4 day School Week

The Edutopia Poll by Sara Ring addresses the topic, Is a four day school week more beneficial than the typical five day school week? With the cost of fuel for busing and the cost of heat and electricity, many schools are going to a four day school week. Living in mid-Michigan several school districts are looking for ways to save money in the harsh winters. Some districts have gone to a four day week every other week to save on heat and electricity. Others have looked to extend the day longer to meet hour requirements, but reduce the number of days in school.
I can relate to both sides of the argument of parents and teachers. In an elementary school, thinking about working parents, that is a whole day for a parent to take off of work or to find child care. On the other hand, by extending the length of the day provides more opportunities for block core instruction with fewer interruptions for special classes.
The real question is, Are the students still receiving meaningful instruction? Is the money the schools are saving substantial enough to make a difference in the budgets?

Ohio Schools Paying for Test Goofs

I was really struck by Ohio Schools Paying for Test Goofs by Jennifer Smith Richards on October 29, 2010. Ohio schools had to pay the state thousands of dollars because of broken shrink wrap, reading aloud a passage that should not have been, using calculators when they should not have, or for using dictionaries.
I had an experience today that really made me connect to this article. There was no problem as far as testing restrictions or violations, but as my school began to pack up the MEAP tests to send back, I was given a little bit of a scare. One of my student's answer documents were missing. The testing booklets were with the rest of the class, but as our administrator counted and counted, we could not find them. I was convinced that I had turned everything in and had it all together. Set into a panic, I did not know if I would have to retest this student all in one day? Would that be okay since he would have already seen the test? What type of trouble would the school be in if a student did not submit all areas of the test?
As we combed through all of the materials one more time, we discovered the missing answer documents sorted into the wrong pile. The sense of relief was amazing, but as I read this article I questioned would my school have had to pay thousands of dollars? Would some type of retesting of this student have to take place?

Vancouver Schools Testing iPods for Learning

I was really interested in the article about Vancouver schools using ipods in three third grade classes to test for learning. The school used grant money to cover the expenses of the ipods for the classes. Each student was assigned to an ipod to use for the class, which allowed students who don't have access to technology at home to practice.
With many students already owning or experiencing ipods, there was not a lot of training that had to take place. Students were able to use the ipods to reinforce math drills, play educational games, look up countries that they were learning about, and use applications to assist in individualized instruction. I am not surprised by the outcomes that the article highlighted. Students were more attentive and interested in participating as well as having an improvement in attendance during the class. The instruction became centered around the student instead of the teacher. Students that were more advanced were able to work ahead and complete other games and drills.
With the development of new applications on the ipods and phones, students would be able to access help in various subjects and work at their own pace. Activities and drills can be repeated without students feeling embarrassed about not understanding and 'getting it' the first time.
I like the idea of using new ways to engage students. It makes me wonder would this be possible to do in an entire school? and what type of professional development is out there in this area?