Curriculum Contemplations
Your One-Stop Shop For Curricular Happenings for December
Student-Teacher Relationships Are Everything
I can't overstate this point. In the classroom, relationships are everything.
I learned this early in my teaching career when I was fortunate enough to return to my alma mater to student teach at Auburn High School, in Rockford, Illinois. It was a special feeling, walking the halls and teaching in many of the same rooms where I'd sat as a student. Once a day I would teach in Mr. Brian Ott's room. Ott was, and still is, the head boys' basketball coach and a consummate teacher and mentor to his players. In short, they loved him. During student teaching, Ott would usually leave me to my own devices, but one day he decided stick around to watch. After I finished and the room cleared, I asked, "So, what did you think?"
Click here to read more of this blog post from James E. Ford, NC Teacher of the year, 2015
ELA ELABORATIONS
MATHEMATICAL MUSINGS
The Great Debate: Fractions vs. Decimals
We will attempt to settle once and for all which representation is superior: fractions or decimals. In this edWebinar, Dr. Drew Corley will make the case for fractions, while Dr. Zach Wissner-Gross will argue on behalf of decimals.
Click here to register to participate in the live webinar and have access to the recording.
MATHEMATICS EDUCATOR APPRECIATION DAY CONFERENCE (MEAD)
15th Annual Mathematics Educator Appreciation Day Conference
Saturday, January 26, 2019
Announcing the 2019 Keynote Speaker: Dr. Dan Meyer, Chief Academic Officer at Desmos, where he explores the future of math, technology, and learning. He speaks and works with teachers all around the globe, and was named one of Tech & Learning's 30 Leaders of the Future.
The MEAD Conference will be held at Tucson High Magnet School, 400 N. 2nd Ave, Tucson AZ.
The keynote luncheon will be held immediately afterwards at the UA Recreation Center, 1400 E. 6th Street.
Click here to see the program of sessions and to access registration link
What’s the Difference Between Honors and Regular Math Classes?
I’ll begin by clarifying my intentions for this blog post. My hope is that what I have written will help educators reflect on how Honors courses are set up and which children have the opportunities to take them. I am definitely not attempting to imply that I have this all figured out or that I know the best path forward. I am trying to be transparent and get everyone talking so that we can collectively work towards improvements.
Consider this thought experiment from a colleague of mine, Michael Butler:
What if we eliminated separate Honors and regular math classes? For example, instead of there being an Honors Geometry course and a regular Geometry course, we mixed all students together so there was just one type of Geometry course that every Geometry student took.
Click here to read more of this blog post from Robert Kaplinsky
SCIENTIFIC SOLILOQUIES
Professional Development Learning Experiences from ADE Regarding New Science Standards
Webinar: We Have NewStandards - Now What? Navigating the Document! Will navigate you through thestandards document. This webinar series is designed to help teachers or administrators who are not familiar with the document understand the layout, how three-dimensional science instruction helped develop the standards, and some key insights to navigating the document.
Webinar: We Have New Science Standards - Now What: The Framework and Progression
Arizona has new science standards! This webinar is designed to help teachers who are not familiar with the document understand the layout, how A Framework for K-12 Science Education was used to develop the standards, review the vertical progression and understand why the focus on disciplinary core ideas instead of discrete facts.
We Have New Standards - Now What: Navigating the Document!
12/22/18 9:00am-10:00am
We Have New Standards - Now What: Navigating the Document!
1/8/19 5:00pm-6:00pm
We Have New Standards - Now What: Navigating the Document!
1/17/19 5:00pm-6:00pm
We Have New Science Standards - Now What: The Framework and Progression
1/26/19 9:00am-10:00am
We Have New Science Standards - Now What: The Framework and Progression
2/4/19 5:00pm-6:00pm
We Have New Science Standards - Now What: The Framework and Progression
2/13/19 5:00pm-6:00pm
8 Science Practices – Definitions and Examples
National Science Digital Library (NSDL)
The National Science Digital Library provides high quality online educational resources for teaching and learning, with current emphasis on the sciences, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) disciplines—both formal and informal, institutional and individual, in local, state, national, and international educational settings. The NSDL collection contains structured descriptive information (metadata) about web-based educational resources held on other sites by their providers. These providers have contribute this metadata to NSDL for organized search and open access to educational resources via this website and its services.
Most resources in the library adhere to principles of Open Educational Resource (OER) access, although some resources are restricted to provider site membership, or may have a cost associated with them (indicated in the full record of the resource).
COMMUNAL CONVERSATIONS
ELL ESSENTIALS: Teaching Students to Read Complex Text - Timothy Shanahan
PARENT PARTNERSHIPS: 20 Tips to Help De-escalate Interactions With Anxious or Defiant Students
Click here to read some tips that might come in handy as we move towards the semester's close.
TECH TOOLS YOU CAN USE: 8 Tech Tools to Ease Your Holiday Stress
It’s holiday season. A time for joy, treats, festivities, and—undoubtedly—a hefty serving of stress. There’s shopping, wrapping, baking, and entertaining. And, if you’re a Ninja charged with the task of managing holiday celebrations and gift exchanges for your office, your holiday stress is doubled.
Don’t start breathing into a paper bag just yet! There are plenty of handy resources that can help to ease some of that holiday anxiety.
These tech tools are so slick and helpful, they’ll make even Santa’s most productive elves jealous. So, put a few of these to work, and take some time to kick back and relax this holiday season!
TEACHER SPOTLIGHT: Ms. Lucia Dabdoub
Lucia Dabdoub is one of six Structured English Immersion (SEI) teachers we have in our
English Language Development program at the high school level. She teaches 9-12th grade
students at Sunnyside High School.
TEACHING & LEARNING DEPARTMENT
Tammi Baushka - Literacy Program Specialist
Rebecca Ridge - Literacy Program Specialist
Julia Lindberg - LAD Program Specialist
Kristel Foster - LAD Program Specialist
Maggie Hackett - K-12 Math & Science Director
Frank McCormick - Instructional Technology Coordinator
Email: maggieh@susd12.org
Website: susd12.org
Location: 2238 East Ginter Road, Tucson, AZ, USA
Phone: (520)545-2000
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SunnysideUSD
Twitter: @SunnysideUSD