Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
Monday, August 14, 2006
Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---Mid-August Edition--- (current subscribers: 17,594)
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News and updates to http://brains.org and Kathie Nunley's
Layered Curriculum(R) Site for Educators: http://help4teachers.com
~~The NO-MEMBERSHIP-REQUIRED website ~~
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SECTION ONE: Teaching Tips -
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Teacher Tip # 1: I check out various books from the library and pass them
out randomly. The students have 10 minutes to read part of the book and
then present a small summary of the section read and give their opinion if they
would finish it and why. It sparks interest in books that some kids originally
wouldn't read. Nicole Coker, Midway ISD, Henrietta, TX
Teacher Tip #2: Use chalkboard paint on lockers (paint the large flat section)
to leave notes to students regarding missed homework, "please take:",
or "go to ____ at 2:15". Students can leave me a note or notes for themselves
as a reminder. Sherce DeLeon, Wichita Falls, TX.
Teacher Tip #3: Have a make-up / late work folder or box somewhere in your
room other than your desk. This way you are not responsible for papers students
just try to hand you. Polly Birkhead, Rider HS, Wichita Falls, TX.
Send your favorite teaching tip to me at Kathie@brains.org
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SECTION TWO: Hot Topics
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HOT OFF THE PRESS!! Literally, from this past weekend's APA
conference:
HOT TOPIC #1: Researchers have known about the strong correlation
(and causative influence) between television / video violence and violent
actions in boys since early tv research in the 1960's. But the last decade
has added girls to the mix. Now there is very strong research linking
violent television and video games with violent behavior in BOTH
girls and boys. "Ecological Perspective on the Origins of
Violence in Boys and Girls" - talk presented by James Garbarino, PhD,
Loyola University, August 12, 2006, New Orleans, APA Conference.
HOT TOPIC #2: Acute (short term) stress increases memory and learning.
Chronic (long term) stress shrinks regions of the pre-frontal cortex and
the hippocampus. Chronic stress also suppresses neurogenesis (the
repair/rebuilding of neurons) in the hippocampus - the region associated with
memory storage and retrieval. "Fear and Anxiety: Breaking News from
Neuroscience" - presented by Michael Davis, PhD, Emory University,
August 11, 2006, New Orleans, APA Conference.
HOT TOPIC #3: The APA task force on "Zero Tolerance" policies in
public school has released its findings. Zero Tolerance policies are
correlated with increased behavior problems, lessened student-teacher
relationships, lower standardized assessment scores and an increase
in at-risk behavior in schools that use it. "Does Zero Tolerance Positively
or Negatively EffectStudent-Teacher Relations?" A report presented
by task force member Russell Skiba, PhD, Indiana University at Bloomington,
August 11, 2006, New Orleans, APA Conference.
More Hot Topics at the websites!
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SECTION THREE: Website updates
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***NEW at the Help4Teachers.com****:
NEW LAYERED CURRICULUM (R) UNITS
~~Gloria Rutman in Kansas sent a new kindergarten unit on Virtues, Loyalties
& Responsibilities which will be up early this week on the site.
~~Sue Taylor in Victoria Australia sent a grade 9 Information Technology unit.
Both of these should be posted within the next 2 or 3 days at:
http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm
******************the Brains.org SHOP: *******************************
Yes, we still carry colored overlays. And we have David Sousa's
new 3rd edition of "How the Brain Learns" included in our
Brain Bundle. http://brains.org/store/index.htm
College/University Instructors: Find out why so many of your colleagues consider
the Layered Curriculum(R) TEXT, to be THE BEST supplemental text available
for secondary ed methods courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level.
Have your bookstore contact Brains.org for order information or give them this page:
http://help4teachers.com/resellersorderform.htm
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SECTION FOUR: Kathie's Email
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Kathie I have a question on your sample Fish & Amphib unit: For each of the 3 layers,
does the teacher decide how many points the kid earns for each assignment? For
example, #5. "Listen to lecture and take notes" is worth 15 pts. Does the teacher look
over the notes and award 15 pts, or less depending on the quality? Or, does the kid
get all 15 pts for adequate completion?
Thanks, Larry
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Larry,
The answer to your question varies based on teacher style and standards, but
the grading of assignments in Layered Curriculum is based on rubrics or criteria
determined (and posted ahead of time) by the teacher. Some teachers give
partial credit, some may be all-or-none. In that specific unit you reference, 5 points
are awarded per day of lecture notes and there is a description posted of what
students need to do to receive those 5 points. That particular assignment is an
all-or-none.
I think you'll find several pieces on grading at the website. There are also many chapters
dedicated to it in the text. I hope that helps, Kathie
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(from http://help4teachers.com/forum.htm)
How do you keep enough worksheets available for the students to
use? For a class of 120, I started making 60 of each worksheet
and having assistants refill as needed, but we found that students
took one of each worksheet and lost them/threw them away/didn't
do them for some reason/etc. I started the rule of only one copy
per student and if it is lost it will need to be handcopied, but
this is hard to enforce. Mieala (from the website discussion forum)
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Mieala,
Ideally, NO WORKSHEETS!!. However, I douse them occasionally - kind
of "filler" assignments - for a few points when kids are just needing a quick
5 - 10 points to finish out a C layer. Here are some of my tips for handling them:
Copy different worksheets for different days. That particular
worksheet is due at the end of the class period. In other words,
make green worksheets for Monday. Kids who need one, take a
green worksheet but those must be turned in at the end of the
period. No green ones graded tomorrow when blue ones are
offered (by the way, they are DIFFERENT worksheets too, not just
the same ones from Monday copied on Blue paper). This helps limit
worksheets to "in class" activities, keeps kids from just round-robin
copying them from each other as the week goes by, and de-emphasizes
worksheets.
You can also laminate them. Have about 5 of each. Students sign
one out (leave a sign up sheet on the folder in the front of the room).
Students fill them out with overhead markers or some other marker
that washes off. They are in-class activities and are "wiped" clean at the
end of the period.
I've never done this - but I know some teachers who charge 25 cents
for the worksheet and the kid gets the 25 cents back when they turn
it in. Kind of a deposit system. ?????
Maybe some of those ideas will help. - Kathie
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SECTION FIVE: Workshops/calendar schedule/misc
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Greetings all again this Beautiful August!
I've just returned from the American Psychological Association's annual
conference in New Orleans and my head is full! I so look forward to this
conference every year for a variety of reasons. Not only do I get to reconnect
with my colleagues from around the US, but I get to hear the cutting-edge
research in neuropsychology, educational psychology and other arenas
before it's even published in the journals!! My experience has been
that it takes about a year and a half for research to hit the journals, and about
3 - 4 years to hit the media, so I really enjoy the "freshness" of the APA
conference. The Hot Topics (above) are all from this past weekend. I also
learned other tidbits of interest which I'll cover in upcoming issues such as
the brains of parents of autistic children age about a decade faster than
other parents (YIKES!!) and there is some great positive research on bullying
prevention and improving feeling of happiness among us all. Stay tuned. . .
I'm on my way to South Dakota today where I'll be meeting with a couple hundred
teachers in the Brookings area tomorrow, then I'm off to Joliet, Illinois on Wednesday.
Next week I'll return to Illinois, and Wisconsin and Michigan before heading home.
I look forward to meeting so many of you. New workshops and conferences are posted
on my calendar as they are confirmed. http://help4teachers.com/calendar.htm
My summer and fall 2007 calendar are open now if you need to schedule a
conference or training session. The Layered Curriculum Video Training program
has become very popular this year as well, so your school may want to investigate
that as a more convenient option http://help4teachers.com/video.htm
And finally, a CALL FOR ART: As part of a new project, I'm looking for artistic/creative
people you may know who also have AUTISM. We're launching a showcase of the poetry,
creative essays, and visual arts created by people of all ages with autism. If you know
a creative artist who fits this, please email me for details.
I look forward to seeing many of you in the coming months. Stay in touch.
And, as always, my best to you and yours,
Kathie
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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
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