Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---April '08 Edition--- (current subscribers: 20,357)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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 which blends current
psychology research with education.

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: For small group discussions, I give each student 3 paper
clips. Put one cup in the center of the group. Each time you share an idea,
you put one of your paper clips in the cup. When you're out of clips, you
need to hold off any more ideas until others are finished. Discussion
goes til all clips are in the cup then we share our discussions between
groups. (no name) Workshop participant, MN.

Teacher Tip # 2: Each row of desks is named by the days of the week.
Students line up for lunch, recess, etc. according to what day it is.
This way everyone gets a chance for the front of the line. ( a big deal
for 2nd graders). Colleen Brandt, Rothsay Public, MN.

Teacher Tip # 3: Change your phone voice mail daily to announce your
homework assignment. Parents also appreciate knowing even if there
isn't homework. This works well for absent students too.
Cathy Malotka, Saginaw Public Schools, MI.

Send your favorite teaching tip to me at Kathie@brains.org

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION TWO: HOT TOPICS------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOT TOPIC # 1: Dr Sonja Lyubomirsky is one of my favorite researchers.
She's the leading researcher on the topic of happiness, what makes us
happy and how to control happiness. According to her newest work,
perhaps 40% of our happiness is actually under our control. With just a
few minutes of mental work, you can sustain happiness for weeks.
According to Lyubomisrsky, just spend 5 - 10 minutes on a daily basis
"counting your blessings" - remembering and thinking of happy life
events. Her other research has pointed to performing good deeds as
another significant factor in maintaining happiness. Novotney, A. (2008).
Monitor on Psychology, Vol 39(4), 24.


HOT TOPIC #2: A team of psychologists has compiled the data on
cooperative vs individual classroom models from the last several
decades. The culmination included research involving more than
17,000 adolescents aged 12 - 15 years from 11 countries. Their
findings: students in classrooms that supported cooperative learning
(group projects, group study, group prep for exams) not only had better
peer relationships, they scored higher on academic tests and scored
higher on tests for problem-solving, reasoning and critical thinking.
Students from classrooms that supported individual and / or competitive
work, still maintained their social friendships but their academic scores were
lower and scores on problem solving and critical-thinking were poorer.
Roseth, C., et al. (2008) Psychological Bulletin, Vol 134(2).

More Hot Topics at the websites!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION THREE: WEBSITE UPDATES------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

**From HELP4TEACHERS.COM*** New Layered Curriculum® Sample Units:

We have several new Science Units for secondary teachers and one new
elementary social studies unit posted. See all the units at:
http://Help4Teachers.com/samples.htm

If you have an Layered Curriculum® units you have designed, please share
them with us! Just email them to kathie@brains.org.
=================================
*******From BRAINS.ORG: ***********

Brains.org accepts no advertising so we do appreciate your patronage
at our shop!

Our Brains.org Shop has a great selection of my most recommended
books and teaching aids. New selections this month include "A Guide
to Graphic Organizers" and Marilee Springer's new book: "The
Developing Brain: birth to age eight". http://brains.org/store/index.htm

Our shop always carries Layered Curriculum® texts and workbooks at our
exclusive direct discounted price. You'll be happy to know that each
order is charged and processed individually by a real human - and yes,
we do take Purchase Orders. We always appreciate your business.
http://brains.org/store/index.htm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION FOUR: KATHIE'S EMAIL------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I've gotten several emails lately from people asking the 2 most popular
questions I get:
1. How do you get around to all the students to do oral assessment?
2. Do you find students only doing the minimum and not trying B and
A layer work?

Both of these situations can be addressed / corrected, if you follow
2 important rules for starting Layered Curriculum® - go slow (progress
from what you are currently doing in your classroom to a full Layered
Curriculum® room) and MAKE SURE YOU START WITH A "DAILY
METHOD". Sorry, I guess I was shouting there. But it is so important
that you do this.

Don't try to begin a completely student-centered classroom and expect to
get around to every child, every day to discuss every assignment. Start
with small goals. Perhaps trying to talk to everyone about at least one
assignment before the week's out, or get to 5 students each day.
Have students "pre-grade" classmates before you get to them, using your
posted rubrics. Offer small written quizzes on a note card, etc.

Secondly, run a unit (or 2, or 3) with a "Daily Method" style. On these, you
walk your students through each and every layer as a class. So you
dedicate some days for everyone to do only C layer work, then everyone
does a B layer assignment together and finally a day or two dedicated to
the A layer. Do this as often as needed to remind students that everyone
is expected to work all layers. "Stopping after the C layer" is never allowed.
Unlike the "Contract for Grade" methodology you may remember, students do
not pre-set their goals and then quit when those are reached.

I hope that helps! - Kathie

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION FIVE: WORKSHOPS / SCHEDULE / MISC------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Happy April. I guess I missed April Fool's Day, but I hope you had
the chance to play the fool at least once yesterday.

Today is April 2nd - earmarked now as World Awareness for Autism Day.
I think it's wonderful that they chose April 2nd for this day as today is
also the birthday of my oldest son (who has autism). It's important for
all of us who are closely involved with autism to be careful not to get
caught up in the current emotional frenzy of correlating ASD to
childhood immunizations. While it's tempting to be entertained by some
of the emotionally-intense media reports, we don't want to lose focus on
the verifiable research in the international science and medical arenas.

So today I offer my whole-hearted support for the parents of young
children with autism. Thank goodness for the improvements in early
detection and intervention. It's so important for parents and other
loved ones to work early and hard to help these children with autism
find a way to share their gifts. I have walked in your shoes, and have
cried your tears. So I encourage you to keep going. It is all worth the
work. My son, Keegan, is 24 years old today. I'll also mention that I
won't be able to celebrate the day with him because he's off at college.
He's a senior this year finishing his BS in Architecture with a minor in
math. He'll be home tomorrow though, as he is every Thursday- at 4:15pm
- exactly!

Enough of my chattiness for this issue. I do feel it's important though to
be a cheerleader for other parents making the journey.

I'll close by letting you know there are some new Layered Curriculum®
workshops in the planning for Illinois, Michigan and Alberta. Specifics on
location and registration information is available as soon as things are confirmed
on my calendar page at the website: http://help4teachers.com/calendar.htm

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® is a trademark developed by and registered
to 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)
- posted by Kathie @ 4:09 PM