|
|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
|
Learning:
The 28 girls in Colleen Briner-Schmidt's after-school math and science program in Newbury Park, California, some 50 miles north of Los Angeles, are busting preconceived notions--about girls and science in general and themselves in particular. Through Newbury Park's bilingual Science Technologies Adventures and Research (STAR) after-school program, these fifth and sixth graders are, says Briner-Schmidt, learning that "it's cool to like science and math." The program combines engaging projects with mentoring--and also teaches girls they can control their own lives. "The girls from our school are at risk for even finishing school," says Briner-Schmidt, a K-1 teacher at Conejo Elementary. "We want to teach them the power of one--that they have to do it for themselves, that they have to choose how they're going to live." Held every Thursday after school, STAR taps the help of mentors from nearby Moorpark College to help girls see how choices they make today affect the quality and quantity of choices they make later. The mentors help the girls with hands-on science and math projects, chaperone campus field trips, role play historical women scientists during weekend retreats, and serve as real-life role models. "If you want to engage girls in math and science, you've got to show them what it means and how it's going to help them in the real world," says Briner-Schmidt, who has been awarded an Eleanor Roosevelt grant from the AAUW Educational Foundation to help fund the project. "It's real important," adds Briner-Schmidt, "that there's meaning behind what they do." The STAR program draws students in by having them "do the math"--in the form of career planning that asks girls "How do you want to live?" rather than "What do you want to do?" In a beginning exercise, girls define the lifestyle they desire, then budget for a house, car, utilities, food, clothing, and insurance to figure out what income each girl needs to support how she wants to live. Using Department of Labor statistics, the girls then look at careers that pay that income and figure out what kind of education they need to attain those careers. Graphing all this out shows the girls that many careers traditionally pursued by women may not get them where they want to go. In the weeks that follow, the girls conduct a variety of experiments that cultivate problem-solving skills and expose them to career possibilities. The students, for instance, extract DNA from kiwi fruit and build and launch pencil rockets. They record the scientific protocol required to test the strength and absorbency of paper towels. On weekend retreats, they map animal movements and go on nature walks with women rangers. They build robots using NASA-type software. Most of all, they build confidence. "When it comes to science, boys usually run toward equipment, girls hang back," says Briner-Schmidt, who sees an entirely different dynamic at festivals where her girls demonstrate their work. "At last year's microscope festival, I saw guys come up to them and say, 'Can you help me do this?'" Reaching girls early is the key. "Society tells girls that math and science are not okay," says Briner-Schmidt. "Through STAR, we've noticed more interest in attending college, greater consistency in getting homework done, and increases in overall attendance." Parents, meanwhile, are writing thank-you letters noting that their girls are thinking more about their futures. The future is looking brighter, too, for Conejo Elementary, a school with the highest non-English-speaking student population in the region. Dubbed two years ago a "bottom 200 school in the state," the school last year saw test scores jump 212 percent, the largest increase in the county. STAR has been credited with contributing to that success, and Briner-Schmidt now has additional funding to expand the program, thanks to help from a Toyota Time Grant and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics. --Michelle Y. Green For more: E-mail Colleen Briner-Schmidt at cbrinerschmidt@juno.com. For program and grant information, visit the American Association of University Women at www.aauw.org and the National Council of Teachers of Mathematics at www.nctm.org. Dilemma From the start of the year, anticipating the arrival of new students later on, I put any important papers--the course overview, major assignments completed--in a separate folder. By organizing the information for that student, you have hopefully removed some of the anxiety and fear of attending a different school. I believe it is extremely important for the incoming student not to feel overwhelmed with new information. If new students see that their teachers have prepared for their arrival, they'll better understand that staff expect a smooth transition. I also assign peer mentors to shadow the new students until they become more familiar with the procedures and operations that guide the classroom. It's also important to establish communication with the parents or guardians and inform them about any major adjustments--state-mandated testing, district or state policies--that you anticipate will affect their child. Jim Orr Encourage a buddy system to help new students get used to a new school. Allow the buddy to talk to the new student anytime during the day for about a week. Usually, by then, the new student knows the routines. The buddy can help with how to organize a paper, when to turn in work, how to organize the homework notebook, and more. Encourage the buddy to show the new student around the building, and what to do at lunch, in the bus room, and during planning periods. Carole Wright Kinard You need to begin immediate assessment of the child's skill level. If the child is being transferred locally, staff can contact the last teacher. If the child is from out of state, it often takes months for the child's personal file to arrive. That can cause quite a setback, especially if the student is in need of special services. I'd encourage teachers to give a diagnostic test, possibly the one given at the beginning of the year, to see if the child is up to par, needs remediation, or can proceed to advanced studies. After that testing, a teacher can help tutor the child in class, offer peer assistance, or send materials home so that parents can become active participants in the child's education. Bonnie McMoran As soon as I learn that I'll be getting a new student, I prepare a kit. It includes a manila folder with a letter from me describing the course, explaining my grading system, detailing routines specific to my classroom, and summing up the unit we're currently studying. I keep a general copy of this letter saved on my computer--all I do is change the letter by adding the new student's name and the section describing the unit we're studying at the time. Cynthia Lloyd I start each year with a beginning-of-the-year checklist for each student. It's easy to print another copy and have a few responsible kids gather materials and make folders for the new child, so that the new classmate's desk is ready upon arrival. Tracy Ajello Got an Answer?How do you get students to do their homework? E-mail your answer to dilemma2@neatoday.nea.org. You can also fax to 202/822-7206 or use regular mail. Please include your name, city, state, job title, and grade level, if applicable. Published respondents will receive a new NEA Today mug! Idea Exchange Removable Hooks Christy Goodney Swapped Papers I say that the paper is on time and I will accept it, but they can swap me a corrected copy the next day if they want to fix the things that I noticed needed correcting. Ninety percent of my students bring in a paper to swap the next day. I love this, because they do a rewrite even before I have put a pencil to their papers. When I do grade them, they are easier to correct because the obvious problems are no longer present. And the students are happy, because their grades are based on the swapped paper, not the one that came in the first day. Sue Schmitt Dr. Seuss Goes Sports On March 2--the nationwide Read Across America celebration day--a representative from each classroom read their class story at a school assembly. Janet Keohane Works For Me For more tips from NEA's weekly E-mail service, Works4Me, send an E-mail to lyris@list.nea.org.
To submit a tip, E-mail it to: owner-Works4Me@list.nea.org. The Neighborhood Becomes Friendly
A few years back, residents of Mesa, Arizona, feared that a new school in their neighborhood would lead to scores of kids hanging out in the late afternoon. Today, sure enough, at the new Kerr Elementary, up to 300 students a day do "hang out." But you won't find many anxious local residents. That's because the after-school attraction for the students isn't trouble. It's the 39 after-school clubs, on everything from pompoms to practical science, offered through Kerr's imaginative Kids Can program. In fact, residents who once regarded kids with a certain distrust and disdain are now actually working with them in an atmosphere of mutual respect. The Kids Can program was born in a high-crime area that offered children no parks or other diversions. "We were told by the police that Kerr would be one of the most vandalized schools in the area," recalls Frank Hunter, the Kerr Elementary facilities assistant who coordinates Kids Can. School staff, parents, and neighbors all agreed early on that their new school needed to offer some kind of alternative to gang life. At one point, in fact, a local house was vandalized while staff and local residents were out on a neighborhood crime walk with police. "We were in survival mode from the very beginning," says Hunter. "As a staff, we decided we wanted to get the neighborhood involved." To build that involvement, staff began volunteering time and donating money to set up informal clubs outside school hours-a reading club, a scrapbook club, and one for arts and crafts-but liability issues, even with permission slips, proved a problem. But not for long. By partnering with the local parks and recreation department, the state juvenile justice division, and the school district, Hunter was able to win a United Way grant and formalize-as the Kids Can program-what had been the staff vision all along. Kids Can, notes Hunter, has become a safe haven for students that offers academic and recreational programs. Certified teachers, paraprofessionals, and community volunteers now head 39 after-school Kids Can clubs that meet Mondays through Thursdays. Students in the clubs play sports, learn to babysit, improve study habits, perform in dance troupes, learn about leadership, become cheerleaders, take science and history field trips, use computers, create art and music, and more. "This program has gotten kids more involved with the neighbors," says Hunter. "Seniors who once despised kids now work with kids. Phone complaints have diminished, and kids and adults respect each other more. It's made our job easier." Staffers are compensated for their time working on Kids Can, but activities are offered free of charge. And parents who help out earn one hour of credit in "parent university classes" for every hour volunteered. Kids Can is now in its third year. "Our numbers have just soared," notes Hunter. "Very rarely do students miss a club." The relationships forged in Kids Can are enriching the community as well. "Kids who had been stealing are now cutting lawns, washing dishes, and looking out for their neighbors," says Hunter. And Mesa police have documented a significant reduction in neighborhood crime. The area around the school has gone from Mesa's number one in calls for police service to 65th. --Michelle Y. Green For more: E-mail Frank Hunter at bxxman@msn.com.
How do you help students build a greater sense of respect for each other? My students are seated not in rows, but in groups of four called "neighborhoods." These neighborhoods change with each marking period. Students learn in this setting to work cooperatively, help each other, and treat each other with the same respect they would show a neighbor. I use the neighbor concept constantly during the class period. On a silly note: When one student is rude to another, the student must sing the Mr. Rogers "Won't You Be My Neighbor?" song. Students are quick to realize that they must show each other respect in my classroom. Isabel Montick I use a symbol to represent respect in the classroom, an idea that I've borrowed from my mentor teacher. Each student receives an M&M, and we each place our M&M in a glass jar. By doing this, we acknowledge one another as individuals. The jar is then visible throughout the year, and I occasionally make reference to it if I believe respect is not being shown for another person's thoughts and ideas. I've found that the students regard this not as a ridiculous reminder, but as a serious representation of the respect that they will nurture and show toward each other. Students often have come to visit me to discuss how "the jar" made them think twice about putting someone else down. Jason Marvel Educators have an incredible opportunity to encourage respect and help students learn to honor the opinions and abilities of all. If we model respectful interactions and remind students to do so as well, we'll soon see a "respect wave" cruising through our classrooms. Students are more socially and globally aware than ever, and they no longer simply give respect due to age, position, or relative power. To build a more respectful society in the future, we need to provide an honest, open, and energizing atmosphere in our schools now. Pam Westbrook The way to build respect in students is to let them know who you are and to get to know who they are. Allow students time to get to know each other before asking them to work in teams, so that cultural conflicts are less likely to occur. Students need to learn to recognize cultural differences before we can ask them to be sensitive to them. Classroom rules should then be clearly established and lines drawn. Children can handle rules as long as they're enforced the same way with every child. That's one way educators can demonstrate respect-by backing up their beliefs with behavior. Pamela Galus Be a positive role model. Show respect to your students and celebrate their diversity. Set appropriate limits and stick to them. Listen to student concerns and give them the decision-making skills to make healthy life choices. Help guide students to their full potential. And, most of all, let them know you are also human. Bonnie Sue Shrock Got an Answer?How can you get publicity for your school's success stories? E-mail your answer to dilemma2@neatoday.nea.org. Or send by regular mail, or fax at 202/822-7206. Please include your name, city, state, job title, and grade level, if applicable. Published respondents will receive a new NEA Today mug! How I Did It
Realizing that my students were growing bored with Shakespeare, I energized them by having them transform a modern-day movie blockbuster into a 16th-century Shakespearean production. My students were absolutely obsessed with James Cameron's Titanic. The semester that I began this project, more than 98 percent of them had seen it, making the film something that the entire group could relate to. I decided to harness the popularity of the film to get my students to buy into the Bard. We embarked on a project that would attempt to convert Cameron into Shakespeare. I chose three key scenes from the movie for students to recreate in a Shakes-pearean format. For this project, I chose a gambling scene, a dinner segment, and the portion of the film where a main character attempts to throw herself off the ship. With these scenes in mind, I introduced my students to Shakespearean stories that carried similar themes. By no means was this project easy. We first discussed the movie and the history of the Titanic. I got a copy of an A&E special on the ship's history from my local cable company, and, with this, I did a mini-lesson on the ship. Students had to read various plays, get a feeling for Shakespeare's language and form, and then incorporate his style into the movie characters' dialogue. Once they finished a script, I then asked students to reenact the scene for the class. My students' creative talents were revealed through their productions. Some wrote background music, many designed backgrounds, and others created costumes. I loved the spirit the students displayed as they made their scenes come alive. Learning opportunities appeared everywhere. This turned into a unit on everything from creative writing to acting. And the cross-curricular nature of the activity kept students engaged. I've been teaching Shakespeare in this way for the past three years, and it's been a success each time. As a teacher, I think that you need to do your best to meet your students wherever they are. Next semester, we're thinking of doing this project with The Outsiders. |
Colleen Briner-Schmidt gets girls
to focus on how math and science relate to their lives and
can influence their careers.
In
Mesa, Arizona, facilities assistant Frank Hunter keeps kids
out of trouble after school by keeping them busy in the Kids
Can program.
Karen
Smith
help contact us change your address sitemap legal privacy policy your california privacy rights advertise jobs@nea
© Copyright 2002-2008 National Education Association
