Dr Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---March '09 Edition--- (current subscribers: 21,332)
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News and updates to http://brains.org and Kathie Nunley's
Layered Curriculum® 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: New vocabulary, math facts, etc become the "name" of
the student for that week. I call on them by their definition or fact answer.
I post this all on an index card they can keep with the fact.
Amanda Stark, Discoll MS, San Antonio, TX.

Teacher Tip #2: Use dry-erase markers on the computer screen (glass
screens) for online math games. Students think it's fun!
No name, workshop participant, San Antonio.

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: One way to increase the amount of class time spent on
literacy is to embed reading comprehension training into content area instruction.
This can be effective even in the primary grades as researchers at Columbia
University have found. Teachers were trained to include instruction about
structure, compare / contrast expository text, finding clue words, use of
graphic organizers and analysis of text in their 2nd grade Science instruction.
At the end of the study, there was no loss in the amount of science content
acquired and the students had better performance on reading assessments.
Williams, J. et al (2009). Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 101, 1-20.
=============

HOT TOPIC #2: While serious school violence in this country is rare, its
presence is frightening to students, teachers and community. Unsettling are
the statistics that show in 81% of school shooting events, the attacker told
someone about his plans - usually a friend, peer or sibling. Yet these
confidants chose not to disclose the information. Researchers at Penn State
and Missouri State have given adolescents various hypothetical situations
about a peer's plan to "do something dangerous" at school to see what factors
influence this so-called "code of silence". Most students were more likely to
take action on their own over confiding in a teacher or principal. High school
students were less likely than middle schoolers to say they would report the
information to someone. Students from schools with positive relationships
between teachers and students and fellow classmates were more likely to take
some action (their perception of a democratic school structure). The study
shows how important it is for schools to take serious the relationships between
all the people in the building as one of the strongest preventions of school violence.
Syvertsen, A., Flanagan, C., Stout, M. (2009). Journal of Educational Psychology,
Vol 101(1), 219-232.

More Hot Topics at the websites!

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

It looks like we have several new elementary math units posted, but we
haven't had any new secondary units posted in awhile. Also, I got an
email from a teacher noting that we don't have anything for Family
and Consumer Science!! - Could someone out there share a few with
us?

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Notes from the Bookshop
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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. (special pricing)

==> Ever Popular - 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 -
Regarding the query in the last issue of the newsletter [Rachel was looking for
a Masters program mixing brain research and education], Harvard University
offers a Masters Degree in Education: Mind, Brain and Education.
All the best, Mary McMahon, Michigan.

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Thank you Mary for sharing that. Hopefully that will give Rachel a place to start!
- Kathie

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------SECTION FIVE: WORKSHOPS / SCHEDULE / MISC------
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The saying goes, "March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb" - no where
is that truer today than here in New England. They are calling it Mega Storm
Monday! Whew, do we have snow. I had to use my snowshoes to go out and
milk this morning. And it's still coming down. But, hey it is March, so I know
by the end we'll get to the "lamb" part.

I had a wonderful time last week in Grey, Georgia with the teachers at Jones
County High School. We worked on differentiation strategies. Thanks to all
of you for the warm hospitality - and for giving me a Saturday, no less! This
week I'll be heading to Medina, Ohio and then up to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin
for more Layered Curriculum® and other strategies for differentiation.

New workshops are on my calendar for Inuvik (in the Northwest Territories),
Allegan, Michigan and one in the making for Santa Fe, New Mexico. As things
get confirmed, I post registration contact info on my calendar at:
http://help4teachers.com/calendar.htm

My fall calendar is filling but I still have a couple slots open in August and November.
If you need to schedule any of "The Why and How of Differentiated Instruction with
Layered Curriculum®" workshops, just email me. Information is available on line at:
http://help4teachers.com/workshops.htm

As always, my best to you and yours,
Kathie

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- posted by Kathie @ 5:54 PM