Level Up Learning

Want to hold a PD that’s entirely participant-driven, relevant, and potentially life-changing?  Kate and Dave explore the EdCamp model, including the basics of how to hold an EdCamp, tips and strategies, and provide you with resources for holding your first EdCamp. EdCamp Hampton Roads website: bit.ly/EdCampHREdCamp foundation: http://www.edcamp.org/

Kate and Dave talk to Kelly Dee, music teacher specialist, about ways that every teacher can incorporate more arts into their classroom, both to help motivate students and increase student achievement. Baker, M. (2007). “Music moves brain to pay attention, Stanford study finds.” Stanford Medicine: News Center. Retrieved from https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2007/07/music-moves-brain-to-pay-attention-stanford-study-finds.html Marzano, R.J. (2007). The Art and science of teaching. Alexandra, VA: ASCD. Music: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KK23BhEQVyU

Whether you loved or hated NCLB, certain changes are coming as we move into teaching and learning under the Every Students Succeeds Act.  Kate and Dave summarize the two acts and outline what’s different, and what’s going to stay the same.  A must-listen for all educators and parents. Korte, G. (2015). “The Every Student Succeeds Act vs. No Child Left Behind: What’s changed?” USA Today. Retrieved from http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2015/12/10/every-student-succeeds-act-vs-no-child-left-behind-whats-changed/77088780/ “Every Student Succeeds Act: Comparison of the No Child Left Behind Act to the Every Student Succeeds Act.” (2015). ASCD. Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/ASCD/pdf/siteASCD/policy/ESEA_ComparisonChart_FINAL.pdf

There is a finite amount of time we have with students, and yet an ever-increasing expanse of curriculum.  Dave and Kate look at how we can use the idea of Power Standards to determine which standards get the majority of our emphasis using the work of several prominent curriculum theorists: Doug Reeves, Larry Ainsworth, Fenwick English, Grant Wiggins, and Jay McTighe.   Ainsworth, L. (2003). Power standards: Identifying the standards that matter the most. Engelwood, CO: Lead + Learn Press. Ainsworth, L. (2010). Rigorous curriculum design: How to create curricular units of study that align standards, instruction, and assessment. Englewood, Colorado: Lead + Learn Press. English, F.W. (2010). Deciding what to teach and what to test: Developing, aligning, and leading the curriculum. Thousand Oaks, CA: Corwin. Wiggins, G. & McTighe, J. (1998). Understanding by Design. Alexandria, VA: ASCD.

Sitting all day isn’t good for anyone--and it can have serious impacts for our students.  Dave and Kate explore the consequences of too much sitting for young people, and how more people are turning to standing desks or stability balls--but are these things actually correlated with greater student achievement? Research: Armstrong, T. (2012). “New evidence that standing is better than sitting in classroom.” Peninsula Press. Retrieved from http://institute4learning.com/blog/2012/09/21/new-evidence-that-standing-is-better-than-sitting-in-the-classroom/ Davis, E. (2015). “Want kids to pay attention in class? Give them standing desks.” VITAL RECORD: News from Texas A&M Health Science Center. Retrieved from https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/want-kids-to-pay-attention-in-class-give-them-standing-desks/ Fedewa, A.L., & Erwin, H.E. (2011). “Stability balls and students with attention and hyperactivity concerns: Implications for on-task and in-seat behavior.” The American Journal of Occupational Therapy. Retrieved from http://ajot.aota.org/article.aspx?articleid=1851485Hattie, J. (2009). Visible Learning: A Synthesis of Over 800 Meta-Analyses Relating to Achievement. New York: Routledge. Jensen, E. “Chapter Four: Movement and learning.” (on ASCD website). Teaching with the Brain in Mind (2nd edition). Retrieved from http://www.ascd.org/publications/books/104013/chapters/Movement-and-Learning.aspx. let’smove.gov (n.d.) “Learn the facts.” Retrieved from http://www.letsmove.gov/learn-facts/epidemic-childhood-obesity Mitchell, R.L. (2014). “Standing desks: Effective in the fight against childhood obesity.” VITAL RECORD: News from Texas A&M Health Science Center. Retrieved from https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/standing-desks-effective-in-the-fight-against-childhood-obesity/ Mitchell, R.L. (2016). “New study indicates students’ cognitive functioning improves when using standing desks.” VITAL RECORD: News from Texas A&M Health Science Center. Retrieved from https://vitalrecord.tamhsc.edu/new-study-indicates-students-cognitive-functioning-improves-when-using-standing-desks/ Strauss, V. (2014). “Why so many kids can’t sit still in school today.” The Washington Post. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/answer-sheet/wp/2014/07/08/why-so-many-kids-cant-sit-still-in-school-today/