 | Wired (@wired) |
These $10 Robots Will Change Robotics Education bit.ly/OwfDwH | |
Makes me want to go back to middle school science classroom!
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Robots! (@wired)
Makes me want to go back to middle school science classroom!
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Friday, September 28, 2012
Words to end Friday... (@willrich45)
 | Will Richardson (@willrich45) |
"If we're going to tinker, we have to be comfortable with not knowing." @jseelybrown #plpliv12 | |
This makes me wonder about education... we (educators, politicians, philanthropists, etc.) want to thinker but are very uncomfortable with not knowing. So uncomfortable, the are delusional about what they know and deny any idea/ evidence that they don't know.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Thursday, September 27, 2012
Comment on tests (@willrich45)
| Will Richardson (@willrich45) |
I'm trying out the case against overassessment at HuffPo: huff.to/SESCbv #edchat #edweeklive #edreform | |
The numbers in this piece are jaw-dropping.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Fwd: September 27, 2012 Weekly Blast From NELMS
From: nelms@nelms.org
Date: September 27, 2012, 12:48:47 PM EDT
To: "Dr. Gary L. Ackerman" <gary@hackscience.net>
Subject: September 27, 2012 Weekly Blast From NELMS
Reply-To: NELMS <nelms@nelms.org>
September 27, 2012 - NELMS Bead Fundraiser Coming to an End
NELMS 2012 Literacy Summit
Common Core Strategies For All
Middle School TeachersLiteracy Summit Day 1-November 2, 2012
Wyndham Andover Boston
123 Old River Rd., Andover, MA 01810Literacy Summit Day 2-December 7, 2012
Location same as Day 1
How to Implement the Common Core in Your
Middle School ClassroomWith the common core, literacy instruction is the responsibility of all content teachers - it is no longer an option, it is a necessity. At the summit you will learn practical comprehension, vocabulary and writing strategies that all teachers can implement immediately to meet the Common Core standards. In addition, you can learn a practical and effective framework to develop a district or school wide literacy plan that will help guide Common Core instructional implementation.
NELMS is partnering with Keys to Literacy to bring you the Literacy Summit. We selected Keys to Literacy because their programs are an effective way to implement the Common Core in the classroom. We have organized the Literacy Summit around these programs to provide participants a practical, easy to implement and effective way to meet the Common Core objectives.
Summit Presenters
Elissa Arndt, Ph.D.
Elissa is a speech-language pathologist and reading specialist with experience providing instruction and intervention in language and literacy to students Prek-8th. She received her bachelor's degree from Gordon College, her master's degree from MGH Institute of Health Professions and her doctorate degree in Reading and Language Arts from Florida State University. Prior to working at Keys to Literacy, Elissa was a curriculum and intervention specialist at the Florida Center for Reading Research (FCRR) at Florida State University. She serves as an adjunct faculty member in the graduate education department at Gordon College teaching graduate classes on reading foundations, adolescent literacy, instruction, assessment, and intervention.
Lisa Klein, M.Ed
During Lisa's 15-year career as an educator, she has been a classroom teacher in private and public schools, a literacy trainer, and a Reading Specialist. She has held several positions in both urban and suburban schools in the Palm Beach County, Florida school system. Lisa is a literacy consultant providing guidance on both Reading and Writing curriculum. In addition, she also worked for a publishing company presenting teacher training for district-wide adoptions across the state of Florida. Lisa graduated from Rivier College with a M.Ed. in Reading and B.A. in Elementary Education and Special Education.
For more information about the agenda and/or to register please click here.
NELMS Bead Fundraiser extended until October 1
Don't wait - Show your support for NELMS
For an order form or for more info please click here.
Bead orders have been extended - need to be mailed by October 1.
Any questions please send them to Karin
The always popular Rick Wormeli will be back in 2012!
Common Core Common Sense:
Mastery, Assessment, Reporting, and RealityNovember 13 & 14, 2012
UMass Lowell's Inn & Conference Center
Lowell, MASome think if we just had clear, rigorous standards, such as the Common Core, all of our students would improve test scores and go to college. This hasn't happened in states who already have such standards, however, so there must be something more to it. Our professional responses to the Common Core and their assessment are key. Teachers and principals need the skills and insights to break down the Common Core, and any other curriculum that comes their way, and identify evidence they will tolerate as indicators of mastery. They need practicality on reporting that evidence of mastery as well as how to handle awkward assessment and grading situations that arise in increasingly diverse classrooms that are all supposed to make the same gains in the course of a single year.
As differentiation expert, Carol Ann Tomlinson, alludes, standards are the ingredients for dinner laid out on the kitchen counter, but they are NOT the meal itself. The meal is made by talented teachers knowing the ingredients well and understanding the academic, dietary needs of their students. These teachers proportion, mix, and cook those ingredients into something meaningful and serve the meal in such a way as students will eat wisely, and maybe, eagerly.
Join us for a provocative two-day seminar that explores these elements of highly effective teaching in the Common Core world. We'll also examine the roles of formative, summative, and common assessments, as well as how to set up a standards-based gradebook and many, "What do teachers do if…?" scenarios that arise when implementing any curriculum with standards-based grading, such as whether or not we can scaffold student learning when using the Common Core, what to do if students achieve the standards earlier than classmates, and what to do if students can express satisfactory evidence of standard but only through alternative assessment. Bring your questions and your wisdom to share – It's going to be a productive two days!
For more information and/or to register please click here.
Save the date for the NELMS 32nd Annual Conference
April 4 & 5, 2013 • RI Convention Center • Providence, RI
Tom Burton - Keynote - Thursday April 4, 2013
Carol Ann Tomlinson - Keynote - Friday April 5, 2013
Rick Wormeli
Nov. 13 & 14, 2012Literacy Summit
Day 1 - 11/2/12
Day 2 - 12/7/12Join us on Facebook and Twitter
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A view of students (@alfiekohn)
 | Alfie Kohn (@alfiekohn) |
"We find children most cute when they display their ignorance & incompetence. We value their dependency & helplessness" -John Holt | |
This is a distressing quote that Kohn shared this morning. I think it does not apply to middle scroll teachers (at least not those who are inclined to gather at NELMS events). I think it does apply to educators, however.
Bill Gates and the other philanthropists who seek (globally or locally) to "fix"schools find educators who swoon at their ideas and dollars "cute."
The standards writers and advocates find educators most "cute" when we accept their versions of what must be taught and learned without question and with thank-you-for-showing-us-the way enthusiasm.
Parents find teachers cute when they sign up to volunteer in the classroom (and PTA and library and the athletic field) and we are expected to value their opinions on par with experts' opinions.
A principal who found me cute and expected me to accept and perpetuate her dubious spin on rotten decisions drove me from the classroom.
Ignorance and incompetence are to be recognized and understood... and minimized, but never valued.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Tweet from Mary Jean Fawcett (@mnfawcett)
 | Mary Jean Fawcett (@mnfawcett) |
21st Century Skills & Literacies for the iPad pinterest.com/pin/1315192515… via @Pinterest | |
Download the official Twitter app here
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Parents beginning to react to testing? (@Stoptesting15)
 | Chris Cerrone (@Stoptesting15) |
Presented @ my community's school board tonight, asked to inform parents of ALL mandated testing, inc preassess & RTI @nyschoolboards | |
Download the official Twitter app here
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
MIT Video
We know that students in the 21st century are "videophilic" (they seek out video in a way that a "videophobic" person would not). There are several sources of good video to reuse in your courses, TED Talks is a well-known source, but so is MIT Video. All of the videos found there come from the MIT community, which has joined the open content community in a serious way.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Learning (@JillSpencer)
 | JillSpencer (@JillSpencer) |
What Does Learning Look Like? pinterest.com/pin/1315192515… via @Pinterest | |
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Designing IT for kids (@wired)
| Wired (@wired) |
When It Comes to Children's Technology, Content Is as Important as Design bit.ly/NNDqXn | |
Although the products reviewed here are for young children, the observations made seem appropriate for designers of IT systems for learners at all ages, but especially middle schoolers: Content matters as much as how interfaces are designed.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Monday, September 24, 2012
Philosophy on iTunes U (@iTunesU)
 | iTunes U (@iTunesU) |
Learn philosophy through environmental ethical dilemmas in this intro course from @OpenUniversity. tw.itunes.com/wRQ | |
A colleague and I used to add philosophical cases into team actives on a regular basis. Students thought and argued with respect and reason.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Fwd: Student Voices - Nikhil Goyal on "One Size Does Not Fit All" + Panel Discussion
Looks like an amazing presentation.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Begin forwarded message:
From: "Classroom 2.0" <mail@classroom20.com>
Date: September 24, 2012, 3:43:55 PM EDT
To: "gary@hackscience.net" <gary@hackscience.net>
Subject: Student Voices - Nikhil Goyal on "One Size Does Not Fit All" + Panel Discussion
Reply-To: do-not-reply@classroom20.com
Network Email
Join me Monday, September 24th, for a one-hour live and interactive FutureofEducation.com webinar with returning guest Nikhil Goydal about his book, One Size Does Not Fit All: A Student's Assessment of School. "17-year-old Nikhil Goyal offers a ground-breaking prescription for transforming American schools. Drawing from hundreds of interviews with renowned thinkers like Howard Gardner, Seth Godin, Dan Pink, Noam Chomsky, Diane Ravitch, and Frank Bruni, Goyal calls to radically redefine the way the country does schooling. From implementing an anti-disciplinary curriculum to reinventing the teaching profession, his propositions are timely and provocative. Goyal walks us through the tenets of the system, shattering claims dispersed in the education conversation" (from the publishers website). Nikhil's biography is below.
Immediately following the interview (but in a different Blackboard Collaborate room), Zak Malamed will lead a Student Voice panel discussion for students, parents, teachers and others to reflect upon and discuss what happened during yesterday's NBC's Education Nation Student Town Hall. The discussion will give participants the opportunity to reflect on the Town Hall and discuss what can be done to enhance and empower the student voice nationwide. Student Voice is a grassroots organization that works to unite and elevate the student voice. This support network serves to aid and empower students in their efforts to be heard and earn their rightful seat at the table.
See you online!
Steve
Steve Hargadon
http://www.stevehargadon.com
NIKHIL GOYAL ON ONE SIZE DOES NOT FIT ALL
Date: Monday, September 24th, 2012
Time: 5pm Pacific / 8pm Eastern (international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Blackboard Collaborate (formerly Elluminate). Log in at http://futureofed.info. The Blackboard Collaborate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Blackboard Collaborate, please visit the support and configuration page.
Recordings: The full Blackboard Collaborate recording and a portable .mp3 recording will be available shortly after the show at http://www.futureofeducation.com.
Mightybell Space: Resources, videos, links, and conversation about the interview can be found HERE.
STUDENT VOICE PANEL
Date: Monday, September 24th, 2012
Time: 6pm Pacific / 9pm Eastern (international times here)
Duration: 1 hour
Location: In Blackboard Collaborate (formerly Elluminate). Log in at https://sas.elluminate.com/m.jnlp?sid=2008350&password=M.40E340B18D367B371CAFC8A55F38F4. The Blackboard Collaborate room will be open up to 30 minutes before the event if you want to come in early. To make sure that your computer is configured for Blackboard Collaborate, please visit the support and configuration page.
Recordings: The full Blackboard Collaborate recording and a portable .mp3 recording will be available shortly after the show at http://www.futureofeducation.com.Nikhil Goyal's work has appeared in the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Fox and Friends, Fox Business: Varney & Co., NBC, Forbes, and Huffington Post.
Nikhil has spoken to thousands at conferences and TEDx events around the world from Qatar to Spain and has guest lectured at Baruch College in New York. He is leading a Learning Revolution movement to transform the American school system. A senior at Syosset High School, Nikhil lives with his family in Woodbury, New York.Zak Malamed is an 18-year-old advocate for the student voice in education policy. He is the organizer of the #StuVoice Twitter chats and StuVoice.org. These efforts focus on uniting and centralizing the student voice. Futhermore, Student Voice provides a support network of students worldwide that will work with students and for students to enhance and empower the student voice.
A graduate of Great Neck South High School, Malamed served as Class President for three years and Student Government President for one year. He also served as Long Island Regional Director and Political Director for the New York High School Democrats. During the summer, he works for The Lanier Law Firm, PLLC. Malamed also serves on the Do Something Youth Advisory Council and is working closely with local politicians to develop youth advisory cabinets. In 2012, he received both the NASSP/Herff Jones Principal's Leadership Award and awards from the Long Island Press for his work as a high school journalist. He will be a freshman Government and Politics major at the University of Maryland, College Park.Visit Classroom 2.0 at: http://www.classroom20.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network
To control which emails you receive on Classroom 2.0, click here
Social neworks in schools
http://qz.com/5180/facebooks-plan-to-find-its-next-billion-users-convince-them-the-internet-and-facebook-are-the-same/
Happy National Punctuation Day
 | David Dobbs (@David_Dobbs) |
"Let's eat Grandpa." No, wait: "Let's eat, Grandpa." Good punctuation saves lives. #NationalPunctuationDay #GetItRight | |
Download the official Twitter app here
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Personalized Content or Learning (@willrich45)
| Will Richardson (@willrich45) |
Take the minute necessary to read and reflect on the issue and question posed by Wil Richardson in this post. It will make you turn a suspicious eye to many products promoted as educational reform.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Sunday, September 23, 2012
Tweet from edutopia (@edutopia)
 | edutopia (@edutopia) |
Interesting read:"Can #Wikipedia be used as a teaching tool?" rww.to/PN6MSl | |
Great reasons to use Wikipedia.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Saturday, September 22, 2012
Creativity concerns (@nancyflanagan)
 | nancyflanagan (@nancyflanagan) |
New--and believable-- research suggests that American schoolchildren are becoming less creative. psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-l… | |
Worth reading and sharing. Must read. Must share. Cannot be allowed to continue.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Friday, September 21, 2012
Tweet from Alfie Kohn (@alfiekohn)
| Alfie Kohn (@alfiekohn) |
Standrdzd test results are misleading, not just useless. 9/27 webinar explains what GOOD assessment lks like: ow.ly/dS0IL | |
This looks like it may be if interest to NELMS friends.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Fwd: September 20, 2012 Weekly Blast From NELMS
From: nelms@nelms.org
Date: September 20, 2012 1:59:12 PM EDT
To: "Dr. Gary L. Ackerman" <gary@hackscience.net>
Subject: September 20, 2012 Weekly Blast From NELMS
Reply-To: NELMS <nelms@nelms.org>
September 20, 2012 - NELMS Bead Fundraiser Coming to an End NELMS Bead Fundraiser drawing to a close
For an order form or for more info please click here.
Bead orders need to be mailed by September 24.
Any questions please send them to Karin
The always popular Rick Wormeli will be back in 2012!
Common Core Common Sense:
Mastery, Assessment, Reporting, and RealityNovember 13 & 14, 2012
UMass Lowell's Inn & Conference Center
Lowell, MASome think if we just had clear, rigorous standards, such as the Common Core, all of our students would improve test scores and go to college. This hasn't happened in states who already have such standards, however, so there must be something more to it. Our professional responses to the Common Core and their assessment are key. Teachers and principals need the skills and insights to break down the Common Core, and any other curriculum that comes their way, and identify evidence they will tolerate as indicators of mastery. They need practicality on reporting that evidence of mastery as well as how to handle awkward assessment and grading situations that arise in increasingly diverse classrooms that are all supposed to make the same gains in the course of a single year.
As differentiation expert, Carol Ann Tomlinson, alludes, standards are the ingredients for dinner laid out on the kitchen counter, but they are NOT the meal itself. The meal is made by talented teachers knowing the ingredients well and understanding the academic, dietary needs of their students. These teachers proportion, mix, and cook those ingredients into something meaningful and serve the meal in such a way as students will eat wisely, and maybe, eagerly.
Join us for a provocative two-day seminar that explores these elements of highly effective teaching in the Common Core world. We'll also examine the roles of formative, summative, and common assessments, as well as how to set up a standards-based gradebook and many, "What do teachers do if…?" scenarios that arise when implementing any curriculum with standards-based grading, such as whether or not we can scaffold student learning when using the Common Core, what to do if students achieve the standards earlier than classmates, and what to do if students can express satisfactory evidence of standard but only through alternative assessment. Bring your questions and your wisdom to share – It's going to be a productive two days!
For more information and/or to register please click here.
Save the date for the NELMS 32nd Annual Conference
April 4 & 5, 2013 • RI Convention Center • Providence, RI
Tom Burton - Keynote - Thursday April 4, 2013
Carol Ann Tomlinson - Keynote - Friday April 5, 2013
From one of our sponsors...
Use 21st Century instructional technology to give your students a stronger science education. For more information see JogNog's American Science Challenge or contact Kris Carlson, Director of Education Development at 978.202.2232.
Rick Wormeli
Nov. 13 & 14, 2012Literacy Summit
Day 1 - 11/2/12
Day 2 - 12/7/12Join us on Facebook and Twitter
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Anti-bullying ideas from edutopia (@edutopia)
Common Core SS- a rationale view
| Please take the few minutes necessary to read this, then make sure parents and others hear the ideas:Will Richardson (@willrich45) 9/19/12 4:35 PM Just Posted: Our Numbers Obsession Will Kill Us bit.ly/UjNPbK #edchat #edreform |
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Stuxnet Tricks Copied by Computer Criminals
Looks like schools are going to be dealing with network security long into the future...
I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:
"Stuxnet Tricks Copied by Computer Criminals"
Techniques used by government-backed malware are surfacing in the code used by ordinary cyber criminals.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429173/stuxnet-tricks-copied-by-computer-criminals/
To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
I thought you might be interested in the following story on TechnologyReview.com:
"Stuxnet Tricks Copied by Computer Criminals"
Techniques used by government-backed malware are surfacing in the code used by ordinary cyber criminals.
http://www.technologyreview.com/news/429173/stuxnet-tricks-copied-by-computer-criminals/
To view this story, click the link above or paste it into your browser.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Study: America Will Be Overwhelmingly Obese by 2030 | Playbook | Wired.com
Given the known benefits to cognition and learning of fitness to adolescents (and adults), this report which is summarized in Wired should draw the attention of those interested in improving test scores.
http://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/09/f-as-in-fat/
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
http://www.wired.com/playbook/2012/09/f-as-in-fat/
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
@NELMS_info, 9/18/12 2:08 PM
 NELMS (@NELMS_info)9/18/12 2:08 PM Don't forget to order your Middle Level Star education bead! For more information and how to order, go to... fb.me/1EFJVDZ7y |
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Internet safety
Share this with your students: TechHive (@TechHive)9/18/12 10:34 AM How much personal info are you sharing with random creeps on the Internet? Read @leahyamshon's cautionary tale: hive.rs/OCqZz5 |
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Myths about USA education
Rhetoric and reality may differ... Paul Thomas (@plthomasEdD)9/18/12 6:58 AM Shocking Report Explodes 5 Myths About American Education | Alternet bit.ly/UhTP7q |
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Twitter in education
So, I hear teachers ask "Why do I need Twitter anyways?" Then I found this on my Twitter feed which lists 30 hash tags of interest to educators. These will help you find resources and ideas that arrive in your phone or on your computer all day, everyday.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Monday, September 17, 2012
Adolescent brains: @tedtalks, 9/17/12 11:07 AM
 TEDTalks Updates (@tedtalks)9/17/12 11:07 AM Today's #TED: Sarah-Jayne Blakemore on the mysterious workings of the adolescent brain: on.ted.com/Blakemore |
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Flipping classrooms...
... is all the rage; here is some sound advice. I especially like the point about teacher evaluation. Could it be that "leaders" are behind on this one? (I used to joke with one of my principals that I would never be a principal, in part because I wanted to be a leader. He has retired, I left for higher education. Sigh...)
I saw this article when reading The Dan Åkerlund Daily on the Paper.li Mobile Edition and thought you might be interested:
Top 10 Do’s and Don’ts When Flipping Your Classroom #edchat « syded
This post is in response to the success we have had with workflow and assessment for learning this academic year. For example, recently, students were given a specfic time to ‘hand-in’ their assign...
Read the full article on syded.wordpress.com
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
@shannonwa, 9/16/12 4:00 PM
This comes from a Vermont educator: Shannon Walters (@shannonwa)9/16/12 4:00 PM Learning Games Network releases free Game Design Tool Kit with prof dev: learninggamesnetwork.org/projects/gdtk/ #vsla |
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Sunday, September 16, 2012
FaceBook photo
Friday, September 14, 2012
Fwd: NEERO Call for Proposals
A great opportunity for educators in graduate programs to share their work or get guidance on culminating projects is offered by NEERO.
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Begin forwarded message:
From: NEERO Conference <neero.conference@gmail.com>
Date: September 14, 2012 9:36:14 AM EDT
To: NEERO Conference <neero.conference@gmail.com>
Subject: NEERO Call for Proposals
Dear friends of NEERO,
I am writing to encourage you and/or your students to submit a proposal for the 2013 conference of the New England Educational Research Organization (NEERO). NEERO is a regional conference attended by researchers at all stages in their career, but is a particularly good venue for emerging researchers to present their work in a very supportive and thoughtful environment. Attendees include college faculty and students, K-12 teachers, principals and superintendents, and representatives from national testing and research organizations. The conference provides great opportunities to discuss the presentations in paper, symposium, or round table formats. NEERO is also an opportune time to informally build your professional networks.
This year, we will be holding the conference at the Sheraton in Portsmouth, NH on Wednesday, April 15 through Friday, April 17, 2013. The Call for Proposals is attached to this email and the link to submit proposals for the NEERO 2013 conference is available at http://neero.org/call-for-proposals/. The deadline for submitting proposals is October 31, 2012.
If you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact me at neero.conference@gmail.com
All the best,
Mary Grassetti
Membership Director
Mary T. Grassetti, Ed.D.
Assistant Professor of Teacher Education
Framingham State University
100 State Street
Framingham, MA 01701
@alfiekohn, 9/14/12 7:03 AM
| Here is a great thought to start your Friday:Alfie Kohn (@alfiekohn) 9/14/12 7:03 AM The more we play games by prevailing rules, the less able we will be to develop new games that are more civilized -T Szasz (1920-2012) |
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
@cmtoy, 9/13/12 10:07 PM
NELMS friend Chris Toy invites participation; Chris Toy (@cmtoy)9/13/12 10:07 PM Inquiring Minds Want to Know...Have you Read These Three Key Documents? wp.me/pVzFP-Pc |
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
Thursday, September 13, 2012
@JillSpencer, 9/13/12 1:16 PM
| A great idea from a NELMS friend:JillSpencer (@JillSpencer) 9/13/12 1:16 PM Teacher-Student Relationships--How's the Team Doing? wp.me/p1fb54-iO |
- Dr. Gary Ackerman
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