Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---January 2005 Edition--- (current subscribers: 14,084)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
News and updates to http://brains.org and Kathie Nunley's
Layered Curriculum (tm) Site for Educators: http://help4teachers.com

Newsletter subscription available at: http://help4teachers.com/newsletter.htm
UNSUBSCRIBE information/link at the bottom of this newsletter

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECTION ONE: Teaching Tips -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Teaching Tip #1: While in Monroe, Michigan last month I spotted this tip in their
elementary library - Fill a large coffee can with those foot long wooden paddle /
stir sticks that you get with every gallon of paint you buy. Students use them
to mark their spot in the stacks when they pull out a book. Now they can re-shelve
books themselves as they know right where the book goes.

Teaching Tip #2 & #3: (both of these might by called "parent tips")
My 6 year old son is easily distracted by noise and lights
which made it difficult for us to study his spelling words at home.
I went to the craft store and got several small bottles of glow in the dark
"scribble paint". This type of paint bottle has a pointed tip that dries slightly
puffy off the paper. I used this to write his list of spelling words.
Now we study them together in his room at night, in the dark, in our
jammies. It's fun, different, and sure keeps his attention focused.

The other thing I do with his spelling words is we make index cards or lists
with the words on them and we "post" them in various places around the house
all week (on the refrig, the bathroom mirror, the back of my seat in the car
because he sits behind me when he is in the car). The words seem like old
friends by the end of each week and we never have to "cram" or study in any
kind of a laborious way.
Maureen Carter, Monroe MI

Send your favorite teaching tip to:
kathie@brains.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECTION TWO: Hot Topics
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

HOT TOPIC #1. A therapy technique called "Musical Attention Training Program
has been touted as a beneficial treatment for Attention Deficit Disorder.
Researchers in Toronto have conducted a study which shows some promise
for this therapy when used with attention problems that are often associated
with brain injury. Knox, R. et al. (2003). Music Therapy Perspectives, Vol 21(2), 99-104.

HOT TOPIC #2: Here's more research that may be distressing to those of us with aging
brains - Researchers at the University of New Mexico used MRI and SPECT
imaging to show that there are structural and chemical changes in the hippocampus as
part of the normal aging process. Those learning and memory challenges so many of us
encounter as we age are probably due to the apparent loss of neurons in the hippocampus.
The hippocampus is largely responsible for memory. Driscoll, H. et al (2003).
Cerebral Cortex. Vol 13(12), 1344-1351.

HOT TOPIC #3: The pathology or physical cause of dyslexia continues to be debated.
One of the suspected causes is being investigated by the University of Louisville (KY).
Using MRI brain images of dyslexic people, this study found that persons with
dyslexia have a significantly smaller cerebral volume but no difference in cortical
thickness. They also found defects in the brain's minicolumns which can affect
information processing ability, especially since the study found no difference
in white / gray matter ratios. So while the physical thickness of the cortex
remains the same, the volume is less. Apparently the difference lies in the
gyrification or lay out of the foldings. Casanova, M. et al. (2004). Journal of
Child Neurology, Vol 19(4), 275-281.

Read more Hot Topics at the websites!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECTION THREE: What's new at the Websites
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**** New Layered Curriculum Units
We have dozens of new units at the website which have been added in the last
month, thanks to a lot of our newest Layered Curriculum trainers. Trainer
Fred Goerisch, in Las Vegas conducted a graduate course in Layered Curriculum
which yielded us lots of new units. Thanks again Fred.

**** New at the BRAINS.org Shop
Brains.org now carries many of our recommended books on teaching, learning and
the brain. I know many of us have been awaiting Robert Sylwester's newest book
and it was released shortly before the holidays. Entitled: "How to Explain a Brain,"
it is available along with his earlier work at the shop: http://brains.org/store/general/pg1.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECTION FOUR: Kathie's Email
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
**** My most FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION - How to get Layered Curriculum training?

There are a number of ways to learn about Layered Curriculum in detail:
1. Read the wealth of information on the website and view the sample units designed by
your colleagues around the world. - NO SUBSCRIPTION NEEDED. All the articles, directions
and sample units at the website are free to everyone. If you need more information:

2. Get the text and workbook at: http://help4teachers.com/books.htm Need more?

3.. Join us at one of Kathie's workshops around North America. You'll find my calendar at
http://help4teachers.com/calendar.htm While these are hosted by schools and organizations
they are easy to contact to inquire about outside attendees. Need more options?

4. Schedule Kathie Nunley to come to your district for an on-site presentation
http://help4teachers.com/workshops.htm. Need more options?

5. Schedule one of the nearly 2 dozen experienced Layered Curriculum
educators who are trained and licensed to do workshops. We have trainers in
just about every region of the US and our newest trainer is in Ontario Canada.
http://help4teachers.com/trainers.htm Need more options?

6. Order the video training kits for your department, school or district:
http://help4teachers.com/video.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECTION FIVE: Workshops/calendar schedule/misc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy New Year. By now most of us are back in school and regrouping from
a winter break. I hope the holidays were pleasant and joyful to all.

I too am getting "back to work" this week with a trip to the St. Louis area
followed by a couple of trips north to Canada and one to Fredonia, New York.

We have several new workshops in the making for 2005 for South Dakota,
North Dakota, Michigan, and even Newfoundland. I'm particularly excited
about North Dakota and Newfoundland as my trip to North Dakota will
finish out my visits to all 50 states and my Newfoundland trip will leave
me just one shy of all the Canadian provinces (I'll let you guess which
one I'm still missing).

The new year finds us busy and well:
* I have a new secretary, Janet, who you will have the pleasure of meeting
if you need to phone us for anything.
*We also have 5 new Layered Curriculum trainers just finishing up their licensing
requirements.
*Our Brains.org shop is open in Amherst, New Hampshire.
*I am finishing up a new book geared specifically to high school teachers and
differentiation which will be put out by Corwin Press hopefully late this
year or early next.
*And I've just about finalized my 2005 calendar. Thanks
to all of you for your workshop inquiries. It looks to be a great year!

Please stay in touch, and don't forget to share your teaching tips and your
Layered Curriculum lesson plans with us. My email box is always open.

As usual, my best to you and yours,

Kathie
=================================================
Dr. Kathie F. Nunley
http://help4teachers.com
http://brains.org
Layered Curriculum (tm) - because every student deserves a special education (tm)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are receiving this newsletter because you requested to be on my
mailing list by entering your email address at one of the two websites.
I NEVER share or sell my newsletter list, nor is it used for any other purpose
other than this bi-monthly newsletter. Should you need to be removed from the list, or need to
CHANGE your email address, you can do so by simply clicking this link:
http://go.listdeliver.com:81/guest/RemoteListSummary/nunley

- posted by Kathie @ 6:22 AM