Personalized Learning and Common Core: Mortal Enemies?

Title: Personalized Learning and Common Core: Mortal Enemies?

Source:  www.usnews.com

URL:  http://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2017-01-10/personalized-learning-and-common-core-mortal-enemies

Key Points: The article discusses the difficult relationship between common core standards and independent learning. Due to the traditional sense of creating a curriculum that is based on holding students to the same standards, the personalized learning movement is being met with speed bumps, despite it's popularity. Though passionate proponents can argue either side, this article examines the possibility of finding common ground between the two academic systems.

 

Relevance: Learning more about how you as an individual stand on the concept of different learning styles can better help us decide how we want to go about teaching the next generation.

NYT Misleads About School Choice Yet Again

Title: NYT Misleads About School Choice Yet Again

Source:  Education News (http://www.educationviews.org/)

URL:  http://www.educationviews.org/nyt-misleads-school-choice/

Key Points:  The author suggests the New York Times has a pattern of misleading readers.  In this case, the NYT implies "most economists think a market in education wouldn’t work."  Data indicates otherwise.  The Initiative on Global Markets survey (http://www.igmchicago.org/surveys/school-vouchers) concludes "36% of surveyed economists agreed that school choice programs would be beneficial–but only 19% disagreed and 37% expressed uncertainty."

Intended Audience: politicians, administrators, teachers, student teachers, parents, students.

Relevance: President-elect Trump seems likely to promote school choice policy.

Title: 12 Ways to Avoid Student Humiliation

Source: Edutopia

Author: Dr. Richard Curwin

Date: March 26, 2015

URL Link: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/12-ways-avoid-student-humiliation-richard-curwin

Key Points: Teacher Responsibilities. "Use our influence to provide a safe haven for all students." Private communication about academics. Avoid sarcasm. Students' body language. Students' names shouldn't be written where everyone can see. Give students the right to pass if they do not want to answer/participate in the open discussion. 

Relevance: We might be some of the only people that a student can trust and feel comfortable with. I thought watching body language was an important factor, my students communicate through body language more than verbally communicating. One other factor I have seen in my room is the fact to call on students equally. If a student doesn't get the answer right, then ask them to ask a friend for help. I've seen this, and I've noticed an increase in particular students involvement with discussions. 

Title: Creating an Identity-Safe Classroom

Source: Edutopia

Author: Becky Cohn-Vargas and Dorothy M. Steele

Date: October 21, 2015

URL Link: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/creating-an-identity-safe-classroom-becki-cohn-vargas-dorothy-steele 

Key Points: Domains of Identity Safety: Student-Centered Teaching, Cultivating Diversity as a Resource, Classroom Relationships, Caring Classroom Environment. Students cultivate trust, autonomy, belonging, and competence within a identity safe classroom. 

Relevance: Within the domain of Cultivating diversity as a resources, the authors suggest that every day should include diverse music, art, games, stories, and activities. We chose to do something like this during the holidays. We traveled the world to see how different countries celebrated the holidays. But what I like most is the point of making it an every day choice. So, I would like to work at creating lessons that would incorporate diversities, but not with a specific holiday spin. 

Title: Creating Classrooms for Social Justice

Source: Edutopia

Author: Tabitha Dell'Angelo

Date: September 29, 2014

URL Link: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/creating-classrooms-for-social-justice-tabitha-dellangelo

Key Points: Social Justice. Concepts to creating classrooms for social justice.  Social Justice isn't an add on, but an orientation appropriate for all classroom settings. Connect to students' lives, but building upon their prior knowledge. Link real word problems and multiple perspectives. Help students determine their own paint of view as compared to what others might think. Create a community within the classroom, that we are call a "family" unity. Include authentic assessments. 

Relevance: I liked the "creating a classroom community" approach. The article points to the importance of treating your classmate as your "classmate sibling." Make it a priority to diversify your materials-for example, your books should encompass multiple religion, ability, language, etc. The authentic assessment example was really interesting. The author suggests that if you create an assignment where you are writing to a "fictional character," but a realistic occupation, etc. (like a zookeeper), the students should just write to a real person. The letter was more meaningful for the students. 

Title: Advisory: 22 Ways to Build Relationships for Educational Success

Source: Edutopia

Author: Nashville Big Picture High School

Date: August 16, 2016

URL Link: https://www.edutopia.org/practice/advisory-22-ways-build-relationships-educational-success

Key Points: Even though secondary school environment is filmed, after watching the video and reading the following article, the 22 way to build a relationship with your student can be applicable to primary students. Know your students and check in with your students. Allow yourself to be open and vulnerable. It's ok to not know. 

Relevance: Teacher Responsibilities and classroom structure. Some concepts that stood out to me are ones we may have heard before, but I feel like these concepts are still new and need to be reviewed repeatedly for absorption. The more students see your vulnerability, the more likely they will trust you and share with you. 

Close friendships between children can influence responses to fear

Title: Close friendships between children can influence responses to fear

Source: University of East Anglia

Author: University of East Anglia

Date: December 24, 2016

URL Link:https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/12/161224000300.htm

Audience: Educators and Parents

Key Points: To reduce anxiety in children, the University of East Anglia claims that through peer intervention and instilling peer communication, a child can more easily and readily overcome fears and anxieties that could lead to a disorder in their adult years.

Relevance: I think it should be second nature to foster peer interaction in our students, so why not use that as a tool to help students with internal conflicts as well as external. Keeping in mind that though peer interaction could be the source of the anxiety, if cultivated correctly, a peer interaction can be healing and beneficial towards a students ability to learn.

Title: Why Teaching Kindness in Schools Is Essential to Reduce Bullying

Source: Edutopia

Author: Lisa Currie

Date: August 10, 2015

URL Link: https://www.edutopia.org/blog/teaching-kindness-essential-reduce-bullying-lisa-currie

Audience: Educators

Key Points: Teacher Responsibility. In addition to discussions and lessons on kindness, students best learn kindness by feeling it towards themselves; then they will be able o reproduce it. Students' participation in kindness/acts of kindness produces an inner sense of belonging, less stress, and happiness. Kindness had a physical affect on of the body producing more serotonin, oxytocin, etc. Kindness fosters good behavior which is the opposite of behavior that would cause bullying. 

Relevance: Kindness and compassion are important to me as an educator. I have received feedback from parents on this specific matter. They noticed a change in their child, and the mother credited to our kindness, compassion and care for her child. She saw a 180 with her child. That was the most important piece of news we got this year at November conferences. When students see and receive kindness they are able to give it back. They see its a natural aspect of their educators' lives, then they will know that it is capable in their lives. 

Title: Turning discipline issues into teachable moments for SEL 

Source: Education DIVE

Author: Tara Garcia Mathewson

Date: December 22,2016

URL Link: http://www.educationdive.com/news/turning-discipline-issues-into-teachable-moments-for-sel/432939/

Audience: Educators

Key Points: SEL (Social and Emotional Learning). Teachers should take advantage of classroom conflicts for SEL  instead of just addressing them with disciplinary actions. Teachers were concerned that it would take up too much academic time, be a waste of academic time. Once the practices were implemented, they found the opposite response; students had a great response.

Teachers are using "I need" and "I feel" statements/techniques with their students. "No Fault Zone(s)"- a term used for an area to take a break. 

Also links to other resources. 

Relevance: I saw this article as being a tool to encourage us, as educators of students with disabilities, to continue doing what we are doing. We've discussed the daily implementation of a more intense PBIS/SEL protocols. We spend a lot of academic time and resources helping our students be successful communicators of their emotions and concerns. We might see progress, therefore being able to just "refresh" on a day to day basis. We are sewing seeds of change and skills that will benefit them as they grow and live their adult lives. We might not reap the full benefits, but their middle school or high school teacher might see the skills they have developed. 

Title: Argentina's tough truths for improving schools

Source: BBC News 

Author: Sean Coughlan

Date: December 21, 2016

URL Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/business-38367033

Audience: Educators, Parents, Administration

Key Points: Schools in Argentina are suffering due to poverty, wrong allocation of funds, and poor treatment of teachers. Argentina's education minister is wanting to reform the countries school, specifically the "public" schools. The minister is vying for better teachers, better pay and training for teachers, and longer school days. Currently students are only in school 4 hours a day, and most to not complete secondary education. The minister also game his private number to teachers so they could contact him with concerns and questions, and to their surprise, he returned their calls. 

Relevance: One of underlining issues is the concept of private and public schools. It is a notion that private schools have better teachers, better performance by students, and more money (as well as more). Argentina's education minister addresses that when he admits that the private schools of Argentina are more on par with better performing schools around the world. 

Also, it's stated that the teachers don't have time for preparations. 

What I also appreciated about this article was the depiction of the minister of education. He is truly being an advocate for change, and we all desire that from our administration and government. 

Title: 'Under the radar' young carers denied support, says study

Source: BBC News

Author: Judith Burns

Date: December 26, 2016

URL Link: http://www.bbc.com/news/education-38381725

Audience: Educators and Parents

Key Points: The article pertains to the discrimination to the growing number of young "carers" in England. Secondary school aged children are stepping in to help care for their ailing parents, by either being the respite provider for their other ("healthy" parent) or for other siblings. These young carers are going under the radar; not recieving help. 28,00 out of the estimated 166,000 are getting local relief. 

Relevance: This article brought to mind many relating factors. Even though I do not work with secondary students, I believe that this article is important for both secondary and elementary educators. It is quite possible that we are teaching a student who might be going through a similar situation at home. It guides us back to the resounding factor of knowing our students. In the article, the son was getting some respite at the after school program, but he was not getting full license to "be a child." It is a support group that allows him to be with peers that understand him and relate to him. As an educator, we have access to resources/information to help families and students that need this assistance. 

I can't help but also think about students who babysit their siblings, or in some cases, parent their siblings because their isn't a responsible parent at home. Even though the article says that the son and father have a close bond, it's a lot of pressure to put on a young child/adult to care for an ailing parent. 

Even though the son was receiving respite at an after school program, it is quite possible that he feels school itself is respite. That's were educators come in-creating an environment where students feel safe, wanted, and cared for. A place and person with which to express their concerns and struggles. We can offer extensions and accommodations for students in these conditions. 

Rethinking Poverty and Casual Conversations

Title: Rethinking Poverty and Casual Conversations 

By: Ann Van Etten

December 21, 2016

Teaching Tolerance

http://www.tolerance.org/blog/rethinking-poverty-and-casual-conversations

Key Points:  Ann Van Etten is a middle school language arts teacher.  She presents a critical point about being aware and thoughtful of students’ realities.  These experiences and realities vary from student to student.  With this being said, it is important to create a classroom environment that is accepting of this.  For example, a teacher asking students about the gifts they received during the holidays can marginalize students living in poverty.  Points made by Paul C. Gorski are also included in this blog.  He prompts teachers to challenge their own thinking about families and students living in poverty.  The questioning and thinking extends into exploring ways that teachers and schools perpetuate classist assumptions. Included is a link to Gorski’s article, as well as a list of changes teachers can make with the goal being to create more equitable environments for students living in poverty.     

Audience:  Educators and parents

Relevance:  Even though educators may have the best intent, it is pertinent to examine our own biases and assumptions so we do not further perpetuate marginalization or isolate students.  Educators have great influence in their classrooms and working together for the school as a whole.  The first step is asking questions about one’s own thinking and actions.  This will require intentional effort.  Also, taking time to talk with each student with the hope to gain a better sense of their reality will be valuable.  By knowing more about our students, we can then build on their experiences, and support them in finding relevance to content and making connections. 

'Family matters, not Legos':

Heartwarming responses of underprivileged children when they are asked to choose between receiving gifts for themselves - or their families

Link to Story & Video

Source: dailymail.com ; experiment conducted by UPtv 

Key Points: UPtv conducted an experiment with some students at an Atlanta Boys & Girls Club. They asked children what they would want to get for Christmas and what their family would want for Christmas. Many of them asked for popular toys and said their parents would like jewelry or help at home. Then they were tested by being presented with both gifts and only being able to select one. Watch the short video to find out results.

Relevance: So many of our students live in harsh circumstances, especially the students from Title I schools. This video reminds us that it does not matter what their situation at home may be like, but for the most part our student end up making tough decisions every day. 

Audience: Educators and families

Charter School Students: Constant College Prep Pressure

Charter School Students: Constant College Prep Pressure

Source:http://www.usnews.com/news/education-news/articles/2016-12-13/charter-school-students-constant-college-prep-pressure

Key Points: Juggling all the responsibilities of being a student can be difficult. This article takes a look at the struggle of being an involved student while trying to plan for higher education. It discusses the challenges of applying for school, maintaining a job, taking care or home work, and other obligations that most seniors in high school deal with every day. 

Audience: Educators and parents. 

Relevance: Remembering that students work their tails off is important. To be competitive in education, a student needs to be well rounded and apply themselves on different fronts, which can be very stressful. Much of the time, students who are focusing on all the requirements for graduation and continuing their education become overwhelmed. I know I was. Its important to focus on helping kids manage and not to help them graduate. If they can learn to manage themselves during one of the hardest parts of their educations, then they can handle most events that come their way. Its also important to realize that these students are kids trying their best to succeed, and that they need people there for support. We can bring that support to our students. 

Educators Look to Mobilize Against ‘Professor Watchlist’

Title: Educators Look to Mobilize Against ‘Professor Watchlist’

Source: neaToday

By: Mary Ellen Flannery

December 14, 2016

http://neatoday.org/2016/12/14/educators-mobilize-professor-watchlist/

Key Points: The main points of this article discuss a professor watch list which has been created by a right-wing political organization, Turning Point USA. This list was created for professors who are allegedly promoting radical agendas' in the lecture hall. Many of the professors see this as an attack on academic freedom. Creating lists of professors has them apprehensive to have students question their thinking or research new ideas. However, there are also many professors who are reporting themselves to the list as a sign of solidarity.

Intended Audience: Teachers and educators.

Relevance: Our nation is in a very tumultuous period. Historically, making lists of people has led to negative outcomes. Professors should be free to have students think critically on issues. However, students should also be free to disagree with professors on critical issues without fear of repercussions. Academic freedom should always go both ways.

Oregon ABLE Savings Plan

Oregon ABLE Savings Plan

Source: http://oregonablesavings.com/

Key Points: For many years it was nearly impossible for a person with disabilities to save money for their future without risking the loss of his/her social security or any type of financial support. Now with Oregon's Able Savings Plan it is a possibility. The Stephen Beck Jr. Achieving a Better Life Experience ( ABLE ) Act was passed by congress in December of 2014. With this act being put into place eligible people with disabilities are now able to save tax-free without fear of losing benefits.
The webpage goes over how it works, eligibility, benefits, qualified expenses, and also FAQs.

Audience: Anyone who has a disability, works with someone who has a disability, or is related to someone with a disability.

Relevance: It was covered in detail within our Transition course that people with disabilities and their families need to start planning for the future when it comes to financial needs. These financial needs impact all of the important aspects of a person's life who has a disability such as; health coverage and medications, services needed for independence, and even complete independence itself for those individuals. Knowing about this resource is vital to us as future special educators in order to provide information to our students and their families that could change their lives and future for the better!

19 Tips on Supporting Positive Behavior & Social Skills

Source: The Inclusion Lab



Key Points: This website and blog is a tremendous resource for special educators and general educators alike who are working towards inclusive classroom settings. The latest blog post give the reader 19 tips for positive behavior strategies including: Create a visual schedule, Establish routines within routines, Use the five-to-one ratio of positive attention, Give “pre-prompts.”, Review expectations in a positive way, Watch for patterns, Create a choice board, Decrease wait times, Make a waiting list, Use “I” messages, Experiment with seating, Encourage “social skill demonstrations.”...and many more.

Relevance:  Many of these tips we will have heard of or are currently using but I found it to be a helpful reminder of what we are trying to do with inclusion. the tips presented would be an excellent resource for general education teachers who are now being asked to take on the challenges of an inclusion classroom. As special education case managers, part of our job will be to provide resources to gen ed teachers who are working with our students. This could be one. 

Audience: Educators, administration

BONUS: Follow the below to download a free ebook from Brookes: Fair Is Not Always Equal… Now What?

Graduation Rates: Oregon Not as Bad

Could Oregon be better than No. 48 in high school graduation?

theoregonian.com 

by Betsy Hammond

Source:LINK

Key Points: This article reminds us that reporting grades and academic information is really important. Also, that our national reportings are not as accurate as they should be and they mislead a lot of individuals that may refer to them. This information could be used to motivate Oregonian students to continue to grow academically and continue to increase our graduation rates.

Relevance: Considering our state's graduation rate is the third worst in the country we need to make sure as future educators we do our best to report accurate scores and information. This is even more important when it comes to students in special education because a big percentage of them do not tend to graduate with standard diplomas and we need accurate information for funding programs.

Audience: Educators, administration, family members of students

Education Department Civil Rights Officials Urged to Work Through ‘Tough Times Ahead’

Title: Education Department Civil Rights Officials Urged to Work Through ‘Tough Times Ahead’

By: Emma Brown

December, 8, 2016

Washington Post-Ed

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/education/wp/2016/12/08/education-department-civil-rights-officials-urged-to-work-through-tough-times-ahead/?utm_term=.7edb2c095d35

Key Points:  With Donald Trump as the president-elect, there is concern about there being “tough times ahead” for the Office for Civil Rights (OCR).  Trump could revise or reverse key guidance documents, and his administration could heavily influence the OCR’s budget, making it difficult for them to keep up with cases.  The Education Secretary John B. King Jr. said, “there are too many students of color who feel afraid in school.  We have an obligation, all of us, to redouble our efforts to intensify our work to ensure we protect the civil rights of all students.”  These efforts call for confronting these issues.  Complaints received by OCR have more than doubled from 2009 to this year, and staff complaints have fallen.  The work that OCR does is critical, and when the facts of troubling cases are revealed, there needs to be more action taken and support of OCR, so justice can be delivered. 

Audience:  educators, parents, administrators, district officials, community members

Relevance:  The article points out a few cases where students were not served.  This is just a glimpse into the many cases that have not been dealt with which is a huge issue.  It is important that OCR is supported, and those invested in the lives of students recognize the reality that could unfold with the Trump administration being in power.  The civil rights of all students must be protected.  Essentially, students need to be seen, heard, valued, respected, and treated with dignity.   

Boys Who Sit Still Have a Harder Time Learning to Read

Title: Boys Who Sit Still Have a Harder Time Learning to Read



Source: Time Magazine Online, Belinda Luscombe @luscombeland  Dec. 2, 2016

Url: http://time.com/4588035/sitting-exercise-reading/

Key points:  Researchers have found that lower levels of physical activity, higher levels of sedentary time, and particularly their combination, were related to poorer reading skills in boys. This is of particular importance as cuts to school budgets and increased focus on reading and math often come at the expense of PE and team sports. The connection between physical activity and learning has long been known but the disconnect at the school level remains and in fact continues to grow wider.

Intended audience: Teacher and Parents

Relevance: Boys are often overlooked in education. Their behavior is misinterpreted as negative when in fact they really do have the "wiggles." As a coach and a special education teacher, I have seen first hand the benefits of physical activity for boys and young men. If schools continue to make cuts to PE and sports we need to find ways to incorporate movement into our classrooms and activities.