Education Today 06/02/2009

Looking Back, Looking Forward: How the Economic Downturn Continues to Impact School Districts
Classroom technology and connectivity are highly valued teaching tools in the modern classroom. When made available to instructors, students benefit from links to the world outside. When used effectively, these tools give students familiarity with computers and technology.

Imprompu thoughts on m-learning
Few users are going to use a mobile device to work on a lengthy, formal self-study course; but they are likely to use it view videos or slide shows, listen to podcasts, read very short articles, contribute to collaborative learning activities, ask and respond to questions, and generally to engage with their network.

Retro reform idea - Merit Pay
EdSec Duncan, for example, has a big pile of money he wants to use to “incent” and reward excellence “based on student achievement” because he believes that a quality education for every student is a civil right.

Traditional Schools Turn to the Lessons and Strategies of Progressive Schools to Lower Costs
Parents, do you have a professional skill? Donate your labor/skill to the school. Use weekend time to help with campus maintenance. And, of course, students can participate in all manner of campus projects and maintenance.

Research: Smaller tasks, more often
"Brain research shows that permanent learning only takes place when research activities are assigned frequently enough that students can exercise and develop the essential skills of critical reading, writing, higher-order thinking, and presenting ideas and opinions with a purpose."

The rest of my favorite links are here.