Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
Thursday, February 01, 2007
Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---February '07 Edition--- (current subscribers: 18,760)
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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 ~~
You can subscribe to this newsletter 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 plastic suction cup baskets attached to the
white board to hold marking pens. Grade 5/6 teachers, Hinsdale, NY.
Teacher Tip #2: I write rubrics for students and have students grade
their own papers. Then I grade their papers using the same rubric
and we compare and combine scores. M. Schoen, Nampa, ID
Teacher Tip #3: One wall of the classroom has a pocket shoe holder
on it. I put all the students in the class's names on a pocket. When
they are absent I stick missing work in the pocket and they collect it
when they come back. Diana Fusare, Nampa, ID
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: Boys with higher brain serotonin levels as children have
less risk of being aggressive adolescents. Researchers at Queens College
in New York recently finished a longitudinal study where they tracked
boys with various disruptive disorders from their childhood through
adolescence. While not all boys with low serotonin levels became
aggressive during adolescence, it was a contributing factor and no boys
with high serotonin levels in childhood displayed aggressive behaviors
during their adolescence. Halperin, J. et al, (2006). Journal of the American
Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, Vol 56(7), 833-840.
HOT TOPIC #2: Serotonin levels and autism have been linked for many
years now. The fact that many persons with autism are found to have
very high levels of serotonin and that many symptoms of autism are
successfully treated with SSRIs, has led researchers to assume the
problem may be with the serotonin transporter gene, 5-HHT. However
researchers at Mt Sinai School of Medicine have examined the most
likely areas of this gene and have found no relationship between autism
and the more common 5HHT variants. Ramoz, N. et al.(2006). Biological
Psychiatry. vol 60(2), 186-191
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 Ruttman sent a 2nd grade science unit, "What is Matter?"
~~Garry Knapp in MI sent 2 Social Studies units (Executive Branch &
Judicial Branch - government)
View all the sample units at: http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm
*** NEW Article with some Simple "Rules of Thumb" to Help Avoid Making
the Top 5 Most Common Mistakes in Starting Layered Curriculum(R).
http://help4teachers.com/mistakes.htm
******************the Brains.org SHOP: *******************************
Looking for recommended books on teaching, learning and brain-based
instruction? You'll find them at our Brains.org Shop. We also
offer direct discounts on the "LAYERED CURRICULUM" text and workbook
and our current bestseller: "Differentiating the High School Classroom."
You can order directly online with a credit card at: http://brains.org/store/index.htm
Or fax your institutional Purchase Order to 208-979-0678.
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SECTION FOUR: Kathie's Email
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Dear Kathie:
This is my second full year of L.C. and it is going good. However, here at
Monroe High School we are changing our schedule from an Eight Block to
Trimesters. Under Trimesters we will have 5-68 minute classes that meet
everyday for twelve weeks. I have listed a possible schedule below,
could you please look this over and give me your opinion/thoughts, or
suggest a schedule that I could use in order to continue using Layered Curriculum?
A total of 7 class days for each unit. The first 5 days would be for lecture-work
on assignments-oral defenses, and the first half of day 6 and 7 would
be to finish oral defenses, while the last half would be to start a new unit.
What do you think? Garry Knapp , Monroe High School
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Hi Garry, I've taught Layered Curriculum on both "traditional" and block
schedule. My blocks however were 80 minutes and the class met every
other day. My traditional schedule was a 52 minute period, everyday.
Your "68" minutes sounds like a half-way to what I've experienced.
When I did a 52 minute period, we had 10 day units and I lectured every other
day. That gave us some days to just "work". It freed me up for more oral
defense. (on the 80 minute block I lectured everyday). We spent about
6 days on C layer, 2 days on B and a day on A with an extra day in there to
"float" as needed.
I think you'll just have to play with it to see what works. Your tentative plan
sounds good - start with that and I think you'll discover fairly quickly if it will
work. Since you have a lot of experience with it already I'm confident
that you'll make a successful transition. I'll be anxious too, to hear how you
like 68 minutes. Let us know what you come up with - maybe we'll start a
discussion among people with various schedules. - Kathie
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SECTION FIVE: Workshops/calendar schedule/misc
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Happy February everyone. What I like best about turning the calendar to
February is that it means our days are starting to get longer. I don't mind
the cold of winter, it's just the darkness of January that makes me want to
hibernate along with my cat.
But, now it's February and I'm heading back out on the road for spring workshops.
First stop - next week in British Columbia followed by Wisconsin.
We have new August 2007 workshops scheduled and they are open to outside
participant registration. Those of you in the New York City area and the
Los Angeles area who have been waiting for a Layered Curriculum(R) workshop,
you'll want to look at the calendar: http://help4teachers.com/calendar.htm
I've updated the calendar to provide links to workshop registration and information
whenever possible. While workshops are generally hosted by individual schools
and districts you will find that most of the 2007 workshops are open to outside
participants.
If you are needing a workshop or conference presentation in the 2007 - 2008
school year please let me know so you can get on my calendar. I have just
a couple of slots left for 2007 and my spring 2088 calendar is about to open this
week. If you're having a hard time coordinating your PD calendar with mine,
please remember that the Layered Curriculum(R) Video Training program is a
good option and has become very popular as a convenient way to train your
staff. Information is available at: http://help4teachers.com/video.htm
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
Brains.org and Help4Teachers is located at:
54 Ponemah Road
Amherst, NH 03031
Layered Curriculum(R) is a registered trademark owned and developed
by Dr. Kathie F Nunley. Usage information available at:
http://help4teachers.com/usage.htm
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