Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Routines, Routines!

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 29, 2011
Routines, Routines!
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.offthemarkcartoons.com/cartoons/2005-02-06.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.offthemark.com/search-results/key/middle%2Bschools&usg=__RpX9-TyRYM9WuIbEUOSHJfLkMkU=&h=252&w=504&sz=46&hl=en&start=0&zoom=1&tbnid=2LX5XT5sI389-M:&tbnh=92&tbnw=183&ei=RzQLTp_sNYSUtwejrt11&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmiddle%2Bschool%2Bcartoons%26hl%3Den%26biw%3D1366%26bih%3D595%26gbv%3D2%26tbm%3Disch&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=879&vpy=275&dur=7194&hovh=159&hovw=318&tx=163&ty=98&page=1&ndsp=23&ved=1t:429,r:13,s:0&biw=1366&bih=595


So sorry for the long address. I tried to copy paste the picture, but it wouldn't allow me.

I've struggled for almost a week now trying to find the perfect cartoon for my blog post. It has been very difficult. After much searching, I finally came across one that I thought I could connect to the TWB characteristics.

In this cartoon, it is very obvious that there has been a fire drill in the classroom, and that the regular teacher wasn't there for the drill. Someone chose to exit the building for the drill via the window!

So, how does this relate to TWB characteristics you ask? Well, it is totally opposite. There is nothing in this cartoon that would make the school environment inviting or safe. If this characteristic could have gone more in debt, I feel that routines and expectations would fit in here, with also a joyful community that promotes in-depth learning and enhances students' physical and emotional well-being. It's so important to start each year off being very explicit and up front about teacher expectations and establishing those routines and procedures day after day. As a first year teacher this past year, I struggled and let off too soon, and lost some of the routines that I'd worked so hard to establish in the beginning of the year.

So, again, for a safe environment to promote students' physical well-being, get those routines and procedures established. Exit via classroom window doesn't work too well for fire drills. And, you never know who is going to be in your room during that drill...it may not be you!!

Technology and Middle School Works Hand in Hand

http://teachingtoday.glencoe.com/howtoarticles/using-technology-to-motivate-middle-school-students

When looking for an article I wanted to focus on the use of technology in the classroom. This article does just that; and does an excellent job of explaining why technology is so important and several ways to use technology. One of the ways listed is through the use of webquest which I learned about through this assignment and truly enjoyed learning about. When teachers use technology it shows they value young adolescents which is a characteristic of TWB. They value their students by teaching through methods that will interest young middle schoolers. In the article, active learning, challenging curriculum, and multiple learning approaches, several of the TWB characteristic under Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment, are mentioned word for word. I definitely agree that technology can do all these thing and more. It motivates the students because it allows the students to be an individual and complete an assignment or participate in class in his/her own unique way. The teachers are satisfied because the concept is be learned and the student is satisfied because they get to express themselves. Also the use of technology allows for assessment to be varied. It is not the usually pencil and paper which all students are not the best at. The use of a portfolio as mentioned in the article, can be used as a assessment tool. So much is available through the use of technology that can motivate middle school students by incorporating their interests through challenging, creative, real-life application, and active instruction; this article is just the beginning.

The Tempered Radical: Maybe Not So Tempered, But Way Awesome

http://teacherleaders.typepad.com/the_tempered_radical/2011/06/feeling-blue-about-being-isteless.html

*Making up for the duplicate blog post I dad waaaay back at the beginning of the course, when Sunny and I inadvertently found the same blog

I was originally drawn to this blog because of its title, and was sucked in almost immediately by the quality of the rants. Yes, much of the content here could be classified as rants; Bill Ferriter, the author of the blog, is intensely passionate about what he sees as the important issues in education today. While firey, much of what he says has an undeniable base in common sense. He writes in response to educational policy-makers as an educator in the trenches, and makes a pretty passionate case for what most educators, in my experience, all seem to agree on.

There are many posts worth noting. Some of the most satisfactory are the pieces on testing and how it is destroying our schools. I found myself nodding along at each posting. He also has several pieces on integrating technology effectively, something that he doesn’t think is happening in schools these days. Read his post titled “Why are we STILL wasting money on Whiteboards?” for an eye-opening look at technology for technology’s sake (he hates Smart Boards; he sees them as an expensive waste of time that encourages teacher-centric lessons, when you could purchase a set of class Netbooks or iTouches for a comparable price). In “Rethikning Teacher Professional Development” (timely, considering the topic of chapter 8), he outlines an innovative approach to PD that capitalizes on what teachers know and are interested in. In his model, called edcamps, a group of teachers comes together, posts topics that they would feel comfortable leading a discussion on (such as teaching middle school science, or ways to integrate art into the classroom), and then everyone signs up for the sessions they are interested in. He encourages extending this model into the school itself, in PLCs that could meet weekly if not every day. This as opposed to frog-marching teachers through programmed, expert-driven lectures that don’t always have a lot to do with your day-to-day practice.

Mr. Ferriter’s philosophy is in accordance with This We Believe in the sense that he encapsulates the attribute of leaders being committed to and knowledgeable about this age group, educational research, and best practices. He is demonstrably knowledgeable, and in addition, passionate. He also demonstrates courage and collaboration (read his post on “How PLCs Changed My Practice”), and describes an incident in which he disagreed with his principal on a best-practice issue and was written up for it rather than sacrificing his principles. He clearly makes every effort to make his curriculum challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevant by his emphasis on technology. In the whiteboard post, he demonstrates his knowledge here, describing the use of LiveScribe pens, Netbooks, iTouches, and Voice Threads (some of which I had never even heard of). Check him out if you want to get fired up about your practice. I’m planning on subscribing to his blog from here on out.

Monday, June 27, 2011

Reality Matters: Cruel Schools: Bullying and Violence

http://s598.photobucket.com/albums/tt67/DomRozzi/?action=view&current=BULLYINGRealityMatters-CruelSchools.mp4

http://www.cosmeo.com/videoTitle.cfm?guidAssetId=4550055a-5cae-4ba2-a0f9-526e9627d485

This is the video I was referring to in our chat earlier this morning. If anyone from the other groups reads this, we were discussing the need for safety in the full-service middle school, particularly bullying and its consequences. I mentioned a video from United Streaming that my school showed that discusses bullying and gun violence. It is aimed at grades 6 through 8, and is very graphic in some places.

It tells the stories of several kids who were involved in real-life school shootings because they were bullied and picked on. It presents violence as the eventual outcome of school bullying. It also has shows students and educators having very frank discussions about bullying and gun violence in their schools. It fits within the scope of This We Believe in that it is meant to promote a school culture that is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all. But I would be extremely hesitant to show it again to students before maybe the second semester of sixth grade. I showed it at the end of fifth grade, after a year of some truly merciless bullying, and by the end my kids were owl-eyed and slack-jawed, like they were staring at a car wreck they couldn’t look away from. Although I did hear one of my worst bullies call out, “Why didn’t you show us this sooner?!” at the end, which I thought was very telling; his fear meant he was aware of the climate that had built up in our school from all the bullying and teasing.

The full video is available on Discovery Education’s United Streaming service, which you need a subscription to access. If you have a subscription, just go to the search feature and type in the title of the video- Reality Matters: Cruel Schools: Bullying and Violence.

If you do not have a subscription, the first link will take you to a website that has posted the first segment of the video, about 5 minutes total, for free. It gives a good overview of what the video discusses. Or, you could try the second link, which will let you sign up for a free trial and view the video that way. I believe you could see the whole thing that way. Either way, be warned: it’s very PG-13!

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Lunch Time Leaders

http://lunchtimeleaders.podbean.com/

I was amazed with this podcast. I had no idea what a podcat was until I started doing my research. I must say, I'm thrilled beyond words with the new 'savy' technology vocabulary I've learned through this course, go me!

So, this blog takes a look at not only community leaders, but leaders bigger than the community. Not only does Moran Middle School feel the need to stick 'with their state' but they talk with people in other states as well.

State troopers, governors, authors, lawyers, fire fighters, doctors, psychologist, and tons more people are interviewed in this interesting podcast. I thought this went above and beyond the TWB characteristic of involving community and business partners. All of these very well respected people interviewed on this podcast share their opinions about what students should do to be fully prepared for their future. Several different careers are represented here, from totally different ends of the spectrum. This podcast didn't focus on one and only one way to go, but showed several different successful people all around the world.

I LOVED about this podcast that almost any occupation you could think of was in some way recognized. Each person interviewed talked about past and present, and some future occupations that they have. I loved this because I felt like each child participating in this podcast felt like whatever it is that they want to do when they get older is okay and respected.

Thursday, June 23, 2011

Gotta Keep Reading or I Gotta Feeling?

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=gotta+keep+reading&aq=f

Okay, so I'm all about being corny and using songs that my kids already know and changing the words. I thought this video was AMAZING. The entire school got involved, and by watching the video I could definitely see that the school environment was a safe one, where each student felt secure.
Face it, lots of kids hate to read ( I'm guilty of being one of those kiddos). Reading was very hard for me, I never understood what I read, nor why I had to read. However, now as a teacher, I see and value that importance so much.

I hope that you'll take the time to watch this video all the way through. I found myself smiling, and trying to sing along! :) I was absolutely amazed that each child appeared to be on the right 'step' and enjoying every 'step' along the way. The students worked on this for around 3 months, daily in Physical Education. I went to the schools website after watching this video several times, and I was very impressed. I'm going to include the school website, too, incase you'd like to check it out. They have more movies!!
https://www.ocps.net/lc/west/moo/Pages/default.aspx

One Stop Shop for Middle School (other grades too)

http://www.thinkfinity.org/

This website embodies ALL of the "This We Believe" characteristics. I was impressed with the website and will log this site into my brain for future reference. It has so much to explore as educators, parents, community leaders, and all other stakeholders. It provides a place to locate lesson plans, professional development, blogs, discussion boards, resources, just about anything one could need. I really liked the tab labeled at home and afterschool. It provides different interactive websites for educational games, suggestions for technology use, and so much more. This site is not just for middle school but can used for other grades as well. With all the wonderful resources available on site, it helps develop individualized instruction for each student. If a child needs lessons or resources on a lower level it is there, or if a child needs a challenge it is also there. There is even a place to search state standards. The entire website is easy to navigate and detailed even the most technology challenged person could use. This is a one stop shop for any needs needed as an educator.

Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Exploring a Webquest

http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/grant/explorers/

As one of my fellow bloggers stated in an earlier post, I too was unsure as to what a webquest truly was. Now that I have seen a few on the internet and even read a webquest about what a webquest is, I have a very clear understanding of how cool they really are!
This particular webquest focuses on social studies, in particular a project that involves the research and understanding of various explorers and their contributions.  The webquest is set up in a manner that is very easy to follow, and the teacher has done a wonderful job in stating clear goals for the project. This lets me know that the teacher is prepared to teach her students, which follows the This We Believe characteristic of educators valuing young adolescents and being prepared. The fact that the teacher used a webquest for the project also connects to TWB by using multiple learning and teaching approaches. The teacher could have easily not used a webquest and handed this information out in a packet in class. However, this teacher took the time to think about the process of the project, set up the webquest, and make sure that the students had all of the resources they needed available to them. The rubric is also posted, which lets the kids know what the teacher is expecting of them and what they need to do to be successful on this project. I also love how detailed the teacher is in the roles of the members in the group, as well as the basic directions. Instead of having to repeat yourself in the classroom, students can go to the webquest and reread the directions before coming to you for clarification. This helps them to become active learners.
I love the idea of a webquest! It incorporates technology, mulitple disciplines, and gives students the opportunity to work in groups and individually. It hits on all the key elements that we have studied in our reading that make a successful middle school. While it would take a little work on the front end, webquests would be extremely beneficial in a middle school classroom. I can't wait to create one for my 5th graders!

Lusher Charter School: Educational Utopia

http://lusherschool.org/

While looking at middle school websites for this blog, I suddenly remembered the Lusher School in New Orleans, Louisiana. Back when my husband was still my boyfriend, he went to law school in New Orleans, and I used to visit frequently. He lived in a neighborhood Uptown called Carrollton, and while walking around this neighborhood, I used to see the Lusher Charter School often. I was struck then by what a beautiful, sweet little campus they seemed to have. At one point I saw them engaged in what turned out to be their annual crawfish boil, which looked like a great community builder!

When I checked out their website, I was really in awe of their organization. The website above covers the entire Lusher community, which consists of a Lower School, a Middle School, and a High School. Most of the sections on this website will have subsections on their middle school, so as you click around, you get a feel for how committed these folks are to their students.

There were tons of hallmarks of a quality middle school: team teaching, block schedules, project-based learning, etc. All of this indicates that their curriculum emphasizes active, purposeful learning. In addition, they have a huge emphasis on exploratory, which I think is lacking in a lot of public schools. Kids can choose to do dance, music, theater, visual arts, whatever they like. They even have a program called Art After Hours, in which professional artists from the community come in to do a variety of art with the kids from 3:45-5:30. (So there's partnering with the community). They are also partnered with Tulane University, and their high school students can take courses there for credit FOR FREE. Talk about community partnerships! Oh, and speaking of staying after hours, their teachers all have "office hours" twice a week, where they stay after school to help students who need it. Talk about instructors who value young adolescents and are committed to educating them! Oh, and their entire curriculum is vertically aligned, since they are one organization from Kindergarten through grade 12. They have a specific section on their middle school and how it is purposefully designed for the developmental needs of that age group. Oh, and parent involvement! Every parent of every student is automatically a member of the PTSA. Their website has a parent section describing numerous opportunities to get involved.

This website made me want to quit my job, move to New Orleans, and teach at Lusher. Much of their mission statement matches almost word-for-word with "This We Believe". If you'd like to see a work of educational art, please check out this website!

Welcome to Bob Courtway Middle School

http://bc.conwayschools.org/index.html


When searching for a MS website, I wanted to first look at the one I went to. Once I got there, I was very into it, and found myself piddling around for a good while. The website was very easy to follow, and I felt like everything that needed to be on there was.

The fieldtrips that students had taken on the website were to very respected community places, and I love how the website publicized that for all to see. (View archived news) This was including community partners with their school.

Also on the website, I found amazing parent information (View parents). Parents were definitely kept in the loop at Bob Courtway and they already are informed as much as possible for the upcoming 11-12 school year. TWB standard discusses involving family invovlement, and any family question was easliy answered on the website. I also saw several times where the website stated for more questions to call the office.

Overall, the website was very informative to me and was very inviting. It was also fun for me to spend some time looking at it, thinking back to when I went to school there about how much had changed.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

All the Cool Kids Do Grammar Webquests

http://imet.csus.edu/imet5/koreen/imetsites/282/index.htm

My experience with webquests is extremely limited. Specifically, it is limited to one; a pitiful little quest I designed myself after having read an article on how cool webquests are. If we were to compare this current webquest to mine in terms of art, mine would be the crayon-scribble you hang on the refrigerator that your child tells you is a dog. This Grammar Webquest, however, would be the Mona Lisa. Or at least Les Demoiselles d'Avignon (sorry Picasso).

The beautiful thing about this webquest is its organizational structure. It is neatly divided into sections that take the student step by step through what they must do. It also requires the students to work in groups to create a presentation based on their findings in the webquest, which has the benefit of extending the learning, empowering the students, and using additional teaching methods (cooperative learning, reciprocal teaching).

I think an educator who used this webquest would be involving the students in active, purposeful learning, using a variety of teaching methods, making the curriculum relevant to students by implementing technology skills, and creating a general atmosphere of empowerment as the students take charge of their own learning and are in turn responsible for presenting the material to their class. The webquest even provides the students with resources on lesson planning, sample power point presentations (the end product of the webquest), and a self-evaluation tool. For the teacher, they include both modifications for special needs students and extension activities for advanced learners. I will certainly take it as my model for webquests from now on, and I encourage you guys to check it out as an exemplary model.

Active Learning - The Only Option For the Middle School Student

http://ezinearticles.com/?Active-Learning---The-Only-Option-For-the-Middle-School-Student&id=2646972

In this article, I found myself just continually nodding my head--a yes nod! Daniel Yordy is a very avid believer that the middle school student shouldn't just be 'sitting at their desk' but rather making things, exploring, and getting dirty. He feels very strongly that the repetition students got academically in elementary school is not appropriate for the middle schooler; nor "college prep."

Daniel Yordy's main point throughout this article I felt like was that student's cannot understand or find what they are, until they are given the chance to embrace it. He never knew he was a teacher until he took a chance, and tried it out. Yordy feels that project-based learning is the best way to go, and that through those projects students may find their passions, where bookwork could never give that.

One of the NMSA TWB characteristics says that students and teachers are engaged in active, purposeful learning. If Yordy's articles was a teacher's passion as well, there would be lots of hands on project based learning going on in that classroom. We all know we remember what we did, it's the experience that counts....

Hale Middle School Website: Making Middle School a Little Easier to Navigate

http://halemiddleschool.com/

As everyone in the course knows, there is a wide range of middle level websites to be sorted through on the world wide web. In my quest I came across Hale Middle Schools site, which is very easy to navigate and full of great information about their school. Hale MS is located in Woodland Hills, California near LA. The first page of the site is well organized, and lists current information for parents, students, and staff. On the first page of the site under News and Announcements, I noticed that they received a grant from Exxon Mobil through a locally owned Exxon gas station. This is a wonderful gift for the school, and shows that Hale MS is meeting the NMSA This We Believe characteristic of including community and business partners in the growth and improvement of their school. As I navigated through the website I also found that they have many clubs for the students to participate in. While most of these activities take place during the lunch hour, kids are still given the opportunity to participate in a variety of activities which would fall under the TWB characteristics of supporting students health and wellness through school-wide programs, as well as having students personal development guided by an adult advocate. The clubs or activities offered appear to appeal to various interests ranging from Mariachi to Stars Wars. Hale MS is definitely making an effort to reach all of their students. Enjoy the site!

Monday, June 20, 2011

Berckemeyer's Book is Over-Priced, But His Podcasts are Interesting

http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/TodaysMiddleLevelEducator/tabid/1409/Default.aspx

Some serious charges of non-blog-reading have recently been levied against members of our course. Never let it be said that Amanda Street is among that number! My current post is a podcast I located because I was reading and then listening to Sunny’s podcast post. It is the same website, but you need to click on the third podcast down, entitled “Building Positive Relationships with Your Students”, in which Jack Berckemeyer interviews Howard Ormond, a principal and frequent speaker for NMSA.

I had the opportunity to hear Berckmeyer speak at last years NMSA convention in Baltimore, and in addition to being uproariously funny, he is an educator who CLEARLY values young adolescents and is prepared to teach them. After listening to the podcast, it was evident that Howard Ormond is cut from the same cloth. Everything he says speaks to the affective development of middle schoolers, as has been emphasized many times in our textbook. He states that teachers must show respect to get respect, and that students are human beings first and foremost. He encourages teachers to take an interest in the students’ interests, even if it means occasionally watching MTV, so we can feel comfortable engaging with them on topics they care about (he calls this ability to seamlessly engage and then disengage with students “verbal judo”).

There is a substantial section where he talks about teaming, which goes to organizational structures that foster purposeful learning and meaningful relationships. He states that co-teachers can be a valuable tool for figuring out students, as “somebody in that school has their finger on the pulse of that student.” Berckemeyer responds with an anecdote in which he arranged with his team to keep a student who was not completing work for him rather than letting him change classes when the bell rings (he says many students have figured out that when the bell rings, they can leave even if they haven’t done any work). He kept this student all day, and when he STILL didn’t complete the work, met him when he got off the bus the next morning (then the kid did the work). This kind of effective management strategy would not have been possible had the teachers not been demonstrating collaboration. This podcast was very interesting, and I encourage everyone to check it out!

Motivating Middle Schoolers

To listen to the podcast click on the link below, then go to the second podcast titled: Motivating Young Adolescents and click on the listen button to the left.
http://www.nmsa.org/Publications/TodaysMiddleLevelEducator/tabid/1409/Default.aspx

Wow! This is a great podcast! Just like they say in the podcast, motivating students is a struggle for all teachers: novice to seasoned. We have all experienced students who were unmotivated, and unwilling to participate. How we deal with these situations will not only improve our students motivation, but the overall experience in our classroom. The podcast is a discussion between Jack Berckemeyer and Kim Campbell, where they talk about the various issues of why kids are unmotivated and how we can help improve motivation in our classroom. Some of the simple ways to motivate kids involve making the material relevant, involving movement into our lessons, providing a safe environment, and incorporating technology. All of these are characteristics of This We Believe, and should be part of our daily curriculum in the middle school.
For me, the most important characteristic from This We Believe discussed in the podcast was building meaningful relationships. Jack and Kim discuss how scary this concept can be for some teachers. They identify some great ways to develop relationships, which will also help to increase motivation. Kim refers to a study that was done asking students if they worked harder for some teachers versus others. Almost all of the kids answered "Yes", and the reason was because they felt like the teacher cared about them. This speaks volumes to how important those relationships are. This podcast is full of so many great discussions, I just can't speak to them all! Please take the time to listen, as I think it will be worth your while. Enjoy!

Family Art Night

http://blog.whps.org/bristowmiddleschool/2011/05/23/family-art-night-wednesday-may-25th/

Well, looks like I have finally made it to the blogging world. From technology problems to the crazy every day world we live in, I have to say it's nice to finally be here. Lets just hope once I get ready to push publish post, everything goes okay, and what I've posted is efficient!! :)

I've been searching quite a bit for blogs before I chose one to pick. I decided I'd go with this one from Bristow Middle School. I found myself just piddling around on their blog, and found lots of parent involvement events. This particular one was a family art night. Students were encouraged to come with their family, bring a blanket and a desert and get ready to create some art work. I thought this was a great event for the month of May, towards the end of the school year. One of the This We Believe Essentials is to actively involve families, and this does so.

Being a first year teacher, I was a bit scared to just throw out suggestions this past year, and knew I didn't have the time to help organize family functions. However, this upcoming year one of my goals at my school is to get more invovled, and be ready to plan and take on some family nights to involve our parents.

Sunday, June 19, 2011

The Ideal Middle School: What's Holding Us Back? (Hint: It's Test Scores)

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http://www.nmsa.org/portals/0/pdf/publications/RMLE/rmle_vol34_no9.pdf

The above article by John Huss and Shannon Eastep (titled “A Tri-State Study: Is the Middle School Movement Thriving…or Barely Surviving?”) appears in the journal Research in Middle Level Education Online. I thought it was interesting in that it was a direct examination of the organizational structures we read about in chapter 3 of our textbook. Not only that, but it makes multiple explicit reference to the tenets of a quality middle school outlined in “This We Believe”.

The central question of the article is to what extent the characteristics of an “ideal” middle school (flexible scheduling, active learning strategies, interdisciplinary teaching teams, etc.) are actually implemented in middle schools. The authors found that several of the traits outlined in “This We Believe”, such as developmentally responsive curriculum and active learning strategies were present in a majority of cases. It did indicate that some of these, however, might be declining or not implemented as well as “This We Believe” would have envisioned.

However, something I noticed was that the quality of school leadership came up several times in this article. Administrators were cited as being unsupportive and unhelpful. Many of the shortcomings of the schools, such as de-emphasis on advising programs and affective development, were attributed to the need to perform well on state assessments. The “ideal” middle school model as described in “This We Believe” (developmentally responsive, active and engaged learning, teaching to the whole student) seem to be perceived as not in alignment with state testing requirements. Time for electives, exploratory, or advising was found to be in decline, in favor of more teacher-centered instruction on test-taking skills.

If middle schools are to be in complete alignment with “This We Believe”, administrators are going to have to support teachers as they take the risk of departing from traditional test-prep in hopes that a more “ideal” middle school model will prepare students adequately for state tests. I know I resorted to “drill it and kill it” strategies in the weeks before the Benchmark. This fear of poor performance seemed to be the main thing holding teachers back from fully implementing the middle school model.

Friday, June 17, 2011

Importance of PD

www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?title=Principal_of_Ida_Price_Middle_School&video_id=190618

I wanted to find a video that discussed any aspect of MS from a principal point of view. In this video, a principal discusses how important onging professional development is to a MS (any school really) in the form of a lesson study. I have been a part of a lesson study and have seen the valuable knowledge gained about the students through this form of professional development. Onging PD that reflects best educational practices is one of the characteristics in "This We Believe". This principal acknowledges the importance of PD and the benefits it can have on a staff. I feel the school also must have an environment that is inviting, and supportive of all as realize from the statements of the principal. The teachers and students feel comfortable and safe to allows others in their classroom for the betterment of the students. I think through this video all of the leadership and organization characteristics are supported from "THis We Believe". A shared vision of the best practice to help all students to an organizational structures with the lesson study are evident in this video. As stated earlier, I love the idea of lesson study and know how propitious they can be, that's why I like this video. Through my reading, I realize MS 's focus is on the individual student and a lesson study surely allows for more individualized instruction.

Thursday, June 16, 2011

Middle School Transitions

http://www1.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?video_id=43265&title=Middle_School_Transition

Agh, fell behind on the blogging the past couple of days, as I've been in an all-absorbing summer inservice. Incidentally, if anybody ever gets the chance to do the C.L.A.S.S. training (Comprehensive Literacy for Adolescent Student Success), I highly recommend it. It's a good guide to implementing the common core standards in a comprehensive literacy framework.

Okay, to the video, then. This video immediately caught my eye, as it dealt with the transition to middle school. I teach fifth grade, which in my district is the first middle school grade level, and the kids always struggle with the transition. We joke that the first 9 weeks of fifth grade is the longest part of the year.

I think this video reflects an effort of the school to make their environment safe, inviting, and inclusive for all. They clearly made it as an introduction to new students, to help them transition and see that older students were once in the same position that they are now. I thought that most of the student concerns would be about bullying, but most of them seem to have been concerned with getting to their classes and opening their locker (they were all very preoccupied with the lockers). I think this would be a good video to show to my students at the beginning of next year.

Connecting Curriculum to Career Choice

http://www.eric.ed.gov/PDFS/EJ925245.pdf

Above link found on the ERIC (Education Resources Information Center) website;
Source: RMLE Online: Research in Middle Level Education, v34 n5 p1-9 2011

This article caught my eye because it immediately made me think..."Aren't middle schoolers a little young to be thinking about career choices?" However, as I read through the article and reflected back to my days as a middle school student, I realized that middle school is a great time to discuss possible career choices. As middle school students approach high school they have so much on their plate, and they begin to feel the pressure of choosing what they will do after high school. Many high school students know what they are going to do, but many are still unsure. Many students will be unsure even after high school, changing majors in college several times, or making several job or career changes after high school. With so many career options, students need to have a time when they can really find what they like, find what they are good at, and what will make them happy.
Incorporating career education into the middle school curriculum allows students to see how current learning will help them in the future. It's no surprise that this article connects to This We Believe, because the authors stated the connection to the NMSA in their introduction. They state that by incorporating career education into the curriculum we are meeting the characteristic of "Curriculum that is challenging, exploratory, integrative, and relevent." Making a strong, direct connection between content and a specific career path will allow students to see that what they are learning is relevent, and allow them to explore a variety of career options. Research in the article found that students are more engaged in the curriculum if they see that it connects to life after middle school or high school. Those middle school years will give students the opportunity to contemplate many different career paths without feeling the pressure that comes when they enter high school. 

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

D.A.R.E.

http://cte.jhu.edu/techacademy/fellows/Hawkins/webquest/jshindex.htm

Looking for a webquest was interesting. I didn't really know what a webquest was but once I got to looking I really like the idea of webquests. In the webquest ,the students have to write a persuasive letter to fifth graders about drug abuse. The students get to use previous learned information to help other people. It also deals with the health and wellness of themselves and others, which is one of the characteristics of "This We Believe". The teachers is making persuasive writing engaging and relevant. Many MS students begin to deal with drugs at this time; therefore making the assignment relevant to them.The academics of persuasive writing and the personal development of drug abuse and peer pressure are both being tackled in this webquest. This is another characteristic of "This We Believe". The webquest is also challenging the students to use their creativity to create a public service announcement as well as using different methods to complete the assignment. Again more characteristics of "This We Believe". There are so many characteristics involved in this webquest. I really like the idea of both the webquest and the content of the webquest.

Monday, June 13, 2011

Middle School: Making the Transition

http://www.teachertube.com/viewVideo.php?title=Middle_School_Transition&video_id=43265

When looking for student friendly videos, I love to search on Teacher Tube! In my search for a middle level video I found this one which covered the fears, likes, dislikes, and advice of middle school students. These students were sharing their feelings on middle school, and providing advice to other kids getting ready to join them in the world of middle school. Some of the comments that stood out for me were how often the students said that if you had any questions or worries that you could go to your teachers or counselor and ask for help. These comments show that this particular school has created an "environment that is inviting, safe, inclusive, and supportive of all", which is a characteristic of the NMSA, "This We Believe" statement. All teachers want their students to feel comfortable in approaching them with questions or concerns. We want them to feel like school is a safe place, and that the teachers and other staff members are there when and if they need them.
Some of the students also commented on how PE was their favorite class of the day. We may think that this is a silly comment made by those who dislike school, however, we would be wrong in our assumption. As I learn more about the middle level learner I understand the value of a more balanced education that focuses on academics, as well as social and physical development. The NMSA states that "health and wellness are supported in curricula...", which means PE plays a key role in the daily activities of students. Students in the middle grades need the interaction that is provided in PE class. The young man in the video stated that in PE he could "express" himself in a different way. The young lady said the it was an opportunity to "hangout with friends." These statements reinforce the dynamic needs of the middle level learner. I enjoyed watching this video, and listening to what the kids had to say about "surviving in the middle school." It reminded me that I also had a fear of forgetting my locker combination in middle school as well! : )
The Road She Traveled

http://epnweb.org/index.php?request_id=1314&openpod=17#anchor17

These students seemed really to enjoy the interviews of the women from their own communities. If you watch the 'commencement ceremory' and listen to the students express what the podcasts meant to them; its impressive. The students are able to connect their own personal lives to these women they interview. Many of the students, even the boys, thank the women for giving them the courage to pursue their dreams just by telling their story. The characteristics from "This We Believe" are ALL of the culture and community characteristics. This project involved their community by honoring women that make a difference while learnig so much. One characteristic that I believe this project displayed was "Every student's academic and personal development is guided by an adult advocate.". These students' academic and personal lives were changed and improved through the interviewing of these women. The women interviewed may not have realize but after listening to the students comments I see how much was gained from the project. Several other characteristics from the curriculum and instruction were also apparent from this podcast. One big one is making the curriculum.....RELEVENT. I loved this podcast and loved hearing the student speak on how the projects impacted their lives. ENJOY!!!!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

On Fire for Middle Schoolers

http://theline.edublogs.org/

As I read this blog, I really got a sense of how much she loves her job or more specifically her students. She really values them, thinks about how they feel, and what is in their best interest. During the reading of the book for this class, I realize how important this time is for students and how a lot of things are all about 'self' for this age group. This lady has taken to heart the characteristics of educating young adolescents from "This We Believe". She values them and is prepared to teach them. She makes sure the students are engaged in purposeful learning and that it is relevant to them. In the post "Fire Drills in Prison" she goes a step further with the morning message. She takes what's been said and tries to make a connection with the students with it. Another characteristic she has tackled is creating a safe, inviting supportive environment. One can tell by the passion of her blog that the students are first. As she talks about how many hours she works she shows her dedication to the profession. She is committed to and knowledgeable of the age group. She also wants to provide challenges for her students and this is evident in the post about the poems. She goes above and beyond to reach her students and challenge them while writing poetry. Her fire for her students is so encouraging.
https://consortium.wikispaces.com/file/view/cartoon.jpg/31665653/cartoon.jpg

In this cartoon, the student want to use technology something many middle schoolers are comfortable with using. In this time, technology is whats in and is what is relevent to them. When I look at "This We Believe" I feel this cartoon touches on several of the curriculum characteristics. Educators using multiple approaches, engaging active learning, and making it relevant. By using blogs, the students is exploring their creativity and communication. The student is using what is familiar for them and exciting for them. Middle school teachers using blogs or technology allows oneself to make the material relevent and engaging for the students. It is not the same mundane way to express oneself. The students get to express themselves in a creativity ways using pictures, videos, music and so much more.

Saturday, June 11, 2011

Courage and Collaboration: One Out of Two Ain't Bad

http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.panix.com/~pro-ed/cartoon.gif&imgrefurl=http://www.panix.com/~pro-ed/&usg=__NgX02qbaWgdwPfOF2_ckgjTbuZ4=&h=300&w=300&sz=11&hl=en&start=0&sig2=ZxtRLU1sjlDVaEm7o4-Yvw&zoom=1&tbnid=FRlYUk7nLyAtjM:&tbnh=173&tbnw=173&ei=W9jzTYz0GsXJgQfF4PyqDQ&prev=/search%3Fq%3Dmiddle%2Bschool%2Bcartoons%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DX%26biw%3D1680%26bih%3D858%26tbm%3Disch%26prmd%3Divns&itbs=1&iact=hc&vpx=1416&vpy=125&dur=1423&hovh=225&hovw=225&tx=122&ty=91&page=1&ndsp=31&ved=1t:429,r:7,s:0&biw=1680&bih=858

All right, so...I found it difficult to find cartoons that were not protected by stringent copyright regulations and/or difficult to link to in isolation. So 1.) I apologize for the mile-long length of the link above but 2.) what you're seeing is the result of a Google image search in the context of its original webpage. Hope it works out all right.

As to why I chose it, it seemed to reverse illustrate the qualities of an ideal teacher as outlined in "This We Believe". The teacher seems neither committed to nor knowledgeable of best practice with this age group, although I suppose he is technically collaborating with his administrator, albeit without much courage.

Also, this is not a far cry from my third period class last year. My attempts to pull a "To Sir, With Love" were entirely unsuccessful. They will not be making a Hallmark Hall of Fame movie about me anytime soon.

Friday, June 10, 2011

When will I ever use this in the "real world?" (a cartoon full of truth)

http://www-grms.stjohns.k12.fl.us/teachers/downeyr/0783E060-0118C716.0/algebra-cartoon.gif

Isn't that the question of the decade? I know I use to ask my peers this same question..."When will we ever use this again?" As I have grown and had more experiences in life I have found that I do use many of the skills I learned in middle level math (or school in general), but why did I not make that connection when I was in the classroom? As this cartoon depicts, teachers often relate the use of the material in the future to the upcoming test, or pop quiz on Friday. As stated in the NMSA's "This We Believe" characteristics, "curriculum must be...RELEVANT", and "students and teachers must be engaged in active, and PURPOSEFUL learning." As middle level teachers we must have the knowledge and ability to show kids when they will use certain skills in the future, and give them real world application examples to reinforce these skills. If you make something relevant, whether you are an adult or child, you will be more apt to retain that skill or concept. This cartoon did a wonderful job of characterizing the need to make learning relevant, and take the concepts beyond the classroom.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Lessons Learned in the Middle: So Great, It Deserves a Double-Posting

Tom Saunders is the principal of Wild Lake Middle School in Howard County, Maryland. His blog, Lessons Learned in the Middle (link below), paints a picture of a school that is in excellent compliance with “This We Believe”. He mentions that he is a member of the NMSA, so I would imagine that he is familiar with the document. I think he must have given it a lot of weight in his school leadership style, because in reading his blog, I have found instance after instance of the 16 Characteristics that seem to be present in his school.

For example, his May 16th, 2011 entry, entitled “Middle School Readiness for Our Changing Middle Schools”, demonstrates the essential attribute of developmental responsiveness. Mr. Saunders understands that preadolescents are at a unique period in their development, and is concerned with making the transition from elementary school to middle school a smooth one. This is also a concern of mine, as I teach 5th grade; in our district, that is the first grade in middle school. The first 9 weeks of 5th grade is always the hardest for us, as our students try to use the same behaviors they did in elementary school with no success. Their primary struggle is in the heightened expectation of self-organization; each team at my school has about 70 students assigned to it, and I simply do not have the time or resources to make sure every student is organized and doing their homework on time and bringing all of their papers home each night. As they fail to complete homework or get crucial papers signed (which their elementary teacher would have hand-placed in their folder and then called their parents about after school), they experience frustration. Mr. Saunders, it seems, participated in a panel discussion at a professional conference and details a list of things that school leaders, teachers, and parents can do to support the students at this age in their transition.

I am struck throughout the whole blog by his tone of respect for his students' abilities and accomplishments. He really seems to value his students and engage them in active learning, which are two characteristics of successful curriculum, instruction, and assessment in “This We Believe”. He brags on his 8th graders for walking in a Cystic Fibrosis walkathon-a condition that one of the students suffers from. This is also an example of creating a safe and inclusive school environment, characteristic number 1 in the Culture and Community section of “This We Believe”. (Hereafter TWB). He also describes an instance of active, hands-on learning that seems challenging, exploratory, and relevant (both characteristics in Curriculum, Instruction, and Assessment in TWB) in which his seventh graders participated in an environmental trip to explore their local flora and fauna. Incidentally, this also involved parents and a community partnership with the Howard County Conservancy program; involving parents and the community are also characteristics outlined in TWB.

I am still reading through all of the wonderful blog entries in Lessons Learned in the Middle. It seems to be a good mix of more general educational concerns (he reviews Diane Ravitch's book “The Death and Life of the Great American School System” in his June 3rd post) and specific examples of essential TWB prinicples at work in his own school that I, personally, found very inspiring. I used to be a substitute teacher, and as a result, there is now no amount of money that you could pay me to teach seventh or eighth grades. But Mr. Saunders clearly encapsulates the TWB characteristic of valuing young adolescents, and is more than prepared to teach them. I highly recommend this blog!


http://lessonslearnedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Lessons From A Middle Level Principal

http://lessonslearnedinthemiddle.blogspot.com/

In my search for a Middle Level blog, I came across one that had been developed by a middle level principal. I think it is always good to see principals who take an active role, and put themselves out there as learners themselves. This blog deals with a variety of topics ranging from professional development, to what his students are doing, to how they can improve their school and create the best environment possible for middle level learners. This blog is aligned with many of the "This We Believe" characteristics. I really love the 'Favorite Moments of the Week' post. This post addressed the NMSA Culture and Community characteristic of guiding every students personal development, and meeting the needs of young adolescents. The blogger, Tom Saunders, is posting about how he can provide positive reinforcement with his own children who are at that critical middle level, preadolescent age. A Favorite Moment of the Week can be used in the classroom to identify positive happenings that go beyond academics. This idea fits perfectly into the Progressive idea of what a middle school should provide for preadolescent learners. Tom Saunders also posts about which resources and professional organizations are truly beneficial to him as a principal. This follows the NMSA Leadership and Organization characteristics that "ongoing professional development reflects best educational practices", and that "leaders are committed to and knowledgeable about this age group, educational research, and best practices." I enjoyed reading this blog, and I plan on coming back occassionally for any new information!