Middleweb: Edutopia's Back-to-School Web 2.0 Guide

Edutopia's Back-to-School Web 2.0 Guide: "

Edutopia boldly goes where many teachers still seem reluctant to journey with these updated back-to-school suggestions for integrating Web 2.0 and social media tools into daily classroom instruction.Start the year with tools that pack a lot of visual interest, like VoiceThread or Glogster. Experiment with Twitter, Edmodo or (gasp) texting. You'll find links to resources for incorporating "everything from infographics to citizen science projects." Sound like fun? Download the free PDF.

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Huff Post - On Achievement Gap

Only 47 Percent Of Black Male Students Graduate High School Nationwide, Study Shows: "A 50-state report from the Schott Foundation for Public Education has come to a dispiriting conclusion: public education is failing black male students. Nationwide, the graduation rate for this demographic of students is a paltry 47 percent. And in some major cities, it's perilously low--in New York City and Philadelphia, for example, only 28 percent of black males complete high school on time.
Read more: Public Schools, Education, Education Reform, Schott-Foundation-for-Public-Education, Black Male Dropout Rates, Black Male Graduation Rates, High School Dropouts, Dropout Rates, Impact News
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NYTimes Learning Network - How to Use It!

As you know, I love The Learning Network and the direction they are taking. Here is their guide to using it this year:

11 Ways to Use Our Blog This School Year

By KATHERINE SCHULTEN

Kevin Van AelstOn Mondays we publish lessons on cross-curricular academic skills, like this one from last winteron learning how to search the Internet effectively. The image above is from the Medium columnthat inspired the lesson.

Teachers and administrators often ask us if we have a handout they can give to their colleagues to tell them about The Learning Network.

Well, we’d love it if you’d photocopy, post, e-mail, tweet or otherwise pass along this page, because we’re summarizing briefly below everything we offer — including several new features we added this summer.

And if we haven’t thanked you lately, let us do that now: our blog is almost a year old, and it’s been successful in ways we never imagined — all because of the students, teachers and parents who post here daily. Please help us keep the conversation going!

Read More! http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/09/03/11-ways-to-use-our-blog-this-school-year/?partner=rss&emc=rss

Huff Post - Davis Guggenheim: Repeat After Me: We Can't Have Great Schools Without Great Teachers

Davis Guggenheim: Repeat After Me: We Can't Have Great Schools Without Great Teachers: "At my house the other night, the suspense was more intense than a thriller. My wife, daughter and I were huddled over a computer in the kitchen. I had control of the mouse, but clearly I wasn't going fast enough scrolling down the list, because my wife snatched it from my hand. Then my daughter shrieked, 'Mom!, it's right there! See!!!' There it was, the list of fourth graders and which teacher was assigned to each student -- her little nine year old finger, hunting for her name. She saw it first and starting squealing, then my wife jumping up and down (I've always been the slow reader) But yes, yes!!!! It was there. We got the teacher we wanted. I joined in the celebration high five-ing my daughter, but more importantly my wife because we knew the single most important factor in determining her success this year would be the teacher she sees at the front of the classroom each day... (Read More!)



Learn more at www.waitingforsuperman.com
Read more: Education, Teachers, Education Reform, Politics News
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NYTimes - America's History of Fear

I really like this column from Nicholas Kristof describing the bias / persecution against various groups of Americans over time.

America’s History of Fear

By NICHOLAS D. KRISTOF

Hysteria about Islam is but a modern echo of past American worries about Catholics, Jews and others.

September 4, 2010

NYTimes - On Holding Teachers Accountable

The Way We Live Now: When Does Holding Teachers Accountable Go Too Far?

BY DAVID LEONHARDT

A team of reporters at The Los Angeles Times and an education economist set out to create a consumer guide to education.

Huffington Post - Can New 'Apostrophe Song' Cure The Apostrophe Crisis? (VIDEO)

Can New 'Apostrophe Song' Cure The Apostrophe Crisis? (VIDEO): "Arianna has griped about its misuse before and, frankly, the number of misplaced apostrophe's -- oops, we mean apostrophes -- out there has become downright frightening.



Thankfully, the people over at CoolRules.com have made light of the situation by recording 'The Apostrophe Song.'



A sort of 'Schoolhouse Rock!' for the internet age, 'The Apostrophe Song' comes in four different flavors: 'Hip Hop,' 'Pop/Dance,' 'Rock' and 'Acoustic,' available at the Cool Rules website. Only one, so far as we can tell, comes with its own outstanding video.



What do you think? Will this video cure the case of the erroneous apostrophe? Or will it just make you chuckle?



WATCH:


Read more: Style Guide, Writing Style Guide, Apostrophe Crisis, Education, Educational Video, Writing Tips, Style, Writing, Learning Tools, Grammar, Teaching Tools, Apostrophe, Grammar Mistakes, Apostrophe Mistake, Apostrophe Misuse, Books News
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The Stir: 20 Lessons That Will Take You Further in Life Than Good Grades

The Stir: 20 Lessons That Will Take You Further in Life Than Good Grades: "Parents of school-age kids, this one is for you. Especially if you're thinking about going into a 'good grades' convulsion this school year. If you're not planning to have an 'A stands for acceptable in this house!' tirade, but you know you're susceptible -- perhaps due to your own experience with parental pressure about good grades or your own educational failures in life -- you should probably read this too.



Of course, we all want our kids to make good grades in school. However, at the same time, there are so many more important, life-important lessons and skills our kids can come home from school with. Keep this list in mind before frothing at the mouth and letting loose that awful vein down the middle of your forehead at the sight of the first report card.



I swear, there are AT LEAST 20 things that will take you further in life than good grades:

NYTimes - Response to Friedman's Education Column

Letters: How to Reform the Failing Schools

Readers respond to a column by Thomas L. Friedman about improving public education.

NYTimes - News on the Value-Added Debate

Method to Grade Teachers Provokes Battles

BY SAM DILLON

The value-added formula to evaluate teachers is gaining acceptance, and critics, across America.