Web Watch

Now, That's Persuasive Writing

Fri, 20 Nov 2009 11:51:07 -0500

A Memphis 6th grader returned to her former elementary school a hero last week, after having convinced Hewlitt-Packard to donate 67 computers to her alma mater, according to the Memphis Commercial Appeal. As part of a persuasive writing assignment for...

The Cost of Teacher Effectiveness? Millions.

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 12:15:58 -0500

The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation delivered a $40 million offer to the Pittsburgh Public Schools this week to boost teacher effectiveness, reports the post-gazette.com. According to officials, it is the largest direct grant ever made to the school district....

Cashing In on Lesson Plans

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 13:40:07 -0500

With online trading communities such as Craigslist and eBay facilitating millions of transactions, teachers have entered the online marketplace with personalized lesson plans in hand, according to a much talked-about story in the New York Times. These "teacher-entrepreneurs" place their...

The Test-Prep Dilemma

Wed, 11 Nov 2009 15:10:36 -0500

Many struggling students in high schools throughout New Jersey must take test-prep classes in place of electives like music or art, according to The Record.

Separate and Unequal?

Fri, 06 Nov 2009 11:16:00 -0500

With policies aimed at separating students based on ability flourishing in schools, educators have noticed a correlation between ability-based grouping and the continuation of the minority achievement gap, according to NPR. Schools like Columbia High School in Maplewood, N.J., which...

Students: Stop the Violence!

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:25:01 -0500

In response to the sickening news of gang rape occurring outside a Calif. high school's homecoming dance, a USC professor is calling attention to role of student tips and reports in efforts to stop school violence. Ron Avi Astor, Ph.D,...

Tough Times at D.C.P.S.

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:37:47 -0500

The debate continues in the nation's capital over the hiring and firing of hundreds of teachers, according The Washington Post. Why did Chancellor Michele Rhee hire 934 teachers over the summer, only to turn around a few months later and...

Dyslexic Teacher Wins U.K. Teacher of Year

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 13:01:02 -0500

Edward Vickerman, the head of business at England's Freeston Business and Enterprise Collegethe equivalent of a high school in Americarecently won the British outstanding new teacher of the year award despite suffering from dyslexia. "I was told I could never...

State Tested, Diploma Approved

Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:34:20 -0500

Starting next school year, Pennsylvania will began phasing in Keystone examsfinal exams which students could be required to pass in order to graduate, according to the Philadelphia Inquirer. Starting next year, 11th graders in participating districts will begin taking the...

Theodore Sizer, 1932-2009

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:46:21 -0500

Theodore Sizer, influential education reformer and author of Horace's Compromise: The Dilemma of the American High School, has died at age 77. Among other traits, Sizer was known for his acute sense of the systemic challenges teachers faced in their...

An Unlikely Reading Partner

Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:19:05 -0500

Students struggling with learning to read are receiving confidence boosts by turning to a new, unlikely reading partner: reading therapy dogs. By reading to dogs, children can build their confidence and reading skills without facing the risk of judgment by...

Spelling in the 21st Century

Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:20:00 -0500

A new study from the University of Alberta suggests that the epidemic of "chatspeak" probably does not negatively impact students' spelling abilities. The study's lead author, psychologist Connie Varnhagen, believes that the abbreviated language of text messages and online instant...

Calling on Coaches

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 15:44:50 -0500

A school district in Indiana is investing more than $1 million on 20 math and literacy coaches for the 2009-2010 school year to help provide teachers an opportunity to reflect on their teaching methods, according to a column in the...

All Signs Point to Classroom Management

Mon, 19 Oct 2009 13:45:20 -0500

Long thought of as a tool for deaf and special education students to improve communication skills, sign language is making its way into traditional classrooms. Teachers are incorporating sign language into their daily class routines in order to manage their...

Not a Good Week for Six-Year-Olds

Fri, 16 Oct 2009 13:34:33 -0500

It was a strange week for six-year-old boysa trifecta of odd events that read as follows: As of today, Ohio has repealed a school safety law that was named after a six-year-old who was killed in school, according to the...