ASCD News
View archived Whole Child Virtual Conference sessions at your leisure
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
We recently hosted a free Whole Child Virtual Conference to help schools around the globe integrate a whole child approach into their cultures. Browse archived conference sessions -- they're chock full of tips and strategies that your school can employ right away -- and don't miss two sessions designed specifically for audiences outside the United States. You'll hear from Pasi Sahlberg (FIN), Daniel Kropf (FRA), Katarzyna Kubacka (FRA), Louise Rowling (AUS), Lee-Yee Cheong-Lim (SIN) and Jo Mason (AUS). Get inspired.
New PD Online course: Teaching with Poverty in Mind
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 29, 2012
Rooted in the work of Eric Jensen, co-founder of the United States' first brain-compatible learning programme, ASCD's new Teaching with Poverty in Mind PD Online course delves into current research to help you understand how poverty affects the developing brain. You'll learn about the effects of poverty on students' health and academic performance and connect with strategies for combating the many negative effects of poverty in an academic setting. Learn more.
Revolutionising the way we teach and learn
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
ASCD's three-day summer conference kicks off in St. Louis on 1 July and zeros in on topics most relevant to you -- creating an environment for learning, actively engaging students, gathering assessment data that aligns with the Common Core State Standards and many more. Join education experts and colleagues for all three days or jump-start your conference experience by participating in one of five pre-conference institutes on 30 June. Featured conference presenters include Judith Hilton, Robyn Jackson and Marc Cohen. Learn more.
A health iceberg
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 24, 2012
When you break health into its distinct components -- physical, mental, emotional, social -- and organise them into a hierarchy like that of Maslow's, you will find physical health on top, says Whole Child programme director Sean Slade. That makes the physical component of health the tip of the well-being iceberg, but "what lies underneath, is hidden, and is larger and potentially more destructive than what lies atop," he explains. Slade employs this analogy in a recent Whole Child Blog post in which he discusses why we must address all aspects of student health, not just fitness and nutrition. Read on.
The challenges of supporting new teachers: A conversation with Linda Darling-Hammond
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 22, 2012
Educational Leadership editor-in-chief Marge Scherer recently spoke with educator Linda Darling-Hammond about the preparation and support new educators need in order to survive their first years in the profession. During the interview, Darling-Hammond discussed teacher preparation factors that matter for keeping educators in the teaching profession. She also pointed to professional development schools with model programmes and took the time to dispel the notion that teachers are not academically able. Read the full interview in the May issue.
Three teacher evaluation mistakes to avoid
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 22, 2012
Is your school district implementing a new teacher-evaluation system? Avoid common implementation mistakes with tips from ASCD author Robyn Jackson. In her latest ASCD EDge blog post, Jackson outlines three big blunders that no district should repeat, the most egregious being not providing follow-up professional development, feedback and coaching that helps teachers respond effectively to an evaluation. Read on.
New book: How to Create a Culture of Achievement in Your School and Classroom
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 17, 2012
In their new ASCD book, authors Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Ian Pumpian identify five pillars critical to building a culture of achievement. "How to Create a Culture of Achievement in Your School and Classroom" offers action research tools that can help your school move in the right direction and explains why culture makes the difference between a school that enables success for all students and a school that merely houses those students during the school day. Read sample chapters.
Purchase.
Investing in healthy recess to nurture the whole child
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 17, 2012
"A school that provides time and space for students to run, talk, and play helps ensure every child is healthy, safe, engaged, supported, and challenged," says Jill Vialet, founder and CEO of Playworks, a national nonprofit that leverages recess and play to promote learning and physical activity. In a recent Whole Child Blog post, Vialet discusses the benefits and challenges of recess and dissects what research says about how schools can support learning with a healthy recess. Read on.
Educational Leadership wants your stories for an upcoming "Tell Me About ..." column
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 15, 2012
Educational Leadership is developing an issue on the topic of feedback for learning, and we're collecting educator stories for the crowd-sourced "Tell Me About ..." column. Tell us about a time when your feedback to a student had a strong effect -- either positive or negative -- and it may appear in our September issue. Submissions must be 200 words or less and received by 15 June. Access the submission form.
So you want to be a blogger
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 15, 2012
Encouraging fellow educators to embark on the "wonderful journey" of blogging -- be it for personal reflection or student use -- educator and Web 2.0 Classroom blogger Steven Anderson shares resources you can use to get started. In a recent ASCD EDge post, Anderson points to blogging platforms and tutorials on how to use them, then offers a wealth of additional tips and resources for success. Read on.
Now that I know what I know
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 10, 2012
Dan Brown discovered the equation "effort + intelligence + people skills = success" in his student years, and decided it would naturally apply to teaching. What he found in his first year as an educator in the Bronx was that it takes a lot more to be successful. Now, with professional certifications and years of experience under his belt, Brown writes about the "sea of factors" that he's since added to the equation in a recent Educational Leadership article. Read on.
The first time you felt like a real teacher
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 10, 2012
This month, Educational Leadership is commemorating the 10th anniversary of ASCD's Outstanding Young Educator Award programme with a Supporting Beginning Teachers column dedicated to inspiring stories from past award recipients and finalists. Winners describe the first time they felt like real teachers, and the responses range from a moving description of school-community partnerships to a story about students completely taking the reigns -- and finding their own way to success -- in a newspaper journalism class. Read on.
Google Docs for administrators -- 5 ideas to get started
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 08, 2012
Are you drowning in end-of-year paperwork? Give your paper-intensive processes a digital go, suggests educator Kyle Pace in a recent post on the ASCD EDge professional networking community for educators. Pace shares tips for taking everything from student information cards to end-of-year checkout forms paperless with Google Docs and Google Forms. Read on.
Podcast: What does it take for children to be mentally healthy?
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 08, 2012
The May episode of the Whole Child Podcast examines why it's crucial for us to ensure that each learner is socially, emotionally, and mentally healthy, presenting three expert viewpoints on what school and school community members can do to promote good mental health. You'll hear from Mental Health America's public-education director Erica Ahmed; Principals Australia Institute's and MindMatters' national business and professional product development manager Jo Mason; as well as associate child-development professor Philip C. Rodkin. Download the podcast.
Supporting beginning teachers
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 03, 2012
Teaching is a complex art and new teachers have a different set of needs than their seasoned colleagues. The May issue of Educational Leadership explores the theme of "Supporting New Teachers" with articles on mentoring, teacher prep and more. Both veteran and new teachers can learn important lessons and tips in this issue. Read more.
Help build a whole child community
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 03, 2012
How can teachers show their students they're positive influences in their local communities? Brad Kuntz, ASCD's 2011 Outstanding Young Educator Award winner, shares suggestions on how teachers can be engaged community members and, in turn, be good role models for students. "Be a positive presence wherever you are, because whether or not you are in the classroom, you are still a teacher," Kuntz writes. Read more.
Attend international sessions during ASCD's free Whole Child Virtual Conference
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 01, 2012
How can schools implement and sustain a whole child approach in education? ASCD invites educators from around the world to participate in the 2012 Whole Child Virtual Conference from 3 May 3 to 11 May. As part of the virtual conference, ASCD is hosting two international sessions focused on different aspects of the whole child approach: one in the Australasian time zone (4 May: Sydney 10am to 12.30pm/Singapore 8am to 10.30am) and another in the European time zone (4 May: London 2pm to 4.30pm/Paris 3pm to 5.30pm).
Demystifying the "Natural Born" teacher
ASCD Worldwide Edition SmartBrief | May 01, 2012
Exceptional teachers aren't all that mysterious, according to educator John Smith. Rather, the most gifted teachers share several qualities. In his ASCD EDge post, Smith says that great teachers make sure all students comprehend the material, teach students to think critically and adjust their teaching approach as they go. Read more.
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