Two Amazing Canton Graduates

By Lynn K. McMullin

This week’s BLOG is a follow-up to last week’s look at the altruism of our classrooms and clubs.  I want to celebrate with you the success two amazing CHS graduates, Ryan Abraham and Chris Robitaille, who exemplify the epitome of civic-minded initiative and problem solving.  For over three years, these two young men have impressed us with their creativity and verve in their efforts to support the Lance Armstrong Foundation.  It began with their Senior Project.  In March 2009, following their first cross-county bike race, which raised over $20,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation, they were recognized by Jodi Rell and each received a Red Cross ‘Local Hero’ award.

Now, three years later, they (along with several of their peers Peter Leung, Brian Beaulieu, Miranda J. Conary, and Mark-John Clifford) have organized a foundation of their own called R.F.A.R. (Riding for a Reason).  Check out this foundation’s extensive website at http://www.rfarchallenge.org/index.php?CID=11.  I can guarantee you will feel both astounded and proud!

Click on the link above and check out the RFAR Foundation's website.

Clicking on the Foundation’s history lets you know that R.F.A.R. was “founded in 2008 by Canton High School seniors Ryan Abraham and Chris Robitaille in an effort to combine their passion for an active lifestyle and supporting cancer victims.  RFAR’s first event raised over $20,000 and the second event nearly tripled the revenue and raised almost $60,000!  Riding for a Reason has now expanded its organizational leaders to help create a unique and exciting event each and every year.  Riding for a Reason will also be expanding across the nation, adding new states each year!”

Recently, Ryan Abraham sent an email to Gary Gula, principal at Canton High School to share with him the latest accomplishments of their foundation.  Ryan wrote, “After creating a new partnership with Robin Williams and creating 'The Power of Laughter Gala: An Evening with Robin Williams' to be held in October 2011 at New York City’s Gotham Hall, Mr. Williams has graciously offered up the idea and his list of contacts and we have created 'The Power of Laughter Tour.'

We will be sending celebrity comedians including Ellen Degeneres, Jimmy Fallon, Jerry Seinfield, Ray Ramano, Dennis Leary, and Jeff Dunham across the 50 states to top cancer centers!  While everything is still very much in the works, we will be coming out with a press release and a website page for this new addition to the Riding for a Reason Foundation shortly!

We will be hosting 50 events across the 50 states up until October 2011. These events will lead up to the main event - the Gala, where we will bring in all the comedians to honor and thank them for their support as well as 500-1000 other guests.

We are incredibly excited to have live entertainment provided by Robin Williams, himself, and Robert Holden as a keynote speaker - the leader in the true power of laughter, and the top researcher on how leading a happy life can help cure cancer.”

In a rather humble closing to his email, Ryan wrote, “I just thought I would let you all know of this great new addition!”

Both young men are currently college students!

The Value of Empathy

By

Lynn K. Mcmullin

At every grade level, involving students in community service projects makes sense.  Not only do students learn empathy, (which adds value in every potential future endeavor), but they learn a little bit about the responsibilities of citizenship in our democratic society.  Community service projects are particularly meaningful when students design and carry them out themselves.  In those instances, they learn skills such as problem solving and participating in groups, both as leaders and followers.

Our Senior Project course at the high school includes a community service component.  In this course, students identify a significant need and design and implement their own community service project to meet this need.  The most meaningful projects involve developing new initiatives, rather than supporting one that already exists.  The Grade 6 community outreach projects and Grade 8 Odyssey Projects incorporate this same kind of civic responsibility learning.

In addition, many of the clubs and activities Canton offers have community service components to them, thus helping students to understand why people volunteer.   As adults we are likely to have experienced many kinds of civic volunteerism and service which have helped us build a sense of belonging in our wider community.  And, let’s face it… helping out others makes us feel good about ourselves -- we feel worthy, energized, capable, and connected to others.  

There’s no better time to tell you about some of the community-minded projects that our students are fulfilling.  I hope you feel as proud as I do of their accomplishments:

Canton Middle School



Students sent packages of snacks and hygiene
items to our soldiers overseas
through http://www.anysoldier.com/

 On November 12, the Middle School sent 94 packages off to Afghanistan and Iraq.  This was, by a good margin, more packages than the school had ever sent before.  First, the students visited http://www.anysoldier.com/ to find a soldier, who makes a single request on behalf of his or her whole group, (watch “Tango Mike” on this website if you’d like to learn more about the value of this outreach program).  The students then spent several weeks collecting and boxing necessities (such as body wash or Chapstick), snacks, and some items just for fun.  In the Collinsville PO, Barbara worked 90 minutes off the clock to get the packages out and donated $20 to cover a little postage.  The rest of the postage was covered by the Community of Concern, the Student Council, and the PTO.  Within days the students got their first correspondence:

 Canton Middle School Students,

On behalf of Delta Company, 3rd Battalion, 10th Aviation Brigade I would like to sincerely thank you for supporting the "Dukes", as we call ourselves!  The fantastic Christmas decorations and cards have all found homes in the hangar where our Soldiers work.  Our job here is to provide 24 hour maintenance support to the many AH-64 Apache, UH-60 Blackhawk, CH-47 Chinook and OH-58 Kiowa helicopters throughout Afghanistan.  The soldiers work very long hours, both day and night, to ensure the helicopters are ready to fly at a moment's notice.   



Everyone stops to read the cards and smiles when they see the decorations.  We definitely feel the love and support you have sent! Thank you again for being a part of the Any Soldier program and we look forward to hearing from you soon.

Respectfully,

1LT Sarah M. Brisson



Middle School students packed a police trailer with
donations for the Canton Food Bank.



This month the Middle School has undertaken a canned food war with the competitive goal of filling a police cruiser which came to the school last Friday and was packed with over 1000 non-perishable food items for the Canton Food Bank.

Cherry Brook Primary School

At Halloween, students collected donations for UNICEF, (which you and I also may remember doing when we were children).  After Halloween, CBPS collected and took donations of candy to share with the Food Bank and the troops overseas.

 Then, on December 6th, a collection began for new, unwrapped toys for Canton’s Gifts of Love.  The following week, they set up their annual “Mitten Tree” display in the hallway by the library.  Students have been bringing in children's hats, gloves, and mittens to decorate the tree.  On December 17^th, the items will be collected and given to the Canton Food Bank, who will help distribute the items to local families. 

Canton Intermediate School

Just before Thanksgiving, students and teachers participated in their annual “Jack Bannon Turkey Trot” collecting canned goods to help our neighbors in need.  Grades 4, 5, and 6 competed in a spirited rivalry that brought together more than 2,100 lbs. of non-perishable food items.

This month, CIS is busy with a number of projects.  Students are putting the final touches on their annual Holiday Gift and Toy Drive of books, toys, cash donations, and gift cards which will be given to Canton neighbors in need.   The “Kids Care Club” is making ornaments for the senior citizens and Cherry Brook Health Center.   The “Kids Care Club” is a nationally-recognized, student-driven community service group that generates projects and activities to benefit the community and is facilitated through the school’s Quality Council.

Another group, the CIS “Circle of Friends” in collaboration with the Boy Scouts is collecting crayons to send to the “Crayons for Cancer Center” to be melted, recycled into different shapes, and sold.  They are asking CIS students to contribute old crayons to this very exciting project. The money they raise will help families stay with their kids while they are getting treatment at Connecticut Children’s Medical Center. 



In one example of the Grade 6 outreach projects mentioned above, a Grade 6 student in Mrs. Perry’s class decided to ‘reach out’ globally.  In order to bring supplies and food along with her and her family on a mission to the Dominican Republic, she and other students held car washes, raked leaves, and collected $107 towards her project. 

One of CIS’s major service initiatives took place on Thursday, December 16, when the “CIS Flying V's" met the "Cherry Brook Spikers" on the CIS volleyball court for the third annual staff match.  All proceeds from the game, attended by families from both schools, will be donated to the Kilimanjaro Education Foundation, which is an excellent example of a school community making a long-term commitment to help others.  Proceeds from many previous fundraisers funded the building of a classroom in Tanzania; proceeds from this year's volleyball match will be targeted specifically to purchase lesson plan books.   If you’d like to read more about the Kilimanjaro Foundation click here http://multivu.prnewswire.com/mnr/kef/47544/.

Canton High School

The student members of the high school’s ‘Substance Free Students’ found the idea for a very different kind of service project on the Nike website at http://www.nikereuseashoe.com/.  In an effort to promote “green” thinking, they are collecting 200 pairs of used sneakers which will be recycled into indoor tracks, basketball courts, and gym floors.  Approximately 30 students are involved in this project which required publicity, (including writing promotional articles for the newspapers), collecting and counting the sneakers, and finally, transporting the very large collection to the Nike store at West Farms. 

CATA (Canton Adolescents Taking Action)
meets regularly to plan community
service and civic-minded projects.



Students involved in CATA, “Canton Adolescents Taking Action,” recently baked Thanksgiving cookies for the Canton Food Bank and delivered in them in time for the holiday. Now, and through the beginning of January, CATA is holding a winter clothing drive for people in need. 

CATA cookies were packaged with this message:
"Happy Thanksgiving from CATA!...Baked with love at
Canton High School just for you!"

Another civically-minded group, the FCCLA Club (Family, Career, & Community Leaders of America) spent an afternoon putting together cookie-making kits for the Canton Food Bank -- the kind that you see beautifully layered in decorative jars.  These “cookie jars” are available to families at the Canton Food Bank (which despite the efforts of the schools and other local civic groups will continue to need support throughout the year.)



Hopefully, by learning empathy and experiencing the positive rewards of helping others, our students will become more responsible, less self-centered citizens.

Student members of the FCCLA Club made cookie mixes
for the Canton Food Bank.

Extended Day Kindergarten Family Event

By Lynn K. McMullin


Every day, the news coming from our 'Extended Day Kindergarten Pilot' gets better and better. Our teacher, Jessica Papp, is a real find!  She is inventing the structures and curriculum as she goes – observing the children in their morning classes, and then incorporating what she learns about their strengths and weaknesses into the afternoon lessons. We can see that the children are making great strides in both the academic and social arenas, but it’s too soon for me to report any data.

I would, however, like to report on the recent family event hosted by the Bushnell in Hartford and attended by 80% of our extended day kindergarten families… about 55 people in all!  As you may recall, our families agreed (when they applied for the pilot program) to help out in the afternoon classroom occasionally and to attend the planned social events designed to build community among the students and their families. The first of these events was held Tuesday, November 30, at 5:30 in the Seavers Room of the Bushnell, where our Choice and Canton resident kindergarten families -- moms, dads, brothers, and sisters -- joined for an evening of friendship, education, and fun.

The Bushnell, thanks to the kind and meticulous attention of Yolande Spears and her staff, treated us to a beautiful hall complete with linen covered tables and a stage with a grand piano -- where a charismatic professional storyteller engaged the students in a funny and interactive performance.  Then, Max’s provided a delicious (kid-friendly) meal of macaroni-and-cheese (comfort food to die for!), chicken fingers, (roasted chicken for the adults), salad, and desserts.  It didn't end there, as the kindergarteners were then invited to take home a book to add to their family library. The books, all mainstays of the Bushnell’s Education Department, featured diverse characters, settings, and themes.

Amanda Potrya, with whom we have been working to ensure the quality of our program, shared her thoughts with us the next morning. She wrote, “I'd really like to highlight the efforts of the Cherry Brook Primary School's Extended Day Program to welcome in our [Choice] families, and create a welcoming school/family partnership. Tonight was priceless. I know I walked away with great memories, and a lot to look forward to. Thanks a million for making a difference in our young student's lives!”

So what’s up next?

Amanda, Margaret Miller of Canton’s CPAT, and I met this past week to see if we can extend our CPAT program to Choice families of two- and three-year-olds who already have siblings in the Canton Schools, (but perhaps not until the weather changes again in late March). Meanwhile, Andy Robbin and I are working on a proposal to offer the kindergarten extended day to additional Canton families next year. It’s important to remember that we have accomplished everything thus far without spending any local Board of Education money.

 

What Does it Mean to Be 'Educated'?

By Lynn K. McMullin

This BLOG is a bit of a departure – a little more philosophical than newsworthy or practical; but I’d love to know what the members of our community are themselves thinking about the direction of education.

What does ‘being educated’ mean today?

Somewhere and sometime in the past few years, I’ve heard two separate anecdotes which illustrate an interesting paradox in defining what is means to be educated. The first was in a speech by Vartan Gregorian, the past-President of Brown University and current president of the Carnegie Corporation in New York. Gregorian cited a study in which Brown’s graduate students – supposedly among the best and the brightest young people in the country! – were asked, ‘What causes the seasons?’ About 85% of these graduate students (none of them science majors) explained and graphically illustrated on a piece of paper, with a great deal of confidence, an elliptical orbit, which when the earth was closer to the sun gave us summer and when it was farther away, gave us winter. Something approximating the diagram below:



Close to the sun -- it's summer!  Far away, it's winter!



But this, of course, is wrong! If it were true, the entire Earth would experience the same seasons at the same time. Yet, we know that summer in North America occurs at the same time as winter in Australia, and vice-versa. In fact, the Earth's orbit is nearly a circle, and the difference between its smallest distance from the Sun and its largest distance is proportionally very small. Furthermore, the Earth is furthest from the Sun in June when summer is beginning in the north! The seasons are caused by a combination of the tilt of the earth on its axis and its rotation.

Does this then make Brown University’s graduate students unprepared for the real world? They probably knew this concept at one point, but have forgotten it along their paths to learning something else in depth.  Should we label them 'uneducated' as they go off into the 21st century’s market place to become tech specialists, business executive, lawyers, manufacturers, social workers, Spanish teachers, and so on?  Or, should we accept that they will function exceptionally well with their particular skill set, enhanced with what is called 'just-in-time' knowledge, i.e. the ability to analyze accurate information as needed.

This second anecdote I heard at a curriculum workshop for differentiated instruction: eighth graders in a California school were given a portion of a standardized math test in which they were asked to generate their own answers and show their work. A word problem asked them, ‘How many buses will the army need to move 367 soldiers if each bus holds 48 soldiers?’ Students in the highest level math classes were more likely than students in lower level math classes to take their long division answers to the third decimal place and then round their answer to 7.65.  Yet, what’s .65 of a bus?  In this case, the students were well-schooled, but not practical. They were more concerned with being precise or accurate, than they were with being right.

Herein lies the paradox of the ‘educated’ student in the 21st century! To be educated, our students have to do much more than avail themselves of knowledge; they must apply what they know in a logical, meaningful way.  To be educated, they must both seek out information and develop critical minds capable of differentiating between pure academic knowledge and its real-life application. They need to be able to ask deep questions, observe meaningful patterns, make predictions.

In the past century, the ‘educated student’ knew a comparatively small body of work extremely well -- Shakespeare, ancient history, algebra and geometry, the Bible, the Fall of the Roman Empire, the function of cells, and so on. Today, however, with knowledge expanding exponentially, we know less and less about a whole lot more.  We cannot worry about our students being ‘academically’ educated in the same way they were in 1985. Our fear should be whether or not we are creating one-dimensional students who are unsure of what they know and how to use it.  In fact, recognized mathematician Grisha Perelman has said, "Learning is what most adults will do for a living in the 21st century."

Recently someone complained to me that the kids today don’t even know their state capitals. In truth, I wondered why that was such a problem.  In the argument that students can't locate states, countries, continents in the world -- an important global concept -- knowing the state's capitals contributes very little. Learning the state capitals requires rote memorization, a low-level skill that could potentially be reserved for life’s necessities, maybe spelling and multiplication facts (although even that is debatable in 2010).  But, should today’s students spend time memorizing the 50 state capitals?  Keep in mind, no thinking or problem-solving is involved! 

My grand-daughter, who’s a freshman in another school system, could find you a list of the state capitals on her cellphone in less than a minute.  In fact, one day when she, her mother, and I were driving through Vermont, my daughter wondered aloud if every state had a Springfield.  We started naming them, when from the back seat, my grand-daughter soon reported that about 35 states had Springfields… and several countries did… and then there was the Simpsons’ fictional city of Springfield… and three famous people with the last name of Springfield (‘Who’s Dusty?’ she asked!).  In about two minutes, she ‘knew’ more facts about Springfield than anyone cared to know.

That’s why as we work on Canton’s new social studies curriculum, we’re spending a great deal of time on the kinds of questions we want students to be able to answer.  In 5th grade, about the same age they might learn their state capitals, for example:  Not, “What is immigration?” but, “What factors cause groups of people move?”  Not, “What were the major inventions of the Industrial Revolution?” but, “How do we determine when change is 'progress'?”  Not, “What is the capital of Maine, Maryland, or Minnesota?” but, “How do our geography, climate, and resources affect the way we live and work?”

Your thoughts?

Improvement and Maintenance of Our Facilities

By
Kevin D. Case

A major responsibility of the Board of Education is the oversight and maintenance of Canton’s school facilities. The Canton Public School System is comprised of three school buildings: Cherry Brook Primary School, housing Grades Pre-K through 3; Canton Intermediate School, housing Grades 4 through 6; and Canton Middle School and Canton High School, located in one campus facility, housing Grades 7 through 12.

To address ongoing facilities needs, a Facilities Subcommittee of the Board of Education was formed comprised of representatives of the Board of Education, the district’s Business Manager, and me, the Superintendent of Schools. This subcommittee has the responsibility to ensure that our students and the Canton community are provided with safe and modern facilities and equipment that support the extraordinary educational opportunities our students are engaged in.

As we prepare our District Budget for the 2011-2012 school year, one of the areas we look at is the improvement and maintenance of our facilities. Throughout this process, we identify Capital Improvement Projects, which are long range and long term in nature. These projects range from roof replacement to comprehensive renovation or replacement and are normally above the $50,000 threshold. We also identify Current Operating Projects, which are projects that are preventative-based and can be accomplished during the fiscal year to prevent further deterioration of the facility. These projects can range up to $50,000.

During the 2009-2010 fiscal year, due to effective management of the district’s budget, the Board of Education was able to purchase equipment and furniture and accomplish projects to improve our schools. Examples include: new cafeteria tables for Canton High School; new performance risers for the stage at Canton Middle and High School; new lockers for the Canton High School locker room; refurbishment of bleachers in the gym at Canton Middle and High School; renovation of the locker room and weight room/wrestling room at Canton High School; and the replacement of the back windows at Cherry Brook Primary School which will result in energy cost savings to the District.

It is at this time of the year that we solicit input from the public as to what projects you feel are necessary to upgrade our school facilities. The Board of Education and I look forward to working with all members of the Canton community throughout the budget process as we look to continuously improve our school system.

Please send me your thoughts or questions at kcase@cantonschools.org.

I wish you and your family a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday.

How to Make the Most of a Parent Conference!



You're Invited!

by

Lynn K. McMullin

When I was a high school teacher, both in East Granby and Canton, I remember a few of my colleagues pulling their parent teacher conference schedule from their mailboxes and complaining, “I’m always seeing the wrong sets of parents.”  I understood what they meant by this, but it made me cringe then, and still does today. 

I’ve always looked at parent conferences this way: First, if your child is doing very well in class, you deserve to hear that message in person.  Second, and more importantly, if your child is excelling in class you deserve to know what the teacher is doing to challenge your child above and beyond the everyday expectations… what are his or her goals for your child this year?   Third, if your child is struggling, the teacher should lead a discussion about what you can do together to support your child’s motivation and/or achievement.  You have some information about what works and doesn’t work with your child, and the teacher has additional strategies to suggest.

It’s very important to attend conferences if your child is struggling academically or socially. It’s equally important to go if your child is doing very well.  Every parent has a right to be at conferences, to be treated with respect, and to be given a current progress report, with clear goal statements and suggestions for working together as partners in the student’s best interests.   You should never feel like you don’t belong or are taking up the teacher’s time.  If your schedule does not permit attending conferences, or if you have too many conferences to squeeze them all into one day, call and ask for an alternative day and time.

Maybe you’re asking yourself why you should attend for the umpteenth time and what you're supposed to say or ask during a parent teacher conference.  After all, you’ve got a progress report; you can check grades in PowerSchool; you’ve seen papers coming home; you have, or will receive, a report card.  What’s left?  Face-to-face communication can be much more effective than a number or letter on a report card.  You can learn so much about the teacher’s expectations and your child’s progress when you and the teacher review a few of your child’s papers together.  Facial expressions and body language can also help you and the teacher better understand each other’s perceptions.

The Art of the Elementary School Conference:
1. Ask how your child is doing overall in the classroom. Is your son or daughter behind, ahead, or on target academically and socially? Is your child happy in the classroom?
2. Ask to review some specific information about your child’s work in comparison to a benchmark. The teacher should be able to show you examples of what the grade-level expectations are for writing or what a sample math problem or task looks like. The teacher should be able to show you and explain your child’s reading level. Together, you should compare your child’s papers or written work to a benchmark or standard. Some teachers can also provide rubrics which describe what they are assessing.
3. Wherever your child is on the spectrum, ask what the teacher’s goals are for your child, when your child might reach those goals, and how your child is going to get there.
4. Ask about your child’s personal performance. Is your child working hard? To his or her full potential? Does your child enjoy the academic work? Share what you observe during homework time. Share any strategies that motivate your child … or circumstances that shut him/her down.
5. Ask about your child’s social growth. Does your child get along with others? Is your child friendly and respectful towards others? Does your child handle frustration, disappointment, guilt, or anger appropriately? Is your child accepted by others?
6. Both the teacher and parents must try to give vague observations a clearer context. If you can’t picture your child in a particular scenario, say, “Tell me more about that.” Ask the teacher to describe a particular time, place, and situation. Provide the same specifics for the teacher, when necessary. The goal is to determine ‘what works.’
7. Ask the teacher about your child’s good qualities and strengths. How can you, together, as a team, capitalize on those qualities and strengths?
8. Ask the teacher for suggestions about what you can do at home to support what the teacher is doing in school. There are specific ways parents can help children develop number sense, engage in critical thinking, read and follow multi-step directions, or make connections between stories (or even movies) and their own lives.
9. Ask what’s coming next. What’s the next unit in math or science? The next skill in reading?
10. If necessary, plan a follow-up conversation. Sometimes the teacher needs to think through a question or research new information. In that case, the teacher will need to get back to you. Sometimes, you’ll agree to try new strategies at home or in school and a follow-up will be necessary to evaluate the strategy.

Middle school and high school conferences are much tougher. Because teachers must see 40 or more parents in three days, secondary school conferences are considerably shorter. As a result, specific details about the student (rather than generic observations) and the facial expression and body language from both parties become the key communication devices. There IS time to be friendly; but there’s no time to chat about older siblings who went off to college, where the student is currently working, or the outcome of a recent sport or music event.

The Art of the 8-Minute Conference:
1. Ask how your child is doing overall in the subject. Is your son or daughter behind, ahead, or on target academically for that course? Is your child engaged, interested, and involved in the classroom?
2. Bring the last progress report with you and ask the teacher about any patterns you’ve observed. For example, your student might be struggling with homework or tests and quizzes. Ask the teacher for strategies which can strengthen weak areas. Ask for content-specific studying tips, such as flash cards or out-loud practice in front of a mirror. If you don’t know the amount of homework time expected each night, ask.
3. Ask to see your child’s work in comparison to a grade-level or department benchmark. The teacher should be able to show you what the expectations are for some elements of the content area -- a sample of a lab report, a one-page essay, or an essay test question response, for example. The teacher should be able to define the work qualities being assessed, such as labeling, showing all steps in a process, using complete sentences, or providing specific examples. Most teachers can provide rubrics which describe what they are assessing.
4. If necessary, plan a follow-up meeting or phone call, especially when a parent-teacher collaboration is required for the student to improve.


Conferences are November 16th, 17th, and 18th. Early release days are scheduled to accommodate the greatest number of parents.

Carnival Day in Math Class

By Lynn K. McMullin

Often, I have mentioned the importance of 21st century skills and real-world applications in classroom learning.  I’m sure everyone is familiar with the concept that knowledge is expanding astronomically. We’ve all read or heard that knowledge doubles at some “fill-in-the-blank” rate, whether that rate be every 8 days … or every 8 months … or some other frightening statistic.  But, the point remains: change happens in content knowledge so quickly that what a person knows is becoming secondary to what a person is able to do.

We hear that students in other countries are now achieving much more than our own students do.  Studies show that the countries with the highest achievement teach fewer topics more deeply. They teach less content knowledge and more reasoning and application skills.  In order to compete in the global economy, the United States will need students who can communicate, collaborate, and problem solve, not recite.  Our students will work with ‘just-in-time’ specifics by researching and analyzing information just as they need it for the particular problem and proposal their boss has assigned.  They need to be innovative, analytical, and persistent.

This week, in two high school math classes, students participated in Carnival Game Day. The task was this: work collaboratively in a small group to develop a carnival game that favored the house, but looked ‘winnable’ to the potential client.  There were a lot of parameters.  Students had to use a combination of at least two spinners, coins, dice, or cards. They needed to write-out the ‘game-play” rules, test the probabilities for profit vs. payout, and calculate the mathematical expectation of their games.

On “Carnival Day" itself, the students were given $48 in play money and were required to visit each game a minimum of three times.  In the end, the tables had to calculate their profits; and the contestants, their winnings.  Keep in mind, the students could go back as many times as they wanted to the games that seemed the “loosest” to them.



Lollipalozza -- what row you spin, what side you flip,
which lollipop you choose determines whether you win --
nothing, the lollipop, or $4.

 Lollipalozza was both enticing and interesting. It cost $3 to play. First, you spun for a color: 33.3% of the wheel was red (the bottom row) and 8.3% of the wheel was yellow (the top).  If you spun blue, green, or yellow, you knew you walked away with at least a lollipop; so if you didn’t mind a $3 price tag for the lollipop, you could call yourself a winner at that point!  Next, you flipped a coin.  Heads got you a pick from the left side; tails from the right.  Now, you got to select a lollipop from the colored row and side you had won.  If the dot on your lollipop stick matched the color of the row, you won $4… and the lollipop!

In Probability Roulette, you paid $3 to play. You had to spin the wheel and roll the dice simultaneously.  If your die landed on a pink triangle, you won the show of the die, anywhere from $1 - $6.  If your die landed on a green triangle, you lost.

I really enjoyed seeing what the kids had created, but I didn’t count my money on the way out.  I did hear one student complain to Mrs. Gabrielle Aitchison, their math teacher and the department chair, “I don’t get it. The probability of winning our game is minimal, but everyone keeps winning!”

The final part of this activity is that the students each write a self-evaluation based on the game they invented and the games they played.  Which game was the best performer and why?  Remember, a game had to both make money and attract customers. What would you do to improve your own game now that you saw how it performed?  Explain why your game’s performance did or did not match your mathematical prediction?  Students learned a little bit about odds and gaming at the same time, knowing how games can be built to favor the table and still look attractive.



Spin the roulette wheel and throw the die into the spinning wheel --
land on pink, you win the face value of the die.



Will this kind of collaborative, problem-solving activity make a difference?  I think so, especially since self-reflection is an important final component of the process.  Students still had to “know” things about probability and math to write their game proposals and resolve their problems.  But, they also had to put what they knew to the test, and then they had to be critical of their results. 

What do I see next?  I’d love for this kind of activity to move into the technology realm, with the kids designing their game components on computers and testing their results over the broad spectrum of their many peers through their ready access to ‘social networking.' Posting links to their games and collecting the results might even be one example of putting the Internet to work for them.

The Carnival Day assignment was designed by Mrs. Gabrielle Aitchison, (in red)
who grades students on every facet ... from the project proposal to the visual display ... from the "fairness" of the payout description to their grammar and spelling.

More about Studying

By
Lynn K. McMullin

After last week’s BLOG, a young mother emailed me with a follow-up question that might be worth sharing and is significant to students and families from grades 4 or 5 and up. She commented, “Students who are high-performing can have a hard time learning study skills as they get older. Because everything has come so easily to them, they haven't learned how to study and master more challenging material, and it can be daunting.” I’d like to share with you what I shared with her, which is applicable to every child no matter his or her abilities.

First of all, some struggle when the material begins to get harder is healthy for children.  We don't want learning to always be easy and risk-free.  It’s OK for students to attempt to learn something, to not succeed, and to then try something else until they figure out what works for them. Finding our own path to success is part of the learning process. But, frustration to the point of anxiety or shutting down is counter-productive. So let’s build on last week’s research about studying.

The most common technique for studying is some kind of personalized method using these kinds of strategies:

Previewing
First, always preview the "printed pages" before reading.  Studying is not linear, like reading a novel is: read page 1, then page 2, etc.  Students should examine the chapter before reading it.  Pay attention to how the chapter is organized – what parts are likely to be the most difficult? … and the most interesting?  They should read all the titles and sub titles and turn them into questions or observations. For example: If the article or chapter title was "Three Worlds: One Choice,” they might ask what is meant by the phrase ‘three worlds’ (when really there is only one) and whether ‘one choice’ seems positive or negative.  Asking challenging questions makes students want to find out the answers.
Next they should look at all the pictures to understand them, not just glance at them. Read the captions under the pictures. "Why does that monument have such a huge crowd around it?"  "Why are the people all wearing white?"  "In this picture, if there is no grass, how do those goats eat?"  When you’re really trying to understand, there’s no such thing as a dumb question.


Students should look at any charts and graphs and read their captions, trying to understand what they are showing.  Read the "call-out" boxes (areas of text that are larger or in boxes, etc.) and ask questions about what this information might be referring to.Reading
Second, there are a variety of ways to take notes while reading. I use what is called "dialectical journaling." It's easy and it works for me.  A standard notebook with a line dividing the page in half. The page number goes in the margin. I retain all the chapter and subtitles by writing them down.  Below each one, I write my book note on the left; and on the other side of the line, I either reword it in my own words or comment on it on the right.


Students also need to develop three different reading strategies and know which one to apply in different scenarios. There’s study reading, skimming, and scanning.
In study reading, they should slow down!  Try to interact with the author by paying attention and really trying to understand, not passively letting the words wash over them. They might have to read the material more than once… read it aloud in a one foot voice… or, use a ruler to move your eyes down the page… and, they should take notes.Skimming is useful as a pre-reading tool – to get the general idea before beginning reading – and as a reviewing tool to remind yourself what each section was about before summarizing it to yourself.  Scanning helps you find an exact piece of information or quote you’re looking for in material you already have read and understand.


Studying
Finally, when studying. The best thing to do is mix-up modalities.  Students might review and write what they're reviewing on note cards.  Writing and reading simultaneously allows the brain to recreate a memory of writing the information down, which supports the memory of seeing it and is both more permanent and more easily retrieved.  Think of trying to remember someone's phone number.  If you write it down, your brain will recall not just hearing the numbers, or seeing the numbers, but the actual act of writing the numbers on the page. 

Some kids might do better if they speak the information into a tape recorder, or even speak the information to a mirror, than if they simply write it.  It depends on learning style, but mixed modalities help most people.  Students should include strategies such making a set of flashcards, writing new words several times, diagramming something, drawing a flowchart of steps, using pneumonic devices, etc.

I’ll be the first to admit this is the briefest of overviews. I remember the shock of getting a C+ Ancient World History in the first quarter of my freshman year.  But I worked it out.
I’m sure that one of my strategies would have included meeting with the teacher, Mrs. Benway, to get her suggestions. (I was that kind of kid!)  Certainly, meeting with the teacher is always a good idea. 


I found a fabulous website for more information. Check out “How to Study” -- http://www.how-to-study.com/ -- which has study tips and information, categorized by math or language arts, by memorizing or note-taking, and so on.

The Latest on Study Habits

by Lynn K. McMullin

Two recent research pieces, one in the New York Times and one in msnbc.com on-line, bear a little consideration and might prompt comments from those of us who can share our own practical experiences, either as students ourselves or as parents raising contemporary students.


The first is the NY Times article, "Forget What You Know About Good Study Habits" by Benedict Carey, published September 6, 2010, just in time for the start of school.  Carey claims that recent research turns our old-fashioned, common knowledge about studying on its head.  For example, how many of us believe that our students perform better when they have one established place in their homes or rooms for quiet study.  In my mind, the ideal spot should have a desk, a light, and a dictionary.  OK, I admit that's very old fashioned, so replace the dictionary with a laptop!


Carey says research, however, proves we're wrong, and "simply alternating the room where a person studies improves retention... In one classic 1978 experiment, psychologists found that college students who studied a list of 40 vocabulary words in two different rooms — one windowless and cluttered, the other modern, with a view on a courtyard — did far better on a test than students who studied the words twice, in the same room." 

For years, as a teacher, I told my students and their parents that they shouldn't study in the car on the way to karate lessons.. and that they should study one subject at a time, the hardest one first.  Yet, Carey claims research proves kids should change-up what they do as they study, moving from memorizing vocabulary, to reading and taking notes, to writing an essay or reciting aloud.  This studying technique, which Carey calls "mixed practice," enables retention for a longer period of time.  He explains that when a student does the same repetitive process over and over, the brain anticipates the correct response pattern, rather than internalize the content.  Variety, therefore, causes less automation and lasting knowledge.


What about cramming?  We've all done it with positive results!  Carey makes this analogy: "Hurriedly jam-packing a brain is akin to speed-packing a cheap suitcase... it holds its new load for awhile, then most everything falls out."  This is a old piece of common sense that seems to hold true -- study a little today, tomorrow, and then again next week for greater retention.


So, would you have gotten these three factors of success correct?  1.  Changing study locations?  2. Switching the kinds of content being studied? and 3. Spacing the study sessions over time?  The fourth key factor of success, of course, is motivation!


So, what does research say about studying success and Facebook, texting, emailing, or tweeting?  Suzanne Choney, in an article titled, "Facebook Use Can Lower Grades by 20 Percent, Study Says" (msnbc, September 7, 2010) writes that, "...college students who are on Facebook while studying or doing homework wind up getting 20 percent lower grades than students who don't have the social networking site in visual range, or even running in the background on their computers or mobile phones." 

The study was done by two researchers, one in the Netherlands and one from Ohio State University.  The purpose of the study was not to label Facebook as either good or bad, but rather it looked at whether there was any truth behind the belief, common among social networkers, that they are good at multi-tasking.  The study concludes, "the reality is it [social networking] extends the amount of time needed to carry out tasks and leads to more mistakes." 

So, what are your thoughts?

TEAM and Our Qualified Teachers

by Lynn K. McMullin

In late August, we introduced our newest teachers in a webpage photo album called “Welcome New Staff.”  (You can find it below the BLOG is you missed it.)  Since, I am fresh from a meeting in Hartford about the new TEAM program for beginning teachers, I thought I’d provide some information about the paces we put our new teachers through to ensure they are the best teachers they can be.


First of all, in Canton we only hire certified teachers (or teachers whose certification is immediately pending because, perhaps, they have moved to Connecticut from another state.)  As you can see from the photo album, most of our new hires already have their Master’s degrees. Others are enrolled in a graduate program and are well on their way to an advanced degree.


All beginning teachers have 3-year Initial Certificates. This means they have successfully complete a state-approved education program at an accredited college or university; they have passed the Praxis I Skills Tests (math, reading, and writing); and passed the Praxis II Subject-Knowledge Tests, such as in Elementary Education or French or Biology.  Once hired in a school district, teachers with initial certifications now need to complete TEAM (which I tell you more about below) in order to move on in their careers.


The next level is the Provisional Certificate, which is valid for 8 years and requires 30 months of successful teaching experience, as well as 30 semester hours (10 courses) of credit beyond the bachelor’s degree at an accredited college or university.  After 2016, those credit hours can only be graduate level courses and cannot be in the pursuit of another bachelor's.


Next, the teacher seeks a Professional Certificate, which is valid for five years. It requires 30 additional months of successful experience and 9 additional CEU’s (Continuing Education Units).  Each CEU is equal to 10 hours of additional training, so a total of 90 hours of professional development are required for a teacher to retain certification.


Some beginning teachers come to us through ARC, or Alternate Route to Certification, which allows qualified, motivated adults to change career paths.  These are individuals with college degrees and years of experience in a relevant profession who are willing to enter an intense teacher training program.

TEAM is Connecticut's Teacher Education and Mentoring Program

TEAM is an induction program which pairs beginning teachers with trained mentors and, step-by-step, works them through five, 10-week modules. The difference between this experience and their eight to 10 weeks of student-teaching in college is enormous. In TEAM, they are immersed in their own classrooms, they are expected to set very specific learning goals for themselves, to reflect on their daily classroom performance and how they are improving and developing as teachers, and to track student achievement in specific impact statements.

The TEAM modules are: Classroom Environment, Planning for Active Learning, Instruction for Active Learning, Assessment for Learning, and Professional Responsibilities. The phrase “for active learning” in these modules refers to the idea that the new teachers must concentrate more on what their students are doing than on what they are doing.  New teachers are expected to be coaches of learning not lecturers or imparters of knowledge.  Or in edu-speak -- they are to become a “guide on the side’ not a ‘sage on the stage.’

TEAM is a brand new state program, so as I mentioned to one of our administrators today, we are flying the plane while we are building it.  We have mentors in various stages of training, we have the draft of brand new 3-year District TEAM Plan in the hands of a brand new, though eager committee.  We’re still trying to iron out some glitches in the data, so that our new teachers are in the correct schools and can be paired with the correct mentors in State’s new on-line system.  I was told yesterday, that the request for data corrections is down to only 470 this week. 

Yet, I must say, none of this is scary.  In fact it is rather exciting!  The three most positive signs of success are: 1.) the new TEAM modules have a heavy emphasis on mentoring, in-class coaching, and co-teaching, a practice well supported by research; 2.) the in-house committee approach for scoring our beginning teacher’s reflections about the modules gives Canton a great deal of control over induction, and 3.) the happy coincidence that Canton’s five new Teacher Evaluation Rubrics align with the State’s five modules (we must have used the same research!)

I’m sharing this information with you as reassurance that we have hired the best teachers and are working even harder now to ensure their success.  When new teachers leave the profession, they generally do so in the first two years out of frustration, because getting started in teaching is very, very difficult and they have felt alone and unsupported.   We’re doing everything we can to create a supportive community that retains the fabulous people we have hired.

An aside:
** By the way, athletic coaches are required to have certifications, too.  In fact, this July, legislation was passed that in addition to other required courses, coaches must complete a training course regarding concussions and head injuries and must update that training every five years.  Only courses approved by the Connecticut State Board of Education qualify for this certification.