Hold My Chalk

Today I was privileged to be a part of preparing teacher candidates to enter the great calling we refer to as public education.  Today was one of the teacher return days for all of the teacher candidates (student teachers) at Southwestern Oklahoma State University (SWOSU-Go Dawgs!).  For this day, each candidate participates in a mock interview.  After the interview they are free to work through a career fair and meet representatives from several districts across the state & even some from out of state. I think it is great to give students this experience.  As they complete the interviews with a group of three or four administrators from area schools, they get feedback that will further prepare them for real interviews. I admit, my participation in this event is a bit selfish.  Yes I am honored to get to assist my alma mater, but I am also looking for prospects.  I get the opportunity to gauge some of these candidates before they have learned many of the tricks of interviews &...

Dan Kamminga via Compfight The challenge posted for OklaEd bloggers was to answer the following question in 600 words or less: If given the opportunity to be "King for a Day," how would I improve #oklaed? I have worked on this for a few days and have tried to stay away from many of the popular ideas.  Everyone wants pay raises for teachers, more money for schools, elimination of high stakes tests, and respect for school personnel.  None of these will fix all the problems we are facing. Working in a high poverty district opens your eyes to many things that won't be fixed with any of the items listed above.  Instead, where we need to look is the home.  I don't want to say we don't have support from home or imply anything of the sort.  Instead, I think we could improve #oklaed in a major way if we could eliminate absent parents. We have so many of our parents that have placed their kids in the hands of a grandparent or other relatives.  The guardian is often...

Kevin Creamer/ via Compfight With many schools in a variety of positions on the use of technology in the classroom, how do you determine what is effective or ineffective?  The word integration has been flying around for more than a decade in regards to technology. I have been in and out of many classrooms that are integrating technology into their lessons and am sad to report that despite a plethora of technology in the classroom we just have more of the same tired old lessons.  It is very obvious in some cases that the device is just being used as a babysitter.  In other cases the laminated lesson plans that didn't work without the technology are still being used and they don't work with the technology. I suggest we change our terminology and eliminate the phrase technology integration.  I think the entire ideology needs to be replaced with the word innovative.  Here are four questions to help your lessons become innovative with technology. 1. What does the t...