Dr Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---mid-February '09 Edition--- (current subscribers: 21,293)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
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

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--------SECTION ONE: TEACHING TIPS ------
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Teacher Tip # 1: Post a "Good News" bulletin in your classroom. Collect
good news from students about positive things happening in their lives
and add to the board. (e.g.: "I got a summer job" or "I performed at a
Poetry Jam") It's a great activity to do in advisory or homeroom classes
and a good way to find out what is going on in the kids' lives.
Carol Tureski, International High School @ LaGuardia CC, NYC.

Teacher Tip #2: To keep students away from endless time at the pencil
sharpener (and the noise!): Keep 2 cans of pencils in a central location,
labeled "Sharp" and "Dull". If students need a sharp pencil, they just
exchange the dull for a sharp one at the cans. The teacher (or monitor)
can sharpen the dull pencils outside of classtime.
Linda Arezzo. The Brooklyn International High School, NYC.

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: By now, most of us are familiar with the relationship between
neural plasticity, memory consolidation and sleep. New research shows
that the effectiveness of sleep's role in these may in part be determined by
prenatal influences - in particular a mother's diet and alcohol consumption.
These influence how much and when the mother's system delivers choline
to the developing child. High choline delivery equals brains that run more
efficient during sleep (high gamma waves). Lower choline levels equals slower
memory, particularly spatial memory. Meck, W.. "Prenatal Choline
Supplementation Facilitates Hippocampal Activity During Adult REM Sleep".
Symposium: Sleep-Dependent Memory Consolidation and Neural Plasticity.
Presented at APA National Conference, Boston, MA Aug. 16, 2008.

HOT TOPIC #2: Every event we experience binds to our memory in 3 separate
ways. (1) The Context - the event and its surroundings (2) the series Episode -
how the experience unfolds in time (3) a Link to common elements. Our
"Memories" then are all 3 of these networked together in a recollection.
But recollection is separate from familiarity. In facts they may involve
separate brain areas. We know that the hippocampus is involved in recollection,
but also that if the hippocampus is removed, an animal can still have familiarity.
This networking of the memory systems allows us to associate. For example,
if A is linked to B, and B is linked to C, our brains can associate C and A.
Eichenbaum, H. "Neurobiology of Recollection". Invited Address presented
at APA National Conference, Boston, MA Aug. 16, 2008.


More Hot Topics at the websites!

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------SECTION THREE: WEBSITE UPDATES------
at HELP4TEACHERS.COM and BRAINS.ORG
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===NEW Layered Curriculum® Units:

**Trainer, Angela Kanerva sent 3 more elementary math units (multiplication).

===========================================
Notes from the Bookshop
===========================================

WHAT'S AT THE BOOKSHOP??? http://www.brains.org/store

==> A Book Study Kit for "Differentiating the High School Classroom"
A Brains.org EXCLUSIVE kit including a narrated powerpoint on
Layered Curriculum® to accompany Chapter 4 of the Facilitator's Guide.

==> Layered Curriculum® Text and Workbook Sets.

==> Layered Curriculum® Video Training Kits

==> My newest book, in light of the recession: "The Successful Educator's
Guide to Earning Extra Income". (Yes, a bit of a break from my usual topic
of differentiation - but there is another side to the educator's world.)

==> All sorts of recommended books on a variety of subjects specific to education.

We appreciate your business. http://www.brains.org/store

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------SECTION FOUR: KATHIE'S EMAIL------
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Kathie -
I'm am currently a first grade teacher. I'm looking into getting my Masters
and am interested in something dealing with brain research and brain
development and education. Do you know of any programs that offer such
a Masters or have any leads I could work on to finding this type of program?
- Rachel K

===================================
Hi Rachel,
I'm not aware of any programs that specifically mix brain research and
education. You're probably going to have to look at something in the
neuropsychology arena and then fit your study to education.
Good luck with your studies, -Kathie

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------SECTION FIVE: WORKSHOPS / SCHEDULE / MISC------
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Welcome Sunshine!! I know as I write this today, that the west coast of the
US is in the midst of horrible snow and rain, but here in New England we are
awash is bright winter sun. It looks absolutely beautiful - at least from inside.
Spring is coming. Last Sunday I marked my calendar as I heard the first
spring bird call. The male birds have been coming in now all week. They
find a good tree, then sing to declare it. The females will be along in about
2 - 3 weeks (looking for the guy with the best tree) and then spring will
officially start.

I'm heading down to Georgia this week to visit with the teachers at Jones County
High School as we work on differentiating instruction. From there, it's off to
Ohio and Wisconsin.

New workshops are in the making for Michigan, Texas and the Northwest Territories.
As things get confirmed, I post registration contact info on my calendar at:
http://help4teachers.com/calendar.htm

Due to a schedule change, I now have another workshop opening in the month
of June - in case anyone was needing something this school year.
Otherwise my fall 2009 calendar is now open. If you need to schedule any of
"The Why and How of Differentiated Instruction with Layered Curriculum®" workshops,
just email me. You can see what workshops I currently offer at:
http://help4teachers.com/workshops.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
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Dr Kathie F Nunley
Layered Curriculum(R) . . . because every child deserves a special education (tm)
- posted by Kathie @ 4:49 PM