Buzz

TRUMPET CALL TO RELEVANCE for Music

Libby Larsen, a prolific and performed living composers, is calling for an overhaul of music education. "We need to teach kids to read music as soon as we possibly can, and I mean when they are 6 years old, to read it and write it." Music faces "a crisis in relevancy."

"We need to look very carefully at what is band," Larsen said. "What is it? Does that mean a specific group of instruments that play a specific repertoire in a specific way? At the moment that is the answer. They play the same songs, and they go to competitions, and they are graded on their progress, and it's become focused on that. It's frighteningly formulaic, and the students in many, many bands work on two or three pieces a year so they can do well in band competition. That's not music, that's competition. While you learn some things about music, you aren't learning very much about music.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A20784-2004Mar1.html

Education Week

Article: Accountability Helps Students at Risk, by Herbert J. Walberg, http://www.edweek.org/ew/ewstory.cfm?slug=33walberg.h22

Failed to see any research data - James W. Beal, Ed.D. District Technology Coordinator, Somonauk Comm. Unit School Dist. #432

All I saw were loosely defined generalities that implied that students were doing better on achievement test due to state mandated accountability reforms.

Of course (as stated in the article) the more you test, the better the students will get at taking tests. However, is this education? Teaching to the test? Does this type of "education" really serve the at-risk-student? How does training students to meorize data for a test lead to real understanding and critical thinking (niether of which are mentioned in the articl2)?.

"Accountability increases the likelihood that at- risk students won't miss crucial knowledge and skills they need for learning and, we can hope, life beyond school."

Since knowledge is only constructed in the human mind, how can "at-risk students miss crucial knowledge and skills they need?"

PA Budget Calculator from Gov. Rendell

The governor's calculator helps in understanding how Gov. Rendell's plan impacts school districts. Go to http://www.state.pa.us and select the Plan for Pennsylvania on the right side. After the budget page pops up, select "What the plan will do for you?"

Good Schools PA has a synopsis of Governor Rendell's plan.

School Board Meeting, 3-minutes with 99 speakers, April 15, 2002

Mark Rauterkus delivered a prepared statement for the PPS board on Monday, April 15, 2002.

School Jazz Technology Opportunity

Link and Call for Tech Stream to Schools

Celebrate Free Software, Software Freedom Day

http://k12ltsp.org/software_freedom.html

If you're not in Portland then you'll find information on the page above for hosting your own party. Help LUGs and schools connect in your area!

Schools in Portland have enjoyed great support from the local Linux user group PLUG. A party with them and say thanks is held each July 4th with an open house and school mixer with other schools interested in using Linux. Free software and refreshments.

In the South Side, a Free Software event could be held along with the events of the South Side Summer Street Spectacular. Let's do this in 2003.