edu-cat-ion

Continuous Improvement ≠ Transformational Innovation (or, 5 Things We Must Do To Improve Education) – Kids Need to Be Read To: Part 5 of 5

One of my earliest childhood memories was snuggling up to my mom on the couch on Sunday mornings. She would read the comics to me. It didn’t matter that I may not have understood the humor the cartoonist was presenting, because mom would explain what was going on in the pictures. I still remember bringing…

Continuous Improvement ≠ Transformational Innovation (or, 5 Things We Must Do To Improve Education) – Reading, Writing and “Teching”: Part 4 of 5

You may think the title of this article has the word “teaching” spelled incorrectly. That assumption would be incorrect. “Teching” was a termed coined in the early video game era, but some folks started to use it regarding the increasing utilization of technology. Today, most children “tech” for enjoyment…alright, young adults do too, as evidenced…

Continuous Improvement ≠ Transformational Innovation (or, 5 Things We Must Do To Improve Education) – Play Physical Games (Not Just Virtual Ones): Part 3 of 5

When I was a teacher, all ten of us – one teacher for each home room (K-8), and yours truly who taught 7th and 8th grade science and health, 8th grade algebra, and instrumental music – had recess duty once a week every other week. Kids played. It was not structured. It was not attuned…

Continuous Improvement ≠ Transformational Innovation (or, 5 Things We Must Do To Improve Education) – Kids Need to Sing: Part 1 of 5

I’m sure you’ve heard the argument that students in faith-based schools academically outperform public school students because of small class sizes. Let’s debunk that myth here and now by going back to 1965…almost 50 years ago. The 1st grade at St. Albert the Great School in Baldwin Boro (a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA) had approximately…

Continuous Improvement ≠ Transformational Innovation (or, 5 Things We Must Do To Improve Education) – Kids Need to Play a Musical Instrument: Part 2 of 5

A few years ago, I met a gentleman who told me he played in a band for 19 years, and made 3 records. He loves music, and is grateful to his dad for “making” him learn a musical instrument – even though when he was young, he hated it…especially when his friends were outside playing…

Continuous Improvement ≠ Transformational Innovation (or, 5 Things We Must Do To Improve Education) – Kids Need to Sing: Part 1 of 5

I’m sure you’ve heard the argument that students in faith-based schools academically outperform public school students because of small class sizes. Let’s debunk that myth here and now by going back to 1965…over 50 years ago. The 1st grade at St. Albert the Great School in Baldwin Boro (a suburb of Pittsburgh, PA) had approximately…

Continuous Improvement ≠ Transformational Innovation (or, 5 Things We Must Do To Improve Education) – Introduction

I’ve succeed in finding something that does not exist in some computer coding languages – the “does not equal” sign. ≠ needs to be found somewhere, then pasted in as a character. There are suggestions in several coding forums regarding what can be used, such as -=, which is the negation of the equal sign, !=…

Why Edu-Cat-Ion?

Why do we need another Web site that talks about education? Why is there a picture of the space shuttle blasting off? And why is education spelled that way? This site was “launched” 6 years ago (now you know the answer to “Why” number 2, and can it really be that long?). At the time,…

What Happened to Education News?

Here’s a lesson in how quickly something that’s been around for a decade can disappear, and still stay on the Web. A great resource for news in the education space was Education News at http://www.educationnews.org. Starting in 1997, their mission is a noble one: A Global Leading News Source covering educational, political, business, and environmental…

What Would You Do?

This is one of the many examples of why our educational system is in peril…not just trouble. Let’s say you’re working for a public school district as a “specials” teacher – that is, art, music, library, phys ed, or perhaps you’re a school counselor, and, as a member of the teacher’s union, you’ve been working…

Best Places To Be a Teacher

The financial management company SmartAsset releases an annual study of the best places to be a teacher in the US. Factors such as school quality, culture, affordability, and salary levels all come into play for teachers who have the luxury of deciding on the best place to live. For 2018, the best place is my hometown,…