In Memory of …

Posted on August 24, 2020 Written by

After a distinguished career in education spanning more than three decades, Sir Ken Robinson has died. The author of several best-selling books, Robinson is best known for having given the most popular TED Talk of all time.

However, Robinson’s biggest legacy is the generation of educators he inspired with his strong encouragement to move away from schools as rigid test-prep factories toward a more artistic, liberating, and student-friendly environment. This was a much-needed and much-appreciated message.

Students in my courses know that I have used Robinson’s TED talks (and other materials) as a starting point for many discussions. His wisdom and humor will be greatly missed …

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The rich get rich and …

Posted on August 18, 2020 Written by

According to a recent study, the so-called “school spending gap” (the amount spent per student between America’s richest and poorest schools) grew by more than 30% between 2000 and 2015.

Some believe this may be due in part to a shift in societal attitudes about wealth. This in turn has resulted in an increasing shift from ensuring that all of America’s students receive an “equal” education to a focus on simply providing sufficient funding for every child to receive an “adequate” education.

This article offers a detailed look at this phenomenon and explores the implications it has for public school students in the future.

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Free Online Resources

Posted on August 4, 2020 Written by

The rather abrupt nationwide shift to virtual instruction last spring (due to the COVID 19 crisis) left many schools scrambling for resources. Fortunately, many organizations serving the educational market are continuing to provide help.

This article provides a list of free tools, services, and resources (divided by topic or subject area) aimed at helping educators keep their students learning and engaged. Regardless of whether your school is opening for normal operation or whether virtual instruction is being extended, these resources can be a valuable addition to your teachers’ repertoire.

Note: SmartBrief updates this source regularly.

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Quarenteaching

Posted on July 28, 2020 Written by

Regardless of what school looks like this fall, distance learning will probably play a role in the lives of our learners for at least the short term. As administrators, we need to help our teachers make the experience as powerful as possible while recognizing the inherent difficulties of “quarenteaching.”

This article by the co-authors of John Hattie’s The Distance Learning Playbook offers four steps for powerful distance learning. Feel free to share it with your staff.

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