Teacher Update: Educator Teamwork Seen as Key to School Gains

[Howard Hartman]

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

	February 18, 2010
Top Stories TOP Sponsored by: Special Report + Educator Teamwork Seen as Key to School Gains Most educators believe creating school environments that foster greater collaboration would have a “major impact” on improving the chances for student success, according to a new national survey. • Commentary: Teacher Learning: Sine Qua Non of School Innovation • School Improves Math Results With Team Teaching Advertisement Create a school culture that values the will to read. Igniting a Passion for Reading helps you engage kids with interest inventories, book chats, reading lounges, author visits, and more. Preview the entire book! More Stories TOP Get these and other stories at: www.teachermagazine.org. (Note: Links to AP stories expire in 30 days.) Teacher Leaders Network + The Bunk of Debunking Learning Styles Heather Wolpert-Gawron points to her own "field studies" as a classroom teacher for 11 years to show that learning styles matter. + In National First, Kentucky Adopts Common Standards Three state education panels approve the move, even before the final version of the English/language arts and math standards is finished. (Education Week) + Snow Days Deprive Students of Food As snow shuttered schools last week in the East, the near-20 million students eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches found themselves out of luck for food. (AP) + L.A. Superintendent Proposes Shorter School Year The head of the Los Angeles Unified School District proposed shortening the school year by six days to minimize layoffs in the face of a looming budget deficit. (AP) + Ind. Rolls Out New Student Tracking Plan The Indiana Department of Education will track each student's academic growth instead of focusing on standardized tests to measure their progress and that of their schools. (AP) + Growing Popularity of AP Exams Brings Trade-Offs As more students take Advanced Placement tests, including students from disadvantaged groups, the overall failure rate has climbed. (Education Week) + Judge: Student’s Rant Against Teacher Protected Speech A federal magistrate has ruled that a student who set up a Facebook page to complain about a teacher had every right to do so under the First Amendment. (AP) Teacher Blogs TOP Blogboard What Teachers Think About Snow Days After "snowmageddon" crippled parts of the nation, The Washington Post spoke with teachers and asked them for their true feelings on snow days. And more. Teacher in a Strange Land Rebel Music Nancy Flanagan explains what her youthful experiences in a pick-up rock band taught her about music, teaching, and learning styles. (She’s got a picture, too.) Living in Dialogue Fremont High, Day 136: Life Lessons from a Reconstitution Anthony Cody invites a guest teacher blogger to write about his experiences as his school goes through a reconstitution process. The Book Whisperer Wild Readers Survey Donalyn Miller invites readers to participate in her Wild Readers Survey, to find out what a "wild, avid, forever adult reader looks like." A Place at the Table Buried Treasure Inspired by a trip to the National Geographic Museum, Susan Graham wishes that school were more like a buried treasure hunt, where teachers could inspire students to wonder about what they don't already know. Road Diaries: Teacher of the Year Why Every School Needs a Gun Locker Anthony Mullen speaks with the creator of the Middle School Archive Project in Dallas and discovers how revisiting students' dreams can lead to later successes. Unwrapping the Gifted What Brain Imaging Shows Us About Gifted Learners Tamara Fisher scans available information regarding MRI's and what they indicate about developmental differences in the brains of gifted youth. Discussion TOP Do We Really Need Advanced Math Classes As Required Subjects? Reader Ninja Nixon writes: I've been wondering about this for years, and I'd like to get some opinions from fellow educators/students. Do you feel that subjects like Calculus, Trigonometry, etc. should be required for students to get a high school diploma or a college degree? What's your view? Join the discussion here. Upcoming Webinar TOP Overcoming Barriers to 1-to-1 Computing Thursday, March 4, 2010, 2 p.m. to 3 p.m. Eastern time Sponsored by Lenovo. Efforts to put laptops, netbooks, or other mobile computing devices in the hands of every student are gaining traction. The goal of such 1-to-1 computing initiatives is to customize students’ learning, and to enable anytime, anywhere access to Web resources. Despite budget shortfalls, Maine has been moving forward to expand its 1-to-1 computing initiative, and school districts around the country are following suit, saying the programs are having a positive impact on student learning in the digital age. Join three experts for an in-depth discussion of 1-to-1 computing. Register here for this free online event. Web Watch TOP Our Web Watch feature is now a daily blog! Get the latest and most provocative education news for teachers. Comments welcome. Food Fight A restaurant owner apologizes for a confrontation with teachers who were on break from an in-service. Md., Va. May Cut Down School Year The "snowmageddon" that crippled the Mid-Atlantic region last week may force states to slash the required number of instructional days, as they attempt to make up lost time from snow days. Follow Us: TOP Teacher on Twitter Follow all of the latest Teacher news on Twitter. Teacher on Facebook Become a fan of Teacher on Facebook to stay up-to-date with teacher-related news!	Advertisement View All Top School Jobs + Superintendent, Douglas County School District, Douglas County, CO + Superintendent, Polk County Schools, Polk County, FL Advertisement Readers Poll TOP Teacher Collaboration Does your school support teacher collaboration? Add your vote to our online poll. See the results of previous polls. Advertisement Professional Development TOP Leveraging Online Professional Development The Fall 2009 issue of the Teacher Professional Development Sourcebook is now online. This issue looks at the potential of digital technology to enhance teacher learning options and increase collaboration and knowledge-sharing. And don't miss our exclusive directory of professional development resources and services. Browse resources in classroom management, English-language learners, differentiated instruction, professional learning communities, special education, and more. Advertisement Education Week's Spotlight Series TOP Spotlight on Motivation For some students, the difference between success and failure in the classroom and on assessments boils down to motivation. This Spotlight on Motivation explores innovative ways that schools are inspiring students to study harder and take learning further. Check it out now. View the complete collection of Education Week’s Spotlights here. Education Week Events TOP The 1-to-1 Computing Challenge: Overcoming Barriers Webinar March 4, 2:00 p.m. Eastern Register now. Sponsored by: Lenovo Making Data Matter: Tools to Accelerate Achievement Live Event April 7, 9:30 a.m. Eastern Chicago, IL Register now. Making Data Matter: Tools to Accelerate Achievement Live Event April 19, 8:30 a.m. Eastern Washington, DC Register now. Advertisement K-12 Industry Solutions White Papers The Tennessee Vocabulary Project ASCD Building 21st Century Skills with Project Learning Oracle Education Foundation Transform Learning with Interactive Video Communication Tandberg Blended Learning: The Intersection of Online and Face-to-Face Instruction Blackboard K-12 The Achilles Heel of Education and How to Fix It APQC Education Performance Measurement: Measuring What Matters Most Baldrige National Quality Program The Research Foundation for Successful Reader Renaissance Learning Longitudinal Data Systems in Education SAS
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