Seth Godin Discusses Failure of Educational Model

Best selling author Seth Godin discusses the failure of our educational model that's built around producing factory workers.

Godin explains that it wouldn't take very many passionate parents to start schools down the right path. Parents just need to realize that they and their children own the learning and they are not the property of the government. For ideas on how to do this read my free guide downloadable from the right column on this blog: Fix The Schools, Not the Child.


Source: http://www.LeeStranahan.com

20 Things a Teacher Wants the Nation to Know About Education

In response to my post 20 Things Students Want the Nation to Know About Education, Tom, who blogs at Stop Trying to Inspire Me. Just Shut Up and Let Me Teach wrote the 20 things teachers like him want the nation to know about education. Below are his points followed by my reaction.

1. If we're not going to get rid of standardized testing, we need better tests.  We need to ditch multiple choice and make the focus on higher-level critical thinking.  If that means that Pearson's evaluators spend more time grading the tests, then so be it.  We give them so much money anyway they should start earning it.
• We don't need standardized tests and we don't need to hire people to grade assessments. Teachers are paid to do this work and they already have assessments available to them that are far superior to standardized tests. Example: A student's reading level measures their reading abilty.  No test required.  

Research Supporting the Benefits of Technology In Reading and Writing

Despite the fact that we’re well into the 21st century innovative educators often still have to make a case for using the tools of the world inside school. This post was written for those looking to justify their decision to use technology to support readers and writers.  Below you will find a compilation of research that outlines the benefits of technology in supporting readers and writers.

5 ideas for responding to what kids want the nation to know about education

I had the pleasure of attending and presenting at EdCampNYC this year organized by some impressive and innovative educators such as my friends Deven Black, Karen Blumberg, and Ann Oro.  I did a session based on a popular article I wrote recently called 20 Things Students Want the Nation to Know About Education and also incorporated elements of my talk about connecting school life to real life.  In the article students tell us that they need to be seen as people, not just students. They want to feel loved. They want to feel like they belong and are a part of something. In short, they want teachers to know that mattering to them will go a long way toward fostering learning.  Interestingly, several commenters to my post on my blog and in the Huffington Post railed against this idea with push back being, that a teachers job is to teach and this other stuff was someone else's job (i.e. parents, ministry, guidance counselor, etc.)  The teachers who came to this session were not those teachers.

What's Popular This Week on The Innovative Educator

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see my top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews in the past 7 days. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re so inspired leave a comment.

20 Things Students Want the Nation to Know About Education... Sep 28, 2011, 8 comments  8,781 Pageviews

AASL Thinks Outside the Ban with Banned Websites Awareness.. Sep 25, 2011, 1 comment  2038 Pageviews

7 Filter Myths to Keep In Mind for Banned Sites Awareness Sep 26, 2011, 1 comment  19 55 Pageviews

Discover what your digital footprint says about you... Aug 19, 2011, 1 comment      1407 Pageviews

Why I Don't Like Standardized Tests Sep 27, 2011, 1 comment      1340 Pageviews

Building your personal learning network infographic Sep 29, 2011 1086 Pageviews

Rethinking Learning with A Child-Centered Lesson P... Sep 23, 2011      1003 Pageviews

Using Google as an Educational Tool Right From You... Mar 2, 2009, 3 comments     995 Pageviews

Cure ADHD without Drugs with These Resources from Feb 5, 2011, 21 comments    885 Pageviews

October is anti-bullying month and celebrities want to discuss it with your students live!

Seth Godin’s doing it. Chicken Soup for the Soul’s Mark Victor Hansen’s doing it. Countless Nickelodeon and Disney Channel Stars are doing it.

If you're a teacher in Hollywood, you might not be someone who is interested in doing it, but for those who don't run across celebrities everyday, here's an opportunity to bring one right into your classroom.  It doesn't cost a dime or take a lot of work either.  

As part of anti-bullying month, you can sign up for a star to do a Skype visit to your classroom sometime during the month of October. Visits last about 30 minutes.  During that time the celebrity will take about 15 minutes to discuss their personal experiences with bullying and then they'll spend the rest of the time with questions, answers, and discussion where the kids can share their own experiences and ask their own questions. 

If you're interested you will need the following:

• Download Skype and know your ID
• Age/grade of kids
• Number of kids attending
• Times and dates available
• Email address

Then join The Transforming Education for 21st Century learning network and go here to sign up.