Educator Blogs

Bridging Differences
http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/Bridging-Differences/

Purpose of the Blog:
Deborah Meier, liberal, and Diane Ravitch, conservative, are profesors at the Steinhardt School of Education at New York University. Their paths crossed for years: both history majors, former teachers, journalists, and educational activist. Although they often disagree, they respect the other’s expertise. The blog presents a point counter-point on current issues in education, presenting careful analysis of press coverage and government actions.
Type of Posts:

The posts cover a range of subjects from charter schools, unions, merit pay, curriculum, parental involvement, reading, testing, to accoutability and civil rights. Given their background as historians, the posts are well-researched, providing an historical perspective on a current issue. Both Meier and Ravitch construct thoughtful arguments, for example, in a series of posts on achievement and No Child Left Behind, Deborah writes:
Claiming that higher test scores and more diplomas will lead to prosperity is a sleight of hand for which well-educated reporters should not fall. The assumption that if twice as many people get a B.A. an M.A. or a Ph.D., twice as many higher-paying jobs will appear is a colossal fraud. But even more shameful is the assumption that knowing "right answers" on a standardized test is a way to judge even future employees, much less future citizens.
In a post describing Obama’s educational programs as NCLB 2.0 and examining the vaule of closing schools that are not working, Diane writes:
I wonder, too, about who will work in the 5,000 brand-new schools? Are there 5,000 super principals waiting in the wings to lead them? Where will they find the tens of thousands of "great" teachers who will staff them? Or will they play musical chairs with the principals and teachers from the schools that were closed?
What we are witnessing now is the culmination of the plans of the education entrepreneurs who are driving national education policy at the highest levels. They are not educators. They do not understand how to help or support a school, so their first instinct is to close it down and start over. I think that is called creative destruction. Just watch: It will be coming soon to a school near you.


Other Thoughts:
The writing is excellent and I enjoyed the research and thoughtful perspective provided in each post. Meier and Ravitch are clearly well-informaed and thoughtful. Some bloggers might be put off by the lengthy, somewhat scholarly writing, but I like it. This blog gives me the opportunity to consider today’s issues from two well-researched, independent writers.


Never Ending Search Blog
http://feeds2.feedburner.com/SLJNeverEndingSearch

Purpose: Joyce Valenza’s name is well known. As a longtime librarian and technology expert, and winner of the best librarian/library blog for 2009, I have heard people discuss her limitless energy and valuable information for years. I wondering why I didn’t subscribe to her blog sooner, but I had to be forced into the blogging world.

Type of Posts:
While the 1st blog I looked at was more academic and philosophical, Valenza’s blog covers practical matters: for example, what to do when Utube is blocked, reforming PowerPoint, cataloging information and Dewey. Each post is written clearly, gets right to the point, and includes links to additional information (and all the links seem to work).

Other Thoughts:

I just discovered this blog, but I am definitely going to be sharing it with my faculty—For example, if I could get teachers to adapt just one of Valenza’s tips for better Powerpoints, student presentations would improve dramatically. For example:

We told the students to aim for no bullets. Aim for just one word or phrase on a slide.
We told them to aim for one powerful image on a slide. That image could be accompanied by minimal text or no text at all.
Clipart was banned. (Well, we tried.) Why should anyone use canned art in a landscape where the people of the world are generously sharing original media?
We pointed students to our Copyright Friendly Images pathfinder, our Image Generator Pathfinder, and to Flickr's Creative Commons Pool. We told them to search for images conceptually rather than literally. For interest, what images would photographers tag to represent "lonely"or "cold"? We also told them to create their own images.
If they needed to include a quote, students were to look for the nugget within the quote. To shorten it as much as possible. To discover its essence.

Free Technology for Teachers
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/

Purpose:
Obviously, the purpose is in the title: free technology for teachers. This is a practical blog with timely information. For example, today’s post is about how to use resources to present and analyze last night’s State of the Union Address. The Blog is colorful, well-written, and the entries are mercifully short so you can get the information you need and move on to the other things you need to do. Other blogs cover subjects such as a free online outlining tool, webconferencing, organization, and using sounds and games. Many of the ideas are very simple—yet have great potential for engaging students. For example, a lesson where students reading the Great Gatsby created fake facebook accounts for various characters. The posts are daily, short, and varied. They also offer links and practical how-to’s for implementing the technology.

Type of Posts:

Other Thoughts: This is a very practical site—with a very small time investment, I feel that I can stay up-to-date on creative, practical, and yes, free, technology applications that really have a positive educational impact.