|
October 29, 2015 | Sign up to receive The Teachers Edition.
In This Issue
ED Listens
Secretary Arne Duncan called for a cap on high-stakes testing, citing conversations with "educators who are understandably stressed and concerned about an overemphasis on testing in some places and how much time testing and test prep are taking from instruction." While asserting that schools should still have a way to assess student performance at least once per year, Duncan acknowledged that federal policy had partially created the overtesting problem by encouraging states to evaluate teachers in part on test scores. Check out a video President Obama posted on Facebook with his thoughts on testing (Zernike, NYTimes).
 At Denmark's open-concept Ørestad Gymnasium, kids break off into groups and form makeshift classrooms, sometimes with teachers and sometimes without them.
Education Innovation
If you had a blank canvas to design an experience that would ensure that 13- to 17-year-olds would be ready for future success, what would you create? Would it look like the high schools that millions of kids are sitting in today? The White House is asking. Next month, they'll convene the Next Gen High School Summit, a national conversation on transforming high schools to better serve all students. Submit your ideas here. A new survey of 22,000 high schoolers shows that they are tired, stressed, and bored at school. Bet they wouldn't be so bored at TechInsider's 13 most innovative schools in the world, including ones that involve students in 3D design and another where students learn through real-world internships.
From Promises to Progress
Secretary Duncan has said there is nothing more important than "insisting on excellence for all of our nation’s students.” His message was echoed at a recent gathering of 193 world leaders at the United Nations. They came together to advocate for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which hope to stimulate action over the next 15 years in areas of critical importance for humanity and the planet. Included in the gathering were notables including Pope Francis, Nobel Prize winner Malala Yousafzai and UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador Singer Shakira. Find out more about the SDGs, the U.N. gathering and Secretary Duncan’s observations.
Brain Science
Teaching is a social act and a survival skill, says Vanessa Rodriguez, author of The Teaching Brain, on a Harvard podcast. So often we think of teaching as a student-centered act, but Rodriguez draws on examples of kids teaching one another, leading to the
notion that “teaching is a dynamic interaction and an evolutionary cognitive skill
that develops from birth to adulthood (teachingbrain.org). Read about implications of her work for your classroom.
Teacher Leadership
 ASCD Named Partner in Leadership Effort. The organization will be the lead partner in the development of Teacher Impact Grants that will transform into action the ideas that are workshopped at Teach to Lead conferences. They join the U.S. Department of Education and the National Board for Professional Teaching Standards as one of the three partner organizations. For years, ASCD (formerly the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development) has provided guidance on educational leadership.
The High 80s. The Iowa Department of Education has joined the Teach to Lead effort as the 87th supporting organization. Check out the complete roster of organizations supporting
teacher leadership through Teach to Lead.
|
The Teaching Profession
VIDEO WORTH WATCHING
GoPro video cameras have been used to take couch adventurers on trips everywhere from skydiving to Scuba diving. This year, a GoPro went to school when a St. Louis school district strapped a video camera onto kindergartener Adriana and sent her for the first day of school at Craig Elementary School (St. Louis, Mo.). See what happens from her vantage point.
Take the Quiz
Before you read about results from the Pew Research Center Science Quiz, click here to try it yourself. Not surprisingly, those with higher education levels are more likely to know answers to questions about science. There are also times when gender, age, race and ethnicity matter. But many agree that U.S. K-12 education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields are “average” or “below average” compared with other industrialized countries (Funk and Kehaulani Goo, Pew Internet).
Christie Champaign
Editor's note: The following is part of a series reporting on excellent African American educators. Educators were selected by the White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for African Americans.
 Christie Champaign
is a Science Instructor at Jones High School in Orlando, Florida. She has also
assisted with a STEM research program that is in accordance with the Title 1
Orange County School District’s No Child Left Behind Directive and the University
of Florida, College of Education.
Why
and how did you decide upon a career in education?
My
journey as an educator began with the unexpected loss of one of my younger
siblings. Unfortunately, his life was too short for him to accomplish his goals or reach his dreams. Because of this, I decided I would help every
young person I could to reach their dreams and the perfect way to do this was
to become a teacher.
What is the one thing you most celebrate
about your students?
The majority of my students are at-risk and
considered to have a higher probability of failing academically. Therefore when
my students work hard and are accepted into a post-secondary education program,
I overly celebrate it. I take my students pictures, copy their letters of
acceptance and post them in my classroom for all to see!
What
do you want to see change within education to better support the learning and
development of African American students?
African American students are still beginning their
educational journey deficient in vocabulary, comprehension skills, and additional
environmental experiences. I would want a larger variety of educational
resources, events, and experiences developed specifically to enhance the future
education of African American pre-school children.
|
Inequality
According to research
released last week, growing up in poverty, in a bad neighborhood or without a father, takes more of a toll on boys than on girls. The findings may explain why boys graduate from high school and attend college at lower rates than girls and are more likely to get in trouble, which can hurt them when they enter the job market (Miller, NYTimes).
Million-Dollar Teacher Prize Winner Says
"Literacy can change the course of a life."
Teacher and author Nancie Atwell, who won the 2015 Global Teacher Prize, shared her wisdom in a speech last month. Among the takeaways: children should have choice in what they learn, classrooms should be full of books, and teachers have a lasting impact on kids.
Resources for Educators
Resource Guide Released for Supporting Undocumented Youth
The Department of Education released a resource guide last week to help teachers better support undocumented youth. The guide includes information about the rights of undocumented students, scholarship opportunities, and tips for educators about how to provide academic and social support for undocumented youth.
Enter the Contests
 Wisdom from educators heard by ED
5. "I credit Teach to Lead for opening my eyes to every conversation where we can advocate for our literacy needs.'” (Teacher, Washington)
4. "The new digital divide is how technology is being used, not who has access to technology" (Teacher, Washington, D.C.)
3. "Elementary schools should feel like all rainbows and unicorns because learning should be fun." (Principal, Washington)
2. "Always teach kids before you teach content. Relationships matter and should be paramount in all we do." (Teacher, Connecticut)
1. "School tests do not measure creativity, vision, teamwork, integrity, grit, passion, empathy, loyalty, endurance, humility, compassion." (Assistant Principal, New York)
|
|
