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Saturday, November 5, 2011

School Tech Connect: A Day In The Life

School Tech Connect: A Day In The Life:

A Day In The Life

Here are the titles I picked off the shelf of my branch library today. On my Kindle, this collection would have cost $50. At the library? Free. I feel compelled to mention this because one of the themes downplayed in the ed tech world is that none of these gadgets are making us any wiser.

Naturally, the mayor has proposed cutting back on library services because library funding interferes with TIF money

Digital Parents and Low-Tech Schools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice

Digital Parents and Low-Tech Schools | Larry Cuban on School Reform and Classroom Practice:

Digital Parents and Low-Tech Schools

Should I feel bad that I let my son watch age-appropriate education programs on TV and learn things like a second language?… Shame on me for letting my child play chess and math games on my iPad?…Is it really outrageous that I let my son sit on my lap in front of my computer so I could help him type his first love letter while in preschool?… When used appropriately with guidance, there’s nothing wrong with technology for kids.” Beth Lambert, New York City October 26, 2011

What triggered this parent’s letter to the editor of the New York Times was an article in the paper the previous week on a low-tech Waldorf school in Los Altos (CA) that bans high-tech devices for instruction until the 8th

The Problem Is Older Than the Factory « Cooperative Catalyst

The Problem Is Older Than the Factory « Cooperative Catalyst:

The Problem Is Older Than the Factory

“Dad, if ants are so strong why can’t we just make really big machines that are built like ants and can carry heavy stuff for us?” Joel asks me.

Being a first-grader, I struggle with how to teach the difficulty of scalability.

“Sometimes things that work in small spaces don’t work when they get too big,” I tell him.

“Show me,” he dares.

So we build a small Lego structure that works wonderfully as at four inches tall. However when we attempt to create a human-size version it collapses.

“That’s the problem,” I tell him.

I don’t get into the formulas involved, but he’s able to grasp in a very tangible way that small things when scaled to larger spaces don’t always function as well.

* * *

I’ve been re-reading Socrates lately. I find it interesting that the same man (presumably) who had engaged in

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Seattle Schools' Future Enrollment Trends

Save Seattle Schools Community Blog: Seattle Schools' Future Enrollment Trends:

Seattle Schools' Future Enrollment Trends

First off - paying for consultant W. Les Kendrick - is the best money this district has spent on a consultant in a long, long time.

Mr. Kendrick was the featured speaker at the Wednesday Work Session on Capacity Management and, despite a long PowerPoint (that he powered thru - staff take note), he was clear and concise. And, boy is he a guy who likes his work - his enthusiasm for demographics was right out there.
Second, I'll get to what he said but I feel a deep sadness to what he told the room. Why? Because our district could have been tracking this all along and somehow didn't. We have a demographer who is a very nice person but somehow all this data eluded staff. We had parents, in all corners of the city, telling the district about

Big Education Ape: 11-5-11 PM Occupy the DOE! EDition #OWS

Big Education Ape: Ed News Now:

Published by Coopmike48 – 6 news spotters today

Imagine schools' real estate deals fuel company growth

stltoday.com - ST. LOUIS • When students first entered Imagine Academy of Academic Success four years ago, their school was already entangled in a complex series of real estate deals — ones that would divert doll...

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Does education need an Occupy the Classroom?

mlive.com - GRAND RAPIDS - Does education need an Occupy the Classroom?That's a question being debated in recent weeks. Over the last few months, the Occupy Wall Street movement has grown in several U.S. citie...

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Election memories. « Fred Klonsky's blog

preaprez.wordpress.com - As a general rule I am a guy who likes taking his politics to the street. It’s why I like the Occupation movement. I was talking to someone, an old political activist like me, who muttered about ho...

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A High-Tech Lynching by Harry Belafonte

loyalopposition.blogs.nytimes.com - For a brief moment this week, Herman Cain’s supporters took a time out from blaming a “racist,” “liberal” conspiracy for the tumult over recently reported sexual harassment allegations. Instead, th...

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Don’t Call Herman a Monster

nytimes.com - Oh, Herman. Just answer the questions — honestly. You know well that this “scandal” only strengthens the resolve of your base. Here are the details in case you’ve been distracte...

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PoliticsSee all

Corporate "reformers" are buying local school board elections

schoolingintheownershipsociety.blogspot.com - Progressive candidate Emily Sirota (at left) lost the election to Anne Rowe who was financed by corporate front groups. A pivotal campaign in Denver It's long been an accepted fact, even by the l...

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Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky's blog

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Saturday coffee. « Fred Klonsky's blog:Saturday coffee.by Fred KlonskyGraphic: H/T Chris Janotta.Chicago will be rainy this coming week, but today it is sunny and Fall-like. A long dog-walk with Ul...

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Por si necesitas cien años de soledad

vivirlaeducacion.com - Publicado el 5 Noviembre 2011Archivado en granfjsh | Por si necesitas Cien Años de Soledad, la obra maestra de Gabriel García Márquez, tienes la posibilidad de conseguirla y visionarla en tu e-book...

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Amid deficit gloom, some states enjoy surpluses

boston.com - JUNEAU, Alaska—The budget questions that sent Alaska lawmakers into special session this year had nothing to do with austerity measures or disagreements over cuts to state agencies or programs.They...

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“Can Anyone Create A Job?” the NYT asks.

dailycensored.com - The NY Times is going to write a five part series on whether anyone can create a job. I have answered the question in 5 paragraphs…When asking the question, “can anyone create jobs,” the answer is ...

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Election memories. « Fred Klonsky's blog

bigeducationape.blogspot.com - Election memories. « Fred Klonsky's blog:Election memories.by Fred KlonskyAs a general rule I am a guy who likes taking his politics to the street. It’s why I like the Occupation movement.I was tal...

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#owsSee all

College professors host classes in Occupy Seattle

boston.com - SEATTLE—In the dead of night, as drunken Halloween revelers streamed into the street from nearby bars, Karen Strickland tried to teach Occupy Seattle protesters how to get their message across to p...

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Occupy Oakland: Second Iraq war veteran hurt, recovering

latimesblogs.latimes.com - A second Iraq war veteran who was hurt in Occupy Oakland protests is in stable condition, a hospital spokesperson said Saturday. Kayvan Sabeghi, 32, was injured Thursday morning at the hands of Oak...

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