Forgetaboutit

Knock, knock.

Who's there?

I forgot!

The research is in. Our brains are hardwired to forget. Which may explain why the kitchen trash never seems to go out!

It's frightening to study the Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve (below), but we can ALL identify! Fortunately, research also tells us what we can do in our classes to fight these odds. Scroll down for some quick tips.

Source: stuffforeducators

 Why Students Forget---and What You Can do About It by Youki Terada shares with us 5 researched strategies to make the learning "stick."

1. Student Conversations "not only increases retention but also encourages active learning (Sekeres et al., 2016)."

2. Practice and practice aligned activities to give "multiple opportunities to review learned material."

3. Frequent formative and fun assessments reduce anxiety as students become accustomed to showing what they know.

4. Mixing it up. Grouping similar problems together to have the students practice over and over in just one way decreases thinking. Mix up problems/strategies to increase thoughtful learning.

5. Images (or non-linguistic representations) help students recall information by attaching context to a visual cue.

Read the full article here.

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Thank you, Veterans!

Amp up the ol' standby (letter writing) this Veterans Day.

Here's 11 ways to celebrate our heroes.

1. Wear a red poppy or yellow ribbon
2. Make a care package (see Blur Star Moms)
3. Visit veteran's in a VA hospital
4. Teach about honoring veterans through crafts
5. Use the topic to write lesson plans
6. Invite a veteran to speak to your class
7. Take poppy cookies or a yellow ribbon cake to the office/lounge
8. Attend local events
9. Commit to volunteer to serve veterans throughout the year
10. Buy from a veteran owned biz
11. Express thanks in person

Warning: The following event will fill YOUR bucket!

From https://www.phoenixveteransdayparade.org

Spend this Veteran's Day honoring our heroes at the annual Phoenix Veteran's Day Parade. Check out this website for parade route information, grand marshals, news, and to donate to a great cause.

Native American Heritage Month

November is National Native American Heritage Month. Check out these free amazing resources to help you plan for it.

Teaching Resources from NEH EDSITEment Education Portal for National Native American Heritage Month

Image credit: A segment of Sequoia’s Cherokee alphabet (National Endowment of the Humanities)

President George H. W. Bush signed a joint resolution in 1990 marking November as Native American Heritage Month. Learn how it took nearly 80 years for this honor to come about on the National Native American Heritage Month Web Portal. With this site, you can:

• Take your students to Sitka National Historical Park via virtual tour
• Find resources in a friendly guide
• Browse ready-to-use lesson plans
• Use audio and video resources

The one-stop-portal contains education and teacher resources from and is supported the following:

• The Library of Congress
• National Archives
• National Endowment of the Humanities
• National Gallery of Art
• National Park Service
• Smithsonian Institute

Fake it until you make it!

Do your students fake it? Strategies for building a risk-taking class.

We've all heard the phrase Fake It Until You Make It, but there is an inherent problem when we tell our students that.

"...most students only risk doing something poorly if they think they will ultimately succeed.

Our students regularly look to us to gauge what is possible and help them develop their most capable selves. How we name and frame what is possible for students often shapes their own sense of possibility."

-Kyle Redford

Helping Students Realize Their Most Capable Selves tell us about:

1. Creating Classroom Conditions That Grow Student Potential

   • "You can do it" is over-rated
   • "Safe to struggle" is key

2. Embracing Challenges as Opportunities

   • "Memorization" is not intellectual
   • "Opportunities for problem solving" is paramount

Click here to learn why faking it only works if there is a potential and support to make it.

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FREEBIES!

Love your students but don't always love your job?

Join us for Design Day: a full-day "design lab" experience where you will create systems to bring more joy to your teaching... despite external constraints.

Design Day is built on the Design Thinking framework which brings people together to dig really deep into issues and then design small-scale solutions that are actually doable!

This day is exclusively for teachers. It is on a Saturday (November 4, 2017), so you don't need permission or a substitute. It's free, so you don't need to beg for money. It's guaranteed to be high-energy and super engaging. Oh, and lunch is included!

We only have space for 40 people, so sign up quickly. If you sign up, we really need you to show up, so please make sure the date works for you. Register here.

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Exclusive Invite for Third Grade Teachers... Pass It On!

Register to receive "OS Cross" cabbage for your third grade class. The students grow these cabbage known for producing giant heads at home and bring it back to class for judging day. A class winner is selected (based on size, appearance, and maturity) and entered into a $1000.00 state-wide scholarship drawing. What a fun way to teach students about nature and healthy eating. I'm willing to bet there's reading, writing, math, science, and social studies activities that could complement this adventure.

Learn More

I'm going to turn your day UPSIDE DOWN!

How do we create the problem solvers our world demands? We shake it up and turn teaching on it's head.

Students learn more when we let them wrestle with a math problem before we teach them how to solve it.   -Cathy Seely, ASCD

Instead of I do, we do, you do, try:

          You tackle the problem you may not know how to solve yet.

          We talk together about your thinking and your work.

          I help you connect the class discussion to the goal of the lesson.

Are you ready to let that control go? If so, read more about Turning Teaching Upside Down.

And completely unrelated...

You cannot take care of a class full of students if you don't fill your bucket first. Go enjoy some of the events below with your friends and family. Happy fall!

25 biggest, upcoming top events in Phoenix

Where do rocks sleep?

Where do rocks sleep?

In bedrocks!

Can you believe that National Earth Science Week is already here? If it slipped off your calendar, I have a great way to get your students involved with a #neatrock activity with the Science Friday Science Club.

  It's so easy.

1) Take a picture of a neat rock you have found.

2) Post at #neatrock with any details you have about the rock.

3) A scientist from the American Geologists Institute will help you identify your rock and provide it's background.

Your students will be on pins and needles waiting to hear back from the scientists. It's such a great way to foster curiosity and learn something new.

Listen on Soundcloud to learn more about this opportunity and to help build a really cool online rock collection. 

Ideas Worth Spreading

You might have heard, even love, TED Talks, but did you know that TED does more than talks?

TEDed Lessons Worth Sharing is a FREE but totally priceless resource for teachers and students (searchable by content). The lessons are short, sweet, and to the point and even come with a comprehension quiz. You can use these resources to:

• Springboard new content

• Peak curiosity

• Provide examples

• Scaffold

• Differentiate

• the list goes on and on and on...

Each Lesson Comes in 4 parts:

1. Watch

2. Think

3. Dig Deeper

4. Discuss

If you have a couple more minutes, be blown away by an example video below. You'll love how clear, concise, short, and USABLE it is.

***Please leave us comments about how you like the content of TXTS 4 Teachers, or how you might use this resource in your classroom. We would love to hear from you.***

Got Bugs? Irradicate them with these tips...

"Nothing is certain but death and taxes," so says Ben Franklin. Well, in the classroom nothing is certain except FLU SEASON and the passing of the virus.

We all rely on students being in school so they can learn, but an empty seat is exactly what helps a class remain healthy.

The National Foundation for Infectious Diseases has so many resources just for schools. With 100 flu-related child deaths a year and thousands hospitalized, we have to act. Here's how:

• Get a flu shot early in the season
• Stay home when sick (Yes, TEACHERS too even though you have to do sub plans)
• Practice preventative measures like washing hands often, cover mouth to cough, etc.
• Disinfect classroom surfaces including desks, door handles, sink fixtures, and water fountain

For more information for schools, visit the CDC Website.

Since you're here...have you been on our STEM page lately? Click here to check out for the IMMEDIATE USE resources. No joke!

Striving for the perfect balance?

The Autumnal Equinox for the Northern Hemisphere occurs on September 22, 2017 at 1:02 PM MST.  The equinox nearly balances our day and night hours. 

How will your students mark this once in a year day?

Do your students use an Almanac or is that a foreign word? Thursday is a perfect time to visit The Old Farmer's Almanac website for information on the Autumnal Equinox.

https://www.almanac.com/content/first-day-fall-autumnal-equinox

Whether you use this video stand-alone or in conjunction with The Old Farmer's Almanac, the model and explanation is a great way for learners to actually 'see' how this happens.

http://video.nationalgeographic.com/video/equinoxes-sci

Fall into the season with things for you and your family. Check out this site for 11 ways you can engage your family in celebrating fall.

http://rhythmsofplay.com/11-ways-to-celebrate-the-fall-autumnal-equinox/

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Check out the upcoming ELA and STEM workshops at MCESA.

What do parents want anyway?

Seven short years ago, less than 60% of parents carried a smartphone. Today, we are closing in on 95%. 5% are connected all the time with a smartwatch. But, the question remains, how do your students' parents want to hear from you?

Hubspot has conducted research on this topic and will send you a free report that outlines how parents want to be communicated with. Here's a teaser:

Sample from "Table 2: most effective digital communication tools by school type"

Texting

• 61% in Elementary Schools
• 57% in Middle Schools
• 55% in High Schools

School/district Facebook

• 45% in Elementary Schools
• 41% in Middle Schools
• 39% in High Schools

Today's freebies for digital communication

1. Remind - Finally, a way to end unread emails and endless paper flyers.

2. Class Dojo - A community building platform that reaches out to parents.

Childhood Trauma is in Your Class

Our young people are especially susceptible to trauma and often times cover that trauma up. How do you spot a child suffering from childhood trauma? You'd be surprised how difficult it is to pinpoint. Start by making your classroom trauma sensitive. To learn more, click here.

Technology is the fuel...use it wisely!

When a teacher uses technology to enhance the instructional elements he or she does the best, that instruction will improve student learning. Technology is the fuel to your instructional fire. It can accelerate your instructional strategies. It can take your strong teaching to the next level.

But if a teacher uses technology to teach the instructional elements he or she struggles with, student learning can actually suffer. Again, technology is the fuel. It accelerates the areas where you struggle in ways that can actually be destructive.

When supporting your instruction with technology, focus on your strongest areas.

Technology in the Classroom

When using technology in the classroom, there are generally three ways you can use it:

1. To teach the technology.
“Today we are going to learn how to use Excel to create graphs.”

2. To teach content that can be taught without the technology.
“Use Power Point to give a presentation about the Solar System.”

3. To teach content in ways not possible without the use of technology.
“Download solar data for the past five years and describe one pattern you observe from 2000-2017.” https://www.helioviewer.org

Although all levels of technology use are valuable, but deeper and longer-lasting learning comes from number three.

Updating parents through social media. #yesplease

Every savvy educator is deeply aware of how important it is to partner with parents.  Indeed, most schools include the goal of strengthening the home-school connection in their school improvement plans.  

Yet, as always, time is a precious commodity for teachers – and parents – and the best intentions to connect - are often tepidly met.

What if you could have your students’ parents “follow” on a social media platform similar to Twitter?  Such apps exist!  One of the more promising ones is BonFyre.  Read all about BonFyre and other apps to enhance the home-school connection at the following link:

http://www.teachhub.com/educational-apps-4-keeping-parents-loop

"Marinate" Your Thinking

“Within the word we find two dimensions, reflection and action, in such radical interaction that if one is sacrificed – even in part – the other immediately suffers …” – Paulo Freire

In a go-go academic world focused on the “correct” answer, it is easy to overlook the power of reflection. Students of all ages, from pre-schoolders to adults, benefit from the quiet think time coupled with either written or verbal reflection. Such “marinating” allows students to better integrate their learner.

The following Edutopia blog post by Joshua Block explores the importance of reflection in depth.

https://www.edutopia.org/blog/let-it-marinate-reflection-closing-joshua-block

We are including the list of reflective prompts from the post for those who simply wish some quick ideas for prompting reflection:

· Share one thing you learned.

· Share a question for future investigation.

· Respond with a word.

· What worked? What didn’t work?

· What is one part of your work that you are proud of?

· How would you do this differently next time?

Block, Joshua. “Let It Marinate: The Importance of Reflection and Closing." Edutopia. N.p., 20 May 2014. Web. 20 Mar. 2017.

Differentiated Instruction Made Easier

Every conscientious teacher works towards differentiating instruction in myriad ways, ranging from honoring students’ current reading levels to integrating high-interest, cross-curricular texts while providing an element of choice of topics.

Since this noble endeavor is also quite time-consuming, we are fortunate to have websites such as NewsELA just a browser search away!  Similar to CommonLit.org, NewsELA offers “text sets” of thematically linked readings and supporting materials.  NewsELA, however, focuses on current events.  

Check out this month’s offerings related to Women’s History Month.  The link below will take you to an article featuring the women from the Oscar nominated film, Hidden Figures.  It’s a nice piece of cross-curricular reading, too!

https://newsela.com/articles/black-women-nasa-history/id/21629/

Remembering Howard Gardner...The Father of Multiple Intelligence Theory

In 1997, Howard Gardner’s groundbreaking work on Multiple Intelligence Theory created a sensation in education circles.  Those of us who were teaching in the late 1990’s and early 2000’s will recall a flurry of activity designed to create instruction that honored our students’ multiple intelligences.

Fast-forward 20 years, where we now either take Gardner’s work for granted or have never even heard of him.  

Today, we take you to a quick quiz to discover your personal “multi-intelligences.”  Be sure to follow the hyperlinks to an interview with Gardner about his take on how his theory is applicable to current educational issues.

https://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-assessment

iCivics: Civics Studies Your Students Will Love!

Unfortunately, civics studies has a reputation among certain circles of students as being BORING!  

Just in time for Valentine’s Day, we are sharing a website that aims to deliver Cupid’s arrow to naysayers’ hearts!  Developed by retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, iCivics provides a plethora of high-interest, interactive resources with the intent of developing students into well-informed citizens.

https://www.icivics.org/games?_ga=1.56034027.1768385642.1487013829

We especially loved the interactive games.  They are better than a box of chocolates and a dozen roses, in our opinion!

Super Science Resource!

Did you know babies have 100 more bones than adults?  Did you know that a teaspoon of neutron star would weigh 6 billion tons?

The details behind these questions and other scintillating science facts make great brainteasers or can serve as the jumping off information for in-depth research.  

Visit “How It Works” for the full “Fifteen Amazing Science Facts that Will Blow Your Mind” at https://www.howitworksdaily.com/15-amazing-science-facts-that-will-blow-your-mind/.

Accomplishments

We are now 31 days into 2017.   It is a perfect time to think about what we have accomplished along side our students in the past 31 days!

On that note, enjoy the following quote to put accomplishment into perspective:

“The word accomplished is a relative term. We’re accomplished when the students and teacher both learn something.  As teachers, we can never achieve perfection, only strive to do our best and enjoy the journey. An accomplished educator is someone who learns to eat their lunch in six minutes.”

- Melinda, Abitz, Fifth Grade Teacher, Topeka, Kansas from The Best Advice Ever for Teachers (McGuire, C. & Abitz, D., 2001).