ASCD Inservice

EdBlog Watch: Ryan Bretag's Metanoia

In his lively blog Metanoia, Ryan Bretag, a high school instructional technology coordinator, brings a curious and open mind to teaching, technology, society, pop culture, and all the intersections between them. 

Bretag shares highlights from a discussion he had with students on tech issues, including concerns from students about how to use technology effectively in the classroom. 

"I really can't explain how powerful it is to sit back and listen to students explain how they don't want technology to be fancy new tools," Bretag writes. "They want it to transform teaching, learning, and leading." 

These posts are interesting both for the insight into students’ thoughts and the model of community dialogue Bretag demonstrates. The blog covers many difficult and exciting technology challenges facing schools, including some that might be off your radar: the cost of Web 2.0 in schools, imploring schools to consider the TCO (total cost of ownership) when weighing social software, and how students should sign their intellectual property posted online.

EdBlog Watch: The Future of Education Is Here

Looking for an education blog that pokes fun at traditions and urges educators forward to new ways of thinking about teaching and learning? You may want to visit The Future of Education Is Here, from the folks at the KnowledgeWorks Foundation.

The blog doggedly challenges assumptions: posts examine such topics as the relevance of report cards and the need for physical schools. One post about the slow shift away from traditional textbooks describes them as "one of those technologies that has lived out its usefulness but, like the landline phone and the oil-combustion engine, is so deeply entrenched in our system that the switching costs seem more expensive than the potential benefits of something new."

Research's Inside Scoop

With over 1,400 stories—many of them on educational research—under her belt, veteran Education Week reporter Debra Viadero knows a thing or two about studies. In her new blog, Inside School Research, she serves as an impressive guide through the often tricky terrain of education research, providing summaries of recent findings and insights into their implications. Recent posts include a comparison of two studies on privately managed schools, a look at the effectiveness of Teach for America, and an update on the state of the What Works Clearinghouse.

Mrs. Cassidy's Classroom Blog

It's hard to miss all the buzz around blogs in the classroom—and hard not to be skeptical that a classroom blog is more gimmick than useful tool. For all the skeptics out there, Mrs. Cassidy’s Classroom Blog makes a pretty compelling (and fun) case for the medium.

Blogging out of Moose Jaw, Canada, Cassidy’s 1st graders are excited to share their learning with an online audience through video postings to the blog on anything from learning to count to describing how to ice-skate. For a truly classroom 2.0 experience, watch Mrs. Cassidy's class's Skype call to an Alabama classroom. The class read Dr. Seuss’s Mr. Brown Can Moo, Can You? in honor of the author’s birthday. Each student also has an individual blog to share stories and opinions as the students learn to write. And in a moment of reflective learning, they contribute to a video explaining why classrooms should use video.

Tips for Using the Internet in the Classroom

We first caught wind of Peter Pappas's blog, Copy / Paste, when we read his account of using Twitter to network at ASCD's 2009 Annual Conference. With an eye toward technology and the Internet, Pappas brings together lessons and material from his recent presentations, along with practical tips and tools for classroom teachers. 

As a longtime educator and consultant, his posts are imbued with authority and aim to inform and share. Recent topics include using Google’s LIFE photo archive as a teaching tool, the transition from text literacy to screen literacy, and the link between algebra and reading.

EdBlog Watch: Digital Education

Education Week is blog-happy; it keeps adding to its stable of entertaining and edifying blogs. One of the latest and most useful additions is Digital Education, by Katie Ash and Kathleen Kennedy Manzo, which covers the intersection of technology and education from all angles.

What will you find at Digital Education? One post describes a high school's use of Google Earth, a free online service, to explore ancient Rome. Another post takes a broader view, asking, "How Effective Is Ed. Software, Really?" After discussing recent research, Ash states, "As I hear over and over from people in all areas of ed-tech: it's not the technology, but what you do with the technology that counts." This breadth of content makes Digital Education a must-read.

EdBlog Watch: Learn More with TeachMoore

As a part of the Teacher Leaders Network blog group, Renee Moore’s insightful blog TeachMoore brings readers a relatively unique perspective: the longtime high school English teacher and former Mississippi Teacher of the Year is now an instructor at a community college. She has published extensively on culturally engaged instruction. Her breadth of experience leads to thoughtful posts on a wide variety of topics.

Moore recently posted her "Advice for the Next President" as part of a collection of similar writings collected by John Merrow at Learning Matters. Her advice emphasizes the need to recognize, reward, and listen to highly skilled teachers working under difficult circumstances. Another TeachMoore post praises the idea of an ancestry-based curriculum proposed by Henry Louis Gates Jr. as an effective way to engage African American students in history and science.

Thoughts from a School Board Trustee

Mike Falick, a trustee on the Spring Branch Independent School District School Board in Texas, shares some of the ups and downs of his position on his blog. One recent bright spot was a picture of two huge flip-chart pages containing a message of thanks personally written by prekindergarten students following a vote by the board to fully fund the district's prekindergarten centers.

But perhaps what makes the blog so popular is that Falick expands the blog's reach well beyond the day-to-day of his job. He frequently shares links to useful online tools and resources, such as sites that let you create printable calendars and sources of online college lectures. And his regular tracking of education-related legislation making its way through the Texas legislature is a great tool for citizens of the state who care about education.

Blog of Proximal Development

Inspired by a relatively obscure educational theory developed in the 20th century by social constructivist Lev Vygotsky, Blog of Proximal Development might sound a tad stiff and academic. 

Don't let the name fool you. Written by Canadian teacher Konrad Glogowski, this blog is accessible, insightful, and conversational. Concentrating on adolescent literacy and technology, Glogowski explores a wide range of topics including how Web 2.0 tools can aid classroom instruction and professional development. Recent posts include a discussion of his travels with Teachers Without Borders and a virtual exhibit created using Second Life software.

Flying Through the Hottest Education Topics

If you follow education policy, you've probably run across the Fordham Institute's provocative, witty publication Education Gadfly. Featuring the analysis of Chester Finn, Mike Petrilli, and other insightful policy wonks, the Gadfly tackles subjects ranging from President Obama's education stimulus package to the death of cursive. 

In their accompanying blog Flypaper, the authors give a behind-the-scenes look at the debates and discussions that go on in the Fordham office. Recent posts include thoughts on the fate of NCLB and a critique of the 21st Century Skills movement.

 

Teachers Teaching Teachers

Led by a group of tech-savvy classroom educators, Teachers Teaching Teachers hosts weekly webcasts focusing on technology and community building. The panel discussions, archived on the site as podcasts, concentrate on online reading and writing, effective classroom strategies, and various new media. 

Recent conversations tackle subjects like writing in the digital age and classroom blogging. The self-described motto here is "Keep it real!" and the relaxed and collaborative tone makes this down-to-earth blog stand out.

The Elementary Educator

For all you elementary educators out there looking for new ways to improve your teaching skills, head over to Mark Pullen's The Elementary Educator. Filled with practical tips and considered observations on primary education, this blog covers everything from reframing student perceptions about learning to the importance of recess. Pullen's experience as a 3rd grade teacher and cofounder of an online math league comes across in posts like "Math Algorithms" and imbues his writing with authority and a sense of expertise. The comments section is lively and well-trafficked and provides a great place for sharing ideas and airing complaints.

Great Britain: School Gate

Part of the Times Online, a London newspaper, the School Gate blog grapples with issues facing educators the world over, from single-sex schools to sex education. Particularly fascinating in light of the United States' efforts to reform secondary education, is a report on the progress of new vocational diplomas offered as an alternative to traditional academic credentials.

On a less serious note, a post on the top television shows set in schools is a fun primer on UK school-themed TV, and a post on the raging controversy over Strictly Come Dancing (the British take on America's So You Think You Can Dance?) and its implications for children may well draw in reality TV lovers around the globe.

Change Agency

If you are interested in technology and Web 2.0, stop by Stephanie Sandifer's Change Agency. Her blog and accompanying wikis explore the collaborative potential of the Web and how to use emerging technologies in the classroom. 

As a high school literacy specialist, a presenter on technology integration and school reform, and a contributor over at Leader Talk, Sandifer brings an impressive range of expertise to her analysis. Recent posts cover topics such as literacy in the 21st century, her favorite Web 2.0 tools, and the economic downturn. Sandifer also developed the Web2ThatWorks wiki, which encourages colleagues to combine the elements of Classroom Instruction That Works with Web 2.0 technology.

Check out Change Agency at www.ed421.com.

Education and Class

Education professor Jane Van Galen, co-author of Late to Class: Social Class and Schooling in the New Economy, brings the timely and under-discussed issue of education and class to the blogosphere in her blog Education and Class.

Van Galen brings not only an academic background and passion for the issue, but also a willingness to share personal stories to illustrate points. One post discusses the issue of how middle- and working–class parents view educational change:

I think of my own parents who, from the moment of my birth, had aspirations that I would be "better" than them. I think of how they knew, at some level, that I was headed for situations in which being tough and tenacious would serve me infinitely better than would coming to understand myself as a gently unfolding flower.

She pivots from this story to implore educators to better understand working-class parents and how their views on child-rearing are influenced by institutions such as schools.

Professor-Blogger Sherman Dorn

With an eye toward the history and politics of education, Sherman Dorn provides intelligent commentary on current events, policy, and other topics that pique interest. Dorn, an author and professor at the University of South Florida, tackles a wide range of subject matter in an easy-to-read and down-to-earth style.

Recent posts include an evenhanded take on the Obama–Ayers controversy, an analysis of how the media covers educational research, and a discussion about the reauthorization of NCLB/ESEA.

Parent Advocates, New York Style

Families speak out on NYC Public School Parents and, in the style of The Onion, make their points with snarky fake news. They petition for causes such as smaller class size and ask provocative questions about public school policy. A recent parody news piece, reacting to reports of standardized testing for kindergartners, tells of yet another plan: to administer high-stakes tests to newborn babies, along with test prep for the expectant parents.

On a more serious note, the site makes objections to real plans, such as rewarding students who get good grades with cash and cell phone minutes, and laments the departure of admired education journalists to other newspaper beats. This strongly opinionated blog may ruffle feathers, but for those who primarily read education blogs written by educators, it's an eye-opening view from another perspective.

Loose Lips at Detention Slip

Sleazy? The Drudge Report of the education blogoshere? Giving public education a bad rap? These are some of the objections leveled against controversial education blog Detention Slip. Focusing on the absurd and salacious, this popular site collects news stories from around the country and provides brief abstracts and snarky commentary. If a bus driver goes berserk or a dress code fiasco is brewing, expect to find a post about it here.

Although much of Detention Slip is light on nuanced analysis, some educators find the hot tips useful. Dangerously Irrelevant's Scott McLeod, for example, uses the referenced news stories in his school law classes, and one of his readers passes out posts in staff meetings. Others, like Justin Bathon at The Edjurist, worry that Detention Slip is more concerned with sensationalism and ad revenue than improving education. Judge for yourself, and let us know what you think.

Creating Lifelong Learners

Creating Lifelong Learners is described as a blog that "aims to offer practical tips for elementary teachers in teaching language arts, valuing students and their cultures, appealing to different learning modalities, and integrating technology in the curriculum." Written by teacher Matthew Needleman, the blog is a trove of tips and resources and rich discussion for educators looking to ensure their classrooms and schools are relevant in the 21st century.

One regular feature is the Digital Storytelling Carnival, which compiles examples of innovative student filmmaking projects from around the blogosphere. Also, for those educators concerned about fair use, the blog has featured helpful resources explaining the topic.

Early Childhood, Late-Breaking News

It's hard to miss the increased attention states are giving prekindergarten education. In light of evidence that preK can have a profound and lasting influence on student achievement over the long term, states across the nation are committing funds to expand early childhood programs, despite rapidly tightening budgets.

For a simple way to keep an eye on all the developments, check out the Early Ed Watch blog from the New America Foundation. The group blog carefully tracks important developments, from battles over standards in South Dakota to new funding in Michigan. On the lighter side, you might find posts such as a recent one covering weddings on the set of the children's TV show Sesame Street.