| News for the Education Profession |  |
- How teachers can set up effective learning environments
The establishment of effective learning environments are required for students to achieve success, write teacher Rebecca Friedman and Chavi Abramson, who studies education at Thomas Edison University. They offer reasons why teachers may arrange desks in a "U" shape -- independent learning -- or in clusters, so students can work more in groups. They also suggest classroom-management strategies to keep students on task and avoid classroom interruptions. Education Next
(11/2012)      
- Are "old school" teaching methods still relevant?
Author Annie Murphy Paul suggests in this blog post that "old school" learning methods such as memorizing math facts, cursive handwriting and argumentation should not be discarded as teachers adopt more progressive instructional methods. For example, she cites research that shows students made more errors on complex math problems when they could not automatically recall their math facts. The key is to use the older methods, such as memorization, as the foundation for higher-level thinking, she writes. Time.com/Ideas blog
(11/8)
 | Go Further with Your Funding
Aligned to the requirements of Title I, IDEA, and other federal funding criteria, research-validated Lexia Reading® is a technology-based system that predicts students' year-end performance and provides teachers data-driven action plans to help differentiate instruction. Use your funds to purchase Lexia Reading. Learn more.
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 | STAR Assessments Aligned to the CCSS.
STAR Enterprise™ is a favorite of teachers and is also a vital part of an administrator's ability to make data-driven decisions. STAR Enterprise assessments are aligned to the Common Core State Standards, linked to state tests, and also received the highest ratings by the National Center on Response to Intervention. Learn more. |
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| Technology in the Classroom |  |  |
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- Educator offers advice for teachers just getting started on Twitter
 Educator Bill Ferriter offers tips in this blog post on how teachers should spend their first weeks on Twitter to build their network faster. Among his suggestions are for teachers to use hashtags, which are short identifiers for conversations, in their postings and use them to sort through, plus comment on, other teachers' messages. "Spend time each day and/or week sifting through the streams of messages being shared by people that you are following and find ways to lend a hand," Ferriter writes. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education
(11/6)
| Managing Budgets | | |
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- Calif. ballot measure passage prevents cuts to education funding
Voters in California have approved a ballot question, Proposition 30, which will direct additional funding to education, preventing cuts to instructional time and teacher layoffs, among other things. San Diego Unified superintendent Bill Kowba said if the measure had failed, it's possible the school year in his district would have been reduced by 14 days. Los Angeles Unified superintendent John Deasy said officials had been considering eliminating all Advanced Placement courses. Los Angeles Times (tiered subscription model)
(11/7)
| Policy Watch | | |
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- Should teachers and students text?
The school board in an Oregon district is considering adopting a new policy that would seek to place limitations on the use of technology for teachers and students to communicate. The policy would discourage teachers and students from communicating via text and would require any communication after hours be professional and about school matters. Some, however, say the policy is vague and could be unreasonable given the widespread use of texting to communicate. Albany Democrat-Herald (Ore.)
(11/8)
| Faculty Lounge | | |
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- An after-school program that would make Miss Manners proud
An after-school program is teaching manners and etiquette to middle-school students in Howard County, Md. Students learn basic manners, such as saying "please" and "thank you," and put their lessons to the test in real-world situations. On field trips, such as a recent one to an Italian restaurant, students practice the proper way to order and speak with wait staff. The Baltimore Sun
(11/8)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
Poetry Mentor Texts shows you how to leverage students' natural love of poetry to strengthen reading as well as writing. Each chapter features 5 mentor poems that focus on student-friendly forms such as the list poem, acrostic poem, and poem for two voices. Student samples and mini-lessons help translate the ideas into your classroom. Click here now to preview the entire book!
Wise teachers assign reading responses that are interesting, relevant, and encourage further reading. Ban the Book Report presents 20 classroom-tested assignments for personal response to independent reading, each with a reproducible rubric, response form, and two exemplars. Preview the entire book online!
Interested in learning more about advertising with SmartBrief? Click here for detailed industry information and media kits.
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| ASCD News | | |
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The time to reach across the aisle for schoolchildren starts now
Congratulating President Barack Obama and new and returning members of Congress, ASCD Executive Director and CEO Dr. Gene R. Carter shares his hopes for the coming term. In his Inservice post, Carter emphasizes that "we absolutely cannot afford to wait to reform education in our nation," and identifies crucial imperatives that he explains can only be achieved if policymakers work together toward them, "without animosity, and without politics." Read on.
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Assessments: Getting Started with Student Portfolios, 2nd Edition
Student portfolios afford learners an opportunity to engage in projects that are personally meaningful. A second edition ASCD PD Online course empowers educators to implement portfolio assessments while delving into relevant research. Visit ASCD.org to learn more about the PD Online courses that offer professional development in the area of assessment. Topics include designing assessments, getting started with student portfolios, and deepening understanding of formative assessment.
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| Position Title | Company Name | Location |
| Teach Overseas! | International Schools Services | Multiple Locations, International |
| K-12 School Teacher | The International Educator | Multiple Locations, International |
| Principal / CAO | Howard Gardner Multiple Intelligence Charter School | Scranton, PA |
| Senior Technical Assistance Consultant | American Institutes for Research | Multiple Locations, United States |
| Chairperson | Ball State University | Muncie, IN |
| ETS (Educational Testing Service) | CALIFORNIA TEACHERS WANTED for RATER POSITIONS - Part Time | Los Angeles, CA |
| Teacher Education - Associate Professor or Professor | University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA |
| Senior Technical Assistance Consultant | American Institutes for Research | Naperville or Chicago, IL |
| Elementary Education Assistant Professor | University of Virginia | Charlottesville, VA |
| Head of School | Bixby School | Boulder, CO |
| NEA Academy Field Marketing Specialist | NEA's Member Benefits Corporation | Gaithersburg, MD |
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| Click here to view more job listings. |
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| | Recent ASCD SmartBrief Issues:
- Thursday, November 08, 2012
- Wednesday, November 07, 2012
- Tuesday, November 06, 2012
- Monday, November 05, 2012
- Friday, November 02, 2012
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Research is showing in-class coaching support can boost teaching quality and student performance, yet it's often not a major part of a school district's professional-development program, writes Jack Gillette, dean of the graduate school of education at Lesley University, in Cambridge, Mass. Gillette writes in the commentary that such coaching programs should include, among other things, mastery of the material taught by teachers. 
