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February 4, 2013

Collaborating to advance literacy learning

Transforming Literacy Learning

IB helps 2 Calif. elementary schools thrive
Two California elementary schools -- one with an affluent student population and the other with 70% of its students qualifying for free or reduced-price lunches -- have seen enrollment and test scores rise with the adoption of the International Baccalaureate program. The IB program has grown worldwide, with 300 new schools authorized in 2012 to teach the curriculum that emphasizes inquiry-based, independent learning. "It teaches them that, 'If I work hard enough, I can learn anything,'" principal Janine Burt said. Napa Valley Register (Calif.) (1/31)

Memoir writing encourages self-awareness among students
The most meaningful writing students can do is to write their memoirs, notes Greg Graham, who teaches writing at the University of Central Arkansas. "Putting a narrative frame on our past -- especially our struggles -- promotes perspective and self-awareness that are otherwise out of reach for most people," he writes. The benefits of memoir writing are demonstrated through the movie "Precious," Graham writes, in which an abused teenage girl is able to make headway in life through writing. Education Week Teacher (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (1/29)

	Data's role in the Science of Reading Data plays an important role when you're making the shift to the Science of Reading. How do you use it to support your literacy implementation? Download our ebook to discover how to harness data to tell your story, support your shift, and track efficacy in your district. Download your ebook now!

Literacy Everywhere

How projects that make a difference can motivate students to learn
Technology alone may not motivate students, but projects that allow students to utilize technology to make a positive difference in the world can entice them to both work and learn, teacher Bill Ferriter writes in this blog post. With the Common Core State Standards in nonfiction in mind, Ferriter had his students research the soda ban in New York City and create a blog for tweens about making healthy food choices. "They are also learning about the role that graphics can play in changing minds, learning about convincing statistics and reliable sources, and learning that learning can ACTUALLY be fun," Ferriter writes. Teacher Leaders Network/Tempered Radical blog (1/29)

Report offers national picture of STEM education
Interest among high-school students in science, technology, engineering and math has increased by 21% since 2004, while the percentage of high-school girls interested in these fields began to slip in 2010, according to a new report from My College Options and STEMconnector. In this blog post, Erik Robelen highlights key aspects of the report, including a breakdown of STEM interest by race and ethnicity and a top ten list of STEM interest areas. Education Week/Curriculum Matters blog (1/30)

Weekly newsletters help explain common core to parents in Ind.
Common Core State Standards for education were rolled out in Indiana's first-grade classrooms this year. Teachers in some elementary schools have been charged with explaining these changes to parents. One group of teachers shares information with parents in a weekly newsletter where they present the standards in parent-friendly language. StateImpact (1/31)

Education Policy

Technology raises questions over ownership of teachers' work
Teachers' lesson plans and students' class work would belong to the school district -- not the teacher or the student -- under a proposed copyright policy under consideration in Prince George's County, Md. The policy was developed to address the use of district technology by teachers to create curricula but also applies to lessons and materials developed using teachers' own materials on their own time. Critics say the unusual policy stifles creative endeavors and infringes on students' and teachers' rights. The Washington Post (2/2)

Leadership and Capacity Building

Why instructional coaching improves instruction
Instructional coaching assists teachers by asking open-ended questions and modeling practices that guide teachers to developing their own solutions for classroom dilemmas, educator Ben Johnson writes in this blog post. "Through coaching, true teacher empowerment is possible, but perhaps most importantly, the skills that are modeled by the administrator on the teacher are exactly the constructivist skills that teachers can employ with their own students," Johnson writes. Edutopia.org/Ben Johnson's blog (1/31)

Professional Learning

How PLCs can improve instruction schoolwide
Principal Jonathan VanderEls writes in this blog post how his school used professional learning communities to improve students' literacy skills. Staff implemented a K-8 continuum for assessing writing and learned how to provide targeted interventions. "The key was getting all staff to understand what this focus was, include them as participants in the process of determining our needs as we moved forward as a school, and make the commitment to assess our work and respond in a timely manner," VanderEls writes. Connected Principals blog (2/1)

NCLE Spotlight

Being intentional in using Web 2.0 tools to support professional learning
In this post, Sharon Roth writes, "With Digital Learning Day upon us, I've been thinking about how we can best tap digital learning to support teacher learning. I don't want to suggest that we should allow technology tools to define our learning experiences, or let the tools take priority over the information we're attempting to make meaning of. However, Web 2.0 tools give us the opportunity to amplify the social nature of learning in what can be a very isolating profession, if we are careful to not simply slap new technology onto old and outdated professional development practices." Read on.

New Haven Unified School District Evidence Fair
This resource contains protocols, artifacts, and video clips from a New Haven, Calif., Unified School District Evidence Fair -- an example of a reflective practice that this district uses with its instructional leadership teams (ILT). Every school in the district has an instructional leadership team, and all teams meet together for district-wide professional development approximately every six weeks. Near the end of the year, at the evidence fair, each ILT shares a story of what its school has accomplished and what new challenges emerged with respect to the school's instructional focus. Read on.

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SmartQuote

To attain knowledge, add things every day. To attain wisdom, subtract things every day."

--Laozi,
Chinese philosopher

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