Starting a Cold New School Year

I might have one of the least stressful jobs in the world (yeah, right), but the run up to the semester is never easy when you're trying to stay on the cutting edge of technology that is always changing and helping students prepare for a work environment that keeps changing right along with it.  I think of it being a bit like starting up the cold car in the mornings--a little reluctant, slow to fire, but ready to come to life once the big battery (the students themselves) kick in.  Looking forward to a good year, with four different classes on my docket, all with new textbooks and new technology.  No stress there, thanks!

First Snow, 2012

First Snow, Fall 2012

Schoolchildren across parts of South Dakota are rejoicing today (or at least going back to sleep) as snow has accumulated enough to cause schools to open a few hours late, from Bon Homme to Scotland to Bennett County. 

Rejoice, young people, and enjoy those few extra hours of sleep! 

The Wave of Things to Come

As the school year begins, it's like a big wave of students suddenly appears on the scene, washing over the quiet and isolation that might have prevailed over the summer months as teachers pursued their own individual studies, working at their scholarly ambitions.  But teaching is where it's at, and like the surfers in the video below, the teachers take on the challenge with a hope that the wave will take them all to the shore.  

Here Comes Shanghai, Much of China to Follow

The news this morning from China would serve as a wake-up call if enough people aren't groggy enough from checking the new Facebook layout to see what that third-grade pal had for breakfast.  These Shanghainese kids are staking their claim to be the best-educated students in the world, according to a test, the Program for International Student Assessment, that was first administered there this year, following its use in countries across the world.  An article on the NYTimes describes how these 15 year old students topped the list in reading, math, and science scores by a significant margin.  Response from American officials was clear:  

“We have to see this as a wake-up call,” Secretary of Education Arne Duncan said in an interview on Monday.

“I know skeptics will want to argue with the results, but we consider them to be accurate and reliable, and we have to see them as a challenge to get better,” he added. “The United States came in 23rd or 24th in most subjects. We can quibble, or we can face the brutal truth that we’re being out-educated.”

 What next?  More cuts in education for South Dakotans and other states throughout the country.