Quotable Education Quotes
*** "'There''s a wide range for learning to read. If we make students feel pressure so that they shut down, then that light bulb is not going to be as likely to come on, and they aren't going to develop the confidence that they need to become successful readers later....
Do Your Homework: Early Bird 2015 Back-to-School Shopping
There are school-related bargains to be had even now. 123rf #7492635 If you can’t beat them, join them—at least that’s what loads of retailers are hoping you’ll do this back-to-school season, and the earlier the better. Advertising circulars are already flooding...
Sometime around the Bend, an End to Drunk Driving
.…An end, not because we’re abstaining but because technology in our smarter and smarter cars is going to one day take away the option of putting our foot on the gas pedal when intoxicated. Personal responsibility assumed by a machine… The research represents a...
Harvard’s Making Caring Common Project
For the Making Caring Common Project, Harvard University surveyed some 10,000 middle and high school students from 33 schools across the country in 2013 and 2014. They also interviewed hundreds of parents, and the results may very well trouble you and force you out of...
Education-Related Websites to Visit: 6/18/2015
*** www.scholastic.com/mck ~ This "Money Confident Kids" Scholastic site is presented by T.RowePrice and helps teachers and parents talk about "spending, saving, and setting smart financial goals with their kids." *** www.netsmartz.org/training ~ This site by the...
It’s an Education Fact: 6/17/2015
1) A recent survey of more than 30,000 teachers found that 89% were enthusiastic about teaching when starting out but only 15% still were today. Plus, 70% said they "often" feel their work is stressful, and 80% recently feel exhausted mentally and physically at the...
Making Education News: 6/16/2015
1. The federal government shelled out $3.3 billion to launch charter schools over the past 20 years but never monitored how those monies were spent. 2. The Common Core-aligned PARCC assessment will be 90 minutes shorter next year thanks to mounting opposition to...
Education Talk: 6/14/2015
*** "Sure, it's not perfect, but this Senate proposed rewrite of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) [aka No Child Left Behind] could do a lot of good--even if it includes some bad. Imagine it. States would be in control of their own public schools. The...
Self-Esteem, Shunned Guest Speakers, and College Trigger Warnings
Here it is in a nutshell: Self-esteem comes from true accomplishment, or, at the very least, a strong effort to succeed, to attain a goal. It cannot be handed to children by well-meaning parents and educators who put every scribble on the fridge door or bulletin...
All about character and tarnished reputations
Talk radio host Dennis Prager once posed the question, “Would you rather your child smoke or cheat?” At first glance, the answer seems to be a no-brainer. I mean, who in their right mind would ever wish a future of lung cancer on loved ones, or the colostomies, false...
The Measles Outbreak, Pennsylvania, and the Need for Immunization
On February 7th, the Times Herald headlined with “Case of measles suspected,” about a teen-aged boy right here in Montgomery County. Naturally, worrying kicked in. Had the virus traveled here all the way from California, where 103 cases had already been confirmed?...
Education Data Mining, Kids’ Privacy Rights, and Protective Measures Being Taken
Obama recently took to the bully pulpit again, this time proposing what he called the Student Digital Privacy Act, saying, “If we’re going to be connected, then we need to be protected.” The act’s purpose is “to prevent companies from selling sensitive student...
It’s a Matter of Time: Make More of It Count
“Time is opportunity flying by,” wrote eighth grader April, and she got it so right. Time does, indeed, fly, as we continually hear ourselves saying that we’ve run out of it or never had enough of it in the first place. And yet so much of it is wasted. In fact, says...
How E-readers and Tablets Stack Up Against Bound Books
Back in 2012, a New York Times’ headline led off with, “The Bookstore’s Last Stand,” and went on to illuminate the trials of the last big-standing bookstore, Barnes & Noble. Its storied history speaks for itself. Back in 1873, one Charles Montgomery Barnes went...
Quotable Quotes: January 5, 2015
** "Our educational problems of today have little to do with schools. The problem today is the demise of the family. In my family, there was no watching TV unless you had completed your homework. Although I was a good athlete, I could not play high school sports...
A Tween Must-Read: Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle
Raab Associates, Inc. Tell your kids to buckle up: There’s a new fantasy adventure out there waiting for them called Gabriel Finley and the Raven’s Riddle. In it, author George Hagan explores such universal themes as honor, betrayal, greed, compassion, trust, and...
Common Core Pros and Cons: What You Need to Know
The Common Core Standards, first announced in 2009, were fully implemented in a number of schools last year; nevertheless a September Gallup poll of 532 parents found that 32% had no opinion or had never even heard of them. Other findings included: • 35% of the...
Civic Education, Politics, and an Uninformed Populace
Certain dates are standouts, like February 14, October 31, and December 25. But what about September 17? It should be a standout, too, but it’s not. In fact, most of us don’t give the date a second thought; we certainly should, though. That’s because it’s not just...
Education-Related Websites: October 23, 2014
** www.coursera.org ~ This site has partnered with top universities and organizations in the world to offer courses online for anyone to take, for free" and covers all subjects. ** http://home.edweb.net ~ This free social and profession network offers educators an...
Quotable Education Quptes: October 20, 2014
** "Just when things can't get any worse for kindergartners, they do. It used to be that kindergartners could play--which is how childhood development experts say young children learn and are socialized best. Today, 5- and 6-year-olds are forced to sit for hours at a...
