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| | Who Do You Work For? | | | | | Tuesday, December 20, 2011 2:26 PM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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I don't mean this question the way you probably first interpret it. Maybe it would be more accurate to say, "For Whose Benefit Do You Work"? It seems to me that I find people in two extremes concerning this issue. Those who work for their own benefit and those who work for the benefit of others. Let me describe these two behaviors as I see them.
Those who work for their own benefit.
These people, as I observe them, work to make their own experience easier, more profitable, or more glorious. I'm sure these people exist in almost any work environment but let me cite some examples from education where I am most familiar.
The Teacher:
This teacher has plans that are set in stone. They never waiver in their instruction, timeline, student interaction, or content. This makes their job much easier. No need to differentiate their instruction or consider extenuating circumstances or reasons to speed up or slow down instruction. The class will be run on THEIR schedule and with THEIR rules come hell or high water. This makes it so much easier to plan. They basically plan one year of work and then repeat that plan every year until retirement. By now I'm guessing every person reading this has pictured and/or named a teacher from their past fitting this description.
The Technology Coordinator:
This is a newer position to the educational organization. Some of these people believe their job is to protect those glowing machines at all costs. If people (teachers, students, and administrators) would just not touch these precious machines then their world would be glorious. So instead of training others on how to use, fix, and access information appropriately, we lock them up as tight as possible so that no damage (and no constructive work) will happen. We once had an employee working part time for a university. They provided her a laptop to help support the work she was doing with the university. The laptop was so locked up (protected) she could do nothing of value with the machine. She returned it the next day. BUT, I'm sure the technology person didn't care much because their
objective had been met. Namely, they did not have to fix the machine or help train anyone to use it properly.
The Custodian:
If people would just stay out of the building then I wouldn't have to clean, repair, or worry about keeping people comfortable in this place. Some custodians consider their work to be the most important in the building. Why else would I mow the grass right outside the classroom window during school instead of waiting until after school is out. After all, my job of maintaining the building and grounds is more important than student learning, isn't it? If you need that desk fixed in your room it shouldn't matter if you in the middle of a lesson should it? And so what if the furnace isn't working properly, can't students wearing coats and gloves learn just as much as those who are comfortable and have good lighting? It makes the custodian's job much more difficult to put everyone else's needs ahead of
his/her own.
The Administrator:
If teachers, students, and parents would just accept my rules and take care of their own problems, I could sit in this office and actually enjoy my job. Instead of asking for input and reaching consensus among my staff, it is so much easier (and better in my opinion) if they would just do what I told them to do. I like to start new programs in the district because it will get "good press" and add to my resume. After all, my end goal is to do enough flashy things so that I can get the next great job. I don't really care to inform or even include parents about the education we do here. The more parents stay away from the building, the easier my job is. I say we want parents involved in their child's education but its easier if they just trust me. I say I want students actively learning,
finding, arguing, and discovering new information but its easier if they just sit in rows quietly while being lectured to. I say I'll support teachers but I would rather they solve their own problems, schedules, and discipline issues. It just makes my life easier.
Those who work for the benefit of others.
These people work to make the experiences of the people around them easier, more profitable, or more glorious.
The Teacher:
They are constantly looking for ways to increase the abilities of their students. When you ask them about why they have such great results in the classroom they divert attention from themselves and say they are just lucky to have good students, good parents, good colleagues, etc. They work to recreate themselves, their lessons, and their own learning every year. It's hard work!
The Technology Coordinator:
Of course there must be guidelines on using technology but this person always looks for the least restrictive environment. This means they have to fix machines when the teacher or student tries to do something on the computer that didn't work as expected. It means getting out in the classroom and listening to the needs of the users instead of sitting in a remote closet and issuing email commands. This person can fix the silly things (you forgot to plug it in) without demeaning a teacher or student.
The Custodian:
This person is so good at their job they seem to disappear. This is a misconception of course, because they are working so hard at maintaining a healthy, comfortable, and pleasing environment that you begin to take it for granted. You see, if you quietly go about your job and don't make a fuss, you may feel a loss of appreciation (glory). It takes a lot of patience to work for the benefit of others.
The Administrator:
You first begin to understand if an administrator is working for the benefit of others by listening to them speak and secondly by watching their actions. An administrator working for others will deflect any compliments they get and say the people working under them deserve the credit for the great things that are happening. Their actions will show they understand how what they ask others to do may affect the work environment and are careful and sensitive to how their actions and words affect those around them
Now of course I understand that the people I describe at the beginning are a small minority. We all spend a lot of time complaining and worrying, and trying to fix the few people who irritate us. And truthfully, all of us are on a scale somewhere between the two extremes. But each of us need to reflect about how we think and how we act while performing our job.
Are we working to just make our life easier/better or are we working to truly benefit others? Working for the benefit of others requires a little more effort on our part but I think it is infinitely more rewarding.
Carl Jones, Director of Curriculum
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| Suggestion - Digital Learning Month! |
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| Wednesday, February 1, 2012 3:58 PM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Today is Digital Learning Day! This day is all about, as Garfield says, empowering teachers and promoting innovation. [Image:2112_121054_0.jpg] If you didn't get the memo in time to plan digital learning activities for today, I encourage you to tak |
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| Playing the Accountability Game |
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| Tuesday, November 29, 2011 10:05 AM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Everyone in education knows that accountability is the main focus for most school districts. No Child Left Behind (NCLB) along with individual states have set forth the expectations and performance goals that schools must meet to determine they are |
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| A Working Model for Shared Services |
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| Thursday, November 17, 2011 1:46 PM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| The Darke County ESC Administrative Team presented a session at the Capital Conference earlier this week. It was titled "A Working Model for Shared Services" and looked at ways Educational Service Centers and the districts they serve can c |
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| What Now? |
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| Thursday, November 10, 2011 10:48 AM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| With the defeat of Issue 2, SB 5 will not become effective. But the law has changed through HB 153 (Ohio's Budget Bill). So what does all this mean, as of now, for education. As prepared by OSBA legal services division, the following will now be i |
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| REAL Success Luncheon |
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| Wednesday, October 19, 2011 11:20 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Today we celebrated the 4th annual REAL Success Luncheon. REAL means Raising Expectations for All Learners but maybe we should change the title to Reaching BEYOND Expectations for All Learners because that is what 45 students with disabilities from |
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| A Humble Tribute To Steve Jobs |
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| Thursday, October 6, 2011 11:03 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| [Image:10611_95944_1.png][Image:10611_95944_1.png][Image:10611_95944_1.png][Image:10611_95944_1.png][Image:10611_95944_1.png][Image:10611_95944_1.png][Image:10611_95944_1.png][Image:10611_95944_1.png][Image:10611_95944_1.png][Image:10611_95944_1.pn |
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| What Do You Expect? |
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| Tuesday, October 4, 2011 11:01 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| For the past couple of weeks, I have been reading the book, Teach Like a Champion. This book's tagline is: "49 Techniques That Put Students on the Path to College," but it is really all about how teachers' expectations and classroom climat |
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| The School District Report Card |
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| Wednesday, September 21, 2011 8:54 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| I find it interesting when District Local Report Cards come out in August and newspaper writers and local citizens try to interpret all the information contained in the eight page document. Education is a complex business and when you over simplify |
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| Welcome Back! |
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| Wednesday, August 17, 2011 1:02 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| You can tell it is almost time to begin the 2011-2012 school year. With excitement building and teachers returning to prepare their rooms for another school year, we all look forward to a great 2011-2012. You know it is close with the Great Darke C |
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| Are There Bullies in Your School? |
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| Tuesday, July 5, 2011 5:35 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Of course there are! Surveys indicate that bullying is a common experience for children with over half of all students reporting some instance of bullying during their school years. Bullying is a hot topic in the media these days. We hear about som |
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| Keeping Education Reform In Perspective |
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| Thursday, June 9, 2011 10:59 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| In today's politically-charged debate regarding public education, I came across a well written article expressing one parent's perspective of what really matters when it comes to her children's education. You can read the full article below: Ref |
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| Budget Speculation |
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| Tuesday, January 25, 2011 9:44 AM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| As we wait for some budget news from Columbus, we can only speculate from what we hear now. We know there will be some cuts, adjustments, "shared services" and probably a change in STRS contributions. What we don't know is how much and to |
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| GRADUATION & HOPE |
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| Thursday, May 26, 2011 12:48 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| I was planning on writing about the Budget Bill, but with the Senate still deliberating the bill I will wait. This is a bill we will watch closely because of the announced cuts. Hopefully we can address the bill at a later time. For now, I want to |
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| Where Education Is Going and How We're Going To Get There |
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| Friday, May 13, 2011 2:14 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| It is difficult to create a clear picture of what public schools might look like in the next five to ten years. Let's be honest and acknowledge that politics and state budgets will have a hand in sculpting education along the way. Now, more than ev |
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| Creating True Continuity of Learning, Part I |
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| Thursday, February 17, 2011 12:24 PM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| As Darke County thaws and digs out from the latest storms that dumped ice and then snow, area schools are working on plans to make up missed days. This school year, Ohio schools were allotted 3 calamity days (down from 5 days allowed in past years) |
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| Why Merit Pay in Education Doesn't Work |
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| Thursday, May 5, 2011 9:24 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Ever had one of those situations when common sense seems to lead you down the wrong path? "The harder I work the more I will get done", but then you observe people who are more relaxed, and take power naps getting more things accomplished |
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| But I'm Not the Writing Teacher |
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| Friday, April 15, 2011 2:34 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| I've been reading through the common core standards for English Language Arts a lot lately. I've also been discussing them with various groups of teachers and the consensus is that there isn't a whole lot of difference - yes, there are a few changes |
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| Do Gifted Students Need Special Classes? |
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| Friday, April 1, 2011 9:51 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Gifted students have unique learning and instructional needs. They are expected to learn the same facts, skills, concepts and issues as other students but they make connections faster and work well with abstractions. While the average learner typic |
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| 21st Century Education |
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| Monday, October 18, 2010 3:03 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Below is an interesting video on 21st Century education. I hope it makes you think.....I hope it makes you want to change!! <iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="http://www.youtube |
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| Standards-based Education and Creativity...Can They Coexist? |
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| Friday, March 4, 2011 11:54 AM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| We live in an educational culture of standards-based education and a strict focus on test scores. There has been a marked improvement in student learning gains as a result but some are worried at what costs. Many people are concerned about the frig |
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| Curriculum and Standards |
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| Tuesday, January 18, 2011 11:37 AM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Standard: An idea or thing used as a measure, norm, or model in comparative evaluations The standards movement in the United States has been interesting. Before standards, what was taught in a particular course was determined by each individual sc |
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| Christmas - Technology Style! |
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| Wednesday, December 15, 2010 3:41 PM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| It's almost Christmas! Just a minute while I check Facebook where one of my "friends" has been posting the countdown......yes, it is official, only 10 days until Santa visits!! I find online shopping to be extremely beneficial and darn co |
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| Darke County Pupil Service Update |
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| Monday, November 15, 2010 8:22 AM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| The Pupil Service department has been very busy these first months of the school year. To start out the new school year our High School Special Education Supervisor/Work Study Coordinator and several of our district high school special education tea |
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| Consolidation |
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| Wednesday, November 10, 2010 8:24 AM -0500 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| The Brookings Institution and Greater Ohio Policy Center published a study on: "Restoring Prosperity: Transforming Ohio's Communities for the Next Economy." "The Brookings Institution has a great track record for offering sound rese |
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| In Search of the Silver Bullet |
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| Monday, November 1, 2010 3:24 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| It seems education is constantly on the never ending search of the Silver Bullet to improve education. We latch onto things such as new textbooks, new schedules, new computers, or the newest interactive software. A multitude of vendors stand at the |
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| New Wave Music Appreciation?? |
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| Tuesday, October 19, 2010 10:27 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Okay....I couldn't resist :) Below are two music videos that I've come across and wanted to share! Both include "instruments" that are iPhone apps. After viewing these movies, a co-worker commented on how much the world has changed; and |
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| What Is Your Level of Technology Engagement? |
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| Wednesday, October 13, 2010 11:27 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| First, let me state that I am not technology illiterate, nor do I lack exposure to technology gadgets and resources. My job requires working with all levels of technology, from troubleshooting hardware problems to creating software solutions to help |
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| Special Ed News |
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| Tuesday, September 14, 2010 1:54 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Well this year quickly zoomed in upon us and is quickly zooming by...I can't believe it is mid September already. Things in the land of special education have been eerily quiet. Last year it was new forms and a new computer program to learn, this y |
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| Welcome Back |
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| Tuesday, August 31, 2010 9:09 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| WELCOME BACK As we begin the 2010-11 school year, we begin with an air of optimism. Each year brings a new year of excitement and anticipation for a good school year. In Darke County we have many good qualities on which to build. Just last week t |
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| Hope Foundation |
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| Thursday, June 17, 2010 8:37 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| I have been asked many times about the Hope Foundation. HOPE stands for Helping Other People Excel. It is a foundation that awards scholarships for college-bound students. With the passing of its founder, Dr. Marlin Thompson, I would like to ackno |
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| Bridging the Technology Generation Gap |
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| Thursday, June 10, 2010 11:03 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Over the past several years, much has been written about the role technology plays in our lives. More specifically, the emphasis has been placed on how adults and kids use technology differently. Which ultimately translates into how technology is b |
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| Thoughts on Reading |
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| Tuesday, June 1, 2010 8:33 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| I was asked to post an entry to this blog and so I had to think about what I could write - I'm good at writing about things that are happening to me, but that's not related to education, so I started thinking about the purpose of my own blog - to tal |
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| Show Me The Data: continued |
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| Wednesday, May 26, 2010 3:25 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Soon after I wrote this entry into the blog I found an article in "Educational Leadership" talking about the same issue. To read the article written by Jane L. David [ http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational_leadership/may10/vol67/num |
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| Show Me The Data |
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| Tuesday, May 25, 2010 2:58 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| An article titled Ohio's learning its tests are far from perfect, printed in the Dayton Daily News Opinion page, prompted this writing. (May 24, 2010) The article talks about Ohio's Value Added system and whether this data, or any other data, sho |
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| Just Give Me the Good Ones |
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| Tuesday, May 11, 2010 9:15 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| "If they would just come to me prepared to start learning what I have to teach." Sound familiar? It seems I hear this expression at almost every level of education. The universities don't want just anyone. They want ALL students prepare |
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| Honoring Teachers |
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| Monday, May 17, 2010 12:11 PM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| We just completed our 25th year of the Teacher of the Year program for Darke County. This program is co-sponsored by the Darke County Retired Teachers and the Darke Co. ESC. The recipient of the 2009-2010 Teacher of the Year is Tracy Thieman from M |
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| Technology in Education |
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| Friday, April 30, 2010 10:58 AM -0400 | By: DarkeCounty ESC |
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| Ever feel like technology is changing faster than you can keep up? Well, you're not alone...everyone else feels the exact same way:) And here in education, we also feel overwhelmed at times with all of the emerging technologies! It is due to techn |
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