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Posts by: kdr

The Problem is Measurement

By kdr On May 6, 2013 · Leave a Comment

A colleague today shared this link with me, a TED talk by Rita F. Pierson:

http://www.cnn.com/2013/05/05/opinion/pierson-common-sense-schooling/index.html?hpt=hp_t4

I do so love a good TED talk! The link to Sir Ken Robinson’s 2006 TED talk a bit down the page is worth your time, as is his 2010 follow-up. I consider these two talks absolutely seminal [...]

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Garbage In, Garbage Out

By kdr On April 24, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Both the Washington Post’s Challenge Index and the U.S. News & World Report Best High Schools Rankings are irrelevant distractions that do not reflect any substantive or meaningful measurement regarding school performance, and giving them credence by holding them up as desirable results – or worse, desirable objectives – only seeks to advance the cause [...]

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The Price We’ve Paid

By kdr On April 16, 2013 · Leave a Comment

This morning, I heard something that prompted my rage. In response to hearing that a person of color with an accent might be a person of interest, I heard a railing diatribe about closing our borders, and rounding up anyone that fits the description in Boston and grilling them.

No! That is exactly the wrong [...]

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Separating Yorktown

By kdr On February 27, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Starting today, February 27, 2013, I will be discontinuing posting any Yorktown or Arlington Public Schools related information on this blog, and will utilize the blog exclusively for my professional activities and commentary that are not directly related to YHS or APS policy and procedure.

I am copying all of the relevant information from this [...]

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Difficulty connecting? Might be your password!

By kdr On February 21, 2013 · Leave a Comment

If you’re having difficulty connecting to the APS network, try getting your machine to synchronize to the network using a hardwired connection. If you’re using a different password to log into your computer than to get into your email, it’s a sure bet that your password is the culprit. Here’s a step-by-step guide to help [...]

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Yes, we can grade teachers effectively.

By kdr On January 30, 2013 · Leave a Comment

In his letter of January 30, philanthropist Bill Gates states how important he believes it is to measure teacher effectiveness. I agree. In fact, I’ve said as much:

Mr. Gates references the important study released by the Measures of Effective Teaching Project that found that effective measures of teacher quality are [...]

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It Has Finally Happened

By kdr On January 22, 2013 · Leave a Comment

No words… should have sent… a poet…

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Disabling Outlook Desktop Alerts

By kdr On January 15, 2013 · Leave a Comment

Projecting our email onto a screen in front of kids could be problematic at times, as we may receive confidential information during class. Use the following steps to disable the Desktop Alerts in Outlook:

Open the Outlook client software. Click the orange File tab in the upper left. Near the bottom of the menu on the [...]

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Flip Video to DVD (NBCT Portfolios)

By kdr On January 9, 2013 · 2 Comments

Flip Cameras, like those we’ve used for National Boards recording at Yorktown, record video files in a digital format called MP4, which is very popular for mobile devices like Flips and iPhones. However, MP4 format is not generally compatible with many Windows programs, like the ones we want to use to edit for length and [...]

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