Diane Ravitch: December's LT: Response requested

I wanted to have a discussion about whether public education should be a right or privilege, but I came across this article in the process. Ravitch raises some good questions:

-If unions are the problem in public education then why not look to the South where unions do not dominate, their scores are low, whereas the highest scores are among the states with the strongest unions.

So your task for this article:

-Select an excerpt and write a response. As in previous posts, there may be NO duplicate excerpts chosen.

http://www.peoplesworld.org/diane-ravitch-public-education-in-danger/

Social Studies Standards and National Organizations

GREAT Website!

http://www.intime.uni.edu/model/content/soci.html

Changes to Teacher Pay (response requested)

For November's LT

Read the article from msnbc on teacher pay. Respond to the following:

1. Determine whether or not a teacher's pay should be linked to student success.

2. Develop a solution to justify an increase teacher pay and a brief explanation.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/36278615/39474951

Cooperative Learning Strategies

Brief explanation of a few cooperative learning strategies

http://www.slideshare.net/bensucot/cooperative-learning-structures

In a New Role, Teachers move to Run Schools. (response requested)

For October's LT

Read the NY Times article.

This is a topic near and dear to my heart, as this is an ultimate goal of mine.

Questions to consider for a response:

Can/should teachers run schools? Is there value in it? Would a teacher run school run better? Would this influence teacher effectiveness, effort, and attitude?

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/09/07/education/07teachers.html?_r=1&ref=education

The Goal of History Education (response requested)

Directions:

1. Select a phrase/sentence that resonates with you.

2. Write a response.

No duplicates please.

Practical Skills: Graphic organizers, note taking, etc

Graphic Organizers http://my.hrw.com/nsmedia/intgos/html/igo.htm

Social Studies Literacy

Strategies for Students:

http://web001.greece.k12.ny.us/academics.cfm?subpage=1454

Intro to Government

GREAT activity. I've used this each year I taught Civics. The kids really get into it and in the end they have a solid understanding of oligarchy, aristocracy, direct and indirect government

http://www.col-ed.org/cur/sst/sst216.txt

Election Unit Resources

I used this activity in class, but tweaked it a bit. I can show you my version of it.

http://www.eduref.org/cgi-bin/printlessons.cgi/Virtual/Lessons/Social_Studies/US_Government/GOV0032.html

General SS Resources- Pretty much elem-HS

National Council for Social Studies Teacher’s Library: http://www.socialstudies.org/teacherslibrary

Great resource of activities and lesson plans. Elementary-high school. Don't get stuck thinking because you teach high school your lessons can't be those for MS.

http://www.col-ed.org/cur/sst/sst216.txt

NY Times Learning Network: K-12

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/

Social Studies in the Era of NCLB

Read the position statement of the National Council of Social Studies and respond to the question below http://www.socialstudies.org/positions/nclbera

Some would argue that No Child Left Behind has taken the learning out of school, that we have turned our students into memorizers of facts and excellent test takers. But then at the end of the day what do they have to show for it all? The focus placed on Math and English has taken time and money away from Social Studies. Has Social Studies dodged a bullet in that it has not necessarily become a drill and kill subject allowing it to be truly taught and learned by our students? Or should Social Studies join the tested ranks of Math and English and will this in turn shift its importance in American society?