Hilarious bit about what happens when students are made to memorize great poetical works and can recite them at will for life, even when drunk and wandering the streets in the dead of night. This post from Fielding at The Guardian makes me regret not keeping up the curious habit of learning poems by heart so one can pull them out at odd times throughout one’s life. My fifth-grade teacher made her students memorize a poem of their choice every week, and then recite the poem on Friday. I loathed every single Friday from September through June in 1985. The vomit wants to come back whenever I see a Shel Silverstein book.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

The unfortunate phenomenon of elementary-aged girls becoming interested in STEM (Science Technology Engineering Math) subjects, going off to college intending to major in and then pursue a career in one of those fields, and ultimately veering off somewhat sharply into less science-and-math rich majors and careers is common.

Fortunately, it has not gone unnoticed by the chicks who have gone on to work in their dream STEM fields, and several entities have started working to foster girls’ education and career paths in STEM subjects.

Michelle Obama, not a STEM girl herself (what with being a lawyer and all), is all for supporting girls in math and science and gave a little talk about it recently. My favorite bits from the transcript:

And if we’re going to out-innovate and out-educate the rest of the world, then we have to open doors to everyone. We can’t afford to leave anyone out. We need all hands on deck. And that means clearing hurdles for women and girls as they navigate careers in science, technology, engineering and math.

And it starts with lighting the spark for science and math in elementary school and grade school. We talk about this all the time. I know for me, I’m a lawyer because I was bad at these subjects. (Laughter.) All lawyers in the room, you know it’s true. We can’t add and subtract, so we argue. (Laughter.)

And so encouraging girls early not to lose heart in those fields, and encouraging them through high school is important. But it also means making sure that these young women can keep pursuing their dreams in college and beyond.

Further Reading:

Why So Few Women In Science, Technology, Engineering and Math?
Dual Academic Careers
First Lady Michelle Obama Speaks to the Dept. of Education

Posted by Alexa Harrington

They always make you take history in school. I’m more of a math and science girl and will always choose a good chemistry lab over a history lecture. However, having been expected to complete several history courses (for the well-rounding of me and my education), I did pick up on the patterns we humans cycle through as decades and centuries go past. The technology we create for ourselves, ostensibly to make our lives easier/better/faster, seems always to impact more than just the job it was created for. I’m talking about wheels and looms, satellites and cotton gins, not Silly Putty and Flowbees.

Dean Shareski over at Ideas and Thoughts wrote a piece about technology in education and whether or not its just a tool. We’re in the midst of that changing moment, the one some hardcore science geek college girl will have to learn about a few centuries hence.

Further Reading:

Literacy: We’ve Still Got It
Another New and Exciting Way to Be Driven Over the Edge by Technology
New Essay Writing Apps for the iPhone and iPod Touch
Implementing Different Tools
Launching the Emerging Media Major
“Don’t Teach Your Kids This Stuff. Please?”
The Future of Education
Digitizing Knowledge
21st Century Learners

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(technology)

If you’re a decent soul who sees your fellow humans as basically good until they prove themselves otherwise, then by all means, stick around. And watch this quick video from My Fellow American[link]; it illustrates the point that being a Muslim doesn’t make you an evil asshole, being an evil asshole makes you an evil asshole.

Posted by Alexa Harrington

Pennsylvania public schools have jumped on the cheating bandwagon. I’m excited to find out which state will be found out next. And I’m super duper excited to read American History a few decades from now when someone theorizes that President Bush and his No Child Left Behind Act pushed American educators to cheat on standardized tests.

Further Reading:

Atlanta Cheats, Too
Too Many Erasures On D.C. Standardized Tests
It’s Not On the Test
No Child Left Behind Is Ruining Our Education System

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(scantron)

Remember the jackass educators in Washington D.C. who erased students’ incorrect answer bubbles and filled in the correct ones? So classy, so honest, such role models for the impressionable young minds they’re wearing down to nubs with high-pressure standardized tests. Adults suck. Need more fact-age to prove me right? Atlanta educators are slimy too:

Investigation into APS cheating finds unethical behavior across every level

America’s biggest teacher and principal cheating scandal unfolds in Atlanta

Report on Atlanta school cheating inquiry validates AJC analysis

Deal: APS cheating investigation outlines ‘dark chapter’ in system’s history

Atlanta school kids angry over cheating scandal

High-Stakes Testing & the Culture of Fear: The Atlanta Case, Report #1

Why Were Test Answer Sheets Altered? The Atlanta Case, Report #2

Atlanta Public Schools cheating: Some teachers admit guilt

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(Atlanta school bus)

Michele Bachmann has officially announced her decision to run in the 2012 presidential campaign.

I’d rather have the Baton Rouge teen, Zack Kopplin, who called her out on her creationism/intelligent design education policies. He seems smarter and a lot more open to facts and logic. That’s him above, testifying to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act of 2008, which allows the teaching of intelligent design and creationism in Louisiana public schools.

Michele Bachmann’s education policies reflect her pro-creationism and intelligent design stance.

Words from Michele Bachmann:

“There is a controversy among scientists about whether evolution is a fact … hundreds and hundreds of scientists, many of them holding Nobel prizes, believe in intelligent design.”

Words from Zack Kopplin:

“For the next hand, I raise you 43 Nobel Laureate scientists. That’s right: 43 Nobel Laureate scientists have endorsed our effort to repeal Louisiana’s creationism law. … Congresswoman Bachmann, you claim that Nobel Laureates support creationism. Show me your hand. If you want to be taken seriously by voters while you run for President, back up your claims with facts. Can you match 43 Nobel Laureates, or do you fold?”

Further reading on Zack Kopplin and his mission to repeal the Louisiana Science Education Act of 2008:

Bachmann Is In, Officially
17 Year Old to Michele Bachmann: Show Me Your Nobel Laureate Scientists
Is Michele Bachmann the New Sarah Palin?
Zack Kopplin’s Change.org Petition
Michele Bachmann’s Stance on Evolution Demolished by High School Student

Posted by Alexa Harrington

Born too late for the homework-free society Race to Nowhere is bringing on? Sucks to be you. And me, I might add. Where in the hell was filmmaker Vicki Abeles when I was a wee slip of a thing, playing outside in the sunshine on my pink banana-seat BMX bike and feeling guilty about the 13 years of homework I never failed to put off until the morning it was due?

It’s amazing there hasn’t been a homework revolt before now; the kids have the numbers. School kids are like ants: If they ever decide to take over, there’s not a lot the human adults can do about it. I’m just saying.

I’m a firm believer that Thank-You Notes and the grandparents who force kids to write them are the devil’s work, but every public school student from K-12 should at least send Race to Nowhere’s Abeles a good thought, if not a huge-ass muffin basket.

Further Reading:

New Recruit in Homework Revolt: The Principal
Race to Nowhere

Posted by Alexa Harrington

(banana seat bike)

Posted by Alexa Harrington

School kids need broadband, too! There’s a nearly infinite universe of information available on the Internet, a bazillion football stadiums’ worth of hard copy knowledge that would never fit into a school library or classroom. Students and teachers should have access to all of that brain-building, thought-provoking information. But how to give all schools decent broadband connections?

The U.S. Department of Education is on it. You can check out the interactive map showing the current status of broadband availability for U.S. schools, or you can read the hows and whys. Or both, if you’re really good.

With broadband, students and teachers can expand instruction beyond the confines of the physical classroom and traditional school day. Broadband can also provide more customized learning opportunities for students to access high-quality, low-cost and personally relevant educational material. Broadband can improve the flow of educational information, allowing teachers, parents and organizations to make better decisions tied to each student’s needs and abilities. Improved information flow can also make educational product and service markets more competitive by allowing school districts and other organizations to develop or purchase higher-quality educational products and services. More…

Posted by Alexa Harrington