Not so very long ago, school districts and education leaders told us that technology in the classroom was essential to the success of our students. “An iPad on every desk” became the new “chicken in every pot” slogan, as experts tried to convince us that technology could be a panacea for the nation’s test scores. Well, they convinced us. And now some parents are working to extract their children from this technological bill of goods that we were sold. According to NBC News, parents like Julie Frumin and Emily Cherkin strongly believe that the heavy presence of technology in the classroom – particularly through Chromebooks and iPads – is harming their children, so much so that they took … [Read more...]
Fixing America’s Broken School Calendar
If you've followed our blog you've seen us address the topic of school calendars. We've presented information about 4 day school weeks and other ways to improve outcomes and make better use of money. Today we bring you an article we think will stimulate your thought process. Written by: Hayley Glatter, Emily DeRuy, and Alia Wong Originally published in: The Atlantic We asked education experts how much time they think kids should spend in class. Here's what they had to say. Nothing is perfect, but what if it could be? Back-to-school season is in full swing, and despite the crispness of new notebook paper and the allure of Friday night lights, it’s hard to ignore the … [Read more...]
Report: Requiring kindergartners to read — as Common Core does — may harm some
Published in The Washington Post - January 13, 2016 - Valerie Strauss > > > The Common Core State Standards call for kindergartners to learn how to read, but a new report by early childhood experts says that forcing some kids to read before they are ready could be harmful. Two organizations that advocate for early childhood education — Defending the Early Years and Alliance for Childhood — issued the report titled “Reading in Kindergarten: Little to Gain and Much to Lose.” It says there is no evidence to support a widespread belief in the United States that children must read in prekindergarten or kindergarten to become strong readers and achieve academic … [Read more...]
New student database slammed by privacy experts
Shared from The Washington Post > > > The U.S. Education Department’s new planned system of records that will collect detailed data on thousands of students — and transfer records to private contractors — is being slammed by experts who say there are not adequate privacy safeguards embedded in the project. The non-profit Electronic Privacy Information Center, or EPIC, told the department in a January 2016 formal complaint (see below) that its new system of records for the “Impact Evaluation of Data-Driven Instruction Professional Development for Teachers” violates the Privacy Act by: (1) collecting irrelevant and unnecessary information and (2) not clearly stating the … [Read more...]
Mishmash of odds and ends
I've been gathering a bunch of items/topics that have accumulated to the point that it's time to move them to the "live" page. So, without further ado here they are: __________________________________________________ Yet another Ed Reform That Doesn’t Work AIR Experts Develop School Discipline Planning Guide for Educators Feds spend $2.5M on mindfulness intervention for kindergarteners Lawsuit to Stop Common Core On Air News Read for November 13, 2015 Standardization isn’t Just Killing Students’ Creativity - It’s Killing Their Love of Creativity Gates impact on Washington teachers and schools Oregon teachers despise the Smarter Balanced tests, survey says … [Read more...]