Here's what parents, principals, teachers, and superintendents are saying about Layered Curriculum(tm).
"Unbelievable - The best thing we've heard- just what we needed". Parley Jacobs, Principal Kearns High School
Dear Kathie: Juat a note to thank you for your presentation at the ASCD conference in San Antonio. It was easily the finest session I attended at the conference. Again, thanks for the great info. Rich Mextorf Assistant Superintendent Loyalsock Township School District Williamsport, PA
"I heard you at an Illinois State Board of Education conference last fall and have been enjoying your web site since. I present at a Title I conference this month and I will tell people about this wonderful lady, full of energy, who lives her passion for improving instruction and learning. (YOU!) " - Dianna Kirk Assistant Principal Danville High School, Danville, IL
Kathie Nunley: This note extends my compliments on your splendid presentation last night at Selwyn House School, Montreal. It is not often that an educator has a captive audience to communicate science within the context of pedagogy. You blended the two in a most engaging style. Thanks for your insights. - James W. COULTON, Ph.D., Professor Department of Microbiology and Immunology, McGill University, Montreal, QC .
"I attended your inservice at Braxton County Middle School and I must say that, after 25 years of teaching and being put through the torture of inservices, yours was THE MOST valuable and interesting I've ever attended. Keep up the good and interesting work!" Beth Simmons, Braxton County High School
Kathie, I just wanted to write to thank you for the outstanding conference last week. I've already started making my layered curriculum units and rubrics for the fall. School just got out and I can't wait until September. Your energy and passion clearly shows through. You make the whole concept of "Pay It Forward" come to life. Extremely powerful! Keep up the great work! Dawn Schmidt Savage, MN
Kathie, I want to let you know my results after a full year of a layered curric. Fantastic! (I teach World and U.S. History in a small school.) Having a block program probably helps, but I would do this in ANY schedule. Everybody knew what to expect and who had given whom grades. I have been told by students that this was the first year they really learned a lot. I got to know all of my students, many of them very well. I was able to adapt quickly to mainstreamed students, regular ed. students, and gifted students, all in the same classes. Thank you! Have a wonderful summer. Ruth Stoll
Dr. Nunley, I hope you had any enjoyable stay in the Milwaukee (Waukesha) area and had a safe flight home. Never before has a presenter or a staff development session generated so many positive comments from our staff. I had several teachers come to me today to show me the layered curriculum units that they developed last night! That's a first! Thanks again for the fabulous presentation. |Mitzi Horning, Waukesha, WI.
Kathie - I just wanted to let you know how much I enjoyed your presentation at our CAAHE conference this past week in Cininnati. I learned more about brain function in the morning we spent with you than I did in the entire course I took in my undergraduate program! I do hope that I'll see you again! Thanks so much - Leslie Gay Assistant Director of Student Services Indiana Wesleyan University
Dear Kathie, For the last 3 years I have been teaching grade 7 and 8 math
and science at a private school in Jakarata, Indonesia. For the last year
I have been teaching my grade 7 science students using your Layered Curriculum
Model, and it has been a superbly rewarding, thought provoking and at times
overwhelming experience.
I first came across your ideas while surfing the internet. I was really taken
by how sensible and applicable the Layered Curriculum concept was, but as
it represented a fairly radical shift in my teaching style I sat on the idea
for about a year before ordering your book and taking the plunge. I have to
admit the first time I tried using the LC model I almost gave up! Initially
it seemed to me that my classroom had descended into chaos and that I had
lost all control. It was interesting, actually, to reflect on how difficult
it was for me to give up the power of making my students decisions for them
I had always considered myself a fairly progressive teacher in that respect.
I have really learned that there is a difference between ‘appearing’ to give
students choice, and ‘really’ giving them choice. As your book sensibly warned,
my first unit was pretty much a disaster. One big lesson I learned was that
you can’t expect grade 7 students to organize themselves before teaching them
good organizational skills. However, I saw enough good things happening (particularly
regarding increased motivation and performance among my lower achieving students)
that I decided to continue using the LC model. I have now taught 5 different
4 to 6-week science units using your LC model and am convinced it works. My
students are now so motivated they chase me down after school to get tested
on work they’ve done during their free time; some of my previously lowest
achieving students are now getting Bs and Cs; and almost all my students have
much improved time management skills, plus, I’m really enjoying myself!
Many thanks for all your great ideas and enthusiasm, Phil Macoun
Just wanted to send a BIG THANK YOU to you for your awesome sessions for us. We were thrilled with the information and cannot thank you enough for your efforts to assist us with the professional development of teachers and educators in our area." - Mary Kay Morrison, K.I.D.S. Rockton, Illinois.
Thanks for a terrific workshop at ASCD! -Dr. Brian D. Fogelson Principal Delaware Valley Regional High School, NJ
"I am truly amazed at the ability and creativity of a bunch of my kids. You should see some of my Mt. Rushmore projects! Yesterday was spent with the Charleston. The majority of the kids who did it were in full 20's regalia. I wish I had taken pictures or video of it. Today, one of the kids Grandpa is bringing in his restored Model A. Parking lot field trip. Tomorrow the rockets go off--- or not. What a blast (pun intended). Thanks for all your help." Dan Gordon, Salem Keizer Public Schools, Salem, Oregon.
Dear Dr. Nunley, Thank you for allowing me to attend your workshop in Bainbridge, Georgia, in early June. I really gained a lot of knowledge on brain research and its application in constructing curriculum which meets the needs of all children. I am excited about starting a new school year with ideas which will enable all students to become successful. Sincerely, Penny L. Osborne Elizabethtown, Kentucky
"I am a SDC/RSP teacher for the Bakersfield City School District. Two years ago you spoke to the Special Education teachers about layered curriculum. I have been doing a modified version of it, and like your "self test" says, the benefits of the program speak for themselves. I have almost no discipline problems, the kids are succeeding, and they are learning. Attached it a version of my program, adaptable for the Special Education population. I wish all of our teachers could listen to your lecture and be willing to make the change." Sincerely, Teresa Rimmer Longfellow Elementary Bakersfield, CA
I like many others stubbled across your web site. I was doing research for an evaluation process my district is involved in. After reading your book I implemented your layered curriculum in my inclusion class and hope to intergrate it into all my classes next year. My coworkers are also inspired by what I have borrowed from you and are looking into using layered curriculum also. Thank you so much for your insights. Renee Blackmon Stony Point High School
Your presentation on layered curriculum was inspiring!- Linda Everett, Principal, Oklahoma City.
I attended a workshop you put on for the CAIS in Halifax in October and was, as was everyone else, terribly impressed and recognized immediately the need to bring you to my campus.-Jeremy McLean Headmaster Sedbergh School, Montreal
"I just want to say how much I enjoy your newsletter. Thank you for providing this service." Linda Gilmore, Dekalb Technical Institute
"Kathie - I wanted to just drop you a quick line to let you & all of those out there who might be somewhat 'doubting Thomas's, after your seminar dealing with Brain Based Information & Layered Curriculum, our entire Academic Staff has made the adjustment from our old line conventional teaching methodology & after only one (1) week of use, are seeing dramatic results. We so much appreciate your caring & sharing with us all of this wonderful method to reach all levels of students. Keep up the good work." Sincerely, Dr. Peter R. Ferguson, Head Humanities Department, Mount Bachelor Academy, Prineville, Oregon
"Your evaluations were outstanding!" Dr. Donna Cambria, Superintendent, Unified School District II, Connecticut.
I only discovered your website(s) a few weeks ago, but upon first reading, I signed up for your newsletter. It's great! Thanks for taking your time to do this. Your articles and comments are informative, encouraging, and always current! Thanks again!!!!" Elaine Lucas, English Department Chair, Waller High School, Texas
"I just wanted to thank you for the fun, entertaining and educational class you presented at Lewis and Clark Middle School last Wednesday. I always have been interested in brain research and brain based learning. Also, I believe in teaching through hands-on experiences. Your program tied it all together in a very tidy little package. I have found the website and can tell it is going to have an impact on my future. Thanks, Kathie, and keep up the excellent job of being yourself and having a great time doing it."- Marc Romine LCMS, Jefferson City, MO.
"I LOVE the newsletter! Thanks for inspirations." -Gerry Tessner, Bear Creek Middle School, Fairburn, GA
"Thanks for the ideas in your workshop. I have been searching for an equitable way to teach to all the levels of students that I have thrown into my classroom. By implementing your ideas into my lesson plans, I now have a tool to allow the average student to feel successful and motivate the high achiever to expand their mind by selecting challenging ways to express their knowledge of the subject study". Jack Rapier, Head Track Coach, Manti High School
"Thank you for your terrific strategies. Am attending an IPRC on Monday and your suggestions will be read out. They have helped me and my son Sean immeasurably. As a parent and an educator I wish all educators were as knowledgable." Kathi Borthwick Hamilton,Ontario
"Your workshop generated more positive feedback from our staff than any other workshop I can remember!!! Especially wonderful, give our tendency to look at inservices as a necessary evil, but a waste of time. Many thanks, much respect, and much admiration for your common sense ideas, straight-forward and humorous delivery of it, and being so accommodating to us." Delise Neely, Chairperson, Luxemburg-Casco Development Council.
"This was the most beneficial professional development opportunity I have ever experienced in twenty years as an educator. Keep up the wonderful research and continue sharing your knowledge." -- Brenda Stoneapker, Illinois State Board of Education.
Kathie, You got me excited about teaching again. Thanks for the rejuvenation!" Keith Smedberg, Science Teacher, West Lake Junior High.
"You gave me much food for thought. The physiology made it interesting. It was even better than the book 'Emotional Intelligence.' Of course your humorous delivery was the key for me." Susan Harbertson, teacher.
"How can we thank you enough....the summary of teachers' comments were excellent." M. Saiz, Program Specialist, Bakersfield City School District.
I heard your presentation in St. Charles, IL, and was immediately excited about the possibilities. I had often wished I could change the way I "offered" assignments to students, but I had not been able to resolve the "gradebook dilemna." Layered Curriculum gave me the answer. Yesterday I presented the general idea to students my three sophomore English classes. I especially enjoyed the excitement that was generated when kids saw the possibilities. I think this is the most important component of layered curriculum--my students realized they had control of their grades.. . .One of them had even done the reading homework and was looking forward to the quiz! Many students did "C" assignments for homework the first day, and I could hear students talking about what they were going to do next. HOW COOL!!! (When I get more time, ... I just had to share my elation with the person who was responsible for the brainstorm.) Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Patti Tylka, Glenbard North High School in Carol Stream,IL.
Here's what happened today that made me love Layered Curriculum even more: As we were discussingthe reading assignment in Les Miserables, students made connections to movies they had seen. Usually when this happens, we explore the connection for a moment and then have to move on. This time I could say, "Sounds like a great idea for a 'B' assignment. If you want, why not watch the video and compare . .." I have never had so much fun talking about literature with kids instead of speaking about literature to kids. Can't wait until tomorrow! (I'll send you Unit Sheets soon.) Patti
