Middle School Matters show

Middle School Matters

Summary: MSM-Middle School Matters is designed for Middle School Educators. We focus on the Middle School educators. Providing news, conversation on relevant topics, and links to other great sites, we want to reach out to other middle school educators. Join in the discussion at MiddleSchoolMatters.com

Join Now to Subscribe to this Podcast

Podcasts:

 MSM-20 Advisory Activities | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:49:20

Advisory Activities: Side-by-Side (team level activity), Walk The Line (individual Advisory activity), Who are You?, Teacher Appreciation, TP Shuffle (individual Advisory activity, higher level of challenge for both the advisory teacher and the students involved), Origami, Take a Stand, CopyCat, Take a Side.

 MSM-19-Advisory Advice | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:43:56

According to NMSA: Advisory programs are designed to deal directly with the affective needs of [young adolescents]. Activities may range from non-formal interactions to use of systematically developed units whose organizing center are drawn from the common problems, needs, interests, or concerns of [young adolescents], such as "getting along with peers," "living in the school," or "developing self-concept." In the best of these programs, [young adolescents] have an opportunity to get to know one adult really well, to find a point of security in the institution, and to learn about what it means to be a healthy human being.

 MSM_18-CSI | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:51:20

We discuss the education systems of China, the States, and India. Our conversation centers around a new video called, Two Million Minutes: A Global Examination. The video spotlights six high school students, two each from China, the United States and India. The video makes the case that students in China and India work harder, spend more time working on school work and take school much more seriously than their American counterparts. The video “sounds an alarm” about the educational system in America according to its producers. The video has its critics and supporters.

 MSM 17 | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:45:14

Podcast #17 12-22-08 How much "truth" do we tell kids? Are "myths, fables, and other good story constructs important? Horodotus vs. Thucydides Just the facts or don't let the facts get in the way of a good story? How do we teach kids to be good critical thinkers whilst still keeping up good stories? With the advent of YouTube, and other web pages, how do we teach kids to think critically and still keep alive "fables"? - The use of allagory in teaching? General Guidelines for Teaching with Folk Tales: http://www.ferrum.edu/applit/studyg/studygfolk.htm Advantages of using Allegory (Folk Tale) in Education Pitfalls of using Allegory (Folk Tale) in Education 1. Length 2. Fun! 3. They are memorable. 4. Many variations make them easy to compare. 5. Universal themes 6. Because they use universal themes, they have many interpretations and are meaningful. 7. Links to the oral and written literatures of the world. 8. Links to popular culture and many academic subjects and skills. 9. Enhance transitions from childhood to adult life. 10. Builds connections between children and adults. 1. Break the habit of referring to the "writer" as an original source or the "real " or "correct" version. 2. Students may react negatively to other cultural norms and will need them explained before going too far into the folk tale. 3. Beware that the folk tale doesn't establish a stereotype by generalizing the culture of a region or a people. 4. Some have a hard time analyzing stories they love from their youth. 5. Not all folk tale lore is intended for entertaining children. Some contain adult themes. 6. Because there are many different versions, details from one can "transfer" to another version of the same tale and potentially confuse students. 7. Students will need additional instruction in documenting oral, audio, visual, and unpublished sources. Authority- how does this fit in to the picture? Allegory - J.R.R. Tolkein & The Lord Of The Rings series - C.S. Lewis & The Chronicles of Narnia series - Aesop and "Fables" - Bill Bennett and his series on American Tales - Davy Crocket Folk Tale - Dr. Jan Brunvand: Urban Legends Media Literacy: http://www.medialit.org/ TRY YAHOO FOR TEACHERS (BETA) http://beta.teachers.yahoo.com We mentioned Yahoo's upcoming social network for teachers in September - and we've been checking back from time to time to see what progress, if any, might have been made. We were intrigued, frankly, by the idea of a professionally supported social network by and for teachers. Yahoo has now posted its "beta" version (meaning "we haven't worked out all the kinks but would love for you to try it out"). So try it! One cool feature - any posted lesson plans or teaching ideas can be rated by users and you can see the items with the highest ratings (and the most downloads) easily. There's no cost. To get into the beta edition, you'll need this info: username - yhallpass / password - g0bbler (that's a zero, not the letter "oh). Check out all the features and tell them what you think. - Source: John Norton MiddleWeb email newsletter. Note: This is a beta project. Many areas are under development and navigating is still a little clunky. There are a lack of people on the site yet and so the social networking side of things hasn't quite taken off yet, it appears.

 MSM_16-Schedule | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:43:39

First up, we take a look at scheduling: Need to involve stakeholders for input: * Administrators * Counselors * Teachers * Students Some questions to ponder: * Should each course receive equal time? * Do core subjects (especially those tested) receive more time? * Is literacy something different? * How many subjects should students deal with? * Block Schedule vs Daily schedule * How long can kids attend? * Are staff trained in different time use strategies? * What about “disruptions”? (Assemblies, testing, special presentations). There are two things which drive all schedules: 1. Lunch 2. Buses Don’t forget about them but work around them. Remember the systematic structure: * Provide Common planning * Promote Professional Learning Communities * Promote Flexibility for teams * Special needs students (ELL, RR) Understand that there are options: * Rotating schedules * Alternate Day schedules * Mixed schedules Additional Resource: Ohio Middle School Association Pre-Conference session on scheduling: http://www.ohiomsa.org/Documents/Annual%20State%20Conference/2008_Scheduling_Workshop_Registration_Form.pdf Contact Information: Charlie Beard cbeard@lourdes.edu and 1 (419) 824-3718 Planning 6th Grade Survivor Camp 1. Create Schedule/Rotation 2. Create Student/Parent Group Session 3. Create Student Session Topics 4. Handouts!!!! 5. 6th Grade Handbook 6. Sign-in Sheets for Students & Parents 7. Advertise! Advertise! Advertise! 8. Acquire Sponsors: $100 for a slot on the shirt. 9. Prepare Snacks 10. Prepare Receipt books for sale of Items! 11. Parent Resource Center Supporting Reasons for Middle School Transitional Programs 1. Meets Title I requirements for providing plans for transitions. 2. Meets Title I requirements for parent involvement. 3. Fulfills several indicators for accreditation standards. 4. Provides for healthy, safe, and supportive school climate. 5. Supports middle school philosophy. 6. Contributes to cohesive staff. 7. Makes first day of school easier. 8. Eases fear of unknown/anxiety for parents and students. 9. Diminishes locker anxiety for parents and students. 10. Informs and explains rules and procedures. 11. Provides information about tutoring opportunities. 12. Produces fewer discipline referrals. 13. Provides opportunity to identify possible “issues.” 14. Provides positive first impressions and dispel rumors. 15. Trains pupils to implement rules/procedures on the first day. 16. Diminishes first day fears and “ailments” for students. 17. Provides relaxed, first meeting atmosphere for stakeholders. 18. Curtails “hovering” parents on the first morning of school.

 MSM-15-PD_on_the_Cheap | File Type: audio/mpeg | Duration: 00:50:40

In Podcast #15 (PD on the Cheap), we continue our discussion of NMSA07 Conference sessions. Shawn takes a look at Project LEAD which is centered around Pre-service and service teachers. However, the ideas can be used in a variety of settings. We also discuss some of strategies to improve literacy skills. As usual, there are some good links included. (Note: due to some personal time constraints, this podcast is available only as an mp3).

 MSM-14_Totally_Teacher_Tech | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 01:14:38

Some places to help teachers: Youtube comparable: Teacher Tube - Kind of like Youtube but focused on education. Has a variety of teacher generated videos. Has a lot of videos done by educators. These can be imbedded on a blog or a web site. Youth Created Media - Video created by youths. Good for examples of what kids can do. Video Lessons from around the web. Not directly educational. Rather this site promotes learning. United Streaming: This is a for pay site. Includes a lot of videos that are short and tied to standards. Many school districts have an account with them. Web offerings: * Teacher Resources: - Teacher Resources and Professional Development (This is a great site with lots of useful videos. Also check out their free newsletter.) o Interactives: www.learner.org/interactives/ o Art: http://www.learner.org/resources/browse.html?discipline=1 * 4 teachers: - Wide variety of sites for teachers: o QuizStar (pay) - allows you to make quizes o RubiStar (free) - allows you to make and save rubrics. Has some guides to start you out. * Quizlets: - Vocubulary learning help. * Kerpoof: This site looks like it has a lot of potential. Kids can network and create stuff here. * Virtual Field Trips: Just what it says. Some science field trips as well. * Discovery Educators Network of teachers () * Math Videos Online: A bunch of videos that can help explain of re-enforce math concepts. * Geography that’s Juicy. * Grammar * Science We didn’t get a chance to talk about all of them. However, there are some sites here. I would really recommend starting with the Teacher Resources link above.

 MSM-13- NMSA07-Silver_&_Gold | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:58:26

This was a fascinating presentation. Debbie Silver is a very dynamic presenter who grabs the audience. She is one of those rare speakers from whom you get a natural “high”. She focused on the little things that teachers can do that make a big difference for kids. She was one of the presenters that pointed out how much of an influence that teachers have on children. Many of the things that she pointed out are subconscious things - little things that we just don’t teach as educators. However, lots of these things have subtle effects which can lead to a “tipping point” to change student achievement.

 MSM-12NMSA-Connectwork | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:56:06

Join us as we get specific about the NMSA 2007 Conference. It’s amazing how much excellent material we picked up there. In this episode, we discuss a couple of the presentations that we attended. Rick DuFour’s presentation was fantastic. I really do hope that NMSA will be able to broadcast it at some point. I then discuss Walt Grebring’s Presentation “Effective Leadership Equals Successful Schools” Shawn also discusses one of the sessions that he went to on RTI (Response to Intervention). Response to Intervention Through Middle School Electives www.eps.n-cook.k12.il.us

 NMSA07Wrapup | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:46:24

Shawn and I sat down for a few minutes to discuss our impressions of the NMSA conference. We recorded this "live" from the media area. We’ll go into more detail about the individual sessions in up coming shows.

 MSM_10-NMSA07 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 01:31:34

Our excitement over the upcoming NMSA Conference can't be contained. In this episode, we discuss conference attendence strategies and our picks for breakout sessions. Be forewarned, this is our longest podcast yet. We also announce our first ever give away - you could win an iPod. Listen to discover how.

 TLC_of_PLC_9 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:53:22

Values: One method, create a representative task force and challenge its members to: 1. Carefully review the school’s vision statement 2. Identify attitudes, behaviors and committments that must be demonstrated by the group in order to move the school closer to the vision. 3. Develop a draft of a statement of these attitudes, behaviors and committments (limited to no more than 10 statements) 4. Arrange small-group meetings with collegues to present task force findings, solicit feedback and answer questions. 5. Revise initial draft 6. Small group meetings until there is strong consensus for the statements. 7. Present findings to the entire staff to obtain endorsement of the final product. One of the big keys is to remember to involve Parents, Support Staff and Community members. Mature vs. Immature PLCs-development of values/vision and implementation. Some keys: * Keep them few in number * Link the statements directly to the vision statement * Be direct * Focus on behavior, not beliefs * Focus on self, not others Fourth Building Block: Goals: Which steps will we take first, and when? Need to create some small victories. Thus, some short-term wins are necessary. In order to accomplish that, design some goals that are: 1. Visible - large numbers of people can see for themselves whether the result is real or just hype. 2. Unambiguous - There can be little argument over the results. 3. Clearly related to the change effort. Things to avoid: * Taking on too many initiatives at once. (Some schools have started 10 different task force intitiatives) * Identifying goals that are too general. Goals must be specific and measurable if they are to be effective. Effective goals will specify: o Exactly what is to be accomplished. o Specific steps that will be taken o Individual or group responsible for intiating/sustaining each step toward achieving the goal o timeline for each phase o Criteria in evaluating progress.

 Mission_Possible_8 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 01:06:58

Podcast #8 continues our conversation about Professional Learning Communities. Specifically, we address two of the foundations of PLC’s- Mission and Vision. PLC’s are currently the happening movement in education. One of the best parts of PLC’s is that they are based around the classroom. They also call for all teachers to be involved and part of the process. The first topic of discussion is the Mission. Mission is the first building block: Basically, this asks the important question: Why do we exist? All schools currently have mission states. All of them sound very similar, this is OK. Next we take on the All kids can learn conumdrum. This is based upon everyone agreeing that All kids can learn. However, we may have different definitions of what that means. DuFour points out four different possibilities: All kids can learn …..based upon their ability. Learning is fixed and educators have little effect. Educators create multiple tracks (pathways) to address the differences in learning. Future is predetemined. …….if they take advantage of the opportunities. Educators must present things in clear and engaging ways. In the end, it is up to the students though. …….and we will accept responsibility for ensuring their growth. Educators are responsible to help students grow but the extent of that growth is determined by the student. ……..we will establish high standards of learning that we expect all students to achieve. We create work that results in high level of achievement. We are prepared to work collaboratively with colleagues, students and parents to achieve this shared educational purpose. The second Building Block: Vision What do we hope to become?

 A_Little_PLC_7 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:58:32

One of our most serious shows, we start the discussion of Professional Learning Communities (PLC's). Specifically, we use DuFour and Eaker's Book (Professional Learning Communities at Work - Best Practices for Enhancing Student Achievement) as a starting point. Previous School Reform: * 1983 -National Commission of Excellence Movement - Consistent direction- schools just needed to do more! * Goals 2000 o All Children will start school ready to learn o HS graduation rate will increase to at least 90% o American students will leave grades 4, 8, and 12 having demonstrated compentecy in challenging subject matter (including English, math, science, history, and geography) o US students will be first in the world in math & science o Every adult American will be literate o Every school in America will be free of drugs & violence and will offer a disciplined environment that is conducive to learning * Restructuring Movement o site-based management o bottom up change o too vague * According to a recent report, most teachers believe that schools are doing as well as possible given societal problems and parental involvement. This would mean that school improvement must be made outside of school. This argument assumes that what happens in school is largely irrelevant. Why has school reform failed: * The complexity of the task * Misplaced focus * Lack of clarity of intended results * Lack of perserverance * Failure to appreciate and attend to the change process Next we discuss the characteristics of a PLC: * Shared mission, vision, values * Collective inquiry * Collaborative teams * Action Orientation & experimentation * Continuous improvement * Results orientation Change is difficult: 1. Allowing too much complacency 2. Failing to create sufficiently powerful guiding coalition 3. Underestimating the power of vision 4. Undercommunicating the vision by a power of 10 5. Permitting structural and cultural obstacles to block the change process 6. Failing to create short-term wins 7. Declaring victory too soon 8. Neglecting to anchor changes firmly in the culture

 DuFour_Common_Assessments_6 | File Type: audio/x-m4a | Duration: 00:49:58

Join us for an overview of common assessments.

Comments

Login or signup comment.