Italy Trip Updates

I will try to use this blog for updates on our trip. If this does not work then I will revert to email and/or Twitter. Follow me on Twitter @gap_4.

Day 6

We drove north to Florence today. We stopped in Assisi to see important places from the lives of Sts. Clare and Francis. Tomorrow will be spent walking the streets of Florence.

Day 5

The papal audience was incredible. The students were able to see Pope Francis and hear his message to pilgrims from across the world. We also visited the Pantheon and Spanish Steps. Tomorrow we travel to Florence with a stop in Assisi.

Day 4

Our day trip to Pompeii was great. The site is truly awesome and we were only able to see a portion of it. We get up early for the papal audience tomorrow morning.

Day 3

We had a very busy day with visits to many historic, spiritual, and memorable sites. The day ranged from visiting the heart of the Catholic church to a place where Christians were tortured and killed. The kids and weather have been awesome. We have a drive to Pompeii tomorrow morning.

Days 1 & 2

We are all in Rome and checked into our hotel. We stopped by Piazza Navona this afternoon before eating dinner and checking into our hotel.

We have an early and busy day tomorrow with visits to the Vatican museums, Sistine Chapel, Basilica of Saint Peter, Colosseum, and Roman Forum.

2016 Italy Trip

We are leaving in 4 days. I will be trying to give as many updates as possible as we progress through our trip.

College Admissions Presentation

9th and 10th grade families: 

You are invited to attend an important event on March 30 at 6pm in the multipurpose room to learn about how to navigate the college admission testing process successfully. Our guest speaker comes to us from Compass Education Group, California's leading provider of college admission test tutoring and guidance, with offices in Beverly Hills and San Francisco employing 400 tutors and advisors who work with thousands of students each year. Compass is regularly invited by schools in CA and NY to present a seminar on college admission tests and gaining admission to selective colleges. 

Presentation topics include colleges' use of test scores and the current competitive environment, a detailed comparison of the SAT vs the ACT and how to choose the test that suits you best, strategies for success on the SAT Subject Tests, the implications of colleges' varying 'Score Choice' policies, and optimal scheduling of testing and test preparation. The presentation is ideal for 9th-10th grade families with students who aspire to attend selective colleges and to maximize their potential on standardized tests.  Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Compass' "College Admission Testing Guide" used in school counseling offices throughout CA. Compass does not offer its services outside CA and NY, so the presentation will be entirely non-solicitous, full of positive and useful advice on college admission and testing.

Visit http://www.compassprep.com/testing-events/ to learn more about the event. Attendees will receive a complimentary copy of Compass' Guide to Testing, a 60 page resource full of detailed information about the PSAT, SAT, ACT, and Subject Tests."

Presenter bio: 

"Compass co-founder Adam Ingersoll graduated high school in the Iowa City area and went on to attend the University of Southern California, where he graduated magna cum laude, was a member of the varsity basketball team, and also worked in the office of admission. Adam's career in educational counseling and test preparation spans 21 years. Adam and his wife (an Iowa native) relocated to Iowa City in order to be near family and raise their four children in Iowa City. Adam commutes to Los Angeles semi-monthly." 

Questioning

As a colleague stated today (I'm paraphrasing) - getting students to learn how to ask the right and good questions is what is important.

Thank you to Mr. Scholze for sharing this with me.

http://mrkempnz.com/2014/06/questioning-the-most-powerful-tool-in-the-classroom-an-action-research.html

Summer Foreign Language Opportunity

The following link will lead you to more information regarding a foreign language opportunity being offered this summer. The Belin-Blank Center at the University of Iowa is offering this great opportunity for student currently in grades 9-11.

http://www2.education.uiowa.edu/belinblank/students/summer/Classes.aspx?P=WLI&L=IC&S=2

Differentiation Doesn't Work - Education Week

Interesting article. Although I think there is more merit to DI than the author gives it, great points are made on how difficult it is for teachers to reach every student.



Differentiation Doesn't Work - Education Week

Dupont Challenge Science Essay Competition

Dupont: The DuPont Challenge Science Essay Competition

The DuPont Challenge encourages students to delve deep into their interests in science, technology, engineering, and math and express themselves with creativity and purpose. Ours is a growing world that faces new challenges each day, and DuPont wants students to share their ideas for how science can help keep our global population supplied with food, safety, and clean energy. Essays must be between 700 to 1,000 words in length, include a list of research sources, and fall under one of four categories: Together, we can feed the world; together, we can build a secure energy future; together, we can protect people and the environment; or together, we can be innovative anywhere. Maximum award: U.S. Savings Bond of $5,000 at maturity; expenses-paid Orlando trip; Britannica Digital Learning E-book collection, including Britannica Illustrated Science Library (67 E-book volumes total); and Britannica's 5 iOS science apps. Eligibility: students currently enrolled in grades 6 through 12 in public, private, or home schools in the United States, Canada, or their territories. Deadline: January 31, 2015. More

http://thechallenge.dupont.com/essay/students/student-awards.php

Three Things to Know About the U.S. Bishops’ Recent Discussions on Catholic Schools // Alliance for Catholic Education

Three Things to Know About the U.S. Bishops’ Recent Discussions on Catholic Schools // Alliance for Catholic Education

Online Learning Opportunity for Junior High Students

The University of Wisconsin - Madison is offering a program called Program A Missions. There are many missions available to choose from and they are designed to extend learning in the classroom. Students selecting to get involved in this program must be passionate about the subject matter they are pursuing.

Visit www.wcaty.wise.edu for more information. See Mr.Plummer if you wish to pursue a mission.

No, You Can't Do 'Extra Credit' - Work in Progress - Education Week Teacher

No, You Can't Do 'Extra Credit' - Work in Progress - Education Week Teacher

5 Keys to Avoid Being a Bullying Bystander

I received the following 5 keys in an email from Dennard Mitchell. He speaks to students across the nation on motivation and bullying.

Bystander Bullies If there is one thing that Bullies like more than being a Bully, is employing an audience. The more the merrier as far the as the Bully is concerned and is the fuel to ignite the fire they need as they humiliate someone else; something that far too often leads to   violence. Bystander Bullies are just as harmful to a bullying situation, especially if that fire gets lit. A bystander bully is described as someone who is indirectly involved with the increase of bullying to someone else. Children seeing bullying situations far more often than they should. Often time that are not sure what to do when they happen upon a situation like that. Many of them just want to go along for the ride and see what all the chaos and commotion is about. However there are many in those crowds that would like to break up the situation, but out of the fear of retaliation for being a whistle-blower or a 'goody-two shoes', decide against it. Besides preventing ourselves from being an audience to add fuel to the bully's fire there are still other things we can do to increase the message that bullying will not be tolerated.

5 Key Tips to Avoid Being a Bully Bystander.  1. Be a Friend. Sometimes simply being nice to someone who is being bullied is helpful. Letting them know that you do not agree with it and asking if there is anything you can do lets them know that someone cares. Encouraging them to, 2. Talk to an adult. Talk to an adult is also being a friend. If this is not something that they feel comfortable with then as a friend you should find an adult you trust to handle the situation before it gets worse. If there is no adult around and the situation seems to escalate then you can,   3. Assist with an Escape. Create a distraction so that the attention is off of the bully. If the bully doesn't have the needed audience then there's no reason to go on. Only intervene on bullying situations when it is safe to do so. And do not intervene through the use of violence. This only escalates the situation and a bystander should be able to, 4. Set a Good Example. Be a leader to those around you. Encourage them about the negative effects of bullying and actively participate in anti-bullying projects and initiatives. Promote the motto of respecting individuality and giving awareness to cultivating a bully FREE culture. And again, the number one thing you can do to prevent being a Bully Bystander is 5. Don't Be an Audience. Prevent the fire before it starts.

Grading Standards Can Elevate Teaching - Education Week

Grading Standards Can Elevate Teaching - Education Week



I especially like this quote in the conclusion, "we need to free ourselves from an antiquated, unclear, and essentially discredited system that weakens teachers’ effectiveness and their credibility."

It’s Time to Stop Averaging Grades

It’s Time to Stop Averaging Grades

Middle School Summer Challenge

Washington University in St. Louis is hosting a Middle School Summer Challenge. The program "combines advanced curriculum and leadership development" this upcoming summer. More information can be found at summerexperiences.wustl.edu.

Honor Roll? Really?

Honor Roll? Really?