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Sunday, January 30, 2011

Education News: January 30, 2011

January 28 | NV school accepts only students with an IQ at or above 145 and offers a curriculum designed to challenge highly gifted students, who often are not challenged enough in standard schools -- Education Next

January 27 | Leader of Next Vista for Learning (a source of free online media for educators) offers his thoughts about how to encourage teachers to use new technology when teaching -- T.H.E. Journal

January 27 | Teacher explains how her students learn algebra while using a class set of iPads and its features, including a record button to use during her lectures, online videos explaining math concepts, and an "app" version of the course textbook -- Mind/Shift

January 26 | Although ND is at the top of states whose students perform well on national science exams, between 70% and 80% of students nationwide score below proficiency at a time when science knowledge and skills are perceived to be crucial for success in future careers -- Washington Post

January 26 | Improving science education may require efforts in four areas: fewer but "deeper" standards; more exciting science lessons in elementary school; more inquiry and problem solving in secondary school; and a higher number of qualified science teachers -- Hechinger Report

January 26 | Pres. Obama's plans for rewriting the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (named "No Child Left Behind" by Pres. Bush) include elements with bipartisan support; but some Democrats resist his ideas on ensuring teacher quality, and some Republicans want to eliminate completely the federal government's influence schools -- Washington Post

January 26 | Studies suggest that students learn more in a "blended" learning environment: one that uses a combination of face-to-face and online components for teaching and learning -- U.S. News & World Report

January 26 | Google establishes a K-12 education area in its Google Apps Marketplace for teachers to access and download free Web applications that integrate with Google products -- T.H.E. Journal

January 26 | MA school shares its rationale for implementing looping, the practice of keeping one teacher with the same group of students for more than one school year -- Swampscott Reporter

January 25 | Research suggests that text-messaging can improve children's spelling skills--that, contrary to popular belief, the use of "textisms" is not a detriment to learning correct spelling but is an aid to remembering spelling rules -- Read Write Web

January 25 | With science knowledge and skills receiving special emphasis in schools, experts share ideas about what makes a great science teacher -- Hechinger Report

January 25 | CO teacher uses anti-plagiarism software moreso as a means of helping students spot their errors in paraphrasing and citation than as a tool for "catching" cheaters -- T.H.E. Journal

January 25 | Technology journalist summarizes the federal Dept. of Ed.'s new National Education Technology Plan -- Edutopia

January 24 | English teacher plays classical, instrumental music while students write three times a week in their journals, and she sees their writing fluency increase as the months go by -- Edutopia

January 24 | Although some schools stop teaching cursive writing, calling it impractical in a digital world, research shows that handwriting increases brain activity associated with language, motor skills, and speech -- ABC News

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