100 Search Results for "homework"

• I was just like you I was just like you

  • From: Spike_Cook
  • Description:

     Originally published in May, 2012

    Dear Administrators,

    I feel like I need to share some really good news with you. And I am not alone. See, I was just like you!

    

    source: en.wikipedia.org

    During these past few months I have opened myself up completely to the 21^st century. I went full board, having never created a blog, wiki, uploaded a video, nor participated in ANY social media prior to this year. I have never been a techie, or desired to acquire the newest gadgets (Honestly, I held out for a long time from buying compact discs).

     

    I will admit it… I was scared. I had nothing good to say about facebook, twitter, google, blogging, and I too felt that I had learned all I needed to know about the computer (Hey, I was a wiz at the Microsoft office suite). As long as I could get on the internet, I was fine. I knew how to search for things. I could find articles, and resources, or so I thought. As an educator, my mind was made up: we are not allowed to participate in this new found social media stuff anyway. It was all “trouble” and the “devil’s playground.”

     

    I was good. All good. I knew a lot more then my predecessors. I have worked with administrators in the past who didn’t know how to turn on a computer. They couldn’t text, or had no idea what a url was. They were just fine, and some almost reveled in their learned helplessness.Let’s face it, I thought, there were hundreds of thousands of effective principals since the beginning of time who never even wrote an email.

     

    

    source: kerrywills.wordpress.com

    Then a strange thing happened on my way to being comfortable. I found out that as a 38 year old first-year principal, who was a self-described progressive in education, that I was already a dinosaur (insert dinosaur sound). I have called educators dinosaurs before. Gulp. We all know how that story ended: Extinction! Well, I didn’t want to be extinct.  And I don’t want you to be either! I had ask myself some tough questions: Am I modeling 21^st century skills for my teachers and students? Am I really progressive? Do I really know where education was going? The answers were clearly, NO. So I DID something about it. I TOOK a LEAP. I got off of the comfortable road!

     

    So, this is your homework assignment for the summer.  You need to start something. Depending on where you want to grow, there are plenty of resources. And I am willing to help, and so are all the connected educators near you, and thousands more are just a click away. Actually, we are all just a click away from you!

    We are not trying to keep anything from you. We want EVERYBODY to be connected. This is not a competition. Rather, it is a privilege that you are in the position you are in. With the gift of being an administrator, there is a responsibility to your teachers, parents, students, and most of all, to yourself. Now, what are you going to do with this precious gift?

     

    Ask yourself these questions….Here are some resources for you.

    I want to know how to access the cutting edge information on education. Where do I start?

    Twitter.com - It is free, and you will have access to Professional Development at your fingertips 24/7. I recommend to start with the following educators:

    @NMHS_Principal, Eric Sheninger, High School Principal

    @stumpteacher, Josh Stumpenhorst, Teacher

    @PrincipalJ, Jessica Johnson, Elementary Principal

    @web20classroom, Steven Anderson, Technology Supervisor

    @gcouros, George Couros, Principal and founder of Connected Principals

    I want to know how tell my classroom, district or school’s story?Start a school blog or a personal blog using (Blogger, edublogs, or Word Press).

    Justin Tarte, Life of an Educator

    Dave Gentile, The Road To Excellence is Always Under Construction

    Pamm Moore, Learning to Lead

    Spike Cook’s RM Bacon School Site, RM Bacon Weekly

    Curt Rees, I know this much is true

    How will I be able to do all this? You have to make time. Just like the teachers you are frustrated with, you can’t punch in and out. You have to be willing to put in the time, and be committed.  The more you are connected, the more you will become inspired by what folks are doing.

    How can I learn all of this? Like the famous book by Anne Lamott Bird by Bird you have to start small and take it one bird at a time.

    I guarantee that you have a teacher in your building or an administrator in another building that can help you out with your transition to being connected. You just have to open yourself up to the possibilities.

    For those of you who are reading this because you are connected, my challenge to you is to print, email, forward, or even read this to another administrator that you feel could benefit.

    Remember, I was just like you!

    Resources:

    My Prezi on Social Media in Administration:

    http://prezi.com/thmleuo19vp2/copy-of-copy-of-social-media-for-administration/

    Great Article on the Power of the Principal:

    http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/finding_common_ground/2012/05/the_power_of_the_principal.html

    Twitter accounts for Technology:

    http://paper.li/DrSpikeCook/1333674940?edition_id=300ef930-a924-11e1-a2b7-00259071bfec

  • Blog post
  • 4 days ago
  • Views: 216

• Want to Elliminate Cheating? I Want to Elliminate Cheating? It's Easy!

  • From: Mark_Barnes
  • Description:

    Recently, my 8^th grade English language arts students were writing our guiding question at the beginning of class. This is a routine activity that takes about two minutes. Some students write faster than others and finish in as little as 60 seconds.

     

    As I meandered my way around the tables, looking in and chatting with small groups and individuals, I noticed one student, who had finished the task and was copying a friend’s homework. “I see something important is due in science today,” I said. The two girls looked up sheepishly and nodded. The copier asked if I was going to take the papers. “Why?” I queried. “I’m not hurt by your cheating; you are.” The cheater only shrugged and went back to copying. Her cohort grinned and shrugged, right along.

     

    Are educators responsible for cheating?

     

    Research indicates that cheating is on the rise, especially in high schools and colleges. Donald McCabe, a Rutgers professor, believes rampant cheating is due to the stress of competition that schools present. “I don’t think there’s any question that students have become more competitive, under more pressure, and, as a result, tend to excuse more from themselves and other students, and that’s abetted by the adults around them,” McCabe told The New York Times last year.

     

    McCabe and other luminaries, like Harvard researcher Howard Gardner, believe the Internet may also shoulder some of the blame. Students, they claim, don’t understand honor codes and plagiarism, so they are quick to “borrow” content they find in a simple Google search.

     

    It’s not the Internet, it’s grades!

     

    I would argue that there is a much larger root to this problem. When I asked the girls in my class why they were so willing to copy their science worksheet, they quickly acknowledged that they needed the points to maintain a good grade. “Hmm,” I wondered aloud, “you never cheat in my class. Why is that?” They didn’t contemplate the question for even two seconds. “There are no points or grades on your assignments,” the copier quickly said, “so there’s no reason to cheat.”

     

    A smile quickly brightened my face. “So, what do I value?” I asked, beginning to move away, so I could engage another group of students. “Learning,” the two said, almost in unison.

     

    So, would you like to eliminate cheating in your class? It’s easy! All you have to do is abolish grades. Give your students feedback about their work, and allow them the opportunity to revisit activities and projects and improve them, in order to indicate mastery learning.

     

    Cheating will disappear, and, best of all, your students will become independent learners.

    

    To learn more, get Mark Barnes' new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom (ASCD 2013) here.

  • Blog post
  • 1 month ago
  • Views: 406

• Performance and the Fundamenta Performance and the Fundamental Way of Being

  • From: Adrian_Bertolini
  • Description:

    "You cannot have performance breakthroughs without cognitive dissonance ... in other words ... challenging what you think you really know and believe is the truth."

     

    The more that I work with schools, the more I realise how important it is to coach teachers and school leaders in having personal performance breakthroughs as part of the journey to creating a high performance learning culture in a school. What I have been finding is that it is the unconscious limitations a person imposes on themselves and/or the individual’s ingrained habits and practices that can limit or slow down the building of an authentic learning culture.

    In my coaching one of the first tools I use I gleaned from Steve Zaffron and David Logan’s book called “The Three Laws of Performance”.  The Three Laws are:

    1.       How people perform correlates to how situations occur to them

    2.       How a situation occurs arises in language

    3.       Future-based language transforms how situations occur to people

    So what influences how situations occur to people?

    Let me delve a little into the neuroscience here. In the simplest description, our brains are pattern making machines that, through trial and error of experience and learning, create a template or mental model of how the world is so the individual can successfully interact with the world around it. As a short cut to operating in an increasingly complex environment, the brain creates unconscious habits and practices for those actions that are ritualised. For example, most of us don’t have to think about walking. We just walk. We put one step in front of the other not consciously recognising the extraordinary coordination required of our brain and body to have this happen. For those of us who drive to work, many of us drive home from our normal place of work mostly unconscious because our brain “knows” where it is going.

    As we grow up there are there spans where we undergo large physiological and neurological changes. These include the period from being a baby / toddler to a child (gaining of language), a child to a teenager (puberty), a teenager to an adult (pre-frontal cortex and executive decision making). These neurological developmental changes are critical periods in our lives as it is at these times that we lay down certain foundational or fundamental ways of being (mental models or templates). Based on these templates we build our interpretation and reaction to the world around us.

    My experience in coaching people over the past 15 years is that in areas where individuals lack performance they have not overcome the programming that originated when they were children. Have you ever experienced an adult who still throws tantrums like they were 6? Have you noticed that some people can’t seem to organise themselves and still act like they are teenagers in managing themselves and their time? Have you noticed the emotions and feelings that come up when you are confronted by conflict in the workplace (most teachers avoid constructive conflict like the plague)!

    In those areas where you experience being challenged to develop yourself or you lack performance, your actions are logical and consistent with a childhood perspective or viewpoint of that situation. How a situation occurs to us is correlated to our fundamental way of being or mental model that originated when we were quite young.

    Conversely, in those areas you do perform, at some point in your life you challenged your childhood mental model and “grew up” in that area. You went through a period of cognitive dissonance and challenged and re-circuited your hardwired habits and practices in that area.

    Let me give you an example. I come from an Italian family and my viewpoint of my father when I was young was that he was not very communicative, he didn’t really show his love for me like my mother did, and that when I did something wrong (which being the middle boy of three boys we always got up to some mischief) he yelled at us and we occasionally got smacked. So I decided at quite a young age that I would “never be enough”. When you look at my behaviour over a long period of time it is not surprising that I am always out to prove myself and succeed in whatever I do. I have three degrees including a Ph.D. I taught Aerospace Engineering (including … yes … rocket science). I came second A LOT, in sport as well as academically, and it frustrated me no end. I know myself as someone who, no matter what I am given, will figure it out and become successful at it. Within this fundamental way of being I have developed particular habits and practices that enable me to learn and develop myself. It isn’t surprising that education is one of my fields of interest.

    The problem with the Fundamental Way of Being is that until I became become conscious to how it was driving me in everything, and the cost it had to my well-being and just being able to be in relationship with people, I had no power to choose to behave in a different way. I was very hard on myself and overanalysed everything. My brain was always whirring and busy so I found that I was constantly exhausted to make up for NEVER being enough. I was quite often surrounded by “fools and idiots” and became frustrated with people when they didn’t understand me. I lacked empathy for others.

    The Fundamental Way of Being is not a bad thing as it has you gain a certain success in life. But like any ritual habit it drives you to behave in particular ways in circumstances that other ways of behaving are more appropriate. You cannot begin to change a habit until you have become present to how it is driving you. Until then you are the passenger in the car that is your behaviour.

    When I coach teachers and people in leadership positions I give them two pieces of homework involving reflective journaling.

    1. At least 2-3 times per week spend 5-10 minutes reflecting on their day and write down experiences from the day that they felt driven by their fundamental way of being. It will feel uncomfortable at times. The intention of the first piece of homework is to have them become self-aware of when their machinery, that is their ritual behavioural pattern, is operating.
        
    2. The second piece of homework is to write down, what they would do differently next time in each situation that arose that day. They could also acknowledge any victories where they took a different action from the one normally given by their mental model. The intention of this part of the homework is to start challenging the ingrained behavioural patterns so that they can create new patterns. In some ways this is about growing up to be an adult!

    What I have found is that, over time, people start to produce remarkable results and shift their behaviour in those areas where they felt stuck or unable to develop and grow.

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 130

• Human nature Human nature

  • From: Erik_Palmer
  • Description:

    

                We have an all-comedy radio station in Denver—non-stop clips from various comedians. I missed the name of the comic, but one talked about digging through his closet looking at all the junk he had discarded in there. One of the items was his Rosetta Stone CD set. I spent a couple of minutes researching “what percentage complete Rosetta Stone” but couldn’t find the answer right away so I quit looking. I bet it is a very small number. I’ll wager that a lot of people have the idea of learning a new language but don’t follow through.

                Then I started thinking about my health club. Every year it gets crowded during January and part of February, but it gets back to normal after that. Seems many people have the idea that this will be the year they start exercising but almost none of them follow through. Then I saw a New York Times article that said that 90% of people who lose weight gain it all back. Seems like most folks have the intention to change shapes but don’t follow through. Then I thought about an adult education class offered at the “free university” in my town that told writers how to self-publish a book. The instructor said almost none of the people attending will actually do it. They all have the idea that there is book inside of them and this will be the year that they write it, but almost none of them will actually follow through.  I had 300 people sign up for the webinar I just did for ASCD but there weren’t 300 in the virtual room when the webinar happened.  Seems lots of folks didn’t follow through.

                You can see where I am going with this. One of the outstanding traits of human beings seems to be that we don’t follow through. This truth applies in the world of education, too. You probably saw the recent studies about the completion percentage of online courses. Only ten percent of people who start actually finish. (Rosetta Stone coulda told you that but they won’t, of course).  But MOOCs will transform education!  Some students will sit at home and explore the world and get their degrees!!  Other students will rush home to watch our flipped instruction videos and they will watch over and over until they understand the tricky part!!!

                Three things are true of the biggest proponents of the online instruction movement.  First, many are older folks.  They are so impressed by the new gadgets and what they can do.  Years ago, Edison predicted that his invention (movies, of a sort) would transform education.  It didn’t.  And now other older adults are pretty sure video and the Internet will transform education eliminating classrooms and allowing independent, self-created curriculum.  It’s just so cool!!  Second, many are not in the classroom.  Any classroom teacher could tell you that most students need the personal touch, the human contact, the in-person support in order to stay on task.  Not only do large numbers not complete homework, large numbers have a hard time completing work right there in class.  (I hear the response: homework should go away anyhow, and if the lessons were meaningful, then they would complete it! My response to that: dream on.) The successful teacher is one who can inspire, prod, and personally connect, and for that, you must be present to win.  Third, the proponents fail to understand human nature.  Yes, they understand that part of human nature is that we are curious. We do get excited about new things. They missed, however, that we don’t follow through.  MOOCs, flipped class videos, webinars all compete with all the other distractions at home.  Students sorta watch…while eating, texting, checking email and Facebook, watching television, and playing with the dog.  If there is one outstanding feature of Americans it is that they lack discipline.  How did you not notice that?

                Don’t get me wrong. I absolutely believe we all need to update instruction.  I am a strong proponent of using today’s tools.  (That’s why I wrote Digitally Speaking: How to Improve Student Presentations with Technology.)  And I also know that no matter what the tech gadget is, it won’t trump human nature.  I guess my message is settle down.  Don’t get so blinded by the incredible possibilities that you forget who you are dealing with here.  When you finally lose that twenty pounds you have promised yourself you would lose and when you get back to the gym to get in shape and when you finish that Rosetta Stone Spanish CD, then start talking about how independent, self-guided instruction is the future. 

    

  • Blog post
  • 3 months ago
  • Views: 490

• 7 Great Strength-Based Univers 7 Great Strength-Based Universal Design for Learning Apps for Students with Special Needs

  • From: Thomas_Armstrong
  • Description:

     

    Posted on February 18, 2013 by Thomas Armstrong

    The rapid pace of new educational technologies has made it so that students with special needs can accomplish many things in the classroom that were difficult or even impossible for them only a few years ago. The following list contains some of the best apps I’ve seen for kids with neurodiversities in communication, reading, sociability, attention, and behavior.

    1. Dragon Naturally Speaking - A speech-to-text application that enables students who have problems putting their ideas down via pen and pencil or keyboard, to nevertheless develop their writing abilities. Students speak into the microphone of the computer and this software then translates the spoken word into printed text. This app is great for students who have strong oral language abilities but problems with written expression.
    2. Proloquo2Go - An alternative and augmentative communication app that allows students who have difficulty speaking or cannot speak at all, to nevertheless communicate with others. Used with a tablet (e.g. iPad etc.), students press individual buttons on the screen that trigger a synthesized speaker to say a particular word, phrase, or sentence. So, for example, one button may say ”I’m hungry!” (and include a visual symbol representing hunger). When the student is hungry, she can push that button and have that need directly expressed. Buttons can be individually customized to specific needs, commands, or wishes. For autistic students with severe communication difficulties or intellectual disabled students with articulation problems, who nevertheless may be interested in and efficient users of tablets, this application can make a world of difference in connecting to the people around them.
    3. iStudiez – A great application for high school students who have trouble with organization, focus, and other traits of a student diagnosed with ADD/ADHD. Among other things it helps students schedule their school day, get reminders on assignments and homework, keep track of grades and test scores, and manage course work requirements and related details. For the student who loves computers but can’t remember homework assignments, this is a good match!
    4. Kurzweil 3000 – A speech to text application that can scan printed materials and translate those visual images into speech sounds. For students who have significant difficulties reading (e.g. dyslexic students), this can give them access to texts they might otherwise have problems accessing, and help them with their reading load.
    5. Stories About Me - Allows teachers to create their own social stories for their students who have difficulty with basic social skills like turn-taking, sharing , playing a game, interpreting gestures, recounting field trips, understanding directions, and other important interpersonal activities. By putting together photos, text, and voice recordings into a talking picture book, students with autism, emotional and behavioral disorders, or other neurodiversities can play back rich media stories of their own personal experiences.
    6. iCommunicate – Lets teachers design visual schedules, storyboards, communication boards, routines, flash cards, choice boards, speech cards, and other materials for kids who have learning and communication difficulties. It is customizable to specific classroom needs. Helps students prepare for transitions, anticipate routines, reinforce turn-taking, express their needs, and address other classroom management, behavior, and communication issues.
    7. Tiblo – This one is not actually an app, but a UDL manipulative tool that I just couldn’t resist adding to the list; these are individual interlocking blocks that can be assembled into two- or three-dimensional structures. What makes this manipulative tool so amazing, however, is that each individual block can be programmed to record sounds (e.g. phonemes, words, sentences etc.), as well as hold visuals (e.g. pictures, written letters, sounds etc.). So, for example, a student or teacher might take four blocks, and record the sound ”buh” for one, ”ah” for the second one, ”lll…” for the third one, and ”ball” for the fourth, thus teaching combining of phonemes (and by changing blocks around, the student can blend sounds in different ways). On top of each block, the student can place ”post-its” with the written letters and words or pictures. This is a terrific tool for kids with reading disabilities who have hands-on visual spatial strengths.

    For a summary of websites that describe other applications for students with special needs, see this New York Times article.

    For additional strategies, tools, and resources to help students with special needs use their strengths to become more successful in school, see my book Neurodiversity in the Classroom: Strength-Based Strategies to Help Students with Special Needs Succeed in School and Life published by ASCD. Also, for information about my other books for teachers of students with special needs, visit my website: www.institute4learning.com

  • Blog post
  • 4 months ago
  • Views: 2312

• Week 1 down Week 1 down

  • From: Jordan_Stopka
  • Description:

    After one week of getting acquainted with my classes and the school I am proud to say that I am feeling much more confident with how student teaching is going to go.  A short list of the things that I accomplished in week 1:

    -Met the Dean of students as well as numerous secretaries that will be of great help

    -Met and learned all the names of my coworkers in the department

    -Ran an entire day's worth of class when my cooperating teacher was sick

    -Learned about 50% of my students' names

    -Learned a quicker route as well as alternet routes to the school so that I arrive on time everyday

    -Got the chance to grade some homework assignments

    -Met some of the security guards

    -This weekend I began to get my lesson plan ideas into my head for when I take over

    -Learned the structure in which I should be teaching to keep my classes on par with other classes of the same level but with a different teacher.  I am still encouraged to do my own thing...I just can't go off on a wild tangent.

    Thats about all that I can think of at the moment.  I am feeling really good at the moment and I can't wait to continue to take on more responsibility in the upcoming weeks.  I am feeling highly optimistic!

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 5 months ago
  • Views: 211

• Top 5 questions for a national Top 5 questions for a national teacher exam

  • From: Mark_Barnes
  • Description:

    According to the Chicago Tribune, Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers wants educators to pass a rigorous teacher exam, before they are licensed to enter the classroom. The Tribune calls this “a terrific idea.” After much consideration, I created this short list of questions that might be appropriate for such an exam:

     

    5 -- What will you tell the angry parent of your student who never reads a book, because you spend all of your time teaching to a government-imposed standardized test, using basal readers?

     

    4 -- Your student fails a unit test on the solar system, telling you she couldn’t study because she’s been home alone every night caring for her two-year-old sister, while her mother is gone for days on a drug binge. Why didn’t you get her to pass the test?

     

    3 -- Administration mandates nightly homework for your first graders, and half don’t turn it in; they are failing. What are you going to do about it?

     

    2 -- Explain in detail the value-added system and how you can get your students to demonstrate one-year’s growth using it. (A baffled would-be teacher won’t realize the treachery of this question, until someone tells her later that the convoluted value-added system is one of America’s best-kept secrets.)

     

    1 -- You will be given outdated materials, a handful of old computers (all useful web sites will be filtered, of course), dilapidated desks and 30-45 students in a room that is 90 degrees in summer and 50 in winter. If your students don’t pass the test, you will be fired. Explain how you’ll prepare your students to be competitive in today’s global economy.

     

    Do you have other samples we can send to Randi Weingarten and the Tribune for what they believe to be a "terrific idea?"

     

    Mark's new book, Role Reversal: Achieving Uncommonly Excellent Results in the Student-Centered Classroom is available for preorder from ASCD here.

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 1399
  • Not yet rated

• Top 10 Blogs of 2012 Top 10 Blogs of 2012

  • From: Tim_Ito
  • Description:

    How will we remember 2012? Once again, it has been a challenging year for many in education. The school shootings at Sandy Hook Elementary in Newtown, Conn., shocked and saddened educators worldwide, and reawakened the discussions as to what role schools can play to best keep their children safe. At the same time, the shooting reminded everyone of the commitment and love that teachers and principials have for their students, as they put their energies, their focus and their lives on the line for kids on a regular basis.

     

    Seeing that kind of commitment, bravery and dedication from educators is what makes us most hopeful for the future. In the United States, teachers and adminstrators are pushing boldly in many areas to reform schools and improve student learning. Already, many districts have begun adopting new curriculum and assessment frameworks tied to Common Core State Standards. Worldwide, educators have moved to try new instructional approaches such as flipped classrooms and blended learning. And they are beginning to increasingly implement new technology strategies, establishing bring-your-own device programs and one-to-one iPad programs -- all the while improving upon core instructional best practices and techniques.

     

    We salute all those who are dedicated to improving student learning and achievement -- and are truly making a difference in the lives others.  In particular, as we do at this time every year, we would also like to tip our hat to our own community leaders -- those who have detailed their vision and ideas in the blogs below, and who have put thoughts out in the public domain for scrutiny and praise. As we look back at the past year, we hope that, in some small way, it can provide the impetus for helping you look forward, as you implement your own new ideas in 2013.

     

    Thanks to all of you who participate in our great ASCD EDge community. Have a safe and happy holidays.  And without further delay, we present...The Top 10 Blogs of 2012.

     

    The ASCD EDge Team

     

    The Top 10 Blogs of 2012

     

    10.  A Bucket List for K-12 Students   by Steven Weber

    In 2007, Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman starred in The Bucket List.  In the movie, Nicholson and Freeman make a list of things they wish to do before they die...

     

    9.  12 Alternatives To Letter Grades In Education  by Terrell Heick

    Few artifacts of formal learning are as iconic as the letter grade...

     

    8.  Getting Ready for the Start of School Part II: Why Some Teachers Have Smooth Running Classrooms   by Muriel Rand

    I have observed many, many teachers in elementary and early childhood classrooms and the ones that have the smoothest-running classrooms all do the same thing: they teach procedures...

     

    7.  5 Top Resources for Aligning Your Social Studies Curricula to the Common Core  by Robert Zywicki

    Social studies supervisors and teachers across the country are revising their unit plans to meet their state’s content standards, as well as, the Common Core State Standards for Literacy in History and Social Studies...

     

    6.  Eight Types of Instructional Strategies That Improve Learning in a 21st Century World   by Elliott Seif

    In today’s world, with its rich and overwhelming amount of accessible information, bewildering career options, uncertainty, and change, five skill areas stand out as important for lifelong learning...

    

    5.  10 of the Best Apps for Educators  by Ryan Thomas

    Whether you're an educational technology wonder, or a little slower on the draw, apps for your iPhone and/or iPad can make your job a lot easier...

     

    4.  What I Wish I Had Known about Student Motivation  by Bryan Goodwin

    “You’re a smart kid; I just wish you’d apply yourself in my class.”  Most teachers have uttered a similar phrase. I know I did. I remember one student particularly well; we’ll call him Jerry....

     

    3.  Five Reasons I don't Assign Homework  by Mark Barnes

    The homework debate is one that has permeated education for many decades, and it shows no signs of slowing. Homework proponents perplex me, because the research is so overwhelmingly against homework's effectiveness... 

     

    2.  The Seven C's of Effective Teaching    by Muriel Rand

    I recently attended an educational assessment conference in which Ronald Ferguson from the Harvard Kennedy School was the keynote speaker. He is an educational researcher who presented his work on teacher effectiveness...

    

    And the number one blog of 2012 is:

     

    1.  SOCRATES FAILS TEACHER EVALUATION    by Heidi Hayes Jacobs

    So, it came down to one day, one test, at the Acropolis as the young men of Athens took out their #2 chisels to answer 30 questions on stone tablets...

     

     

     

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 2715

• Solving the "Play" Problem Solving the "Play" Problem

  • From: Fred_Ende
  • Description:

    As I write this, I’m sitting on a plane traveling to Phoenix, Arizona for one of the National Science Teachers Association’s regional conferences.  The flight’s a fairly long one from Newark, New Jersey, so between almost completing today’s Times crossword puzzle (anyone know a four letter word for “jazz line”?) and reading about some great “geek science” opportunities in this month’s Discover magazine, I’ve had quite a lot of time to reflect on an important conversation I had earlier this week. 

     

    One of my roles as a regional science coordinator has me working with classroom teachers on any myriad of science education initiatives they choose to explore.  As I was planning an inquiry-based “deep observation” experience with a teacher, we got into talking about the topic of “play.”  This teacher mentioned the challenge that many of his students have with seeing more than the forest when they look at a stand of trees.  To quite a number of his students today, a plant is a plant is a plant.  Why would they need to know any more about it?

     

    This view is a troubling one, and is a reflection of the constantly “on” lifestyle our students (and many of us) lead.  Very few of our students can remember a time where their mother or father told them to, “Get out of the house and play.”  Why?   Because hyper-scheduling has made any unstructured play a near impossibility.  Whether this is due to countless after-school activities or more time spent on homework, the end result is a crop of young people who don’t have the time to truly observe the world around them.  This is an annoyance for us as educators, but may prove to be a bigger concern if the trend continues.  True innovation requires deep thinking, and deep thinking can only happen when one has truly taken the time to observe, consider, and learn from all that is encountered.  To truly be creative, we need to have the opportunity to think outside the box, and that requires time and exposure to unique and new experiences (as opposed to the same old routines).  In an article by Tom Kelley and David Kelley in the Harvard Business Review, the need to avoid a “creativity crisis” is a main focus.  The authors emphasize that we shouldn’t stifle the innovative and creative impulses that all children are born with.  They write that education must encourage students to embrace “messiness,” the judgment of others, and taking the first, often frightening, step to exploring something a little different.

     

    As educators, we have to be the guides that lead students along this slightly less-beaten path.  Here are a few tips for helping your students become reacquainted with play, creativity, and innovation:

    • Provide time to be one with the world.  Too much education takes place indoors.  For students who aren’t involved in outdoor sports, their only outdoor time in a given day may be running from the front door to catch the bus.  That isn’t good, and it doesn’t provide time for students to truly “see” a different world then they are used to.  Contrary to what some might believe, any class can be held outdoors.  That doesn’t mean the focus of a lesson needs to be on studying the world outside, but a Shakespearean reading on school grounds, a study of bus idling procedures, and/or a playing field area calculation all provide students with the chance to observe more than a classroom.

     

    • Promote percolation.  Instead of letting the class end with a bell (or the transition to lunch or recess), build in five or ten minutes for students to reflect.  For many students, reflection doesn’t just happen, and strategies (such as creating a “Questions I have. . .” chart, or an “If it were up to me. . .” learning progression statement) should be incorporated to help students begin to become more active thinkers.  By making thinking time a necessary part of your work with students, you’ll encourage them to reflect regularly and often.

     

    • Push for unstructured “play.”  The teacher I was working with earlier this week told me about a recent time that he was taking a bunch of students outside for recess.  Unfortunately for students, the playground balls that were usually available for recess could not be used.  Students stood around for a minute or so, and then asked to return inside.  Very few seemed to even realize that there was much more to do outside than play an organized game of football or soccer.  In some respects, many of our students today need to be “forced” to play in an unstructured-environment, if for no other reason than to learn what it means to just be a “kid.”

     

    It worries me that my daughter, who will be three in a few months, and who engages in imaginative play at the drop of a hat, could lose that important quality, and partly because of the design and structure of our educational system.  I want her to be a truly innovative leader who thinks critically and isn’t afraid to imagine.  I believe we want that for each and every student we encounter.  We can’t afford to experience a further “creativity crisis,” and it should never be a problem for students to play.

     

    Works Cited:

     

    Kelley, David and Tom Kelley. (2012).  Reclaim Your Creative Confidence.  Harvard Business Review.  90 (12), 115 – 118.

  • Blog post
  • 6 months ago
  • Views: 3658

• Ten Simple Strategies For Teac Ten Simple Strategies For Teaching 21st Century Skills

  • From: Elliott_Seif
  • Description:

    In an earlier blog, I described five skill sets that I believe are critical for living in a 21^st century world[i]. These five sets of skills provide students with basic competencies they need for success in college, career, and beyond. They are the following:

     

    Curiosity. In today’s rapidly changing world, curiosity – interest in and willingness to learn new things – is critically important. Most educators realize that the curiosity of young children seems to lessen as they go through school. Curiosity manifests itself through students demonstrating an interest in and a willingness to try new things and learn new ideas, ask questions, and pose and define problems and challenges.

     

    Information-Data Literacy. New technologies that give us instantaneous access to huge amounts of information and data make information and data literacy skills imperative.  Our students need to be able to use many approaches, including technology, to search for information and data effectively and efficiently, sort through large amounts to find the most useful, and determine the most reliable and valid information and data. Search engine results require the ability to read and digest multiple information and data genres and formats.

     

    Thoughtfulness. All students need to have the ability to think deeply and flexibly in today’s rapidly changing world, and be prepared to take their place as 21^st century citizens. They need opportunities to compare and contrast, analyze and interpret, and develop unique relationships among information, data, and ideas. They need to be able to translate information into visual and quantitative data. They need to “think outside the box” and solve problems creatively.

     

    Application. With so much information, the ability to “pull together” and synthesize information and ideas, form educated opinions backed by argument and evidence, solve complex problems, and determine ways to apply information and ideas to the “outside” world become critical. Summarizing, synthesizing, drawing conclusions, and applying learning to new, novel, and “authentic” situations are all critical for living in a 21^st century world.

     

    Communication. Effective communication becomes more important in a world of e-mail, twitter, Facebook, cellphones, Skype, and authentic projects. Students need opportunities to practice communicating effectively in many different ways – through all types of writing, explaining ideas, diverse representations, effectively participating in discussions, and giving oral presentations.

     

    ------------------------------

     

    Given the importance of these five skills sets, one would think that they would be front and center in our educational discussions. Unfortunately, in today’s educational climate, many of these take a back seat to a relatively narrow group of skills useful for doing well on standardized tests – namely, the ability to distinguish correct answers in multiple choice questions or to write short pieces coherently. So, in this commentary, I am suggesting ten simple and easy to use strategies – two for each skill set – that can make a big difference in the ability of students to learn and apply these skills.

     

    Curiosity –

    Question Census. Ask students to brainstorm questions that they would like to explore for at least one unit of study. Together develop categories for the questions and then select questions or categories of questions that are the most challenging, interesting, or focused around big ideas. Use these questions to focus student learning and study the unit at hand.

    Student developed challenges-problems. Find someplace in the curriculum where students can develop their own challenges or problems to give to others. Give students a chance to develop puzzles, games, historic or current challenges, math problems, or other challenges and problems, and then have them share these with the rest of the class and see if other students can solve the problems or challenges.

     

     

    Information-Data Literacy –

    Readings-Data search. Either as a homework or in-class assignment in a computer lab, ask students to find one or more readings or data sources that supplement current learning. Help students learn how to use search engines and find and use helpful search terms. Work with students to help them determine which sources of information and data are reliable, then how to read and interpret these meaningfully. If several readings or data sources are found, help students figure out ways to compare and contrast them and find the essential information, ideas, or data in each.

    Close reading.  The Common Core Reading Standards advocate that students do more of the work of reading and teachers do less.  “Close reading” means that students read more deeply as part of their daily activities. Instead of providing answers and “feeding” students, students are asked “text-dependent” questions. Text dependent questions forces students to go to the text to give opinions and justify them through the text. Students are asked to “read like a detective”; to read text more than once; to analyze paragraphs sentence by sentence, to consider the nuances of a text, to analyze data sources. “Text” reading becomes much more significant as part of the learning process[ii].

    This type of reading should be encouraged, but takes time. If we are to foster information and data literacy, students, as often as possible, should be asked to do close reading.

     

    Thoughtfulness: Deep and Flexible thinking -

    Graphic organizers. Graphic organizers are a good way to promote deeper and more flexible thinking. Through a visual analysis, they help students take learning apart (analysis), organize information and data for decision-making, or weave a web of information and ideas. Use graphic organizers to help students extend and deepen student thinking[iii].

    Brainstorming A brainstorming strategy is a good way to help students learn to “think outside the box”. Students are provided with an open-ended problem or challenge that has the potential to have many different types of solutions. They are asked to discover as many alternative ways to solve the problem as they can, and are given four rules around the acronym DOVE to help them with coming up with alternative possibilities: Defer Judgment, Offbeat Ideas encouraged, Vast number of ideas sought, Expand on other people’s ideas. Ask students to work in small groups to come up with as many ideas as they can, with one person acting as the recorder of all the ideas.

    After the brainstorm, students share the ideas and make the list as long as possible. They may also be asked to indicate which five ideas are the most logical, the most unusual, the most interesting, and/or the best. Several ideas might be used to try to solve the problem and consider what would happen if the idea were put into practice.

     

    Application: Draw Conclusions, Apply Learning -

    3-2-1 Reflection. A 3-2-1 Reflection activity is often given at the end of a lesson or specific time period, such as a week, two weeks, or at the end of a unit. You can use this activity to ask students many different questions to discover what they learned and to uncover their thoughts about other aspects of the class: for example, to determine what main ideas students have learned, what questions they still have (good for stimulating curiosity), and what they most enjoyed.

    In this case, the activity works like this: Ask students to write down 3 things (ideas, facts, principles) that they learned, 2 conclusions that they can draw from the learning, and one way they can apply their learning to the outside world[iv].  

    No multiple-choice question test. For at least one time period, abandon the traditional multiple-choice short answer test for a test that requires students to draw conclusions about what they have learned and asks them to apply their learning to a new and novel situation. Performance tasks are good alternatives, as are exams that require essays. Consider open book essay exams and exams where students take home three questions to prepare, and one of them is given as an in-class exam[v].

     

    Communication:

    Five minute explanations. For this activity, students are asked to explain a concept, big idea, understanding, or principle in their own words. They may do it in pairs, giving explanations to each other, or as a writing assignment. This activity may be completed after all or part of a lecture, when a teacher has shared a new understanding and wants to determine if students understand what has been presented.

    A corollary to this activity is that students use an active listening approach – as they work in pairs, one student provides an explanation and the other has to repeat the essence of the explanation in his or her own words. They then switch, and the other student provides an explanation while the first repeats the essence of it in his or her own words.

    Persuasive arguments. In this activity, students are asked to create a persuasive argument in support of a point of view – an opinion about something they are studying. They need to state or write their point of view and provide arguments and evidence that support it. Once they state or write their argument, they can share it with others, either in small groups or in the total class. Persuasive essays are also good ways to introduce debate skills.

     

    ------------------------

     

    There are many additional activities that can be used or adapted to promote the learning of these five skill sets – developing questions for conducting interviews or for going on field trips, wait time to encourage deeper thinking, research projects based on student interests and related to a topic under study, oral presentations, creative problem solving strategies, individual book reflections, on-going, multiple types of writing activities, thinking skill activities, and choice of activities and courses.

     

    But the point of this commentary is that teachers who have limited time for developing some or all of these five sets of skills can do short, relatively easy to implement activities, even occasionally, that can make a big difference in 21^st century skill development. These types of activities, represented by the ten examples above, can be especially significant if everyone in the school supports the development of these sets of skills and institutes instructional activities designed to help students learn and refine these skills.

     

    If you are convinced that these skills are important for students to develop, chances are you will think of other activities that you can implement or adapt to promote the learning of these skills. Once you accept the importance of these skills and start thinking about how you can help students develop them, the sky’s the limit. Ironically, teaching these skills can also help students to perform better on the more traditional tests that are currently so important for measuring classroom and school success.

     

     

    ENDNOTES

     

    
    

    ---

    [i] See Elliott Seif, Teaching the Right skills for a New Age: Inquiry Based Instruction, at ASCD Edge, http://edge.ascd.org/_Teaching-the-Right-Skills-For-a-New-Age-Inquiry-Based-Instruction/blog/5476234/127586.htm. Other relevant commentaries on ASCD Edge include Seven Principles for Teaching the Right Skills in a New Age and Eight Types of Instructional Strategies That Improve Learning in a 21^st Century World. More information about the five skill sets and their relevance for 21^st century education can be found at www.era3learning.org/.

    [ii] For further insight into text-dependent, close reading based on the Common Core Standards, see Christina Hank, Defining “Deep Reading” and “text-Dependent Questions”, at Turn On Your Brain, http://turnonyourbrain.wordpress.com/2012/03/29/defining-deep-reading-and-text-dependent-questions/

    [iii] There are many sources of information on graphic organizers. One resource is by Vicki Urquhart and Dana Frazee, Teaching Reading in the Content Areas: If Not Me, Then Who? 3rd Edition (2012), Chapter 12. Alexandria, VA: Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development.

    [iv] Many resources are available to help you develop 3-2-1 reflections. One can be found at http://www.facing.org/resources/strategies/3-2-1.

    [v] As a student, the use of take home questions was my favorite way of being assessed, because I could really take the time to prepare and learn. It changed the nature of assessment from “mystery” to “mastery”.

     

     

    Elliott Seif is a long time educator, Understanding by Design trainer, author, consultant, social studies teacher,  former Professor of Education at Temple University, and Curriculum Director in Bucks County, PA. If you are interested in further examining these five skill sets and ways to implement them, as well as other dimensions of a 21^st century education, go to his website at  www.era3learning.org

     

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 1342

• Parents make self-reliant stud Parents make self-reliant students

  • From: Stephen_Holland
  • Description:

    How likely is it being a parent helps you to become a self-reliant student?

    Chances are very good, I think, that organizing children does indeed help anyone to become more self-reliant as a student. I submit as we organize others we ourselves become better organized. If we have any success at all in helping others to succeed, we ourselves must succeed. That is, to teach a lesson one has to first learn the content. To learn how to help children succeed, I think, especially adds to the challenge.

    In my Composition I class, college students are now submitting their third essays. Quite often the topic choice to compare life before becoming a parent with life after becoming one is chosen. It is a favorite, for sure, and certainly draws upon personal experiences. Students who are parents often write that they are motivated in college because they find themselves more determined to be a good role model for their children, see the need to acquire more skills for career advancement, and are driven by a new-found sense of responsibility. Each of these is admirable, of course.

    Most recently one young mother presented a unique twist to the thesis when she wrote that the self-discipline she demands of her children to succeed in their education she now applies to herself in her own college studies and, therefore, she is a better student for doing so. It is a practice what one preaches as an approach to being a student. It also warms the heart of instructors as we desire to see self-reliance in our students.

    To explain, the student wrote that she sees value in limiting the number of hours her children are allowed to watch television. Rather she is determined that her children show her how much homework they have to do, discuss with her the day’s school lessons, and show her their progress. The children are now old enough and have study habits engrained enough that she says she herself has time to go back to school. With that, she admits she too has to limit her own TV viewing, work her own study habits, and even take time to discuss with the children what she is learning in college. In this day of electronic equipment screaming for our attention, these study habits are to be applauded.

    Also, my student tells her children that their friends must go home at a certain time so that adequate hours for studying can be applied. Furthermore, the friends may not call for social visits either via phone or computer. I myself think this is very difficult as emails, phones, and text messages constantly ask us for attention. Of course, there are some family members and some friends who will always be immediately answered, but to have the discipline to not be distracted with every message alert is in my view another reason for applause. I wonder if the student also has the inner strength to pass on ice cream and chocolate cake. You know, we are only human. It just seems to be this type of discipline we want to be able to call upon, that when something tempting one loves is in front of him or her the power to resist comes into play.

    Finally, my student noted that she has learned better reading habits too because of all the reading she did with her children. Of course, her reading these days are at a more advanced level. However, she learned to be patient with her children’s question, and now with her own. She also learned to answer their questions in depth for herself. She learned that children often bring to the same books new insights, and that repetition is valued, as well as, for her, note-taking. She reads through content at least twice for better comprehension.

    So, it seems, my student has not only taught her children quality study habits, but surprised herself that in so doing was actually teaching herself to become a self-reliant student. How wonderful that my student gave me as a teacher insight into this family secret.

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 279
  • Not yet rated

• Apps They’ll Love: 5 Elementar Apps They’ll Love: 5 Elementary Math Games

  • From: Ryan_Thomas1
  • Description:
    There’s no question about it, mathematics is a high-stakes subject—especially when you take into account initiatives like "Race to the Top" and "Educate to Innovate.” But don’t let high stakes deter you from finding new (and fun) ways to inspire your students. In fact, it seems to us that these initiatives actually give us more of a reason help our students find joy in fractions, decimals, and algebraic equations. If you’re looking for some guidance, look no further: We’ve got 5 elementary math games that will help you not only reinforce and enhance your current lesson plans, but also help you reach students through a medium they are comfortable with.
    
    

    Apps They’ll Love: 5 Elementary Math Games

    Math Bingo ($.99)
    This app has the blessing of the New York Times and Disney, so they must have done something right. Load it up and you’ll see a bingo board filled with random numbers. Once you start, an equation appears and students must choose answers from the numbers on the board. The object of the game is to get a pattern of five Bingo Bugs in a row by correctly answering addition, subtraction, multiplication and division problems. Another cool feature is that students can choose from eight cartoon avatars. A bonus for teachers is that they can save up to 30 of their students’ scores and custom profiles to see how they’re performing.  

    
    

    My Math Flash Cards (Free)
    This elementary math game doesn’t have a dazzling interface, but the app makes up for it in user-friendliness. As the title suggests, the app has taken paper flash cards and gone digital with them. There are a few noteworthy features: it’s completely customizable, so it will randomly generate addition, subtraction, multiplication and division flash cards; it will also give helpful hints or focus on a particular math fact. You’ll also find that students enjoy competing with their old scores by setting a timer. An added bonus is that, unlike paper flash cards, the app provides constant feedback and assessment.

     

    Rocket Math (Free)
    When your students tire of My Math flash Cards, load up Rocket Math, a math practice session disguised as a game. Students embark on math-based “missions” where they launch a rocket and solve equations while it orbits. Like My Math Flash Cards, the game turns competitive if students want to continue funding their explorations.

    If your students still need some work on basic addition, subtraction, multiplication and division, this elementary math game still has them covered. And if they’ve mastered the basics, Rocket Math also covers fractions, square roots and entry-level algebra principles. Need some scratch paper? Think again, Rocket Math’s got one built into it. The free version has a limited amount of levels, but you can upgrade for only a $1 to access all 56 levels.
    
    

    Teaching Table ($2.99)
    Racking your brain for dynamic lessons? Choose from over 70 of them! Tired of drawing and re-drawing math examples over and over again? Simply drag and drop Teaching Table’s interactive manipulatives—all of which are inspired by real-life teaching situations and vetted by over 200 teachers—to create a lesson in a few short strokes. Manipulatives include fractions, coins, polygons, place value blocks, algebra blocks and text, to name a few. Still not impressed? How about the fact that every lesson has been aligned with Common Core State Standards?

     

    
    

    Tutor.com (Pricing varies)
    Tutor.com isn’t exactly an elementary math game, but it is the only online, on-demand tutoring service that allows students to connect with a tutor from any mobile device. Once students have installed Tutor’s HTML5 classroom, they are free to connect to a live tutor for one-to-one help in math, science, social studies, and English. Pricing is reasonable, and as with many mobile phone company plans, unused minutes roll over into the next month. Additional features include the ability to   

    • Save and review past one-to-one tutoring sessions
    • Store essays, assignments, or photos of homework problems in your Tutor.com Mobile Locker
    • Share items in your Mobile Locker with a tutor
    • Access thousands of educational resources from the SkillsCenter™ Resource Library
      
      
      

    

  • Blog post
  • 7 months ago
  • Views: 261

• Syllbus for Anatomy and Physio Syllbus for Anatomy and Physiology

  • From: Robert_Thollander
  • Description:

    Anatomy & Physiology Course Syllabus

    Collins Academy High School

    2012-2013

    Thollander

     

    Instructor:        Mr. Robert Thollander Jr.

    Room:                        234

    Phone:            773-571-0166

    Email:              robert.thollander@gmail.com

     

    Course Description:

    The course, Anatomy & Physiology, is aimed at providing students with an overview of the anatomy of living things while challenging them to employ critical thinking skills in order to relate prior scientific knowledge to the concepts learned in class.  They will be pushed to develop new knowledge by analyzing course information and applying the information learned to their individual interests. 

     At the start of the course, students’ prior knowledge will be assessed and the first unit is designed to ensure a strong foundational understanding of the sciences that inform anatomy.  They will review the tenets of biology, chemistry, and environmental science, among other sciences, in order to prepare them for the study of Human Anatomy.  Students will be asked to demonstrate an understanding of plant and animal adaptations, and systems of the human body, as well as examine the ways that scientists draw from the natural world in order to address human problems.  Learning opportunities will focus on reading, class discussions, analytical writing, conceptual diagrams, and experiments.  Students will be assessed through Socratic seminars, written responses to in-class discussions and readings, and diagrams and illustrations demonstrating their understanding of the course subject matter.

    During next part of the course, students will be challenged to engage more deeply in class discussions and debates.  They will be strongly encouraged to share their knowledge and understanding of complex scientific concepts and to demonstrate critical and analytical thinking skills through writing assignments, discussions, and short presentations.  Students will be asked to draw connections between abstract concepts, support their ideas with data and evidence, summarize scientific knowledge and present this information to their peers, and begin researching topics for their final projects.  Assessment will take place through a challenging written-response exam, in-class discussion, and presentations, written responses to readings, and conceptual diagrams. 

    Students will begin their final projects during third and final part of the course.  The open-ended nature of the project will challenge students to conduct independent research, critically examine sources, analyze data, and draw connections.  Students will be asked to choose a topic for their final project that will integrate a personal interest (such as cancer prevention or HIV/AIDS awareness) with their knowledge of anatomy.  They will be required to conduct research, employ scholarly sources such as journal articles, and present their findings to their instructors and peers.  At the onset of the research process, students will individually with the instructor to outline the topic of their presentation, develop guiding research questions, and set goals for their project. 

    Students will spend a great deal of time during the forth quarter researching and preparing for their final projects.  In addition, they will be tasked with additional readings, writing assignments, and short in-class presentations.  Students will be expected to understand scientific concepts, but will also be pushed to draw connections between abstract subjects, present and support their ideas with confidence, and apply knowledge of the sciences to everyday life as well as complex social problems. 

     

     

    By the end of the course, students will demonstrate a deep understanding of the role of the sciences in society, the ability to consider ethical issues in the sciences, and the maturity to measure the risks and benefits of scientific advancements.  The course expectations are set from the beginning so that, as a group, these young people will show a deep sense of caring for other human beings and an intuitively sensitive and curious consideration for the diverse perspectives of the many people involved in any scientific endeavor taken in our society. 

     

    Instructional Strategies:

    This course strives to give students with diverse learning styles multiple opportunities to access and demonstrate mastery of the material.  Specific strategies include open answer tests (ie short answer), flexible groups, research projects, tiered assignments, creative projects, student-driven discussions, student-interest based teaching, in-class structured work time, primary document analysis, among others.

     

    Students in this course will be intentionally given freedom to make informed choices about how to express their knowledge through creative thought, experiments, and debates.  Their observations of the world around them will be respected and valued.  Subsequently, students’ ideas will be molded and shaped to become tools to be used to understand how the world works independently of existing knowledge.  Most assignments will provide an opportunity for each student to make mistakes, evaluate their own progress, correct their mistakes, and engage with the process of learning in an encouraging and fun environment. 

    Students will be challenged to accept that they might not have all of the answers and will be given guidance on how to appropriately use available resources to develop informed opinions and theories on how our universe functions.  They will take on the role of politicians, economists, scientists, religious leaders, and news anchors in order to develop a full picture of the participants and stakeholders of real world scientific research.  Students will be challenged to work both independently and collaboratively to demonstrate complex concepts.  They will also work collaboratively to combine fragments of information into sophisticated and complex ideas. 

    Examples of Essential Questions that Seniors Should Be Able to Answer

    Upon completion of the course, students should be able to answer the following essential questions:

     

    How do genes, cells, organs, and systems work in concert to keep the body working correctly?

    What happens when there is a malfunction at one of the above levels?

    How do researchers design studies to learn about how the body works? What questions do they ask?

    How do medical professionals translate research study results into the medical practice?

    What careers are available in the sciences? How do you get there from here?

    How does society decide what types of research and treatments are ethical?

    How can you be an informed consumer of medical information and practices?

    Is “skill” and “ability” inherited or a consequence of environmental factors?

    How does a basic knowledge of chemistry help you explain biological processes?

    How does DNA code for the continuation of species?

    How does variation in organisms lead to change over time?

    How do humans contribute to the biosphere?

     

    
    

    Objectives and Outcomes of a Senior Science Course:

    Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to:

     

    1. Understand the role of molecules and macromolecules in cellular function,
    2. Understand the connection between human disease and cell biology, genetics, and biochemistry,
    3. Understand that passing on of genes ensures the continuity of species,
    4. Understand that genetic variation is necessary for natural selection,
    5. Understand that ecosystems include the interactions of all living components and non-living components must be balanced,
    6. Find and use reliable Internet sources for research purposes,
    7. Successfully employ a variety of study skills,
    8. Exhibit mastery of biological skills and principles,
    9. Ask questions (for science) and define problems (for engineering),
    10. Use the scientific method to perform experiments and write a comprehensive, analytical lab report,
    11. Read, analyze, and summarize scientific literature,
    12. Use statistical concepts to draw both inferences and conclusions from data,
    13. Synthesize knowledge of the many branches of science and apply to the creation of potential solutions to human problems,  
    14. Apply knowledge to new examples, think critically, and synthesize potential mechanisms, studies, and treatments that will solve problems of science, the environment, and society,
    15. Develop and use models including mathematical computational thinking and computer technology,
    16. and Obtain, evaluate, and effectively communicate information while respectfully engaging in argument from evidence. 

     

    Specific Objectives and Outcomes of Anatomy & Physiology:

    Upon successful completion of the course, students will be able to (correctly perform 50 out of 71):

    Note: These are directly from pre-nursing and pre-pharmacy, and pre-med entrance exams.

     

    1. Compare the structure and function of different types of biomolecules:
       1. Lipids:   fats (neutral fats or triglycerides), cholesterol (steroids).
       2. Nucleic acids:  nucleotides, DNA, RNA
       3. Define:
          1. Enzyme
          2. Substrates
          3. Molecules-polar vs. nonpolar
          4. Atoms
          5. Electrolytes
          6. Solvents
          7. Solutions
          8. Solutes
          9. Discuss enzymes function on the human body.
          10. Describe the structure and function of the parts of eukaryotic cells: plasma membrane, cytoplasm, nucleus, mitochondria, ribosomes, endoplasmic reticulum (smooth and rough), Golgi apparatus, lysosomes, cytoskeleton (actin fibers, microtubules, intermediate fibers), centrioles, cilia, flagella
          11. Define and describe cellular processes:
              1. Homeostasis-role of feedback mechanisms in maintaining homeostasis
              2. Transport mechanisms-diffusion, osmosis (including the concept of tonicity, the effects of isotonic, hypotonic and hypertonic solutions on cell volume), facilitated diffusion, active transport (solute pumps, endocytosis, exocytosis)
              3. Describe the phases and general events of the cell cycle (G1, S, G2, and M.  Note: the M phase includes mitosis and cytokinesis).
              4. Describe the levels of organization in multicellular organisms (chemical, cellular, tissue, organ, organ system, organism).
              5. Describe the overall functions of these systems:  circulatory (blood and cardiovascular), digestive, nervous, endocrine, reproductive, integumentary, skeletal, respiratory, muscular, urinary, and immune (lymphatic).
              6. Define hierarchy of organization and relationship between levels:  atoms, molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organ system, and organism.
              7. Define and be able to use the terms of body orientation and position:
                 1. Superior/inferior
                 2. Anterior/posterior
                 3. Medial/lateral
                 4. Dorsal/ventral
                 5. Proximal/distal
                 6. Superficial/deep
                 7. Caudal
                 8. Define common chemical symbols:  O, C, H, N, Ca, K, Na, Cl
                 9. Define pH, acidic, basic, neutral
                 10. Define resting membrane potential and Na+ and K+ association.
                 11. Explain the difference between sudoriferous glands:  apocrine and eccrine
                 12. Explain the function of types of muscle tissue (skeletal, cardiac, smooth) upon stimulation.
                 13. Define the neuromuscular junction and its association with skeletal muscles.
                 14. Discuss actin, myosin, and sarcomere function with the anatomy of skeletal muscle fibers.
                 15. Discuss the organization of the nervous system.
                 16. Define function or a neuron, gap function, and synapse.
                 17. Define neurotransmitter.
                 18. Identify neurotransmitters.
                 19. Discuss what neurotransmitter is released pre- and pat-synaptically from each nerve fiber in the sympathetic and parasympathetic systems.
                 20. Discuss an action potential.
                 21. Discuss a myocardial action potential.
                 22. Define the function of each cranial nerve.
                 23. Identify the number of cranial and spinal nerves.
                 24. Explain the differences between sensory, motor, and mixed nerves.
                 25. Discuss motor output: somatic vs. autonomic structures-structure, effector organs, and afferent and efferent nerves.
                 26. Discuss the divisions of ANS: Compare and contrast the structure and functions of the sympathetic nervous system
                 27. Compare and contrast the structure and functions of the parasympathetic nervous system.
                 28. Explain the effects of each division of the ANS on major organs (heart, blood vessels, stomach, eye, and urinary bladder).
                 29. Define anatomy and function of the neuroglial cells, gray and white matter, and the meninges.
                 30. Identify the location, basic structure, hormones produced and general function of the hormones secreted by each gland:
                     1. Hypothalamus
                     2. Pituitary gland
                     3. Thyroid gland
                     4. Parathyroid glands
                     5. Adrenal gland (by general classes)
                     6. Pancreatic islets
                     7. Discuss the anatomical and functional relationship of the hypothalamus and the anterior pituitary.
                     8. Discuss the anatomical and functional relationship of hypothalamus and posterior pituitary.
                     9. Define function of ADH and aldosterone in relationship with the nephron.
                     10. Discuss the role of tropic hormones in controlling other endocrine glands.
                     11. Discuss the flow of air through the respiratory system.
                     12. Define erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets (including granulocytes and agranulocytes).
                     13. Discuss functions of erythrocytes, leukocytes, and platelets.
                     14. Define the different types of immunity and give examples.
                     15. Discuss the pathway of blood flow through the heart.
                     16. Define the anatomy and function of the heart.
                     17. Discuss the pacemaker of the heart and how this relates to the heart conduction system.
                     18. Explain the myocardial action potential and how this relates to cardiac contraction.
                     19. Explain the conduction system.
                     20. Review the EKG, and each of its deflections.
                     21. Review cardiac cycle and heart sounds of the heart.
                     22. Define cardiac output, stroke volume, and heart rate.
                     23. Explain the relationship between cardiac output, stroke volume, and heart rate.
                     24. Explain Starling’s Law of the Heart.
                     25. Discuss the histology of blood vessels.
                     26. Describe the vasomotor control and differential distributions of blood flow.
                     27. Discuss pulmonary circulation and how it relates to major arteries and veins.
                     28. Discuss systemic circulation: major arteries and veins; circle of Willis, hepatic portal system
                     29. Define and identify these structures:
                         1. Atria-right and left
                         2. Ventricles-right and left
                         3. Heart wall: epicardium, myocardium, endocardium
                         4. Interventricular septum
                         5. Apex
                         6. Discuss the lymphatic vessels and concept of lymphatic drainage area.
                         7. Define lymph nodes and other lymphoid organs:  structure, function (tonsils, spleen, lymph node, thymus gland), and location.
                         8. Discuss veins and arteries with oxygen and deoxygenated blood.
                         9. Discuss function of coronary arteries.
                         10. Discuss the relationship of pulmonary capillaries and alveoli.
                         11. Describe the GI tract:  structure and functions of organs and accessory organs.
                         12. Review the digestive processes and where food absorption mainly occurs.
                         13. Describe the function of digestive enzymes.
                         14. Describe preload, afterload, cardiac output, and stroke volume.
                         15. Describe the parts of the nephron and the sequence of the structure.
                         16. Review the overview of urine production: filtration, reabsorption, and secretion.
                         17. Discuss the negative feedback mechanism associated with hormones.
                         18. Define purpose of renin-angiotensin mechanism and role of ACE.
                         19. Discuss overview of hormonal regulation of male reproduction.
                         20. Discuss overview of ovarian and uterine cycle including hormonal regulation.

     

     

     

     

     

    Senior Anatomy & Physiology will also be structured around the Illinois Common Core Standards and College Readiness Standards listed bellow.

     

    Common Core Standards:

    Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

    a)    CCSS Reading Standard 1  (RI.11-12.1.):  Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

    b)    CCSS Reading Standard 1  (RI.11-12.1.):  Cite strong and thorough textual evidence to support analysis of what the text says explicitly as well as inferences drawn from the text, including determining where the text leaves matters uncertain.

    c)     CCSS Writing Standard 1 (WHST.11-12.1.):  Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.  

    • Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
    • Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant data and evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.
    • Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
    • Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
    • Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the argument presented.

    d)    CCSS Writing Standard 9  (WHST.11-12.9.):  Draw evidence from informational text to support analysis, reflection, and research.

    e)    CCSS Science and Technical Standard 1:  Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of science and technical texts, attending to important distinctions the author makes and to any gaps or inconsistencies in the account. 

    f)      CCSS Science and Technical Standard 2:  Determine the central ideas or conclusions of a text; summarize complex concepts, processes, or information presented in a text by paraphrasing them in simpler but still accurate terms. 

    g)    CCSS Science and Technical Standard 5:  Analyze how the text structures information or ideas into categories or hierarchies, demonstrating understanding of the information or ideas.  

     

     

    College Readiness Standards:

    Upon successful completion of this course, students will:

    a)    IOD.24-27.i:   Compare or combine data from two or more simple data presentations (e.g., categorize data from a table using a scale from another table).

    b)    IOD.24-27.ii:   Compare or combine data from a complex data presentation.

    c)     IOD.24-27.iii:   Interpolate between data points in a table or graph.

    d)    IOD.24-27.iv:   Determine how the value of one variable changes as the value of another variable changes in a complex data presentation.

    e)    IOD.24-27.v:   Identify and/or use a simple (e.g., linear) mathematical relationship between data.

    f)      IOD.24-27.vi:   Analyze given information when presented with new, simple information.

    g)    IOD.28-32.i:   Compare or combine data from a simple data presentation with data from a complex data presentation.

    h)    IOD.28-32.iii:   Extrapolate from data points in a table or graph.

    i)      IOD.33-36.ii:  Analyze given information when presented with new, complex information.

    j)      SI.24-27.i: Understand the methods and tools used in a complex experiment.

    k)     SI.24-27.ii: Understand a complex experimental design.

    l)      SI.24-27.iii: Predict the results of an additional trial or measurement in an experiment.

    m)   SI.24-27.iv: Determine the experimental conditions that would produce specified results.

    n)    SI.28-32.i: Determine the hypothesis for an experiment.

    o)    SI.28-32.ii: Identify an alternate method for testing a hypothesis.

    p)    SI.33-36.iii:  Identify an additional trial or experiment that could be performed to enhance or evaluate experimental results.

    q)    EMIER.24-27.i:  Select a simple hypothesis, prediction, or conclusion that is supported by two or more data presentations or models.

    r)      EMIER.24-27.ii:  Determine whether given information supports or contradicts a simple hypothesis or conclusion, and why.

    s)    EMIER.24-27.iii:  Identify strengths and weaknesses in one or more models.

    t)      EMIER.24-27.iv:  Identify similarities and differences between models.

    u)    EMIER.24-27.v:  Determine which model(s) is (are) supported or weakened by new information.

    v)    EMIER.24-27.vi:  Select a data presentation or a model that supports or contradicts a hypothesis, prediction, or conclusion.

    w)   EMIER.28-32.i:  Select a complex hypothesis, prediction, or conclusion that is supported by a data presentation or model.

    x)    EMIER.28-32.ii:  Determine whether new information supports or weakens a model, and why.

    y)    EMIER.28-32.iii:  Use new information to make a prediction based on a model.

    z)    EMIER.33-36.i:  Select a complex hypothesis, prediction, or conclusion that is supported by two or more data presentations or models.

     

    Instructional Resources and Materials:

    Our primary resource will be Human Biology written by Sylvia Mader.  We will also be using several fiction and nonfiction texts, including but not limited to, Julie of the Wolves, Science World, Ishmael, A Reason for Hope, The Story of B, and The Nature of Life.  In addition, we will use a variety of supplemental materials including articles, handouts, movie clips, Internet resources, and excerpts from non-fiction books and/or novels.  Students will receive supplemental materials on a regular basis and are responsible for reading and organizing them in their class binders.

     

    Student Text Resources Examples

    Human Biology

    Science World

    Julie of the Wolves

    Ishmael

    A Reason for Hope

    The Story of B

    The Nature of Life

     

    Internet Resources Examples

    Discovery News. Web.  July 2012. <http://news.discovery.com/>.

    TED: Ideas worth Spreading. Web. July 13 2012. <http://www.ted.com/>.

    Popular Science. Web. July 2012. <http://www.popsci.com/>.

    Science News - NASA Science.  Web. July 2012. <http://science.nasa.gov/science-news/>.

    Science News - The New York Times.  Web.  July 2012. <http://www.nytimes.com/pages/science/>.

    Human Biology Online Learning Center @ www.mhhe.com/maderhuman8

     

    Media Resources

    Aftermath: World Without Oil. Prod. Rob Minkoff. National Geographic Channel, 2010. YouTube.

    Alien Planet. Dir. Pierre Pierre De Lespinois. Discovery Channel, 2005. YouTube.

    Freakonomics. Perf. Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner. 2010. Netflix.

    The Invention of Dr. Nakamats. Dir. Kaspar A. Schröder. Perf. Yoshiro Nakamats. 2009. Netflix.

    Microcosmos: Le Peuple De L'herbe. Dir. Claude Nuridsany and Marie Pérennou.Galatee Films, 1996. Netflix.

    Quiet Rage: The Stanford Prison Experiment. Dir. Ken Musen. By Phillip Zimbardo. 1992. YouTube.

    Richard Dawkins Interviews Creationist Wendy Wright. The Uncut Interviews, 2008. YouTube.

     

    Field Trips and Exhibits

    T.B.A.

     

    Guest Speakers and Workshops

    T.B.A.

     

    Required Student Materials and Supplies:

    The following materials and supplies will be needed daily:

    • Human Anatomy Textbook
    • One soft plastic three ring binder with dividers
    • One pocket folder
    • Loose leaf paper
    • Highlighters
    • Ink pens and pencils (bring both each day)
    • Sticky notes

     

    Note:  Students in Mr. Thollander’s Senior Anatomy class should also purchase a flash drive for saving important documents, assignments, and projects.

    Student Assessment:

    Pre-Assessment

    The pre-test is designed to gauge students’ understanding of basic biology, chemistry, and physics principles as well as their ability to analyze, think critically, and express their thoughts in writing.

     

    
    

    Projects, Presentations, and Debates (S)	20%
    Quizzes, Tests, and Essays (S)	20%
    In-Class Daily Assignments and Out-of-Class Daily Assignments (Homework) (F)	20%
    Daily Participation and Whole Class Group Collaboration (F)	20%
    Dissections, Experiments, and Models (S)	10%
    Final Project (S)	1

    Breakdown of Final Grade

     

     

     

    Summative and Formative Assessment Examples

    • A written assignment requiring students to find and cite scholarly articles on specific topics.  
    • Formal and informal debates regarding ethics in scientific research. 
    • A written summary of their out-of-class research and presentation preparation. 
    • A research-based presentation relating Anatomy to phenomena of interest.
    • A written piece offering an explanation of the history or earth and evolution that demonstrates both creativity and an understanding of scientific theory.
    • In-class presentations and homework assignments employing use of charts, graphs, diagrams, and symbols to illustrate scientific concepts.
    • In-class debates and written assignments regarding the theory of evolution, the complex brain, the role of anthropocentrism in our society, and the debate of nature vs. nurture in athletic and academic ability as viewed through a modern filter of Social Darwinism.
    • An open response written-exam requiring the application of all course content learned.
    • In-class presentations, debates, writings, readings, and homework assignments employing use of advanced information mapping and delivery.
    • A written proposal for each student’s final project that outlines their purpose, research questions, methods, course content, and sources. 
    • Self-evaluation and peer review of all in-class assignments, homework, and final project presentation. 

     

    Post-Assessment

    The final exam will test the depth of students’ understanding of the material presented and experienced over the year of the course.  It will ask students think critically and apply their knowledge to solve new problems.

     

    Expectations and Rules:

    All students will be required to adhere to the Collins Non-Negotiables and the CPS Code of Conduct.

     

    In addition, students are expected to:

    • Respect self and others
    • Arrive on time
    • Come prepared with materials
    • Maintain a respectful, positive, and scholarly attitude
    • Follow directives
    • Use appropriate language
    • Keep the environment clean
    • Return borrowed materials

     

    Food, candy, gum and pop are not permitted in the classroom anytime.  Feel free to bring water in a plastic bottle, and please try to place paper and plastic items in the recycle bins by the door.

     

    Scope and Sequence:

     

    The year will be divided into weekly ‘units’.  Students will be tested on their mastery of the objectives of the weekly units at the end of each week.   

     

    Quarter 1:

    Week 1:  Introduction

    Week 2:  The Brain and Intro to Bioethics

    Week 3:  Earthworm and Grasshopper Dissections

    Week 4:  Cow Eye, Sheep Eye, and Sheep Brain Dissections

    Week 5:  Dogfish and Necturus Dissections

    Week 6:  Rat Dissections

    Week 7:  Fetal Pig Dissections

    Week 8:  Dissection Finals

    Week 9: Primary Source Research: Bioethics

     

     

    Quarter 2:

    Week 1:  The Reproductive System

    Week 2: The Respiratory System

    Week 3: Digestive System

    Week 4: The Immune System

    Week 5: Advances in Modern Medicine

    Week 6: Human Anatomical Evolution

    Week 7: Human Cultural Evolution

    Week 8: The Current State of Planet Earth

    Week 9: Primary Source Research: Innovation, Conservation, and Sustainability

     

    Quarter 3:

    Week 1:  Developmental Biology

    Week 2:  Comparative Anatomy

    Week 3:  Biochemistry

    Week 4:  Physiology

    Week 5:  Biomedicine

    Week 6:  Bioethics

    Week 7:  Neurology

    Week 8:  Psychology

    Week 9:  Primary Source Research:  The Philosophy of Medicine and Science

     

     

    Quarter 4:

    Week 1:  Essential Question Development

    Week 2:  Primary Source Research

    Week 3:  Materials, Methods, and Procedure

    Week 4:  Project Proposal Due

    Week 5:  Research and Collection of Data

    Week 6:  Research/Data Analysis

    Week 7:  Rough Draft Due

    Week 8:  Peer Review, Final Revisions, and Preparation

    Week 9:  Final Presentations

     

     

    Contact Information

    Mr. Thollander can best be reached by email at robert.thollander@gmail.com .

     

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 412
  • Not yet rated

• Six ways to build greater curi Six ways to build greater curiosity in students

  • From: Elliott_Seif
  • Description:

    Of the many “habits of mind” that students need to develop in a 21^st century world, one of the least developed is curiosity. Curiosity becomes an important attribute in a 21^st century America where uncertainty and rapid change is the rule, knowledge explosion and search engines provide us with a vast array of knowledge instantly, and invention, innovation, and creativity are rewarded and encouraged in all fields of endeavor.

     

    Unfortunately, experts and lay people often comment on the curiosity differences between young children and those that have attended school for a while. Pre-school children tend to be curious about everything, ask many questions, are willing to try new things, and in general are eager learners. However, as children age in school, they tend to become less and less curious. How does that happen? Aging may have something to do with it, but one can argue that the types of school activities foisted on children deadens the urge to be curious – that sitting in seats, raising hands, completing worksheets, being lectured at, and having less time to ask and answer questions all deaden curiosity.

     

    So how can schools support a habit of mind that many say is extremely critical to the success of the United States in the future? Here are six suggestions for improving curiosity:

     

    Focus learning around essential, driving questions.

    “If the textbook has the answers, then what were the questions?”  The development of essential questions as the starting points for units, and the development of driving questions as the starting points for projects, are both good ways to encourage students to see questions as the starting points for learning. Using Understanding by Design[i] and Project Based Learning[ii] curriculum design models encourages this approach.

     

    Use wait time and pauses to ask for questions from students.

    When teachers use strategies such as lectures and recitations, they should pause often and give students many opportunities to ask clarifying questions, make comments, or give opinions. At the end of a class period, give students time to write down three questions that come to mind as a result of the period’s lesson, and start the next class session by examining those questions.

     

    Give students more choices and options.

    Let students choose a book to read from among a number of options. Periodically give students the opportunity to read any book of their choosing. Develop an elective program with interesting options chosen by the students at the middle and high school level. Encourage students to search for, find, and bring to class interesting and relevant sources and resources related to a topic under study. Encourage students to choose from a number of enrichment programs that take place both during and after school.

     

    Increase the number of non- graded assignments.

    Grades often get in the way of curiosity. Periodically develop interesting assignments both for the classroom and as homework that promote curiosity and interest in learning but don’t count as part of grades. Presenting interesting puzzles, 20 questions games, and similar activities to students often support curiosity and interest in problem solving.

     

    Give students the opportunity to choose interest-based projects.

    Offer students at all levels the opportunity to do research projects that are based on their own interests, whether or not they are related to the curriculum. Help them develop their own questions, conduct research on the topic, and do a presentation of their own choosing for other students.

     

    Use multiple strategies that support curiosity and creativity.

    Give students the opportunity to brainstorm and then select their own essential questions that they wish to explore at the beginning of a unit;

    Use Socratic questioning and interpretive discussions[iii] to encourage students to ask and respond to powerful questions;

    Use creative problem solving strategies[iv] that start with a “messy” situation; define challenges, brainstorm alternatives, develop solutions, and create implementation plans;

    Offer hands-on, minds-on inquiry-based science programs[v] that promote active learning around science questions and challenges;

    Use problem- based learning strategies[vi];

    Find out about and use the design thinking model[vii] that promotes the creation of innovative solutions to authentic, “real life” problems.

     

    ---------------------------

     

    These six recommendations are just a few of those that might be used to foster curiosity. One hopes that these six will serve as a catalyst for brainstorming more strategies, and encourage teachers and schools to think about how, and to implement ways, to stimulate greater curiosity among students.

     

    Given this important goal of building curiosity, every teacher can develop their own ways to increase student questions and foster curiosity, important goals both for the country and for individual students. The likely side effects of increased curiosity are a greater interest in school and learning and a more creative and innovative society.

     

                                                                                                   ENDNOTES
    

    ---

    [i] For Understanding by Design  resources  at ASCD, go to:

    http://www.ascd.org/research-a-topic/understanding-by-design-resources.aspx

    [ii] See Buck Institute, Project Based Learning model, http://www.bie.org

    [iii] Two sources for Socratic questioning and interpretive discussions are Touchstones and the Jr Great Books program:

    http://www.touchstones.org/

    http://www.greatbooks.org/programs-for-all-ages/junior.html

    [iv] For information about Creative Problem Solving strategies, go to:

    http://www.creativeeducationfoundation.org/our-process/what-is-cps

    [v] For one such program, go to: http://www.fossweb.com/

    [vi] For more information about problem based learning, go to:

    http://pbln.imsa.edu/model/intro/

    [vii] More about the design thinking model can be found at: http://dschool.stanford.edu/use-our-methods/

     

    About the Author

    Elliott Seif is a long time teacher, Understanding by Design trainer, author, consultant, former Professor of Education at Temple University, and former Director, Curriculum/Instruction Services for the Bucks County Intermediate Unit. If you are interested in exploring additional ways to improve teaching and learning, and help to prepare students to live in a 21^st century world, go to his website at:  www.era3learning.org

     

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 2280

• 5 Key Strategies for Teaching 5 Key Strategies for Teaching Beginning ELLs

  • From: Judie_Haynes
  • Description:

    By Judie Haynes

    Here are five key strategies for teaching beginning English language learners:

    1. Provide information that the beginning ELL can understand. Language is not “soaked up.”  A beginning level English learner must understand the message that is conveyed. In schools where there are no bilingual programs, ELLs are assigned to a general education classroom and spend most of their day in this environment. It is especially critical for them to receive comprehensible input from their teachers and classmates. If possible bilingual aides should be employed to help translate key concepts and vocabulary.  Materials should be available in native language. Teachers need to speak more slowly,  use gestures and body language to get across the meaning to English language learners. Use visual representations of new vocabulary and concepts for beginners include graphs, maps, photographs, drawings,  charts, and videos. Tell a story about information in the textbook using visuals.  

    Content area information can be used to teach language. However, educators need differentiate the language used for instruction.  All teachers need to become language teachers.

    Let’s look at  Mr. Hurley’s 6^th grade science class where students are studying volcanoes. Mr. Hurley uses graphic organizers on  Webspiration.  to help students organize information.   He provides websites from Thinkfinity to provide simple drawings for his beginners. The English language learners in his class can study diagrams of the parts of the volcanoes and the different types of volcanoes through online resources. The ELL beginners can read  information on three different types of volcanoes online at Windows to the Universe.  Mr. Hurley has set the site at the “beginner level” in English and his Spanish speaking students read the material on the website in native language first.  Some of his Chinese and Indian students are reading material in native language on Wikipedia.  As they read, they label the different types of volcanoes. They watch the eruption of a volcano on Teacher Tube.  Mr. Hurley’s beginning ELs are responsible for 6 concrete vocabulary words.  

    2. Link new information to prior knowledge. Teachers need to consider what schema English language learners bring to the classroom and to link instruction to the students’ personal, cultural, and world experiences.  They must understand how culture impacts learning in their classroom.  Mr. Hurley asks bilingual aides to write messages to the parent of beginners so that students can talk to them about volcanoes in their country and stories about people they know that might have had experience with a volcano.  Same language buddies explain the assignment to beginners.

     3. Modify vocabulary instruction for ELs. English language learners require direct instruction of new vocabulary.  Content area teachers need to go beyond the concrete nouns that are needed for the lesson. Functiion words, adjectives, adverbs and conjunctions also need to be taught.  Beginners should also have multiple opportunities to practice the pronunciation and learn the meaning of new words.  Beginning ELs need much more exposure to new words and phrases than do English fluent peers. Teachers need to tie new vocabulary to prior learning and use visual to reinforce meaning.  Beginners need to learn concrete nouns and simple verbs first. 

     4. Use cooperative learning strategies. Lecture style teaching excludes beginning ELLs from the learning in a content area classroom. We don’t want to relegate English language learners to the fringes of the classroom doing a separate lesson with a classroom aide or ESL teacher. Working in small groups is especially beneficial to beginning ELLs who have an authentic reason to learn key concepts and use academic vocabulary. Beginning ELLs should be grouped with same language peers when possible.   Jobs in a cooperative learning group can be modified for  them.  Beginning ELLs can gather supplies,  draw pictures,  and look for illustrations online.  In Mr. Hurley’s class cooperative groups concluded the unit on Volcanoes by designing a poster using Glogster.

    5. Modify testing and homework for ELs. Content area homework and assessments needs to be differentiated for Beginning ELLs. Teachers should allow alternative types of assessment: oral, drawings, physical response (e.g., act-it-out), and manipulatives as well as modification to the test. Homework and assessment should be directly linked to classroom instruction and students should be provided with study guides so that they know what to study. Remember that the ELLs in your class may not be able to take notes.

     

    From Debbie Zacarian and Judie Haynes,  (2012)  The Essential Guide to Educating Beginning English Learners 

     

  • Blog post
  • 8 months ago
  • Views: 1735

• Recording Chinese Homework Recording Chinese Homework

  • From: Martha_Chen
  • Description:

    I am giving homework like this in my Chinese classes:

    Recording Homework:

    Download an online recorder. http://www.roemersoftware.com/free-sound-recorder.html Read and record the following: (1) Core Vocabulary Lesson 2  – read each word 3 times and English meaning (2) Sentence Patterns – 3 times (3) Language in Use Lesson 2  – one time (4) Read Lesson 2 questions and say your Answer Chinese 1 Total Questions: http://snack.to/fzjqrifj

     (you may also use: Vocaroo an online instant recorder to do the recording.http://vocaroo.com/ to submit the Mp3 (you can right click with your mouse to down load the mp3 file) of your recording on School Loop Assignment – Recording Lesson 2.)

    Chinese 1 Total Questions: http://snack.to/fzjqrifj 

    Chinese 2 Total Questions: http://snack.to/fuj0o38n 

    Chinese 3 Total Questions: http://snack.to/fzc8wp9h

  • Blog post
  • 9 months ago
  • Views: 310

• BTSN BTSN

  • From: Kevin_Scott
  • Description:

    Last night was Back to School Night (BTSN) at the school where my boys spend their days. It’s the fourth back to school night we’ve attended there, and not much has changed over the years. I would imagine that if we went back in time and visited that same school over the last twenty years, not much has changed. Sure, the teachers used a Smartboard to display their PowerPoint and they discussed new technology like iPads and iPods, but I would guess that the message and presentation was virtually the same.

    The evening starts out how you might imagine. Hundreds of parents crammed into the cafeteria, a short talk from the principal, a quick game of ‘pass the microphone’ so the specialist teachers can introduce themselves. Then the PTA presidential message about volunteering and we are dismissed to grade level presentations.

    There we learn about homework expectations, grading policies, what field trips are scheduled, call for classroom volunteers, etc. I couldn’t stop myself from thinking about my colleague Molly McCloskey’s post last year (eerily enough, exactly one year ago). In case you missed it or forgot her message (“the traditional back to school night is really, for me, the epitome of this dysfunction.”), it’s worth a read of the entire post here. Essentially, she says, we need to re-design these opportunities for teachers and school leaders to converse. It shouldn’t be a one way street. And it got me thinking about the number of schools around the country that do BTSN the same way, year after year, and in our world of connectivity and constant changes, the format of this time in schools has been the same since our parents were attending them when we were in elementary school.

    When I talked about what back to school night meant to my boys, they were excited to share more about their prep for the big show. “Dad, did you see how clean my desk was? I spent like half an hour cleaning it out,” my older boy told me. Of course, this made me wonder how messy it had become in just three weeks of school. He wrote us a note and we were asked to write him back. His teacher is new to the school and full of energy, which we were enthusiastic about seeing firsthand. In fact, once the grade level presentation was over, we really felt like we got a sense about who she was and her personality. My younger son asked what we did exactly, and when I tried to explain, he said, “That sounds boring.” Can I argue with that?

    Both boys wanted us to share more about their other teachers—music, art, Spanish, P.E., and technology. They asked, “Do you meet them too?” Nope—they just got introduced in front of the cafeteria. We were invited to visit with them somehow between the presentations in classrooms, and before 8:30 when we’re reminded BTSN is over via the PA system.

    I wondered, “what if these teachers and administrators taught my kids in this fashion?” I know they don’t and I know that they do great things with the students (and yes, if I needed hard data, test scores can back me up). I really try to keep all of these thoughts to myself because I value the opportunity and the exposure to the school but I know we can do better. When I was teaching, one of the principals I worked with told us to tell the parents about you. Talk about why you chose this profession, what your passions are, what you hope to teach their children. Save the homework policy and grading structure for an email.

    I have ten more years of back to school nights ahead of me—I would love it if something changed in those ten years. I may be one of the few that view the whole experience as a missed opportunity.

  • Blog post
  • 9 months ago
  • Views: 465

• L2L News: September 2012 L2L News: September 2012

  • From: Meg_Simpson
  • Description:

    ASCD Leader to Leader (L2L) News is a monthly e-mail newsletter for ASCD constituent group leaders that builds capacity to better serve members, provides opportunities to promote and advocate for ASCD’s Whole Child Initiative, and engages groups through sharing and learning about best practices. To submit a news item for the L2L newsletter, send an e-mail to constituentservices@ascd.org.

    Your To-Do List: Action Items for ASCD Leaders

    • üNominate a school for the Vision in Action: The ASCD Whole Child Award by September 30. Nomination is open exclusively to ASCD leaders; e-mail wholechild@ascd.org for the nomination form and more information.
    • üVote in ASCD’s general membership election. Voting ends October 15. Make your voice heard! More information about voting is available below.
    • üRegister now for the Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy (LILA). This conference is an outstanding opportunity to hear from national education leaders about the latest education policy developments, network with fellow educators, and share your expertise with your federal lawmakers on Capitol Hill. More information about the institute is available below.
    • üSpeak out on sequestration. An education crisis is looming with the potential to disrupt services to 7.5 million students and threaten 90,000 educator jobs. Read more and take action on ascd.org.
    • üRegister now for ASCD Annual Conference. ASCD President Debra Hill Welcomes you to the 2013 Annual Conference & Exhibit Show in her hometown of Chicago, IL, March 16-18.

     

    Vote in ASCD’s 2012 General Membership Election

    ASCD's General Membership Election is open from September 1 through October 15, 2012. You can help determine the association's leadership by voting for President-Elect and members of the Board of Directors. Successful candidates will take office at the conclusion of ASCD's Annual Conference on March 18, 2013.

    The election is online-only. Here's how to vote online: go to www.ascd.org/vote. You will need to log in using your ASCD username, e-mail address, or member ID and password. If you are eligible to vote in this year's election, click on the Vote Now button to connect to our secure online election system. If you don't have your log-in information or password, contact the ASCD Service Center at 1-800-933-ASCD (2723) and then press 1, or send an e-mail to member@ascd.org. Candidates’ photos and biographical information are included with the online ballot and will also appear in the September issue of Education Update.

    Have questions? Not every member has voting privileges. You are ineligible to vote if your membership was unpaid as of August 16, 2012, or you hold a complimentary membership. Please contact ASCD Governance Director Becky DeRigge at bderigge@ascd.org or phone (1-800-933-2723 or 1-703-575-5601) with any questions.

     

    Register Today for ASCD’s Legislative Conference!

     

    What will the presidential election and the new Congress mean for education in 2013? How will policy decisions related to the Common Core State Standards, educator evaluation systems, and education funding affect what’s happening in your districts, schools, and classrooms? ASCD’s 2013 Leadership Institute for Legislative Advocacy (LILA) will address these and other timely topics that influence your day-to-day work as an educator. Register now for an outstanding opportunity to hear from national education leaders about the latest education policy developments, network with fellow educators, and share your expertise with your federal lawmakers on Capitol Hill.

     

    The conference, to be held January 27–29, 2013, at the Westin Georgetown Hotel in Washington, D.C., will also feature

    ·         Sessions with Capitol Hill and U.S. Department of Education insiders who will share their perspectives on the fate of the No Child Left Behind Act.

    ·         The introduction of ASCD’s 2013 Legislative Agenda, which will outline the organization’s policy goals and vision for the coming year.

    ·         A Capitol Hill boot camp featuring video vignettes that will address the dos and don’ts of conducting meetings with your legislators.

    No matter your level of education policy and advocacy expertise, LILA offers something for you. Emerging leaders new to advocacy will get easy tips to apply throughout the year. Seasoned affiliate leaders will learn how to maximize their influence and deepen their relationships with federal policymakers. Access the conference agenda and registration and travel information. Questions? Contact ASCD’s policy team at policy@ascd.org.

     

    ASCD Student Chapters: They’re Learning to Teach, Now Learning to Lead

    ASCD is proud to announce great new resources for ASCD Student Chapters, including an infographic on how to start a student chapter, a video on why ASCD student chapters are beneficial, and updated web pages for current student chapters. Also, for the first time, a student discount is available for the ASCD Fall Conference; students can access the discounted rate by selecting the student registration rate at checkout ($139 for members, $159 for non-members). Please use these resources to spread the word about ASCD Student Chapters in your community! Contact constituentservices@ascd.org if you have any questions.

     

    ASCD Emerging Leaders Sound Off on ASCD EDge

    Check out these great posts from ASCD leaders on the ASCD EDge community site. Please read, comment, and share!

    ·         Questions We All Should Ask by Steven Anderson, 2012 Emerging Leader

    ·         Five Things Principals Should Focus on First; Blunders Can Lead to Breakthroughs; Prioritizing the Work; and New Beginnings and Where to Begin by Jessica Bohn, 2012 Emerging Leader

    ·         21st Century Connected Educator by Craig Martin, 2012 Emerging Leader

    ·         Five Top Resources for Aligning Your Social Studies Curricula to the Common Core by Robert Zywicki, 2012 Emerging Leader

    ·         Not a Disadvantage by Jason Ellingson, 2012 Emerging Leader

    ·         The Good News about Giving Bad News and Is Your PLN Truly a PLN? by Fred Ende, 2012 Emerging Leader

    Also, be sure to check out 2012 Emerging Leader Amy Fowler Murphy’s first blog post Be Prepared to Let Go to Grow.

     

    Congratulations!

    • 2012 ASCD Emerging Leader Matthew Cotton gave a paper at the ISME (International Society of Music Education) on Music in Charter Schools at the 2012 World Conference in Thessaloniki, Greece this last July.
       
    • 2010ASCD Emerging Leader Ayanna Cooper recently accepted a position as a Senior Professional Development Consultant with World Class Instructional Design & Assessment (WIDA). She provides nationwide professional development to consortium members on assessing English Language Learners. Read her bio and her articles on professional development and Common Core State Standards.
      
      
    • 2012 Emerging Leader Curtis Pelham was promoted last month to the assistant principal position at Ashley River Creative Arts Elementary School Charleston, SC.
       
    • Fred Ende’s acceptance to the ASCD Emerging Leader class of 2012 was recently featured on lohud.com.
       
    • OYEA Honoree Maureen Connolly recently wrote a great article for ASCD’s Common Core newsletter, Core Connection. Read her article on the Common Core and Service Learning.
      
      
    • OYEA Honoree and Emerging Leader Marnie Hazelton was recently appointed Assistant Superintendent for Elementary Education at Roosevelt Union Free School District in New York.

    Other News

    • The Northeast ASCD Affiliate Conference themed “Learning and Leading: Transformation Matters,” takes place November 29–December 1, 2012, in Boston, Mass.
       
    • Check out ASCD Constituent Services Director Kevin Scott’s blog postsDay 1 and 9/12 on ASCD EDge, where he explores the education experience through the eyes of his children.
       
    • ASCD Constituent Services Director Walter McKenzie recently guest posted for SmartBlog on What does a 21st Century Organization Look Like?
      
      
    • The Pennsylvania ASCD Annual Conference themed “Power Up: New Perspectives” takes place November 18–20 in Hershey, Penn.

     

    OYEA Winner’s School Sustains Significant Fire Damage

    Last weekend, a three alarm fire ravaged the Hoboken Charter School, where 2007 Outstanding Young Educator Award Winner Deirdra Grode is currently serving as Principal. According to the school website, classes have been moved to a new facility while repairs are made to the severely damaged school building.

    Updates are available on the school website and Facebook. Our best wishes and support are with Deirdra and her school during this difficult time.

     

    Help Stop Sequestration!

    Members of Congress returned to their Capitol Hill offices in Washington, D.C., this week. Contact them today to help ensure that stopping sequestration—the 8.4 percent across-the-board cuts to discretionary spending—is at the top of their agendas. Unless Congress repeals sequestration, federal education spending will be cut by about $4.1 billion beginning as early as January 2013.

    In addition, ASCD's policy team wants your stories about how sequestration is affecting (or will affect) you, your schools, and your school districts. Please e-mail your stories to policy@ascd.org. We will share them with lawmakers on Capitol Hill as part of our effort to urge Congress to repeal sequestration.

    Thank you for taking the time to reach out to your legislators about this important topic.

     

    Sign Up for ASCD’s Whole Child Down Under Webinar Series

    
    This three-part series, presented by Australian educator and ASCD Director of Whole Child Programs Sean Slade, aims to further engage ASCD audiences in the work of ASCD and its Whole Child Initiative, which seeks to ensure that each child, in each school, and in each community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged.
    
    The Down Under webinar series* runs from late September through the end of October and will outline a whole child approach to education through the role of the principal, school improvement, and alignment of health and education and how it links to current debates in Australia regarding the National Curriculum, findings from the Gonski Report (PDF), and the value of a well-rounded education.

    Learn more and register here.* Please note the series sessions are conveniently timed for Australian residents.

     

    Something to Talk About

    • Seven Tips for Aligning Assignments to Common Core
    • Does Flipping Your Classroom Increase Homework Time?
    • Most recent blog posts on ASCD EDge®
    • Most-clicked stories from ASCD SmartBrief.

     

     

     

    Association News

    ·         ASCD Announces Additional Common Core State Standards Institutes for Fall 2012 and Winter 2013—ASCD announces additional two-day and one-day Common Core Institutes for fall 2012 and winter 2013.These new institutes are part of the association’s ongoing effort to support educators at all levels nationwide as they implement the Common Core State Standards. Read the full press release.

    • Building Assignments that Help Students Meet Standards the Focus of a New ASCD Book —ASCD has released Assignments Matter: Making the Connections That Help Students Meet Standards, written by seasoned teacher coach and curriculum design expert Eleanor Dougherty. This new professional development resource for educators is now available in e-book formats and in paperback. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • ASCD Introduces Enhancements to Premier Professional Development Tool for Educators—ASCD recently introduced version 2.0 of its award-winning PD In Focus® online professional development tool. Based on research and user feedback, the enhancements in version 2.0 help teachers and administrators better meet their personal and systemic professional development goals. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • ASCD Receives Three Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative—ASCD has been awarded three Green Globes from the Green Building Initiative. The Green Globes designation recognizes ASCD’s commitment to maintaining a sustainable building. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • ASCD Handbook Translates Child Development Research into Effective Classroom Actions—ASCD is pleased to announce the release of Understanding How Young Children Learn: Bringing the Science of Child Development to the Classroom by prominent cognitive psychology and child development expert Wendy L. Ostroff. This publication is now available in paperback and e-book formats. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • ASCD Launches Free Digital Common Core Implementation Tool, Announces Fall Common Core Webinar Series—ASCD introduced the new, free EduCore™ digital tool for educators implementing the Common Core State Standards (CCSS) in both mathematics and literacy. Funded by a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the EduCore tool is a repository of evidence-based strategies, videos, and supporting documents that help educators transition to the CCSS. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • International Education Association Announces Free Webinars for Australian Educators—ASCD announced a free webinar series for Australian educators—the Whole Child Down Under Webinar Series. The aim of the series is to further engage Australian audiences in the work of ASCD and the Whole Child Initiative, which aims to ensure that each child, in each school, and in each community is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged. Read the full press release.
      
      
    • ASCD Launches Free Online Needs Assessment and School Improvement Tool—ASCD has unveiled the free online ASCD School Improvement Tool, which is based on a whole child approach to education. Read the full press release.

     

  • Blog post
  • 9 months ago
  • Views: 860

• Do high school students posses Do high school students possess the ability to evaluate teacher performance?

  • From: Mindy_Keller-Kyriakides
  • Description:

    Last week, I had the joy of meeting up with students I hadn't seen in over ten years. It was a powerfully emotional moment for me as I remembered just how much I loved and liked these people. They are just...wonderful.

     

    Because our book, Transparent Teaching of Adolescents, just came out, we took some time to meet and catch up on our lives and celebrate what we had created together: our classroom experiences in English courses and Theatre courses.

     

    From a classroom management perspective, the class functioned as a dialogue, a constant flow of What are we learning? How are we learning it? and, more to the point, How well is the teacher teaching it to me? It was constant evaluation.

     

    Talking with students who themselves had become teachers was very cool (one is teaching in China). But what was exceptionally intriguing was seeing that our classroom dialogue had never really ended; it had just seamlessly morphed into a book.

     

    This text is our conversation of what I did as a high school educator that worked well or epically failed.  It models our approach to projects and assignments and the dialogue.

     

    Not everyone approves of this method, though. Stanley Fish,  professor of humanities and law at Florida International University in Miami, and dean emeritus of the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Illinois at Chicago, former instructor at the University of California at Berkeley, Johns Hopkins and Duke University and author of 11 books--in other words, much more of an expert than me--asserts that there is danger in relying on student evaluations.

     

    In his article, "Student Evaluations, Part Two", he assures us that college students have no business evaluating their instructors because the students really don't have the necessary skills or appropriate motivation to do so for any effective purpose.  Thus, it doesn't take a huge leap of logic to figure that he would say the same (and more vehemently, no doubt!) of high-school students.

     

    I guess it wasn't so much that I catered to my students' feedback; rather, I listened to it. I took what was pedagogically sound and kept it. Fluffy stuff, such as "We don't want any homework" was dismissed. However, as Aristotle gently reminds us: "It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without [necessarily] accepting it." Isn't that what evaluation is all about, anyway?

     

    Much like our classroom experiences together, without student input, this book wouldn’t have happened. Through Facebook, Skype, and Skydrive, we were able to collaborate virtually from across the US and internationally. We have a beautifully eclectic group in this discussion, including students who dealt with me as student-teacher, first-year teacher, and veteran teacher.  Thus, the overview readers receive spans several phases of a teacher-in-the-making.

     

    By the time they reach high school, teenagers know the teaching business.  They know what works and what doesn’t, how to get under a teacher's skin and how to avoid doing anything. Seriously capitalizing on their input is at the heart of our conversation.

     

    By creating a transparent atmosphere that encourages student feedback, teachers not only tap into the students’ critical thinking skills, they also strengthen rapport—a crucial component of an effective high-school classroom management plan.

     

    Transparent Teaching of Adolescents takes the reader on a journey and time-line from before the school year begins until it ends. With so many new teachers leaving the profession in less than three years, one of our goals is to re-ignite the passion of those who find the task of teaching high-schoolers increasingly overwhelming.  Our other objective is to provide new secondary teachers with a sense of the whole of teaching before they take on class loads.

     

    So, it's not a book about just me, the teacher, chirping out strategies for you to consider, and it's not just the good stuff. Students also examine my mistakes as both a new and veteran teacher. After all, we learn more from our mistakes, don't we?

     

    We invite you to join our conversation and let us know what you think!

    
    

     

    

  • Blog post
  • 10 months ago
  • Views: 917

• Brain Rules: The Twelve Brain Brain Rules: The Twelve Brain Rules (for optimized learning)

  • From: Tom_McDonald
  • Description:

    Brain Rules: The Twelve Brain Rules

    What are Brain Rules?

    Brain Rules: It's one thing scientists know for sure about how our brains work.

    Brain Rules By John Medina

    

    EXERCISE | Brain Rules #1: Exercise boosts brain power.

    Rule #1: Exercise boosts brain power.

    The human brain evolved under conditions of almost constant motion. From this, one might predict that the optimal environment for processing information would include motion. That is exactly what one finds. Indeed, the best business meeting would have everyone walking at about 1.8 miles per hour.

    Researchers studied two elderly populations that had led different lifestyles, one sedentary and one active. Cognitive scores were profoundly influenced. Exercise positively affected executive function, spatial tasks, reaction times and quantitative skills.

    So researchers asked: If the sedentary populations become active, will their cognitive scores go up? Yes, it turns out, if the exercise is aerobic. In four months, executive functions vastly improve; longer, and memory scores improve as well.

    Exercise improves cognition for two reasons:

    • Exercise increases oxygen flow into the brain, which reduces brain-bound free radicals. One of the most interesting findings of the past few decades is that an increase in oxygen is always accompanied by an uptick in mental sharpness.
    • Exercise acts directly on the molecular machinery of the brain itself. It increases neurons’ creation, survival, and resistance to damage and stress.

     SURVIVAL | Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.

    Rule #2: The human brain evolved, too.

    • The brain is a survival organ. It is designed to solve problems related to surviving in an unstable outdoor environment and to do so in nearly constant motion (to keep you alive long enough to pass your genes on). We were not the strongest on the planet but we developed the strongest brains, the key to our survival.
    • The strongest brains survive, not the strongest bodies. Our ability to solve problems, learn from mistakes, and create alliances with other people helps us survive. We took over the world by learning to cooperate and forming teams with our neighbors.
    • Our ability to understand each other is our chief survival tool. Relationships helped us survive in the jungle and are critical to surviving at work and school today.
    • If someone does not feel safe with a teacher or boss, he or she may not perform as well. If a student feels misunderstood because the teacher cannot connect with the way the student learns, the student may become isolated.
    • There is no greater anti-brain environment than the classroom and cubicle.

    WIRING | Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently.

    Rule #3: Every brain is wired differently.

    • What YOU do and learn in life physically changes what your brain looks like – it literally rewires it. We used to think there were just 7 categories of intelligence. But categories of intelligence may number more than 7 billion—roughly the population of the world.
    • No two people have the same brain, not even twins. Every student’s brain, every employee’s brain, every customer’s brain is wired differently.
    • You can either accede to it or ignore it. The current system of education ignores it by having grade structures based on age. Businesses such as Amazon are catching on to mass customization (the Amazon homepage and the products you see are tailored to your recent purchases).
    • Regions of the brain develop at different rates in different people. The brains of school children are just as unevenly developed as their bodies. Our school system ignores the fact that every brain is wired differently. We wrongly assume every brain is the same.
    • Most of us have a “Jennifer Aniston” neuron (a neuron lurking in your head that is stimulated only when Jennifer Aniston is in the room).

    ATTENTION | Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things.

    Rule #4: We don't pay attention to boring things.

    • What we pay attention to is profoundly influenced by memory. Our previous experience predicts where we should pay attention. Culture matters too. Whether in school or in business, these differences can greatly effect how an audience perceives a given presentation.
    • We pay attention to things like emotions, threats and sex. Regardless of who you are, the brain pays a great deal of attention to these questions: Can I eat it? Will it eat me? Can I mate with it? Will it mate with me? Have I seen it before?
    • The brain is not capable of multi-tasking. We can talk and breathe, but when it comes to higher level tasks, we just can’t do it.
    • Driving while talking on a cell phone is like driving drunk. The brain is a sequential processor and large fractions of a second are consumed every time the brain switches tasks. This is why cell-phone talkers are a half-second slower to hit the brakes and get in more wrecks.
    • Workplaces and schools actually encourage this type of multi-tasking. Walk into any office and you’ll see people sending e-mail, answering their phones, Instant Messaging, and on MySpace—all at the same time. Research shows your error rate goes up 50% and it takes you twice as long to do things.
    • When you’re always online you’re always distracted. So the always online organization is the always unproductive organization.

    SHORT-TERM MEMORY | Rule #5: Repeat to remember.

    Rule #5: Repeat to remember.

    • The human brain can only hold about seven pieces of information for less than 30 seconds! Which means, your brain can only handle a 7-digit phone number. If you want to extend the 30 seconds to a few minutes or even an hour or two, you will need to consistently re-expose yourself to the information. Memories are so volatile that you have to repeat to remember.
    • Improve your memory by elaborately encoding it during its initial moments. Many of us have trouble remembering names. If at a party you need help remembering Mary, it helps to repeat internally more information about her. “Mary is wearing a blue dress and my favorite color is blue.” It may seem counterintuitive at first but study after study shows it improves your memory.
    • Brain Rules in the classroom. In partnership with the University of Washington and Seattle Pacific University, Medina tested this Brain Rule in real classrooms of 3rd graders. They were asked to repeat their multiplication tables in the afternoons. The classrooms in the study did significantly better than the classrooms that did not have the repetition. If brain scientists get together with teachers and do research, we may be able to eliminate need for homework since learning would take place at school, instead of the home.

    LONG-TERM MEMORY | Rule #6: Remember to repeat.

    Rule #6: Remember to repeat.

    • It takes years to consolidate a memory. Not minutes, hours, or days but years. What you learn in first grade is not completely formed until your sophomore year in high school.
    • Medina’s dream school is one that repeats what was learned, not at home, but during the school day, 90-120 minutes after the initial learning occurred. Our schools are currently designed so that most real learning has to occur at home.
    • How do you remember better? Repeated exposure to information / in specifically timed intervals / provides the most powerful way to fix memory into the brain.
    • Forgetting allows us to prioritize events. But if you want to remember, remember to repeat.

    SLEEP | Rule #7: Sleep well, think well.

    Rule #7: Sleep well, think well.

    • When we’re asleep, the brain is not resting at all. It is almost unbelievably active! It’s possible that the reason we need to sleep is so that we can learn.
    • Sleep must be important because we spend 1/3 of our lives doing it! Loss of sleep hurts attention, executive function, working memory, mood, quantitative skills, logical reasoning, and even motor dexterity.
    • We still don’t know how much we need! It changes with age, gender, pregnancy, puberty, and so much more.
    • Napping is normal. Ever feel tired in the afternoon? That’s because your brain really wants to take a nap. There's a battle raging in your head between two armies. Each army is made of legions of brain cells and biochemicals –- one desperately trying to keep you awake, the other desperately trying to force you to sleep. Around 3 p.m., 12 hours after the midpoint of your sleep, all your brain wants to do is nap.
    • Taking a nap might make you more productive. In one study, a 26-minute nap improved NASA pilots’ performance by 34 percent.
    • Don’t schedule important meetings at 3 p.m. It just doesn’t make sense.

    STRESS | Rule #8: Stressed brains don't learn the same way.

    Rule #8: Stressed brains don't learn the same way.

    • Your brain is built to deal with stress that lasts about 30 seconds. The brain is not designed for long term stress when you feel like you have no control. The saber-toothed tiger ate you or you ran away but it was all over in less than a minute. If you have a bad boss, the saber-toothed tiger can be at your door for years, and you begin to deregulate. If you are in a bad marriage, the saber-toothed tiger can be in your bed for years, and the same thing occurs. You can actually watch the brain shrink.
    • Stress damages virtually every kind of cognition that exists. It damages memory and executive function. It can hurt your motor skills. When you are stressed out over a long period of time it disrupts your immune response. You get sicker more often. It disrupts your ability to sleep. You get depressed.
    • The emotional stability of the home is the single greatest predictor of academic success. If you want your kid to get into Harvard, go home and love your spouse.
    • You have one brain. The same brain you have at home is the same brain you have at work or school. The stress you are experiencing at home will affect your performance at work, and vice versa.

    SENSORY INTEGRATION | Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses.

    Rule #9: Stimulate more of the senses.

    • Our senses work together so it is important to stimulate them! Your head crackles with the perceptions of the whole world, sight, sound, taste, smell, touch, energetic as a frat party.
    • Smell is unusually effective at evoking memory. If you're tested on the details of a movie while the smell of popcorn is wafted into the air, you'll remember 10-50% more.
    • Smell is really important to business. When you walk into Starbucks, the first thing you smell is coffee. They have done a number of things over the years to make sure that’s the case.
    • The learning link. Those in multisensory environments always do better than those in unisensory environments. They have more recall with better resolution that lasts longer, evident even 20 years later.

    VISION | Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses.

    Rule #10: Vision trumps all other senses.

    • We are incredible at remembering pictures. Hear a piece of information, and three days later you'll remember 10% of it. Add a picture and you'll remember 65%.
    • Pictures beat text as well, in part because reading is so inefficient for us. Our brain sees words as lots of tiny pictures, and we have to identify certain features in the letters to be able to read them. That takes time.
    • Why is vision such a big deal to us? Perhaps because it's how we've always apprehended major threats, food supplies and reproductive opportunity.
    • Toss your PowerPoint presentations. It’s text-based (nearly 40 words per slide), with six hierarchical levels of chapters and subheads—all words. Professionals everywhere need to know about the incredible inefficiency of text-based information and the incredible effects of images. Burn your current PowerPoint presentations and make new ones.

    GENDER | Rule #11: Male and female brains are different.

    Rule #11: Male and female brains are different.

    • What’s different? Mental health professionals have known for years about sex-based differences in the type and severity of psychiatric disorders. Males are more severely afflicted by schizophrenia than females. By more than 2 to 1, women are more likely to get depressed than men, a figure that shows up just after puberty and remains stable for the next 50 years. Males exhibit more antisocial behavior. Females have more anxiety. Most alcoholics and drug addicts are male. Most anorexics are female.
    • Men and women handle acute stress differently. When researcher Larry Cahill showed them slasher films, men fired up the amygdale in their brain’s right hemisphere, which is responsible for the gist of an event. Their left was comparatively silent. Women lit up their left amygdale, the one responsible for details. Having a team that simultaneously understood the gist and details of a given stressful situation helped us conquer the world.
    • Men and women process certain emotions differently. Emotions are useful. They make the brain pay attention. These differences are a product of complex interactions between nature and nurture.

    EXPLORATION | Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers.

    Rule #12: We are powerful and natural explorers.

    • The desire to explore never leaves us despite the classrooms and cubicles we are stuffed into. Babies are the model of how we learn—not by passive reaction to the environment but by active testing through observation, hypothesis, experiment, and conclusion. Babies methodically do experiments on objects, for example, to see what they will do.
    • Google takes to heart the power of exploration. For 20 percent of their time, employees may go where their mind asks them to go. The proof is in the bottom line: fully 50 percent of new products, including Gmail and Google News, came from “20 percent time.”

     

    http://www.brainrules.net/the-rules, John Medina

     

    Access The New Differentiated Learning Model Here:

    http://mcdonaldsalesandmarketing.biz/tom-mcdonalds-posts/

    
    

    Access this article and others at:

    http://mcdonaldsalesandmarketing.biz/1743/brain-rules-3/

     

    Related Brain Rules Information:
    

     

    Search 900+ Unique Posts on Learning, Personalized Learning, Learning How to Learn, Learning Research, Learning Transfer, Blended Learning, eLearning, Personalized Learning Technology, Sales Performance Improvement, Human Capital Performance Improvement and much, much, more

  • Blog post
  • 10 months ago
  • Views: 475
  • Not yet rated