Back in tenth grade US history class, I was indoctrinated into the wonder of National History Day. This event was a celebration of world and American history, designed to encourage students to pursue what might not be taught in the textbooks. The two main components of this contest were a research paper and some sort of visual project. Prior to this exercise, I [...]
In 2009, legislatures in New York and California, among other states, enacted laws that limit, to one degree or another, the use of student achievement data in teacher performance evaluations. New York's legislature prohibited the use of student test scores in teacher tenure decisions. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan was publicly opposed to these laws, saying, "Believe it or not, several states, including [...]
For incoming college freshmen, it’s the number one most frequently asked question: “What’s your major?” Choosing a major can be a Big Deal. It outlines what courses you’ll be taking, what professors you’ll have, what internships you’ll apply for, and how you approach your college experience as a whole. But making a decision like that can often be overwhelming. What if you don’t [...]
"I need a Personal Shopper! When can you start?" said the woman in the store that I was shopping in. It happens to me all the time. It doesn't matter where I am, if I'm wearing a winter jacket and boots, carrying multiple shopping bags, or even if I'm in the ladies room, I am always mistaken for the store's salesperson. Every time [...]
An innovative new feature is coming along in the e-publishing world: specific book apps for Apple's iPad. This new technology personalizes the eBook experience. "Electric Literature", a short story publication, is combining new technologies to create a unique literary experience. Originally, "Electric Literature" was simply a print magazine, but the company has expanded to all manner of eBooks. EL does continue to print, [...]
I recently read an article about how our own language can make a difference in how we understand things around us. The article referred to the research of Lera Boroditsky, a psychologist at Stanford University. She believes that the language we speak determines the way we perceive the world. When the Viaduct de Millau opened in the south of France in 2004, it [...]
My summer reading lists and the books I was assigned to read in class in high school were mostly classic novels or plays by white males. I read (and enjoyed!) Romeo and Juliet, The Scarlet Letter, Lord of the Flies, Of Mice and Men, Catch-22, and Macbeth , to name a few. High school students today are reading a wider variety of books. Though the classics are still taught, many [...]
It's been a long time since I've been in a recording studio. Boy, did it bring back memories, like creating playlists and listening to demos during my early days at WSKB (my college radio station), when I sat in the booth for the first time. The first minute on the air felt like an hour but I quickly adapted. My radio career continued [...]
Soon after the Obama administration allocated billions of dollars in Federal aid to our Nation's schools, dozens of new companies sprang up looking to capitalize on the funds. Under the rules of the stimulus package, school districts are permitted to hire companies or a nonprofit to help in the turnaround, but the availability of such companies is slim. Companies formerly involved in markets [...]
In a recent interview on NPR's "Talk of the Nation" program, Eva Moskowitz, the founder and CEO of the Success Charter Network, discussed her opinion that class size is not nearly as important as people make it out to be. The theory has been that a smaller class size enables teachers to spend more time one-on-one with their students, thus improving the quality [...]