Grit in the Classroom

The hot topic in education these days is "grit."  Check out these resources!

Angela Lee Duckworth: The Key to Success-Grit

Resilience & Grit Resources

NMS Artwork on a local hero's submarine

In the late fall of this year, Mrs.Hudson, (Beacon Team ELA teacher) approached Mrs. Tucker (Art teacher)   regarding a unique opportunity. Admiring the work of our art students shown around NMS, Mrs. Hudson asked if we could contribute some of their beautiful works to cheer the interior of the submarine that her daughter, Beth, was to be on for an indefinite time, for a special mission for the USA. We could not be more proud of the contribution our young artists have made to uplift our service people on their long journey! Each of them will receive a copy of a wonderful letter from Beth, on behalf of her service fellows, and part of this reads:

“Thank you so much for generously donating your pictures to adorn the walls of our submarine. Your work is amazing! You have such creative minds. Each picture is unique, yet  all are bright and cheery. They will make us smile each time we look at them while serving…

When you look at the ocean, know that your picture is traveling very deep beneath the surface, helping us to maintain a positive morale”…

Following is a list of their names and the artwork these students have kindly contributed to a very special cause:

Elizabeth Besse-batik

Hannah Bradley-watercolor-bird

Kristen Cassidy-batik

Hannah Cobb-Surrealism

Julia Dellamano-watercolor-snowman

Ryan Dragunas-flower print

Colleen Egan- Sumi-e

Erin Egersheim-collage

Emily Foye-contour drawing

Bradley Gardner-moonscape

Emily Geddes-mask

Tyler Gotham-print

Erin Graham-oil pastel-fruit

Sarah Marshall-flower print

Danya Mason-watercolor-bird

Shawn McCarthy-scratch art

Katherine Newton-Sumi-e

Brad Richards-batik

Bobby Scully-Swan watercolor

Sarah Sterns-tree painting

Emma Sullivan-oil pastel-fruit

Jose Velez-moonscape

Isabella Ventura-positive/negative design

Avery Warner-watercolor-bird

You just have to get past the Business Insider Headline: Bill Gates says the U.S. Needs Better Teachers

I am so glad that I was able to get past the headline and actually read this article!  I began reading what Bill Gates had to say and I was already fired up because I am so tired of teachers being blamed for all of the issues in education.  As I read on, I was relieved to discover that it was really about teachers having the opportunity to receive feedback from peers and working as teams to improve their craft. The research clearly states that modeling and coaching help support and sustain professional learning. It just so happens that Principal Geoghegan and I had a very similar conversation last Friday as we look to our NMS PD future.  Let us know what you think about the article...if you can get past the headline!

Business Insider-Bill Gates: U.S. Needs Better Teachers

Nichols Middle School Yearbook Retrospective and 2014 Preview

     Every year, grade seven students of NMS work on ideas for the cover of their annual

yearbook! It is a graphic design assignment that is done during art, and each student has a chance

at becoming a published artist! Usually the cover is designed by a team of students that have

each come up with a creative idea, and then collaborate to put their work together to create a

personal, unique yearbook design.

     The art students of Nichol’s have been creating their own yearbook cover since 2007.

Starting in 2010, young artists of NMS have also submitted work to for the last page design, a

final message to their peers for that year, and this tradition has continued!

Congratulations to the team pictured here creating Yearbook 2014:

Rebecca Comara, Madison Walgreen and Olivia Gherardi. (Missing from photo: Shannon Geary).

Until the publication of Yearbook 2014, the cover design remains top secret! Watch for it

this June, as it is AMAZING!

Past yearbook design covers by the following NMS students:

2007/8: Ashley Lonergan, Jared Kennedy

2008/9: Colleen Fogarty, Hayley Poskus, Vanessa Jabajorian

2009/10: Christian Bean, Ashley Churchill, Ashley Doherty

2010/11: Samuel Botelho, Christopher Kenney, Abigail Markley, Kimberly Olden

2011/12: Cooper Eisner, Ben Martin, Chad McGrath, Brendan Souza

2012/13: Daniel Siefert

Coding in the Curriculum...What do you think?

NYT article: Adding Coding to the Curriculum

Free Webinar: Learn to Develop Rich Assessment Tasks with Jay McTighe

Join me in the NMS Professional Development Center A306 on Thursday, March 20, 2014 at 3:00 p.m. for a Free Webinar: Learn to Develop Rich Assessment Tasks with Jay McTighe.

"In this webinar, we’ll explore a set of practical and proven design tools for developing quality performance tasks based on Jay McTighe’s new LumiBook, Core Learning: Assessing What Matters Most. Such tasks provide more than simply another method for measuring learning—they embody the most important goals of the Standards, while engaging students in meaningful learning.

The Common Core and Next Generation Standards call for students to apply their learning in authentic ways—e.g., to “closely” read complex texts, develop and critique arguments, solve “messy” problems requiring sound reasoning and perseverance, and engage in scientific inquiry. 

These goals demand concomitant assessments that call for more than making a selection from given answers in a selected-response format. Richer, more authentic tasks are needed."

Below is a link to sign-up for a free webinar.  This would address Stage 2 of our UbD Curriculum Unit design process, but I thought it might be of interest to you as it relates to your Stage 1 work this year and for the Stage 2 work we will focus on next year.  I have already signed up, so let me know if you are interested in being a part of this meaningful and free Professional Development opportunity!

Free Webinar: Learn to Develop Rich Assessment Tasks with Jay McTighe

Professional Learning Community Protocols-National School Reform Faculty

Professional Learning Communities were the topic of discussion during session 11 of our Teachers21 Leading and Learning course this past week.  As Deb mentioned, it takes 4-5 years for PLCs to be working to the level of high performance and functioning that we seek.  This is a similar timeline for any high-performing team whether on the playing field, in the boardroom or in the classroom.  There have been a variety of protocols shared with our team during our Teacher21 course, several of which are from the National School Reform Faculty.  Protocols are not mandatory when working with PLCs, but they help to set parameters for the time spent together, identifying clear goals and expectations for the team.  Please share any protocols that you use and find success with as we build our culture of Professional Learning Communities.

National School Reform Faculty

The Center for Secondary School Redesign

Since 2005, the Center for Secondary School Redesign, Inc. (CSSR) has been a leading provider of groundbreaking technical assistance to support policy and culture change at the federal, state, district, and school levels. Our work leads to a richer and more personalized secondary school experience for all youth. Utilizing a school change coach model, a virtual office, and a coast-to-coast  network of nationally recognized school change coaches, we work to implement targeted change initiatives. In addition to technical assistance, CSSR provides professional development, strategic planning, research, and support for schools and districts throughout the country.

The Center for Secondary School Redesign

Check out CSSR's website and resources!

5 Mobile Device Movie Making Apps for the Classroom

As we work to integrate technology into our instructional practices and as we move closer to being a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) school, 5 Apps for Making Movies on Mobile Devices might be helpful.  If you try any of these apps our or if your students use them, please share with our Humanities Team!

5 Mobile Device Movie Making Apps for the Classroom