ACTE report: ESEA Reauthorization Bill Passed in House

Posted by ACTE: 03 Dec 2015 05:52 AM PST

The U.S. House of Representatives voted last night to advance the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), a bill to reauthorize the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA) developed by a joint conference committee and backed by leaders in both parties and chambers of Congress. After debate and consideration on the House floor, ESSA passed through the full chamber by a vote of 359 to 64 and now awaits consideration by the Senate.

If the legislation passes both chambers and becomes law, it would mark the largest overhaul of federal K-12 education policy since the passage of No Child Left Behind in 2002.

Because of its significance for students nationwide and far-reaching implications for education policy, ESSA has received substantial media attention. Education Week, a national publication covering education topics, published a piece on its High School and Beyond blog that included reference to ACTE’s endorsement and a deep dive on the CTE-related components of the bill.

Final week - Wrapping Up

The only remaining task for you folks this week, other than putting finishing touches on the products of your projects, is to hyperlink them and provide a short (100-150 word) summary on this collaborative page at https://goo.gl/mmWDJ0  (also linked on the blog's right-hand menu.

I'm grateful that busy people can accomplish such good work. 

- Jim  

November 19 - Vote for Crittendon !

Amanda's team applied for a National $100,000 STEM Lab makeover grant the end of last year and received word that my school has made it as a semifinalist.  

The second part of the selection process is receiving Facebook votes on NOV 19.  It is a 24 hour voting period only.  

Please vote on NOV 19 for Crittenden Middle School at www.facebook.com/FabSchoolLabs and spread the word to colleagues, friends, and family.  

Amanda provided the flyer right and video below that you can pass around or send via email. 

(You can also tweet, email or post this on your Facebook using the links below).

Online discussion for this week (11/16 - 11/20)

I posted the  discussion topic for this week at
https://app.schoology.com/course/209982192/materials?f=26311365

Simply share the following to remind your colleagues of your semester project plan:

1. your project topic;
2. a short outline or narrative describing the scope of your project (e.g., unit plan, new program idea, field trip, etc.); and 
3. a short summary of your progress, including any obstacles, challenges, or missing resources we might help you find.

Remainder of the Semester

Online participation:  11/16 - 11/20

In-person:   11/20 (5 - 8:30 PM)
          11/21 (8:30 AM - 3:30 PM)

Submit Draft Project:  11/22
Online participation:  11/30 - 12/5
Final Unit Plan Feedback:  12/12

Good at Maths - Asia and Australia

From IFLScience

What Is The Secret To Being Good At Maths?  

October 24, 2015 | by Steson Lo and Sally Andrews

photo credit: Why do Asian children perform so well at maths? Creativa Images/Shutterstock

There is a common belief that Asians are naturally gifted at maths.

Asian countries like Singapore and Japan lead the ranks in first and second position on maths performance in the Program for International Student Assessment (PISA) tables – an international survey that ranks education systems worldwide – while Australia sits around 12th.

What is the secret to being good at maths? Are you simply born clever, or is it the result of a lot of hard work?

To understand the reasons behind exceptional maths performance, I travelled to Japan to see how Japanese children are able to instantly multiply three- or four-digit numbers together in their head.

How Children Are Taught Maths In Japan

From the age of 7 or 8, all Japanese children are taught the times table jingle kuku.

“Ku” is the Japanese word for “nine”, and the title reflects the final line of the jingle, which is

Friday Evening meeting

I'm looking forward to seeing  you all Friday evening from 5pm - 8:30pm and then again from 8:30am to 3:30pm on Saturday.

100 Exploration Way

Hampton, VA 23666

My cell:  703-599-3643 

The focus of this weekend's session is to review the variety of STEM Issues and Trends we've begun exploring, and collaboratively address questions, concerns, interests, and impacts within your school setting. We'll also outline your work products for the rest of the semester. 

For Friday discussion, please think of any examples of how you emphasize three things in your curricula:

• Applied mathematics;
• Reading and writing; and 
• Student presentations.

There's no need to prepare anything, but I'll welcome any examples you wish to share during our weekend discussions.

I'm traveling from a STEM meeting in Farmville and may not get there much before 5pm, but make yourself comfortable if you arrive early straight from school.