Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---Mid-January 2006 Edition--- (current subscribers: 16,393)
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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
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SECTION ONE: Teaching Tips -
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Teacher Tip # 1. Open 2 manila file folders. Lay one half way over the other
and staple or tape along the top so that you have 3 sections all together. These
make great individual student display boards that stand up. No name, workshop
participant.

Teacher Tip #2: Use related songs as a timer. I play "Turkey in the Straw"
while my students list words describing "Turkey." When the song ends,
time is up. Valerie Abbott, Exploits Valley Intermediate.

Teacher Tip #3: For guided reading in our grade 1 classes, we use file folders
for different reading levels. Each child's name is written on a post-it flag. As children
move through the reading levels, you just move the post-it flag. At a glance you can
see your whole class & their reading levels. V. Fleming / Gr.1, N. Pelley.

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: While educators may label students as “visual
learner”, “auditory learner” etc., in reality many brain regions
process information in “modality-neutral” fashion. Researchers at the
University of Iowa used PET scans to watch brains of people having
to name pictures and sounds of objects. If someone shows you a
picture of a rooster and asks you to name it, or if they play the
sound of a rooster crowing and have you name it, you will use the
exact same left brain region for both tasks (inferotemporal). You
do separate the naming task into different regions of this area for
inanimate versus animate objects, but not for auditory or visual input
modes. Tranel, D. et al (2005). Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience,
Vol 17(8), 1293-1305.

HOT TOPIC #2: Neuroscience has shed a lot of light on the brain
processing of bilingual speakers. For the most part a bilingual
speaker will use the same neural pathways for both languages.
The only time you will see different brain regions involved is if the
second language was acquired later in life, or the speaker struggles
with mastery of the second language or if there has been very limited
exposure to the second language. Perani, D. & Abutalebi, J. (2005).
Current Opinion in Neurobiology, Vol 15(2), 202-206.

HOT TOPIC #3: Those familiar with conformity studies (I summarize
the hallmark Soloman Asch study in my new book) know that when
a person finds themselves the lone thinker in a group, they usually
will change their opinion and conform to the group even if they are
confident in their view. Emory University is using fMRI scans to
find the brain regions involved with conformity and independent
thinking. When someone “conforms” in a group, regions of the
occipital-parietal network are activated in their brain. When a
person remains “independent” of the group, the amygdala and
caudate systems are activated. Berns, G. et al. (2005).
Biological Psychiatry, Vol 58(3), 245-253.

More Hot Topics at the websites!

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SECTION THREE:
Website updates
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***NEW at the Help4Teachers.com****:

NEW Article: I've completed a new article which summarizes the most
current research, causes and intervention strategies for struggling
readers from kindergarten through high school. What causes struggling
reading problems and what can you do about them? Read the article at:
http://help4teachers.com/JohnnieCanRead.htm

***NEW at the Brains.org SHOP: ***
*My new book "Differentiating the High School Classroom" is available.
*We've put our PDD books on clearance.
*We now have new "book bundles" which offer additional discounts on
your favorite topics such as differentiated instruction and the brain.
http://brains.org/store

Layered Curriculum text, workbook and training materials can be found at:
http://help4teachers.com/books.htm

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SECTION FOUR: Layered Curriculum Teachers share their lessons with us
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Hi, Kathie~
I have used Layered Curriculum along with a co-worker in my building
for about a year now. We took a Master's class that taught us the concept.
I teach 6th grade social studies. Here are the lessons I created. If you
would like to post them, they will need to be tailored to the text used by
the teacher. Thanks for the great teaching method! I LOVE it! I also use
History Alive religiously and have incorporated the two together!
Miriam Berg, Olson Middle School, Woodstock, Illinois

Find Mariam's Anciet Egypt unit at:
http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm
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Hi, I teach a small group 7th Grade English and reading classes
for students with reading disabilities. This is a novel unit on The
Great Illustrated Classics edition of The War of the Worlds by H. G.
Wells. This is the second unit I have done since taking your
workshop. I have found that the students enjoy the choices and it
reduces the amount of "work avoidance" activities my students
typically engage in. Thanks for offering the sample units.
Lisa Silletti

Find Lisa's War of the Worlds unit at:
http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm
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I am attaching a unit on Genetics and Heredity aimed toward 7th Grade
Science using Georgia's new Science Standards. My students seemed
to enjoy this unit. Thanks for your newsletter! Ann Otwell, Chestnut Log
Middle School, Douglasville, Georgia.

Find Ann's Genetics unit at:
http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm
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Kathie, I heard you speak last summer in San Angelo at the Region 17
service center. I just wanted to let you know that I love Layered Curriculum,
the students seem to enjoy it also. It keeps them busy every minute of
class!! I have attached some of the units that I have developed.
Nancy Cooper, Veribest ISD

Find Nancy's World History units at:
http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm
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I really enjoy making Layered Curriculum lessons. I feel that it targets all
my students, and that I am differentiating as much as I can. As a special
education teacher, I want to bring the books to my kids' levels, but at the
same time, make them feel that they are doing grade level work, even
higher-level work, and not baby work. I hope you like the new Layered
Curriculum lesson plans I've made. I made one for Grade 6th ( Jump Ship
to Freedom), 7th ( The Cinnamon Tree) and 8th (The Master Puppeteer).
In the Service of Children, Debbie Barretto , Harrisburg, PA

Find Debbie's units at:
http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm

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SECTION FIVE: Workshops/calendar schedule/misc
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Greetings and Best Wishes for peace to you on this Martin Luther King, Jr
holiday celebrating our diversity.

I've had a fabulous month so far. I just returned from an African safari with
my son Keegan. Words cannot adequately describe my visit to Kenya.
It was an absolutely awesome experience and I hope to return there again
one day. I did get an opportunity to view many of the schools in Kenya and am
happy to note that the education system, while still in desperate need of materials,
seems to be on the upswing. The new administration in Kenya is now allowing for
a free education for students through 8th grade. Secondary schools though require an
entrance exam and tuition paid by parents (about $600 US per year). Given that the
average family income in urban areas may be less than $1200 (US equiv) per
month, the tuition can be a burden on many families. For rural families, it is an even
greater burden - for the most part, unattainable.

I am happy though to be home again to the US and am looking forward to my winter
conferences and workshops. We have new workshops in the planning for Joliet, IL;
Abbottsford, British Columbia; and Howell, Michigan.

As always, my best to you and yours, especially on this, one of my
favorite holidays. Let us celebrate the beauty to be found in the
blending of our differences!!

Kathie
=================================================

> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 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:
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> Amherst, NH 03031
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Dr Kathie F Nunley
http://help4teachers.com
http://brains.org
Layered Curriculum. . . because every child deserves a special education. (tm)
Brains.org SHOP
54 Ponemah Rd
Amherst NH 03031
fax: 208-979-0678
ph: 603-249-9521
- posted by Kathie @ 6:02 PM