Stenhouse Newslinks
June 23, 2005
C O N T E N T S
1) PD Corner: The language of a learning community
2) Author Conversations: Kathy Collins
3) Grade inflation from a professor's point of view
4) Six pieces of advice for new teachers
5) A success story from one New York school
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1) PD Corner: The language of a learning community
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Learning often begins with talk, and thrives in communities built
upon thoughtful conversations. But where do teachers and school
leaders begin in evaluating and changing patterns of talk in
schools? Here are some touchstone texts that can launch
discussions about connections between talk and learning.
In "How We Formed Our Community," principal Becky Burnette writes
about how summer planning was the starting point for building
effective school teams with shared goals and norms:
http://www.nsdc.org/library/publications/jsd/burnette231.cfm
Peter Johnston discusses the subtle connections between teacher
language and student learning in the first chapter of his book,
Choice Words:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0389.asp?r=n71
(Click on the link to Chapter 1 in the Table of Contents.)
Matt Copeland helps teachers think through the challenges of
establishing new ways for peers to talk together about texts in
Chapter 3 of his book, Socratic Circles:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0394.asp?r=n71
(Click on the link to Chapter 3 in the Table of Contents.)
And finally, nonverbal communication may be even more important in
getting your point across than what you say. In the article "What
Did You Say?" Susan Rosa considers the effects of nonverbal
communication in classrooms:
http://www.responsiveclassroom.org/newsletter/15_4NL_2.asp
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2) Author Conversations: Kathy Collins
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We've just posted the next video clip in our Author Conversations
series. Kathy Collins, author of Growing Readers, talks about
parallels between art and literacy, and how appreciating and
creating art can help students understand reading and writing
concepts:
http://www.stenhouse.com/html/videoconversations.htm
Follow this link for more information about Kathy's book,
including the complete text of Chapter 1, "Creating Classrooms for
Learners, Thinkers, and Talkers":
http://www.stenhouse.com/0373.asp?r=n71
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3) Grade inflation from a professor's point of view
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"Why was I given a B as my final grade?" demanded a
reporting student via e-mail. "Please respond ASAP, as I
have never received a B during my career here at AU and it
will surely lower my GPA." I must say I was floored. Where
did this kid get the audacity to so boldly challenge a
professor? And why did he care so much? Did he really think
a prospective employer was going to ask for his GPA?
This recent article from the Washington Post Magazine touches on
many aspects of grades and grade inflation, from student
confrontations with faculty, expectations formed in secondary
school, an entitlement attitude, and the role of parents:
http://www.stenhouse.com/rdgrades.htm
(Free registration may be required.)
The Web site GradeInflation.com, mentioned in the article,
presents GPA data and trends from over 80 public and private
colleges and universities:
http://www.gradeinflation.com/
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4) Six pieces of advice for new teachers
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In the June issue of ASCD's Classroom Leadership newsletter,
veteran teacher Leslie Maple shares six key ideas to help new
teachers build their confidence after the initial days of panic
and exhilaration:
http://www.stenhouse.com/rd6points.htm
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5) A success story from one New York school
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This recent news story from the Rochester Democrat and Chronicle
highlights the success of School 20 in meeting New York State's
English standards, and recognizes the role of Stenhouse author
Ardith Cole and her book, Better Answers, as part of the school's
reform efforts:
http://www.stenhouse.com/rdcole.htm
Learn more about the book, Better Answers: Written Performance
That Looks Good and Sounds Smart, here:
http://www.stenhouse.com/0341.asp?r=n71
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