Comments for PrincipalsPage.com Blog

Comment on We Need More 8 Year Old Kindergarten Students. by Johann

Johann — Sun, 12 May 2013 06:25:46 +0000

Some interesting viewpoints but I have to say I have also liked the traditional approach and have struggled with the continued push back in the start date for Kindergarten. I graduated at 17 and felt I was far better off in having the jump ahead. I wanted the same experience for my children who unfortunately are all born in December and so will not be able to do that. I don’t get a choice about having them have the same experience as me due to their birthdays and truly feel that it would be a better rode for them to take. In this last year I pushed and pushed for my daughter to be assessed so the school would consider taking her in early. With much discussion and advice from other educators we opted to wait to have her start. We decided this whole year would be really spent on mastering the foundational skills necessary and giving her the opportunity to be top of her class with the new coming year. I am now glad we waited.
It would be difficult to group children and grade promote or place do to ability although it makes sense it could cause as you said some children not starting school to a very late age or remaining in the lower grades for quite some time. I would like to see a plan for assessment of all 5 year olds even pass the cut off date so as to have the option of starting early based on ability not birth date. As mentioned, children learn differently and at different rates.

Comment on Discovery Education Part Duex: Beyond the Textbook Continues. by Laura Ridgley

Laura Ridgley — Sun, 12 May 2013 04:05:21 +0000

I too am a student of Dr. Post. I am a middle school teacher, our school got a technology grant and used it for iPads (only one per classroom). I have books and educational apps on it for my class to use. They love it! They are very motivated to read or work on skills when they are aloud to use the IPad. I realize it is a novelty and novelty wears off but these kids are digital natives and digital textbook speak their language. I also like the fact that they can be updated with the most current information. I think it would be a great investment. I understand they are working on digital textbooks whose content can be leveled up or down like a volume knob allowing students to read at their own individual level. Now that will be awesome! I may be somewhat technically challenged myself but I believe it is the wave of the future and I embrace it.

Comment on Discovery Education Part Duex: Beyond the Textbook Continues. by Bill Scott

Bill Scott — Wed, 08 May 2013 22:14:38 +0000

I am another member of the “spanking new SPED masters program” and I can say that we are already using these digital textbooks in our school for many of the classes that are being taught. The only problem is that there are not enough places in the school for the students to access the books online and in turn we use a classroom set of textbooks, that are supposed to stay in the class, of the online book.
There are two problems that I can see with using these books:
1. It is technology and with technology comes problems. We have had numerous problems where the website where the book is at was done for a couple of days. This has happened on more than one occasion. This really screws your class up when students are supposed to be working from their textbook at home and have no access to the book.
2. Most of the students think it really is a pain to use the online book and they would rather have the print copy to use. This is when the classroom set starts to disappear and then we are up the creek when I want to use the books in class as well.
So as great of an idea as the techbook is, there are still many kinks that have to be worked out before it should be a pliable alternative to the physical texts that we have traditionally used.

Comment on Students Love Computers at School. I Blame Caffeine. by Phil Gaton

Phil Gaton — Thu, 02 May 2013 07:18:07 +0000

Excellent blog, …thank you for sharing. Phil Gaton

Comment on Only Idiots Run Marathons. by Christa Frantz

Christa Frantz — Sun, 28 Apr 2013 19:59:13 +0000

Idiots also do the tough mudder. If you can do half
you can do the mudder. Any guesses what I did yesterday:)

Comment on Discovery Education Part Duex: Beyond the Textbook Continues. by Dennis Brumirski

Dennis Brumirski — Thu, 25 Apr 2013 19:32:43 +0000

So many interesting thoughts on this subject…

I am another member of the brand “spanking” new grad school program at Trinity. I spend my days as an intervention teacher in a high school specifically doing tier two interventions in reading and grammar day after day. Here’s the thing, I’ve noticed two things about textbooks:

1.) though we all (teens included) probably still benefit at times from having an actual book in our hands, when will we be willing to admit that we might be better off using the devices that students feel most comfortable with to educate them. At what point is the attention spand of today’s student dependant on interactivity, and is this a good or a bad thing.

2.) I hate textbooks. How can a college sell a book for 150 dollars that amazon sells for 40. Where does that money go? What does it fund. It just seems like this is another example of how our society needlessly spends, and in this instance we are spending on objects which will become obsolete not only in their form, but in ther content as well.

That being said – my house is full of books. Go figure.

Comment on Teachers Have Power. by The Balanced Teacher

The Balanced Teacher — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 23:07:47 +0000

Kudos to Seattle educators! Thank you for sharing both your thoughts and this article.

Comment on Discovery Education Part Duex: Beyond the Textbook Continues. by Paula Parker

Paula Parker — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:32:55 +0000

As many have commented on the ups & downs on this issue, I can relate to Vince’s comment as a daily process☹. I work at a CPS charter school and I do not have one complete set of books (in particular science) and no social studies books. So, I have two different grade levels combine to teach various units in science and have to go to this online program called “Study Island” to supplement for various lessons to teach social studies. How said☹ I do find that Study Island is a great tool to use, however not in place of hard cover books or digital books. I am interested in this new era of technology in the classroom with books however I am very much still all for tangible books, if the book are differentiated in various tiers. For example, the math book I use now (Go Math) is differentiated and is broken up into various tiers so that I can address various needs in the classroom is a great tool. I love it!

Comment on Discovery Education Part Duex: Beyond the Textbook Continues. by Vince Lucca

Vince Lucca — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 13:25:14 +0000

Digital text books are great but not realistic for everyone. Given the current financial constraints that many school districts are facing (including mine: Chicago Public Schools), the disparity between rich and poor schools will only get larger. Many affluent areas are already using digital texts and benefiting from them and their capabilities. These are also the schools that have greater resources for their children. On the other hand, poorer areas struggle to get their basic needs filled. For example, I am using a textbook in my English class copyrighted from 1982, just two years after I was born. Until the financial inequities are solved, the well off will continue to adapt to the times while others continue to try and get by (kind of sounds a lot like how are country is right now…).

Comment on Discovery Education Part Duex: Beyond the Textbook Continues. by Michael Smith

Michael Smith — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 00:17:02 +0000

@Barb Wolterink, I often find progress a little bit sad.