Number of the Week: U.S. Teachers’ Hours Among World’s Longest
By Phil Izzo
June 25, 2011, 5:00 AM ET
1,097: Average number of hours U.S. teachers spend per year on instruction.
Students across the U.S. are enjoying or getting ready for summer vacation, but teachers may be looking forward to the break even more. American teachers are the most productive among major developed countries, according to Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development data from 2008 — the most recent available.
Among 27 member nations tracked by the OECD, U.S. primary-school educators spent 1,097 hours a year teaching despite only spending 36 weeks a year in the classroom — among the lowest among the countries tracked. That was more than 100 hours more than New Zealand, in second place at 985 hours, despite students in that country going to school for 39 weeks. The OECD average is 786 hours.
And that’s just the time teachers spend on instruction. Including hours teachers spend on work at home and outside the classroom, American primary-school educators spend 1,913 working in a year. According to data from the comparable year in a Labor Department survey, an average full-time employee works 1,932 hours a year spread out over 48 weeks (excluding two weeks vacation and federal holidays).
Despite the amount of time that teachers spend working, student achievement in the U.S. remains average in reading and science and slightly below average in math when compared to other nations in a separate OECD report. That remains a concern as education is one of the most important ways a country can foster long-term economic growth.
“Education is a large item of public expenditure in most countries. At the same time, it is also an essential investment for developing the long-run growth potential of countries and for responding to the fundamental changes in technology and demographics that are reshaping labor markets,” the OECD wrote.
Let me tell you about a great way to do doctors visits. My wonderful wife found this through a friend & its genius; especially for us because we have a baby and don’t want to take him to clinics & hospitals due to his susceptibility to viruses. This is also great because you may feel too weak to drive or go out in public and now you won’t have to. The doctor will come to your house, evaluate and diagnose you in your living room 2 hours after calling or setting up an appointment online between 8am & 8pm (if you call too late in the evening they will bump you for the next day though), 365 days/year. They will also come to where you work so you don’t have to take sick leave. After your evaluation the doctor gives you prescriptions on the spot. Best part, you don’t pay extra for the prescription, it is all included in your plan. They even take blood samples and run them for your needs. After all visits you can view your medical records/results online & print off for second opinions.
It is called White Glove House Call Health. We had no idea it existed, but its great! Below is the summary of what we got. Here is their link & video: http://www.whiteglove.com/about-us.html
$35 copay and if your insurance doesn’t cover it $35/month. Gin’s insurance did, mine did not. The insurance companies that pay the cost of the plan at the moment are Aetna, Humana, United Healthcare.
Finally, they bring you a care package.
Care Box contains:
1can Chicken noodle soup
1 pudding pack
1 Motts applesauce pack
2 travel packs of Tylenol
2 travel packs of Advil
1 Box of Saltine Crackers
1 Gatorade
1 pak Kleenex
A magnet with phone number & brochure
After reaching 100 years of age a Texas woman finally achieves her long term goal of being awarded a high school diploma. Its always worth it and never too late!!
Web 2.0 (or Web 2) is the popular term for advanced Internet technology and applications including blogs, wikis, RSS and social bookmarking...One of the most significant differences between Web 2.0 and the traditional World Wide Web (retroactively referred to as Web 1.0) is greater collaboration among Internet users and other users, content providers, and enterprises. --VIA
Question #1. How do you use Web 2.0 in your classroom?
I asked students what an e-portfolio was several times over and eventually they were able to regurgitate the answer. When I asked them what to include in it and the format, they could not. We found the answer through investigation on Google and collaboration on Google Docs. The portfolios were created on Google sites. The students found the answers and found the examples and the concept through edu, wiki sites and the format was established and the concept stuck better than I was able to explain in words. Our science fair went off with out a hitch after an enormous amount of time and preparation because of the collaboration students were able to have outside of the classroom. The science and math teacher were able to plan the event down to the last detail because of Web 2.0 collaboration. We needed a blog to go a step farther, a Wiki to go farther, a podcast to go farther and next year we will.
Video #2: Web 2.0 Student Classroom Practices
Resistance comes from us All!! Even if we believe or say we are utilizing all our resources, all that are at our hands, we still are not. They are ever changing; and two or more resources is not enough! Our Students Deserve the MOST!
We have to be able to utilize technology and extend our learning beyond the walls of our classrooms. It is a fantastic time because we are able to reach outside our classrooms for learning, whether it be parents at work, friends in other classes or even people of foreign countries. We have access to movies, Wikis, cell phones, podcasts, photos, blogs, social websites and instant messaging to learn about cars, countries, gardening, solve homework problems, learn to tie knots, present, read, write and connect to others. "Blogging can teach critical reading and writing skills, and it can lead to greater information management skills. It can help students become much more media and information literate by clarifying the choices they make about the content they write about, it can teach them about how networks function-bnoth human and computer-and it can teach the essential skill of collaboration (The Book, see below)." But first, students have to know how to manage their resources and know who they can reach out to when they have issues or questions.
Take baby steps. get comfortable with Web 2.0. Get comfortable with blogs and the read/write web. Scaffold similarly to your practices with students. Don't be the person at the in-service that isn't hands on, you'll never learn it and be successful. Baby steps!
ISSUE #1: Teaching students HOW to navigate the Web, find pertinent and valid information and use the information appropriately.
ISSUE#2: Internet Safety
TAKE 10, Discuss for 15 (Groupwork Investigation):
Do you have fears associated with students being on the web or fears of them publishing their thoughts, work, pictures on the web?
What safety measures can we enact as a school, team, class? Should we hold beginning of the year or ongoing classes for students regarding safety and appropriate use of computers (home and at school)?
What are the reasons and personal fears for most people resisting the technological change? How do we over come that?
Some things to think about!!
Inappropriate Contact
Inappropriate Content
Inappropriate Conduct
The Book Chapter 2 & 3 Discussion: What are your goals, expectations and concerns after reading this book? What do you want to perfect and walk away with? What will it take to put you in this car today?
Video #3: Will Richardson on Blogs
The Book: What is posting and what is blogging and does it really matter? (3rd Edition, p.31) Is it CONNECTIVITY?
CHALLENGE (Groupwork Investigation):
Find 5 blogs. Be prepared to discuss what a blog is, how they are formatted, were you drawn in or if emotion were evoked, what would make it better; does it begin to give you any ideas for creating a classroom blog? Share a Blog URL with class to check out on front screen. Read to comment. Investigate how others comment. Comment on at least 3 blogs.
Question #5 : How did you find blogs? (Newspapers vs Blogs and 21st C skills = Modern & Outdated)
BLOG, BLOGS AND MORE BLOGS
"Weblogs are already making an impact on our curricurricula whether we are employing them as research tools or not."
Going back to safety and using pertinent information correctly takes us to credible resources. If you have edition 3 of the book flip to page 37, "Blogs as Resources." This chapter is right when saying about blogs, "...[They're] sources of information about whatever topics you might be studying...[but] whom to believe?"
We have to be the model for this. We have to explore this ourselves. Book recommendations:1) Look at
the "blog roll'" a list of blogs that the blogger links to, 2) Look at an "Authority" rating which is based on how many other bloggers have linked. but still, take time to evaluate. Even try to find who owns the site and where the money is coming from: internic.com
Scroll through the book (ch 2 & 3) and decide which links you really wanted to check out and which seem silly now. All were relevant to your growth.
Blogs are all about CONNECTIVITY, interacting, reading with purpose and writing in reaction to your feelings about your day, another blog, a question presented, a graphic posted or to inform. When students use the technologies they are most familiar with or are enamored by relevancy increases.
When students are writing about what they care about, relevancy increases. When they realize the scope of their audience and anticipate their reaction relevancy increases. When Relevancy increases, their effort, the quality of their work and their learning may become directly effected.
Of course we initially think of blogging as a journaling tool, which works great for classrooms. This will likely be how we initially begin scaffolding for both educators and students. We cannot let this disway us or limit us, because it can be far more reaching and beneficial.
Connecting with an author,connecting with a scientist, connecting with old friends & family to show off.
Which websites from the book would you like to peruse??
Other Ideas for Blogs:
Keep in mind that we have a green screen and film department, recording studio, art studio, scanners and the limits are endless.
1. Teacher complaints on not knowing when events are taking place, being out of the loop. Answer: RSS
(May be the result of fewer meetings, teacher collaboration & quicker updates also)
2. Student/Teacher Organization (Cloud Computing): Online filing cabinet, time stamped homework turn- in.
One space to view and collaborate, several classes.
3. Teacher Documentation: transparency, future thesis papers, later reflection for students (Data Center
Extras). You may also use this as a way to share links with other teachers and students, or store for
yourself (better organized, because you categorize it).
6. Give HW, Prepare for tomorrow's class, Comment on Visuals:
What is happening here? What would the intercepts be and what do they mean? Why are their 3 topics labeled on a 2-D coordinate system? Are their any coorelations? Please comment your answers and impressions for full credit.
The Book: Obvious-teaching, writing, reading, but works for, "all areas of curriculum to collaborate with subject-specific experts, to archive learning, to share results of experiments, and to publish student work...infuse writings into all disciplines." Expand the walls of your classroom, seek out and post studies, its all future scientists and physicists will be doing.
8. My idea of a school blog: Green Screen, Podcasting, TAKS testing tips, school promotion, fundraising via companies, news, online newspaper, students write, teachers write. Everyday a blog is written, but highlighting a different moment within our school, a different classroom, our arts, our core, our integration and multi-sensory teaching, our technology, to sell art, necklaces, etc. SITE MANAGER IS KEY!
The Book: Classroom uses of Weblogs (3rd Edition p.39-40)
Read and Reflect!
The Book: "If we want our students to learn from blogs, we have to experience that learning firsthand...'get into their shoes.'"
Start Small: Begin typing reactions you have things you have read to get use to the blogging process. As you become more comfortable and establish a rhythm increase the depth of your posts. Scafflold similarly to that of students. Get students reading blogs, but provide models. Let them respond to posts. Implement HW and relevant class links. Post a question for them to think about as preparation for discussion.
Signing up for Blogger and Beginner Bloggers:
If you can email, you can blog. It is extremely user friendly, more so than Google Sites and anything you would embed on sites can easily be embedded on Blogger. In fact you are likely already signed up. It is owned by Google, as is Youtube and other resources you may use in conjunction with this. Google alsomakes everything easy with tutorial videos, forums and customer support on how to due nearly everything.
Sign Up
Posting/Editing
Post Bar
General Tour
Commenting/Viewing
1. Gadgets, Monetize
2. Linkup parties, following & followers, exposure, $$
3. Adding Pages, Buttons & Paint
4. Labels & Organizing
5. HTML & Blog Identity
6. Embedding Prezi, Music from Bandcamp, etc
7. Custom Blog sites
8. Stats & Jump Break
9. RSS
#6. Blogging Questions (How to, Capabilities)?
Remember the book:
Independent Assignment: Create First Blog:
Each person must post the URL Link to their Blog on Google Docs. Each person must write a reaction blog, based on their experiences in the class or regarding blogging or Web 2.0 classroom integration and tools. I would also encourage you to continue looking through varying blogs for ideas and pleasure. Finally, I would appreciate any comments and feedback you have about my presentation on my comment section. If you become a follower, you will begin receiving notices through your blog about any future posts I make, including RSS, Podcasting & Wikis.
Thanks for listening to my ideas for the classroom and viewing my blog!
1,097: Average number of hours U.S. teachers spend per year on instruction.
What are your goals, expectations and concerns after reading this book? What do you want to perfect and walk away with? What will it take to put you in this car today?
