Here’s something fun that you could do with your class- make cotton candy. This could be a great team treat around this time of year. The kids could do lots of the work and everyone could enjoy the results.
http://www.cookingissues.com/2010/11/22/powers-of-two-hand-pulled-cotton-candy-round-the-world/
Speed Versus Age
A Policeman stops a speeding car and tells the woman driver; When I saw you driving down the road, I thought to myself, sixty-five at least. The woman replied: “I don’t think that is quite fair. I think this hat makes me look younger.”
Hearing Aids
Seems an elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems for a number of years. He went to the doctor and the doctor was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear 100%. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, “Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased you can hear again.” To which the gentleman said, “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I’ve changed my will five times!”
NMSA 2010 Conference
Santa:
Activities – Paid site, but you could gather some ideas.
In response to Reid’s question on digital science resources, I thought I could share a few thoughts and ideas.
Probably the best interactive online science simulations are called Gismos and can be found at:
http://www.explorelearning.com
They come at a cost but when you look at them you will see that they really provide skills in inquiry and understanding. They are very “age appropriate” and include topics in earth, moon, and sun; measurement and lab skills; heredity and genetics; ecology and interdependence; motion and force, electricity and magnetism; and many, many more. You can’t go wrong with Gizmos.
………………………..
As far as online textbooks go, there are not a lot of choices, unless you go with a textbook company and Reid did not want to go with a standard textbook. I agree that he will have more success if he looks at “units” instead of a “full year.” In Michigan we recommend four 9-10 week units in grades 5-7. In 8th grade we recommend more units, but units that last shorter periods of time. The other negative about online resources is that they tend to downplay inquiry, which is very important, as well as being more “high schoolish” in their content and delivery. But here are a few choices:
Classzone—They provide resources to their student texts, but provide quite a bit of material. Visit: http://www.classzone.com/cz/index.htm
Prisms—PRISMS is a collection of reviewed phenomena and representations for middle school. The goal is to help increase the amount of content aligned and pedagogically useful resources available in the National Science Digital Library (NSDL) for middle school teachers and students. Visit: http://prisms.mmsa.org/
Khan Academy—You have mentioned quite a few times, but is worth a visit at: http://www.khanacademy.org/
………………………..
I would also recommend that he participate in the National Middle Level Science Teachers Association. Educators can join at: http://www.nmlsta.org/
You mentioned that I write a newsletter and it is the twice-monthly Michigan Science Matters Network eBlast. It is archived at http://msta-mich.org/smn But Science Matters is a network from within the National Science Teachers Association and Indiana is a part of the Network. I would encourage him to contact the State Coordinator: Kate Baird. They are also affiliated with the state science organization—Hoosier Association of Teachers and they can be found at: http://www.hasti.org/
by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com)
Pennies for the Planet! Penny Wars!
The Secret Santa gift exchange is a favorite Christmas season activity. Put a twist on it in your classroom by having students give each other acts of kindness rather than gifts. Remind students how Secret Santa works. Tell them that instead of giving gifts they will be giving acts of kindness. Supply them with a few examples, such as giving compliments, helping with homework or sharing a joke. Give students slips of paper to write their names on and place them in a bag. Students draw the name of their partner for Secret Santa. Remind students to keep their identity secret.
Give the students pieces of A4 paper and have them decorate with Christmas borders so that they look like scrolls. Each day students write their acts of kindness on their scrolls. At the end of the week, everyone tries to guess who their Secret Santa is, and they turn their kindness scroll over to their partner.
http://www.ehow.com/list_6567051_holiday-activities-middle-school-students.html
 *maggiecary Helping Your Child Transition from EZ Readers to Chapter Books: |
 *bdyck Wondering How the Internet Sees You? |
 *bhsprincipal The Answer Sheet | What Tom Friedman got wrong about schools and why it matters – http://wapo.st/eXgscu via @wackjacq #cpchat #bhschat |
 *bhsprincipal Patrick Larkin RT @MrWejr: Teachers Who Shun Social Media Left In the Dark- Vancouver Sun via @jsteffenhagen #edchat #bhschat |
 *cybraryman1 Email Around the World Project: #ellchat #kinderchat |
 *cybraryman1 @kconners09 My Ed Chats page: #sschat (every Monday 7 pm EST) Here’s the link to tonight’s #sschat archive. http://ow.ly/3hdbh@Ron_Peck A properly designed Cooperative Learning Project does work well. Cooperative Learning: #sschat |
 *WackJacq RT @mcleod: New post: The 7 tacit lessons which schools teach children http://bit.lhttp://bit.ly/hMaMCQ #sschat #cpchat (Note: link in the tweet is bad. Here it is: http://www.minddump.org/the-7-tacit-lessons-which-schools-teach-child) |
 *TheSwish @MsTeacher28 We do a Bill of Rights “hand game” http://goo.gl/YHdBh & “Do I Have a Right” from @icivics #sschat |
 *Larryferlazzo The Best Teacher Resources For “Foldables” |
 *mbteach Come see a model lesson on using Skype in the classroom w/myself & @dancallahan at 11:20 #edcampnyc w/@jswiatek at #edcampcitrus |
Session 4
April Tibbles is chief of staff. (I got to sit next to the lovely and talented April Tibbles!)
Greg Darnieder is special advisor to Sec. Duncan. College Access Initiative.
Leah Raphael, Patrick Desmond (Teacher fellows) (LaDezma? A little difficult to hear)
Secondary planning group being developed.
Think about this while we talk: If you had 60 seconds with the secretary, what would you say about middle school?
Speed round:
1st word: Personalization
2nd word: Looping
3rd word: College and career readiness standards.
4th word: Rigor
5th word: Transitioning to high school.
6th word: Data
Are the needs of middle school students distinct?
What does a middle school look like?
Reauthorization of Perkins is coming up next year.
Should that program be revised to include middle grades?
If you had 60 seconds with Arne Duncan . . .
1. Exploratories to drive desire to learn and career choice.
2. This We Believe – No half measures.
3. We would love to have you on the podcast.
Secondary Schools Working Group
Session 4
Jack Berckemeyer
Hands on. See hand out.
steve spangler – diaper genie and bernoulli’s law.
I. Spelling:
Get words from other courses.
Put words on an index card. Tape the card on their back. They get 20 questions to figure out the word.
Harley Davidson spelling words. =
• Snap fingers and spell.
• Have them repeat you spelling the word. Change volume to really low.
• Chanting the word by syllable.
puzzlemaker.com
Word within a word
Paper plate Spelling – Put one letter on each plate. If a word includes more than one instance of a letter, the holder must move. If they start to spell it wrong, interrupt them. Then go back to them. Each and every group has to recite their answer. The kids hear it many times. (Always correct).
Replace a letter with a sound.
Blueberry and banana sentences. Replace the underline with a word. Use only 2 words to replace the line.
II. Reading Strategies
Book Talks
National Geographics (appropriate). Use for students who are finished with the assignments. Pick interesting articles. Use during pre and post learning time.
Story Pyramid- See handout
Useful for any subject. Just switch the questions.
3 Study card
The art of manipulation. The week of the test (Monday)use outlining, teaches listening skills and outlining. Then combine it down to a smaller piece of paper. Then cut it down to one index card.
READ magazine.
Pick a role and sell it to the kid first.
III. Academic Writing Strategies
19 Rules to Final Copy
IV. Creative Writing Strategies
Cliff Hangers
Make the kids be quite for 5 minutes at the beginning of class and write. It gets them focused.
How to make a Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich. The follow up is important. Teaches sequence of events and transitions.
Spin a story – Put a brad on a piece of paper with names/locations/conflict. Can also use Weekly World Report – just the headlines.
V. Grammar
We don’t think about grammar as visual. Go to the window- does anyone see a noun?
“Fanatasia” the dancing hippos – kids come up with adjectives.
“Grammar Rock”
VI. Listening Skills
Place an X on the floor where you give direct instruction.
Sound effects on CD. They write what it the effect is.
“Green Grass Grew All Around”- they listen then quiz them.
VII. Oral Communications
Commercials
Songs
Presenting:
Chin Up
Speak so you can be heard
Eye Contact
Have them memorize a poem, then project the words on the back wall.
Use a prop box.
By Alyson Klein
During the recent midterm election, a number of conservative Republican candidates eager to clamp down on what they see as bureaucratic waste took aim at scrapping a familiar target: the 30-year-old U.S. Department of Education.
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2010/12/03/14department.h30.html?tkn=LPSFd931Pu0MSHTZwcv4b9T%2FrkBlNeC1Xsfh&cmp=clp-edweek
Need an example of an author rewriting? Want to teach the “secret” code of adults (cursive)? This is a great example of how Charles Dickens wrote the classic tale.
http://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2009/11/30/nyregion/dickens-christmas-carol-pages.html
Author: Charles Dickens
Narrator: Antonia Bath
Publisher:LearnOutLoud.com
Unabridged Edition
Running Time: 2 Hrs. 45 Min.
http://www.learnoutloud.com/Free-Audio-Video/Literature/European-Classics/A-Christmas-Carol/29311
The Power of Literature Circles
I promise to provide practical resources on the how, when, where, what of lit circles, but let me first make a case for why every K-12 classroom should institute some version of literature circles.
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/literature-circles-how-to-and-reasons-why-elena-aguilar
http://gallery.carnegiefoundation.org/collections/quest/collections/sites/aguilar_elena/literature_circles.htm
Interactive White Boards are here, whether we like them or not. Golly, if your classroom doesn’t have one by now, I’d be real surprised. And while tech educators often rail against them (because teachers hog them), I’ve decided to throw up the white flag of surrender- for the kids. It would seem teachers aren’t going to give these things up and let the kids use them. Ever.
http://www.techlearning.com/blogs/34792
NMSA News:
Other News:
From the author:
Welcome to ScienceFix.com! Your place to get your science fix! It is a resource for middle school science teachers. It has resources (created by me, Darren Fix), that teachers can use such as lessons, science links, video demonstrations and web projects/webquests. There are original resources and of course customized (teaching is all about taking other teachers creations and modifying and tailoring it to your classroom). The site is also a blog. The reason for the blog feature is to share some of the more interesting things that are going on in science that might stir some interest in your classroom or just for your own personal enjoyment. Hopefully you can get some use out of it and also have a little fun!
I have been a science teacher for 14 years. Currently I am teaching 7th and 8th grade science at Spring View Middle School, in Rocklin, Ca. I am also the lead technology teacher and I have a masters in education technology via the iMET masters program at California State University, Sacramento. I am a science and technology nerd who thoroughly enjoys teaching. I love to do demonstrations of science concepts and I also try to incorporate the latest discoveries in science into the classroom. I also integrate computer applications into the science curriculum to further enhance the learning experience. I have presented at education conferences such as the state CUE (Computer Using Educators) Conference as well as the CLHS/CLMS (California League of High Schools/ Middle Schools) Technology Conference.
Richard Byrne is one of those teachers who “get it”. He regularly posts really good links. Here is a post about GeoGebra. He provides links to the site as well as support materials. Make his site a regular stop.
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/11/geogebra-tutorials-for-beginners-and.html
Found this post via Scott McLeod:
Alan McCluskey from the Swiss Agency for ICT in education spoke about The 7 tacit lessons which schools teach children:
1. Knowledge is scarce
2. Learning needs a specific place and specific time (lessons in classrooms)
3. Knowledge is best learnt in disconnected little pieces (lessons)
4. To learn you need the help of an approved expert i.e. a teacher
5. To learn you need to follow a path determined by a learning expert (a course of study)
6. You need an expert to assess your progress (a teacher)
7. You can attribute a meaningful numerical value to the value of learning (marks, grades, degrees)
http://edubuzz.org/blogs/donsblog/2006/06/08/utopia/
So I started thinking about what lessons do we want to teach kids? I mean, what are the big life lessons that we want kids to leave us with? Much of the information that we have will change (or least not be absolutely crucial to know as facts). I would think that we wouldn’t want to teach the 7 things above. Then again, is this the right list? Comments are open for your thoughts.
Tuning
The doorbell rang, and the lady of the house discovered a workman, complete with tool chest, at the front door. “Lady,” he announced, “I’m the piano tuner.” The lady exclaimed, “Why, I didn’t send for a piano tuner.” The man replied, “I know, but your neighbors did.”
Age
A teacher said to her student, “Billy, if both of your parents were born in 1967, how old are they now?” After a few moments, Billy answered, “It depends.” “It depends on what?” she asked. “It depends on whether you ask my father or my mother.”
Space
When the Smith family moved into their new house, a visiting grandparent asked five-year-old Tommy how he liked the new place. “It’s great,” he said. “I have my own room, Alex has his own room, and Jamie has her own room. But poor mom is still in with dad.”
Painting
Mary goes to her first show at an art gallery and is looking at the paintings. One is a huge canvas that has black with yellow blobs of paint splattered all over it. The next painting is a murky gray color that has drips of purple paint streaked across it. Mary walks over to the artist and says, “I don’t understand your paintings.” “I paint what I feel inside me,” explains the artist. “Have you ever tried Alka-Seltzer?”
Guys- I have just recently started to listen to your podcasts and follow you on Twitter. I am impressed and look forward to learning from the networking. I am a middle school principal in Lowell, Indiana. I need some help with a couple of things. First, it is a Science adoption year here in Indiana and I need help locating quality digital resources for adoption instead of textbooks. Do you guys know of any that I could research. Second, I am interested in Second Life and how you guys use this web tool.
Reid
by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com)
Cell Phones, iPods and energy. What do your students need to know?
Have your students take a short quiz on World Hunger. You could have the students take the quiz collaboratively, or take it yourself first, then give it to the students. Good discussion topics. Plus a donation is made every time someone takes the quiz.
http://gifts.wfp.org/quiz/
 *ransomtech ✜ Stephen Ransom Gr8 screencasting tool on Mac!! RT @ScreenFlow: #BlackFriday is here! 15% off ScreenFlow thru end of November 🙂 |
 *brasst Tami Brass Connect Safely |A Parents’ Guide to Facebook | Safety Advice Articles diigo.com/0dsjc via @Diigo |
 *rkiker How I Planned a Successful Unconference in 6 hours – and You Can Too http://pulsene.ws/o0Eo #edchat #edcamp |
 *kevcreutz Seven Ways to Build Your Own Educational Games #edtech |
 *kconners09 RT @DanielPink: An inspired school principal (@L_Hilt) tries a FedEx Day for her teachers. Fantastic. |
 *shannonmmiller 10 Terrific iPhone and iPad Musical Performances http://ow.ly/3fUBZ @johnccarver |
 * drmmtatom Twitter Rubric: #fhucid |
 * jeanbont #pun outside class door today: “My arm!”, said Captain Hook, offhandedly. |
 *maggiecary When Your Child’s Grades are Failing: |
This Part for Infamous40000 . . . :
Waiting to hear back from Infamous40000 . . .
PLC is NOT:
The research says that we take on the characteristics of the students we teach.
Culture
Climate
•Standards based (Learning Targets)
Coaching
Early success breeds Hope.
Covey’s concept of Sphere of Influence. Sphere of control is where we need to operate.
Collaboration leads to taking out the walls.
Professional Development:
True Colors
Adults do not learn from experience, they learn from reflection. J. Mezirow
Must build reflection into the PD experience.
The starting of the PLC:
Led to:
Instructional Focus
Formative assessment
Metacognition (Think alouds)
Prior Knowledge
Collaboration is the key.
Starting collaboration:
Grade level;
2 collaborative sessions required per 9 weeks. There was form for follow up.
The next year, 1 was required. The third year, no mention. The idea was to integrate it into what they do.
Special education started getting involved. The special ed teachers gave some ideas for accommodations.
Common planning for departments. Started vertical articulation. This lead to similarities being identified. Identified overlap of standards.
Developed a 2 year plan. Language Arts teachers decided to “loop”. (5th & 6th and 6th & 7th grades.).
Cross curricular
Leads to Differentiation as well.
Leadership Team
The leadership team takes issues to the principal. Makes sure that all teachers have a voice.
Reading became the focus of the school.
Reading became the common core.
First Step:
SRA
Next:
Sphere of Influence.
ICU – Intensive Care Unit
Exploratory Math labs, Lit labs
Saturday School
Summer school
ICU questions. All students are listed on Google Docs. Students who have issues are marked and followed up by everyone (eg. student missing homework).
Every teacher has to make 3 parents calls a week. At least 1 must be positive.
Celebrations at card marking
*************************************************************************************
SoundNote Recording created November 4, 2010 12:30 PM:
Sheila_J_Berlinger@mcpsmd.org
Jennifer_Bernard@mcpsmd.org
Denise_M_DeFlore@mcpsmd.org
Elizabeth_A_Sandall@mcpsmd.org
Pink folder on table and name tag. Types of development paper to share.
This we Believe
“For middle school students to be successful, the school’s organization, curriculum, pedagogy and programs must be based on the developmental readiness, needs and interests of young adolescent learners.”
We need to staff our middle schools with experts in teaching middle school kids.
Outcomes
• Identify the characteristics of the adolescent learner
• Explain the instructional implications for adolescents based on their brain development.
• Articulate how the selection of instructional ….
Characteristics of the Adolescent Learner: Step One
Step one
• Draw 2-3 strips from the envelope.
• Sort the characteristics by the categories on the placemat.
Step two
• Look at the hot pink paper and discuss.
• Consult the document titled “Characteristics of Adolescent Learners.”
• Examine how the characteristics were sorted.
• Compare your lists to one we have provided.
Implications for learning
What implications does the information on the characteristics of the adolescent learner handout have for planning and instruction based on your role in your school district?
I need to incorporate those characteristics into my teaching to support their learning.
Why is rigor important and why does it matter?
• Review your rigor placement.
• Define Rigor:
International competitiveness.
Teaching with the end in mind.
Using thinking based learning.
Green Handout: Rigorous Instruction in the middle school
Triangle image on the page.
1. Explicit opportunities for critical thinking
2. Selection of rigorous instructional materials
3. Appropriately matched and differentiated instructional strategies.
Application activity:
Toni Morrison’s The Big Box
Chosen for an adult audience in a conference setting.
This is an illustration for use around the triangle.
1. Listen to and look at the Big Box.
2. With your table mates, revisit the text with the elements of reasoning.
3. Be prepared to share your assignment element(s).
Reflection:
How did this experience motivate and engage you?
Rigor selection process.
Provocative: To what extent is the curriculum concerned with the central problems in the discipline that challenge students’ previous concepts?
Ambiguous: To what extent does the curriculum focus on cymbals and images paced with multiple meanings?
Complex: To what extent is the curriculum organized around complex, interrelated concepts?
Emotional: To what extent is the curriculum …
(Lilac paper)
Ambiguous: forced us to interpret
Emotional: there were things there that each reader can identify with.
Provacative: Things to defend or discuss vigorously.
Complex:
PACE and the Big Box.
Implications for planning and instruction
What implications do the definition and measure of rigor (PACE) have for planning and instruction based on your role in your school district?
Engaging the students in something worthy of their time.
The elements of thought: The Reasoning Wheel
Richard Paul and Linda Elders model.
1. Points of view
2. Purpose of the thinking
3. Question at issue
4. Information
5. Interpretation and inference
6. Concepts
7. Assumptions
8. Implications and consequences
Am I critical thinker?
Implications: things that might happen
Consequences: Things that will happen.
Discussion:
How would this model support their learning and help ensure rigorous instruction?
Adolescent Brain Development
Emotions?? Highly developed …
Reasoning and reflection?
Under construction …
(Until early or mid-twenties)
Developmental Rates
Significant growth occurs in the adolescent similar to childhood growth.
As those synapses are growing, we need to use them or lose them.
The stronger the relationship between the student and the teacher, the better the ability to set emotions aside and learn.
Prune the students to direct their energy to where it should go and strengthen the core of the tree/student.
Which neuron provides the greater potential for connection?
What students are asked to think about and what they’re asked to do determines the level of neuron they have.
Neuron develops on feedback and challlenge.
Challenge: problem solving, critical thinking, relevant projects, complex materials.
Feedback: Exemplars, connected to clear standards and criteria, various forms, timely, opportunity to use it.
Sense and Meaning
Long term memory: retrieving information
Sense: comprehension, I understand it, it makes sense. Until it makes sense, it’s not stored.
Meaning: Relevance-I can connect it to something else I know. No connection = no meaning.
“Of the two, meaning has the greater impact on the probablily that the information will be stored.” -Sousa
Implications for planning and instruction: What implications does the information on the adolescent brain have for planning and instruction based on your role in your school district?
Rigorous Instructional Practices
• The content refers to WHAT students will learn.
• The process refers to HOW students will learn or explore the content.
• The product is the EVIDENCE of student learning.
Implications for planning and instruction
What do I now have to consider in order to successfully develop adolescent thinkers?
CEU Code: UN8
News:
What Really Happened?
A comparison of Thanksgiving stories:
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/what-really-happened-comparing-stories-of-the-first-thanksgiving/
Sharendipity
ClassTools.net
Purpose Games
What 2 Learn
YoYo Games
Jeopardy Labs
ProProfs Brain Games
http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2010/11/seven-ways-to-build-your-own.html
NMSA News:
Other News:
If you are looking to use rubics, Rubistar is a great resource. It is easy to use and has a ton of pre-made rubrics which can be customized. If Rubistar doesn’t work for you, check out iRubric. Both of these sites give you plenty of examples and allow you to customize your own rubrics. Both of these resources are free for individual teachers. Both can be extended to be used on-line instead of just as paper copies (there may be a cost for that though).
Frogs
A guy was walking beside a pond when a frog jumped out and told him that she was really a beautiful princess and if he were to kiss her, she would make him VERY happy! He picked up the frog and put it into his pocket. A few minutes later, the frog poked her head out and said, “Didn’t you hear me?! I’m a beautiful princess and if you kiss me I will stay with you and do ANYTHING you want!” The guy took the frog out and said, “Look, I understand what you are saying, but I am a computer programmer and right now I don’t have time for a girlfriend… but a talking FROG is REALLY, REALLY COOL!”
Scotland
Over a remote Scottish island a helicopter lost power and was forced to make an emergency landing. Luckily there was a small cottage nearby. The pilot walked over to it and knocked on the door. “Is there a mechanic in the area?” he asked the woman who answered the door. She scratched her head and thought for a few seconds. “No,” she finally said, pointing down the road, “but we do have a McArdle and a McKay.”
by Dave Bydlowski (k12science or davidbydlowski@mac.com)
“Heliophysics.” and more.
 * NMSAnews NMSA RMLE Online: Influences of High-Stakes Testing on Middle School Mission and Practice |
 * rguthrie Rachel Guthrie Is school a selective process where students need to be ranked, sorted and culled? or an experience meant to encourage and promote learning? |
 *chadratliff Ouch: The 20 worst-paying college degrees in 2010 http://yhoo.it/b8ESfk |
 *PrometheanUSA THANK A TEACHER MERCHANDISE AVAILABLE IN ON PROMETHEAN PLANET STORE GET 10% OFF ALL ADULT T-SHIRTS +15% ON yr ORDER $40 OR MORE**code TY15 |
 *presentationzen Mac News reporting that Pearson/Peachpit books, including my books, now on iBookstore. http://snipurl.com/1hb5uc |
 *DianeRavitch Is teacher experience important? “Reformers” say no. Research says yes: http://shankerblog.org/?p=1319 |
 *go2publicschool Professor gives an exam, analyzes the grades, realizes 1/3rd of his class cheated. Proceeds to call them out: #badass |
 *doctorjeff #EDUCATION VIEW: LET’S TEST to see if testing has taken all joy out of our classrooms, and if we find it hasn’t, let us test until it does. |
 *drmmtatom Official Google Docs Blog googledocs.blogspot.com/?spref=tw #fhucid |
This Part for Infamous40000 . . . :
Waiting to hear back from Infamous40000 . . .
Session 2:
1267
Sharon Faber
Ms. Sandra Dutemple
Motivating Students
“Not every child has an equal talent or an equal ability or equal motivation, but children have the equal right to develop their talent, their ability and their motivation”
John F. Kennedy
Kids are different. They are smarter -they know stuff, just not necessarily what we want them to know.
Kids come to school to see their friends – we just happen to be there.
Research says 4th grade is crucial. Once they feel dumb- they need to save face.
Insanity – Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results .
When the horse dies – get off.
“The goal of teachers is to meet all students at their starting points and to move each one along a continuum of growth as far and as quickly as possible. Learning has no ceiling. ”
Tomlinson
Vocabulary & Prior Knowledge are required to increase knowledge.
Need to have a personality to be a good teacher.
Teachers need to be enthusiastic.
BA or BS – Borrow and Adjust or Borrow Straight.
Use a different noise to bring kids back. Not all of the kids will hear your voice. Then the good
Email for handout
You teach like you learn.
“For these are all our children. we either profit or pay for what they become.” James Baldwin
Successful teaching is an evolving process.
It is important to keep an open mind because new and promising ideas are constantly emerging.
When a strategy or method clearly increases student learning, follow the practice as early as possible so that the students become accustomed to the specific way of thinking and acting.
Teachers make a tremendous difference in student achievement.
The key trait of effective teachers is that use systematic and explicit instructional strategies that work in any content.
Systemic
Skills and con pets are taught in a planned, logically progressive sequence.
Explicit
Direct explanation: stories, example
Teacher modeling: show them
Guided practice: pairs think together
Independent practice: formative assessment
Application: own, understood, useable
More than pairs allows for “slugs”
Too often the cooperative group allow for training kids to not think. (Time keeper, etc. )
Common Behaviors
What you can do:
Hardwired by DNA:
Teach:
• Give respect to students when they seem to least deserve it.
• Share decision making with the class. Maintain expectations while offering choices and getting input.
Avoid sarcasm.
Model the process of adult thinking. Keep voice calm
Discipline through positive relationships instead of exerting power or authority.
Embed social skills like meet and greet skills, turn taking, thanking others.
Be inclusive
Celebrate efforts as well as achievement.
Actions that DON”T help:
Focus only on the basics.
Maintain order through force.
Eliminate or reduce time for arts, sports & PE.
Decrease interaction among students.
Deliver heavy handed, top down lectures. ( Kids know what your buttons are and will use them).
Actions that DO help:
Teach in 15 to 20 minute blocks and then let them share.
Routine & Consistency are crucial
Motivation always revolves around good teaching.
Davis Sousa – How the Brain Learns to Read. 2005
Get their attention
emotion drives attention
focus their attention
maintain their attention
Keep them on task.
How long until I retire?
OR
What miracles can I create today?
Part Two:
Rick Wormeli, 2010 (Handout provided)
Break
Summarization Strategies:
Reading Notations
Annotated text is one of the best things we can teach according to research.
(Check Mark) I agree with this.
X I disagree with this.
?? I don’t understand this.
!! Wow! (‘Elicits a strong emotion)
CL General Claim
EV Evidence for the Claim
(These can be numbered to indicate their sequence, too: EV1, EV2, EV3…)
Journalistic vs. Encyclopedic Writing
Read the journalistic version first then read the encyclopedic version is workable.
They’ll hang on the encyclopedic version if they read the journalistic stuff first.
Create narrative versions of boring stuff that we have to teach.
Reading Notations
EV for evidence
Annotated text is one of the best things we can teach according to research.
Journalistic vs. Encyclopedic writing.
Read the journalistic version first then read the encyclopedia version is workable.
They’ll hang on the encyclopedic version if they read the journalistic stuff first.
Create narrative versions of boring stuff that we have to teach.
Text structure: The kids memorize the key words for each structure to identify it in class.
Chronological Order
Definition and Key words:
Compare and contrast
Proposition and support
Enumeration
Virtual Metaphors: Graphic Organizers
Matrix
Venn Diagram
Writing is 98% thinking!
“If I had more time, I’d have written less.” -Pascal
Kids need feedback in 1 – 3 days to internalize it.
Shorter is better, less is more.
T-Chart/T-List
Cornell Note-Taking format
T-Chart with summarization at the bottom.
Somebody wanted but so
Somebody (characters)
wanted (plot motivation)
but (conflict)
so (resolution)
Something Happened and Then
Something (independent variable)
happened (change in that independent variable) …
and (effect on the dependent variable) …
then (conclusion) …
Narrowing the Topic
Is the topic narrow enough to be focused , but broad enough to have plenty to write about?
When we summarize, we:
Delete some elements
Keep some elements
Substitute for some elements. (DKS) Ask students to memorize these three actions.
TaRGeTS
Trivia
Redundancies
Generalize
Determine Topic Sentence (Subject and author’s claim about it)
(What’s the headline for this?)
Writing Concisely
Avoid redundancies and saying the same thing in different ways: see slide.
-Write Tight, 1993 by William Brohaugh
More Summarization Tips.
Use reading notations.
Allow students to mark consumable and non-consumable text. (Highlighting tape) Eraseable highlighters and wikisticks
Emphasize opinion free summaries – no commentaries.
Teach students to evaluate their own summarizations.
Set length slimit of 10 to 25% of the original text, <1% for longer text.
Encourage two or more readings or exposures.
Evaluating our Summaries (see handout)
Does it convey the information accurately?
Is it too narrow or too broad? Does it convey . . . .
Help with Paraphrasing
Build students’ vocabulary and verbal dexterity. Post word banks. Use vocabulary immersion.
Provide repeated experiences with varied sentence combinations and word play.
Use repeated think-alludes
Play renaming and clue games such as Password, Taboo, and $25,000 Pyramid.
3-2-1
3: Identify
2: List
1: Name/What
Unique Summarization Formats/Products
See slide on handout.
Endless list of writing possibilities see slide
RAFTS
Raise the complexity:
Lower the complexity:
Change the verb:
See the verb list from the slides.
Backwards Summaries
“Make the web from which this paragraph came.”
Save the Last Word for Me
Read a passage, making notations as they go.
They identify three or more sentences to which they have a response.
Place students in groups of 3 to 5, then one member of each group to read a line that he has identified. He reads; there is no commentary or reason for choosing it given.
Each group member other than the reading person responds to … see slides.
Change the point of view
Tell the story from the points of view of other objects/people . . .
Bloom’s Taxonomy.
Frayer Model
“Word Link”
Each student gets a word and they have to find someone to join with and explain the connection.
Summarization Pyramid.
Great prompts for each line: Synonmy, analogy, question, three attributes, alternative title, causes, effects, reasons . . .
One word summaries
Exclusion Brainstorming
Premise: Ther eis not any curriculum so symbolic or abstract that we cannot “physicalize” it for better student learning.
Funny: Yelling Movie in a crowded Firehouse …
Physicalizing Process:
Identify essential pieces
Physicalize those pieces and present them to the class.
Class critiques the physicalization in terms of accuracy, comprehensiveness.
see slides
Statues (Body Sculture)
Line-up
“If I get the kids to say it, they hear it.”
Summary Ball
The ones left standing are declared the winners.
Human Bingo
Always put something in there that’s crazy.
Human Continuum (Mobile Socratic seminar)
Masking tape on the floor (winding)
A=Gree
D= Duh, or disagree
Middle Line is uncomfortable to respond.
It’s ok to tell little white lies to protect the kid.
$25,000 Pyramid
Pictionary
Taboo Cards
Share one, Get one
We think primarily in physical terms. Over time we become adept at translating symbolic and abstract concepts into meaningful structures or experiences.
Metaphor
Make one!
________ is/are a _____________ because ____________ .
Ask students …
Metaphors Break Down
Descriptions with and without metaphors.
Common Analougous Relationships (kids memorize)
4-Square Synectics
Brainstorm four objects from a particular category
How is the human digestive system like each household item: sink, old carpet, microwave, broom.
Highly Recommended and Scummarization Ideas
Go to NCTE’s ReadWriteThink website.
Where do we go from today?
3x3x3!
Three Strategies/principles/aspects that will be in your thinking in the next three weeks for four weeks.
Three topics/ skills . .
One-hundred-and-fifty years ago, Americans went to war with themselves. Disunion revisits and reconsiders America’s most perilous period — using contemporary accounts, diaries, images and historical assessments to follow the Civil War as it unfolded.
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/category/disunion/
Using the power of video to tell stories about real people and progress in global development.
Varied length of videos. Videos can be downloaded. Some really great videos can be found. You can change the view from an interesting circle to a list view. Many different subject areas are represented.
http://www.viewchange.org/
http://www.googlelittrips.com/GoogleLit/Home.html
A timeline of image-makers who have shaped world history
Excerpted from the book, TIME History’s Greatest Events
Read more:
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2031505,00.html#ixzz15pzqxYhq
http://www.time.com/time/photogallery/0,29307,2031505,00.html
NMSA News:
Other News:
I remembered seeing Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution sometime in the past. In fact, I watched part of one episode- seems I’m not the only one. Here is a write up about why the “Food Revolution” is over. I’m not surprised that the cost of the food was higher- that seemed pretty predictable. I am, however, surprised that he “failed to meet the nutritional guidelines” (too much fat, not enough calories) of the federal government. I particularly liked this quote:
“Ultimately, Jamie picked the wrong target….factors such as sedentary lifestyles, fast-food consumption, family meal patterns and junk-food advertising aimed at children are “a much bigger problem than food served in schools.”
It’s a long but interesting write up. Many of the kids left the lunch program. Junk food versus healthy options are discussed. A worthy read.
Are you looking for some old maps? Do you love cartography? Here is a collection of ancient maps.