For years, the secrets to great teaching have seemed more like alchemy than science, a mix of motivational mumbo jumbo and misty-eyed tales of inspiration and dedication. But for more than a decade, one organization has been tracking hundreds of thousands of kids, and looking at why some teachers can move them three grade levels ahead in a year and others can’t. Now, as the Obama administration offers states more than $4 billion to identify and cultivate effective teachers, Teach for America is ready to release its data.

Read more at The Atlantic Magazine

Google celebrated E.C. Segar’s, the creator of Popeye, today with a Google doodle.

Read more . . .

Spinach is a super food! Super food? Yes, there are super foods. So, if you are what you eat, you should eat super foods to be really, really super!

1. Clear write the goal on a piece of paper and place it in plain view so I can see it while I am working.  This will help keep me focused while I am working.
2. Brainstorm ideas for the presentation on paper.  Write down or draw images and concepts that will help drive home the message.
3. Create a storyboard.   I like to use paper for this, it’s easier to start over or move ideas around.
4. Write out the words or descriptions in a word processing or concept map program
5. Select a color scheme.
6. Create a master template.
7. Copy and paste words into the presentation program

I am not finished with this version of the workflow.  I will complete it this week.

“This unique program allows viewers to experience the same frustration, anxiety and tension that children with learning disabilities face in their daily lives. Teachers, social workers, psychologists, parents and friends who have participated in Richard Lavoie’s workshop reflect upon their experience and the way it changed their approach to L.D. children. 1989.”

-http://www.ricklavoie.com/videos.html

Signs of a Learning Disability

This is a list of common signs of a learning disability from The National Center for Learning Disabilities, www.ncld.org.  If a student has difficulty with any of these topics, they may have a learning disability.

• Organization
  • Knowing the time, date, and year
  • Managing time
  • Completing assignments
  • Locating belongings
  • Putting things in order
  • Carrying out a plan
  • Making decisions
  • Setting priorities
• Spoken or Written Language
  • Learning or pronouncing words
  • Discriminating between sounds
  • Relating or writing stories
  • Understanding questions
  • Responding to questions
  • Following directions
  • Reading comprehension
  • Spelling
• Memory
  • Remembering directions
  • Learning math facts
  • Learning new procedures
  • Learning the alphabet
  • Identifying letters
  • Remembering names
  • Remembering events
  • * Studying for tests
• Physical Coordination
  • Manipulating small objects
  • Learning self-help skills
  • Cutting
  • Drawing
  • Handwriting
  • Climbing and running
  • Mastering sports
• Attention and Concentration
  • Completing a task
  • Acting before thinking
  • Waiting
  • Restlessness
  • Daydreaming
  • Distractibility
  • Carrying out requests
• Social Behavior
  • Making and keeping friends
  • Impulsive behavior
  • Low frustration tolerance
  • Sportsmanship
  • Accepting changes in routine
  • Interpreting nonverbal cues
  • Working cooperatively

Supplementary Materials

• Richard Lavoie article about the F.A.T. City video content
  • http://teacher.scholastic.com/professional/specialneeds/howhard.htm
• Follow up video
  • Richard Lavoie: Beyond F.A.T. City (DVD)
  • Richard Lavoie, creator of the original F.A.T. City Workshop, reviews the history & philosophy of the project, the major trends & issues in the field of learning disabilities since 1987, and the challenges ahead for parents & educators. - from the Richard Lavoie web site

In the meantime, here is a link to the original site.

Thanks,

Scott