Immediately prior to facilitating at our 13 th constructivist conference this summer, Mike Smith and Roni Brierley of Niagara University visited Thailand . This e-mail from Mike, which I received in early July, said it all:

“Everything is great in Thailand . Roni and I were special guests at the grand opening of a new bilingual school- The minister of education was there and he said, ‘We have to move from rote repetition to learning how to learn and how to think at a higher level - and this should be done through multiple intelligences and constructivist practices.’

“Roni and I are interviewing principals and staff from 3 schools this week and then running workshops on Constructivism for the teachers.”

Roni wrote a more detailed account of their experiences with constructivism in Thailand for the conference newsletter. We’ll share more of what they learned and taught in Thailand later this fall.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

Is it true that superintendents’ days may be utilized for the scoring of standardized assessments?

It has been years since Linda Darling Hammond, Giesel Martin Kniep , and others began writing about the need for a new kind of staff development – teacher driven, continuous (not one-shot), focused, in the classroom, relevant, etc.

Why do we need to change the way we provide professional development? Mention “Superintendent’s Day” and the average teacher reacts as a teacher would have thirty years ago: “Oh, no, another boring, useless waste of our time.” (There ARE exceptions. I want to acknowledge those school districts which are making the effort to change the perception of staff development days. However, there are still far too many staff development days planned with too little thought and there are too many professional development plans that aren’t worth the paper they are written on.)

I do not question that time needs to be found for scoring the increasing number of standardized assessments. However, one of the greatest needs in our schools is for meaningful staff development. Those districts making the most sincere effort to raise student achievement are finding that their biggest handicap is the lack of sufficient time for effective professional development.

Does it make sense to limit a major resource needed to raise student achievement – staff development time (already too limited) - so that we can make more time to score our measurements of how much student achievement has improved?

When assessments get in the way of improving what they are intended to measure there is something wrong with this picture.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

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TOPIC: “ My Mother’s Teacher Side,” by Lisa Martin

Volume #6, Edition #19 __________Date: August 21, 2005

Lisa Martin, waitress at the Best Western in Canton , is also an award winning poet. She has graciously agreed to read original poems at each of our summer constructivist conference banquets for the past three years. This past July 21, Lisa captivated nearly 300 of us with a poem she wrote especially for those of us in the field of education. Many of you who were present for Lisa’s reading have requested a copy. Here it is:

My Mother’s Teacher Side

Every lesson of yesterday, has led us into today.
Teachers, you may not always be understood.
Yet, as teachers, you are the leaders to understanding.
Born from her womb, my brother, my sister, and I
Yet, from her heart was born her teacher side.

My mother “Got it!” long before “I”.
Her wisdom placed in her, embraced many years.
Sixty-three now have passed by.

Our elders are graced, long before we are able to see.
Let me share with you my story of
my mother’s teacher side.

Her discipline drummed on like a daylong parade.
She pushed us in school, growled mind your manners,
sit up straight. Did you do your homework?
Don’t stay up too late!

She challenged us everyday, my brother, my sister and I
To seek within, branch out, journey to find
our own unique teacher side.

Never disappointed as we stumbled, struggled in life.
In mischief or when we stretched it, broke the rules,
and were late coming home at night.
Ever endless, and always, we are still her life light.

A teacher’s child, tough with challenge, expectations pick like thorns
raining down, picking in your side. Peers taunt with jokes,
knee slap laughter, long forgotten sounds of that song still sing,
as a teacher’s child tucks herself into bed.

Dear teacher’s child: hold steady, be strong, keep your humbled pride.
This is a test of your own life song. Drum out my child, smile,
be kind, and live long.
Seek out your happiness and sing along.

A teacher’s child I often felt broken inside, sad,
scared a small mountainside or two.
Now, an adult, I am pleased, tickled proud with uplifting pride.
I have grown to learn and be grateful for the blessing of
my mother’s teacher side.

Lisa M. Martin

6/05

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

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Teachers who have not done a great deal of group work are understandably reluctant to take much class time to train students to work in groups. But students need to learn group process before they can be expected to work productively on a team. A few years ago, I was in a faculty room awaiting the arrival of several teachers. A student-teacher walked into the room, head down, and depressed – she had just conducted her first cooperative activity and, in her words, “it bombed.”

A veteran teacher asked her which students she had tried the activity with and, when she responded, the veteran exclaimed, “Oh, that’s why; I don’t think those students ever did a cooperative activity in elementary or middle school.”

Sometimes it’s better to start students, inexperienced with group work, with a brief activity that is light on content. The purpose should be familiarization with the process, not the achievement of a major learning experience. The start of the year provides an opportunity to train students in group work while enabling the teacher to see how well (or poorly) students perform in a group. Since teachers often begin a course slowly the first few days, they may be more willing to engage students in group work in a situation where learning the process is the primary objective and covering the curriculum can be secondary. Here’s an activity for the first day of class:

• Ask students to pair with someone whom they don’t know very well and to share three pieces of information:
“Share your name, one thing you think you will learn from this course, and what you hope to be doing when you are finished with all your schooling. You have 30 seconds to share this information and another 30 seconds to hear from the other person.”

• After the students complete the sharing, ask them to find another person whom they do not know very well and to share the same information.

• Before doing this for a third time, inform the students that, this time, they will be asked to introduce to the entire class the person whom they next share with and they will be expected to share all three pieces of information.

• After completing the third round, ask the students to put their chairs in a circle; once this has been accomplished, begin calling on students to introduce their most recent partners.

This entire activity can be completed in 15 minutes. The students will be surprised that class didn’t begin with a statement of rules or some other form of lecture (the rules can still be given later in the period). It may have a positive impact on their first impression of the course.

Consider beginning every lesson or unit with an exploratory activity. An “exploratory activity” is a combination ice breaker, bell ringer, anticipatory set, launcher, or whatever you want to call an opening activity. Generally, the exploratory activity can be accomplished in less than five minutes. The one suggested (above) will take a little longer since it is intended for use at the start of class on the first day. Here are the criteria that should be addressed by a good exploratory activity:

A good exploratory activity:

From “Standards-Based Constructivism: A Two-Step Process for Motivating Students,” by Pat Flynn, Don Mesibov, Paul J. Vermette, and R. Michael Smith.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

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Here is a repeat of an article I run every year at this time. It discusses strategies for helping students understand their own multiple intelligence strengths.

As you read Carol Amberg’s description of how she teaches multiple intelligences and then helps students use their understanding of their strengths, please consider another important idea: to teach a concept requires learning over a period of time; it requires experience with a concept in a variety of situations. I understand the concept of integrity by applying my definition in different situations – for instance, I wrestle with integrity when hearing of a ballplayer using a corked bat, when seeing someone lie about his age in order to get a discount, and when discussing what constitutes cheating on a test. My learning of the concept of “integrity” grows with each different situation I think about.

Because few of us grasp a concept in one class period, or even a week, it is important for a teacher to revisit important concepts throughout the year. Therefore, I am suggesting that teachers identify the most difficult concepts embedded in the standards their students will address, and introduce them early in the school year so that there are numerous opportunities to have students apply their understanding in a variety of situations. Gouverneur world literature teacher Carol Amberg introduces the concept of multiple intelligences during the first week of school and this allows the full year for students to apply this concept.

Teaching about “Multiple Intelligences” to high school students:

In response to my question asking Carol how she teaches about multiple intelligences, I received this response:

“On the first day of class, I introduce communication theory and ask the students to brainstorm diverse ways we send messages (body language, sign language, writing, talking, dance, scent, songs, etc.). I have a "wheel graphic" of the multiple intelligences, labeled in ‘shorthand’: Word Smart, Math Smart, Body Smart, People Smart, Self Smart, Music Smart, Picture Smart, Nature Smart posted on the bulletin board. I introduce multiple intelligences using that and we talk about how people with each kind of "smarts" send and receive messages.

“Then I ask the students to come up with jobs in which each intelligence would be an asset (i.e. architects = spatial intelligence, athletes = bodily-kinesthetic, etc.) We carry that over into our discussions of characters we meet in poems we analyze together, each of the first three days, and authors we discuss (i.e. Thoreau must have had nature intelligence to live at and write about Walden Pond).

“This is carried over into our first novel, “Siddhartha” where we conclude that someone who practices meditation develops intra personal intelligence, someone who becomes an ascetic scorns bodily-kinesthetic intelligence, etc. In other words, I try to weave it into everything we do to reinforce the learning. The same thing goes for how we receive messages through our senses, so poets and writers appeal to them through imagery.

“I find that starting with theory and then recognizing concrete examples as we go helps them apply the theory as well as remember the examples. The process culminates in the students designing projects near the end of the semester where they choose one self-identified preferred/strong intelligence and one weaker one and use both in demonstrating their understanding of a communication concept.”

Thank you, Carol, for the permission to share your innovative work with multiple intelligences.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

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On a sports page, recently, a star athlete credited his team’s success under a new manager to “The players are having fun. We are enjoying ourselves so we are more relaxed and when you are more relaxed you do better.” A number of years ago, the syndicated child psychologist John Rosemond alleged that teachers could not let students have fun and expect them to learn anything.

Where is the truth? I suspect it lies in the way we define fun. As I would define “fun” I can’t believe Dr. Rosemond would subject himself to the schedule of travel, lectures, and columns that engage his time if he didn’t find most of it enjoyable. However, I suspect from reading the column in which he articulated his concerns with letting students have “fun,” that he views “fun” as something frivolous, unstructured, and undisciplined. (I can only guess because he never responded to my three page response which I sent him more than ten years ago.)

In the early 1990s, Bernie Perry and I conducted a workshop for more than 100 BOCES teachers who were cramped in a cafeteria too small to do justice to our undertaking. To counter the claustrophobic environment, we kept the participants actively engaged in meaningful, but enjoyable activities. From the corner of my ear I could hear one group of seven, periodically laughing, and kidding with each other throughout the day However, each time we asked for groups to report out, this team of seven demonstrated it had stayed on task and had come up with excellent ideas that would benefit their colleagues and their BOCES.

Near the end of the day, while everyone was engaged in small group activity, I noticed my colleague being beckoned by a member of this group and he had started to walk toward them. He appeared to listen to them for about 30 seconds, smiled at them and then he walked in my direction, at which time I asked, “What was that all about?”

Bernie responded, “They just wanted to let us know that they were not being disrespectful to us by laughing and joking throughout the day and that they had stayed on task and felt they were really getting a lot out of the workshop. They just didn’t want us to misunderstand.”

I reflected for a moment and then thought to myself: “The paradigm that learning and fun are the antithesis of each other is so strong that these teachers just couldn’t be sure we would believe they were learning if we saw them having “fun.”

This morning I reviewed 23 pages of feedback (offered anonymously) from 157 participants at our 2005 summer constructivist conference. While 156 of the feedback forms were extremely positive, this observation jumped out of the pack – from a teacher whose entire page of observations indicated how much he/she had accomplished and learned.

“I was surprised at how this week was much work but much fun!”

If teachers are more productive in a relaxed environment that integrates learning, productivity and fun, is it different for students?

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

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Have you integrated music into a lesson? Whether you teach letters of the alphabet to kindergarten children or calculus to 12th graders, music can motivate.

One middle school English teacher in the 1960s began a lesson by asking students: “How many of you realize that songs are poetry put to music?” Heads immediately began shaking back and forth. “OK, said the teacher, “Name your favorite song.” A young man confidently blurted out, “Michelle.” The teacher thought to himself, “Now I’ve got you,” and asked the student to recite the first few lines.

Here’s a lesson plan for English, but it could easily be adapted to any discipline or grade level:

Teacher: “I want you to listen to this song and tell us what is unique about it. Clue: think grammar, sentence construction, rhyme, meter or some aspect of poetry.”

Then play the song, ‘You and I,’ recorded in the 1960s by Ray Charles and Betty Carter, but also recorded many times since by other artists.

Darling, you and I know the reason why a summer sky is blue; and we know why birds in the sky sing melodies, too; and our love will grow from the first hello until the last good-bye; so to sweet romance there is just one answer: you and I.

Use think/pair/share or whatever method of individual and/or group work that works for you. At some point, share the answer: “This song is unique because it is all one sentence.”

What have you accomplished? You have forced the students to THINK about something relevant to what you want them to learn. Paul Vermette has said, “After many years of teaching I have come to believe that my most important role is to get students to think. If they are thinking they are learning.”

Now tell your students: “Let’s listen to ‘Moonlight in Vermont,’ and then I will ask you what is unique about this song.” After generating a discussion and reinforcing students who get the wrong answer (or at least not the one you were looking for) so they feel positive about risking their guesses, you can let them know that this is a poem that has no rhyme scheme. However, the lyrics are so beautiful that it sounds poetic and unless you are checking each line it is easy to assume the song rhymes.

A good exploratory activity combines the best attributes of a bell ringer, launcher, anticipatory set, and ice breaker and it must grab the learner’s attention; also, a good exploratory activity must be relevant to the content of the curriculum about to be discovered. Using “Moonlight in Vermont” or “You and I” can motivate students to pay attention as you launch into a lesson on poetry, writing, grammar or a host of related things including a geography lesson about Vermont.

When you integrate music into a lesson, at least two positives occur:

 Even those of us with no musical ability (and I lead the pack), enjoy music and are more likely to perk up and pay attention when a lesson begins with a song.

 Those students with musical ability receive a boost to their self esteem and their interest level rises dramatically. Unfortunately, it’s possible to go through an entire career of schooling without ever having the opportunity to use your strength in music or art to advantage in a class in math, science, English or social studies. When a teacher of one of these subjects creates a task that rewards students with aptitude in the arts, it enables these students to receive the kind of reinforcement usually reserved only for those with linguistic or mathematical logical strengths. And they are more likely to increase their interest in the subject.

For a science lesson, just listen to Tom Lehrer’s song about chemical formulas or, for a lesson on multiplication do a web search for Lehrer’s New Math – “It’s so simple, so very simple, that only a child can do it.”

And for social studies, have you heard Billy Joel’s journey through the second half of the twentieth century “We Didn’t Start the Fire”?

Web searches can put the lyrics to any song at your fingertips in seconds.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

On a recent visit to Vermont , we came across this dialogue printed on a sheet of paper on the wall of a roadside motel:

A college student challenged a senior citizen saying it was impossible for the older generation to understand his. “You grew up in a different world,” the student said. "Today we have television, jet planes, space travel, nuclear energy, computers . . ."

Taking advantage of a pause in the student’s litany, the senior said, “You’re right. We didn’t have those things when we were growing up. So we invented them.”

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

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True or false? A good teacher wants students to ask questions and to be inquisitive?

I suspect most of you have answered, "True."

Years ago (do you remember the "Compact for Learning"?), New York State was encouraging schools to form community groups and to ask parents, teachers, business people and others, "When a student graduates from our school, what do you want him/her to know, understand and be able to do?

Over the course of ten years, I facilitated dozens of such discussions. In every instance, one of the five priority learning objectives identified by groups of teachers, parents, business people, students, or combined groups was always:

"We want students who are life long learners; we want students who are curious and questioning."

OK, so it’s like apple pie and motherhood to agree that students should ask questions. Now let's examine teacher practices.

When a student asks a question, how are you most likely to respond?

A. “We'll get to that later.”

B. “See me after class if that isn't clear.”

C. “Can you hold that question for a little while?”

D. Ignore the question and hope it won't be repeated.

E. Praise the student for asking the question, comment on what an excellent question it is and then either respond, ask the student or other students to suggest a response, or delay a response but do so in a way that makes it clear you are pleased that the student has taken the risk of asking a question.

Almost all of us recognize the value of encouraging students to develop a healthy sense of inquiry. But too often we don't teach (and model) this quality the same way we do when we are teaching rock formations in earth science, formulas in math, grammar in English, inventors in social studies, harmony in music, appreciation of beauty in art, safety in home and careers, or fitness in physical education.

What I am suggesting is that if we want to prepare students to be inquiry based, we need to be conscious of it when students ask questions. We don't need a separate course in how to be a life long learner and we don't even need to devote a full class period to the topic. What we need to do is this:

1. When a student asks a question, react with the same positive tone and a statement of affirmation for asking the question that you usually reserve for a student who offers the correct answer.

2. Either at the time you offer a response, or sometime thereafter, check back with the student to be sure the student is comfortable with the answer to his/her question. (Aren't we taught to do this with other adults in workshops on positive human interactions?)

3. Make time to respond to questions. If it is not possible at the time the question is asked, then be sure the questioner understands why you are not giving an instant response and understands that there will be follow-up. Then make sure there is follow-up.

As technology continues to take over our daily lives, I receive more and more questions from my university students via e-mail. I have a simple formula I follow in sending a written response:

I always begin my response, "Good question."

Often I get no response or just a brief affirmation that they have received my answer. In other words, this doesn't open the door to time consuming e-mail conversations or a series of lengthy appointments. Hopefully, it does make students feel reinforced for taking the risk of asking a question and will encourage them to ask questions of me, and of others, in the future.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
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Paul Vermette has discussed the importance of the rapport a teacher establishes with each student as critical to the teacher’s ability to successfully help the student learn. Reflecting on Paul’s observation, I recalled this quote attributed to Mister Rogers shortly after his passing:

“I think it is important for children to have one more (honest) adult they can trust.”

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
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Larry, an African American, was a guest presenter in my graduate course at SUNY Potsdam about a dozen years ago and I asked him to focus on issues of diversity.

In his usual charismatic way, Larry dazzled the students as he shared information and challenged them to examine their beliefs and practices. “Give me some examples of discrimination you have witnessed,” Larry said. A few examples were offered of discrimination against blacks, and then someone cited an example of discrimination against women; and then against the poor; and then . . . and then . . . .”

Toward the end of class, Larry told the students, “Today you taught me far more than I taught you. Because of my personal life experiences, I came here thinking of discrimination only in terms of race. You broadened my perspective. I thank you.”

A few weeks later I tried an activity with my class: “Let’s list as many forms of bias as we can,” I suggested. Someone grabbed a marker and began to record:

race

sex

religion

financial

status

positional

disabilities

The list reached 34 different types of bias. The last one suggested was “Multiple Intelligences.” The student who proposed this last item asked us all, “Does a person whose strength is in musical or intrapersonal intelligences have the same opportunity to score well on a standardized assessment as one who is weak in those areas but has strong linguistic or mathematical-logical intelligence?”

I thought to myself, “I know many people who fit that profile (strength in intelligences other than linguistic or mathematical-logical) who are huge successes in life whether success is judged by happiness, wealth, status, or good deeds. Maybe that’s why there is research showing less connection between a person’s grades in school and success later on in life than one would expect. People with strength in musical or intrapersonal intelligences may not do well on standardized tests if they are not also strong in linguistic and mathematical-logical intelligences, but many of them do better in the real world than peers who can ace the standardized assessments.”

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
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Have you ever thought of lesson design as being similar to choreographing a play or sequencing the scenes in a show?

• You start with an activity that will grab people’s attention and set the tone for the remainder of the lesson.

• You mix up interaction, lecture, pair-share, small group work, individual work on task. Whether people are working individually or in pairs or groups, you mix the nature of their work and keep it lively.

• You build in times and activities for reflection throughout and, particularly, at the end.

• You have a culminating event (similar to the climax of the show).

• If you are successful people are surprised at how rapidly the time went by. If you are successful, people tolerate (and engage in) those segments they would otherwise dread because they know they will be brief and that something more exciting may be around the corner.

• Not only do you alternate activities within the timeframe of a single class or lesson, but you also change the pace from one class to another. Occasionally you throw in something surprising, even if it doesn’t relate completely to what is being studied.

As I’ve stated previously, if professional performers need to grab an audience’s attention, change the pace of what they present, and occasionally create a surprise – for people who are paying money to be there – can we expect to maintain the attention of students, many of whom would pay not to be in class with us?

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

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There are some districts that utilize summer school and offer tutoring in ways that maximize the benefits for children. If this is your district, then please don’t take personally what I am about to share. The next few paragraphs address those many schools which, unfortunately, will find that the shoes I am about to describe are a perfect fit:

There are situations where there is no provision for communications between the teachers of the courses failed by students and the summer school teachers to discuss the individual needs of the summer school students. The only information the teacher has is that the students failed during the regular year.

This is ridiculous. Students, in these situations, are given an abbreviated version of the full year’s course. Teachers tell me they know of students who deliberately stop trying during the school year because they know they can go to summer school, put in less time and work, and get a passing grade for the course.

What kind of a public education system is it that provides for little or no communications between the teachers who taught the subjects in which the students failed and the teachers who will have the students in summer school? Not every student who fails a particular course has the same areas of weakness as other students who failed the same course. Two students can fail English yet one can be strong in reading, weak in grammar and weak in writing while the other can be the reverse in terms of strengths and weaknesses. What sense does it make to teach them both the same curriculum in an abbreviated course? Teachers are taking extensive training in topics like “Individualized Instruction,” but how can they apply these skills in summer school if all they know is that the students in their summer classes failed the course?

The same thing is true of many tutoring programs in which college students visit local schools and provide one-on-one assistance to K-12 students. Often there is no contact with the classroom teacher and no information being exchanged between the classroom teacher and the college tutor.

What is the reason for these disconnects between classroom teachers and summer school teachers and/or college tutors? It is not the fault of teachers or administrators or any one person. It is an example of why schools need to be restructured. Scheduling, work overload, and adherence to past practices doom us to continue into the future what probably never worked in the past. We continue to do the same things and we get the same results and we complain about these results, but we keep doing the same things. As esteemed colleague Larry Byrd sets up the equation:
E + R = O

Event + Reaction = Outcome. The Event is student achievement failing to meet society’s expectations. One of our Reactions is to offer summer school, but without allowing for sufficient communications between summer school teachers and full-year teachers of the same students. The Outcome is disappointment with the progress of low achieving students.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.

A recent newsletter with strategies for using music to motivate students to study math, science, English, and social studies brought these excellent ideas from Frank Pickus, special education teacher/administrator in Gloversville :

“In resource room I often discovered that many students

Frank indicated that the students whom he engaged in this activity were in high school.

The Institute is currently offering a $300 discount for teams that register prior to January 31 for the 2006 summer conference. Don’t miss the opportunity for this unique conference that models the constructivist behaviors that teachers are using increasingly in the classroom. Check out the website of The Institute for Learning Centered Education:
www.learnercentereded.org or, e-mail a request for information.

The author welcomes comments, feedback, reactions of any kind to the thoughts expressed (above).

Please feel free to forward this message to a friend or colleague. If you know someone who would like to be put on the list, please send a message to Don Mesibov at dmesibov@twcny.rr.com.

Copyright (c) 2005, Institute for Learning Centered Education. All
rights reserved.