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Monday, December 1, 2008 Online Modernization of Physics Books Michael Alison Chandler tells in the Washington Post about an effort in Virginia to update current physics books. Such texts are famous for "stopping abruptly at about the turn of the 20th century." Chandler tells in Stuck-in-the-Past Virginia Physics Texts Getting Online Jolt how the Virginia "state secretaries of education and technology asked a dozen teachers to write their own chapters in biophysics, nanotechnology and other emerging fields and post them online." The effort should be ready for use on Connexions, "a Content Commons of free, open-licensed educational materials," in February. Shuttle Lands Successfully in California
I spent a good bit of time yesterday afternoon switching back and forth from NASA TV to the Colts game to see the landing. I sometimes forget with satellite, I have access to NASA TV and can watch such events live. More on Michelle Rhee Washington, D.C., Schools Chancellor Michelle Rhee continues to get lots of press. Amanda Ripley has the cover article this week in Time Magazine, Rhee Tackles Classroom Challenge. In a blog posting, Michelle Rhee is Hardcore, Ripley writes, "I wouldn’t want to work for Michelle Rhee. But I’d like her to be my kid’s superintendent." I'm getting a little concerned at the growing "cult of Rhee." I listed some quotes by her last month here on Educators' News. What causes my discomfort is her all out attack on teacher tenure and bull in a china shop approach when dealing with employees. Tenure admittedly protects both good and bad teachers. However, in my experience, bad teachers remain in systems more because of administrators' lack of competent evaluation and guidance towards improvement, which can lead to dismissal, than because of tenure. Teacher tenure serves as a firewall to insure just cause is produced when terminating a teacher. Send Feedback to |
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A "Fundamental School" Indianapolis Star education writer Andy Gammill has an interesting story about a "school reform" that appears to be working in Indy. In IPS School 57's strict expectations as 'fundamental school' are popular, Gammill tells about School 57's "no-nonsense approach...which requires parents to formally agree to sign their children's homework each day, volunteer at the school regularly and respond to teachers' calls or notes within 24 hours." Gammill notes that "a few parents or students have opted to leave and a few others have been forced out, [but] the school is generally a hit." School Lunch Problems in California California in danger of running out of money for school meals by Mary MacVean reports that State Superintendent Jack O'Connell says California schools may run out of money this year to supplement school meals "because more struggling families are taking part in free or reduced-price school lunch programs." What About That Conjunction?
Sorry, English teachers, I'm not talking about "and, or," and "but." The conjunction of Jupiter, Venus, and the Moon that has been dazzling folks in North America with clear skies eluded us here in west central Indiana. I got a peek at it last night when our skies finally cleared, although the moon was pretty far away from the planets in the night sky by then. Of course, most of us elementary folk are now stuck with Conjunction Junction running through our heads the rest of the day. If you don't have the Grammar Rock or the Schoolhouse Rock BTW: Wikipedia has a pretty complete history of the Schoolhouse Rock series. A Reasoned Look at NCLB Reauthorization Robert Gordon takes a good look at the upcoming battle over the reauthorization of the No Child Left Behind Act in Going from B to A in Slate Magazine. He writes that "We don't need speedy fake accomplishment; we need substance." Gordon looks at the various groups now trying to impact NCLB and also offers some strong support for going to national standards. An older posting by Maisie McAdoo, The facts about classroom miracle workers, covers some of the same topics as Gordon's piece, but from an experienced teacher's viewpoint. No "F's" I ran across an article in the Grand Rapids Press from a blog posting, Get the H Out of There. Grand Rapids high school students cannot get failing grade under new policy tells of students receiving an "H” for "held," instead of an “F” on their report cards if they fail a course. Students in Grand Rapids high schools may then repeat the course, take it as an online class on Saturdays or evenings, work with tutors, or just take the "F." Press writer Dave Murray notes that "Teachers union leaders argue the change is another late-marking period scramble to boost sagging scores and undermines their ability to get students to show up and work hard all trimester...Superintendent Bernard Taylor said the plan gives students a second chance to overcome problems and be successful." Copy Machine Wars While No Child Left Behind may grip our nation's limited interest in education, real teachers in the classroom face silly, irritating issues that also hamper education. Senorita in the City, a second year teacher/blogger on EdWize, shares one of her pet peeves about education in The Copy Wars. It's the kind of stuff that we've all experienced and may bring a sympathetic grin to your face.
Today's Astronomy Picture of the Day is a gorgeous shot of a sunset in Brisbane, Australia, with the conjunction of Venus, Jupiter, and the Moon showing. Photographer Mike Salway worked a bit to get this and some other shots that are available on his Mike Salway Astronomy and Photography site. While on the subject of astronomy, let me mention that Dr. Tony Phillips has a new posting on his Science@NASA site, Return of the Leonids. While it's a bit early, Phillips writes that next November's Leonid meteor shower is predicted to be much stronger than in the past few years. Secretary of Education Stuff Conservative New York Times columnist David Brooks takes a look at the Obama transition team's search for a Secretary of Education in Who Will He Choose? Brooks sees the choice as an indicator of where the Obama administration will go on education. He writes:
That "superficial reforms" is a hint of just where Brooks is going in this one. Late in the piece, he writes, "If accountability standards are watered down, as the establishment wants, then real reform will fade." Changing the unreachable 100% proficiency by 2014 standard of NCLB into something that effectively measures and encourages growth in all academic areas is critical to an effective, new education law. The Associated Press reports in Potential Obama pick visits Education Department that Chicago schools chief Arne Duncan, a rumored candidate for Secretary of Education, visited the Education Department Thursday morning. Duncan said his visit was a purely social call. High School Microbank Steve Friess has an intriguing article in The New York Times, Turning Around the Idea of Student Loans. Students at the private Meadows School in Las Vegas raised about $25,000 to begin a loan program for women in Peru. The program is in association with Pro Mujer, "a nonprofit lending institution based in New York that issues small loans to poor women in foreign countries to use for buying tools to start or expand small businesses." The Meadows students seem "to be leaning toward directing their money to Peruvian women in part because Peru would be closer and less expensive for them to visit than another contender, Argentina." Earthshots.org
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, which contains 20 episodes of the old PBS favorite. I hope the remake is still on schedule for airing in January, 2009, as reported here 
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©2008 Steven L. Wood