Neag Center Home Page | News & Views
Pedagogy, not politics: this article in the ASCD's Educational Leadership publication takes a look at some of the goals for education that cross partisan lines:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/200409/brooks.html?reid=sb
If you can't beat 'em. . . . In China, textbook editors and teachers are taking a new approach to getting their teenage students' attention by introducing more romantic literature into the classroom:
www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-09/01/content_370660.htm
Searching the web with your students just got easier! Check out these great search tools aimed specifically at younger "netizens":
www.kidsclick.org
www.ajkids.com
"Zero-tolerance" gets a zero with some educators: as many schools work to implement such policies regarding undesirable behaviors, some critics charge that these overly-simplistic policies may do more harm than good:
www.asbj.com/current/research.html
In Arizona, 20 schools found to have failed to make adequate yearly progress will now face state intervention. Some of the possible corrective methods include additional teacher training, and changes to personnel and curriculum:
www.azcentral.com/families/education/articles/0903AYP03.html
The number of male teachers in elementary classrooms has declined by half, from 18% down to 9% in the past two decades, says a new report. Theories on the reason for the decline range from concerns about stereotyping to fear of abuse accusations:
http://www.stltoday.com/stltoday/news/stories.nsf/education/story/3EAA0C5071A20E8686256F03004ECBF8?OpenDocument&Headline=Fewer+men+are+teaching+in+elementary+schools
In Kentucky, a proposal to approve a pilot program for online testing in high schools is under consideration. The proposed program would be expanded to the lower grades over the next few years:
www.kypost.com/2004/09/02/cats090204.html
With school funds tight, many districts find themselves with a choice: charge fees for after-school activities, or cut them altogether. Critics charge that the fees may discourage poor students from participation:
www.csmonitor.com/2004/0902/p03s01-usec.html
In Britain, a psychologist has found that "first-day jitters" for first-time students are on the decline. The reason? Many have already had the experience of being away from home, as with day care or preschool, before:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3619204.stm
As much fun as it is to surf the web, sometimes it's nice to stay close to home—our homepage, that is. If you haven't already, check out NRC-G/T's "Best of the Best" page for some links to wonderful math and science sites:
www.gifted.uconn.edu/tdsubjec.html
This week, some featured picks from the "Best of the Best" are:
Anti-math? Meet Aunty Math! This fun website (geared for elementary school students) features daily math puzzles and an archive of past challenges for those who came in later:
www.dupagechildrensmuseum.org/aunty/index.html
Teasing—and pleasing—you brain: for middle-grades math there's Houghton Mifflin's Brain Teasers site, with math puzzles for grades 3-8:
www.eduplace.com/math/brain/index.html
A point (or several) to ponder: IBM's "Ponder This" invites the mathematically curious to take a crack at problems that puzzle their own in-house talent! Match wits with IBM's own thinkers here:
researchweb.watson.ibm.com/ponder
The National Association of School Psychologists recommends that every district have at least one psychologist per thousand students, yet in 2002 only one-third of American schools met that standard. School officials say that children in rural areas are often the most affected by the shortage:
www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/09/06/school.psychologists.ap/index.html
ASCD is offering a special two-part report on high-stakes testing: Part I explores the concepts of assessment and accountability; part II looks at the impact of testing in the classroom:
www.smartbrief.com/alchemy/servlet/encodeServlet?issueid=A77ED138-CA77-4508-917E-08BC6BB0DB4F&lmid=archives
www.smartbrief.com/alchemy/servlet/encodeServlet?issueid=F93D7032-627A-4A70-A118-7B38B8D5C156&lmid=archives
Recently, Virginia became the ninth state whose biology students now have alternatives to dissection, including computer simulations and plastic models. Organizations such as the Humane Society laud the change, claiming that animals used for dissection suffer inhumane treatment. Massachusetts may join them:
www.usatoday.com/tech/science/2004-09-07-anti-dissection-law_x.htm
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/09/10/legislature_gives_students_a_pass_on_dissection_rite
It's a vicious cycle: the students are bored, the teacher loses interest—and becomes more boring. ASCD offers suggestions on how to keep your students—and yourself—engaged:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/200409/intrator.html?reid=sb
Learning by the numbers: in Britain, one researcher has found that children who memorize their multiplication tables are quicker and more accurate than children who learn by other methods. That doesn't rule out the importance of conceptual understanding, however:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/3638636.stm
Massachusetts' sophomores have improved their performance on state tests in the past year, from 75% passing to 80%. Despite the improvement, at least a quarter of high schools are still expected to end up on the state watch list this year:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/mcas/articles/2004/09/09/performance_on_mcas_rises_again
Bridging the digital divide: despite research showing that the effectiveness of such programs is mixed, one district in Louisville, Kentucky is spending $5 million on laptops for teachers and students in struggling schools:
www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2004/09/08ky/A1-laptop0907-7259.html
A grass-roots revolution—spending time with your kids: with a growing number of children and families spending most of their time in scheduled activity, some parents—and psychologists—feel that unstructured time together needs to become a priority:
www.csmonitor.com/2004/0908/p01s04-ussc.html
A special kind of literacy—for teachers: this article in the ASCD's Educational Leadership explores the importance of understanding the language of high-stakes testing:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/200409/popham.html?reid=sb
An American tale: follow one Ukrainian junior high school student's first day of school in America. Nearly a quarter of the students at the school are English-language learners:
www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/metro_east_news/1094731014115710.xml?oregonian?en
SPECIAL REPORT: A NATION DECEIVED
The Templeton Foundation, in association with the Belin-Blank International Center for Gifted Education and Talent Development, has recently released a new study which supports what we as educators and advocates have known for years: "one size fits all" education fits very few. The strategy that received the most support from their half-century of longitudinal data? Acceleration. For more information on the report, which is endorsed by NAGC, visit this site:
nationdeceived.org
and download the report:
nationdeceived.org/download.html
Time magazine also ran a story on the report, available here:
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1101040927-699423,00.html
"Gotta keep 'em separated"—or do we? With more states offering single-sex public school options, the debate on the merits of separating the sexes has also risen:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/08/24/more_states_offer_single_sex_schools
Bullying isn't just a problem in the US: more British children, too, are indicating that they experience it, with a growing number of students reporting "e-bullying" as a problem:
education.independent.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=554809
Mixed signals: the latest Gallup poll reports that American voters often hold contradictory or ill-informed opinions about education and assessment:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/08/24/poll_opinion_fickle_on_public_schools
In a report contradicting much of the conventional wisdom on the subject, a recent study in Australia indicates that smaller class sizes don't necessarily improve student performance. The research based its findings on the results of students on achievement tests:
theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,10559561%255E601,00.html
Every profession has its jargon, and education is no exception. Check out ASCD's online Lexicon of Learning for definitions of educational terms:
www.ascd.org/cms/index.cfm?TheViewID=1112&reid=sb
Suffer the children: with "child to child" Christian evangelism on the rise—endorsed by the Billy Graham foundation—observers question whether this targeting of students by evangelical groups violates the First Amendment:
www.au.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=6875&abbr=cs_&JServSessionIdr005=cobaucypp1.app5b
In Tokyo, a newly-adopted history textbook raises concerns: Critics charge that the new text omits crucial information about the Japanese role in World War II and possibly presents an pro-war stance that some Japanese find unacceptable:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/08/26/tokyo_adopts_nationalist_history_text
In Ohio, many charter schools are failing their report cards. This comes as no surprise, however, to the critics of the schools, which have been controversial since their beginnings in the state:
www.cleveland.com/search/index.ssf?/base/isedu/109360772147350.xml?isedu
One columnist's solution for the "racial punishment divide": honesty. Rachel Belin urges educators to fix the problem, not the blame:
www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/9498485.htm
Number 2 pencils are still number one: despite the increase in online testing, paper and pencil tests still outnumber them—though many children are opting for more creative and colorful writing instruments:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/08/27/old_fashioned_pencil_still_school_staple
Teaching the teachers: in Massachusetts, many teachers are going back to school themselves—to learn how to better teach math to their own students:
www.boston.com/news/education/higher/articles/2004/08/29/teachers_now_the_latest_target_for_math_tutors
Living the Dream: in San Francisco, the new "Dream Schools" developed by the city schools chief require parents as well as their at-risk students to get involved:
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/08/30/BAGQJ8GL641.DTL
Beautiful minds: the founder of All Kinds of Minds shares thoughts with ASCD on the hidden special talents of many struggling students:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/ed_lead/2004summer/levine.html?reid=sb
Despite their own failing grades, many low-performing schools in Michigan gave themselves high marks on state self-evaluations. Critics point to the disparity as evidence of the potential for abuse in the self-reporting process:
www.detnews.com/2004/schools/0408/31/a01-257920.htm
In Pennsylvania, a landmark homeschooling case may change the role of government in education. Two Pennsylvania families are suing to be exempt from state regulation:
www.csmonitor.com/2004/0831/p14s02-legn.html
Coming to America... for what? In 2001, the US government offered sanctuary to some 3,600 Sudanese boys fleeing violence in their own country. While they now enjoy a greater degree of safety and security, many of them have encountered difficulties:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/3602724.stm
"Musical" chairs: read this ASCD report on the effects of eliminating elementary school music class on children's academic performance:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/researchbrief/volume2/v2n18.html?reid=sb
Immersion works, according to a new study: English-language-learning students in total-immersion English classes in grades 2-8 outperformed their peers in bilingual classes:
www.azcentral.com/families/education/articles/0805bilingual-ON.html
In Michigan, more schools are meeting NCLB rules—good news since the rules get tougher this year:
www.detnews.com/2004/schools/0408/06/a01-234631.htm
Researchers at Brandeis University have entered the "game game" by creating an online spelling bee with a twist: students are awarded points not only for spelling words correctly but for choosing words that challenge them! Check it out at:
www.spellbee.org
In many states, education officials are seeking private funding partnerships to finance school improvements. Read about plans in Maryland and Illinois here:
www.cnn.com/2004/EDUCATION/08/05/school.construction.ap/index.html
CNN is now offering Student News, a website designed especially for young people, in connection with Harcourt. Check it out here:
cnnstudentnews.cnn.com/fyi/index.html
In California and Florida, proposals for mandatory drug testing for student athletes. The proposals come out of a growing concern regarding anabolic steroid use:
www.asbj.com/current/coverstory.html
Health and safety are prerequisites for learning—yet discussions about these issues offer take place separate from those about student achievement. This article from the ASCD looks at the importance of healthy learning environments:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/infobrief/index.html?reid=sb
The new SAT has many students nervous—and some of them are doing something about it. A spokesperson for Kaplan, one of the largest test-prep companies, said they had seen a 78% increase in enrollment:
www.freep.com/news/education/sat9_20040809.htm
A regional Education Department rep defends NCLB: Donna Foxley credits the controversial program with helping to chose the achievement gap and hold schools accountable:
www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1091879940213030.xml?oregonian?edgc
Education may be the key to controlling a health crisis: in Africa, a report by the Global Campaign for Education shows a link between education and a reduced risk for AIDS:
allafrica.com/stories/200408090590.html
In Arizona, many schools are failing to use technological resources to the fullest. One possible reason for the lack is inadequate teacher preparation:
www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/local/articles/0812BTStechnology12.html
As more states make algebra a requirement for all students, critics worry about the dumbing down of this key math concept:
www.usatoday.com/printedition/news/index.htm
With increasing action by the conservative Home School Legal Defense Association, some liberal advocate worry about the link between conservatism and home-schooling, while other wonder aloud about the lack of political involvement on the part of liberal home-schoolers:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/08/15/readingwriting_right_wing_politics
Parents, don't give up on your teens: a new study shows that parents of 12-13-year-olds play a crucial role in preventing delinquent behaviors:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/3564764.stm
The UN is getting on the video-game game: the UN's World Food Program expects to release a video game later this year to teach children about hunger:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/3548230.stm
Seventeen states are now requiring that students stay in school or keep their grades up in order to earn or retain a driver's license. But the complex nature of school attendance concerns makes it difficult to determine how successful the laws really are:
www.stateline.org/stateline/?pa=story&sa=showStoryInfo&id=393472
Stranger than fiction: with the rise in popularity of standardized tests, fiction aimed at teens is getting in on the act, with more stories featuring or even focusing on the horrors of testing and test-based learning:
www.kentucky.com/mld/kentucky/entertainment/books/9428737.htm
Keeping an eye on NLCB: Read the latest issue of the ASCD's EdPolicy Update:
www.ascd.org/cms/index.cfm?TheViewID=2599&reid=sb
The color purple. . . may replace red as the choice for correction-making in schools. Psychologists suggest the color may be less upsetting to students than the traditional "bloodbath" of red marks:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/08/23/purple_not_red_is_becoming_teachers_new_pen_pal
NCLB may have backfired, at least in southeastern schools: a new report indicated that in the Southeast, NCLB's emphasis on subject-specific knowledge may have led to a decline in pedagogy as an element of teacher training:
www.stateline.org/stateline/?pa=story&sa=showStoryInfo&id=389451
Fashion may take a back seat to fascination in this year's back-to-school shopping: a new report indicates that parents and children may be spending more money on technological items like cell phones, than on clothing:
nypost.com/business/28462.htm
In Washington. D.C., almost half the students are eligible under NCLB to transfer to higher-performing schools. But if all of them take the option, district officials say they will be unable to accommodate the shift:
www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A35387-2004Aug2.html
A new study by the ASCD looks at the impact of a girls-only math and science curriculum on adolescent young women:
www.ascd.org/cms/objectlib/ascdframeset/index.cfm?publication=http://www.ascd.org/publications/researchbrief/volume2/v2n16.html?reid=sb
A new reason for home schooling: a recent study finds that a rise in home schooling may be tied to an increase in parental concerns about other schooling options:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/08/04/home_schooling_is_on_the_rise
In England, a new program gives 14-16-year-olds an opportunity to try out the world of work by spending time at local colleges and businesses as part of a mandatory initiative to help them develop job and life skills:
education.independent.co.uk/news/story.jsp?story=547694
Despite a rise in computer access in schools, fewer schools are offering typing classes, although some districts are working to encourage keyboarding skills as part of their students' technological literacy:
www.csmonitor.com/2004/0803/p14s01-legn.html
Bending it like Beckham: in India, UNICEF and the soccer organization FIFA are encouraging the development of school soccer programs to encourage girls not to drop out:
southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/91099/1
In Britain, some major scientific organizations are concerned about students' science education. They worry that students may be getting too much lecture and not enough lab—that schools may have cut back on hands-on science in favor of textbook work:
education.guardian.co.uk/schooltrips/story/0,10621,1275763,00.html
Two teacher candidates from Ohio and Louisiana have brought suit against ETS, the only company that administers the PRAXIS exam, on the grounds that it violates antitrust laws. The suit is the first to challenge the company on anti-trust grounds:
www.cleveland.com/news/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1091703315293470.xml
Fashion-friendly: school administrators can breathe a sigh of relief as this fall's fashions leave behind bellybaring shirts and pants in favor of less exposing looks:
www.detnews.com/2004/schools/0408/05/d06-233143.htm
England's Child Poverty Action group proposes a new way to handle the old problem of the stigma that attaches to children who get free lunches. The group suggests that schools issue identical smartcards to all children, which would record their lunch status without letting other students know who's paying:
education.guardian.co.uk/schools/story/0,5500,1299382,00.html
Taking reality TV to a whole new level: in Tennessee, a high school junior has agreed to let his fellow classmates record his per-prom planning for the student-run show "Prom Quest":
tennessean.com/education/archives/04/08/57014782.shtml?Element_ID=57014782
In Houston, school officials are tackling the dropout rate one-on-one, in some cases going door-to-door to visit with high-risk students. By doing so, they hope to bring down the district's dropout rate of 25%:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/09/07/houston_downsizes_to_tackle_dropout_rate
One Arkansas district enjoyed a Pyrrhic victory over school funding: after winning a lawsuit against the state regarding funding issues, the small Lake View district was recently merged with another district—a situation becoming common in many parts of the country:
www.stateline.org/stateline/?pa=story&sa=showStoryInfo&id=388465
The SAT isn't the only standardized test that's been revamped: so has the GED, which now demands more analysis and offers fewer multiple-choice (or "multiple guess") questions. While the number of students taking the test has dropped, those who do take it are passing at a higher rate:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/07/25/fewer_taking_high_school_equivalency_test
A new study by the University of Toronto finds that children—regardless of socio-economic background—benefit intellectually from studying music at an early age. Youngsters who took music lessons before the age of six tended to be more intelligent than their peers, according to the study:
www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2004/07/25/nmus25.xml
In Arizona, a new student tracking system gets a mixed response: while administrator laud the system's ability to provide detailed information on student attendance via individual student tracking numbers, many districts consider it a waste of time and money:
www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0726edtracking0.html
In Oregon, one school board member encourages the state to resist education mandates that don't come with adequate budgets attached, such as NCLB:
www.oregonlive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/editorial/1090670794144450.xml?oregonian?edgc
The Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development's fall conference on Teaching and Learning will be in Dallas from October 15-17. Follow the link to learn more:
www.ascd.org/cms/index.cfm?TheViewID=447
Back-to-school shopping may be taking a back seat to other expenses, a new study finds. With rising gas prices and concerns about economic and job security on the rise, consumers—that is, parents and teachers—may not be spending as much for the return to school:
www.usatoday.com/money/industries/retail/2004-07-27-back-to-school_x.htm
A new definition of parental involvement: this article looks at the way schools and parents are changing the opportunities for the latter to be involved in their kids' education:
www.ascd.org/cms/index.cfm?TheViewID=2541&reid=sb
With the availability of video games and equipment for toddlers on the rise, some experts are getting involved in studying the impact of early computer experience:
www.newsobserver.com/business/story/1473239p-7618443c.html
"Playing Attention": a new device may help students with ADHD learn the value of concentration. The "Play Attention" tool, a helmet lined with sensors, lets kids play games using their focused attention, as measured by neural sensors in the helmet, to direct the action:
www.boston.com/news/education/k_12/articles/2004/07/27/device_helps_learning_disabled_focus
Don't be a robot—make one! That's the opportunity some students enjoyed at a robotics camp in Maryland this summer:
www.gazette.net/200431/montgomery/news/228111-1.html
In California, a new report by the California Performance Review team may encourage an overhaul of the entire state education system. Critics deride the move as a power play:
www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/chronicle/archive/2004/07/30/MNGCV7VV801.DTL
Welcome to Middle Earth! The Museum of Science in Boston is doing a tribute to the movies of the Lord of the Rings trilogy and the science behind them:
ww11.e-tractions.com/mos/servlet/Gamelet;jsessionid=8F41C88AEB793C8870075697F259A2C9?req=BjEzg%2F5aM3E3tzM6bjEi%2BaO3Q%2FUaBetZt2MJQ41upF1%2F%2BW%2BEQ%2Fdc%2BW%2BPQ%2FosgTM3Q%2FdaK6Frb4H0bA%3D%3D