"A Vision of Students Today"

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A SUPER-STREAMLINED CONCEPTION OF CRITICAL THINKING

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1. Is open-minded and mindful of alternatives 2. Tries to be well-informed 3. Judges well the credibility of sources 4. Identifies conclusions, reasons, and assumptions 5. Judges well the quality of an argument, including its reasons, assumptions, and evidence 6. Can well develop and defend a reasonable position 7. Asks appropriate clarifying questions 8. Formulates plausible hypotheses; plans experiments well 9. Defines terms in a way appropriate for the context 10. Draws conclusions when warranted -- with caution 11. Integrates all items in this list Developed (revised 3/24/04) by Robert H. Ennis, Professor

Developed (revised 3/24/04) by Robert H. Ennis, Professor Emeritus, Univ. of Illinois. rhennis@uiuc.edu Read more at www.criticalthinking.net

 

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Learn New Words with Travel Vocabulary Cards

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"Look Mommy! The baggage carousel!" Kids encounter so many new words every day, and when they're traveling, there's even more to learn! Names for things your child will encounter on his next trip somewhere will help him make sense of the journey. Before your next family getaway, make a set of picture/word vocabulary cards together. Along the way, use them for fun games that will build your child's language and comprehension skills.

What You Need: 5" x 7" index cards Internet connection and printer Scissors Glue stick Marker Transparent adhesive paper, two 6 x 8 sheets per image Spoon What You Do: Make a list of travel vocabulary with your child. Start with basic vocabulary, then add words related to your specific destination (grandmother, amusement park, skyscraper, etc.) Have her write the list if she's up for it! With your child, find and print photos for each of your vocabulary words on your list by searching online. If you can't find suitable pictures for any of the words on your list, have your child draw a picture of the vocab word instead. Photos of each word will help your child make the picture/word connection which will help him expand his vocabulary. Support learning with photos that "isolate" only the item named: one suitcase rather than a stack of suitcases, carry-ons and garment bags. Next, invite your child to help you cut the images to fit the cards. Trim oversize images yourself. As you snip together, name the images and explain what each of them is. Have your child lay a card on the table and choose an image. On back of image, have him apply a dot of glue in each corner, then turn image over and stick on card. Make sure you leave room on the index card to write the corresponding vocab word. Then have your child write the corresponding vocab words below each picture in lower case letters. If you have a little trouble remembering names for the images, your child might remind you! Now it's time to laminate! Show your child how to peel the backing off an adhesive sheet. Have him peel and hand you sheets while you laminate. Lay a sheet on table, sticky side up. Center the card on the laminate. Match the corners with the second sheet, making contact with a long edge first. Have your child use the bowl of a spoon to smooth laminate from the center of card all the way out to the edges so that all of the air bubbles are smoothed out. I Spy in Line! The next time you're on a trip and you see some of your travel vocab words out and about while you're waiting in line, hand your child 4 or 5 cards showing some items visible at that moment. "Read" the cards together, then invite your child to hand you the card when he sees the item. Help him find them all (if needed) before your turn. Read more at www.education.com

 

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* Complete Coverage More How Teachers Can Build Emotional Resilience

"I am the decisive element in the classroom. It's my daily mood that makes the weather."

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This quote by the Israeli educator, Haim Ginott, hung above my desk in my classroom. It often inspired me but was also a daunting reminder to manage my emotions. When I was exhausted or stressed out, my students’ behavior deteriorated, which further exasperated my emotional state. On those days, I resented the suggestion that I was the decisive element.

The reality for those of us working in public schools is that our work is very, very stressful. At a breakneck speed we must perform a multitude of mentally and emotionally draining tasks. Add to that the pressures of high-stakes testing, cuts in education, constantly changing administrators, instructional initiatives and curriculum, and the poverty and violence, and sometimes it feels like it can’t get any harder to work in this field.

This fall was rough for me. The challenges in our school seemed bigger and mightier than ever. In spite of how tired I felt, I also couldn’t imagine doing anything else: I love my work. But I realized—at some low point in late October—that in order to forge on I needed to learn more about managing my emotions. While our working conditions need to be improved, that will take time. In the interim, we can change how we experience the stress; we can increase our emotional resilience. I suspect that if I did, I’d be more effective and feel better.

Emotional resilience is defined as how you roll with the punches, how you handle and adapt to stressful situations. Emotionally resilient people understand what they’re feeling and why. They persevere and believe that they are in control of their lives, and they are optimistic and believe in their own strength. They don’t see themselves as victims and see obstacles as challenges and adversity as something that will make them stronger. In addition, emotionally resilient people tend to surround themselves with supportive friends and family, have a sense of humor, and are connected to their spiritual side.

What Is Emotional Resilience?

As I explored this concept, what seemed critical was the notion that emotional resilience can be developed. While we’re probably born with a certain amount of it, it can be grown, which is good news because I definitely would like as much as I can get. Teaching is hard, life is unpredictable; why not stock up on the stuff that might make it easier to manage?

Why Build Emotional Resilience Among Educators?

Our emotions are fundamental to our ability to be effective, and there’s unanimous consent that our jobs are stressful. Our public schools struggle to retain effective teachers, especially in urban districts, where the average tenure is three years and turnover is constant in the neediest schools. The exceptionally high rates of teacher burnout have been well-documented, and many of the reforms of the last decade have only intensified stress levels. It needs to be said, as well, that it’s equally hard for urban schools to retain highly effective principals: Their rates of stress and burnout are also astronomical.

It seems obvious, but if we are feeling depleted, confused, overwhelmed, or despairing, how can we possibly engage fully in a professional development session on backwards planning or academic literacy? Research tells us that when teachers are more relaxed, students are calmer, and the overall climate at a school can be transformed. When emotions are attended to, teachers’ attention, concentration, and job satisfaction increase and relationships with colleagues improve. (See the report, "Research on the Effect of the Inner Resilience Program on Teacher and Student Wellness and Classroom Climate" for more information.)

There is a certain amount of responsibility we each hold for individually managing our emotions. But I would like to propose that administrators support their staffs in developing these essential skills. If I was the education czar, I would mandate that everyone working in schools have one component of their professional development—and a certain number of hours per year and minutes per meeting—allocated to developing emotional resiliency. If we really are going to transform our system, we need to start by attending to people’s emotional experiences and well-being.

You’ve probably heard these suggestions for managing stress: keep a journal, develop positive self-talk, cultivate optimism and gratitude, expand social networks of support, meditate, sing, dance, paint and, of course, exercise! But in searching for specifics on stress and educators, I came across an interesting 2004 study on resiliency in urban teachers that offered some additional ideas. Here’s a summary of the findings:

How Can Emotional Resilience Be Developed?

1. Have personal values that guide their decision-making. They often feel they were "called" to this profession and a commitment to social justice keeps them in the classroom. (Interestingly, in response to questions on values, many teachers volunteered reflections on the importance of their spiritual beliefs and faith.)

Resilient teachers:

2. Place a high value on professional development and actively seek it out.

3. Mentor others.

4. Take charge and solve problems.

5. Stay focused on children and their learning.

6. Do whatever it takes to help children be successful.

7. Have friends and colleagues who support their work emotionally and intellectually.

8. Are not wedded to one best way of teaching and are interested in exploring new ideas.

9. Know when to get involved and when to let go.

These findings suggest ways that administrators can take proactive steps to develop the emotional resiliency of their staff. For example, on the first finding—that a set of values guide resilient teachers—I have found that most teachers come into this profession because they feel "called" in some way to improve society. However, we often become so inundated with the demands of the work that we lose sight of what brought us in. Our passion and commitment fade and we become cynical. To prevent this slide, principals could provide times and structures for teachers to regularly share their belief systems with each other as well as stories of why they entered this profession, of the successes they’ve had and so on. We could refuel ourselves and inspire each other. It also suggests the high importance for schools to have working, living visions that exist outside of a statement on a paper.

Another key finding in this study is that resilient teachers have colleagues who support their work emotionally and intellectually. Principals can do a great deal to develop relational trust among their staff, as this study of 400 Chicago schools shows. Trust has been called "the connective tissue that holds improving schools together." Organizational consultant Margaret Wheatley has written beautifully on the impact that having meaningful conversations and listening to each other can have in changing environments. Principals can ensure that these conversations happen. We can’t support each other intellectually (or create Professional Learning Communities) if we don’t trust each other.

If mentoring others develops resiliency, then this could be structured, supported, encouraged, and compensated, and not just left to individual initiative. And if having a say in guiding your own professional development increases resiliency, this is easy enough to do (and already happens in some schools).

Some of the traits of resilient teachers, such as knowing when to let go, are ones that I’ll have to cultivate on my own. However, talking to colleagues about how to do it would only accelerate the process and increase motivation. Doing this kind of work in the community would have greater impact than doing it alone. I intend to approach my manager and offer to take a role in leading this work within the time allocated for our professional development. I encourage teachers to do the same: Provide principals with research and data, share resources and suggestions, and offer leadership.

Finally, it’s not just teachers who need this kind of support: principals, administrators, coaches, counselors, superintendents, and many others would also benefit. We all contribute to the daily weather of a classroom, a school, and a district. We’re all decisive elements. Read more at www.edweek.org

 

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Schindler's Factory Becomes Krakow Museum.

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While Poland's first purpose-built modern art museum opened in November, its halls were largely devoid of art. Located on the site of Oskar Schindler’s former factory in Zablocie, the Museum of Contemporary Art in Krakow (MOCAK)'s exhibition programme will not begin until spring. ARTKABINETT social network for fine art collectors has posted many previous AK Files about Poland's flourishing contemporary arts scene. Visitors to the building in its first month could, however, see the exhibition, “Architecture For Sensitive Lives”—a presentation of work by Italian architects Claudio Nardi and Leonardo Maria Proli, who designed the museum, as well as documentary films on construction projects taking place in the area, which is undergoing regeneration. On 6 December, the museum closed again to visitors so that renovations could be completed. The exhibition programme properly kicks off in mid-May with the show, “History in Art”, for which 44 international artists have been invited to display their works.

Additionally, 20 works will join the museum’s permanent collection. Director Anna Maria Potocka said she intends to boost the museum’s permanent collection through her private collection of contemporary Polish art. The premature launch of the museum is seen by many as a political move by the president of Krakow, Jacek Majchrowski. The opening ceremony took place five days before the local elections, which Majchrowski subsequently won. “From the start it was clear that the construction schedule ran parallel with the elections,” said Potocka. “However, politicians' employment of such tactics in their election campaigns benefits the art community.” Potocka's appointment by the president of Krakow was met with controversy at the beginning of the year and led artists Wilhelm Sasnal and Marta Deskur to found the Committee for Transparency in Cultural Policy in Krakow. Following the appointment, a letter was submitted to Majchrowski requesting an open, international call for applicants to fill the director's position. The president, however, stood by his decision Read more at artkabinett.com

 

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by historyteachers, video:Greek Philosophers "Can't Get You Out of My Head" by Kylie Minogue

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5 Tipsfor Encouraging Creative Thinking in Children

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Encouraging creative thinking in children is easy to do if you incorporate these 5 simple tips.

One of the easiest things for promoting creative thinking in children is to allow them to have down time where they have time for thinking and exploring. It is important to allow this by not requiring them to participate in too many structured activities.

Allow Them Free Time

Limiting time on the computer and television allows for more time to pursue creative activities, like imaginative play. And when they are on the computer there are several creative games that can be utilized, such as ones where they create art or design things like roller coasters or cities.

Limit Computer and Television Time

Provide Them With Tools For Creativity

Some examples of tools for encouraging creative thinking in children are blank drawing pads with markers and crayons, blocks for building with, or ink pads for making finger print art.

Creativity is different for each person. One person may find sewing a creative outlet, while another might find writing a story a creative outlet. Let your children dictate their own path towards creativity, while you facilitate it with encouraging words and support.

There is nothing like a good example for passing our values on to the children in our lives. If we want to encourage creativity in them, why not show them that creativity is important to us as well. By making time for creative pursuits ourselves, and taking some down time of our own, we show them that creativity is an important part of life.

Allow Them to Follow Their Own Creative Path

Set An Example

Encouraging creative thinking in children is a valuable way for them to explore who they are and find talents and areas of interest that they can share with the world.

Sarah Holt writes for Increase Brainpower .com. For more on Creative Thinking, and to get the Brain Power Newsletter and other free gifts, visit: http://www.IncreaseBrainPower.com Read more at ezinearticles.com

 

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