Education Short List

Having a hard time getting a good night’s rest? Take the time to jot down your thoughts first.

By saying I love my sleep is probably an understatement. I, like my dogs, race to get to bed at night. I firmly believe that sleep in all its glory, is underrated. Which is why, if I have difficulty sleeping through the night I am quite cranky in the morning.

I noticed that a few months ago I wasn’t achieving my nightly bliss of deep sleep. The reason for this was that I was too mentally preoccupied. And it was always with something that I didn’t want to forget about the next morning; an email I needed to send, a chore to do, an errand to run, an inspirational thought, a memory of a great David Bowie song, etc. It was this thought and worry about forgetting the important detail that would plague me throughout the night. I knew I needed to change something.

Which brought about writing my ideas on a notepad, as they came to me, before I went to sleep. By taking the time to write it down as I thought of it, I could put more detail into the idea and then forget about it until the morning. At that point I would take the notes and deal with them accordingly.

Since doing this I’ve realized that I sleep much better. Obviously jotting down your nocturnal thoughts before sleep won’t stop every type of insonima, but it is worth it to find out.

As the economy stays longer in this new recession, everyone and every company is feeling the pinch. Recently I’ve written articles about ‘recession schools’; schools and districts that are going through serious struggles, just to make it to the end of the school year. I honestly don’t want to think about what each state and district is going to have to do for the school year of 2009-2010. It’s in this time of struggle, that schools are becoming desperate; and that’s not including schools that are in urban areas or rural extremes that weren’t already hurting financially.

Below is the article.

A New Way To Give

Charles Best started DonorsChoose.org in 2000 to let citizens help fund student projects across the country through small donations.

Why do public schools need private donations?

When I was a social studies teacher in Bronx, N.Y., teachers often provided basic supplies like paper and pencils for the kids. But we couldn’t afford to do science projects or anything that needed special materials. I thought that people would want to help if they could choose a project to support, so I created a website and invited my colleagues to post requests for materials they needed. My colleagues posted 11 projects. Then my students volunteered to send 2000 letters to people around the country, explaining that $10 can make you a philanthropist. We got $30,000.

How does the website work now?

Teachers in public schools around the country submit requests for everything from aquarium supplies for a biology class to a working clock so kids can learn to tell time. We buy the materials, usually within 1-2 days of receiving a donation, and we compile thank-you notes from the class. This way, ordinary folks get the choice and feedback usually reserved for millionaire philanthropists. Your $10 gets the same transparency as Bill Gates’ $1 million.

How is the Web changing philanthropy?

Someone with a very small amount of money can make a real difference. We’re creating “citizen philanthropists.” Organizations now can get as much funding from thousands of ordinary folks as they used to get from a few wealthy patrons.

— Lyric Wallwork Winik

There are college students who have already graduated this Spring. And there are others who are getting ready to. No matter the position, the job market doesn’t appear to be too welcoming to the Class of 2009.

Business
Friday, May 29, 2009

Post-college careers: Rotten luck for the Class of 2009

Things couldn’t be worse for the 2009 graduating class, said Steve Giegerich in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, the “numbers are bleak.” Businesses are hiring 22 percent fewer new graduates than last year—and 2008 wasn’t exactly a knockout year. “Not only is the economy not growing, it’s retracting,” said NACE spokesman Edwin Koch. “It’s an abysmal employment market.” Many grads are now settling for unpaid internships in the hope that they’ll be hired full time when the economy does turn around. That doesn’t mean recent graduates shouldn’t expect to ever find the job they want, “only that it will take longer.”

Unfortunately, the bad news for grads doesn’t end when they get a job, said Sara Murray in The Wall Street Journal. Entering the workforce during a recession can have lasting effects on how much you earn over the course of a career, according to one study by Yale School of Management economist Lisa Kahn. “Even those who land jobs will likely suffer lower wages for a decade or more compared with those lucky enough to graduate in better times.” Studying data from the deep recession of the early 1980s, Kahn found that a single percentage-point increase from year to year in the unemployment rate correlated to an 8 percent reduction in earnings for new graduates. Twelve years out of school, graduates from recession years were still earning an average of about 5 percent less than peers who entered the workforce just before or after they did. Even 18 years out of school they averaged 2 percent less. One way to shake this “curse” is to just stay in school a few years longer—not surprisingly, this year’s top graduate schools “are already tracking double-digit increases” in applications.

Not only expected salaries but entire career paths may be “drastically” affected by this retrenchment, said Steve Lohr in The New York Times. While the promise of a six-­figure paycheck on Wall Street once “proved irresistible to many of America’s brightest young people,” today’s go-getters are setting their sights on jobs in public service, science, health, and technology. “Graduate schools of government and public policy are seeing a surge of applications.”­ These aspiring civil servants aren’t just eager to do their part for society by working for the government; they also think that’s where the jobs are. “The timing is right to do this,” says Patricia Foglesong, who recently turned down a consulting job. She’s ­considering two government jobs: one with the Secret Service and one with the National Park Service.

http://www.theweek.com/article/index/96881/Postcollege_careers_Rotten_luck_for_the_Class_of_2009

There is a bit of irony involved with this article – as the majority of public schools across the country are in the midst of their yearly dose of state testing. Furthermore, college students have just finished up their finals for the year; at the same time, high schoolers get ready to take their exams for the end of this school year.

Nonetheless, it is a valid point – do our schools test too much? Personally, yes I do believe that our students are tested far beyond what they need to be. And this is a topic that I will be bringing up again at a later point. So until that happens, here’s another article from The New York Times.

Do Schools Test Too Much?

Daniel Koretz is a professor of education at Harvard. His book Measuring Up examines our national obsession with standardized tests.

Does U.S. education policy rely too heavily on test scores?

Yes. We need accountability in education, and standardized tests give comparable information from different schools. But tests don’t measure things like complex problem-solving ability, creativity, and persistence. High-stakes testing puts pressure on teachers to take shortcuts to raise scores and can give an illusion of progress.

Doesn’t an improved score show real progress?

Not necessarily. There are many ways to prepare students too narrowly for a specific test. If you substitute another test designed to measure similar knowledge and skills, the “improvements” sometimes shrink markedly or even vanish altogether. Employers and college professors don’t care how students do on a particular math test—they want them to know math.

Should teacher compensation be linked to test scores?

If pay is linked to performance, tests will have to be part of the package, but it would be a mistake to use them as the only criterion. A good teacher keeps students engaged, fosters curiosity, and helps students learn from their mistakes. Test scores alone can’t measure that.

— Lyric Wallwork Winik

When it comes to studying for an exam, starting a new class, or improving your education with a new daily lesson – learning is like eating a steak.

First the meat needs to be at room temperature = you need to be mentally and physically prepared to learn

Add some seasoning = again, prepare yourself to absorb the new information, it’s a good idea to test your pre-knowledge of the subject

Put the steak on the fire = this would be the lesson itself

Let it rest = the key component of this; give your brain a break. Let the mind process and think about what it has just learned. This is very important especially when preparing to take a key exam – the day before the test, relax, don’t stress out, don’t even study. Cramming in more facts, data, and figures just doesn’t work.

These tips are just a sample of those that I will be talking about next week – the studying tips you can use as you prepare for High School and College Finals.

Recently, I was tutoring a student who failed to bring any of his materials to our session. Luckily, we were at the library and I knew that we wouldn’t be spending the next hour staring at the ceiling. Instead, we used the Internet, the resource books, and free homework supplies from the library and created a powerful lesson that the student was then able to incorporate into his work at school.

That experience made me think that most people probably don’t realize just how much our local libraries are able to do for us. Practically everyone knows that their local library is the place to go and get books for free. And even though this is true, there are multiple resources available at the library that you might be missing out on.

1. Quiet Spaces

a. The library is a place where a person can take a book or magazine, find a quiet place to read, and just relax with their written material.
b. It’s also a great way to study or to conduct business there (I’ve seen people tutoring, using a Public Notary, and getting their taxes done at the library).
c. Most libraries have quiet areas to read; as well as couches, lounge chairs, and tables to work, read, or study on.

2. Free Resources

a. People already know about getting books there, but you can also rent DVDs, audiobooks, and CDs from the library. These can include David Bowie’s CDs, historical movies, and children’s programs.
b. Plus each library has pamphlets, brochures, newspapers, and magazines from organizations in the community – letting patrons know what is happening in their city.
c. The Internet is available as well for those who have a valid library card.

3. Knowledgeable Staff

a. Every library has licensed and well-trained librarians, technicians, and staff. From individuals who can assist you in doing research online, reserving books from other libraries, to finding out when the next class for Flower-Pressing is.

4. Seminars and Classes

a. From Toddler Time, Mommy and Me classes, Story Hour, to AARP enrollment programs, seminars on how to do your taxes, all the way to having local health care programs available – the library is a community resource.
b. Also ask a librarian about their ‘Cultural Pass’ – through the library, a person may be able to get a pass to their city’s museums and gardens without having to pay an admission price.
c. Most libraries have calendar of Events newsletters or brochures that highlight what news or programs will be coming there. Another of the great resources available.

5. Research Tools

a. Online Resources – downloading audiobooks, having an index to periodicals, utilizing microfiche, dictionaries, encyclopedias, business directories, and more. There are even some libraries that have lesson plans that teachers, schools, and homeschooling educators can use.
b. Inside of the library, all of the same online resources are available and more. Whether it is to find out about local city planning and development, research one of Shakespeare’s play, or to create a timeline of David Bowie’s catalog of musical achievements – there are a plethora of resources available from the library.

6. Community Outreach and Support

a. As mentioned in the seminars and classes component, local businesses and entrepreneurs can utilize the facilities and meeting rooms that are available at the library. This creates more opportunities for those establishments to connect with the local community.
b. Don’t forget about the free brochures, calendar of events, newsletters, periodicals, magazines! These materials from local groups, community partners, educational programs, performing arts organizations, etc. are available to the public. They can be found when looking at the community bulletin boards in the library.
c. With all that libraries provide to its residents, there are ways to give back – and the easiest of those is to volunteer. All libraries are looking for volunteers, and that doesn’t necessarily mean just adults. Children, teenagers, adults, and the elderly are all welcome to give some of their free-time to assist the library in maintaining their high level of service. There are also libraries that have partnerships with city agencies that assist adults with mental or physical limitations, in allowing them to gain on the job skill training.

Overall, it’s obvious that your library has many untapped resources that are just waiting for you to go and claim. Surely, whatever you are looking for – something fun or educational – the local services at your library will be there to assist you.

Here’s an interesting article I found from the Los Angeles Times. It’s advocating gum chewing in the classroom; and it’s direct impact on test scores. Since most states are preparing for State Testing time, I thought that this article could be useful.
Remember, the study was paid for by Wrigley’s Gum, so there might be a bit of bias.

Chewing gum raises kids’ math scores
11:03 AM, April 22, 2009

Studies have suggested that something about chewing gum reduces stress, improves alertness and relieves anxiety. But most of this research has been found in a laboratory setting. Now, the first study in people also supports the idea that chewing gum boosts academic performance.

Gum The study was conducted by researchers at Baylor College of Medicine and was sponsored by the Wrigley Science Institute. The study included 108 students, ages 13 to 16, who were assigned to either chew sugar-free gum during math class, while doing math homework and during math tests or to refrain from gum-chewing. After 14 weeks, the students’ took a math test and their grades were assessed.

Those who chewed gum had a 3% increase in standardized math test scores and had final math grades that were significantly better than the other students. Teachers observed that those who chewed gum seemed to require fewer breaks, sustain attention longer and remain quieter.

Just how chomping gum helps kids crunch numbers is not quite clear.

“We did not explore the mechanism behind this relationship. However, there is research demonstrating an increase in blood flow in the brain during chewing,” the lead author of the study, Dr. Craig Johnston of Baylor college of medicine, said in an e-mail.

The study was presented at the Annual Meeting of Experimental Biology 2009 today in New Orleans.

– Shari Roan

http://www.theweek.com/article/index/96090/Health_038_Science

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/booster_shots/2009/04/chewing-gum-raises-kids-math-scores.html

In the month of March I spent a week speaking with parents at conferences. During my time discussing how each child was doing, the same question kept being asked, “What can I do to help my child?” As a teacher, I always want to know what the atmosphere is like at home, after school. Is there an active role of the parent in the student’s homework? When does the student start their studies? And where do they do their work? There are so many factors for parents to consider that affect their child’s learning.

Making sure you have an after school homework routine is a must.

First, realize that children need a break from what they were just doing. Just because they walked or took the bus home does not equal a break. They are still in school mode and need time to adjust to the freedom of home. Let your child have a fifteen minute break to get something to eat and relax. Next, make sure they have a place to do homework that has supplies ready to go. If they have a desk to work at, make sure it is cleared off and not filled with distractions. Extra pencils, erasers, and a pencil sharpener should be handy. If your child does not have a desk, designate an area that would give them enough space that has a good writing surface. Perhaps you can put together a box of supplies that are just for homework that are easy to take to their spot. Then, make sure that their spot, or desk, is in an area that allows complete focus and concentration. Television should not be on in the same room. Students are more likely to make mistakes from lack of focus on the assignment when their focus is interrupted; so much so that it does not allow the information to enter in whole pieces. Instead, it’s in chunks and thereby has less meaning to the student once they complete their tasks. The last step of the routine should be for your child to show you what they have completed so you have the chance to check it and ask how they felt about it. This may be your moment to play teacher and help them understand a difficult concept. If they know you are going to check it each time, they will do a much better job!

I understand that not all parents have the luxury of being home with their children after school. There is still a routine for you to go through later in the evening. Let them know that you will expect to see their homework if they had a chance to do it at the babysitters or daycare. Daycare should provide some type of homework room for you child to visit. Most homework rooms are optional, so please find out if it is offered at your daycare and discuss with your child what your expectations are about completing the homework at the daycare. Once home go through the steps of checking it. They need to know you are going to expect to see it. If they do their homework after you get home in the evening, do the after school routine, but make sure to keep an eye on them. They are much more tired and will easily get off task. This should be expected. They have had a full day just like you have.

This routine has worked for my own daughters. They started this in kindergarten and my oldest still has very good habits in eighth grade. We had some days that they wanted to break routine, but they were not often. Working as a team with your child and the school will definitely have positive effect on your child’s learning.

Want to be a teacher? Go substitute. Top 6 steps to gaining substitute teacher employment.

In order to be a substitute you should follow these six steps

1. Have a college undergraduate degree

a. No school district will even consider your application without one. There used to be states that did accept people who just had a high school diploma; but as states have come under retaliation from NCLB, they are no longer allowed to do that. Others go further in their demands as well.

2. Take the basic entrance exam

a. Most school districts require that you take an exam to prove that you are educated enough to be a substitute teacher. California requires the CBEST, as do many other states.

3. Get applications from school district

a. Spread your circle to districts that are within a 30-45 minute commute from your house.
b. Check to see when each district is accepting applications. There are some that have open enrollment, others that only accept applications during certain periods in the school year.

4. Orientations and Trainings

a. Call and find out when the orientations/trainings are.
b. Every district is required to have at least a training for new substitute teachers. Larger districts have orientations. Either way, it’s a good time to find out the differences between the districts, where the schools are located, and what resources are available to you as a substitute.

5. Additional Tests

a. There are the TB test, CPR/First Aid, and Fingerprint testing.
b. All schools require a TB test in order for you to work in there. Some also require fingerprint clearance. As a substitute you are not required to be CPR/First Aid certified – but as a licensed classroom teacher you are, so if that is your goal, just go ahead and get it done.
c. If you are offered, or desire, to be a long-term substitute, there may be additional educational and legal requirements for you to fulfill. If this is your goal, be sure to inquire to the districts what those requirements are.

6. Open and Flexible Schedule

a. School Districts need subs that have lots of availability, are willing to work in any classroom, and, most importantly – leave their phone on.
b. If you are only available for High School Social Studies classes, you’re not going to be called very often; the same can be said if you’re only around for Fridays. Be more flexible and allow yourself to try new experiences and settings.
c. Be ready to have either an automated system or a person to make late night and early (we’re talking 5 a.m.) phone calls to you. With some districts, you will be able to input what dates you have plans, but also realize that districts may take you off of their lists if you are not available very often.

Substituting is a great, no fantastic, way to get involved and integrated into a school. But more so, it’s the ‘teacher internship.’ Think about it. For soon-to-be college graduates having an internship is essential in finding a job AFTER college. More specifically, for those individuals hoping to be hired as a teacher, it’s even more important to start out as a substitute. It allows for flexible employment, a chance to try something new without having a contract binding you, and you may discover that this is a lifelong career choice for you.

Two weeks was Earth Day; and although it would have been great for me to list some resources for teachers to utilize, I felt like taking a different approach. This time I wanted to share how I received Earth Day lessons from my students and others around me; thereby creating true and genuine ‘teachable moments.’

When I was a long-term substitute teacher, I was also involved in a program called AmeriCorps. Through this program I learned valuable skills that enabled me to be a stronger and more cognizant teacher.

One such experience was that of Earth Day. I prepared several tools and little mini lessons that I was going to integrate throughout the day. But my students had another idea in mind.

Before school even started, a student of mine ‘Juan’ came running up to me with some trash he had found around the school. He proceeded to tell me that the trash made the school ugly and sometimes he was embarrassed to come here. Well, that changed my whole view. During our P.E. time and some of our recess time, the majority of my students helped me pick up trash from all around our school. We were even an inspiration to other classes, who wanted to help out.

For me, the real lesson was the one my students gave me. It didn’t matter to them that I had spent the better part of my weekend preparing, what mattered to them, was having a “not ugly school.”

On this past Earth Day, I was watching a television program (Oprah). As I watched the program, I was thinking of all the good things I do already to take care of the environment; how I definitely do my part. Yet, I was reminded of my students and how important it was to them to have a clean place to go to school. Each week since watching that Earth Day program I have gone around my neighborhood to pick up the trash – because I want a pretty place to live.

In both of these situations, I had preconceived notions of what should be done and what part I had to play in both. However, by taking the time to listen to the ideas that others had – I learned more myself and found new ways to be the student, not just the teacher.