Thursday, March 30, 2006

Using the Journal in Your Summer Classes

It is getting to be the time of year that we make plans for summer classes. I know many instructors do not teach summers, but for those of us who do, now is about the time when we must submit book orders. Also we might be thinking about how to change courses for the summer or for next fall.

Why not add the Journal this summer? Summer is a good time to experiment. The setting and tone is somewhat different in a summer class. The mood on campus is more relax and quiet. It could be the perfect time to try a new dimension for your course.

Another good reason to try to Journal in the summer: the subscription price is very low! This spring semester, I was surprised and delighted to see that the price had dropped. And the summer price is even less! Students can purchase short subscriptions so it is less of an expense for your students.

I contacted the terrific sales rep for my school, Marty Jakubek, and he reported the following price cuts:
A 6-week subscription for both the print and online (wsj.com) editions will be only $8.95.
The price for 8 weeks for both print and online is only $11.95.

For me, this is really great news. I am very sensitive to additional expenses for my students. This is especially important if you are thinking about adding the Journal to your class. At these low prices, cost to the student is less of a concern.

After a test run in the summer, you can develop the concept further in the fall semester. And the price for the fall 2006 semester will remain at the new low price of $19.95.

If you are considering using the Journal and have any questions, please let me know. You can reach me at WSJProfBlog@hotmail.com.

Using the Journal in Your Summer Classes

It is getting to be the time of year that we make plans for summer classes. I know many instructors do not teach summers, but for those of us who do, now is about the time when we must submit book orders. Also we might be thinking about how to change courses for the summer or for next fall.

Why not add the Journal this summer? Summer is a good time to experiment. The setting and tone is somewhat different in a summer class. The mood on campus is more relax and quiet. It could be the perfect time to try a new dimension for your course.

Another good reason to try to Journal in the summer: the subscription price is very low! This spring semester, I was surprised and delighted to see that the price had dropped. And the summer price is even less! Students can purchase short subscriptions so it is less of an expense for your students.

I contacted the terrific sales rep for my school, Marty Jakubek, and he reported the following price cuts:
A 6-week subscription for both the print and online (wsj.com) editions will be only $8.95.
The price for 8 weeks for both print and online is only $11.95.

For me, this is really great news. I am very sensitive to additional expenses for my students. This is especially important if you are thinking about adding the Journal to your class. At these low prices, cost to the student is less of a concern.

After a test run in the summer, you can develop the concept further in the fall semester. And the price for the fall 2006 semester will remain at the new low price of $19.95.

If you are considering using the Journal and have any questions, please let me know. You can reach me at WSJProfBlog@hotmail.com.

Using the Journal in Your Summer Classes

It is getting to be the time of year that we make plans for summer classes. I know many instructors do not teach summers, but for those of us who do, now is about the time when we must submit book orders. Also we might be thinking about how to change courses for the summer or for next fall.

Why not add the Journal this summer? Summer is a good time to experiment. The setting and tone is somewhat different in a summer class. The mood on campus is more relax and quiet. It could be the perfect time to try a new dimension for your course.

Another good reason to try to Journal in the summer: the subscription price is very low! This spring semester, I was surprised and delighted to see that the price had dropped. And the summer price is even less! Students can purchase short subscriptions so it is less of an expense for your students.

I contacted the terrific sales rep for my school, Marty Jakubek, and he reported the following price cuts:
A 6-week subscription for both the print and online (wsj.com) editions will be only $8.95.
The price for 8 weeks for both print and online is only $11.95.

For me, this is really great news. I am very sensitive to additional expenses for my students. This is especially important if you are thinking about adding the Journal to your class. At these low prices, cost to the student is less of a concern.

After a test run in the summer, you can develop the concept further in the fall semester. And the price for the fall 2006 semester will remain at the new low price of $19.95.

If you are considering using the Journal and have any questions, please let me know. You can reach me at WSJProfBlog@hotmail.com.

Reaping what you sow

In this post a few weeks ago, I talked about Platform Learning's latest attempts to bribe students to join their SES sessions and predicted its failure. More than a few of the kids in my after school program signed up for Platform for the pizza party, but after two days in SES, they refused to go back (to be fair, the attendance is also lower in my program during the days when we run SES). Platform, instead of improving programming or attempting to get feedback from these kids, went after us because we let our kids come back to the program on those days after getting the ok from their parents. One of our coordinators was yelled at by a Platform representative, and the principal had to get involved. And this is after Newton Learning pulled out of the school because they couldn't get any kids to stay in their program (after bribing them with money). It's a mess and it is too bad that a lot of kids are not going to tutoring that could help them, but I can't say that these for-profit companies don't deserve it.

Wednesday, March 29, 2006

Sonny gets sonnier day by day

Update on this story: GA Gov Sonny Perdue's gonna sign that bible thumping bill into law.

Most inadvertently disgusting headline ever

The award has to go to this story.

BTW, I have one afloat in each of my two pools.

Students walk out

Chris is going to post more about this later, but I just wanted to say how much I love this story. It appeals to the youth leader in me, it appeals to the social studies teacher in me. And I love the quotes from Villairagosa and other officials -- they're old fogey hypocrites and they know it!

Update: In their own words.

Thursday, March 23, 2006

It Really Works: Reading the Journal Helps Students Get Jobs!

Great news from class last night. As we were getting ready to begin, one of my students said that the reading the Wall Street Journal got her a job. And I have heard this story over and over.

Here goes: "CT" is a student in my business law and ethics class. She has a part-time intern-type job at a major corporation in the area. She was interviewing for a sought-after position in management that featured a job-rotation program which usually leads to a promising career. This was an important interview, so she arrived early. Very early, allowing extra time for any potential delays. So as she waited, she read her copy of the Wall Street Journal. When the executive who were to interview her came out, they caught her reading the Journal. The two interviewers talked about her reading material several times throughout the interview, discussing some of the stories and current events she had read. Then they offered her the job. She is convinced that the Journal had something to do with her getting the offer.

One of the interesting parts of her story is that she did not intentionally set the scene to impress the interviewers. Instead, she admits that she was just reading when she had a free moment in order to be prepared for class! But she also said that she enjoys reading the Journal now after the 10 weeks we have used it in class.

This is not an isolated incident. I have heard similar stories from a number of my students. An awareness and understanding of current events and potential ripple effects are important to employers. Additionally, that knowledge is important for our students to hit the ground running in new careers. Integrating the Wall Street Journal into business courses is the best way to use a daily, "living" textbook to bring our students up-to-date with current events. They are able to see how the course material applies to the business world.

And then they can talk about it in an interview.

It Really Works: Reading the Journal Helps Students Get Jobs!

Great news from class last night. As we were getting ready to begin, one of my students said that the reading the Wall Street Journal got her a job. And I have heard this story over and over.

Here goes: "CT" is a student in my business law and ethics class. She has a part-time intern-type job at a major corporation in the area. She was interviewing for a sought-after position in management that featured a job-rotation program which usually leads to a promising career. This was an important interview, so she arrived early. Very early, allowing extra time for any potential delays. So as she waited, she read her copy of the Wall Street Journal. When the executive who were to interview her came out, they caught her reading the Journal. The two interviewers talked about her reading material several times throughout the interview, discussing some of the stories and current events she had read. Then they offered her the job. She is convinced that the Journal had something to do with her getting the offer.

One of the interesting parts of her story is that she did not intentionally set the scene to impress the interviewers. Instead, she admits that she was just reading when she had a free moment in order to be prepared for class! But she also said that she enjoys reading the Journal now after the 10 weeks we have used it in class.

This is not an isolated incident. I have heard similar stories from a number of my students. An awareness and understanding of current events and potential ripple effects are important to employers. Additionally, that knowledge is important for our students to hit the ground running in new careers. Integrating the Wall Street Journal into business courses is the best way to use a daily, "living" textbook to bring our students up-to-date with current events. They are able to see how the course material applies to the business world.

And then they can talk about it in an interview.

It Really Works: Reading the Journal Helps Students Get Jobs!

Great news from class last night. As we were getting ready to begin, one of my students said that the reading the Wall Street Journal got her a job. And I have heard this story over and over.

Here goes: "CT" is a student in my business law and ethics class. She has a part-time intern-type job at a major corporation in the area. She was interviewing for a sought-after position in management that featured a job-rotation program which usually leads to a promising career. This was an important interview, so she arrived early. Very early, allowing extra time for any potential delays. So as she waited, she read her copy of the Wall Street Journal. When the executive who were to interview her came out, they caught her reading the Journal. The two interviewers talked about her reading material several times throughout the interview, discussing some of the stories and current events she had read. Then they offered her the job. She is convinced that the Journal had something to do with her getting the offer.

One of the interesting parts of her story is that she did not intentionally set the scene to impress the interviewers. Instead, she admits that she was just reading when she had a free moment in order to be prepared for class! But she also said that she enjoys reading the Journal now after the 10 weeks we have used it in class.

This is not an isolated incident. I have heard similar stories from a number of my students. An awareness and understanding of current events and potential ripple effects are important to employers. Additionally, that knowledge is important for our students to hit the ground running in new careers. Integrating the Wall Street Journal into business courses is the best way to use a daily, "living" textbook to bring our students up-to-date with current events. They are able to see how the course material applies to the business world.

And then they can talk about it in an interview.

Wednesday, March 22, 2006

Moskowitz Moskowitz Moskowitz

Damn, this event is getting a TON of press! I wasn't surprised to see it here, but when I saw it just now in a teaser for the 11:00 news (during a really awesome episode of LOST, by the way) I couldn't believe it. Is it just the Moskowitz factor? Or do they know something about the media that I don't know?

"We're losing control"

I've been meaning to blog about the how the 37.5 minutes of extra tutoring has been going at my school since my initial reactions about how crazy it was. It hasn't gotten any better. The time between when the kids are dismissed and 37.5 minutes later is absolute chaos most days at my school. I'm not sure how many kids are actually in the tutoring sessions since there seem to be so many wandering the halls. The administrators are in the halls everyday trying to get everyone into a room, but by the time this actually happens 15 or 20 minutes have gone by with no work being done. The kids who do go to tutoring complain that they aren't being helped, and every time I walk by classrooms nothing much seems to be happening.

A really troubling aspect is how the chaos caused by the extra tutoring sessions is limiting the ability of the school to protect its students. The security guards are outside watching the students that are supposed to go home, leaving the inside of the school to the troublemakers. No suprise that there has been a big increase in fights during that time. One of my kids got punched in the face the other day when he tried to stop a bigger kid from stealing his friend's IPod. In the buildup to another fight later on that week during the 37.5 minutes, I went looking for security and couldn't find anyone. The principal has recently been coming to the cafeteria (where the after school kids meet and where most of the fights have been taking place) to get a handle on the situation.

A dean told me that she thinks the extra tutoring will be gone by next year. She seems more exhausted than normal these days and told me that the staff is losing control of the school. I know that the craziness has something to do with the state math tests and the fact that a lot of kids are tired of school around this time of year, but the connection between the chaos in the school and the start of the 37.5 minutes seems too obvious to ignore. The system clearly isn't working here - kids that need help but don't want to stay are leaving and disrupting the tutoring sessions for those that do stay. There isn't enough security to control the complicated dismissal process or to prevent fights during it. The whole thing doesn't seem very well thought out, and it is unfortunate that something that the kids really need (extra help) really isn't helping anyone at all.

Friday, March 17, 2006

Using "Context" and "Stickiness" to Improve the Learning Experience

Here are some final thoughts on the book called "The Tipping Point" as it applies to using the Wall Street Journal for current events discussions in class. The book, written by Malcolm Gladwell, talks about how some small ideas or items catch fire and become big. The tipping point is that point when the large change happens.

My classes have already reached that point this semester. More specifically, this particular tipping point occurs when the students begin to see how the course material relates to the real business world. They feel at ease reading the Journal and discussing current events. Students begin to get excited and gain confidence as they begin to see connections with what we are studying. They also begin accumulate information from articles throughout the semester, making connections between various articles over time.

As I read "The Tipping Point," it inspired me reflect on what I can do to make sure reach this tipping point as early as possible each semester. How can we move our students to that point and do it quickly? In blog postings over the last couple of weeks, I have discussed a few ideas we can adopt. I can see a couple more application from the book.

The "stickiness" of an idea or an item is its memorability. This is another factor from the book involved in pushing an idea over the tipping point into something big. How can we make newspaper reading and student interest in current events 'stick' with our students?

To make the ideas stick, we can use the concepts I have already outlined in previous blog postings, for example using active students in the class to ignite others, in addition to our instruction and enthusiasm. Real life is much more interesting than manufactured examples.

Another factor we can use is "Context," meaning whether the environment provides conditions to encourage or discourage change. The learning environment has a lot to do with a teaching idea moving forward. Gladwell uses the example of New York City cleaning up subways as one factor contributing to a drop in crime. The message is that the subways were no longer a crime-dominated environment; that crime was not acceptable. The context of the city at the time set a tone and allowed safety to increase.

We can do the same thing in class by setting a positive tone and environment with high expectations for student growth and change. If we set the standards and expect our students to have dynamic discussions, it is far more likely to happen. I expect and model interesting, dynamic current events discussion, and it happens. For further evidence, I have noticed as more of my colleagues use the Journal, my students accept the assignment and more quickly 'tip' into willing and successful integration!

Hopefully some ideas from "The Tipping Point" have inspired you to help your students over the tipping point to greater academic success!

Using "Context" and "Stickiness" to Improve the Learning Experience

Here are some final thoughts on the book called "The Tipping Point" as it applies to using the Wall Street Journal for current events discussions in class. The book, written by Malcolm Gladwell, talks about how some small ideas or items catch fire and become big. The tipping point is that point when the large change happens.

My classes have already reached that point this semester. More specifically, this particular tipping point occurs when the students begin to see how the course material relates to the real business world. They feel at ease reading the Journal and discussing current events. Students begin to get excited and gain confidence as they begin to see connections with what we are studying. They also begin accumulate information from articles throughout the semester, making connections between various articles over time.

As I read "The Tipping Point," it inspired me reflect on what I can do to make sure reach this tipping point as early as possible each semester. How can we move our students to that point and do it quickly? In blog postings over the last couple of weeks, I have discussed a few ideas we can adopt. I can see a couple more application from the book.

The "stickiness" of an idea or an item is its memorability. This is another factor from the book involved in pushing an idea over the tipping point into something big. How can we make newspaper reading and student interest in current events 'stick' with our students?

To make the ideas stick, we can use the concepts I have already outlined in previous blog postings, for example using active students in the class to ignite others, in addition to our instruction and enthusiasm. Real life is much more interesting than manufactured examples.

Another factor we can use is "Context," meaning whether the environment provides conditions to encourage or discourage change. The learning environment has a lot to do with a teaching idea moving forward. Gladwell uses the example of New York City cleaning up subways as one factor contributing to a drop in crime. The message is that the subways were no longer a crime-dominated environment; that crime was not acceptable. The context of the city at the time set a tone and allowed safety to increase.

We can do the same thing in class by setting a positive tone and environment with high expectations for student growth and change. If we set the standards and expect our students to have dynamic discussions, it is far more likely to happen. I expect and model interesting, dynamic current events discussion, and it happens. For further evidence, I have noticed as more of my colleagues use the Journal, my students accept the assignment and more quickly 'tip' into willing and successful integration!

Hopefully some ideas from "The Tipping Point" have inspired you to help your students over the tipping point to greater academic success!

Using "Context" and "Stickiness" to Improve the Learning Experience

Here are some final thoughts on the book called "The Tipping Point" as it applies to using the Wall Street Journal for current events discussions in class. The book, written by Malcolm Gladwell, talks about how some small ideas or items catch fire and become big. The tipping point is that point when the large change happens.

My classes have already reached that point this semester. More specifically, this particular tipping point occurs when the students begin to see how the course material relates to the real business world. They feel at ease reading the Journal and discussing current events. Students begin to get excited and gain confidence as they begin to see connections with what we are studying. They also begin accumulate information from articles throughout the semester, making connections between various articles over time.

As I read "The Tipping Point," it inspired me reflect on what I can do to make sure reach this tipping point as early as possible each semester. How can we move our students to that point and do it quickly? In blog postings over the last couple of weeks, I have discussed a few ideas we can adopt. I can see a couple more application from the book.

The "stickiness" of an idea or an item is its memorability. This is another factor from the book involved in pushing an idea over the tipping point into something big. How can we make newspaper reading and student interest in current events 'stick' with our students?

To make the ideas stick, we can use the concepts I have already outlined in previous blog postings, for example using active students in the class to ignite others, in addition to our instruction and enthusiasm. Real life is much more interesting than manufactured examples.

Another factor we can use is "Context," meaning whether the environment provides conditions to encourage or discourage change. The learning environment has a lot to do with a teaching idea moving forward. Gladwell uses the example of New York City cleaning up subways as one factor contributing to a drop in crime. The message is that the subways were no longer a crime-dominated environment; that crime was not acceptable. The context of the city at the time set a tone and allowed safety to increase.

We can do the same thing in class by setting a positive tone and environment with high expectations for student growth and change. If we set the standards and expect our students to have dynamic discussions, it is far more likely to happen. I expect and model interesting, dynamic current events discussion, and it happens. For further evidence, I have noticed as more of my colleagues use the Journal, my students accept the assignment and more quickly 'tip' into willing and successful integration!

Hopefully some ideas from "The Tipping Point" have inspired you to help your students over the tipping point to greater academic success!

Platform Learning is at it again

After the Times and Post disclosed on March 8 that some tutoring companies (notably Platform Learning and Newton Learning) were paying off principals and teachers (and in some cases kids) in some schools in NYC to increase SES attendance, there was a lot of buzz around my school. A lot of the teachers (some who worked for those companies) expressed their misgivings with programs that basically bribe kids to come to tutoring. And it seemed like the DOE wasn't happy these practices, even though they weren't technically illegal.

Anyway, Platform announced a pizza party and a raffle for an IPod yesterday for kids that actually attend the program (very few have been coming), and a bunch of kids signed up. I think it sends the wrong message when companies pay kids to come to their program. Most kids at my school need individual help, and they know it. Whenever I can sit down with a kid one-on-one to work on something after school, almost every kid responds well and works hard to understand their homework, including the kids that teachers have written off. The fact that kids need to be bribed to attend free tutoring shows that SES isn't teaching the kids anything. A number of kids in my program signed up for Newton Learning at the beginning of the year to win $100, but stopped going after a few sessions because it was so boring. And this is going to happen to Platform in a few weeks. Policymakers really need to sit down and think about changing how SES is run (more oversight of these companies would be a great start) because what is happening now just isn't working.

Wednesday, March 15, 2006

We heart Bill Richardson

As part of the School of Bloggers' ongoing campaign to express our love for Bill Richardson and our hope to see him in the White House, I submit this for you to think about. He's right on early childhood education, he's right on the environment, and now he's right on charter schools.

UFT Charter High School

The "EIA" divulges more about SUNY's approval of a UFT charter high school and gives props to the union. Keep reading down to Leo Casey's response. He makes a good point at the end about Bloomy and Klein's push to lift the charter cap. (He also makes a good point about the charter schools I work with.)

Friday, March 10, 2006

Buffalo blues

More "Teachers vs. Kids" language in this Buffalo News editorial on the recent movement in the health insurance quandary the Buffalo school district's in with its teachers. (Previous post, with interesting comments, here.)

Also, if you haven't had enough of Buffalo, check out this review of a new book on abortion battles in Buffalo from the most recent The Nation. I know the guy who wrote it! (The review, not the book.)

Thursday, March 9, 2006

People Make the Difference

Last week I discussed the application of some ideas from the book "The Tipping Point" to current events discussions in my classes. The basic premise the book is little changes can have big effects. Wouldn't that be a great return on our efforts as educators if we can use those concepts to produce that kind of leverage?!

In his book, Gladwell discusses how different types of people affect the growth of big trends or changes. Connectors are people who bring people together, Mavens accumulate information and like to help others by passing it on, and Salesmen are those who persuade.

First Connectors. "Sprinkled among every walk of life ... are a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances. They are Connectors." In a way, our classes are somewhat connected by definition - the same people in the same room at the same time for a semester. But valuable classroom community goes beyond that and forms when the group connects on a cohesive level. Ideally we as instructors, and a few of our more influential students can serve as Connectors. Sure, we cannot control which students enroll in our classes, nor can we make them influence others positively. We can encourage connections through classroom exercises and with encouraging comments and enthusiasm.

Both we and our star students can play the role of Mavens. We, as academics, researchers, and educators, specialize in collecting and sharing information for the special purpose to share and educate others. That's our job! In fact, Gladwell describes a Maven as a teacher. "The one thing that a Maven is not is a persuader. To be a Maven is to be a teacher. But it is also, even more emphatically to be a student." He chose the name because "the word Maven comes from the Yiddish, and it means one who accumulates knowledge."

Our students can also serve as Mavens in the classroom. Several in each class will have read many articles and will begin to accumulate information over the semester. They are the students who jump in as others are presenting, to add more information or to mention other related articles. We should encourage them! Some students will follow the lead of a peer before they will model themselves after the instructor. If we are both acting as Mavens, students will have the examples of both peers and the faculty member.

Finally, we can serve as salesmen. Our enthusiasm for our discipline and student learning can't help but spill out, and is displayed to a greater extent when we incorporate current events into class discussions. I am not saying that we have to sell the material to students, but using this vehicle can show the students just how interesting and applicable the course coverage is.

Next week: I have a few more lessons from "The Tipping Point" to share with you.

People Make the Difference

Last week I discussed the application of some ideas from the book "The Tipping Point" to current events discussions in my classes. The basic premise the book is little changes can have big effects. Wouldn't that be a great return on our efforts as educators if we can use those concepts to produce that kind of leverage?!

In his book, Gladwell discusses how different types of people affect the growth of big trends or changes. Connectors are people who bring people together, Mavens accumulate information and like to help others by passing it on, and Salesmen are those who persuade.

First Connectors. "Sprinkled among every walk of life ... are a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances. They are Connectors." In a way, our classes are somewhat connected by definition - the same people in the same room at the same time for a semester. But valuable classroom community goes beyond that and forms when the group connects on a cohesive level. Ideally we as instructors, and a few of our more influential students can serve as Connectors. Sure, we cannot control which students enroll in our classes, nor can we make them influence others positively. We can encourage connections through classroom exercises and with encouraging comments and enthusiasm.

Both we and our star students can play the role of Mavens. We, as academics, researchers, and educators, specialize in collecting and sharing information for the special purpose to share and educate others. That's our job! In fact, Gladwell describes a Maven as a teacher. "The one thing that a Maven is not is a persuader. To be a Maven is to be a teacher. But it is also, even more emphatically to be a student." He chose the name because "the word Maven comes from the Yiddish, and it means one who accumulates knowledge."

Our students can also serve as Mavens in the classroom. Several in each class will have read many articles and will begin to accumulate information over the semester. They are the students who jump in as others are presenting, to add more information or to mention other related articles. We should encourage them! Some students will follow the lead of a peer before they will model themselves after the instructor. If we are both acting as Mavens, students will have the examples of both peers and the faculty member.

Finally, we can serve as salesmen. Our enthusiasm for our discipline and student learning can't help but spill out, and is displayed to a greater extent when we incorporate current events into class discussions. I am not saying that we have to sell the material to students, but using this vehicle can show the students just how interesting and applicable the course coverage is.

Next week: I have a few more lessons from "The Tipping Point" to share with you.

People Make the Difference

Last week I discussed the application of some ideas from the book "The Tipping Point" to current events discussions in my classes. The basic premise the book is little changes can have big effects. Wouldn't that be a great return on our efforts as educators if we can use those concepts to produce that kind of leverage?!

In his book, Gladwell discusses how different types of people affect the growth of big trends or changes. Connectors are people who bring people together, Mavens accumulate information and like to help others by passing it on, and Salesmen are those who persuade.

First Connectors. "Sprinkled among every walk of life ... are a handful of people with a truly extraordinary knack of making friends and acquaintances. They are Connectors." In a way, our classes are somewhat connected by definition - the same people in the same room at the same time for a semester. But valuable classroom community goes beyond that and forms when the group connects on a cohesive level. Ideally we as instructors, and a few of our more influential students can serve as Connectors. Sure, we cannot control which students enroll in our classes, nor can we make them influence others positively. We can encourage connections through classroom exercises and with encouraging comments and enthusiasm.

Both we and our star students can play the role of Mavens. We, as academics, researchers, and educators, specialize in collecting and sharing information for the special purpose to share and educate others. That's our job! In fact, Gladwell describes a Maven as a teacher. "The one thing that a Maven is not is a persuader. To be a Maven is to be a teacher. But it is also, even more emphatically to be a student." He chose the name because "the word Maven comes from the Yiddish, and it means one who accumulates knowledge."

Our students can also serve as Mavens in the classroom. Several in each class will have read many articles and will begin to accumulate information over the semester. They are the students who jump in as others are presenting, to add more information or to mention other related articles. We should encourage them! Some students will follow the lead of a peer before they will model themselves after the instructor. If we are both acting as Mavens, students will have the examples of both peers and the faculty member.

Finally, we can serve as salesmen. Our enthusiasm for our discipline and student learning can't help but spill out, and is displayed to a greater extent when we incorporate current events into class discussions. I am not saying that we have to sell the material to students, but using this vehicle can show the students just how interesting and applicable the course coverage is.

Next week: I have a few more lessons from "The Tipping Point" to share with you.

Wednesday, March 8, 2006

A revelation

Since the School of Bloggers are facing a possible move to Minneapolis, I of course immediately went to look at the charter schools there. Warm-blooded southerner that I am, I was not expecting to find much to like about Minnesota. I was shocked to find out how COOL the charters are there! Look at this one! And this one! There are two charters for the Hmong community and at least two for American Indian students.

Why are charters so cool in Minneapolis? Turns out there's a reason.

Unscrupulous SES companies

Tutoring companies in NYC have engaged in a number of improper activities while trying to enroll poor students in Supplemental Educational Services (SES) programs, according to this NY Times article. I have no idea if some of the more aggressive companies working at my school have done anything like the examples in the article (both Newton Learning and Platform Learning are mentioned specifically in the city's report and are particularly aggressive in going after students and parents), but the atmosphere that these companies create in the school really poisons the whole process. A lot of parents have no idea what is going on and often don't know what they are signing, but they are really pressured by representatives of these companies at parent-teacher conferences and other school events to sign their kids up for SES.

Even though the recruiting efforts were stepped up this year, there hasn't been much difference in the numbers of kids enrolled in SES programs (it is still pathetically low). Most of my kids that signed up for other programs stopped going a long time ago, and it seems like the only ones that are really benefiting already have good tests scores and involved parents. If most parents don't understand the programs they are enrolling their kids in, how can schools expect struggling and disruptive kids to take it upon themselves to show up for tutoring on their own initiative? SES programs, at least at my school, are not serving the kids that need the most help.
I don't know what the solution is since the 37.5 extra minutes a day has been a nightmare so far at my school (more on this in the next post). The problems with SES can't all be blamed on tutoring companies, but I believe that a lot of them do start there.

Thursday, March 2, 2006

The 'Tipping Point' of the Semester

We are at the midpoint of the semester. This is when I can see a very positive classroom community forming. Students are settled into the semester and my class. I can tell that they are really enjoying the Wall Street Journal. We have reached our “tipping point.”

Have you read the book “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” by Malcolm Gladwell? It is a quick, light, and enjoyable read. While reading it recently, I frequently thought of how it applied to my use of the Journal in class. Now the book is not always completely on point (some just does not apply), but I see a lot of application to success in my classroom.

Gladwell discusses what it takes for an idea or product to take hold. In other words, how do small things or ideas grow to become an epidemic? How when a few people begin to act differently, that behavior can cause a big ripple effect.

A tipping point is the place where an idea or trend goes from being small to having a wide impact. We have reached that point this semester. The atmosphere with the current events discussions has become lively and interactive as the students have lead and participated in Journal-related discussions throughout the semester.

I don't ever presume that every student in my class enjoys discussions on current events. You can't please everyone, and that should never be our goal. Additionally, we will always have some interested students who jump in and want to absorb everything possible. They will likely read the Journal at our mere recommendation of its value. The students affected by the 'tipping point' phenomenon are included in that large group in the middle - not particularly aggressive, but also not wanting to just slide by. That is the group most positively impacted by the integration of current events into the curriculum. As the class 'tips' over to enjoying the discussions and appreciating the real world applications in the Journal to the course material, the classroom environment becomes so positive: the sense of community forms and grows as individuals add to a presentation, and the learning experience improves.

As you use the Journal, you will notice the changes. Next week, I will continue this discussion. What can we do to facilitate and accelerate the tipping? What do you do? If you have some ideas, please email WSJProfBlog@hotmail.com.

The 'Tipping Point' of the Semester

We are at the midpoint of the semester. This is when I can see a very positive classroom community forming. Students are settled into the semester and my class. I can tell that they are really enjoying the Wall Street Journal. We have reached our “tipping point.”

Have you read the book “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” by Malcolm Gladwell? It is a quick, light, and enjoyable read. While reading it recently, I frequently thought of how it applied to my use of the Journal in class. Now the book is not always completely on point (some just does not apply), but I see a lot of application to success in my classroom.

Gladwell discusses what it takes for an idea or product to take hold. In other words, how do small things or ideas grow to become an epidemic? How when a few people begin to act differently, that behavior can cause a big ripple effect.

A tipping point is the place where an idea or trend goes from being small to having a wide impact. We have reached that point this semester. The atmosphere with the current events discussions has become lively and interactive as the students have lead and participated in Journal-related discussions throughout the semester.

I don't ever presume that every student in my class enjoys discussions on current events. You can't please everyone, and that should never be our goal. Additionally, we will always have some interested students who jump in and want to absorb everything possible. They will likely read the Journal at our mere recommendation of its value. The students affected by the 'tipping point' phenomenon are included in that large group in the middle - not particularly aggressive, but also not wanting to just slide by. That is the group most positively impacted by the integration of current events into the curriculum. As the class 'tips' over to enjoying the discussions and appreciating the real world applications in the Journal to the course material, the classroom environment becomes so positive: the sense of community forms and grows as individuals add to a presentation, and the learning experience improves.

As you use the Journal, you will notice the changes. Next week, I will continue this discussion. What can we do to facilitate and accelerate the tipping? What do you do? If you have some ideas, please email WSJProfBlog@hotmail.com.

The 'Tipping Point' of the Semester

We are at the midpoint of the semester. This is when I can see a very positive classroom community forming. Students are settled into the semester and my class. I can tell that they are really enjoying the Wall Street Journal. We have reached our “tipping point.”

Have you read the book “The Tipping Point: How Little Things Can Make a Big Difference” by Malcolm Gladwell? It is a quick, light, and enjoyable read. While reading it recently, I frequently thought of how it applied to my use of the Journal in class. Now the book is not always completely on point (some just does not apply), but I see a lot of application to success in my classroom.

Gladwell discusses what it takes for an idea or product to take hold. In other words, how do small things or ideas grow to become an epidemic? How when a few people begin to act differently, that behavior can cause a big ripple effect.

A tipping point is the place where an idea or trend goes from being small to having a wide impact. We have reached that point this semester. The atmosphere with the current events discussions has become lively and interactive as the students have lead and participated in Journal-related discussions throughout the semester.

I don't ever presume that every student in my class enjoys discussions on current events. You can't please everyone, and that should never be our goal. Additionally, we will always have some interested students who jump in and want to absorb everything possible. They will likely read the Journal at our mere recommendation of its value. The students affected by the 'tipping point' phenomenon are included in that large group in the middle - not particularly aggressive, but also not wanting to just slide by. That is the group most positively impacted by the integration of current events into the curriculum. As the class 'tips' over to enjoying the discussions and appreciating the real world applications in the Journal to the course material, the classroom environment becomes so positive: the sense of community forms and grows as individuals add to a presentation, and the learning experience improves.

As you use the Journal, you will notice the changes. Next week, I will continue this discussion. What can we do to facilitate and accelerate the tipping? What do you do? If you have some ideas, please email WSJProfBlog@hotmail.com.