An Op Ed piece by Bill Gates who has now added his voice to the fray AGAINST
the public shaming of teachers using only standardized test scores as "the"
way to measure job performance.
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/23/opinion/for-teachers-shame-is-no-solution.html
An Op Ed piece about the realities of teaching that are not taken into account
by those in government who make decisions about teachers and the classroom.
http://articles.latimes.com/2011/jul/31/opinion/la-oe-herman-class-size-20110731
A well written piece we read for Teacher Study Group: "What if the Key to
Success is Failure?" Recommended reading!
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/18/magazine/what-if-the-secret-to-success-is-failure.html?pagewanted=all
The Case for Libraries and Librarians by Dr. Stephen Krashen. This is
appropriate, because of what happened with our own school library.
http://www.sdkrashen.com/articles/case_for_libraries/index.html
For anyone interested in finding out more about the great homework debate--and
much more--Alfie Kohn studies, writes and speaks on human behavior, education
and parenting. My friends, Mr. Heltai (the sub the kids love) and his wife
(who teaches at Community Magnet Elementary) heard him speak recently and they
were very impressed. Please use this site if and as you wish, for whatever
information you may find helpful!
http://www.alfiekohn.org/index.html
Below is the description of a film about today's educational system in
America. I have seen this film and found it to be very profound. In my
opinion it is a must see, whether you are a parent with school aged children,
or a member of the community. Education and the direction of its future is
important for all of us. FYI: Neither the words nor the description are
mine. It is directly from the website.
Director Vicki Abeles turns the personal political, igniting a national
conversation in her new documentary about the pressures faced by American
schoolchildren and their teachers in a system and culture obsessed with the
illusion of achievement, competition and the pressure to perform. Featuring
the heartbreaking stories of young people across the country who have been
pushed to the brink, educators who are burned out and worried that students
aren’t developing the skills they need, and parents who are trying to do
what’s best for their kids, Race to Nowhere points to the silent epidemic in
our schools: cheating has become commonplace, students have become
disengaged,stress-related illness, depression and burnout are rampant, and
young people
arrive at college and the workplace unprepared and uninspired.
Race to Nowhere is a call to mobilize families, educators, and policy makers
to challenge current assumptions on how to best prepare the youth of America
to become healthy, bright, contributing and leading citizens.
Featured in the film:
* Dr. Madeline Levine, Clinical Psychologist and author of the
best-seller, The Price of Privilege
* Dr. Wendy Mogel, Clinical Psychologist and author of The Blessing of a
Skinned Knee
* Dr. Kenneth Ginsburg, Adolescent Medicine Specialist, The Children's
Hospital of Philadelphia
* Dr. Deborah Stipek, Dean of the School of Education at Stanford University
* Dr. Denise Pope, Co-Founder, Challenge Success, Stanford University
* Sara Bennett, Founder, Stop Homework
http://www.racetonowhere.com/
This site is a summarized version of Dr. Stephen Krashen's ideas about
reading. We were lucky enough to have Dr. Krashen speak at Third Street a few
years ago (NOT an easy feat!). I think you'll find the site useful. It's
short and to the point! A bit more info. on Dr. Krashen:
Dr. Stephen Krashen is professor emeritus at the University of Southern
California, moving from the linguistics department to the faculty of the
School of Education in 1994. He is a linguist, educational researcher, and
activist. Dr. Krashen has published more than 350 papers and books,
contributing to the fields of second language acquisition (SLA), bilingual
education, and reading.
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/article/CA6367048.html
National Geographic for Kids...need I say more?
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/kids/
State Standards (Simply click on "curriculum and instruction" once you get to
this site, then click on "content standards" and go to your child's grade level).
http://www.cde.ca.gov/cfir/index.html
Discovery Channel; puzzles, puzzlemakers...lots of cool stuff!
http://www.puzzlemaker.com
Henry Anker is a teacher's teacher! His site offers many fun and challenging
things for kids--but I've found them interesting, too! You've got to check it
out. When you click on the link, have your child then click on "Mr. Anker's
Tests".
http://alexandria-es10.lausd.k12.ca.us/Staff_Pages/Henry_Anker/index.html
A great reading site for those who need a little nudge with their reading
skills! Really fun and interactive.
http://www.starfall.com
This site I discovered is a good one for finding a great book you can read
with your child, or he/she can read on their own. Check it out!
http://www.thereadingtub.com/
Scholastic Books on-line catalog!
http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/index.jsp
Another great site for all sorts of practice. Tons of games, including math
boxing with Albert Einstein! Not to be missed. This link will take you to
the 3rd grade area.
http://www.internet4classrooms.com/skills_3rd.htm
An interesting article in the Wall Street Journal (excerpt from a book about
the very same), that speaks to the expectations of the newest generation to
enter the workforce.
"The Trophy Kids Go to Work"
Mr. Lawton's Music Class website. Check it out to see what we're doing in
music! There are photos, lessons, music to hear and more!
http://thirdstreetmusic.blogspot.com/
This is an interesting article regarding the homework 'myth'. If you'd like
further information regarding the Duke University study, I'm sure it's
available by google search.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1376208,00.html
A super math site for the kids to practice Xs tables and play math
games! You can also print out your own flash cards!
http://www.aplusmath.com
Alfie Kohn speaks about standardized testing.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/alfie-kohn/what-passes-for-school-re_b_710696.html
A study from Penn State University about the effects of homework.
http://live.psu.edu/story/12256
An article in the "Education" section of the BBC News website (from the UK)
regarding the effectiveness of homework.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/1410847.stm
An interesting article written by a Stanford University graduate citing the
differences between "studying" and "homework".
http://www.superkids.com/aweb/pages/features/homework/
Great Schools website, with parent reviews and information about schools
around the country.
http://www.greatschools.org/california/los-angeles/2422-Third-Street-Elementary-School/
An interesting refutal of the Los Angeles Times' "value added" analysis of
teachers. Done by independent statisticians at the University of Colorado,
this study uses the exact same information in an attempt to duplicate the
Times' findings...and determines it's not possible. It goes on to say that
the Times' reporters significantly skewed their response in a follow up
article about the Colorado
study. This link shows a point by point rebuttal of the Times' reporter's
take on things.
http://nepc.colorado.edu/files/FactSheet_0.pdf