New guidelines from the College on the professional use of social media. These kinds of advisories are embarrassing, like teacher dress codes. It's unfortunate that we need to be reminded of these kinds of things, when, one would think, a teacher's sense of professionalism would be enough to keep them acting properly. But, I suppose a reminder is in order once in awhile. I've known teachers who have friended their students on FB, and it is utterly ridiculous and unprofessional.
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
No Friends
Professional Advisory on the Use of Electronic Communication and Social Media Feb. 23, 2011
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
The First Five Years Last the Rest of their Lives
Altered brain development following global neglect in early childhood
Further to the post below, Perry and Pollard 1997 is cited quite often in education discussions concerning both brain development and early childhood education. I thought I'd post the actual article. The highlight, the reason it got the attention it did, is below. The story, though I don't have time to confirm it, is that the poor child on the right is from a Romanian orphanage where neglect was the norm.
It's Not Rocket Science
(It's brain science.)
2009 Atkinson Series: Brainstorm
A brilliant series from a couple of years ago documenting the growing fusion of education and neuroscience. MRI's only came into wide use 20 years ago. Just imagine the next twenty. I think that downloading data directly into your brain is a bit far off, but here's hoping.
"We used to say that intelligence was 80 per cent genetic and 20 per cent environmental," says Martin Westwell, a neuroscientist in Adelaide at Flinders University. "Now we tend to say that it's 20 per cent genetic and 80 per cent environmental."
2009 Atkinson Series: Brainstorm
A brilliant series from a couple of years ago documenting the growing fusion of education and neuroscience. MRI's only came into wide use 20 years ago. Just imagine the next twenty. I think that downloading data directly into your brain is a bit far off, but here's hoping.
"We used to say that intelligence was 80 per cent genetic and 20 per cent environmental," says Martin Westwell, a neuroscientist in Adelaide at Flinders University. "Now we tend to say that it's 20 per cent genetic and 80 per cent environmental."
Monday, April 4, 2011
Winnie Cooper
Danica McKellar is an all-star. She writes books that help girls succeed in math. Considering how most celebrities cope after their star has begun to fade, she is a real standout.
Success (and math) For All
Program could help kids get jump-start in math | Jan. 15, 2010
If you haven't heard about JUMP Math, read about it. It's a step-by-step, repetition based technique, that is a nice counterbalance to the text-heavy, discovery based Nelson textbooks currently used by so many boards.
If you haven't heard about JUMP Math, read about it. It's a step-by-step, repetition based technique, that is a nice counterbalance to the text-heavy, discovery based Nelson textbooks currently used by so many boards.
They Don't
Changing Education Paradigms - Animated | Oct. 14, 2010
An animated depiction of a TED talk by Sir Kenneth Robinson, British author and thinker, in which he discusses how schools are too rigid for the majority of learners. The popular phrase that has become associated with this talk is: "Do schools kill creativity?"
There are a couple problems here. Blaming schools for what ails people/society is a popular and crowd-pleasing tactic. But, blaming schools takes the responsibility off the individual, off the student. In reality, as a result of opinions such as Sir Kenneth's, and such a huge emphasis on differentiated instruction, schools are bending over backwards to have everyone succeed. If the student can't step up and meet the school system halfway, there's nothing more the school can do about it.
So often a young man, alienated, angry, unemployed (I'm met many) will blame the school for never giving him a chance, for never working for a kid like him. In reality though, that young man would have been given chance, after chance, after chance, with teachers year after year trying to help him succeed. He blew every one of those chances, and opinions such as Sir Robinson's allow him to legitimize his blame.
The second major problem is that a speaker can say whatever they want at a TED talk, romanticize a perfect solution, wow millions, and never have to put anything concrete into action. Talk is cheap.
An animated depiction of a TED talk by Sir Kenneth Robinson, British author and thinker, in which he discusses how schools are too rigid for the majority of learners. The popular phrase that has become associated with this talk is: "Do schools kill creativity?"
There are a couple problems here. Blaming schools for what ails people/society is a popular and crowd-pleasing tactic. But, blaming schools takes the responsibility off the individual, off the student. In reality, as a result of opinions such as Sir Kenneth's, and such a huge emphasis on differentiated instruction, schools are bending over backwards to have everyone succeed. If the student can't step up and meet the school system halfway, there's nothing more the school can do about it.
So often a young man, alienated, angry, unemployed (I'm met many) will blame the school for never giving him a chance, for never working for a kid like him. In reality though, that young man would have been given chance, after chance, after chance, with teachers year after year trying to help him succeed. He blew every one of those chances, and opinions such as Sir Robinson's allow him to legitimize his blame.
The second major problem is that a speaker can say whatever they want at a TED talk, romanticize a perfect solution, wow millions, and never have to put anything concrete into action. Talk is cheap.
School's Out
School closings will gut town | Feb. 20. 2011
This issue comes up year after year, and it's not unique to Ontario. When a school closes in a small town, much is lost.
This issue comes up year after year, and it's not unique to Ontario. When a school closes in a small town, much is lost.
Once in the cloud, always in the cloud.
New Jersey Teacher Suspended Over a Post of Facebook | April 1, 2011
As long as there is Facebook, there will be teachers (and cops, judges, doctors, politicians) posting inappropriately. New Jersey teacher trashes her class on FB. Staff room talk is embarrassing, staff room talk in public is humiliating.
As long as there is Facebook, there will be teachers (and cops, judges, doctors, politicians) posting inappropriately. New Jersey teacher trashes her class on FB. Staff room talk is embarrassing, staff room talk in public is humiliating.
Rubber Room
The Rubber Room | Aug. 31, 2009
An absolutely shocking article, a couple years old, that should be read by anyone interested in the difficulties admin sometimes faces when trying to dismiss the most ineffective and incompetent of teachers. In New York, for a inability to dismiss them, and an unwillingness to let them back in the classroom, teachers sit with pay day after day waiting for the union-admin battles over their fate to run their course.
It must be noted though, that the rooms are no longer being relied upon. Teachers will now "be assigned to administrative work or non-classroom duties in their schools while their cases are pending. "
An absolutely shocking article, a couple years old, that should be read by anyone interested in the difficulties admin sometimes faces when trying to dismiss the most ineffective and incompetent of teachers. In New York, for a inability to dismiss them, and an unwillingness to let them back in the classroom, teachers sit with pay day after day waiting for the union-admin battles over their fate to run their course.
It must be noted though, that the rooms are no longer being relied upon. Teachers will now "be assigned to administrative work or non-classroom duties in their schools while their cases are pending. "
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