Golden Apple News

GTCC Golden Apple News by Diana Knudson

Golden Apple

by Diana Knudson September 1, 2010

§ WOW! What a party we had at the Heritage in Great Falls with 400 teachers in attendance for Dan Mulligan’s presentation. That is the biggest group of Golden Triangle members that we have ever had together all at once. Yes, there were a few glitches, and we definitely learned a few things for our next gathering in two years, but nothing could hamper the pertinence and appeal of the speaker for the day. He knows how to expedite the learning we want to happen in the classroom; he is a teacher at heart; and he is just fun to be with. And all of you are just fun to be with. All of the teachers and administrators in the Golden Triangle inspire and motivate me everyday. I often say, “Find a job you love and you will never work a day in your life.” Well actually Confucius said it first, but that is how I feel.

§ September brings routine, sports, stretching our brains, and lesson plans. When I think of lesson plans, I always think of curriculum. Let me update you on our progress. Sometime in September we will have the newly revised areas of our curriculum on line, and we will have a new password system that will be so much easier to use. Watch the homepage and we will have a big message as soon as it happens. Guidance and Counseling will be in its second year of revisions and will begin work in the Fall. Ask your superintendent if you want to serve—he or she is the holder of the approval for the endeavor. We will begin reading and math and will have a group meeting November 8 with OPI in Great Falls to learn about the new National Common Core Standards that Montana will most likely be adopting. More to come on that, but do let your superintendent know if you want to serve on one of those committees. Then when we receive your name and e-mail, we will directly send you pertinent information.

§ We are announcing the winner of our contest to get teachers to use our website and read the “Golden Apple” each month. The August winner of a $100 gift certificate to Walmart is Jill Gliko from Hobson School. When you see a CONTEST posting for any month, just e-mail your name to Brianna and your name will be put into the hat. brianna@gtccmt.org The contest months will be random so you have to stay in touch each month to find out.

§ Another new item on my list is that we are going to offer two choices in October for on-line book studies that can be taken for college credit or renewal units. We will get that news out mid-September and it will be posted on our website.

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September 2010
21 Tues	Guidance & Counseling	3D International	Great Falls

Web Resources, Grants and Other News...

Introduction to Understanding by Design

The Alliance for Curriculum Enhancement (ACE) is happy to announce that Jay McTighe (http://www.jaymctighe.com) will be presenting a 6 -hour session on the Introduction to Understanding by Design on Monday, September 13th from 8:30 - 4:00 in the Faith Chapel auditorium on 517 Shiloh Road in Billings. (Sessions will START at 8:30, the facility will be open at 7:30)

ACE will also be offering a 6-hour bus driver workshop in a separate room at Faith Chapel on September 13th from 8:30 - 4:00. A schedule will be sent at a later date.

Introduction to Understanding by Design:

What is understanding and how does it differ from "knowing?" How do we "unpack" content standards to identify the important 'big ideas' that we want students to understand? How will we know that students truly understand and can apply their knowledge in a meaningful way? How might we design our courses and units to emphasize understanding rather than "coverage"? What instructional practices are both engaging and effective for developing student understanding? How are Design Standards used to improve the quality of curriculum and assessment designs? In this introductory workshop, participants will explore these questions through a series of thought-provoking examples and exercises

There is no charge for members of the Alliance for Curriculum Enhancement for attendance. There will be a $60 per person fee for non-A.C.E. members. An hour and a half will be scheduled for lunch on your own. Faith Chapel has a coffee/lunch bar that will be open at 7:30 but only water is allowed into the auditorium. Renewal units and/or certificates will be offered for both McTighe's session and the bus driver training. Those attending McTighe's session are asked to sit in subject or grade level areas in order to discuss and plan for use of the information presented.

To register send the name of your school and the number planning to attend A) Jay McTighe's session and/or B) the bus driver training to jscott@metnet.mt.gov or to Jerry Scott at PO Box 590, Joliet, MT 59041 on or before September 9, 2010.

Minigrants for School and Public Libraries (Deadline: September 15, 2010 - Ezra Jack Keats Foundation)
$500 for school and public library programs that encourage literacy and creativity in children.

Technology Grants for Rural Schools (Deadline: September 17, 2010 - Rural Telephone Finance Cooperative (RFTC))
Up to $10,000 for public schools working in cooperation with their telcos to increase the use of technology in the classroom.

Mathematics, Science and Technology Education Grants (Deadline: September 20, 2010 - FirstEnergy Corporation)
$500 for preK-12 math, science, and technology projects and professional development opportunities at schools served by FirstEnergy.

Matching Book Grant Program (Deadline: September 30, 2010 - Literacy Empowerment Foundation (LEF))
Matching grant program for schools interested in cutting costs of reading resources.

Educator Achievement Award (Deadline: September 30, 2010 - American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) Foundation)
Trip to Washington, DC for teachers who inspire K-12 students in math and science.

Music Is Revolution Mini-Grant (Deadline: October 15, 2010 - Music is Revolution Foundation)
Up to $500 for teachers who propose projects based on music education.

Encouraging Participation

Get every student to participate

Every classroom has a few students who try to be invisible. They sit as close to the back of the room as possible. They never volunteer. When called on, they say as little as possible.

Here are a few ways that you can motivate all students to participate in your class:

Respond without judgment. Do this several times per class. When a student gives an answer that is not the "right" response, make your next response nonjudgmental. You could say, "That's unique, but it is different from what I was looking for." Or, "That's an interesting way of looking at it."
Plan a lesson from the perspective of your least capable student. What might cause this student trouble--too much reading? Is the content too abstract? By considering these things before teaching the lesson, you may overcome some barriers.
Be sure students know what to do. After giving directions, don't just ask, "Okay?" Instead, say to a student, "Tell me exactly what you're going to do."

Reprinted with permission from the October 2010 issue of Better Teaching® (Secondary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Focus On: Supporting Student Learning Through Strong Teacher-Student Connections, Educational Research Service, www.ers.org/CATALOG/description.phtml?II=WS-0614.

Reading

Use magazines for background knowledge

"So who is this guy Al?" a student asked. She was a high school senior who had passed her state's reading test. She was a good student. Yet, when she was reading an article about "Al Qaeda," she thought it referred to an individual.

That was when teacher Kelly Gallagher decided that his students needed an introduction to what is going on in the world around them.

He augments his curriculum with a set of weekly news magazines for his classes. First period class takes the magazines home on Monday, second period class on Tuesday and so on.

As students read the magazines, they must complete an assignment of their choice. Here are some options:

Choose a photograph you think is most effective. Write a paragraph to justify your choice.
Write five new things you learned from reading this week's issue. Which of these do you think is the most important for you to know? Which do you think is the least important?
Choose three articles. Rewrite their headlines. Then write a short explanation of why your headlines are more effective.
Write a letter to the editor responding to an article that you think did not present an issue accurately.

Reprinted with permission from the October 2010 issue of Better Teaching® (Secondary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Kelly Gallagher, Readicide: How Schools Are Killing Reading and What You Can Do About It, ISBN: 9781-5711-0780-0, Stenhouse Publishers.

Listening & Following Directions

Teach your students to ‘listen with their eyes'

You've talked and talked. But some students just don't seem to be listening to what you have to say.

Successful teachers know that sometimes it's important to get students to listen with their eyes. They create gestures that reinforce key directions they are giving their students. When they want children to think, they place a finger by the temple--and then ask students to repeat the gesture.

When students make these small gestures, it keeps them focused. They also take ownership for their own learning. Here are some gestures you might try with your students:

Listen: Cup one hand behind an ear.
Watch as I ... : Have students make a pair of goggles around their eyes.
I agree: Thumbs up.
I disagree: Thumbs down.

Once you have created a few gestures, ask students to come up with others. They'll have fun developing new signals for learning strategies.

Once students have learned to use a variety of gestures, you'll be able to provide directions without interrupting the whole class. If a child is stuck working on a math problem, you can give the signal that means, "Read the directions." This is a good way to keep students working with greater independence.

Reprinted with permission from the October 2010 issue of Better Teaching® (Elementary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Shanna Scnwartz, A Quick Guide to Making Your Teaching Stick, ISBN: 9780-3250-2596-4, Firsthand, a division of Heinemann.

Homework

Make accommodations on homework

Just as you differentiate instruction in the classroom, you should do the same with homework. Think about the accommodations you make for students in class and use them as a guide for homework assignments.

Here are some suggestions:

Allow students who have writing difficulties to dictate responses to a parent or older sibling who can then type them.
Shorten assignments without changing the quality. If a student can properly demonstrate how to do two division problems, there may be no need to do 10.
Allow students to use calculators. Some students are able to understand concepts but get bogged down in the calculations.
Be mindful of the amount of homework you assign. For example, if you follow the general rule of 10 minutes of homework for each grade level after kindergarten, students in fifth grade should have less than an hour of homework. For some, that may be too much. Consider breaking up their assignments--assign two subjects one night, two the next.
Check carefully the homework of at-risk students. Look for signs that they may require extra assistance--or that they are ready to move on to the next level.

Reprinted with permission from the October 2010 issue of Better Teaching® (Elementary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: C. Warger, "Five Homework Strategies for Teaching Students with Learning Disabilities," LDonline, www.ldonline.org/article/Five_Homework_Strategies_for_Teaching_Students_With_Learning_Disabilities.

Time Management

Reduce time spent on transitions

How many transitions do your students make each day? Probably dozens. If you could reduce the time they spend on those transitions, you could gain extra time for instruction.

A first-grade teacher researched ways to reduce transition time in her classroom. She recommends the following steps:

Develop a signal. There should be a clear way to says, "It's time for a transition." Some teachers clap in a rhythmic pattern. Some sound a bell. Some blink the lights. The signal means, "Be quiet and listen."
Give specific instructions. "It's time for math. Please fold your workbooks. Put them in your desks. Take out your math books."
Combine oral and written directions. It's tough to remember directions that are longer than two steps. So write directions on the board or on an overhead.
Practice. Challenge students to beat their own time.

Reprinted with permission from the October 2010 issue of Better Teaching® (Elementary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: A. Geffers, "Increasing Time-on-Task Behavior Through the Implementation of Classroom Transition Strategies," University of Wisconsin/Osh Kosh, www.uwosh.edu.

Resources...

If you enjoy cooking, you probably have a file for collecting your favorite recipes. That's the idea behind TeachingRecipes.com. If you teach English Language Learners, you can find hundreds of activities to help your students achieve. You can also submit your ideas. (www.teachingrecipes.com.)

The American Heritage Education Foundation (www.americanheritage.org) uses four themes to describe the characteristics of America--freedom, unity, progress and responsibility. You can download middle school and high school resources on these themes as they relate to topics ranging from The Mayflower Compact and The History of Thanksgiving Day to Entrepreneurs in History and The United States Flag. Free lesson plans are available and align with national standards in social studies.

LabTVOnline.org is an online video channel designed to get kids and teachers excited about science and math. Each "webisode" illustrates some of the real-life science that goes on in a Department of Defense lab. Students can learn how scientists build robots, launch rockets and track the flu virus. (Students can even download to their iPhones!)

NASA's Star Child site (http://starchild.gsfc.nasa.gov/docs/StarChild/StarChild.html) is a learning center for young astronomers. You can use this engaging site to introduce your students to the solar system, space and the universe. Students can do some activities by themselves. There are also online and offline activities for students and teachers to do together.

What are the character traits that lead children to succeed? Your list probably includes responsibility, perseverance and a strong work ethic, among others. But how can teachers help students develop those traits? Inspiring the Best in Students by Jonathan Irwin offers some answers. It also includes specific activities to use with students. (ISBN: 9781-4166-0979-7, ASCD Books.)

The Collaborative for Academic, Social and Emotional Learning has compiled research on classroom management and social and emotional learning.You can find information on research-based programs, such as Responsive Classroom, that you can use in your class. You can also catch up with how social and emotional learning are being taught around the United States. Go to www.casel.org/.

ProQuest provides access to periodicals, newspapers, multimedia, and other collections that propel successful research, discovery, and lifelong learning. Visit ProQuest to find lesson plans, tools, professional development training, and a book giveaway for K-12 classrooms and libraries.
ProQuest K-12

Looking for assistance with the Read Naturally program?
Contact Elizabeth Clement from Belt School. Elizabeth is a certified trainer for Read Naturally and can be contacted to set up a training or provide more information at clementx2@msn.com.

Legislation was passed in March 2009 urging educators, journalist, and public speakers to learn the name of each tribe in Montana in the tribe's own language and to use those name. Below is the link to House Joint Resolution No. 27.
http://data.opi.mt.gov/bills/2009/billhtml/HJ0027.htm

Try these fun websites in your classrooms...

http://www.allnationalanthems.com/ Find and hear National Anthems.

http://bookbuilder.cast.org/ Use this site to create, share, publish, and read digital books that engage and support diverse learners according to their individual needs, interests, and skills.

http://www.blockyourway.com/prod_free.html FREE DYSLEXIA BOOK

ClassJump.com provides teachers web sites free of charge, where multiple classes can be managed and updated using an easy-to-understand interface. Here teachers can post homework, upload documents to share with students, maintain a calendar, receive documents uploaded by students, begin a class message board, and create photo albums.

http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org Science News for Kids
Offers timely items of interest to kids, accompanied by suggestions for hands-on activities, books, articles, Web resources, and other useful materials.

http://school.discoveryeducation.com/lessonplans/worldhis.html Lesson Plans Library: World History
Offers world history lesson plans for students in kindergarten through high school.

http://www.50states.com/maps/ 50States.com: Blank Outline State Maps
Features printable blank outline maps for both the U.S. and each of the 50 U.S. states.

Awesome Clipart for Educators offers educators FREE clipart, backgrounds, fonts, icons, worksheets and more.

EducatorTemplates.com is your FREE directory of customizable & printable education related templates.

Tech Corner...

" Did you catch Jere's Tech Toys? Here's a bunch of tried-and-true apps for your iPad!"

http://blogs.scholastic.com/techtools/2010/06/your-ipad-or-mine.html

iPods® help teachers reach the ‘iBored'

Teachers have always known that incorporating music into a lesson can cement the information into students' brains. So when two middle school teachers wanted to help students learn to recognize themes in a book they had read, they naturally looked for a way to include music. Here's how you can adapt their idea for your classroom:

Be sure you have permission from school administrators for students to bring MP3 players to class. Develop an Acceptable Use Policy for parents and students to sign.
Identify key scenes that illustrate themes from a book you have read. (The teachers used The Outsiders, but this activity would work well with many novels.) Try to select scenes that you think will go well with music--those with rising or falling action, or with conflict.
Have students select a piece of music from their MP3 players that matches the theme of two events. Have them transcribe the lyrics. Then ask students to write a short essay, including quotations from both the lyrics and the book, about why the music matches the theme of the scene.
For students who do not own MP3 players, assemble a playlist of songs that you make available through school computers. Also, if students select songs with inappropriate lyrics, ask them to replace the songs with one of your selections.
Have students share their essays and their songs. Be sure they focus on why the music highlights one or more of the themes in the book. Students will love listening to their classmates' music--and they will gain a new appreciation for the power of theme in literature.

Reprinted with permission from the October 2010 issue of Better Teaching® (Secondary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2010 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: Debra Bauleke and Kathleen Herrmann, "Reaching the ‘iBored,'" Middle School Journal, January 2010, National Middle School Association.

CyberSmart!
Provides the essential "owner's manual" to guide K-12 educators down a meaningful pathway to information fluency to ask good questions, and to locate, evaluate and use digital information effectively in support of teaching, learning, achievement, school administration, and life in general.
http://www.becybersmart.org

� You probably are already aware of the Federal Government's Computers for
Learning (CFL) program. This program provides used computers, computer
peripherals and other electronics to schools for free. http://computersforlearning.gov/

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