++++++++++++++++++++++
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECTION ONE: Teaching Tips -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Teacher Tip # 1: Here's how I handle worksheet assignments: When the
students hand in a worksheet and the answer is incorrect, I place an
“O” beside it and hand it back. At the top of the worksheets, there are two
numbers; the one on top is the number of correct answers for this assignment
and the number at the bottom is the total number of questions or responses.
Students are encouraged to correct the worksheets. I emphasize correct
answers and learning from our mistakes, so when they correct the answer
the “O” is now “OK”. If the answer is still incorrect, I just circle it again with a
different color of ink. The numbers at the top of the page are adjusted accordingly.
I emphasize that regardless of how many times it took to learn the lesson, what
IS important is that they finally learned it. --Geneva Jones.

Teacher Tip #2: We start every unit by asking questions. I give a brief
introduction to the topic, then every students has to write 2 questions they
have about the topic on a post-it note. We attach all the post-its to the top of
the class whiteboard. As we go through the unit we remove post-its as we get
the questions answered. On the last day we make sure we have no more
post-its on the board. Mark Halmonner, 10th grade science, GA.

Send your favorite teaching tip to me at Kathie@brains.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECTION TWO: Hot Topics
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOT TOPIC #1: While the topic of "bullying" at school has been a hot
issue for quite some time, "electronic bullying" is a new branch which has
come about since the prevalence of cell phones and internet use by teens.
Researchers are looking a how electronic bullying compares to traditional
school bullying. They found that traditional school bullies are often the
victims of electronic bullying but apparently by other traditional school
bullies because traditional victims were not generally found to be
electronic bullies. Basically, the kids who are the traditional school bullies
are also responsible for being electronic bullies. Raskauskas,J & Stoltz,A.
(2007) Developmental Psychology, Vol 43(3), 564-575.

HOT TOPIC #2: Social networking websites are a concern for parents and
teachers. Educational psychologists have been studying this issue for the
past several years and share the concern. Sites such as MySpace and
FaceBook do have positive aspects in that they allow for social contact
for otherwise isolated teens. However, the concern is that the sites are also
"normalizing" and even encouraging some self-injurious behaviors among this
age group. Whitlock, J. et al. (2006). Developmental Psychology, Vol.42(3),
407-417.

More Hot Topics at the websites!

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

We do have a few new LAYERED CURRICULUM (R) UNITS that arrived this
month, but due summer schedules, I'll wait to announce them in the August
issue when more of us are "back to school". But you can view all the units at:
http://help4teachers.com/samples.htm

*** The long awaited NEW 2nd Edition of the
LAYERED CURRICULUM(R) WORKBOOK will be launched August 1st.
The new edition has doubled in size and contains more examples specific
to subject areas such as math and AP classes as well as addresses
grading challenges. We will continue to offer the 1st edition of the workbook
through the end of August.

******************the Brains.org SHOP: *******************************
Need summer reading? We've got what you need to help you generate new
ideas for your classroom this fall. Our most popular books are also offered
in specially discounted "bundles".
As a newsletter subscriber, don't forget to look for books with the
code "NLSD" next to them so you can ask for your "NewsLetter
Subscriber Discount" in the special instructions area of the order page.
We'll give you a $5 discount off any of these NLSD-marked books. Visit:
http://brains.org/store/index.htm

***********************************************************************
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECTION FOUR: Kathie's Email
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Kathie, I have submitted a few LC units to you in the past, and
have received lots of positive feedback and had great discussions with
teachers because of your site! It is always my first stop when I'm building
a new unit.
I am currently exploring differentiation as it pertains specifically to
the Arts. I wanted to ask you why you think the Arts is so sparsely represented
on your help4teachers web site. Is it your experience that Arts teachers
have difficulty with DI or the LC model? Do Arts teachers ever express a
need to you for certain resources? I'm trying to figure out what is going
on here - why nothing exists on differentiation for Arts teachers - and if
arts teachers would need or want the support.
Thanks so much - I'm looking forward to hearing your thoughts,
Melissa, Ontario Canada.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hi Melissa, We've had an active "arts" discussion going on this topic since
Layered Curriculum(R) was developed over 10 years ago! From my
perspective, traditional "arts" have always been taught in a Layered
Curriculum(R) format - and in fact perhaps much of the whole DI model could be
viewed as simply taking the way the arts have been taught and applying it to
other disciplines.
The Layered Curriculum(R) model divides instruction into 3 layers -
basic skills, application, and critical evaluation. When you think about it,
that's how arts are taught.
So, it's been my opinion that we don't get many art teachers submitting units
to our website because art teachers don't need as much help in this area as
the rest of us. . . we're just trying to catch up to them!
Good luck with your work, Kathie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
SECTION FIVE: Workshops/calendar schedule/misc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy Summer everyone. Those of you who have been subscribers for
several years probably know that I'm sending this July issue from my cabin
in the mountains of western New York. July is my vacation month. I hide
away here in the woods, and enjoy the sounds of nature mixed in with the
sounds of my children. It's my month of reading in the hammock, taking
walks through the woods and remembering how much fun it is to play
badminton!. I hope all of you are taking some time for yourselves as well.

I'm looking forward though to helping many of you launch into the new school
year. August will be a busy month for workshops and conferences. I'll
be working with teachers in Barrow, Alaska and Paramus, New Jersey, as
well as Miles City, Montana and San Juan Capistrano, California. I hope many
of you will be joining us at one of those workshops. Enrollment information is
still available at http://help4teachers.com/calendar.htm

In addition to the workshops, I'll also be attending the annual national conference
for the American Psychological Association. This is one of the high points of
my year as I listen to all the new research being conducted in the areas of
neurobiology, learning, memory and learning disabilities. Watch for my
summaries in the August and September issues of this newsletter.

I still have workshops openings in my winter/ spring 2008 calendar. The
fall calendar will be opening soon. Please email if you are looking for a
workshop on differentiating through Layered Curriculum(R) for your school
or district. Workshop information is also available at the website:
http://help4teachers.com/workshops.htm

Enjoy the remainder of your summer.
As always, my best to you and yours,

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:
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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
You are receiving this newsletter because you requested to be on my
mailing list by entering your email address at one of the two websites.
I NEVER share or sell my newsletter list, nor is it used for any other
purpose other than this bi-monthly newsletter. Should you need to be
removed from the list, or need to CHANGE your email address, you
can do so by simply clicking this link:
http://s1.seffylists.com:81/guest/RemoteListSummary/nunley

---

Dr Kathie F Nunley

Layered Curriculum(R) . . . because every child deserves a special education (tm)
Brains.org & Help4Teachers.com
54 Ponemah Rd
Amherst NH 03031
PH 603.249.9521
FX 208.979.0678