AM News: Top Colleges Expand Free Online Courses
Harvard and M.I.T. Offer Free Online Courses NYT: The universities announced a new nonprofit partnership, known as edX, that will offer vast new learning opportunities for students around the world. NPR: Top Universities Expand Free Online Classes
The Best Ways To Integrate Special Needs Students NPR: NPR education correspondent Claudio Sanchez and Thomas Hehir of Harvard University talk about how to integrate special needs students into mainstream classrooms.
City to Add Teachers Next Year WSJ:After years of swelling class sizes, the number of New York City schoolteachers will increase next year for the first time since 2008, city officials said.
Can Sleeping Improve School Performance? HuffPost: In high school, Melissa Edwards woke up at 6:30 a.m. to catch a bus. It was dark, she was tired and the school's 7:15 a.m. morning bell forced the St. Louis teen to eat lunch at 10:45.
Miramonte Elementary teacher calls LAUSD treatment unfair SCPR: Maria Miranda, a first grade teacher at Miramonte Elementary School, calls L.A. Unified's treatment of the teachers "unfair" in her comments to her union peers. We provide excerpts below.
MORE NEWS ITEMS INSIDE
Scaled-down capital budget for CPS Chicago Tribune: Faced with a nearly $700 million budget deficit, Chicago Public Schools has proposed a capital spending budget for the coming fiscal year of $110 million, a sharp drop from this year's $660 million.
Aldermen tell CPS to reduce suspensions and expulsions Chicago Tribune: Spurred by student and community groups demanding a less punitive student discipline system, a City Council committee on Wednesday passed a resolution calling on Chicago Public Schools to reduce suspensions and expulsions by 40 percent.
The expansion of reliable online courses is something I’m always glad to see. I think education is a right, and this makes it possible for those who otherwise could never take classes to acquire the knowledge we all deserve.
Posted by: Sarah | May 04, 2012 at 07:01 AM
As for the the story on sleep, sleep is a definite factor in school performance. I rarely get more than 7 hours of sleep on nights after doing homework, cooking or getting dinner, taking care of work or chores, and possibly hanging out with friends. I spend a lot of time feeling sluggish. I’ve watched my grades fluctuate at times based on it, particularly back in high school.
Posted by: Sarah | May 04, 2012 at 07:04 AM
This is great news for students around the globe, and the first step to allow life-long learning for all! The next step should be to get some certification not available now. Don't you think so?
Posted by: Martha | May 08, 2012 at 15:02 PM