Education Guide

For decades, some education pundits have predicted that technology would radically alter and improve the delivery of educational services. Radio, Ed TV, and computers in classrooms were all examples that were highly touted in their time. And, while none of these has really had much impact on student learning, a cottage industry has also developed within academia to explain why – no changes to teaching approaches, use of a mass media, poor content, lack of training, etc.

(I should note that I’m old enough to remember film-strips as a major technology. In the exurban NYC town in which I grew up, teachers sometimes engaged in strikes, despite a state law against it, and we students would come to school anyway, to get enough days in to fully meet state regulations for funding. We

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Still image from the movie trailer on YouTube

I am a huge fan of The Hunger Games. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, get off the internet and get your hands on the books my Suzanne Collins. It is some good stuff. The trilogy is almost as good as Harry Potter (almost.)

If you refuse to go and read them right now, though, I’ll educate you briefly if we have a digital pinky promise you will go and read them at some point. Okay? Okay.

The books are set in the future dystopian country of Panem, which stands where America once was. After the democracy we know fell due to apocalyptic events, it gave rise to an oppressive regime that divided North America into 13 districts and treated its people as little better than slaves.

After an uprising in District 13, the government of Panem obliterated the entire district and, as punishment for the rebellion, created an annual death match between a pair of children ages 12-18 (one boy and one girl) from each of the 12 districts. This

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Tags: Games, Hunger Games

THE CAPITAL, TALLAHASSEE – The head of Florida’s state university system said Tuesday he wants to wait a full year before taking up major changes to how the state universities are funded.

A push to tie the performance of state universities – such as their graduation and job placement rates – to their funding was ignited earlier this year by Gov. Rick Scott, who wants to make changes to higher education.

But Frank Brogan, chancellor of the state university system, said Tuesday he wants to put the brakes on implementing some of the major reform ideas to give universities time to discuss the ramifications and suggest ideas.

“If you make major decisions regarding how you are totally going to reform the funding for higher education in that short period of time and in the middle of session or on the fly, you will run the risk of making major knee-jerk decisions that may have very negative consequences,” Brogan told a group of reporters after a meeting with the House Democratic Caucus. H

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Tags: Changes, Major Changes, State University System, University System

Levi Jiles caught a 35-yard touchdown pass to give Glendale Cactus its first points Saturday night. He opened the second half returning the kickoff 94 yards for another score.

That was the subplot.

The star Saturday night was Cactus’ defense, which stuffed Phoenix Arcadia’s Wing T and fullback Sosaia Maafu, and pressured quarterback Cole Richardson into mistakes.

Cactus now must figure a way to slow down D.J. Foster and Scottsdale Saguaro next week, after advancing to the Division III football final with a 37-0 semifinal victory at Phoenix North Canyon.

“We’ll enjoy this tonight and get ready for those guys and come ready to play,” said Cactus coach Larry Fetkenhier, who will be leading Cactus to a seventh state championship game appearance.

Cactus (11-1) won titles in 2005 and 2009.

It will be an underdog next Saturday at Northern Arizona’s Walkup Skydome against the most prolific offense in Division III.

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Tags: Cactus, Cactus Shuts

Wake County’s flagship magnet high school has a problem with no solution in sight: how to boost achievement among its minority and low-income students, while also bolstering programs for gifted and talented students.

Enloe High School’s leaders recently proposed changing to a “block schedule” that would offer longer daily classes to help low-performing students. But the proposal was rejected by a majority of teachers after it alienated high-achieving magnet school students and their parents, some of whom threatened to leave the school if the schedule changed.

They said the block schedule wouldn’t work for academically gifted students, who often take multiple high-end arts classes and Advanced Placement courses to earn high GPAs and build an attractive college rsum.

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