I just saw on the news tonight that a teacher in the Middle Country School District collapsed and died today in his classroom. He was only 29 years old. The cause of death is not yet known. What a tragic loss for his family and school.
March 24, 2006
March 18, 2006
Teacher Technology Standards
1. Fundamental computer operations skills and understanding of technology concepts and terms
2. Ability to use technology for personal research and communication
3. Understanding of legal and ethical issues pertaining to computer use, such as how copyright applies to classroom software use, and what additional safety measures may be needed in the classroom
4. Ability to use computers in a variety of ways to integrate technology into classroom activities that support student learning
Scandal in William Floyd
The William Floyd School District has been hit with a scandal of its own and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger. State officials have been auditing the district and trying to locate where everything went wrong. Several administrators are being accused of misappropriation of funds. Just recently a report surfaced about three more William Floyd employees that are being accused of conflict of interest. The three men, who work for the district, also have money in companies that the district was using. That is a no-no. The district was paying those companies millions of dollars. This stuff has been probably going on for years, but nobody really ever payed attention to it. Now it is all coming out and its not pretty. We’ll have to follow this story and see what else happens.
Scandal in Patchogue-Medford
What a mess!!!! I think that is the only way to describe it. After a year in which the budget failed twice and a bunch of teachers had to be let go, now there may be up to $25 million dollars missing. There is all new adminstration in the district, so they haven’t named names yet, but I don’t think that day is too far away. Several adminstrators that have retired in the past several years may be in a bit of trouble. And who is being punished by this? The answer is the children. Right now they only have Varsity Sports and the only reason they have that is because the community reached out and raised money. Middle school kids have been punished all year with no sports and no activities. This problem isn’t going away so next year sure should be much of the same.
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/longisland/ny-lispor114662733mar15,0,161050.story
Technology in North Carolina
North Carolina has been one of the leaders in incorporating technology into the classroom. Throughout the last ten years they have passed legislation regarding technology in the classroom and teacher proficiency. They are making teachers responsible for staying updated with technology. Teachers are required to prepare portfolios that demonstrate the use of advanced technology skills in the classroom. They are also required to complete at least 30 hours of technology training every five years to renew their teaching license. North Carolina as set the bar pretty high. Hopefully other states will follow their lead.
Technology Standards for Teachers
Sixteen states across the country have established teacher technology standards that address several levels of competency. Of all of the standards set, the most difficult one for teachers is the requirement that they know how to integrate technology into instruction. The following states have set up Teacher Technology Standards: Alabama, Arkansas, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. You can see what these states have done by going to the website below.
March 16, 2006
iPods in Education
More and more schools are following Duke University’s lead in handing out iPod’s to their students. Duke began handing them out to incoming freshman and they have heard nothing but rave reviews ever since. Other schools have begun to follow along. Teachers are being asked to incorporate the use of iPods into their courses. One of the leaders in this movement has said,”We are giving the iPods to incoming freshman and we are challenging them and the faculty to come up with creative ways to integrate them into the curriculum.” I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how far this goes.
Technology in Education (Canada > Europe)
This summer Canada and some European countries will attempt to create a virtual classroom for high school students. As part of a summer education program, students will be given the opportunity to work with each even though they are thousands of miles away. They will be able to see each other and share their thoughts on selected topics. The only issue is the time difference, so the hours of operation are still yet to be worked out. All of the parties involved feel that this could be the beginning of a project that they try every summer. Hopefully the students will enjoy the opporutunity that they are being given.
Education in the News
According to the Associated Press, the College Board has realized that an additional 1,600 SAT test have not been scored correctly. About 495,000 kids sat down and took the exam in October, only to have this happen. The incorrect scores were sent via e-mail to college admissions officers and guidance counselors last week. The spokeswoman for the College Board announced that she didn’t think there would by anymore problems, but she couldn’t say for sure. The SAT has taken some criticism lately, and this incident can’t help. The Board has promised that they will do whatever it takes to get this problem corrected. Hopefully nobody will be affected long-term by this incident.
Trava 