C-CUEs

Useful links and thoughts for school leaders and teachers curated from the web by Harriet Potoka.

"Maps are a great way for students to navigate their understanding of different topics. While it is useful for geography (of course), students can also use mapping to increase their understanding of a story in English, a lesson in History, studies in Ecology, and more. Here are three FREE tools that allow students and teachers to create interactive maps, and they don’t require a login!” -Jennifer Carey

• Zee Maps
• NatGeo Mapmaker Interactive
• Scribble Maps

Mastering Formative Assessment Moves: 7 High-Leverage Practices to Advance Student Learning

ASCD - Brent Duckor and Carrie Holmberg,

Thursday, July 27, 3:00 pm (EDT)

Digital Portfolios in the Classroom

ASCD - Matt Renwick

Tuesday, August 8, 3:00 pm (EDT)

Get Your School Data Out of the Silos and into the Light

edWeb - Bobby Touran

Tuesday, August 8, 3:00 pm (EDT)

Rethinking Math Culture: Proven Ways to Develop a School-WIde Math Mindset

edWeb - David Woods

Wednesday, August 9, 3:00 pm (EDT)

Building a Community of Readers - Driving Student Engagement Through Collective Impact

Education Week - Donald, J. Boyd and Noelle Ellerson Ng

Thursday, August 10, 2:00 pm (EDT)

Unconferences are helping teachers meet one another to connect around needs not covered by traditional professional development. These informal sessions are most often organized by teachers and the participants propose the topics on the spot and drive the conversation. In this article, Micahel Godsey, discusses the purpose and format of unconferences along with suggestions on how to do an unconference, small, medium, or large.

Recently I was asked to recommend four or five “too good to miss” blogs for a teacher just venturing into the world of educational blogs. Here are five that I recommended: blogs that I have used consistently in preparing the C-CUE newsletter and in sharing information with school leaders:

1. Edutopia
   
2. Mindshift
   
3. Cult of Pedagogy
   
4. WeAreTeachers
5. Edvocate

The evidence is mounting that screen time and electronics function like hard drugs for kids. Screen time has also been correlated with higher rates of obesity, less time spent reading, less self-directed imaginative play, and less face-to-face social interaction. In this article Marika Lndbloom, Ph.D. outlines 12 steps to taming and living with the addiction.

How can school leaders provide feedback that actually helps teachers improve their practice? The traditional approach is to observe, then give feedback that includes suggestions about specific changes to make. But suggestions are a waste of a good learning opportunity— for both the teacher and the instructional leader. In this ebook, Justin Baeder explains how deep conversations about instruction create the best context for professional growth — for both the observer and the teacher receiving feedback. Download a copy of the ebook: Ten Questions for Better Feedback Without Suggestions

Ask most teachers about faculty meetings and they'll describe a black hole of boring announcements, fruitless debate, and overwhelming agendas. But what if faculty meetings could actually inspire and engage? What if they were the high point of the week? It can be done, and with a simple shift in thinking, school leaders can create useful and inspiring meetings.

PODCAST - How to Help Kids in Poverty Succeed in Life and Learning

Sheryl Nussbaum-Beach was the guest on the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast with Vicki Davis, where she talked about the best ways educators and schools can help children impacted by poverty. From personal experience as both a child in poverty and as a teacher who helps those in poverty, Sheryl shares what works to help kids in poverty succeed in life and learning.

PODCAST - Poverty and the Soft Bigoty of Low Expectations

In this podcast, Dr. Anael Alston talks about common misconceptions that educators have about students in poverty. He discuss how teachers should approach teaching students who are in high-poverty situations which is important because Anael argues that many thoughts about students in poverty are off-base.

BLOG POST - Leading Learning for Children From Poverty

In this blog post, Cynthia Johnson shares six effective practices that can help teachers help students from poverty succeed. Low-socioeconomic level does not equal low outcomes.

ARTICLE - How Growing Up in Poverty May Affect a Child’s Developing Brain

A mounting body of research shows that the circumstances and chronic stresses of poverty interrupt the development of the brain. Research suggests that growing up in difficult circumstances dictated by poverty can wreak damage to a child’s cognitive skills that last a lifetime.

ARTICLE - Is Your School Asking the Right Questions About Poverty?

High-performing, high-poverty schools are places of reflection and inquiry. Leaders in these schools focus on asking the right questions that provide them with valuable, insightful direction.

BOOK - Eric Jensen, author

Teaching With Poverty in Mind, What Being Poor Does to Kids’ Brains and What Schools Can Do About it

BOOK - Eric Jensen, author

Engaging Students with Poverty in Mind: Practical Strategies for Raising Achievement

BOOK - Eric Jensen, author

Poor Students, Rich Teaching: Mindsets for Change (Raising Achievement of Youth at Risk

BOOK - Anthony Muhammad, author

Overcoming the Achievement Gap Trap: Liberating Mindsets to Effect Change (Reduce Inequality in Education and Examine the Schools Roles in Superiority and Victim Mindsets)

The Center for Christian Urban Educators seeks to encourage, equip, and empower Christian educators as they impact the lives of the children entrusted to their educational care.

Email: hpotoka@ccuechicago.org
Website: ccuechicago.org
Location: Chicago, IL, United States
Phone: 708-293-4984
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/CCUE-Chicago-567881706592903/?fref=photo
Twitter: @HJPotoka