education & tech

Pay attention to innovators. We always appreciate colleagues that jump from the traditional method of learning and teaching and look beyond horizon to give kids a new opportunity. Now two researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville are looking for funding their project The Aspirnaut Initiative, launched in April 2007 by Vanderbilt professors Billy and Julie Hudson.

In essense, what they want is to turn school buses into virtual mobile classrooms! They have already performed a successful yearlong pilot program. With a rate of 2,000 students per they pretend to equip more school buses with laptop computers, iPods, allowing more students to take math and science courses online while commuting to and from school. "Anything to make learning the thing to do!" says Uncle Jim about the greatness of this iniciative.

Now this is a geographical move. But what's happening in the classroom? There is another person following suit with research. Psychologist Dani McKinney from SUNY released a study where he interprets, students that received instructions from listening to a podcast did better than if they had received the live lecture.

The abstract is available online and Tim Holt speaks of the implications of new process of transmitting knowledge: "Students can learn just as well, if not better via distance learning or via podcasting, perhaps because they have the ability to easily review the lecture."

We hear too much about Education 2.0 and top educators are working hard in the field of Education, but what is the real implication and application of such work? Well, here we've seen only two of them. We have to innovate and make study a fun activity, so students don't neither get discouraged nor are bored!

Students need to love school, not hate it. Learn how to engage them through great speeches.

Picture: Et Elle Monte

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President Obama tonight acknowledged that education needs to be reformed and he bet on results of charter schools. But he also said, part of the success rests on parents shoulders. We do agree with turning off TVs, setting off video games and reading more to our children. However, What the Secretary of Education of President Obama is doing to reform education in America?

Read Diane's letter and say if she wrong on her statement: "I am sorely disappointed in Arne Duncan. I don't see any change from the mean, punitive version of accountability that the Bush administration foisted on the nation's schools."

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How can I've missed this one. Not so late to congratulate Anthony David Adams and Chuck Steinfurth. They have been named TIME's Best Blog.

Running an underground school newspaper in Erie, Pennsylvania is a long way from achieving international media credibility. But that's just what high school buddies Anthony David Adams and Chuck Steinfurth achieved this week, when they were named among the best bloggers in the world by Time Magazine.

Earlier today the pair's irreverent blog, DetentionSlip.org - referred to as the Perez Hilton of education news for its reports on gun-carrying Texas teaches and students handcuffed over skimpy prom dresses - defeated over 200 million blogs around the world to secure a coveted spot on Time's Top 25 Blogs of 2009.

Learn more on the press release.

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We were falling behind on the subscriptions we are supposed to be checking out, and we discovered posts from Stephen Downes were piling up to fifty. So, we decided in place of bookmark it or just share it with our friends in Google Reader, to post it here the most relevant (for us) findings of Mr. Downes:

- For all those who are crying about TOS in Facebook, he asks a simple question: "Try exercising your rights on an iPhone."

- He mocks about the incompetence of some Scottish education authorities.

- Setting things straight, he asserts the fact, the Educational Writers Association (EWA)is willfully misleading online education as an imperative.

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I'm not into listings and I do appreciate the effort other people makes to make our work easier. One of them is Technology Instructional Coach, Mrs. Smoke and the person blogging about eTeaching and eLearning, Carol Cooper.

>> Blogs are divided by subject and grade level for you to quickly reference.

>>User friendly list for those starting to look at Edublogs.

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Diane Ravitch a historian of education and a Research Professor of Education at New York University has reacted about Linda Darling-Hammond not being offered a position in Arne Duncan's Department of Education, saying "It looks like Obama's education policy will be a third term for President George W. Bush. This is not change I can believe in."

But no everyone agrees with Ravitch even when people agrees in some points.

We still are waiting for some more actions from Mr. Duncan.

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Stimulus Package Gives Boost to School Technology is today’s Education Week post.

The $787 billion stimulus bill, signed into law last week, includes $650 million for an existing educational technology program and opens additional opportunities to find money for such purposes as improved broadband access for rural schools and enhanced data-management systems.

It was reduced from the original $1 billion.

Too bad it's available for subscribers only.

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Once cellphones are in the hands of the rebel, pupils can start using technology for the right things, and with direction they would stop using it for the wrong things

There is an ongoing investigation performed by an aspiring EdD that is part of the edonis project (Educator Online Impact Study). David Noble is the author of his thesis: How are educators using the social web to develop their practice? This three year project hopes to gather about 100 educators together in an online community to discuss issues, complete questionnaires and respond to questions on their use of the social web.

The study it's been performed in England and some others like Steven Hastings are also contributing to social web in education. Unfortunately, there in UK as much as here in the US, Some teachers are on top of technology but too many are not. Colleagues still feel afraid or discouraged of knowing less or nothing respect of their students. We have to hand credit to the students here, they've been born in a different age and of course they had the opportunity to learn quickly topics that for us, took it a long time.

Will of great interest to read the conclusions of David Noble to learn (yes, we all are learning everyday, even from our youngest student), and compare what we are doing in the States. We do have to accept that schools are in need to bridge the digital divide. And as Hastings put it in his article published at tes.co.uk, "This generation gap can easily leave teachers feeling bewildered and intimidated. Knowing your pupils understand the latest technologies better than you do can be daunting. The trick may be to hold on tight and go with the flow, letting pupils show you what the latest gadgets can do, and then using your educational expertise to find the classroom potential in it."

I'm still not convinced whether we have enough reasons to ban the use of cellphones. These instruments or gadgets as ICTs would like to name them are in the pockets of almost everyone in the developed countries. Why can they use them for good in class, because once you banned them what you asking is from a breaking of the rules, and kids are just learning to cheat that is something we eagerly want to eradicate.

In the same article written by Steven Hastings he relates an experience from students at King James’s School in Knaresborough. When they were talking about a subject topic, even shy students were typing on cellphones their opinions and answers, which on time appeared of a big screen for all students to read.

I think we all teachers need to think it out again!

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Derek Wenmoth paraphrases a post of Jane Knight on The 6 ways to make Web 2.0 work. A while now we presented a article about the Reality and Future of the Web 2.0. There is also another post where we've said that Social Networking is condemned to die.

We think it's worth to read Knight's advice mostly directed towards those in the business world, but succintly addressed to Education by D. Wenmoth:

The transformation to a bottom-up culture needs help from the top.

The best uses come from users - but they require help to scale.

What’s in the workflow is what gets used.

Appeal to the participants’ egos and needs - not just their wallets.

The right solution comes from the right participants.

Balance the top-down and self-management of risk.

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"How to convince the powers that be, that they are violating the rights of their students?"

How persuasive you have to be if you really want the school boards to open the net at your community schools? Sounds like a question behind another isn't the answer, but Ric Murry took his changes and moves forward writing a also persuasive post where he sets the scenario for what's happening in most public schools in the U.S., the filtering of non-educational resources.

We certainly agree with Mr. Murry, "If I cannot use Skype, because it is blocked by the techocracy, then I am unable to have a true expert from India speak to my class. If my students cannot have access to blogging tools, Twitter, wikis, cell phones, and other tools of the 21st century, I am teaching in a "self-contained" highly restrictive environment, and my students are being denied their rights to a quality education that will prepare them with tools they need to be contributing members of society."

What are the advantages to have a technologist hired in a public school if he can't put in practice what he knows, or even worse, teach what the students are supposed to know. Ultimately, schools are the institutions created to train students to relate socially better with their nearer environment. We have to deconstruct our school districts, so that uses of web-based technology such as gradebooks, student databases, lessons plans, are better used and become open to the good use of savvy students.

In words of C.M. Christensen, we need to disrupt our school system.

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Where is the best place to begin convincing teachers who don't use technology about the power of these tools?

Jim Multon at Edutopia, says that veteran teachers have great assets they can bring to the effective use of technology in the classroom, his suggestion is that they never simply toss away those years of experience and start fresh. And that's precisely the problem. Veteran teachers are not interested --most of them, on the changes of their status quo. They will prefer to stay with the overhead rather than go to training and learn how to really make technology into reality.

Anyway, Multon is emphatic declaring that the best place to begin convincing teachers to use technology in their classrooms is:

At home -- that's my answer. You see, I think many educators are more apt to carry technology use over from their personal lives into their professional ones than to take it on as a new part of their job. A teacher who uses a digital camera to share images of a home remodel as email attachments with her grown children has begun to understand the power of digital communication in a personal way. A teacher who uses online resources to plan a trip has begun to understand the power of the Web in answering any question one is curious enough about to ask. Once they experience the power and ease of current digital photography or Web-based research in their personal lives, the stage is set for helping them bring technology into their classroom teaching.

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Profit and the Imprisonment of Children
Saving the PA taxpayers money, you say? Not quite.

Twitter, Plurk or Blog - What's The Difference?
Trying to explain these concepts to a novice web2.0 user can cause a headache.

Fractured lives of the educated elite
What is the point of public education?

Remainders: Help Arne Duncan rename No Child Left Behind

Success and strategy in a digital world
The paper focuses on the need for organizations - corporations, universities, NGOs - to conceive a more compelling vision for learning and development than currently exists.

Educational Technology

Blogging About Generational Differences

The rest of my favorite links are here.

The following is the continuation of Twitter is just like high school and we took one out of the four recommendations, Ron Bronson posted in his Reading, Writing & Big Ideas:

1. For teachers to share general classroom information about parents: When I first thought this, I thought what about those parents who want to know when Jonny had a bad day in class? Wouldn’t this be a great thing if they could simply follow the protected Twitter feed of his class and find out when the teacher posts that he’s been sent to detention? Probably not, because of all of the privacy issues involved I’m sure.

But…as far as disseminating information that they want to get to a wide swath of parents without emailing, sending a note home that gets lost or talking to each individual one on the phone…(not that you wouldn’t have to do that for parents without web access) it’d be a great way to bring the information to them more quickly and efficiently.

Way to go, teachers!

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"People who deal in children’s books for a livelihood now face unpleasant choices."

Children’s books published before 1985 are dangerous, unless cleared by expensive tests, say federal consumer product regulators. Many used-book sellers and secondhand store owners are refusing pre-1985 books and clearing them off the shelves, writes Walter Olson of Overlawyered in City Journal. There are reports of older books being thrown away. It’s illegal to give “dangerous” books, not just to sell them.

The Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act of 2008 limits lead in products intended for use by children aged 12 or under; the limits are retroactive. The law went into effect on Feb. 10.

Read whole post at Joanne Jacobs Blog.

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From some unknown reason I've missing the updates of this magnificent blog written by Kelly Tenkely. Under the name of iLearn Technology she is "giving teachers practical tips for integrating technology into the classroom."

In one of her posts Kelly presents a her new project and writes:"I have embarked on a new adventure with two other educators and bloggers in the form of a collaborative blog. The blog is called the Confident Teacher and will be updated and maintained by myself, Mr. Bibo (Cal Teacher Blog), and Mr. Harmless (Harmless Thoughts). This blog will be more of a discussion of education, teaching, learning, and life."

We as much as herself encourage you to join them on this new adventure. iLearn Technology is a great blog to follow and I hope the collaborative one will be of great rejoice to read. Subscribed!

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Sara Bernard is looking for student input in terms of advising teachers on how they might use technology in the classroom. Will Richardson and Kevin Garret had posted about Sara's request. We have seen some comments left at their blogs and we want to share them here at Education & Tech:

Gary Stager:

Why is Edutopia seeking pedagogical advice from children?

This is by no means a question of student potential, talent, creativity or intellect. However, they are not experts in learning theory or curriculum design. Kids can certainly be natural teachers of what they know. Is their preparation equivalent or better than yours as a professional educator?

Why does Edutopia think that lessons prepared by students will be just the ticket to motivate teachers to use computers effectively after 25-30 years of inaction?

I was on a panel with Dr. Mitra back in 2004. He’s the real deal and his work should be taken very seriously.

I wrote about him here.

And then it follows a thread you all will be delighted to read:

Susannah:

You’ve probably seen this TED video, but I love it and felt it was appropriate to share here.

It absolutely amazes and inspires me. It is well worth the 20 minutes of sitting and viewing.

Ann S. Michaelsen:

I did a similar activity in my class. (Seniors at high school in Norway.) I had them listen to Michael Wesch "from knowledgeable to knowledge able" and then write about it on their blog. You can see their responses in their blogs here.

We were also so fortunate to have Professor Wesch write comments on several of the students’ blogs. My experience is that students tend to be old fashioned when it comes to learning and that this is a process we have to work on both with the teachers and the students. Just as teachers differ in their approach to the new technologies so do the students.

Milton Ramirez thinks the curriculum is built not only on a paper or in a computer, it has to consider all components of education process: students, teachers, parents, administrators and society. So, what students have to say is as important as what a teacher or curriculum designer has to propose, and ultimately, we are encouraging all students who want to participate and let their teachers hear their opinions, writing to Sara Bernard's e-mail.

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On December we wrote about the good reasons of not becoming friends with your student in Facebook. Before, we've also asked how social networks such as Facebook can be used in Education?

We've also referred to the dual chances that social networks could be either, good or bad to making friends but also cyberbullying. What's wrong with fearless students and clueless parents?. Well, the answer is here:

For years, educators and parents focused on the perceived threat of Internet predators, coming into children's live via technology. After reading this two stories, its clear that the dangers are closer by.

New Berlin teen accused of using Facebook for sexual blackmail. Anthony R. Stancl, 18, posing as a female on Facebook, persuaded at least 31 boys to send him naked pictures of themselves and then blackmailed some of the boys into performing sex acts under the threat that the pictures would be released to the rest of the high school, according a criminal complaint.

Student Fights Record of ‘Cyberbullying’. A student who was suspended from high school for ranting against a teacher on Facebook is suing to have the blemish removed from her record.

But, who's keeping students safe online? Fewer than 25 percent of educators feel comfortable teaching students how to protect themselves from online predators, cyberbullies and identity thieves, says a new study from the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and Educational Technology, Policy Research and Outreach (ET PRO).

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There is a great campaign there at Global Voices, Teach Someone You Love to Blog or Miro-blog and a elementary teacher is in need of help as how to start blogging with her 5th graders, thing is she doesn't know how to jump start. Her colleague at Ed Tech Trek is trying to help her out and has some questions that need to be addressed:

1) For elementary students, what is a good "permission" form to send home? Does anyone have a sample?

2) How should she begin? Should she start with one blog where her students can be "authors" or should she set up a blog for each student?

3) If she sets up a blog for each student, does she have moderation control over approving new posts first?

Some of the recommendations are here. We think as far as this project is so ambitious, starting to work with 5th graders will be a hard road to walk. Kids are familiar with computers but they wouldn't want to have the same template to begin, and contents are to be authorized by an adult first. They don't know what to hang in the internet and the very first thing they might want to do is post pictures, games or videos. So, be careful. If you are willing to spend time. Go for it!

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I want to tell you about a personal story I've lived while working in the classroom. Once, I was handing over the reviewed tests about a subject I was teaching back in the 2003. It happened that most grades were below the 70%. Before I started talking to students about the possible consequences and how to amend them, a young girl raised her hand and asked me: "Mr. are you going to curb? Think, what could it be my answer.

This week I read about a study conducted in Atlanta. What the study says is basically that student can't pass any tests, but they all have awesome grades on their report cards. Yes, schools are inflating grades (curbing grades). That way they can increase their graduation rates, and not been seen as one of the worst school districts to attend. Mostly, schools avoid the flocking of parents trying to find out why their sons are failing. Having grades over the 60% many parents stay calm and think there is nothing to worry about.

Coincidentally, these are also the same students that will be dropping out of their first semester at college. No matter what we do to integrate our schools by socioeconomic status, they are condemned to fail afterwards.

There are always chances to improve, but working for State testing is not good enough, and preparing student for life is the hardest teachers' task. Remember, there are no miracle cures in education.

My hope is no teacher has ever to curb or inflate grades to enjoy vacations, to look well in front of colleagues or because they have exhausted all possibilities.

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@GRlong --It is a miracle that curiosity survives formal education. Einstein.

@topsalesmaker --Formal education will make you a living; self-education will make you a fortune. Jim Rohn

@onlineschool --10 Tips to Help You Get the Most Out of Your American Education.

@Maxine_Clarke --Interview: Graham Richards | Education | The Guardian http://ff.im/ZRjX

@markomni --Some of us learn a little faster than others, but it is key to learn this before you graduate, or your education's 4 nought.

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I have a 6th grader that at first, he was trying to learn cursive all by himself but then everything stopped and no teacher at his current school has been able to teach him how to do the handwriting. He struggles a lot to keep up with his daily classwork and the loads of homework he has to do as a regular basis. By the contrary he feels pretty much comfortable writing through the computer or messaging in his cell phone. Does that mean schools should still focus on handwriting? Double answer, right!

Think about the careers that students in the sixth grade are most likely to have as adults, I am not sure that I can picture picture anywhere handwriting plays a vital role. Why? Because technology will most-likely be an integral part of most jobs, if not when they graduate, surely throughout their lifetime.

There is a problem with the penmanship though, as Valentine comes, I can't imagine the pleasure of curling up with a diary where girls register what was like his first kiss. Love letters will never stop being written, by hand, on paper, and sealed with a kiss. On the other hand, and as long as students are in school, they will need to write legibly transcripts. Tests and journals will be written for grades. If teachers cannot read the writing, or have to struggle to understand it, students' grades will suffer. Even though handwriting is not graded, it could affect many scores.

If you feel conflicted on the double answer, read what the author of Script and Scribble says, "Penmanship isn’t dead. It’s not feeling great, it’s struggling to breathe, it’s limping along. But we can keep it alive. And we should."

So, as Mr. McGuire puts it, one must consider if handwriting is just a distraction. Although this is a skill taught in school, one could question if keyboarding is a more relevant skill. What do you have to say?

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If you don't learn to spell correctly at early ages, then you are way, way behind. Time to re-learn and recapitulate, thinking you know all and everything about your language.

Are you embarrassed by your spelling? If so, you're not alone. More than half of us cannot spell 'embarrassed' — 54 per cent have trouble with it, according to a poll of 1,000 adults. Even more troublesome is 'millennium', which 60 per cent get wrong.

The poll, commissioned by the Spelling Society, compared abilities in Britain with those in the US.

Adults in the US performed less well. The only word that the Americans definitely spelt better than the Brits was . . . 'definitely'. In both countries men performed less well than women, except on one word — “liaison”.

Read the whole history on The Times.


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This week in Education is calling for nominations of its annual feature: Hot...For Education.

Alexander Russo writes:

I need your ideas. Alas, Jon Hamm and Angelina aren't educators, policy wonks, reporters, or staffers.

But maybe there's someone you work with who reminds you of them?

If you want some more inspiration, here are links to the previous three versions:2008, 2007, 2005. There was no 2006 -- momentary shyness on my part, I think.

Send your suggestions at thisweekineducation at gmail.com or drop Alexander a line here. He adds that "Pics are helpful, too...but remember to keep it clean."

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Bigger than pedagogy
"Pedagogy": What Ben Wilkoff would like is a word that describes an understanding of connected learning, a word that explains the use of a tool for all stakeholder’s learning, not just the student’s. I want a word that keeps a network in focus at all times to show that learning is not an isolated act.

What posthumanism offers
Posthumanism gives us a way of thinking about this that leads us out of the binaries of either/or agency.

Ning vs. Learning Management Systems (LMS)
V Yonkers finds that the format allows for more interaction and exchange of information in the Ning than the LMS.

Research Shows Multi-tasking Does Not Work
Disruptions and interruptions are a bad deal from the standpoint of our ability to process information.

The rest of my favorite links are here.

The Director and Co-producers of Teacher Salary Project is so excited to invite first-hand stories/ footage filmed by students about their public school teachers and the struggles of being a teacher. They are looking for three magnificent teachers to become the main “characters” in this documentary film. They need public school teachers to help get their students involved. Is important these teachers have already done some work with film or digital storytelling in the classroom. For more details email them to: Casting(at)theTeacherSalaryProject.org

The Teacher Salary Project will be the "only digital archive of the stories of teachers' lives." An the film is based on a book co-authored by Nínive Calegari, Daniel Moulthrop and Dave Eggers under the name of Teachers Have it Easy: The Big Sacrifices and Small Salaries of America's Teachers.

Learn who's behind the project and the three ways that you can contribute and support them.

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Story: Fifth Graders of the Nation: Unite Against Homework

I don't think we agree with Benjamin Berrafato because we never really liked them either, but here, things get to the level of social networks where this fifth grader certainly got the idea. But at the same time, is one the reasons why elementary school students can not take decisions in education. What do you think?

Update:
Learn Me Good has come up with a very suggestive ol' homework excuses

[Image credit]

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iPod touch and iPhone Apps in Education is a Google Moderator series where educators are encouraged to vote on suggestions for educational apps and to submit their own suggestions. The apps suggestions are ranked so when you visit the list, the apps that netted the most votes are listed first.

With over 15,000 apps currently in the App Store, there are lots for teachers to sort through. Perhaps this list can help us find apps that would otherwise be lumped in with the hundreds of apps in the Education category of the App Store.

When submitting, please list the name of the app, a short description of how it could be used in education, and the price (if it isn't free). In order to vote or submit, you'll need to sign-in with your Google account information (or sign up for a free account). Unfortunately Google Moderator doesn't allow for linking to the apps. So, if you read about an app you might want to download, search for it in the App Store.

Photo by LuisRaa.

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The Capital City Public Charter School CCPCS in D.C., after listening President's remarks, sounds like a wonderful place to send your children. Doyle a brilliant H.S. teacher in NJ, was following the visit Mr. Obama had made to the CCPCS and in his post he list the names of the money contributors who make this school "an example of how all our schools should be." Both, money can buy a decent education and involved parents have a tremendous influence over their children's success, writes the man behind Science Teacher.

Mr. President, we already know how this works and how important is funding for schools. Please, make real education transformation your goal. What about the rest of us, outside Capitol surroundings? And Science Teacher goes on with a round of "I want to know" questions:

I want to know how Bancroft does it.
I want to know if anyone at the national level has a clue about teaching kids.
I want to know how Mr. Obama is going to get my class sizes down to 12 students.
Mostly I want powerful people at high levels of government to stop playing us in the trenches.

We have to resonate what Doyle ends up stressing: Why not pay a visit to a truly public school in your neighborhood, Mr. President. Then we can talk. Ironic, but it's the truth!

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While educators have long been reluctant to tinker with a system that worked for their best students, college admissions have grown more competitive and the middle has become harder to ignore. -Denise Pope, a senior lecturer at Stanford University’s School of Education.

In a recent interview, Education Secretary, A. Duncan said, he's looking for changes in the No Child Left Child program, either he will hold on positive things (not the over testing) and probably rename it in order to comply with the new government strategies. Today, New York Times, brings in an interesting note about socializing AP courses and we think this is something, a part funding, Mr. Duncan should start working just now. Normally, we as educators or parents are concentrated in the low-low or high-high levels of achievement, but what about those who aren't getting into Ivy League schools neither hit the Intel Science Talent Search?

This group stays in the middle, and socializing AP courses is a good way to make them proud and at the same time, make them learn at their own peace. We were told to watch the education pyramid and, there only high achievers are the successful ones. Unfortunately, there are only a few who can perform to very top. The immense percentage of students just get to average and then, this is the place where we have to work harder to perform better in science and research at early stages.

The story takes place in Port Washington, Long Island, where seventh graders relate to what is like to be "included" in the AP classes"

Port Washington, a prosperous waterfront town, has long attracted top students with extras like its three-year research program preparing students for the Intel competition. The program accepts 30 of the approximately 400 freshmen each year and has produced 44 Intel semifinalists since 2003, including three announced last month. Starting in third grade, students with I.Q.’s of 130 or higher are selected for the gifted and talented program.

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Professor Rosemary Luckin from the London Knowledge Lab gave a inaugural lecture at the Institute of Education on the 27th January. After her session, she concluded that there are 3 pairs of key issues and interestingly 3 illusions:

The Knowledge Illusion.
The Technology illusion.
The Institutional illusion.

The challenging of a monolithic instruction has made possible that 21st. century developments in technology and education allow learners to decide how, where and with whom they learn. However, as Bob Harrison points out, "current technology rich learning development models need further work if they are to result in applications that enable learners to take full advantage of this situation."

Now this is true for technology but teachers have to work in the context, too. Here's where sharing and meta cognition are to be inseparable. This is not about them using technology, it’s about sharing. "I’m not saying you have to share to be a great teacher, I’m saying if you do, you are. I challenge anyone to prove me wrong.", writes Dean Shareski in a post titled Teachers Who Share.

Shareski also offers a list of blogs that share something in common, "their classrooms are open to the world." Get to know them:

Carey Pohanka
Chad Brannon
Chris Harbeck
Colleen Glaude
Donna Fry
Eldon Germann
George  Mayo
Jaqlyn Schmitt
Jeff Whipple
Jennifer Clark Evans
Karen Chichestor
Moira Moritz
Anne Smith
Kristen Leclaire
Kelly Hines
Kyle Stevens
Lois Smethurst
Maria Knee
Mavis Hoffman
Matt Montagne
Jessica Lipsky
Debby Cothern & Michelle Ellis
Tracey Ruark and Cathy Daniels
Nellie Duetsch
Sandi Kerney
Seth Dickens
Sheri Edwards
Sophie Rosso
Stephanie Affield
Stephanie Olson
Susan Carter Morgan
Paula White

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All time we hear complains about math exercise of knowledge, but few comment on math experiences, or the meanings of symbolism in math. We even were told that U.S. struggling with a shortage of math and science teachers.

But what's happening with all students coming to college and universities. Are they proficient about science and have developed a great ability to reason scientifically?

This question tries to be answered by David Moltz in this article:

American college freshmen know fewer facts about science than do their Chinese counterparts, according to a new study, but both groups have a comparably poor ability to reason scientifically.

The original research, published in this week’s issue of Science, suggests that educators in both countries must not simply change what they teach in the classroom but how they teach it if they hope to improve their students’ ability to reason. Lei Bao, the study’s lead author and director of Ohio State University’s Physics Education Research Group, said this runs contrary to the commonly held belief that reasoning skills develop as students are “rigorously taught the facts.”

The study compiled the test scores of almost 6,000 incoming freshmen majoring in science and engineering — prior to receiving college-level instruction — from four American and three Chinese institutions.

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It's ok to follow trends and look for some popularity, without being a famous person. This post was inspired by Lidija Davis and Angela Maiers. Lidjia showed us the 8 Tools to Track Your Footprints on the Web and I was quick to use them, and Angela continues to encourage her readers to follow the conversations with her monthly Reflection and Gratitude.

Without further delay, please allow me to thank the following sites and people who have been kind enough to link to us during these last days:

Albine Cavite of Albine's Corner has included our blog in her blogroll what is deeply appreciated. Please, be informed that there are other blogs that have decided to include Education & Tech in their blogrolls, but this section starts just now. Thanks to all them.

Keith Lyons of Clyde Street wrote a whole paragraph making a round up about our posts and saying that indeed we had a very "busy week!"

Tellio a "journeyman curmudgeon" of Tex2All annotated one of our posts, adding "Dump the classroom model entirely." No need to say more.

Vicki Davis of Cool Cat Teacher also annotated one of our posts. She was grateful that more educators were speaking out about Google Lively!

Joseph of Teach Street in reference to a eduConference we attended together, was so kind as to remember our personal name. Don't miss the next online eduConference on February 8, 1:00pm PST under theme: Turning Teachers into Rockstars!

Jenny Mackness of Jenny Connected integrated into her conversation a reference from Stephen Downes, which in turn was commenting on one of our posts. She as much as we, is thanking to those who have encouraged her to keep blogging.

Claudia Pena a long time fellow blogger picks our top 10 extremely cool psych experiments by Mission to Learn. Delighted.

As we said at the beginning, this is the first time we do this. For other conversations please visit our Delicious or simply hit "search" in the Google page.

This is the time to say thank you again and let you know that links are blood to our body when blogging is the subject!

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The digital generation gap explained

The report mentions that the Internet has created the greatest generation gap since rock 'n' roll.

Why twitter matters - Timothy DeVries

Twitter is about listening to the voices around us and trying to soak up all of the information you can and learn from the network. You say and contribute enough to never be accused of lurking, but you also know that your value is in putting pieces together, not in being the first to tweet out a story.

Preparing Students for a Future We Can’t Describe

To understand the change that is coming one needs to understand how business addresses societal needs.

Posted from Diigo. The rest of my favorite links are here.