As some of you know, there are plans in the works for several New Tech High Schools in our state: Holland, Pinckney, Ypsilanti, and a couple of other places for 2010, and more in the works for 2011. I've heard that groups in River Rouge and the Upper Peninsula are also interested.

New Tech High Foundation

New Tech HS in Napa, CA

I've been telling peo… Continue

Pre-Conference-Agenda.pdf

On Sunday, November 15, from 1-5 pm at Rackham Graduate School on the University of Michigan campus, there is a meeting announcing the newly established Michigan College Access Network. Folks from the Governor's Office, the Department of Treasury, Lumina Foundation, and the National College Advising Corps will be talking about this new pus… Continue

Dear Colleagues,

This year, I am serving as Media and Technology Chair for MRA and organizing a strand at the spring conference, March 20-22 in Detroit. I invite all you -- especially those of who participated in the WIDE PATHS event this summer -- to submit a proposal for this strand.

Link to PDF Version of Proposal Form

If you need help developing a proposal, please get in… Continue

Hot off the presses, everyone: TIME TO ACT, a series of reports by Carnegie. Check out all the recommendations re increased funding for the National Writing Project. What's more, these reports seem more nuanced re adolescent literacy than some others. I am especially eager to read a couple of these--the main report, the one on out-of-school time, and one or two others.

Okay, I admit I am biased: Elizabeth Moje and Nicole Tysvaer… Continue

I teach high school in a rural U.P. district that is very conservative when it comes to accessing technology. Students do not have access to e-mail, blogging, google.docs or social networking sites. YouTube, nings and photo sharing sites are blocked, even for teachers. Many useful websites are blocked, even sometimes lesson planning sites or information from MDE. Students researching mythology will find most mythology sites blocked as "occult." These blocks are not parent driven; rather, from wh… Continue