Daily Education and Technology News for Schools 02/25/2012
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Classroom-Based Assessment Should Replace 'No Child', Experts Say - High School Notes (usnews.com)
Watching the republican debate this past week, I believe that the tide has turned against NCLB from both Republicans and democrats. I hope that we don't swing the entire other direction and have no accountability. We need accountability just not all due to standardized tests. We need flexibility and local control, however, some oversight. These sorts of things require balance. Unfortunately, in the US, when the pendulum swings we tend to go to extremes when most often wisdom lies in the middle where the level heads meet.
"It behooves us to take a careful look at the policies at the heart of NCLB, because they have not worked, [and] if they are not working, we need to change them," said Monty Neill, chair of the Forum on Educational Accountability (FEA), at the FEA House Briefing on Assessment last Thursday. -
Education Department Wants Tweets from Teachers and Students - High School Notes (usnews.com)
Great article on US news about initiatives in the US that have started but of special interest is the request that students and educators tweet.
The biggest issues I've had with the town hall meetings is that most of them are in the middle of the day when everyone is teaching. On Thursday at 3 pm there is a chat about rural education. It is nice that they're having these meetings but if they REALLY want teachers to participate it will be when teachers are able to focus on the conversation. You can't have teachers teaching and Tweeting. It doesn't work. If you see me tweet during the day, most of the tweets are scheduled or I'm on break or lunch break.
"February has been a busy month for K-12 education. On February 1, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan kicked it off by announcing that all U.S. schools should transition to digital textbooks within the next five years. On the 9th, President Obama waived 10 states from No Child Left Behind. And last week, the president proposed a 2013 budget that includes a $1.7 funding increase for education."
Although these federal policy decisions may not seem directly connected to day-to-day classroom activities, the Department of Education is using Twitter to encourage teachers, administrators, parents, and students to play a more active role. -
The Impact of One - Capella University - The Atlantic
How to reengage students with learning. There are 8 things that I think we can do now, as teachers, in order to bring our students back and reengage them with learning.
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Secondary: English: KS3 Drama: Plays by Title teaching resources - TES
Here's the page that high school literature teachers will want to go to. On the left hand side you'll see "Sub Sub topic" and you can click on the play. Click More and you can see even more plays. This way you can find information by play.
One of the things I found is a popular resource that uses Simpsons Images linking to Macbeth. (Not sure about copyright but it is there and is very popular.) Curriculum directors will want to share this with their English departments.
