MetaFilter posts tagged with education and highschool

Your Tired, Your Poor, Your Huddled Masses

Miko — Wed, 20 Aug 2008 12:28:39 -0800

A People's History for the Classroom [pdf] is a high school history lesson plan/workbook based on Howard Zinn's A People's History of the United States. The entire 124-page workbook available for free as a downloadable PDF, as part of the Zinn Education Project, supported by Rethinking Schools and Teaching for Change. You must enter an email and agree to take a later survey to download.

Words like mother-blank!

kyleg — Wed, 09 Jul 2008 00:07:44 -0800

Renegade high school English teacher Connie Heermann was suspended without pay for 18 months for using the book The Freedom Writers Diary in her class. The book, which inspired a movie starring Hilary Swank, is still available in the school library, and 149 of 150 students returned signed permission slips authorizing the use of the book in class. The administration at Perry Meridian High School in Indianapolis, IN decided that the content was inappropriate on the day she handed out the books and demanded that she recall them. She was ultimately disciplined for insubordination. The school district is no stranger to controversy: in 2006, there were efforts to prevent the student production of Ragtime.

"I have accomplished nothing and I am nothing."

divabat — Wed, 05 Jul 2006 07:15:58 -0800

[T]his pattern, grade for the sake of a grade, work for the sake of work, can be found everywhere. Ladies and gentlemen, the spirit of intellectual thought is lost. I speak today not to rant, complain or cause trouble, and certainly not to draw attention to myself. I have accomplished nothing and I am nothing. I know that. Rather, I was moved by the countless hours wasted in those halls. Today, you should focus on your child or loved one. This is meant to be a day of celebration, and if I’ve taken away from that, I’m sorry. But I know how highly this community values learning, and I urge you all to re-evaluate what it means to be educated.

- from a graduation speech by the valedictorian of Mainland Regional High School, Kareem Elnahal, critiquing his school's education process.

The principal's reaction? “My hope was they did not hear or understand what he was saying. ... He was belittling the diplomas of every one of those kids.”.

Physics is "phun"! (And "krazy")

RockBandit — Thu, 25 May 2006 00:04:12 -0800

Is this guy an awesome teacher or just crazy? Or maybe it goes hand in hand. Think back to the days of high school and college science classes. For most people, it probably wasn't chalkboards full of endless physics equations that got them interested in the sciences, but rather the crazy, cooky and awe-inspiring professors who do dramatic and unique demonstrations to get students interested. What makes a good teacher or professor? Is this teacher really reckless or is it a legit demonstration that benefits students?

Many of them include outlines, too...

voltairemodern — Thu, 25 Aug 2005 13:48:52 -0800

Remember how you wrote when you were in high school? Would you have been secure enough to post one of your essays online? [.doc files] Essay.org has compiled a collection of essays (in various languages), in order to "provide free essays for entertainment, education, and publishing." (My favorites are definitely the persuasive essays.)

I Am a High School English Teacher in Japan

John of Michigan — Sun, 12 Jun 2005 15:12:07 -0800

Beware the Kancho! The ongoing adventures and cultural insights of an American English teacher in Japan.

Governors Work to Improve H.S. Education

Postroad — Sun, 27 Feb 2005 09:02:31 -0800

Governors Work to Improve H.S. Education The nation's governors offered an alarming account of the American high school Saturday, saying only drastic change will keep millions of students from falling short. "We can't keep explaining to our nation's parents or business leaders or college faculties why these kids can't do the work," said Virginia Democratic Gov. Mark Warner, as the state leaders convened for the first National Education Summit aimed at rallying governors around high school reform.

Teaching the Test in Texas

nofundy — Wed, 03 Dec 2003 08:34:31 -0800

Teaching the Test
As a student at Jefferson Davis High here, Rosa Arevelo seemed the "Texas miracle" in motion. After years of classroom drills, she passed the high school exam required for graduation on her first try. A program of college prep courses earned her the designation "Texas scholar." At the University of Houston, though, Ms. Arevelo discovered the distance between what Texas public schools called success and what she needed to know. Trained to write five-paragraph "persuasive essays" for the state exam, she was stumped by her first writing assignment. She failed the college entrance exam in math twice, even with a year of remedial algebra. At 19, she gave up and went to trade school.

This doesn't look good for our new, unfunded, "Leave No Child Behind" education bill. Smells like another bait and switch to me.

High School Daze

mojohand — Mon, 08 Sep 2003 08:27:36 -0800

The best high school in America? WaPo's Michael Dirda reviews Edward Humes' School of Dreams: Making the Grade at a Top American High School.

Gretchen Whitney High is an incredible success ("People move to the Cerritos area so that their children can attend this school... And by move I don't mean from Los Angeles: They relocate from India, from Korea") story academically, especially considering its origins But there's always a price, typically exacted by the parents, who display the same good sense and no-pressure behaviors they've displayed at Little League and Pop Warner games. But no one's killed anybody over Whitney admission, at least that we know of. The story of Cecilia's art portfolio, though, will break your heart. Humes offers larger lessons, too, about how to improve our schools. I am buying this book today.

The Blair Hornstine Project

PrinceValium — Thu, 05 Jun 2003 07:25:59 -0800

Remember Blair Hornstine? Her $2.5 million lawsuit against her high school for not naming her valedictorian resulted in an injunction and the sole possession of the title. Now it gets worse: she has a Jayson Blair problem. Several of her contributions to local papers were lifted from presidential speeches, Supreme Court opinions, and editorials.

serafinapekkala — Wed, 23 Oct 2002 09:28:13 -0800

What's wrong with this teacher's comments? A Pasadena HS teacher circulated a letter with his complaint that African American students at the school are the reason for bad behavior and low test scores. He's now suspended...rightly? More inside...hoping to keep this civil, too...(thanks to Jim Romenesko)

XQUZYPHYR — Mon, 26 Aug 2002 11:43:04 -0800

Easly High, home of the Scarlet Letters. Students violating the dress code of the South Carolina high school will now be forced to change into t-shirts bearing the phrases "Dress for Success" on the front and "Today I did not meet the dress code policy for proper attire" on the back. Boy, it's a good thing they're putting them on teenagers, because they would never think of creative ways to violate this idea in... what, about thirty seconds? Discuss your ideas for the new fashion trend: custom punishment signs!

luser — Tue, 27 Nov 2001 13:50:21 -0800

Cool high-school science experiment: Mapping The Homunculus. The 15 year old in me wonders why nipples and other naughty bits aren't mentioned, though. Bet they'd be really big!!!

MAYORBOB — Wed, 21 Nov 2001 04:22:41 -0800

Today's high school seniors a bunch of scientific know nothings? According to the most recent national test results, it would appear so. Is this a case that the money is thrown in areas that will make the SATs look good? If that's the case, has that been money well spent? Is it really just a case of money? Whatever the answer, it sort of makes you fear for the future.

gramcracker — Mon, 13 Nov 2000 09:43:59 -0800

One, two, six, twelve, four, three, eighteen, forty-six... 3 American study abroad students can't count the number of chairs in an auditorium. I've always heard that statistic that a fair number of high school students can't locate their state on a map, but this is ridiculous.