Universal Improvement of Schools

Why Higher Math for Many?

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 07:46:02 GMT

This topic discusses why should most children learn math beyond arithmatic.

This is similar to the discussion of Why should all children learn foreign language? Why should all children learn history? etc. and is closely associated with How do we decide what is taught? and What does "educated" mean to you?

Video: How Schools Stifle Creativity

feeds@yuku.com (captuhura) — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:15:09 GMT

How Schools Stifle Creativity

Article: Value-added Teacher Evalulations

feeds@yuku.com (captuhura) — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 18:42:10 GMT

Value-added Teacher Evaluations

Why Constructivist Teaching Does Not Work

feeds@yuku.com (SgtAmi) — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 16:19:46 GMT

http://d-edreckoning.blogspot.com/2006/10/this-is-your-brain.html

I thought this interesting.

Alternative: Boston Area Independent Secondary Schools

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Sun, 18 Oct 2009 10:12:24 GMT

(* Vivian and I are visiting all the atheistic independent middle schools we can find to get a sense of what is out there. I will write up notes and perceptions, all colored by my biases, of these schools. *)

We visited Beaver Country Day last week. Beaver Country Day strives to be a "progressive education" philosophy school. (See our topic on alternative education...

How much is technology a good reform idea?

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 13:21:25 GMT

Discuss how technology in the classroom can better prepare children for a future.

Video: Two Million Minutes (2MM)

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Mon, 12 Oct 2009 07:22:30 GMT

Discuss the video and the implications for
- US
- centralized government control of education
- believing our schools are "just fine"
- believing we can help our children by just fitting into the current system
- challenging our best and brightest
- using education as a political battlefield for alternative cultural indoctrination
- using education as a "good jobs" program for political operatives
- ignoring the best and brightest...

Movement: Exodus Mandate

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 14:57:01 GMT

This is a Christian call to remove Christian children from government schools.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRGZLSVph3A
http://www.exodusmandate.org/

While their primary concern is that government schools actively undermine their faith and their values, inserting a belief in government in its place, they also argue that government schools...

Alernative: Quest To Learn

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 09:50:40 GMT

A school in NY that is organized around video games......
http://www.economist.com/sciencetechnology/displayStory.cfm?STORY_ID=14350149

SINCE the beginning of mass education, schools have relied on what is known in educational circles as "chalk and talk"...the idea of a pedagogue leading his pupils...has rarely been...

Video: The 4th Purpose

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Fri, 18 Sep 2009 14:45:19 GMT

Let's hope that this documentary gets finished. (Scroll down to see the promotional reel.)

HR 3221: Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:22:21 GMT

The U.S. House of Representatives is scheduled to vote today or tomorrow on H.R. 3221, the "Student Aid and Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2009."

Like so many bills, it sounds good ("We're from the government and we're here to help"), but the bill would further erode parental responsibility and control of their own children, expand government bureaucratic control of children, and suck out even more money from parents and private companies to feed the ever...

Article: US Schools Fail to Serve best, Brightest students

feeds@yuku.com (captuhura) — Wed, 09 Sep 2009 20:27:12 GMT

Great Overview of the problems with government control education

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Tue, 25 Aug 2009 10:15:31 GMT

These kids did a great job distilling the argument down!� I was impressed!

Book: Walberg: School Choice - The Findings

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Mon, 10 Aug 2009 09:41:07 GMT

Herbert Walberg's 2007 book, School Choice - The Findings, has been sitting on my shelf for a while. It should not have. It is a cogent, well-researched, sound-design, well-written book. I read with a yellow highlighter. The book is largely highlighted, which argues the highlighter was already used by Walberg to take out the fluff.

I greatly look forward to an update from...

Book: Marzano: What Works in Schools

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Sun, 09 Aug 2009 11:30:16 GMT

Place to store lessons from Marzano's overview of research about what really works and doesn't work in school reform.

Teacher Training for High School

feeds@yuku.com (captuhura) — Sun, 02 Aug 2009 08:57:45 GMT

Teacher Training

Interesting! What is part of teacher training for high school science? I would think you need a science degree to teach physics, chemistry, biology at the high school level.

Alternative: Co-Ops

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 12:48:07 GMT

This topic talks about co-ops, where parents come together to create classes for their children. They may teach the class themselves, or they may seek outside people. The co-op might be a one-class deal, or it might meet over successive days.

This topic resides in Homeschooling Forum simply because most co-ops are homeschooling associated. However, one could think of vouchers as supporting a co-op approach, and ASers organizing co-ops. Either of these uses of co-ops are not...

Alternative: School at Sea

feeds@yuku.com (denpratt) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 12:58:27 GMT

Well, ain't this cool. Talk about not being institutionalized....

http://www.picton-castle.com/train/

Schools are mostly similar, it's the parents that differ

feeds@yuku.com (Ann) — Sun, 19 Jul 2009 09:44:25 GMT

Just thinking about the teacher assignment thread and wondering, other than avoiding the real "bad eggs," do teachers, and perceived quality of school, really matter all that much? I remember I had read something on this once stating that parental and home quality is what makes the difference.

From Newsweek:

In 1966, the Coleman Report concluded: "Schools are...

What happens to school choice if people aren't rational and choose bad schools?

feeds@yuku.com (Purplecow7) — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 12:45:40 GMT

http://www.britannica.com/blogs/2009/06/what-happens-to-school-choice-if-people-arent-rational-and-choose-bad-schools/

Interesting....people often make irrational decisions so why would be expect them to make rational decision about their child's schooling. "The No Child Left Behind Act allows parents to pull their children...