In Case You Missed It

Last week is looong gone, but these ASCD activities still have us talking:

• Student teacher Patrick Riley is experimenting with incentive-based classroom management, where students work toward behavior goals as a team. Go to this ASCD EDge post to let Riley know what you like about this approach or what you would adjust.

• In Is Anybody Asking the Kids?, Michael Fisher notes that student voices are sorely lacking from education debates. He sets up a few questions for kids and a Google Docs spreadsheet for you to add your students' voices to.

• Our latest book is online! Check out The Well-Balanced Teacher: How to Work Smarter and Stay Sane Inside the Classroom and Out by Mike Anderson. Members can view the whole book online, nonmembers can view excerpts, all of Chapter 1 ("The Importance of Managing Stress"), and the Study Guide for free.

• How often do you get to reflect on the curriculum you teach? Steven Weber poses eight questions educators should ask about curriculum that you can discuss in large groups or with your grade- or subject-level team. 

• High schools have the unique challenge of dual benchmarks: bridging gaps for students who will struggle to graduate while simultaneously ensuring college- and career-readiness. In another ASCD EDge post, Weber aks some essential questions about college readiness.

• Does education need a major overhaul or only adjustments to the existing system? That's the heart of ASCD EDge post Paradigm Dip or Paradigm Shift?

• Unions are bad, charters are the silver bullet, testing makes you smarter, and performance pay nets better teachers. Jason Flom challenges these broad strokes from education reform debates in Superman Snubs the Justice League, Lex Laughs to the Bank.

• ASCD Executive Director Gene R. Carter wrote an open letter to Oprah Winfrey in response to her September 20 show on the movie Waiting for "Superman," which echoed generic, teacher-bashing talking points, while gathering little to no input from actual teachers. Friday's follow-up Oprah fared a little better, and Dr. Carter hit the highlights in another response statement.

Add your own highlights in the comments and check this spot for our regular weekly digest of ASCD activities.