Archive for April, 2007
Principle-based Practice
We get a newsletter every few months from our state Professional Teaching and Practices Commission (PTPC). Over the years I’ve mostly thrown them away with barely a glance, but the last two have been interesting because they’ve included lengthy excerpts from a book called The Ethical Teacher. The Spring 2007 newsletter arrived today, and I [...]
Taking Notes for Real Writing
The arrival of the laptop (Apple iBook) and the wireless network at our school this year has triggered some new thinking (for me, mostly) in my classroom. My students’ writing on the internet has run in waves, with one kid picking up an idea that pretty soon half a dozen are working on.
I showed [...]Researching Back
At the AERA convention last week, Sarah Puglisi made the acquaintance of Paul Baker, who works in public relations at the Wisconsin Center for Education Research. Sarah suggested setting up a national teacher-researcher network, and Paul wrote about that on his blog. According to Paul, Sarah said that “Research organizations like the AERA could harness [...]
Informing the Citizenry
On the politics of literacy education:
The International Reading Association hosted an international forum called Literacy: A Path Out of Extremism? in Washington DC. An international panel of literacy education scholars discussed “the global challenges posed by poverty, disease, health and environmental issues, and extremist beliefs that may lead to terrorism.” Among the participants were Dr. [...]Hauling our wealth to the surface
A quick trip through my local used bookstore almost always turns up a gem or two. From Total Eclipse, in Teaching A Stone to Talk, by Annie Dillard:
We teach our children one thing only, as we were taught: to wake up. We teach our children to look alive there, to join by words and activities [...]No Test Prep Program Left Behind
Stephen Downes and Wesley Fryer both took aim at a news article that appeared today, Study eyes effect of tech on classroom. Wesley talked about the need for good teaching before any technology, including paper and pencils, can make a big difference. And I agree. Stephen hailed the power of technology in and of [...]
You know you’re getting old when…
You have this conversation at lunch:
9-year old: Guess what, Mr. Noon? My grandpa’s dad was in World War II.
Teacher: Well, my dad was in WWII also.
9-year old: Hey! What was his name?
Teacher: His name was Noon.
9-year old: Oh! I think my grandpa might know him!
(grandpa’s dad??)
…and it isn’t very funny.Corporate Giants
Deborah Meier and Diane Ravitch have again touched on the issue of privatizing public schools in NYC, aka Mayor Bloomberg’s demolition derby. Ravitch wonders where the charter school movement is heading:
We keep alluding to the “Tough Choices or Tough Times” report….In my view, the most radical proposal of that commission was that every public [...]
