The Carnival Of Education: Week 116
Welcome to the midway of the 116th Carnival of Education!Here's this week's roundup of entries from around the EduSphere. Unless clearly labeled otherwise, all entries this week were submitted by the writers themselves.
If you're interested in hosting an edition of The Carnival Of Education, please let us know via this email address: edwonk [at] educationwonks [dot] org.
As always, we give a hearty "thank you" to everybody who helped spread the word about last week's midway. Visit the C.O.E.'s archives here and see our latest EduPosts there.
Next Week's Carnival midway will be hosted by Dr. Homeslice. Contributors are invited to send submissions to: drhomeslice [at] hotmail [dot] com , or use this handy submission form. Entries should be received no later than 9:00 PM (Eastern) Tuesday, May 1, 2007. Please include the title of your post, and its URL, if possible. Barring unforeseen circumstances, the midway should open next Wednesday morning.
Let the free exchange of thoughts and ideas begin!
EduPolicy:
Around here, we like to keep an eye on the comings and goings of Margaret Spellings, the globe-trotting U.S. Education Secretary. And now we've learned that somebody else is keeping an eye on She Who Must Be Obeyed.
Has the American public education system become a "free-for-all" with competing interests vying for influence over what is taught? Mark Montgomery asserts that if stakeholders in the education community cannot agree on a set of common EduObjectives, the textbook companies will.
While Matt has some good news for those of us who are fans of Teach For America, (See T.F.A. website here.) he also suggests what needs to be done in order to make a good program better.
The Virginia Tech Massacre:
Mamacita of Scheiss Weekly reflects upon the recent tragedy at Virginia Tech. Here's a sample:
The incident at Virginia Tech had nothing to do with gun control, no matter how hard some people are trying to make it so. People like this student will find a weapon one way or another, and no amount of legislating or safeguarding or waiting periods will make any difference. This is not a gun control issue. This is a self control issue. And it is people who have no self control who ruin everything for all of us.Consider reading the whole thing.
People with no self-control take up more than their fair share of an airline seat. People with no self-control eat all the Hostess cupcakes. People with no self-control talk in the movie theater, and they grab for things they want, and they scream and cry when they don't get their own way. People with no self-control see no reason why they should obey the rules or, when they're older, the laws. People with no self-control want what they want when they want it. People with no self-control never quite grew up somewhere in the brain.
From The Classroom:
NYC Educator is letting the public in on a Teaching Trade Secret that most successful classroom educators possess: it's known simply as "the look."
Attention parents, teachers, and school administrators: contrary to the beliefs of some of you out there in EduLand, children are not accessories.
Check-out what happens in the real world when a Texas public school teacher insisted on maintaining high grading standards. (Was the teacher fairly treated? You make the call....)
Most of us know about a great teacher who got tired of all the non-teaching hassles and retired early, but this submission by Education in Texas leaves us scratching our heads and asking ourselves yet again... why are so many talented educators calling it quits just when they're needed the most? Meanwhile Ms. Cornelius reveals just how quickly a veteran educator's priorities can be forced to change.
Polski3 touches upon a dilemma that is familiar to many, if not most, history teachers: What's a teacher to do when there is too much history to teach and too little year left to teach it in?
Even though there's still nine-weeks of school to go, high school English teacher Graycie can see the light at the end of the tunnel. (But is that light an on-rushing train?)
School Governance:
Joanne Jacobs is telling us about a school administrator who suspended a student simply because he made negative comments about a photo of his classmates. But then again, as is so often the case, there's more than meets the eye to this one.
Inside This Teaching Life:
For many teachers, simply hearing the words "professional development" causes a wide-range of feelings, from revulsion to anxiety. Nevertheless, "P.D." is a fact of life for most educators. What It's Like on the Inside gives us the inside scoop on a good activity that involves, of all things, the use of a picture book!
IB a Math Teacher ponders a question that we ourselves have pondered: why do so many school administrators talk to their teachers as if the teachers were idiots?
See what happened when a California high school student asked her very pro-military, pro-War Against Islamofascism math teacher to assist her with getting a "Peace Scholarship."
Missprofe compares American students with those of France and asks a pretty good question: when it comes to students, where's the personal accountability?
On the last day of the school year, Pete the teacher asked that question so many of us would like to ask of those students who we know are capable of learning but choose not to.
Unions And Collective Bargaining:
The internet offers a number of intriguing possibilities for those progressive and forward-thinking teachers associations. Dr. Homeslice has some for those who are willing to think outside of the traditional union box.
Curriculum:
The University of Houston's HUNBlog is introducing us to a new hands-on science curriculum: say "hello" to the HUNBox!
Stephen of Live Granades takes a hard look at that time-honored
Higher Education:
When it comes to teaching large-enrollment college classes, the implementation of a fair and equitable grading policy becomes paramount. Rightwingprof makes the case for a system of grading that he has developed.
A traditionally non-traditional student asks a good question: Is community college right for you?
The Collegiate Way has a cautionary tale about the need to be aware of low-flying birds of prey bearing omens from the Gods.
Testing and Technology:
Taz has a simple but effective method for parents who want to encourage their children to develop familiarity with a home computer but don't want them to become overly-familiar with the Internet.
Tennessee teacher Carol of The Medium Sib gives us 13 ways Test Week is so much more different than those other, more mundane EduWeeks. (The good, the bad, and the ugly.)
Learn Me Good is exposing a different type of testing cover-up. (We've been down that road ourselves...)
Humor:
Reader NYC Educator has tipped us to this post from Miss Cellania that reminds us that there is something about a teacher.
Let's Play Math lets us learn all about how to insult somebody using the best Shakespearean English.
Homeschooling:
Here's a method of developing a child's writing skills.... without writing!
And now we discover that the Homeschooling Revolution has come to Britain!
Included by the editors: Round-out your Educational Experience by finding out what the homies are up to over at this week's edition of The Carnival of Homeschooling.
Inside The Blogs:
Philosopher's Playground challenges readers to leave a one-word response to his post about Steve Fuller's (A defender of Intelligent Design.) remarks concerning Scientists and Things Scientific.
Scott at Dangerously Irrelevant gets a reality check about how a large number of parents and teachers really feel about empowering students to take charge of their own learning experiences.
Humbly submitted for your consideration is our post about Eagle Scout James Calderwood, who has achieved the astounding feat of earning every single merit badge in book. (That's all 122 of 'em.)
And finally: This, like most of our journeys around the EduSphere, has been both enjoyable and informative. Our continued thanks to all the contributors whose submissions make the midway's continuing success possible, the folks who donate their time to help spread the word, and the readers who continue to make it A Free Exchange of Thoughts and Ideas.
Labels: The Carnival Of Education
By:EdWonk ~ Permalink:4/25/2007
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