Assessment resource

Thank goodness for Jury Duty...finally have a couple minutes to post. Want to learn more about assessment? Check out "Assessment for Learning" presentation adapted from Georgia Department of Education at teachingwithpurpose.com

Global Issues

Check-out Nobelityinschools.org for lessons and inspirational free DVD's and videolinks to Building Hope video. 

IB MYP Reads

Here are some of my favorites for IB MYP book titles about characters whose lives represent the intersection of labor, politics, rights and youth. Excerpts or whole novel can be used as text for inquiring into perspective as a concept or the global context of Fairness and Development. As most high-quality lit, they can represent and can be accessed through many other concepts and contexts, and are applicable across content areas. 

For younger readers, I like the historical fiction novel, Journey to Joberg, set in South Africa during Apartheid. I like Peet's The Keeper, a fantastic novel a about a journalist interviewing the goalie named El Gato. The Heavan Shop is about a girl's life as she lives and works, while affected by HIV, in Malawi - by Deborah Ellis. The Queen of Water by Laura Resau, is about class, workers' rights, and poverty, - about a young girl who is sent to work as a domestic servant in Ecuador. The House of the Scorpion is an award-winning novel, with a ton of positive reviews. It's set at U.S./Mexico border and is a sci-fi adventure story about worker drones harvesting poppy fields for the opium trade. Being from San Diego and having worked with a non-profit in TJ, I love border literature. This novel is definitely a unique perspective on the future of the border and the drug trade. For older or mature readers, my all time favorite novel is Devil's Highway by Urrea. Awesome border lit based on a true story about a group of immigrants who died when their Coyotes left them in the middle if the desert between Yuma and San Diego. 

What are your favorite reads for IB MYP students? 

IB Coordinators Bookshelf

Hmmmm...what should I read next? So many options at 

http://ibiologystephen.wordpress.com/2013/06/11/an-myp-coordinators-summer-reading/

PD activity for Stripling's Inquiry Method

Lead educators through this inquiry activity. Can substitute women's voting / suffragette topic if needed. 

http://condor.depaul.edu/tps/resources/PhasesStriplingModel.pdf

PD activity for Stripling's Inquiry Method

Lead educators through this inquiry activity. Can substitute women's voting / suffragette topic if needed. 

http://condor.depaul.edu/tps/resources/PhasesStriplingModel.pdf

Organics and Politics

Compare a variety of texts looking at this question? 

What's behind my burger?

Cuba's organic revolution

http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2008/apr/04/organics.food

Video: Food Inc. (available on NetFlix)

 Shin, Annys.   "Engineering a Safer Burger.  The Washington Post.   12 June 2008.

Read more at http://www.snopes.com/food/prepare/msm.asp#grg2YMzbyxQXX2mv.99

Claim: "every person on the planet can feed himself on 100sq. feet."http://ourworld.unu.edu/en/can-we-feed-our-world-without-monsanto

Monsanto's Discover Monsanto Webpage http://discover.monsanto.com/?gclid=CO-eyMCurMACFUiGfgod8i8Aug

Investment and Returns with Agricultural Research: http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/eb-economic-brief/eb10.aspx#.U_oY7Nm9Kc0

Librarian K.C. Boyd Serves the Good Stuff

Read about Boyd and her commitment to knowing and serving not only her students, but also her families. If only every school could afford such an important position: I'm not sure how we can afford not to. 

http://www.slj.com/2014/08/librarians/chicago-public-school-librarian-k-c-boyd-the-heartbeat-of-her-school/

Math, Health and Epidemics

Check out the science and math in using epidemics in the classroom. A friend of mine explained that when she taught in Australia, she never taught mathematics as a separate class. Instead, it was always taught through other displines. She was surprised when she began teaching math in the U.S. because students struggled to apply their learning in real-life scenarios. I was fascinated by her teacher training that was 100% constructivist. Many schools talk the talk here but she says that we struggle to understand and apply true constructivist learning strategies. 

Check out these resources...

http://www.learn4good.com/games/high-school-students-games/science-health.htm

https://www.sdnhm.org/archive/exhibits/epidemic/resources.html

http://time.com/3086550/ebola-outbreak-africa-world-health-organization/?xid=newsletter-brief

http://globalengage.ibo.org/files/Global_Lesson_Math_Simulation_-_Latest.pdf

App Ideas

Librarian reviews apps for educators http://sbne.ws/r/q1nI

OFG Clean Water Strategies

Can also compare the videos these texts...

Farming practices & climate change at root of Toledo water pollution http://gu.com/p/4vegh/tw...check out OFG solutions http://www.surfrider.org/programs/entry/ocean-friendly-gardens

Argument text

Great PSA's to teach argument...

I will be a hummingbird - Wangari Maathai (English) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IGMW6YWjMxw&sns=tw via @youtube

Pair with Hope in a Changing Climate Trailer. 

http://youtu.be/z_xET5iZSy0

Aida Walqui's Article

A few years back teachers from San Diego had the priviledge of learning new strategies for serving language learners at the West Ed offices in San Fran. It was a dynamic and inspiring week that kicked off a strong and fruitful relationship with Dr. Walqui and her team. Although our learners' needs change and our world becomes more complex, our strategies do not have to. Walqui's work reminds us to focus on creating risk-free collaborative environments, both electronic and in person, that allow our learners to be creative communicators and develop speaking, listening, reading and writing skills in meaningful contexts.

http://www.tesol.org/docs/default-source/papers-and-briefs/professional-paper-26-march-2014.pdf  

Changes in the Expertise

of ESL Professionals:

Knowledge and Action in

an Era of New Standards March 2014