Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---September 2005 Edition--- (current subscribers: 15,476)
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News and updates to http://brains.org and Kathie Nunley's
Layered Curriculum (tm) Site for Educators: http://help4teachers.com

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SECTION ONE: Teaching Tips -
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1. While viewing a video, I have students jot down 3-5 interesting facts or
observations they make. After the video, students formulate and ask
questions to the class. It's a great way to keep them focused and discuss
what they've learned. Dianna Gerik, Waxahachie ISD, TX

2. Provide carpet squares under the desks for kinesthetic learners to
rub their shoeless feet on during class and tests. Teacher, Rockford, IL

3. Tape "brain teaser" math problems on the bathroom stall walls.
- A tip I witnessed myself at Pequea Valley School District last week in PA.

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

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SECTION TWO: Hot Topics
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HOT TOPIC #1: Most people are fairly comfortable doing simple
arithmetic (add / subtract) problems. However, once math problems
become more complex, many people start to complain about the difficulty.
As researchers at Harvard have found, it may be because complex
problems involve a great deal more brain regions. A functional MRI
shows that we use 3 brain areas for simple addition or subtraction
(Right inferior parietal lobule, Left precuneus, and Left superior
parietal gyrus) . However when faced with a complex math problem,
another more involved network is called upon to join in. Now we use
a network involving those original 3 regions PLUS the left inferior
intraparietal sulcus, the left inferior frontal gyrus and the
bilateral cingulate. So complex math problems really do involve
a great deal more brain power and brain regions.
Kong, J. et al (2005). Cognitive Brain Research, Vol22(3), 397-405.

HOT TOPIC #2: How long and how well you sleep is greatly determined by
the hypothalamus area of your brain. A variety of chemicals or
neurotransmitters are involved in the process. Neurons in that area
inhibit or prevent the firing of brain cells involved in wakefulness. One
of the earliest discovered chemicals involved in sleep is one known as
GABA. UCLA is doing research showing us that a great deal more
chemicals are actually involved in this process of sleep. In fact you can
induce sleep by inhibiting groups of neurons that may contain either
histamine, norepinephrine, serotonin, hypocretin or glutamate.
Hypocretin is one of the more recent discovered chemicals involved
in narcolepsy.
Siegel, J. (2004). Journal of Clinical Psychiatry. Vol 65 (6), 4-7.

HOT TOPIC #3: And finally, a hot topic we can file in the "fun facts to
know and share with students." Most of us know humans have a
dominant hand, a dominant foot, and even a dominant eye. But did
you know that you also have a dominant nostril? Apparently nasal
airflow varies between our nostrils and the dominant nostril correlates
with handedness. In other words, right handed people have a greater
airflow through their right nostril and left handed people through their
left nostril.
Searleman, A. et al (2005). Asymmetries of Body, Brain& Cognition,
Vol 10(2), 111-120.

More Hot Topics at the websites!

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SECTION THREE:
Website updates, Recommended Reading and Layered Curriculum training materials
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**** New Layered Curriculum Units
Scott Wilson in Ohio just sent a new Layered Curriculum unit on early
world history. You'll find all our teacher-designed units at the website:
http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm

**** BRAINS.org Shop
Our bookstore is always open. Stocked with suggested and
recommended reading http://brains.org/store/

**** Layered Curriculum texts and workbooks are available at a
discount when ordered direct from us. http://help4teachers.com/books.htm

*** Layered Curriculum Video Training Packages are available for schools
as an alternative to a workshop. You can find information and an order form at:
http://help4teachers.com/video.htm

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SECTION FOUR: Kathie's Email
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Hello Dr. Nunley, All of the Biology teachers in our department are using a
modified version of Layered Curriculum this year. We worked all summer to
adjust Layered Curriculum to meet the requirements of our district. The
biggest problem we have run into is the time it takes for oral defense. We are
not able to get around to all students and have them orally defend everything
they have done. We are on a 4x4 block schedule and have classes that are
at about 36 students. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated. We
are excited about Layered Curriculum and purchased your training video
last year. We want this to be successful. Thank you for a wonderful approach
to teaching and for any help. Sincerely, O. L.. , Albuquerque, New Mexico

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Hello O.L. : Thanks so much for your note. Your question / issue is very
common with people first starting Layered Curriculum, so you are on the right
track! Getting around to everyone takes some practice. You may want to start
by having smaller goals such as:
1) grading at least 2 (or 3 or?) C layer assignments from each student per
unit and work up from there.

2) If your grading rubrics are clear and available in advance for your students,
have a classmate "pre-grade" them before you get there (this helps cut down
on the time you spend listening to a student who really wasn't prepared)

3) Increase accountability by having 3 or 4 students who have done the same
assignment get together in a "discussion group" where each students shares
a few things they learned, one question they have, and a solution/answer to
another student's question.

4) Do small group oral defense (similar to above but where you preside for a
few minutes).

5) Use smaller sample sizes for your questions (rather than 5 questions you
ask worth 3 points apiece, go for 3 questions worth 5 points, etc)

Most teachers who grade heavily with oral defense do share that it takes some
time to get proficient with it. Start small and work up to full oral defense as the
year progresses. Let me know how things are going and if I can help you with
anything else. Good luck! - Kathie

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SECTION FIVE: Workshops/calendar schedule/misc
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This has been a very tragic week for so many people. I feel such great sorrow and
sympathy as I watch the news from around the globe and here in the US.
Many of you know I began my teaching career in Louisiana. Having lived in
both Baton Rouge and Shreveport, I still have many friends and fond memories
of the gulf area. Two of our Layered Curriculum trainers are school administrators
in areas hit by the hurricane. I can only hope they are both safe today.
I know I speak for many of you as we lend our emotional and financial support to
our teaching colleagues and their students who are enduring much hardship right now.
Our thoughts and prayers are with you. We are a resilient nation. We band
together and we will recover.

I do want to take this opportunity to wish everyone a great school year and to thank
the educators in both North and South Dakota and Pennsylvania for their hospitality
last week. I look forward to my visit to Manitoba and Minnesota later this month.

I also attended the American Psychological Association annual conference
in Washington last month and will be sharing some of the latest research with
all of you in future issues of this newsletter.

New workshops are in the making for Bermuda, Texas and Manitoba. As
things are confirmed I post them at the website on my calendar page.

I'm glad the video training is working out for so many of you in lieu of a
workshop. I am also happy to help anyone find a Layered Curriculum
trainer in their region to help with training and follow-up.

Once again, my thoughts and prayers go out to my colleagues along the
Gulf Coast this week. I'm taking time to count my personal blessings
today. I hope you do the same.

"I wept because I had no shoes, until I met a man with no feet."

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
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- posted by Kathie @ 8:46 PM