| News for the Education Profession |  |
- Educators: Use real-world situations to boost student engagement
Schoolwork must be presented in a way that is understandable, relevant and interesting to engage students, educators said at a recent conference for more than 200 administrators and teachers from Aiken County School District in South Carolina. Such an approach will mean a change in culture and assessments, which primarily measure knowledge. "What we need to be teaching and assessing is how knowledge can be applied to the real world," said King Laurence, an administrator. Aiken Standard (S.C.)
(2/7)      
- Do schools trade academic success for athletics?
 Schools that have a track record of success in athletics similarly have high levels of academic success, according to a recent study. Jay P. Greene, who conducted the study with Dan Bowen, writes in this commentary that the findings suggest that those who say athletics are overly emphasized in schools should consider the correlation between sports and academics. "Our data suggest that this claim that high school athletic success comes at the expense of academic success is mistaken," he writes. Education Next
(2/2013)
 | Revitalize your approach to pedagogy—FREE chapter!
Learn how to combine a model of effective instruction with goal setting, focused practice, focused feedback, and observations to improve your instructional practices. Becoming a Reflective Teacher equips you with 280 strategies related to the 41 elements of effective teaching, shown to enhance student achievement. Get your free chapter! |
|
| School Leadership |  |  |
|
- How school districts can reform professional development
 School districts can improve professional development if they have a clear vision and model professional learning, writes Tom Murray, director of technology and cybereducation for the Quakertown Community School District in Bucks County, Pa. Murray offers eight tips in this blog post, among them, that leaders also should focus on outcomes rather than time spent in training and think of professional development as a year-round activity, not just as a one-day event. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education
(2/6)
| Technology in the Classroom | |  |
| |
 |
- Survey: Teachers understand benefits of classroom technology
Technology benefits classroom instruction, according to 74% of teachers who responded to a recent PBS LearningMedia survey. Among the benefits cited by teachers are the ability to expand content, motivate students and provide more individualized instruction, Katrina Schwartz writes in this blog post, which includes links to other articles on technology and education. About 65% of teachers say technology allows them to present information in ways that otherwise would be impossible. KQED.org/Mind/Shift blog
(2/6)
 | Create timely, targeted, systematic interventions
With a drill-down approach full of hands-on activities, our Simplifying RTI institutes explore how to build an intervention program by examining the essential elements of a successful RTI model: collective responsibility, concentrated instruction, convergent assessment, and certain access. Register now!
|
|
| The Whole Child | | |
|
- Are you a worrier or a warrior?
Students are under more pressure than ever to perform well on standardized tests. However, educators and parents say some students are reacting differently to the stress -- with some students thriving and others buckling under the pressure. This article notes that part of the issue may be genetic, with some students being classified as "worriers" while others are "warriors." Experts say the answer may be exposing students who are anxious to more stress -- if it is the right kind. The New York Times (tiered subscription model)
(2/6)
| Policy Watch | | |
|
- Texas bill cuts high-school graduation exams to 4 from 15
Texas state Rep. Jimmie Don Aycock, R-Killeen, has proposed legislation that would reduce the number of exams students need to take to graduate from high school. Under the bill, students would take exams in English, algebra, U.S. history and biology -- rather than the current 15 exams required to graduate. Students also could meet graduation requirements with passing grades on Advanced Placement tests, the SAT or ACT college-entrance exams. Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Texas)/The Associated Press
(2/6)
- Ind. state school board places 4 schools under mayoral control
 The Indiana State Board of Education voted on Wednesday to give control to Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard of four out of five city schools it took over last summer from the Indianapolis Public Schools. The move gives the mayor control over a total of 33 schools, about half as many as are in the city's public-school system. "I'm a firm believer that local oversight at the local level is always in the best interest of the schools," Superintendent of Public Instruction Glenda Ritz said. The Indianapolis Star (tiered subscription model)
(2/6)
| ED Pulse | | |
|
-
How would you describe your experience with professional development that blends in-person training with online delivery of instruction?
|
Positive |
39.81%
|
|
I haven't tried it, but I would like to |
21.87%
|
|
Neutral |
19.25%
|
|
Negative |
9.91%
|
|
I haven't tried it, and I'm not sure I'd like to |
6.17%
|
|
I haven't tried it, and I am not interested |
2.99%
|
-
Enhanced e-books generally have multimedia features that complement the text. Which feature would be most appealing to you in a book about education?
 | Full-color photographs, illustrations, figures |
| Video/audio |
| Author interviews |
| Social media links |
| Interactive quizzes |
| Animated graphs or figures |
| None/No interest in enhanced e-books |
| Faculty Lounge | | |
|
 |
|  |
| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
What are 8 keys to schoolwide math success? Small Steps, Big Changes helps you and your staff set goals, create a culture of mathematical thinking, and translate high-level standards such as Common Core into effective classroom practice. Includes examples from diverse schools across the country. Click here now for details!
Announcing two brand-new national professional development conferences from SDE! Conference for Extraordinary Educators, July 20-24, 2013 and PreK-1 Educators Common Core State Standards Academy, July 20-22, 2013—both at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile. Early Birds - register by March 15th to save $25 per day. Questions? Call 1-800-462-1478.
Interested in learning more about advertising with SmartBrief? Click here for detailed industry information and media kits.
 | |
 |
|  |
| ASCD News | | |
|
-
Florida school system and ASCD partner to support common core implementation
Award-winning Pinellas County Schools, the seventh-largest school system in Florida, recently chose ASCD and the association's Capacity-Building solution to help meet their professional development goals. "We sought a trusted organization to work within our new professional development system to provide the content and expertise our teachers need to implement the Common Core State Standards," explained professional development director Lisa Grant. Learn more in a recent press release.
-
You learn, you teach, now lead
ASCD is seeking passionate educators for its 2013 class of Emerging Leaders. Emerging Leaders are educators who have been in the profession for 5 years to 15 years and want to get more involved in ASCD and the education community through an empowering two-year leadership program. Nominate yourself or a fellow educator by April 1. Learn more about the program.
|
|
 |
| Position Title | Company Name | Location |
| 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 |
| Executive Director | Visual Thinking Strategies | Brooklyn, NY |
| Assistant Professor of Special Education | Saint Joseph 's College | Standish, ME |
| Teach in San Francisco! | San Francisco Unified School District | San Francisco, CA |
| 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 |
| Cluster Director/Area Superintendent | Green Dot Public Schools | Los Angeles, CA |
| Director, DoDDS Pacific and DDESS Guam (Regional Superintendent for all DoDEA Pacific Schools) | Department of Defense Education Activity | Okinawa, Japan |
| 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 |
| Senior Turnaround Consultant | American Institutes for Research | Washington, DC |
| Education Consultant - CONTRACT | Confidential | Dallas, TX |
| Senior Consultant - District and School Improvement | American Institutes for Research | Naperville, IL |
| Senior Communication Strategist | American Institutes for Research | Naperville, IL |
| Leadership Opportunities | VOICE Charter School | New York City, NY |
|
| Click here to view more job listings. |
|
|
| SmartQuote | | |
|
 | I am never bored anywhere: being bored is an insult to oneself."
--Jules Renard,
French author
|
| |
| |
|
Read more at SmartBrief.com |
|
A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including:
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| | Recent ASCD SmartBrief Issues:
- Wednesday, February 06, 2013
- Tuesday, February 05, 2013
- Monday, February 04, 2013
- Friday, February 01, 2013
- Thursday, January 31, 2013
| | | Lead Editor: Trigie Ealey
Contributing Editor: Erin Cunningham
Mailing Address:
SmartBrief, Inc.®, 555 11th ST NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20004 | |
| |
|
| © 1999-2013 SmartBrief, Inc.® Legal Information |
|
