tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-39436888994811756982024-02-20T14:23:51.068-05:00N.E.S.C.O.The National Education Service Company is an educational publishing and service company. See www.nescoed.comN.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.comBlogger13125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-2733914886376667862016-08-22T17:20:00.000-04:002016-08-22T17:20:01.980-04:00<div align="CENTER" style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>First Day
of School</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Summer is over and the
first day of school is upon us! Is there any other day of the school
year that causes more anxiety than the first day of school? Both
teachers and students don't know what to expect from each other.
Teachers worry about the type of students they're getting and how
they will be preceived by their students. Even after twenty years of
teaching, I still get anxious about the first day of school, but I've
learned that with proper planning and the right attitude, the first
day can be a great day for everyone. Here a few important tips and
considerations that I believe will make the first day one of the best
days.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">1. Smile! “First
impressions are lasting impressions”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">Students want to see a
friendly face. Smile and you will present a positive attitude.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">2. Dress up! Look
professional and you will feel professional. Students will see you as
a professional and treat you with professional respect. Remember,
“First impressions are lasting impressions”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">3. Meet and greet your
students at the classroom door! Say hello and welcome them into the
room.Shake their hand and call them by name if possible. This sets
the tone for the rest of the day and the rest of the year. It lets
them know that their attendance is valued and that they are part of
your new learning team. </span>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">4. Prepare a seating chart
and assign student seats alphabetically to help learn their names.
Later, you can hold a class meeting to determine final seating
assignments.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">5. Take attendance. Be
sure to learn the correct pronunciation of each students' name. Make
a positive comment to each students as you go through your class
list. Ex: “Aren’t you on the ball team or in the band?” , “Good
to see you”etc:</span></div>
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<br />
</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">6. Introduce yourself. Be
sure your students see you as a human being, rather than just an
authority figure.Tell something about yourself. Tell them about your
education, your family, and especially your hobbies and interests.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">7. Explain your
expectations for the class. Included homework, projects, behavior,
and consequences. Remember, when it comes to class rules, <i><b>“Less
is More”.</b></i></span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">8. Give students a course
outline to take home. List all special activities that will take
place during the school year such as field tips and guest speakers.
Include required projects and special assignments that must
completed.</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;">9. Plan an activity that
will be fun and motivating. A list of enjoyable activities can be
found online. Just google “Activities for the First Day of School”.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Make the
first day of school a memorable day! Make it a day to learn about
your students and for them to learn about you.</b></span></div>
N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-66301597685718650542016-05-22T13:00:00.002-04:002016-05-22T13:00:48.766-04:00The 7 Bad Habits of Ineffective Teachers<div style="font-family: Helvetica; line-height: normal;">
<b>1. Focusing on being liked.</b></div>
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I think everyone wants to be liked, but if you keep thinking about how you want your students to like you, this is absolutely going to affect your teaching. And not in a good way. You’ve gotta’ focus on being a good teacher whom your students can respect. Ironically, students normally end up liking teachers they respect more than ones who are trying to be the cool teacher.</div>
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<b>2. Yelling at the students.</b></div>
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** I think all of us have yelled at some point, but if this is your habit, it’s not a good one. Yelling rarely produces any good results and almost always results in a loss of respect. So instead of berating students and flying off the</div>
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handle, try taking a deep breath, getting really quiet, then calmly but firmly saying what needs to be said.</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>3. Letting little things go.</b></div>
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When I first started teaching I let a lot of little things slide because I didn’t<span style="color: white;"> </span>want to whack kids on the head for seemingly insignificant things. The problem, though, is that if you fail to address little problems, they fail to stay</div>
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little. They quickly grow, and soon your class is out of control and you are definitely not effective. What I learned is that I needed to address each issue, even if it was simply saying something like, “Ian, please sit up in your seat.”</div>
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<b>4. Being inconsistent.</b></div>
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It’s tough to be consistent. Believe me, I know. But being inconsistent in our classroom management leads to a multitude of problems. So we’ve just gotta’ do it. We’ve gotta’ learn to be consistent.</div>
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<b>5. Failing to properly prepare.</b></div>
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We all have days that we realize last minute that we forgot to make copies of that worksheet we really need, but if you find yourself habitually starting class not sure what you’re doing today, you’re in trouble. Yes, you might make it through the class, but you’re just not going to be as effective as you could be if you’d prepared adequately. So determine to do your best to prepare as much as possible. And if you’re feeling completely overwhelmed, do what you can now and determine to really put in the work over the next summer so you’re not in this position again.</div>
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<b>6. Being defensive.</b></div>
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Whether it’s a student, a parent, or an administrator who’s critiquing us, when we get defensive we rarely deal with the issue correctly. We need to seek first to understand and be open to the possibility that there might be a</div>
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better way. We’ll grow as teachers and also gain a lot of respect. A little humility sure goes a long way.</div>
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<b>7. Thinking that you’ve figured it out.</b></div>
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Whenever we start to think that we’ve got in down, that we don’t need to keep learning and growing, we start stagnating. And we’re less effective than we could be if we kept looking for new ideas and better ways to teach.</div>
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Have you fallen into any of these bad habits? Are there any other habits you think contribute to ineffectiveness? Share your thoughts with a comment below.</div>
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<i>This blog taken from Tech 4 The Heart</i></div>
N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-55032141544085051302016-02-15T14:46:00.002-05:002016-02-15T14:46:19.896-05:00Change is Coming<br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size: x-large;">Change is Coming</span></b></span></h2>
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<span class="s1"><b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Just when it looked like little hope existed for overhauling state's use of test scores in evaluating teachers, a new wave of sanity has begun to take hold and influence the need for change. </span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: large;">There is no question that states using test scores to evaluate teachers and principals are severely weakening the morale among teachers, parents and administrators. Worse is the use of <i>"growth scores"</i> which can count for as much as 50% of a teachers evaluation and measure student improvement by comparing scores against other classes in the state.</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"><br /></span><span class="s1">Last April, more than 200,000 New York State students in grades 3 - 8 opted out of state mandated English and Math tests. This was the biggest test boycott in the nation and only one of many boycotts in other states. It is time to admit that improper use of standardized test scores is a mistake and not admitting it is even a bigger mistake. New York State Regent Roger Tilles has called for changes in state law that place the emphasis on local measures of achievement for evaluating students and teachers. Even newly appointed Education Commissioner (NYS) MaryEllen Elia seems to recognize that something has to change.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"><br /></span><span class="s1">The arguments made against the use of local measures of evaluation are as follows:</span><span class="s1">1. Local measures can be manipulated</span><span class="s1">2. Local measures are not uniform from one district.</span><span class="s1">Both these arguments are absurd! First of all, the fear of manipulation of test scores is insulting to professional educators everywhere and unrealistic and the call for uniformity is educationally unsound. Are all students the same in every school district? Do all schools have the same resources? The last thing we should want is uniformity in testing. What we need to do is differentiate what we test and how we test students. A fundamental law of education is that all students learn at their own pace and not all students learn the same way. Testing students to evaluate teachers is wrong for students and unfair to teachers.</span><span class="s1">Lets' hope this small awakening is the start of real change.</span></span>N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-17112756766516154492015-03-14T09:26:00.001-04:002015-03-14T09:28:49.662-04:00<div class="p1">
<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size: large;">FLIPERENTIATION </span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Flipped Classroom + Differentiation = Fiperentiation</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b><span style="font-size: large;">by George Ober</span></b></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"><b></b></span><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></div>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Teaching in the 21st Century requires a multi-dimensional approach to instruction. Fliperentiation is an In-Class Flipped instructional approach to teaching that blends technology and differentiation in a flipped classroom context. In such a flipped and blended environment, technology is infused in the classroom to accelerates learning. Students utilize existing technology to develop their own learning at their own pace. Teachers employ varied resources for using instructional technology to meet individual student learning styles in a fliperentiated classroom.</span><br /><br />Flipped Learning:</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Flipped Learning is a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space. The result is a group space transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they engage creat</span>ively in the subject matter. </span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;">Differentiation:</span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Differentiated instruction is a teaching method that allows teachers to structure learning environments that address a variety of learning styles, interests, and abilities found within a classroom. Differentiated instruction is based on the belief that students learn best when they make connections between the curriculum and their diverse interests and experiences. Rather than simply "teaching to the middle" by providing a single avenue of learning for all students in a class, teachers using differentiated instruction match tasks, activities, and assessments with their students' interests, abilities, and learning preferences.</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-weight: normal;">Differentiated instruction does not happen by accident. It requires planning, commitment, and acknowledgment of the fact that diverse abilities, experiences, and interests have a tremendous impact on student learning. </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1">Fliperentiation:</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-weight: normal;">The concept of “Fliperentiation” was coined by Joe Hirsch, an educator at the Akiba Academy in Dallas TX. He explains that the most stubborn part of differentiation is trying to synchronize the learning of an entire class so each student learns at their own pace. “Fliperentiation” is a pedagogical approach to teaching in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space. “Fliperentiation” combines the concept of the Flipped Classroom with a blended, differentiated learning environment.</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1" style="font-weight: normal;">The “Fliperentiated Classroom” operates with two (2) main objectives as its’ focus: </span></span></h3>
<h3>
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Blend learning with technology to provide differentiation of instruction in order to meet the individualized learning needs of each student.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;">Provide</span><span class="s1" style="font-size: large;"> opportunities to further engage students by allowing them to work collaboratively on assignments and projects. </span></span></li>
</ul>
</h3>
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<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">A basic synopsis of the the Flipped Classroom Model has students learn and study content online with meaningful interactive learning activities, using video or screen-casts. They then apply that knowledge in the classroom through problem-solving and project based assignments. In a Flipped Classroom, visuals are all done outside the classroom.</span></span></span><br />
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<h3>
<span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1">In the Fliperentiation model, students have a “flipped interactive video component” and/or a specific app embedded in the lesson structure to create more opportunities for differentiated instruction and increase student engagement while fostering collaboration and higher-order thinking during classroom activities. These videos are not “lecture-based” but are supplementary, integrated components used for the further understanding, refinement and application of information. Visuals therefore, are an important part of the “Fliperentiated Classroom” process. In a “Fliperentiated Classroom”, visuals or video/images are embedded into classroom lessons as a major component of differentiated learning. These videos are not “lecture-based”, but supplementary, integrated components used for multiple instructional purposes. They are embedded into classroom lessons as an important component of differentiated learning. </span></span></span></h3>
<h3>
<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Benefits of Instructional Videos:</span></span></h3>
<h3>
<br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Differentiate </span><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">i</span><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">nstruction</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Increases student engagement</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Fosters student collaboration</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Promotes higher-order thinking</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Demonstrate processes</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Display exemplary student work</span></li>
<li><span style="font-size: large; font-weight: normal;">Provides reference for home study</span></li>
</ul>
</h3>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">An additional benefit of “Fliperentiation” is having more engaged parents. As more students utilize technology as a regular part of their day, both in school and at home, the opportunity for their parents to become part of what they are learning in school is greatly enhanced. Parents want a stronger connection to what their child is doing in class and how they are performing and they want it in an expedient manner. “Fliperentiation” makes this possible by communicating with parents via websites, grading/assessment apps or communication apps. Connecting parents to the individualized classroom environment will result in a stronger connection to their child’s learning and greater support for fliperentiated instruction.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">By transforming traditional classroom activities into a more digitized setting, you free up classroom time for individualized student instruction, allow students to learn at their own pace, and allow for individual and collaborative learning to take place in conjunction with ongoing formative assessment. This enables the teacher to provide instant feedback to individual or groups of students based on their specific needs. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Embedding visuals with interactive web-based or iOS/android applications allows students to make stronger connections with the content they are learning. More importantly, this approach is student centered with the teacher being a facilitator of the process. This allows for the student to further develop their own learning style while being able to apply prior knowledge to future learning.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;"><span class="s1"></span><br /></span></div>
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<span class="s1"><span style="font-size: large;">Today’s students are expected to gather information then interpret, discuss, analyze, and evaluate that information both independently and collaboratively. “Fliperentiation” allows for traditional instructional models to be transformed through the use of technology while creating a differentiated blended learning model that encourages student engagement and develops the communication and collaborative skills required in the 21st century. </span></span></div>
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N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-56641131358487699982015-03-04T12:39:00.002-05:002015-03-04T12:44:58.338-05:00<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">Time to Teach Gov. Cuomo the Truth about Teaching</span></h2>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal;">By Joe Pergola</span></h3>
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In the State of New York, 20 percent of teacher rating is based on their students state test scores. Andrew Cuomo, Governor of New York wants 50 percent of teacher ratings to be based on student test scores. He believes that test scores are the best indicator of teacher effectiveness. What he fails to understand is the link between poverty and poor test scores and the link between English fluency and good test scores.<br />
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New York public school teachers currently serve 2.6 million children. In spite of the fact that about twenty-one (21%) percent of all students in New York live in or near poverty and almost a quarter of a million students in New York State are classified as English learners, New York State's public schools rank ninth (9th) in the nation according to the Education Research Center and New York is rated B-while the national average is C.<br />
<br />
No one wants to improve test scores more than the teachers who work in New York's public schools. We can achieve that goal by eliminating poverty and violence, improving English literacy, fully funding our schools, supporting teachers efforts and providing quality professional development. We will never improve education in New York by blaming teachers for test score results directly related to circumstances out of their control. That's scapegoating, unfortunately an all too often common gimmick of politicians.<br />
<br />N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-23081072385382934522015-02-05T10:51:00.004-05:002015-02-05T10:51:50.267-05:00<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Music and the Arts in Our Lives</span></div>
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By Michael A. Butera</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">What would schooling look like if music were not a part of the curriculum? Would it make for a better tomorrow for students? Would there be more mathematicians and scientists? Would the ecology of the community be enhanced?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Schooling without music is like water faucets without water in a pipeline: a hollow place with promise but unable to deliver a refreshing and life-sustaining substance. Student would not be served better tomorrows full of promise and hope. Does anyone really believe that our world will produce more scientists and technologists if music were no longer part of their lives? What kind of community fosters a better place for future generations without the sustaining value of music and the other arts?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Let us each commit to being promoters of the music discipline preK through graduate school. We need to embrace a wider vision for music education; one that nourishes children from the earliest years, through their schooling and beyond.We must recognize that each child is important and that we have a responsibility to bring the the freshness of the music experience into each child's life. Few students will ultimately make teaching music or performing their final career choice, but larger numbers will forever have music as a part of their daily lives. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Together we must push the fresh water stream of music into the pipes; otherwise, the pipes will rust away. Together, we can help music education orchestrate success and nourish the future!</span>N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-88720341397421415132015-01-08T17:30:00.001-05:002015-01-08T17:30:04.994-05:00<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #516064; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
<h2 style="text-align: center;">
A New Paradigm for Accountability</h2>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #516064; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 18px;"> Edited from Diane Ravitch Blog</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #516064; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold;"> 11/12/2014</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #516064; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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Now that we have endured more than a dozen long years of No Child Left Behind and five fruitless, punitive years of Race to the Top, it is clear that they both failed. They relied on carrots and sticks and ignored intrinsic motivation. They crushed children’s curiosity instead of cultivating it.* They demoralized schools. They disrupted schools and communities without improving children’s education.</div>
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We did not leave no child behind. The same children who were left behind in 2001-02 are still left behind. Similarly, Race to the Top is a flop. The Common Core tests are failing most students, and we are nowhere near whatever the “Top” is. The Race turns out to be NCLB with a mask. NCLB on steroids. NCLB 2.0.</div>
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Whatever you call it, RTTT has hurt children, demoralized teachers, closed community schools, fragmented communities, increased privatization, and doubled down on testing.</div>
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I have an idea for a new accountability system that relies on different metrics. We begin by dropping standardized test scores as measures of quality or effectiveness. We stop labeling, ranking, and rating children, teachers, snd schools. We use tests only when needed for diagnostic purposes, not for comparing children to their peers, not to find winners and losers. We rely on teachers to test their students, not corporations.</div>
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The new accountability system would be called <b>No Child Left Out.</b> The measures would be these:</div>
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How many children had the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument?</div>
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How many children had the chance to play in the school band or orchestra?</div>
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How many children participated in singing, either individually or in the chorus? </div>
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How many public performances did the school offer?</div>
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How many children participated in dramatics?</div>
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How many children produced documentaries or videos?</div>
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How many children engaged in science experiments? </div>
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How many children learned robotics?</div>
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How many children wrote stories, whether fiction or nonfiction?</div>
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How often did children have the chance to draw, paint, make videos, or sculpt?</div>
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How many children wrote poetry? </div>
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How many children performed service in their community to help others?</div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #516064; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;">Can you imagine an accountability system whose purpose is to encourage and recognize creativity, imagination, originality, and innovation? Isn’t this what we need more of ?</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #516064; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><h2>
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</span>N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-24898718375761106592014-11-24T11:01:00.003-05:002014-11-24T11:01:50.458-05:00How Bad Educational Policies Demoralize Teachers<br />
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">How Bad Education Policies Demoralize Teachers</span></span></h2>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Adapted from John Rosales Feb. 2012 article in "NEA Today"</span></span></h3>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Bad Ed policies created with the good intention of improving instruction and learning are resulting in demoralized teachers. Rigid educational reforms are removing the joy and value from the art of teaching.Teachers today are suffering from a high level of frustration and and a feeling of hopelessness. Too many dedicated and talented individuals are being driven out of the profession.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The rewards of teaching are embedded in the work of teaching. They go beyond the questions surrounding student achievement and include finding ways to connect meaningfully with our students and using our teaching talent to improve the lives of others. When the most important work of teaching is forced to change without any evidence such change is for the better, teachers question the value of their work and too often become demoralized.</span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Research done by Doris Santoro, shows that it is not one single event or policy that leads to demoralization, but a compilation of mandates that change the character of a teachers work. Education policies that demand scripted lessons, mandate curriculum content regardless of students' academic needs and learning style and require high stakes testing make teachers feel they are complicit in doing more harm than good for their students. </span></span></div>
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<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Demoralization is not a personal problem. It can not be avoided individually. Demoralization indicates a problem within the profession. It is the work of education that has changed not the failure of individual teachers. We must all identify, challenge, resist and impede those policies that do not improve instruction and substantially improve the lives of our students.</span></span></div>
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N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-10643544304836367502014-09-21T16:00:00.001-04:002014-09-21T16:00:27.490-04:00Listen and Learn: The Key to Effective Secondary General Music Instruction<table style="background-color: white; border-collapse: collapse; border-spacing: 0px; border-style: none; border-width: 0px; color: black; margin: auto; width: 100%px;"><tbody>
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Listen and Learn: The Key to Effective Secondary General Music Instruction</h2>
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Teaching secondary general music can be one of the most challenging and one of the most rewarding courses for music teachers. The multitude of requests for guidance regarding curriculum and learning goals on social media teacher sites demonstrates widespread concern about teaching this subject. There is no question that secondary general music instruction instills significant discomfort in teachers who are assigned a full schedule or just a single section.</div>
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<strong style="vertical-align: baseline;">Issues in Secondary General Music Education</strong><br /><em style="vertical-align: baseline;">**</em>Why do so many secondary music educators feel insecure when asked to teach general music? Perhaps it’s the amount of preparation necessary to teach a music course to predominately non-performing music students! Maybe it’s the lack of a unified sequential curriculum! Possibly it’s question of which materials will be useful! Maybe it’s the fear of disciplinary issues due to a lack of confidence in the lessons being taught! Whatever the reason, music educators desperately need resources and a research based curriculum designed specifically for today’s secondary general music student.</div>
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<strong style="vertical-align: baseline;">Learning Goals for Secondary Education</strong><br />It’s important to ask ourselves the following question. What are the essential skills and knowledge that all students should learn. For some educators the primary goal is to have students perform on instruments such as recorder, guitar, percussion and electronic keyboard? In other programs the most important skillI is for all students to know how to read and write traditional musical notation? From a humanities perspective the primary goal may be to understand music history?<br />However, since the vast majority of students required to take secondary general music are not members of a school performing group, the most important goal must be the development of “listening skills”.</div>
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<strong style="vertical-align: baseline;">The Importance of Aural Skills</strong><br />We live in a world where MTV, VH1 and YouTube have replaced aural acuity with visual imagery, the need to increase our students ability to better appreciate music by developing listening skills is essential. We need to help our students develop the aural skills necessary to perceive the expressive qualities inherent in various musical styles.</div>
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<strong style="vertical-align: baseline;">Instructional Sequence</strong><br />This can be accomplished by having students understand and recognize the basic elements of music such as beat, tempo, dynamics, rhythm, instrumentation and form. The development of independent listening skills for each basic element provides the building blocks for the ability to a) hear, b)describe and c) identify the qualities inherent in music of varying style. By incorporating these basic skills into an instructional design, can help all our students cultivate the skills needed to demonstrate an aesthetic response to music.Initially, the basic elements of music should be described and discussed in non-technical terms, supported by various learning activities involving description, creation and performance all in conjunction with appropriate listening examples.<br />Gradually, connections to proper terminology and musical symbols should be used to describe, analyze and assess listening examples.</div>
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<strong style="vertical-align: baseline;">Instructional Activities</strong><br />(Beat/Tempo)<br />Students need to internalize beat and tempo. With repeated listening activities, students can learn to maintain a steady pulse in varying tempos by clapping or tapping.<br />(Dynamics)<br />The ability to recognize and identify various dynamic levels including crescendo and decrescendo is a listening skill all students can develop.<br />(Rhythm)<br />With developmental practice students can learn to audiate and perform notated basic rhythm problems.<br />Have students learn to compose four (4) measure rhythm patterns.<br />(Form)<br />Using simple song form, (Intro, Verse, Chorus, Bridge) students can develop the listening skills necessary to graph song form.</div>
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True knowledge of the basic elements of music is exemplified by aural recognition and oral description. In other words, students must be able to recognize each element in isolation and in relationship to other elements present in the music. Students must be able to describe the function served by each element and how it is connected to the style being performed.</div>
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<strong style="vertical-align: baseline;">Conclusion</strong><br />Each individual teacher must choose the best material suited for the level and age of their students. All styles of music should be employed; classical, jazz, rock etc. Emphasis should be placed on current popular styles because success in introducing students to new musical concepts is considerably easier when the student is dealing with familiar music. Plus, when students see that “their music” is accepted by the teacher, they are more receptive to listening and learning about other styles of music. Secondary general music teachers must stay open-minded and up to date with the ever changing styles of popular music.<br />It is time secondary general music develops a curriculum design and effective pedagogy that builds the listening skills necessary for students to better appreciate the expressive qualities inherent in all styles of music.</div>
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N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-25311169197558858492014-09-21T15:59:00.005-04:002014-09-21T15:59:57.451-04:00Endless Solutions for Educational Reform<div class="module header" style="background-color: white; clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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Endless Solutions for Educational Reform</h2>
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By Joseph T. Pergola</h2>
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Successful teaching used to be measured by the ability of a teacher to connect subject matter to the lives of children in meaningful ways. Good teaching inspired students to improve academically and socially. Improvement in student achievement was a result of artful teaching. Now successful teaching has become the art of adapting and implementing the newest and latest solutions for educational reform. First we were assured academic success if everyone taught the National Standards. No sooner the National Standards were adopted, they morphed into the more cumbersome State Standards.Then along came No Child Left Behind. A unfair punitive solution to lagging academic achievement. Only politicians or education pundits could come up with such a plan for improving student success on a national level. All children, regardless of their ability or disability, regardless of their native language or reading level are required to take the same tests and expected to perform at the same benchmark level. Who thought of this? Certainly no one with any experience teaching or any knowledge of child development. What happened to differentiated learning and modifying teaching strategies? Remember learning these skills as essential to good teaching?<br />Now we have a new educational reform plan. Welcome to Race to the Top! Another great educational reform plan that requires states to compete for funds to improve education. This plan is a disincentive for true meaningful efforts to improve academic success. Basically, schools with poor student achievement but an excellent improvement plan score highest in the race for money. This implies that their improvement plan is solely contingent on money. I contend that if they can not improve their poor academic standing without more money, they are incompetent educational leaders. How much does it cost to implement a better discipline program, teacher professional development, curriculum revision, parent out-reach, homework assistance, academic intervention etc. etc. etc.<br />Let's not forget the by-product of Race To The Top. The reorganized, revised, regurgitated standards now called Common Core! If we all agree on a common core curriculum, if we pre-assess our students knowledge of curriculum content and if we teach to prepare students for testing of subject matter in the common core curriculum, we can be fully assured of educational success. We have been told what to teach and how to teach. We have been directed to continually assess and test.</div>
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We have been told what our students should know and how well our students should perform. We have been told a lot of things, but no one has told me how adoption and implementation of National Standards, No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top or Common Core will guarantee learning or inspire students to take responsibility for their own success.</div>
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N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-47280706803186053992014-09-21T15:59:00.002-04:002014-09-21T15:59:17.854-04:00Assessment: The Pathway to Improved Professional Performance<div class="module text" style="background-color: white; clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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<b>Assessment</b></div>
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The Pathway to Improved Professional Performance</div>
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by Joe Pergola</div>
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Thankfully, the education profession is once again focusing on the importance of “assessment”. The first big push for embedded assessment accompanied the introduction of the National Standards which called for the systematic assessment of student learning. The newest education initiatives such as Common Core, Annual Professional Performance Reviews and others designed to improve student learning, have once again brought assessment front and center as a critical element in the teaching/learning process. It’s time to re-examine portfolio assessment in light of today’s push for evidence of learning. </div>
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Comprehensive assessment is the most significant factor in the pursuit for better student learning. Improved learning is totally dependent on successful teaching and successful teaching is dependent on improved teacher instruction! Successful teachers continually evaluate the teaching and learning process. They determine the learning level of their students and refine their instruction for greater success. Improved student learning is an out-growth of information necessary to judge student understanding, measure student progress and examine student thought processes. Teachers who are successful question what they can do differently, what new materials they can use and what new instructional approach they can take for improved results. In other words, successful teachers assess learning because assessment improves instruction. </div>
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Successful teachers continually evaluate the teaching and learning process. They determine the learning level of their students and refine their instruction for greater success. Improved student learning is an out-growth of information necessary to judge student understanding, measure student progress and examine student thought processes. Teachers who are successful question what they can do differently, what new materials can they use and what new instructional approach they can take for improved results.</div>
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www.nescoed.com</div>
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N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-57440286785990679422014-09-21T15:58:00.002-04:002014-09-21T15:58:46.264-04:00How Children Really Learn<div class="module header" style="background-color: white; clear: both; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
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How Children Really Learn</h2>
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Adapted from original article</div>
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by Alison Gopnik - NY Times</div>
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So here is the big question, if children can master skills and knowledge not taught in schools; why do they often have a hard time learning in school? Why can children master difficult technology but struggle with standardized tests following long term intensive teaching? One can only conclude that schools do not teach the same way students learn.</div>
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Students learn best when they can explore the world and interact with expert adults. Call it "guided discovery" ! Children learn by observing adults, trying themselves and receiving positive corrective feedback. Teachers need to carefully analyze what their students can do and know before encouraging them to the next level of learning.</div>
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This may sound like the same old progressive pedagogy, but it is actually the most natural and successful teaching method. Imagine if a baseball or football coach taught his players the same way most teachers teach science. Students would be expected to memorize the rules, receive lectures about proper play and read about the history of the sport. A select few would be permitted to reproduce famous plays of the past, but nobody would actually get to play in a game until they passed a standardized final exam and graduated.</div>
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What is expected in most schools is a very different learning process. A process often referred to as "routinized learning". Something learned is routinized until it is second nature, so student can recite or perform effortlessly and quickly. Routinized learning is more about perfecting mindless procedures. This can be valuable and necessary in order to develop certain skills, but even ball players who repeat an action over and over again to gain greater accuracy need to strategize and be flexible. Musicians who must practice, practice, practice for better accuracy need to understand style and genre in order to communicate in an expressive musical manner.</div>
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Children learn best when we apply the correct balance of "guided discovery" and "routinized learning" to the desired learning.</div>
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#nescoed.com</h2>
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N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3943688899481175698.post-42218273717482927942009-09-05T23:07:00.000-04:002009-09-05T23:11:06.767-04:00New Venture!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande', Verdana, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-weight: bold; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 16px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Hello world! I decided begin a blog about my new venture into the world of entrepreneurship. I recently retired after 30 years as Fine Arts Director for a large public school to accept a job with a startup company know as N.E.S.C.O. or the National Education Service Company. My title is Director of Development. My initial responsibility is to develop products and services for the educational community while building name recognition for the company.</span></span></span><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; text-transform: none; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">Am I crazy? Why do I find such a daunting task exciting? Am I fooling myself? What the hell do I know about building a company after 31 years in teaching? I fear the company will realize they made a mistake hiring me and I’ll be sorry I gave up my secure, well paying boring job working with bureaucrats who lack vision or leadership.</span></span></p><p style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.5em; text-transform: none; margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 5px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-left: 0px; "><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:verdana;">HELP!</span></span></p></span>N.E.S.C.O.http://www.blogger.com/profile/10455325910893648141noreply@blogger.com0