Tuesday, April 24, 2007

IITAP 2007 Award!

I'm delighted to announce that the Learning Record has received the silver award in the University of Texas IITAP 2007 Resource Development category! This was completely unexpected, because the Learning Record has been so simplified technologically that it is not very showy. In his talk before the awards were announced, one of the judges for the competition, Victor Edmonds, Director of Educational Technology Services at UC Berkeley, singled out the Learning Record and praised its simplicity. This showed how carefully the judges had considered each entry, and made it clear that they had really grasped the implications of the Learning Record and its underlying model. The variety and sophistication of the entries in this competition was terrific to see. It is gratifying to be a part of an institution that takes teaching and learning with technology so seriously and supports it so well. For a look at the winners, check here.

Wednesday, April 11, 2007

A teacher's plea

Please read the April 8, 2007 Washington Post article "Classroom Caste System," by David Keyes, a second-grade teacher who has taught in schools with mostly wealthy students and in schools with low-income, mostly minority students. It provides a clear argument from someone who is on the front lines of the administration's punishing effects on teaching and learning.