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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/conversations.asp?r=n71

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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Please send comments and questions to Chuck Lerch, Newslinks 
Editor, at  or call (800) 988-9812.

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