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Is it possible to grade teachers on how much they inspire?

I grew up hearing my father talk about his treks to a one-room schoolhouse in Aiken, SC, says a contributor for Takepart.com. Those seven-mile walks, verified by the car odometer, were mitigated because he loved his teacher and couldn’t wait to sit in her classroom. She inspired him to learn, and her encouragement propelled him to go to college at the age of 15. I came to fully understand my father’s feelings when Helen Shelton became my first-grade teacher. Not only did she inspire me, but she also truly made me feel as though I was the smartest kid in the world and that I could be and do anything. She helped to set me on a path of learning and growing in school. Like me and my dad, millions of other Americans have been inspired and motivated by their teachers. As we consider the best way to evaluate and judge teacher effectiveness, I am struck by a question rarely asked in this brave new world of high-stakes testing, peer reviews and student performance: How do we measure inspiration?

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A class where opening minds, not earning credits, is the point

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Tuvan throat singing was never in my repertoire, says Tamar Lewin for the New York Times. I had never heard of Tuva, a small Russian republic north of Mongolia. And until the third week of “Listening to World Music,” a free online course taught by a University of Pennsylvania professor [2], I did not know that the human throat was capable of producing two notes simultaneously. But after listening to a lecture on Tuvan culture and history and viewing throat-singing videos [3], I was hooked on the sound — a deep buzz saw with high overtone whistles — and was happy to watch the assigned 90-minute concert by a touring Tuvan ensemble. I wrote the required essay that night, the Tuvan steppes still on my mind. Three days later, I was given five essays by classmates to grade. (With 36,000 students enrolled, peer grading was the only practical way that Coursera, the company offering the course, could assess students’ work.) I had my doubts about the process, but to my surprise, the process was interesting and useful and taught me as much as the lectures did…

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What if the highest-paid people at school were… the teachers?

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Barnett Berry shows a picture of himself from 1979 to a group of Arkansas teachers, says Takepart.com. The educators laugh at the young, bright-eyed teacher, who is now president of the Center for Teacher Equality. He tells them it’s been decades since he’s been in a classroom, but that doesn’t mean he is clueless about what they handle on a daily basis. He also shares where he thinks the teaching profession needs to go.

“There is a difference between those who teach and those who lead,” Berry said during the lecture for Arkansas teachers at the William J. Clinton Presidential Center.

He added, “Teachers need to transform teachers.”

The first way to do that? Forget about calling teachers, well, teachers. Berry would rather call them “teacherpreneurs.” He sees them as having additional roles as policy researchers, assessment experts, and community organizers…

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Scott Walker calls for tying higher ed dollars to completion rates

Posted By Staff and wire services reports On In Curriculum,District Management,eClassroom News,IT Management,Teaching & Learning | No Comments

Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) wants to overhaul public higher education funding in his state, but his proposed agenda has been criticized by Democratic opponents as “social engineering” that could prevent students from studying what they’re passionate about, the Huffington Post reports. In a speech at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library and Foundation in Simi Valley, Calif. on Friday, Walker announced plans to reform how Wisconsin colleges receive appropriations [6], tying the funding to college completion rates and pushing for more students to study certain high-demand majors, the Wisconsin State Journal reported.

“We’re going to tie our funding in our technical colleges and our University of Wisconsin System into performance and say, if you want money, we need you to perform,” Walker said. “In higher education, that means not only degrees, but are young people getting degrees in jobs that are open and needed today — not just the jobs that the universities want to give us, or degrees that people want to give us.”

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How proper ed-tech implementation can transform learning

Posted By By Laura Devaney, Managing Editor On In District Management,Getting the Most out of Your Ed-Tech Investment,IT Management,Professional Development,Registration Required,STEM,Teaching & Learning,Top News | 1 Comment
When it comes to digital learning, high-quality programs embrace what the report identifies as the three Ts: teaching, technology, and time.

A new report outlines four critical challenges facing public education and identifies steps that school and district leaders must take in the next two years to ensure that digital learning has a lasting effect on students.

The Nation’s Schools Are Stepping Up to Higher Standards [8],” from the Alliance for Excellent Education, notes that the nation’s education system is begging for an overhaul, and the coming years are crucial as policy makers and educators strive to create an education system that addresses student needs and ensures that all students emerge ready to compete on a global level.

“The next two years will see unprecedented developments in K-12 public education as states set fundamentally higher-than-ever standards for students of all socioeconomic backgrounds,” said Bob Wise, president of the Alliance for Excellent Education and former governor of West Virginia. “Technology can play a vital role in supporting teachers and helping public schools and districts meet these challenges, but technology by itself is not the answer; simply slapping a netbook on top of a textbook is not enough. But when districts develop a plan to pair technology with effective teaching and more efficient use of time, technology can accelerate the pace of improvement and boost student outcomes.”

Increasing needs for higher student achievement

Every state requires all students to graduate college- and career-ready, and the nation’s schools must be able to meet this standard. Estimates maintain that just 25 percent of high school students actually meet this requirement. High school graduation rates hover around 72 percent overall, with that rate closer to 50 percent for minority students. Half of all students entering a community college will need remedial courses, and 20 percent will need help when they enter a four-year institution.

Shrinking budgets

Unpredictable funding has left schools, districts, and states scrambling to do more with less. In fact, per-student spending has declined in most states since 2008.

In FY 2011, 18 of 23 states that made midyear budget cuts were forced to cut from K-12 education. In FY 2012, 42 of 50 states dealt with budget shortfalls.

District leaders must think creatively and reallocate existing resources to support teachers. For instance, the report suggests offering online professional development and streamlining expenses to find extra funds.

The future of teaching

Many teachers do not have adequate training and support—both of which are essential in student-centered learning environments. A large number of teachers leave the profession within the first few years owing to a lack of support and mentoring. Half leave in the first five years, and U.S. schools spend more than $2.6 billion each year replacing teachers who have dropped out of the field.

Many schools must hire teachers who are not well-versed or properly trained in science, technology, engineering, or mathematics—all high-need areas that will continue to be of great importance of students.

The definition of a teacher is changing from one that implies a “sage on the stage” to a definition that paints educators as facilitators, engaging in discussions with students and giving up a bit of classroom control to let students take ownership of their learning.

Growing technology needs of students and society

Comprehensive planning is necessary to use technology effectively and to its full potential. Using technology for technology’s sake, and without proper implementation, makes more work for teachers with little to no increase in student achievement, the report says.

When it comes to digital learning, proper programs embrace what the report identifies as the three Ts: teaching, technology, and time. Educators should use digital learning tools effectively, as well as using time differently in the classroom to keep students interested. “Teachers” can transition to “education designers” to help personalize learning for students.

Teaching involves increasing professional learning for teachers and focusing on the best instruction to meet student needs. Putting pedagogy before technology ensures that technology tools enhance high-quality teaching, the report says.

Some schools are implementing flipped learning to maximize instructional time and capitalize on in-class time. Project-based learning and student-teacher discussions can help students make real-world connections to what they learn in a classroom. And a push for competency-based learning is growing, as some schools are moving away from seat time and toward demonstrations of subject mastery.

Broadband access is key to successful technology initiatives, the report says—especially if states want to close the digital divide in their schools and communities. Access to the right technology devices can make classes more interactive, boosting student engagement and helping them learn to collaborate.

Schools changing texting policies

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Idaho education board repeals online class obligation

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