What Teachers Are Talking About This Week
December 8, 2016 | Sign up to receive The Teachers Edition.
 VOICE FROM THE CLASSROOM
Sarah Giddings, a National Board Certified teacher in social
studies and history, currently serves as
an advisor, and multi-subject instructor in Big History, social studies, and ELA,
and is a curriculum coordinator for the Washtenaw Alliance for Virtual Education Program with the Washtenaw Educational Options Consortium
(Ypsilanti, Mich.) high school programs. She also believes in the power of
forgiveness. Read her Homeroom blog about Luke, her student with a history of
drug abuse, poverty, and crime, and yet is working toward success due to Giddings' commitment to help him succeed.
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 Dual
Credit Classes Make Computer Science Degrees within Reach
In McLean County,
Ill., some students are on track to graduate, not with just a high school
diploma, but with an Associate’s degree in computer science. The
new accelerated program allows students to begin taking dual enrollment classes
starting the summer before their junior year to get them through the program by
the time they graduate from 12th grade. These students will help
fill the gap left by “millions of baby boomers who are retiring now through the
next 15 years” (Evelsizer and Sobota, Pantagraph).
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Learning to Counter Hate Speech
Cyberbullying can range
from viral videos to direct text messages and has become a popular and necessary discussion point in classrooms nationwide. Author Devorah
Heitner provides
some guidance for teachers looking to respond to hate speech and bullying,
particularly in the wake of a difficult election cycle. She says school
leaders, including teachers, need to promote discussion, remain compassionate
toward those creating the hate speech without condoning it, and remain cautious
about our own participation in the online dialogue (Heitner, Education Week).
Many charter schools focused on turnaround schools in large,
urban districts utilize boot camp-like structures for beating standardized
tests, but the Roses in Concrete Community School (Oakland, Calif.) is getting back to the love
of learning. The founder of the school, Jeff
Duncan-Andrade, is determined
to expose his mostly black and Latino students to art, dual-language, athletics,
and culturally relevant curriculum to give them the same experiences that their
more affluent counterparts are receiving at private schools. With only two
years under their belt, students at the school are showing real progress and are hungry for more success (Felton, Hechingerreport.org).
 Makerspaces Helping English Learners
Educators are seeing makerspaces -- a strategy to teach K-12 students science, math
and technology through hands-on activities -- as an effective way for English Language Learners to improve their confidence and abilities in English. At Wilson Elementary School (Sanger, Calif.) principal Ken Garcia said the "makerspace has given English learners 'a new way of engaging in English' as teachers encourage them to use complete sentences in talking through their collaborations and recording their observations in their journals" (Maio, EdSource).
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 Banning Books to Protect Students
Censorship and book banning is nothing new, but
when you take into account the deep divide in the country after the election, it
is making some parents think twice about literature that uses racial slurs. Principals and teachers are asking themselves if removing
some titles is really censorship or actually protecting students (Balingit, Washington Post).
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Have you ever had a teacher who's
inspired you to reach for your dreams? Nominate them to receive a $25,000
award and the recognition they deserve. Winners participate in a summer residency with their
peers, providing them with a platform to speak out about teaching and learning. "I want my students to see
me as someone who never doubts their ability to achieve amazing things, and who
pushes and supports them in working hard to get there," says 2015 winner
Zeke Phillips.
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Learn About the Sea. In conjunction with their latest movie release, Moana,
the Disneynature Educational team released an Educator’s Guide and Activity Packet that includes information on storytelling, ocean waves, wayfinding and sea
turtles, as well as lesson plans and activities inspired by the film that
promote the protection of the ocean and ocean animals. Read more about how the material connects students to the magic of nature.
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Code with Moana. The new Disney Tutorial - Moana:
Wayfinding with Code - featuring Moana and her co-star
Maui, inspires kids to try
coding through an engaging and fun online experience (available in a
variety of languages).
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Why Social and Emotional Learning is Hot. EDGE Research will present the results of market research that offers insights into how educators, out-of-school time leaders, and parents think about social and emotional learning. The Wallace Foundation commissioned this research to better understand the terminology being used to describe social and emotional learning and what motivates the considerable interest in the topic. Register for the Webinar taking place Monday,
Dec. 12.
 This week, we asked teachers: How do you keep motivation and momentum going toward
winter break?
5. “Wheaties
in the morning, jumping jacks at night.” Teacher, Montana
4. “Start a new, relevant unit
with clear goals for kids to reach and keep us all engaged!” Teacher,
Washington
3. “I remind myself that students are the reason
we do what we do.” Teacher, Washington, DC
2. “Irresistible puns!” Teacher, Montana
1. “Get
festive!” Teacher, Arizona
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