On this one-year anniversary of the shooting at Marjorie Stoneman Douglas High School, I am remembering the students and their parents and teachers, especially those who lost loved ones. MSD represents a great public school. Beyond the sadness of that day, we saw what a good public school can be. We saw loving, supportive parents. […]
Social-Emotional Learning and Teachers Students Love? Teachers in Los Angeles!
Social-emotional learning (SEL) in schools makes many parents and teachers nervous. We worry there’s an ulterior motive to collect behavioral data on how children think and act, and that the ultimate goal is to privatize public schools and track students. Talk about transforming our public schools away from cognitive learning to SEL is everywhere! Those […]
Teachers, Hold On to Your Desks! YOU Make Instruction Work!
Teachers, hold on to your desks! Your classroom footprint matters! It’s always a thrill this time of year to see teachers on social media showing off their classrooms. Not only are teachers proud of their workspace, they understand that the ambience in those rooms is critical to how students feel about learning and school. Teachers often dip […]
101 (And MORE) Wishes For Students in 2018—In 5 Words or Less
Provide children plenty of recess. Pay attention to child development. Cherish play for children. Encourage teens to socialize. Lower class sizes. Bring back the arts. Provide all students art instruction. Give students credentialed art teachers. Let children dance. Sing-along with students. Teach students to play instruments. Display student art in schools. Bring back school plays. […]
The “Education Revolution”=Chaos!
The Education Revolution—we hear these words a lot lately referring to public schools. Public schools have always incorporated changes to the curriculum. Some have worked and some have not. But the overhaul to make technology-driven charter schools is unproven and drastic. Here’s a list of Silicon Schools. They are charter schools. Groups like the Relay […]
Luck vs. Grit: Lessons from a Cubs Fan
As Luck Would Have it. William Shakespeare No one understands luck like a Cubs fan. And there is a lesson there for students in this era of grit. Grit involves the thinking that through perseverance and resilience you can reach your goals. To some extent the ability to overcome difficulties and hang in there when […]
Missing Socialization in Today’s Public Schools
How do democratic public schools address the socialization of students? How are children brought together to make a kinder world? Does anyone even ask that question today? This past weekend I read “My Pedagogic Creed” by John Dewey (a little light reading on a Sunday afternoon), and I was struck by how far our public […]
What If the Wealthy Donated to Fixing Public School Buildings?
According to a 2014 PBS report, more than half of the nation’s public school buildings are in bad shape, and it will take $197 billion to fix or rebuild them. Where will all the money come from to do this? I checked, and most of the Presidential candidates on both sides have said that they […]
Some Good Education News from 2015
Writing about education is interesting, but it can also be depressing. Sometimes it feels like being a hamster on one of those wheels. So as we close out 2015, here is a list of some good news that happened in 2015. If you have something to add, let me know! Happy New Year! These are […]
Nine Reasons to Look Down on Think it Up
I missed the Think it Up glitz the other night. But I have seen some of the video. So what’s wrong with the wealthy wanting to crowdsource Americans to donate to student/teacher projects that will change the world? Anthony Cody writes a piece about Think it Up on his blog “Living in Dialogue,” and I […]