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Larger Classes This Fall Libby Quaid takes a look at what is happening nationally on class size in School budgets dip, class sizes grow. Quaid reports that 44 percent of school districts around the country are "expected to increase class size" for the 2009-2010 school year. Falling state revenues are forcing budget cuts and teacher layoffs "even as the economic stimulus pumps billions of dollars into schools." Jupiter Impact A discovery by amateur astronomer Anthony Wesley moved NASA last week to interrupt the recently refurbished Hubble Space Telescope's checkout and calibration to document an "impact scar" on Jupiter. Wesley photographed a dark image on Jupiter's gaseous surface on July 19 that apparently is the temporary mark left by a collision with a meteor or asteroid. Hubble Space Telescope Captures Rare Jupiter Collision, the Astronomy Picture of the Day, and Wesley's own Impact mark on Jupiter tell the tale.
Is It Just Me? Take a look at Brian Howey's Daniels’ Education ‘Revolution’ Next Week that appeared yesterday in our local paper, the Terre Haute Tribune-Star, and see if you don't catch the venom against Indiana's public schools and public school teachers dripping from the Governor's lips. Send Feedback to |
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Digital Textbooks Meris Stansbury has a good article on eSchool News in The rise of digital textbooks. As school systems look to trim budgets, digital textbooks are being seriously considered by systems with 1:1 computing. Interestingly, news of a possible Apple entry into the tablet market continues (See Apple's much-anticipated tablet device coming early next year) to pop up here and there. Christopher Dawson on ZNnet has some interesting insights into what he'd like to see in an Apple tablet device for education in The Apple tablet is a non-starter in Ed without content. School Gardens Krista Simmons has a good article about school gardens in California in A new crop of school gardens. She tells how grants and volunteers continue to propel old and new school gardens. Changes to Indiana Teacher Licensing Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels made good on his promise (threat) I alluded to on Monday in proposed changes to teacher licensing. Daniels wants to do away with many methods courses in favor of more rigorous content courses for teachers, including things such as math and science minors for elementary ed majors. Teacher training faces overhaul by the Indy Star's Andy Gammill tells of the negative response from education groups around the state that typically were not consulted before Daniels's push began.
Changes to Indiana Teacher Licensing Indiana Governor Mitch Daniels and Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Bennett's plan to remake teacher training in Indiana hit a snag this week. Daniels had kicked off his blitzkrieg attack on teacher certification and the state's schools of education in an interview with Brian Howey, Daniels’ Education ‘Revolution’ Next Week. Bennett and the Indiana Department of Education then sought immediate approval from the Professional Standards Advisory Board to begin the hearing process on changing certification rules. Andy Gammill's Board to chief of schools: Not so fast in the Indianapolis Star tells that the Advisory Board balked on voting on the Governor and Superintendent's plan "less than a day after receiving the proposal."
Anyone who has endured and survived teacher training and licensing in Indiana knows that there's the good, bad, and really ugly to the process. Parts of the undergraduate training process definitely need to be changed. But the current proposal smacks of a political agenda on the part of the Governor and Superintendent, rather than any real plan to improve education in Indiana. The absence of any improvement in teaching kids to read suggests the folks writing the plan don't have their finger on the pulse of education. Under the proposal new elementary teachers would be required to "have at least a minor in a core subject area such as math, English, science, social studies or art." That's not a bad thing, but if it comes at the expense of learning how to teach kids to read (some of the classes called "mumbo jumbo" by the Governor), there's a problem. WSJ on Race to the Top The Wall Street Journal offered their views yesterday in Obama’s ‘Race to the Top’. They sum up their case against the program, teachers' unions, and public education in general:
Other Stuff The Washington Post's Michael Alison Chandler looks at teacher training alternatives today in Business Is Brisk for Teacher Training Alternatives. And the space shuttle Endeavour is supposed to land at Cape Kennedy this morning according to the NASA press release, Space Shuttle Crew Set To Return To Earth Friday. Odds 'n' Ends
Then as Annie and I visited with one of our married daughters and her husband last evening, I noticed the early evening sky.
I hope that's a nice way to end the week here on Educators' News. Have a great weekend!
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While July is fully summer, teachers across the nation are already heading back into their classrooms getting ready for the 2009-2010 school year. I'd really like to see some education writer put something up online about such teacher preparations. It's becoming common to kick around teachers and teachers' unions, but these folks contribute countless hours (and dollars) to educating America's children with very little positive feedback.
Okay, I guess it's time to get off my editorial high horse (before my aging bones fall off). As I was writing an update yesterday for my 
and quickly mounted its 
and stuck it out an upstairs window. I was a bit too slow, as the deer began to run, but I did catch a nice shot of a spotted fawn in the group. It's a crop from the overexposed full frame shown at left.
©2009 Steven L. Wood