If you caught last Sunday’s 60 Minutes that featured a piece on Khan Academy, were you as amazed as I was?  I just love this concept and feel strongly that if I ever had the chance to learn this way as a student, it would be a whole new world for me.  Sometimes it just takes longer for things to sink in for some people and with math, I am one of those people.  I could go on forever about how, if I had the opportunity to learn this way and the opportunity to master a concept at my own pace, I would have been a much more focused and successful student.  I am so grateful for Sal Khan and what he has developed so that my children can benefit.

Let us know your thoughts on Khan Academy and whether you think this concept would work for your child in his or her classroom or at home!

Click here to read an article from Education Week about Salman Khan.

My boys are in third grade this year. Cursive writing is generally mastered this year while being introduced, typically, in second grade. It’ll be interesting to see what, if anything, comes home regarding cursive handwriting.

I remember back in the day, my friends and I couldn’t wait for the day we learned cursive. We were excited to learn the “fancy alphabet.” It was like a rite of passage of some sort. I remember practicing my name in cursive, page after page in my autograph book. The use of cursive writing to save time, write a check, autograph important documents or to write a thank you note seemed to be an important skill to have when growing up and becoming an adult. Isn’t that why it was taught in the first place?

Today, technology is taking the place of cursive. Yes, children are learning to print letters (at least some are) but instead of transitioning to cursive writing, they are going straight to the keyboard. A part of me, the old-fashioned me, thinks that children should at least learn the basics of print and cursive while technology accompanies both. I think it’d be nice for them to be familiar with cursive so they are able to read books, documents or letters written in this way or write a thank you note in lieu of a text or email.

In today’s world, young kids are choosing to text in order to communicate to one another. Their verbal communication has decreased, their eye contact is continually gazing downwards toward their smart phone, and standard spelling of a word and grammar is being replaced by acronyms and abbreviations. Yes, it’s no doubt our children will be technologically savvy but at what cost, if any?

The banishment of cursive writing is yet another hot educational debate. Please read this article below from the Today Show’s website. I suppose we as parents have to roll with the punches or at the very least, supplement some basics of the past to our children at home.

Has cursive seen the writing on the wall?

By Jenna Wolfe

If you were asked to quickly jot down a grocery list, would you type it into your smartphone? Or print it? Or use cursive writing?

Assuming you’re a fan of pen/paper, logic would dictate you’d use the fastest, easiest method possible. That’s cursive. It flows from letter to letter, it bounces from word to word, it dances from thought to thought.

So why do most of us end up printing (or using some form of barely legible block letters)?  Because we, my friends, have reached the beginning of the end of cursive handwriting.

Computers in the classroom have left little time for educators to teach print, cursive and typing. Something had to give. It certainly wasn’t going to be math or science. Instead, it’s cursive.  Today, 44 states no longer mandate teaching cursive in the classrooms. Of those 44, two of them–Indiana and Hawaii– have taken it out of the curriculum completely. That means kids are still learning to print their letters as they always have, but the transition is slowly moving away from print-to-cursive to print-to-typing.

Can we blame the system? Don’t we all remember painfully inching our way through the cursive alphabet day after day? Those capitol Q’s and Z’s and L’s…..they were nearly impossible! And how many of us are using that darn floppy flow of our ABC’s today?

But wait, maybe I’m remembering it all wrong. Maybe students today do like it more than I did. There was only one way to find out.

We visited a 3^rd grade class in Nashville, Tenn., to poll a group of young writers. We asked them which writing method they prefer: print or cursive. The entire class said print (mainly because cursive, at the 3rd grade level is as laborious as painting the Statue of Liberty with a toothbrush). We then asked if they’d prefer to print or type and nearly all said they’d rather type.

So if teachers are shying away from cursive, and adults are shying away from cursive, and even kids are shying away from cursive, what’s the problem? Why can’t we just do away with it? Well without cursive, we couldn’t sign a check, couldn’t read the Declaration of Independence, and we definitely couldn’t become big and famous because how would we sign our autograph?

The other side of the argument is a little more practical. Cursive is supposed to make things easier for us. In an age where we’re doing twice as much twice as fast, you’d think you’d want an easier way to write. The only problem is, people are doing less writing and more typing. Is there a lesson lost if we give up the loopy letters? Are we teaching our kids that if something is too difficult to learn, then they might as well not learn it?

Bottom line, computers are the wave of the future and will only be playing a bigger and bigger role in our classrooms. Will it come at the total expense of cursive? Only time will tell.

What do you think? Would you want cursive phased out of your kids’ curriculum?

Click here to watch a video on this topic from the Huffington Post. Colorado is mentioned in the article found directly under the video–be sure to check it out!

This is your last chance to hear from the DPS school board candidates! Please come to this forum to learn more about them. This is a critical election so be sure to vote! Ballots are due November 1, 2011. Please read the information below regarding this important event. 

(Submitted by Get Smart Schools and A+ Denver)

Dear Voters,

Hello Readers,

We’ve discovered another wonderful education resource and introduced it on the blog not too long ago. The website is called EdNews Parent .

This online resource for parents highlights the latest educational news and hot topics relating to kindergarten through graduation. The site brings together people interested in educational issues beyond the scope of their child’s own school or district. At the same time, the content can be personalized through the Ask an Expert feature. Another unique feature to the site is the Colorado School Data Center where you can find and compare data/information regarding ALL schools in Colorado.

Be sure to sign up for the bi-weekly, FREE newsletter and spread the word to your friends and family (sign-up form on the lower left corner of the home page).

Thanks for your ongoing support on behalf of your child’s education and education here in Colorado! Empower yourself by reading a variety of educational resources to be aware of the most current topics and news.

Here’s another way to get invested in education! Come meet Denver’s mayoral candidates and learn more about their vision regarding public education. To learn more about the forum and how to register, see below.

Wondering where the Denver mayoral candidates stand on public schools? Find out Tuesday, March 15 at the Mayoral Candidate Forum on Public Education, hosted by Get Smart Schools, Education Reform Now and our partners.

Please join us for a discussion with confirmed mayoral candidates Carol Boigon, Michael Hancock, Doug Linkhart, James Mejia, Chris Romer, and Theresa Spahn to hear their priorities for Denver’s public schools. FOX31 political reporter, Eli Stokols, and Cynthia Hessin from Rocky Mountain PBS will moderate the conversation.

Denver Mayoral Candidate Forum on Public Education

Tuesday, March 15

5:30 to 7:00 p.m.

East High School

1600 City Park Esplanade, Denver

Add to my calendar

Click here to register

If you have any questions, please contact Liz Platz at Get Smart Schools at (720) 287-5059 x14

or platz@getsmartschools.org.

We hope to see you there!

Laura Barr, an education consultant, has some good advice to share with parents who are waiting to hear about where their child will be attending school this fall. Please read Laura’s blog post below to see how you can survive this waiting game!

Whether you are living in Denver or have applied to a private or public school elsewhere in the country, it is likely you have just entered the school admissions phase called “The Waiting Game.”

Choosing a school that works for your family is a challenging process.  Parents must weed through many different factors including:  values, finances, convenience and learning style.  Picking the perfect Denver public or private school includes weighing innovative schools, magnet schools, charter schools, distance and philosophy.

As we enter the month of February, the applications are completed, the open houses are over, and interviews are set.  Now, we wait for “the letter in the mail.”  (Does this sound like college, or what?)

Here are a few things to keep in mind as you head into “The Waiting Game:”

• Please, please, please do not draw your child into “The Waiting Game.”  In fact, you do not need to say a word to them until you have made the final decision.  Your pre-school child is not the one who will be choosing the school.  Middle school and high school students also need a break from the stress and pressure related to choosing a school.

• Denver ACIS private schools will be sending a mass e-mail on March 7, 2011 at 4:00 p.m. for the pre-school and elementary admission process.  Middle school ACIS admission letters will be sent on February 28, 2011, and high school admission letters will be sent on February 24, 2011.  Parochial schools, and schools not in ACIS, will contact families at varying times throughout the spring.

• If you have a Denver private school that is a first choice, it doesn’t hurt to put a note in the mail to the admissions team to let them know.  If you write it, mean it!

• Be aware that there are three different kinds of letters that are being mailed.  Schools send acceptance letters, wait list letters and rejection letters.  Do not be upset, or feel “rejected”, if you receive a wait list letter.  The private school admissions process is complicated.  The admissions team takes into consideration many factors including siblings, boy vs. girl balance, children with special needs and learning styles. The admissions team may find your family to be the perfect choice and yet they simply do not have the room to admit your child. The best thing you can do is to immediately LET THEM KNOW that you want to stay on their wait list, and that their school continues to be your top choice.

• Most Denver private schools give families one to two weeks to make their final decisions and submit deposits.  Many details can change during these two weeks.  Be patient.

• If you receive a “rejection” letter, call to make a phone appointment with the Head of Admissions.  Although you may feel hurt or angry, this is a good opportunity for feedback that you may use going forward in future educational decisions.

• Many families are accepted to their first school of choice.  If you are clear about your decision to attend your first choice, it’s a good idea to call the other Denver private schools RIGHT AWAY to say, “Thank you, but no thanks!”

• Denver Public Schools aim to get first round choice notification letters mailed out the last week of February or the first week of March.  If you do not get your first choice school, you can put your name on as many Denver Public School wait lists as you want for second round choice.  Keep an eye on the Denver Public School Capping Report for updates on availability.

• If you have used a Denver Public School as a “back up” and are accepted into your first choice private school, please let DPS know ASAP.  Denver Public Schools are playing with their numbers just like a private school.  Holding a spot in a Denver Public School that you do not intend to use may keep your neighbor from their first Denver public choice option.

• Believe it or not your child’s school is only a small piece of their educational future.  The way you choose to parent, and the environment that you create at home, will have a more profound effect on their future than the school that you choose.  Practice parenting intentionally!

Laura Barr M.A.Ed. is the founder of e.Merging LLC, an educational consulting firm in Denver. To contact Laura please call at 303-960-8517 or go to http://www.e-merging.org

Bruce Randolph, one of Denver’s innovation schools, received high praise in President Obama’s State of the Union this evening. It’s no surprise that education was a top priority. Let’s celebrate this school, the progress made, and the direction it is going. Hopefully, more schools in our state and across the country will see that children can and will learn when strong and dedicated leadership is at the helm and education reform is welcomed and embraced.  To learn more about President Obama’s “shout out” to this Denver school, read Jeremy Meyer’s article from the Denver Post below.

Former Bruce Randolph School Principal Kristin Waters was as surprised as anyone when she heard the president was going to single her out Tuesday in his State of the Union Speech.

“It feels awesome,” she said from her home in Denver. “It is just validating the great work among everyone at Bruce Randolph who are helping the kids be successful.”

In tonight’s address, President Barack Obama credited grassroots education reform that was sparked by teachers and an ambitious principal.

“Three years ago, it was rated one of the worst schools in Colorado,” he said. “But last May, 97 percent of the seniors received their diploma.

“Most will be the first in their family to go to college. And after the first year of the school’s transformation, the principal who made it possible wiped away tears when a student said ‘Thank you, Miss Waters, for showing that we are smart and we can make it.’” That’s what good schools can do and we want good schools all across the country.

Cameras caught Colorado’s House delegation and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Denver, giving a standing ovation.

Waters resigned as principal in 2009 and is now an instructional superintendent with the district in charge of high schools.

But she left a legacy, taking one of Denver’s lowest performing schools that was on the verge of being closed by the state and leading its transformation.

The high-poverty school was the first to petition for and be granted innovation status — an agreement by union teachers to waive certain district and union rules.

The idea was to give teachers more time, money and other resources to work with struggling students. The school has been climbing in achievement over the years.

In its transformation, Bruce Randolph changed from being a straight middle school into a 6-12 school with its first class graduating last spring into the open arms of a tearful Waters.

Luminaries such as Education Secretary Arne Duncan and New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg have visited the school located in northeast Denver.

And Sen. Bennet, who as superintendent assigned Waters to Bruce Randolph, has long been a cheerleader for the work she did. He was, no doubt, a reason the school and Waters received the recognition.

Waters said she will be taping the speech. And minutes before the speech began airing, she was trying to reach her husband to tell him the news.

“It is an inspiring story and shows that with the focus in the right places, kids can be successful,” she said.

Jeremy P. Meyer: 303-954-1367 orjpmeyer@denverpost.com

I recently met with the editor of EdNews Parent, Julie Poppen. Read below to see what the buzz is regarding this new educational site for parents in Colorado.

New website for Colorado school parents! We would like to alert you to a new website/e-mail newsletter providing updates on the week’s hottest news, tip sheets and abundant resources related to healthy schools, safe schools and teaching and learning called EdNews Parent. The site – created in partnership with Education News Colorado and funded by the Colorado Health Foundation – is a free resource for parents interested in education. Parents can sign up for an e-mail newsletter (find the sign-up form on the lower left corner of the home page) they’ll receive every other week, pose questions to a panel of experts in the three topic areas and interact with other parents. The site brings together people interested in educational issues beyond the scope of their child’s own school or district. At the same time, the content can be personalized through the Ask an Expert feature. You can also follow EdNews Parent on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks Julie! The informational resources on education for parents in Colorado are growing so please spread the word and add to the collective value of these sites!

Interview Series-No. 7

Parent: This parent who lives in southeast Denver transitioned her children from one Denver Public school to another.

Q. Describe your transitional experience or scenario.

A. While the decision to switch schools was a difficult one, our children seem to be thriving at their new school. We have a 1^st grader and a 4^th grader. Our transitional experience has been a good one.

Q. What circumstances led to this decision?

A. The school our children previously attended was a highly gifted magnet school with an excellent rating. The school is phenomenal with a dedicated staff, but the high-pressure environment contributed to feelings of stress and anxiety for one of our children who has learning differences. That was a huge factor in us deciding to switch schools.

Q. What type of school did your child previously attend and what type of school do they attend now?

A. As previously mentioned, the old school is a Denver Public highly gifted, neighborhood school and the new school is a Denver Public neighborhood school with an emphasis on inquiry based, student directed, hands on, experiential learning.

Q. How do the educational experiences differ?

A. Both schools are really phenomenal and my children miss the relationships and friendships they formed at the old school, but the student directed approach of the new school is working really well for them. They have the freedom to move about the classroom at their new school; there are no assigned seats. With this freedom comes a sense of responsibility for themselves and their own learning. The teachers help their students build self-awareness and the students become active members in shaping their learning experience. Homework used to be a tearful event in our household and now our child organizes the time to do it in two phases on a nightly basis. As a Mom, I don’t have to be the bad guy now because homework is something our child takes on with confidence, independence, a sense of ownership and pride.

Q. What advice can you give that will help others when going through a similar experience?

A. In Colorado we are so lucky to have so many choices to accommodate the diverse needs of our young learners. My advice to parents and families is to visit schools, talk to the staff members and if possible, interview some students. Observe how the teachers talk to the students. How do the students treat each other? Is it a place where you can picture your child/ children thriving socially, emotionally, physically and academically? Sometimes I think there is an overemphasis on the academic piece and we forget that these brains are connected to a body with a highly intricate nervous system. If children are stressed and trying to “perform” while sitting at a desk or listening to instructions for the bulk of the day, then we may not see their full potential. Yes, it is important to make sure that students have gains in reading, writing, and math, but there are ways to utilize students’ strengths in order to address their weaknesses. No place is perfect (thank goodness that would be horribly boring), but an environment that values the learning process and addresses different modalities of learning, in my opinion, will help children experience success with the problems and challenges that they will face today and tomorrow.

During the 2008 Presidential election, I remember hearing people say, “We’re fed up with the status quo, we need change!”  Well folks, there is no better time than now to be fed up with the public education system which has been status quo for too long and it’s time to demand change!  After viewing the documentary, Waiting for “Superman”, most of you are going to be “fired up” and wonder how you can help promote change regarding education. It’s time to take action; don’t our children deserve it?

One way is to be knowledgeable about the issues in the upcoming election November 2nd. It’s important to know what’s on the ballot, especially how Amendment 60 and 61, along with Proposition 101 would affect our public schools here in Colorado. Below is a letter from DPS’s Superintendent, Tom Boasberg. Be informed and be sure to VOTE “NO” if you care about education and our future generation. Do Something Colorado!