Not so irrelevant 008
My latest roundup of links and tools…
n
I read blocked blogs
n
- n
- I’m gettin’ me some of these super-cool buttons (made by Stephanie Sandifer; inspired by Bud Hunt). What a great thing to hand out to administrators!
n
Are you up to the challenge?
n
- n
- The 2008 Comment Challenge is now on (and, hey, recognize a fantastic commenter!)
n
Why K-12 educators shake their heads at academia
n
- n
- Rick Hess perfectly captures one of my primary complaints about academia, which is that much of what we do is completely inaccessible (and/or meaningless) to K-12 educators
n
No hand-held electronics in front of the kids!
n
n
I was incredulous to read … the decision by the London Catholic School Board in Ontario banning hand held electronic devices in schools. . . . Even more bizarrely … school board employees are only allowed to use these devices “in areas from which students are excluded.” Taken to its logical extent then this includes staff also being unable to use digital cameras to record student work or projects, create and listen to podcasts and so on.
– Gareth Long
n
Like Alfie Kohn, Dan Meyer forces us to rethink / justify
n
n
New tools I’m finding quite useful
n
n
The impetus is on us, not them
n
n
Help a teacher develop an integrated lesson [that] … focuses on a local issue of real importance, in which they, their families, and/or others in their community have a genuine stake and interest. If their learning is situated in that type of context, I think you’ll find the impact of their learning experiences will be far greater, and many more of them will learn digital literacy skills alongside traditional literacy skills. Teaching in a problem-based learning environment is a lot more work than simply lecturing and delivering content to students, but it is the type of learning environment our students need to remain engaged in school work. Too many kids today are BORED by school. As the adults running our schools, it is our responsibility to remedy this situation.
– Wesley Fryer
n
A couple of gems from Clay Burell…
n
- n
- Muhammad Ali: A D- student or an F- school?
- Education as pretense: Schooly “speeches” versus real “talks”
n
n
And a couple more from Gerald Bracey
n
- n
- Proficient readers: Dear Strong American Schools (be wary of those NAEP proficiency levels!)
- A test everyone will fail
n
n
We are a little egocentric, aren’t we?
n
- n
- Fujitsu’s world map (thanks, Brett!)
n
And, finally, a reminder from John Pederson
n
One year ago:Well, what’s your answer? and Principal blogging not allowed
n
