| News for the Education Profession |  |
- Tips for innovative classrooms
 How do some teachers produce creative, innovative students? They base instruction on project-based learning, a process in which students solve interesting problems and then use what they learn to create something new, writes Suzie Boss. In this blog post, Boss discusses eight ways in which creative teachers encourage innovation among their students. Listen to students to understand what makes them curious or passionate, Boss writes. KQED.org/Mind/Shift blog
(8/20)      
- Transform your teaching one step at a time
Teacher trainer Shelly Sanchez Terrell encourages teachers to recognize that, in spite of the current focus on standardized testing, they still have the power to make sure their students learn effectively. She urges teachers to begin using that power by implementing throughout the year 10 ideas for presenting the unexpected. "Ask a question that has many answers or no answer at all," Terrell writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education
(8/20)
 | Independent, Individualized Instruction for Every Student
Start the school year with all the tools for assessing and meeting the instructional and intervention needs of your students. Lexia Reading® identifies and groups students for instruction based on risk of reading failure and provides action plans to improve each student's performance. Register for a free Lexia Reading Overview webinar. |
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| School Leadership |  |  |
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- Providing teachers with opportunities to lead
Teachers need to be provided with leadership opportunities that also allow them to remain in the classroom, writes Stephanie Hirsh, executive director of Learning Forward. One of the ways teachers can both teach and lead, Hirsh writes in this blog post, is to serve as professional-development coaches for their schools. "We must establish career paths for teachers that reward them for assuming new responsibilities and continuing to serve the students who need them most," Hirsh writes. Education Week Teacher/PD Watch blog
(8/20)
- "Cool schools" that look beyond test scores are ranked
Two Arizona schools are among 25 recently chosen the nation's "coolest" schools by Scholastic Parent and Child magazine. Zaharis Elementary School in Mesa focuses on developing students' passion for learning, while Flagstaff's Star School is powered by solar and wind systems. Neither school rated an A on the state's annual report card. "What was important to us was to find schools where there is a lot of parent engagement, student engagement and community involvement. These schools address something beyond test scores," said Parent and Child editor Nick Friedman. The Arizona Republic (Phoenix)
(8/19)
| Technology in the Classroom | | |
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- Md. teachers training to use technology in lessons
Teachers at some Maryland middle schools are participating in an ongoing professional-development program provided by the Verizon Foundation to help them incorporate technology into their classrooms. The training, which shows teachers how to use a variety of free mobile applications with students, is being provided at four federally funded Prince George County middle schools that are rolling out one-to-one iPad initiatives this year. The Washington Post
(8/19)
- Common Core State Standards spark boost in classroom technology
To help students prepare for the Common Core State Standards and the accompanying demands for greater critical thinking and analytical skills, schools are turning to laptops, iPads and interactive whiteboards. Schools in the Dayton, Ohio, area are getting creative with grants and other means of securing more classroom technology with limited budgets for such equipment. Dayton Daily News (Ohio)
(8/19)
| The Whole Child | | |
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- Schools transform cafeterias into upscale eateries
School-nutrition professionals have transformed cafeterias in Palm Beach County, Fla., schools into trendy eateries that resemble mall food courts. With neon signs, flat-screen televisions and names such as Atlantic Gourmet Deli and Asian Xperience, officials say the multiple-restaurant design allows for shorter lines and a more relaxed atmosphere. "The new design of the food lines and cafeteria creates a more inviting atmosphere for the students, while at the same time we offer them healthy and nutritious snacks and meals," said Heidi Schwab, school food-service field specialist. Sun-Sentinel (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)
(8/19)
| Policy Watch | | |
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- Report details education job losses over past 4 years
Since 2009, there have been 300,000 education jobs lost nationwide, according to a report released Saturday by the Council of Economic Advisers, Domestic Policy Council and the National Economic Council. The report, which also shows an increase in class sizes, comes as President Barack Obama is seeking $25 billion in education funding that would be used, in part, to prevent teacher layoffs. American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten said Saturday the plan would help to keep teachers working, maintain class sizes and preserve education programs. The Hill/Blog Briefing Room
(8/18)
- Does retention help students succeed?
Thirteen states now require schools to retain third-graders who aren't meeting reading requirements and a recent Brookings Institution report concluded that students who are retained perform better in subsequent years than their peers who were not retained, Sarah Garland writes in this blog post. Critics say less than half of retained students meet promotion standards in subsequent years. Retention opponents also say that students who are retained are more likely to be from minority or low-income backgrounds, and they appear to face an increased risk of being bullied or later dropping out of high school, Garland writes. The Hechinger Report/HechingerEd blog
(8/16)
| Faculty Lounge | | |
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- How important to learning is the teacher-student connection?
English and social studies teacher Larry Ferlazzo offers five tips for getting the new school year off to a strong start, including setting high expectations, connecting with parents, making learning relevant and using formative assessments. However, the factor most often associated with effective instruction, Ferlazzo writes, is a positive relationship between teacher and students. Two other educators also comment on the importance of the teacher-student relationship in this blog post -- the last in a three-part series on best practices for a new school year. Education Week Teacher/Classroom Q&A blog
(8/18)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Gain practical, easy-to-use strategies, activities, techniques, and tips that you can take back to school to equip your students with key 21st century skills, prepare them for Common Core success, and much more. Attend an SDE conference or seminar coming to your area this fall. Register online today. Or call 1-800-462-1478. SDE—Empowering Extraordinary Educators!
Have you ever seen a five-paragraph essay outside school walls? Beyond the Five-Paragraph Essay explains the pitfalls of this approach, and gives you practical strategies for reclaiming the literary essay and encouraging thoughtful writing in response to literature. Preview the entire book online!
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| ASCD News | | |
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Creating a truly world-class education system for this generation
How do we educate students for an increasingly borderless and innovation-based world? In "A World-Class Education: Learning from International Models of Excellence and Innovation," author Vivien Stewart shares the practices and policies of the world's top-performing education systems to help readers identify what U.S. schools might do differently and better. Access sample chapters, reviews, and a free study guide on our website.
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Take advantage of all that ASCD has to offer
Join ASCD to access our many professional-development products, resources and events and become a member of our community. ASCD membership plans come in print/online and online-only format, and range from student to premium. All members receive access to our online library; Educational Leadership, our flagship publication; and the Education Update and ASCD Express newsletters. We also offer member books, member prices on resources and meetings, the Policy Priorities newsletter, and more. Join today.
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