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. 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)
3. 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)
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. Research: Harlem Children's Zone closes black-white achievement gap
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 13, 2009
A new study shows that Harlem Children's Zone -- a New York City program in which charter schools are rounded out with community support services such as parenting workshops, early-childhood education and health initiatives -- effectively closed the achievement gap between black and white students in most categories that were looked at. The Obama administration has praised the initiative as a model for community schools, but some education experts warn the model does not provide a one-size-fits-all solution. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (11/12)
6. 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)
7. What do the Race to the Top rules mean for teachers?
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 13, 2009
According to guidelines released Thursday, reforms in the area of teacher effectiveness will be a major qualifier for states competing for Race to the Top funds, writes Education Week journalist Stephen Sawchuk in this blog post. But in outlining the multiple measures states should use to assess teachers, education officials are vague about the "significant part" student tests scores should play, he writes. Education Week (11/12)
8. 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)
9. 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)
10. NYC's School of One makes Time magazine's best inventions list
ASCD SmartBrief | Nov 13, 2009
A pilot program to teach math to sixth-graders in New York City has been named one of Time magazine's 50 Best Inventions of 2009. The School of One provides students with a daily playlist of educational games, online tutoring and classroom instruction, all designed specifically to meet the individual learning style and pace of each student. TIME (11/12)
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