Don’t Look a Gift-Horse in the Mouth! The Dilemma of the ‘Gifted.
When there isn't an attempt to explore and capitalize on what makes children unique, "gifted" or otherwise, all children are left behind.
2 Comments Posted Wednesday, December 26, 2007
Calculators in the Classroom
Since the invention of the calculator forty years ago, educators have debated the value of such tools in the classroom.
3 Comments Posted Thursday, December 13, 2007
U.S. Flatlines on PISA
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development recently released the results of its Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
0 Comments Posted Monday, December 10, 2007
Building our Children’s Brains
Carol S. Dweck identifies two different mindsets in students: the fixed mindset, which believes that success stems from ability, and the growth mindset, which believes success comes from growth. Dweck's research has shown that students who are spoken to with a growth mindset are the students for whom growth is more likely, and success greater.
0 Comments Posted Thursday, December 06, 2007
Are Influential Teachers Becoming Extinct?
According to figures released by the United Federation of Teachers in New York City, teacher resignations have increased steadily since 2001.
2 Comments Posted Tuesday, December 04, 2007
Another Vote against Oral Reading Measures
Teachers have long used oral reading measures as a standard of reading assessment. Meanwhile, opponents have launched a variety of criticisms, pointing to the social stigma associated with reading out loud and claiming too great a focus on "sounding right." But new research from the University of Maryland presents fresh, concrete data against oral reading measures and in favor of silent reading comprehension in student assessment.
1 Comments Posted Thursday, November 29, 2007
Pinky Promises
In the spirit of the upcoming holidays, forget for a moment about tests, NCLB, and what our kids can't do; instead, think about what your kids are capable of doing, what they're really thinking about the things we throw at them, and the various blessings they offer you.
0 Comments Posted Friday, November 16, 2007
But Why Do We Read?
If we can agree that most adults who are responsible for children's education want children ultimately to read independently for multiple purposes, to feel agency in how they think about what they read, and to get some enjoyment out of reading, then why is it that so much of what we throw at them at school seems counter-intuitive to accomplishing those things?
0 Comments Posted Monday, November 05, 2007
Separate the Chaff from the … What? – The Irony of Reading Research
"Scientifically-based reading research" (SBRR) is a term that has been widely used since the passage of NCLB and the Reading First Act, and the publication of the National Reading Panel's five essential elements of reading instruction in their report "Teaching Children to Read." Unfortunately, SBRR today, as informative and unbiased as it sounds, is not used by the powers that be to truly tease out the very complex nature of reading and learning to read.
0 Comments Posted Thursday, October 25, 2007
Are Students Inheriting a Fear of Math?
Math anxiety is a common problem. It's a large part of the reason students fail to take important upper-level math courses. But maybe talking to our students about their math fears isn't all we need to be doing. Maybe some of that fear is inherited, passed down from parents with their own math anxieties. Maybe it's time for the schools to address the math anxieties of the parents as well.
1 Comments Posted Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Who’s Your Village?
Like my nieces and nephews, many kids in the U.S. are fortunate enough to have "a village" to help raise them - like in the African proverb. But why does it seem so difficult for teachers who are responsible for 15 to 35 kids to get help from their local communities?
0 Comments Posted Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Good Educational Technology: What Does That Mean?
Hardware, software, professional development. All make up what we refer to as educational technology. But is one component more important than another? Is one more often ignored? What does it mean for schools to have "good educational technology"?
0 Comments Posted Tuesday, October 02, 2007