Administrators

edCircuit Opinion:

Dr. Berger recently posed questions to Dr. Gustavo Lara González, ABE/GED Department Chair at Moreno Valley School District, about his journey from Mexico to the U.S. and his entrance into an educational system that not only earned him a Ph.D. but led him to become a leading Adult Learning advocate. Lara González shares a backdrop to his early student life in Mexico and how he blended his past learning into his teaching methods in the United States. Most of all, Lara González demonstrates how his hardened pursuit of a higher education and eventually teaching, led him to become a leading proponent of Adult Learning, avowing him to lessen the hurdles of his past for others.

edCircuit Opinion:
The short film “Hallelujah” by Aliza Eliazarov follows New York City students preparing for their big musical concert. These students have such a strong love for music that they have chosen lessons with their teacher, Peter Mancini, over recess. During the filming, it became evident how desperately these children needed music in their lives. “Hallelujah” follows the story of only one class in NYC. But, there are thousands more just like it across the country. The short film shines a light on the fact that these kids love what they are learning.

In an interview, Randy Ziegenfuss, Ed.D., and Lynn Fuini-Hetten from the Salisbury Township School District discuss their Profile of a Graduate project.

In this episode, Jonathan Cassie shares his journey as a history, English, Latin, and game designer teacher at Dallas, Los Angeles, and Pittsburgh schools. 

Check out this interview with ASCD author and educator Pete Hall as the season begins to shift to Friday night football and school dances. Hall and Dr. Berger met up at this year’s ASCD conference. Hall shares insights into his new book The Principal Influence.

The word sabbatical brings to mind connotations of higher education. It’s unheard of for K-12 teachers to take time a one-year leave and dedicate themselves to research. Why is this not widely accepted? If teachers plan on remaining in their profession for an extended period, how will they build relevant knowledge and be better educators for their students?
Should teachers still learn? Scientific American understands the challenges of doing so. Teaching is a labor-intensive profession. It’s challenging to find access to innovative and informative workshops, and a new standard of professional development should be put into place.

edCircuit Opinion:
Walk into any public school today and what do you see? Most likely groups of desks for students to sit, shelves filled with books intended to strengthen their imagination and support their pursuit of learning, or hopefully a room filled with computers. We’ve entered the 21st century, and technology is more prevalent now more than ever before. It’s common to see a child sitting quietly, playing the latest popular game on their iPad. Or teens (and adults!), completely consumed by their smartphones.

The VH1 Save The Music Foundation in partnership with Grammy nominated singer Charlie Puth, and Casio America announced the 2016 winners of Keys + Kids, a competitive grant program created in response to the lack of functional pianos in public schools.

The 18 winning schools will receive a piano grant valued at $10,000 of instruments, including a Casio Grand Hybrid piano and three keyboards to support their school’s music, drama, and community programs.