Learning and Teaching

• Keeping up with the charter schools in Miss.
  While charter schools have a reputation for innovative instruction, many public schools in Mississippi are keeping pace -- integrating technology and offering specialized programs, such as the International Baccalaureate and arts integration. The state also has two popular residential high schools -- Mississippi School of the Arts in Brookhaven and the Mississippi School for Mathematics and Science in Columbus. The Clarion-Ledger (Jackson, Miss.) (2/17)     

• Workshops introduce first-graders to the writing process
  Each Monday, first-grade language arts teacher Gini Shoulberg holds a writing workshop for students. While they may struggle with spelling and grammar, she says the most important part is that the students feel comfortable with the writing process. Once students are done writing, their work is "translated" -- or edited -- and students recopy their corrected work. Their writing is then typed, and students are able to add illustrations. Lawrence Journal-World (Kansas) (2/18)     

• Other News

• Obama urges more math and science participation by girls
  Computerworld (2/15)     

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School Leadership

• What are the characteristics of great teachers?
  Great teachers love children, have mastered classroom management and are knowledgeable about their subject matter, suggests Annette Breaux, an internationally renowned author and speaker. In this blog post, Breaux writes that most great teachers are not born, but rather develop over time as a result of hard work. Always humble, top teachers also are patient, have a sense of humor, are problem-solvers and always work hard to ensure learning is fun. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education (2/15)     

• Ill. high school plans weekly collaboration for teachers
  Officials at Geneva High School in Illinois studied professional learning communities for 18 months before seeking to start their own, which could be implemented during first period every Thursday beginning this spring. While teachers are collaborating, students would be able to pick from multiple educational activities, such as working in the computer lab or the tutoring center. "We have been focusing on what it can do for teachers, how their teaching could be enhanced, which ultimately will equate to success for all students," principal Thomas Rogers said. Kane County Chronicle (St. Charles, Ill.) (2/15)     

• Other News

• Training planned to help teachers integrate the arts into lessons
  San Diego Union-Tribune (2/15)     

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Technology in the Classroom

• Tenn. students post gains under high-tech instruction
  Students at a day school in Tennessee are able to work at their own pace -- and instructional level -- under a teaching strategy that incorporates technology and group work. Each math section is covered over an eight-day period, with regular assessments determining what -- and how -- students learn. Since adopting the method, educators say students are more engaged and their scores have risen. The Commercial Appeal (Memphis, Tenn.) (free registration) (2/15)     

• Smithsonian goes online with activities for students
  The Smithsonian Center for Education and Museum Studies has started a program to encourage research, discovery and creative collaboration with project-based learning. Called Smithsonian Quests, the online resource awards digital badges to students upon completion of their activities. The projects are aimed at students of various grade levels, and can be done as part of classroom lessons or independently. T.H.E. Journal (2/14)     

Hot Topics

Top five news stories selected by ASCD SmartBrief readers in the past week.

• What the testing boycott means for teachers (Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org))

• Md. school maps out project-based learning with the common core (Edutopia.org)

• Making sense of popular teaching methods (SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education)

• What is open-source learning? (KQED.org)

• Teacher: Avoid my-way-or-the-highway classroom management (SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education)

• Results based on number of times each story was clicked by readers.

Policy Watch

• L.A. teachers, superintendent disagree on evaluations
  Los Angeles Schools superintendent John Deasy released a memo on Friday calling for as much as 30% of teachers' evaluations to be based on students' test scores. However, the United Teachers Los Angeles has said there should be no fixed percentage and its president, Warren Fletcher, expressed concern about Deasy's memo, pointing out that Deasy recently agreed to a pact with teachers that took the set percentage off the table. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model) (2/16)     

Faculty Lounge

• Ind. high-school history project receives network TV coverage
  For more than 20 years, history teacher Tom Clark has worked with his students to capture the personal stories of veterans and their families in a collection of mementos, letters and interviews with people whose lives have been touched by war. In this opinion article, columnist Bill Vargo describes this ongoing project at Lake Central High School in St. John, Indiana, scheduled to be featured tonight on the CBS Evening News. The Times (Munster-Hammond-Merrillville-Valparaiso, Ind.) (2/17)     

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ASCD News

• Webinar: Ask Dr. Judy -- Patterning to construct transferable concept memory
  Join educator and neurologist Judy Willis for the latest Ask Dr. Judy webinar on Tuesday, Feb. 26 at 3 p.m. EDT. Willis will explain how students can build their enduring understanding. Register now, and if you've missed any episodes in the series, stop by the ASCD webinar archive to catch up.     

• Contribute to EL's May Tell Me About column
  Educational Leadership's May issue addresses poverty, and we'd like to hear about your experiences with this topic. In 200 words or less, tell us about a time you saw the benefits of socioeconomic diversity in action in your classroom or school. Selected responses will appear in "The Faces of Poverty" issue, either in print or online. All responses must be received by March 1. Submit your story.     

Position Title Company Name Location Educational Trainer/Consultant Confidential Oklahoma City and Tulsa Metro Areas, OK K-12 School Teachers Needed for International Schools The International Educator Multiple Locations, International Senior Associate Leadership and Professional Development Community Training and Assistance Center Boston, MA Teach Overseas! International Schools Services Multiple Locations, International Independent Sales Representative USATestprep, Inc. Multiple Locations, United States Director, Content & Curriculum-World Languages The College Board Duluth, GA Executive Director Visual Thinking Strategies Brooklyn, NY Assistant Professor of Special Education Saint Joseph 's College Standish, ME Principal at Brooklyn Excelsior National Heritage Academies Brooklyn, NY Founding High School Principal Charter School for Global Leadership Camden, NJ Professional Development Facilitator NWEA Washington, D.C., DC Regional Assistant Director, IL Center for School Improvement American Institutes for Research Naperville, IL Senior Associate National School Reform Community Training and Assistance Center Boston, MA Manager for Regional Support -IL Center for School Improvement American Institutes for Research Naperville, IL Leadership Opportunities VOICE Charter School New York City, NY Senior Consultant - District and School Improvement American Institutes for Research Naperville, IL Senior Communication Strategist American Institutes for Research Naperville, IL

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SmartQuote

You will become as small as your controlling desire; as great as your dominant aspiration." --James Allen, British author