8 Jun
Our Fusion students may soon not be the only ones with no homework. Some school districts in New Jersey are looking to do away with homework as well, at least on the weekends. Check out this Huffington Post article, “‘No Homework’ Debate Finds Support in New Jersey” for a great recap of the coverage across various news sources, including this video of one motivated student on a mission:
3 Jun
On May 25, the Departments of Education and Health and Human Services announced a joint initiative to boost early learning programs across the country. The “Race to the Top: Early Learning Challenge“:
“…will call for States to take a comprehensive approach to developing integrated, high-quality early learning systems, which in turn will help ensure that more children, especially high-need children, enter school ready and able to succeed.”
Learn more about this new competition on ED.gov.
1 Jun
Today we’re sharing some information about Dialogic Reading: an interactive technique used to help develop oral language and reading skills in pre-K and elementary school children. In this technique, the adult and child switch roles while reading picture books. The child takes on the role of storyteller, while the adult prompts with questions and then actively listens.
Learn more about how to use the technique—particularly the fundamental “PEER” sequence—on the “Reach Out and Read” website, or learn more about the research behind Dialogic Reading.
27 May
If you simply don’t have time to scour the professional journals and research archives to keep up with the latest best practices in teaching, you are not alone. A professional development service, called Best Practices Weekly (BPW), offers free weekly emails providing a snapshot of elementary instruction news from leading journals.
BPW is 10 minutes each week of research based, easily digested, immediately actionable professional development. Our team reads the contemporary professional literature across elementary education, selects the most practical articles, and then summarizes the key take-home messages in text, audio, and video formats so busy teachers can get right to the point.
Let us know—will you be using this?
25 May
John Spencer, of the TeachPaperless blog, shares with us his thoughts on using social media and technology in education following his “Living Facebook” experiment. With each observation, he offers ideas and implications for the classroom. Check out the full post on “Face to Facebook: 5 Thoughts on Education Reform.”
20 May
As part of the “Students Sound Off” series of student blog posts, aimed at providing high school students across the country a voice in the education debate, sophomore Jonathon Murray discussed “Why Music Education is Essential.” We agree that music education is critical, offering children an opportunity to discover and express themselves creatively. Learning to play music has also been shown to help boost reading skills and to help improve the brain’s ability to adapt and change—its neuroplasticity.
The “Students Sound Off” series is co-presented by Get Schooled—a movement dedicated to “motivating Americans to improve education.”
18 May
Thanks to our friends at the Fusion Academy blog who posted this great video: “Animal School” from RaisingSmallSouls.com. This video reminds us that every child is different, and so of course learns differently. It is up to the parents, teachers, and schools to recognize those differences and use them to help the child learn, rather than expecting them to fit into a specific “mold.”
13 May
After eight years as chancellor of New York City’s school system—the nation’s largest—Joel Klein has a deep understanding of the system and the need for reform. As he writes in his article for The Atlantic, “The Failure of American Schools“:
Unlike a bad economy, poor educational achievement creeps up on us…despite massive increases in expenditure, we don’t see improved results. That leads too many people to suspect that poverty is destiny, that schools can make only a small difference, and that therefore we’re unable to fix this problem, regardless of its seriousness. So why try?
If the forces behind reform seem scattered and weak, those defending the status quo—the unions, the politicians, the bureaucrats, and the vendors—are well organized and well financed. Having spent eight years trying to ignite a revolution in New York City’s schools under Bloomberg’s leadership, I am convinced that without a major realignment of political forces, we won’t get the dramatic improvements our children need.
Be sure to read the full article in The Atlantic as it offers a concise argument from an insider’s perspective which is difficult to come by.
11 May
Indiana has recently made major changes to the state’s educational system by passing legislation that creates a statewide private school voucher program (and expands the charter school program), beginning with the upcoming 2011/12 school year. The idea behind a voucher system is that it provides greater educational choice for eligible low-income and middle-income families, allowing them to use taxpayer money to send their children to private schools.
This is not without a cost though—the legislation includes accountability measures which mean that participating private schools will be subject to greater governmental regulation, with the state gaining increased authority over curriculum, testing, and performance. Some believe this type of program could severely impact educational freedom, as we see in Adam Schaeffer’s article, “A Strategic Defeat for Educational Freedom.”
As Deanna Martin reports in “Indiana GOP Pushes Ahead with School Voucher Program,” many other states are hoping to pass voucher bills for the coming year as well.
So what do you think? Are vouchers the solution?
5 May
A great illustrative video showing how hip hop can be used to “teach language arts, innovation, and (the) value of community.” Check it out at “Hip Hop Genius: Remixing High School Education.”
