Learning and Teaching

• Improving students' work by showcasing it
  Students should be given opportunities to create work for audiences outside of the classroom, said Ron Berger, chief program officer for Expeditionary Learning Schools. He writes in this blog post about students who have created art and YouTube videos for audiences other than their peers and how the act of completing "work of value" changes students and improves the quality of their work. Edutopia.org/Ron Berger's blog (1/3)     

• 3 education trends for 2013
  This year is expected to bring rapid change to education, particularly with the anticipated implementation of Common Core State Standards, Annie Murphy Paul writes in this blog post. The new year also is expected to include better use of education technology, as well as a dose of reality regarding what technology can -- and cannot do -- for students, she writes. It's also likely, she writes, that educators will be discussing effective ways to use resources to educate students outside of the classroom. KQED.org/Mind/Shift blog (1/4)     

	Now learning the ABCs is as easy as uno, dos, tres. Introducing Imagine Learning Español, a new educational software solution designed to build literacy and language proficiency in Spanish for pre-K and kindergarten students. It's a better way to give your Spanish-speaking students a strong foundation to build on. Click here to see the program in action.

School Leadership

• The cost of antagonistic attitudes toward teachers
  Teacher Bill Ferriter in this blog post writes about several confrontational comments left on an online newspaper article about a teacher. The comments, he writes, do nothing to further the teaching profession, and actually could deter some people from entering the classroom at a time when such over-the-top comments are more frequently being directed at teachers. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education (12/31)     

Technology in the Classroom

• Mass., Ohio partner to develop online tool for teachers
  An online "instructional improvement system" is being developed for teachers by the education departments in Ohio and Massachusetts. The tool will allow teachers to individualize instruction for students, using resources, such as lesson plans and tests, available online. The new system should be available to teachers in both states in the 2013-14 school year, and Race to the Top grants are being used to fund the project. The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) (1/4)     

• NSF supports research on advanced education technology
  The National Science Foundation is seeking to support research on advanced learning technologies to improve education. The effort, called Cyberlearning: Transforming Education, includes research into developing technology products that would benefit teaching and learning. "What we want to do is have one program that will be looking at the future of learning technologies -- the next generation," said Janet Kolodner, an NSF program director. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (1/3)     

• Other News

• Students' smartphones make more frequent appearances in classroom lessons
  NewsFactor Network (1/2)     

Hot Topics

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

• Intensive questioning builds math skills, enthusiasm (The Detroit News)

• Common core advocates rebut idea that nonfiction replaces literature (Education Week)

• What are the benefits of competency-based grading? (Connected Principals blog)

• Establishing a needs-fulfilling classroom (SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education)

• Deciphering between project-based, project-oriented learning (KQED.org)

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

Policy Watch

• Report: More local funds paying for special education in Calif. schools
  As costs to educate students with disabilities have risen and state and federal special-education funding has remained steady, the share of local funds used to pay for special-education services in California has increased to 39% from 32%, between 2005 and 2011, according to a report from the state Legislative Analyst's Office. The report predicts growth in the amount of funds needed to serve this student population, as there has been a 240% increase in diagnoses of students with autism and a 120% rise in the number of students with low-incidence disabilities that require costly services. San Francisco Chronicle/The Associated Press (1/3)     

• Other News

• Are states' education policies making the grade?
  The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (1/7)     

Faculty Lounge

• Data show diminished enrollment in remedial college courses
  Fewer college freshmen are having to enroll in remedial courses, according to the National Center for Education Statistics -- 20.4% of freshmen in 2007-08, down from 26.3% in 1999-2000, Caralee Adams writes in this blog post. The data also show that fewer white students enrolled in remedial courses than their peers, and students in private colleges also were less likely to need remedial courses, she writes. Education Week/College Bound blog (1/4)     

	The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Introducing Read & Watch books from Stenhouse. Online professional books enhanced with video, audio, and other media—interviews, classroom video, tutorials, student work, external links, and more—accessible from any browser. 3 titles now available: Word Travelers, Reading Amplified, and Digitally Speaking. Click here now to preview! Interested in learning more about advertising with SmartBrief? Click here for detailed industry information and media kits.

ASCD News

• Common Core State Standards: A good fit for gifted education?
  In a guest Inservice post educator and ASCD Common Core Professional Development Institute presenter Jennifer G. Beasley blogs about what the new standards mean for high-ability students. Beasley explains what's at the heart of the standards, emphasizing that this knowledge is key to establishing whether or not they are a good fit for advanced learners. And she discusses why "challenging, high-quality curriculum is still in the hands of the experts, the teachers." Read on.
  
  • Learn more about the institutes.
      

• Dan Meyer on real-world math
  How does Dan Meyer make learning math enjoyable and interesting? He makes math problems "irresistible" to students, "so they have to know the answer." With the help of a camera, a tripod, and some creativity, he achieves this goal by taking students' interest and layering math on top of it. In an ASCD Express video, Meyer shares several engaging scenarios that he's recorded for his class. Watch.     

Position Title Company Name Location Teach Overseas! International Schools Services Multiple Locations, International Elementary School Principal Bensenville Elementary School District 2 Bensenville, IL ASST SUPERINTENDENT OF INSTRUCTIONAL LEADERSHIP & EQUITY BOULDER VALLEY SCHOOL DISTRICT Boulder, CO Independent Sales Representative USATestprep, Inc. Multiple Locations, United States New Start-up School Principal & Assistant Principal Global Village Academy Colorado Springs/Ft. Collins, CO CALIFORNIA TEACHERS WANTED for RATER POSITIONS - Part Time ETS (Educational Testing Service) Los Angeles, CA Director of Content Services NWEA Chicago, IL Product Manager II - K12 Educational Assessments NWEA Portland, OR Director SPED & Psychological Services Green Dot Public Schools Los Angeles, CA Dean of the College of Education Temple University Philadelphia, PA Director, Illinois Center for School Improvement American Institutes for Research Chicago, IL Principal at Inspire Charter Academy National Heritage Academies Baton Rouge, LA

Click here to view more job listings.

SmartQuote

If money be not thy servant, it will be thy master. The covetous man cannot so properly be said to possess wealth, as that may be said to possess him." --Francis Bacon, British author and statesman