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what Shakira taught me about education


26 October 07 08:59 PM | jtspencer | 3 Comments   
I am embaressed to admit it, but I like Shakira - and not in the way that most men usually think about Shakira. No, it's not the rock hard abs and belly dancing that impresses me. Instead, I actually like her music. (For the record, I also like chick Read More...

Is the U.S. Losing Ground in Education?


23 July 07 06:02 AM | jtspencer | 1 Comments   
I flip through the newspaper and notice an article about a meeting between the CEOs and founders of huge technology firms and governors of various states. The goal was for these corporate leaders to instruct the politicians about how schools need to change. Read More...

what teachers could learn from a west coast hamburgar joint


08 June 07 08:34 PM | jtspencer | 1 Comments   
I often rail against standardized education, holding a fist out at the McGraw Hill Company, speaking out against No Child Left Behind and publicly blasting the AIMS test. For me, the best metaphor for standardized education is McDonalds. Students shuffle Read More...

What American Idol Taught Me About Assessment


02 April 07 09:07 PM | jtspencer | 0 Comments   
It is a show which lives up to its name, embodying nearly every form of America's idolatry. Yet, we scoop it up by the handful - the thirst for fame, the worship of celebrity, the cult of stardom, the sex, the lights, the music, the commercialism and Read More...

growing up with The Simpsons


30 March 07 02:14 PM | jtspencer | 1 Comments   
Growing up, the show was controversial. Parents hated it. Groups boycotted it. Kids reveled in it, because it was real. Unlike the plastic, pollyana Cosby show or the TGIF line-up, The Simpsons spoke to a generation of youth who loved the satire on childhood. Read More...

are Americans smarter than the average fifth grader?


28 March 07 10:28 AM | jtspencer | 1 Comments   
I rarely watch television, not so much out of moral obligation, but out of a lack of time. I find most shows to be trite and annoying. Yet, the other day, I saw a show called "Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?" It's an innovative idea, pitting adults Read More...

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