stephen reck - technology&education

america divided.

thomas friedman wrote a thought-provoking opinion piece this past tuesday. he comments on a new america that is taking shape. a reactionary splinter group that is growing in number, vigor, & influence. friedman claims intellectual political discussions are replaced with violent facebook polls, congressional outbursts during presidential speeches, & our elected officials are voting along party lines with remarkable regularity. this frightening splinter is not only a conservative movement. it is not a recent phenomenon. friedman goes on to explain that presidents bill clinton & george w bush have also fallen victim to fierce and divisive opposition.

back to school

it's that time of the year. big yellow busses are filling the streets & teachers are anxiously preparing for new students. in this time of hectic schedules, i'll do my best to routinely update this site. my goal is 4 posts a week, I believe it is obtainable. If you have any new resources, tools, websites, or ideas, please share. i rely on colleagues for inspiration & new ideas.

donate gift cards.

plastic jungle, a website that allows the purchase, sale, or exchange of gift cards, claims the average american household has $400 in unwanted gift cards lying around. there are millions of gift cards throughout the country with low remaining value. if you can't figure out what to do with the remaining $11.86 on a gap card, donate it. owners of idle gift cards typically use plastic jungle to exchange unwanted cards for cash or amazon.com credit, but a new option is now available. you can donate the full value of your gift card to a school in need with plastic jungle's new partnership with donorschoose.org.

obama's dollars for reform.

president obama & his education secretary, arne duncan, are attempting to influence state education law through the promise of federal stimulus funding. ultimately, their goal is to increase the number of charter schools & hold teachers accountable for standardized test scores. this continues the debate over the role of standardized tests in our education system, a debate that has raged since former president george w bush's landmark no child left behind legislation. some states, such as california, are already in the process of overturning laws that prohibit the use of standardized test scores to determine a teacher's effectiveness in order to receive federal dollars. obama's new plan will place an even greater emphasis on high-stakes tests.

test optional.

the new york times reports that there are an increasing number of schools no longer require sat or act scores for admission. although the trend has always been popular with technical or religious schools, now many liberal arts schools are joining. the article looks to investigate the affect of dropping mandatory test scores has on recruitment and enrollment. Mr. Epstein reports that in the increasingly competitive search for talented students, "test-optional policies become alluring." Some cite test-optional policies simply aim to drive more applications, making an institution appear more selective. Other schools rely on standardized test scores to distribute merit aid.

race to the top.

last friday, presdient obama announced a new program for public schools across the nation. the prize for the winner? part of $4.35 billion in federal grant money. how does a state win? obama states the fund "will reward eligible states for past accomplishments & create incentives for future improvement." the focused areas for improvement include more rigorous academic standards, better recruitment and retention of teachers, tracking the performance of students & teachers, & turning around failing schools. the $4.35 billion is one component of the $787 billion stimulus package, enacted by the federal government in february 2009.

communist teachers.

in the 1950s, the red scare was tearing through america. senator joseph mccarthy was on a mission to rid the united states of "foreign" ideologies. oppressive police interrogations, red-baiting, & blacklisting led to the job-loss & imprisonment. in a frenzy of fear, accusations, & paranoia not seen since the salem witch trials. with grave disregard to the first amendment in the name of security, thousands of americans were targeted by mccarthy's forces. even major league baseball, concerned it would be targeted as a soviet sympathizer, changed the name of the cincinnati reds to the cincinnati redlegs. the red scare impacted all americans, even teachers.

apple profits.

the new york times reports that apple has recorded its best nonholiday quarter in the company's history. pc shipments declined 3 to 5 percent while apple reported an 18 percent increase over its previous quarter.  the introduction of iphone 3gs & mac price drops have been cited as a major factors in the company's success. it's also important to note that steve jobs was absent from his ceo duty for the quarter (march - june). the record success is further evidence that apple has one of the best management teams in the industry.

we choose the moon.

prepare to ride with neil, michael, & buzz as they become the first to visit the moon. 

 wechoosethemoon.org is run by the john f kennedy presidential library & is constructed in honor of the 40th anniversary of the apollo 11 space mission. the website will go live on july 16, 2009 at 8:02am, just in time for the 9:32am launch time, exactly 40 years after the historic maiden voyage to the moon. the website offers archival photos, videos, & audio all presented in real-time (you can even follow the mission on twitter). this is a great opportunity for many americans to witness the apollo 11 mission for the first time.

 

field notes.

i know that the title of this blog is technology&education, but allow me to digress for this instant. call me old-fashioned, but i enjoy pushing pen on paper as much as the next guy, but with my quick-paced & mobile lifestyle, it is difficult to lug a notebook & pen with me wherever i go. i have carried a moleskine notebook around in the past, but i find it too cumbersome to become a part of my everyday wardrobe. my friend, ricky, introduced me to a great compact notebook that is perfect for my need. it is with this pay it forward mentality that i'd like to extoll the praises of field notes.

independence.

just wanted to take a moment & say happy independence day. 233 years ago some great men got together & literally put their lives on the line for the untested ideals of the enlightenment. the american revolution is not only important here in america, but reshaped the entire globe. for the first time in history, it was acceptable to question authority, voice your opinions, & even overthrow inept leadership. although we can debate how closely modern america mirrors the founding fathers' vision, we cannot debate the importance of american independence as a catalyst for the global adoption of enlightenment ideals.