What Teachers Are Talking About This Week
November 25, 2016 | Sign up to receive The Teachers Edition.
 Secretary King sent a letter to the 22 states still using corporal punishment, strongly urging them to abandon the practice, which is often used more frequently on students of color. In fact, black girls are 2.9 times as likely as white girls to be corporally punished in schools. Read King's letter to states still using corporal punishment.
 Introducing: Apps for Educators
The Teachers Edition will occasionally bring you apps we've found that teachers may want to use in their classroom. This week: Kahoot.
What’s
more fun in a classroom than playing games? Kahoot is a
free app for teachers to quiz, survey, and start discussions with their students. Anyone with a device and
internet connection can play, and it’s simple for teachers to set up. In a quiz
or skills practice scenario, the teacher sets up the questions with multiple
choice answers in advance. Kids get the code, set up a name, and they’re ready
to play!
|
 The
National Book award for young people’s literature was given to “March: Book
Three,” the final volume in a graphic-memoir trilogy about the civil rights
movement, by Georgia Representative John Lewis; the writer Andrew Aydin; and
the artist Nate Powell.
In an emotional speech, Mr. Lewis, a respected civil
rights activist, described how growing up in rural Alabama with little money
for books, he and his siblings were turned away at the public library, told it
was for whites only. “And to come here and receive this award, it’s too much,”
he said (Alter, New York Times).
|
Provide Movement Breaks for Students
As the weather starts to cool down, it’s the time of year that teachers
face even more wiggly bodies than usual. WeAreTeachers offers
11 quick and easy ways to provide students a way to get out of their chairs and
increase their opportunities to move. Children and adults of all ages need
movement, what better way to do it than together? Teachers may also be
pleasantly surprised to have better focus from the students after having an
opportunity to get the wiggles out (Tornio, WeAreTeachers.com).
 The Next Generation Science Standards are doubtless complex
and challenging, but junior high science teacher Kirk Lange of Channahon
Junior High School (Channahon, Ill.), sees
them as a way to incorporate inquiry and increase a hands-on approach to
learning science. The inquiry basis and use of technology as an “accelerant”
has led to some big changes in Lange’s classroom: “It’s a lot less of me telling them science and a lot more of them
discovering science themselves,” he said (Millsap,
Morris Herald-News).
|
 2066 - What Will the World Look Like?
Help your school or community earn a live demonstration of Honda Robotics products by creating a video, photo or essay showing how robotics will impact society by the year 2066. Honda is taking its
philosophy of using the Power of Dreams to the classrooms with the Honda
Robotics Contest. Students, clubs or other organizations can win a visit from
Honda's humanoid robot ASIMO!
|
 Art Immersion on a Different Level
If you have ever been jealous of the mischievous children in
The Mixed-up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler for running away
to live in the MET, then the Hammer Museum
is at your service. The
museum provides an opportunity for two Title I schools a year to spend an
entire week conducting classes under their roof. Students that may not
otherwise have an opportunity to access the beautiful resource are provided a special
chance to learn how art can be used to develop analytical skills and support
other subject areas and teachers are provided professional development on how
to infuse art work into lesson planning (Neely, scpr.org).
|
A diverse group of national education organizations has issued a call to action that will "reaffirm the inclusive values that are the foundation of healthy learning cultures," and urges all education stakeholders to to support all students, especially those who face bias incidents in their schools. "These actions should specifically affirm the right of all students, regardless of race, color, national origin, immigration status, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or religion to be educated in an environment free from fear, violence, and intimidation," the statement said (Blad, Education Week).
Accountability measures often address the neediest of
students, and that’s absolutely needed, but how are states tracking the
services for students that are already meeting proficiency? Fordham Institute’s Chester Finn, Jr. argues
that not pushing high achievers even farther does a disservice to those
students and to our global competitiveness. Finn acknowledges that some may
argue that focusing on high achievers equate this with classism or racist
tendencies, but he argues that there are students of color and from poverty
waiting to be challenged (Finn, Fordham Institute).
 5. “If teachers don’t feel valued by their supervisors, pay
doesn’t matter.” Teacher,
South Carolina
4. "We see value in meeting students where they are...so we can meet their social and emotional needs." Teacher, North Carolina.
3. "My own voyage is to practice and teach empathy." Teacher, Louisiana.
2. “Nothing
happens in schools without a good teacher.” Teacher, South Carolina
1. "We love our work or we wouldn't do it. If you empower us, we can do great things." Teacher, North Carolina
|
|
