Learning By HeartLearning By HeartThis Open Source Learning Community is created by educators for educators. Open Source Learning is the new name for Progressive Education. 
Articles
Data Research
2008-01-14 08:00:00 When I was at Agassi Prep in Las Vegas, we piloted programs to use data in our assessment of students. Even though the kids still lagged far behind many of their peers from across the City in mostly non-minority schools, the students made great gains in a period of less than four years. I must admit that I do not recommend that quantitative data alone is solely the answer but it certainly helps. It helps when trying to move the very bottom quartile kids from where they were to the next quartile up. It also works when trying to move the second two quartiles to the top two, but less well. However, it didn't work as well when trying to move the top kids up more. Why? It seems that instruction was aimed at the middle and lower half of the class rather than to the very top achievers. Often, there is even a negative return on data mining investments because the bright kids in a class want to be engaged in a different way. What does this mean? The question asking and other inqu... More About: Research , Data
Caveat Emptor
2008-01-08 04:52:00 I sometimes engage in lengthy discussions on other blogs, especially about Progressive education and politics. This entry came from http://www.amptoons.com/blog/archives/200 8/01/07/a-dangerous-distraction/#comment- 315177, a site that I am having a great deal of fun at:I think what Barack Obama represents is a new sense of connectedness to politics that many Americans are experiencing. It’s as if he offers a bit of a reprieve from the learned helplessness we’ve experienced under Bush. (I’m not convinced I’ll vote for him, mind you.) The actual changes he can make are uncertain.Boy, I couldn't agree with you more. People forget that politics is more about feeling sometimes (JFK) and less about how someone can operate the system (LBJ). It's the beauty of Obama's candidacy and the danger of it. We are all waiting to be inspired and each of last week's Iowa Caucus winning candidates, Obama and Huckabee, are raising people's pulse rates a bit. Of course, we need to put b... More About: Caveat Emptor , Cave
Starting Now: My Least Favorite Time of the Year
2008-01-07 20:51:00 Although the middle of January generally marks the half year point in most schools, coming back from Christmas Break feels so much like the mid-way point. It isn't. Additionally, the mid-winter to mid-spring time also feels like the toughest slog during the school year to me, especially February, which has to be the cruelest month of the year.Over the last ten years or so as an educator, now being an administrator with hiring and firing decision-making, this time of the year is the most nerve-wracking. Yet, nothing compares with the unexpected loss. Seven years ago, I lost my first student at a school to suicide, which is the toughest blow of all. Losing a child to his or her own hand is devastating, which acts in a way to pull one's mind always back to that day. I'm interested in other people's experiences of the ebb and flow of the school year. If you have a favorite time of the year or least favorite, please comment below. More About: Time , Favorite , Year
To Sir With Love
2008-01-07 06:01:00 Even before "A Nice White Lady," Sidney Portier defined the inspirational teacher in To Sir With Love . Artist: Lulu Song: To Sir With Love Album: Best Of-From Crayons To PerfuThose schoolgirl days, of telling tales and biting nails are gone,But in my mind,I know they will still live on and on,But how do you thank someone, who has taken you from crayons to perfume?It isn't easy, but I'll try,If you wanted the sky I would write across the sky in letters,That would soar a thousand feet high,To Sir, with LoveThe time has come,For closing books and long last looks must end,And as I leave,I know that I am leaving my best friend,A friend who taught me right from wrong, And weak from strong,That's a lot to learn,What, what can I give you in return?If you wanted the moon I would try to make a start,But I, would rather you let me give my heart,To Sir, with Love.
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Fred Thompson
2008-01-07 05:38:00 In addition to being an actor who has played presidents in two films, Fred Thompson is trying to act his way into the White House. Thompson held out to the very last minute before announcing his candidacy to see if he can gain some momentum and save a little dough for the role errr... road ahead. Thompson voted for No Child Left Behind in 2001 but feels that charter schools are the answer. They aren't. According to USA Today, here's where Thompson stands on NCLB and other educational issues:Fred Thompson on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawWhen he was a U.S. senator representing Tennessee, Fred Thompson voted in 2001 for the No Child Left Behind education law. The law, signed by President Bush in 2002, requires states to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.Thompson has said he believes it is appropriate for the federal government to provide money if states meet certain goals but... More About: Education , Presidential , Candidates
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Bill Richardson
2008-01-07 05:33:00 Bill Richardson is another marginalized presidential candidate who has the right ida about No Child Left Behind. Catch his other stands on the issues, according to USA Today, before he's out of the race:Bill Richardson on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawNew Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson, a Democrat, says he wants to scrap the education law known as No Child Left Behind, which requires states to test students annually. It was signed by President Bush in 2002. “Our students are suffering under this failed policy,” Richardson said on his campaign website. He wants to beef up education funding and replace the current system of sanctions for chronically low-performing schools with one that provides more assistance.On making college affordableRichardson wants to make college available to “every high school graduate who wants to attend.” He supports expanding college grants and loan options but has not provided many specifics.Other education prioritiesRichardson wants to raise ... More About: Education , Presidential , Bill Richardson , Candidates
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Mitt Romney
2008-01-07 05:23:00 Mitt Romney is the only presidential candidate willing to admit, however implicitly, that the No Child Left Behind and the current US Department of education is a way to neutralize the powerful teachers' unions. So, the smoking gun is in the hands of a presidential candidate who has flip-flopped (that is a pretty cool word) on educational issues.Here is where Romney sits on the other issues, inluding NCLB:Mitt Romney on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawFormer Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney has talked about how his views on federal involvement in education have evolved. Romney said during a May 2007 debate in South Carolina that he supported abolishing the Department of Education during his 1994 U.S. Senate bid because "it was very popular with the (GOP) base.”As governor from January 2003 to January 2007, he said he saw the impact the agency had in “holding down the interests of the teachers union.” He said that is why he embraced the No Child Left Behind education la... More About: Presidential , Mitt Romney , Candidates
Human Tetris
2008-01-06 01:54:00 So, I love funny and weird stuff that kids would love, too. Simple, charming, and old school. For your entertainment pleasure, here it is, Human Tetris :
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Barack Obama
2008-01-05 23:32:00 Other than the fact that my mother attends church with Senator Obama , I didn't know much about him until his candidacy for the US Senate seat in Illinois a few years back. He certainly is Kennedy-esque in coming out of nowhere to upset the apple cart of the status quo. While attending an educator's of color conference in Independent Schools in Boston at the tail end of November 2007, we (mostly African American) educators debated Barack 's chances for getting the Democratic Party's nomination and later winning the election. Out of the seven or eight of us who debated his chances, I was the lone voice who said that Obama had a chance of getting the Party's nod to head the ticket. Not that I was or am endorsing Obama at this point, but I did see that Obama's luck and skill as a candidate is more savvy than we have seen in many generations--perhaps not since the initial candidacies of Ronald Reagan, Jimmy Carter, John Kennedy, or Franklin Roosevelt. At the moment, Barack's p... More About: Education , Barack Obama , Presidential
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Ron Paul
2008-01-05 23:23:00 Like Sen. Barack Obama, the constituent base for Rep. Ron Paul (R.-Texas) are rabid and different. Both men garner support that echoes Beatlemania or Ross Perot-like enthusiasm. Rep. Paul is also in the populist camp, which seems to be striking a chord with the fringe as well as mainstream folks alike. His take on families who homeschool their children separates him from his other presidential competitors.Below is where Ron Paul stands on education, as compiled by USA Today...Ron Paul on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawRep. Ron Paul, R-Texas, voted against the education law known as No Child Left Behind, which requires states to test students annually, and remains wary of federal intervention in education. He is co-sponsoring a bill that would allow states to opt out of the No Child Left Behind mandates but still receive federal education aid. Under the proposal, residents of those states would receive a tax credit equal to the amount that they otherwise would have received i... More About: Education , Presidential , Candidates
US Presidential Candidates On Education: John McCain
2008-01-05 05:02:00 Not exactly the Education Presidential candidate, John McCain stands by his expertise as a patriot. His website states: "John McCain is an experienced conservative leader in the tradition of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt, and Ronald Reagan. He is a common sense conservative who believes in a strong national defense, a smaller, more accountable government, economic growth and opportunity, the dignity of life and traditional values." Okay, but what does that have to do with the rest of us. According to USA Today, here is where McCain lives when it comes to education:John McCain on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawSen. John McCain, R-Ariz., has praised the No Child Left Behind education law as a “good beginning” that requires schools to meet specific performance targets. He voted for the law, which requires states to test students annually, in 2001. McCain says there are problems with the law, particularly when it comes to testing students with disabilities and non-Engl... More About: Candidates
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Dennis Kucinich
2008-01-05 04:43:00 Dennis Kucinich is the progressive's progressive. He's sort of a throwback to the populist presidential candidate William Jennings Bryan with more than a little bit of a whiff of the accused anarchists Sacco and Vanzetti . Kucinich is like your crazy uncle who everyone is embarrassed by because of his odiferous gas, but you can't help but be enamored by his willingness to call a spade a spade. This is where USA Today says that Kucinich stands on education...Dennis Kucinich on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawRep. Dennis Kucinich, D-Ohio, doesn’t hide his contempt for the education law known as No Child Left Behind and its reliance on test scores to judge performance. He voted for the bill in 2001. Kucinich told the National Education Association in July 2007 that he wants to reduce the amount of testing and give schools greater flexibility to use other ways of measuring student achievement. “We need to make sure children can read, but we do not want to defeat the learn... More About: Presidential , Candidates , Dennis
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Mike Gravel
2008-01-05 04:29:00 The 2008 Iowa Caucuses have come and gone, while the New Hampshire primary is coming up hard on our right. The next candidate that we examine is Mike Gravel of Alaska, who is still in the race. Gravel, although the longest of long-shots, is still in the race, contrary to what MSNBC's Keith Olbermann has indicated. This is where Gravel stands on educational issues, according to USA Today:Mike Gravel on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawFormer Alaska senator Mike Gravel says he doesn’t like the No Child Left Behind education law, saying its emphasis on testing has robbed students of a well-rounded education. The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.“Principals constantly prep students for the tests by cutting not only art, gym and music but also history and science,” he wrote in The New York Sun on Aug. 30, 2007. “No wonder children are bored with s... More About: Education , Presidential , Candidates
Education As We Know It Is Dead: Radical Ideas About Education
2008-01-05 03:30:00 Two days ago, one of our readers wrote:>NCLB, Great concept but DUMB implementationI'm not all that in love with the concept of NCLB because of what it does. I hate to be a platonic elitist but, like you, I believe that all children should be seeking what they are good at and what their strengths are. We should figure out the bare-bones of what kids absolutely need to know and then get them into societally appropriate endeavors where they will be productive. Do all kids need to have Geometry and Algebra II? Do they all need to have Ancient History, World History, and US History? Can we feed them early on in their educational careers by having them fed by things like culinary schools or a sales academy, perhaps, rather than dragging their carcasses through a regiment of "what we think you need to know" think? What about giving kids who aren't real school-type kids the Cliff Notes' version of education, with the appropriate credit, of course, and get them doing more stuff tha... More About: Ideas , Education , Dead , Radical
How the Iowa Caucuses Work
2008-01-03 16:16:00 Today marks the beginning of the presidential election primaries with the Iowa Caucuses . It's democrary in action where common, ordinairy folks get to cast ballots for representatives who will later go to the district, state, and national conventions where candidates will be elected--or annointed--by their individual national parties this summer. If that sounds convoluted, well, it is. Here's a further breakdown of how the Caucuses in Iowa work:How the Iowa caucuses work Neighbors sip coffee, tout their candidatesThe Associated Pressupdated 3:07 p.m. PT, Sat., Jan. 10, 2004IOWA CITY, Iowa - Pat Kennedy expects the coffee to be hot and the passions to be strong when she opens her home to Democrats eager to caucus and begin choosing a nominee for president.“I don’t think we’ll be getting into big, heated arguments, but I expect people to stand their ground,” said Kennedy, a rookie precinct chairwoman in Corning, Iowa. “When people first get here, we’ll read some letter... More About: Work
Happy New Year! What's Old is What's New
2008-01-01 23:35:00 So, it's the New Year ! What does it hold in store for us as a people, as a nation of innovators and learners. Most of our early attention this year will be centered on what's happening in Iowa, Pakistan, Iran, and Iraq. Taking our collective eyes off of the ball.Perhaps we'll even pay some attention to what the Israelis and Palestinian's are up to (vis-a-vis the Bush administration wanting to salvage it's reputation in the world. Can you say, "Condi-NOT!")The real attention should be on the future of education and what the early Presidential primaries may have in store for the school children in this country for the next three generations. Although we can no longer ignore world events (global warning, enter stage right), we must also keep our eye on the ball as it relates to the dumbing of the American child.One woman that I spoke to said that No Child Left Behind poses a grave and present danger to the autonomy of our nation as a civilization. Does this sound like a hys... More About: Happy , Happy New Year
US Presidential Candidates On Education: John Edwards
2008-01-01 00:01:00 In 2001 John Edwards voted for the awful No Child Left Behind bill that has become the scourge of most public schools and school districts in this country. Make no mistake, NCLB is a mistake. There is no way to sugar-coat how bad the law and its intended or unintended impact on teaching and learning has meant for American education. However, we do like some of the other more creative solutions that Edwards is authoring about reducing the drop-out rate and providing more access for students to go to college. Yet, does Edwards go far enough? Not nearly. According to USA Today, here are some of the other issues that Edwards has grappled with educationally...John Edwards on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawAs a senator representing North Carolina, Democrat John Edwards voted in 2001 for the education bill known as No Child Left Behind. Now, he says, the law should be “radically overhauled.” The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make acad... More About: Education , Presidential , Candidates
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Duncan Hunter
2007-12-31 23:49:00 Duncan Hunter ?!! Your guess is as good as mine. I hadn't heard of him either. Wouldn't you know it that he has a very Libertarian streak when it comes to education--with the exception of school vouchers. People like Hunter cloak their disdain for public education but is willing to have taxpayers bankroll private schools in the form of vouchers. Here's where Hunter stands on the other educational issues...Duncan Hunter on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawAlthough Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., voted in 2001 for the education law known as No Child Left Behind, he is no fan of federal intervention in education. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.Hunter says he would move to dismantle the top-down “expensive and inefficient” mandates of the law and has co-sponsored legislation to change it. That bill would give s... More About: Education , Presidential , Candidates
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Chris Dodd
2007-12-31 23:36:00 Chris Dodd , like most of the other candidates, would like to spend more money on fully funding No Child Left Behind, particularly in funding failing schools. He voted for the original legislation in 2001. Not much innovation in his arsenal. Just the same old thing. Here is where Dodd stands on NCLB and some of the other issues...Chris Dodd on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawSen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., would keep intact the basic accountability-driven framework of the education law, known as No Child Left Behind, that President Bush signed in January 2002. The law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.Dodd wants to spend more money on failing schools, a departure from the law’s emphasis on punishing schools that perennially score poorly on tests. Dodd voted for the legislation in 2001.On making college affordableDodd says no one who wants a college education s... More About: Education , Presidential , Candidates , Chris
Mad TV's "A Nice White Lady"
2007-12-31 06:03:00 It's great when the popular culture can poke fun at itself. From Freedom Writers to Dangerous Mind and more, Mad TV gets it right. More About: White , Lady , Nice
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Mike Huckabee
2007-12-31 05:44:00 Mike Huckabee is a rising star in the Republican Party. Republicans have been looking for a telegenic candidate like Huckabee ("What would you give me for Mike Huckabee and Kevin Spacey") who believes what the right wing element of the party believes. Huckabee is a died in the wool neo-con and the Right loves him. This is what USA Today says about his stand on education...Mike Huckabee on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawFormer Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee, a Republican, supports the education law known as No Child Left Behind. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Failure to meet certain requirements results in reduced federal funding to schools.Though he has said opponents of the law have maligned it as unwarranted federal intrusion, Huckabee agrees states should oversee implementation of the law. “While there is value in the No Child Left Behind law's effort to set high national standards, states must be allowed to d... More About: Education , Presidential , Mike Huckabee , Candidates , Mike
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Hillary Clinton
2007-12-31 03:57:00 Many of the pundits have said that Hillary Clinton is the candidate to beat in next year's election? Yet, is her position on education that of a frontrunner or that of an also ran. You decide...Hillary Rodham Clinton on educationOn No Child Left Behind lawSen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y., voted in 2001 for the education bill known as No Child Left Behind. Signed into law by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.Now Clinton is calling for a “total change” in the law partly because she says the federal government isn’t giving states enough flexibility to measure student progress. “We need to make sure that when we look at our children, we don’t just see a little walking test,” she said at an August 2007 debate. Like other Democratic candidates, Clinton has accused the Bush administration of not funding the law adequatel... More About: Education , Presidential , Candidates
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Rudy Giuliani
2007-12-31 02:21:00 This post is taken directly from USA Today's on-line segment that shows where the candidates stand on various issues. Rudy Giuliani on education:On No Child Left Behind lawFormer New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani has not explicitly criticized the education standards law known as No Child Left Behind. Signed by President Bush in 2002, the law requires every state to test students annually. Schools failing to make academic progress over several years could be closed or have their faculty replaced.Giuliani talks about giving parents more control over decisions affecting their children’s education, instead of giving it all to the federal and state agencies that are central to the law’s structure. “My mother did a much better job with my education than a government bureaucrat could do,” he said on his campaign website.On making college affordableGiuliani doesn’t offer many specifics, except to say he wants the competitive marketplace to sort things out. “Give people more of ... More About: Education , Presidential , Candidates
US Presidential Candidates On Education: Joseph Biden
2007-12-28 21:03:00 Joe Biden is the first candidate that we'll examine. His stance on No Child Left Behind is, like most of the other candidates, that it is under-funded. He favors innovation and retaining good teachers, while proposing a sizable increase in funding to schools. These sound like good ideas, except where are we going to get that money? Raising taxes? The following, taken from the candidates website, represents what Biden believes about Education :Education: A Promise For The Future “My mother has an expression, children tend to become that which you expect of them. I want a country where we expect much from America’s children. Every child must graduate from high school. Every child should go on to higher education. Today, just two-thirds of students entering high school graduate, and about two-thirds of those go on to college. We are losing too many children in this country, wasting too much talent, leaving so much potential untapped. We know what we need to do: First, ... More About: Presidential , Candidates , Joseph
What Must Be Done: National Candidates Educational Policies
2007-12-28 03:46:00 Today begins a comprehensive journey to let readers know where the different candidates stand on educational policies. We'll highlight three areas of focus: No Child Left Behind, Learning and Teaching, and Innovation.Since many Progressive Educators in the Open Source Community believe that the educational mandate entitled No Child Left Behind, while a good sentiment to let no child flounder in sinking public schools, the reality has been less than ideal. In fact, many people call the bill "No Child Left Untested." Please remember that No Child Left Behind is fully a bipartisan effort that has been the death-knell to innovative teaching and creative learning. Sort of like everything touched by the current president's administration and this Congress. No one is excused from blame in this shambles of a law and what it has wrought Why is NCLB so bad? It's not just that it is underfunded. The bill needs to be scrapped, completely. It does not work and it is harmful to the ve... More About: National , Educational , Candidates , Policies , Candidate
Benazir Bhutto Assassinated
2007-12-27 22:07:00 Today, Benazir Bhutto was assassinated in Pakistan after returning from self-imposed exile in London just a few short months ago. When hearing of her return, I thought to myself, she is not long for this world. Today's New York Times obituary said of her:A deeply polarizing figure, Ms. Bhutto, the “daughter of Pakistan,” was twice elected prime minister and twice expelled from office in a swirl of corruption charges that propelled her into self-imposed exile in London for much of the past decade. She returned home this fall, billing herself as a bulwark against Islamic extremism and a tribune of democracy.http://www.nytimes.com/2007/12/ 28/world/asia/28bhuttocnd.html?_r=1&hp&or ef=sloginAs we head into another United States presidential electoral cycle, may we teach the children well about how the electoral process can lead to peaceful and meaningful change. More About: Benazir Bhutto , Assassinated , Hutto
Oobleck Pool at the Exploratorium
2007-12-26 23:24:00 Here's an example of what some teachers have done at the Exploratorium in San Francisco. This is a group of the Exploratorium's Teacher's Institute who run back and forth across a pool of cornstarch and water--Oobleck--at the Exploratorium. More About: Pool
Too Much TV--When Kids Are Bored
2007-12-26 21:49:00 The Exploratorium is a children's science museum that many Bay Area families visit during breaks. Teachers also use the Exploratorium to support their science learning in their classrooms. My children have been sleeping late this past week. It's what my wife truly hates: too much TV. Like one of those Berenstain Bears' books where the bear cubs and their goofy dad watch way too much television or eat far too much crappy foods. The sanctimonious books were the mainstay of our hosuehold when the kids were three, four, and five. Not any more, thank goodness. My daughter and son are now older and their taste in reading has gotten to be much more sophisticated. They've been reading books like EVERY LITTLE BIRD THAT SINGS, which is about a girl whose family owns a funeral parlor (actually not one of my favorite books that she has chosen for us to read to her at night). My son is reading INTO THE WILD, based on the disappearance of a young man into the wilds of Alaska. Altho... More About: Kids , Bored
Come, All Ye Faithful
2007-12-26 00:19:00 Yesterday, my family and I made our yearly pilgrimage to church. This time we were at a candle light service at St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Marin City. We chose it because we knew that it was Anne Lamott's church and that it was multiracial and multicultural. The last two elements would fit nicely with our family. Plus, the minister is a sister.Thirty minutes before the service began, I drove like a bat out of hell, trying to beat the traffic (which there was none) and parishioners who would be lined up down the block to get into the Marin City church. As we pulled into the parking lot, across the way from the Outback Steakhouse, where we have spent a good deal of our dining out time since we arrived back in the Bay Area, we noticed very few cars in the parking lot. Including our own car, there were only three families who had arrived. One very friendly-faced African American woman waved to us as I turned off the Christmas carols and the car. I wasn't mistaken, th... More About: Faithful
Making It Back
More articles from this author:2007-12-24 23:44:00 This is the time of year when educators, like most other people around the world, re-charge and re-double their efforts to work diligently and faithfully in their classrooms and beyond. I know that I spent many a sleepless night worried about a kid or three, wondering if they were going to make it back to school in the New Year. One such boy was "Johnny," which was his actual name. He belonged to a gang called the Harpies in the North San Fernando Valley: Pacoima. This was the early '90s and Rodney King's beating was a not too distant memory from where we worked and plied our trade as teachers. One December, Johnny told me about pulling the trigger on this one "fool" to avenge another homey who had been shot the week before. He also told me about his own close calls with death when a drive-by went through his set. What I loved about Johnny and his best friend Alex is that they were good boys underneath all of that postering and blubber. In 9th and 10th grade, they weren't... More About: Back 1, 2, 3, 4 |
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