Claire Jellinek: Digital Technology Powers Learning

In a guest post for Homeroom, the U.S. Department of Education's official blog, Claire Jellinek, captures the excitement of Digital Learning Day which took place on February 1, 2012. Ms. Jellinek is a 9th-12th grade social studies teacher at South Valley Academy in Albuquerque, New Mexico and a 2011-2012 Washington Teaching Ambassador Fellow.

At the Digital Learning Day National Town Hall, pictured at left, Arne Duncan, the Secretary of Education, joined a distinguished list of guests including Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski to discuss the benefit and obstacles of integrating digital technology into the classroom and utilizing tech devices to expand learning opportunities. Two million students, 18,000 teachers, 36 states along with the District of Columbia, 26 national organizations, 24 companies, and 16 state governors came together to celebrate the first ever National Digital Learning Day.

 

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Afternoon Announcements: January 19, 2012

Thursdays are such a tease. You're so close to the weekend yet feel so unbearably far. As you count down the ticks on the clock, enjoy the latest in education news.

California Governor Jerry Brown wants to reduce the number of standardized tests students take. The Washington Post reports that the Governor aims to give more authority to local school boards by designing a system to measure education performance that is less test-centric than the one now in use.

The Washington Post continues its focus on standardized testing as it breaks news that the federal government has become more attentive to stories of repeated cheating scandals on standardized tests in school districts across the country. Their growing concern is what is prompting the Department of Education to gather information on how to prevent, detect and respond to irregularities on completed tests.

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Afternoon Announcements: January 11, 2012

It’s the middle of the week so you can wave goodbye to Monday and Tuesday  and finish up Wednesday strong and in the know with the latest in education news.

Teacher Beat reports that the U.S. Department of Education has selected the panelists who will write new regulations for the reporting requirements for teacher preparation programs. The is a step in the education reform process that will readdress teacher preparation and evaluations.

Earlier the Alliance mentioned the tension brewing between teacher unions and school districts that may put schools in jeopardy of losing federal funding. According to the New York Times, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo issued a blistering statement, saying "the forces that protect this bureaucracy have stymied reform at every turn." The governor urged both sides to come to an agreement.

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Afternoon Announcements: January 3, 2012

Happy New Year! The Alliance wishes you a prosperous and eventful 2012 and will continue to bring you new information and developments in the world of educational policy and reform.

Peer pressure and fear of ridicule is common for school-aged students, especially for those from lower economic backgrounds. The Chicago Tribune reports that, based on a new study, pressure and fear may also prevent many working-class students from asking questions in class. The study finds that kids from working-class families are less likely to ask questions in class than their middle-class peers.

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Afternoon Announcements: December 7, 2011

Congratulations! It's the middle of the week, two days in and two more to go. Let's make them productive shall we? Here are the top stories in education news.

Recess has long been the time to release the stress of class by playing kickball, soccer, or just running around on the playground. Now, elementary schools across New York City are opting to replace beloved recess with enrichment courses. The New York Times enlights us on the newest competition to a childhood pasttime.

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Afternoon Announcements: December 1, 2011

Happy Not-Quite-Friday-But-Close, also known as Thursday! Hopefully a tardy arrival of afternoon announcements won’t adversely affect our grade and will satisfy your appetite for educational news. Enjoy!

A’s are a good thing, especially when it comes to grading. While the STEM initiative may be receiving good grades, many experts argue it could use an A, for Arts that is. Education Week reports that momentum is growing for the STEM to STEAM initiative, aimed at adding arts to the science, technology, engineering, and mathematics acronym commonly used in education policy dialogue. They argue that integrating the arts with STEM education enhances student learning and draws attention to the often-ignored value of arts education. Of course, it would not be a debate without those who disagree. Education Week talks with both science and arts experts as the move from STEM builds STEAM.

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Stats That Stick: November 23, 2011

Here are this week’s Stats That Stick, courtesy of Alliance Policy Intern Bill DeBaun.

Consolation prize up for grabs for nine runner-up Race to the Top finalists: $200,000,000
Education Week reports that the U.S. Department of Education will accept proposals from nine runner-up states for a chance to win some of a $200 million prize dedicated to improving STEM education. This money is the third round in the Race to the Top series, which has been an education focal point for the Obama administration.

Number of students the average school counselor was responsible for in 2009–10, according to the American School Counselor Association: 459
Ed Sector's "Quick and the Ed" offers this post about the importance of guidance counselors in high schools, especially for helping to ensure students are college and career ready. Randy A. McPherson, 2011 ASCA Counselor of the Year, says, “In some aspects, my role looks like a college recruiter or a career placement director.”

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Stats That Stick: November 16, 2011

Here are this week's Stats That Stick courtesy of our policy intern, Bill DeBaun:

Number of finalists receiving 2011 Investing in Innovation (i3) grants from the U.S. Department of Education: 23
587 applicants were competing for almost $150 million in funding. This is the second year of the i3 grant competition, which funds innovative and promising education strategies that have a good record of success. Last year, 49 grants worth approximately $650 million were awarded. The largest grant awarded this year is likely to go to Old Dominion University Research Foundation, which asked for almost $25 million for a grant “providing high-need middle schools with increased access to challenging math courses.”

Number of states (including DC) that have signed on to the Common Core State Standards Initiative: 47
Montana became the 47th state (including the District of Columbia) to support the English/language arts and math common core state standards on November 4. That number almost dropped back to 46 less than a week later, but Alabama’s State Board of Education passed a resolution by a 6–3 vote reaffirming its commitment to the standards.

Price poor families will pay for broadband internet service under an initiative from the FCC: $9.95 per month
One-third, or approximately 35 million, of American households do not have access to broadband internet. Starting next summer under the Connect-to-Compete initiative, homes with children eligible for free school lunches will also be eligible to receive broadband internet at a discounted rate for two years. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) “cobbled together” the deal, which includes all of the nation’s major cable companies. "The broadband adoption gap in the U.S. is very large, and the costs of digital exclusion are high and getting higher," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said.

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Afternoon Announcements: November 16, 2011

Politico writes that eleven states have submitted waiver requests to get out from under provisions of No Child Left Behind, less than two months after the President Obama announced he would excuse states from some requirements of the Bush-era education reform law.

An increase in Hispanic students across the nation is forcing schools to deal with a serious shortage of teachers who share their cultural heritage, reports the Washington Post, citing that more than 21 percent of schoolchildren are Hispanic, compared with 7 percent of teachers.

The Huffington Post reports that, “given sophisticated new digital tools, increased investment in app development, and the near-ubiquity of mobile devices, educational software developers are creating more engaging and empowering content today than ever before.”

From the offices of the U.S. Department of Education come appeals for union-district collaboration and from local school districts come examples of labor and management working through divisive issues, in areas such as performance pay and teacher evaluation, writes Education Week.

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Afternoon Announcements: November 10, 2011

The U.S. Department of Education is making headlines today.

In a recent Huffington Post op-ed, U.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan comments on a new teacher pay study, saying it asks the wrong questions, ignores facts, insults teachers, and demeans the profession.

Education Week reports that in the second round of the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant competition, the U.S. Department of Education has identified 23 finalists.

In a republican debate on CNBC last night, Texas Gov. Rick Perry said that when he gets into office, he would get rid of three federal agencies, though he could only name two: “Commerce, Education, and the—what’s the third one there?” and then Perry trailed off—this according to  Education Week and the Washington Post.

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