An article featured in Education Week reports the findings of a study showing that 2 out of every 5 teachers are “disheartened” by their jobs. This was a nationwide study of teachers called “Teaching for a Living: How Teachers See the Profession Today.”
The study of the Teacher Community is taking a closer look at what motivated educators to get into the field as well as their attitudes towards teaching. The study showed that about 40% of the teachers surveyed are disheartened about their jobs and their teaching environments. These teachers sited a lack of support from their principals and other administrators, and they also were concerned with their working conditions and student behavior. More than half of the teachers who fell into the disheartened category teach in “low-income” schools.
There are 2 other categories considered in the study; they are labeled “Contented”, which make up 37% of the teachers surveyed, and “Idealists” which made up the last 23%. Contented teachers reported excellent working conditions and experience in the profession. Idealists report that they became teachers to help disadvantaged students and they feel that their teaching greatly increases the test scores of their students.
An attempt should be made to take these findings into account in order to help improve the morale of education professionals. I think a good way to improve moral in teachers is to provide them with a Teacher Network to help teachers feel less isolated from their peers and to gain support from peers who may be going through similar situations and may have some advice. In any situation, professional or not it is important to have connections to peers.
Applebatch.com offers teachers a place to go and discuss these and other issues. It also provides a forum for education professionals to seek help with lesson plans as well as career advice and opportunities. We understand that teachers need to have a way to voice their opinions.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
Setting New Standards for High School Students
In an article on September 25th, U.S. News and World Report stated that the nation’s governors and state education officials have banded together to propose a standard for all public school students. They have received help from the National Education Association, the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics, the National Council of Teachers of English, the College Board, the ACT testing program and Achieve Inc., a standards reform group. The current academic standards are different in each state, but the new proposal will have all K-12 students learning the same things.
The standards will require a certain set of Math and English skills from all high school graduates. The English revisions focus on reading and writing proficiencies as well as speaking and listening abilities, including presenting information and advancing a discussion by responding with more than a yes or no. In math, students should be able to construct viable arguments, master complex problems as well as be familiar with probability and statistics. This will require the math Teacher Community to rework much of its current curriculum.
Though Applebatch promotes equal education for all, we understand that teachers will need a lot of assistance reworking their lesson plans. We also understand that some students may need more help reaching these goals. That is why it will be more important than ever to use a Teacher Network.
Applebatch.com is available to all educators and gives them an opportunity to share and upload free resources, grow their professional network and search for teaching jobs in a convenient online environment. Please join Applebatch.com and tell us what you think about this new proposal.
The standards will require a certain set of Math and English skills from all high school graduates. The English revisions focus on reading and writing proficiencies as well as speaking and listening abilities, including presenting information and advancing a discussion by responding with more than a yes or no. In math, students should be able to construct viable arguments, master complex problems as well as be familiar with probability and statistics. This will require the math Teacher Community to rework much of its current curriculum.
Though Applebatch promotes equal education for all, we understand that teachers will need a lot of assistance reworking their lesson plans. We also understand that some students may need more help reaching these goals. That is why it will be more important than ever to use a Teacher Network.
Applebatch.com is available to all educators and gives them an opportunity to share and upload free resources, grow their professional network and search for teaching jobs in a convenient online environment. Please join Applebatch.com and tell us what you think about this new proposal.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
How About An Apple Martini for the Teacher?
Applebatch.com hosted its first Networking event on Thursday October 22nd at Martini Park in Chicago. The “Ed Cocktail” was a success! Approximately 140 educators from the Chicago Teacher Community attended the event at Martini Park and enjoyed a night of free drinks, prizes and socializing. The guests networked with fellow educators from all over the Chicagoland area. The first 11 people who arrived received prizes including gift cards for pizza, popular venues in downtown Chicago, athletic clothes from Lucy and free drinks at Argo Tea. The attendees had the opportunity to chat with representatives from Applebatch, and their lead sponsors, Varsity Tutors and The Classmate Ltd.
CEO of Applebatch.com, George Hammer, also attended the successful event, “Educators are some of the most wonderful people to meet with because they are both professional and laid back. Thank you to everyone who came out to make this event so enjoyable.”
If you attended the event, please let us know what you thought. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Feeling a little left out? That’s ok! Applebatch is hosting it’s next Teacher Network event on January 16th, 2010 at John BarleyCorn. Register now to reserve your ticket!
CEO of Applebatch.com, George Hammer, also attended the successful event, “Educators are some of the most wonderful people to meet with because they are both professional and laid back. Thank you to everyone who came out to make this event so enjoyable.”
If you attended the event, please let us know what you thought. We hope you enjoyed it as much as we did. Feeling a little left out? That’s ok! Applebatch is hosting it’s next Teacher Network event on January 16th, 2010 at John BarleyCorn. Register now to reserve your ticket!
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
Are books needed in schools?
James Tracy, the headmaster of Cushing Academy in Ashburnham, Connecticut, told the Boston Globe that “the last thing a school library needs these days is books. What it really needs is a good cappuccino machine.” This, as you could imagine, is stirring up a lot of controversy among parents of the New England prep school.
Administrators at the prep school have given away many of the library’s collection of classic novels, popular poetry books, and several reference books. They are trashing the books and purchasing a $500,000 digital learning center. The digital learning center will include flat screen TV’s, cubbies for laptops and a small coffee shop with a $12,000 cappuccino machine. For those of you that don’t know what a digital learning center is, it is over 10,000 novels in a 5 pound lap top form folder. The librarian who has been at the prep school for over 17 years told the Globe she will miss the books that have been a part of her life for over the past decade. She says “there’s a sensual side to them - - the smell, feel. The physicality of a book is something really special.”
Here at Applebatch.com, we feel that it is imperative to utilize diverse learning platforms and channels. We believe in books, online learning and other innovative methods because different people are better at learning through different methods. The question that have been crossing the minds of parents is, will schools pay for their child’s glasses when they are staring at these “digital learning” screens all day? And the question raised for the Teacher Community is when a student is doing research and the computers are backed up by other students - -what then?
Applebatch is a professional network for educators of all ages and grades to come together and share their opinion on subjects such as this one. Teachers all over the nation are coming together and joining in our Teacher Network. Here teachers can not only discuss subjects such as this one, but also find a variety of networking tools to help in their job search or assist in the classroom.
Administrators at the prep school have given away many of the library’s collection of classic novels, popular poetry books, and several reference books. They are trashing the books and purchasing a $500,000 digital learning center. The digital learning center will include flat screen TV’s, cubbies for laptops and a small coffee shop with a $12,000 cappuccino machine. For those of you that don’t know what a digital learning center is, it is over 10,000 novels in a 5 pound lap top form folder. The librarian who has been at the prep school for over 17 years told the Globe she will miss the books that have been a part of her life for over the past decade. She says “there’s a sensual side to them - - the smell, feel. The physicality of a book is something really special.”
Here at Applebatch.com, we feel that it is imperative to utilize diverse learning platforms and channels. We believe in books, online learning and other innovative methods because different people are better at learning through different methods. The question that have been crossing the minds of parents is, will schools pay for their child’s glasses when they are staring at these “digital learning” screens all day? And the question raised for the Teacher Community is when a student is doing research and the computers are backed up by other students - -what then?
Applebatch is a professional network for educators of all ages and grades to come together and share their opinion on subjects such as this one. Teachers all over the nation are coming together and joining in our Teacher Network. Here teachers can not only discuss subjects such as this one, but also find a variety of networking tools to help in their job search or assist in the classroom.
Friday, October 9, 2009
Free K-12 teacher networking event in Chicago on Oct. 22nd
Illinois Teachers: You are invited to “Ed Cocktail”…Chicago’s premier social networking event exclusively for K-12 working professionals. The first 200 to register at http://edcocktail.eventbrite.com will receive 2 free drinks, appetizers and free admission. Come enjoy some time outside of school with your colleagues and make new friends. Hurry, space is limited.
Date: Thursday October 22nd – CPS staff development day the following day.
Place: Martini Park, Chicago
Time: 6pm
Register at http://edcocktail.eventbrite.com
The event is free for all educators thanks to our sponsors: Varsity Tutors & The Classmate LTD
Date: Thursday October 22nd – CPS staff development day the following day.
Place: Martini Park, Chicago
Time: 6pm
Register at http://edcocktail.eventbrite.com
The event is free for all educators thanks to our sponsors: Varsity Tutors & The Classmate LTD
Education Reformation by 2010!
On September 23, 2009, USA Today published an article about the U.S. Education Secretary, Arne Duncan, trying to gather the support of educators nationwide to help him reform education in this country. He hopes to have new education legislation close to passed by early in 2010. Duncan points out in a speech that he made on Thursday September 24, that after 50 years of school reform and education ruling, the country is still waiting for the day when all the children in the United States have access to high quality education. Duncan is urging various education groups to take a more active role in helping and promoting education reform.
Duncan and other groups are looking to improve upon the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). He hopes to promote a well-rounded education, which was passed in Congress with overwhelming numbers, but now has lost many of the supporters. In the Teacher Community there have been many criticisms of NCLB. One of the biggest criticisms regarding NCLB is that it focuses too much on teaching for standardized tests.
Applebatch wants to know what ideas teachers have for reforming the No Child Left Behind Act. Should it be reformed or totally redone? There are so many criticisms of the act. Will NCLB be able to overcome these critiques and successfully reform the nation’s education system, or would it be better to scrap the idea for a whole new plan of attack?
How has the No Child Left Behind impacted you in your classroom? Has it caused great changes in your method of teaching? Do you have any tips for others about helping to improve the success of students? We know that you have an opinion about this issue, and through our online Teacher Network you can discuss your opinions and ideas with other educators, talk about what needs to be done to reform our nation’s education system, or even discuss and share the ways you have discovered to work around the bureaucratic system.
Duncan and other groups are looking to improve upon the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). He hopes to promote a well-rounded education, which was passed in Congress with overwhelming numbers, but now has lost many of the supporters. In the Teacher Community there have been many criticisms of NCLB. One of the biggest criticisms regarding NCLB is that it focuses too much on teaching for standardized tests.
Applebatch wants to know what ideas teachers have for reforming the No Child Left Behind Act. Should it be reformed or totally redone? There are so many criticisms of the act. Will NCLB be able to overcome these critiques and successfully reform the nation’s education system, or would it be better to scrap the idea for a whole new plan of attack?
How has the No Child Left Behind impacted you in your classroom? Has it caused great changes in your method of teaching? Do you have any tips for others about helping to improve the success of students? We know that you have an opinion about this issue, and through our online Teacher Network you can discuss your opinions and ideas with other educators, talk about what needs to be done to reform our nation’s education system, or even discuss and share the ways you have discovered to work around the bureaucratic system.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
A New Page in the Digital Age?
Kindle, a digital textbook, may be the next thing students have in their lockers. On August 25th, U.S. News and World Report announced that the Democratic Leadership Council wants to give students a Kindles, portable hardware devices, instead of print textbooks. If executed the pilot program would involve 400,000 students and could be implemented nationwide if it is deemed a success.
Kindles will let students wirelessly download and read digital textbooks. Instead of carrying many textbooks, students will be able to carry a Kindle with all of their E-textbooks on it. However, the books do not offer any videos or interactive tools that may help the Teacher Community. Another problem is that many schools use textbooks that are not available electronically. This means teachers may have to adjust to using an entirely new textbook series, which may not be as great as their previous textbook.
However, many schools are already using digital versions of their textbooks. Students at some high schools can register for online classes and read E-textbooks. Elementary school students can even view video demonstrations of science experiments and take complete math lessons on school computers. If you are a teacher in a school using these new programs, Applebatch.com (a free online community dedicated to helping educators stay connected and share resources with other K-12 teaching professionals) wants to hear about your experience. Please take advantage of our free Teacher Network site to talk with fellow teachers from across the nation and share your thoughts.
Kindles will let students wirelessly download and read digital textbooks. Instead of carrying many textbooks, students will be able to carry a Kindle with all of their E-textbooks on it. However, the books do not offer any videos or interactive tools that may help the Teacher Community. Another problem is that many schools use textbooks that are not available electronically. This means teachers may have to adjust to using an entirely new textbook series, which may not be as great as their previous textbook.
However, many schools are already using digital versions of their textbooks. Students at some high schools can register for online classes and read E-textbooks. Elementary school students can even view video demonstrations of science experiments and take complete math lessons on school computers. If you are a teacher in a school using these new programs, Applebatch.com (a free online community dedicated to helping educators stay connected and share resources with other K-12 teaching professionals) wants to hear about your experience. Please take advantage of our free Teacher Network site to talk with fellow teachers from across the nation and share your thoughts.
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