If you think college grads make much more $$$ than non grads you’ve failed Stats 101

Seriously, you could walk around and say, “Jesus never lived,” and people nod their heads and say, “ok, there is religious freedom in America and what he just said is fine,” but if you say “kids should not go to college” its like you breached the highest, holiest, divine hymen of American religion. - James Altucher


In his article 10 More Reasons Why Parents Should Not Send Their Kids to College, James Altucher articulates the myth behind college grads making more money than non-college graduates.  This is what usually happens when data is shared by those with self interest (read making $$$) who know that they are misleading others and only giving them part of the story.  


Altucher explains why this is inaccurate logic in reason 3.  


Statistics say: College graduates make much more money than non-college graduates. Clearly anyone who states this has failed “Statistics 101” in college. We might know correlation but we don’t know cause-and-effect here. Since our generation (post-baby boomer) basically everyone goes to college except people who absolutely failed high school, then of course it makes sense that achievement-minded people make more money than  individuals who are not achievement-oriented.

A better statistical study, which nobody has done, is take 2000 people who got accepted to Harvard 20 years ago, and randomly force 1000 of them to not go to college. Then, at the end of 20 years to see who made more money. My guess is that the 1000 who didn’t go to Harvard would’ve made more money. They would’ve been thrown out of the nest to learn how to fly that much earlier and a 5 year head start would’ve made enormous difference (I say 5 years because that's the average amount of time it takes to finish college. Not 4, as many think).


Read the rest of his reasons in the original article here.
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8 Alternatives to College

In his article, 8 Alternatives to College, James Altucher suggests a reason a lot of very smart people don’t get why going to college at 18 might not be best choice for everyone is because they don’t know what else they should do.  He has a lot of ideas about what 18-23 year olds could do during the most vibrant, healthy years of their lives.

Here they are.
1) Start a business.
2) Travel the world.
3) Create art.
4) Make people laugh.
5) Write a book.
6) Work in a charity.
7) Master a game
8)Master a sport

Read his explanation about each of these on his original post here.

Related Posts from James Altucher:
Don’t Send Your Kids to College
10 More Reasons to Not Send Your Kids to College
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11 Great Reasons to Skip College

If personalization and differentiation of learning are valued in educational systems, why is it that many are being pushed to believe that college readiness is the goal for every student? Stories are popping out everywhere exposing the “College Myth,” pointing to the “Academic Bubble” and exposing “Academic Inflation.”  In his article 11 Great Reasons to Skip College (and Build Your Own Alternative), Blake Boles explains that College today sells itself on a large number of myths and assumptions. He suggests we  hold these to the light of reality and see how many evaporate faster than a puddle in the sunlight.

Here are the big reasons to consider jumping ship from sinking hull of college in America.
1) Higher education is important. College is optional.
2) College is incredibly expensive and becoming more so.
3) College degree holders earn more money over their lifetime...if they’re engineers.
4) College is a bubble.
5) A hardcore academic experience is increasingly difficult to find.
6) You can find great mentorship without college.
7) Few colleges offer lessons in entrepreneurship.
8) The internet offers a huge (and ever-increasing) number of free, college-level learning resources.
9) Social networking makes it easier to find friends without college.
10) There are excellent ways to document and certify your accomplishments in lieu of a college degree.
11) DIY is exciting and meaningful.

Read the explanations behind each reason in the original article here
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What's Popular This Week on The Innovative Educator

Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see my top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews in the past 7 days.


This week the #1 spot goes to Advice from the Twitter Hashtag Queen.  It addresses why I always use “#” in my tweets and provides a list of hashtags for connecting with others who share your interests.  Next up is Sites for Using iPads in Education. iPads are hot, hot, hot...so I’m not surprised this post with recommendations from Apple made it to the top. Rounding out the top three is  Why I will no longer work to differentiate instruction. Thanks to Tom Welch for pointing out a shift in language and perspective makes a big difference. 


The next two in the top five provide information on a free guide that empowers teens unhappy with their educational experience to reclaim their learning by leaving school.  
There are several other interesting posts as well. I hope there's something that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re so inspired leave a comment.


Advice from the Twitter Hashtag Queen
May 22, 2011, 4 comments2,094 Pageviews
Sites for Using iPads in Education
May 18, 2011, 1 comment2,002 Pageviews
Why I will no longer work to differentiate instruction
May 18, 2011, 9 comments1680 Pageviews
Guide Provides Teens with An Innovative Way To Take Ownership of Their Learning
May 23, 2011, 5 comments1563 Pageviews
Free Guide Empowers Teens to Leave School and Reclaim their Learning
May 16, 2011, 1 comment1222 Pageviews
7 Solutions for Educators Who Want 21st Century Students to Tune In
Apr 25, 2011, 16 comments1156 Pageviews
Want to be learn how to be a great math teacher? Have a #MathChat
26-May-11827 Pageviews
Ten Ways To Confuse a Child: Education Edition
May 20, 2011, 6 comments796 Pageviews
Educators Need to Get Their Heads INTO The Clouds ...
Mar 29, 2011, 2 comments613 Pageviews
Breaking Free from the Boring Prison of School
May 24, 2011, 2 comments533 Pageviews


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What's the point?

by Jeff Branzburg (branzburg.blogspot.com)
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Want to be learn how to be a great math teacher? Have a #Mathchat

Twitter takes the cake as the best tool for professional development, self-directed learning and connecting with those who share your passions.  I recently sent a Tweet using the #mathchat hashtag asking math chatters what I should share with preservice teachers about teaching math.  Not only did they share a number of fantastic resources which I've captured here, but when I asked specifically for information about #mathchat (a forum for anyone involved with Mathematics to discuss and share ideas about issues affecting them) @ColinTGraham agreed to write a post to explain to others exactly what it was.  I sent him my explanation of #edchat (a general Twitter chat about education) to show the type of post that might be helpful. Colin Graham did not disappoint.  Just in time for my guest appearance, he wrote a fantastic post which you can visit at What’s it all about #mathchat?
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The Innovative Educator Discusses Breaking Out of the Boring Prison of School Live on Educator's PLN - Wednesday, May 25

Join me on Educator's PLN on Wednesday, May 25th, at 7pm EST/ 4pm PST (Convert To Your Local Time Here) in a live conversation!!!. I will explain why we need to help students break out of the boring prison of school if we want to prepare them for the real world in which they live. In this lively and interactive presentation I will shatter myths that have been used as excuses for administrators and policy makers to take the easy way out keeping 21st century students stuck in the past.I will be sharing voices of real students and educators who have experienced the success that ensues when students are empowered to think outside the ban and are given the freedom to communicate, connect, and create in real ways, with real meaning, for real audiences. Please share a question below that you'd like asked during the live during the event.

These real-time events are delivered using Elluminate complete with audio, chat and desktop sharing. To join the live event just click here.  The archive should be available in about a week here.  
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Guide Provides Teens with An Innovative Way To Take Ownership of Learning - Leave School

This post was also published at Gotham Schools.  If you want to read it there, click here and read their take on it here.  

I work to support schools in New York City to innovate learning and I am also the author of a guide that advises teens to take ownership of their learning by leaving school. Here’s why.

I have more than a decade’s worth of experience in educational innovation. I spend my days working with administrators, teachers, and students finding ways to innovate learning in an effort to establish student learning environments that are more engaging, authentic, and connected to real life. I’ve worked in various capacities such as technology coach, literacy coach, and educational technology professional development manager, and I currently serve as a technology innovation manager. Before that I did similar work for Teachers College Innovations at Columbia University.

I am fortunate to work for an agency that focuses on and embraces technology and innovation. Despite outdated constraints involving issues like seat time, student funding, and resource allocation, we are making progress toward bringing more personalized and engaging learning opportunities to students through a handful of efforts, such as the iSchool and the Innovation Zone. But while students are doing better in a more innovative climate, ultimately, we are just using updated tools to meet narrow and outdated measures on which our students, teachers, and school leaders are judged. It is not enough to personalize learning for everyone to go down the same path — to college, without consideration of what comes next. Instead, schools need to embrace the many alternatives to the traditional college route that would better meet the needs of many learners today. What is missing at the DOE is the important work of letting students discover, define, and develop their own passions, talents, and interests and determine personalized, meaningful, and authentic measures of success.

This is why I have published an online guide that helps teens leave school. Recognizing that I am no better than a high school dropout, I created ”The Teenager’s Guide to Opting Out (Not Dropping Out) of School” because for many students, school has become a barrier, rather than a sanctuary, for learning. You need only spend a few minutes on Facebook groups like ”Parents & Kids Against Standardized Testing” and “Testing is not Teaching!” to get a sense of the frustration felt by parents about school systems that prioritize testing over the mental and physical well-being of children. You need only attend education conferences, like the recent iNacol Virtual School Symposium where the audience replied with a resounding “BORING” to the keynote speaker’s request for “one word to describe high school,” to realize something has gone very wrong. ”The Teenager’s Guide to Opting Out (Not Dropping Out) of School“ is geared directly at teens who don’t fit the standardized mold and are desperate for a life customized to their personal goals for learning and plans for success.

I also created this guide for the teenager I was back in the 1980s when I had no idea there were alternative options to traditional school. I thought my options were simply to graduate or drop out. I feel for today’s youth who, like me, dislike sitting still all day being told what to do. Instead of finding an environment more suited to student needs, they are being medicated at extraordinary rates to help them comply with the institutionalized setting. As movies such as ”Race to Nowhere” suggest, we also have students who are becoming physically and emotionally ill as a result of school, even to the point of suicide, and schools are telling parents flat out that they don’t care.

The guide was also written for those like my cousin Adam Ritter, a valedictorian-track high school honors student who said this to me:
School is torture because I am required to spend all my time doing menial tasks, worksheets, and rote memorization. This takes too much time away from being able to discover my hobbies, interests, or passions. I’m in tenth grade and I don’t foresee having the ability to do that before I graduate high school.
Not only is this situation hurting our children directly, but we are losing some of our most passionate teachers. Earlier this year, I met one such teacher who explained she was being forced to turn her vibrant, passion-filled classroom into a bubble-sheet-completion factory.  I asked if she could just close her door and continue the work she had been doing, but she explained there was no way out: Administrators do drive-by test prep collection. She and many others have reached out to me in desperation. They explain they can no longer stand feeling morally responsible for taking the light out of their students’ eyes with a test-prep, test-taking curriculum.
“We have an educational system that thinks weighing the animal more frequently is more important than feeding it.” - Stephen Krashen, education professor at the University of Southern California
During a professional development workshop I held last week, a few teachers who are aware that I, like others (i.e. Joe Bowers, Alfie Kohn, Chris Doyle), know standardized tests are poor measures of success for the 21st-century student shared their disappointment with me. They shared that there is so much test prepping, assessments, and tests, that they are left with little to no time for actual teaching and learning. Furthermore, they said, there is no talk of or time for passion-driven learning in today’s data-driven classrooms. They reported that morale is at an all time low, students and teachers feel beaten down, and some are just plain burnt out. With this in mind, it’s no wonder that drop-out rates are as high as they are or that for some, school might not be the preferred setting for learning.

The term “high school dropout” has negative connotations where youth and their parents are often viewed as being lazy or failures (see this heated thread on Facebook on the topic) if they don’t comply with the demands of institutionalized schooling. It implies something is wrong with the student. Sadly with no knowledge of other options, some students do go on to pursue lives that follow the stereotype. “Opt out,” however, is what students do who realize that the problem lies with their schools, rather inside them. As films such as “Race to Nowehere” and “Waiting for ‘Superman‘” show, for many, the problem is indeed the institution. But charter schools are not the only exit strategy for students who don’t want to stay: Instead, they can pursue alternatives to live and learn in their own way.

I aim to illuminate some of these alternatives in ”The Teenager’s Guide to Opting Out (Not Dropping Out) of School.” Contributors include parents and teens who have chosen this unorthodox path with much success. One such contributor is Deven Black, a New York City teacher-librarian, who is a two-time opt out. Black left the Bronx High School of Science at 14, tried again at his local school, and then opted out there, too. He explains that for him, Manhattan was a 12-mile-long, 1.5-mile-wide educational experience. A brief subway or bus ride could deliver him to any one of dozens of museums of art, natural history, craft, or occupation. Or he could emerge from underground into what seemed like a different city where the people spoke Chinese, Italian, Spanish, or Ukrainian and the food in the restaurants were the best kind of spoon-fed learning. He went on to have many successful careers. After finally finding a college that met his criteria he received his college degree at 43. Six years later, tired of restaurant management and looking for something else to do, his son’s elementary school principal suggested he try substitute teaching. It was magic. Deven signed up at a prestigious university, where he got a master’s degree to meet the city’s requirements, and became a full-time teacher at age 50. Now he is getting a second degree so he can remain his school’s librarian. He is still waiting for graduate school to teach him something useful that he doesn’t already know.

The guide dispels myths such as “you can’t be a high school opt-out to get into a good college” and “school actually prepares you for success in life.” It asks questions like, “How can school prepare students for life when all the tools we need to succeed in the world are blocked and banned in school?” and “How can we prepare students for the world when we give them little choice or control to discover, explore, and learn about what it is they are interested in?” It also reveals that even when people such as myself and contributors to this guide do everything they are told, which is basically “get good grades and finish college,” they are often left unsure of where to go or what to do next because the purpose of school has become to make students dependent learners who are good at doing as they are told for school life, rather than critically thinking about success in real life.

The Teenager’s Guide to Opting Out (Not Dropping Out) of School” aims to empower teens and their parents to unplug from the status quo and take back their learning. For some people, this means opting out of traditional schools and opting into any number of options including attending alternative schools that are not required to submit to the same government mandates, pursuing learning online through an online school or by designing their own learning using Open Education Resources, or by completely claiming their right to own their learning like teenager Leah Miller did. As a high school sophomore at Oakwood School in California, Miller opted out of school. Now she has developed a presentation that outlines why she made that decision. Part of her plan includes a 2-week-long visit to New York City where she can investigate her passion for theater. She says she “plans to explore and soak in the city” and adds, “I know that I will learn bucket loads from this trip.”

My guide provides examples and ideas for individuals interested in opting out of school and opting in to a learner-centered life — one where they are able to pursue passions and outline goals for personalized (not standardized) success, not just in school, but in life.
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Advice from the Twitter Hashtag Queen - Steve Hargadon Said So!

I was honored when Steve Hargadon recently anointed me with the title of hashtag queen but many people are still in the dark about why they are important.  Hashtags provide a way for others who are interested in a particular topic to see what you have to say even if they're not following you.  In other words, it allows people to follow topics rather than each other.  Through Twitter and hashtags I have made amazing connections with people around the world and boy is it fun when we get to meet face-to-face.  In essence, I've had the pleasure of meeting the minds of so many before their faces, and Twitter provides an excellent way to keep the conversation going. 

If I've sold you on the idea and importance of hashtags, you may be wondering how the heck you know which ones to use.  My technique is doing a Twitter search for a topic of interest and see what folks are using.  For those of us interested in learning at school, at home, or in life, Online College Courses has put together a great list of hashtags.  By simply following these hashtags, you can get connected with discussion groups, resources, advice, and more. You may also want to use "@" to mention someone in particular. I'm @InnovativeEdu so if you wanted to send out a Tweet by virtually tap me on the shoulder you might Tweet something like this:
#Parenting question. I want to opt my #specialneeds child out of #standardizedtests . Hoping folks like @InnovativeEdu might have advice
You've now taped into three hashtags and you've gotten my attention as well through the "@InnovativeEdu" mention. Next it's time to let the connections and the conversation begin! 

Here's a great list of hashtags to check out and give a try. 
General
Homeschooling, unschooling, and more can be found here.
  1. #homeschooling: Parents share this tag to talk about experiences in homeschooling.
  2. #hiphomeschool: Make your homeschool a little cooler with #hiphomeschool.
  3. #unschool: Connect and learn about unschooling by checking out #unschool.
  4. #hs: Short for homeschooling, #hs offers homeschooling discussions.
  5. #teachers: Resources for teachers and teaching can be found by reading #teachers.
  6. #homeschool: See what other homeschoolers are doing by reading #homeschool.
  7. #unschoolers: Read about unschoolers by looking at #unschoolers.
  8. #homeschoolers: Connect with other homeschoolers by following #homeschoolers.
Age & Needs Groups
Whether you have a special needs child or just want to find tweets about teaching specific age groups, you’ll find what you want here.
  1. #ece: Early childhood education resources, articles, and more are on #ece.
  2. #elemchat: Chat about elementary school teachers and students on #elemchat.
  3. #specialneeds: Learn about special needs homeschooling and more.
  4. #dyslexia: You’ll better understand how to manage and teach kids with dyslexia.
  5. #tck: The Coffee Klatch is a forum for parents to discuss topics related to special needs children.
  6. #toddlers: Share experiences and fun activities with #toddlers.
  7. #preschool: Find age appropriate activities and fun for #preschool kids.
  8. #cerebralpalsy: Talk about cerebral palsy and education on #cerebralpalsy.
  9. #spedchat: You’ll find information about special education on #spedchat.
  10. #gifted: Learn about resources for gifted and talented students by reading #gifted.
  11. #bilingual: If you’re teaching your child to be bilingual, this tag can be helpful.
  12. #Autism: Here you’ll find news and discussion on Autism.
  13. #aspergers: You can better understand Aspergers with the help of #aspergers.
  14. #teachpreschool: See what others are doing in preschool education by following #teachpreschool.
  15. #highered: Follow ideas for higher education in #highered.
Distance Education
If you’re using or are interested in distance and online education for your kids, you can find information on these hashtags.
  1. #disted: Distance education resources can be found on #disted.
  2. #mlearning: Find out how to learn on the go with #mlearning.
  3. #onlinelearning: Follow trends, learning resources, and more on #onlinelearning.
  4. #k12online: Get connected with K-12 learning resources online using #k12online.
  5. #elearning: #elearning will allow you to follow elearning resources on Twitter and more.
Home & Parenting
Check out cybersafety, childcare, and fun parent stories here.
  1. #kids: #kids shares quotes, tips, and discussions on kids.
  2. #cybersafety: Keep your kids safe when studying online by following #cybersafety.
  3. #SAHM: Chat with other stay at home moms with #SAHM.
  4. #childcare: Find, offer, or discuss childcare through #childcare.
  5. #SAHD: Stay at home dads can connect over #SAHD.
  6. #littlekids: Commiserate and share achievements on the #littlekids tag.
  7. #parents: See what other parents are saying on Twitter by following #parents.
  8. #badmommy: Confess your worst and most hilarious bad mom moments on #badmommy.
  9. #clothdiapers: If you’re cloth diapering, this chat can offer lots of help and knowledge.
  10. #dads4life: #dads4life has advice for loving and teaching your children.
  11. #parenting: #parenting features tweets from parents and others with advice and more.
Curriculum
Find information and resources for studying through these hashtags.
  1. #books: Study and get news about books with the #books tag.
  2. #literature: Follow #literature to study literature with Twitter.
  3. #Business: You’ll find business news, articles, and more on #Business.
  4. #writing: Find writing prompts and inspiration with the #writing tag.
  5. #Economy: You’ll find news and study resources on #Economy.
  6. #Geography: Follow #Geography to see geography in action.
  7. #arted: Focus on art education with the help of #arted.
  8. #biology: Articles, resources, and more are available on #biology.
  9. #ArtsEd: See arts education on Twitter by following #ArtsEd.
  10. #science: You’ll find up to date news and more with #science.
  11. #math: Find math problems, resources, and more with #math.
College
Prepare your kids for college with these hashtags.
  1. #ACT: Get test prep resources for the ACT by checking out the #ACT hashtag.
  2. #SAT: SAT words, tips, and more are on #SAT.
  3. #scholarship: Stay on top of the latest scholarships available with this hashtag.
Groups & Chats
Sign on to these chat groups for education-related discussions and more.
  1. #scichat: Follow #scichat to discuss science on Twitter.
  2. #tlchat: School library resources and more are discussed on #tlchat.
  3. #educhat: Education related discussions can be found on #educhat.
  4. #lrnchat: #lrnchat is a great place to check in and chat about learning.
  5. #gtchat: Chat about gifted and talented students on #gtchat.
  6. #yalitchat: Stay on top of young adult literature through #yalitchat.
  7. #hsc: Check out #hsc for Home School Chat.
  8. #engchat: Resources, learning, and more can be found on #engchat.
  9. #CollegeChat: Look ahead to college by participating in #CollegeChat.
  10. #edchat: Check out #edchat weekly for a discussion on technology and education.
  11. #musedchat: Chat about music education by joining #musedchat.
  12. #mathchat: Talk about math education on #mathchat.
  13. #sschat:  Social Studies chat that meets at 7pm est on Monday Nights.
  14. #eltchat: Discusses the teaching of English as a foreign language
  15. #cpchat: Short for Connected Principals. It is a hashtag for administrators and teachers to share resources about the administrative side of education. It is utilized 24-7 by amazing educators from across the globe. 
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    What's Popular This Week on The Innovative Educator

    Here’s the roundup of what's been popular on The Innovative Educator blog this week. Below you’ll see my top weekly posts along with the number of pageviews in the past 7 days.


    This week the #1 spot goes to Why I will no longer work to differentiate instruction. Thanks to Tom Welch for pointing out a shift in language and perspective makes a big difference. Next up is Sites for Using iPads in Education. iPads are hot, hot, hot...so I’m not surprised this post with recommendations from Apple made it to the top.  


    The next two in the top five are possibly my favorite posts of all time, touching on an issue near to my heart.  They are a guide that empowers teens to reclaim learning by leaving school and the story of a teen who did just that!
    There was a lot of comments / controversy about two posts I wrote that question the importance of school.  
    There’s several other interesting posts as well. I hope there's something here that looks of interest to you.  If it does, check it out. If you’re so inspired leave a comment.

    Why I will no longer work to differentiate instruction
    May 18, 2011, 9 comments 2836 Pageviews
    Sites for Using iPads in Education
    18-May-11 2559 Pageviews
    Free Guide Empowers Teens to Leave School and Reclaim Learning
    May 16, 2011, 1 comment 1756 Pageviews
    Teen Takes Control of Her Own Learning and Opts Out of School
    May 13, 2011, 6 comments 1699 Pageviews
    Google Tools to Support Blooms Revised Taxonomy
    13-May-11 1612 Pageviews
    Listen to a Principal Who Knows Banning is the Easy Way Out
    19-May-11 1468 Pageviews
    7 Solutions for Educators Who Want 21st Century Students to Tune In
    Apr 25, 2011, 15 comments 1368 Pageviews
    Grad School May Be A Waste of Time
    May 17, 2011, 21 comments 1366 Pageviews
    Think You Need to Graduate High School to Be Successful
    May 15, 2011, 19 comments 1302 Pageviews
    The World's Simplest Social Media Policy
    Mar 27, 2011, 29 comments 1202 Pageviews
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    Ten Ways To Confuse a Child: Education Edition

    By Vickie Bergman, who blogs about Parenting and Education at Demand EUPHORIA.

    Last week I wrote a post about how parents can confuse their children. Then I started thinking about how teachers and school administrators can do their parts as well. We can all work together to make sure no child is left thinking the world makes sense.

    Here's a test to see how well you are doing.  Each of these items is worth ten points, with a few extra credit opportunities:
    1. Punish him for something that is completely beyond his control, like being late for school because of traffic or because his mother overslept.
    2. Make a really big deal about how important it is for kids to get physical activity, and then force him to sit still for 95% of the school day. *extra credit for giving excessive homework, leading to more forced sitting: 1 point for each hour
    3. Tell him how important it is to present original work, and then take away points on his math test when he gets the answers his own way.
    4. Brush off his complaints about being bullied, telling him he has to toughen up, and then punish him for retaliating against the bully.
    5. Call something "an opportunity," and then make it mandatory. *extra credit if you recently made him learn the definition of the word opportunity: 5 points
    6. Ask lots of questions to which you already know the answers.
    7. Tell him how important it is to develop healthy eating habits, then make him ignore his hunger for most of the day, only allowing him to eat at designated times, and then serve up some horrible food in the cafeteria. *extra credit for making a rule against bringing any food from home: 20 points
    8. Give him a long-term assignment with very specific requirements that take a whole page to explain, and write at the bottom "Have FUN with this!"
    9. Tell him how important it is for him to get eight hours of sleep every night, and then make it impossible for him to do so. *extra credit for starting school super early: 1 point for every minute before 8 AM
    10. Talk about how one purpose of school is to teach critical thinking, but then absolutely don't pay any attention to his criticisms of anything about school. 

    How is your school doing? Tally up the score and report it in the survey below. Explain your results in the comments.
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    Listen to a Principal Who Knows Banning is the Easy Way Out

    Educators, administrators, and school board members interested in learning how technology, the web and social media can be used to engage both their students and their communities have the opportunity to hear from a public school principal who is doing just that.  On May 19th New Milford High School Principal Eric Sheninger will explain how to move from banning to embracing technology and social media.  

    Sheninger understands that while banning students from technology and social media is certainly easier, his job is not to do what is most convenient, but rather what is right for our students.  As a result, Sheninger publicly embraces the use of social media for himself and for his students.  


    Earlier this year when a New Jersey principal advised all parents and students to get off Facebook in the media, Sheninger joined me in fighting back.  His rebuttals were featured in various shows and in his writing like this piece here. I wrote pieces like this one here and created the video rebuttal to that principal which you can watch below.  It is followed by Sheninger's radio interviews.

    Sheninger, considered to be one of the most innovative principals in the country, will be joined by several of his teachers, students, board trustees and members of his community to discuss how New Milford High School uses technology as a student, parent, and community engagement tool. Don't miss this opportunity to hear him and his community share their ideas.


    Update: Eric did a fabulous job.  You can see what he did at
    You have read this article eric sheninger / Facebook in education with the title May 2011. You can bookmark this page URL http://machining33.blogspot.com/2011/05/listen-to-principal-who-knows-banning.html. Thanks!