This message has been posted to the Business and Computer Technology Teachers Discussion List. -----Original Message----- From: owner-copernicus-cc@copernicusnet.com [mailto:owner-copernicus-cc@copernicusnet.com]On Behalf Of Copernicus Education Gateway Sent: Tuesday, May 15, 2001 9:55 AM To: copernicus-cc@gocopernicus.com Subject: ELECTRONIC CLASSROOM/Teaching to Standards ========================================================== The Electronic Classroom Visit EdGate's Copernicus Learning Communities at: http://www.EdGate.com ========================================================== May 15, 2001 ---------------------------------------------------------- This Issue's Theme: Teaching to Standards News in this issue: +CHECK IT OUT! +DID YOU KNOW? +FEATURE ARTICLE: Standards as Teaching Tools +SPOTLIGHT SCHOOL +IN THE NEWS ========================================================== CHECK IT OUT! As a discovery and communications tool, the Web allows classrooms to explore the world as never before. Log on to http://www.steponline.com to travel with expert mountain climbers and Sherpa guides to the summit of Mt. Everest. You and your students can access the site's multimedia gallery to enjoy the sights and sounds of the far-away journey through photos, video, and audio. Your classroom can also participate in Web chats and message boards designed to help students learn that with hard work and healthy choices, you can overcome even the biggest of life's obstacles--including Everest. ========================================================== DID YOU KNOW...? EdGate has a tool to help make teaching to standards simple? This tool, the Copernicus Curriculum Matrix, is available to any school district that subscribes as a Copernicus Learning Community. The Curriculum Matrix is a powerful tool--developed by teachers for teachers--to help educators understand, identify, and teach to highest-priority standards and essential life skills by linking standards to ready-to-use curriculum materials. Even better, the Curriculum Matrix allows teachers to add their own lessons and links to create a customized database of instructional tools. All members of Copernicus Learning Communities have access to the Curriculum Matrix. To visit the Curriculum Matrix, go to the main page of your Copernicus Learning Community site and click on the "Curriculum Matrix" link under the "Educators" tab. If you are not a member of a Copernicus Learning Community but would like to learn more about the Curriculum Matrix, please contact customercare@edgate.com to arrange for an EdGate representative to walk you through it. ========================================================== FEATURE ARTICLE: Standards as Teaching Tools "Have you ever observed the student body language when they enter the classroom and see the VCR and TV on the cart? To many students, that equipment signifies a class period where there will be no need to pay attention, no responsibilities or assignments that day. And we as teachers somewhat are responsible for that behavior. I have seen many teachers start the video in the machine, and then go back to their desks to grade papers or do something else. What role models! The VCR, just as the calculator and the computer are TOOLS to be used in our classrooms." Needles, Karen. "Use of Movies in the Classroom." (4 April 01). Connected Teacher Email Club. http://listserv.classroom.com/archives/ social-studies.html (Note: If the above URL is too long for this newsletter, you m ight have to copy and paste it into your browser in segments.) This posting introduces an important topic in teaching-- the notion of "tools." To be effective, tools must be actively integrated into the classroom through careful planning and engaging corresponding activities. Today, educators use any number of tools in teaching, including VCRs, computers, calculators, or educational standards. Educational standards a tool? Indeed! Standards can be valuable tools that help students focus their learning and help educators focus their teaching. As a teaching tool, standards should not be "hidden" away. Instead, like other tools, standards should be visibly incorporated into teaching. For instance, educators may find it helpful for students to look at the standards. This way, students know what is expected of them. Parents, too, might benefit from viewing the standards because they can better understand what their childen should be learning at each stage of their schooling. Considering how to teach a standard can be an exciting part of being an educator. No one solution is the best for all learners or teachers. There are many resources for discovering ways to integrate standards into daily instruction, such as the Copernicus Curriculum Matrix (see this issue's "Did You Know" section for more information). Typically, integrating a new tool into the classroom involves change, and change can equate to a certain level of stress--both positive and negative. To maximize the positive aspects of incorporating standards into the classroom, try the following: involve students in their own learning. Have them engage directly with the standards. You might have them brainstorm ways that they can demonstrate how they met standard requirements. Or, you could ask them to identify which standards your daily lessons are targeting. By actively involving students in using tools, you not only increase their understanding of what you are teaching, but you also emphasize the reasons WHY you are teaching it. ========================================================== SPOTLIGHT SCHOOLS Great things are happening at Smith Middle School in Glastonbury, Conn. Smith Middle School just opened a new school building with top-quality technology labs and resources. Smith faculty and administration decided to integrate technology using EdGate's Copernicus Learning Communities. Teachers at Smith Middle School have incorporated Copernicus Learning Community resources into the classroom in fun and educational ways. One Smith student says, "It [Copernicus] serves education and fun purposes such as taking pre-SAT questions, which are quite a bit challenging yet still fun." Smith educators have also discovered neat ways to use EdGate's SchoolNotes feature. They use their SchoolNotes pages to post extra credit questions and link to online curriculum-based games. One educator, Scott, puts lessons and assignments on his SchoolNotes page every two weeks, an arrangement which enabled one of his students to complete all assignments while on vacation in Ireland! Students say they like the extra access SchoolNotes gives them to class information. According to one student, SchoolNotes "helps me study for tests. If SchoolNotes were shut down, I would probably get worse grades on my tests." Smith faculty and administrators are creating innovative online courses using another EdGate feature, e-Class. One teacher is creating an e-Class course he'll use to conduct online sessions for incoming students. He aims to help them better comprehend and benefit from their summer reading. Smith's assistant principal is creating an e-Class for aspiring administrators to provide support and mentoring. >From SchoolNotes to e-Class to integration of Copernicus resources in all facets of the school day, Smith Middle School has truly found new and creative ways to make the most of their Copernicus Learning Community. ========================================================== IN THE NEWS Teachers as Instructional Leaders http://www.iel.org Traditionally the focus on leadership in education falls to administrators. However, teachers also have a role in providing the leadership necessary to create effective schools. A recent report titled "Leadership for Student Learning--Redefining Teachers as Leaders" released by the Institute for Educational Leadership (IEL) does an excellent job of summarizing the issues and roles of teachers as leaders. The report identifies several model programs and lists 10 ways teachers can act as leaders in their schools. Statistics on Internet Use in Schools http://nces.ed.gov/pubsearch/pubsinfo.asp?pubid=2001071 The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) has released its long-awaited "Statistics in Brief" report. It includes data on Internet access in U.S. public schools from 1994 to 2000, organized by school characteristics. The report analyzes trends in education technology, such as the progress in connecting public-school classrooms to the Internet, the types of Internet connections schools use, and data about acceptable-use policies in schools. Technology Standards for School Administrators http://cnets.iste.org/tssa/ As part of its continued support for technology in teaching, the International Society for Technology and Education (ISTE) has created draft technology standards. Thesestandards are a good starting point for administrators who want to reflect on their own skills in incorporating technology, for schools leaders who wish to develop strong technology leadership, and for communities that aim to effectively use their technology investments. It Takes More Than Testing: Closing the Achievement Gap http://www.ctredpol.org/pubs/closing_achievement_gap.pdf A new study by the Center on Education Policy (CEP) called "It Takes More Than Testing: Closing the Achievement Gap" uses 25-years-worth of student test scores and performance indicators to explain the complicated issues that account for achievement differences between White and Asian students and minority students. The report's authors recommend several solutions for narrowing the gap. ========================================================== HOW TO CONTACT US Send us feedback or recommend your favorite educational Web links at http://www.EdGate.com/contact . To change your subscription status or delivery address, or to read past issues, visit EdGate's Newsletter Center at http://www.EdGate.com/edunews . To create a customized Copernicus Learning Community for your school or district, contact EdGate Customer Care at customercare@edgate.com . Copernicus Learning Communities offer easy access to best-of-the-Web resources for K-12 educators, students, and parents. Visit our Web site: http://www.EdGate.com . © 2001 by EdGate.com, Inc. All rights reserved. ========================================================== To unsubscribe to this list, send an email to majordomo@lists.msstate.edu with no subject. Place "unsubscribe bct-l" (without quotes) in the message text area. Delete signature files before sending messages.
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