The Education Buzz

Welcome to the November 24th edition of the Education Buzz! Every two weeks, the Buzz will bring you a list of education-themed links to help you keep current; after all, how can we form viable opinions about the state of education if we don’t continuously strive to keep current?
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving Day, and one – of many – things I am eternally thankful for is the fact that here in America, education is for everybody. People tend to take this amazing fact for granted, and often, people don’t take advantage of it, but the fact remains that in many cultures, education is only for the wealthy and/or those in high social positions. We here in America have amazing resources at our fingertips, and dedicated, knowledgeable people to help us find new worlds to conquer.
Let us never cease helping one another to soar!

Pioneer Woman steps into her role as Mean Ol’ Schoolmarm to remind us of a few basic grammar rules.
It’s for our own good, you know.
Over at What It’s Like on the Inside, the Science Goddess is of the opinion that our students can do no better than the work they are given.
Jonathan Martin is curious: just what IS this “reverse instruction,” anyway?
Mamacita, of Scheiss Weekly, ie Jane Byers Goodwin, thinks it’s important to understand the difference between “profanity” and “obscenity.”
Cybrary Man’s many online educational pages are an invaluable resource for any educator, any level!
If you drop by the fabulous DadsTalking website, you can read Jim Turner’s post about the dumbing down of our children’s education, and join him in worrying about it.
Looking for some excellent educational gifts? Steve Spangler has the solution to your problem! Discover the Top 20 Educational Gifts for the Holiday Season!
Tom McCauley presents Students Learn and Serve in the Big O posted at Omaha Serves.
Over at Learn Me Good, Mister Teacher and his students are “getting back into shape.”
Looking for an online course to hone your skills? Leslie Yoelson presents 21 Educational Open Courseware Classes About Communication posted at Masters in Communication.
How smart is your phone? It’ll be a lot smarter with some of these apps! Bernice Frankel presents 20 Free Essential Web Apps for Librarians posted at Master of Library Science.
Are our students growing up digital and distracted? Read all about it at Joanne Jacobs’s blog.
Online courses can be good or bad. Allen presents Online Education posted at Technology In Class.
Siobhan Curious wishes there were some way to grade everything online! Why Teachers Need Something Better Than Microsoft Word posted at Classroom as Microcosm. Oh, and those instructor-student emailexchanges? Heaven help us all! Check out It’s Funny Because It’s True !
Over at Right on the Left Coast, Darren proposes that if single-payer insurance is a viable option, why not do the same for education? Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher: Publicly-financed Education posted at Right on the Left Coast: Views From a Conservative Teacher.
Polski3 is wondering if the union is worth the hassle.
Steve Spangler has one of the best and most inspiring websites on the ‘net, and if you sign up for his awesome Experiment of the Week, he’ll send you a new experiment, complete with instructions, list of ingredients, and video, every single week!
How much do you know about Pakistan’s educational system? jibran jamshed has a very informative post. Education System of Pakistan, Problems and Solutions posted at Views, News, Reviews, Articles and Information.
Every Tuesday at noon and 7, EST, the Twitter EdChat – #edchat – a collaborative conversation among educations from all over the planet, overflows with useful tips, hints, advice, plans, and links galore. It’s open to all parents and educators, and you’re sure to be more and more enriched every time you participate.
Pat Hensley wants you to know that she isn’t busy, no, not at all! I’m Not Busy posted at Successful Teaching.
Kyle McNamara shares a list of excellent poetry books for young people.
Cookie cutters are great if you’re making cookies, but not so great if you think students should be uniform, too. Marsha Rakestraw presents We Need to Move Beyond Cookie-Cutter Schooling & Embrace Diversity in How We Educate Our Children posted at Humane Connection.
Ms. Cornelius believes that the rules should be enforced, and consistently!
Boiling frogs and Skype? A typical day for Mrs. Chili!
Hobo Teacher is being driven crazy by all the jack-a-ninnies!
On December 8, the Education Buzz will be hosted by the awesome science educator Steve Spangler! Submit your posts by 7 p.m. on December 7.
That’s it for this edition of The Education Buzz. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday, and may each of you be safe, healthy, and happy, forever.
KNOWLEDGE IS, INDEED, POWER!
I Am Not A Crazy Cat Lady. Yet.
Mamacita says: I see no real harm is a cat in the kitchen unless it walks across your plate. Or sheds a lot. Or thinks it’s a human and demands its own place setting and chair, but I can deal with that. As long as it’s sitting in a chair and has its own plate, it keeps its four feet and dander out of mine.
Okay, that may have been a bit of an exaggeration. My cats don’t really have their own place at the table. They may, however, have dainty china bowls with “Diva” written across them in lovely calligraphy.
Don’t get all excited. They were a Big Lots special that year. I ain’t no crazy cat lady.
Legally, I think I’d have to have at least five cats to qualify for that one.
I figure that as long as I still mock people who buy clothing, booties, and prime rib for animals, and give them names like “Mimsy” and “Lord Reginald von Pemberton,” I’m safe.
Popcorn Thief!
Mamacita says: If one person offers to make popcorn for another person, and that other person declines the offer, and the first person says “Are you sure? I’m making popcorn and I’d be glad to make some for you, too,” and the second person insists he doesn’t want any, and the first person gives up and says “Fine,” and goes on to make some popcorn for herself, and the second person smells it and comes upstairs and puts his hand in SOMEONE ELSE’S POPCORN and helps himself to a big fistful of it, I am of the opinion that a sharp fork in that second person’s hand is not out of line.






