State Of Ed Podcast

Nick and Marc welcome Dr. Carol Burris, former New York State High School Principal of the Year and current Executive Director of the Network for Public Education Fund, as well as the co-director of the Schools of Opportunity Project at the National Policy Education Center."Methods Lab" - The Observation ProcessWhat is a principal looking for?What makes for an effective post-observation conference? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.comSubscribe to us on iTunesLinks from the show:NY Times article on the rollback of testing time by President ObamaDr. Burris takes on APPRwww.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/the-dangers-of-building-a-plane-in-the-air/2011/09/30/gIQAojqWAL_blog.htmlwww.washingtonpost.com/blogs/answer-sheet/post/forging-ahead-with-nutty-teacher-evaluation-plan/2011/12/29/gIQAkMiYQP_blog.htmlwww.newyorkprincipals.org/appr-paperwww.nepc.colorado.edu/blog/teacher-evaluation-going-badwww.nepc.colorado.edu/blog/what-thoughtle

Nick and Marc welcome Karen Bronson, former teacher and principal, who currently serves as a staff developer for SAANYS. "Methods Lab" - Professional Development Why does PD get such a bad wrap? What are the keys to providing quality PD? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to us on iTunes

Nick and Marc discuss Arne Duncan's exit and the arrival of John B. King as U.S. Secretary of Education. "Methods Lab" - The First Progress Report How optimistic should the first one be? To what extent does student behavior change around this time? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to us on iTunes Links related to this episode: Arne Duncan is leaving

Nick and Marc welcome Dr. Christina Sapienza to the show. They discuss the impact that gender bias is having on young girls and the role schools can play in ending this unfair practice."Methods Lab" - Teacher TrainingAre new teachers adequately trained to enter the classroom?Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.comSubscribe to us on iTunesLinks related to this episode:Teacher Training piece in NY TimesThe Threat of Stereotype by Joshua AronsonAronson’s research - Women and mathDr. Sapienza’s links on gender biasseejane.orgBechdel test

Nick and Marc discuss some changes to A.P.P.R. in New York State, an ongoing legal action by a teacher in Great Neck and a valedictorian's appeal for greater college affordability. "Methods Lab" - The First Days of School How can you turn a traditionally rote, boring day into one that fosters excitement and interest? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to us on iTunes Links related to this episode: Great Neck teacher’s trial Kacie Candela’s Newsday piece Victor Fleischer’s indictment of Yale First Five Days Twitter Hashtag on First Days

Nick and Marc welcome Barry Isseks, former Technology Coordinator of the San Ramon Valley Unified School District, to discuss the infrastructure and software that has driven unprecedented change in education over the past two decades. "Methods Lab" - Distance Learning To what extent is this transforming learning? Can we ever truly replace a three-dimensional learning environment? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to us on iTunes Links related to this episode: NY Times: Disconnecting From Our Digital Lives

Nick and Marc discuss social-emotional learning (a.k.a. character education) and how it can create improved learning environments in schools. "Methods Lab" - Vocabulary How can we improve students' vocabulary skills? Is a dictionary better than dictionary.com? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to us on iTunes Links related to this episode: Overcoming Obstacles NY Times: Teaching Social Skills

Nick and Marc welcome their first guest, Mary Craig, to the show. They discuss the ousting of Pearson, the Value Added Model and the incredible efforts of librarians and teachers in Charlottesville, Virginia to bring books to underprivileged children. "Methods Lab" - Summer Assignments What does a quality assignment consist of? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to us on iTunes Links related to this episode: Carole Burris’s Blog Post Pearson Is Out in NYS Link to the Books on Bikes program Books on Bikes on Facebook David Brooks’ column on attention span

Nick and Marc discuss personnel changes at the New York State DoE and debate whether or not cell phones should be permitted in class. "Methods Lab" - Attire The case for and against school uniforms Should there be a dress code for professional educators? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to us on iTunes Links related to this episode: NY Times article on Screen Addiction The Science of “Inside Out” School Uniform Debate

Nick and Marc discuss the educational impact of the Supreme Court's ruling on gay marriage, "scrubbing" in Greenpoint, Brooklyn and Pixar's latest film, "Inside Out." "Methods Lab" - Differences in teaching preadolescents and teens   Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to us on iTunes Links related to this episode: Common Core Documentary NY Post Article on Scrubbing

Nick and Marc discuss a recent article in the Washington Post regarding teacher burnout and high turnover rates. "Methods Lab" - The Drain a) How can teachers leave at the end of the day with more energy than the students?   Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to us on iTunes Links related to this episode: Washington Post: Why So Many Teachers Want To Leave - And How To Get Them To Stay Joe Nocera's NYT column: How To Grade A Teacher

Nick and Marc discuss Nick's recent sojourn to Kentucky to score AP US History exams. "Methods Lab" - College Board Workshops a) What sessions did Nick attend? b) Is there anything worth implementing in the classroom? Sharing with colleagues? c) Were there any administrators in attendance? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to us on iTunes Links related to this episode: EdWeek:Decision-Making Game

Nick and Marc discuss the recent appointment of Commissioner Elia. They also break down various commencement speeches and offer suggestions to the Class of 2015. "Methods Lab" - Cooperative Learning a) How can you make it work well? b) When is it too much? c) Why doesn't it work all the time? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Links related to this episode: Washington Post announces Commissioner Elia Graduation Speeches - Excerpts from the NY Times Commencement Speech by David McCullough Jr.

Nick and Marc discuss the social, emotional and academic damage caused by social media and offer suggestions to help children and parents navigate the dark waters of technology with greater success. "Methods Lab" - Reading Aloud a) When should a teacher read aloud in class? What about the students? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Links related to this episode: BBC: Rescue Our Kids From the Digital World NY Times: Diagnosing The Wrong Deficit  

Nick and Marc celebrate 100 downloads! They also discuss Advanced Placement courses, debate merit pay and review the recent cheating scandal in Atlanta. "Methods Lab" - Homework a) How much is too much? Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Subscribe to the podcast in the iTunes store. Links related to this episode: The Daily Show segment: Fraud City CNN covers Atlanta Cheating Scandal Freakonomics’ take on Atlanta http://www.wsj.com/articles/cheating-in-atlanta-a-teachable-moment-1428521500 http://www.businessinsider.com/how-was-the-atlanta-cheating-scandal-was-uncovered-2014-9

Nick and Marc debate the need for tenure (for both teachers and administrators). They also discuss the impact of Vergara v. California and the educational reform agenda of New York's Governor Cuomo. "Methods Lab" - Testing a) What should classroom assessments look like? b) To review or not review?   Listeners are welcome to ask a question, suggest a topic or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com Links related to this episode: Time Magazine: A Brief History of Tenure Opinion piece on tenure and the Vergara case in The Daily News Education Reform in New York State Details of Vergara v. California Can you figure out Cheryl's birthday? Kristof's column: Are You Smarter Than An 8th Grader?

Nick and Marc debate the need for Common Core Learning Standards and how "core" has become a four-letter word, in every sense. "Methods Lab" - Discipline a) What role does it play in the learning process? b) A review of both simple and complex strategies to "do discipline right."   Listeners are welcome to ask a question or share their thoughts: ask@stateofedpodcast.com   Links related to this episode: Big Mac Test New Study Linking Education to Income Opening Ceremonies in Beijing, 2008 Which states have adopted CCLS? Sir Ken Robinson's amazing video

Nick and Marc launch the podcast. They discuss the "Opt Out" movement that is resulting in tens of thousands of students refusing to take the New York State assessments. In the "Methods Lab" segment, Nick and Marc share their views on the importance of the Motivational Activity. Follow Nick and Marc online at stateofedpodcast.com or on Twitter @soepodcast