Gather ye rose-buds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying; And this same flower that smiles today Tomorrow will be dying. The glorious lamp of heaven, the sun, The higher he’s a-getting, The sooner will his race be run, And nearer he’s to setting. It happens suddenly in the course of a teaching […]
Posted inAdult Learning
One Future of K-12 Education: From the Factory to a Personalized Model
From the Factory to a Personalized Model If you’re old enough, try to think back to the way teaching and learning was designed 40 or 50 years ago. The teacher was the “sage on the stage.” He or she had the subject information in their mind, and it was up to the teacher to make […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
Teacher Preparedness and Prohibitive Costs
Last month, I wrote an article for TER which explained proposed budget cuts to education. One area that suffered, in particular, was teacher preparedness programs. Like with all certifications, whether you’re a nurse or a real estate agent, you must keep your certificate current by completing continuing education credits. On the surface, this doesn’t seem […]
Posted inOpinion
Artist is Not a Dirty Word
I have been accused of demoralizing our profession by using the word “artist or art” when I refer to teaching. I stand by it. I was an artist before I was a teacher, a mother, or even a wife. Teaching is an art, and I challenge anyone to question it. Yes, we are artists, but […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
Project-Based Learning: A User’s Guide
Over the past several decades, trends in education have come and gone or been resurrected with a new name. “Group work” is now called “cooperative learning.” Teacher-centered learning in the form of lecture and discussion in secondary education has taken a back seat to student-centered learning where students have a greater voice in determining how […]
Posted inFine Arts
Theatre Education: What TV Gets Right…and What it Gets Wrong
I am writing this immediately following watching the first episode of Rise, a new series about a high school English teacher, Lou Mazzuchelli (played by Josh Radnor), who is achieving his dream of directing the school musical. It opens with him convincing his wife he needed to do this (just like in Glee) and then […]
Posted inTeacher Leaders
It’s Our Fault: A Teacher’s Confession
Imagine 1996, a young girl fresh out of college in the Midwest. She interviews with nearby schools and after the third school she is offered a position to teach in her own small town. This is a dream come true. Energy and excitement fill her as she sets up her first classroom. At this point, […]
Posted inHow to Fix Education
“Young Voices Matter:” My Fifteen-Year-Old Sister’s Response to the Florida Massacre
Written by Sylvia Denice This is my sister Ellie. At fifteen years old, Ellie’s time is consumed mostly by school, swimming, and socializing. She’s an enthusiastic learner, listener, observer, and friend with a cheery disposition. Ellie has goals and dreams of her future, going to college to study Education or Journalism–no denying that relation! On […]