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September 23, 2009 Sign up Forward Archive Advertise News for the Education Profession   Eye on Curriculum    Teacher: Literacy education must adapt to a changing world Critical thinking can and should be taught through analyzing online media, and accurate assessments of literacy should start considering the multiple information platforms today's students use, argues Paul Barnwell, a middle-school language arts teacher in Kentucky. A continued reliance on nothing but traditional texts will not prepare students to understand or influence the media of their future, Barnwell writes in this column. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (9/23)   Research on New York City charter schools points to achievement gains Students enrolled in New York City's charter schools outperformed their public-school peers on standardized tests, according to a study. A Stanford University economist compared the state test results of students who were randomly selected to attend charter schools with students who were not chosen through the city's charter-school lottery. A gap in achievement widened as students spent more time in charter schools. The New York Times (tiered subscription model) (9/22)   District opens magnet schools to diversify curriculum A Minnesota school district is opening magnet schools with targeted curricula in a plan to meet students' needs and improve diversity. The Burnsville-Eagan-Savage district has created magnet schools for the arts, science and math, and gifted children, with plans for more next year. Administrators and teachers in the district say they will watch to see the effect on student achievement and how magnet curriculum develops. Star Tribune (Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minn.) (9/22) Students Make 38% Gains Using Lexia Reading The Hall County Georgia schools see 38% gains on state testing after students use Lexia Reading software. Web-enabled, research-proven, award-winning, Lexia Reading has helped all Hall County elementary students succeed. Dramatically improve your students' reading skills. LEARN MORE   Professional Leadership    High-school English educator wins Oklahoma's top teacher award High-school English teacher Brian Grimm has been named Oklahoma's teacher of the year. Grimm, who has 13 years of teaching experience, won $10,000 in cash and will spend the year as an education ambassador, speaking at schools across Oklahoma. "He is beyond a good classroom teacher. He understands the urban classroom," said Tulsa schools Superintendent Keith Ballard. "It's more than just delivering instruction. We have to develop relationships with kids." Tulsa World (Okla.) (9/22) Teacher uses movement in teaching English to at-risk youth: Brian Grimm uses an active-teaching method to instruct students in his high-school English classes in Tulsa, Okla. Grimm researched urban teaching techniques before developing the style, which ties movements to language concepts. "The majority of high-risk kids are kinetic learners," Grimm said. "As a composition teacher, that wasn't easy." Tulsa World (Okla.) (9/21) Progress Zone-the first web-based formative assessment service that recommends standards-aligned video clips for target remediation. Monitor student progress throughout the year with teacher-created diagnostic probes tied to your state's curriculum standards and automatically linked to appropriate, fun, and engaging Discovery Education streaming video clips. Learn more.   Technology Solutions    Program recycles computers, offers students hands-on learning A program in Arizona provides schools, day-care centers and nonprofit organizations with refurbished and recycled computers. The program, a nonprofit initiated by Intel and Motorola in 1997, gave about 2,000 refurbished computers to 349 Arizona schools last year. The program also teaches students technical skills as they refurbish the computers. "The students learn the social responsibility of properly disposing e-waste," a high-school computer instructor said. "The students also gain the experience of using their skills to help others and contribute to their community." The Arizona Republic (Phoenix) (9/22) Your struggling readers can achieve silent reading fluency. Reading Plus® delivers individualized, scaffolded silent reading practice and robust progress monitoring. Reading Plus® ensures your students transition effectively from oral reading instruction to independent silent reading. Learn more.   SmartBlogs  Is there a fix to the dropout crisis? The National Journal's Education Experts blog asks for answers to the high-school dropout problem in light of a report on the financial losses dropouts face over the course of their lives. The question draws a variety of solicited responses from numerous experts. Some emphasize the need to expand public knowledge about the dropout rate, which has reached 40% or more at some schools targeted for reform by the Obama administration. National Journal/Education Experts blog (9/21)   Read more from the top education blogs here   Policy Watch  Opinion: Education reform is progressing, but Obama must take on NCLB President Barack Obama is planning bold education reforms driven in part by federal stimulus funding, but he has yet to take on what Washington Post columnist Ruth Marcus contends is his biggest challenge: No Child Left Behind. The pivotal test of his education policy will be whether Obama can keep the law's focus on accountability while giving schools more flexibility, Marcus writes. The Washington Post (9/23) Florida city looks at possibility of seceding from school district City officials in Boca Raton, Fla., are considering the possibility of turning their city's 10 public schools -- part of the Palm Beach County School District -- into charter schools run by the city. Although the public schools in Boca Raton are performing well, city leaders are concerned about recent moves by the school district -- including a change from a one-teacher plan and new elementary-school homework rules. South Florida Sun-Sentinel (9/21) Other News Investigation: Schools aren't quickly informed of recalled food Google/The Associated Press (9/22) Most Maryland high-school seniors pass new exit exams The Washington Post (9/22) The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS) Independent Reading Inside the Box shows how K-6 students can use a single piece of paper—the "Reading 8-Box"—to strengthen and monitor their comprehension, language, and thinking skills. Filled with student samples, reproducibles, and rubrics. Click here to preview the entire book online! Reach students who do not learn well using traditional methods. AIMS hands-on math and science activities will motivate and engage them in a variety of learning modalities to improve their understanding and retention. Most of the materials you'll need are already in your classroom! For complete details, contact AIMS Education Foundation today. Need your master's degree for professional certification? Consider the Excelsior College Liberal Studies Advantage. Our master's in liberal studies may be your best choice for professional certification. Choose from several track options such as Educational Leadership or Community Building and Conflict Resolution. Visit malt4.excelsior.edu for more information. 4 Strategies for Technology-Driven Student Achievement Pull up a virtual chair and listen in as 4 state and district education leaders discuss how they've employed classroom technology to help their students (and teachers) reach new levels of achievement. Free On-Demand Webinar – View Now. Interested in learning more about advertising in ASCD SmartBrief? Contact Joe Riddle at (202) 407-7857 or jriddle@smartbrief.com.     In the Field  Study: Game boosts understanding of finance and math Research results suggest that a game based on the stock exchange not only teaches children about the workings of the market but also increases their math skills. A study of 600 classes at all grade levels by Learning Point Associates found that students who played the Stock Market Game, developed in the 1970s by a New York City financial association, performed better than their peers on financial knowledge and math tests. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (9/23) Other News Fame's tough road: Performing arts schools face difficult financial outlook ABC News/The Associated Press (9/22)   Association News  Web Seminar: H1N1 and Continuity of Learning Educators are planning for continuity of learning if the H1N1 flu virus causes high rates of student absences or school closures, but what happens when the students return to school? Students returning from lengthy, unplanned absences will have varied learning needs and gaps in what they have learned during their time away from school. How can teachers at local school sites collaborate to plan for the return of students? What role does formative assessment play in determining returning students' needs? How should classroom instruction change to address these varying needs? ASCD will host a Web seminar at 4 p.m. EDT on Sept. 30 to provide tips and tools to help educators address these questions and more. Register for the Web seminar. Formative Assessments Transformed My Teaching Formative assessments changed the way social studies and language arts teacher Deirdre Grode teaches. An ASCD blog post describes these instructional changes and how they've resulted in students progressing to the next lesson with the skills they need to be successful. The post highlights Grode's monthly column, which this month focuses on her varied uses of formative assessment in the classroom, including a lesson on gender stereotyping. Read the post. 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