We inadvertently forgot to include this suggestion for improving education with the others:
From Sharon:"I've always thought that the grade school curriculum (at almost every level) would be much improved by having yearly themes from which individual subjects would draw and all would overlap. For example, if the theme was FOOD, a class might use actual recipes in math class and for science experiments--research regional dishes for history and sociology, write and produce a cookbook for an English and art project. I've always thought students would appreciate learning as a 'whole' experience more than they do the unrelated pieces of knowledge we sometimes seem to be handing out to our children."
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Back to School
In addition to the ideas featured in this week's Ampolo video, we received several other thoughtful suggestions for improving education:
From Robin: "Smaller class size! My daughter is in a high school with 3,000 kids, and it's so easy to fall through the cracks that way, especially if you're a student that's 'no trouble.'"
From Libby: "Require every student to speak English; teach diagramming sentences and grammar; reward teachers and teachers’ unions for flunking students; make remedial/summer help required in order to advance.
From Alan: "Pay more money to teachers."
From Chuck: "Extranet sites filled with school news where teachers can post homework assignments, students can communicate with each other, and selected outside contributors can add content."
And from Bob: "I believe the key to establishing a quality education system throughout the country begins with quality teachers. Currently I don't see any correlation between what school districts spend on their teaching staffs and the teachers' performance. The longer a teacher works, the more the teacher is paid. This formula doesn't work, especially in the districts that need quality teachers the most. There's no incentive.
"Teachers' compensation should be tied to teaching results. Base initial salaries on a measurable, weighted formula, including school location, skills, etc. After one year, add test score results to the formula. In addition, bonuses should be paid to reward a particular school, programs within a school, a group of teachers, etc. By incentivizing teachers with higher salaries for performance, the higher paid teachers would be less likely to leave the schools they're currently at, including high need, inner city schools. The result would be retaining and adding quality teachers at the schools that need them most. Because teachers are paid according to a formula, if their results diminish, their salaries are reduced. If they fall below a certain formula guideline, they should be moved out and replaced. Finally, if they fall below a minimum standard, they should not be retained."
Thanks to all. We welcome more comments.
From Robin: "Smaller class size! My daughter is in a high school with 3,000 kids, and it's so easy to fall through the cracks that way, especially if you're a student that's 'no trouble.'"
From Libby: "Require every student to speak English; teach diagramming sentences and grammar; reward teachers and teachers’ unions for flunking students; make remedial/summer help required in order to advance.
From Alan: "Pay more money to teachers."
From Chuck: "Extranet sites filled with school news where teachers can post homework assignments, students can communicate with each other, and selected outside contributors can add content."
And from Bob: "I believe the key to establishing a quality education system throughout the country begins with quality teachers. Currently I don't see any correlation between what school districts spend on their teaching staffs and the teachers' performance. The longer a teacher works, the more the teacher is paid. This formula doesn't work, especially in the districts that need quality teachers the most. There's no incentive.
"Teachers' compensation should be tied to teaching results. Base initial salaries on a measurable, weighted formula, including school location, skills, etc. After one year, add test score results to the formula. In addition, bonuses should be paid to reward a particular school, programs within a school, a group of teachers, etc. By incentivizing teachers with higher salaries for performance, the higher paid teachers would be less likely to leave the schools they're currently at, including high need, inner city schools. The result would be retaining and adding quality teachers at the schools that need them most. Because teachers are paid according to a formula, if their results diminish, their salaries are reduced. If they fall below a certain formula guideline, they should be moved out and replaced. Finally, if they fall below a minimum standard, they should not be retained."
Thanks to all. We welcome more comments.
Monday, February 4, 2008
You Gotta Have Art
We hope you will enjoy this week’s episode, in which two viewers shared with us their favorite works of art—public and personal. We heard from others as well, and we’d like to direct you to their special pieces.
Darrell directed us to Franz Winterhalter’s Portrait of Countess Olga Shuvalova, 1858
Linda wrote: “The Song of the Lark by Jules Breton comes to mind. I’ve always loved that painting, and had a poster of it in my room. I must have identified with her peasant look: bandana, outfit, machete. Seriously, tho’, I find the painting serene and earthy.”
Howard reported: “I am now interested in a new artist, Cheryl Warrick, who is not too well known. I saw her work at the print fair in NYC in November.
And Adar wrote: “Two images came to mind immediately, both public art. One is a mural on a house in Belfast. It promotes the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Freedom Fighters. I saw this mural, amidst a wash of others, walking down Shankhill Road. A few days later, I saw a piece of stenciled graffiti art in Dublin. It looked similar to this.”
Nora is sitting in front of one of our favorite pieces of art. It is Issue #1 (by Miranda July) of The Thing, an object-based quarterly.
Darrell directed us to Franz Winterhalter’s Portrait of Countess Olga Shuvalova, 1858
Linda wrote: “The Song of the Lark by Jules Breton comes to mind. I’ve always loved that painting, and had a poster of it in my room. I must have identified with her peasant look: bandana, outfit, machete. Seriously, tho’, I find the painting serene and earthy.”
Howard reported: “I am now interested in a new artist, Cheryl Warrick, who is not too well known. I saw her work at the print fair in NYC in November.
And Adar wrote: “Two images came to mind immediately, both public art. One is a mural on a house in Belfast. It promotes the loyalist paramilitary group, the Ulster Freedom Fighters. I saw this mural, amidst a wash of others, walking down Shankhill Road. A few days later, I saw a piece of stenciled graffiti art in Dublin. It looked similar to this.”
Nora is sitting in front of one of our favorite pieces of art. It is Issue #1 (by Miranda July) of The Thing, an object-based quarterly.
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