I’m adding this infographic to both The Best Sites For Learning About Mother’s Day and to The Best Father’s Day Sites:
Source: H&R Block
May 12, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
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Infographic: “Mother’s Day Vs. Father’s Day”
May 12, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Interesting Study, Disappointing Interpretation
A study was unveiled last week suggesting that reading and math skills at age seven accurately predict your socio-economic status at the age of 42. You can read about it here and here.
I’m not sure this is that big of a surprise to anybody, considering the impact of poverty on students and their families (not to mention growing income and wealth inequality that results in reduced upward mobility — Note: the study is based on students in the UK, but they certainly face many of the same challenges that we face in the U.S.).
What was surprising — and disappointing — to me was that in their commentary about the study (though not in the study itself) they emphasize that the possible cause for their finding is genetic.
How could they be so oblivious to poverty, wealth inequality, and possible racism?
May 12, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Quote Of The Day: UK Study Questions Focus On Test Prep
A new study by the Department of Education in The United Kingdom questions the effectiveness of a focus on test prep. You can read a summary here and the full report here. Here’s an excerpt:
I’m adding the info to The Best Posts On How To Prepare For Standardized Tests (And Why They’re Bad).
May 12, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
More Resources On Immigration Reform
Here are some new additions to The Best Resources About The New Push For Immigration Reform:
Preview | Immigration: The pathway to now is a preview to a multi-part video series The Washington Post is publishing on the last thirty years of immigration reform. It will start on May 14th, and is embedded below:
Immigration reform: The five most important issues is from The LA Times.
Boomers need immigrants is also from The LA Times.
May 12, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
“Using — Not Misusing — Ability Groups In The Classroom”
Using — Not Misusing — Ability Groups In The Classroom is my newest post over at Education Week Teacher.
Author/educator Rick Wormeli shares his thoughts on the topic. Part Two of this series will feature several guest responses, including ones from Carol Burris, New York’s 2013 High School Principal Of The Year, and from Tammy Heflebower, Vice-President of the Marzano Research Laboratory.
May 12, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
“No Longer Lost To History” Is A Good Lesson Idea
The New York Times is soliciting contributions to a “No Longer Lost To History” project.
They invite readers to “Tell us about a person you knew or admired who you think put a wrinkle in the social fabric.”
It’s an interesting idea and is connected to a story about an overlooked professor in history.
It could be an intriguing lesson in a variety of classes, including social studies, ESL, and IB Theory of Knowledge. Having students read the article, discuss what is meant by “social fabric,” and then propose someone who fits the bill has the potential of being fairly engaging…..
May 12, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Infographic: “Health effects of second hand smoking”
I’m adding this infographic to The Best Sites For ELL’s To Learn About The Dangers Of Smoking:
May 11, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
1 Comment
Quote Of The Day: Doctors & Teachers
This week’s New Yorker has a great article titled Every Disease On Earth. Unfortunately, it’s behind a paywall. Here’s an excerpt:
Here are a few other articles on the doctor/teacher connection:
Why Evaluate Teachers and Doctors Differently? is by Walt Gardner at Education Week.
Should “Efficiency” Really Be The Driving Force In Hospitals (And Schools)?
Here’s an interesting NY Times article about performance pay for doctors, and here’s Paul Thomas’ commentary on it.
Walt Gardner wrote another post — Preparing Doctors and Teachers.
Coaching is Good for Doctors and Teachers Both is by John Thompson.
May 11, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Interactive Infographic: “What Career Should I Choose?”
What Career Should I Choose? is an interactive that lets you pick a career and then shows you how it ranks in “potential salary, competition and market stability.” Obviously, other criteria need to be taken into account, but it still could be useful.
I’m adding it to The Best Websites For Students Exploring Jobs & Careers.
![What Career Should I Choose? [Interactive Graph]](http://thumbnails.visually.netdna-cdn.com/what-career-should-i-choose-interactive-graph_518d2b20e3a97_w587.png)
May 11, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
3 Comments
Here’s What I’ll Be Teaching Next Year….
I have just confirmed my schedule for next year (though, of course, it’s not written in stone until the school year begins).
I’ll once again be teaching a combined class of Beginning and Intermediate English Language Learners. As usual, it will be one period of English and another period of Geography.
Of course, I’ll be teaching another year of the International Baccalaureate Theory of Knowledge class. I’ve usually had a number of non-IB Diploma candidates in the class but, this year, I’ve worked even harder to recruit students who might not typically take such an advanced class, so I’ll have even more next year. The mix benefits everyone.
And I’ll be teaching English to two classes of ninth-graders.
Originally, I was going to teach a higher-grade level, my colleague Katie Hull was going to teach ninth-grade, and we were going to do an exciting project of having the older students teach the younger ones many of the life skills lessons found in my books (see The Best Resources On The Value & Practice Of Having Older Students Mentoring Younger Ones).
We’re still doing the project, but the roles have been reversed — now Katie will be teaching the older students, while I’ll be teaching the younger ones. I anticipate writing a lot about our experiment later in 2013 and early 2014.
I’ll be publishing a post soon about some summer writing projects I’ve got up my sleeve but, for now, I’m focusing on finishing the school year and dealing with the task of moving rooms — both Katie and I are moving to another Small Learning Community (see The Best Resources For Learning About Small Learning Communities) that will be emphasizing support to our English Language Learners.
Plus, our annual 100 student trip to San Francisco is coming up in a couple of weeks. May God help us all — especially us chaperones 
!
May 11, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Reminder: You Can Always Subscribe To This Blog By Email
Many readers subscribe to this blog using Google Reader, which is being shut-down on July 1st.
There are plenty of alternatives to Google Reader if you still want to subscribe using an RSS Reader (see The Best Alternatives To Google Reader Now That It’s Being Shut Down).
In addition, you can always subscribe for free by email. You can quickly sign-up here. If there are multiple posts in one day you will still only receive one email containing all of them.
Of course, I also publish links to post on Twitter, Google Plus and Facebook (and sometimes Pinterest), so those are other ways to access this blog’s content, too.
May 11, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Video – “Guatemala genocide trial: witnesses of atrocities tell their stories”
The Guardian has just published an excellent video called Guatemala genocide trial: witnesses of atrocities tell their stories.
Guatemala: Voices of the Genocide is a series of videos on what occurred in Guatemala.
Efraín Ríos Montt Sentenced to 80 Years For Genocide Of Guatemalan Mayans is a good overview of the trial from Fox News Latino.
I’m adding them to The Best Resources For Learning About Genocide.
May 11, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Research Studies Of The Week
I often write about research studies from various fields and how they can be applied to the classroom. I write individual posts about ones that I think are especially significant, and will continue to do so. However, so many studies are published that it’s hard to keep up. So I’ve started writing a “round-up” of some of them each week or every other week as a regular feature:
Understanding How the Brain Speaks Two Languages is from TIME Magazine. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning The Advantages To Being Bilingual.
Walk-to-burn-calorie menu ‘diet aid’ is from The BBC. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About Nutrition & Food Safety.
Being Sad Makes You More Impatient comes from The Harvard Business Review. It shares a study that found people who felt sad had great problems with self-control. I’m adding this to The Best Posts About Helping Students Develop Their Capacity For Self-Control.
Black Men’s College Success Depends on Grit, Not Just Grades, Study Finds is from Sarah Sparks at Education Week. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About The Importance Of “Grit.”
Fostering A Culture Of Gratitude comes from The Harvard Business Review. I’m adding it to The Best Resources On “Gratitude.”
May 10, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Video: The Value Of Doodling
I’ve previously posted about research on the value of doodling and what my classroom practice is on it (see Will Doodling Help Students Learn Better?).
Here’s a new video reinforcing that research and practice:
May 10, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Quote(s) Of The Day: “When Helping Hurts”
When Helping Hurts is a useful column in today’s New York Times, and it’s useful to both parents and teachers. Here’s an excerpt:
It’s another way of saying the famous “Iron Rule” that governs the community organizing work of the Industrial Areas Foundation, where I worked for many years prior to becoming a teacher:
You might be interested in The Best Sites To Learn About Saul Alinsky.
May 10, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Very Good Video: “Diving Into Deeper Learning”
This is definitely one of the most interesting and useful TED videos I’ve seen (it’s actually a from a TEDx event). Marc Chun talks about Diving Into Deeper Learning. Unfortunately, since it’s a TEDx video, and not one from TED, they don’t have a transcript available. But it’s definitely worth watching.
I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About The Concept Of “Transfer.”
May 10, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
More On “TED Talks On Education”
Here are some new additions to The Best Of “TED Talks On Education”:
Bill Gates’s $5 billion plan to videotape America’s teachers is by Valerie Strauss at The Washington Post. She highlights a piece I wrote for her column that I still think is the best thing I’ve ever written, Videotaping teachers the right way (not the Gates way).
TED Talks Education speakers make playlists for you is from TED.
May 10, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Genocide In Guatemala
If you are an English teacher in Guatemala, and would be open to be interviewed as part of my Hot Spot Interview series, please leave me a comment.
Having studied Spanish in Guatemala years ago in an area populated primarily by indigenous people, I was pleased to learn of today’s guilty verdict in the genocide trial of José Efraín Ríos Montt.
Here are some resources related to his actions that I’m adding to The Best Resources For Learning About Genocide:
Rios Montt Guilty of Genocide and Crimes Against Humanity is from The PBS News Hour.
Guatemala: Why We Cannot Turn Away is also from The News Hour.
“Granito: How to Nail a Dictator”: New Film Tracks Struggle for Justice After Guatemalan Genocide is from Democracy Now.
Here’s the trailer from that movie, and you can learn more here:
Watch Granito: How to Nail a Dictator – Trailer on PBS. See more from POV.
May 10, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
May’s Best Tweets — Part Two
Every month I make a few short lists highlighting my choices of the best resources I shared through (and learned from) Twitter, but didn’t necessarily include them in posts here on my blog.
I’ve already shared in earlier posts several new resources I found on Twitter — and where I gave credit to those from whom I learned about them. Those are not included again in this post.
If you don’t use Twitter, you can also check-out all of my “tweets” on Twitter profile page or subscribe to their RSS feed.
I use Storify to “curate” my best tweets:
May 10, 2013
by Larry Ferlazzo
0 comments
Videos About Asia
I’m adding these videos to A Beginning List Of The Best Geography Sites For Learning About Asia & The Middle East:
This next one is from The World Of Travel Channel on YouTube, and they have lots of great videos about places throughout the world.
This next one is a part of a Lonely Planet Playlist that includes several other good videos:
This next video is part of a playlist from Overlander:
