Judie Haynes is the author and co-author of five books on helping classroom teachers with their second language population: Getting Started With English Language Learners,Newcomer Program Grades K-2,Newcomer Program Grades 3-6, Classroom Teacher's ESL Survival Kit #1,and Classroom Teacher's ESL Survival Kit #2. She also co-authored a chapter in TESOL's Integrating Standards into Classroom Practice. Twenty-Five Quick Tips for Classroom Teachers provides practical suggestions for the mainstream classroom teacher. Educators may also review Getting Started with English Language Learners by Judie Haynes for free. This book will provide you with basic concepts and can't-miss strategies for boosting the achievement of English language learners whether you are new to teaching ELLs or an old hand. America’s public schools enroll about 5 million English language learners (ELLs) – twice the number from just 15 years ago, and that number is expected to double again by 2015. English language learners are the fastest growing group of students in the United States today (Source: National Education Association). Sweet Sixteen Announced 03/06/2010
 March Madness usually refers to NCAA Basketball, office tournament bracket pools, the race to the Final Four and the highlight film which is called One Shining Moment. On March 4, the U.S. Department of Education announced that 15 states and the District of Columbia will advance as finalists for phase 1 of the Race to the Top competition. The Sweet Sixteen Includes: Colorado, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Kentucky, Louisiana, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and Tennessee. Unlike the NCAA Basketball Tournament, states not qualifying for the Sweet Sixteen are eligible to reapply for Race to The Top Funding. Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, said "I salute all of the finalists for their hard work. And I encourage non-finalists to reapply for Phase 2 in June—along with the states that did not apply in the first Phase and the finalists who ultimately do not win." The sixteen finalists are not guaranteed funding, so it is too early to cut the nets and celebrate. While every college basketball coach creates a game plan for the next round of the tournament, the sixteen finalists will spend the upcoming weeks preparing for a team presentation in Washington, D.C. The finalists will be invited to DC in mid-March to present their proposals to the panel that reviewed their applications in depth during the initial stage, and to engage in Q&A discussions with the reviewers. The purpose of the finalist stage is to allow reviewers to ensure that each state has the understanding, knowledge, capacity, and the will to truly deliver on what is proposed. The presentations will be videotaped and posted for viewing on the Department's website at the end of Phase 1. Winners for phase 1 will be chosen from among the 16 finalists and announced in April. Applications for phase 2 will be due on June 1 of this year, with finalists announced in August and winners in September. The only states prohibited from applying in phase 2 are those that receive awards in phase 1. Click here to view Arne Duncan's official announcement of the Race to the Top Finalists (Sweet Sixteen). (Length: 48 seconds) Through Race to the Top, the U.S. Department of Education is asking States to advance reforms around four specific areas:
 Social networking is the new buzzword. According to a recent online article titled, 20+ mind-blowing social media statistics revisited: Facebook currently has in excess of 350 million active users on a global basis. Six months ago, there were 250 million active users....meaning around a 40% increase of users in less than half a year. At the current rate, Twitter will process almost 10 billion tweets in a single year! LinkedIn has over 50 million members worldwide. This means an increase of around one million members per month since August 2009. There are more than 3.5 billion pieces of content (web links, news stories, blog posts, etc.) shared each week on Facebook. What Does This Mean for K-12 Educators? The statistics are staggering. There is a good chance that you recently created a blog, updated your Facebook account in the last 24 hours, or sent a photo to a friend or relative using your phone or computer. Ten years ago, it was difficult to share information with teachers in the same school. Web 2.0 and online discussion boards are making it possible for a middle school science teacher in Colorado to connect with a middle school science teacher in Canada, Florida, Puerto Rico, and Ohio without attending a state or national conference. Ongoing professional conversations can improve teaching and learning and teachers can impact students well beyond the walls of their classroom. What Social Network Sites Are Available for K-12 Educators? This is a short list of resources and online communities that educators can navigate and join. When blogs started appearing on the Internet, they were typically one-way communication or message boards. The sites below allow you to be a full participant and you can even steer the direction of the conversation. You can post questions, share your teaching strategies, and connect with other professionals. http://englishcompanion.ning.com/ English Companion Ning by Jim Burke Nings have borrowed the tools of Facebook and MySpace—the ability to post a personal profile, upload media, and have multiple asynchronous and synchronous conversations—while allowing for the customization around a particular subject. http://www.classroom20.com/ Classroom 2.0 Ning http://ncssnetwork.ning.com/ National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Ning http://ascdedge.ascd.org/ ASCD EDge http://www.allthingsplc.info/ Professional Learning Communities Social Networking and Learning Communities Social Networking enables teachers to accelerate their professional development and to connect with their friends and colleagues more frequently than the annual conference. While there are obvious benefits from attending state and national conferences, social networking allows educators to stay connected. What Social Networking sites do you recommend for K-12 educators? Please share your thoughts regarding Social Networking for educators and your thoughts on participating in these virtual learning communities. About This Site: K-12 Curriculum Development was designed to encourage teachers, administrators, curriculum coordinators and others to share ideas, discuss recent books about curriculum, share tools for supporting the work of teachers and administrators, and foster an online professional learning community. Curriculum Development - 4th Nine Weeks 03/03/2010
As we enter the second semester, many teachers and administrators are meeting around the country to determine the best use of time for the remainder of the school year. Some staff members call this pacing, some call it curriculum alignment and some staff may even call it survival. What should every student know and be able to do? This may be the most fundamental question asked by K-12 curriculum developers. At this point in the school year, it may feel like a race to Spring Break, followed by a final sprint to summer vacation. According to Jay McTighe (2010), "The most successful teaching begins with clarity about important learning outcomes and about the evidence that will show that learning has occurred" (p. 274). What can school administrators do? Provide classroom teachers with uninterrupted time during the workday or on early release days to focus on curriculum development and curriculum revision. Many teachers state that they desire to participate in collaborative conversations, but the central office staff or the building administrators conduct so many other meetings that curriculum conversations get lost in the shuffle. What can teachers do? Using Web 2.0 tools such as a curriculum blog, wiki, threaded discussion, Skype or Google docs will allow teachers to communicate with their grade level and with teachers in other disciplines and across the school district. While this is no substitute for the time that administrators should provide teachers, these online tools make communication possible 24/7. Collaborative decisions can be made prior to the meeting and the online collaboration will allow each teacher to use face-to-face meetings for the topics that require a face-to-face meeting. Why is K-12 Curriculum Development important? "Curriculum for school districts is no longer 'just nice to have.' Curriculum is a necessity for furthering student achievement. Further, school districts through their curricula, have the tools at their disposal to control and ensure what students learn" (Squires, 2009, p. 133). K-12 curriculum development allows educators to identify key concepts and skills, identify important content, reflect on student understandings and misunderstandings, and create plans for ensuring student success at the next grade level or level of learning. The end of the school year is filled with awards assemblies, guest speakers, fundraisers, grade level parties, field day, job shadow day, spring break, AP exams, state assessments and other events. These events happen each year and we should be prepared to balance our instruction around interruptions. Wiggins and McTighe (2005), wrote, “In the absence of a learning plan with clear goals, how likely is it that students will develop shared understandings on which future lessons might build” (p. 21)? If your school system does not have a common curriculum, select one of the following strategies and watch student achievement soar: 1. Unwrap State and National Standards 2. Begin Curriculum Mapping 3. Clarify Content Priorities 4. Determine what you will Stop Teaching 5. Write Generalizations/Enduring Understandings/or Learning Outcomes for each unit of study and for each course 6. Identify Areas where the Curriculum can be Integrated 7. Use a Share Drive, Google Docs, or other Online Tool to Communicate what is essential 8. Develop a commitment to "guarantee" certain parts of the curriculum to all students 9. If your district already has a common curriculum, begin to develop assessments to identify student strengths and weaknesses. 10. Begin to conduct vertical conversations to discuss what students should know when they enter your course and what they need to know at the next grade level. These conversations can be handled online in the beginning and teachers can get together at the end of the school year to discuss next steps. It may be impossible to have a district meeting in the spring, but Web 2.0 tools make communication possible and efficient. Skype, Dim Dim, and other free tools make face-to-face communiction possible and teachers don't have to leave their classroom. If you have thoughts regarding K-12 Curriculum Development or additional strategies that you use in your school, please join the conversation and share how your school or district provides time for teachers to collaborate to identify what every student should know and be able to do. References: McTighe, J. (2010). Understanding by design and instruction. In Marzano, R. (Ed.), On excellence in teaching. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. Squires, D.A. (2009). Curriculum alignment: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. Wiggins, G., and McTighe, J. (2005). Understanding by Design (2nd ed.). Alexandria, VA: ASCD. The 360-Degree Leader 02/28/2010
 Are you a classroom teacher, a principal, or a curriculum director? Do you wonder what your school district would look like and how it would operate if you could be the principal or superintendent for one year? In The 360 Degree Leader, Maxwell (2005) wrote, "the reality is that most people will never be the top leader in an organization. They will spend their careers somewhere in the middle" (p. 17). Examples of 360-Degree Leadership: Grade Level Meetings A third grade teacher can influence the curriculum and instruction by sharing strategies that have helped one or more students. The leader in the group could be a first year teacher or a veteran teacher. Building Level Meetings Some teachers have the unique ability of bringing a staff together to improve the collective efforts of teachers in a building. Another example of building level leadership is stating why a flavor-of-the-month strategy is not the right direction for teaching and learning. While some educators view this type of leadership as "rocking the boat", schools need leaders who are willing to speak up and share alternate strategies. District Level Meetings Recently, our school district developed a 6-12 grade writing sequence. English teachers met for over twelve months to discuss what is taught, what should be eliminated and what should be added to the curriculum. Teachers had to challenge the existing practices and make suggestions for improving alignment between grade levels. Advocacy Teacher Leaders and School Administrators can join professional organizations such as the National Council of Teachers of English, ASCD, or the National Association of Secondary School Principals. Professional organizations provide educators the opportunity to influence education at the state and national level. Leadership positions in professional organizations offer additional opportunities for educators to impact their profession. Blogs, Nings, and Other Social Networking Sites As Web 2.0 tools continue to expand, educators can lead conversations, offer support to teachers in other countries, and participate in conversations about teaching and learning. K-12 Curriculum Development was designed for educators to share ideas, discuss recent books about curriculum, share tools for supporting the work of teachers and administrators, and foster an online professional learning community. These new online communities have provided new opportunities for leaders to connect. Examples of Social Networking Sites for Professional Educators: English Companion Ning ASCD EDge National Council for the Social Studies (NCSS) Ning "You will develop the ability to be a 360-Degree Leader by learning to lead up (with your leader), lead across (with your colleagues), and lead down (with your followers)." - John C. Maxwell The field of education needs leaders and the position you hold in an organization should not hinder your influence in the organization. For more information on becoming a 360-Degree Leader, read The 360-Degree Leader, by John Maxwell. Educators can take the 360-Degree Leader assessment at www.360DegreeLeader.com. References: Maxwell, J.C. (2005). The 360-degree leader: Developing your influence from anywhere in the organization. Nashville, TN: Thomas Nelson, Inc. Technology in Schools 02/19/2010
What is an Avatar? An Avatar is a character that you can personalize and use when interacting with friends online. By changing hairstyles, clothes, accessories, and backgrounds, you can create your own unique persona. Voki is a free service that allows you to create personalized speaking avatars and use them on your blog, profile, and in email messages. Voki is brought to you by the folks at Oddcast, a New York based company that has been creating innovative user-generated media technologies for years. How Could Teachers Use an Avatar with K-12 students? An Avatar could explain the next Unit of Study to students. Students could use an Avatar to explain their group project. Instead of creating a poster or traditional class project, students could let the Avatar do the talking. A group of students in a history class could create an Avatar for different people in history (i.e., President of the United States, Governor of Alabama, African American students and families, White police officers, and Classroom teachers). The students could use the Avatars to demonstrate their understanding of multiple perspectives during the Civil Rights Movement in the years following Brown v. Board of Education. Are you using Avatars in your classroom? Please share your ideas with the K-12 Curriculum Development community. Thank you! Worksheet Curriculum 02/15/2010
 Would you send your child or your nephew to a school district that took pride in its worksheet curriculum? Does it impress you when your child comes home from the eighth grade with a student portfolio of science worksheets? Worksheets kill more than trees. Worksheets decrease student enthusiasm and completing worksheets usually does not require students to use higher order thinking skills. There are a few exceptions to this rule, such as the Document Analysis Worksheets developed by the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). While NARA uses the term worksheets, the activities force students to collaborate and use higher order thinking skills. One of the most disturbing findings is that minority students, students living in poverty, struggling readers, and students enrolled in non-honors classes are given more worksheets than their peers in the same grade level. Before giving students a worksheet, teachers and administrators should ask the following questions: 1. What educational purposes should this course provide? 2. How can learning experiences be selected which are likely to be useful in attaining these purposes? 3. How can learning experiences be organized for effective instruction? 4. How can the effectiveness of learning experiences be evaluated? (slightly modified from Tyler, 1949) If a worksheet can help students meet the educational purposes of the course, then it may be a good use of student time. However, if a worksheet is not the best tool for providing quality instruction, then teachers should reconsider assigning worksheets. Finally, question four asks "How can the effectiveness of learning experiences be evaluated?" DuFour, DuFour, Eaker, and Karhanek (2004) suggested the following questions. 1. What do we want our students to learn? (Does the worksheet serve as a means to the end goal)? 2. How will we know they are learning? (Do we receive quality feedback when every student answers the same ten questions on a worksheet)? 3. How will we respond when they don’t learn? (Unfortunatly, many students receive another worksheet when they do not make a passing or proficient score on the first worksheet). 4. How will we respond when they do learn? (Some students can complete a worksheet in ten minutes and then they sit for the remainder of the class. Worksheets do not challenge all students). From my observations, most teachers who provide students with a 'worksheet curriculum' have used the same worksheet so many times that the font is outdated or the paper has smudge marks from decades of photocopying the same master copy. Do poor teachers use worksheets? The intent of this article is not to ban worksheets or ridicule every teacher who has assigned a worksheet. This article provides a criteria for determining if a worksheet is the best tool for helping students learn identified skills, concepts, and enduring understandings. A worksheet may be an option, but a worksheet curriculum should become more of a sarcastic joke about an outdated practice than a norm in our school districts. References: DuFour, R. (2004). Whatever it takes: how professional learning communities respond when kids don't learn. Bloomington, Ind.: National Educational Service. Tyler, R.W. (1949). Basic Principles of Curriculum and Instruction . Chicago: University of Chicago. High School Dropouts: National Crisis 02/14/2010
 K-12 curriculum development and instruction focuses on preparing students for life and work beyond the twelfth grade. National reports indicate that a large number of students are not enrolled in school through the twelfth grade. According to a report by the Alliance for Excellent Education, "Over a million of the students who enter ninth grade each fall fail to graduate with their peers four years later. In fact, about seven thousand students drop out every school day." This is unacceptable in today's workforce. The following link shows a disturbing political cartoon: http://www.all4ed.org/files/DF_01_1.jpg High School Dropouts One of the documents which has brought needed attention to this national crisis is "The Silent Epidemic" published in 2006. While this document was published four years ago, educators can still begin a conversation about the dropout crisis by using quotes and statistics in this document as a starting point. K-12 Curriculum Development provides an opportunity for educators to share strategies for increasing high school graduation rates and decreasing dropout rates. Questions For Discussion: 1. What strategies does your school use to monitor student attendance? 2. Does your school call the parent/guardian if a student is absent? 3. Does your high school offer credit recovery programs? 4. Does your high school set SMART goals for addressing the graduation rate/dropout rate? 5. Does your school offer additional support for students who have been identified for being at-risk of dropping out? 6. If we know that students drop out of school, should we develop strategies for supporting students and identifying at-risk students? 7. Do you have a link to a PowerPoint presentation or your school website which offers information to parents and students regarding the negative consequences of dropping out of high school? 8. Do you have programs which support high school graduation rates (i.e., AVID, Early College, Virtual Courses, Credit Recovery, Pyramid of Interventions, Lunch Tutorials, Alternative School, Weekly Advisory, Yearlong Classes on the Block Schedule, Reading and Math support for identified students, Ninth Grade Academy, or other school-designed programs and opportunities for students)? Please describe. Educators do not need to answer each question. If one question is specific to the work being conducted in your school or school district, please answer that question. If you have a URL link to your school site wiith resources related to dropout prevention, please share the link with the K-12 Curriculum Development community. This is a conversation that will improve the lives of millions of students. While the high school dropout rate is a crisis in each school, it is a national crisis with international implications. "Nationally, about 71 percent of all students graduate from high school on time....but barely half of African Americans and Hispanic students earn diplomas with their peers. In many states the difference between white and minority graduation rates is stunning; in several cases there is a gap of as many as 40 or 50 percentage points" (Alliance For Excellent Education, Feb. 2009). Join the Conversation! Teaching to the Test 02/13/2010
Teaching to the Test: Is it a best practice or education malpractice? Since the introduction of high-stakes testing, educators have attempted to weigh the benefits versus the consequences of teaching to the test. Some educators argue that teaching to the test is unethical. In most states, teachers can lose their teaching license if they are caught teaching to the test. However, if you are teaching in a standards-based education system (all 50 states in the U.S.), then teaching the standards could be viewed as teaching to the test. If teaching to the test means that students have been exposed to the standards and there are no surprises on the End-of-Grade or End-of-Course test, then this practice could be viewed as ethical. James Popham (2001) wrote an informative article titled, Teaching to the Test: High Crime, Misdemeanor, or Just Good Instruction. Popham suggested that educators should "immediately expunge the phrase 'teaching to the test' from our educational lexicon, forcing folks to say either 'teaching to the test's items' or 'teaching to the knowledge/skills' represented by the test." Common Problems with "Teaching to the Test": 1. Curricular Reductionism A narrow focus on the tested subjects or excluding certain skills and concepts because they cannot be measured on a multiple-choice test 2. Covering standards (a.k.a. "Coverage") Wiggins and McTighe (2005) discuss the Twin Sins of Curriculum Development and they call the twin sins coverage-focused teaching and activity-focused teaching. In today's high-stakes era of testing and accountability teachers feel pressure to 'cover' material, rather than teach for understanding. Covering material may indicate that a teacher has taught content or checked off each state standard, but it does not mean that student understanding took place. 3. Test Prep Activities In defense of classroom teachers, I have rarely met a teacher who enjoys "Drill and Kill" test prep for the final month of the school year. By looking at the faces of students, it appears that drill and kill lessons take the joy out of learning. If you have ever visited a low-performing school or a school that is focused on increasing test scores at all costs, then you have probably witnessed Test Prep Activities. Some Superintendents even praise principals who raise test scores using these practices. While test prep activities may increase scores, the activities rarely transfer to student understanding or transfer of learning. Conclusion: I could cite over 20 problems with "teaching to the test", but educators already understand the problems and know the solution to many of these problems. As Popham suggested, "teaching to the test" is a phrase with multiple meanings. As we enter the second semester of the 2009-2010 school year, I encourage educators to have this conversation in each school and each school district. What do we mean when we say "teaching to the test?" What are the 'benefits' of teaching to the test? Does "teaching to the test" help all students? Do we want to teach to the test or teach for student understanding? What are the consequences of spending the final month of school on test review and test prep activities? Is teaching to the test a best practice or education malpractice? Final Thought: "Whatever else Opportunity to Learn (OTL) may entail, it must surely encompass a consideration of the content taught. Students can scarcely be said to have had an opportunity to learn content they never encountered" (Moss, 2008, p. 19). If Teaching to the Test means that every student in a school district receives the state and local curriculum and that the curriculum is not reduced to tested subjects or tested items, then I favor teaching to the test. Student achievement should not be dictated by a zip code, student assignment, board policies, teaching practices, tracking, or school leadership. Please feel free to share your thoughts on testing and accountability, teaching to the test, and other thoughts you have on these important topics and policy issues. Civil Rights Movement 02/06/2010
 February 1, 2010, marked the fiftieth anniversary of the day the Greensboro Four held a sit-in at the F.W. Woolworth lunch counter in Greensboro, North Carolina. At 8:00 a.m. (EST), a ribbon cutting ceremony took place in Greensboro, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary and the grand opening of the International Civil Rights Museum. On February 1, I was able to tour the International Civil Rights Museum with my thirteen year old son. We saw exhibits which focused on segregated schools, lunch counters, movie theaters, churches, hotels, and public transportation. We took a tour through the Hall of Shame, which featured graphic photos and reminders of hate crimes that took place throughout our nation's history. The museum will serve as an learning laboratory for all ages. The Little Rock Nine were featured in the new museum, along with James Meredith's admission to the University of Mississippi. Revisiting the Civil Rights Movement reminds us of how far we have come as a nation, but it also reminds us how far we have to go. In Brown v. Board of Education (1954), the court stated, "Today, education is perhaps the most important function of state and local governments. Compulsory school attendance laws and the great expenditures for education both demonstrate our recognition of the importance of education to our democratic society.....Such an opportunity, where the state has undertaken to provide it, is a right which must be made available to all on equal terms." Opportunity to Learn Visiting the International Civil Rights Museum reminded me of our nation's commitment to provide free public education to all students. While we are delivering on the intent of Brown v. Board of Education, we must continue to increase each student's Opportunity to Learn (OTL). If educators agree that all students should be prepared for the next grade level and the goal is for 100% of our students to graduate, then we should develop a clear idea of how to support student achievement. Robert Marzano (2003) cited several factors which impact student achievement. He divided the factors into the following categories: School Level, Teacher Level, and Student Level. His thirty year meta-analysis revealed that the number one factor impacting student achievement is a 'guaranteed and viable curriculum.' In other words, according to Marzano's research, Opportunity to Learn is the number one factor impacting student achievement. Recently, Squires (2009) wrote, "It is of paramount importance to make sure students have the opportunity to learn more important content aligned with standards and assessments.....Further, school districts, through their curricula, have the tools at their disposal to control and ensure what students learn" (p. 133). Developing specific strategies which support Opportunity to Learn will impact student achievement. Over forty years of research supports that "access to curriculum opportunities is a more powerful determinant of achievement than initial achievement levels" (Darling-Hammond, 2010, p. 54). As we celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the Greensboro sit-ins and the courage of the Greensboro Four, we must act courageously to provide the opportunity to learn to each student in the United States and throughout the world. References: Darling-Hammond, L. (2010). The flat world and education: How America's commitment to equity will determine our future. New York: Teacher's College Press. Marzano, R. (2003). What works in schools: Translating research into action. Alexandria, VA: ASCD. Squires, D.A. (2009). Curriculum alignment: Research-based strategies for increasing student achievement. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin Press. | AuthorSteven Weber is the Director of Secondary Instruction for Orange County Schools in Hillsborough, NC. Weber has served as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, and state department of education consultant in Arkansas and North Carolina. He consults school systems in aligning their curriculum and in unpacking curriculum standards.  ArchivesMarch 2010 CategoriesAll |
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