DIOCESE OF TOLEDO
TEACHERS’ BULLETIN
NOVEMBER, 2007

 

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FROM THE SUPERINTENDENT:

 

F. Edward Schaefer Scholarship:

Schools should have received information about the F. Edward Schaefer Scholarship.  A cover letter and application were included.

 

The applications are for college-bound high school seniors who have a parent or parents participating in the Retirement Plan for Lay Employees in the Catholic Diocese of Toledo.

 

Please note the deadline for receipt at the Retirement Office of the completed application and grade transcripts is February 1, 2008 in order for the application to be considered.

 

Call Mary Berning at (419) 244-6711 or 1-800-926-8277 with any questions.

 

 

ADVENT AND CHRISTMAS:

From the Office of Evangelization and Catechesis:

The liturgical season of Advent begins Sunday, December 2.  Do you need ideas and resources for the Advent and Christmas seasons?  The following links can help in your search:

 

St. Anthony Messenger Press website:

Advent Season

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Advent/default.asp

Christmas Season

http://www.americancatholic.org/Features/Christmas/christmas.asp

 

Ligouri Publications

See their broad range of resources for Advent:

http://www.liguori.org/advent/

 

Website listing variety of Advent links and resources:

http://www.silk.net/RelEd/seasons.htm#advent

 

Religion Teacher’s Journal

November/December 2007 issue:

http://www.religionteachersjournal.com/FeatureStory.php

 

Catechist Magazine

November/December 2007 issue:

www.catechist.com

 

Faith and Family: The Magazine of Catholic Living

November/December 2007 issue:

http://www.faithandfamilymag.com/

 

 

FULBRIGHT SCHOLARSHIP OFFER:

Study in Southern Africa this Summer…

The University of Toledo, with funding from the U.S. Department of Education Fulbright-Hays Program, is sponsoring a seminar in the southern African countries of South Africa and Lesotho, June 21 – July 30, 2008. Designed for educators, the focus of the seminar will be southern African political, cultural and historical relations, especially the relations between South Africa and Lesotho.

 

Participants will spend over five weeks in southern Africa interacting with African teachers and government officials while visiting historic and contemporary sites and sharing professional expertise with teachers and organizations in the region.

 

Accepted seminar members will pay $850 of the direct program costs of over $8000 per person plus personal expenses including for pre-and post-travel seminars in Toledo and transportation to and from the departure/arrival airport. Information and applications (due January 10, 2008) are available at http://www.utoledo.edu/as/ids/global/Africa2008index.html    Or contact Professor Richard Weisfelder, Department of Political Science, University of Toledo, MS #511, Toledo, OH 43606-3390, (419) 530-2265. mailto:rweisfe@utnet.utoledo.edu (A flyer is available at http://www.utoledo.edu/as/ids/global/Uploaded_files/flyer_october_10.pdf )

 

 

ENTRY YEAR ORIENTATION:

The final orientation session in the Toledo area for the entry year program will be next Thursday, November 15, 2007, at 4:00 PM at the Catholic Center.  It is mandatory that a teacher in the entry year program attend one orientation session.  Mentors are encouraged to attend, but it is not a requirement.  Please contact Vicki Fitts at the Catholic Center, vfitts@toledodiocese.org, to place a reservation.

 

 

LPDC:

The Diocesan Professional Development Committee will meet Thursday, December 13, 2007, at 1:00 PM at the Catholic Center.  Please have CEU requests and license applications to Vicki Fitts no later than Wednesday, December 12. 

 

Licenses that expire in 2008 may be renewed any time after January 1, 2008.  If you have met all of the requirements for license renewal, send the appropriate CEUs, license application and check, payable to “Ohio TEC,” to Vicki for the December LPDC meeting.  She will hold the approved application until January 2.

 

 

LICENSE DEADLINE:

Applications for any license that expired June 30, 2007, must be at the Department of Education no later than December 31, 2007.  After that date, the license is considered expired and the requirement for renewal will be 9 semester hours or 27 CEUs.  All license applications must be processed through the CYSS office, appropriate CEU fees paid, if applicable, and a new background report must be completed.

 

When obtaining a background report to renew a license, indicate the reason for the report and request that the background results be sent electronically to the Ohio Department of Education.  Also request that a hard copy of the report be sent to Vicki Fitts, Diocese of Toledo, P. O. Box 985, Toledo, OH 43697.

 

 

THE APPOLD PLANETARIUM - LOURDES COLLEGE:

Lourdes College in Sylvania, Ohio offers the opportunity for schools to visit the Appold Planetarium on the Lourdes College campus. Hour-long programs are available on Tuesdays at a cost of $4 per student. There is no charge for teachers or chaperones. The Planetarium has a capacity of 50.

 

The Lourdes College Planetarium reopened this fall with a new name and a new projection system.  Formerly known as the Copernicus Planetarium, the Planetarium has been renamed in honor of the Appold family, whose generous donation allowed for the installation of a new projection system and a complete renovation.

 

The Appold Planetarium is now equipped with a state-of-the-art SciDome projection system, the only one in NW Ohio and one of only 90 in the country. SciDome is designed to be a true "digital planetarium," affording real time 3-D sky simulation, full-dome shows, and multimedia presentations.

 

If you are interested in scheduling a field trip, please contact Erika Buri, Planetarium Coordinator at eburi@lourdes.edu or 419.517.8897.

 

 

TEACHER TIP - HANDLING WORKSHEETS:

When students turn in a worksheet with an incorrect answer, place a “0” beside the incorrect answer and hand it back.  Since you want to emphasize correct answers and learning from mistakes, when students correct the answer the “0” becomes “OK”.  If the answer is still incorrect, circle it again with different color ink.  Regardless of how many tries it takes to learn the lesson, what is important is that the student finally learns it. (Kathie Nunley, October 2007 Newsletter)

 

 

COLOR MATTERS, ESPECIALLY WHEN IT COMES TO VISUAL MEMORY:

We know that bright colors stimulate brain activity and respiration while cool colors promote muscle relaxation and reduction in blood pressure, but color can also be used as a tool to aid memory.  For years researchers have known that subjects who memorized arithmetic facts using color and shape association strategies to form algorithms were more successful.

 

While not conclusive, recent studies suggest that color can be used as a tool for categorizing, clumping, and organizing material for better recall and memorization.

Action steps:

√ Use color to group similar objects, concepts and tasks.

√ Use colored markers or chalk to identify root word, prefixes, and suffixes, mathematical formulas and geometric shapes.  Conversely use contrasting colors to reinforce the differences between dissimilar concepts.

√ For better retention, use colored pictures to illustrate concepts and attract attention.

√ Be aware that if color is used to highlight or identify parts of a lesson or presentation, if the color is not duplicated on a test, it is possible that it might interfere with student recall.

(Bob Crepeau, The Learning Brain Newsletter)

 

 

VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES CAN INCREASE AGGRESSION:

WASHINGTON - Playing violent video games like Doom, Wolfenstein 3D or Mortal Kombat can increase a person's aggressive thoughts, feelings and behavior both in laboratory settings and in actual life, according to two studies appearing in the American Psychology Associations Journal. “Violent video games may be more harmful than violent television and movies because they are interactive, very engrossing and require the player to identify with the aggressor,” say the researchers.

 

"One study reveals that young men who are habitually aggressive may be especially vulnerable to the aggression-enhancing effects of repeated exposure to violent games," said psychologists Craig A. Anderson, Ph.D., and Karen E. Dill, Ph.D. "The other study reveals that even a brief exposure to violent video games can temporarily increase aggressive behavior in all types of participants."

(American Psychological Association's - APA Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. April 2007)

 

 

TEACHER RESOURCES FROM O.D.E.:

The Ohio Education Department has developed teacher resources in the form of lesson plans for all standards based subjects.  If you need a new idea you may find it at the following site:

http://ims.ode.state.oh.us/ode/ims/Default.asp?bhcp=1

 

 

CELEBRATE “DOZENS DAY” IN DECEMBER:

December 12 provides a great opportunity to have fun with a factoid many students have a problem remembering.  Enjoy a dozen of something on “Dozens Day.”

 

 

LEARNING THROUGH MEMORIZATION: PROS AND CONS:

It is true that students must simply memorize a certain amount of information so they can retrieve it when they need to use it.  For example the letter “A” is the first letter of the alphabet and a “chair” is called a chair – not a box or a table.  These are facts that a student must simply remember and most of this basic data is obtained at an early age.  We remember the alphabet because we begin to use it right away. Likewise we use the sounds each letter represents in order to read words.

 

Unfortunately, rote memorization is often applied to concepts for which higher-level thinking should be applied.  Often students are given test preparation guides for a test and parents spending hours asking questions while students respond by regurgitating the previously provided answers – the right answers.  This is nothing more than rote memorization, quickly forgotten as soon as the test is over. 

 

For learning to be real, students should be able to summarize the information and provide answers to basic question.  If he/she cannot participate in a meaningful discussion, a test preparation guide is useless. If he/she can participate in a meaningful conversation the guide is unnecessary.  While the distinction may seem small, the effect on the future learning and thinking is immeasurable.  Students who memorize data don’t learn to create information from their own vision.  Even if they can recall the date over time, they may not be able to apply it to new and novel situations.

(Yvonne Fournier, PhD., Scripps Howard News Service)

 

 

DIOCESAN SCIENCE TEACHERS CHOSEN FOR ENERGY PILOT:

Colleen Goehler, Lisa Cinadr and Cathy Ujvagi, teachers at St. Patrick, Bryan and St. Pius X, Toledo were chosen to pilot an Energy Efficiency Education program through a grant from the Ohio EPA.  The program teaches energy concepts and energy conservation strategies correlated with the Diocesan Science Course of Study.

 

 

ADHD ARTICLE:  “ONE CONSEQUENCE OF THE RISE OF TECHNOLOGY AND THE DEMISE OF PLAY”:

According to Thomas Armstrong, the past thirty years have seen Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder emerge from obscurity to become the leading psychiatric disorder of childhood in the United States.  Among the many social trends in our culture that may contribute the ADHD behaviors of hyperactivity, distractibility, and impulsivity in children, Mr. Armstrong focuses on these two events.  Today children spend more time watching television, playing video games and surfing the Internet and less engaging in non-adult supervised open-ended play.  A very natural result is a population of students that are inattentive, hyperactive and impulsive.

 

Eric Jensen suggests strategies teachers can use to accommodate this population of students. (These strategies will benefit all the students in a classroom as well as ADHD students.) 

  • Avoid Treats/Stress – never embarrass ADHD behaviors in front of the class
  • Create a highly predictable day (Agendas work well for this.)
  • Incorporate more movement -every ten minutes for the whole class.  All will benefit.
  • Sharpen communication - clear directions; procedures; divide learning tasks and homework into steps
  • Provide accommodations – seating where student can stand or move, yet close to teacher

 

 

EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY:

ISTE Webinar Series for 2007-2008:

  • The Innovative Educators' Express is ISTE's newest Webinar Series. This is your ticket to discover emerging technologies and strategies for integrating technology into your curriculum/classroom activities.  Interact with leaders in the field and share your innovative ideas, too!  Topics covered include project-based learning, innovative learning technologies, internet safety and ethics, and more!  Full schedule of Innovative Educators' Express Webinars.

 

  • Technology in Practice, ISTE’s continuing Webinar Series, will feature seven highly engaging Webinars over the course of 2007-2008. Each Webinar will feature a Web 2.0 tool of wide appeal to ISTE members and non-members alike. Each session will be 60 minutes in length, with 45-50 minutes of presenter content. The balance of the session will feature interactive elements such as audience Q&A and polls, and previews of upcoming ISTE Webinar events. The theme of the series, Technology in Practice, will highlight practical tools and strategies to help educators most effectively improve the educational experience and capture value from new and existing technology investments.  Full schedule of  Technology in Practice Webinars.

 

ISTE: “Your Learning Journey”:

The journey unfolds when teachers decide to move away from traditional teaching and toward a new vision of instructional design. It’s a learning journey—for teacher and student alike. The journey focuses on learning, not the technology. Taking the journey is critical in preparing students to live, learn, and work in a technology-rich world.

 

On the journey you’ll discover a world of resources to transform learning through the effective and appropriate use of technology. In addition to giving you resources, we’re also going to give you the opportunity to share your thoughts, ideas, inspirational stories, and favorite resources with your colleagues through blogs, wikis and the ISTE Web site.

 

For resources, go to http://www.iste.org/Content/NavigationMenu/Educator_Resources/YourLearningJourney/Learning_Journey_21.htm

 

Area Tech Conferences:

SOITA – December 4-6, 2007 in Dayton

https://secure.soita.org/conference.aspx?cid=42

 

eTECH – February 4-6, 2008 in Columbus

http://www.etech.ohio.gov/conference/index.jsp

(December 5th: Early Bird registration deadline for discounts)

 

MACUL – March 5-7, 2008 in Grand Rapids

http://www.macul.org

 

ODE’s Tools for Teachers Resource :

The Ohio Department or Education has an electronic communication resource for teachers called Tools for Teachers.

Tools for Teachers is a regular e-newsletter to teachers that provides timely announcements and information on licensure, awards, recognition programs, scholarships, professional development and study opportunities, and links to classroom tools such as model lesson plans.

eTech’s Online Professional Development Offerings:

Winter registrations close December 18, 2007.