Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
Thursday, June 17, 2004
Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---Mid - June 2004 Edition--- (current subscribers: 12,314)
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New and updates to http://brains.org and Kathie Nunley's
Layered Curriculum (tm) Site for Educators: http://help4teachers.com
Subscription available at: http://help4teachers.com/newsletter.htm
UNSUBSCRIBE information/link at the bottom of this newsletter
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SECTION ONE: Teaching Tips
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Teaching Tip #1: Put a small amount of vaseline in glue bottle lids and you won't
have anymore trouble with tips getting clogged up. Sherri Eads, Texas.
Tip #2: Use Dry erase markers to practice spelling and sight words on desk
tops. It comes off and can be a great visual reminder when writing.
Kathy Booth, Bowie Elementary, Abilene, TX.
Tip #3: I velcro babywipes by the computers for clean hands on the keyboards.
Leah Daves, Kelley Elementary, Colorado City, TX.
Send your favorite teaching tip to:
kathie@brains.org
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SECTION TWO: Hot Topics
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HOT TOPIC #1. There's an article in the most recent edition of APA's Monitor
outlining new research by David Klahr at Carnegie Mellon University. The research
shows that frequently "direct whole-class instruction" is far superior to the
"discovery method" of learning, especially in lower elementary classrooms.
The researchers found that direct instruction is not only superior on tasks like
math, which children find hard to discover on their own, but also for elementary
science processing. Children need teacher directed lessons in how to
set up good critical thinking science labs and experiments.
Adelson, R. (2004). Monitor on Psychology. Vol 35(6), 34-36.
HOT TOPIC #2. If you've read much on the brain, you're probably familiar with the
region known as Broca's area and how it is responsible for expressive language.
However, you may not know that the region is subdivided into distinct regions -
BA44 and BA45. Researchers in Bethesda, MD have found that area BA45 is
activated by both speech and signing with American Sign Language. BA 44 is
responsible for the actual articulation of muscles for verbal speech. BA45 then
is apparently responsible for the basic part of language use regardless of the modality of
expression. Horwitz, B. et al. (2003). Neuropsychologia. Vol 41(14), 1868-1876.
HOT TOPIC #3: More research is out supporting the shift in memory regions as we age.
This time, the University of Illinois has been using fMRI imaging to compare memory
probes and working memory issues in young brains and older brains. As we've seen
in other studies, the older brain activates frontal lobe areas for working memory and
memory retrieval whereas younger brains use the hippocampus regions. This new
research continues to support the theory that the brain compensates as we get
older, for the decay in our hippocampus areas. Park, D. et al. (2003). Journal
of Cognitive Neuroscience. Vol 15(8), 1122- 1134.
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SECTION THREE: Website Updates
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**** New units on the website:
Billy Goodman in Glen Rock, New Jersey sent an 8th grade unit on Extinction.
Rober Abel in Las Vegas sent a 9th grade Study Skills unit.
View all the sample units at: http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm
****There's a new article on the website this month. I put my
"mother's hat" on and wrote an article entitled: Gifted - by Design.
Read it at: http://help4teachers.com/Gifted.htm
**** Books:
~~The "Layered Curriculum" text and workbook as well as my
book "A Student's Brain: The Parent/Teacher Manual" are all
available at a discounted price from the website. Orders are generally
shipped within 2 business days. Bulk and re-sellers discounts available.
http://help4teachers.com/books.htm
**** Newsletter now posted on-line too.
Due to the increased use of email filters, many of you have asked for
an alternate way to view this newsletter. I now post every issue of
the newsletter the day it goes out, on-line at:
http://www.nunley.blogspot.com/
Bookmark the page so that if you ever have problems receiving the
newsletter via email, you can read it online.
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SECTION FOUR: Kathie's Email
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Dear Kathie, I teach Civics in York County Virginia. I am really interested in
your Layered Curriculum approach, but I am not clear about the assessment
aspect. When I have given a test or quiz in the past, I based it on all the
material that we covered for that week or unit. All of the kids were required to
study the same material based on the same activities and class and homework
assignments. How can I test students who have all worked on different materials.
For instance, I could not put vocabulary on the test or quiz if not every student
chose that route as they worked their way through the layered sheet.
Any clarity that you can provide in this area would be greatly appreciated. Thank you
for your time and consideration. Mary N
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Hi Mary,
This is a common point of confusion, but easily handled. Make your unit test up
first. Now look at what the children need to know and build your unit around those
objectives. If you need them to learn vocabulary - then subdivide the C layer and
make one of the categories "vocabulary". Offer several ways for students to
learn vocabulary, but require that they all choose one of the assignments in that
section. If they all have to know "the 3 main factors for the Civil War" then offer
a few assignments to teach that objective but require they choose one within
that section. Also, you can get a LOT of material covered to weave this all
together in the whole class instruction you use to start most days. I hope that
helps. - Kathie
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Hi Kathie!
I am a high school student and I have finals coming up. I was wondering
if you could give me some tips on study and sleeping habits, so that I
can remember and perform to the best of my ability. I have a learning
style difference and I was wondering if there are some extra little tips that
might help me. Thanks for your help! -Tonia M, grade 11
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Hi Tonia,
Obviously try to get as much sleep as you can. Turn electronics OFF about 90 minutes
before bedtime (TV, Internet, etc). Try to study/review in the afternoon or evening as it
sometimes helps to move the "learning" closer to the "sleeping".
Good luck, - Kathie
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SECTION FIVE: Workshops/calendar schedule/misc
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Happy Summer! My best wishes to everyone in education for a relaxing and
rejuvenating summer - whether you have several weeks of break or just
a day or two, here and there. Enjoy the warmth and all that nature brings in the summer.
I've had a great month so far with a couple of visits to the Texas panhandle area.
The teachers in both Amarillo and Abilene have shared a great many tips with
me which you'll see over the next few issues.
I'm off to western New York now for several weeks but I will be doing a 2 day
workshop later this month in the region in Olean, New York for Cattarugus - Allegany
BOCES.
The 2004 calendar is all firmed up. I'm booking dates now for spring and summer
2005. Let me know if I can hold a date for you.
Again, my best to you and yours.
Kathie
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Dr. Kathie F. Nunley
http://help4teachers.com
http://brains.org
Layered Curriculum (tm) - because every student deserves a special education (tm)
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Workshop information is available at the website
http://help4teachers.com/workshops.htm
or
call: 603-249-9521
email: kathie@brains.org
Brains.org and Help4Teachers is located at:
54 Ponemah Road
Amherst, NH 03031
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