Summer HEAT 2006 Offers Professional Development Opportunities for Teachers in Miami

An Overview of Summer Heat 2006

Miami Schools are offering a range of summer professional development courses for its public school teachers and administrators in order to help teachers meet federal requirements and learn new methods and approaches to teaching. Teachers are eligible to take one Summer Heat course. These courses will be offered during June and July. Most courses last about a week and meet from 8:15 AM to 3:15 PM daily.

The teacher must attend every day of the session in order to receive Master Plan Points. The Miami – Dade County School District’s Master Plan Points Program help teachers earn the graduate level credits that they need to meet the Highly Qualified Teacher Status outlined by the No Child Left Behind Act. Six Master Plan Points per day are awarded for all the courses with the exception of those that grant actual college credit.

Professional Development for Teachers

Miami – Dade County School District teachers benefit from a range of courses that help focus their teaching on special at – risk groups as well as providing instruction in key subject areas. Many courses focus on the needs of children with Limited English Proficiency. These courses help teachers improve literacy of Limited English Proficiency students as well as learn culturally sensitive techniques for including such children in the general classroom. Other special groups include children with autism and children with behavioral problems.

In addition to these special groups, Miami – Dade County School District teachers have the opportunity to enrich their teaching of various core subjects. Courses abound in all aspects of literacy and mathematics as well as science, the arts, and social studies. Both elementary and secondary education is covered, including preparation for teaching the Advanced Placement (AP) Examinations at the secondary school level. On the other end of the spectrum, special attention is also given to the design and implementation of Pre – Kindergarten curriculum. Miami – Dade County School District teachers are also given the opportunity to explore general instructional methods to promote leadership in the classroom, including the Continuous Improvement Model (CIM), Object – Based Learning, and many others.

Professional Development for Administrators

Miami – Dade County School District administrators also benefit from the Summer Heat course offerings. Principals, Principal Trainees, and other support staff have opportunities to learn how to improve their own performance and to help motivate the teachers on their staffs. The Principal Preparation Program runs courses for Principal Trainee both in their first and second year of training. Several meetings of the Assistant Principal Academy are scheduled to help teachers make the transition to administrative roles. In addition, the role of the school psychologist and the teacher – counselor are also explored in various course offerings. The School Support Team also has a variety of courses to choose form in learning how to implement school reform.

University and Community Partnerships

Miami – Dade County School District teachers and administrators rely on the support of many university and community partners. Courses take place at many Miami – Dade County area schools in addition to universities and private businesses. Barry University, the University of Miami, the University of South Florida, and Florida International University all offer their campuses for professional development courses. The Miami Lakes Educational Center also plays a vital role in providing a location for Miami – Dade County School District teachers and administrators to meet and share ideas.

Stacy Andell is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Stacy has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more information visit schoolsk-12.com/Florida/Miami/index.html Miami Schools

Ten Tips to Teaching Middle School

I can not tell you how many teachers have began their career teaching Middle School and quickly started looking for a new occupation. Believe me when I tell you that if you are not prepared for the job they will eat you alive on the first week of school.

If teaching is your occupation, and you are teaching Middle School, I hope you are ready to teach teenagers and not beat yourself up about teaching Math, Science, English, Literature, or Social Studies. I get very up set when I ask a fellow teacher what they are going to teach and they tell me they are going to teach Math. This brings me to the first of the ten tips I plan to share with you as you begin a new year teaching Middle School Students.

Ten tips:

1. Never forget that you are teaching teens. If someone asks you what you teach, you tell them that you teach an awesome group of over achievers known as teens.

2. Do not try to be their friend. Many moms’ and dads’ have tried this. It did not work for them and it will not work for you.

3. Do not make over three class-room rules.

4. Find out what each of your students enjoys doing. Get to know what they are interested in. When you see them in the hall speak to them about things that they enjoy.

5. Seldom raise your voice. If they are out of control and you are yelling, then we really have a problem. The louder you get the louder they will get. Yelling is irrational behavior.

6. Start teaching immediately. It is a good idea to have a sponge on the board so that they will begin work as soon as they come in to class. Many problems are a result of not knowing what they are suppose to be doing.

7. It is a proven fact that students learn the most in the first ten minutes and last ten minutes of teaching. Do not waste that time. Teach the most important concepts of your lesson during this time.

8. If you find that a student has trouble behaving… do not put him or her in the front row. This enables every student to be entertained by them.

9. If you must reprimand a student do it in private. No one likes to be reprimanded in front of the whole class. I promise you it will cause you problems if you reprimand in front of everyone.

10. Do not sweat the small stuff and quit looking for what the student is doing wrong. You are not a policeman. It seems like some teachers think their only job is telling students what they can not do.

I could give you thousands of other tips and I will add to this list at a later date. I would like to close with one last thought that should make you think. What do we do when little Johnny can not read? We teach him to read. What do we do when he can not do math? We teach him how to do math. When he can not do science or social studies…. we teach. So the big question is: WHAT DO WE DO WHEN HE DOES NOT KNOW HOW TO BEHAVE? If you have told the truth, you said that you discipline him. I say we need to do what we do when he does not know how to read or write. When he does not know how to behave we need to teach him!

Hopefully these ten tips will help you as you prepare for the best year of teaching teens that you have ever had. Keep in mind, you are a teacher. You are not a policeman and you are not a friend. You must truly care about increasing their knowledge and enabling them to be the person they are meant to be.

Bob Roach Father of one and middle school teacher of literally thousands over the past thirty years. To find out more parenting tipswrite me at: mailto:rproach@yahoo.com rproach@yahoo.com

Give the Gift of Education

We’ve all had a special teacher in our lives. Maybe she helped you understand a tricky mathematical concept. Perhaps she inspired you to speak fluent French. Or maybe she just took the time to listen and be a friend, believing you were special enough to merit the attention. Whatever the circumstances, the fact is that this teacher made a difference in your childhood or teenage years. By earning your education degree, you can be that memorable teacher for someone else.

Opportunities
In the United States, there is a need for professionals with education training. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, in 2004, the education services industry was the second largest industry in the economy, providing jobs for about 13 million workers. And, wage and salary employment growth of 17 percent is expected in the education services industry over the 2004-2014 period, higher than the 14 percent increase projected for all industries combined.

Once you have the proper education training (including a bachelor’s degree and a teaching license), numerous teaching opportunities are available. In fact, teachers account for almost half of all workers in the education industry.

Career Options
Become a preschool, kindergarten, or elementary school teacher and help shape the development of children. You’ll be responsible for their formal introduction to math, language, science, and social studies. But don’t stress — at this education level, you can have lots of fun with your lesson plans, using games, art, music, and computers to teach basic skills.

If you prefer to provide more in-depth instruction to older kids, an education degree for middle or high school teaching is your best bet. The fun part about teaching on this level is working in one specific subject in which you excel, rather than providing an overview of all subjects. You can teach anything from English, math, or history, to auto mechanics, business education, or computer repair. You can also supervise extracurricular activities or coach a sports team.

Do you have a heart for students with special needs? Special education might be the way to go. These teachers work with students who have a variety of learning and physical disabilities. With a special education degree, you can work in a traditional school and provide resource room and one-on-one assistance, or you can work in a special education school that serves students with more severe disabilities. With special education training, you’ll learn how to accommodate students’ individual needs, and help students develop the social skills needed to thrive in society.

To find college and career schools near you, surf collegebound.net/clickcount.php?id=6963920&goto= collegesurfing.com/ce/search CollegeSurfing.com.

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The CollegeBound Network
All Rights Reserved

Robyn Tellefsen is a frequent contributor to The CollegeBound Network. Learn more about collegesurfing.com finding a school or career that’s right for you!

Tampa Schools Prepare Students for the World of Tomorrow through Global Classrooms

The United Nations Association of the United States of America (UNA-USA), along with New York-based Merrill Lynch & Co. Inc., has brought the Model United Nations to Tampa schools. Originally, only four high schools were participating and only as an extra-curricular activity. Now, over 50 teachers teach the Global Classrooms curriculum to students in over 120 classrooms in 35 Tampa schools. The program has the supported of Tampa schools District Social Studies Supervisors Dennis Holt and Martha Ford, as well as Tampa schools administrators, University of South Florida, and University of Tampa.

The Model United Nations program of Global Classrooms was developed by the UNA to enhance student understanding of international issues. Their hope is to develop strong leadership and critical-thinking skills in our youth, needed to shape a globally informed workforce in the future. To that end, a special Model UN teachers training program was recently developed that includes global trade, finance and development.

Global Classrooms deal with such critical world issues as human rights for refugees, prevention of nuclear terrorism, global economics, post-conflict transition, and UN Security Council reform — the same issues world diplomats deal with daily in the United Nations. It is an excellent educational opportunity for students in the Tampa schools.

Tampa schools participation increased in the Model UN program after the April 2006 conference, held at the Tampa Convention Center. More than 500 high schools and 600 middle schools participated in the conference of Global Classrooms.

Ambassador William H. Luers, president of the UNA-USA, addressed the Tampa schools students and students from other areas within the Hillsborough and Pinellas County Public Schools. Luers noted that children today must learn about the world to be prepared for tomorrow. The younger the child, the more open minded he or she will be.

Another speaker was Shaun King, former quarterback for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, current player for the Detroit Lions, and a favorite with Tampa schools’ students. Like Luers, King wants to see young people use all that talent they have. He believes it truly makes a difference, especially for children of single-parent and/or disadvantaged families.

The UNA-USA is a not-for-profit organization that develops innovative programs to engage Americans, especially the children, in issues of global concern. It promotes educational and humanitarian campaigns, as well as policy and advocacy programs. The UNA’s mission is to allow people to make a global impact at a local level.

The Model UN program would not be possible without the support of business. Merrill Lynch has donated more than $37 million in 2005 to charities with educational organizations receiving more than half. They are responsible for bringing the April Model UN conference to Tampa and underwrote the cost of implementing the program in the Tampa schools.

Together, the UNA and Merrill Lynch hope to bring the Model UN experience to urban public schools across the nation, as well as a diverse array of schools around the world.

It is a fact that the U.S. is losing its world economic edge by falling far behind other countries in preparing its youth for the global world issues of tomorrow. With programs, such as the No Child Left Behind that concentrates only on reading and mathematics skills, the children of the U.S. are missing an opportunity to know about the world and its issues. Bringing the Model UN program to students in areas like the Tampa schools is an essential step. Hopefully, more Tampa schools will participate in the future.

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Homeschooling Curriculum – Are You Making The “Right” Choice?

After deciding to homeschool your child, you now to work out what you are going to teach them. There are many curriculum choices you can make. You can purchase pre-packaged curriculum, make your own curriculum, or you could even teach a combination of both. Some parents prefer to focus their teachings on their religious beliefs. However, it is important to keep an open mind and remember that your children are their own people and they should be taught about the world from many different perspectives. Remember that there is no “right” way to teach your children because the “right” way for one child may not be “right” for another. It is important to be flexible and change your curriculum to tailor to your children as you discover their individual requirements as they grow.

So what is Pre-Packaged Curriculum anyway? Well Pre-Packaged, “school in a box”, or “all-in-one” Curriculum are comprehensive education packages that cover many subjects (usually an entire year worth). They contain all required books and materials. Some even include pencils and writing paper. The intent of the “school in a box” is to try to recreate the school environment in the home. They are typically based on the same subject-area expectations as public schools, which allows an easy transition into school after being home schooled, if desired. They are among the most expensive options for the homeschooled, but are easy to use and require minimal preparation.

The majority of today’s home-educated students use an eclectic mix of materials for their Homeschooling needs. For example, they might use a pre-designed program for language, arts or mathematics, and fill in history with reading and field trips, art with classes at a community center, science through homeschool science clubs, physical education with memberships in local sports teams, etc. This has been proved to be one of the most successful ways of educating the Homeschooled child.

Home educators are also able to take advantage of educational programs at museums, community centers, athletic clubs, after-school programs, churches, science preserves, parks, and other community resources. Secondary school level students often take classes at community colleges, which typically have open admission policies.

One of the major benefits of Homeschooling is the ability to blend lessons using a central theme, for example, a study unit about Native Americans could combine lessons in: social studies – like how different tribes live now and lived prior to colonization; art – such as making Native American clothing; history of Native Americans in the US; reading from a specialized reading list; and the science of plants used by Native Americans. You could use this same technique on another study unit where you chose another broad topic to study.

Homeschooling also offers student paced learning. This is similar to “all-in-one” curriculum and is often referred to as “Paces”. These workbooks allow the student to progress at an appropriate speed that suits their individual needs. They allow the student to master concepts, before moving on to the next subject, instead relying on the speed of the teacher and other students where they may move on to the next subject too quickly or not move on quickly enough.

Another form of Homeschooling is “Unschooling”, that is, an area in which students are not directly instructed but encouraged to learn through exploring their interests. Known also as “interest-led” or “child-led” learning, Unschooling attempts to provide opportunities with games and real life problems where a child will learn without coercion.

Unschooling advocates claim that children learn best by doing. A child may learn reading and math skills by playing card games, better spelling and other writing skills because he’s inspired to write a science fiction story for publication, or local history by following a zoning or historical-status dispute.

No matter which technique you decide to use when you start Homeschooling your children, you should remember to be flexible and revise your teaching choices, as you will need to adapt your curriculum to better tailor to your child’s needs as they become apparent.

Copyright © 2006 Matt Weight

For more information on Homeschooling visit homeschooling-secrets-revealed.com homeschooling-secrets-revealed.com

Four Approaches to Journal Entries in the Classroom

The four approaches to journal entries discussed are: learning development, artifact, expression, and social interaction. Furthermore, I will be evaluating these four approaches in this article, so that teachers can utilize them in their classrooms.

Learning languages and techniques will differ according to grade level. Only half of the population in schools today is above the national average in reading and writing. These statistics are available in major magazines and newspapers. Much of the attention that the teacher needs to disseminate to students and parents today is academic. Everyone must know where the student is in terms of academic progress. But what about the much needed attention to what a student is writing on a daily basis?

A well rounded teacher, in my opinion, should be able to teach two learning languages simultaneously Similarly, teachers that deal with handicapped, special education, or learning handicapped, really have their hands full. Social skills and language expression can be defined through the teachers’ high expectations to create a love for communication and writing.

Each student must take responsibility for their opinions while at the same time participating in cooperative group projects like the writing process, editing, and proofreading. These all promote teamwork. When students read each others’ papers and offer editing and content help, along with verbal praise for content, there is great growth in developing the student writer. These are ALL heralded in my classroom.

Furthermore, learning language as development must include modeling and scaffolding. The teacher models writing by actually creating stories, outlines, Venn-diagrams, notes, you name it, in front of the children right there on the spot. That’s true modeling. You would see this more in Kindergarten and Second Grade verses upper and middle school grades.

Learning language as artifacts promote in depth thinking skills among students. When students learn a particular part of language it spawns more ideas. Artifacts such as brainstorming, making an outline, and creating student made author profiles, are very useful to create awesome writing in the classroom. I have also had great success when students create pictures and or make pictures while I’m lecturing, and then develop essay answers on the spot by looking at their drawings. Use everything you can think of in the classroom, especially when it comes to artifacts.

Every student can learn in a variety of writing situations. Never forget: Every student can learn. Every student can write. Every student can read. Never give up on a student. Ever.

The teacher, psychologist, and even an outside advocate, must promote the overall goal of student learning, literacy, and promotion. It is always my goal to bring out the best in all my students.

Learning as development, using artifacts, and specific social and expressive language teaching techniques will enable the students to learn more effectively and rapidly. I would use groups, lectures, and even projects with these techniques. Journaling each and every step of the way. We must get back to allowing students to journal on each and every assignment. Students can have a journal sitting right next to their textbook, and make notes about what they are learning in math, social studies, science, and language.

Thus, the students will have habitual learning and writing techniques that they can take with them until they finish high school and into the college settings. Essentially, writing and literacy through journals that they can take with them-forever.

You can learn more about journal writing instruction with Dr. Anne Gere, Ph.D., by visiting her web site at:

www-personal.umich.edu/~argere www-personal.umich.edu/~argere

Online business owner Don Alexander is also a writer and published poet and has two
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Don feels that online home business is the financial answer for the average American today.

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“Helping ALL to Succeed”

Music Comes to the San Diego Schools

Over the last decade, schools across the nation have experienced the loss of music. The San Diego schools also had to replace music in many of its schools with other curriculum dictated by the state or federal law. The San Diego schools’ budget only stretches so far and, unfortunately, the arts have felt the biggest hit.

Frank Glasson and the Presidio Brass are changing all of that for the San Diego schools. A trumpet player by profession, Frank is also president of Local 325 of the American Federation of Musicians and director of Presidio Brass, a brass quintet. The veteran musician has performed with the San Diego Chamber Orchestra, the San Diego Opera, and San Diego’s Westwind Brass, as well as ensembles in Europe, Africa and Asia.

Glasson saw that music was steadily disappearing from the San Diego schools and wanted to do something about it. He believes that the constant influence of television, movies, computers and CDs could erode the senses of youth to the more refined music. He enlisted the help of the other members of Presidio Brass — Ray Nowak, Mike McCoy, Sean Reusch, and Scott Sutherland, who play the trumpet, French horn, trombone, and tuba, respectively.

Working under the umbrella of the nonprofit San Dieguito Performing Arts Association, Presidio Brass developed the “Musicate the Mind” program for the San Diego schools. Musicate is an educational and musical outreach program, developed specifically to fill the musical void in the schools. With Glasson’s wife Robyn coordinating the events and developing contracts with the San Diego schools, Presidio Brass presents various customized programs for the different grade levels that fits any educational or outreach school requirement.

Glasson and his ensemble want to create relationships with the San Diego schools students, not just play music for them. Within that relationship, he hopes the children will grow to appreciate live music and keep it alive by becoming tomorrow’s supporters of live instrumental music. He plans to eventually do 200 programs per year all over Southern California.

For kindergartners through fifth graders, Presidio Brass introduces the brass instruments, their development, and historical context. The quintet members also give some basic musical concepts in a fun and engaging manner.

For fourth and fifth graders, the ensemble can integrate music into the core curriculum by teaching language arts, mathematics, social studies, and science through the language of music.

For middle and high schoolers, they present their Residency-for-a-Day program, which exposes San Diego schools students to the brass quintet. The hope is to inspire students to promote and cultivate their own musical abilities. Additionally, they want to give encouragement and instruction to those already playing instruments, knowing that such support is crucial.

For high schools, Presidio Brass gives master classes and concerts for their school orchestras and bands.

Though Glasson and the Presidio Brass quintet are in other school districts as well, the San Diego schools and their students will benefit greatly from this unique outreach musical program.

Patricia Hawke is a staff writer for Schools K-12, providing free, in-depth reports on all U.S. public and private K-12 schools. Patricia has a nose for research and writes stimulating news and views on school issues. For more information on San Diego schools visit hubpages.com/hub/San_Diego_Schools San Diego Schools