Most Clicked ASCD SmartBrief Stories
1. Wikipedia co-founder launches online educational-video library
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 18, 2009
Larry Sanger, who co-founded the Web site Wikipedia, has launched a site that provides free access to a library of educational videos for students ages 3 to 18. The site -- www.watchknow.org -- features links to more than 11,000 videos in 2,000 categories that include history, math, science and other subjects. Sanger described it as "YouTube meets Wikipedia." Education Week (11/17)
2. Educators: Excessive administrative duties reduce effectiveness
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 19, 2009
Teachers in a Texas school district say excessive paperwork, too many meetings and the implementation of new programs all serve to "diminish the effectiveness of educators and slow education for our children." In a letter to administrators, the teachers union said its concerns included additional training required for new programs and the use of teacher-planning time for administrative meetings. District administrators said they are receptive and will make changes where appropriate. Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas) (11/18)
3. Some NYC schools use Rubik's Cube puzzle-solving in math lessons
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 17, 2009
Some New York City schools are incorporating the Rubik's Cube into their math curriculum. Makers of the iconic toy recently reworked their problem-solving guides to make them user-friendly for students as young as 8. Teachers say such puzzle-solving helps with geometry and algebra as well as memorization and perseverance. They also say that solving the cube gives students a feeling of accomplishment. New York Times, The (11/16)
4. Are foreign-language courses a frill in tight budget times?
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 18, 2009
Budget woes have Fairfax, Va., officials questioning whether foreign-language learning -- especially for younger students -- is needed. Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., require students to take foreign-language courses to graduate, but Fairfax officials say that although early programs are crucial to developing bilingual students, the recession leaves everything except reading, writing and math on the chopping block. Washington Post, The (11/17)
5. Principal has reputation for turning around struggling schools
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009
An Arizona principal is developing a specialty in turning around struggling schools. After helping improve achievement at three low-performing schools in the past five years, Daniel Salaz is now principal of Pueblo del Sol Middle School, which failed to meet federal and state academic benchmarks. Increased professional development, including academic coaches who provide teachers feedback about classroom instruction, are among the school's strategies. "Our teachers have really embraced that concept of coaching," Salaz said. Arizona Republic (Phoenix), The (11/15)
6. Wide variety of charter schools has mixed outcome in Arizona
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009
In Arizona, which has the largest percentage of public-school students in the country enrolled in its 500 charter schools, Stanford University research shows that students who attended charter schools did not make as much academic progress as peers in the state's conventional public schools. Supporters of charter schools dispute the research but allow that there is variation in quality among charters. Skeptics say Arizona's wide-open school choice should serve as a warning to ensure quality over quantity when promoting charters. Washington Post, The (11/16)
7. Unlocking the methods to narrowing the achievement gap
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 20, 2009
Leroy Anderson Elementary School in San Jose, Calif., has been successful at closing the achievement gap among minority students and their white peers by having the same high expectations for all students, assessing students constantly and having a high level of family involvement. Successful schools are using data to influence instruction and creative teaching methods that include computer-based instruction, but Anderson's principal says the secret is "believing that kids can and will learn." New York Times (free registration), The (11/20)
8. South Dakota district slowly changes math teaching methods
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 16, 2009
Seven years ago, a South Dakota school district adopted the inquiry-based teaching method, which emphasizes collaboration and hands-on learning. But while some educators and parents say the method has been proven to work, some teachers are still using traditional lessons, leading to concerns about inconsistency for students. "I don't know a teacher who hasn't had a mix of traditional and inquiry," one teacher said. " ... It's the person up in the front who makes the difference." Rapid City Journal (S.D.), The (11/15)
9. Teachers weigh in on debate over selling lesson plans
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 20, 2009
Through a Teacher Leaders Network online discussion, teachers are debating who owns lesson plans and class materials. A recent New York Times article highlighted the many teachers taking advantage of a growing online market for classroom lesson plans. Some argued that teachers should be allowed to supplement inadequate compensation by engaging in entrepreneurship -- just like members of any other industry. Others fear that allowing a for-profit lesson-plan trade to grow will mean an end to free collaboration among educators. Teacher Magazine (free registration) (11/18)
10. Teachers in Fla. district may work minimum to protest time-consuming curriculum:
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 19, 2009
A union representing teachers in Florida's Palm Beach County is considering asking educators to scale back their hours to minimum-length workdays to protest the time-consuming demands of a new academic program adopted by the district this year. "Until you figure out how much you want teachers to do in a workday and make sure they can do it in the day you pay them for, this is not going to go away," teachers union President Robert Dow said. Palm Beach Post (Fla.), The (11/18)
Sign up for ASCD SmartBrief
Latest Blog Postsview more
Week Ahead: Duncan's Media Schedule
This Week In Education
Week Ahead: Duncan's Media Schedule
This Week In Education
People: Green Dot Founder Reported Leaving
This Week In Education
People: Green Dot Founder Reported Leaving
This Week In Education
Job Listingsview more
- President
Bishop Kelly High School - Principal- Apex
National Heritage Academies - K-12 Teaching and Administrative Jobs
Carney, Sandoe & Associates - Director of Accountability
National Heritage Academies - Assistant Professor of Education
Hope College - Chief Academic Officer
Naviance - Associate Superintendent of Curriculum & Instruction
Baltimore County Public Schools