"Effort to survey Indianapolis teachers meets resistance"
Scott Elliott, Indystar.com, October 8, 2012

"A national education nonprofit has chosen Indianapolis to pilot a survey of local teachers that aims to go beyond test scores and offer information about such things as whether a school is clean and safe, whether it encourages creativity and independent thinking and how well its staff communicates with parents.

"The point, says GreatSchools.org, is to give parents valuable information to help them navigate the fast-growing public, private and charter school options.

"Sound like good news? Not to Marion County school superintendents, who have become increasingly suspicious that such efforts are nothing more than a thinly veiled attempt to erode public schools and steer parents and students to private and charter schools.

"In fact, almost no Marion County school districts are cooperating with GreatSchools.org’s survey effort, which is backed by the Indiana Department of Education, Mayor Greg Ballard and the United Way.
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"Jacob Pactor, a Speedway High School English teacher who filled out the survey, was glad to have the opportunity to say great things about his school.

"“I was excited as a teacher to have somebody ask for my opinion about the school that I’m working at,” he said. “We brag about it internally, and we should brag externally.”

"The state’s A to F grading system for schools, Pactor said, simply can’t capture important dimensions such as whether a school is safe and nurturing. The climate survey can supplement the grades.

"“It’s hard to judge anything,” he said, “if you judge based just on test scores.”"

"A Painter at the Chalkboard: "Old School Tools" in the Classroom"
Lisa Michelle Dabbs, Edutopia, September 25, 2012

"How important are technology tools in the classroom? And what if I don't have access to them to use with my students? How can I possibly keep up with the rest of my colleagues around the country that do? I get asked those questions a lot when I’m consulting or in webinars. There really isn't an easy answer. What I like to say, however, is that it's not about the tool, it's about how you support your pedagogy with the tools you have, based on principles of good practice.
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"That said, whether you're a new teacher or an experienced teacher that doesn't have access to all the tech bells and whistles, let's look at three ways that you can still teach great content using some "old school tools."

"1) Use Paper to Teach Blogging
"2) Use Folders as Apps
"3) Use the Chalkboard as Social Media"

So Many Hands to Hold in the Classroom
Lynda C. Lambert, The Chronicle of Higher Education, September 17, 2012

"Over the 17 years I've taught writing at the college level, I used to occasionally have a student who was afraid to choose a topic for an essay, or even to ask a question, because she didn't know what was "right." One young man chose not to turn in an assignment at all, because he didn't understand the instructions and was afraid to say so. Now, instead of the occasional student in this condition, I'm getting classrooms full.

"So many of them are so unused to thinking on their own that they cannot formulate an opinion without being told what opinion they are supposed to have. And if someone shares his opinion, he is obviously—as far as many students are concerned—trying to foist it on others rather than offering them an opportunity to challenge that opinion and debate it.
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"This should not be a surprise, of course. The types of assignments they became accustomed to in elementary and secondary schools were not subjectively graded but were rooted in a behaviorist system that, intentionally, does not challenge students to think or be creative. Instead it tells them what result they should have and then offers them the map to it.

"Unfortunately, following a map may teach them how to navigate, but it does not teach them how to drive. Few students seem to be able to find their way through their courses anymore without that map. And, interestingly, they hold the instructor responsible for their lack of learning if she does not provide GPS coordinates."

"Using Graphic Novels and Comics in the Classroom"
Andrew Miller, Edutopia, January 11, 2012

"Here are some specific strategies to ponder as you select a graphic novel or comic to read, or as you consider how students might create their own. Thinking about them will help you focus your purpose in your instruction. All of them are useful, as long as the purpose is clear to the teacher and the learner.
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"1) A Tool to Differentiate Instruction
"Graphic novels and comics can be a great way to differentiate instruction for learners in terms of reading and also in terms of assessment. 
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"3) Assess Student Learning
"PBL calls for the creation of authentic products that are useful and credible to the group. You can have students create comics or graphic novels, or components of them, as a useful formative assessment tool to check for understanding of important content. If used as a summative assessment, the comic could be made to combat bullying, such as the suggestion Suzie Boss made in an earlier post. Make the graphic novel or comic a product that students create to meet a need. Don't just make it a regurgitation of knowledge. Instead, give it an authentic purpose.
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"There are many other purposes for graphic novels in the classroom, from looking at different cultures and backgrounds to utilizing technology in authentic ways. Just make sure you select the graphic novel or comic with a clear purpose in mind. Perhaps you have multiple purposes, as there are many instructionally sound purposes out there."

"I will leave you with some favorite graphic novels and comics that I've used in my classroom! Trust me, I have read plenty more than this list!

• "Persepolis, a memoir of a girl growing up during the Islamic revolution in Iran, was recently made into a motion picture.
• "Maus, a top favorite for many, explores themes of the Holocaust through a memoir characterized by mice and cats.
• "American Born Chinese is the tale of three characters: Jin Wang, the only Chinese-American in the neighborhood; Chin-Kee, the ultimate Chinese stereotype; and the Monkey King, ancient fable character."