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18 years
of publication, 17,000+ subscribers
Wednesday, July 15, 2015
News and
updates to Kathie Nunley's Layered Curriculum
Sites for Educatiors:
http://Help4Teachers.com
http://Brains.org
- Teaching
Tip: Use Virtual Lectures During Class
Period
- Still
time to register!: Real-Time,
Virtual Layered Curriculum Course
Starts Aug 3
- Hot
Topic: Depression Affects Hippocampal
Neurogenesis
- Quote
of the Week
- Misc
Chatter & Workshop News
Teaching
Tip: Use Virtual Lectures During
Class Period
Most
teachers are taking advantage of
technology to offer online or virtual
whole-class instruction. However,
rather than trying to "flip"
your classroom and ask students
to watch the lectures at home, include
them inside the class time. Create
a student-centered classroom where
students choose from a variety of
assignment options which would include
watching online lectures. These
can be pre-recorded by you or use
commercially available lessons.
Students can use their own
devices or those provided by the
school.
Have
a teaching tip for us? Please send
it to kathie@brains.org
Virtual
(real time) Layered Curriculum Courses
Begin August 3rd
There
is still room in our first Layered
Curriculum course which starts Aug
3. Join me for this 6 hour
class, which meets over 3 different
days, virtually. "Creating
a Student-Centered, Technology-Driven
Classroom w/ Layered Curriculum"
I'll
take you through an introduction to
Layered Curriculum - with an emphasis
on integrating technology - in
our first class, then give you several
weeks to design your own unit(s).
We'll
meet again for the 2nd class and
discuss logistic issues.
Finally
our 3rd class will focus on improving
students' critical thinking skills.
Two
sessions to choose from
Dates
for Session 1: Aug 3 @ 10am
EDT, Sept 13 @ 4pm EDT, Sept 29 @
6pm EDT.
Dates
for Session 2: Sept 1 @ 4pm EDT, Sept
23 @ 6pm EDT, Oct 13 @ 6pm EDT
Course
Requires high speed internet access,
headset w/ microphone, Layered Curriculum,
2nd edition text
Course
Cost: $105.00
Space
is limited.
Registration
available at the Website
Hot Topic:
Depression Affects Hippocampal Neurogenesis
Hippocampal
Neurogenesis involves the development
of new neurons in the region of the
brain responsible for memory.
This process of neurogenesis may help
clear out old memories as well as
stabilize new memories for long term
retention. Researchers are now
looking at the effects of chronic
stress and depression on this process.
Both appear to interfere with
normal hippocampus function and in
particular cloud long term retrieval.
Citation
available at the website
Quote
of the Week
“Educating
the mind without educating the heart
is no education at all.”
- Aristotle
Misc
Chatter & Workshop News
Greetings
to you all on this mid-summer day.
I hope you are enjoying the
respite and are generating exciting
ideas for the upcoming new school
year. If you want to learn how
to create student-centered Layered
Curriculum lessons, make sure to join
us on August 3rd for our first virtual
class!
As
usual, I too am taking a holiday for
the month of July, but then look forward
to jumping back into things with several
conferences in August.
I
know many of you are now planning
for your 2015-16 professional development
days and I still have a few fall dates
available and many through the spring.
For information, just email
me for a brochure of 2015-16
Workshop Offerings and Costs.
As
always, my best to you and yours,
Kathie
Dr
Kathie F Nunley
Layered
Curriculum(R)
. . . because every child deserves a
special education (tm)
You are receiving this newsletter because
you requested to be on my mailing
list by entering your email address
at one of the two websites. I NEVER
share or sell my newsletter list, nor
is it used for any other purpose
other than this bi-monthly newsletter.
Should you need to be removed from
the list, simply reply to this and let
me know.
Layered Curriculum(R) is a trademark
developed by and registered to
Dr. Kathie F Nunley. Usage information
available at: http://help4teachers.com/usage.htm
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18 years
of publication, 17,000+ subscribers
Monday, May 4, 2015
News and
updates to Kathie Nunley's Layered Curriculum
Sites for Educatiors:
- School-Wide Tip: Use the back of the bathroom stall doors to provide
emergency / help information for students
- Hot Topic: Student Autonomy is Strongest Predictor of Homework Benefits
- Article: Why Teachers Fear Cell Phones and How to Overcome the Fear
- Quote of the Week
- Misc Chatter & Workshop News
School-Wide Tip: Use the
back of bathroom stall doors to provide
emergency/ help information for students
I
found this sign attached to the inside
back of the stalls in the student's
restroom at Erin High School in Erin,
Ontario last week. The sign provides emergency
shelter information along with help
hotlines for a variety of issues pertaining
to adolescents. I particularly
like the last phrase, "Please
do not deface or remove this poster;
someone you know might need it!"
HOT TOPIC: Student Autonomy is
Strongest Predictor of Homework Benefit
Education
research has long provided evidence to
support homework to improve students’
academic performance. However, researchers
are now digging deeper on the details
surrounding when, how much and what types
of homework are beneficial. What
they found is that student autonomy in
homework is the largest predictor of academic
benefit. When students are allowed
to choose if, when and how much, homework
is more beneficial than other factors
such as effort and duration. The
optimum time spent on homework was one
hour. Citation at the website.
BEST SELLER Summer Special from
the bookstore: Our "Newsletter
Subscribers Special"
Layered Curriculum Text & Workbook Combo
Why Teachers Fear Cell
Phones in School and How to Overcome
the Fear
A
lifetime ago, I remember math teachers
who were frightened by the thought of
allowing us to use calculators in math
class. They fought them for years and
years. I seriously remember them saying,
"what would happen if you find yourself
on a desert island with no calculator?" Of
course none of us ever brought up the
fact that if we were stranded on a remote
island, not having a calculator would
be the least of our problems. And of course,
there was the obvious question of why
exclude a very wonderful learning aid
simply for the sake of preparing for a
highly doubtful future scenario.
We
see a similar story being played out in
schools today with cell phone use. Teachers
are scared to death of what they see as
their biggest competition in the classroom.
I've met more than one teacher recently
who was thinking of retiring out of teaching
simply because of student cell phones.
How can a person seriously consider leaving
a profession because of one small (but
I'll admit, very powerful) addition? There
are several reasons for the fear:
Keep Reading Article....
Quote of the Week
Spring is nature's way of saying 'Let's Party!'
- Robin
Williams
Misc Chatter & Workshop News
Greetings
on this beautiful May day in New England.
Winter has finally released its
grip on us and let us breathe. The
flowering trees are giving a sneak peak
of their colors today and the puffy skies
show summer is coming.
I
must thank the wonderful teachers and
staff at Upper Grand District School Board
for the wonderful day at Erin High School
last week. The high school is unusual
in that it is combined with the town into
a community center. So while the
high school utilizes one end of the complex,
the town utilized the other end with a
senior center, preschool and arena. The
town and the high school then share the
middle part of the complex including the
library, a clinic and a dental office.
Great use of resources!
We
spent the morning on "What's Best
for the Brain at Any Age" and Layered
Curriculum. I always enjoy my visits
to Ontario and look forward to hearing
follow-up from the teachers there. I'm
home for a couple of weeks before heading
out for a district-wide conference at
Antelope Valley Union High School in Lancaster,
CA. I'll be doing multiple presentations
there titled "Don’t just
Flip your Classroom, Tip It Sideways Instead:
Blended learning WITHIN the room, using
Layered Curriculum.
As
always, my best to you and yours,
Kathie
Dr
Kathie F Nunley
Layered
Curriculum(R) . . . because every child deserves a special
education (tm)
You are receiving this newsletter because
you requested to be on my mailing list
by entering your email address at one of
the two websites. I NEVER share or
sell my newsletter list, nor is it used
for any other purpose other than this
bi-monthly newsletter. Should you need to
be removed from the list, simply reply
to this and let me know.
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18 years of publication, 17,000+
subscribers
Thursday, February 26, 2015
News and updates to Kathie Nunley's
Layered Curriculum Sites for Educatiors:
http://Help4Teachers.com
http://Brains.org
- Teaching Tip:
Include Learning Objectives on Layered Curriculum Units
- Hot
Topic: Teachers - Use Your Fancy Words to Help Improve
Reading Skills
- Layered
Curriculum Teachers Beta-Testing Lesson Builder for SmartBall
- Misc
Chatter & Workshop News
Teaching Tip:
Include Learning Objectives on Layered Curriculum
Units
Just
a reminder to include the student learning objectives
along with the assignment choices when constructing Layered
Curriculum Units. The objective lets students know
"WHY" they are doing a particular assignment.
For example: "You need to be able
to list 5 significant events leading up to the Civil Rights
Act". Then list 2 or 3 suggested ways
(assignments) for students to learn that objective.
Have
a teaching tip for us? Please send
it to kathie@brains.org
HOT
TOPIC: Teachers - Use Your Fancy Words!
A
new study out this month compares reading comprehension
progress with teacher vocabulary use in middle school. The
researchers compared beginning of year scores to end of
year, from a variety of classrooms. They also recorded
and analyzed the classroom teachers' speech. Students whose
teachers used more sophisticated vocabulary in class had
more significant improvements in reading comprehension as
the year progressed.
Citations
and more Hot Topics at the Brains.org
Website
New
Year's Newsletter Subscribers Special
$43.95 includes
free shipping in US
Layered
Curriculum Text & Workbook Combo
Plus
a FREE copy of "Enhancing Your Layered Curriculum
Classroom"
available
only through this link
Layered
Curriculum Teachers Beta-Testing Lesson Builder app for
SmartBall
Several
Layered Curriculum teachers around the US have been having
a ball - literally - this month! Physical Apps, maker
of TheO SmartBall agreed to build an app for the ball
that could be used by middle and high school teachers.
Their SmartBall holds a smartphone with an app to
teach lessons as the ball is tossed or bounced. But
the apps for the ball were focused on preschool and
elementary students. So I approached them and asked
if they could build something we could use at the secondary
level. And they did! So, we now have Lesson
Builder and I'm excited that we get to be beta-testers
for it! It has great engagement possibilities
for Layered Curriculum classrooms.
As of this
week, the public beta version is available for Android
users here. The IOS version will be out shortly. So,
we'd love more beta-tester this school year. You design
"flashcard" style lessons on their website,
download onto your smartphone (or I prefer to use an old
smartphone rather than my own) and it snaps into a ball.
Each time it's tossed the card changes. I built
lessons this week for Insect Orders, genetics vocabulary,
and one for shapes and arrangements of bacteria. The
app is free. The ball can be purchased direct
from the company through this link, or you can also
get TheO
SmartBall from
Amazon. We're just starting to construct a library
of lessons -so let me know if you make any.
Misc
Chatter & Workshop News
Thank
you again to the great staff at Woodruff Career and Technical
High School in Peoria. We had another great day there
yesterday - this time working on some classroom management
strategies along with continued work on Layered Curriculum.
Can't wait to see more units from you all!
This
winter has made travel challenging to say the least - but
I know spring will arrive soon. (Of course, here in
New England, I still have a 4-foot blanket of snow in my
yard, so I'm not expecting spring flowers anytime soon).
But at least I can see "March" on the calendar
next week, so that makes me feel warmer anyway.
I
have several new workshops and conferences on the calendar
for the rest of this school year and I'm now starting to
fill the fall calendar as well. If you are interested
in hosting a Layered Curriculum / Differentiation workshop
at your school in 2015, email
me for a brochure of 2015 Workshop Offerings and Costs.
As
always, my best to you and yours,
Kathie
Dr
Kathie F Nunley
Layered
Curriculum(R) . . . because
every child deserves a special education (tm)
You are receiving this newsletter because you requested to
be on my mailing list by entering your email address
at one of the two websites. I NEVER share or sell my
newsletter list, nor is it used for any other purpose
other than this bi-monthly newsletter. Should you need to
be removed from the list, simply reply to this and let
me know.
Layered Curriculum(R) is a trademark developed by and registered to
Dr. Kathie F Nunley. Usage information available at: http://help4teachers.com/usage.htm
Unsubscribe and address
change information at the bottom
18 years of publication, 17,000+
subscribers
Tuesday, January 6, 2015
News and updates to Kathie Nunley's
Layered Curriculum Sites for Educatiors:
http://Help4Teachers.com
http://Brains.org
- January
Tip: Use a Full-Spectrum Light in the Classroom During Dark
Months
- Hot
Topic: Children With Dyslexia Struggle with Writing Due
to Spelling Issues
- Article:
Children With Autism Need Accommodation for Reading
Material
- Quote
of the Week
- Misc
Chatter & Workshop News
January
Tip: Use a Full-Spectrum Light in the Classroom During
Dark Months
January
is often a time for "seasonal affective depression"
or SAD - caused by lack of sunlight. In children
this often manifests itself as increased restlessness,
aggression or hyperactivity. Have a Full
Spectrum Desk Lamp in the classroom and make
it available to students on either an "as-needed"
basis or rotation. Ten minutes within 2 feet of
full-spectrum light each day can alleviate SAD and the
associated behaviors.
Have
a teaching tip for us? Please send
it to kathie@brains.org
HOT
TOPIC: Children with Dyslexia Struggle With Writing Due
To Spelling Issues
Children
with dyslexia can write at the same speed as children without
dyslexia. However, on writing tasks, they write less
overall and pause more frequently while writing. In
particular they pause within words due to poor spelling
ability. The majority of writing deficits in children
with dyslexia result from non-automated spelling and within-word
pausing. Citation
at the website.
More
Hot Topics & Tips at the Brains.org
Website and via my Twitter Account: https://twitter.com/kathienunley
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Price $38.95 w/ free shipping (US only)
Layered
Curriculum Text & Workbook Combo
New
Article: Children with Autism Need Accommodation for Reading
Material
Children
(and adults) with autism will rarely read, understand or
relate to fictional literature. People with autism have
a different human interaction experience, so these novels
will be challenging. If you parent a child with autism,
consider asking for a modification on their IEP that they
be offered non-fiction books instead of fiction novels assigned
in class. This will also be the case if watching videos
or films that are relationship-based. Documentaries will
be better understood. Read
Entire Article....
Quote
of the Week
“You
can't get too much winter in the winter."
- Robert Frost.
Misc
Chatter & Workshop News
Happy
New Year to all of you. My best wishes for a wonderful,
fulfilling and healthy 2015.
As
you read this I'm already out on the road enjoying a
day of introducing Layered Curriculum to the staff
and faculty at the Woodruff Career and Technical Center
in the Peoria School District in Illinois. And next
week, it's off to Ohio! I guess it goes without
saying that I'm hoping for a mild January to keep road
and airports open.
I
want to thank the teachers and community in Chapel Hill,
North Carolina for another wonderful two days with teachers
and parents last month. I look forward to hearing
about your continued good work.
And
as you all start planning your 2015, let me know if you
are interested in hosting
a Layered Curriculum / Differentiation workshop at your
school. For information, just email
me for a brochure of 2015 Workshop Offerings and Costs.
As
always, my best to you and yours,
Kathie
Dr
Kathie F Nunley
Layered
Curriculum(R) . . . because
every child deserves a special education (tm)
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