Author: Troy Patterson

advisory, NMSA08, PodcastBy Troy Patterson,

Podcast #48 Field Tripping, NMSA08, & Student Research

Snopes:
http://www.snopes.com/college/halls/sinking.asp
A Sinking Video

Items & Events
1.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)  Watch the video invitation on the main page of NMSA’s website. (12 days …) 
2.  Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH.  Presenter information is posted on the page.  Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.”  (You could argue . . . )
3.  Michigan Internet Technology Chief Bruce Umpstead talks about using technology in education in a podcast here at Inside Michigan Education that proposes some ways to incorporate technology in your classroom and get the community to support it.  (Interesting how he admits IT people in districts are actively blocking the iTunes U software.) 
4.  Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5.  The Michigan Department of Education has posted new proposed Tech Standards for K-12 and opened a Zoomerang survey page for posting comments and replies.  You can get to the proposed standards directly here and you can go to the survey page here.  No one will stop you at the front door of the survey if you’re not in the Great State of Michigan, so have at. 
6.  Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association.  If you have any, drop us a line. 
7.  PBS has turned the Media Infusion board to a middle school teacher for the month of October!  You can read her insights and postings to the world about middle school at the Media Infusion website.  Rebecca Lawson is a frequent contributor to the MiddleTalk listserv hosted by NMSA.  Membership in the listserv is open to NMSA membership and you can get more detailed information here at the webpage. 
8.  The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here. 
9.  ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket. 
10.  Are you a member of the National Middle School Association?  You are eligible to join MiddleTalk, a listserv for middle school teachers that engages in middle level “shop talk.”  Sign up here. 
11.  Research Summary Posted:  Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.   
12.  Join the gang going to NMSA’s Annual Conference by signing up at the Ning site and connecting with other Conference goers:  NMSA08 Please do sign up and connect with other conference attendees.  Of course, you’re always welcome to post here too . . .
13.  There’s a new research document on counselors in middle schools and the importance they play in our students’ lives.  The research summary details the importance of each student knowing one adult well and how to do that before the counselor’s role can become multifaceted.  In a way, think of them being the ultimate super Advisory teacher first then counselor.  Check it out here.
14.  If you get a chance to visit Second Life, zip over to the ISTE island for their speaker series on Tuesdays & Thursdays.  This Tuesday’s speaker is TBA.  It begins at 6:00 pm Pacific and is scheduled to end at 7:00 pm pst.
15.  Denver Weather Watch is now on patrol!  Get your National Weather Service information before you go.


(Photo courtesy of the Weather Channel)

NMSA08 Travel Prep:

Reading Material:  Good to Great and the Social Sectors by Jim Collins.
iPod Material:  Ruby Payne has some free downloads you can listen to in advance.
Snacks:  Nut mix.
Jim Collins Information:  Good to Great for Social Sectors has a section in the Jim Collins podcasting section.  Give it a look and put it on your favorite iPod for the trip to Denver!
Take a coat.

Advisory Resources:

  1. There’s a great archived discussion on Advisory over at MiddleWeb.  For those of you looking for some insights in running an Advisory/Enrichment program it is worth the read.
  2. The Secret Knowledge of Grownups is a children’s book explaining the “real” reasons adults have for telling kids to do things they may not like.  There are “official” reasons that every adult has to give each child and each adult must know each official reason so that no matter whom the child asks, they get the same reason.  Sound like a conspiracy?  Sound like what the kids do at school?  “I’ll ask this teacher what the reason for the rule is and then I’ll check it with this teacher in my next hour and then .  . . ,” as they look for the inconsistencies in each answer or the consistencies to prove conspiracy.  Something worth trying is the Secret Knowledge of Grownups and cutting the different “Grownup Rules” in to sections.  Each group works through the story (I love the killer vegetables one!) and then using their Code of Conduct pulls a rule to apply the pattern to:  State the rule, state the “official” reason, then the “real” reason.  Students can be creative with the “real” reasons and put pictures to their explanations.  Probably a better activity for early in the year, but ideas don’t always come when you need them.

NMSA08 Annual Conference Information:
Tech Sandboxes (from NMSA):

“Come play in the Tech Sandboxes located throughout the Convention Center. Each Tech Sandbox will be a place to get your hands on and learn about a particular digital or Web tool for teaching and learning.

Tech Sandboxes are hosted by practitioners and experts who can talk about and show you how they have used the tool for teaching and learning.  These practitioners and experts are also eager to give you a chance to get your hands on the technology to learn and ask questions.

Look for these Tech Sandboxes:

*******************************************
From Middle EConnections:
Plan a Trip Outside the Classroom
Philip Brown

After returning from a productive field trip to the North Georgia Mountains, I began to reflect back on the benefits of the trip and the reasons why the trip was successful. There are numerous reasons why field trips are helpful to young adolescents and their learning experiences, but the relationship-building between teachers and students is the most positive function. The opportunity to be outside the classroom presents itself as a chance to connect with students in a unique way. Many times after field trips, teachers and students will have a new appreciation for each other.

Also, the more that our team discussed the trip, the more we realized that the success of our trip rested in the prior planning we had done as a team. The following tips were ways in which we worked to make the trip as smooth as possible.

Match the trip with the curriculum. Before you and your students can go on any field trip, prior approval must be granted by the administration or the local board of education. The best selling point is explaining how the trip will enhance the curriculum and enrich student learning and understanding. Be prepared to explain to your administration why this trip will provide students with an opportunity to learn in a way that the classroom may not allow.

It’s better to over-plan, but stay flexible. Sit down as a team and discuss all aspects of the trip from bus departure to sleeping arrangements. Every detail of the trip needs to be addressed, but also realize that some things that happen on trips cannot be planned or addressed before the trip. In these cases, be flexible and work as a team to solve these issues.

Put students in positions to be successful. If there happens to be a teacher who works well with a certain student, then try to place the student with the teacher for a majority of the trip. This will help out with student discipline and participation. Also, make students aware and knowledgeable of the expectations and the procedures before the actual trip. This helps minimize confusion with students as well as parents.

Promote and sell the trip. Many students who are disinterested in the everyday classroom will find excitement and interest in learning outside of the school building and everyday routines and procedures. It helps to sit down with these students and explain that you are excited they are attending the trip and participating in the learning activities. Also, stress to these students that they will be able to contribute to the trip and the learning experience.

Select chaperones carefully. Some adults can cause more heartache than help. Also, remember that some students act differently, positive and negative, in the presence of a parent or guardian. It may be helpful to use parents only in situations where you do not have enough certified teachers. Check with your administration about their preferences.

Debrief as a group. Find out what worked, what went well, and what failed. Whose actions surprised you and why? Did we as a team put these students and chaperones in a position to be successful? What could we do better next time? Did our students learn? How do we know?

Best wishes on your future trips, and don’t forget to plan early.

Philip Brown is a middle school assistant principal in Oconee County, Georgia. He is also a doctoral student in middle school education at the University of Georgia.

*********************************
Rethinking Research in the Google Era:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=55598
As the internet replaces library databases as students’ primary research option, a new discussion is emerging in academic circles: Is the vast amount of information at students’ fingertips changing the way they gather and process information for the better–or for worse?

Like Carr, the study says people who use the internet for research have very specific and identifiable habits. For example, they tend to seek information horizontally–meaning they skim, or bounce from page to page, without reading in depth and rarely return to a previous source. About 60 percent of electronic journal users view no more than three pages, the study found, and 65 percent never return.

For instance, 89 percent of college students use search engines to begin an information search, the study found–while only 2 percent start from a library web site.
Wade said she asked her daughter, Kelly, how she researches online.

Kelly explained that she starts with Wikipedia–a resource students typically aren’t allowed to cite, because it might not be a reliable source–and looks at the resources listed to identify other sources that might be reliable and valid. She then goes to those sites and compares them. After skimming and comparing, she uses her knowledge of how to identify a valid source to choose those sources that she would be able to use for her project. Then, she reads those articles in depth.

Kelly compares her process to the “old” way of researching her mom had to use: “When you went to the library, mom, you had to look through encyclopedias, books, and magazines to find what they might have at your schools. Today, I can look at those things, but by using the internet, I can find a lot more information. One source leads me to another, and that article leads me to three others. If the articles or sources are not linked, I just Google them. I can learn because I have access to tons more information than you had available in your library–back in your day.”

Jim Bosco, professor emeritus at Western Michigan University, says there has “always been the concern that with new technology comes hell. It began with Socrates being concerned that writing had a horrible effect on learning, because up until that point all learning was done through oral tradition. It’s continued with printing and then television. It’s a reoccurring trend throughout history.”

“If people think it’s only the students now, [who] have access to the internet, who skim over information and write papers that are just a collage of quotes and material pulled from other articles, they’re wrong,” he said. “As a teacher who’s old enough to have reviewed papers both before and after the internet, let me tell you: Students in the past used to write papers in the same way. There will always be students who write papers where it’s obvious they have no deep understanding of the material. It’s not a new phenomenon–it’s just better automated now.”

According to the British Library’s report, a common misconception of the “Google generation” is that they are naturally information literate.

Says the study: “The information literacy of young people has not improved with the widening access to technology. … Young people sometimes have a poor understanding of their information needs and thus find it difficult to develop effective search strategies. Faced with a long list of search hits, young people find it hard to assess the relevance of the materials presented and often print off pages with no more than a perfunctory glance.”

To help students learn how to search the internet successfully, the American Association of School Librarians (AASL) has developed “Standards for the 21st Century Learner.” (See “School libraries try to do more with less.”) The State Educational Technology Directors Association also has a media literacy toolkit that aligns with state standards.

But to help students learn not only how to navigate the internet successfully, but also to know how to read in depth, educators says it’s up to them to design helpful homework assignments and projects.

Bosco added that educators also need to know how not to skim when reading–otherwise they won’t be able to discern good papers from bad ones. “They need to focus on quality, not on quantity, of assignments, and they need to take their time during assessments,” he concluded.

****************************

Schools soon required to teach web safety:

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=55557
Schools receiving e-Rate discounts on their telecommunications services and internet access soon will have to educate their students about online safety, sexual predators, and cyber bullying, thanks to federal legislation passed in both the Senate and the House.

The bill reflects the concerns of parents, teachers, and others that children might meet sexual predators while on social networking sites or talking online in chat rooms.  Increased media attention on online harassment and cyber bullying, including several cases where students have suffered severe emotional problems or have committed suicide after online taunts, also have influenced the bill.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

UncategorizedBy Troy Patterson

Podcast #47- Gaming & Grading – Keeping the Clean Tag.

News from WOOT !:

WEST CHESTER, Ohio, Oct. 7 (UPI)—A suspicious package delivered to U.S. Rep. John Boehner’s West Chester, Ohio, office turned out to be raw bacon, the Butler County Bomb Squad said.
The delivery man has been charged with bacon and entering.

GREENVILLE, S.C. (AP)—Federal agents swept through a chicken processing plant Tuesday, detaining more than 300 suspected illegal immigrants, sending panicked workers running and screaming through the hallways.
An unknown number of illegal immigrants escaped by crossing the road.

VILLAGE OF BARKER, N.Y. (UPI)—A Village of Barker, N.Y., man said he survived being struck by lightning, with only minimal injuries, while pumping gas into his car.
Experts say that after the last year of gas prices the man was prepared for any shock that might occur at the pumps.

SUZHOU, China (AP) – She’s around 80 years old. He’s 100. Breathless scientists watched as the world’s most endangered turtles successfully mated.
The two turtles have filed suit to prevent a Nevada man from releasing a DVD showing footage from the encounter.

WASHINGTON (UPI)—The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said it has granted an exemption for the first heart pump that provides temporary support for the heart’s right side.
The pump has been nicknamed “Sarah Palin”.

Events:
1.  Month of the Young Adolescent is here!  What are you doing in your classroom or school to celebrate this event? 
2.  Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH.  Presenter information is posted on the page.  Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.”  (You could argue . . . )
3.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)  Watch the video invitation on the main page of NMSA’s website. (18 days …)
4.  Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5.  We talk about tech some here at Middle School Matters and so we post this in that context:  The Michigan Department of Education has posted new proposed Tech Standards for K-12 and opened a Zoomerang survey page for posting comments and replies.  You can get to the proposed standards directly here and you can go to the survey page here.  No one will stop you at the front door of the survey if you’re not in the Great State of Michigan, so have at. 
6.  Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association.  If you have any, drop us a line. 
7.  PBS has turned the Media Infusion board to a middle school teacher for the month of October!  You can read her insights and postings to the world about middle school at the Media Infusion website.  Rebecca Lawson is a frequent contributor to the MiddleTalk listserv hosted by NMSA.  Membership in the listserv is open to NMSA membership and you can get more detailed information here at the webpage. 
8.  The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here. 
9.  ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket. 
10.  October 21, 7:00 pm Edweek.org will be hosting from Columbia Teacher’s College a “debate” between the education advisors of Barak Obama and John McCain.  This is a registered event and their software doesn’t play nice with most browsers.  They would like you to visit them with Internet Explorer to be part of the evening. 
11.  Research Summary Posted:  Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.   
12.  Join the gang going to NMSA’s Annual Conference by signing up at the Ning site and connecting with other Conference goers:  NMSA08
13.  There’s a new research document on counselors in middle schools and the importance they play in our students’ lives.  The research summary details the importance of each student knowing one adult well and how to do that before the counselor’s role can become multifaceted.  In a way, think of them being the ultimate super Advisory teacher first then counselor.  Check it out here.
14.  If you get a chance to visit Second Life, zip over to the ISTE island for their speaker series on Thursdays.  This Tuesday will be a discussion on using Second Life in Education.  It begins at 6:00 pm Pacific and is scheduled to end at 7:00 pm pst.
15.  Denver Weather Watch is now on patrol!  They’re getting snow in the region this weekend!  Get your National Weather Service information before you go.


(Photo courtesy the Weather Channel)



Microsoft, Universities team up on gaming research
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=55504
“Technology has the potential to help reinvent the education process and excite and inspire young learners to embrace science, math, and technology,” Mundie said. “The Games for Learning Institute at NYU is a great example of how technology can change how students learn, making it far more natural and intuitive.”
Microsoft Research is providing $1.5 million to the institute. NYU and its consortium of partners are matching Microsoft’s investment, for a combined $3 million. Funding covers the first three years of research, which will focus on evaluating computer games as potential learning tools for science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) subjects during the middle-school years (grades 6–8). The institute will work with a range of student populations yet will focus on underrepresented middle-school students–especially girls and minorities.
Girl Scouts Tech Connection.

The ABI Grading System
http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/MiddleGround/Articles/October2008/Article3/tabid/1757/Default.aspx

Don’t Smile Until Christmas?
http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/MiddleGround/Articles/October2008/Article8/tabid/1762/Default.aspx
by Paul Barnswell

Pedagogy in Action:
http://www.innovateonline.info/index.php?view=article&id=643&action=article
by Eileen Dame

Legal News:
http://www.nmsa.org/Advocacy/MessagesfromNMSA/SuccessintheMiddleAct/tabid/1482/Default.aspx

Schools grapple with teacher’s Facebook use:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=55535
As social networking web sites such as Facebook and MySpace become increasingly popular channels for student communication, schools are struggling to define the rules for whether, and how, it’s appropriate for teachers to interact with their students through these media.
Marshall McLuhan and the Global Village.  (Marshallisms)

Shout outs:
1.  Thanks Mary Henton for the link on the Conference Connections page of the National Middle School Association’s Conference website.
2.  Thanks Jack Berkermeyer for the Kindles!
3.  Thanks also to Todd Williamson of Broad Creek Middle School in the Great State of North Carolina !

NMSA08, PodcastBy Troy Patterson

Podcast #46 Izzit Enough? Bailouts, Evaluations, and Co-Teaching.

1.  Month of the Young Adolescent is here!  What are you doing in your classroom or school to celebrate this event? 
2.  Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH.  Presenter information is posted on the page.  Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.”  (You could argue . . . )
3.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)  Watch the video invitation on the main page of NMSA’s website. 
4.  Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5.  Rick Stiggins has a Balanced Assessment Manifesto posted at NMSA‘s website worth checking out.  
6.  Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association.  If you have any, drop us a line. 
7.  Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators annual conference is coming up October 9-10, 2008. 
8.  The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here. 
9.  ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket. 
10.  NMSA’s latest podcast focuses on using wikis in the classroom to promote learning.  
11.  Research Summary Posted:  Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.   
12.  NMSA has a Facebook !  They would like to invite you to join them on Facebook and the opportunities it affords. How many of you can reach Facebook through your district’s firewall?  Pop over to the Ning site as well.
13.  There’s a new research document on counselors in middle schools and the importance they play in our students’ lives.  The research summary details the importance of each student knowing one adult well and how to do that before the counselor’s role can become multifaceted.  In a way, think of them being the ultimate super Advisory teacher first then counselor.  Check it out here.
14.  If you get a chance to visit Second Life, zip over to the ISTE island for their speaker series on Thursdays.  Last week’s Tuesday guest talked about the US Department of Education’s interest in virtual learning environments.  We’ll look around and see if they posted the session.

The National Middle School Association’s Annual Conference (NMSA08) is coming up soon (yes, 27 days or so, I know, but I’m excited already).
Preparations:

  1. Housing:  Use the NMSA housing form.  It goes through the local city’s convention bureau so if you are the type to check if your reservation is in the books, you won’t be able to contact the hotel and find out if you have a room.  You’ll have to wait until the convention bureau has taken their compiled lists and sent them to the individual participating hotels.  Do use the form on the website.  You’ll save a tidy sum.
  2. Registration:  If you were able to talk a group into going, use the individual/team registration form.  The reduction in price for getting a team to go is worth selling one’s firstborn to the gypsies . . . well ok, maybe not worth that, but do try to take a team of teachers to get the discount.  Mongo-sized groups have a different form.  Mention you saw the registration information here at Middle School Matters.  It won’t get you anything, but the puzzled looks on the poor NMSA staff will probably be worth it.  😉
  3. Transportation:  NMSA has worked out some transportation discounts with United Airlines (promotion code:  584CM), but do check other airlines for their airfares.  Don’t necessarily take the first choice.  One teacher’s experience has shown checking multiple days could yield a better price.  Hertz has a rental car agreement worked out (promotion code:  CV#022Q3931), but do consider public transportation as a viable alternative.  One of the neat things about the conference is walking a bit and seeing part of the city.  In Philadelphia, I would have missed the really cool stuff at Reading Station and some other places had I not taken a stroll from the hotel to the conference center.
  4. Transport from/to Airport:  FlyDenver.com has a host of transportation options to/from the airport for you to choose from.  My group that went last year used the SuperShuttle service.  If you use them, plan on multiple groups traveling to multiple destinations.  It wasn’t a bad experience.  The only downside is that the scheduled return is set by the dispatcher at the airport, not according to your flight schedule.  We had to be at the airport several hours before we had to be there the regular several hours before departure.  Do chat up the driver.  Ours was allowed to use the vans on the off hours to make some cash on their own and they have a good handle on locations in the area to pick up a flavor of the local culture.  Check out the Colorado Convention Center’s directions to the center from all points on the compass rose and the airport.
  5. Colorado Convention Center:  Use the virtual tour of the Convention Center to find your way around before the conference in October.
  6. Luggage (promo code: 9601):  Find a way to make your luggage distinguishable.  Scarves are not recommended since they catch in the conveyor belt.  Unique tags and stickers, are useful.  If you’re really into luggage tags…   World Richman is an Official NMSA Exhibitor of luggage, but not necessarily for the long distance traveler.
  7. Comfort:  Socks, Shoes, Shoes for Administrators, Chair (wait for it …), Parrot, iPod, coffee, computer, fudge, Middle School Matters, tech podcast, alternate middle school podcast, cherries (what happens to the pits?), in-flight book,

Advisory Idea:  Izzit.org!
Izzit.org is a non-profit educational video resource for teachers.  One of their first hosts was John Stossel of ABC News who produced DVDs of his special reports and distributed them through Izzit.org.  They have a number of educational videos that you can get for free (one a year).  Register on their site and you can get a free video from them once a year on or near your birthday.  You can also purchase videos, but being genetically predisposed to FREE, it is the greater incentive.  Visit their website and check out the DVD on Unintended Consequences:  The Great Depression which is an in depth look at the causes of the Great Depression and the factors that led up to the economic disaster of 1929.  What to do if your birthday is in June and you need something for Advisory today?  Check out the current events lesson plans/ideas for your Advisory class.  You can look at archived material and make it compare/contrast.  For example, use this 1999 lesson on Administration’s pressure on Freddie and Fannie to take on greater low income housing and riskier home loans which at the time the question was, “What would happen?,” and turn it into, “Compare the concerns in 1999 with the realities of 2008.”  Drew Carey is also producing a series of videos on the Bill of Rights and their use today worth checking out as well.

Teacher Resource:  www.vocabulary.com
Vocabulary.com is another puzzle generator with a twist.  They have a number of prepared vocabulary puzzles that you can use right off the web and over 125 vocabulary puzzles prebuilt for the novel you might be reading right now in your ELA class.

News:
Effect of bailout on Education:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/09/29/06budget-2.h28.html?tmp=981732249
The result of the presidential election will likely help determine how much money education programs receive in the 2009 federal fiscal year, which begins this week. But a multi-billion-dollar federal plan to assist the financial markets may leave the next president with very little room for major increases for K-12 schools, perhaps for the foreseeable future.

Standards for Teacher Evaluation Mulled:
http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/10/01/06evaluate.h28.html
With the pressure on to increase student learning, two states are in the process of overhauling what analysts say is among the most neglected pieces of the teacher-quality continuum: evaluation.

Co-Teaching:
http://www.teachermagazine.org/tsb/articles/2008/09/10/01math.h02.html

Curriculum Compacting:
http://www.teachermagazine.org/tsb/articles/2008/09/10/01gifted.h02.html

Shout Outs:

1.  To Joyce McGreevy, thanks for the post and hope we see you in Denver!
2.  To the listeners State of Illinois, we appreciate your support!
3.  To our sponsors, we can’t wait to meet ya!

advisory, NMSA08, PodcastBy Troy Patterson, , ,

Middle School Matters #45 – Next, More Substitute Adventures!

From an actual test (at least according to the Internet):

The 3 day breast cancer walk:
http://www.the3day.org/site/PageServer

News & Events: 

1.  October’s Month of the Young Adolescent is here! 
2.  Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH.  Presenter information is posted on the page.  Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.”  (You could argue . . . )
3.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)  Watch the video invitation on the main page of NMSA’s website. 
4.  Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5.  Rick Stiggins has a Balanced Assessment Manifesto posted at NMSA‘s website worth checking out.  
6.  Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association.  If you have any, drop us a line. 
7.  Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators annual conference is coming up October 9-10, 2008. 
8.  The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here. 
9.  ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket. 
10.  NMSA’s latest podcast focuses on using wikis in the classroom to promote learning.  
11.  Research Summary Posted:  Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.   
12.  NMSA has a Facebook !  They would like to invite you to join them on Facebook and the opportunities it affords. How many of you can reach Facebook through your district’s firewall?

The National Middle School Association’s Annual Conference (NMSA08) is coming up soon (yes, 27 days or so, I know, but I’m excited already).
Preparations:

  1. Housing:  Use the NMSA housing form.  It goes through the local city’s convention bureau so if you are the type to check if your reservation is in the books, you won’t be able to contact the hotel and find out if you have a room.  You’ll have to wait until the convention bureau has taken their compiled lists and sent them to the individual participating hotels.  Do use the form on the website.  You’ll save a tidy sum.
  2. Registration:  If you were able to talk a group into going, use the individual/team registration form.  The reduction in price for getting a team to go is worth selling one’s firstborn to the gypsies . . . well ok, maybe not worth that, but do try to take a team of teachers to get the discount.  Mongo-sized groups have a different form.  Mention you saw the registration information here at Middle School Matters.  It won’t get you anything, but the puzzled looks on the poor NMSA staff will probably be worth it.  😉
  3. Transportation:  NMSA has worked out some transportation discounts with United Airlines (promotion code:  584CM), but do check other airlines for their airfares.  Don’t necessarily take the first choice.  One teacher’s experience has shown checking multiple days could yield a better price.  Hertz has a rental car agreement worked out (promotion code:  CV#022Q3931), but do consider public transportation as a viable alternative.  One of the neat things about the conference is walking a bit and seeing part of the city.  In Philadelphia, I would have missed the really cool stuff at Reading Station and some other places had I not taken a stroll from the hotel to the conference center.
  4. Transport from/to Airport:  FlyDenver.com has a host of transportation options to/from the airport for you to choose from.  My group that went last year used the SuperShuttle service.  If you use them, plan on multiple groups traveling to multiple destinations.  It wasn’t a bad experience.  The only downside is that the scheduled return is set by the dispatcher at the airport, not according to your flight schedule.  We had to be at the airport several hours before we had to be there the regular several hours before departure.  Do chat up the driver.  Ours was allowed to use the vans on the off hours to make some cash on their own and they have a good handle on locations in the area to pick up a flavor of the local culture.  Check out the Colorado Convention Center’s directions to the center from all points on the compass rose and the airport.
  5. Colorado Convention Center:  Use the virtual tour of the Convention Center to find your way around before the conference in October.
  6. Luggage (promo code: 9601):  Find a way to make your luggage distinguishable.  Scarves are not recommended since they catch in the conveyor belt.  Unique tags and stickers, are useful.  If you’re really into luggage tags…   World Richman is an Official NMSA Exhibitor of luggage, but not necessarily for the long distance traveler.
  7. Comfort:  Socks, Shoes, Shoes for Administrators, Chair (wait for it …), Parrot, iPod, coffee, computer, fudge, Middle School Matters, tech podcast, alternate middle school podcast, cherries (what happens to the pits?), in-flight book,

Substitutes:

Hey guys

Who is the least appreciated person in the building and yet critical to the success of a middle school? The substitute teacher of course. Without them, forget IEP meetings, professional development, sick days, personal time or even special events. They are the ninja workforce who appear and seemingly disappear without leaving an obvious trail.

Good substitutes are worth their weight in gold, but many teachers either have never subbed or forgot how tough a job it is. Having been a sub teacher for three years in a middle school environment, I know all too well its pitfalls and rewards. When I became a full-time teacher, I knew how my temporary replacement wanted to be respected professionally through good preparation for their day with my kids.

Therefore, perhaps you can give some tips to teachers and remind them of how they can either make or break the day of a sub teacher in their classroom through planning or lack thereof.
I have had teachers who truly understood how to create a seamless transition from being absent one day and returning to class the next to find significant student progress. Good sub teachers are not babysitters, and they have an obligation to the school district and the teacher to keep kids safe and on-task.

Let me make a few suggestions of my own and perhaps you can elaborate:

-Lesson plans that provide more work than can be accomplished in the alloted time
-Necessary photo copies of worksheets, study guides, or reference material; subs do not have passcodes for copiers, nor do they know where to find them
-Directions for finding any materials or supplies needed; subs do not know your room or your desk
-Guide for standard operating procedures in your classroom; kids take too much liberty when asked to share the rules
-Teacher schedule that clearly indicates room numbers and times as well as lunch time, duty times and locations
-Class rosters and Seating charts that are up-to-date and reflect the latest changes made as students are moved for various reasons
-Emergency procedures for Fire Drills, lockdowns, etc. that are clear and easy to understand at a moments notice
-List of contact teachers (with room numbers) who can provide assistance and guidance
-Telephone extension list and clear indication of main office number
-Behavior referral slips and procedure for using them

Most schools require a sub folder to be kept in place for each classroom. But these get buried and forgotten until the teacher needs to be out. Therefore, nothing gets updated and the sub is working with inaccuracies that can, at best, totally change the delicate balance of a classroom and at worst, create a dangerous situation in an emergency.  When a teacher provides everything they would have wanted themselves in the same situation, things go smoothly and everyone wins.

Thanks

Ron
New Jersey

1.  National Substitute Teachers’ Alliance offers benefits to members and an annual conference.
2.  Substitute Teachers are taking personal and professional advancement in their own hands.  Edweek article articulates their position.
3.  Substitute teachers have tried to organize.  This is not legal in all states.
4.  The National Education Association has a Substitute Teacher division with resources and advice on their website.
5.  Looking for some training material for your substitute teachers?  Check this out.
6.  Some districts have language in their contracts that address substitute teacher issues.
7.  NEA position on substitute teachers:

  • The National Education Association believes in the importance of employing professional educators to fulfill the critical role of substitute teachers.
  • The Association also believes that substitute teachers perform a vital function in the maintenance and continuity of daily education. In order to achieve and maintain the highest standards of student learning and professional practice, and to ensure quality instruction in every classroom every day, the Association further believes that substitute teachers must —
    • a. Meet the same standards as other licensed teachers within the state
    • b. Receive professional compensation and benefits
    • c. Receive continuous professional development
    • d. Be provided with materials and information appropriate to the position in which they are substituting
    • e. Be entitled to and supported by state and national affiliates in collective bargaining.
  • The Association condemns the practice of assigning substitute teachers to regular positions for an extended duration of time. Positions created by extended absence should be filled by available licensed teachers who are eligible to be placed on contractual status by the school district.
  • The Association opposes the practice of replacing absent teachers by dispersing students to other classrooms
  • The Association also opposes the use of individuals such as educational support professionals, part-time employees, or employees hired through private agencies to cover classes.
  • The Association further opposes requiring teachers to substitute during their preparation time.
  • The Association believes that school districts must provide full compensation for licensed teachers who substitute for personnel on extended leave. (1975, 2000)

8.  Recommendations from Education Minnesota on preparing for a substitute teacher:

  • Leave detailed information about the daily schedule, the names of your colleagues, specialists who work with your students, and any special procedures or concerns regarding individual students.
  • Provide the name of a colleague the substitute can contact for information or assistance.
  • When writing down assignments, include titles and authors of texts and laboratory manuals, as well as numbers of pages, problems and experiments. Also be sure to leave copies of texts, answer books, and lab manuals for the substitute. Don’t just say, “The kids know where everything is.”
  • Try to include meaningful assignments in your plan book. Busywork often results in wasted time for both students and the substitute. Behavior problems can occur.
  • Keep an up-to-date seating chart that gives the full name of each student. Insist that students always occupy their assigned seats.
  • Prepare your students for a substitute by instilling good work habits and a code of conduct that is conducive to order and accomplishment.
  • Post the names of students who assist you in the classroom, such as monitors and the clean-up crew.
  • Leave working keys for your desk, doors and cabinets.
  • Ask the substitute to leave you a note about how the day went. Also ask him or her for feedback on your preparation and how you might improve.
  • Thank your substitute.  Substitutes work hard and, in many cases, for inadequate compensation. They play a valuable role and deserve lots of appreciation. Strive to ensure a good experience so that your substitute will want to return to your classroom.

9.  Some districts provide some professional development for substitute teachers prior to their first day in the classroom.
10.
Resources:

  1. United States Substitute Teacher’s Association
  2. Transcript of a conversation with substitute teachers.  Some of the themes are worth pulling out and discussing at the local level.
  3. Lesson Plans for substitutes in the English classroom.
  4. Sub humor.
  5. Utah State University has a substitute teacher training institute with resources available for both the sub and the regular teacher.  USU offers substitute teacher training and a certificate at the end with successful completion.  Check out the forums and the substitute teacher resources page.
  6. A framework for classroom discipline:  Ed Ford’s Responsible Thinking Process.  Obviously you will work within your administration’s guidelines, but when you want to work out those situations where you feel you can resolve it in the classroom with the student, the Responsible Thinking Process can be a good way to resolve the situation.  If you get a chance, pick up the training offered by RTP, Inc.  The key questions to the process can be found here, but do read the books to understand the process.
  7. Kathy Schrock has a resource page for substitute teachers.

Ideas for Teachers:

  1. Make contact with a building level guest teacher.
  2. Term them “guest teachers” versus subs.
  3. Talk to “guest teachers” at your school. Get to know them.
  4. Have team support the “guest teacher”.
  5. Get the absence in early.
  6. Know your district rules about getting subs.
  7. Prepare Emergency lesson plans.
    1. Include seating charts.
    2. Include class rosters.
    3. Include classroom rules.
    4. Include school rules.
    5. Include the name of a contact (teacher buddy) for the guest teacher.

Ideas for Guest Teachers:

  1. Get there early.
  2. Read through everything.
  3. Look around the room.
  4. Talk to a neighbor teacher.
  5. Have some “tricks” in your bag.
    (One of my favorites: write the following on the board: (8,5,4,9,1,7,6,3,2,0) Then discuss where this came from – a 16 year in New York City, rides the bus for an hour a day. He starts a class in the back of the bus. In order to get into the “class” students have to present a logic problem. This is one. The question is why do these numbers belong in this order. (Want the answer? Post a comment and we’ll see what we can do).
  6. Network (talk to the principal).
  7. Leave a note of the day.
NMSA08, PodcastBy Troy Patterson,

MSM 44 -News, Mucus, Saliva, and Articles

Middle School Matters #44 – News, Mucus, Saliva and Articles – Click to Listen!

News & Events: 

1.  Start planning for October’s Month of the Young Adolescent!
2.  Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH.  Presenter information is posted on the page.  Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.” 
3.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)
4.  Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5.  Rick Stiggins has a Balanced Assessment Manifesto posted at NMSA‘s website worth checking out.  
6.  Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association.  If you have any, drop us a line. 
7.  Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators annual conference is coming up October 9-10, 2008. 
8.  The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here. 
9.  ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket. 
10.  NMSA’s latest podcast focuses on using Skype for academic learning.  How many of you have access to Skype at school? 
11.  Research Summary Posted:  Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.   
12.  NMSA has a Facebook !  They would like to invite you to join them on Facebook and the opportunities it affords. How many of you can reach Facebook through your district’s firewall?

NMSA adds Featured Sessions
NMSA has announced that Apple, Inc. will be hosting a featured session as part of their Classrooms of Tomorrow program.  To borrow from Martha, “Its a good thing.”

Its the second week of school and the Great Disease Exchange has happened.  What can you do?
1.  Hand Sanitizer
2.  Personal box of tissues
3.  Wipe down surfaces with sanitizer wipes.
4.  Prepare a substitute teacher lesson box.
5.  Get plenty of rest, fluids, and load up on your favorite Middle School Matters podcasts.

Alan November has a new Tech Article up at the NMSA website.
“Many classrooms have one computer sitting in the back that gets very little use.”
http://www.kiva.org/
www.skype.com
www.google.com/coop/cse/

Middle School Reading Coaches Found to Make Impact

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2008/09/11/04coaches.h28.html

By Kathleen Kennedy Manzo

Reading coaches in Florida middle schools have helped teachers and administrators build their knowledge and skills, and have had a positive influence on students’ motivation to read, but their impact on achievement is mixed, a report on the little-studied topic says.

“We found that the coaches’ review of assessment data with teachers was associated with positive outcomes,” said Jennifer Sloan McCombs, who was a co-principal investigator for the study with Julie A. Marsh. “That seems to be this key step in the push for data-driven decisionmaking: getting someone to help you actually translate what the data means and how to put it into an instructional strategy.”

“From the qualitative measures,” she said, “the report gives one the sense that coaches could have a big impact, particularly since they are helping principals to learn more about literacy, and they are really helping teachers improve their teaching strategies.”

Read the Study
http://www.rand.org/pubs/monographs/2008/RAND_MG762.pdf

21st Century
Report: Retool instruction, or U.S. will Fail
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/index.cfm?i=55173

The report, called “21st Century Skills, Education, and Competitiveness,” argues that for the United States to be globally competitive–and for states to attract growth industries and create jobs–the nation requires a fresh approach to education that recognizes the critical role 21st-century skills play in the workplace.

In 1967, the production of material goods (such as cars and equipment) and the delivery of material services (such as transportation and construction) accounted for nearly 54 percent of the country’s economic output. However, by 1997, the development of information products (such as computers) and the delivery of information services (such as financial and broadcast services) accounted for 63 percent of the country’s output.

“It has become apparent that there isn’t a lack of employees who are technically proficient, but a lack of employees who can adequately communicate and collaborate, innovate, and think critically,” said Ken Kay, P21 president.

Parents May Sue over Cops MySpace Lecture

http://www.denverpost.com/headlines/ci_10431473

Students who attended the presentation on the first day of school said Officer John Gay called some students’ MySpace pages “slutty” and said they would be grist for sexual predators.
Gay has denied he sought to publicly humiliate students. He said he was trying to show them how easily an Internet predator could gain access to a student’s private information through websites like MySpace and Facebook. He also denied calling anyone’s page “slutty.” Teachers in the room at the time of the talk agreed with Gay’s version of the event.
“What we really want to see is the school district take some action and to prevent Officer Gay from harming other children,” Gillian C said.

From Hybrid Courses to Hybrid School:
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/news-by-subject/curriculum/index.cfm?i=54655
“Hybrid” courses, which offer a blend of online and face-to-face instruction, have become increasingly popular in schools and colleges nationwide. Now, a new high school in Hawaii has taken the same concept and applied it to an entire school.

The combined online and face-to-face curriculum gives students the benefits of a flexible schedule, while maintaining a high-quality education, school officials said. Courses are taught by experienced teachers who provide small-group instruction and individualized feedback to help students master course material. Students also will benefit from ongoing interaction with their teachers and peers via online and on-campus lessons and face-to-face lab and field activities.
You can check them out at:  http://www.uhmseedacademy.org/kapoleihighschool/

UncategorizedBy Troy Patterson,

Podcast #43: Happy New Year! Now More Stuff on Advisory!

Advisory, Advisory, Advisory, Advisory, Advisory, Advisory, Advisory

News & Events: 

1.  Start planning for October’s Month of the Young Adolescent!
2.  Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH.  Presenter information is posted on the page.  Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.” 
3.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)
4.  Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5.  Rick Stiggins has a Balanced Assessment Manifesto posted at NMSA‘s website worth checking out.  
6.  Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association.  If you have any, drop us a line. 
7.  Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators annual conference is coming up October 9-10, 2008. 
8.  The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here. 
9.  ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket. 
10.  NMSA’s latest podcast focuses on using Skype for academic learning.  How many of you have access to Skype at school? 
11.  Research Summary Posted:  Vocabulary Teaching and Learning Across Disciplines is now available at NMSA.   
12.  NMSA has a Facebook !  They would like to invite you to join them on Facebook and the opportunities it affords. How many of you can reach Facebook through your district’s firewall?
13.  The Michigan Department of Environmental Quality (DEQ) has collaborated with the Michigan Association of Middle School Educators to develop an 18 unit Science module.  You can access it here. 
14.  Keycode software has a Homework App for your iPhone/iPod touch.  You know your kids have ’em now its time to put the little ‘puters to work for you!  ($5.99 at the iTunes store) 


Advisory

In his seminal work, A Middle School Curriculum: From Rhetoric to Reality, Beane (1993) argues that
“the central purpose of the middle school curriculum should be helping early adolescents explore
self and social meanings at this time in their lives” (p. 18). When teachers serve as advisors to sixth,
seventh, and eighth graders, they receive daily, if not hourly, reminders of what it is like to be a
young adolescent in today’s fast-paced world. Through conversation and contact with their charges,
teachers gain useful insights into early adolescence that they can then weave into the ongoing
classroom experience over the course of the school year.

A definition:

“An advisory is an organized group of one adult and a dozen or so kids that serves as the students’ first line of affiliation in their school,” said Stevenson in Teaching Ten to Fourteen Year Olds. “The group meets at least once daily, usually for the first 20 minutes or so of the day.…”

Among the purposes of the advisory, Stevenson writes, are to

  • ensure than each student is known well at school by at least one adult who is that youngster’s advocate (advisor);
  • guarantee that every student belongs to a peer group;
  • help every student find ways of being successful within the academic and social options the school provides;
  • promote communication and coordination between home and school.


Five Advisory Principles (From NELMS, Jim Burns)

1.  Integral Placement.
Advisories need to be team based to connect the relationships to the teachers who teach them. 
2.  Advisory Authenticity.
As much as we like resource books, they aren’t a good substitute for designing advisory curriculum around the group of students in the immediate advisory.  What worked last year will not necessarily work this year.  Each year is unique in the same way that each student is unique in what they bring to the classroom.  As much as we’d like to think of curriculum as linear in some fashion, Advisory Curriculum is more dynamic and “rubber meets road.” 
3.  Common Aims.
The building as a whole recognizes certain goals for Advisory that are easily explainable and are flexible enough for Advisories to work them into the interests and themes of the individual Advisories and Teams. 
4.  Assertive Leadership.
Leadership includes administration helping in setting goals and extending contracts throughout the summer for staff development of goals and resources. 
5.  Tangible Results.
Produce a product, like a community service project, and celebrate achievements both academic and affective. 

Example from Brandon Valley Middle School in South Dakota (via Steve Barkley):

“Advisor/Advisee program purpose:

To increase…

-Students’ sense of support and caring
-Rapport
-Bonding with staff, students, parents
-Student Achievement
-Relating to students’ generation
-Trust with at least one adult
-Enjoyment at school
-Comfort at school
-Staff and student connectedness

Students should find that the program will:

-help them learn more about themselves
-help give guidance in their growth as a person
-help better understand friends and classmates
-help set personal goals, make decisions, and solve problems
-help make school a more caring and sharing place to be
-help develop better relationships between students and teachers
-help create a feeling of belonging

Advisory activities will focus on three areas:

I. Activities that create opportunities for the staff to KNOW students well. 
II. Activities that provide students opportunities to learn and practice critical life, community and school skills. 
III. Activities that create fun, belonging and team spirit.” 

***********************************************

Activities:

Pamela Chandler’s students recently completed an activity in which they took a survey about the stressors in their lives. “Students were amazed at how many stressful things they deal with on a daily basis,” said Chandler. After the survey, students brainstormed ways of dealing with those stressors.


In Kathy Thompson’s advisory group, a recent discussion about self-esteem led two students to share their experiences with bulimia. “It was great that they felt safe within the group,” said Thompson, “and the others responded in a supportive manner.”


The students also use their advisory time for community-service projects. For example, during the December holiday time, Thompson’s students put together hampers for needy families in their community. “Some students donate so much it is astounding,” said Thompson. “We end up with about six very large boxes of donations per group. Some students come with me to make the deliveries. It is a real eye-opener for the students.”


In Jeannette Stern’s advisory, students got together and threw a baby shower for an advisee whose mother was having a baby by the student’s new stepfather. “This made her feel important and part of what she had perceived to be another family,” said Stern. “We have visited hospitals, made get-well cards, gone to wakes, and paid shivah calls — all things that students do not feel comfortable doing alone but unfortunately need to do,” Stern added.


Last fall, before parent conferences, Stern asked her advisees to fill out a form designed to gather information about how students felt about school and how they thought their parents would respond to the upcoming advisory conference. “Included on that form was the question What would you like me to discuss with your parents that you feel is difficult for you to address?” said Stern. “Students have brought up the need for privacy, how they are trying hard even if they are not meeting with the results they would like, and that even though they like and respect their parents, they need to try things out for themselves. These can be difficult issues, and parents and the advisor can then discuss how to deal with them so that everybody is happier.”


Other activities that might be included in a successful advisory program are sustained silent reading, mini-courses or exploratories, intramural sports, cooperative group challenges, and “game days.” Teachers might also construct activities around such important themes as diversity, career awareness, values, learning styles, communications skills, peer pressure, drug and alcohol awareness, self-esteem, problem-solving, decision-making, and thinking about the future.   


From:

http://www.education-world.com/a_curr/curr127.shtml


Use technology to do an interest inventory to determine the direction you will take your advisory.  (Zoomerang) 


http://www.middleweb.com/johnston.html


LINKS:

http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/MiddleSchoolJournal/Articles/September2006/Article8/tabid/1021/Default.aspx

http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/OnTarget/Advisory/tabid/295/Default.aspx

http://asai.indstate.edu/advisory.htm

http://www.middleweb.com/advisory.html

http://www.nmsa.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/On_Target/advisory/advisory_3.pdf

http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/MiddleSchoolJournal/Articles/September2006/Article8/tabid/1021/Default.aspx

http://www.middleweb.com/johnston.html

http://zoomerang.com/online-surveys/survey-software_mm3.htm?_kk=zoomerang&_kt=264483cc-8578-4b07-b6b5-7dc9b832a180

http://blogs.plsweb.com/2007/09/middle-school-advisory.html


Middle School Matters Resources & Reference pages: 

Our most popular advisory podcast:  https://middleschoolmatters.com/?p=78
More advisory podcast goodness:  https://middleschoolmatters.com/?p=106


UncategorizedBy Troy Patterson, ,

Podcast #42 NMSA: Not Much, School Actually.

News & Events: 

1.  Start planning for October’s Month of the Young Adolescent!
2.  Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH.  Presenter information is posted on the page.  Download now and get it it in to your administration while they’re too confused and dazed with the opening of school’s events to say, “No.” 
3.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample)
4.  Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
5.  Rick Stiggins has a Balanced Assessment Manifesto posted at NMSA‘s website worth checking out.  
6.  Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association.  If you have any, drop us a line. 
7.  Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators annual conference is coming up October 9-10, 2008. 
8.  The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here. 
9.  ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket. 
10.  Second Life Education Community Conference (SLEDcc) Announcement:  (From the webpage…) “The Second Life Education Community Conference 2008 will take place in conjunction with the Official Second Life Community Convention 2008 in Tampa, Florida (US) and in the virtual world of Second Life on September 5 – 7th, 2008. All members of the Second Life educational community and anyone with an interest in the use of virtual worlds technology in education is invited to attend! Please note: Registration fees cover both the SLEDcc and SLCC events! Conference registration and fees only apply to those going to SLEDcc/SLCC in Tampa, in-world only participants do not need to register or pay any fees.”  Here’s your chance to attend a free conference during the first week of school.  The conference schedule can be found here.
11.  The Tennessee Association of Middle Schools has announced the results of their election and congratulations to the following:

Congratulations to the newly elected TAMS Board members for 2008-2009:

Vice President: Cedrick Gray, Memphis City
Teacher Rep (West): Trassey Boone, Shelby County
Admin Rep (West): Charlene Thornton, Memphis City
At-Large Rep (West): Jessie Hubbard, Memphis City
Teacher Rep (Middle): Kristi Thone, Williamson Co.
Higher Ed Rep (East): Andrea Stairs, UT Knoxville

12.  NMSA has a Facebook !  They would like to invite you to join them on Facebook and the opportunities it affords. How many of you can reach Facebook through your district’s firewall? 

NMSA to Consider Name Change

The group cited several reasons for the recommendation, but two were considered crucial:

  • To clarify that NMSA provides support and resources to all who are working with young adolescents, no matter what the grade configuration. Because “middle school” is in our name, some assume that our interest is only in middle schools, and that is far from the truth. Our overriding interest is the education of all young adolescents, period.
  • To recognize that while NMSA started in the heartland of the United States, we are no longer “national” in scope. We have members in 45 countries and strong affiliates in Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Europe, so we are in fact an “international” organization.

The name of National Middle School Association belongs to our members, and members will make the ultimate decision about whether we change our name. Therefore, Task Force 2010 was appointed this year to establish a process to gain input from a vast audience about 1) whether we should change our name, 2) what that new name should be, and 3) how we should move from one name to the other. It’s anticipated that such a transition would happen in the year 2010—thus the name of the task force. Ultimately, members would decide through a vote during our annual election.

http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/MiddleGround/Articles/August2008/Article11/tabid/1714/Default.aspx


Ideas (note if any of these actually get used, Troy & I would each like a Kindle presented by Mr. Jack Berckemeyer.):

  • International Middle School Association (too obvious?)
  • International Society of Middle School Professionals
  • Societe Internationale des Professeurs de Middle School
  • Intercontinental Middle School Association
  • Polynational Middle School Association
  • Multinational Middle School Association 
  • Teachers of Transescents (ToTs?  Would those from Idaho be “Tater ToTs?”)
  • Polynational Middle School Association
  • International Congress of Middle School Teachers
  • People for the Ethical Treatment of Adolescents (PETA, hmm, taken?) 
  • Institute for Middle Level Learning
  • Foundation for Middle Level
  • Interstellar Middle School Association (home of the Pan-Galactic Gargle Blaster – apologies to Douglas Adams)
  • The Association for People Perceived as Not-Normal for Loving the Age-Group Considered Not-Normal  (APPNLACNN)


One Reason to Attend NMSA ’08:
Starting February 12, 2009 and continuing throughout the year will be the bicentennial celebration of Abraham Lincoln’s life and presidency.  The State of Illinois has put together a traveling exhibit on the late president and among the few stops currently scheduled is the NMSA Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado this year.  The exhibit travels in a semi-trailer and has been in several places in Illinois and Missouri.  This may be your chance to see it unless it gets sponsorship to your area I’d imagine.  Want to check it out some more?  Look here.  Poke around for the educational materials on the site as well.  Many places with a Lincoln connection are producing materials for the coming celebration and there should be lots to choose from in the coming days. 



NMSA ’08 Prep Tips: 

Considering attending NMSA ’08 this year?  A couple of factoids you might want to know:

  • Concessions are at the back of the exhibit hall this year by the NMSA booth and the touring Lincoln Bicentennial truck.  Prepare to be fleeced . . . 
  • There is a business center on site.  They have shipping services so you don’t have to shove your loot into a suitcase and worry about going over the 50 lb. limit or carrying an extra bag on board and paying the additional bag fee. Do make sure to check out the business hours for the business center.  Experience in the past has been waiting until the last moment to ship stuff ends up in a closed business center and an extra bag at the airport check in counter. 
  • Internet is provided solely through the Colorado Convention Center.  Bring your iPhone or join us in calling for Mr. Jack Berckemeyer to provide us with Kindle units so we can download the entire conference handout library and access it as we go throughout the conference.  (You should know, however, that neither of us has spoken to Mr. Berckemeyer about providing such a unit.  But it would be nice and if anybody could make such a thing happen . . . )
  • Check out the NMSA conference website for housing, in my experience it generally tends to be a better price than going to the hotel directly. 


Service Learning Projects Grant
Looking for something for Advisory?  What about having your students take the lead on a service learning project and having it funded by State Farm?  State Farm Insurance is funding 30 of these types of projects through a Youth Advisory Board.  Details on the grants can be found here at their website. 


“Gotta have this!” Tech Moment:  

World’s smallest projector can project a 40″ inch screen with VGA quality.  Reinforces the need to teach presentation skills in that our students will be giving presentations from their cell phones in the near future.  Product is now out on the market. 


Sneaking Suspicion:  Does anyone else get the feeling that a large part of incorporating computers in education has been only in creating redundancy for bureaucratic regulations?  Just wondering . . . (First you enter this in the ‘puter, then print three copies, one for C.O., one for the Secretary, and one for your personal file …) 


Shout outs:

  1. Mary Henton from Ohio, thanks for the email and the link! 
  2. Tom, we love ISTE members too!  Glad you caught us in Second Life through our link in the ISTE Blogger’s Hut.  Thanks to ISTE for putting a link in their Second Life location for us. 
  3. Michael Cohen, thanks for the feedback and suggestions from your laundry buddies! 
  4. Brad Emerson, thanks for the heads up on the Kid’s Open Dictionary Builder.  Go check it out! 


Postyourtest.com raises concerns
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=54822;_hbguid=cb2345ee-c2d6-4fee-9a62-0df21d2748bf

MindLadder:
In effect, the programs aim to pinpoint how each student’s mind processes information, then prescribe a solution that is targeted specifically to the individual.
“These questions begin the search for patterns in the student’s learning processes,” said Jensen. “We’re moving away from the wait-to-fail approach. With MindLadder’s reach-to-teach model, schools can anticipate, recognize, address, and document student learning needs and match them up, without delay, with specific and effective instruction.”
When the teacher has completed the LearningGuide, each function of the student’s mind is color-coded according to what must be developed (urgent), what must be strengthened, and what could be built upon (good). (See image below)
“Before, only school psychologists could complete these kinds of tests, and it would only be for troubled students. Now, the test is simple enough for any teacher to use and understand, and [it] can be used for all students to best help them learn,” Jensen said.
“This is not meant to replace traditional testing,” Jensen said. “Instead, it is a whole new way of looking at assessments. The teacher is a mentor, not just an examiner. The test, along with the guide, measures students’ growth over time, allowing them to be the best learner they can be.”
“Most of us were taught, implicitly or explicitly, that intelligence was a fixed entity, thanks in part to the proliferation of IQ tests and classification of students’ potential to learn over the last 50 years,” Pennington explains. “We need to throw away those old perceptions and embrace the idea that we can teach in ways that enhance students’ ability to think and learn, making mastery of any content standards possible.”

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=54932;_hbguid=aad77d55-6dcc-47bc-bf7a-d623374632ad&d=top-news

NMSA08, Podcast, UncategorizedBy Troy Patterson

Podcast #41 – Free Kindle!, (please Jack and/or Jeff!), Free iTunes (U), and Free Second Life!

News & Events

1.  Start planning for October’s Month of the Young Adolescent!
2.  Ohio Middle School Association’s Annual Conference, February 19-20, 2009 in Sandusky, OH. 
3.  Institute for Middle Level Leadership.  July 20-23
4.  Best Practices for Student Success.  July 28 & August 6 
5.  NMSA Annual Conference, October 30 – November 1 (Video sample) 
6.  Summer Teacher-to-Teacher professional development program registration is open. (free)
7.  Canadian National Middle Years Conference, November 5, 6, & 7 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
8.  Rick Stiggins has a new Balanced Assessment Manifesto posted at NMSA‘s website.
9.  NMSA is looking for a new journal editor.  Applications due August 1, 2008. 
10.  Michigan Association of Middle School Educators Elections are posted:
PRESIDENT-ELECT:    Alice Seppanen
TREASURER:    Charlene Pike
Suzanne Lappin, Member-At-Large
Nic Cooper, Region 2
 David Feldman, Region 4
Mary Ann Schmedlen, Region 8
 Sherry Lambertson, Region 11
David Baldus, Region 12
 Joe Somerville, Region 13
11.  Looking for news from Ontario Middle Level Educators Association.  If you have any, drop us a line. 
12.  Wisconsin Association of Middle Level Educators annual conference is coming up October 9-10, 2008. 
13.  The New England League of Middle Schools has a whole bevy of professional development planned for the 2008-2009 school year and you can access it here. 
14.  ADVISORY IDEAS NEEDED:  NELMS is putting together an Advisory Resource page with lessons for you to use.  They are asking for submissions here by January 1, 2009.  If your entry is used, you will be entered in a raffle for a 3 day NELMS conference ticket. 
15.  Second Life Education Community Conference (SLEDcc) Announcement:  (From the webpage…) “The Second Life Education Community Conference 2008 will take place in conjunction with the Official Second Life Community Convention 2008 in Tampa, Florida (US) and in the virtual world of Second Life on September 5 – 7th, 2008. All members of the Second Life educational community and anyone with an interest in the use of virtual worlds technology in education is invited to attend! Please note: Registration fees cover both the SLEDcc and SLCC events! Conference registration and fees only apply to those going to SLEDcc/SLCC in Tampa, in-world only participants do not need to register or pay any fees.”  Here’s your chance to attend a free conference during the first week of school.  The conference schedule can be found here. 

If your state or regional middle level association is organizing an event, please let us know at middleschooleducators@gmail.com. 

Shout outs:
1.  Jeff Bezos, we’d love to put a free Kindle through its paces at NMSA ’08 … 
2.  Ron in New Jersey, thanks for the email.
3.  The lake trout at 140 feet down who saw my lure at 100 feet down and took it last week, you were delicious … 
4.  Our international friends – even the Spammers!

Copyright Fight looms over College Textbooks
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=54684;_hbguid=1a943a6a-3bb8-4f98-9bd7-ab945e14b76c
The high cost of college textbooks has spawned a new battleground in the fight to keep students from downloading copyright-protected materials over the internet: textbook file sharing.

Court upholds Teacher firing for looking at porn
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=54693;_hbguid=80f259df-0ff1-423f-8e9c-c0b047174269


Visually very polished. Most of the subject area categories have between 1-10 episodes. Many of the episodes are around 1 minute in length. There are some gems. (A video on Formative Assessment includes