What Teachers Are Talking About This Week
November 17, 2016 | Sign up to receive The Teachers Edition.
 What
do you do when you don’t connect with the books your English teachers are
assigning? When you’re a member of the Students Empowering Activism and
Leadership at Needham High in Needham, Mass., you address the English
department head-on. Senior Zerinee Depina approached Patrick
Gallagher, department chair,
directly about the lack of diversity in the reading list. “To hear from our
students, particularly our students of color, that [they weren’t connecting
with the reading] was jarring to us,” said Gallagher. The department jumped
into action, reviewing and adopting eight new titles for this school year that
better represent the diversity and experiences of their students (Murphy,
WickedLocal).
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Discipline
with Love
Secretary
King has had the honor of meeting with teachers from across the country on varying issues during listening sessions held at ED.
The teachers change every month and so does the topic. While
King learns much from the teachers, the teachers often learn from one another,
as well. 2015 Virginia State Teacher
of the Year, Jaclyn Ryan, writes
about what she gained from her colleagues that teach in more urban areas and how it changed her
approach to administering discipline in a rural setting (Ryan, NNSTOY.org).
At
Hill Top Preparatory School in Main Line, Pennsylvania, some students are getting a dry run at
college life before they head off to the real thing. The boarding program
specializes in helping students on the autism spectrum learn how to live in
close quarters with other students, manage their time, and reduce anxiety.
Students spend the weekdays at the school and go home on weekends. "They're working on how do
you live in a positive way with others," said headmaster Thomas Needham. One mother said of her
son, who’s in the program, "He's happy. I would never have described him
as happy before" (Boccella, Philly.com).
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Flying High. The National Coalition for Aviation and Space
Education (NCASE) presents a united voice on aviation and space education
issues. Their Guide listing over 50 member organizations provides a
central gateway for educators, students, and the general public to obtain materials and information supporting aerospace
education.
- Simulate It. ED launched the EdSim Challenge, a competition to
design next-generation educational simulations that strengthen career and
technical skills. Simulated digital learning environments, such as
virtual and augmented reality, 3D simulations, and multi-player video games,
are an emerging approach to deliver educational content. Developers should submit their simulation concepts by January 17,
2017. A panel of judges will evaluate the submissions and select up to
five finalists who will be awarded $50,000 and gain access to experts and mentorships as they refine
their concept and build a prototype.
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Write On. The
latest What Works Clearinghouse Educator’s Practice Guide, “Teaching Secondary Students
to Write Effectively,” provides evidence-based recommendations for
improving the writing skills of middle and high school students.
5. "Give students time and space to process and be heard." Teacher, New York
4. "You can't underestimate the importance of teacher morale." Principal, Maine
3. "We must bring global perspectives and experiences to the content." Teacher, Montana
2. "We have to have relationships to achieve success." Principal, Oklahoma
1. "Be hopeful, so you light the fires of optimism in the students' idealistic minds." Teacher, New Jersey
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