Kelly's Curriculum Corner

Scott McLeod, Dangerously Irrelevant , posted this quote in a recent blog entry: Technology will never replace teachers. However, teachers who know how to use technology effectively to help their students connect and collaborate together will replace those who do not. Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach What comes to mind as you read this quote?

Lisa Parisi is a 5th grade teacher who has worked in a co-teaching setting for the last three years. Read her recent post, A Perfect Storm , to unlock the mystery of co-teaching success. Follow up with additional information on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and Lisa's presentation on Project-based Learning from the K-12 Online Conference - scroll down to the bottom of the page and click on the play button embedded in the picture.

The National Staff Development Council (NSDC) is an organization dedicated to sharing the principles of effective, results-driven professional development. There is a science to staff development and NSDC promotes the practices that result in student achievement. For a limited time, NSDC is offering a trial membership. Since change happens at the school level, a special invitation is extended to building principals who want resources to improve the implementation of staff development initiatives. Click here for details on obtaining a trial membership.

Most teachers would agree that vocabulary instruction is a critical part of instruction. It's fair to ask ourselves what passes for good vocabulary instruction? Is it copying words and their corresponding definitions from the board or overhead? Is it looking up definitions in a dictionary? Crossword puzzles? What about work searches? The fact of the matter is, that much of what passes for vocabulary instruction are actually lessons in handwriting, eye hand coordination, and copying words. Vocabulary instruction is really concept development. Students need to interact with words. It's rich and meaningful activities like word sorts, student-friendly descriptions, non-linguistic representations, and multiple opportunities to interact with the word through vocabulary games. These are meaningful routines that help make words stick.

President-Elect Obama has a website. He reviews his agenda for his administration including education. His slogan is, "Tell us your ideas and be apart of the change you are looking for." He is encouraging the American people to share their thoughts on the direction he is moving our country. At this point, the Secretary of Education position is not filled... I am encouraging all of you to share your ideas on the direction we need to move to help all students reach 21st century skills. Click here to view Obama's website. Click here to review Obama's Education agenda. Click here to share your ideas.