Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
Thursday, December 01, 2005
Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---December 2005 Edition--- (current subscribers: 16,231)
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News and updates to http://brains.org and Kathie Nunley's
Layered Curriculum (tm) Site for Educators: http://help4teachers.com
~~The NO-MEMBERSHIP-REQUIRED website ~~
Newsletter subscription available at: http://help4teachers.com/newsletter.htm
Unsubscribe & email change information link at the bottom of this newsletter
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SECTION ONE: Teaching Tips -
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Teacher Tip # 1. Use a magnetic chalkboard or white board as a bulletin
board. Simply laminate the pieces you need to use and then attach
magnetic strips to the backs. This eliminates the need to use tape or
staples and saves time!. Pauline Pawson, grade 3 teacher,
Upper Gullies Elem. Conception Bay S., Newfoundland.
Teacher Tip #2: Try teaching history backwards. Start with the end chapter and
go forward. This helps students understand the impact of past events on future
events in history. No name, Ewing, NJ.
Teacher Tip #3: I send home a note to parents asking them to send to
school any shoe boxes they may get throughout the year. I just keep a
collection on the top shelf of my closet. We use shoeboxes for so many
things and it seems like a few students can never come up with one when
needed - so I just keep a supply going. Margie S., Kansas City, Mo.
Send your favorite teaching tip to me at Kathie@brains.org
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SECTION TWO: Hot Topics
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HOT TOPIC #1: Ever struggle to determine whether something is a true
statement or a deception? If you listen with your left ear, you may do a
better job in making the determination. Apparently deception detection
is easiest and most accurate when processed through the right brain
hemisphere with information coming in via the left ear. Malcolm, S. &
Keenan, J. (2005). Laterality: Asymmetries of Body, Brain & Cognition,
Vol 10(2), 103-110.
HOT TOPIC #2: Use hand gestures when you lecture. Research supports
more emotional involvement on the part of the students to a lecture with
hand gestures and more cognitive understanding of the material as well.
However, only the right hemisphere apparently gains more "learning" from
hand gestures. If the right hemisphere is otherwise engaged during listening,
the gestures make no difference. Jaspers-Fayer, et al (2005). Laterality:
Asymmetries of Body, Brain & Cognition, Vol 10(2), 183-191.
HOT TOPIC #3: A couple of issues back, I mentioned some of the earlier
research on mirror neurons, primarily in monkeys. The research continues
it's hot track - now more often in humans. Italian researchers use fMRI
scans to show that when a person listens to another person explain
an action they were about to do (such as put together parts or walk
across the room) the neurons in the listener's brain that are responsible
for those exact muscle movements are activated. Tettamanti, M. et al
(2005). Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience, Vol 17(2), 273-281.
More Hot Topics at the websites!
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SECTION THREE:
Website updates and Layered Curriculum training materials
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***NEW at the website****:
Debbie Barretto in Hershey, PA sent us 3 new Layered Curriculum
units for middle school language arts this week. Thanks Debbie.
We'll get those up as soon as possible.
I'm just finishing up a new article on Reading. I've incorporated much of the
new hard research from the last 5 years on struggling readers - what works,
what doesn't. Titled "Helping Johnnie Read from kindergarten through High
School." It can be found at the homepage of Help4Teachers.
http://help4teachers.com
My newest book, "Differentiating the High School Classroom" is now available
and at a discounted price at both Help4Teachers and the Brains.org shop.
Layered Curriculum texts, workbooks, videos and presentation kits are
also available at the website at discounted prices. The Brains.org
shop carries a wide variety of books on brain-based learning as well as those
hard-to-find colored overlays and now music CD's.
http://brains.org/store
http://help4teachers.com/books.htm
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SECTION FOUR: Kathie's Email
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Dear Kathie: I'm a chinese P.E.teacher. I'm interesting in your
" Layered Curriculum". May I ask you some questions? Do you think this
theory can be applied in P.E.?And how to? My view is that P.E. is different
from other curriculums.There are body exercises in the class.I think that it's
difficult to control everybody.Would you please give me some advice?
Thank you. liuliu
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Liuliu,
Thanks for your note. Yes, I think Layered Curriculum is great for PE classes.
Obviously, the "B" layer would be your most emphasized layer as most units involve
the playing or performance of a game, skill, etc.
Use your C layer for things like "suiting up", learning drills, rules, positions, etc.
Use your B layer for the actual playing and practice of the sport.
Use your A layer for evaluation of the performance (theirs and professionals).
Best,
Kathie
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Hello Kathie! My dad recently heard you speak at a teacher inservice in South
Dakota. He had to call me right away because he was worried about our little son.
He gave me your websites and email so I could check into what you were saying.
I briefly skimmed over your websites; however, there is so much information on
there and a lot of it seemed geared toward teachers. So I hope you don't mind if
I ask you some questions or where I can get more information.
My dad was trying to tell me about videos and tv and the overdevelopment
of a certain part of the brain and how that can lead to attention problems later.
Could you maybe expand on that a little more and make sure I get the right information.
(Not the overdevelopment part, but tv watching in general.)
Thanks so much! -Concerned Mom
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Dear Concerned Mom,
The issue your Dad was referring to is an advisory by the American Academy
of Pediatrics that children under the age of 2 should avoid ALL video / tv use.
There is a citation for that in one of the recent newsletter if you want to see what
started it all. Because we are such "visual" creatures, a tremendous percentage
of our brains is dedicated to visual input and is particularly affected by electronic
stimulation (things with a flickering refresh image such as television and computer
monitors). This changes an area of our brains called the RAS. The RAS is responsible
for attention. This research isn't new - it's been around for almost as long as TV has
been around. What is new though is how it affects the birth to 2 year old brain.
In the last 10 years or so, there has been a great deal of tv programming and video
marketed for the under 2 year old brain. It's now being linked to some real attention
problems in children when they start school. For that reason the AAP established
new recommendations about 3 years ago that tv, video and computer be avoided
until after the age of 2. You can read their policy about tv for all youth at:
http://aappolicy.aappublications.org/cgi/content/full/pediatrics%3B107/2/423
I hope that helps. Old editions of my newsletter are archived through the newsletter
link at the site. You can find the original research there. -- Kathie
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SECTION FIVE: Workshops/calendar schedule/misc
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Welcome to December and our last issue for 2005. I hope everyone is
enjoying the holiday spirit that has began in earnest here in the US.
My family and I had a terrific time in New York City last week at the
Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. The weather turned out perfect for the event.
One of the funnier moments occurred on Wednesday as we were winding our way
through the back roads of New England trying to avoid some of the traffic gridlock
of the northeast before Thanksgiving. We were suddenly detained by a huge flock
of wild turkey leisurely strolling across the road. I tried to shout to them that this
was not a good day for a slow turkey parade down the wooded back roads, but the
large Tom and his 15 or so hens seemed completely oblivious to the dangers of the day.
I write you today on my way to Michigan where I am spending a day with teachers
and administrators in Howell followed by a 2 day session back with the Pinckney
school system. After that, I'm home for the holidays.
I'm looking forward to all the workshops and conferences we have planned for 2006.
I've updated my online calendar and there are a couple of open spots if you need me
to hold something for you.
As always, my best to you and yours,
Kathie
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