tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8016426396398806492023-06-20T06:00:23.586-07:00Performance ED- Ramblings and ResourcesPerformance ED- Ramblings and Resources-
A place to discuss and share ideas in the world of education.Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-29382643072764529552012-05-09T06:13:00.002-07:002012-05-09T06:13:50.715-07:00Getting your boys to enjoy reading, sometimes hard to do.I just read an article about the difficulties in getting some boys to read. I always thought since I liked to read and my husband liked to read that this wouldn't be a problem at our house, well... I was wrong. My boys would much rather wrestle, run, fight with light sabers, throw or kick a ball. Not that there is anything wrong with these activities, unless of course, they do them in my living room, but it would be nice if once in awhile they sat quietly and enjoyed a book. ;) My husband and I have done all that we could think of, we have books in every room of the house and we have read to them everyday since birth, but it doesn't change the fact that they are boys with lots of energy.<br />
After showing my husband this article, <a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/lisa-bloom/how-to-talk-to-little-boy_b_1473167.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false#sb=1255817,b=facebook" target="_blank">How to talk to little boys about Reading</a>, he told me that he didn't always enjoy reading. Well, this was news to me, because he is a better reader than I am! It wasn't until his parents introduced him to comic books on long car rides that he began to enjoy reading. "As a matter of fact", he said, "my collection is in the basement." We pulled it out and showed it to the boys and for the past two days they won't put them down! I had to take the books out of their room last night so they would go to sleep. I'm not saying that this is the final solution to our "I'd rather not read" problem, but it is a good start. It helps that the books are important to their Dad, who, by the way, couldn't have been more happy watching his boys reading his old comic books.<br />
<br />Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-91609729175033305162012-04-19T05:55:00.000-07:002012-04-19T05:55:02.154-07:00Parents having a voice in student assessmentsAs I have mentioned before my perspective on teaching and learning has changed a bit now that I am a parent with school aged kids. I am happy that the voice of parents is beginning to be heard. We are far from giving this voice enough weight, however the change has started. I don't know if parents today are more savvy in the area of education and assessments or if they just want to be more involved, but the voice of parents in schools is more present than say 10 yrs ago. It probably has a lot to do with the global job market and pressures around getting our kids gainfully employed so they don't live with us forever! Heck, I'm already thinking about the skills and talents of my 4 yr old and how that will translate into a career for him. Whatever the reason, parents are at the table and want to be heard.<br />
<br />
I applaud this movement and encourage it within reason. Just as I don't go into the doctor's office to demand my child be given a certain medicine or treatment, I would except that parents are not going to do that to teachers. It should be a partnership.<br />
<br />
A hot button right now is assessment. With the onset of NCLB assessments became a much larger focus and part of the education of our kids. The question that is being asked now is "How do these assessments benefit my child's learning?" The answer is... they really don't. Not to say that assessments are worthless, that is simply untrue. The key is what type of assessments will benefit my child's learning. The accountability assessments or summative assessments don't have much benefit for individual children. They are meant to hold schools and districts accountable. Formative or informal assessments are where the rubber meets the road for my child's learning. This is the type of assessment that teachers should be spending time developing and analyzing, but often teachers don't feel they have time for this because they are preparing for the "big" one. This is understandable. It is time that we, as parents and educators, speak up and let the powers that be know we want the time our kids spend in the classroom with educators to be focused on moving them forward in their learning. This should include frequent, informal assessment that inform teachers about the immediate needs of the students.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is an article that got my ideas started for writing this blog post, it is worth a read. <i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="http://www.parentinvolvementmatters.org/blogs/what-parents-educators-want-from-student-assessments-97.html">What Parents & Educators Want from Student Assessments</a> </i>is an article written by Marilyn Price-Mitchell with Parent Involvement Matters speaking to this topic.</span>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-71702867914344278682012-02-07T19:15:00.000-08:002012-02-07T19:15:18.593-08:00PinterestSo, I was a little slow to pick up on the Pinterest craze, but now that I have, I'm hooked! This is such a great resource for teachers. Teachers from everywhere share their best ideas.<br />
I am busy "pinning" the great ideas I see. Check out my "education" board and follow if you want to see what I pin. <a href="http://pinterest.com/caribegin/education/">http://pinterest.com/caribegin/education/</a><br />
And as they say... Happy Pinning!Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-34400993936323721332011-12-16T09:15:00.000-08:002011-12-16T09:15:02.067-08:00The Nintendo Effect<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"> Doug Reeves speaks about the <i>Nintendo Effect (Jeff Howard) </i>in his recent blog post titled <i><a href="http://whatworks.wholechildeducation.org/blog/from-differentiated-instruction-to-differentiated-assessment/">From Differentiated Instruction to Differentiated Assessment </a>. </i>This is the perfect way to describe when students are so engaged in their learning that their focus is as if they are playing a video game or watching the best movie ever. Who wouldn't want this to happened in their classroom? According to Reeves, all students need is choice, power and competence to achieve this effect. Just two of these will lead to engagement for a short time, but will not be long lasting.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;">This article is definitely worth reading, because he gives teachers practical ideas for differentiating homework and class work that will lead to assessment of learning.</span>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-45596098356241251732011-10-25T09:44:00.000-07:002011-10-25T09:44:29.579-07:00Kids love science, why wait??<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Reading the article in this <a href="http://www.pnj.com/article/20111024/NEWS01/110240314/Educators-taking-new-approach-teaching-science">link</a>, made me wonder why we have been waiting to <i>really</i> teach kids about science. This article, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 32px; line-height: 13px; text-decoration: underline;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Educators are taking a new approach to </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><u>teaching science,</u> reminded me that in the U.S. the big emphasis on science doesn't come until after 3rd grade. In many places it doesn't happen until middle school. Young children love science, it is exciting, rewarding and interactive. Why is it viewed as an "extra" in early grades? </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;">I understand the time argument. We need to teach them basic skills first, yes. Why can't we infuse science into more of what we do?</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I appreciate that in Florida it is being recognized that even though the students are not tested on science content until 5th grade they need to be teaching the material much earlier. Florida, I'm sure, is not the first state to deal with this issue. What is more important to me, is that kids are missing out on the fun of science from the get-go. We are missing out on a ripe opportunity to foster a thirst and love of science and learning when we don't offer our kids these experiences at an early age. I love science, all kinds, and see it as the glue that holds everything together. <i>I'm a little bias since I taught science for 10 yrs. at the middle school level. </i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">A bigger issue is that our country is struggling in a global job market. Many other countries are beating us when it comes to math and science. Anyone see a connection here? What are your thoughts?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small; font-weight: normal;"><br />
</span></span>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-26492443017761265922011-10-04T10:38:00.000-07:002011-10-04T10:38:36.404-07:00Rethinking homework, it's about time.Elizabeth Peterson, the author of this blog post, <a href="http://www.theinspiredclassroom.com/2011/10/revising-homework/">http://www.theinspiredclassroom.com/2011/10/revising-homework/</a>, got me to thinking about homework.<br />
<br />
As a teacher, I gave homework for a couple of reasons. First, and most importantly, because I thought I had to. Then, as I got to be a better teacher and had more to "cover" I gave homework as an extension of the school day. Toward the end of my time in the classroom I used homework as a way to "flip" my instruction. I asked the students to read and take notes on a section of text. The next day we would discuss and do activities about that content. I was on to something, but didn't have much more to use than the textbook or magazines at the time. Now with You Tube, I Pods, email, etc. there are so many options. Not all students have access to the internet or technology at home, so this is still a hurdle, but you have to admit, the resources are out there.<br />
<br />
Now as a mother with school age kids new light has been shed on this whole "homework thing". Unless it is purposeful and engaging work, why would students want to or even care about doing it? We could ask ourselves the same question about work that is done inside the school day too. Wink, wink. Students are less likely to retain or comprehend ideas or content that are not meaningful or engaging. So how can we make homework more meaningful and engaging?<br />
<br />
Elizabeth Peterson has some great ideas about using tools like <a href="http://www.studyisland.com/">Study Island</a>, <a href="http://studyjams.scholastic.com/studyjams/index.htm">Study Jams</a> and <a href="http://www.spellingcity.com/">Spelling City</a>.<br />
-What about assigning You Tube videos to watch on the content you are studying? Better yet have kids create You Tube videos to share in class.<br />
-If you want to keep it simple have students find examples of math, science or reading at home that relate to what your lessons are at school.<br />
-Use Project Based Learning ideas, this gives real purpose to the work. There are many websites out there with sample projects. <a href="http://www.bie.org/videos/cat/example_projects">http://www.bie.org/videos/cat/example_projects</a><br />
-Quizzing Mom, Dad and siblings about topics or skills from class.<br />
-Help your teacher out by writing the next math test, don't forget to include the answers!<br />
-Read, read, read<br />
-Write, write, write<br />
<br />
I know many of you are doing all these things and more. Please share!Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-74480543930271908962011-08-30T07:51:00.000-07:002011-08-30T08:16:28.639-07:00Learning about Learning Styles, not important? Think again.This NPR article, <a href="http://www.npr.org/blogs/health/2011/08/29/139973743/think-youre-an-auditory-or-visual-learner-scientists-say-its-unlikely?ft=1&f=1001">Think You're An Auditory Or Visual Learner? Scientists Say It's Unlikely</a>, speaks to the fact that teaching to one learning style or another is not best practice. I can't argue with that, however children do <i>prefer</i> different modes of learning, that doesn't mean they don't<i> learn</i> from all of them.<br />
The author says here that we should "mix up" how we teach, so that students experience a variety of learning throughout the instruction.<br />
<br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;"><i>"And, in that case, he says, there's a lot of common ground. For example, variety. "Mixing things up is something we know is scientifically supported as something that boosts attention," he says, adding that studies show that when students pay closer attention, they learn better."</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #555555; font-family: Georgia, serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 20px;"><i><br />
</i></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I completely agree with this! But teachers need to understand learning styles and how to teach to them so that they are</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 20px;"> able to "mix it up". Everyone, including teachers, prefer to express themselves in certain ways. I like to talk it out, my husband can't explain anything without drawing you a picture, etc. Knowing how you communicate as an educator will help as you plan and deliver your instruction. Know thyself...is the first step.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I would hate for this study to take away from the importance of getting to know your students. Building relationships in the classroom is not just finding out your students' favorite hobbies; it is more about discovering who they are as learners and in turn, empowering the students with this knowledge.</span></span><br />
<br />
<h1 style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, sans-serif; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.2em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 24px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></h1><br />
Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-33280489557754270912011-08-12T15:04:00.000-07:002011-08-12T15:04:43.988-07:00Teacher Accountability & PLC<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; mso-outline-level: 1; text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Optima ExtraBlack';"><i>Below is a blog article by my colleague Daniel Venables, author of The Practice of Authentic PLCs. I had a hand in it's creation as I was the one that said, "Daniel, you need to write this article!" Please let us know what you think.</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Palatino; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Palatino; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">By Daniel Venables</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Palatino; font-size: 10.0pt; line-height: 150%; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt;">(written with contributions from Cari Begin of Performance ED, LLC)<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Teacher Evaluation & Accountability reform has been firmly placed on an educational front burner becoming a hot topic of state boards of education, district boards across the US, local school administrators, teacher advocate groups, teacher unions, the media and the general public. {The topic has also served as a seemingly endless source of material for blog posts, this one not excepting.}</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">This year, the NEA (National Education Association) has adopted a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Policy Statement on Teacher Evaluation and Accountability; </i>many individual state teacher unions as in Delaware, Missouri, Oregon and others have begun initiatives honing guidelines for teacher evaluation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In North Carolina, Pay-for-Performance and the new <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">North Carolina Teacher Evaluation Process</i> (NCTEP) will affect almost a hundred thousand teachers beginning next year. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">In Charlotte, where the authors have spent recent years as Professional Development Coordinators, we witnessed first-hand the groundswell of anxiety with which the NCTEP was met by teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In our opinion, the NCTEP is a solid, though far from perfect, document; but like most evaluation instruments, its use in practice exists in a context of evaluator intention – principals’ intentions, in this case.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a climate of shrinking budgets and Reductions-in-Force (RIFs), it’s hard to convince teachers that the NCTEP is an instrument for professional growth and not for ridding faculties of their ineffective teachers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Regardless of how principals actually use the instrument, teacher <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">perception</i> of possible misuse quickly pins teachers’ stress needles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">All this is not to suggest that we think teacher evaluation and accountability is a bad thing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is not.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nor do we oppose, a priori, the notion of external teacher evaluation based in part on student performance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(We said, “in part.” :)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Our query is this:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">Regardless of the criteria or instrument used in evaluating teachers, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">At what point do we teachers begin to hold each other accountable?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>Lawyers do it, doctors do it, journalists do it, basketball players and filmmakers do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">When will teachers wean themselves from their dependency on edicts of administrators and hold one another to the standards of high quality teaching?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></i>After all, if we were doing this all along, there wouldn’t be such a need for external evaluation and imposed accountability systems.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There will always be some degree of external evaluation and that’s not unreasonable. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But isn’t it high time we did some serious self evaluation and took action based on that evaluation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Are we not the ones in best position to decide what is not working and what it might take to improve those things?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">There is no telling <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">when</i> teachers will move toward active (both proactive and reactive) self-evaluation but we’re quite sure <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">how</i> this will happen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will involve teachers working together as authentic professional learning communities (PLCs).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Self-evaluation and self-accountability will require big doses of trust and honesty among educators – the degree of trust and honesty found in authentic PLCs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 150%; text-align: justify;">It’s not that we should do it; it’s more that we must do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Would educators really prefer the continued bombardment of external evaluation and accountability systems to sitting down together and having honest, often hard, conversations about what is needed to do better by kids?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We don’t think so.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div><!--EndFragment--> Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-76337948361888306252011-07-01T18:48:00.000-07:002011-07-01T18:48:33.413-07:00The DifferentiatorHave you seen this?? What a great tool!<br />
<a href="http://www.byrdseed.com/differentiator/">The Differentiator</a><br />
<br />
It allows you to enter specific learning goals along with level of thinking, content, resources and groupings. It was developed by a teacher who began keeping track of his differentiated lessons and in his words, "The Differentiator was born". Here is a link to his blog. <a href="http://www.byrdseed.com/">http://www.byrdseed.com/</a><br />
<br />
Playing around with this tool during the summer would be well worth your time. I would also suggest checking out his blog. He is focused on gifted education, however all of his ideas can be used with general education students as well.<br />
<br />
Have fun!Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-46587631105639749612011-05-02T16:52:00.000-07:002011-05-02T16:52:03.591-07:00President Obama shared ideas for fixing NCLB<!--StartFragment--> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">ASCD’s David Griffith, director of public policy, and Tina Dove, manager of public policy advocacy, attended the speech, at which President Obama also shared the following ideas for fixing NCLB:<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><br />
</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman';"><i>Here are my thoughts-</i></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Improve how we measure success and failure</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> so that schools that are making progress with their students aren’t unfairly penalized and schools that are struggling get the help they need.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #60196a; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">This makes me breathe a sigh of relief. I worked with several schools in Charlotte that were making progress with their students but still being penalized because they hadn’t reached the benchmark. I also taught in a couple of schools in Michigan that were performing very well (95% passing state tests), but looking at not making Adequate Yearly Progress because they had hit a plateau. My experiences are just a very small example of what is happening all over the country. I hope that a realistic solution can be implemented.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Set better standards</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> that prepare students for college and careers, and <b>create better assessments</b> that show whether students are making progress and mastering high-level thinking skills.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #5f497a; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Better assessments? Did I read this correctly? THANK YOU!<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #5f497a; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">One of my biggest concerns about standardized testing is not that it takes up too much time or the teachers are “teaching to the test”, but that the test don’t always measure what’s really important. Many times the test questions are poorly written or the answer choices are confusing. As a teacher and curriculum consultant I have had the opportunity to read many, many test questions from several different states. If the subject matter expert (me) reads a question and says, “What??” then how do we expect the kids to demonstrate knowledge? I have to say that over the last 5 yrs. the quality of multiple test questions has improved. But that brings me to my next point, multiple choice questions are not a good measure of what students really know. For awhile the tests were including constructed response or essay questions, but with budget cuts we went back to all multiple choice. It is no secret that these tests don’t do a great job of telling us what our kids REALLY know, but we have to assess them…<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #5f497a; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">We are using these tests that are not a good measure of what students know to evaluate our teachers.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Hold schools accountable</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> for their students’ success, not through rigid mandates, but in ways that encourage creativity and empower educators and students.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #5f497a; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Taking into account differences in schools and the students in those schools is key here. Individuals are motivated by different things (goals, relationships, incentives). I think it is very narrow minded to think that every teacher in every school will be motivated to perform by the same incentives or the same punitive consequences. So without creativity we will never discover what works. <o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo2; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none; text-indent: -.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">•<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";"> </span></span></span><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Make sure our certified teachers are also outstanding teachers</span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> by improving how we prepare and support them, measure their success in the classroom, and hold them accountable.<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span style="color: #5f497a; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Authentic PLCs can go along way to supporting and holding our teachers accountable. Teachers should be meeting with colleagues on a regular basis to discuss current education research, looking student work and their own work. This is not happening. I know I have mentioned this before in my blog, but I feel so strongly that this could be the missing piece to the puzzle! If you haven’t already, purchase and read </span><i><span style="color: #494445; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The Practice of Authentic PLCs: A Guide to Effective Teacher Teams </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #494445; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">by Daniel R. Venables</span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #494445; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> </span></i><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: #494445; font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Trebuchet MS"; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">(Corwin Press, 2011).<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: .5in; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">House Education Committee Chairman John Kline (R-MN) was circumspect on President Obama’s proposed timeline for fixing NCLB, </span><a href="http://www.congressweb.com/t/l/?RRIOQTEEIIFUKJH"><span style="color: #2e5173; font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">saying</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> the committee needs to take the time to get it right. Kline also said the House would not approve one comprehensive education bill, instead breaking up NCLB reauthorization into separate pieces of legislation. </span></div><!--EndFragment-->Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-64136538559094817742011-04-22T12:25:00.000-07:002011-04-22T12:25:40.263-07:00A teacher’s perspective—It’s time to take a risk and support real reform | StudentsFirst.org<a href="http://www.studentsfirst.org/blog/entry/a-teachers-perspective-its-time-to-take-a-risk-and-support-real-reform/?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4db1d62f89457b8b%2C0">A teacher’s perspective—It’s time to take a risk and support real reform | StudentsFirst.org</a>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-63504645793391601112011-04-14T08:53:00.000-07:002011-04-14T08:53:12.485-07:00Education as a Civil Right | StudentsFirst.org<a href="http://www.studentsfirst.org/blog/entry/education-as-a-civil-right/?sms_ss=blogger&at_xt=4da7182322e4f5e0%2C0">Education as a Civil Right | StudentsFirst.org</a><div><br /></div><div>Interesting. I will hear more about this tonight when I see Michelle Rhee live at Spellman College in Atlanta. I am looking forward to hearing what she has to say.</div>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-48966976197079733452011-03-30T11:13:00.000-07:002011-03-30T11:13:42.667-07:00Student-Centered Learning Environments: How and Why | Edutopia<a href="http://www.edutopia.org/blog/student-centered-learning-environments-paul-bogdan#comment-91257">Student-Centered Learning Environments: How and Why | Edutopia</a>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-19401915882004625932011-03-28T09:22:00.000-07:002011-03-28T09:22:23.724-07:00Addressing Diverse Student Learning Needs- Free Webinar<div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Is anyone planning to "attend" this? I thought it would be worthwhile to put it out there. You can't beat FREE!</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong><br />
</strong></div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 1.25em; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><strong><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1301329081_0" style="color: #366388;"><a href="http://e-news.edweek.org/ct/10956708:13411247776:m:1:212127085:C7E13B57C5072F23954552A2E56A8DF8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Addressing Diverse Student Learning Needs</a></span></strong><br />
<strong><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1301329081_1" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: transparent; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; border-bottom-color: rgb(54, 99, 136); border-bottom-style: dotted; border-bottom-width: 2px; color: #366388; cursor: pointer;">Thursday, April 7, 4 p.m. EDT</span><br />
Also available "on demand" any time 24 hours after the event.</strong><br />
<a href="http://e-news.edweek.org/ct/10956708:13411247776:m:1:212127085:C7E13B57C5072F23954552A2E56A8DF8" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="yshortcuts" id="lw_1301329081_2" style="color: #366388;">Free registration</span></a> is now open.</div><div style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; font-family: Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">On account of both demographic changes and evolving school instructional policies, many teachers today face an increasingly wide range of student learning differences?be they academic, behavioral, physical, or cultural?in their classrooms. Even experienced teachers often do not feel fully prepared to meet the challenge of addressing such varied needs. The 2010 MetLife Survey of the American Teacher, released this month, finds that 60 percent of K-12 educators say strengthening resources and programs to help students with diverse learning needs become college- and career-ready should be a top priority in education. The survey finds that math teachers, in particular, struggle with differentiating instruction to reach all learners.</div>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-87803340939944663542011-03-27T18:28:00.000-07:002011-03-27T18:30:06.111-07:00Think Big, Start Small<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt;">I read an article on eHow.com that got me thinking about a couple of things related to planning for differentiated instruction. I’ve decided to write several blog articles related to this topic. I have included excerpts from the eHow article that sparked my thoughts.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">When thinking about differentiating our instruction sometimes we get caught up with the all the "cool things" we can do with the students. I've done this more than once. What started as a very focused planning session about meeting various learner needs turned into an elaborate project that included a class store with “money”, bookkeepers, team leaders and a competition. The students loved it and were engaged, however, when it came time to assess the students’ learning I was hard pressed to identify the demonstrated standards and skills. I ended up using hours of precious class time on a project that was not focused on the skills and standards that my students needed to master. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">This is why I feel so strongly about planning backwards and starting with the big picture (state standards). When designing lessons, whether they are differentiated or not, start with the question, “What do students need to demonstrate so I know that they have mastered the standard/skill?” Stray as little as possible from the answer to this question as you plan learning activities. How much time and energy should be spent on spelling, punctuation or pretty pictures, unless that is the objective of the lesson? There will be some details you add to the activity to make it more engaging. For instance, creating a real world experience will take a little extra time and there will be extraneous learning that takes place, but students will be very engaged.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Robert Marzano has said our education system would have to be K-22 in order to teach all of the state standards adequately. More and more education leaders agree that teachers must start teaching the “power standards”. Daniel Venables, author of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Practice of Authentic PLCs</i> (2011), recommends that teacher teams consider two criteria when determining which concepts or skills are worth teaching in depth. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Prominence</b>- how often does is this concept or skill show up on the state standardized tests?<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Vitality</b>- “How vital is knowledge of this topic to later skills or coursework?” (Venables, 2011)<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">It is necessary to trim curriculum. Teachers should be making executive decisions about what they can realistically teach in depth. I would much rather know that my students have mastered 80 – 85% of the curriculum vs. being exposed to 100% of it. <o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">Knowing what to differentiate and what not to differentiate can also be a difficult task. I like to keep my analysis simple. Using my instructional experience from previous years or the experience of others to make these decisions. If you have taught a particular lesson or unit and it was difficult for many students, this is a good place to differentiate. Likewise, if a lesson you have taught in the past was easy for many students then you want to differentiate your instruction for those students to give them a challenge. Include opportunities for all students to process content in multiple modalities in every lesson. Most importantly, start small.<o:p></o:p></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Excerpt from: "How to Implement Differentiated Instruction in the Classroom"<o:p></o:p></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">By Lynn Wolf, eHow Contributor</span></span><span style="color: black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Balance learning goals, curriculum, and student needs.</span></b><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 20.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 11.0pt .5in; text-autospace: none;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1- Know the instructional goals and objectives for your content area, and allow these standards to guide the lesson planning process. Decide which units of learning align with which standards and group those units together. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2- Use departmental or district curriculum to support, not lead, the learning process. Detailed curriculum provided by departments or school districts is sometimes more of an obstacle than a helpful tool, as teachers can get caught up in the desire to "fit it all in." Planning based solely on the required curriculum leaves out the personal learning needs of the student. Using state learning standards for the grade and subject area provides a broader base from which teachers can start their lesson planning process. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">3- Decide what standards lend themselves to effective differentiation. Trying to create differentiated lessons for all content standards can be counter-productive. Some standards -- like basic math operations, for example -- must simply be taught and mastered. Helping students develop math problem solving strategies, however, is a lesson that can be taught in a variety of ways. Teachers and students can work together to find the strategies that work best for each student, based on the student's learning style. Students can demonstrate their mastery of this skill in different ways, such as successfully completing a written assessment or creating an oral presentation on how to solve problems using his or her preferred method.</span></div>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-7149585341578669592011-03-20T17:20:00.000-07:002011-03-20T17:20:32.732-07:00Video archive of your teachingAfter posting my thoughts about the TED video, I continued to "process" these ideas. There are so many possibilities that I had to post about this again.<br />
<br />
What if teachers recorded their mini-lessons and had them available to their students 24/7? It could be a great review for students who need a refresher or for students that were absent.<br />
How about using them in centers? Ask students to improve on the teacher's lesson. Hmm. "How could your teacher explain this better?"<br />
What could you do with mini-lesson recordings of several teachers on a grade level? This would open the boundaries of classrooms. It would allow for students to experience a variety of teaching styles.<br />
What ideas can you add? Please join this conversation!Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-45816196011276054402011-03-11T13:40:00.000-08:002011-03-11T13:40:37.990-08:00Reinventing the way we "do" school<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/nTFEUsudhfs?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>I love TED.com! I have to thank my husband for introducing me to this website and sharing great ideas with me.<br />
<br />
So much of the school day is taken up by the delivery of content that not much time is left for the processing and mastery of skills and concepts. This was part of a discussion I had at an elementary school yesterday. Teachers voiced frustrations over the "amount" of content that is being added to the curriculum and with no more time in the school day teachers and students feel rushed. Learners need time to process new information before mastery can be achieved.<br />
<br />
What does "processing time" look and sound like? It can look and sound different in every classroom, but it is vital to any successful learning environment. Students need to be discussing, debating, organizing, playing, evaluating, teaching, writing, creating, acting, collaborating and moving! This is hard to do with students when much of the time a teacher spends with his or her class is spent delivering content.<br />
<br />
Watching this video, I had an Aha moment, because if you consider "flipping the traditional teaching script", teachers would have much more time with their students during the processing time. Teachers would have quality time to help students wrestle with important ideas. Students that need reinforcement of skills and concepts would have access to their teacher when they need it, instead of realizing they don't "get it" after school hours.<br />
<br />
This is not meant to replace the teacher in the classroom, instead maximize what great teachers do best, making learning challenging and exciting.Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-62086358795124020362011-03-06T19:22:00.000-08:002011-03-06T19:22:42.101-08:00What do you think?Have you seen Bill Gates latest comments about good teachers? I think it is fascinating, some it of it I agree with, some of it I am not sure about.<br />
<br />
Watch this video and tell me what you think.<br />
<a href="http://abcnews.go.com/US/bill-gates-education-microsoft-founder-schools-teaching-teachers/story?id=13051251">Bill Gates- TED speech</a><br />
<br />
1. Seniority pay. There is something to be said for experience, but shouldn't there be other factors that are considered?<br />
2. Advanced degree "bumps". An advanced degree may not translate into higher test scores for students, but teachers who take the time and money to advance their own education are at least headed in the right direction. This is worth something, right?<br />
3. Video taping teachers to determine effective teaching practices. Amen. Yes, this is what we should be doing, studying all sorts of teachers and figuring out what really works. The real trick after we figure out the "formula", will be to recreate this in all classrooms. Hmmm? Just because this works in one classroom, does that mean it will work anywhere? No, it won't. Teachers will need to be given an array of strategies and ideas that they can put in their toolkits to use when they determine appropriate. A solid understanding of their students and differentiated instruction will make these strategies useful.<br />
4. Class size. I agree that great teachers who agree to take on extra students should get paid more. I also agree that I would rather have my child in a larger class with a great teacher than a smaller class with a mediocre teacher. However, there has to be a limit, even the best teacher in the world can't reach 40 kids in one class.<br />
<br />
We are discussing the details of such an overwhelming issue. I hope these discussions continue and society doesn't bore of the minutia. All of this needs to be sorted out and it will take time, a lot of time.Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-81359386668118551992011-03-02T05:41:00.000-08:002011-03-02T05:41:54.290-08:00Happy Birthday, Dr. Seuss!A few of my favorite quotes:<br />
<br />
"With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street."<i>Oh the Places You'll Go</i><br />
<br />
"He meant what he said<br />
And he said what he meant..."<i>Horton Hatches the Egg</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
"A Zizzer-Zazzer-Zuzz, as you can plainly see!" <i>Dr. Seuss's ABC</i><br />
<i><br />
</i><br />
"I say, Hooray for the shapes we're in!"<i> The Shape of ME and Other Stuff</i><br />
<br />
<b><i>What are your favorites?</i></b>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-34344467883512365432011-02-28T19:33:00.000-08:002011-03-01T05:23:55.408-08:00How to Spend $100 Million to Really Save Education. Really??Please take time to read this article.<br />
<a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/magazine/152/how-to-spend-100-million-to-really-save-education.html#disqus_thread">How to Spend $100 Million to Really Save Education</a><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, geneva; font-size: 11px; text-transform: uppercase;">BY:</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, geneva; font-size: 11px; text-transform: uppercase;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, geneva; font-size: 11px; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/user/105230" style="color: #003366; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="View user profile.">ANYA KAMENETZ</a></span><br />
<br />
My first thought is, "Do we really think $100 Million will do it?"<br />
Second thought, "Wow, that's an overwhelming idea!" If we were talking about a car that wouldn't start, the mechanic knows it could be one of maybe 4 things that is causing the problem. On the other hand, if the car has been in an accident and has been totaled, sometimes it is just easier to scrap it and start over. That's how I feel about our education system. Yes, there are things that work really well, but we have been putting bandaids on and plugging holes for so long it is no longer fixable.<br />
<br />
In this article <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: georgia, geneva; font-size: 11px; text-transform: uppercase;"><a href="http://www.fastcompany.com/user/105230" style="color: #003366; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; text-decoration: none;" title="View user profile.">KAMENETZ</a></span> says, <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, geneva; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"> "</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, geneva; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">I wish he [Zukerburg] had taken his $100 million, and some of his smartest people, and designed a new framework for education from the ground up, much the way he built Facebook from a dorm-room idea to a global brand. Is it possible to craft an education platform that's as participatory, offers as much opportunity for self-expression, and is as magnetic to young people as Facebook itself? That would be a theory of change worth testing."</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: georgia, geneva; font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I agree, let's get </span><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">really</span></i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> creative. Not just taking what we have and tweaking it, but take our existing system apart, set aside the parts that are working well (we'll use those again) and build anew. We need to get over the way we did school when we were growing up. The world doesn't look the way it did then, so why should school??</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Some of m</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">y thoughts-</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Year round school, yes.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Longer school days, maybe.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Alternative ways to access information, yes.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Digital classrooms, textbook, yes.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Distance learning, yes.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">More professional learning for teachers, yes.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">More time for teachers to collaborate, yes.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Start kids in school at a younger age, maybe.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Rethink our tests, yes.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Build in <i>required</i> time for parents to interact with the teachers and students, yes</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Saturday school, maybe</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;">(<i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">If school was a fun and exciting place to be kids would want to be there even on Saturday</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;">.)</span></i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">Build a 21st Century classroom, yes.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">I know many parents might object to the year round school idea, so maybe those parents could choose to keep their kids home during the summer as long as their kids were meeting the standards for that grade level. In a brand new system we can set up multiple paths of learning for all students. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">What does a 21st century classroom look like? This is an exciting question. Well, there wouldn't be isolated computer stations. Students would be traveling around the "learning environment" with their own laptops or IPads, after all isn't that we really do? I'm not sitting at a large computer on an uncomfortable chair writing this blog, no, I'm sitting on the couch with my laptop, flipping between websites. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">You wouldn't see students sitting at desks in rows in the 21st century classroom. Students would be checking with a master calendar to see where their learning stations are for the day. This, of course, would be based on formative assessments, teacher observations and student-teacher conversations and would change frequently. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">You would see multi-sensory activities happening around the "learning environment". Teachers would be working with small groups of students or individuals. Students would be working with other students and parents would be present in the classroom.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">If I were to rebuild our education system teachers would have plenty of time for planning and collaboration. This has been missing for so long in our current system. We have tried to <i>squeeze</i> time in for collaboration, you can't quickly collaborate, it takes a lot of time, but the end result is powerful. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;">In the end, I am glad that many more people are coming to the table to have these discussions. The results can only benefit our kids in the long run.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 21px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 15px; line-height: 21px;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-small;"><br />
</span></i></span></span>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-5767814164620807542011-02-28T17:22:00.000-08:002011-02-28T17:22:58.463-08:00Wow! Resource website for teachers.Have you seen this resource website, <a href="http://www.curriki.org/">http://www.curriki.org/</a> ? You could spend hours, probably days, on this site. I like that you can search by grade level and content. If you want to get really specific, let's say you want a video for first graders in science, you can do that too.<br />
Here's what Curriki has to say about itself:<br />
<br />
<div style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i>Curriki is more than your average website; we're a community of educators, learners and committed education experts who are working together to create quality materials that will benefit teachers and students around the world.</i></div><div style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i>Curriki is an online environment created to support the development and free distribution of world-class educational materials to anyone who needs them. Our name is a play on the combination of 'curriculum' and 'wiki' which is the technology we're using to make education universally accessible.</i></div><div style="color: #3f3f3f; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; margin-bottom: 0.5em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.5em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><i>Curriki is the result of work done for GELC - the Global Education and Learning Community - an online project started by Sun Microsystems to develop works for education in a collaborative effort. The leadership team consists of people with a long-time commitment to exploring the use of technology to improve education<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;">.</span></i></div><br />
Most of what I reviewed was quality instructional activities, websites and resources.<br />
If you are looking for <i>new</i> ways to present your curriculum this website could be your new best friend!Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-4335280407740433422011-02-23T09:56:00.000-08:002011-02-23T13:26:52.426-08:00Are you making these four differentiated instruction mistakes?<a href="http://edge.ascd.org/_Are-You-Making-these-Four-Differentiated-Instruction-Mistakes/blog/3321350/127586.html">Read this article from ASCD Edge.</a><br />
1. Multiple Assignment rather than Multiple Pathways<br />
This is a common mistake, since differentiation is often presented to teachers as multiple assignments or projects going on at once. To be perfectly honest, it is easier to explain to teachers that they can find and copy multiple "worksheets" on the same topic rather than create multiple paths for learning.<br />
<br />
2. Differentiating by learning style vs. learning needs<br />
We can classify students into learning styles and prescribe learning activities for them without much gray area. Learning needs is more vague and uncomfortable for teachers since these learning needs change constantly.<br />
<br />
3.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Differentiating by achievement level rather than by students' current learning level.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here again students learning levels change constantly based on the content, the interest and background knowledge. This requires continuous assessment and adjustment to grouping and instruction.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">4. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Differentiating up rather than down.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I really think this should say "down rather than up". We tend to differentiate by "dumbing down" instead of starting at the standard and looking up. If students have trouble getting to the standard we need to look for ways to support them to reach that standard. </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br />
</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I read this recently and thought it was a great way to think about the teacher's role in a differentiated classroom.</span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; line-height: 20px;"><span style="line-height: normal;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><div style="direction: ltr; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: .3in; margin-top: 6.0pt; mso-line-break-override: none; punctuation-wrap: hanging; text-align: left; text-indent: -.3in; unicode-bidi: embed; word-break: normal;"><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook';">“Teachers in Differentiated Classrooms are students of their students” </span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; font-style: italic;">Author Unknown</span><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook'; font-size: 24pt;"> </span></div></span>Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-801642639639880649.post-85850714689954964612011-02-22T19:07:00.000-08:002011-02-22T19:07:57.346-08:00Yet another national trendRead this article about Michigan high schools. <a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20110222/NEWS05/102220374/1007/news05/Many-Michigan-high-school-grads-not-ready-college-data-show">Many Michigan high school grads not ready for college</a><br />
<a href="http://www.freep.com/article/20110222/NEWS05/102220374/1007/news05/Many-Michigan-high-school-grads-not-ready-college-data-show"></a>This hits home for me because I grew up in Michigan. I started my career in education, my marriage and family there, it will always be home. However, this is not just a Michigan problem. I sat in a meeting just this morning and heard how the high schools in my current community are missing the mark when it comes to preparing students for college. Our world of work and business has changed dramatically since the 1970's and 80's, but not much has changed in the world of K-12 education. Yes, we have added computers, SMART Boards and some teacher collaborate, but the framework of how we "do school" is essentially still the same. <br />
Now, as a mother, I have a new concerns, will my kids be prepared for college and the workforce? What are my husband and I going to have to do to supplement their education? Are we equipped to handle this task? As a proactive educator I am worried, but I can only imagine what other parents are thinking.<br />
I find myself lately, caught between the two roles of professional educator and parent. I can see each side's perspective. I hadn't thought about this much until my oldest started kindergarten this year. It is a new chapter in my life, something to ponder.Cari Beginhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09977436658090399582noreply@blogger.com0