Teacher Update: Getting Ready for the School Year

[Howard Hartman]

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Republishing of Teacher Update e-newsletter and access to articles courtesy of edweek.org

	August 13, 2009
Top Stories TOP Get these and other stories at: www.teachermagazine.org. (Note: Links to AP stories expire in 30 days.) Teacher Leaders Network + Teaching Secrets: How to Organize for Learning Organizing your classroom is a key to successful learning, writes teacher Marti Schwartz. From the Archives + Getting Ready for the School Year Coleen Armstrong, author of The Truth About Teaching: What I Wish the Veterans Had Told Me, answers readers' questions on back-to-school preparation. (July 24, 2007) + Demand for AP Courses Soars Teachers prepare for the growing demand of AP courses at summer institutes across the country. + From Biochemistry to the Classroom Temple University is hoping their Transition to Teaching program will lure math and science professionals looking for a career change into the classroom. (AP) + Special Olympics Founder Eunice Kennedy Shriver Dies Eunice Kennedy Shriver, who championed the rights of the mentally disabled, has died at age 88. (AP) + National Guard Aims to Help At-Risk Youth The intensive five-month education program provides courses toward a high school equivalency for male and female students in a quasi-military environment. (AP) + Calif. Approves Digital Textbooks Ten digital textbooks may appear in classrooms this fall after state education officials named the first e-textbooks that meet high school math and science academic standards under Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Free Digital Textbook Initiative. (AP) + Ariz. Teens Build Green Playground The Green Development Project, one of Yuma Private Industry Council’s summer projects, trained 10 teens in construction using alternative, renewable materials. (AP) Discussion TOP Does Grammar Matter Anymore? Teacher Madlon Laster says that English grammar usage is changing so quickly due to texting and Twittering that in 10 years the language may become unrecognizable. She asks, “Is anyone teaching grammar these days?” Join the discussion. Upcoming Chat TOP Keys to Leadership Success Tuesday, Aug. 18, 1 p.m.-2 p.m. Eastern time In an era when many superintendents last three years or even fewer, particularly in large districts, the decade-long tenures of Jerry D. Weast and Beverly L. Hall stand out. Each has earned the praise of their colleagues for raising student achievement while maintaining good relationships with the other adults crucial to making it all work. Join us for the opportunity to ask these two veteran district leaders about the keys to their success. Upcoming Webinar TOP Stimulus: The Second Wave Thursday, Aug. 20, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time The U.S. Department of Education is gearing up to award $5 billion in Race to the Top, innovation, and other competitive grants from the federal economic-stimulus package. Join our guests, two high-level officials from the education department and a key state education commissioner, as they discuss the details of those competitions and the education reform challenges ahead for K-12 leaders. Sponsored by PLATO Learning. Featured Blog TOP The Book Whisperer Donalyn Miller gives the final installment of her summer book-a-day challenge and updates readers on The Book Whisperer book tour. Professional Development Resources TOP Advance Your Practice Looking for professional development ideas and activities for the new school year? Browse the Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook's exclusive resource directory. Check out listings in English/Reading, Differentiated Instruction, Effective Teaching Strategies, At-Risk Students and more. Providers: Update or submit your listings now for inclusion in the Fall issue of the Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook. Teacher Blogs TOP Blogboard Teacher's look at what's new and noteworthy in educator blogs. Recently: Teacher Assignments? Call Scooby Doo!, Class Size Debate Out of Focus?, Do Teachers Have Boy Problems? and more. A Place at the Table Susan Graham is taxed with the task of discovering what really is tax-free during Virginia’s annual “Back to School Tax-Free Weekend.” Unwrapping the Gifted Tamara Fisher reports on the highlights of the second half of Edufest and includes helpful links for educators. Living in Dialogue Anthony Cody examines President Obama’s Race to the Top and wonders whether teachers’ pay should be linked to students’ test scores. Eduholic Emmet Rosenfeld bids farewell in his final Eduholic blog post. Teaching Generation Tech Katie Hanifin reflects back on the day her father removed the training wheels from her bicycle — and what it means to her now as a teacher. Education Week’s Spotlight on Tips for New Teachers TOP The first year of a new teacher’s career is always challenging. The editors at Education Week know this and have selected a collection of articles by experienced members of the Teacher Leaders Network with essential advice for new practitioners. Now available as a downloadable PDF, this Spotlight on Tips for New Teachers provides insight and practical suggestions for getting started on the right foot. Get it now! View the complete collection of Education Week’s Spotlights here. Education Week Leadership Forums TOP Smart Ed-Tech Strategies For Tough Times September 17, 2009: Chicago, Illinois September 25, 2009: Jersey City, New Jersey Mark your calendar and join us at this one-day Education Week Leadership Forum to learn about the ed-tech strategies that will make a difference to your district RIGHT NOW. Click here for the full agenda. Your Super-Early-Bird registration saves you 50% – you pay only $245! Register as soon as possible to lock in the greatest savings. Bring a colleague and save even more! You get $50 off each additional registration in your group!	Advertisement Web Watch TOP Our Web Watch feature is now a daily blog! Get the latest and most provocative education news for teachers. Comments welcome. Textbooks Going the Way of the Dodo? Many educators believe it won’t be long before textbooks become a thing of the past. Gay-Friendly, Internet Approved The first known online high school for gay and lesbian students in the country preps for a January opening. Advertisement View All Top School Jobs + Superintendent of Schools, Pomona Unified School District, Pomona, California + President & CEO, Prince William PREL, Honolulu, HI Advertisement Reader Poll TOP Back to School Are you prepared for the start of the school year? Add your vote to our online poll. See the results of previous polls. Advertisement Featured Events  Stimulus: The Second Wave   Webinar August 20, 2 p.m., ET sponsored by: PLATO Learning  Keys to Leadership Success   Chat August 18, 1 p.m., ET  Math Stagnation In High School   Chat August 27, 1 p.m., ET  Emerging Mobile Technologies for K-12 Classrooms   Chat September 3, 11 a.m., ET  Smart Ed-Tech Strategies for Tough Times Sept. 17, Chicago, Illinois Register Now Sept. 25, Jersey City, New Jersey Register Now Advertisement K-12 Industry Solutions White Papers Credit Recovery: Exploring Answers to a National Priority  Blackboard Creating a Visual Learning Environment Using 21st Century Die-Cutters Varitronics Smart Options: Investing the Recovery Funds for Student Success  Coalition for Student Achievement
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