Inspiring talk by a 6th grade teacher ... A must watch video !

A whirlwind of energy and ideas, Stephen Ritz is a teacher in New York's tough South Bronx, where he and his kids grow lush gardens for food, greenery -- and jobs. Just try to keep up with this New York treasure as he spins through the many, many ways there are to grow hope in a neighborhood many have written off, or in your own. (Filmed at TEDxManhattan.) Stephen Ritz teaches at-risk kids in the South Bronx.


 

Is Welding a STEM Professional ? You bet, it is !

Did you know high precision welding work requires expert knowledge in Math (and broadly STEM, knowledge) ?

"Who knew? Welding is now a STEM job — that is, a job that requires knowledge of science, technology, engineering and math."


-- Thomas Friedman, while attending a meeting convened by Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development.

here

Reframe the objective of Common Core Standards, because China is kicking our butts ? Something is fundamentally wrong...

Good morning --

Since when, did our nation (U.S) become fearful of "Standards" ? 

I am particularly referring to the Common Core Standards being considered for K-12 systems. 

The debate along the "Standards" line seems so childish and absurd that Michelle Rhee, the former DC Chancellor of Schools, recently advised a bunch of Florida Lawmakers that they should reframe the debate as :

"China is kicking our butts".

Is that REALLY necessary, folks ? Whether China kicks our butt or not, part and parcel of education systems reform will involve "enhancing" or "evolving" STANDARDS.

Dear Parents -- it is time for you all to wake up, and take an active role in this topic's debate. It is our CHILDREN's future we are having a LIVE / REAL TIME debate. (#math360)

Here is the link to the story --

( #math360 )

Common Core Standards implementation in Indiana is likely to stall; thanks to brilliant part-time legislators !

Indiana's legislation (brilliant for working part-time !) has sent Gov. Pence a bill that would essentially halt the implementation of Common Core Standards and send it back to a series of "public hearing". 

These public hearings will not have any material impact to the standards adoption process or the timeline itself, other than provide "critical input" to the State Board of Education. 

The State Board of Education has already blessed the adoption of CCS.

The primary fellow behind this "re-thinking" is Rep. Senator Scott Schneider. And his claim is that he didn't want "big brother" to dictate our education standards.

If he is suggesting washington politicians are not qualified to frame standards, what makes him qualified ?

What this means for those school districts who are already into implementation ? Dilemma, Wasted time, Confusion, Skepticism and of course the most impacted in this mess -- the Students.

Just for a moment, imagine the "object" is Football, instead of Education. How many parents would tolerate indecisiveness on the "rules" of football while the politicians evaluate which set of rules to adopt ?

Will the outrage be different ?

( #math360 )

A must watch video -- Google's Eric Schmidt on Disruptive Technologies...

McKinsey and Co. has produced this very informational video...


( #math360 )

Will you wear Google Glass, even if it was handed to you for free ? Me == No !

Ok...I (think, I) have had enough of all the so-called pundits / expert reviewers write about Google's Glass. And with my compulsive attitude, I have read them all, even though at times I felt like I was in 'Ground Hog Day'.

Unlike other gadgets where I have taken the time to research and in most cases, purchase one to "play" around, this gadget (Glass) feels like an easy one to decide on.

At the most fundamental level, I cannot imagine (or come to terms) wearing something that changes in color, text, image changes -- so close to the eye. I wear glasses while I work ; I wear sun-glasses if it is even modestly bright outside.

I have tried wearing a small "rear-view" mirror while biking and after a few miles, I felt so uneasy that I took it out and replaced it with a regular rear-view mirror attached to the handle-bar.

Net, net -- my feeling is, aside from the pure "inconvenience" of wearing this gadget, I don't think Google has made a compelling case for this gadget.

A more appropriate audience could be the U.S Army or law enforcement personnel who could benefit from having a real time map of whatever situation they are dealing with; other uses could be night-vision with real time feed of the  map of the ground or the neighborhood.

I am eager to see how the market reacts as this gadget gains (or lack thereof) traction in the market place.

Disruption in ISTEP testing in Indiana due to glitches in Technology !

This is what happens when school districts / systems are held "hostage" to multi-year contracts with limited accountability -- whether it is Technology, or Text Books or e-Books or Book Rentals...

We not only have a fundamental problem in education curriculum (lack thereof) and needs reform, we also need to un-shackle the hands of school districts or hold all technology/content vendors to much higher standards.

--email I got from my district-- {fortunately, my kids' didn't have any 'disruption'

Today during ISTEP testing, many students experienced disruptions during the testing session. These disruptions were observed statewide. The vendor, CTB, and the IDOE are working to resolve these issues. Because of the disruption to testing, not all students had the opportunity to test today. We are hopeful that CTB will be able to resolve the issues so that testing may continue tomorrow. Please be assured that the disruption to testing will be taken into consideration when analyzing your child’s test performance. As such, please reassure your child so that he or she can complete testing with confidence. We will continue to keep you updated as we learn more from CTB and IDOE.

Sincerely,

Amy Dudley, Ed. D.
Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum, Instruction, & Assessment

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