of late, the school has been forced to cut important services and programs, such as social workers, to increase spending on standardized test success. Despite this setback that limits choices and freedom, Dennis Littky advises that “We must determine that for which we will fight and never compromise those values.” In the case of Big Picture Schools that means they can still remain true to the core values that lead to real, relevant, and meaningful learning.

--------------------------
For you visual and auditory, learners, this video from Big Picture Program Leader, Geoff Allmand, does a great job of showing what his school is like. Big Picture Education - Interest based learning by scratchie on GoAnimate

Create Video - Powered by GoAnimate.

*Information excerpted from preceding links at the MET school site.

Let's Flip! A new cartoon from Jeff Branzburg

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Branzburg) — Tue, 22 May 2012 10:49:00 +0000

It's wrong to group kids by date of manufacture

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Mon, 21 May 2012 10:25:00 +0000

Guest post by Teresa McCloskey

While at the park today with the kids, I saw a classmate of Mason's, coincidentally also named Mason and also in as much trouble with authorities as my own Mason.

Mason & Mason F. started kindergarten at the same time. Their date of manufacture is obviously comparable. They are both currently in 7th grade. But Mason F. now stands nearly 2 feet taller than my Mason. He's filling out. Mason F. has very obviously hit puberty in his 12th - 13th year of life. Mason F. was stealing backpacks from two girls then later blew them off to hang with a young lady dressed scantily in short shorts and a spaghetti tank top. He escorted her out of the park looking every inch of a 16 or 17 year old if I hadn't known his real age. Meanwhile, my Mason was happily climbing a tree and riding his bike up & down a hill as fast as he could.

Bradley was also along with us today. He's now a couple inches taller than Mason, and his voice has started squeaking and cracking. Bradley just turned 12 in February, so he's on the younger side, but still, puberty is making itself known as his jaw strengthens and he struggles between acting child-like and wanting to do more 'mature' things.

All 3 boys would fall in the realm of 'normal development' in terms of their physical growth. Yes, my Mason's has probably been stalled and delayed a bit due to numerous issues, not the least of which is his stimulant medication for behaviors. But what I found myself marveling about was the fact that any adult person would honestly and truly tell these 3 boys that they are ALL. NORMAL. That their bodies will grow, change, develop, and mature at very differing rates, and that is NORMAL. That puberty can strike anywhere from age 8-15 and nobody will bat an eye over it. We will bend over backward trying to reassure a young person that it will happen for them, too; especially for those poor souls who do not physically develop until much later than their peers. They endure such wonderful treatment from their friends by being called things like, "Smurf," and "Shorty," and probably a lot of names much crueler than that. Each name surely hurts, though, and serves to remind that child that they are different, perhaps "less than" the others around them.

But if we adults work so hard to assure children that what their bodies are going through is 100% natural - as God intended - the way things are - beyond their control, why oh why do we not believe the same about the overall learning process? Why do we not trust that each individual's brain functions in a unique and individual manner which makes learning various skills and abilities come when nature intends? Reading, math, writing - these are huge areas where kids are forced, pressured, and frequently demeaned, diminished, and coerced when they are not doing it at the same level as their peers.

Why do we do this to kids? If we can trust their bodies to grow as nature intended, what on earth makes us think we know best when their minds should develop and exactly which skills their brains should be able to accomplish based on arbitrary timetables? Why do we try to standardize their learning to be identical to every other child who was born around the same time rather than respecting that each child will fulfill their mind's destiny when offered a wide range of interesting information the way we offer a wide range of healthy foods?

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Teresa McCloskey is a mom of 4 boys, 'host' mom to countless exchange students from around the world, wife to one amazing husband, daughter of the King, student, life learner who no longer believes in time outs, naughty spots, spankings, shaming, or the compulsory government indoctrination institution system. John Holt, Alfie Kohn, Naomi Aldort, and Adele Faber are some of my heroes.

Using Cell Phones to Increase Student Achievement and Engagement with Reading and Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sun, 20 May 2012 10:44:00 +0000

Cell phones are a terrific tool to support student engagement and achievement in reading and writing. To follow are some ideas explaining how teachers are doing just that by using cell phones in the way they are most commonly used among youth -- for texting and group texting. We will also look at a newly emerging trend...using cell phones to write novels.

TEXTING
Our students are reading and writing more than ever. In the 21st century, this reading and writing often takes place through the lightening fast thumbs of teens. Although some parents and teachers complain that text messaging is ruining the language, research is showing that it is, in fact, a benefit to students phonemic awareness, spelling, and use of words (Yarmey, 2011; Plester & Wood, 2008, Malson & Tarica, 2011; Fresco, 2005; Dunnewind, 2003; Miners, 2009; McCarroll, 2005; Elder, 2009). When we rethink and revision what is happening when our teens and tweens text, all sorts of learning possibilities emerge.

Ideas for the Classroom

Texting has become the shorthand of the 21st century. When writing first drafts, allow students to draft on their phone or laptop if they choose and use text abbreviations to get their thoughts down. Encouraging the quick, free flow of ideas in a format they prefer can help young writers capture, compile, and create new ideas. These can be translated as they edit and revise resulting is a final draft that is written in standard language.

Translate difficult passages of poetry, classic literature, or even content heavy textbook passages into textese in order to aid students interactions with the material and understanding. These create great summaries, which is a research-based teaching strategy (Marzano, Pollock & Pickering, 2003)

Have students journal through texting or answer each other’s discussion questions through texting, which results in more writing due to their preference of the medium. When the audience changes to others then their peers, have them use standard English, which educates about writing for a particular audience.

Text Talk: Classroom Stories - Sandy Riggs, Biology Teacher "I never see this with hands," was Sandy Riggs response to all the text messages she received when she asked her freshman Biology students to text her what they thought DNA precipitation meant. Riggs teaches at Collegiate High School in Texas. Texting has increased her student's confidence and allowed them to participate without embarrassment.

GROUP TEXTING
Through the ease and time saving means of group texting, educators can connect with groups of students for many literacy activities such as vocabulary development, questions about assigned readings, polls, or summaries. Tools like Celly http://cel.ly/ provide a code for students to text in and become part of a group, or cell. The teacher can set up one way messages with reply only to sender, curated chats, or open chats. All texts sent and received are documented on the website. This adds a great deal of structure and documentation to communicating with students through the reading and writing of text messages.

Ideas for the Classroom

To encourage homework reading, a teacher sends out a critical thinking question to the students in the evening and reads their responses the next day (phone or computer) and records grades.

Put students in cooperative learning groups and have them interact and discuss questions through an open group chat. The teacher then reads the chats within the Celly site. The teacher gets to be a part of every group and every student has a voice.

Have students set up a Celly for themselves and use the @me feature for easily taking notes, writing questions, or making connections while reading at school or on the go (no paper or pencil required - they always have a in their pocket)

Text Talk: Classroom Stories - Sandy Vickrey, Math/Science Teacher

I had learned the benefits of cues and questions to activate prior knowledge in my college education classes. In my school, however, class time was very short and I always had to start the lecture, play the video, present the lesson immediately in order to finish by the end of class. I rarely took the time to cue students, ask questions, or discuss prior knowledge. Wait time did not seem to exist. When I learned about free group texting services, I began using a group text for a cue or a question before school to all of my morning classes and at lunch to all of my afternoon classes. This really helped students come to class aware of the lesson content and ready to learn more. However, when using it for the cell movie, right out of the research my friend shared with me, I looked at the Wiffiti screen and one of my students had responded to the question, "What do you know about cells?" with "Well, my dad lives in one." You never know for sure what response you will get, but now that student can make the distinction with his new knowledge about cells in science.

WRITING ON YOUR CELL PHONE
Not only are people using cell phones to send texts, they’re actually using their phones to write novels! Textnovel is a free, fun way for students to read, write, and revise serial fiction in their basic text enabled cell phones (or computer). With Textnovel you can give students a real audience and the ability to read and write on the go, in class or at home. Students create an online serial story – a novel, journal, poetry, whatever. Textnovel is set up so they can invite classmates, friends, or family to rate, subscribe or write with them. With tools like Textnovel the incentive to write comes from more than just a grade. The site offers cash prizes to winners and publishing opportunities. Keep writing projects going as homework with the updates on stories sent to subscribers by email or text. Readers will enjoy voting for their favorite stories.

This is not just reading or writing via cell phone, but a whole new genre of literature, perfect for Generation Text called the cell phone novel. Cell phone novels offer short chapters full of cliffhangers, dialog, and dramatic plot twists which get students engaged in their reading. Writing cell phone novels challenges students to show narration, poetry and even visual art by choosing line breaks, punctuation, white space, and rhythm.

Educators choosing to use Textnovel will need to become very familiar with the site and the settings where the stories are given movie type ratings. More information on Textnovel can be found in Teaching Generation Text.

Ideas for the Classroom

Even if cell phones are banned in your school, choose a cell phone novel and have students read it for homework. Choose a G rated story and encourage them to comment.

Collectively write a cell phone novel as a class project, or within cooperative learning groups. The social nature of the site will bring students together to create, revise, and develop their stories.

Use the Textnovel site for journal writing that will never get lost or destroyed. The entries are online and students are already texting constantly, now they can also journal through texting. They simply send their entries to their journal where the teacher can comment. Updates are sent via text or email. The journaling process can become an ongoing conversation.

Text Talk: Classroom Stories - Krystal Swarovsk - High School Like most students, high schooler Krystal Swarovski was never given an opportunity to write for a real audience in school but with www.textnovel.com Krystal has a large fan base and was awarded the Text Novel Editor’s Choice award for her story Slices of Pie. Here is an excerpt from Krystal’s bio from the site which provides a glimpse into what contributing to the site has meant for her.

So, most people on this site put their writing career to date in their about me section, but since i'm in high school, my writing career to date has been a short story (B-), a collection of poems(A+), and many many many informational essays and literary criticisms, grades ranging from C+ to A+. More on the A side though... :) Anyway, point is, the only writing I have ever really done has been for school, with varying degrees of success. However, last year, a good friend of mine (whose pen name here is Anabelle) was telling me all about her story and this fabulous website during study hall, and she convinced me to get an account on textnovel, and that's where I started writing. I have to say I am surprised by the amount of votes my stories have received. I didn't think I would get over 20! ;) So thanks to everyone that's read what I've written. :D

_______________________________

For helpful information about using these tools and for more ideas checkout our website and book at www.TeachingGeneratonText.com

The Hottest Posts That Everyone's Reading!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sat, 19 May 2012 13:05:00 +0000

Dropping Out was a Great Idea

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Why BYOD, Not Banning Cell Phones, Is the Answer

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Separate and Unequal

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Want interactive learning? Forget the Smartboard. ...

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Required reading for online learning educators

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What makes a great teacher? - A student says, "This!"

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Fri, 18 May 2012 10:42:00 +0000

Guest post by Irene, High School Junior

My old Language Arts teacher never smiled. She kept the blinds closed to keep the sunlight out. She often professed her raging dislike for the art of writing, yet she droned on class after class on the correct format of an outline. I often entertained thoughts that she was an evil witch who fed upon the souls of children. Therefore, you may imagine that after my experience with her, my expectations of Language Arts teachers were, well, low. However, after I changed schools I was lucky enough to take Classical Mythology, as my teacher for that class completely shattered each and every one of my preconceptions.

My Classical Mythology teacher recently transformed his classroom into a temple complete with candles, incense, and offering platters and brought in a woman to pose as an oracle. He told us to prepare for our meeting with the oracle by washing our hair, opening our minds and bringing a relevant and significant gift. He then dressed in white, acted as sibyl and brought each one of us into the "temple". The oracle gave us each prophecies with which to begin our hero's quest.

We had been learning about the hero's quest for a while. Even though there were only five unique prophecies distributed to a class of eight, the assignment was the same. Discover yourself and where you need to go. Write about your own journey and perform it, whatever that means to you, in front of the class.

Although the entire rotunda smelled like incense for the next week, the entire class was energized and excited about their quests. I don't know about any of you, but this is the most epic way a teacher has ever given me an assignment.

My Classical Mythology teacher is one of a kind. He will sit and talk with a student if they come in and ask for his help. He genuinely cares about and connects with each and every one of his students and he commits so much of his time and effort to ensuring that we grow and challenge ourselves. With this oracle experience, he not only gave us an assignment but started each of us on a personal and intellectual journey.

I go to the nation's top arts boarding school. Almost all of the teachers I’ve had here have been extraordinary and inspiring in one way or another. If public schools were able to find teachers as dedicated, engaged and passionate as this one, students everywhere would have the opportunity to begin their own personal quests.

Irene is a junior at Interlochen Arts Academy. She is a composer, a writer and a filmmaker. She is originally from Sammamish, Washington.

The Little Video That Could! A new cartoon from Jeff Branzburg

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Branzburg) — Thu, 17 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Want interactive learning? Forget the Smartboard. Consider 3D!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Wed, 16 May 2012 10:00:00 +0000

Gaia 3D - Finally! An ed product that doesn’t kill
creativity, imagination, or critical thinking!

In school I learned to HATE many subjects. For example I hated history because strangers, strange lands, and strange facts seemed to have no place on the strange timeline I was told to memorize but for which I had no learning context. At the same time, one of my favorite (though admittedly, not safest) pastimes was to sneak into abandon homes and learn about the past through artifacts, newspapers, letters, magazines, and really anything I could find. I could sit in a house for hours reading through and looking at everything. I was fascinated with looking at what prices were in the past, the sort of businesses that people were in and the language in the letters that people wrote. I also learned to HATE science. Memories of a boring lecture followed by read chapter 6 and answer the questions at the end, still haunt me. At the same time, I was fascinated with the ocean and sea life. I loved snorkeling and later SCUBA diving and wanted to know all about the creatures of the sea.

School should not be a place that kills our love for that which fascinates us in the real world. Unfortunately, for many, textbooks, tests, and teacher lectures strip away the excitement and discovery of learning.

Fortunately, things can be different for children today, with the introduction of Gaia 3D. This innovative technology literally transports learners back in time to meander through ancient streets on an exploration of the past. Learning is brought to life as children can take a class trip to places like ancient Rome, through WWI barracks, or through 17^th century London during the bubonic plague. What is even cooler is that learners are not just exploring and discovering. As they develop interests in various areas they can do further research and then add their findings to the 3D content. For example, a student interested in the bubonic plague, could create a video about how the rats spread the plague and when clicking on a rat, the video could be programmed to play. Perhaps a student interested in the ancient Rome practice of selling children into slavery or marriage wanted to create an audio script or poem of what a young girl felt. This audio could be added to the content. The options to add original content are endless.

Not only can teachers and students create content within the existing library, they can also create original content. The folks at Gaia have also found that many students who are not traditionally academically gifted have taken off when it comes to creating 3D animation using the AutoDesk 3D design software and for those interested in that there is free AutoDesk 3D design software for students, competitions, and even design certifications.

Unlike expensive Smartboard technology, which claims to be interactive, but actually promotes poor pedagogy, Gaia 3D provides true interactivity and engagement. It can be used in virtually any content area with libraries in Biology, Chemistry, Geography, Physics, Mathematics, Physical Education, English and more. What’s more, labels, signs, identifiers, artifacts, and audio can be added in any language desired. The interactivity comes from the ability of the user to literally choose their own discovery and adventure, add and create their own content. One of the newest innovations is that it is partnering with Xbox Kinect so students’ can actually see their effect on the environment or objects. For those who can't leave the board behind, Gaia 3D can be integrated with that as well.

Teachers using the technology report students are on task, excited, and engaged. They report that it makes difficult concepts much easier to understand and they can do so in much less time. The results of the research indicate a marked positive effect of the use of 3D animations on learning, recall and performance in tests. Under experimental conditions, 86% of pupils improved from the pre-test to the post-test in the 3D classes, compared to only 52% who improved in the 2D classes. Within the individuals who improved, the rate of improvement was also much greater in the classes with the 3D. Individuals improved test scores by an average of 17% in the 3D classes, compared to only an 8% improvement in the 2D classes between pre-test and post-test.

The students who have used the technology felt strongly (84% agreed or strongly agreed) that 3D had improved their learning and there were high levels of satisfaction with 3D learning. Teachers and learners alike agreed that learning this way was much more fun. Additionally, like my earlier personal anecdote, students using 3D were indeed more likely to recall detail and sequence of processes and stated that 3D made learning more “real.” Teachers explained that these concrete, “real” examples aided understanding and improved results when measuring understanding. If your school or district wants to invest in classrooms of the future, this innovative educator says forget that money you were going to allocate to the interactive whiteboard and instead invest this truly interactive technology and provide teachers with a 3D presentation station*.

_______________________________________________________
*To set up a 3D presentation station you will want the following hardware:

A DLP 3D-enabled projector: The majority of new projectors purchased for schools already have this capability, and future purchases of DLP projectors are generally no more expensive than those that are not 3D-capable.
A laptop or PC with good graphic capability: Most standard PCs and laptops can be fitted with the necessary upgraded graphics card for only a small cost. More recent laptops tend to have adequate graphics cards.

Personal Devices: Small groups or individuals can work with 3D environments and images on laptops, desktop PCs and plasma screens.

3D content: There are a number of 3D software content providers and currently more than 3,000 pieces of free 3D content available online.
3D active glasses: There are a number of companies making ‘active’ glasses. They vary considerably in quality and price. Ideally the pupils should have a pair of active glasses each so that the fit and comfort is suitable for the individual child. Class sets of glasses are also available.

Required reading for online learning educators

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Tue, 15 May 2012 10:25:00 +0000

The International Association for K-12 Online Learning puts out many publications. Here is a list of some of their more recent publications that will be of interest to online learning educators.

Authorizing Online Learning, Patrick and Vander Ark (2011)
iNACOL Online Learning Definitions Project (October 2011)
Authorizing Online Learning (VanderArk and Patrick, published by NACSA, August 2011)
The rise of K-12 blended learning: Profiles of emerging models (Innosight Institute, 2011)
Clearing the Path: Creating Innovation Space for Serving Over-Age, Under-Credited Students in Competency-Based Pathways (Chris Sturgis, Bob Rath, Ephraim Weisstein, and Susan Patrick, January 2011)
Digital Learning Now Report: 10 Elements (December 2010)
When Success is the Only Option: Designing Competency-Based Pathways for Next Generation Learning (Chris Sturgis and Susan Patrick, November 2010)
Going Virtual! 2010: The Status of Professional Development and Unique Needs of K-12 Online Teachers (Lisa Dawley, Kerry Rice, Glori Hinck, November 2010)
Lessons Learned from Virtual Schools: Experiences and Recommendations from the Field (Richard E. Ferdig and Cathy Cavanaugh, November 2010)
A National Primer on K-12 Online Learning, Version 2 (Matthew Wicks, November 2010)
Class Connections: High School Reform and the Role of Online Learning (Picciano and Seaman, August 2010)
Virtual K-12 Public School Programs and Students with Disabilities: Issues and Recommendations (Eve Muller, July 2010)
Professional learning in the learning profession: A status report on teacher development in the United States and abroad. Dallas, TX: National Staff Development Council (2009)
iNACOL Research Committee Issues Brief: An Exploration of At-Risk Learners and Online Education (April 2010)
Wichita Public Schools' Learning Centers, Innosight Institute (March 2010)
The Online Learning Imperative: A Solution to Three Looming Crises in Education, by Governor Bob Wise, Alliance for Excellent Education (February 2010)

To see all publications visit this link.

Separate and Unequal

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Mon, 14 May 2012 10:21:00 +0000

Guest post by Nikhil Goyal, A 16 Year Old Out to Put a Dent In the Universe | Cross posted at Nikhil Goyal

This Sunday’s New York Times features a hard hitting piece entitled ‘Why Don’t We Have Any White Kids?’ as part of the series “A System Divided.” It delves into the racial schisms of Explore Charter School, a K-8 school in Flatbush, Brooklyn. Of the school’s 502 students from kindergarten through eighth grade this school year, 92.7 percent are black, 5.7 percent are Hispanic, and a scattering are of mixed race. None are white or Asian.

As more charter schools take over “failed” public schools, the resegregation of New York’s public school system has transpired. As a country, we are still attempting to justify the concept of separate but equal schools — the idea overturned by Brown v. Board of Education more than half a century ago. The 2010 campaign by Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg’s administration to expand charter schools was dubbed “the fight of our life” in a recently released email by the city.

The current obsession with creating even more charter schools has done very little to improve the outcomes of poor black and Latino students. The evidence suggests that charter schools are not a systemic silver bullet to America’s education crisis. In fact, they make the crisis worse, not only exacerbating inherent inequalities, but also distracting the public’s attention from our society’s ills.

The emphasis on test preparation is uncanny at charter schools. Read this line from the piece:

“A great deal of teaching is done to the state tests, the all-important metric by which schools are largely judged. In the hallway this spring, before the tests, a calendar counted down the days remaining until the next round.”

What kind of sane parent, regardless of ethnic or social background, would want to send their kids to a school that drills kids all day long for a bogus exam that means absolutely nothing?

Put simply, the city turns a blind eye to the disadvantaged children of the education system — black, white, or purple. The situation has turned ugly after ten years of a billionaire running the show — a billionaire who hasn’t a clue what it means to live on less than a couple of million a year. In parallel, as Arianna Huffington may have put it, this is simply becoming a ‘Third World’ city.

Across the board, schools deserve adequate resources and brilliant teachers no matter the zip code. Is the City of New York doing enough for the kids at Explore Charter School? Absolutely not!

Compliments to Emily Berl, The New York Times

Dropping Out was a Great Idea

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sun, 13 May 2012 11:21:00 +0000

Editor's Note: I had the extreme pleasure of joining the author of this post, Nicholas Perez, as a guest on Paul Allison's Teachers Teaching Teachers. In the episode we discussed who drops out and why. I was invited on the show as author of the Teen's Guide to Opting Out of School for Success. Nick was invited because he was a teen who opted out of school to find success. I LOVED what Nick had to say and asked him to please consider sharing his story as I know it will be inspiring to parents, teachers, and teens across the globe. The following post is the result of several month's work. It provides amazing insights and lessons for every educator, administrator and parent. It also happens to be the most important post I've published. So, without further adieu, please read Nick's story. This is the first time it is being shared publicly.

“Drop out of school before your mind rots from exposure to our mediocre educational system. Forget about the Senior Prom and go to the library and educate yourself if you've got any guts. Some of you like Pep rallies and plastic robots who tell you what to read.” - Frank Zappa

Lately, I’ve been hearing a lot of questions raised about how innovations in technology will change education as we know it - Can machines replace teachers? Do internet resources provide everything needed to develop professional skills? What happens if you replace school with online learning? I’ve spent my life trying to find out, and the answers I have are both promising and a little horrifying.

The good news is that it worked. I’ve developed a wide range of interests and skills, with my lifelong field of choice being software. I have a software development job that I love, I have no student debt, and I feel secure about my long-term future. I’m pretty sure that this is what most students dream of. The path here wasn’t easy or well-traveled, but the experiment has been a success.

The bad news is that along the way, I discovered that public schools are not prepared to fairly compete for their students’ attention. This has resulted in a long series of slightly traumatizing events. From the prescription drugging, to the humiliation of being singled out from the rest of my peers, to the threats of litigation, it’s been a long road. I left school at the age of 17 after deciding that I’d had enough of my school district’s attempts to forcibly shift my attention toward the classroom, and away from my independent studies. This didn’t happen because of human evils, but because of old, rigid systems that have yet to bend and break under the pressure of progress.

One of the arguments in favor of schooling that I hear most frequently is that the diversity of curricula changes the way students view the world - it exposes them to things they never would have explored otherwise, and it’s the perfect recipe for a well-rounded individual. While that sounds great on paper, it is an obsolete notion. In the information age, exposure to new ideas is inevitable. The diversity of ideas being shared online and in the real world far exceeds the diversity of a single school’s curriculum, and it is highly unlikely that this will ever change. I’ve worked with entrepreneurs in tech, media, skincare/beauty products, marketing, and education. I’ve interned in a professional recording studio and written hundreds of my own songs. I’ve had discussions and debates with people from all over the world, with passions ranging from evolutionary biology to international philanthropy to psychology to social activism to mechanical engineering to the arts. Opportunities to explore new ideas will always be incredibly abundant, but I’ve found it more important to focus on the things that I’m devoting my life to.

It is now easier than ever to discover your passion at an early age.

There has been no subject of interest that I’ve found to be more captivating than technology. I spent most of my early childhood playing video games and learning how to use my old DOS PC. In the mid-to-late 90s, computers began to transform our culture in a huge way. I figured out how to use e-mail to stay in touch with my aunt who, at the time, lived across the country in California. I learned how to browse the web and download games. Magazines started including interactive CD-ROMs with every issue as the downfall of paper media began. I could learn about anything imaginable with Encarta ‘95. As a curious elementary school student, I was witnessing and being a part of one of the biggest changes that humanity has ever faced in all of history. When the time came to get off the computer and sit in a classroom for seven hours, I felt reasonably preoccupied.

My experiences in classrooms largely consisted of staring at a clock on the wall and waiting for a bell to ring so that I could go home and learn about more interesting things. While I thought I was just “playing on the computer”, I was really developing indispensable skills and fully experiencing the joy of education. The enjoyment of learning is a feeling that I cannot find words to describe, and a feeling that often seems to be lost on society. In the eyes of my school, this was not considered ‘work’, and I was failing.

The Westfield school district has what they call a “child study team”. They were called in to save the day. Their job was to figure out what was wrong with me, to completely disregard the dangers of a confirmation bias, and to have me somehow classified for special-education. The idea of a student primarily learning outside of the classroom was unheard of. It especially confused them when I scored highly on tests, despite ignoring all lectures and homework. I was always told that I had potential, but because I wasn’t doing the work that they provided, I wasn’t living up to that potential. School “experts” recommended that I see a psychiatrist. After all, it’s easier to fix a child by giving him a bottle of pills than to actually attempt to fix the bureaucratic, factory-like conditions that exist in public schools. I underwent a psychological evaluation and was diagnosed with ADD. I was placed in a ‘supplemental’ class where I could do my homework during school hours, and was placed on Adderall (an amphetamine) at 9 years old.

When I was 10 years old, my aunt noticed how inspired I was by technology, and paid for me to attend a computer camp over the summer. I was completely in awe of the realization that I could use my mind to build things for others to use. The possibilities will always seem endless to me, but these things are particularly enthralling when viewed through the lens of a young imagination. When I got home from camp with all of my new books and knowledge, my journey in independent education truly began. I knew that if I put enough effort into learning how to code, I could change the world. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before I discovered that I wouldn’t be able to do this in school. The inability to devote my time toward the pursuit of my dreams made me miserable. I began to stay up late into the night to write code, which resulted in exhaustion, lateness, and absenteeism during school hours.

If you defy the system, expect it to slowly tear you apart.

When Adderall failed to make me care about school, they decided to try more drugs. Wellbutrin gave me a seizure. Prozac made me irritable and hostile. One day, while on Effexor XR, I experienced a dangerously rapid heart-rate, turned pale, and couldn’t stop vomiting. I was too young to understand what it meant to take mind-altering drugs, and was unaware of how it was affecting me. The belief that chemicals are the answer to low classroom motivation is not only incorrect, but also extremely dangerous and completely unforgivable.

After failing to accomplish anything positive through the use of amphetamines and antidepressants, the Child Study Team came up with the bright idea of having a paraprofessional follow me around all day to keep me on top of things. She was a wonderful person, but everyone knew that this was an odd arrangement, and it became really difficult to develop socially. This was the beginning of my isolation in school - when I really started to believe that there was something horribly wrong with me, and I didn’t belong. Everyone else was normal, and I wasn’t. I still knew I was gifted in some way, but felt that I was broken in every other way.

Treat a student differently, and rebelliousness will become a survival tactic.

Lacking a healthy social life in school, I had to look elsewhere. At 13 years old, I started hanging out with a group of high-school students who loved to party. We drank a lot, smoked a lot, and wrote a lot of music. It was a huge comfort to know that even though I felt like an idiot in school, I could feel like a badass outside of school. We did a lot of stupid things, but in hindsight, it all ended up doing less harm than the prescriptions. One day my school district found out about our little party scene, and then they had a reason to call me a troublemaker.

The more my school insisted upon treating me like a problem child, the less I wanted to subject myself to it. My family started receiving legal threats from the school district because I so frequently refused to go to school. To this day, I’m proud of every moment of schooling that I missed. I felt confident and comfortable outside of that environment, and skipping school gave me a significant amount of extra time to focus on positive things that were important to me. I composed music prolifically. I learned about 3d modeling, the inner workings of synthesizers, databases, Internet security, reverse-engineering, and at this point I had coded in about a dozen different programming languages.

It became very apparent to me that compulsory schooling was working against my favor, and skipping school wasn’t just a form of protest, but also a necessity. My school wasn’t helping me in any of my areas of interest, and options like homeschooling & private schools weren’t feasible. My mom was raising three kids on her own and could barely afford to pay the rent, so there was a lot of stress and uncertainty about what was going to happen to us. Unless I wanted to surrender all control over my education to a system that was simply not equipped to provide what I needed, this was the best I could do.

Things could have been worse.

I graduated from Roosevelt Intermediate, and felt like I had just survived a long walk through hell. It almost seemed like the situation couldn’t possibly get any worse, but it always can. Next, it was time to go to Westfield High School.

For many, high-school is considered to be one of the most important stages of life. The social development that takes place during these years, in these environments, is irreplaceable. That’s what I’d heard, at least. I would never find out for myself, because I would never be allowed to experience a regular high-school class. From day one, my good friends in the Child Study Team decided to place me in a program called The Bridge. My ADD diagnosis was not a severe enough diagnosis to have me placed me in The Bridge due to Least Restrictive Environment laws, so they did another psychological evaluation and concluded that I was “emotionally disturbed”, which is not a legitimate term in psychology - it is an umbrella term invented exclusively for the purpose of placing severe classifications on students who can not be diagnosed with an actual severe disorder. Google it. The number of students in the program was constantly changing, because some would leave due to jail-time, pregnancy, etc, but it was typically between 5-20 kids, which is all age-groups combined.

There’s a threshold of desperation in schools, beyond which grades become a currency.

The Bridge was never challenging, and there was always a focus on convincing us to do a bare-minimal amount of busywork so that we could get a passing grade for the day. The teachers cared about us, but it was clear that the bar had been lowered due to our unwillingness to participate. I think we all realized that our grades didn’t stand for anything valid - in The Bridge, grades are an imaginary currency. There were attempts at having actual classes, but they were frequently interrupted by things like fights breaking out, or students yelling “Man, this is bullshit!” It wasn’t much of a healthy learning environment, so passing grades for each day were typically offered in exchange for good behavior and a boring worksheet. The whole program is an attempt to get the least motivated students through high-school, whether actual learning is occurring or not. I’m sure it makes the district look great on paper, but I find it shameful that our flawed metrics for success could cause a school to forget what its primary purpose is.

I didn’t want the bar lowered. I wanted to focus on my work. I didn’t want to be isolated from my peers. I wanted to feel normal. Westfield High School has an enrollment of over 1,500 students, and I was one of them, but I was one of approximately 5-20 students who were placed in a single room all day, and not allowed to be a part of the larger community. No matter how much I expressed that I wanted to be in a normal high-school classroom, they didn’t listen. In return, I didn’t listen to them either. I completely stopped going to school and was left back a year. In a strange act of desperation, they offered to let me take a regular science and phys-ed class with students who were a year younger, which was awkward, and kind of defeated the purpose. That was when I realized that it was too late.

My school had wasted my time until there was no time left.

I had my education covered all along - what they didn’t understand is that they had failed to fulfill the single greatest responsibility of a high-school, which is to provide an environment that promotes healthy social development. From an early age onward, I was denied the right to exist normally, all because I had the audacity to challenge the notion that compulsory schooling holds a monopoly on my education.

I left, and I still feel cheated sometimes, but it isn’t over yet. After leaving school, I realized that there exists a massive movement of current and former students, teachers, parents, thinkers, entrepreneurs, and leaders who believe traditional schooling is a mediocre and obsolete educational approach. The old-fashioned learning institutions that are failing our communities will be replaced by something better, and now is the time to build it.

The world outside of the public education bureaucracy is enormous, and the alternatives to traditional schooling will continue to rise up, until they’ve risen above everything that is currently considered to be the norm. There can be no tolerance for the dying breed of traditional education professionals who mismanage groups of children in destructive ways when they choose the alternatives. There is no ‘fixing’ traditional schooling to adapt to the age of information. We will need to re-evaluate our needs from the ground up, and the result will not resemble our current Industrial Age institutions. The reinvention of schools won’t be easy, nor will it be met without resistance, but one thing that history teaches us repeatedly is that progress cannot be stopped. I think it’s time to accept that the role of educators is changing, because classrooms literally face a world of competition, and I can confirm that the competition is unprecedentedly powerful.

____________________________________________________________________ If you are, have been, or know a School-Free Teen, you can keep the conversation going here or find out how to opt out of school for success here. If you are a parent who is living or is considering a school-free life for your child, join others who are doing the same here.

The Hottest Posts That Everyone is Talking About!

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sat, 12 May 2012 12:06:00 +0000

Using Cell Phones to Support Student Engagement & ...

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Free Speech in the Digital Age –the Hive NYC 1st Amendment Hack Jam

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:53:00 +0000

Guest post by ldecoursy

On Saturday, May 12th (tomorrow) from 1-5pm at the West Side YMCA there will be Hive's first 1st Amendment Hack Jam! It’s a free event for tweens and teens to explore and exercise their constitutional rights.

We’ve partnered with The American Constitution Society to extend their Constitution in the Classroom program by taking it out of the classroom and examining at the First Amendment with a web-ified lens to help youth learn more about everything from fair use to expressive conduct in schools.

Every day we hear another story about a student whose statements or actions raise questions about where 1^st Amendment rights end and school rules begin. Can they get in trouble at school for something they Tweet on their own time? How and where are they expressing their opinions, online and off?

Youth will explore the answers to these questions while also learning how to hack websites, remix videos, express their opinions on controversial topics, and more.

Upon arriving, youth will receive a brief introduction to the available activities and can choose to sample them all or only participate in those that interest them most. They’ll leave having made something, and learned a lot.

The LAMP will introduce youth to Fair Use as a 1st Amendment issue. They’ll teach the basics of advertising literacy and video editing via their LAMPlatoon “breaking ads” activity.
Common Sense Media will explore when youth felt silenced when expressing an opinion at school, at home? They’ll have materials to model/illustrate how they can express themselves in non-verbal ways. Think Glogster, Animoto, clay and crayons!
World UP will ask youth to voice their opinions on controversial topics, then articulate their statements in 140c or less & tweet it out to the world! DJ SpazeCraft One will also create a “vocal remix” featuring youth voices, part of The Living Remix project.
A cadre of youth media makers from People’s Production House will facilitate sprints where youth will work in groups to quickly create the punchiest, poppiest video productions possible!
Using Mozilla’s Hackasaurus X-Ray Goggles, youth will experience the power to remix the web! Rewrite a news article about a topic they’re passionate about, or just tinker with websites to make their opinions known.
Global Action Project will be screening youth-produced films that directly addresses educational justice as a right. Youth will engage in a conversation about how to protect high quality public education as a constitutional right.
New York Civil Liberties Union will showcase their “school to prison pipeline” interactive online game, and members of the Teen Activist Project will talk about ways students can and cannot engage in expressive conduct in NYC schools.
The American Constitution Society will have lawyers on deck to answer questions like, “Can I be punished at school for speaking my mind?” and “Can my school punish me even if I speak online from my home computer?”

To top it off, there'll be pizza and prizes!

So come if you can, and if you can’t, follow along with the fun via Tumblr.

Why BYOD, Not Banning Cell Phones, Is the Answer

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Fri, 11 May 2012 11:47:00 +0000

Check out my new article in T.H.E. Journal about why banning is not the answer when it comes to cell phones and other student-owned devices in school. Here's a sneak peak at the seven strategies schools should have in place to ensure connected students will tune in when learning with cell phones and other devices they own and love.

Ensure the right building blocks are in place
Update outdated classroom management techniques
Give students time to socialize
Connect with students in their world
Use texting to connect more deeply with students
Engage students
Empower students with strategies to stay focused

To find out more about each reason and read the whole article visit this link.

For more ideas about thinking outside the ban and harnessing the power of cell phones for learning check out Teaching Generation Text: Using Cell Phones to Enhance Learning.

Doing Their Dirty Work

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Thu, 10 May 2012 11:08:00 +0000

In 1991 after winning his third Teacher of the Year Award, John Taylor Gatto wrote a resignation letter which he submitted to the Wall Street Journal called, “I Quit, I Think” and left his job, stating that he was “no longer willing to hurt children.” More than two decades later and our teachers are still in a catch 22. They got into this field to help children but find themselves in a system that forces them to engage in practices that, like Gatto, they know are hurting children. Below is a guest post from one such teacher who authors The Rural Teacher blog.

Dirty Work by Steely Dan
Times are hard
You’re afraid to pay the fee
So you find yourself somebody
Who can do the job for free
When you need a bit of lovin’
Cause your man is out of town
That’s the time you get me runnin’
And you know I’ll be around

CHORUS:
I’m a fool to do your dirty work
Oh yeah
I don’t wanna do your dirty work
No more
I’m a fool to do your dirty work
Oh yeah

Light the candle
Put the lock upon the door
You have sent the maid home early
Like a thousand times before
Like the castle in its corner
In a medieval game
I foresee terrible trouble
And I stay here just the same

I will admit it – I am a FOOL.

I’m a fool because I keep doing “their” dirty work. I didn’t have a NY State Exam to give, but I really didn’t do much to stop it. Sure, I post and tweet and talk, but I haven’t quit teaching. I haven’t walked out. I didn’t stay home on May Day. I didn’t even convince one parent to ‘opt out’ their child. Just as Steely Dan says, “I foresee terrible trouble, and I stay here just the same.”

The current conditions for many public school teachers are depressing. There are the whispered conversations in darkened classrooms about the “tests”. There are the veteran teachers like me who worry about ‘making it’ to retirement without being found ‘ineffective’ and losing our jobs. There are the novice teachers who grew up being tested themselves and sort of ‘roll with it’. There are principals who are opposed to the testing personally but who feel obligated to ‘do their jobs’. We all just keep doing their dirty work.
This is not an indictment in which I’m going to say that we should all walk out and if we don’t we are complicit.

Unless you are “on the ground,” I guess you really can’t understand the Catch 22 many of us feel that we live in.

We don’t WANT to do the “dirty work” of giving children flawed tests created by people who don’t know a thing about child development.
We don’t WANT to have our students reduced to numbers.
We WANT to TEACH!!
We WANT to have joyful classrooms where every child is valued as an individual and celebrated for their uniqueness.
We WANT to be held accountable – in fact we are often are own worst critics – rethinking and rehashing lessons that weren’t all that great. We go home and our students come home with us in our heads. We think about them. We wonder what will happen to them when they leave us in June. We hope that they will be happy and successful.

Intertwined with all of what we want professionally is what we must do for our families. For many of us, there would be no health insurance for our own children if we walked away. We wouldn’t be able to keep roofs over their heads, food on their tables, or provide any support toward higher education or technical school or whatever they dream for themselves. So many of us cannot simply walk away – it would be financial suicide.

So, what are we to do? I don’t have the answers, that’s one thing I know for sure.

Parent opts child out of field test and opts into meaningful learning

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Wed, 09 May 2012 10:29:00 +0000

Opt Out of Field Tests

Students across the nation have been unnecessarily subjected to the most expensive and least effective assessments possible over the past few months...standardized tests. While in all cases this resulted in stolen instructional time, in many cases it was even worse and also resulted in students forced to take tests against parental will even if it meant emotional and physical distress to the child.

In many states the system isn't done stealing instructional time. They are now going into a round of field testing where they use children as involuntary subjects on which to experiment. Parents should know that they DO NOT have to do this. They can opt their child out as New York City parent and teacher Veronica Vega is doing. Below is her opt out letter which can be used as a model for other parents who value student learning.

Dear Principal,

Please do not allow my child Steven Herrera Jr. in 5th grade to sit for any New York state field test in any subject the week of June 4-8.

My child has been subjected to excessive amounts of state standardized state testing this school year. The tests in April consumed six days of 90 minutes each, in addition to the huge amount of time devoted to preparing for those tests. It is unacceptable that even more valuable classroom time be allocated to state testing. Furthermore, I object to my child being used as a guinea pig for a second time by Pearson and the State Education Department, especially as field test questions were already embedded in the April state tests, making my child a research subject for a for-profit corporation without my consent or permission.

It is my understanding that there will be no negative consequences for the school if children do not take these field tests, and make-up exams will not be given. Therefore, I do not give permission for my child to take the June field test.

I would respectfully request that the school not give the test at all, and that all students benefit from a day of instruction rather than waste yet another day on test-taking. If, however, the school does give the tests, I expect it to offer an alternative instructional activity for my child.

Sincerely

Veronica Vega-Herrera

You can join parents across the nation who are opting their children out of tests and related activities in your local opt out group. Find your states opt out group in two ways:1) Type in the search: Opt out of State Standardized Tests - Your State i.e. Opt Out of State Standardized Tests - Ohio2) Go to the page url: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OptOutYourState i.e.https://www.facebook.com/groups/OptOutOhio

Schooling

noreply@blogger.com (Jeff Branzburg) — Tue, 08 May 2012 09:00:00 +0000

16 Ways Educators Use Pinterest

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Mon, 07 May 2012 10:55:00 +0000

Pinterest is catching favor with many innovative educators and their students. This infographic from Online Universities shares some ways they're doing that. Are you using Pinterest? If so, share your ideas in the comments.

From: Online Universities Blog

Using Cell Phones to Support Student Engagement & Achievement in Speaking and Listening

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sun, 06 May 2012 10:43:00 +0000

Cell phones are a terrific tool to support student engagement and achievement in speaking and listening. Here are some ways that teachers are using cell phones to do just that by using tools like Google Voice and Voki and functions like video.

Oral Reports

There are many great tools to capture voice with cell phones. Google voice is one such tool that is free and easy to use and enables educators to capture voice messages from students without providing them with their direct phone number. The power of this kicks in when you realize that what Google Voice does is become a repository for oral reports, assignments, or sound bites. Not only is it a repository, but teachers can write notes on each clip, share, and post them. To get an account and learn more visit www.google/voice.com

Ideas for the Classroom

Have students do their oral reports using Google Voice. If they don't like how they sounded the first time, they don't have to send the message. They can re-record until they have something with which they are happy.
Use Google Voice as an assessment tool to easily capture student's reading level. Not only to have you have a recording, you have a transcript too and a place to keep notes. Rather than talk to a parent about how a student has progressed across a year, let them listen to it their child themselves.
Have students share something interesting about themselves and post the recordings on a class page or in a blog where other students can listen or comment.

Text Talk: Classroom Stories - Spanish
Students in Spanish class can practice their language skills on the phone. On their own time, students call the teacher’s Google Voice number and read something in Spanish or create a dialogue which is sent to the teacher’s Google Voice account. The kids respond really well to it and instead of taking up class time, they dial in to the teacher’s phone number, and then the teacher can go online to hear what they've done. The teacher can listen to student recordings and e-mail them feedback. Many students are afraid to make mistakes in front of their peers. When they receive a recording assignment, they're more apt to take risks because they have some privacy. The end result is students are speaking more and getting feedback.

Video
Most phones today come with the ability to shoot video. This can be a powerful learning learning tool even if there is only one video enabled phone in the classroom. Allowing students to take video can help students with their speaking and listening skills by both providing them with the opportunity to see and listen to themselves speak as well as to listen to the recordings of what others have to say.

Ideas for the Classroom

Have students act out chapters of a book they are reading and record it using video. Acting out a chapter helps solidify understanding.
Record mini lessons and how to’s using the video on your cell phone. These can be stored on the classes online space as well as emailed or texted to students.
For teachers using the reading workshop, taping accountable book talk between pairs or in book clubs is powerful. Students can go back and look at their talk to see how they did and what they might change, teachers can listen in on conversations they wouldn’t usually be able to and doing so provides documentation of growth.

Text Talk: Classroom Stories - English Language Arts, Elementary School You’d never know students were less than inspired about reading when looking at their classroom once video was introduced. Students who recently finished reading Island of the Blue Dolphins, were motivated and fully engaged as they dispersed into various parts of the room acting out the scenes from the script they had written days earlier. Often when a student writes, it’s not clear when something doesn’t sound right. However, when the students act out their writing, it immediately becomes clear when something doesn’t sound right and they jump back to their scripts to revise. Additionally, when students get out of their seats and act out the scenes from the book they read, the words and concepts that they may not have understood well, really come to life. Their teachers shared that they are convinced that when they measure comprehension, they will find that students understood this story better than the others they have read.

Oral Stories

Click here to visit the blog for more ideas.

Using digital avatars in programs like Voki http://www.voki.com tenable students to call into with a code on their phones and use their voice for the avatar. Students of all ages enjoy creating their character and watching it speak with their voice. Voki allows students to re-record by calling in as many times as needed to get their report just right. Students can also comment on one another’s avatar with their own original Voki which is a great way to give peer feedback.

Ideas for the Classroom

When students are experiencing writer’s block, have them call in and say it through their voki. This gets them started and a great oral (and/or written) report results.
Use Voki for public speaking practice. By saying their speech in the privacy of their own home into their phone, they gain valuable practice and get to listen to themselves for feedback. Speeches are rehearsed and memorized through Voki.
Storytelling benefits both the listener and the teller. Use voki to pair middle school students with elementary students for storytelling, without ever leaving the classroom (or home). As middle school students tell stories they are creating, acting, and engaging with language. As younger students hear the story and comment they are tuning their listening and thinking skills.

Text Talk: Classroom Stories - Health Class
Students could not write their experiences with trying to quit smoking. They just “...didn’t know what to say.” However, this came to an end when they were given the choice to call in and talk on their phones. As a result they could tell others about how hard it was, how they did it, and how much better they feel. Using traditional methods, they never would have read each other’s work, but with the cell phone they loved listening to each other’s vokis. The Vokis were used by the American Lung Association as testimonials from students who quit.

For more information about and ideas on how to use each of these tools, check out Teaching Generation Text.

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noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Sat, 05 May 2012 11:26:00 +0000

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Join the #EdReform Conversation with These Twitter Hashtags

noreply@blogger.com (Lisa Nielsen) — Fri, 04 May 2012 10:38:00 +0000

This post is courtesy of Online Universities blog

Politics and education frequently walk hand-in-hand on the beach at sunset when they aren’t arguing with one another over pretty much everything. And for good reason: the school system, on local, state, and federal levels, needs some serious reworking if it genuinely wishes to offer equal opportunities to all American kids and adults. With so much information pushing and shoving against each other, hopping on Twitter helps streamline the research process by spitting it all out in 140-character-or-less chunks. Pay some of these hashtags a visit for a quicksilver glimpse at the super serious issues pockmarking the education sector these days.

#edreformtribe: Our own Dr. Justin Marquis keeps up this hashtag bringing together individuals and education professionals interested in policy making and changing.
#edreform: A frequently updated discussion about education reform, featuring a nice spectrum of ideas, insights, and opinions.
#parentpower: Twitter-savvy moms and dads can use this ongoing chat to connect with schools, teachers, policymakers, and other parents who realize the integral role the eponymous demographic plays in education politics.
#edpolicy: #edpolicy is, rather obviously, dedicated to furthering the discussion of current education politics and what needs changing to ensure the best possible environments for kid and adult students alike.
#dropouts: Despite not boasting as many postings or as active a discussion as some of the others listed here, this hashtag offers a quick glimpse at a serious issue in American schools.
#schoolchoice: The School Choice movement’s main thrust promotes a wealth of education opportunities for students of varying needs and wants.
#putkidsfirst: Used primarily in Louisiana, #putkidsfirst is still a national discussion about budgets, vouchers, and other hot education topics.
#parentalchoice: #parentalchoice often makes appearances alongside #schoolchoice and engages parents in the education policy-making process, because they hold far more sway than they often realize.
#achievementgap: Follow this hashtag to learn more about the achievement gap and what activists across the education profession (including parents) have to say about closing it and establishing more opportunities for students caught in the middle.
#edgap: Like #achievementgap, #edgap is all about promoting equal opportunities in education, particularly along class, race, gender, and ability lines.
#literacy: While not exclusively about education reform, this hashtag does discuss a serious issue around which many policies revolve — literacy, and how to promote it and up the rate.
#blackedu: #blackedu emphasizes in-class strategies and out-of-class policies both negatively and positively impacting black students, with some excellent insight provided by a nice range of participants.
#latinoedu: Parents, policymakers, and of course education professionals might want to give this Twitter talk a follow when wanting to learn more about providing opportunities for Latino students.
#nativeedu: The National Indian Education Association primarily uses the quite new #nativeedu to raise awareness of the good and bad policies directly affecting Native American students.#teacherquality: Because teachers stand at the forefront of education, drawing up policies to ensure the best possible output greatly benefits students.
#eddata: Get to number crunching with #eddata and its long-running exchange of statistics relevant to the education industry; compelling research is essential to drawing up the most effective, valuable reformations possible.
#urbaned: The #urbaned concerns itself with drawing up policies to improve education problems unique to urban and inner-city schools.
#edleadership: Participate or lurk in this ongoing chit-chat about leadership in education, which kind of has everything to do with reforming it in the best interest of enrollees.
#eduleaders: Like #edleadership, with which it usually pops up alongside, #eduleaders explores the role between professionals and policymakers in shaping the learning sphere.
#edadmin: This hashtag talks all things administration, which frequently includes articles and exchanges regarding reform and policies.
#schooldistricts: Check out what school districts across America are experimenting with and implementing to address their unique and not-so-unique problems.
#nclb: No Child Left Behind altered the face of American education policy, and Twitter users gather here to share their experiences, opinions, research, and other resources urging its alteration or elimination.
#esea: As with NCLB (and, by extension, #nclb), the Elementary and Secondary Education Act inspires heated debates online and off, and this particular talk stands as its Twitterly home.
#teachered: Teachers learn as much as their students — if not more — and an openness to trying new policies to sharpen their skills is integral to improving education on the whole.
#schoolreform: Another active, ongoing discussion about changing education at different levels to provide the best possible learning experiences.
#occupyeducation: It started on Wall Street, moved across the United States, went international, and now the Occupy movement wants education reform devoted to equality and diversity — not to mention fair tuition and admissions policies.
#collegeaffordability: Seeing as how paying for a college education remains one of the foremost issues citizens want reformed, following this hashtag provides a quick overview of the motion’s progress, if any.
#edpolitics: Politics and education merge in a fireball of … well… just go give it a read; #edpolitics informs and no doubt nurtures some interesting conversations and debates.