Super Teacher's Job is Never Done!

Super Teacher's Job is Never Done!
Photo courtesy of DiscoveryEducation.com

Teaching is the profession that teaches all the other professions. ~ Author Unknown

My goal is to reveal one teacher's humble journey of self-reflection, critical analysis, and endless questioning about my craft of teaching and learning alongside my middle school students.

"The dream begins with a teacher who believes in you, who tugs and pushes and leads you to the next plateau, sometimes poking you with a sharp stick called 'truth'." ~ Dan Rather



Thursday, May 31, 2012

Even more summer reading!

The titles keep coming!

1. The Strategic Teacher: Selecting the Right Research-Based Strategy for Every Lesson
By Harvey F. Silver, Richard W. Strong, and Matthew J. Perini

2. Compare & Contrast: Teaching Comparative Thinking to Strengthen Student Learning
By Harvey F. Silver

3. The Interactive Lecture: How to Engage Students, Build Memory, and Deepen Comprehension
By Harvey F. Silver and Matthew J. Perini

4. Reading for Meaning: How to Build Students' Comprehension, Reasoning, and Problem-Solving Skills
By Harvey F. Silver, Susan C. Morris, and Victor Klein

5. Task Rotation: Strategies for Differentiating Activities and Assessments by Learning Style
By Harvey F. Silver, Joyce W. Jackson, and Daniel R. Moirao

6. Classroom Assessment and Grading That Work
By Robert J. Marzano

7. The Formative Assessment Action Plan: Practical Steps to More Successful Teaching and Learning
By Nancy Frey and Douglas Fisher

8. Enhancing RTI: How to Ensure Success with Effective Classroom Instruction and Intervention
By Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey

9. What Every School Leader Needs to Know About RTI
By Margaret Searle

10. Building Your School's Capacity to Implement RTI: An ASCD Action Tool
By Patricia Addison and Cynthia Warger

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

More titles to add to your summer reading list!

I have added them to my must-read list for sure!

1. How to Create a Culture of Achievement in Your School and Classroom
By Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey, and Ian Pumpian

2. Leading and Managing a Differentiated Classroom
By Carol Ann Tomlinson and Marcia B. Imbeau

3. Classroom Instruction That Works: Research-Based Strategies for Increasing Student Achievement, 2nd edition
By Ceri B. Dean, Elizabeth Ross Hubbell, Howard Pitler, and BJ Stone

4. When Teaching Gets Tough: Smart Ways to Reclaim Your Game
By Allen N. Mendler

5. The Well-Balanced Teacher: How to Work Smarter and Stay Sane Inside the Classroom and Out
By Mike Anderson

6. Resilient School Leaders: Strategies for Turning Adversity into Achievement
By Jerry L. Patterson and Paul Kelleher

7. Minding the Achievement Gap One Classroom at a Time
By Jane E. Pollock, Sharon M. Ford, and Margaret M. Black

8. Reaching Out to Latino Families of English Language Learners
By David Campos, Rocio Delgado, and Mary Esther Soto Huerta

9. Simply Better: Doing What Matters Most to Change the Odds for Student Success
By Bryan Goodwin

10. Inference: Teaching Students to Develop Hypotheses, Evaluate Evidence, and Draw Logical Conclusions
By Harvey F. Silver, R. Thomas Dewing, and Matthew J. Perini


Tuesday, May 29, 2012

What Teachers Learned This Past Year!

Reflecting on their fast-changing profession, members of the Teacher Leaders Network share their thoughts on the most important lessons they learned about teaching this year.



What Teacher Leaders Learned This School Year

What is the most significant lesson you learned this year? I posed this question to members of the Teacher Leaders Network virtual community last week. Some common themes emerged:

Student-Centered Teaching

Learning can be messy. Once I released control of learning to students, I realized we'd go places I didn't anticipate. Even though we covered curriculum objectives, we also explored ideas, places, and concepts I would have never planned. Co-learning with students is wonderful. —Marsha, middle school, Kan.
I learned to talk less than my students. I'm evolving my classroom to a more student-centered environment. The students ask questions, answer questions, collaborate more, interact daily, and even help track and understand relevant data. I navigate while they sail the ship. —Rob, 8th grade ELA, Fla.
My schedule must fit into the schedule of my high school students, which means evenings and weekends are not off limits. I believe that I need to do all that I can do to help my students succeed and that potential for success doesn't always fit in the six and a half hour school day. They are not products or widgets. Their lives aren't restricted to 8:20 a.m. to 3:10 p.m. Their lives are 24 hours per day, seven days per week; therefore, I need to be available for them when they need me, which includes evenings and weekends. —Lee-Ann, high school, Minn.
Student discourse is essential at all levels. We have been promoting "accountable talk" for the past two years in our building. I have learned that listening to "student talk" is great for assessing what the kids are thinking. It's also become apparent that our kids are often more adept at "teaching" their peers than we are! Besides, the children are learning how to agree and disagree with their classmates with civility, a skill necessary for life. —Jon, elementary, Va.

Shifting Mindsets

Always be FOR something, not AGAINST something. In these times when everyone seems to be criticizing education and educators, it is easy to get cynical about the job that we do each day. Those few simple words have helped me to keep a positive attitude about what I do each day and why I do it. The philosophy goes something like this: It is easier to be FOR something because you will speak and act positively with a smile on your face. When you are AGAINST something your actions and words are negative and so is your attitude. It is a wonderful philosophy to live by. —Barbara, 8th grade science, R.I.
The most enduring power is empowering others. What I have accomplished matters much less than what my students and my colleagues accomplish. Or to paraphrase in family and consumer science terminology: "It is better to be yeast than the best thing since sliced bread." —Susan, retired teacher and current teacher mentor, Va.
Even with all the laws and mandates imposed on me, I still have a tremendous amount of control of what happens in my classroom. —Anthony, gifted enrichment, Fla.
You can't do it all. Being a division head, teaching six courses, advising student government, leading three afternoons a week of community service, blogging, doing online PD, and generally working 80-90 hour weeks are definitely wearing me out. At some point, you have to recognize you can't always do all you wish you could, accept that your best is all you can do, and reach out to your teammates for support. —Bill, middle school dean, Mass.
Rejuvenation! It's OK to miss some days of school if you have the opportunity for rich academic engagement elsewhere. Your students survive without you, and you return to the classroom refreshed and ready to go! —Nancy, senior English, N.C.

Persistence and Partnership

Love your students the most when they are the most unlovable. Teaching special ed, I often see kids who have given up on the system, themselves, and life in general. They feel that no matter how hard they try, they are going to fail anyway. It is often difficult to crack their steel exteriors, but when I push them to be persistent and convince them I care unconditionally about them, I've discovered I can make a difference more times than not. —Cossondra, special education, Mich.
Everyone is doing the best they can. With all educational stakeholders feeling increased pressure, it's easy to fall into a pattern of blaming others. My colleagues and I have worked together this year to remind each other that we must approach situations from a collaborative stance to move forward. Reminding ourselves that "everyone is doing the best they can" lessens feelings of resentment and animosity and provides room for support and understanding. —Sarah, 6th grade ELA, N.C.
Common Core lesson: it's not all going to happen at once. I was really pleased with the writing that my students produced the first time that I used the Literacy Design Collaborative template tasks, but I was still tied (and obligated) to traditional activities and assessments for learning and the students and I didn't allow time to revise their drafts. We've just begun working on our second round of reading and writing about history from a Common Core stance, and the gains in student effort and what they're learning is a step up from our first activities. —Ernie, 7th grade history, Nev.
Trust takes time, but trust among teachers can produce better professional development than any conference, seminar, or training. As part of a few professional learning communities at my school, I've learned that it takes time for teachers to build bridges among our islands. Like our students, we fear being inadequate and subsequently expect judgment from our colleagues. Instead, if we learn to trust each other, we can truly begin learning (and leaning on one another) in ways that are more invigorating and inspiring than anyone could anticipate! —Brianna, high school English, Pa.

Risking and Reflecting

Embrace failure, for it is a powerful teacher. If we never have failures, it means we are not trying anything new. We are not pushing ourselves to find new ways to meet the needs of our students. It is also a beautiful thing for our students to see us as willing to take these calculated risks in order to grow. —Megan, university educator-in-residence, Fla.
Continuous improvement requires honest reflection—preferably from a distance. It's very hard to see the good for all the good it is, and the bad for all the opportunity it presents in the moment. —Julie, media specialist, Fla.
True reflection invites vulnerability. It wasn't until this year that I became genuinely reflective, and to do so, I opened myself up to student feedback, administrative and peer feedback. I have made my teaching much more transparent, while modeling for my students how to use their feedback (and that of others) to make valuable—and sometimes risky—changes. —Wendi, ELL, N.C.
There is still more to learn. Along with many others here, I have imagined a new workplace for America's teachers. My current superintendent seems to be moving in the direction of many of those aspirations. What happens when your dreams start to come true? Now you have to act on your beliefs. The hardest part is yet to come. I have a lot left to learn. —Mary, high school English, Va.
This is just a sampling of teacher leaders' responses. What significant lesson have you learned this year?
—Braden Welborn
Braden Welborn is the Director of Communications for the Center for Teaching Quality.
WEB ONLY

Monday, May 28, 2012

Focus on Students' Learning, Not Their Grades

It is all to easy to succumb to the "grade mania" that surrounds students' motivation to do well in their classes and achieve straight As. We often get so bogged down into our students' grades that we fail to instill the love of the process of learning in them. How can be re-emphasis the importance of learning for the sake of learning and not just to get that desired GPA?


May 2012 | Volume 54 | Number 5
How To Be A Visible Principal

Focus on Learning, Not Grades

In the Classroom with Brad Kuntz

Brad Kuntz
I used to hear this often from students: "I didn't do very well on the test. Is there any extra credit I can do to raise my grade?" Or: "I'm so close to a B in class, how can I earn some more points?" Less often did students inquire about improving upon a particular component of the unit's content.
The past decades of education have trained students and teachers to focus on grades rather than learning. Unfortunately, grades are generally an account of points earned through various activities that are influenced by artificial deadlines, grade inflation, extra credit, and subjectivity. It's time for us to change the student mind-set currently focused on reaching a particular percentage and instead empower them to take charge of their learning and measure their own success.
Proficiency-based education focuses on specific learning targets and the demonstration of a student's proficiency with the content. It allows students multiple opportunities to prove their understanding, and incorporates flexibility for individual learners rather than pushing all students through the content at the same pace regardless of their comprehension of the material. It creates a partnership between the teacher and student with regard to a student's progress, and it increases a student's ownership of her own learning. At that point, grades actually do indicate what a student has learned and is able to do.
Although entire schools are discussing transitioning to a similar system, it's possible for individual teachers to include the core concepts of proficiency-based learning immediately. First, condense all of the standards you teach into a manageable set of learning targets phrased in a way students can understand. Provide students with a checklist of these targets. Review the targets daily to remind students which ones were covered previously and which ones you'll be working with today. Refer to these targets each time you cover new material. Label all homework and classroom activities with a learning target so students understand the focus and can refer to the appropriate notes for a reminder of how to work with the content.
Engage students in a conversation about what it means to demonstrate proficiency. Give them opportunities to show proficiency with each target as you move through a unit. If a student does not meet a satisfactory level of performance on one target, provide another opportunity, rather than simply recording a poor quiz score in the gradebook and moving on. Before attempting the assessment again, however, the student must come in for additional support, prove he's practiced more, or complete some enrichment activity so that he's not just trying again before he's ready. When students show proficiency on each learning target throughout the unit, they can move to the final assessment of that unit.
With a proficiency-based learning system, teachers can more accurately pinpoint which concepts an individual student is struggling with. It gives order and structure to the content, like a path on a map. Students can clearly see what is expected of them, they can monitor their progress through a unit, and they can self-evaluate their comprehension as they prepare for assessments. If implemented well, a student will no longer ask for extra credit, but rather for an opportunity to demonstrate that she understands the content. She will know exactly what to do in order to reach her academic goals. For the teacher, you can finally speak with your students about their learning rather than their points! 
Brad Kuntz teaches Spanish and environmental leadership at Gladstone High School in Gladstone, Ore., and is a 2011 winner of ASCD's Outstanding Young Educator Award.
Copyright © 2012 by ASCD

Sunday, May 27, 2012

The Drop Out Crisis

Yes, it still exists in a BIG way. This interesting article sheds light on what causes students to drop out and what WE can do about it! Read on....



This link goes to a resource guide regarding Dropout Prevention/School Completion Intervention. I was especially interested in the Alternative Program information. 

Saturday, May 26, 2012

Resources for CCSS

I've started to compile some helpful resources to get us adjusted and ready to implement the Common Core. Read on!

1. Unpacking the Common Core Standards Using the UbD Framework DVD 
From the Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development, 2012

2. Understanding Common Core State Standards
By John Kendall

3. Common Core and Mathematics Professional Development Online Suite
From ASCD, 2012

4. Common Core and Literacy Strategies Professional Development Online Suite
From ASCD, 2012

5. Understanding by Design, Expanded 2nd Edition
By Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

6. The Understanding by Design Guide to Creating High-Quality Units
By Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

7. The Understanding by Design Guide to Advanced Concepts in Creating and Reviewing Units
By Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe

Friday, May 25, 2012

Become a More Visible Principal, or Prepare to be One!

Anyone who aspires to be a K-12 principal knows that the responsibilities are numerous, stress is demanding, and the thank-yous often non-existent. To become a visible principal, one has to understand his or her school community, truly get to know students, and demonstrate to teachers that he or she shares responsibility and ownership over students' success.


How To Be A Visible Principal

Ellen Ryan
How can you improve your connections with students, faculty, staff, and parents to enhance and support student learning? Award-winning principals and education experts share their tips and offer advice.
"Years ago, principals sat in their office," says former principal Charles Bonnici, an educational consultant at the Executive Leadership Institute of New York City's Council of School Supervisors and Administrators. "Now they're the visible face of the school and set its instructional and moral tone."
Gone are the days when principals could hide in their offices, administrating behind closed doors. Effective school leaders interact daily with students, teachers, staff, and parents, and make themselves accessible both inside the building and out in the community. Committing to being more visible requires time and effort. So, how can you make accessibility a priority?

Build Relationships with Students

Principals need to be everywhere in school—greeting buses, walking the halls, visiting classrooms, and dropping in during lunch time in the cafeteria.
"A pat on the back—whatever your age—a nice note, names on the wall, a ceremony, just showing up" all improve morale and establish a connection, says Bonnici, author of Remembering What's Important: Priorities of School Leadership and Creating a Successful Leadership Style: Principles of Personal Strategic Planning.
Bob Wagner, principal of Solley Elementary School in Glen Burnie, Md., makes a point of recognizing two dozen of his 670 students every week. Teachers choose students—based on their effort and drive to excel—to eat and play games with the principal. Also, every month, 75 students recognized for following rules such as "be prepared" and "be respectful" gather for a treat and receive a certificate. Wagner reads the students' names to the entire school over closed-circuit TV.
"Part of my job is to provide an environment that's positive and nurturing but structured," says Wagner, who was named 2011 National Distinguished Principal by the Maryland Association of Elementary School Principals. He says making personal connections helps him to recognize students and also reinforce areas where students need to improve.
"When students believe you care about them, and they have a relationship with you, they try harder. It helps their self-esteem," says Joelle McConnaha, who is principal of Helen Lemme Elementary School in Iowa City, Iowa. "They need to see it from every level—not just from teachers." So, says McConnaha, she actually gets down on the students' level, sitting on the floor to play and talk with them.

Give Teachers Feedback

"Feedback is so critical," Wagner says. "It's the top way to increase performance."
Principals can convey their values explicitly through formal supervisory conversations, teacher evaluations, and faculty meetings, but walkthroughs also provide important opportunities for giving teachers feedback, Cathy Toll writes in her June 2010 JSD article, "6 Steps to Learning Leadership."
"Teachers see you care about what they do, and that makes it easier when you have discussions [with them]," Wagner says. When he observes something special, Wagner writes a note. For example, he might tell a teacher, "I saw that you asked '15 + 8' and had them whisper all together '23,' and that's a wonderful way to keep students engaged and motivated."
Visiting classrooms also helps principals to see the whole picture. "You have context," says Wagner. "It's difficult to know your teachers if you're in your office a lot."

Be a Learning Leader

Effective principals model learning behavior. Bonnici cites a New York City principal he observed recently who has a daily routine of using a vocabulary word during the morning announcements. Teachers then use the word throughout the day.
"Research shows that if children use a word four or five times, it becomes part of their vocabulary," Bonnici says. By modeling learning for both students and teachers, this principal "shows he is the instructional leader of the school," says Bonnici.

Make Parents Your Partners

Studies show that almost all communications between parents and the school are negative, says Bonnici; therefore, principals should try to communicate the positives also. Let parents know both formally and informally when their children are doing good work, making improvements, and demonstrating positive behavior.
Wagner started an annual meet-and-greet and math challenge at a popular supermarket so parents and kids could interact outside of school with the principals of four elementary schools and the middle and high schools they feed into. Parents who participate get an apple from the principal and are entered in a drawing. The event shows that principals care and that math has real-world applications. Also, Wagner says, "parents appreciate the effort [principals make] to meet them."
Sometimes gaining appreciation takes longer. McConnaha has worked in some of Iowa's most economically and demographically diverse schools. In 30 to 40 home visits a year at a previous assignment, including at homeless and family-violence shelters, she got pushback from parents who didn't want to hear about poor attendance or lack of progress. Eventually, though, her persistence and determined demonstrations of caring bore fruit: "In three years, we went from one of the worst-performing schools in our region [of Iowa] to a Blue Ribbon School, one of only five in the state, based on test scores and attendance," says McConnaha. In addition, McConnaha was named a 2011 National Distinguished Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals.
McConnaha's efforts with Hispanic parents have paid off as well. In the beginning, her parent meetings attracted perhaps one Hispanic parent out of 15 to 20 parents. Then McConnaha started a meeting aimed at Hispanic parents specifically. A staff member called parents and invited them in Spanish, and McConnaha enlisted the ESL teacher to translate the whole meeting—which she says increased the comfort level for Spanish-speaking parents. The result: Hispanic parental involvement, student attendance, and test scores all rose.
"By the third year, Hispanic students started outperforming our white students," says McConnaha. "Naturally, that's not all due to monthly meetings in Spanish, but they helped, and the effort helped."

Get Out of the Building

"It's important for principals to bring the building perspective to the table," says Joan Franks, principal of Armatage Montessori School in Minneapolis, and another 2011 National Distinguished Principal award winner.
Over the past three decades, Franks has served on 20 to 30 district and state committees. These have included the Minneapolis Principals' Forum, where she spent two years as president. Every two weeks, the group met with the superintendent "to make sure our issues and concerns were heard," she says. "I understood better how the district worked and vice versa and advocated better because of [this knowledge]."
Sending in a budget or even a detailed e-mail goes only so far, explains Franks, who also sat on the district budgeting committee. Testifying, lobbying, and participating in the discussions allow her to "answer questions and clarify misperceptions and elaborate as necessary. E-mail took twice as long for that as a conversation did," she adds.
Serving on committees can be time-consuming, Franks says, so she advises, "Spend time and energy building a strong program, then broaden your horizons after five or more years."

Tap into Community Resources

Several principals mentioned being "on" (for better or worse) every time they stop around town for gas or groceries. Casual chats can be useful, but formal associations particularly pay off.
Take Michael Foran, for example. Foran, the 2012 MetLife/NASSP National High School Principal of the Year, is the principal of New Britain High School in New Britain, Conn. A graduate of nearby Central Connecticut State University, he has cultivated relationships to his school's benefit: "I've gone to speak at the university, gotten students to tutor and mentor at the high school, and had all our students visit the university as freshmen." Being cotaught by professors and their own teachers at CCSU every five weeks has impressed the teens, and school surveys show that significantly more students now aspire to attend college.
Foran is also a Chamber of Commerce member. In the two years since he launched the New Britain Academy for Health Professions—a school within the school to prepare students for the area's biggest industry—he has found field-trip and internship sponsors not only by visiting employers, but also by chatting up chiropractors and podiatrists at events. Such connections have brought in scholarships as well.
Likewise, Heidi Kegley, principal of Willis Intermediate School in Delaware, Ohio, contacted the local Big Brothers Big Sisters for help in starting a mentoring program. The agency has done background checks on more than 100 volunteers from neighboring Ohio Wesleyan University. When the Literacy Coalition of Delaware County and William Street United Methodist Church connected with Willis, they set up the WS2 program, through which 40 children now receive homework help, snacks, and family meals.
Whether their most notable connections are in school or beyond, these principals demonstrate why leadership means accessibility. Kegley, who was named the 2011 Distinguished Middle School Principal by the Ohio Association of Elementary School Administrators, says, "being out and connected is key to establishing relationships like these. If it's important and useful to students, it's important to me." 
Copyright © 2012 by ASCD

Thursday, May 24, 2012

"Why Do Kids Believe in God but Not Harry Potter?"

Just read this article in the new Harvard Ed. Magazine:



A summary of some good research, framed -- inaccurately and unfairly, I believe -- as running counter to progressive/constructivist methods of teaching and learning. For one thing, the article fails to consider that a child "knowing" something that someone has told them does not necessarily mean that the child understands it or can apply it to new situations. 

For another, the type of learning-through-dialogue that the researcher here is promoting is a vital part of critical exploration and constructivist methods in general, even as the article presents it as a challenge to progressive educational approaches (characterized solely as "learning-by-doing"). I wonder what others on this list think of the article. 

Well worth the read, in any case!

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

What Teachers Make: Must-see video!

"WHAT TEACHERS MAKE": THE MOST INSPIRATIONAL PRO-TEACHER VIDEO RANT EVER

Taylor Mali is amazing! This ex-teacher/poet has written and delivered the most inspirational, important and poetic ranting defense of teachers I've ever heard. It purportedly developed from a dinner party during which a lawyer at the table began denigrating teachers with attacks such as, "Those who can, do; and those who can't, teach." He then asked high-school teacher Mali what he made (for a living). Big mistake! Mali's aggressive and original response to this question is totally surprising, motivating and absolutely true! Please do yourself and your colleagues a giant favor by viewing and sharing this video prior to the next school season. Enjoy, as I have many times since discovering Mali on the Bob Edwards Weekend Radio interview program, broadcast over my local NPR station. - mmd
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuBmSbiVXo0

Below is the link to video of Mali performing his rant onstage. Be warned that some may be offended by a phrase and hand gesture toward the end of the piece.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RxsOVK4syxU&feature=youtube_gdata_player



Tuesday, May 22, 2012

Upcoming MCPS events to check out!

For those of you teaching in or around Montgomery County, MD....


NOW BOOKING MAY/JUNE and JULY/AUGUST POST- and PRE-SEASON PLANNING DAYS





















and





















SEPTEMBER SUPER SUB SAVINGS WORKSHOP WEEKS









September 10-14 and 24-28









save $1000 per workshop to help cover cost of subs for workshop participants





















IN-SCHOOL/DISTRICT WORKSHOPS





















NOW INCLUDING A 3-HOUR FOLLOW-UP ON-SITE VISIT FOR DISTRICTS NOT MORE THAN A 2-HOUR DRIVE FROM METRO ATLANTA. VISITS MAY INCLUDE CLASSROOM OBSERVATION, PARTICIPATION AND CRITIQUE SESSION. FOR SCHOOLS MORE THAN A 2-HOUR DRIVE, SKYPE SESSIONS MAY BE ARRANGED.

































GET YOUR ENTIRE STAFF USING COMMON CORE WRITING METHODS THAT REALLY WORK AND WILL RAISE WRITING SCORES!





















Now's the time to consider a WTCA! educator workshop at your district, elementary or middle school, including regular ed, special ed and ELL. Consider inviting grade level staff from neighboring schools and sharing the costs.





















Faculty workshops, now aligned with Common Core writing standards, cover narrative, informative/explanatory and opinion/persuasive/argumentative writing. Email or call (404) 233-4449 for detailed workshop information and to check date availabilities.

































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3 Mr. D's END-OF-YEAR STUDENT WRITING/CRITICAL THINKING EXERCISE:









WHAT HAVE I LEARNED THIS YEAR?









A) WHOLE CLASS SETUP DISCUSSION





















For the first 15-30 minutes of this exercise, lead your students in a whiteboard listing of the subjects, followed by listing the units of study within each subject covered in class this school year. Discussions and listings of unit HIGHLIGHTS should follow, time permitting.





















B) INDIVIDUAL STUDENT WRITING PLANNING





















Each student silently reviews the whiteboard listings and decides on ONE unit that was his or her HIGHLIGHT (most memorable/ important/fascinating) unit of the year.





















C) INDIVIDUAL STUDENT WRITING





















Each student uses the 5 Steps of Writing to complete either a narrative, opinion/argumentative/persuasive, or informative/explanatory piece of writing in which the student's highlighted unit plays a primary role. Neat Sheet length should be 1-2 sides, single-spaced - no more, no less - depending on grade/writing achievement level.





















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4SPECIAL VOLUME DISCOUNT: We'll comp an additional registration with every four registered.

































Oct. 31, 2012 Montgomery County location TBA





















COMMON CORE WRITING SUCCESS workshop





















Original, easy and effective Narrative, Persuasive/Opinion/Argumentative and Informative/Explanatory writing methods, plus writing assessment prep for elementary and secondary grades,









now aligned with Common Core State Standards.

































target audience: regular ed, special ed and ESL elementary and middle school educators (many K-2 and high school teachers also attend and benefit)





















On request, Writing to Command Attention! provides paperwork for submission to district renewal coordinators in order to obtain professional development and/or recertification credits.













































feedback from recent workshops:





















"Extremely inspiring! I am entering unchartered territory after teaching elementary and middle school math for many years. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I will be using all of the things I learned in today’s workshop. I feel more confident and now I feel like I 'Have a plan.' Thank you."









Patricia McCrery, DeKalb County, GA





















"Love, love, love this writing method! This is my second time to this workshop. The second time has been as good (if not better) than the first. I think because I was familiar, I caught additional information and ideas that I didn’t get on the first time around. Thank you!"









Carolyn Keysaer, 7th grade ELA, Marshall County, TN





















"Thank you so much for this wonderful workshop. I have taught 1st through 5th grades and Special Education for 36 years, and this class has cleared some “big” cobwebs. I have been so frustrated despite all my years of teaching writing with a variety of issues, and this class has reawakened my love of teaching writing. Hopefully, I will have the skills to refocus and redo my writing lessons, so more students will exceed, and pass the GA test."









Jorine Silcox, Franklin Forest Elementary, Troup County, GA





















"I was very skeptical, but you had me at the word adapt! This simplifies writing for me and validates some questions and concerns I’ve had with other programs and the things like topic sentence and details. Loved it!"









Kelly Frisch – 3rd grade teacher, Airline Park Academy, Metairie, LA





















"Fantastic ideas for all genres and I love the foldable books. Easy models for all grades to follow and teachers to implement writing across the curriculum."









Jill Short, K-5 Writing Specialist, Silver City Elementary, Forsyth County, GA

























































THE CAPITAL BELTWAY WORKSHOP:





















COMMON CORE WRITING SUCCESS





















Oct. 31, 2012 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.









registration/pastries 8:30 a.m. · lunch on your own

































Montgomery County, MD hotel location TBA

































Registration fee: $195









($225 with recommended materials)









Registration deadline: Three days prior to the workshop date





















REGISTER ONLINE (or download registration forms) at









http://www.anyonecanwrite.com/secrets/commoncore_dc.html





















Please let us know if you are planning to join us (call 404-233-4449 or email Fran@AnyoneCanWrite.com), as seating will be limited. Checks and PO's accepted. Online payments can be made through the online registration process. You DO NOT need a PayPal account to utilize these payments.





















View all U.S. workshop dates at the following web page:









http://www.anyonecanwrite.com/workshops.html





















Call for in-school workshop date availabilities.









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5 USE THIS STUDY TO DEFEND FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES AT YOUR SCHOOL









The Bilingual Brain Is Sharper and More Focused, Study Says





















http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2012/04/30/the-bilingual-brain-is-sharper-and-more-focused-study-says/

































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6 COMPUTER ESSAY SCORING DEBATE CONTINUES





















USA TODAY: Computer scoring of essays shows promise, analysis shows









Journalist Greg Toppo reports: "Computers can find a good Greek restaurant, recognize a song on the radio and beat our best players at Jeopardy. But can they grade our kids' writing? A wide-ranging new analysis suggests that the answer is 'Yes.' The study of automated computer essay-scoring software finds that a handful of programs are 'capable of producing scores similar to human scores' on thousands of sample essays...."





















Read the entire article at:









http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-04-23/essay-scoring-computer-software/54493662/1





















NPR: Robot Eyes As Good As Humans When Grading Essays





















A new study has determined that some automated essay graders can do as good of a job as humans. Melissa Block talks with New York Times education columnist Michael Winerip about the study and the weaknesses of automatic essay readers.





















Listen at:









http://www.npr.org/2012/04/24/151305392/robot-eyes-as-good-as-humans-when-grading-essaysLike us and join the conversation at www.facebook.com/MarkItWell





















************************************************************************









7NPR's FRESH AIR REMEMBERS AUTHOR MAURICE SENDAK

































As most of you undoubtedly know, author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, whose classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are became a perennial and award-winning favorite for generations of children, died on Tuesday, May 8 during National Children's Book Week. He was 83. What you may not know is that he and FRESH AIR host Terry Gross had a unique relationship, holding several intimate interviews throughout the years. The last one from 2011 is especially poignant, as he was quite ill, his life partner and most of his friends had died, and he seemed almost ready to pass on. This episode of Fresh Air remembers Sendak with excerpts from several interviews. Listen at:





















http://www.npr.org/2012/05/08/152248901/fresh-air-remembers-author-maurice-sendak?ft=1&f=13&sc=17





















Bring tissues.





















*********************************************************************









8 STUDENT WRITING EXERCISE from BOBBIE CHRISTMAS: DUMB DECISIONS





















My dog loves to stand on my back deck and bark at every squirrel, bird, sound, or imaginary beast. My neighbors are not happy about the barking, and neither am I. At the pet store, I found a device called something like Barkoff. The packaging said that when the dog barks, the device emits a high-pitched sound beyond human hearing, but within a dog's hearing range. The sound annoys the dog when he barks, said the package, so he won't bark anymore. With confidence, I plunked down my ten dollars and tax and took the box home. I installed a battery in the device, put it on the deck with the dog, and turned it on. The dog went on barking as if nothing happened. Ten dollars down the drain. How could I even tell if the device worked? That device might be the stupidest purchase I've ever made.





















Everyone of toddler age and above has made some dumb decisions. Buying a device that I have no way of testing to see if it works is only one of mine. Think of a dumb decision you've made and write a story about it.





















Contributed by Bobbie Christmas, the author of Write In Style, a triple-award-winning creative writing textbook. Sign up for The Writers Network News, her free newsletter for writers, at www.zebraeditor.com. Follow her "Write In Style" creative writing blog at http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com .

































**********************************************************************









9 NEW SPANISH VERSION of 6 TRICKS WRITING GUIDE AVAILABLE LATE JULY









We are thrilled to announce that, beginning in late July, 6 Tricks to Student NARRATIVE Writing Success will be available in Spanish. Call or write for pre-orders of Seis Trucos para el Éxito Estudiantil en la Escritura Narrativa.





















Choose from 6 Tricks to Student PERSUASIVE Writing Success, 6 Tricks to Student NARRATIVE Writing Success, 6 Tricks to Student INFORMATIONAL Writing Success and 6 Tricks to Student WRITER'S ORIGAMI Success. These easy guides for teachers and students are available directly from our office, and are invaluable for clarification, reinforcement and enhancement of Writing to Command Attention! workshop methods. Consider faculty or classroom sets, so that students can refer to them after absences.





















Renowned educational author Murray Suid has given us permission to reprint his classic, easy and effective spelling guide, DEMONIC MNEMONICS: 800 SPELLING TRICKS for 800 TRICKY WORDS. There's a rat in separate. Teach art in kindergarten. The captain is the main officer. Connect with Connecticut. This canoe leaks like a shoe. In addition, Suid's appendix, A DOZEN SPELLING RULES, can easily form the basis for an entire year's worth of spelling instruction. Order online at:





















http://www.anyonecanwrite.com/6Tricks.html





















*********************************************************************









10









THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE SAYS, "THE INTERNET KILLED READING BOOKS," SHOW THEM THIS CHART





















http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/12/04/the-next-time-someone-says-the-internet-ruined-literature-show-them-this-chart/255572/





















*********************************************************************









11HELP WANTED: COFFEE/FRENCH PRESS/AEROPRESS ADVICE SOUGHT









Since I only began drinking coffee last September, I'm still experimenting with home brewing methods and a variety of whole bean coffees. Currently, I'm using a small French Press (and sometimes an Aeropress), but am having inconsistent results. Terrific one day; so-so the next. If you are a French Press or other manual brewing method enthusiast, would you please share your specific procedures and coffee favorites (both caff and decaf, since I need to mix 50-50) with me so that I might begin to achieve consistency in my efforts? Thanks - mmd





















*********************************************************************





















Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed EdLine News, and will forward it to your friends who might not be receiving it. If you wish to be permanently removed from this newsletter and event mailing list, please reply to this email with the word REMOVE in the subject line. Your email address will be immediately deleted, I promise. If you have been forwarded this by others and wish to be placed on my mailing list, please reply directly with the word ADD in the subject line. Remember that adding MarkItWell@AnyoneCanWrite.com to your address book will facilitate receiving these communications without interruption.





















HAVE A FANTASTIC SUMMER BREAK! HOPE TO SEE YOU IN THE FALL!





















All my best,









Mark





















Mark Diamond, M.Ed.









Writing to Command Attention! Workshops





















6 Tricks to Student NARRATIVE Writing Success (An Easy Guide for Students, Teachers and Parents)









6 Tricks to Student PERSUASIVE Writing Success (An Easy Guide for Students, Teachers and Parents)









6 Tricks to Student INFORMATIONAL Writing Success (An Easy Guide for Students, Teachers and Parents)









6 Tricks to Student WRITER'S ORIGAMI Success (An Easy Guide for Students, Teachers and Parents)









Demonic Mnemonics: 800 Spelling Tricks for 800 Tricky Words









Coming Soon: Seis Trucos para el Éxito Estudiantil en la Escritura Narrativa





















2890 N. Hills Dr. NE/Atlanta, GA 30305









office (404) 233-4449; fax (404) 889-8669









e-mail: MarkItWell@AnyoneCanWrite.com









website: http://www.AnyoneCanWrite.comFacebook: LIKE us and join the conversation at www.facebook.com/MarkItWell "Those who can, teach. Those who can't, go into a less significant line of work."









- Linda Darling-Hammond, NCTE convention General Session keynote speaker









































































































YouTube - Videos from this email






2 NOW BOOKING MAY/JUNE and JULY/AUGUST POST- and PRE-SEASON PLANNING DAYS





















and





















SEPTEMBER SUPER SUB SAVINGS WORKSHOP WEEKS









September 10-14 and 24-28









save $1000 per workshop to help cover cost of subs for workshop participants





















IN-SCHOOL/DISTRICT WORKSHOPS





















NOW INCLUDING A 3-HOUR FOLLOW-UP ON-SITE VISIT FOR DISTRICTS NOT MORE THAN A 2-HOUR DRIVE FROM METRO ATLANTA. VISITS MAY INCLUDE CLASSROOM OBSERVATION, PARTICIPATION AND CRITIQUE SESSION. FOR SCHOOLS MORE THAN A 2-HOUR DRIVE, SKYPE SESSIONS MAY BE ARRANGED.

































GET YOUR ENTIRE STAFF USING COMMON CORE WRITING METHODS THAT REALLY WORK AND WILL RAISE WRITING SCORES!





















Now's the time to consider a WTCA! educator workshop at your district, elementary or middle school, including regular ed, special ed and ELL. Consider inviting grade level staff from neighboring schools and sharing the costs.





















Faculty workshops, now aligned with Common Core writing standards, cover narrative, informative/explanatory and opinion/persuasive/argumentative writing. Email or call (404) 233-4449 for detailed workshop information and to check date availabilities.

































************************************************************************









3 Mr. D's END-OF-YEAR STUDENT WRITING/CRITICAL THINKING EXERCISE:









WHAT HAVE I LEARNED THIS YEAR?









A) WHOLE CLASS SETUP DISCUSSION





















For the first 15-30 minutes of this exercise, lead your students in a whiteboard listing of the subjects, followed by listing the units of study within each subject covered in class this school year. Discussions and listings of unit HIGHLIGHTS should follow, time permitting.





















B) INDIVIDUAL STUDENT WRITING PLANNING





















Each student silently reviews the whiteboard listings and decides on ONE unit that was his or her HIGHLIGHT (most memorable/ important/fascinating) unit of the year.





















C) INDIVIDUAL STUDENT WRITING





















Each student uses the 5 Steps of Writing to complete either a narrative, opinion/argumentative/persuasive, or informative/explanatory piece of writing in which the student's highlighted unit plays a primary role. Neat Sheet length should be 1-2 sides, single-spaced - no more, no less - depending on grade/writing achievement level.





















************************************************************************









4SPECIAL VOLUME DISCOUNT: We'll comp an additional registration with every four registered.

































Oct. 31, 2012 Montgomery County location TBA





















COMMON CORE WRITING SUCCESS workshop





















Original, easy and effective Narrative, Persuasive/Opinion/Argumentative and Informative/Explanatory writing methods, plus writing assessment prep for elementary and secondary grades,









now aligned with Common Core State Standards.

































target audience: regular ed, special ed and ESL elementary and middle school educators (many K-2 and high school teachers also attend and benefit)





















On request, Writing to Command Attention! provides paperwork for submission to district renewal coordinators in order to obtain professional development and/or recertification credits.













































feedback from recent workshops:





















"Extremely inspiring! I am entering unchartered territory after teaching elementary and middle school math for many years. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! I will be using all of the things I learned in today’s workshop. I feel more confident and now I feel like I 'Have a plan.' Thank you."









Patricia McCrery, DeKalb County, GA





















"Love, love, love this writing method! This is my second time to this workshop. The second time has been as good (if not better) than the first. I think because I was familiar, I caught additional information and ideas that I didn’t get on the first time around. Thank you!"









Carolyn Keysaer, 7th grade ELA, Marshall County, TN





















"Thank you so much for this wonderful workshop. I have taught 1st through 5th grades and Special Education for 36 years, and this class has cleared some “big” cobwebs. I have been so frustrated despite all my years of teaching writing with a variety of issues, and this class has reawakened my love of teaching writing. Hopefully, I will have the skills to refocus and redo my writing lessons, so more students will exceed, and pass the GA test."









Jorine Silcox, Franklin Forest Elementary, Troup County, GA





















"I was very skeptical, but you had me at the word adapt! This simplifies writing for me and validates some questions and concerns I’ve had with other programs and the things like topic sentence and details. Loved it!"









Kelly Frisch – 3rd grade teacher, Airline Park Academy, Metairie, LA





















"Fantastic ideas for all genres and I love the foldable books. Easy models for all grades to follow and teachers to implement writing across the curriculum."









Jill Short, K-5 Writing Specialist, Silver City Elementary, Forsyth County, GA

























































THE CAPITAL BELTWAY WORKSHOP:





















COMMON CORE WRITING SUCCESS





















Oct. 31, 2012 8:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.









registration/pastries 8:30 a.m. · lunch on your own

































Montgomery County, MD hotel location TBA

































Registration fee: $195









($225 with recommended materials)









Registration deadline: Three days prior to the workshop date





















REGISTER ONLINE (or download registration forms) at









http://www.anyonecanwrite.com/secrets/commoncore_dc.html





















Please let us know if you are planning to join us (call 404-233-4449 or email Fran@AnyoneCanWrite.com), as seating will be limited. Checks and PO's accepted. Online payments can be made through the online registration process. You DO NOT need a PayPal account to utilize these payments.





















View all U.S. workshop dates at the following web page:









http://www.anyonecanwrite.com/workshops.html





















Call for in-school workshop date availabilities.









************************************************************************









5 USE THIS STUDY TO DEFEND FOREIGN LANGUAGE CLASSES AT YOUR SCHOOL









The Bilingual Brain Is Sharper and More Focused, Study Says





















http://blogs.wsj.com/health/2012/04/30/the-bilingual-brain-is-sharper-and-more-focused-study-says/

































************************************************************************









6 COMPUTER ESSAY SCORING DEBATE CONTINUES





















USA TODAY: Computer scoring of essays shows promise, analysis shows









Journalist Greg Toppo reports: "Computers can find a good Greek restaurant, recognize a song on the radio and beat our best players at Jeopardy. But can they grade our kids' writing? A wide-ranging new analysis suggests that the answer is 'Yes.' The study of automated computer essay-scoring software finds that a handful of programs are 'capable of producing scores similar to human scores' on thousands of sample essays...."





















Read the entire article at:









http://www.usatoday.com/news/education/story/2012-04-23/essay-scoring-computer-software/54493662/1





















NPR: Robot Eyes As Good As Humans When Grading Essays





















A new study has determined that some automated essay graders can do as good of a job as humans. Melissa Block talks with New York Times education columnist Michael Winerip about the study and the weaknesses of automatic essay readers.





















Listen at:









http://www.npr.org/2012/04/24/151305392/robot-eyes-as-good-as-humans-when-grading-essaysLike us and join the conversation at www.facebook.com/MarkItWell





















************************************************************************









7NPR's FRESH AIR REMEMBERS AUTHOR MAURICE SENDAK

































As most of you undoubtedly know, author and illustrator Maurice Sendak, whose classic children's book Where the Wild Things Are became a perennial and award-winning favorite for generations of children, died on Tuesday, May 8 during National Children's Book Week. He was 83. What you may not know is that he and FRESH AIR host Terry Gross had a unique relationship, holding several intimate interviews throughout the years. The last one from 2011 is especially poignant, as he was quite ill, his life partner and most of his friends had died, and he seemed almost ready to pass on. This episode of Fresh Air remembers Sendak with excerpts from several interviews. Listen at:





















http://www.npr.org/2012/05/08/152248901/fresh-air-remembers-author-maurice-sendak?ft=1&f=13&sc=17





















Bring tissues.





















*********************************************************************









8 STUDENT WRITING EXERCISE from BOBBIE CHRISTMAS: DUMB DECISIONS





















My dog loves to stand on my back deck and bark at every squirrel, bird, sound, or imaginary beast. My neighbors are not happy about the barking, and neither am I. At the pet store, I found a device called something like Barkoff. The packaging said that when the dog barks, the device emits a high-pitched sound beyond human hearing, but within a dog's hearing range. The sound annoys the dog when he barks, said the package, so he won't bark anymore. With confidence, I plunked down my ten dollars and tax and took the box home. I installed a battery in the device, put it on the deck with the dog, and turned it on. The dog went on barking as if nothing happened. Ten dollars down the drain. How could I even tell if the device worked? That device might be the stupidest purchase I've ever made.





















Everyone of toddler age and above has made some dumb decisions. Buying a device that I have no way of testing to see if it works is only one of mine. Think of a dumb decision you've made and write a story about it.





















Contributed by Bobbie Christmas, the author of Write In Style, a triple-award-winning creative writing textbook. Sign up for The Writers Network News, her free newsletter for writers, at www.zebraeditor.com. Follow her "Write In Style" creative writing blog at http://bobbiechristmas.blogspot.com .

































**********************************************************************









9 NEW SPANISH VERSION of 6 TRICKS WRITING GUIDE AVAILABLE LATE JULY









We are thrilled to announce that, beginning in late July, 6 Tricks to Student NARRATIVE Writing Success will be available in Spanish. Call or write for pre-orders of Seis Trucos para el Éxito Estudiantil en la Escritura Narrativa.





















Choose from 6 Tricks to Student PERSUASIVE Writing Success, 6 Tricks to Student NARRATIVE Writing Success, 6 Tricks to Student INFORMATIONAL Writing Success and 6 Tricks to Student WRITER'S ORIGAMI Success. These easy guides for teachers and students are available directly from our office, and are invaluable for clarification, reinforcement and enhancement of Writing to Command Attention! workshop methods. Consider faculty or classroom sets, so that students can refer to them after absences.





















Renowned educational author Murray Suid has given us permission to reprint his classic, easy and effective spelling guide, DEMONIC MNEMONICS: 800 SPELLING TRICKS for 800 TRICKY WORDS. There's a rat in separate. Teach art in kindergarten. The captain is the main officer. Connect with Connecticut. This canoe leaks like a shoe. In addition, Suid's appendix, A DOZEN SPELLING RULES, can easily form the basis for an entire year's worth of spelling instruction. Order online at:





















http://www.anyonecanwrite.com/6Tricks.html





















*********************************************************************









10









THE NEXT TIME SOMEONE SAYS, "THE INTERNET KILLED READING BOOKS," SHOW THEM THIS CHART





















http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/12/04/the-next-time-someone-says-the-internet-ruined-literature-show-them-this-chart/255572/





















*********************************************************************









11HELP WANTED: COFFEE/FRENCH PRESS/AEROPRESS ADVICE SOUGHT









Since I only began drinking coffee last September, I'm still experimenting with home brewing methods and a variety of whole bean coffees. Currently, I'm using a small French Press (and sometimes an Aeropress), but am having inconsistent results. Terrific one day; so-so the next. If you are a French Press or other manual brewing method enthusiast, would you please share your specific procedures and coffee favorites (both caff and decaf, since I need to mix 50-50) with me so that I might begin to achieve consistency in my efforts? Thanks - mmd





















*********************************************************************





















Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed EdLine News, and will forward it to your friends who might not be receiving it. If you wish to be permanently removed from this newsletter and event mailing list, please reply to this email with the word REMOVE in the subject line. Your email address will be immediately deleted, I promise. If you have been forwarded this by others and wish to be placed on my mailing list, please reply directly with the word ADD in the subject line. Remember that adding MarkItWell@AnyoneCanWrite.com to your address book will facilitate receiving these communications without interruption.





















HAVE A FANTASTIC SUMMER BREAK! HOPE TO SEE YOU IN THE FALL!





















All my best,









Mark





















Mark Diamond, M.Ed.









Writing to Command Attention! Workshops





















6 Tricks to Student NARRATIVE Writing Success (An Easy Guide for Students, Teachers and Parents)









6 Tricks to Student PERSUASIVE Writing Success (An Easy Guide for Students, Teachers and Parents)









6 Tricks to Student INFORMATIONAL Writing Success (An Easy Guide for Students, Teachers and Parents)









6 Tricks to Student WRITER'S ORIGAMI Success (An Easy Guide for Students, Teachers and Parents)









Demonic Mnemonics: 800 Spelling Tricks for 800 Tricky Words









Coming Soon: Seis Trucos para el Éxito Estudiantil en la Escritura Narrativa





















2890 N. Hills Dr. NE/Atlanta, GA 30305









office (404) 233-4449; fax (404) 889-8669









e-mail: MarkItWell@AnyoneCanWrite.com









website: http://www.AnyoneCanWrite.comFacebook: LIKE us and join the conversation at www.facebook.com/MarkItWell "Those who can, teach. Those who can't, go into a less significant line of work."









- Linda Darling-Hammond, NCTE convention General Session keynote speaker