Researchers studied what great teachers do differently than good teachers. They defined great teachers as teachers whose students began the year several years behind academically and ended the year caught up or ahead. Researchers found that Great Teachers:


1.Set Big Goals – “teachers know on the 1st day where they want their students to be on the last day. The goals create urgency, focus, and alignment of effort necessary to make tremendous progress”

Crystal Jones “rallied her 1st graders around the idea that by the end of the year they were going to “read, write, and do math like 3rd graders.””

“Meg Stewart challenged her students…to “double their learning” and demonstrate two years of academic growth in one year.”



2.Get students invested in learning – Their students entered the class thinking they were “dumb” and that no amount of hard work would change that. Exceptional teachers convince students that hard work makes all the difference.

These teachers deliberately create a welcoming environment where academic success is highly valued.

They infuse the class with messages supporting academic achievement and clearly communicate student’s academic progress to them.

They empower students with choice and responsibility in their own learning.



3.Purposeful Planning - The most successful teachers are backwards planners. They begin any endeavor, from lesson planning to classroom-management by asking, what result do I want? And How will I know I’ve gotten it?

Julia King’s students average gains of 2.4 – 1.7 years in math. She envisions exactly what her students will know and be able to do at the end of the year and then organizes the units for the year. Each week she looks at the objectives for the unit, writes 5 assessment questions per objective, and only then plans her lesson.



4.What does it mean to effectively implement instruction in the classroom?

“Effective implementation, they insist, is about the adjustments you make to the plan to ensure that you stay on track toward your objectives.”



5.Continually Improving – Teachers who are getting the greatest results treat their classrooms as laboratories

“…If they’re not mastering concepts they need to master, then I need to learn how to teach them more effectively.”



6.Working Relentlessly – dramatically effective teachers say, “If I take my big goals seriously, there is just not enough time in the day, not enough resources in the classroom, to get it all done.” Then, they go on to describe how they find more time and resources.

They have their students in class before and after school, at lunch, and on Saturdays...they do whatever it takes to ensure that students succeed.




Farr, S. (2010). Leadership, not magic. Educational Leadership, 68, 28-33.

2020 Vision: Experts Forecast What the Digital Revolution Will Bring Next

2020 Vision: Experts Forecast What the Digital Revolution Will Bring Next

What does the future of schools look like? That is what was asked of three top educational technology leaders to various experts in the field of education. Their answers were all the same: personal technology for every student. In 1993, surfing the net and wireless ability were scarcely common household terms. Now, wireless ability can even be found at the local McDonalds. According to these technological leaders, the two most important technological developments are the internet and mobility. When these two are combined, they will shape the future of education. Computers should be in the hands of every student, not in computer labs down the hall. Schools are behind the times when it comes to technology. Schools must combine “the use of these technologies that they [students] live in their private lives and make use of them for learning.” Not all of the technological advances have happened as leaders would have hoped. These three educational technology leaders hoped that the technology would personalize instruction to student’s individual needs and learning styles. This has not completely happened. However, instead of wasting money on research proving what we already know, students need to use the technology so that we can see if it is working or not. It becomes a trial and error process. By the students using it, the data is quickly gathered, modified, and then corrected. Technology can also be used in assessment to help students and teachers. Broadband must be funded to be used in the schools to support the technology. When asked what can be seen in the future? The response was, a digital classroom- no textbooks, social networking among students and teachers, smartphones and iPads.

THE Journal. (2010). 2020 Vision: Experts Forecast What the Digital Revolution Will Bring Next. Retrieved from http://thejournal.com/Articles/2010/11/01/Talkin-about-a-Revolution.aspx?p=1

"Teaching Skillfull Teaching"

Bob Ostrander

December - January Issue / The Effective Educator

What makes one classroom more effective than the rest?

Answer - (1st) Get students to reason and solve problems. (2nd) Try to get all students to achieve this outcome.

Understand this...teaching is complicated. We are required to share what we know well to those, so they can digest it clearly. Easier said than done.

Teaching is unnatural; how? - it demands you take apart what comes easily so others can understand it. It also requires you to help others SEE what they do not SEE. We must discern how to reach them before this can be accomplished.

Noticing the differences of how students learn is the challenge.

To be an effective teacher we are called to continually learn how to teach effectively. "Knowing" and "Doing"teaching are two different animals. It takes classroom experience, constant adapting and using what is proven to be effective.

KEY - Ask good questions!

We challenge the minds more when we respond to what students say - we engage...not just speak to.

When you get an answer - ASK WHY.

We adapt, we tweak, we constantly grow to be more effective...we TEACH!

Synopsis of “Tech Kids Love” by: Samantha Cleaver

This article presents many different possibilities for using Technology to enhance learning in the classroom. Many ideas can be overwhelming. Sometimes teachers will feel vulnerable with the students because of computer gliches and the vast learning curve for technology. One fifth grade teacher said “I do make more mistakes. But that’s okay. It is about letting the kids see you as a learner and there is a sense of co-creativity in the classroom. “This view gives us as teachers an opportunity to explore possibilities with less apprehension. Below is a list of some ideas that were presented in the article.

1-    Online Research Templates creates by teachers- www.Digital Pencil.org.

2-    Can Create Google websites (sites.google.com) to present research projects or use create a blog (www.blogger.com) to discuss a topic

3-    Teachers used Skype to combine classes together. This enables different views on subjects it also gives immediate feedback from person to person.

4-    There is an immediate response system for lessons using multiple choice questions. It is called Turning Point- www. Turningtechnologies.com

5-    Connect with other Teachers desiring to use technology in classroom or collaborate online use virtualteacherexchange.ning.com

6-    Students can use their imagination to retell stories or tales by creating Movies. This increases comprehension & fluency. Two sites that can be helpful are commoncraft.com & xtranormal.com

7-      Simplybox.com is used so teachers can compile links & images for students to use in their presentations.

8-     A great tool for discussion and brainstorming is to use a blog. The student can share information, pictures and videos. Use www.blogspot.com or you can use vimeo which is an educational video sharing website at vimeo.com 

There are many options for you to review, take the time to challenge yourself to start with one. Perhaps start with one for this quarter, or one for this semester or, even one for this year. Take the step into the teaching the 21^st Century student.

“Got Opportunity” by Russell Qualglia, Kristine Fox, and Michael Corso

“I’m not as smart as the Honors kids, so there is no point in trying harder.” “My teacher just doesn’t like me.” “School’s boring!” We have all heard the excuses. Imagine if instead of hearing our students complain about school, we heard them say, “My teacher believes I can succeed.” Or, what if our students said, “My teacher cares about me.” Wouldn’t we as teachers be blown away if one of our students said, “School is a welcoming place, and it is important to set high goals to learn.”

Not all students fit into the first category of complaining, failing students just as not all students will fit into the positive, achieving group of students either. There are definite gaps between those students who succeed with or without our help, those students who succeed with some extra help, and those students who fail no matter how much we try to help them. We, as educators, must bridge that gap. In their article “Got Opportunity,” Russell Quaglia, Kristine Fox, and Michael Corso identify three specific gaps to consider: the expectations gap, the relationship gap, and the participation gap.

More often than not, people only achieve what is expected of them. To close the expectations gap, Quaglia, Fox, and Corso recommend that teachers let each of their students know what he or she is doing well and then explain how the student can do better on the next assignment. The authors encourage teachers to hold students accountable, and to tell the students individually what is expected from him or her. (2)

“…Sadly, some survey results indicated that many students lack a solid, trusting relationship with a teacher….more than half of almost 500,000 students surveyed do not believe that teachers care if they show up…” (Quaglia, Fox, & Corso, p. 2)Statistics show that students who find some kind of connection with their teachers put forth more effort in their work. This effort is directly tied to the student’s achievement. To close the relationship gap, teachers should follow up with students who are absent (let them know they were missed), host lunches in the classroom, and ask students what their personal goals are.

The final gap that seems to directly affect student success is the participation gap. The authors write, “To close achievement gaps, schools must cultivate an atmosphere that connects students meaningfully to their learning – one that leads young people to learn content that’s relevant to them, encourages them to ask questions, and puts them at ease in taking risks.” (p, 3) Teachers can show students that we care about their opinions by discussing issues that are relevant to the students, welcoming all questions, and creating after-school activities that focus on the students’ interests. Our society has changed, and students learn differently today than they did in the past. By using technology and information today, we must apply relevant strategies to our teaching practices.

Bibliography

Quaglia, R., Fox, K., & Corso, M. (2010, November). Got Opportunity? Educational Leadership , 68 (3), pp. 1-5.

Synopsis of “Releasing Responsibility” by Douglas Fisher and Nancy Frey


SCENARIO: Students in a 4th grade class…8th grade…11th grade…walk into the classroom and the assignment is neatly written on the board:

Due at the end of the hour:
Read Part 12B and answer questions on page 123

Don’t we want our students to interact with the material and learn to be responsible for their own work? Solo work…assignments given where students individually engage with the subject matter should be planned and assigned well after the teaching process has begun. Once students have been “hooked,” teacher explanation has begun, notes have been given, modeling has taken place; then, students are ready for “independent” learning. In other words, Fisher and Frayer (2008) suggest a variety of teaching strategies must take place before we ask students to “read” and “do” on their own. “These supports include models of the kind of thinking they will need to do, access to academic language, peer collaboration, and guided instruction” (p.33). A study was referenced that showed teachers often ask students to take responsibility for the learning process “prematurely.” Many teachers assign homework because they run out of time in class. Independent work should be reserved for review and reinforcement of concepts –not new concepts. By planning steps in the learning process to define academic terms, facilitate student thinking through guided instruction, and collaborate ideas, students assume responsibility for their learning and gain confidence to take risks. This in turn scaffolds the process of student understanding before they complete tasks independently.

“Well-structured independent learning tasks are the ultimate way to build self esteem through competence…the purpose is to refine skills and become experts” (p. 37).


Reference: Fisher, D., & Fray, N. (2008). Releasing Responsibility. Educational Leadership, 66(3), 33-37.

Success with Less Stress

Success with Less Stress

Homework, classwork, quizzes, tests, projects, deadlines, Help! That is what students are screaming. They are stressed out! According to Conner, Galloway, and Pope (2010) students are more stressed out over schoolwork and its pressures of the college admissions process and standardized tests than divorce or family illness (p 54). Students have reverted to dealing with their stress by cutting themselves, using illegal stimulants, becoming sleep deprived, and consuming alcohol. The problem of overstressed students can be lessened if schools devise a strategy to help ease the stress. Some strategies that Conner (2010) discussed are changing the schedule (p 57). Adding more free periods or a modified block schedule can allow more time for the students to work easing their stress. Another strategy is to have more staff training and development to conduct workshops on engagement and alternative assessment. Also, altering exams and exam times is a strategy that can help reduce student stress. “More than three-quarters of these sophomores and juniors [surveyed] agreed that rescheduling exams from after the winter break to before the break reduced their stress (Conner, 2101, p57). Parents, schools, students, and federal policies all have a role to play to help ease student stress.

Conner, J., Galloway, M., & Pope, D. (2010). Success with less stress. Educational Leadership, 67, 4, 54-57.

More Time, More Learning

There have recently been public debates over lengthening the school calendar. "With President Obama and U.S. Secretary of Education Duncan now challenging educators to move beyond a school schedule and calendar developed for a farm and factory era, expanded learning time is moving to center stage." (Gabrieli 40) Some schools in the United States have already adopted schedules that increase the school day by 60%!

Is it successful? Clarence Edwards Middle School in Charleston, Massachusetts adopted an expanded learning time schedule three years ago. (Monday through Thursday, students start school at 7:20 and end at 4:00. On Fridays, the school day ends at 11:40 a.m.) In that time, their scores have soared...whereas before Edward's students' scores lagged far behind the state average, they now are 60% higher than the state average. The students spend the extra time at school being tutored in the subject in which they struggle the most. Also, the school is now able to offer almost twice the previous level of instruction in science and social studies.

Is expanded learning time right for everyone? No. This type of schedule is mainly targeted for middle-grade students in high-poverty schools.

Ten Keys to Success:

1. In order for expanded learning time to be worth your while, you must increase the schedule by 300 hours a year or 1 hour and 45 minutes a day! Some schools go an extra month in the summer as a way to expand the schedule.

2. Schools must redesign the entire schedule by lengthening core subject by 30 minutes or so. Also, schools can expand time for lunch and recess.

3. There must be a balance between academic time and time for teachers to collaborate with the students individually.

4. Prioritize and focus. Schools often mess up by trying to do too much in that time. Be careful not to allow too many electives to interfere with students mastering the most important areas.

5. All students must follow the same schedule, not the same classes. The students' classes should be individualized, but all students should follow the same bell schedule.

6. Involve the community. Plan with the community leaders when designing the school schedule. Assess the needs of the community.

7. Use and incorporate data-proven techniques in the classroom. Allow for extra tutoring sessions with students.

8. Offer enrichment activities that both expose and enrich.

9. Teachers and professionals should collaborate. Teachers should collaborate with one another.

10. Teachers and students should show a positive attitude toward working together to achieve success.

All in all, where there has been a need to do so, and when done properly, there has been success by expanding the school schedule. The biggest hurdle when developing an effective expanded learning time schedule appears to be balance of academic instruction, enrichment activities, resources, and extracurricular activities.

5 Hallmarks of Good Homework

EL
September 2010
Vol. 68 No.1
Meaningful Homework

There are five key factors to consider when assigning meaningful homework to students. The factors to consider are the purpose, efficiency, ownership, competence, and aesthetic appeal.

Beginning with purpose, it is our goal to give students methods to do homework that is purposeful to them, methods that work for their learning style. For example, instead of assigning spelling homework to write the words three times each, a better assignment might be to create your own method to practice spelling words such as use Scrabble tiles to spell the words or create a puzzle using the words. Instead of assigning science homework to write definitions to the 15 vocabulary words, an alternative might be to write sentences or a story using the vocabulary words. Finally, instead of assigning 20 math problems for homework, all focused on the new skill taught, consider assigning 3 problems to practice the new concept, and 10 problems to practice previous skills taught.

Homework assignments should be efficient. They should demonstrate evidence of learning without requiring excessive amounts of time to complete. Instead of assigning projects like dioramas, models, and posters, an alternative way to demonstrate learning may be to have students write a diary entry illustrating the concepts studied in a unit.

Teachers should give students ownership of their homework, to promote their motivation to do the homework. If the class is doing a report on a country, students may feel ownership of their assignment when allowed to chose their own method of presentation, such as creating a Power Point presentation, a travel brochure, or a traditional research paper.

To help students feel competent in completing their homework, differentiate assignments so they are at the appropriate level of difficulty for individual students. Struggling students may require fewer questions, less complex problems, or less reading.

Finally, homework assignments should have aesthetic appeal. Five-page worksheets look boring and tedious. Students are more motivated to complete assignments that are visually uncluttered. The use of graphics or clip art make tasks look inviting.

Students may be more motivated and successful in completing homework when the elements of purpose, efficiency, ownership, competence, and aesthetic appeal have been incorporated into the assignment.

Flagged for Success

“FLAGGED FOR SUCCESS”

A red flag early warning system enables a teacher to CATCH students before they free fall into failure.

Can students fall through the cracks without notice?

How could this happen?

Do I need to set up RED FLAGS – to make sure I do not miss ONE?

The answer to these questions is YES, YES, YES!

Robyn Jackson, the author of this article set a standard of 75% as her red flag to begin a watch – thus an intervention began.

An intervention is any type of class help/ study strategy / review package/ teacher attentiveness / that can aid the student in achieving success.

The THREE types of students to be flagged:

1. The quiet downward slide – “Ben got a 74 and was a good kid…but now his homework began to falter…concern. After looking into it further Ben’s home life was falling apart…divorce and anger were affecting his studies.” Intervention is the love a child needs to help them gain back what has been lost. Follow- ups and careful attention is a wonderful intervention that goes a long way.

2. The uncooperative and disengaged – the student who is challenged from the beginning; will they pay attention; will they give up? They are the students who fight the help, they look to avoid your assistance; but with persistence you can reach them.

3. The far behind student – this is the student who sets off all red flags – does bad in class, tests, homework and so on. This student takes our best effort to get him on track – intervention and follow-up after follow-up. Will they use the strategies you offer to help them achieve? Some students need help just to pass – are you willing to put in the effort/love?

Rules for Establishing RED FLAGS

· You want a clear signal – make a cutoff point where there is no question that they need intervention. (% Grade)

· NEVER ignore a red flag – once established – follow through.

· Red flags should focus on academic concerns, not on student behaviors – this is another topic on discipleship. You will find when an academic concern arises, a life / spiritual struggle could be involved as well.

Personal note – EVERY student is precious to us – that is why we TEACH…because we love what we do and who they are. A RED FLAG is a sign from God to help us help them…AMEN!

Effectiveness of Homework per grade level

Reading from educational psychologist volume 36 Number 3 2001

In education the effectiveness of homework has been widely debated. How effective is it? This article uses science to track the effectiveness of homework by grade level. The results? elementary students to lower middle school students show little upward movement in effectiveness at lower grades and slowly getting more effective as the child gets older. Why? The article states that ... "time spent on homework and achievement is weaker for students in elementary school than in secondary school..." (the plausible reasons for this are) "First research indicates... that age differences exist in children's ability to selectively attend to stimuli." (secondly) "Younger children are less able than older children to ignore irrelevant information or stimuli"
My take on the article is that teacher directed study with an emphasis on sorting and pointing out important and irrelevant information is important. With an overall goal of independence as they enter high school, giving students tools to succeed and critically think in a college setting

iPods, iPhones, texting, emailing, instant messages, Facebook, Skype- These are just a few of the technological forms of communication that students of this generation use on an everyday basis. Students today do not want to miss anything at the risk of missing many things. “They do homework while listening to iPods, sending instant messages, or watching movies on the computer” (Sprenger, 2009, p.34). As a result, the students have become experts at skimming and scanning, yet they are losing their ability to affectively concentrate to their fullest potential. Why do students do this? “The main goal behind multitasking is not so much to be productive as to be connected to someone” (Sprenger, 2009, p.36). A healthy balance is needed between technology and connecting with real people. Sprenger suggests seven different strategies to help students stay connected with real people using technology. Those strategies are, one: provide reflection time. Reflection allows different areas of the brain to be used allowing the parts that have been overworked time to rest. Two: Disarm them. Force students to set aside their gadgets and make them actively listen to their peers. This can be done as a classroom activity. Three: Let them teach. Allow students to use their technological skills in the classroom to teach mini lessons to a live audience. Four: Use interactive white boards. The interactive white boards allow the students to view the large screen; then they can physically move as necessary to utilize the board and the information shown. Five: Build emotional literacy. Students need to be able to recognize other’s emotions. This helps the students make decisions needed to cooperate and understand others, as well as themselves, better. Six: Teach mindfulness. Sprenger (2009) defines mindfulness as “a deliberate inner awareness of what one is thinking, feeling and experiencing” (p. 38). Allow the student to have a personal time of reflection. According to Sprenger, after this reflective time, students claim they feel more energized and attentive. Seven: Encourage storytelling. When a story is told, students can connect to it emotionally and have a better understanding of concepts. Students must learn to create a healthy balance between technology and connecting with real people.

Sprenger, M. (2009). Focusing the digital brain. Educational Leadership, 67(1), 34-39.

Synopsis of "Even Geniuses Work Hard" by Carol S. Dweck

Synopsis of "Even Geniuses Work Hard" by Carol S. Dweck

Do we want our students to enjoy effort, or avoid it?  Do we want our students to give up quickly, or to be persistent when faced with an obstacle?   How our students respond when faced with challenging situations is largely related to how they perceive ability.  Dweck (2010) identifies two opposing views of ability that effect how students approach learning.  Students with a fixed-mindset avoid challenging learning opportunities, feel dumb when work is hard and believe there is nothing they can do to succeed when a subject or task is difficult for them.  Students with a growth-mindset seek out challenging learning opportunities and embrace hard work because they view challenges as an opportunity to grow.

As teachers, we can help our students develop a growth-mindset.  Dweck reminds us that every student needs challenging learning tasks.  She writes, “It is crucial that no student coast to success time after time; this experience can create the fixed-mindset belief that you are smart only if you can succeed without effort” (p. 19).  In fact, we need to praise effort rather than praising good results achieved without effort.  We can also encourage a growth mindset by portray challenging work as fun and easy work as boring, adding the word “yet” when a student says they are not good at something, and showing students their growth through pre and post test scores.

Reference: Dweck, C. (2010). Even geniuses work hard. Educational Leadership, 68(1), 16 – 20.

Christie McCulloch, Ph.D.

Assistant Director of Academic Advancement

Calvary Christian Academy

(954) 905-5206