August 2010 Blog Posts (75)

Good ideas spread...and win - what are your good ideas?

As mentioned in previous posts, I have really tried to utilize my summer to better myself. I wanted to refine my skills as a progressive

educator who is able to meet the needs of students in a meaningful and

influential way. As such, I have concentrated on new ways to integrate

social media and technology into my classroom instruction. All of the

ideas and suggestions I plan on using started out as ideas. In

particular, they… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 6, 2010 at 8:22pm — No Comments

Why the current educator evaluation process not only doesn't work...it is hurting America's education system

If you have been in education for one year, you have most likely experienced the educator evaluation process. Depending on what school you work at, and in which district you work, your experience could be completely different than that of another. I think it is fantastic that individual schools and districts retain the right to do things in a manner which is best fitting for their students and their community, however when an educator evaluation… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 5, 2010 at 4:21pm — No Comments

Human nature - why sometimes we should fight to ignore it...

I will preface this post by saying I am only 15 pages into the book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System, by Diane Ravitch. Despite not being too far along in this book, I feel empowered to share my experiences thus far.

In my short 5 years in education I have learned many things, however for

this post I will concentrate on just one. There is one thing for

certain in education...and that is, there is… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 4:06pm — No Comments

Bring on the learning revolution!

A fabulous resource to educators is available, and the best part about it...it is free! Visit the website http://www.ted.com/ and watch videos about "ideas worth spreading." I chose this

particular video by Sir Ken Robinson because I feel Robinson makes a

wonderful point about education. When we talk about education we need

to forget about the evolution of the school system, but rather we… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 12:13pm — No Comments

Do you recognize the many pieces to the puzzle?

Over the last several weeks I have had the opportunity to speak with several different people who are the

leaders/coordinators/directors/supervisors in their respective

departments within my school district. This opportunity has given me a

new found appreciation for the many intricacies of a large suburban

school district.

As a current classroom teacher I plan my lessons, go to school, teach

students, grade… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 12:11pm — No Comments

Do you speak their language?

How often do you hear students complaining about a teacher who told them to put their cell phone away, or turn their iPod off? If your school

is anything like my school, then I am sure you hear this on a daily

basis. Integrating technology into the classroom has been a hot topic

over the last several years, and as our society continues to embrace new

technological advances, Education 2.0 will hopefully continue to… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 12:07pm — No Comments

Is merit pay for teachers best for students?

If you walk into a teacher's lounge, and your goal is to get the teachers really fired up...then ask them how

they feel about merit pay! Teachers across the nation are torn in their

beliefs when it comes to merit pay. For every teacher that supports

merit pay, there is a teacher who firmly disagrees with merit pay.

Educational reform would not be complete without some kind of overhaul

in the way…

Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 12:06pm — No Comments

What should busy administrators be reading (or watching)? - Leadership Day 2010

This is my first time participating in Leadership Day 2010, and I must say I am really excited to be a part of this fantastic movement. As

educators, I would argue we all need to be inspirational and progressive

leaders in our own right; however in education's current form we have

building administrators and central office administrators as our

leaders. Their jobs are extremely difficult, and I can honestly say

most people… Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 12:05pm — No Comments

Why we shouldn't treat schools like factories, even if it is more cost effective...

If you have ever walked into a factory that produces a finished good from raw materials, it is frankly an

amazing process. Dating back to the early 1900's, Henry Ford

revolutionized the world and the way it manufactures goods. How could

one argue with a process that can take different materials and

products, and in one smooth motion put them together to produce a brand

new flawless product…

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Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 11:48am — 1 Comment

Why leading from the middle is the future, and why being compared to a pez dispenser is okay...

As education continues to evolve and change, it is necessary for our educational leaders to adapt and change

as well. All too often we see schools and districts that lead with a

top down approach. Even though this type of leadership has proven to be

successful in certain circumstances, the level of effectiveness drops

off over time and any future potential positive impact dissolves.…

Continue

Added by Justin Tarte on August 4, 2010 at 11:46am — No Comments

Blogging In Education Today (a multipart series)

Looking at how today’s teachers are using blogs – the first post in a series looking at the many uses of blogging in today’s educational institutions.

While blogging in general is well past the ‘emerging’ state, its use in education continues to evolve and expand. I think that a series of articles providing a broad overview of the topic, complete with worthy examples of education-oriented blogging, could provide a useful resource to educators considering blogging for…

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Added by Kelly Walsh on August 3, 2010 at 6:55am — No Comments

How old is too old?

Please help me. I want to know!!! How old is too old to be a native English teacher in Thailand? This is really a joke in itself but I'm not laughing. I've actually wanted to start a blog on this subject a while back but had no time to do so until now. Also my motivation is at its peak for this topic because I am a bit disgusted at the age of some retirees posting their resumes and thinking someone wants them to work as a teacher.

Definition of retiree: MACMILLAN DICTIONARY

Someone… Continue

Added by Ajarn Donald on August 3, 2010 at 1:30am — No Comments

We need your help!

My students are working hard to earn computers for their school. Please vote for our Pepsi Refresh Grant everyday till the end of the month. Please spread the word and thank you for your support.

Vote Here.

Vote from your mobile phone

Text* 101285 to

Pepsi (73774)

*Standard text messaging…

Continue

Added by swheel26 on August 2, 2010 at 5:30pm — No Comments

18th ESL / EFL / ELL Blog Carnival posted1

This blog carnival is REALLY a carnival! You'll experience a lot of fun and learning.

Many thanks to all those in the wider ELT community for participating and good luck riding the ferris wheel!… Continue

Added by ddeubel on August 2, 2010 at 5:24pm — No Comments