http://www.dailybruin.ucla.edu/news/articles.asp?id=35533

Today's New York Times has two articles here and here on test scores and answer keys. They're each completely different; but both reveal how a small word (like test) can really impact a school. For example, the first article comes out of Houston…teachers are looking at merit pay increases if they can get their students higher standardized test scores [...]

  Truth Be Told</NYT_HEADLINE>Writing Memoirs Based on a Shared Event </NYT_TITLE><NYT_AUTHORS><NYT_BYLINE>Author(s)Jennifer Rittner, The New York Times Learning NetworkJavaid Khan, The Bank Street College of Education in New York City Tying a lesson plan into Elie Weisel's Truth Be Told Writing Memoirs Based on a Shared Event

Are your students experiencing the winter blues? One way to boost their mood is to have a Poetry Slam. "Simply put, poetry slam is the competitive art of performance poetry. It puts a dual emphasis on writing and performance, encouraging poets to focus on what they're saying and how they're saying it."  (via The University of South [...]

Today I was ready to write a post on Children Who Cheat; until I read John Stossel's article on Cheating The Children….Stupid In America. UUGGGHHH! Trust me, it's another one those…"American students don't measure up" bashing. But knowing I was ready to do the same, made for an AHA moment  for me today. So, Stossel decided to [...]

(book cover via Amazon.com)The wait is finally over…NIGHT by (Auschwitz survivor) Elie Wiesel was Oprah's Book Club pick for her National High School Essay Contest. Students in grades 9-12 are strongly encouraged to read the book then submit an essay on,"WHY IS ELIE WIESEL'S BOOK NIGHT RELEVANT TODAY?"  Visit here for entry forms. -Amy Bowllan

How should students celebrate MLK day? SpeakPeace and take away the mechanical distractors that occupy their down time. Imagine if Dr. King walked around with an iPod all day in his ears? We probably wouldn't hv 

1) It's the SLJ Blogs' 200th posting! 2) I've always said that if Ben Franklin were alive today he would certainly be a blogger. And not because we share the same birthday (hint). Couldn't you picture him going toe-to-toe with the supporters of the Patriot Act?  3) Martin Luther King Jr….Gosh, I think if he were alive today he would scoff [...]

It's not hard to fathom Ben Franklin being alive today. He'd probably as influential as he was 250 years ago. But who do you think would have the biggest impact on him? a) Oprahb) Bill Gatesc) Dalai Lama d) Debbie Abilock -Amy Bowllan

Researchers out of Scotland are reporting that the librarian profession is one of the most stressful occupations in the country. "To their customers they appear to be composure and control personified … But amid the tranquility of their reading rooms, librarians are toiling in one of the most stressed occupations in the country – according [...]