Blog posts about teaching.
EduCon 2.2 reflection
Submitted by Molly Thacker on Tue, 02/02/2010 - 11:23 Posted in Class notes | Permalink
EduCon 2.2, presented by Science Leadership Academy, promised to be more than just a conference, and it delivered.
The notion of being talked with, not at, was only one departure I found from other conferences I have attended. Another major difference I noticed is how free my hands were. At typical English teacher conferences I am used to having my hands full of papers and pamphlets, books and of course, the ubiquitous tote bag. At EduCon, much of the conversation was paperless and taking place on live streams and Twitter feeds.
I walked away from EduCon 2.2 with my mind swirling with ideas about how to improve my teaching and create more meaning in my classes – pretty good for a snowy Saturday afternoon.
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EduCon 2.2 This Weekend
Submitted by Molly Thacker on Thu, 01/28/2010 - 14:44 Posted in Class notes | Permalink
I can't think of a better - or more necessary - time than late January to generate discussion, ideas, creativity, collaboration, and energy around issues of education. Which is I am so looking forward to attending the EduCon 2.2 conference this weekend hosted by Science Leadership Academy.
Check back after the weekend for a recap of events and to continue the conversation!
Note: The event is sold out, but there is a wait list and an option to "attend digitally."
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Teen violence: Chicago incident prompts moving from conversation to action
Submitted by Molly Thacker on Tue, 10/13/2009 - 23:37 Posted in Class notes | Permalink
I’m sure by now everyone has heard about the tragic incident of the high school student in Chicago who was killed a few weeks ago.
And I’m sure by now everyone has probably stopped talking about him. It seems to be the way it goes.
Jon and Kate’s latest scandal? You’ll be able to find instant updates daily. The brutal beating of a sixteen year old honor student? The story dissipates after the first few headlines.
I first heard about the murder from a student of mine, who brought the issue into the classroom as her chosen topic for weekly discussions we conduct. The student did a great job finding an article for students to read and respond to on our class blog. She also facilitated an engaging, critical conversation around teen violence and bullying, intersecting with issues of race.
Although we did end the discussion on a note of action, thinking about ways we can address violence here in Philadelphia and at our school, our class discussion seemed almost futile in the sense that we were trying to explain an inexplicable occurrence.
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Hanging on to student work
Submitted by Anna Weiss on Tue, 10/06/2009 - 20:08 Posted in Class notes | Permalink
When I was in 7th grade - about the same age that my own students are now - we moved to a new school district. My new junior high, while perfectly serviceable, was not as elite as my previous middle school, and my mother was already nervous for my sister and me. She asked me after the first week how things were going.
"It's okay," I said tentatively. "But I think I'm in the wrong class."
"What do you mean?" answered my mom, whirling around in the driver's seat.
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Sports is more than sport: A dialogue on sports and media literacy
Submitted by Samuel Reed III on Mon, 09/28/2009 - 14:40 Posted in Class notes | Permalink
What follows is a dialogue between my son, Kagiso Reed (KG), senior at Mastery Charter School and me, (SRIII) after we attended a professional development session facilitated by Temple University’s Media Literacy Lab on September 19th at Temple University.
SRIII: Hey KG, what was it like hanging out with your dad at the sports and media literacy seminar conducted by Erik Sakamoto and Patrick Johnson, from Youth Radio, Oakland, CA?
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Philly "c"elebrity teachers welcome Tony Danza
Submitted by Samuel Reed III on Mon, 09/14/2009 - 11:54 Posted in Class notes | Permalink
There are critics who say that cameras will disrupt the education of students in Northeast High School, where Tony Danza, a former talk show host and sitcom star will co–teach with a certified Philadelphia School District teacher.
This post is not going to argue the merits of having cameras in the classroom. Maybe the resigning School Reform Commissioner, Heidi A. Ramirez , could do a better job than me arguing against it; she was the only commissioner who voted not to approve the filming of the reality show.
Mr. Danza presumably made it through his first week without resigning. He is blogging on his Web site Daily Danza, during the production of 13 episodes for the Arts and Entertainment Cable network reality show “Teach.”
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Summer break not really a break for teachers
Submitted by Anna Weiss on Tue, 08/25/2009 - 15:42 Posted in Class notes | Permalink
It's the old familiar refrain: "Oh, you're a teacher? It must be nice to have those summers off." Or, the more sneering version: "You know, those of us in the adult world have to work the whole year."
Although these comments are frequently dripping with condescension, I'm personally more offended by their sheer untruth. I personally didn't know a single teacher on my 7th grade team who truly had the summer off. We were all either teaching summer school, leading youths on service learning projects in Costa Rica, participating in professional development sessions, or, in my case, coaching new teachers.
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Nutrition 101
Submitted by Molly Thacker on Thu, 08/13/2009 - 09:00 Posted in Class notes | Permalink
Milton Friedman said, “There’s no such thing as a free lunch.”
Well, in Philadelphia schools, many students are able to get a lunch that is free, but not necessarily one that is healthy. The poor state of nutrition in school cafeterias should not only be alarming for advocates of health, but for advocates of quality, equitable education as well.
Without wholesome, nutritious food, our students are not able to perform to their academic potential. The lack of quality food in our schools has a direct impact on how well (or poorly) our youth can focus, study, learn, socialize, grow, and develop.
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Summer school: last chance or great advance?
Submitted by Alesha Jackson on Mon, 08/03/2009 - 06:15 Posted in Class notes | Permalink
When I was a kid, summer school was a four-letter word. Rumored to contain the toughest criminals or the hardcore slackers, public school in the summertime was the last stop on the loser train.
Fast- forward to my years as a teacher in Harlem. Adamantly refusing to teach during summer months, I had stopped in for some planning for the following year.
And boy, was I shocked!
Summer school was a serene, peaceful version of the regular school year.
In other words, it was like a different school.
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A culture of collaboration
Submitted by Molly Thacker on Thu, 07/23/2009 - 02:12 Posted in Class notes | Permalink
When I first began teaching, I was shocked to learn what an isolating profession it really can be.
If I wanted to, I could go all day without seeing another adult in my building, aside from the attendance secretary with which I would exchange pleasantries in the morning while signing in. I know teachers who would walk the halls during their prep periods, with the hopes of catching an adult conversation, and others who would eat their lunches at their desk every day, for lack of a teacher’s lounge or space.
It has been shown that collaboration and cooperative learning strategies are effective to use with our students, so why do we not apply the rule to ourselves?
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Renaissance School provider applicants await the first cut
by Dale Mezzacappa
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