In The Know
GSC Education Department Newsletter: May, 2015.
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One? Other? or Both?
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ANGEL (library) Update from Southern Union VP for Education, Debra Fryson
After much study and prayerful deliberation, it has been decided that the A.N.G.E.L. Library Program will cease operation on June 30, 2015. The official action was voted by the Southern Union Superintendents’ Advisory, as authorized by an enabling action voted by the Southern Union Board of Education.
Over the 30 years that A.N.G.E.L. has been in existence 130 schools have closed. As students and classrooms have decreased, income has also decreased. Operating costs, however, have not, and those costs have begun to outpace the amount spent on books. As a result, it is no longer financially viable to operate the A.N.G.E.L. Library Program as it currently exists without a substantial increase in per student and per classroom fees.
In an effort to continue providing much needed library support services, without an increase in annual fees, a way has been identified to reduce operating costs through a third-party vendor, Mackin Educational Resources. To learn more visit https://www.mackin.com/corp/. As a further cost saving measure, the library services program will relocate to the Southern Union Office in Norcross, GA.
With the change you may wonder if schools should continue to collect the annual library fee, and if so, should it remain at last year’s rate. The answer is yes, fees should be collected at the same per-pupil rate assessed for the 2014-2015 school year. The cost saving measures mentioned above will restore a proper balance between operating costs and book expenditures so that the larger percentage of funds will once again be used to purchase books and other information resources.
In August the transition to Mackin will begin. Schools will receive ongoing communication and guidance to ensure the process runs smoothly. We look forward to the opportunity to be of service in the upcoming months as the changeover occurs.
Sincerely,
Debra
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By Design Student Journals -- Time Sensitive Info
We don’t want you to miss out!
Kendall Hunt Publishing Company is pleased to announce our Limited Time Offer for the By Design Student Science Journal. Now available in online digital license agreements! Offer good only through July31st!
The Student Science Journal is an integral component of the By Design Science program. It is used as a personal workbook and journal for each student as they record their own scientific understanding of the unique labs and inquiry activities that are presented in the Student and Teacher Edition. The journals are customized specific to each grade level and unit of study. They contain additional diagrams and instruction not included in other components of the program.
Each grade level unit begins with a Lifestyle Challenge and an Open Inquiry that spans the duration of the unit being studied. The Student Science Journal also includes end of the unit reviews for grades 1–4 and an end-of-chapter review for grades 5–8. The reviews are used to assess and summarize what students have learned. Also unique to the program are the Engineering Practice that are featured at the end of the unit. These provide the opportunity to expand and extend additional creative and collaborative learning.
The Student Science Journals also provide additional inquiry labs that cover critical concepts and Adventist worldviews that are not found elsewhere in the program. Faith Connections and Home Connections are featured for each chapter. Students will journal about their understanding of the lesson content and how it relates to their Adventist education and faith. Each journal becomes an individual portfolio of the student’s journey throughout each unit of study. They will experience the true meaning of By Design a Journey to Excellence through Science.
If you would like additional information regarding this program and our Limited Time Offer, please feel free to contact me, Lynn Molony 563-589-1149 lmolony@kendallhunt.com Pam Roth 563-589-1059 proth@kendallhunt.com and/or Becky Seymour 563-589-1061 bseymour@kendallhunt.com.
Becky Seymour
Kendall Hunt Publishing
Phone 563-589-1061
Kendall Hunt Publishing Company is pleased to announce our Limited Time Offer for the By Design Student Science Journal. Now available in online digital license agreements!
By Design Science is your new customized faith-based inquiry science program for grades 1-8. The program has been developed in collaboration with the Seventh-day Adventist North American Division Office of Education and Kendall Hunt Publishing This hybrid (print and digital eBook) science program aligns with the new science standards and has been developed for traditional and nontraditional classrooms.
“We are very pleased with the quality of the program and the outcomes that our schools have experienced,” said Carol Campbell, Director of Elementary Education for the North American Division Office of Education. “This new inquiry based science program focuses on the users’ experience to motivate students and teachers to continue learning and building their science knowledge, as well as strengthen their connections with their Creator.”
If you would like additional information regarding this program, please feel free to contact me, Lynn Molony 563-589-1149 lmolony@kendallhunt.com Pam Roth 563-589-1059 proth@kendallhunt.com and/or Becky Seymour 563-589-1061 bseymour@kendallhunt.com.
By Design Science website: http://www.adventisteducationbydesign.com
Many Blessings!
Lynn
Lynn Burds Molony
Senior Creative and Editorial Manager
Kendall Hunt Religious Publishing
4050 Westmark Drive | Dubuque, IA 52002
lmolony@kendallhunt.com | 563.589.1149
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Study Whiz!
It was a privilege to meet with the secondary principals last September and the junior academy principals this past February and share with you the StudyWhiz program with its Book, Asynchronous E-Learning Class, and the StudyWhiz Pro App. The program is complete with all three of these tools ready for use.
Why StudyWhiz? Whether you are a student, a parent, a teacher, or a school, there are good answers for you to the question: Why StudyWhiz?
StudyWhiz is a research based learning system that provides a step-by-step progression of learning prompts that help students become more efficient by emphasizing how ideas fit together. These learning prompts are called “MindFrames” because each represents learning from a slightly different perspective. Combined, these MindFrames follow the natural cycle of all learning. StudyWhiz is an information management system that Strengthens Executive Function Skills.
The ability for one to take control of one’s own learning is the gold standard of learning. There comes a time in the learning process where the student must drive. The more we learn and retain, the more we can learn in the future. StudyWhiz’s belief is for students to take control of their own learning. Learners are changed from passive, teacher-dependent students to active, confident, self-directed learners. They acquire a growth mindset, creating a love of learning and a resilience that is essential for great accomplishment.
Please take a look at the attached “Newsletter” in which I have outlined some highlights about the book, the online program, and the iPad pro app. Consider giving the iPad pro app a try. It is a free download. You may do up to two units, and then if you wish to purchase it, the cost is $3.99.
As always, I am happy to have further discussion and answer your questions. Please contact me if I can be of service. May God bless you as you wrap up another school year and plan for the next.
Sincerely,
Gene
Subscriptions are available for classroom use
For a one week trial subscription contact Gene Brewer
educationweb@bellsouth.net • (770) 480-7500
Video Overview of the App: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fb-fULAFs0k
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CNN REPORT: CELLPHONES IN THE CLASSROOMS
Kids do a lot better when schools ban smartphones
Do you want your children to do better in exams? Then take away their
smartphones. (Sorry, kids!)
Schools that ban students from carrying phones see a clear improvement in
their test scores, according to a study by the London School of Economics.
"We found the impact of banning phones for these students equivalent to an
additional hour a week in school, or to increasing the school year by five
days," researchers Richard Murphy and Louis-Philippe Beland said.
The authors looked at how phone policies at 91 schools in England have
changed since 2001, and compared that data with results achieved in
national exams taken at the age of 16. The study covered 130,000 pupils.
It found that following a ban on phone use, the schools' test scores
improved by 6.4%. The impact on underachieving students was much more
significant -- their average test scores rose by 14%.
"The results suggest that low-achieving students are more likely to be
distracted by the presence of mobile phones, while high achievers can focus
in the classroom regardless of the mobile phone policy," the economists
said.
Murphy and Beland said their study doesn't mean phones and other technology
can't be used to boost learning.
"There are, however, potential drawbacks to new technologies," they said,
citing the temptation to text, play games or chat on social media.
The use of mobile phones in schools is an explosive topic, with parents
wanting to be able to reach their children and teachers complaining about
disruptions.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio lifted a decade long ban on cell phones
in schools in March, leaving it up to each school to set their own rules on
phone use.
But Murphy and Beland said the decision may backfire.
"Schools could significantly reduce the education achievement gap by
prohibiting mobile phone use in schools, and so by allowing phones in
schools, New York may unintentionally increase the inequalities of
outcomes."
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Ambassadors for Adventist Christian Education
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Email: shobbs@gscsda.org
Website: www.gscsda.org
Location: 10633 Atlanta Highway, Montgomery, AL, United States
Phone: 334-272-7493
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