http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php en Dr.Eileen@comcast.net Copyright 2008 2008-04-07T19:38:00-05:00 http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/should_home_schooling_be_limited_by_state_rules/ http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/should_home_schooling_be_limited_by_state_rules/#When:19:38:00Z Home Schooling is facing new legislative initiatives to control when and how parents can home school their children. Some states have passed legislation requiring that students be home schooled by a certified teacher. Other states are making more hurdles that must be jumped before a parent can choose home schooling. Is this to help protect the student? Total comments: 4 2008-04-07T19:38:00-05:00 http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/gear_up_for_success/ http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/gear_up_for_success/#When:01:10:00Z Gaining Early Awareness and Readiness for Undergraduate Programs (Gear Up), is a federal initiative established in 1998 intended to encourage the pursuit of undergraduate degrees by providing funds to support parents and students as the student prepares for attending college. The program funding awards focus on lower income areas, but the goal and model could be adopted anywhere. The adaptation of a college culture mindset is an important point because I have found, from working with students and parents, that misunderstanding the complexities of navigating through high school graduation requirements, testing, college admission processes, costs, financial aid, college expectations, and academic success issues is universal. Total comments: 6 2008-02-08T01:10:00-05:00 http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/what_is_college_level_work/ http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/what_is_college_level_work/#When:23:25:00Z A current dilemma in education is how to judge what is appropriate work from students at various levels of the post secondary education environment. In a recent research study (ACT, 2007), the ACT organization summarizes their view of high school graduates and the ability of these students to succeed in college. In general, ACT pins the definition of quality curriculum at high school level to two items. First, high school curricula are evaluated as they prepare students to go into the workforce. Second, high school curricula are evaluated as they prepare students to succeed in college. College level work, then, becomes a benchmark against which high school curricula is measured. Total comments: 3 2008-01-31T23:25:00-05:00 http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/internet_blockers_to_online_education/ http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/internet_blockers_to_online_education/#When:19:02:00Z Should we be teaching students to use the internet appropriately or should we be protecting them with blockers? Many blockades are placed in the way of educators trying to use online learning. Some of the hardest to overcome are from the federal and state governments. Instead of teaching children to make good choices and use the internet safely and appropriately, we are required by the government to provide blockades to “protect” children from the worst of the internet. Without a sufficient number of blockades the government will refuse to provide funding for access to the internet for our students. This requirement causes 2 major problems: 1) the students do not learn how to use the internet appropriately and 2) bright children feel challenged to break the blockades instead of using their energies constructively. Total comments: 6 2008-01-26T19:02:00-05:00 http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/teacher_training_in_the_digital_age/ http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/teacher_training_in_the_digital_age/#When:16:52:00Z For many generations educators (including me and most of the teachers I have known over the 40 years I have been an educator) have worked to help students learn by being taught. It seems to me that this generation of young people are not interested in being taught. They want to immerse themselves in learning and develop their own understanding. The job market they will be facing in the future is looking for people who can think outside the box and can work collaboratively. The traditional classroom, where the teacher is the “sage on the stage”, is no longer appropriate for educating this type of thinker. Unfortunately, most instructors were trained to be that sage. A few are learning to move to the side and act as a coach or facilitator. Total comments: 4 2007-12-31T16:52:00-05:00 http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/is_online_learning_right_for_me/ http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/is_online_learning_right_for_me/#When:16:37:00Z The first thing to understand when deciding whether online learning is for you or not is: Not all online programs are the same. There are multiple levels of use of the internet as well as a wide variety of teacher/ student responsibilities. The 3 main types of online learning courses are: 1) Face to face classes that use internet resources 2) Blended courses 3) completely online courses Total comments: 3 2007-12-31T16:37:00-05:00 http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/critical_thinking_and_internet_sources/ http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/critical_thinking_and_internet_sources/#When:16:25:00Z As a facilitator of an Online Masters of Education program, I have found the widening possibilities provided by new technologies and the vast amount of accessibility on the internet very exciting. As a grandparent I have been extremely disappointed in the amount of innovations I have seen in my grandchildren’s classrooms. It seems to me that the NCLB rules and accountabilities are causing school districts to limit class time to teaching the materials to be tested causing a conflict for teachers as to what they should be working on with their students. Total comments: 2 2007-12-31T16:25:00-05:00 http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/online_instructors_choices/ http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/online_instructors_choices/#When:16:19:01Z Having recently read an article on how to be a successful online instructor, I started to think about how my teaching style has changed over the last 3 years. My early experiences in teaching in a masters of education program were all traditional, face to face classes. When I retired from the Chicago Public Schools, I thought I would continue teaching those courses as a part time job to fund my travels. Unfortunately life does not always go the way we planned. My mother who was in her mid-eighties and still living on her own, had a serious injury and needed to have constant help. After several family conferences we decided to have Mom move in with my husband and me. Do to her need of constant help I decided to try to find a part time job teaching online. Putting out my resume brought back an offer for a full time position which would allow me to work from my home teaching online. Although I had some concerns about teaching online, I decided to give it a try. As I became more comfortable with the various online tools I started to find this an exciting way to teach. Total comments: 3 2007-12-31T16:19:01-05:00 http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/can_nclb_be_fixed_should_it_be/ http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/can_nclb_be_fixed_should_it_be/#When:16:07:00Z I think everyone agrees that the concept of no child left behind is a good one. However, it seems to me that the way we are approaching the assessment of whether children are being left behind is all wrong. We are testing skills students have needed in the past instead of preparing them for the future. Total comments: 5 2007-12-31T16:07:00-05:00 http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/internet_tools/ http://www.educator2educator.com/index.php/site/topic/internet_tools/#When:16:00:00Z In the last 5 years, I have been amazed at how the internet has changed. I am on the internet every day for at least 4-5 hours a day doing my job as an online instructor. However, I have been so busy and involved with learning the tools on our virtual campus that I have missed out on the exciting innovations of the web in general. Total comments: 3 2007-12-31T16:00:00-05:00