“Golden” Apple   

            By Diana Knudson                         May, 2013

Hi All

I know you are not ready for a long theoretical article, but I do want to say “Have a happy and relaxing summer".  Please take note of our Summer Institute offering.  Each “Common Core” class has been carefully thought.  Every class this summer will give you confidence to head into next school year with some ideas for new standards that are focused at Bloom’s higher level of thinking. Use Google to find a good Bloom’s Taxonomy chart and start learning what it means to do analysis with students, or what it means to synthesize in the classroom, or how important evaluative thinking is in so many ways in this world.  Once we all have a tool kit of good strategies to build higher level thinking with students, teaching will become an exciting career—every single day.  I hope to see many of you this summer.  Our Golden Triangle teachers and administrators are the best.  

Register now for GTCC Summer Institute 2013!

Web Resources, Grants and Other News...

Connecting With Students

What do students look for in a teacher?

Ask students what makes a good teacher and their answers may surprise you. Students don't want teachers who hand out good grades to students who don't do the work. They don't want teachers who set low expectations either.

So what do students want? A survey of urban middle and high school students identified several traits students like to see in their teachers in these areas:

• Personal. Students most often say they want a teacher who cares about them. Even a short interaction with your students as they walk in the door can help you get to know them and build a strong personal relationship.
• Instructional. Students want teachers who set high expectations--and then encourage students to rise to meet those expectations. Challenge your students by asking probing questions--and don't settle for incomplete answers.
• Intellectual. Students find teachers who are lifelong learners inspiring. If you have a passion for the Civil War, the Romantic poets or space flight, share it with your students. You may not convince them to share your field of study, but you will show them the importance of learning.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2013 issue of Better Teaching® (Secondary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2013 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: J. Boyle, It's All About People Skills: Surviving Challenges in the Classroom, Rowman & Littlefield Education.

Brain Research

Making new vocabulary stick

Researchers are learning more about how to help students learn new vocabulary. The key is depth of processing.

When students have to involve more areas of the brain, they are more likely to remember the meanings of new words.

There are instructional implications of this research in all subject areas. Here are some activities that involve greater depth of processing.

Have students:

• Draw pictures or other graphics that illustrate new words. This opens a variety of multi-sensory connections in the brain. Students should be as specific as possible with the details of their drawings.
• Complete cloze exercises that have plenty of context clues.
• Write a series of yes/no questions about every aspect of a new word--synonyms, antonyms, pronunciation, etc. The key is to encourage students to analyze and take a deeper look at each new vocabulary word.
• Retell a section of a reading, a history text, a science procedure or math instruction using several of the new words. Students will have to create opportunities to insert the new words correctly.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2013 issue of Better Teaching® (Secondary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2013 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: A. Benjamin and J.T. Crow, Vocabulary at the Core: Teaching the Common Core Standards, Eye on Education.

Setting High Expectations

Know when to acknowledge, when to praise

It's true that praise can be the key to helping students reach high expectations.

But when praise is overdone, when students are praised every time they meet a minimal expectation, it loses its power. That type of praise can actually kill a student's motivation to strive for success.

Instead, it's important to recognize the difference between acknowledgment and praise.

You should acknowledge a student for meeting your requirements. If Carlos turns in his homework, you can smile and say, "Thank you." But it's not necessary to carry on as though Carlos just wrote the greatest research paper of all time.

Similarly, when a student answers a question correctly, you should recognize the contribution and perhaps offer a very brief comment.

So a smile or a quick thumbs-up lets a student know that you notice. You send the message: "I see you are prepared for class today."

But save your praise for times when students exceed your expectations. "Wow, Jamiqua. You not only got that answer right, you also built on something that Madison said earlier. I hadn't even considered that point of view. Way to go!"

In this way, you reserve praise for behavior that is truly outstanding, while still acknowledging that your students are doing what you want them to do.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2013 issue of Better Teaching® (Secondary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2013 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: "Principles for Culturally Responsive Teaching," The Education Alliance, Brown University, www.alliance.brown.edu/tdl/tl-strategies/crt-principles.shtml.

Learning Content

Content vocabulary doesn't teach itself

Context clues are wonderful. But some vocabulary words are so key to a subject that students won't understand what they've read unless they know the definition.

And those vocabulary words won't teach themselves. Research shows that context is not always sufficient to allow students to grasp the meaning of technical terms.

Instead, you need to teach subject-specific vocabulary. Here's one way to do that:

• Present the term in student-friendly language.
• Let students restate the definition using their own words.
• Ask students to use the term in another context.
• Have students represent the word graphically--using a picture, a diagram or a stick figure.
• Develop a list of vocabulary words and pretest to see which ones students already know. Then you can focus class time on the other key words.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2013 issue of Better Teaching® (Elementary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2013 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc.Source: "Academic Vocabulary Builds Student Achievement," Education Update, November 2012, ASCD.

Bringing Lessons to Life

Make review time rigorous and fun

"What's the question?" Probably every teacher has used a variation of the game show Jeopardy to help students review for year-end tests.

But too often, the activity turns out to be a lot more work for the teacher than the students. Or it involves only basic questions that don't push students to think deeply.

Here's a way to increase the rigor--and still keep the fun:

1. Divide students into groups. Assign them the responsibility of developing a series of questions for review. They must come up with questions representing several point values--some easier, some more challenging.
2. Let students use their notes or their textbooks as they develop the questions. This requires a deeper understanding of the topic than simply responding to questions you have created.
3. Have them write the questions, once they have settled on the right phrasing, and bring them up to you.
4. Place the questions into appropriate categories. Try to come up with clever names for the categories. (Instead of "Countries of the World," you could use "Around the World in 80 Days" or "Globe Trotters.")

Now even before you begin the review activity, students will have had many chances to apply their understanding.

To play the review game:

• Make sure every student gets a chance to respond.
• Provide the answer and have everyone write a question and hold it up (use small white boards or sheets of paper). Award points.

This will keep all students involved rather than allowing some to "check out" and let others supply the answer.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2013 issue of Better Teaching® (Elementary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2013 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: B.R. Blackburn, Rigor is Not a Four-Letter Word, Eye on Education.

Knowing the Standards

Read standards from other grades

With most existing state standards, a fifth-grade teacher, does not need to have any real knowledge of the standards in third or fourth grade. That is less true with the Common Core State Standards.

These standards build on each other. Taking fifth grade as an example, in order to help students meet fifth-grade reading standards, a teacher needs to know what they have learned in previous grades.

For instance, in reading:

• Fifth graders are expected to quote accurately from a text they have read so they can draw inferences from it.
• Fourth graders have been asked to refer to details and examples in a text when drawing inferences.
• Second graders are expected to ask and answer questions such as who, what, when, where and why as they are looking for details.

To help students meet fifth-grade standards, have them start by focusing on the five W's they learned in second grade, then use those questions to move up through the standards for each grade.

Building on each other, these standards all help students meet fifth-grade reading expectations.

Reprinted with permission from the May 2013 issue of Better Teaching® (Elementary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2013 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc. Source: M. McLaughlin and B.J. Overturf, "The Common Core: Insights Into the K-5 Standards," The Reading Teacher, October 2012.

Resources

Do all your students look forward to each grammar lesson? We didn't think so. With NoRedInk, your students will get differentiated instruction based both on their skills and their interests. (So Miguel Cabrera and One Direction may show up in questions.) If students get stuck, they'll see tutorials to help. You can get charts showing your students' strengths and weaknesses. You can also view their quizzes and homework. The site offers free content for everyone. (www.noredink.com)

Learning about simple machines is a way to introduce students to basic physics. Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry has created Simple Machines, a game to help students learn about of levels, pulleys, planes, axles and wheels. A robot named Twitch roams the museum collecting the parts needed to create a simple machine. But that involves climbing over things (inclined planes), lifting (pulleys and levers) and moving heavy objects (wheels and axels). (www.msichicago.org/play/simplemachines/)

Reprinted with permission from the May 2013 issue of Better Teaching® (Elementary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2013 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc.

Share My Lesson allows educators to share their best teaching resources on the Common Core State Standards. All the lesson plans were developed by teachers and are available for free. Share My Lesson covers all aspects of the standards, including advice and guides for implementing them. It also includes opportunities for teachers to collaborate on their ideas. The site was developed by the American Federation of Teachers and TES Connect. (www.sharemylesson.com/teaching-resources)

If your students love Farmville or Angry Birds, you might want to consider having them visit the Persuasive Games website. It offers a variety of educational--and fun--games that teach key content. Killer Flu, for example, is a game about seasonal and pandemic flu. Students play a virus that is trying to mutate and spread under a variety of conditions. In Debt Ski, students see for themselves the impact that excessive debt and reckless financial decisions can have on their future. (www.persuasivegames.com/games)

Reprinted with permission from the May 2013 issue of Better Teaching® (Secondary Edition) newsletter. Copyright © 2013 The Teacher Institute®, a division of NIS, Inc.