June 16

June 16

"Teachers open the door, but you must enter by yourself."
—Chinese Proverb

In the News
The Condition of Education: http://nces.ed.gov/programs/coe/
Public elementary and secondary enrollment reached an estimated 48.3 million in 2004 and is projected to increase to an all-time high of 50 million in 2014, according to a report from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES). The Condition of Education is an annual, congressionally mandated report that serves as a one-stop shop for education statistics. While it contains little new information, the report effectively summarizes important developments and trends in education. This year's version also contains a special analysis that describes the teacher workforce and the movement of teachers into and out of this workforce.

Time For A Tune-Up!: http://snipurl.com/baylin
36 year veteran middle school teacher Eric Baylin writes a monthly column for the Education World website. Eric is a songwriter in his spare time (and when you read his biography, you'll wonder how he has any), so each month he's furnishing a song written just for teachers who need a "Tune-Up." Eric's first contribution, "They Tell Me It's Only November," was followed by his frank admission in December: "This Is Why I Am a Teacher -- All Those Breaks!" Check out Eric's Education World webpage and sing along!

Troubling student essays sometimes lead to investigation: http://www.nsba.org/site/doc_sbn_issue.asp?TRACKID=&VID=55&CID=682&DID=38569
"Thousands of student essays written for this spring’s state exams will deal with topics of bullying, neglect, abuse, or violence by or against students -- and, in response, concerned state officials will be in contact with local school districts to get help for those students."

Va., Md. Get Slack On 'No Child' Rules Changes Could Head Off Penalties for Some Schools: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/06/15/AR2005061502353.html
Federal regulators have granted Virginia and Maryland changes that could keep some schools from facing sanctions later this year

Helpful Sites
Connected Learning: http://www.title3.org
K-12 lessons/units that utilize technology as well as other subject areas. They were created as part of the Literacy Challenge Grant program in New York. All lessons are geared to state and national standards.

Crossword Puzzle Games: http://www.crosswordpuzzlegames.com/
CrosswordPuzzleGames is a family-friendly site that sticks to dictionary words. And with 32,400 free crossword puzzles to print, you could do one a day for 88 years and still not run out! Start with a 12x12 word grid or move up to the 18x18 version. Tools include a puzzle solver just in case you get stuck. Or use the crossword creator to make your own puzzles for home, school or work. There is even a Daily Pick--a fresh crossword puzzle everyday, just like the daily newspaper!

Education Reform: http://edreform.net/

Exemplary Practices in Comprehension Strategies for Struggling Middle School Readers: http://www.bridgew.edu/Library/CAGS_Projects/A2SMITH/webpage/index.htm

New York State Learning Standards: http://www.nysatl.nysed.gov/standards

Problem Based Network @ Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy: http://www2.imsa.edu/programs/pbln/

The Reading Foundation: Stages of Reading Development: http://www.thereadingfoundation.com/stages.html

Staying Involved: Approaches to Helping Our Middle School and High School Students Learn: http://www.academicresources.org/learning.html
Staying involved in the education of middle and high school students can be challenging for many parents. The article introduces a model that helps parents understand how older students learn. It explores the roles that parents can play in supporting the learning process during adolescence.

Ticket to Reading Rewards: http://www.tickettoreadingrewards.org/
"Ticket To Reading Rewards is a reading incentive program that encourages Middle School students to read books outside the classroom and obtain rewards for reading."

Writing in the Middle School
1. Have students focus on the main character in the story and write a descripton of how he or she changed in some way in the story.
2. Students can write a comparison of two characters in the story who have dissimilar ways of doing things. They should back up their statements with examples from the text.
3. Timelines are a good writing project and involve some research. It is a good idea to assign two students to work together in doing the research and creating the timeline. This can be done in conjunction with any book that deals with a subject tha tmight have an historical dimension to it, such as sports, inventions, develoment of a people or country, or a custom (dancing, food, etc.).
4. Students can pick an event in the story that is based on fact and research it for accuracy. Their results can be presented in written form to the class. Johnny Termain works well for this.
5. Students can explain the relationsip of two characters in the story, citing examples from the story that reinforce their thoughts.
6. Students can give examples from the story about the parts they liked or disliked.
7. They might offer alternative solutions to the ending of the story.
8. A good project is to take aquaotations from the text and ask students to react to them in writign. The quotes chosen can relate to character development, description of events that were important to the story, or they can simply be examples of figuative language (similes, metaphors, etc.)
9. Students can prepare a debate on a topic related to the novel.
10. Comparisons of authors who write in a similar style or about the same period of time is a good writing project. Also good is a comparison of two characters from two different books who have similar experinces. For example, comparing the main characters in Maniac Magee with The Great Gilly Hopkins and their experiences would be an interesting writing project.

Reading Programs
AIM: http://www.takingaim.org/aboutaim/contactus.htm
The Lexia Herman Method: http://www.hermanmethod.com/
Modelled Oral Reading-The Easiest and the Best Way to Learn and Teach Reading: http://www.users.bigpond.com/ryeperson/
Scholastic Reading Counts: http://www.teacher.scholastic.com/products/readingcounts/overview.htm
Stevenson Reading: http://www.stevensonsemple.com/Language_skills/description.htm

Lesson Plan Ideas
“Poster Play”
Language Arts
Skill: main idea
Materials: posters or large pictures, paper, pencils
1. In advance, gather a collection of posters or large pictures. (Calendar pictures work well.)
2. Display one picture at a time.
3. Tell students that they have 30 seconds to write a title for the poster or picture that clearly expresses what it is about.
4. After 30 seconds, remove the picture and show the next one.
5. After students have written the titles for four or five pictures, allow time for sharing. For maximum participation, show the first picture again. Students read their title to a neighbor. Then have some titles shared with the whole class. Be sure to discuss the elements that make a good title for each picture.

This site began in March 1998 and was created by Janet Luch. It was last updated on June 16, 2006 .
Email to studyplans@yahoo.com.