Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
Friday, May 15, 2009
Dr Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---Mid-May '09 Edition--- (current subscribers: 21,418)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
News and updates to Kathie Nunley's Layered Curriculum® Sites for Educators:
http://Help4Teachers.com
http://brains.org
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: Keep a large bin up front and toss in pens and pencils
you find in the hall or in the room. It takes ten seconds for students to borrow
one from the bin, and ten minutes for "find" one in their locker.
M Aubin, WD Cute Jr Hi, St. Albert, Alberta.
Teacher Tip #2: Paper Clip Reward - Each hour that we have no rule
infractions, we add a paper clip to the "chain". When the chain reaches
the blackboard ledge, we have a celebration / reward of some sort.
Victoria Park, Toronto, Ontario.
Send your favorite teaching tip to me at Kathie@brains.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION TWO: HOT TOPICS------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOT TOPIC # 1: Academic performance often begins to decline during
middle school - a most critical time of adolescent development. Parental
involvement has long been studied as a major factor in middle school
student achievement. New research now looks to see specifically, what
factors of parent involvement make the biggest difference on achievement.
Of the many factors examined, "Academic socialization" (emotional support
and parents view of academic study) had the greatest effect on achievement.
Nearly all types of parental involvement had a positive effect. The lone factor
that did NOT positively effect achievement? - parental help with homework.
Hill, N. & Tyson, D. (2009). Developmental Psychology. Vol 45(3), 740-763.
=============
HOT TOPIC #2: Simply adding 20 additional minutes of reading to the school
day will not significantly increase reading scores in elementary aged children.
So says new research out this month. The researchers also found that the
traditional lesson of reading, followed by teacher directed instruction
involving workbook practice or additional teacher-chosen reading, individualized
for reading levels, also is rather ineffective in increasing reading scores.
After analysing the most popular types of reading instruction, the researchers
found that the top 3 in terms of effectiveness were: (1) allowing student choice
of books for guided independent reading (2) reading of more than 7 pages of
continuous text from classroom books (fiction or non) and (3) 15 -20 min of silent
reading with teacher monitoring, requiring 2 or more books on the same subject,
reading applied to a global theme and follow-up open ended discussion.
Block, C. et al. (2009). Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 101 (2), 262-281
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION THREE: WEBSITE UPDATES------
at HELP4TEACHERS.COM and BRAINS.ORG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
===Layered Curriculum® Units:
***Karen McPherson in New Mexico sent us TWO Chemistry Units
for high school
***Gina Kimbell in Panama City, Florida sent FOUR Middle School
Language Arts units. The webmaster is posting them now.
===========================================
Notes from the Bookshops (Brains.org & Help4Teachers.com)
===========================================
Several new things to let you know about:
==>NEW Layered Curriculum® study kit for individual teachers.
I've made a narrated DVD of slides designed to accompany the
texts and workbook. The first one (using HS Science examples) is
now available. You can order it now at http://help4teachers.com/books.htm
==>NEW Humanitarian project with Springs Alive school in Uganda.
If your class is interested in helping us get teaching materials to a village
school in Uganda - just let me know. Further information is available at:
http://help4teachers.com/uganda.htm
==>NEW 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.
http://www.brains.org/store
WHAT'S AT THE Brains.org BOOKSHOP???
==> Layered Curriculum® Text and Workbook Sets. (special pricing)
==> Ever Popular - Layered Curriculum® Video Training Kits
==> All sorts of recommended books on a variety of subjects specific to education.
We appreciate your business. http://www.brains.org/store
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION FOUR: KATHIE'S EMAIL------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Nunley,
I am a 7-12 Social Studies Teacher in a small school in Nebraska. I have
been researching Layered Curriculum and I am trying to figure how to
incorporate it into my classroom. I have a couple of questions for you.
1. Do you continue to direct instruct (lecture) throughout the unit, or does the
teacher's role change to a true facilitator and tutor?
2. What kind of rubrics do you use to grade the assignments on the B and A levels?
3. How do you list the grade for the assignments in your grade-book ? Do you
have individual grades/assignments, or do you give each person one grade for
each unit they complete?
I am looking forward to trying something new in my classroom, that might
get my students to really get excited about class. Thanks for any and all
information you can give me on these questions. - Richard G.
===================================
Hi Richard - Thanks for your note. Gosh, it sounds like you really need the
LC text! I say that because I wrote at least one chapter on each of your
questions. So you may want to get a copy and read some of the details.
But to answer you briefly:
1. Most teachers still do whole-class instruction part of the day.
2, There are many ways to do rubrics - you have to set your own grading criteria
based on your personal expectations and your population. Samples of my
rubrics are in the text to give you ideas and many are on the website as well.
3. There are many ways to do grading - do what works for you or what is required
by your school. You can enter daily grades if necessary, or (as I do) enter one
grade per unit. You can list individual grades by objective.
Best of luck and have fun! - Kathie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION FIVE: WORKSHOPS / SCHEDULE / MISC------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you counting the days? Or Fridays? (My dear friend Deetta Bird in
SLC wrote me this week that she's just counting the Mondays - seems
shorter that way) . . . . Teachers get more excited about summer vacation
than the students do. As the weather warms, so does the excitement.
I thoroughly enjoyed my "last minute" trip down to NYC last week to speak
at the ELL science teacher's conference. What a great, enthusiastic
group of dedicated folks, working under some of our most challenging
conditions.
I'll be back out on the road in early June for conferences in Las Vegas,
Santa Fe, and Ft. Worth and that will finish off this school year. I sure enjoy
meeting so many of you on the road. You can check my calendar page at
any time to see when I'll be in your area http://help4teachers.com/calendar.htm
Or you are welcome to join me at: http://twitter.com/kathienunley
if you want the most up-to-the-minute news on calendar changes, new workshops
and conferences and to see what new units have been posted.
With the exception of one early date in August, my fall 2009 calendar is full.
I have my Spring / Summer 2010 calendar open if you need to schedule a workshop.
Information is available online 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
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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)
---Mid-May '09 Edition--- (current subscribers: 21,418)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
News and updates to Kathie Nunley's Layered Curriculum®
http://Help4Teachers.com
http://brains.org
You can subscribe to this newsletter at: http://help4teachers.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--------SECTION ONE: TEACHING TIPS ------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Teacher Tip # 1: Keep a large bin up front and toss in pens and pencils
you find in the hall or in the room. It takes ten seconds for students to borrow
one from the bin, and ten minutes for "find" one in their locker.
M Aubin, WD Cute Jr Hi, St. Albert, Alberta.
Teacher Tip #2: Paper Clip Reward - Each hour that we have no rule
infractions, we add a paper clip to the "chain". When the chain reaches
the blackboard ledge, we have a celebration / reward of some sort.
Victoria Park, Toronto, Ontario.
Send your favorite teaching tip to me at Kathie@brains.org
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION TWO: HOT TOPICS------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOT TOPIC # 1: Academic performance often begins to decline during
middle school - a most critical time of adolescent development. Parental
involvement has long been studied as a major factor in middle school
student achievement. New research now looks to see specifically, what
factors of parent involvement make the biggest difference on achievement.
Of the many factors examined, "Academic socialization" (emotional support
and parents view of academic study) had the greatest effect on achievement.
Nearly all types of parental involvement had a positive effect. The lone factor
that did NOT positively effect achievement? - parental help with homework.
Hill, N. & Tyson, D. (2009). Developmental Psychology. Vol 45(3), 740-763.
=============
HOT TOPIC #2: Simply adding 20 additional minutes of reading to the school
day will not significantly increase reading scores in elementary aged children.
So says new research out this month. The researchers also found that the
traditional lesson of reading, followed by teacher directed instruction
involving workbook practice or additional teacher-chosen reading, individualized
for reading levels, also is rather ineffective in increasing reading scores.
After analysing the most popular types of reading instruction, the researchers
found that the top 3 in terms of effectiveness were: (1) allowing student choice
of books for guided independent reading (2) reading of more than 7 pages of
continuous text from classroom books (fiction or non) and (3) 15 -20 min of silent
reading with teacher monitoring, requiring 2 or more books on the same subject,
reading applied to a global theme and follow-up open ended discussion.
Block, C. et al. (2009). Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol. 101 (2), 262-281
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION THREE: WEBSITE UPDATES------
at HELP4TEACHERS.COM and BRAINS.ORG
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
===Layered Curriculum® Units:
***Karen McPherson in New Mexico sent us TWO Chemistry Units
for high school
***Gina Kimbell in Panama City, Florida sent FOUR Middle School
Language Arts units. The webmaster is posting them now.
==============================
Notes from the Bookshops (Brains.org & Help4Teachers.com)
==============================
Several new things to let you know about:
==>NEW Layered Curriculum® study kit for individual teachers.
I've made a narrated DVD of slides designed to accompany the
texts and workbook. The first one (using HS Science examples) is
now available. You can order it now at http://help4teachers.com/
If your class is interested in helping us get teaching materials to a village
school in Uganda - just let me know. Further information is available at:
http://help4teachers.com/
A Brains.org EXCLUSIVE kit including a narrated powerpoint on
Layered Curriculum® to accompany Chapter 4 of the Facilitator's Guide.
http://www.brains.org/store
WHAT'S AT THE Brains.org BOOKSHOP???
==> Ever Popular - Layered Curriculum® Video Training Kits
==> All sorts of recommended books on a variety of subjects specific to education.
We appreciate your business. http://www.brains.org/store
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION FOUR: KATHIE'S EMAIL------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr. Nunley,
I am a 7-12 Social Studies Teacher in a small school in Nebraska. I have
been researching Layered Curriculum and I am trying to figure how to
incorporate it into my classroom. I have a couple of questions for you.
1. Do you continue to direct instruct (lecture) throughout the unit, or does the
teacher's role change to a true facilitator and tutor?
2. What kind of rubrics do you use to grade the assignments on the B and A levels?
3. How do you list the grade for the assignments in your grade-book ? Do you
have individual grades/assignments, or do you give each person one grade for
each unit they complete?
I am looking forward to trying something new in my classroom, that might
get my students to really get excited about class. Thanks for any and all
information you can give me on these questions. - Richard G.
==============================
Hi Richard - Thanks for your note. Gosh, it sounds like you really need the
LC text! I say that because I wrote at least one chapter on each of your
questions. So you may want to get a copy and read some of the details.
But to answer you briefly:
1. Most teachers still do whole-class instruction part of the day.
2, There are many ways to do rubrics - you have to set your own grading criteria
based on your personal expectations and your population. Samples of my
rubrics are in the text to give you ideas and many are on the website as well.
3. There are many ways to do grading - do what works for you or what is required
by your school. You can enter daily grades if necessary, or (as I do) enter one
grade per unit. You can list individual grades by objective.
Best of luck and have fun! - Kathie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Are you counting the days? Or Fridays? (My dear friend Deetta Bird in
SLC wrote me this week that she's just counting the Mondays - seems
shorter that way) . . . . Teachers get more excited about summer vacation
than the students do. As the weather warms, so does the excitement.
I thoroughly enjoyed my "last minute" trip down to NYC last week to speak
at the ELL science teacher's conference. What a great, enthusiastic
group of dedicated folks, working under some of our most challenging
conditions.
I'll be back out on the road in early June for conferences in Las Vegas,
Santa Fe, and Ft. Worth and that will finish off this school year. I sure enjoy
meeting so many of you on the road. You can check my calendar page at
any time to see when I'll be in your area
and conferences and to see what new units have been posted.
With the exception of one early date in August, my fall 2009 calendar is full.
I have my Spring / Summer 2010 calendar open if you need to schedule a workshop.
Information is available online at: http://help4teachers.com/
Kathie
==============================
Workshop information is available at the website
http://help4teachers.com/
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/
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/
Dr Kathie F Nunley
Layered Curriculum
