Is there an educator on the planet who has not contemplated the ramifications and wondered about the value of the Common Core Standards?

How did we come to this current movement for reform? In 1996, U.S. governors and corporate leaders founded Achieve, INC., a bi-partisan organization with goals to raise academic standards and graduation requirements, to improve assessments, and to strengthen accountability in all 50 states.

In 2002, No Child Left Behind became the response to this call for education reform. However, a decade later, this movement seems to have become stuck in assessment paperwork and an overall failure to thrive.

The initial motivation for the development of the Common Core State Standards was part of the American Diploma Project (ADP) sponsored by The Education Trust, the Thomas B. Fordham Foundation, and Achieve, Inc. In 2004, the ADP released new graduation benchmarks in response to statistical analysis of employment data and extensive research involving faculty members postsecondary institutions, front-line managers, and high school educators. In a nutshell, the analysis clearly indicated that students are not entering the world of college and career with the knowledge base and skills needed to compete and succeed. The 2004 benchmarks clearly identified the English and math that graduates must master to succeed in credit-bearing college courses and high-performance, high-growth jobs.

Fast forward to 2012. Charged with the responsibility to prepare our students, educators throughout the country are deciphering and responding. Some are wary of the Common Core Standards having been disappointed by assessment trumping reforms with No Child Left Behind. Others are confused about what needs to change and what needs to be continued. And still others are simply not convinced that the Common Core Standards will create the outcomes needed.

Regardless of how we weigh in on current reforms, the bottom line is the same for one and all. In common, we must establish education standards that will develop the core skills required for successful competition in the 21st century global marketplace!

We welcome your thoughts on the subject.

With the emphasis on the practice of differentiation in all classrooms, teachers need to think about adjusting assignments for learners so that standards are achieved. A powerful strategy to use is the design of tiered assignments – tasks that are adjusted in increasing challenge level. Listed here are some aspects of tasks to consider when designing adjusted, or tiered assignments.

For students who need more support, include:
- less difficult independent reading
- materials based on the average reading level of the participants
- sparse text, graphic aids
- low level of abstraction, as concrete as possible
- fewer steps to complete the assignment
- convergence on right answers to solve problems
- knowledge and comprehension levels of thinking for independent work
- supportive strategies (graphic organizers or teacher prompting) to help students infer and draw conclusions

For average students, include:
- independent reading materials from the textbook or other on-grade level sources
- concrete concepts to help students transition to more abstract concepts
- questions or problems that are a mix of open-minded and “right answers”
- more steps
- opportunities to infer and draw conclusions with less teacher support; teacher should count on being on hand if necessary to prompt students in this area.
- assurance that students can be successful with knowledge, comprehension and application on their own, and that with help, they can address some of the high levels of thinking

For advanced learners, include:
- reading materials from more complex and lengthy sources
- abstract concepts as much as possible and use of open-ended questions exclusively
- opportunities for students to infer and evaluate
- the assumption that students have knowledge, comprehension and application abilities, and that they will be challenged only if you ask them to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate.

While these tasks take some time to develop, the results allow learners to be challenged at their own readiness levels which increase motivation and engagement in the classroom.

Author:
Christina Fenton
Literacy Education and Resource Network (LEARN)
Christina’s bio

As the new school year begins, facts and figures are flying through the air and students are immersed in the standard curriculum. But how are your students doing with the hidden curriculum?

This school phenom has a significant impact upon student performance, productivity and attitude, but all too often strategies for mastering the hidden curriculum remain………hidden!

The hidden curriculum consists of the unwritten and unspoken school rules. Unique for every building, it is the culture of the school. While the standard curriculum is presented in handbooks and on websites, the hidden curriculum is not and woe to the student who hasn’t the skills or strategies to uncover and master it.

A University of Wisconsin study of the hidden curriculum identifies the following key factors:
• It is created, maintained and manipulated by students and staff
• It is both destructive and constructive in nature
• It must be taught to socially challenged children
• It can be more important to school success than the standard curriculum

How can you begin to identify the hidden curriculum? One way is to consider the aspects of your school’s physical plant such as:
• Locations of bathrooms and drinking fountains
• Short cuts from wing to wing
• Areas informally designated as gathering spots for certain groups such as the gym hallway for 8th graders or the front memory garden for seniors
• Location of support staff offices such as guidance and counseling office or nurse’s office

Students unaware of these features may run into difficulties. You can help them by pointing out and discussing these aspects of the school setting and culture.

It also helps to draw attention to social cues that some students might miss:
• Mr. James allows gum chewing in class, but Mr. Allen gives detention for it
• Adults respond best when students look at them when they are speaking
• When a teacher is scolding a student it is wise not to laugh, comment or ask questions
• We address people differently, based upon roles – one doesn’t speak to the principal the way she speaks to her friends at lunch

Once you have identified some of the elements of your school’s hidden curriculum, you are ready to share this information with students who are struggling with these unwritten, unspoken but important aspects of the school experience!

For more information and ideas about the hidden curriculum, go to www.cec.sped.org

Author:
Beth Sugg, Co-Founder
Literacy Education and Resource Network (LEARN)
Beth’s bio
email: bsugg@learnwebsite.com

When a SMART Interactive White Board first arrives in your classroom, your main goal is to learn how to use the tools in Notebook software (the program that accompanies the Board) that make this new technological device work! You will want to know how to turn on the Board, use the electronic pen and eraser, import clip art, photographs, and movies into a lesson, and how to save and print lessons and classroom notes.

Once you start to feel comfortable with the SMART Board tools, you are ready incorporate the bells and whistles the SMART Board has to offer to make your lessons differentiated and interactive. The following is a list of a few tips and resources that can help you take full advantage of your SMART Board. These tips and others can be found in the SMART Learner Workbooks (Level 1 and 2) by SMART Technologies. Those who enroll in our SMART Workshops will receive copies of both of these workbooks.

1. Include a title page, a teacher note page and a lesson note page at the beginning of every SMART Board lesson. Placing these pages at the beginning of each lesson will help you list the objectives and standards you are addressing in a lesson. These pages will also be a great help to colleagues with whom you may share lessons. On the lesson note page, be sure to take time to critique your lesson after you have taught it. This will help the teaching and learning go more smoothly the second time around!

2. Consistent page layout helps students know where to look on a page for important information. You can also create your own lesson Notebook Pages and save them in My Content. These self-designed pages could contain the school or self- designed subject area logos. Going to the Format Menu in the Notebook Software even allows you to create your own themes.

3. Use links (link to pages in a lesson, files on your computer, sounds, attachment tab links that can incorporate Word documents, PowerPoint files, Internet links) to expand upon lesson material Links will easily allow you to differentiate your material for addressing the diverse learning styles of your students. Links also improve the organization and flow of a lesson.

4. Make use of interactive games/tools available on the Internet Many interactive sites for use with your SMART Board lessons can be found by Googling “interactive and your grade level or subject area”. Interactive tools for SMART Board use can also be found at:

a. Thinkfinity – http://thinkfinity.com
b. SAS Curriculum Pathways – http://sascurriculumpathways.com
c. Professor Garfield – http://professorgarfield.org

5. Seek lesson activities on the Internet Go to the Gallery Tab in the Notebook Software and select SMART Exchange to view lessons others have designed for use with the SMART Board. Below is the website for SMART Exchange along with several other sites for locating SMART Board lessons. Lessons at any of these sites can easily be edited to fit your instructional needs.

a. http://exchange.smarttech.com
b. http://teq.com
c. http://www.scholastic.com/interactivewhiteboards/

6. Collaborate and share resources with others Below are a number of websites where you can go to learn and share SMART Board resources with other teachers.

a. http://gettingsmarterwithsmartboards.blogspot.com/
b. http://www.teacherslovesmartboards.com/
c. http://teachingwithsmartboard.com/

This is just the beginning of some of the tips and resources you can use to make teaching with the SMART Board more motivating for your students.

Author:
Susan Johnson
Literacy Education and Resource Network (LEARN)
Susan’s bio

If you are like me, sometimes you cannot remember if it is June or Tuesday! Is it age? Is it overload? Why so much trouble remembering?

Remembering is a complex process. According to Ed Bolles, specialist in memory and learning, “We remember what we understand; we understand only what we pay attention to; we pay attention to what we want.”

At the very least, remembering is linked to motivation, learning style, good planning, and past learning. It is a challenge. Because I do not want you to memorize too much all at once, I’ll cite the four essential ingredients that help us remember, and in this blog, address the first one.

1. Meaning
2. Modeling
3. Practice
4. Sequencing

MEANING
Meaning refers to having the learner understand or value the learning. Meaning does not exist in the material itself. It exists in the relationship of the material to the student’s past knowledge and experience. If you hear that the human body has 6 quarts of blood but have no familiarity with a quart, the concept of the volume of blood in an adult has no meaning.

REAL MEANING
Students want to make meaning of material they are learning. They ask: “is this like me, about me, of value to me? “Will it benefit me?” If the answer is no, the student will have more difficulty remembering.
So, to add meaning:
• use examples from real life to illustrate concepts
• make associations with things the students already know (past learning)

It may be hard to remember this number: 4082668921
But, the same numbers, given in a familiar way, 408-266-892, make remembering much easier.

ARTIFICAL MEANING
Sometimes it is difficult to give real meaning. In that case, you need to provide artificial meaning. Use memory devices called mnemonics, musical tunes, raps, and graphic organizers to provide artificial meaning. Remember these?

ROYGBIV
HOMES
FACE

How many of us remember the jingle, “In fourteen hundred ninety two, Columbus sailed the ocean blue?” You can find wonderful music, videos, and sample graphic organizers on line. Even using the Cornell note taking method provides a visual that helps retain information. Using visuals that graphic organizers provide and putting words to familiar tunes, give artificial meaning and help the brain remember.

According to Eric Jensen, brain researcher and author of Teaching with the Brain in Mind, the brain is meaning driven. Meaning is more important than information.

If you want to increase the probability of retaining information, the first step is to make the material meaningful! Make it relevant and hook it to the student’s past learning and experience.

A school is a community and each of its adult members has the potential to be a positive influence on students.   Too often, the non-classroom support people are overlooked when considering the educational process. 

Support personnel interact with students in many settings and there can be many positive outcomes from these interactions. For example, attendance clerks can develop a relationship with students who have attendance issues and determine the source of the problem. Then they can make a referral to the appropriate professional.  Administrative assistants can be safe adults for students often sent to the main office or who frequent the guidance office by having positive interactions with the student.  Cafeteria workers see students daily and can build relationships by joking with students, learning their names and greeting them warmly.  Custodians have the potential to connect with students who hang out in the hall or obscure locations in the building and, at times, even let a student help them in small ways. The security person who makes an effort to connect in a positive way with a student may be the only adult the student interacts with on a particular day.

Conversely, these interactions can be hostile, combative and detrimental to students.  While some support people instinctively know how to interact with students, many do not.  They have no formal training and cannot be expected to work with students on the same level as professionals. 

The school can, however, take several steps to maximize the skills and performance of support personnel. Just as classroom personnel receive in service training, so should support personnel.  They need to learn about and practice communication skills. They also need to understand what is and is not appropriate for them to do, what the proper channels of referral and reporting are, and how the issue of confidentiality pertains to them.  The very act of providing support personnel with training lets them know that they are valued members of the school community.  This, in turn, leads to increased morale, job satisfaction and performance.

School leaders can promote a culture in which support personnel are treated with respect and dignity and their worth is acknowledged.  For example, support personnel may be invited to attend a portion of a faculty meeting where a special occasion is being celebrated with refreshments. In some cases, a provide information at a parent conference for a student with whom she has a relationship.  An employee of the month program, much like the programs many schools have for teachers, is an excellent way to recognize and motivate support personnel.  Training, including, and validating support personnel strengthens the school program, and enriches the students’ educational experience.

At this time of year, getting and keeping students’ attention can be challenging.  There are many distractions and since they spend 55% of their school day listening, it’s so important that they learn some strategies for tuning in.

The fact is, you can and should teach kids tips to improve their listening skills.  Here are some listening strategies that are easy to do and that you can implement into your classroom routines.  

• Listen with a purpose in mind and listen to remember.   Remind them to listen for important information as you are teaching.   Ask them to prove they have been listening carefully by turning to the student next to them to repeat the statement they just heard- or ask a question based on information you have given.  When you have this expectation, most kids will listen more attentively.  Throughout the lesson, continue to randomly ask students to share and paraphrase what they have heard.   To make this more fun, call this the “Prove It” listening game- they are proving that they have listened well!
• Establish eye contact with the speaker.  If you want their complete attention, ask them to look at you and wait until all eyes are focused right at you.   Only then should you begin speaking.
• Avoid distractions.  Tell them that you are easily distracted, so have a no tolerance policy for tapping pencils, talking while you are speaking, and other kid-generated noise!  Close doors if hallways are noisy, and think carefully about your seating chart – talkers should be separated.
• Take notes.  Note-taking shouldn’t be a lost art in your classroom and it is an important listening tool.   Here is a task to try, and you can change it depending on grade level- but even third graders can try this.  First give them guidelines to help practice this skill.  For example, ask students to listen for five main ideas in a short introduction to a lesson.  Give number cues at first (first, second, etc.), so they clearly know which are the main ideas they should write as notes.  Encourage them to write notes or brief phrases and not sentences.  Eventually, they should be able to select main ideas on their own without cues.  

Another way to practice note-taking is to have students watch a subject video and give them an unfinished outline with topic headings.  Have them watch and fill it in as they listen for main ideas listed.  Lower grade levels will need more practice distinguishing the difference between main ideas and details.

• Teach students to be considerate.  Ask them to wait for an appropriate time to ask questions.  For students who can be impulsive, this is difficult, but you will be teaching them an important life skill if you can help them practice patience.

Practicing these strategies and improving listening skills will help students understand the difference between hearing and listening.  This will not only help them in school, but also in the workplace and in their relationships with family and friends.  Everyone loves a good listener!

Author:
Jan Gubiotti
Literacy Education and Resource Network (LEARN)
Jan’s bio

As the school year progresses, we develop relationships with our students and their parents. Often, the parents we have the most contact with are the difficult ones who present a hostile persona. It is easy to become irritated with the incessant demands, unrealistic goals or angry attitudes of these parents.

Hostile parents may be unhappy with their lives, their child or experiencing a difficult time at home or work.  In order to deal effectively with such parents, the cardinal rule is to remain calm and professional. If we respond with anger or yelling,  we will ramp up the hostility. These parents are looking for a reaction,  and when we provide them with one, they see themselves as having won a battle.  We need to block the confrontation and eliminate the “battle” mentality.  Sometimes, the best we can do is simply listen. Most angry parents really need understanding,  a sympathetic ear, or encouragement.  By listening with genuine concern and interest and allowing them to vent,  we are more likely to  defuse the anger.   Then they may be more willing to focus on the problem at hand.

If a parent becomes verbally abusive, it is time to set a boundary. In an emotionally neutral voice, say, “It’s not ok to talk to me like that.” Or “This yelling isn’t getting us anywhere.”  Then repeat the current issue by saying, “Let’s focus on what we can do to… (solve the specific problem)”.  If you have a negative history with a parent or have reason to believe the parent has mental health or substance abuse issues, then it is time to call for backup. Asking an administrator, counselor or department head to sit in on the conference is an appropriate and prudent measure.

State a goal for the meeting or phone conversation, and keep coming back to it when the parent digresses.  Remind the parent that the two of you have the same goal:  dealing with current issues so the student can be more successful.  Finally, remember that no matter how difficult or unreasonable  parents may be, they are talking to you because they want what is best for their child.

Author:
Robin Kotok
Literacy Education and Resource Network (LEARN)
Robin’s bio

With winter upon us, students are susceptible to a troubling lack of energy and motivation often referred to as the “winter blahs”.  Rising in the dark, perhaps boarding the bus in the dark, and facing the middle of the school year can try the spirit of the best of students.  Those of us who work directly with kids every winter day need to recognize and address the winter blahs in order to help students cope and not lose educational ground.

The problem might be exacerbated by the fact that you have the blahs too!  Best advice:  get over it?  No, communicate it!  When you recognize mid-year lethargy in your students, let them know that you get it.  Spend some time identifying the “symptoms” and do some brainstorming of the causes.  Knowing that other people feel the same goes a long way toward developing a coping strategy.

As is so often the case, the way you confront the issue sets the stage for your students who are always watching you.  Talking about the blahs is good, but in addition, you can model ways to fight them.   From having a mid-morning nutritional snack to planning something fun for the weekend or making plans for summer vacation, modeling proactive behaviors helps students develop their own strategy for beating the blahs.

Now might be a good time to revisit and renew September goals.  Assuming a guide-on-the-side role, steer students toward assessing and revising their goals for the school year. Working through goal assessment with peers gets students looking ahead and might motivate them to get back on track with schoolwork.  If your students never set goals for themselves in September, take advantage of the “blahs” to show how setting goals is a way of taking control of their lives!

Author:
Beth Sugg, Co-Founder
Literacy Education and Resource Network (LEARN)
Beth’s bio
email: bsugg@learnwebsite.com

She hasn’t missed a day of school in the past five years.  He spends his own money on paper, pencils and snacks for special occasions.  They chaperone school activities and frequently show up at games and matches.  They listen and nudge and encourage, and they awake in the night worrying about “their kids”.

In the busy-ness of a school year, paraprofessionals are sometimes underappreciated, certainly nor intentionally, but because their role and responsibilities are meant to be “on the side”.  They are the guides on the side!   Parapros work at blending into the classroom, into the educational community, providing the support needed by struggling students.  And while striving to give this educational support, so many parapros forge strong and valuable relationships not only with the students they are responsible for, but also with other students in the community.

Unfortunately, when it comes to professional development, paraprofessionals are sometimes overlooked.  School districts face the constant challenge to provide staff development within shrinking budgets.  This often means that allocations for materials and programs are often not sufficient to provide ample training and materials for paraprofessional professional development!  And yet, these members of the educational community have a day-to-day pivotal role in applying IEP mandates!  It is critical to maximize the effectiveness of this valued resource by provide ongoing, relevant, useful paraeducator training and handbooks.

It really does take a whole village to raise a child – and those doing the raising need ongoing support, training and appreciation!

Author:
Beth Sugg, Co-Founder
Literacy Education and Resource Network (LEARN)
Beth’s bio
email: bsugg@learnwebsite.com