Wednesday, January 30, 2013

Which Study Strategies Make the Grade? Practice Testing and Distributed Practice Score High; Summarization, Highlighting and Underlining, and Rereading Score Low

In a new article, psychological scientists review the scientific evidence for ten learning techniques commonly used by students. While the ten learning techniques vary widely in effectiveness, two strategies -- practice testing and distributed practice -- made the grade, receiving the highest overall utility rating.

While the ten learning techniques vary widely in effectiveness, two strategies -- practice testing and distributed practice -- made the grade, receiving the highest overall utility rating.

Based on the available evidence, the researchers provide recommendations about the applicability and usefulness of each technique.
Most students are probably familiar with practice testing, having used flash cards or answered the questions at the end of a textbook chapter. Students who prefer last-minute cram sessions, however, may not be as familiar with the idea of distributed practice.
Dunlosky and colleagues report that spreading out your studying over time and quizzing yourself on material before the big test are highly effective learning strategies. Both techniques have been shown to boost students' performance across many different kinds of tests, and their effectiveness has been repeatedly demonstrated for students of all ages.
In contrast, five of the techniques received a low utility rating from the researchers. Notably, these techniques are some of the most common learning strategies used by students, including summarization, highlighting and underlining, and rereading.
"I was shocked that some strategies that students use a lot -- such as rereading and highlighting -- seem to provide minimal benefits to their learning and performance. By just replacing rereading with delayed retrieval practice, students would benefit," says Dunlosky.
So why don't they? Why aren't students and teachers using the learning strategies that have been shown to be effective and inexpensive?
Dunlosky and colleagues found that the answer may have to do with how future teachers are taught.
"These strategies are largely overlooked in the educational psychology textbooks that beginning teachers read, so they don't get a good introduction to them or how to use them while teaching," Dunlosky explains. As a result, teachers are less likely to fully exploit some of these easy-to-use and effective techniques.
The report, "Improving Students' Learning With Effective Learning Techniques: Promising Directions From Cognitive and Educational Psychology," is published in the January 2013 issue of Psychological Science in the Public Interest and is authored by John Dunlosky and Katherine A. Rawson of Kent State University, Elizabeth J. Marsh of Duke University, Mitchell J. Nathan of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Daniel T. Willingham of the University of Virginia. The research included in the report was supported by a Bridging Brain, Mind and Behavior Collaborative Award through the James S. McDonnell Foundation's 21st Century Science Initiative.

Photo: Demarest High School Cheerleaders- circa mid-1950's (then Hoboken High School)

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Superintendent Salary Cap Blamed for High Turnover Rate in New Jersey School Districts- by Lauren Wanko

“It’s has definitely changed education in New Jersey, not for the better, but for the worse,” said Eva Nagy of the Franklin Township Board of EducationIt’s been over a year and a half since the superintendent salary cap took effect in school districts across the state. Gov. Chris Christie insisted the cap was a critical aspect of education reform in New Jersey, but now a question is if the cap has negatively affected school districts. Nagy is talking about the superintendent salary cap that took effect in February 2011. Superintendent contracts are capped at $175,000 for districts with up to 10,000 students. “In terms of employment of superintendents, it has had an effect. Right now we’re seeing the largest turnover of superintendents on record,” said Deputy Executive Director of the New Jersey School Boards Association Frank Belluscio. “This past year we’ve had over 30 percent of school districts with new superintendents and a major reason has been the salary cap.”




“New Jersey schools spend a lower percentage of their budgets on school and school district administration, than the majority of other states,” Belluscio said. “New Jersey ranks 41st among the states in the percentage of their current expenses that go toward school and building administration.” The New Jersey School Boards Association says their members feel there needs to be some control in superintendent salaries but they think other factors need to be taken into account, like superintendents who take on additional responsibilities who don’t receive additional stipends for that work. Belluscio says New Jersey’s school have been controlling administrative costs without a superintendent salary cap.

For full story: http://www.njtvonline.org/njtoday/video/superintendent-salary-cap-blamed-for-high-turnover-rate/

Picture: Sinatra Park, Hoboken NJ 

Monday, January 7, 2013

Special Hoboken Board of Education Meeting (Reorganization) - Monday January 7, 2013


On Monday night, the three winners of the Hoboken School Board elections are being sworn in in the Board of Education meeting room. The ceremony will take place at 7 p.m. The agenda also includes the formation of new committees for the new Board of Education as well as some modifications to the Open Public Meetings Act including the following proposal which would REQUIRE an individual give their home address and declare any affiliation with an organization, company, or group (political or non-political); limiting any individual's comments to under 5 minutes, and granting the Board President the authority to terminate anyone's remarks for "the best interest of those present" : 
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that, in order to conduct its meetings properly and efficiently, the Board shall require the following procedures pertaining to public participation at Board meetings:

Any individual desiring to speak shall give his or her name, address, and the group, if any, that is represented.

The presentation shall be as brief as possible but no more than five (5) minutes per individual.

The Board vests in its president, or other presiding officer, authority to terminate the remarks of any individual if he/she deems it in the best interest of those present to do so.



01-07-13 Public Notice of Meeting


01 07 13 Reorganization Meeting

Picture: Construction underway for Church Square Park (4th Street Park), December 2012.

Friday, January 4, 2013

Position Announcement- STEM Education; Tenured/Tenure Track: College of Education- The University of Texas at Austin

The following position is available at The University of Texas at Austin. This is an open rank position in STEM Education and the position is offered from the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. Any specific questions on the position to be directed to Dr. Larry Abraham (l.abraham@austin.utexas.edu) who is the co-Chair of the faculty search along with Dr. Michael Marder (marder@chaos.utexas.edu). Other information for applicants can be viewed at the end of the ad. -Dr. Petrosino

Job Type: Tenured/Tenure Track 
Job Rank: Tenured Faculty Job ID: (0) 12121800001 
College: Education College URL: www.utexas.edu/education/ 
Department/Unit: Curriculum and Instruction Department/Unit URL: http://ci.edb.utexas.edu 

 Closing Date: Until Filled 

Field of Specialization: STEM Education 

 Job Description: The University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a full professor to be the inaugural holder of the Elizabeth Shatto Massey Endowed Chair in Education. The successful candidate will be a highly productive scholar with a consistent record of publication in top tier research journals, a successful track record of research funding, and a history as a leader in academic and/or professional settings. We are looking for a scholar committed to integrated STEM education, with an energetic and collaborative work style. This position involves teaching and leadership at the graduate level as well as in undergraduate teacher education, as the department works with the UTeach program in secondary STEM education as well as a large and high-profile elementary teacher education program. The STEM Education program is a partnership with the College of Natural Sciences and the Cockrell School of Engineering, and as a growing program, includes the possibility for the successful applicant to help shape the faculty by recruiting future colleagues. Salary is highly competitive.

Applicant Instructions: Please submit a cover letter addressing the above listed qualifications, a curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy and research interests, and names of three references to: Massey Endowed Chair Search Committee Attn: Mr. Jim Maxwell 1912 Speedway, Stop D5700 Austin, TX 78712-1293 USA Or electronically: jmax@austin.utexas.edu Subject line: Massey Endowed Chair Search Review of applications will begin January 15, 2013 and continue to be accepted until the position is filled.

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Position Announcement: Elementary Mathematics Education- The University of Texas at Austin


The following position is available at The University of Texas at Austin. This is an open rank position in Mathematics Education and the position is offered from the College of Education at The University of Texas at Austin. Any specific questions on the position to be directed to Dr. Jill Marshall (marshall@mail.utexas.edu) who is the co-Chair of the faculty search along with Dr. Susan Empson (empson@austin.utexas.edu). Other information for applicants can be viewed at the end of the ad. To be clear, I am NOT on the Search Committee for this position. -Dr. Petrosino

Job Type: Tenured/Tenure Track
Job Rank: Rank Open
Job ID: (0) 12092700001
College: Education
Department/Unit: Curriculum and Instruction
Department/Unit URL: http://ci.edb.utexas.edu
Closing Date: Until Filled
Field of Specialization: Elementary Mathematics Education

Job Description:
The Department of Curriculum and Instruction at The University of Texas at Austin invites applications for a tenure-track Assistant Professor position, or a tenured Associate or Full Professor position with a specialization in elementary Mathematics Education beginning in Fall 2013. The rank depends upon the candidate's qualifications. Highly qualified applicants may be eligible for an endowed professorship, at the Dean's discretion. REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS: • A doctorate in Mathematics Education, Learning Sciences, or related field • Demonstrated excellence or potential for excellence in research and teaching DESIRABLE QUALIFICATIONS: • Funded or externally fundable research program • Teaching Experience (K-12) Any programmatic research agenda in STEM education will be considered but preference will be given to those that complement and extend existing faculty's expertise and focus on access to quality STEM curriculum and instruction for populations historically underserved by the education system. Successful candidates will be expected to teach undergraduate courses in our teacher certification programs and graduate courses in our STEM Education graduate programs (including research methods courses in the department of Curriculum and Instruction). Above all, we seek a talented, productive scholar to join a faculty committed to innovative and socially responsive research and teaching in graduate and undergraduate programs in STEM Education with strong ties to the College of Natural Sciences and the Cockrell School of Engineering, a partnership with the University of Texas Elementary School, over 50 full-time graduate students, two nationally recognized teacher certification programs, including UTeach (7-12) and the Laptop Initiative for Future Educators (K-6), and a location in a diverse, rapidly growing, urban setting. This position offers a unique combination of opportunities for interdisciplinary inquiry, design-based research, program development, and impact on schools. The department of Curriculum and Instruction has a strong commitment to issues of equity in education, effective and innovative learning technology, and field-based teacher education.

Applicant Instructions:
Please submit a cover letter addressing the required and preferred qualifications, a curriculum vitae, a statement of teaching philosophy and research interests, and three letters of recommendation to: ATTN: STEM EDUCATION SEARCH/Elementary Mathematics 1912 Speedway, Stop D5700 The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78712-1293 USA. Electronic submissions should be sent c/o Ann Ford [annford@austin.utexas.edu]. Review of applications will begin November 15, 2012. Applications will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.