October 2007
October 29, 2007
Teaching the Teacher
Bruce Wellman, a nationally known
author and trainer, addressed teachers from Newton Public Schools this
week during district-wide staff training. Wellman instructed teachers on
the topic of Data Driven Dialog: the practice of structuring and
facilitating collaborative inquiry around topics of data driven
conversation.
Wellman presented a three-phase model of
collaboration aimed at improving instruction and results. The training
model encourages discovering assumptions, promoting data-focused
investigations and developing shared understandings of both problems and
possible solutions
Wellman insisted that productive school and group cultures emerge through design and skillful intervention, not by accident or luck: “Schools that are too busy to reflect, too busy to learn, are too busy to improve,” he said. Collaboration requires dialog and dialog can generate conflict, which isn’t a bad thing. According to Wellman, “Schools that are afraid to fight are afraid to get better.”
Bruce Wellman is co-founder of MiraVia, a national
education training center and think tank. He is the co-author of many
school improvement manuals and books, including:
Data Driven Dialog,
Pathways to Understanding: Patterns & Practices
in the Learning-Focused Classroom, Mentoring
Matters, the Adaptive School, Making Mentoring Work, and others.
Photo: Bruce Wellman addresses a group of
October 03, 2007
Goertz, Lanier Named AP Scholars
GOERTZ, LANIER NAMED AP SCHOLARS
Two students at Newton High School have earned the designation of AP Scholar by the College Board in recognition of their exceptional achievement on the college-level Advanced Placement Program® (AP®) Exams.
Newton 2007 graduates Joshua Goertz and Whitney Lanier qualified for the AP Scholar Award by completing three or more AP Exams, with grades of 3 or higher. The College Board's Advanced Placement Program offers students the opportunity to take challenging college-level courses while still in high school, and to receive college credit, advanced placement, or both for successful performance on the AP Exams. About 18 percent of the more than 1.4 million high school students in 16,000 secondary schools worldwide who took AP Exams performed at a level sufficient to merit the recognition of AP Scholar.
Students took AP Exams in May 2007 after completing challenging college-level courses at their high schools. The College Board recognizes several levels of achievement based on students' performance on AP Exams. More than 1,400 institutions award a full year's credit (sophomore standing) to students presenting a sufficient number of qualifying grades. In 2007, thirty-seven AP Exams were offered in a wide variety of subject areas, each consisting of multiple-choice and free-response (essay or problem-solving or oral response) questions (except for the Studio Art exam which evaluates students' original artwork).
The College Board is a not-for-profit membership organization whose mission is to connect students to college success and opportunity. Founded in 1900, the association is composed of more than 5,200 schools, colleges, universities, and other educational organizations. Each year, the College Board serves seven million students and their parents, 23,000 high schools, and 3,500 colleges through major programs and services in college admissions, guidance, assessment, financial aid, enrollment, and teaching and learning. Among its best-known programs are the SAT®, the PSAT/NMSQT®, and the Advanced Placement Program® (AP®). The College Board is committed to the principles of excellence and equity, and that commitment is embodied in all of its programs, services, activities, and concerns.
October 03, 2007
Apple Academy
Kindergarten students at South Breeze Elementary got into the spirit of fall last week by making applesauce at school. The students studied about apples during the week and on Thursday each brought an apple to contribute to the group applesauce making effort. The apples were sorted by colors and
graphed to see how many varieties there were, and then cooked and mashed by hand to create the applesauce.
Photo: Alexis Arellano, Treasure Johnson, and Meya Green enjoy some applesauce.