educational resourcesdoc.mediaplanet.com/all_projects/4469.pdf · els. in a middle school class at...

March 2010 your guide to the 21st century classrooM

Educational Resources

Educational REsouRcEs

2

Promethean is a world leader in interac-

tive learning technology. Developed by

teachers, Promethean’s ActivClassroom

bringstogetheritsinteractivedisplaysys-

tems (ActivBoard), its Learner Response

Systems (ActiVote and ActivExpression),

anditssuiteofspecializedteachingsoft-

ware (ActivInspire). Promethean’s solu-

tions are bringing the promise of 21st

centurylearningtolearnersandteachers.

Special thanks to the Celebration of

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publictelevisionstations.TheCelebration

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bringing PreK-12 educators together to

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timeforPSAs.

CONTENTS2 TakeActionForChildrenAnd

TheEducationCrisis

4 Technology

4 FormulaForSuccess

6 ReadAllAboutIt

7 TappingIntoTopOnline

Resources

10 EducationTakesThePrize

10 EducatingKidsAboutFood

AndFitness

12 Lights!Camera!Social

Responsibility!

13 EducationFunding

14 PanelOfExperts

15 TeachersHaveHomework,Too

EduCATIONRESOuRCES

Publisher: Ondriona Monty [email protected]

Contributors: Sally Abrahms Patrick Gilmour

Designer: Carrie Reagh [email protected]

Photos: ©iStockphoto.com

For more information about supplements in the daily press, please contact: Kayvan Salmanpour, 1 646 922 1400 [email protected]

This section was written by Mediaplanet and did not involve USA Today News or Editorial Departments.

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a very special thanks to...

For over a century, National PTA

and its millions of members

have witnessed the results of

parentsandchildadvocatesworking

togethertotakeactionforchildren—

childlaborlawsarepassed,polioisde-

feated,schoolsaredesegregatedand

ajuvenilejusticesystemisestablished.

Butnowmorethanever,America’s

children and education system

needourhelp.There’sadevastating

achievement gap, widespread fund-

ing shortages, a childhood obesity

epidemic and disproportionate aca-

demic standards across the country

inhibiting our children’s ability to

compete in the global workforce of

todayandtomorrow.

National PTA, along with its affili-

atedstatePTAs,tensofthousandsof

localPTAsandmillionsofmembers,

isworkingtogetherwithgovernment

agencies, schoolboardsandpartner

organizations to address the educa-

tioncrisisinAmericaandmakeevery

child’spotentialareality;butwecan’t

doitalone.

Sure we need all parents, but we

also need you—the brother, sister,

uncle,aunt,grandfather,grandmother

and concerned citizen—to help us

takeactionforchildrenandsolvethe

educationcrisis.Whatcanyoudo?

• JoinyourlocalPTAortheNational

PTA;

• Make a donation to support the

workofNationalPTA;

• VolunteerataPTAevent;

• Visit National PTA’s website at

www.pta.orgforthelatestparent-

ingandeducationnewsandgreat

parentresources;

• SignuptoreceivethefreePTAPar-

ente-newsletterandgetimportant

updates,tipsandspecialoffers;and

• SignupforPTATakesActionNet-

work to receive newsletters and

alerts to engage your elected of-

ficialsonissuesvitaltochildren.

In fact,asyou’rereadingthis,PTA

leaders are talking to Capitol Hill to

meetwithourcountry’slegislatorsto

remindthemthatPTAvotes,parents

voteandchildadvocatesvote;tourge

themthatweneednoteliminatethe

solefederalparentengagementpro-

gramknownasParentalInformation

andResourceCenters(PIRC);toensure

that parents are at the table during

thereauthorizationoftheElementary

andSecondaryEducationAct;andto

extendahandintheFirstLady’sinitia-

tivetobattlechildhoodobesity.

In addition, today’s PTA is proud

ofitshistoryandtriumphs,butwe’re

also changing with the times and

armingtoday’sparentwiththelatest

tools to help their child succeed at

anyageandstageoftheirlife.Asyou

readthroughthenextseveralpages,

you’ll find useful information about

thenewestresourcesinandoutofthe

classroom.Haveyouheardofinterac-

tive whiteboards? Or do you know

aboutthelatestdigitalcontenteduca-

torsareusingintheclassroom?These

andmorearethetopicsyou’llenjoy

readingaboutinthisspecialsection.

You’llalsodiscoverhowcorporate

America is putting some skin in the

game by developing programs and

donatingfundsthatbenefitchildren

and education in many underrep-

resented communities. There are

companiesthataregoingaboveand

beyond the typical charitable dona-

tionandreallyinvestinginnon-profits

likePTAtocreatelong-termsolutions

andmakearealdifferenceinthelives

ofchildrenandfamilies.

Again,wecan’tdoitaloneorwith

only the help of corporate America.

Weneedyou.JoinorsupportthePTA

and become part of the movement

thatwillsolvetheeducationcrisisand

take action for America’s children--

fromtheplaygroundtoCapitolHill.

Take Action For Children And The Education CrisisIt’s simple: Children succeed when parents are involved in their education.ThisstatementhasbeenprovenbydecadesofresearchandthroughouttherichhistoryoftheAmericaninstitutionknownastheNationalParentTeacherAssociation(PTA®).

CharlesJ.“Chuck”Saylors

BY:CHARLESJ.“CHuCK”SAYLORS,NATIONALPTAPRESIDENT

Created by Discovery Channel, the #1 non-fi ction media company in the world, Discovery Education leads the way in

delivering 21st century content and professional development that helps educators go beyond the textbook. With

award-winning titles like PLANET EARTH, ATLAS and over 100 content partners, we’re transforming classrooms to

bring learning to life. And with programs like the Siemens STEM Academy and the 3M Young Scientist Challenge,

we’re partnering with leading companies to empower students and teachers to tackle today’s most pressing challenges.

Where Learning Comes Alive

“The Discovery Education content opens doors to an experience that kids have never dreamed of.”

— Dr. Peter Gorman, Superintendent, Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools, North Carolina

Put the power of Discovery Education to work for you, visit DiscoveryEducation.com/Alive

DE.AD.USATODAY_S8.indd 1 2/23/10 9:18:55 AM


4

Apart from CD and online

learning software, there are

nowinteractivewhiteboards,

student learning devices kids use

right from their desks, and tons of

high-quality, multi-media material-

-not to mention laptops that kids

takehomeafterschool,andwebsites

maintained by teachers for after-

schoollearning.Communicationhas

become easier between teachers,

parents, and kids, thanks to email,

instantchat,andwebsiteswhereas-

signments,grades,andprogressare

posted.

The interactive nature of digital

tools has changed the dynamics of

the classroom, too. Kids can focus

more on working independently or

inteamsandlessontheteacher.This,

sayeducators,makesmanagingclass-

rooms easier. Mesmerizing graphics

andvideoclipsaregoodfor theat-

tentionspan,too,andensuresubjects

likephysicsorWilliamFaulkner,can

actuallybefun!

Beforebabiesevenwalk,theycan

be exposed to multimedia content,

such as vibrantly colored graphics,

animationandstories,thatgetthem

engagedandlearningseamlessly.

In the world of wikis (collabora-

tive web sites), older students and

teachers add their own knowledge

toawebsitesothatthenextvisitors

canbenefitfromagrowingresource.

Kids can demonstrate what they’ve

learnedbycreatingradioandvideo

shows,websites,blogs,andelectronic

newsletters.Theycancollaborateon

projects with peers on other conti-

nentsorinthenextclassroom,access

new primary source studies, and

communicatewithexperts,wherever

theyare.

Educators can hone their class-

roomandtechnologyskillsthrougha

lively,globalcommunityofteachers

who meet online to attend virtual

teacher development seminars and

exchange resources and ideas. Not

that print lovers have anything to

worry about. Educators know that

books are important. “Books are a

goodwayofprovidingcontentand

I think that will continue for a long

whilebutthatwillbeenriched,”con-

tendsRandyReina,ExecutiveDirec-

torofMcGraw-Hill’sCenterforDigital

Innovation.“Nowwe’reasking,‘what

canyoudowithdigitalthatyoucan’t

dowithprint,andwhatapplications

arewegoingtobuildaspartofthe

instruction?’”

The technology boom is good

news for cash-strapped school dis-

tricts,too.Thecostofstayingcurrent

witheducationalresourcesisshrink-

ing,thankstotheever-growingstash

offreelearningmaterialsontheweb.

Goingdigitalreducestheprinttext-

book budget. But it’s a big budget,

still.Equipmentiscostly,andthenyou

need the proper infrastructure and

technology-enlightened teachers,

administrators,andschooldistricts.

What technology really means is

that the-dog-ate-my-homework ex-

cuseisnowhistory!

It is the other“countries”part that is

thekicker.Companieshavebeen

goingabroadtoscoopupthebest

STEMtalent,andu.S.studentslagbe-

hindinternationalpeersontests.This

does not bode well for our future

workforce,STEMcareersorotherwise.

That’s why last year President

Obama launched a campaign to

propelu.S.studentsfromthemiddle

tothetopofthepackinscienceand

math over the next ten years. He

hopestoboostSTEMliteracy,improve

teaching, and expand STEM educa-

tionandcareersforunderrepresented

groups. Public-private partnerships

are chipping in $260 million. They

wanttoerasetheideaofthe“nerdy”

mathandsciencestudentandreplace

itwiththemessagethatasolidSTEM

foundationisessentialforeverything

theywilldoinlife.Plus,it’scool.

The question is, how do you get

thatfoundation?Thenon-profitMIND

ResearchInstitutehasinventedmath

software based on neuroscience,

takingadvantageofchildren’svisual

learningabilities. “Ourprogrambol-

sters math proficiency as proven by

standardizedtests,butalsoimproves

problem-solving skills essential in

therealworldofwork,”saysAndrew

Coulson,presidentofMIND’seduca-

tionaldivision.

Discovery Education, part of Dis-

coveryCommunications(andDiscov-

ery Channel fame), takes a teacher

approach. It introduced STEM Con-

nect,acurriculum-basedandcareer

development resource for teachers

that,inconjunctionwithDiscovery’s

digitalcontentsservice,makescience

excitingandrelevant.Discoveryalso

is a founder of the Siemens STEM

Academy, an innovative teacher

initiative. Among the offerings: a

monthlywebinarwhere leadingsci-

entistsspeaktoSTEMeducatorsand

anonlinecommunityofSTEMteach-

ersnationwide.

Historically, one limitation to sci-

enceliteracyhasbeenresources.Too

fewK-12schoolshavewell-equipped

labs or engineering equipment. But

today, students in technology-rich

schoolsusesophisticatedsimulation

software,likeGoogle’sfree“Sketchup”

tocreate,change,andshare3Dmod-

els.InamiddleschoolclassatPuna-

hou School in Honolulu, HI, kids in

teamsusingPromethean’sinteractive

board, slate, and dual-use pens (for

studentsandteachers),alongwitha

software program created by engi-

neers,recentlydesignedacerealbox.

usingtechnologytools,studentsin

STEMclassescantakeweatherread-

ings,uploadthemtoaninternational

site,andhaveotherstudentsaround

theworldusethedata.ThispastJanu-

ary, a 15-year-old West Virginia girl

participating in a National Science

Foundationprojectdiscoveredanew

pulsar,orrotatingneutronstar,while

lookingthroughherradiotelescope.

Shewantstobeanastrophysicist.

Formula for Success: Better stEM Education BY:SALLYABRAHMS

“The nature of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics)education is changing because of technology,” says Douglas Levin, execu-tivedirectoroftheStateEducationalTechnologyDirectorsAssociation.“Themodelofsomeoneinawhitelabcoatdiscoveringbreakthroughsaloneisnothowprofessionalscientistsworkanymore.Itisverycollaborativeacrossstates,governmentagencies,universities,andcountries.”

Technology: Making Education come aliveCellphones.Smartphones.Laptops.Portablemusicplayers.Technologyispartofeverymodernchild’slife.Nosurprise,then,thateducators,computermanu-facturers,andsoftwaredevelopersarescramblingtomakeinnovativeeduca-tionaltools.

BY:PATRICKGILMOuR

...last year President obama launched a campaign to propel u.s. students from the middle to the top of the pack in science and math over the next ten years. He hopes to boost stEM literacy,

improve teaching, and expand stEM education...

McGraw-Hill combines more than 100 years of educational innovation with new digital tools,

customized programs, and engaging individualized instruction to provide solutions that drive

student achievement and mastery of 21st Century skills.

Discover more about our dedication to meeting every teaching and learning need

mhsegsolutions.com


6

Kids may be too young to read

themselves, but not to hear

and see stories, develop vo-

cabulary and language, and to dis-

covertheworldofwords.“Weknow

thatreadingtoachildisthesin-

gle most important inter-

ventionthatparentscan

doandyet,inmanyof

ourpoorcommuni-

ties,thereareno

books and

parentsorcaregiversdon’thavethe

skill to read effectively,” says Susan

Neuman, a professor of educational

studiesattheuniversityofMichigan

and co-author of the Handbook of

Early Literacy Research.

The Pearson Foundation cites

this eye-popping figure: More than

80 percent of pre-school and after-

school programs with low-income

kidshavenoage-appropriatebooks.

That is why Pearson and Verizon,

along with other companies, fed-

eral and state governments, and

libraries,havelaunchedearlyliteracy

initiatives. They take the form of

d e v e l o p i n g

curricula, dol-

ingoutbooks

in hospitals

to parents of

n e w b o r n s ,

and sponsor-

ing educa-

tionalresourcewebsites,bookdrives,

andliteracyawarenessevents.

Pearson, for example, has several

top-drawer curricula software pro-

grams,including“OpeningtheWorld

ofLearning”forpreschoolers,“Read

Together,TalkTogether,”and“Scott

Foresman Reading Street Pre-K.”

Oneofitsnewdigitalinitiatives,just

launched with Penguin, is“We Give

Books”(www.wegivebooks.org).Kids

chooseabooktoreadandthatsame

bookgetsdonatedtoaliteracyorga-

nization.“WeGiveBooksisachance

foranyone,anywhere,toreadgreat

children’s books and, at the same

time, tomakethisgreatexperience

possible for someone else,” says

Mark Nieker, Pearson Foundation

president.

In 2007, Verizon invested $35

million in itsonlineeducationalsite

www.thinkfinity.org. Eleven educa-

tional partners provide site content

gearedtostudents,parents,andedu-

cators.Onecleverprogram:“Explore

TheLiteracyHouse,”whichprovides

fun,educationalactivitiesforparents

and kids during what might oth-

erwise be the witching hour: bath,

meal, and bedtime. “Our growing

emphasis isonresourcesthatbring

parents and children together. We

wanttohaveliteratefutureworkers

andalsohelpourcommunity,”says

VerizonFoundationprogramdirector

NancyWilliams.

In an effort to boost literacy,

not to mention their bottom line,

companies have begun churning

out interactive books that get kids

excited about reading. Publications

International, for instance, sells a

pen-shaped gadget it calls Poingo

($29.95) for the age 3-7 set. Along

withaspecialbook,youngstersclick

Poingo on the page to hear a story

read aloud. They can touch specific

wordstohighlightdefinitions.

Howdoyouspell“fun?”

BY:SALLYABRAHMSRead All About It: Early literacy ProgramsReadingtonewborns,toddlers,andpre-schoolerscanimprovetheiracadem-icperformanceoncetheyreachprimaryschoolandevenbeyond.That’sfact,notfiction!Educatorsandneuroscientistsknowthatbirththroughagefivearecriticallearningyears.Apicturemaybeworth1,000words;abook,itseems,couldbeworthabetterfuture.

We know that reading to a child is the single most important

intervention that parents can do…

7


BY:SALLYABRAHMS

Here’s what experts suggest:

• Try associations and na-

tional organization sites,

suchaswww.pta.orgorwww.aft.

org and follow their links. These

powerhouse groups have done

yourhomeworkforyou!

• Check out the sites of book pub-

lishers, software manufacturers,

corporations, and non-profits

committed to education. Many

have instructional sections (i.e.

Scholastic at www2.scholastic.

com/browse/teach.jsp, 3m’s

www.post-it.com/teachers, AFT’s

Tools for Teachers http://archive.

aft.org/tools4teachers/index.

htm,publicTV’sTeachers’Domain

atww.teachersdomain.org, Intel’s

www.intel.com/education/tools/

index.htm), and Verizon’s www.

thinkfinity.org.

• Ask yourself: Who is sponsoring

these sources? Is the information

current? Is itappropriate?Doesit

offeravarietyofresources?Isthere

freeaccesswithouttimelimits?

Increasingly, A-list groups and

corporationsarecreatingwebsitesto

reach and move students, whether

theyarelearningdisabledorgifted,

visual or auditory learners. What’s

more,teacherscanuseonlinemate-

rial in multiple subject areas. And

they are eager to have their own

forum. The corporation 3M, which

makes Post-its, launched a site for

teachersinSeptember,2009,primar-

ily through word of mouth. Just a

fewmonths later, theyhavetensof

thousands of users. “Teachers are a

close-knit community who look to

oneanotherforideas,”says3MCom-

municationsManagerMichelleGeb-

bie. The company also works with

teachers to refine its site. A recent

request?Morevisuals.

With more than a half million

members, Promethean’s free web-

site (www.PrometheanPlanet.com)

boaststheworld’slargestonlinecom-

munity of teachers (150 countries,

ten languages) who use interactive

whiteboard technology. Members

share ideas,peruseprofessionalde-

velopmentmaterials,andcanaccess

17,000lessons.

According to Charles Saylors,

presidentofthenationalPTA,“There

areweb-basedresourcesforliterally

anythingaparentneeds.Oursite is

constantly evolving with new and

improvedresources.”

That’snottheonlythingevolving.

HeidiGlidden,assistantAFTdirector,

predicts a surge in applications for

the smartphone. After all, mobile

learning can provide instant access

andinformation,whereveryouare.

Tapping into Top Online ResourcesThe Internet is both magical and maddening! With so much content, itcan also be confusing. How do you discern gobbledygook and just plaininaccurateinformationfromwhattherealprosputup—primarysources,thelatestresearch,andrivetingactivitiesandvideo?Wheredoyougotoconnectwithotherparentsorteachers,whetherthey’rearoundtheblockoraroundtheglobe? Here’s what

experts suggest ...these

powerhouse groups have done your homework

for you!


8

Notthatprintlovershaveany-

thingtoworryabout.Educa-

tors know that books are

important. Besides, many kids don’t

have regular access to computers,

whileschooldistrictsoftenlackfund-

ingfortechnologyandteachertrain-

ingtomakethatdigitalleap.

Inevitably, that will change. Last

month,Pearsonopenedits iDEAIn-

novation Center, a state-of-the-art

digitallaboratoryfocusingondesign,

usage,andefficacyresearch.

The company, which offers more

than 1,000 online programs, also

has systems to assess students, en-

sure they understand one concept

before tackling another, and store

testscoresandotherinformation—a

spectacular time saver for teachers.

Pearson’s preK-12 SuccessNet Plat-

formletskidsaccesshomeworkand

textbooks online. “We are headed

toward the day when every child

willbeabletolearnatanytime,any

place, and at the appropriate pace

tobesuccessfulandcollege-ready,”

saysPeterCohen,CEOofSchoolCur-

riculumatPearson.

In part, what’s driving the digi-

tal surge is the recognition that

textbooks can be costly, unwieldy,

quicklyout-of-date,andunsuitedto

somestudents’learningstyles.Don’t

forgetdull.

The best of digital, pros are find-

ing,stimulateskidsthroughrelevant,

meaningful, and varied content. In

Pearson’s “Myworld Geography,”

studentsfromaroundtheworldtell

powerful, personal stories. Pupils

play virtual travel games, listen to

regional songs, and watch video

segments. Promethean customers

haveaccesstomanypublishers,like

ScholasticandOxfordPress,aswell

as academics, who churn out high-

energycontentcompatiblewiththe

company’sinteractivewhiteboards.

SchoolsthatsubscribetotheDis-

coveryEducationStreamingservice

have many options as well. Teach-

erscanchoosefrom150,000digital

resourcessuchasvideos,audioclips,

articles, images and digital tools,

too. So say you’re a seventh grade

historyteacherinMarylandtryingto

bringtheBattleofGettysburgalive.

Youcouldgoonthewebandsearch

“BattleofGettysburg””bykeyword,

content area, and grade level, and

upwouldpopmaterialalignedwith

Marylandstatestandards.

“We have quantifiable evidence

throughresearchthatstudentswho

engage with digital content have

highertestscores,”saysDiscovery’s

Chief Marketing Officer Lori McFar-

ling.

Fromtop-notchdigitalinstruction,

studentsare learningfarmorethan

specific subject matter or test tak-

ing.They’rebeingschooled inskills

required in our competitive, global

workworld:thatwinningformulaof

creative teamwork plus well-honed

critical-thinkingandproblemsolving.

"With our ActivSlate,

teachers can walk

around a classroom

and interact with students while

writingonaslate,andthewordsor

numbers will appear on the front

board," says Mark Elliott, president

ofPrometheanNorthAmerica."You

can start videos. Really, anything

youcandoonacomputeryoucan

do with a slate."Teachers can save

what they’ve written, and display

multi-media content, whether it’s a

slide, animation, video clip from a

Presidentialspeech,a fast-breaking

story, or a simulated chemistry ex-

periment.

Withstudentlearningdeviceslike

these, educators present concepts

and ask questions, then receive in-

stant feedback—do their students

getitornot?What’stheiropinion?—

throughadigitaldevicethestudent

holds. Teachers can discern in real

timewhichpupilsneedextrahelp.

The Parkway Academy of Tech-

nology and Health, a Boston urban

publichighschool,isoneofthefew

schools to have a Promethean in-

teractive board in every classroom,

as well as laptops. (The majority

of schools don’t have interactive

boards.)MatthewHoughteling,Park-

way’stechnologymanager,believes

“the visual aspects help students

retain information.”The school de-

cidedtoinvestprivategrantmoney

to buy the boards, and each year,

adds three or four. Says principal

PamelaHilton:“Peoplearen’tgoing

to hire you unless you have 21st

centurytechnologyexperiences.”

Interactive Whiteboards: chalk need not applyComing to a cool classroom near you (if it hasn’t already): interactivewhiteboards.They might look like the ones from your childhood days, butdon’tbedeceived:usingaspecialpenwiredtoacomputerandequipment,the teacher or student can draw on the special board, add vibrant colors,enlarge the work, or make other changes with a digital toolbar on the sideoftheboard.

Textbook Publishers’ Big Assignment: Go digital BY:SALLYABRAHMS

Thatmanypublishersarenowputtingoutdigitaltextbooksspeaksvolumes.Lastsummer,CaliforniaGovernor Arnold Schwarzenegger announced hewasreplacinghighschoolmathandsciencebookswithfree,onlinesources.

BY:PATRICKGILMOuR

Q: What is the most important part of early childhood education?

A:Yearsofresearchonshort-andlong-termbenefitsindicatethathigh-

qualityprogramscreatethefoundationofcognitive,social,andemo-

tionaldevelopmentthatchildrenneedtosucceedinschoolandinlife.

Q:Whataresomeofthosebenefits?

A:Childrenwhohaveaccesstohigh-qualityearlyeducationarebetter

preparedforschool,work,andlife.Theyaremorelikelytobesuccess-

fulandtohaveapositiveoutlookontheirowneducation.Manyofour

nation’stopeconomistsconcurthataninvestmentinearlychildhood

educationalsohaslong-termeconomicbenefitsforindividualfamilies,

aswellassocietyasawhole.

Q:Howcanfamiliesfindhigh-qualitychildcare?

A:Formorethan20years,NAEYChashelpedfamiliesfindqualityprograms

throughanational,voluntaryaccreditationsystemthatsetsprofessional

standardsforearlychildhoodeducationprograms.NAEYC-Accredited

programsarethemarkofqualityandtherightchoiceforourchildren.

Therearecurrentlymorethan7,000programsnationwide.Parentsand

educatorscanlearnmoreaboutNAEYC-Accreditedprogramsintheir

communitiesatwww.naeyc.organdwww.rightchoiceforkids.org.

Q & aMark R. Ginsberg, Ph.d., executive director of naEYc

MarkRGinsberg

9


Change the classroom, change the world.

Discover how technology is transforming the way teachers teach and students learn at www.PrometheanWorld.com/change or call 1.866.467.7918, option 2.

Experience the ActivClassroom today.


10

Education Takes The Prize

Or, the payoff might be a

public pat on the back.

An example? The govern-

ment’sBlueRibbonSchoolsProgram

honoringK-12schoolsthatareaca-

demically superior or have shown

majorgainsinstudentachievement.

Education awards and prizes tell

winners and the world that what

they are doing matters. For com-

panies and other groups that dole

themout,it’sawaytomakeadiffer-

ence,notjustscorepublicrelations

points.

TheBroadPrizeforurbanEduca-

tion,awardedbytheEliandEdythe

BroadFoundation,isthelargestu.S.

educationprize.Recipientsareurban

schooldistrictswherestudentshave

improved the most academically

and are closing poor and minor-

ity achievement gaps. The prize

money--$2millionin2009alone—is

givenannuallyintheformofcollege

scholarships.“Americanpublicedu-

cationisoutdatedandbroken,rela-

tivetotherestoftheindustrialized

world,” says Dan Katzir, the Broad

Foundation’s managing director.

“Nomatterhowmanyresourcesare

thrown at a broken system, it can’t

be fixed. Public education must be

redesignedandresurrected—aswe

seehappeninginBroadPrizeschool

districtsand leadingpubliccharter

schools—soAmericanstudentscan

once again perform at the same

world-class levelsweexpectofour

Olympicathletes.”

Late lastmonth, theBroadFoun-

dation awarded $1.5 million to the

NationalCenteronTime&Learning

so it can partner with schools and

districts to lengthen school calen-

dars.Increasedlearningtime,experts

maintain,willmeangreaterstudent

achievement and a more educated

groupabletocompetebetterinan

internationalworld.

Discovery Education and 3M are

targetingbuddingscientiststhrough

theirYoungScientistChallenge.Ina

brief video, grades 5-8 contenders

explain a concept to demonstrate

their science communications

skills. The winner receives $50,000

($25,000inu.S.savingsbonds)and

finalistsaregivenmoneyandatrip

relatedtotheirscientificpassion(i.e.

SpaceCamporastintwitharanger

inanationalpark).Discovery,along

with the Siemens Foundation, also

hosts a We Can Change the World

competition where K-12 students

developgreensolutionsforenviron-

mentalissues.

McGraw-Hill’s HaroldW. McGraw,

Jr. Prize in Education is awarded

yearlytoapersonwhohasdevoted

himorherself to improvingeduca-

tionandhasmadeasubstantialdif-

ference. One recipient was Barbara

Bushforherfamily literacyfounda-

tion.“TheMcGrawPrizeinEducation

has always been dedicated to rec-

ognizing outstanding educational

visionarieswhoarehelpingstudents

reach new heights,” says Eileen

Gabriele, McGraw’s vice president

of Corporate Affairs. “Spotlighting

the work of these leaders helps to

broaden their impact so that more

studentswillbenefit.”

Andthewinneris...everyone.

Virtuemaybeitsownreward,butrewardsserveimportantpurposes,too.Inthefieldofeducation,prizesandgrantscantranslateintodesperatelyneededstudentscholarships,moneyfortechnology,research,supplies,newinitiatives,andenrichedcurricula.

They have rich online and print

resources to chew on: cor-

porate websites with the lat-

est research, games, comics, videos,

music, and factoids; print materials;

and contests and events to raise

awareness.

TheDoleNutritionInstitute,partof

theDoleCompany,hasaslogan“Feed

theWorldwithKnowledge.”Among

itsofferingsareafreemonthlynutri-

tion newsletter and website (www.

dole.com).Partofthesiteisdevoted

toeducators, including lessonplans

andclassroomactivitiesrelatedtoin-

stillinghealthyeatinghabits;another

area is forkids.Thesitealsopostsa

dailynutritiontip.

ThestateofCalifornia’sDepartment

ofPublicHealthhasaChildren’sPower

Play! initiative promoting physical

activityanddailydosesoffruitsand

vegetablesfor9-11-year-olds.

TheNationalFootballLeaguehas

a two and a half year-old national

healthandfitnessinitiative.Itsgoalis

togetkidstobeactiveforatleastan

houraday—hence,itsnamePlay60.

TheNFLtacklesalotofturf:Itholds

an essay contest where youngsters

writeabouttheimportanceofbeing

active--the winning entrant gets to

run on the field at the Super Bowl;

NFLplayersspeakincommunityven-

uesaboutkids’nutritionandfitness;

the organization, in collaboration

withtheAmericanHeartAssociation,

helpseducatorsweavehealthyfood

andphysicalfitnessthemesintothe

curriculum;anditswebsite(nflrush.

com)istargetedtoyoungfans.

“NFL players know how impor-

tantdailyphysicalactivityistotheir

performance. They are natural role

modelsforchildren,remindingthem

that60minutesofactivityadaycan

help them be their best on and off

thefield,”saysPeterO’Reilly,NFL’sVP

ofmarketingandfandevelopment.

Beingactive,aswellasproactive,is

thegoal.

BY:SALLYABRAHMS

Educating Kids About Food And FitnessMoveoverfries,chips,andcake.Hellocarrots,broccoli,andbananas!Anddon’tforgetthatafterdinnerwalk!Withtheheftyriseofchildhoodobesityanddia-betes,corporations,non-profits,andothergroupsarescramblingtoeducatekids,parents,andteachersaboutproperexerciseandnutrition.

BY:SALLYABRAHMS

Learn more about NAEYC Accreditation and find an NAEYC-Accredited program near you at

www.rightchoiceforkids.org

National Association for the Education of Young Children

NAEYC Accreditation is the mark of quality.

NAEYC AccreditationThe Right Choice for KidsRCFK AD-USATODAY.indd 1 2/26/10 11:34:47 AM

The NFL and its players are committed to improving

the health of kids everywhere.

The NFL and its players are committed to improving

the health of kids everywhere.

It starts with 60 minutes of play every day.

Have your family join the movement at

NFLRUSH.COM


12

Adobe spends $3 million an-

nually to sponsor these

academiesatboysandgirls

clubsand localorganizations. Ithas

notonly reducedthestudentdrop-

out rate, but taught kids how to be

proactiveandgainlifeskills.

Corporate social responsibility

(CSR)takesmanyforms:acompany

might donate technology, offer

hands-onexpertisetoschools,create

educational websites or technolo-

gies,orbankrollprojectsthatimpact

the community and teacher devel-

opment. Businesses realize it can

enhance their reputation, promote

their brand, make employers feel

goodabouttheircompanyandwant

tostay,andprovideskillstotheirfu-

tureworkforce.

TurningTechnologies,throughits

TurningFoundation,helpsschooldis-

trictsanduniversitiesfindandsecure

resources for school improvement.

Alongwithothercorporatesponsors,

they’veoutfitted15classroomswith

technology.

IBM is a huge investor in educa-

tion—$100 million annually. Its

Transition to Teaching programisfor

employees interested in becoming

full-timemathandscienceteachers.

While still working at IBM, workers

pursue a teaching degree and re-

ceive$15,000fortuitionorstipends

while they student teach. Among

other IBM CSR initiatives is a soft-

wareprogramcalledTraduceloahora

that automatically translates emails

betweenparentsandteachersfrom

EnglishtoSpanishandviceversa,so

Hispanicparentscangetinvolvedin

theirchild’seducation.“CSRiscritical

toourbusiness,”saysStanleyLitow,

IBM’sVPofCorporateCitizenshipand

Affairsandformerdeputychancellor

fortheNewYorkCitypublicschools.

“In order for us to be successful,

communities have to be successful,

andyoucan’thavethatwithoutwell-

functioningpublicschools.”

Overthenexttenyears,Intelisin-

vesting$120millioninmathandsci-

enceeducation,andElmer’sProducts

hasaGlueCrewRecyclingProgram.

StudentscollectemptyElmer’sglue

containers and sticks while learn-

ingabouthelpingtheenvironment.

Teachers use the empties as visual

aides to teach counting. They also

assignreadingandwritingexercises

with a recycling theme and direct

theirstudentstoconductonlinere-

searchonthesubject.

“Weknowhowimportanttheen-

vironmentis,soourwayofrespond-

ing is tomake ithands-onforkids,”

says Mary Beth Cowardin, Elmer’s

seniormarketingmanager.“Wehave

plantedtheseed.Nowrecyclingwill

becomeroutineforthem.”

Promethean is also committed

to CSR. After Katrina, it donated in-

teractive whiteboard equipment to

decimatedschools,setupmakeshift

classrooms in tents and churches,

andhelpedCiscoprovidehigh-tech

resources to earthquake survivors

in China. It expects to do the same

inHaiti.

BY:SALLYABRAHMS

Lights! Camera! Social Responsibility!You might not have heard of a digital media academy, but 20,000 at-riskstudentshave.They’relearningfromprofessionalHollywood-typehotshotshowtocreateandeditvideosandanimation.ThroughtheAdobeFounda-tion,kidslearntomastermulti-mediasoftwareontopicsrangingfromgangviolencetobullying—orwhateverelsetheychoose.Someoftheirdocumen-tarieshavebeenscreenedatSundanceandtheHumanRightsWatchInter-nationalFilmFestival.

Don’t miss the Rock Bottom Remainders 2010 Tour Live:April 20, 21 – Washington, DCApril 22 – PhiladelphiaApril 23 – New York CityApril 24 – Boston Almost live, and online:www.rockbottomremainders.com Tickets and more information:www.wegivebooks.org

The Rock Bottom Remainders 2010 Tour is presented by We Give Books. All proceeds from this tour directly support We Give Books’efforts for Haitian earthquake relief.

Rock Bottom Remaindersband members confirmed for the tour:

Mitch Albom, Dave Barry, Sam Barry,Roy Blount, Jr., Kathi Kamen Goldmark,

Greg Iles, James McBride, Ridley Pearson,Amy Tan, Scott Turow

© 2010 Pearson Foundation

RBRtour ad - v13

Pearson FoundationMary van [email protected]

Project: 1076 RBR Tour USA Today AdDate: 02/10/10AD Spec: USA Today color insertInsert Date: 3/12 issue

Finished Size: 9.75" WIDE x 5" TALLBleed Size: noneColor: CMYK Notes: CYAN guide line does not print

13


Visit post-it.com/teachers

Inspire young minds.Great products! Fun ideas!

Free classroom activities and coupons!

Education Funding: How it adds up

But the President is overhauling

the education system, intro-

ducingchangesforattaining

federal funding,andearmarkingbil-

lionstoreadystudentsfortheglobal

workworld.(Theu.S.ranksjustninth

intheworldinmathand11thinsci-

ence.)Obamaalsowants to revamp

theNoChildLeftBehindAct,enacted

in2002byPresidentGeorgeW.Bush.

Lastyear,hesignedtheAmerican

Recovery and Reinvestment Act of

2009 (AARA) to stimulate the econ-

omyandimprovevarioussectors,in-

cludingeducation.ThispastJanuary,

40statesandtheDistrictofColumbia

vied for $4.35 billion in competitive

federalgrantsunderAARA’sRace to

theTopprogramdesignedinpartto

improve the quality of teaching. On

February22,thePresidentannounced

hewouldexpandtheprogram.

ToqualifyforRacetotheTopfunds,

somestateshavehadtochangelaws

(i.e.removethecaponhowmanynew

charterschoolscanopeneveryyear)

orcreatelegislation.

State grant monies will be dis-

persed next month and again later

this year. States stand to receive as

muchas$700millionfromuncleSam.

But they must show they can close

achievementgaps,boosthighschool

graduationrates,maketeachersmore

accountable, create a challenging

environment, prepare students for

college or work, and tackle certain

reformstrategies—amassiveassign-

ment,indeed.

Reform strategies include having

internationally benchmarked stan-

dards and assessments; recruiting

and retaining good teachers and

principals;creatingdatasystemsthat

track student success; and reviving

thelowest-performingschools.

The No Child Left Behind Act re-

quiresthatstatesadopt“challenging

academic standards” in math and

reading to receive federal money

underTitle1forpoorstudents.How-

ever,thosestandardsaredetermined

byeachstate,whichhasledtouneven

standards.Toaddressthedisparities,

48states(minusTexasandAlaska)are

workingthroughtheNationalGover-

nors Association to create common

standards.TheAdministrationhasjust

announced itwill rewardstatesthat

collaborate to develop high-caliber

assessments.

The No Child law mandates that

everystudentmake“adequateyearly

progress”aswellasbeacademically

proficientby2014.undertheObama

regime, schoolswouldno longerbe

termed “underperforming” on the

basisoftestscoresalone.

Some teachers question parts of

the initiative, such as adopting uni-

form standards and linking teacher

pay to student performance on test

scores. What everyone agrees on,

though,isthatthecurrenteducation

systemisn’tcuttingit.

Pearson’s K-12 Solutions group is

trying to improve low-performing

schoolsbypartneringwithstatesand

schooldistricts.ThispastJanuary,the

state of Colorado selected Pearson

to be one of its providers to help

transformflailingschoolsthroughits

School Turnaround Education Part-

nership (STEP) resources, covering

suchareasascurriculum,technology,

support systems, and diagnostics,

planning,andevaluation,amongoth-

ers.

Says Scott Drossos, president of

Pearson’s K-12 Solutions:“Our STEP

model helps schools make funda-

mentalchangesandsustainimprove-

mentsforthelongterm.Wehavethe

opportunity to draw from Pearson’s

vast research based and proven

resources, including curriculum, as-

sessment, technology, and teacher

professional development products

andservices, tocreateacustomized

improvement plan for Colorado’s

schools.”

Whatsubstantiveeducationreform

means isthatstateswill receiveafi-

nancialshotinthearmfromthefeds,

whilekidswillgetachancetocom-

petegloballyandmovetothefront

oftheline.

How much schools and student achievementimproveundertheObamaadministrationwillbeatestoftime.

©2

010

Rach

elE

lkin

d

Q: How do budget cuts impact principals’ choices about educational

resources?

A:Continuouscutssometimesforceprincipalstogiveupthingspopularly

considered“extras”likemusic,theater,andvisualarts,whichareoften

what make children want to go to school. Or they eliminate sports,

whichhelpkeepstudentshealthyandfit.Nextgoestutoringandcoun-

seling.Educationshouldneverbecut.It’sthebedrockofdemocracy

andeconomichealth.

Q:If charter schools are such an important part of today’s education

agenda,whyaretheycontroversial?

A:There’smisunderstandingaboutwhattheyare.They’republicschools

relievedofsomeconstraintssothatinnovativemethodsmaybetested.

Becausetheyreceivepublicmoney,they’reprohibitedfromcharging

tuitionandrejectingstudentsonthebasisofacademicachievement,

specialneedsorEnglishlanguageproficiency.Manybelievethatthese

schoolshidetheirresultsanddon’tsharetheirbestpractices.Ibelieve

thatthefinestofthemspringfromcommunityroots.

Q:Whatdoyouthinkaboutthenationaltrendtoclosefailingschools?

A:Closingaschoolisrarelyinthebestinterestofchildren.It’sbetterto

givestrugglingschoolsthesupervisionandresourcestheyneedinthe

firstplaceratherthanneglectthem,thenshutthemdown.

Q & acouncil of school supervisors & administrators President Ernest logan

ErnestLogan

BY:SALLYABRAHMS


14

Q: How do you rate America’s educa-

tionalresources?

A: We have vast resources, but the

culture of K-12 education has been

sotiltedtowardtextbooksthatmany

teachershaven’tmadethemoveto

this new digital world. Meanwhile,

manyothercountrieshave.

Q: Canwecatchup?

A: Absolutely! Race to the Top, a

federal initiative, is infusing $4.35

billion intothestatesforeducation.

Withoutresourcestherereally isno

conversation.Digital resources level

theplayingfieldbetweenpoorand

well-financedschools.

Q: Aren’t THIRTEEN and PBS public

broadcastinghelping?

A: Wetakevideofromourprograms,

whether it’s NOVA, Frontline, or a

show about Abraham Lincoln and

align them to state and national

standards, offer instructional activi-

ties,anddistributethemfreethrough

PBSstationwebsites.Wehaveshort

segments that teachers can seam-

lesslyuse,aswellaswholeprograms.

Q: Isn’t professional development

alsokey?

A: Yes. WNET.ORG created an an-

nual professional development

conferencecalledtheCelebrationof

Teaching&LearninginNewYorkCity,

tapping experts in their fields, not

justeducators.Onespeakerthisyear

isaLostBoywhowalked2,000miles

to escape genocide. Few American

teachershavedirectexperiencewith

genocide,makingithardforstudents

tocare.Nowitwillcomealive.

Q:Isthereexcitementaboutallthese

new resources, or do teachers feel

overwhelmedbythevolumeofma-

terial?

A:Teachersneed,firstandforemost,

more time—time to work together

to identify online resources, share

lessonplansandsolveproblemscol-

laboratively.

Q:Arecutting-edgeresourcestrans-

formingeducationforteachers?

A: There’s no doubt that new tech-

nologiesaretransformingeducation,

but too often individual teachers

have to figure it all out for them-

selves.Weneedtogiveteachersbet-

tertrainingandsupports.

Q:Yousay that, “Inaglobalknowl-

edgeeconomy,fillinginthebubbles

onastandardizedtestisn’tgoingto

prepare our children to succeed in

life.” What changes do we have to

makeasasociety tobetterprepare

children?

A:Wehavetoleveltheplayingfield

for disadvantaged students, both

inside and outside of school. That

meansbetterhealthcare,nutritional

services,andafter-schoolactivities.

Q: What do teachers want most in

termsofeducationalresources?What

iscurrentlylacking?

A: What’s often missing in edu-

cational resources and policies is

teacher input. They care about kids

and do their utmost to help them

succeed.Whatteacherssayneedsto

beheard—andactedon.

Q: Howiseducationchanging?

A:IfRipVanWinklehadfallenasleep

inthe1800sandwokenupinatradi-

tionalclassroomtoday,he’dfindthere

wouldn’tbea lotofchange.Classes

may have computers, but teachers

don’talwaysusethem.

Q:Where’sthechangethen?

A:Agrowingnumberofclassrooms

arenolongertraditional.Whiteboard

technology and student response

devices are absolutely transforming

education. Go into a school where

ateacher istrainedtouseourtech-

nologyandyouwillseeaclassroom

on fire! Students are engaged and

excited to learn for the sheer joy of

learning.

Q:Howpopularisthisapproach?

A:Inthelastfiveyears,theadoption

rate for whiteboard technology has

risenfrom1percentto28percentin

theu.S.Intheu.K.,thatfigureisap-

proximately78percent.

Q:Haveyouhadindependentfeed-

back?

A:Anotedresearcheducatornamed

Dr.RobertMarzanostudied79teach-

ersfrom50schools.Hehadthesame

teacher give the same lesson with

andwithoutPromethean’sActivClass-

roomtechnology.Studentsscored17

percentilepointshigher

Q:Whatdoesthatsaytoyou?

A:Itsubstantiateswhatisintuitive—

thatis,studentsarebetterengagedif

theteacherhasbettertools.

Panel of Experts

Q: How did Discovery get into the

fieldofeducation?

A: Our founder John Hendricks be-

lieved that television could inspire,

educate, and enlighten. We would

runincredibledocumentariesonna-

tureorscienceorhistoryandschools

would ask to use those videos for

their classrooms. John decided we

shouldmakeourproductsavailable

tokids,sowestartedwithhardcopy

videosforschoolsandlibraries.

Q:Whyisstreamingdigitalmediaso

powerful?

A:Youneedtomakecontentcome

alive in the same format students

areusedtoandwant.Digitalmedia

allowsyoutoaccessandengageall

types of learners, is less expensive

than textbooks—important with

schools facing budget crunches—

provides relevant content. A text-

bookmightnothaveanythingabout

theH1N1virus,butdigitalmediawill.

Q:Wheredoyouseeeducators/pro-

grammersgoinginthenextfiveyears

withdigitalcontentandstreaming?

A: In 2009, the Oregon state Board

of Education approved our online

Discovery Education Science service

asaprimaryinstructionaltool.Look

for more school systems replacing

textbookswithdigitalcontent.

RONTHORPEVPandDirectorofEducationWNET.org

RANDIWEINGARTENPresidentAmericanFederationofTeachers

MARKELLIOTTPresidentPromethean,NorthAmerica

BRADGANTVicePresidentofEducationalSalesTurningTechnologies

BILLGOODWYNPresidentDiscoveryEducation

Q: What educational products does

TurningTechnologiesproduce?

A:TurningTechnologiesisaleading

providerofstudentresponsesystems

thathelpcreateengaging,interactive

presentations.Ourproductssupport

pollingofanswersandrealtimefeed-

backtoteachers.

Q:Howdoyourproductsassistlearn-

ers?

A: Our response systems actively

engage students. The immediate

feedback is extremely valuable in

validating their learning perception

andhelpstoinvolveeverystudent.

Q:Andeducators?

A: Educators can immediately de-

terminestudentunderstandingand

can tailor instruction to individual

student needs. Educators can even

trackperformancebydistrict,build-

ing, classroom or student, and tag

assessmentitemstostatestandards,

whichisbecomingcritical.

Q: What are the major trends in

technology for education and how

isTurningTechnologiespartofthose

trends?

A: Educators are no longer content

withtechnologyforthesakeoftech-

nology.Theywanttoolsthatimprove

teachingmethodologiesandstudent

achievement. Mobile technology is

expanding into the classroom, and

ResponseWare meets that trend.

Ourhighereducationcustomersare

alreadyinvestinginthistypeoftech-

nology.K-12willsoonfollow.

15


Support Your Public Schools

AMERICAN FEDERATION OF SCHOOL

ADMINISTRATORS, AFL-CIO, LOCAL 1

The Council of School Supervisorsand Administrators

urges you toSupporT your

puBLiC SChooLCommuniTieS!

Great Schools BeginWith Great Leaders

McGraw-Hill is banking on

getting help from its Fi-

nancial Literacy Now ini-

tiative offering financial literacy in-

classandviaanonline“bootcamp”to

800NewYorkCityteachers;thereare

planstoexpandtoTexasandIllinois.

The company also provides other

waystoreachstudents,withpodcasts

that suggest strategies for incorpo-

ratingpersonalfinanceintocontent

areas,andresourcesandwebtoolson

www.financiallitnow.org.

“McGraw-Hilliscommittedtohelp-

ing teachers succeed,” says Louise

Raymond, senior director of Global

Corporate Responsibility. “Through

the professional development re-

sourcesweoffertoeducatorsacross

thecountry,includingdigitaltraining

tools,wearecreatingasmarter,better

world.”

Introducingtheconceptofprofes-

sional development. Definition: Op-

portunities to enhance learning. In

teaching, it might mean workshops,

conferences,peermentoring,online

or in-person coursework, sharing of

bestpractices,ortechnologytraining

providedbythedistrict,stategovern-

ment,non-profits,orcompanieswith

specific expertise or interest. Or, it

could be a variation on that theme.

Thegoalistodeepenteachers’knowl-

edgeincontentareas,connectthem

with colleagues (grownups!), keep

them current with new pedagogy,

curriculum, or laws, and reenergize

them.Notonlydotheseopportuni-

tiesgetthosecreativejuicesflowing

(excusethecliché,Englishteachers!),

butalsotheyareawaytokeepedu-

catorsenthusiasticabouttheirwork.

Historically,schoolshavesetaside

a few days a year for professional

development.“Inordertomakeareal

difference in student achievement,”

notesRobertWeil,deputydirectorof

educational issues at the American

Federation of Teachers, “we need

to start talking about professional

developmentasaneveryday,in-the-

classroom process and stop talking

aboutitasanevent.”

SaysAdaDolch,executivedirector

oftheExecutiveLeadershipInstitute:

“Thebestprofessionaldevelopment

opportunities are interactive, where

you share ideas, talk about what

you’ve heard, and are able to put it

intoactionrightaway inyourclass-

room.”

Discovery Education, which pro-

vides digital content to more than

half of u.S. schools, would agree. Its

120,000-memberDiscoveryEducator

Network supports problem-solving

andsharingonlineandthroughhun-

dredsofface-to-faceeventsannually.

Discoveryalsoworkswithschoolsys-

temstoimplementdigitalcontentvia

on-siteandonlinehelp.“Digitalcon-

tentistransformingthewayteachers

engage with students, but it is only

halfoftheequation,”maintainsScott

Kinney, Discovery’s vice president

of professional development. “The

other part is training educators to

effectively integrate that content.

Professional development becomes

critical.”

BY:SALLYABRAHMSTeachers Have Homework, Too: Professional developmentFinancialliteracyisanewconceptintheclassroom.Formanyteachers,itmaybeforeignterritory.Sohowcantheyconveythatinformationmosteffectivelytotheirstudents?Justlikestudents,educatorsneedtokeeplearning.

...we are creating a smarter,

better world.

American Federation of Teachers, afl-cio

Randi Weingartenpresident

Antonia Cortese secretary-treasurer

Lorretta Johnsonexecutive vice president

www.aft.orgfacebook.com/AFTunion

Let’s give every child a great education. It’s what children deserve—and what teachers want to provide. But teachers need the tools, time and trust to help their students succeed.

Strengthening our schools takes shared responsibility and a shared commitment to excellence: students, teachers and parents forming bonds that no one can fracture, and teachers unions and their management counterparts creating genuine partnerships for reforms to succeed.

The AFT is leading the charge to promote great teaching and great prospects for our young people. We invite our fellow educators, elected officials, business leaders and community groups to join us.

Together, we can forge a new path for our public schools—and change public education for our changing world.

The AFT is a leader in providing educators the tools they need to help them succeed. Visit the AFT’s Tools for Teachers Web site for a variety of classroom resources.

educational resourcesdoc.mediaplanet.com/all_projects/4469.pdf · els. in a middle school class at...

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