What used to be a process of one or two classroom visits by a school administrator has now turned into something exceptionally more rigorous — and this evaluation process is beginning earlier than ever! No longer are teacher evaluations reserved for in-service teachers (i.e. those already employed as educators), but the pressures to plan and execute great lessons have now trickled into pre-service education programs for those who haven’t even set foot in a classroom yet!

The requirements to become credentialed as a teacher have become more rigorous over the years. Now, states around the country are requiring that aspiring teachers videotape themselves teaching a lesson and submit it for evaluation.

California, the state with the second largest school district in the nation (the Los Angeles Unified School District), has been an early adopter of this new video recording requirement. The California Teacher Performance Assessment (CalTPA) is “a set of standards that clearly outline what beginning teachers should know and be able to do before receiving a preliminary credential.”

There are four parts to the CalTPA: 1. Subject Specific Pedagogy Task; 2. Designing Instruction Task; 3. Assessing Learning Task; and 4. Culminating Teaching Activity Task. The fourth task is the one that requires aspiring teachers to design a lesson and video tape themselves implementing that lesson. With this new CalTPA requirement, no person in the state of California can be credentialed as a teacher without first videotaping themselves teaching a lesson and receiving a passing score of a 3 or 4 (grading scale is out of 4).

California isn’t alone in their quest to improve teacher quality as a way to increase student performance. It was just announced that New York, the state with the largest school district in the nation (New York City), will also be implementing a new teacher credentialing process that requires aspiring teachers to submit a lesson plan and video recording of them teaching that lesson, along with the other teaching requirements.

When commenting about the importance of adding this new video recording element to the teacher credentialing process, Jon Snyder, dean of Bank Street College of Education in Manhattan, says, “You have to be able to drive a car to get a driver’s license. You can’t just pass the paper-and-pencil test — so it’s a pretty obvious need in the field.”

Given all the changes to the teacher credentialing process, it will only be a matter of time before the bar is raised for all aspiring and current teachers to videorecord their lessons and demonstrate their talents in a classroom setting.

Mandela Schumacher-Hodge is a former middle school teacher and doctoral student at UCLA. She is currently the co-founder & chief operation officer of DemoLesson, an innovative online hiring platform for teachers. In her spare time, Mandela loves to exercise, spend quality time with family and friends, and search for new adventures and experiences.

First, some background information on StartupBus is in order:

Imagine a diverse group of people aboard a bus for three days, working in teams to conceive, develop and launch technology-based startups. This was the scenario when Boston’s StartupBus departed from the MIT campus in March of this year and headed for the South by Southwest Conference (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.

Worcester was one of 32 “buspreneurs” who divided themselves into teams and brainstormed startup ideas. His team of six worked on a project called Teacher Tally, an online system that would help K-12 teachers assess students more effectively. Teacher Tally would allow educators to share their best assessment questions and vote on other teacher’s questions, a capability that currently is not provided by any other system. Teachers could then search for quality assessment questions for exams and homework. Working in cramped quarters on the StartupBus and getting by with very little sleep, the team created the beginnings of the Teacher Tally platform and received feedback from 60 teachers about the platform’s features.

Boston’s StartupBus was one of 11 buses that converged on SXSW from locations across America. Eight teams of buspreneurs were chosen to pitch their project to a group of tech industry leaders. The winning team was from Silicon Valley and their prototype product was Cerealize, a subscription service that would allow members to create custom cereals that are delivered to their door. Teacher Tally was not one of the eight finalists, but Worcester says he would recommend the StartupBus experience to anyone who is interested in quickly developing a startup idea with a group of like-minded people.

Worcester is finishing up his degree and other members of the Teacher Tally team are committed to school and full-time jobs, so the future of Teacher Tally is currently uncertain. Whether it becomes a product or never makes it past the prototype stage, Worcester is convinced that the demand for collaborative platforms for educators will continue to grow.

“As technology evolves, we are at a unique crossroads where technology is slowly but surely making its way into our schools,” writes Worcester. He has no doubt that the merging of education and technology will continue to change the education system as we know it, citing existing tech tools that teachers can use to increase effectiveness and enhance the learning experience, from behavior reporting tools like ClassDojo to social learning networks like Edmodo.

Wide scale adoption of these and other new platforms have been slowed by budget constraints and resistance to a paradigm shift on the part of many educators, according to Worcester. “But it’s only a matter of time before these tools start disrupting the conventional idea of the classroom on a larger scale.” Whether he continues to develop Teacher Tally or changes his focus to other projects after completing his bachelor’s degree, he plans to stay connected to education and the edtech community. His goal is to work for (or start) an education and technology company at some point in his career. You can follow him on CampusFiles, an education-related Twitter account.

For more information about the challenges faced by teaching professionals who are integrating education and technology, see this earlier post: “Common Misunderstandings of Educators who Fear Technology.”

In keeping with the testing season, we are very excited to launch an infographic that highlights the progress made within AP curricula over the past decade. Our graphic, “The Rise of the AP,” shares information and statistics from the College Board’s 8th Annual “AP Report to the Nation.”

We encourage you to share the graphic below with teachers, classmates and friends who might be prepping for an AP exam. And if you have any ideas on which direction AP courses should head over the next 10 years, tell us in the comments section!

Embed this Graphic on Your Site:

<a href="http://teach.com/education-policy/ap-infographic" target="_blank"><img class="alignnone size-full wp-image-2196" title="The Rise of the AP" src="http://teach.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/Teach.com-IG-AP-Final-Draft.jpg" alt="The Rise of the AP" width="598" height="5548" /></a><br clear="all" /><br /> Via <a href="http://teach.com/" target="_blank">Teach.com</a> and <a href="http://rossieronline.usc.edu/">USC Rossier Online</a>

Find out how you can become a teacher and change lives. Use Teach.com’s teacher certification map to learn more.

New Jersey Launches Online Teacher Appreciation Initiatives
Governor Christie of New Jersey began National Teacher Appreciation Week by announcing the launch of new online initiatives to recognize the contributions of New Jersey’s 130,000 teachers. The state’s Department of Education website now features three new pages dedicated to honoring New Jersey teachers. The first is a video address to teachers by Acting Commissioner Chris Cerf. The second page is called Teacher Memories and allows New Jersey residents to submit memories of their favorite teachers as a special way to thank them. Lastly, the Teacher Spotlight intends to feature a new teacher each month to recognize their outstanding achievements in the classroom.

RESPECT Project Suggests Education Reform for Teacher Appreciation Week
The RESPECT Project is an Obama Administration initiative to honor and elevate America’s educators through professional development and recognition for achievements. RESPECT stands for Recognizing Educational Success, Professional Excellence and Collaborative Teaching, and the project involves collaboration between the Department of Education and active teachers to determine the best methods of education reform. As part of National Teacher Appreciation Week, the Department of Education has released “The RESPECT Project: Envisioning a Teaching Profession for the 21st Century,” to inform the public of the project’s efforts and emphasize the importance of teacher appreciation.

High School Students Thank Teachers by Writing Letters
At Deptford High School in New Jersey, students are participating in Teacher Appreciation Week by writing heartfelt letters to the teachers who have had the most impact on their lives. Lou Randazzo, an English teacher at the school, started the project, which serves as an exemplary demonstration of teacher recognition. Not only are the letters personal ways of saying thank you, but they verbalize the importance of teachers and the impact they have on these students’ lives. “Kids come to you with so many different things, just looking for help and guidance,” Lou said. “You don’t always really realize the impact you have on your students’ lives. … the letters were more insightful and emotional than I thought they would be.”

National American Pioneer of Teaching Awarded to Ohio Teacher
The National Coalition of Public School Options — an activist group of parents, students and educators who support public school choice — initiated the American Pioneer of Teaching Award to honor teachers who work in pioneering public schools, such as online and charter schools. This year’s winner is Paul Wuff, an Ohio Virtual Academy High School Intervention Specialist. Paul was awarded this distinction for his extensive work in reaching students across various education platforms, including online learning. “Helping students reach their goals by connecting with their individual skills and needs makes every day a fulfilling one,” Paul said, “It is an honor to be recognized by NCPSO, which champions alternative learning options, as teachers across the country are celebrated this week.”

LYSOL Helps Teachers Purchase Classroom Supplies
To honor teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week, LYSOL has announced a national promotional sweepstakes that provides up to $50,000 in school supplies and LYSOL disinfecting wipes. The Healthy Classroom sweepstakes will run through September 14 and will give 100 teachers from around the country a chance to win a $500 gift card towards the purchase of classroom supplies. As per the company’s recent press release: “As part of the LYSOL® Mission for Health initiative, the sweepstakes is geared exclusively toward teachers in an effort to support good health and hygiene in schools. LYSOL® is further elevating the reach of this initiative through the promotional channels of the National Education Association. By helping provide teachers with the means to purchase much-needed school supplies, it is our hope they will encourage students to adopt healthy habits that can help to reduce the spread of germs in school and at home.”

Is there a special teacher who you’d like to thank, but you’re not sure how? This year, Teach.com has made it easy to reach out to your favorite teachers on Facebook. All you have to do is upload one of these images and tag your teacher on the photo that you think best describes them. It’s a simple way to let your past and current teachers know that you are thinking about them and appreciate all of the effort they put into their job.

Teaching Channel

Teaching Channel is honoring teachers this week with “5 Days, 5 Giveaways.” All you need to do is have a complete Teacher Channel profile to be entered for a chance to win.

Barnes & Noble Educator Program

The Barnes and Noble Educator program allows you to save 20 percent off the price of all books purchased for classroom use and 20 percent off the price during Educator Appreciation Days. You will also receive coupons and other special promotions by signing up for the program.

A.C. Moore

A.C Moore Arts & Crafts has expanded its teacher rewards program just in time for Teacher Appreciation Week, now allowing program members to take 15 percent off all purchases, in conjunction with other coupons and deals.

Staples

Staples Teacher Appreciation Day offers storewide deals and discounts to celebrate great teachers. This year’s deals have not yet been posted, but be sure to check back. You won’t want to miss these amazing offers!

Teachers DisCount

Teachers DisCount is a members-only program. Joining as a licensed and practicing teacher gives you access to deep discounts ranging from 10 percent to 60 percent off thousands of name-brand items.

Office Max

Office Max has an annual sale for Teacher Appreciation Day featuring storewide discounts on classroom and office supplies. Check their website soon for this year’s specials.

Scholastic

Scholastic Free Printables are available to teachers during Teacher Appreciation Week. These free classroom resources include handouts, worksheets, posters and other dynamic content to enrich your classroom environment. The Teacher Express web store also features special deals.

Applebee’s

All participating Applebee’s restaurants have special discounts for teachers on certain days during Teacher Appreciation Week. Check the Applebee’s website to see when your local Applebee’s is having its Teacher Appreciation Day.

Ann Taylor Loft

Ann Taylor Loft celebrates teachers every day with 15 percent off daily purchases, exclusive sweepstakes and discounts for teachers, and a grants program that awards a total of $50,000 annually to teachers. It also has special Teacher Appreciation Days that offer additional discounts to members.

Discount School Supply

Discount School Supply, one of the leading places for bargain prices on classroom supplies, has a sale of 15 percent off for Teacher Appreciation Day to celebrate great teachers. Be sure to check the site this week for the promotional code!

In today’s world, being able to interpret, analyze and discuss moving images may be as important as knowing how to read. And having an opportunity to practice these skills in a classroom environment is one way that students could gain access to one of the most American art forms: movies. But many students are never explicitly taught these skills. As a part of popular culture, kids are assumed to “get” movies just by seeing them. That is why The Film Foundation has created The Story of Movies, a free middle school curriculum that teaches literacy in moving images.

What Do Kids Learn from Movies?
The goal of The Story of Movies project is to teach literacy in moving images. This type of literacy is widely applicable in today’s world, and helps students to understand, analyze and discuss many forms of media. The Story of Movies teaches five key aspects of movie literacy: 1. film language, 2. historical and cultural contexts, 3. production and creative expression, 4. viewers’ response and aesthetic valuing, and 5. cross-curricular connections. Created by The Film Foundation, the curriculum also cultivates an appreciation for the American heritage of cinema by connecting classic films to contemporary circumstances. The films used are The Day The Earth Stood Still, Mr. Smith Goes to Washington and To Kill a Mockingbird.

How Kids Learn from Movies
In the class, it isn’t just what students learn that matter, but also how they learn it. The interdisciplinary lesson-plans of The Story of Movies will have a high impact on students with a visual learning style, whose needs aren’t often addressed by conventional lesson plans. Successful classroom teachers strive to plan lessons and teach in a manner that simultaneously addresses the needs of students with multiple learning styles. While movie lesson plans will obviously reach visual learners, The Story of Movies is designed to take into account the needs of students with other learning styles as well. By teaching visual literacy in an interdisciplinary manner, these lesson plans will increase students’ ability to learn about more than just movies.

Who Made The Story of Movies?
The Film Foundation created The Story of Movies in partnership with IBM and Turner Classic Movies. The Film Foundation is a non-profit organization founded in 1990 by the legendary filmmakers Martin Scorsese, Woody Allan, Robert Altman, Francis Ford Coppola, Clint Eastwood, Stanley Kubrick, George Lucas, Sydney Pollack, Robert Redford and Steven Spielberg to protect and preserve America’s cinematic heritage. The curriculum is available for free to middle school teachers throughout the United States.

Who Can Teach The Story of Movies?
Any middle school classroom teacher can teach The Story of Movies. The curriculum includes complete movie lesson plans intended to be used in a specific sequence to maximize student understanding. It includes basic contextual information for educators and does not require particular expertise in the areas of film production or film studies. The only requirement is that a teacher be able to clear four to six weeks of class time for the lessons. A genuine love of movies will also be a valuable instructional tool and may prove contagious.

Every teacher devotes his or her life to education for reasons as individual to them as any other part of their identity. Still, it usually isn’t the money, and it isn’t the three-month summer vacation. Reasons for becoming a teacher are deeper than that, and while they are personal, they are almost all united by the desire to impact peoples’ lives. There is a demand for great teachers in this country, and a person is called to become a teacher in response to that need. So, what’s calling you? Why do you want to teach?

To Improve the Quality of Education
The demand for great teachers is a tangible pressing need. While our country has come a long way in education reform, we still have a long way to go. There are schools across America that are still in high need because of budgetary concerns and low teacher retention, and students still continue to drop out at alarming rates. One reason to become a teacher is to impact the education system. If you recognize the need to improve the quality of education in this country, then you may become a teacher to affect change. There is a lot of work to be done, but it is the collective effort of thousands of dedicated teachers that will make the most difference.

School administrators and government officials have an impact at the legislative level, but it is teachers who have a direct effect on students in the classroom — that is, after all, where learning takes place. You won’t be able to improve the quality of education for every student in America, but you will be able to for your students. Helping just one student is worth it, but over a long and productive career, you have the chance to help thousands of students.

To Give Back to Your Community
One of the reasons for becoming a teacher is to contribute to your community in a meaningful way. Teaching is one of the most direct ways to make an impact, and if you are driven by the desire to help those around you, being a teacher is an invaluable contribution.

Perhaps you grew up in a high-needs area and are personally connected to the struggle of students who come from low-income families and go to schools with little funding; this sort of perspective allows you to recognize how much of a difference a devoted teacher can make. Maybe an amazing teacher changed your life when you were younger, and you want to share that with a new generation of students. Many people cite a favorite teacher as a source of inspiration in their decision to pursue a career in education.

To Change the Lives of Students
Teachers do more than teach, and their impact extends far beyond the classroom. As a teacher, you are more than just an educator: you are a mentor, a confidant and a friend. One of the most common reasons to become a teacher is to make a difference in the lives of as many students as you can. Taylor Mali, a renowned poet, education advocate and former teacher, describes this impact in his spoken word poem, “What Teachers Make.” He says, “I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could, I make a C+ feel like a congressional medal of honor, I make an A- feel like a slap in the face … I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be … I make a difference.”

Teachers have the potential to interact with students at all stages of development and from all walks of life. A great teacher wants to help students along this path and to play a part in shaping the person they will ultimately become. If you want to help a child struggling with low self-esteem and problems at home, then become a teacher to encourage them and help them realize their potential. Becoming a teacher lets you impart life lessons that they will never forget and puts you in a position to influence their decisions, behaviors, strengths, weaknesses and imaginations. Essentially, becoming a teacher lets you take part in shaping the next generation.

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics — STEM subjects, as they are commonly called — are the cornerstones of an evolving culture. As medical, technological and scientific breakthroughs continue to advance our society, the economy relies more heavily on industries that specialize in these fields. This has led to an increased demand for STEM-literate working professionals in the job market, and the education system has responded by placing greater emphasis on STEM subjects in schools.

In an attempt to increase the quality of education and raise awareness of STEM issues, many states have enacted programs that foster interest in students and encourage them to pursue careers in these fields. The following are five such initiatives that have been implemented to help teachers in Illinois:

I-STEM
I-STEM, the Illinois STEM Education Initiative, began in 2009 at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign with the mission of “improving access, quality and efficiency of STEM education activities.” The initiative is an outreach effort to create and sustain partnerships between the university and various community organizations that work towards the betterment of STEM education. I-STEM focuses on professional development of science and mathematics teachers, working with other institutes of higher learning to provide research opportunities for students in STEM subjects and hosting community activities to raise interest. For example, I-STEM works with Illinois public schools and the Science Olympiad to organize friendly educational science competitions.

Illinois Science Olympiad (ISO)
The ISO is the Illinois faction of the national Science Olympiad, an engaging initiative focused on getting students excited about science through competitions at the local, regional and national levels. Teachers and students in Illinois schools are divided into teams within one of eight regional competition sites. Approximately 20 schools compete in each region, and competitions focus on hands-on learning in subjects, like biology, chemistry, physics and engineering. The top students in each region go on to the State Tournament, and those winners compete on the national stage.

Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy
The Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA) is an internationally renowned college preparatory school that enrolls academically talented students in grades 10 through 12 and is making tremendous contributions to STEM education in Illinois. IMSA teaches students through a rigorous, challenging curriculum that is heavily focused on mathematics and science. It is a residential program, though tuition and boarding expenses are provided by the state, and of the 650 students enrolled, 99.5 percent go on to college. IMSA students learn from some of the most accomplished faculty in the country and are even given opportunities to conduct research that further develops their interest in STEM fields. In addition to dedication of its own students, IMSA works to revitalize STEM education across the state by working in school districts to train science and math teachers and help develop innovative STEM programs.

Illinois Science Teachers Association (ISTA)
The ISTA is the Illinois chapter of the National Science Teachers Association and currently has over 2,200 members, including science teachers, science supervisors, administrators, scientists, business and industry representatives, and government officials. The ISTA is dedicated to improving the quality of STEM education through professional development and the sharing of resources that can be applied to the classroom. Over 2,000 people each year attend ISTA conferences, which are held to discuss important advances is STEM education and implement effective teaching strategies in Illinois classrooms.

Science Academy of Chicago
The Science Academy of Chicago is a college preparatory school that emphasizes STEM education, but does so from a highly individualized approach that takes the needs of each student into consideration. The academy aims to create a safe environment where students are comfortable to take risks and go the extra mile in exploring STEM subjects. The faculty set individual goals for students and helps them meet those goals through cooperative learning, individual projects and immersive after-school programs. This special attention that each student receives ensures that their aptitudes in particular STEM fields are recognized early on and nurtured to develop into full-blown skills and career interests.

This week’s Education News Round-Up discusses important changes in the New York City Public school system, the current state of STEM education and a very special opportunity given to Chicago public school students.

A Special Lecture for Chicago High School Students
This Monday, the students of Chicago’s Frederick Von Steuben Metropolitan Science Center attended a guest lecture by Mikhail S. Gorbachev, former president of the Soviet Union. With the help of an interpreter, he recounted the climate of the Cold War and spoke about the current state of international relations. “Today we often see a failure of responsibility — moral responsibility, political responsibly. We need to learn to live in this global world, to manage the events of the global world.”

Mr. Gorbachev spoke as part of a series of panel discussions that opened the 12th World Summit of Nobel Peace Laureates, which was held for the first time in the United States from April 23 to 25. “We’re not starting with some large opening ceremony at some large hall,” said last year’s interim head of Chicago Public Schools, Terry Mazany, “we’re starting at the public schools with serious dialogue between the peace laureates and students. We’re bringing a student voice to the conversation.” Former South African President F.W. de Klerk (who shared the 1993 Nobel Peace Prize with Nelson Mandela) spoke in another Chicago school.

Brooklyn High School Faces Closing
Bushwick Community High School in Brooklyn is a safe haven for at-risk teenagers in one of the most high-needs areas in New York City. The school accepts students who have dropped out, been in trouble with the law, are homeless or have fewer than 10 of the 44 required credits to graduate. For many, it is a last resort, and it becomes their home. “Where would I be without this school family? I would be in jail. I would be dead,” one of the school’s current teachers and former students, Iran Rosario said. “Friends tell you what you want to hear; family tells you what you need to hear. They did that for me, and saved my life.”

But this Thursday, Bushwick Community High School faces a vote by the Panel for Education Policy that could potentially see its principal and half its staff laid off. This school has come under scrutiny by the Bloomberg administration for its failure to meet the standards of achievement determined by standardized tests. Supporters of the school argue that the faculty looks at the whole student, as opposed to their grades, and that voting to close will remove a powerfully positive force from the Bushwick community.

Automated Essay Grading as Efficient as Human Graders
A recent study determined certain computer programs are as effective at grading essays on standardized tests as humans. While many of these programs are still a long time away from becoming the norm, educators are realizing the potential. A human essay grader can grade 30 essays in one hour; a computerized essay grader can grade 16,000 in two seconds. They check essays for word count, sentence length, sentence fragments and the sophistication of the vocabulary.

Nonetheless, the director of writing at MIT, Les Perlman, says there is a lot these programs do not consider. After writing two essays, a nonsensical one that totaled 716 words and received a score of 6, and a well-argued 567-word essay that received a 5, Mr. Perlman concluded two things: 1. The program cannot score the quality of an argument, simply its mechanics; and 2. it cannot tell the truth. “[The programs] don’t care if you say the War of 1812 started in 1945,” he said.

This Year’s Report on the Condition of STEM Education
Interactive Educational Systems Design, Inc. and STEM Market Impact, LLC released their third annual report on the current state of the STEM market. STEM, or Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics, is an area of education receiving special attention as educators try preparing students to enter a workforce dominated by companies in these industries. The report details more than 700 unmet needs identified by a thousand administrators, educators and STEM leaders. It discusses how these unmet needs present opportunities for companies that wish to work with educators to strengthen their programs. The survey also follows the progress of classrooms across the country that have integrated technology into their learning, as well as the status of the Bring your Own Device (BOYD) efforts that encourage students to bring their own computers to class.

Mayor Bloomberg Opening 54 New Schools in NYC

Despite criticism of his administration’s aggressive closing of underperforming schools, Mayor Michael Bloomberg has just announced that 54 new schools will be opening across New York City in the fall of 2012. Twenty-four of these will be charter schools, and 30 of them will be regular public schools. New schools often occupy the spaces of old schools, and since he took office in 2002, Mayor Bloomberg has closed 140 schools while opening 589 new ones. Nevertheless, opponents of this policy say that 140 is too many, and point to the fact that almost 40 percent of closed schools were created by the mayor. They say that closing schools endangers special-needs students, English Language Learners and students who qualify for free or reduced price lunch.