Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Dr Kathie Nunley's Educator's Newsletter
---March '11 Edition--- (current subscribers: 21,337)
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
News and updates to Kathie Nunley's Layered Curriculum® Sites for Educators:
http://Help4Teachers.com
http://brains.org
Do you have a NEW EMAIL address? You can unsubscribe your old one and
subscribe the new one using the link at the bottom of this newsletter.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
--------SECTION ONE: TEACHING TIPS ------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
TEACHER TIP # 1: Change the seating arrangements / classroom layout
with every new unit. Helps keeps things fresh and novel.
TEACHER TIP # 2: Keep unit sheets in individual files in a stand alone box.
Have students grab their file as they come in the door - attendance is finished.
Send your favorite teaching tip to me at Kathie@brains.org
Watch for more tips via Twitter: http://twitter.com/
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION TWO: HOT TOPICS in Neuro & Educational Psychology------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
HOT TOPIC # 1: As I've reported before, recall of information is one of the
best study tools, so practice tests are a good learning aid. But, does guessing
wrong on a practice test engrain the incorrect answer for the real test?
Apparently not, according to new research out this month. In practice tests,
some students were encouraged not to guess and others were required
to guess (in order to advance to the next question). Some groups were
given immediate feedback, others had delayed feedback on their answers.
Guessing wrong had no effect on their test performance when given a week later.
Kang, S. et al. 2011. Journal of Educational Psychology, Vol 103(1), 48 - 59.
HOT TOPIC #2: It has been well documented for the last several decades that
minority males from low socio-economic homes are more likely to be removed
from school for disruptive behavior. However, it's been unclear as to whether this
is due to a perceived or actual disparity in aggressive behavior among the group.
An interesting new study measured aggressive behavior in children beginning in grade
1 and then tracked them through grade 7. They found that even when controlling
for individual levels of aggression in first grade, African Americans from poverty
environments were still far more likely to be removed from school.
Petras, H. et al. (2011). Who is most at risk for school removal? Journal of
Educational Psychology, 103(1), 223 - 237.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
---SECTION THREE: WEB UPDATES ---
BRAINS.ORG & HELP4TEACHERS.COM
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
============
New Units at Help4Teachers.com
============
John McKasle from Comstock, TX sent several new Jr High Earth Science Units
Jayne Perkins from Maine also sent several new science units.
These should be posted within the week.
============
Bookshop at Brains.org
============
**We offer the Layered Curriculum® TEXT and WORKBOOK set for the
direct, discounted price of $42.00
**We also offer the individual teachers Study kit for $89.00
http://help4teachers.com/
http://brains.org/store
============
Uganda Project
============
**WOODSIDE Intermediate School in Cromwell, CT has raised over $250 to buy
mosquito netting for the children in the village of Kakiri. (malaria is still the number
one killer of children in the village). Thanks to teacher, Jamie Duhaine for her work
on that!
** The Kern Reading Association in Bakersfield, CA has donated $200 to buy
an entire school term's lunch for the children in the village (so important when
many of them are from child-headed homes and have no meals). Thanks to
treasurer Marilyn Fowler
Still needed: teacher salaries. Right now the school uses volunteer community
adults as teachers. For $100 a month, they can hire a certified teacher in a
classroom. Can your school help? More info at: http://help4teachers.com/
All sponsors will receive a certificate of thanks from Brains.org, and a DVD of
the children performing a traditional song / dance for you.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-----SECTION FOUR: KATHIE'S EMAIL
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Dr Nunley,
Thank YOU for a wonderful conference this week in Rolla. I do have a
question for you. You mentioned that not all students can be organized
using a planner that is given to students. I agree. Do you have any other
suggestions to help 5th and 6th grade students become organized?
Janet King
==============================
Hi Janet, First, I'm sure you're aware that it's difficult to expect too many
middle school students to have keen organizational skills - but it's a
great time for them to learn them! Planners are a nice option, but certainly
are not best for everyone. Encourage students to try a multitude of
schemes to see which is best for them individually. For tracking assignments,
they may try a smaller plain pocket-sized notebook, or texting the assignment
into their phone, or using post-it notes inside a book, or jotting it on a
small piece of paper folded under their shoe laces, or an email sent home.
Ideally, a class webpage or facebook page with the assignments listed so they
can reference it from home is a great plan too. If they struggle keeping up
with materials, try having them keep a shoebox of them in the room. The
secret to being organized is finding a system that you personally can use.
Good luck!
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
------SECTION FIVE: WORKSHOPS / SCHEDULE / MISC CHAT------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
I looked at my calendar this morning and it read March 4...my goodness,
what happened to February?? That month sure has a way of getting
by fast, doesn't it? Well, welcome to March. As I mentioned before,
I love March because it comes in like a lion and out like a lamb. The
3 feet of snow in my yard and 3 inches of ice on my driveway are
fulfilling the part of the lion. Can't wait for the lamb part......
We had a terrific day in Rolla, Missouri on Monday. Thanks everyone
who made that happen. Next week I'll be heading to Brooklyn, New York
for another day of Layered Curriculum® training with some of the high
schools there. Then I head all the way down to Cape Town, South Africa
at the end of the month for a global conference on Inclusion.
If you are looking for a workshop to attend, visit my calendar page:
http://help4teachers.com/
email. It's time to start thinking about PD for the 2011 - 2012 year. I still
have a couple of August openings.
Keep in touch and let me know what you're doing in your classroom with
spring approaching.
As always, my best to you and yours,
Kathie
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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/
Layered Curriculum® is a trademark developed by and registered
to Dr. Kathie F Nunley. Usage information available at:
http://help4teachers.com/
Layered Curriculum® . . . because every child deserves a special education (tm)
