DIOCESE OF TOLEDO TEACHERS’ BULLETINSEPTEMBER 14, 2007
As we begin the new school year, full of hope and
promise, commit to looking for the positive. Remember, we get more of what
we pay attention to. Affirming L.I.F.E. Guidelines and Life Skills
provides a model for Christ like behavior.
CYSS WEB
SITE:
Be sure to check the “Catholic Youth and School
Services” (CYSS) web page on a regular basis. The home page is www.cyss.org. Also, links to specific web
pages are listed above or are provided in the articles. Click on those
links on a regular basis for important updates.
INNOVATIVE
EDUCATORS:
The 2007 –2008 Innovative Educators’ monthly classes
begin October 9. There is
space available! For a registration form, go to: http://www.cyss.org/forms/formsdue.html
The New Science of Teaching by
Eric Jensen
“Due to the dynamic nature of the research,
brain-compatible teaching and learning continues to be an evolving
approach. If we agree that our schools are about learning, we should be
learning everything we can about what makes our brain thrive.”
“School failures are not about bad schools, bad kids, or
bad teachers; they are rather about the violation of the brain’s basic operating
principles. Most of us are already working as hard as we can on behalf of
our learners. At this stage of the game, it’s no longer about working
harder; it’s about working smarter. Teachers who work with rather than
against the brain make a powerful difference. As educators, we cannot
afford to ignore the resources that will enhance our success.” (This book
and many others may be borrowed from CYSS library.)
Parenting is perhaps the most challenging and rewarding
experience any person can have. There are no schools for parents as they
traverse the daily journey of learning and growing along with their
children. Each fall in
LINKING MOVEMENT TO
LEARNING:
Dr. John Tatey, Professor, Harvard Clinical
Psychiatry
“Evidence is mounting that each person’s capacity to
master new and remember old information is improved by the biological changes in
the brain brought on by physical activity. Our physical movements call
upon some of the same neurons used for reading, writing, and math. As you
plan your day, keep in mind that students need to move every 10 minutes – or the
number of minutes that matches their age. Physically active people report
an increase in academic, memory, retrieval and cognitive abilities. What
makes us move is also what makes us think. Certain kinds of exercise, like
Brain Gym, can produce chemical changes that nurture stronger, healthier, and
happier brains.”
DIOCESAN PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
MEETING:
The Diocesan Professional Development Committee will
hold the first meeting of the new academic year Wednesday, September 19, 2007,
at 1:00 PM at the
2007 Writing Competency Test Manuals are now posted on
the Teachers’ Page of the CYSS web site: http://www.cyss.org/Schools/teacher.html.
Teachers will be pleased to find an improved “six-point rubric” courtesy of Sr.
Barbara Davis. The content remains the same however the structure is
clearer. Writing Competency Tests are taken between October 8 and October
19. The following week is a make-up week. All tests should be
returned to CYSS before October 26.
Readers are still needed for scoring Writing Competency
Tests the last week of November. If you are interested, let your principal
know. Applications are available at cyss.org on the Forms page. Go
to http://www.cyss.org/forms/formsdue.html
DEVELOPING CRITICAL THINKING WITH
QUESTIONS:
By Michael Dabney:
It has been said that the basic purpose of education is
to teach people to think. Teachers play an important role in the
development of critical, high-order thinking skills by providing a learning
environment that challenges students, or one that includes the use of questions
to stimulate cognition. Lecturing and other traditional teaching methods
alone do not do enough to stimulate critical thinking in students. An
instructor, however, can challenge and motivate learners by skillfully asking
questions that guide them through problem-solving episodes, thereby promoting
higher levels of cognitive processing.
Scientists know that critical thinking and analytical
abilities are housed in the prefrontal cortex, which is located in the left
hemisphere of the brain. Often called the seat of reason, this area also
plays a key role in logical thinking, information processing in a linear and
sequential manner, arithmetic and mathematical operations, word and number
recognition, and other skills.
Studies of teachers found that most teachers tended to
ask students questions designed to elicit specific answers rather than open
questions that prompt classroom discussion. The researchers found that teachers
rarely asked probing questions or engaged in dialogue with individual children.
Additionally, the scientists discovered that 70 percent of exchanges with pupils
lasted only five seconds and were limited to three words or less.
For more information about teaching critical thinking
skills, CYSS has a Professional Development tool called, “Learning to
Think…Thinking to Learn” published by ASCD. If you are interested in
borrowing this resource, ask your principal to contact
“The greatest enemy of understanding
is coverage.” Howard Gardner