Blog Archives - Study Plans

Teachers can control students iPads

3/30/2016

Teachers can control students' iPads with new Classroom app: http://edscoop.com/apple-release-new-app-for-classroom-collaboration-on-ipad
"Teachers can monitor and control students' devices remotely through the new Classroom app, Apple announced this week."
There is some discussion about whether teachers are too controlling of students' devices if they use this app in the classroom. I used to use a similar device in a computer lab setting and found it quite useful when helping students. I wonder if what the difference is between a lab setting and school-owned iPads in this situation.

Achievement Gap for Hispanic Students

3/29/2016

Gins in reading for Hispanic Students Overshadowed by Achievement Gap: http://www.usnews.com/news/blogs/data-mine/2016/03/28/hispanic-students-gains-overshadowed-by-achievement-gaps
"In some states, Latino students are more than three grade levels behind their peers in reading." This study includes charts showing the growth, or lack of growth for each state in the United States for fourth and eighth grades.

Student-Designed Learning

3/26/2016

tThe Benefits and Challenges of Student-Designed Learning: http://ww2.kqed.org/mindshift/2016/03/25/the-benefits-and-challenges-of-student-designed-learning/
I am an advocate of students becoming independent learners. In this Philadelphia school, students in one class were given the chance to design their own learning for the second quarter of their senior year. It was interesting to me to read how the teacher and students felt about this plan.

School Conditions Matter

3/25/2016

School conditions matter for student achievement, new research confirms: http://ny.chalkbeat.org/2016/03/24/school-conditions-matter-for-student-achievement-new-research-confirms/#.VvWLz0fw9gs
"A first -of-its-kind study released Thursday found that significant gains in key measurs of a school's climate, like safety and academic expectations, can be linked to the equivalent of an extra month and a half of math instruction and, in some cases, a 25 percent reduction in teacher turnover." I wonder how these findings will be used in the budget process. Will districts decide that they can improve the conditions in the school rather than make the school day and/or year longer?

Fun with Math for Preschool Children

3/22/2016

A little fun with mathematics early in life can go a long way, says education professor: http://phys.org/news/2016-03-fun-mathematics-early-life-professor.html
Since I work with teachers of young children in one of the universities I teach for, I was especially interested in this article. Many of the things that we discuss to promote literacy can be expanded to include mathematical concepts.

Colorado Public School System Gets a 'C' and 'F'

3/22/2016

Study Gives Colorado A 'C' And 'F' For Public School System: https://www.cpr.org/news/story/study-gives-colorado-c-and-f-public-school-system

Google knows!

3/21/2016

How to see the terrifying things Google knows about your: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/2016/03/18/how-to-see-the-terrifying-things-google-knows-about-you/
I looked at everything in my Google account that is described in this article and I must say I didn't find anything particularly terrifying.

Texas moves to augment classroom internet

3/16/2016

"High-speed internet access will expand to all classrooms across the state": http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/03/16/texas-moves-to-augment-classroom-internet/
Hopefully, in Texas the teachers will have professional development and perhaps a website with reliably effective lesson plans they can freely access.

Ohio shutting down its clearinghouse for online lessons

3/16/2016

"State funding is gone and no longer supports the web resource for teachers to locate high-quality online lessons": http://www.eschoolnews.com/2016/03/16/ohio-shutting-down-clearinghouse-for-online-lessons/
I hate to see any successful site that is helpful to teachers shut down. Finding a reliable website where teachers can quickly find effective lesson plans quickly is a huge benefit for them.

P-Tech Growing Pains

3/15/2016

Turmoil Behind the Scenes At a Nationally Lauded High School: http://www.npr.org/sections/ed/2016/03/14/469207779/turmoil-behind-the-scenes-at-a-nationally-lauded-high-school
Many students in next year's first graduating classes are having difficulty with college classes and partnership parties disagree on how to help those students.

weebly statistics