| News for the Education Profession |  |
- Boost students' creativity by starting out small
 Teachers can help students develop creativity to ensure they grow up with an eye on innovation. James Kaufman, director of the Learning Research Institute at California State University, San Bernardino, and Ronald Beghetto, associate professor of Education Studies at University of Oregon, say creativity -- while it brings uncertainty to the classroom -- can be integrated into the curriculum and aid learning amid the standards and rubrics. KQED.org/Mind/Shift blog
(3/1)      
- N.J. district plans to combine several AP, IB courses
The Fort Lee School District in New Jersey will merge some Advance Placement and International Baccalaureate classes, such as English and history, to save money and to help students who want to take courses in both programs. After completion, the IB students will take the IB exams, and both AP and IB students can take the AP exams. "Many of our students who are in AP or desire taking an AP class also want to take an IB class and they have to make very difficult choices," assistant superintendent Sharon Amato said. NorthJersey.com (Hackensack, N.J.) (free registration)/Fort Lee Suburbanite
(3/1)
 | New Close Reading and Cross-Text Analysis Series
Text Connections sets feature four types of books — including innovative Opinion books — with explicit support for close reading, text-based comprehension and cross-text analysis to help K-2 students understand and compare key text types. Cross-Text Sets combine Reader’s Theater, books and prompts for analysis across different formats. FREE sampler. |
|
- Teachers receive literacy training in Colo. district
The Boulder Valley School District in Colorado is giving professional-development opportunities -- such as coaching, collaboration or learning laboratories -- to learn best practices for literacy instruction. The district, which has been teaching students to read through writing and the emergent publishing method, created a "primary teacher lab," in which kindergarten teachers received training on emerging readers and writers, and then tried out new strategies with rising kindergartners attending half-day courses for three weeks before the start of school. Daily Camera (Boulder, Colo.)
(3/3)
- Principal explains change of heart on the common core
An early supporter of the Common Core State Standards, Carol Burris, principal of South Side High School in New York, writes in this blog post about her change of heart. Burris writes that the common core's implementation is being driven by standardized testing and the evaluation of teachers based on students' performance. "The promise of the Common Core is dying and teaching and learning are being distorted," she writes. "The well that should sustain the Core has been poisoned." The Washington Post/The Answer Sheet blog
(3/4)
 | New from Harvard Education Press!
“In Cage-Busting Leadership, Rick Hess has illustrated the tools and skills that are essential for transforming the status quo. Leaders who hope to improve low-performing schools and districts will value the insights this volume provides.”- Mitchell Chester. Read Chapter One Online. |
|
| Technology in the Classroom |  |  |
| |
 |
- How do iPads affect learning?
Researchers studying the use of iPads in classrooms in California's Encinitas Union School District say the devices generally are favored by students and parents. In the district, where every student in grades 3 to 6 has an iPad, 90% of students said the technology has helped them learn -- especially when used in math lessons. However, some parents say they want to ensure the technology does not replace hands-on learning, and teachers say the iPads can be distracting for students if not managed properly. The Coast News (Encinitas, Calif.)
(3/1)
 | 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 | |  |
|
- Building a nonthreatening environment at school
A nonthreatening environment in which students feel safe and nurtured is more beneficial to learning, research has shown. However, Rebecca Alber, Edutopia consulting online editor, writes in this blog post that the current education system focuses too little on the whole child because of the emphasis on testing. To help develop a positive school environment, Alber suggests schools focus on building community year-round, design group guidelines together, set firm ground rules and display student work everywhere. Edutopia.org/Rebecca Alber's blog
(3/4)
| Policy Watch | | |
|
| Faculty Lounge | | |
|
 |
|  |
| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
A must-have book for primary teachers just got better. In the revised edition of Reading with Meaning, Debbie Miller adds new planning and assessment tools, updated "go-to" children's book titles, and FAQs. Follow Debbie through an entire school year as she models the kind of decision-making increasingly demanded by new standards. Preview the entire book!
FREE SDE webinar for administrators! 5 Steps to Common Core Success: What Every Administrator Needs to Know. Join CCSS expert Katie McKnight, Ph.D. for information that clearly articulates how the CCSS are different, and the five steps for successful transition to this paradigm. Monday, March 18, 2013 - 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM EDT. Learn more and register here. 1-800-462-1478.
The 3 Habits of Highly Successful Reading Teachers starts with the premise that every student—even those who struggle the most—can learn to read. It guides teachers in providing daily practice with high-frequency words, letter sounds, and word-solving strategies, and includes formative assessment tools. Click for details!
Interested in learning more about advertising with SmartBrief? Click here for detailed industry information and media kits.
 | |
 |
|  |
| ASCD News | | |
|
-
Evaluating teachers -- A snapshot
Race to the Top and No Child Left Behind waiver requirements have prompted states to make major changes to teacher evaluation policies, and the latest Policy Points takes a closer look at what's happening across the U.S. You'll find state-by-state data that shows how often states evaluate teachers, how many levels states use to rate teachers, and how much of a teacher's evaluation is based on student data. Read on.
-
No Kid Hungry starts with breakfast
Research shows that the "simple act of feeding kids a healthy school breakfast has the potential for a dramatic impact on their academic, health, and economic futures," writes Kumar Chandran. In a guest Whole Child Blog post, Chandran, who works for the No Kid Hungry Center for Best Practices, explains how big a difference eating a healthy breakfast really makes for students. Learn more.
|
|
 |
| Position Title | Company Name | Location |
| Teach Overseas! | International Schools Services | Multiple Locations, International |
| K-12 School Teachers Needed for International Schools | The International Educator | Multiple Locations, International |
| Educational Trainer/Consultant | Confidential | Oklahoma City and Tulsa Metro Areas, OK |
| Rosalyn S. Heyman Endowed Chair in Educational Administration | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| Tenure-Track Position in Policy Development | Pepperdine University | Malibu, CA |
| Principal / Director of Alternative High School | Taunton Public Schools | Taunton, MA |
| Independent Sales Representative | USATestprep, Inc. | Multiple Locations, United States |
| Assistant Professor of Special Education | Saint Joseph 's College | Standish, ME |
| Founding High School Principal | Charter School for Global Leadership | Camden, NJ |
| Assistant Superintendent for Organizational Development | Baltimore County Public Schools | Towson, MD |
|
| Click here to view more job listings. |
|
|
| SmartQuote | | |
|
 | Concentrate all your thoughts upon the work at hand. The sun's rays do not burn until brought to a focus."
--Alexander Graham Bell,
Scottish-born American inventor
|
| |
| |
|
Read more at SmartBrief.com |
|
A powerful website for SmartBrief readers including:
|
|
|
|
| |
| |
| | Recent ASCD SmartBrief Issues:
- Monday, March 04, 2013
- Friday, March 01, 2013
- Thursday, February 28, 2013
- Wednesday, February 27, 2013
- Tuesday, February 26, 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 |
|
