Reading is essential for learning, yet students across the U.S. are completing elementary school with inadequate reading abilities. So begins the announcement in The Harvard Gazette telling us about the new $30 million grant Chan/Zuckerberg will hand over to Harvard’s School of Education and MIT’s Integrative Learning Initiative (MITili). Learning to read, all of us […]
6 Concerns: Are “Community Schools” Paving the Way for School Choice and Digital Instruction?
Here is how the Coalition of Community Schools defines their concept of community schools. A community school is both a place and a set of partnerships between the school and other community resources. Its integrated focus on academics, health and social services, youth and community development and community engagement leads to improved student learning, stronger […]
Teacherless Koch School Supported by Wichita State University College of Education: Pixie Dust!
Here’s the pun of the day…well sort of…and it’s mixed with much magical pixie dust. Who does a College of Education, meant to prepare teachers to teach, teach when they partner with a private school that celebrates no teachers? It’s a mystery. These are transformational schools. But transformation doesn’t always work. Psst. Pixie dust is, […]
Teach Cursive Writing! Why It’s Important for Children Including Those with Dyslexia
Cursive writing is important for many reasons, and its loss in America’s classrooms should raise concerns. Cursive not only differs from print in the way it looks, it connects letters to words in a meaningful and productive way. It has been shown to assist children with reading difficulties like dyslexia. All students benefit by learning […]
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 […]
Destroying Special Ed: Sliding Backwards in Time
Serious changes are occurring when it comes to special education. This post is an attempt to tie recent events together. Under the Trump administration, the Education Department said Friday, it’s rescinding 72 guidance documents to “alleviate unnecessary burdens” and get rid of “unnecessary regulation” having to do with special education and rehabilitation. They seem to […]
Teachers or Technology? 12 Tech Takeover Concerns
Teachers in Boston are all aglow over personalized learning—teaching students how to learn on digital devices. But there’s something strange about learning how to help computers do a teacher’s job—like maybe tomorrow teachers will show up for work and their key will no longer open the classroom door. LearnLaunch Institute’s MassNet program is one of […]
FORCE & FLUNK: Destroying a Child’s Love of Reading—and Their Life
We are now in the dangerous era of FORCE & FLUNK when it comes to children and reading. Here’s how it works. FORCE A frenzy surrounding reading is caused by school reformers and the media, claiming children are not learning to read fast enough. Kindergarten is the new first grade, automatically making preschool the new […]
Are Children Getting Real Recess?
Children have been in school for awhile. How much recess are they getting? Is their school day overly organized? Are they getting pretend recess–physical education, or some canned program from a digital device? How many principals are tricking parents into thinking their children are getting real recess? Even preschool parents need to ask this question. […]
“Personalized Learning” is NOT Working for High School Students
Backed by major philanthropists and investors such as Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg, the ed-tech industry has aggressively pushed the idea of “personalized learning.” But on the ground, the concept remains nebulous, and research evidence remains thin. ~Benjamin Herold. Education Week, September 21, 2017 Will students graduate high school with what they need to go […]