Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Thursday, January 22, 2009
CNNMoney.Com on Stimulus Package Funding for Education Technology
Obama's school patchwork project
President-elect wants to repair and modernize schools for the 21st century. But experts worry the plan is too small and short-sighted.
NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- President-elect Barack Obama has proposed an ambitious plan to rebuild the nation's crumbling schools as a part of his economic stimulus package, aiming to help budget-constrained school districts make much needed repairs.
The current stimulus bill facing a House vote includes as much as $120 billion for public school systems, $14 billion of which would go to fix leaky roofs and boilers, install new windows and bring buildings up to a level of acceptable repair. A billion dollars would also go to modernize classrooms, providing students access to 21st century technology,like broadband Internet, computers and state-of-the-art lab facilities.
The aim: provide a positive educational environment for students and teachers and create new jobs. But it likely won't be enough to achieve either goal.
The state of the country's 97,000 public school buildings is dire. They are overcrowded, use outdated technology and are in great disrepair, especially in the nation's poorest communities. Somewhere between $100 billion and $360 billion is needed to repair and modernize schools, according to various estimates.
"There is a huge backlog of public school repair projects," said Ross Eisenbrey, vice president of the Economic Policy Institute. "The need is gigantic and almost everywhere - few school districts don't have a maintenance backlog."
Over the past few years, and especially in the more current challenging economic times, budgets have been strained and school districts have had to make cuts. As schools trim non-essential expenses, they have slashed their maintenance budgets from about 12% to 9% of their total expenses. The cutbacks were exacerbated, some say, by class-size reductions mandated in the No Child Left Behind laws.
"Class-size reduction had the biggest impact, because you need to fund the hiring of new teachers," said Mary Filardo, Executive Director of 21st Century School Fund. "Directed stimulus is really needed; otherwise school districts would continue to spend on in-house salaries, not on construction."
Too much with too little: A diluted impact
But experts worry that the plan tries to do too much with too little money, and will have only a small impact in the short-term. Obama wants to both fix schools and rapidly create jobs with stimulus, but most of the projects that can be started immediately are small repairs, not the larger modernization jobs that would have a more long-lasting impact on schools.
"Is the intent of this program to deal with schools' issues or economic stimulus?" asked David Shreve, education policy analyst at the National Conference of State Legislatures. "By focusing on two purposes, they run the risk of diluting each one."
Furthermore, some analysts are concerned about how the money will distributed. Despite several attempts to pinpoint which schools need the most funds for repairs, Filardo said no good assessment exists.
To address that issue, the House has divided up the allocations: $13 billion to Title I, the proxy the government uses to determine the school districts with the highest need for academic improvement; $13 billion to the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act; $14 billion to a new school modernization and repair program, $1 billion to an education technology program, and as much as $79 billion to state legislatures. Still, some say the government should simply focus on the poorest communities - which are in most need of school repair and jobs.
Though the need for school funding is greater than the$120 billion that the stimulus has pledged, some say as little as $10 billion would still get the ball rolling. Once the economy gets back in shape, experts say states and school districts will be able to continue the funding efforts that the federal government began.
"It will certainly serve its purpose: a stimulus to to get things going," said Bob Canavan, chairman of Rebuild America's Schools Coalition.
Building 21st century schools
Economists say as many as 150,000 jobs could be created from the proposed school building plan, since about 10,000 jobs could be created for every billion dollars spent on schools. Half of those jobs would probably be in construction. Sen. Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., a leading advocate of school and education stimulus, has said job-creation figures may be triple that level.
Obama said eliminating the backlog of infrastructure projects will do more than just create jobs; it will help the next generation of Americans succeed in the future.
"To give our children the chance to live out their dreams in a world that's never been more competitive, we will equip tens of thousands of schools, community colleges, and public universities with 21st century classrooms, labs, and libraries," Obama said last week in a speech about stimulus.
The nation's teachers began lobbying hard for school repair and modernization since Obama made his announcement last week, arguing that crumbling schools have had difficulty attracting and keeping teachers.
"Teachers can't teach in overcrowded classrooms in which you have to wear a coat to stay warm," said Janet Bass, spokeswoman for the American Federation of Teachers. "We have to make schools conducive to teaching and learning, and we absolutely think that part of the economic stimulus package should go to building and modernizing schools."
Tim Magner, director of the U.S. Department of Education's technology division, said providing students with new, advanced technology will allow schools to use more up-to-date and innovative teaching methods that will narrow America's education gap with the rest of the world.
"By using efficient information-delivering technology at schools, students can learn problem-solving and collaboration - the kinds of skills that are difficult to export and are in high demand today," he said.
Analysts, policy makers and politicians agree that if the government gets it right, stimulus could help transform learning environments, giving American students a leg up in the years to come.
"We'll provide new computers, new technology, and new training for teachers," Obama said, "so that students in Chicago and Boston can compete with kids in Beijing for the high-tech, high-wage jobs of the future."The question remains, if they build an improved education technology infrastructure, will arts educators use it?
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
New book presents scientific evidence on the importance of play and playful learning to achievement
New book provides scientific evidence on the importance of play and playful learning to achievement
A Mandate for Playful Learning in Preschool: Presenting the Evidence [Oxford University Press, 2009 ---
Available now: http://www.mandateforplayfullearning.com/buynow.html
or
Kathy Hirsh-Pasek, Temple University
Roberta Michnick Golinkoff, University of Delaware
Laura E. Berk, Illinois State University
Dorothy G. Singer, Yale University
With foreword by Dr. Edward F. Zigler
Executive Summary
Play has become a 4-letter word. In an effort to give children a head start on academic skills like reading and mathematics, play is discouraged and didactic learning is stressed. This book presents the scientific evidence in support of three points: 1) Children need both unstructured free play and playful learning under the gentle guidance of adults to best prepare them for entrance into formal school; 2) academic and social development are so inextricably intertwined that the former must not trump attention to the latter; and 3) learning and play are not incompatible; learning takes place best when children are engaged and enjoying themselves.
The argument is organized into three chapters. The first describes the current crisis in preschool education and suggests that the lack of attention to play and playful learning lies at its core. We propose that there exists a false and counterproductive dichotomy between play on the one hand and learning on the other. This dichotomy is echoed in society at large as parents are influenced by the media and the marketplace to buy "educational" toys and restrict free play. While supporting the need for accountability and assessment, we suggest that the current emphasis on assessment in higher grades has lead to narrowly defined curricula objectives in the preschool. Curriculum development has been more responsive to the practical constraints of assessment than to the findings of evidence-based pedagogy.
The second chapter presents the evidence that play and playful learning enhance academic, social, and emotional outcomes in preschool. Playful learning, and not drill-and-practice, engages and motivates children in ways that enhance developmental outcomes and life-long learning. After defining play and playful learning, we examine assumptions about how children learn and suggest that preschools are no longer teaching the "whole" child. The weight of the evidence, from random assignment to correlational to intervention studies, suggests that both free play and playful learning create optimal environments for achievement. Additionally, children in developmentally appropriate classrooms often show less anxiety and stronger social skills.
The epilogue moves from data to application, presenting seven principles that are derived from the science that inform preschool pedagogy. These principles reflect consensus across the learning sciences for how children learn best. If followed, these principles can contribute to the creation of preschools that will be equipped to educate the work force and citizenry for this new century.
Finally, the book ends with a set of recommendations for policy-makers. These recommendations are designed to translate the findings from the research into building excellent preschool programs that encourage family and community participation.
If we hope to prepare intelligent, socially skilled, creative thinkers for the global workplace of tomorrow, we must return play and playful learning to their rightful position in children's lives.
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Available now: http://www.mandateforplayfullearning.com/buynow.html or http://www.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Psychology/Developmental/~~/dmlldz11c2EmY2k9OTc4MDE5NTM4MjcxNg==
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ISBN13: 9780195382716ISBN10: 0195382714 paper, 144 pages Sep 2008, In Stock - Price: $19.95 (05)
March 16-20 2009 Michigan Virtual Arts & Cultural Advocacy Conference
Register Now for the 2009 Virtual Arts & Cultural Advocacy Conference
Register now to participate in the first ever Virtual Arts & Cultural Advocacy Conference held entirely on your computer!
Attendees will have access to the following:
- Legislative meetings scheduled by ArtServe and held in your area
- Live and pre-recorded keynote address
- More than TEN live or pre-recorded breakout sessions consisting of arts education and arts & cultural advocacy.
- 2009 Public Policy Toolkit and the 2009 Arts Education Public Policy Toolkit
- Access to all material for 3 weeks
Visit www.artservemichigan.org/artserve to learn more about the conference
What: 2009 Virtual Arts & Cultural Advocacy Conference
When: Legislative Meetings - March 16th and 20th -- Conference Center Open March 17th-19th
Note: All live material is recorded and archived meaning that you don't have to make yourself available for all 3 days of the conference.
Where: Your computer! No software to download.
Cost: $30 per person. Discounted group rates will be available for groups of three or more and can be obtained by contacting Mike Latvis at mike@artservemichigan.org or 248-379-5897.
To Register:
- Click button below or visit www.miartsadvocacy.org
- Once page loads click "Skip Intro" at the top left of the page.
- Click on "Register Now" at the bottom right
- Include required information and pay via Google Checkout
- Confirmation will follow via email
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Former bankers turn to a creative plan B
NYTimes article on the move from finances to creative endeavors. "The bright spot that Mr. Bowles sees is for the free agent. 'There’s a good chance,' he said, 'that there will be more work for independent contractors and freelancers.' WHILE most bankers and lawyers who pursue careers in comedy, writing and filmmaking say they are somewhat anomalous, the situation could change quickly."
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