An archived stack of papers: February 2006
The Ideal School Web Site
In a stack of papers called Technology.
- Feb
- 08
- 2006
What’s the function of a school Web site? Should it be a spot to brag about school achievements, perhaps even taking the form of a bulletin board? Should it be a place for the community to respond to topics of interest and even interact with school staff through online conversations like blogs? Should it be simply about information, a one-way street of sorts since schools have so much going on at... read more
Reading As Writers
In a stack of papers called Reading.
- Feb
- 07
- 2006
A quick observation after work…
The latest struggle: trying to get students to read through a text as writers, instead of as just readers. Focusing on details in a text shouldn’t be such a struggle, particularly when dealing with most nonfiction that we’re reading, so reading as a reader shouldn’t be my emphasis. The meaning isn’t obscured by allusion or metaphor or... read more
A Million Little Connections, Not Pieces
In a stack of papers called Connections.
- Feb
- 06
- 2006
Without starting a master’s dissertation about this subject and hibernating for weeks of investigation on the topic, I haven’t read as much research as I should or as is out there. A few things popped up in my email over the last few days and I’ve been thinking about this. A holistic approach to education remains the only sound way of looking at academics, something schools need to do... read more
Book Junkie
In a stack of papers called Reading.
- Feb
- 05
- 2006
I didn’t even realize I’d started the habit back up. Time to revisit the methodone clinic.
A profound shift from my former routine of walking in empty handed and walking out in need of a forklift, over the last several years I’ve done a good job of kicking the bookstore... read more
Teacher Pay
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Feb
- 04
- 2006
An interview with Eric Hanushek about the public education system in California piqued my interest while channel surfing this afternoon. The idea of paying teachers by measure of salaries of the other jobs being passed up listed among his many suggestions.
That sounds completely absurd to me; that kind of supposition should never... read more
Stories From The Front Line
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Feb
- 03
- 2006
In-class Work Time
When teachers allow time to be used in class to write or read or work on assignments, do we hold students accountable? If students choose not to do any of the options you’ve laid out and instead just sit and gaze off into the distance daydreaming, are there repercussions of that choice? How can classes be structured to encourage students to work during class, using... read more
The Shape Of Things
In a stack of papers called Instruction.
- Feb
- 02
- 2006
In thinking of my classes as newspapers where I give them a topic to write about and provide them with models to look at, I am really starting to enjoy myself. With our eyes on publication for the school, I am hopeful that the quality of the final product will go up. I still don’t see a lot of excitement on the parts of the students, but I keep waiting for my enthusiasm to catch on in the... read more
WASC And Professional Development
In a stack of papers called Reform.
- Feb
- 01
- 2006
I’m off to a staff development meeting where we will be discussing our Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) visit.
If any of you have gone through the WASC process, you know that it’s really no fun. If you haven’t gone through it, realize that you actually have whenever you had to put together a project for school: a big assignment with lots of little due dates and... read more