Teacher Thoughts and Family Matters Tweets of the Day 8/1/12

Buckle your seat belts!

Common Core Standards attention grabber.

1. Be ready for Common Core State Standards
http://archive.constantcontact.com/fs027/1101413108308/archive/1110606162966.html

The Germans have always been practical in designing their educational system.

2. Germany Takes On Education Reform (Education Everywhere Series) 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2LAuHwwZhtI 

Such enthusiasm in one so young.

3. Girls' Math Skills May Fall Short Of Boys' Because Of Male Impulsiveness 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/30/girls-math-skills-boys-male-impulsiveness_n_1718642.html?utm_hp_ref=parents&ir=Parents 

Innovations, enthusiasm, success--how can it be duplicated?

4. Anatomy of a Khan-troversy
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2012/08/anatomy_of_a_khan-troversy.html 

No other professionals, except maybe the nursing field, is expected to be 'on the mission field' in public service. It is really expensive to teach because the funds don't make it to the classrooms, and teachers dip into their own pockets to provide the most essential classroom basics.

5. Teacher-Retention Tip: Lose the 'Martyr Mentality'
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2012/08/in_a_post_last_month.html 

Teaching the self-fulfilling prophecy. Remember, the kids know if you are sincere or not.

Really mean what you say.

6.  New Ideas for Improving Teachers Instead of Firing Them

 'In one experiment, for example, [the researchers] simply appended a note to teachers' comments on student essays that said, "I'm giving you these comments because I have very high expectations and I know that you can reach them." 64 percent of black students who received the note were motivated to revise their papers, as compared to 27 percent of a control set of students who received a note that simply stated, "I'm giving you these comments so that you'll have feedback on your paper." Students who received "wise" feedback ended up with higher grades, as well. Based on the results of a related experiment, the researchers suggest that simply explaining to minority students that critical feedback from teachers should be seen not as putdowns but as an indication of high potential may go a long way in reducing the achievement gap between blacks and whites.'

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2012/07/_writing_in_slate_ray.html

Very tempted to use what little text-talk I know, but this is a family blog.

7.  Beyond LOL Speak: Raising a Well-Spoken Kid 
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/lol-speak-eloquent-children/?cid=80. 

Rabbi Mendy Rubenfeld, youth director at Chabad of Poway, San Diego County, demonstrates how to play a note on the shofar, a traditional Jewish instrument made from a ram's horn and key to the religion's holidays, during a workshop at the Altman Family Chabad Community Center.

We live in probably the most rapidly changing culture in history. Due to the power of the peer using technology, they kids acculturate each other. Even involved parents have a huge challenge being a close second in influence on their kids. I agree that kids need to know their heritage and participate in customs, religion, and know how their family ended living in the culture they now are. It is who we are. Kids can choose to accept or reject beliefs when they are adults. Besides, if parents create a homogenized agnostic or atheistic belief system, kids frequently crave the identity of the past anyway. Who am I? is the most powerful question growing up.

8.  Raising Teens in a New Culture
http://www.education.com/reference/article/Ref_Raising_teens_New/ 

In SoCal, even the most humble school has a lovely Folklorico Dance group. This is an Orange County group.