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February 1999 Kentucky Teacher 1
Kentucky TeacherBy Faun S. FishbackKentucky Department of Education
It was a day they’d anticipated ever since Geo Bear, their globe-trotting,stuffed-toy mascot, returned from Antarctica. Not even a quick read oftheir favorite silly rhyming book could lower the level of excitement inShelli Barber’s primary class at Phillis Wheatley Elementary in JeffersonCounty as students awaited a visit by their e-mail pen pal, Glenn “Skip”Zwanzig.
Zwanzig, a biology teacher at duPont Manual Hig , didn’t disappoint.He arrived with a four-foot tall inflatable Emperor penguin under one armand a slide projector under the other. He was ready to talk with the stu-dents about his seven-week stay in Antarctica as a working scientist.
Zwanzig used his planning period to answer questions, show slidesand explain scientific concepts to the inquisitive students. Although theyhad communicated via e-mail with Zwanzig while he was in Antarctica,the students wanted him to repeat stories he told them about his snowmo-bile rides, sleeping in an igloo and Geo Bear’s encounter with a penguin.
They asked why fish don’t freeze in Antarctica’s waters, about recy-cling at the science station and about the continent’s volcano. Perhaps thehardest concept for the students to grasp was why the sun shines in Ant-arctica but doesn’t warm the air or land.
Barber, the primary teacher, learned about the trip because both sheand Zwanzig work with a minority student program in Jefferson County.She asked if he would take Geo Bear along and take photos of the bear atseveral icy sites.
The students knew they were “talking” with Zwanzig in Antarcticawhen they sent questions to him via e-mail, she said. However, it wasn’tuntil they received a digital photo of Geo Bear that reality set in.
Primary students connect with Antarctica visit
Teachers might joke about “goingto the end of the Earth” for good pro-fessional development, but biologyteacher Glenn “Skip” Zwanzig actu-ally made the trip!
Zwanzig, who teaches at JeffersonCounty’s duPont Manual High, spentseven weeks in Antarctica last fall. Hewent as a member of the National Sci-ence Foundation’s Teachers Experi-encing Antarctica and the Arctic Pro-gram, which seeks to immerse teach-ers in a research experience that willenrich their classroom teaching.
Zwanzig worked alongside DavidPetzel from Creighton University tostudy the role and regulation of chlo-ride cells in Antarctic fish. Zwanzig’swork with the project may help sci-entists answer questions about howto regulate high blood pressure inpeople.
Despite sub-zero weather, a brush
with frostbite and time spent awayfrom his class, Zwanzig recommendsthis real-world experience to otherteachers. “It was really, really good,”he said. “It offered me such goodhands-on science experience. It helpedme as a teacher, and it will help mystudents. In the program I teach, mykids do research. I will now be betterable to guide them through their re-search and apply what I learned towhat they do in my class.”
As part of his participation inTeachers Experiencing Antarctica,Zwanzig shared his Antarctic experi-ences through a daily journal entryposted on the Internet. (The addressfor his Web page is http://tea.rice.edu/tea_zwanzigfrontpage.html.) He keptin e-mail contact with severalJefferson County classes, includ-ing his own, as well as othersthroughout the country and in sev-eral foreign countries. In additionto his work at the McMurdo Sta-tion lab and in fishing huts alongthe ice edge, Zwanzig wrote a re-search paper while in Antarctica.
Now that he is back in Ken-tucky, he will mentor two teach-ers in his district, develop lessonplans based on his experiences,make presentations to local andstate teachers groups and maintaina presence on the Teachers Expe-riencing Antarctica Web site. Heand other program participantswill post their lesson plans on theWeb.
Zwanzig may be contacted byphone at (502) 485-8241 or by e-mail at [email protected]. Tofind out more about the TeachersExperiencing Antarctica Programand the work of other participants,visit the Web at http://tea.rice.edu.
Biology teacher goes to Antarctica
Primary students at Phillis Wheatley Elementary crowd around Skip Zwanzig andan inflatable Emperor penguin to ask questions about Zwanzig’s work in Antarc-tica and share what they have learned about the continent.
February 1999
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February 1999 Kentucky Teacher2
Commissioner’s CommentsBy Wilmer S. Cody, Commissioner of Education
Y2K: technology challenges and teaching opportunitiesA favorite topic of conversation
these days is the “Y2K Problem,” alsocalled the “millennium bug.” The rea-son: Many computers are programmedto date their operations and applica-tions with only the final two digits ofthe year. The instant we reach the year2000, the dates in those computers willroll from “99” to “00.” The comput-ers, programmed to assume “19” asthe first two digits of every year, willinterpret the double-zero to mean1900.
Some say this glitch will causemassive disorganization and crashedsystems. Others predict little more thantemporary inconveniences and annoy-ances. Throughout the world, techni-cians are scrambling to rewrite thecode in computers and computer-con-trolled devices. The “millennium fix”is well under way, and the effort is apriority in most quarters.
Such is the case at the KentuckyDepartment of Education. Much of theprogress Kentucky’s districts andschools have made in teaching, learn-ing and communicating — and muchof the improvement in administration,school facilities management and pu-pil transportation — are inescapably
tied to technology. Uninterruptedprogress in all of those areas dependson continuous access to informationand services.
The department’s Office of Educa-tion Technology has taken the lead inidentifying Y2K problems and devel-oping solutions for the informationtechnology services it provides for thedepartment staff, 176 school districtoffices and 1,400 schools. This in-cludes e-mail, Internet access and fi-nancial management systems, amongother services. Fixes at the state levelhave been made or are under way.
Districts and schools are respon-sible for assessing and correcting Y2Kproblems in their own hardware andsoftware. To support that effort, thedepartment has worked for the past18 months with Kentucky EducationTechnology System hardware and soft-ware vendors and with all service pro-viders to identify products that couldfall prey to the Y2K problem. Statusreports from each vendor and providerare posted on the department’s Website as soon they become available.This is a tremendous, time-saving re-source for educators and techniciansat the local level.
No matter how well we prepare, aweak link elsewhere, in systems overwhich we have no control, could causetrouble. With that in mind, I offer theserecommendations as you plan yourteaching strategies for January 2000:
1. If you have Y2K concerns abouthardware or software in your class-room, start now to work with yourschool and district technology coordi-nators. Remember that most instruc-tional software is not date-related, butadministrative and systems softwarecan be.
2. Involve your school’s studenttechnology leaders in assessing yourclassroom’s technology and correctingany Y2K problems they find.
3. Design alternatives to technol-ogy-based teaching and learning ac-tivities. Even those who prepare forY2K may find some technology ser-vices and resources unavailable ordelayed.
4. Seize the opportunity to incor-porate the new century and millen-nium into instruction. This momen-tous time holds unlimited possibilitiesfor teaching and learning activities inall content areas.
Editor’s Note: Find KETS-specific Y2Kinformation on the Kentucky Depart-ment of Education’s Web site atwww.kde.state.ky.us (click on “Tech-nology,” then “Year 2000 Resources”).More Y2K information is posted by theU.S. Department of Education atwww.ed.gov/offices/OCIO/year/.
In the area of facilities managementand pupil transportation, thedepartment’s emphasis is on the safetyand welfare of students, teachers andstaff. Although districts make indepen-dent choices about equipment andsystems for food preparation, heatingand cooling, pupil transportation, se-curity, fire alarms and caution lights,the Department of Education is pro-viding information and resources formaking local equipment assessments.
The department is committed tominimizing the impact of the millen-nium bug. Our technology leadershave traveled the state to hold Y2Kawareness meetings and “how to”workshops for district and school per-sonnel. They have met with groupsrepresenting superintendents andschool facilities managers. They havemailed to every district a “survivalguide” outlining what could happento technology-driven equipment andwhat to do about it. The departmentwill continue to respond to Y2K needs.
What impact will Y2K have on yourclassroom? The department’s goal isthat you will experience little or nodisruption in technology services. Still,all of us are part of a global system.
Open discussion about public educationKentucky Teacher Forum
In the December-January issue of Kentucky Teacher, Education Commissioner Wilmer Cody invited teachers to commenton a set of teacher preparation and professional development proposals (available for review on the Internet atwww.kde.state.ky.us/coe/ocpg/dpi/teacherinitiatives/initiatives.htm). On Page 3 are two of the responses teachers have sent,plus the commissioner’s reply.
Additional comments are welcome. To respond directly to the commissioner, mail comments to Wilmer S. Cody, Ken-tucky Department of Education, 500 Mero St., Frankfort, KY 40601; send e-mail through the KETS global listing or [email protected].
Teachers also are welcome to respond in these ways:• Send e-mail to [email protected].• Send U.S. mail to Kentucky Teacher, 1914 Capital Plaza Tower, 500 Mero St., Frankfort, KY 40601.• Send a fax to Kentucky Teacher at (502) 564-6470.Please include your name, mailing address, phone number, school and grade level. Kentucky Teacher will verify all
comments with the sender before publication.
February 1999 Kentucky Teacher 3
Teachers respond pro and con to commissioner’s initiatives
The commissioner responds . . .
(502) 564-3421 or (800) 533-5372 (toll free in Kentucky)
(502) 564-6470
Kentucky Teacher1914 Capital Plaza Tower500 Mero St.Frankfort, KY 40601
Phone
Fax
Write
Teachers: Kentucky Teacher wants to know what you think, what you need from the Department of Education, what you want to see in future issues.
Talk to us!
In the December-January issue of Kentucky Teacher, “Forum” asked for teacherresponses to a set of teacher professional development initiatives presented inNovember by Education Commissioner Wilmer Cody. (See this issue’s “Forum”on Page 2). On this page are two of the responses received — one pro, one con —plus a reply from the commissioner.
I very much appreciate the com-ments teachers have made about theteacher education initiatives I pro-posed in November. At that time, I saidthat I hoped my proposals would gen-erate discussion about the way Ken-tucky prepares and develops its teach-ers. I invited comments, and I wel-come them. It is important for us tocommunicate openly and in goodfaith.
One of the letters excerpted on thispage, and some responses sent byteachers who did not grant permissionto print their comments, lead me tobelieve there is some misunderstand-ing about my basic assumptions andgoals in proposing the initiatives. First,please be assured that I recognizeKentucky’s teachers to be highly pro-fessional people who work diligentlyand well to educate children. Even so,I think we as educators owe it to stu-dents of today and tomorrow to con-tinue examining how teachers teachand how we can improve the teach-ing profession.
The primary goal of the teachereducation proposals is to raise the pro-fessionalism and abilities of
Kentucky’s teachers by providing bet-ter opportunities for teachers to ad-vance and succeed. One-third of theproposals would affect new teachersonly. While many of the remaininginitiatives would require more of allteachers, they also would provide fi-nancial or professional incentives andsupport, including salary increases forall teachers, stipends for certain teach-ers, scholarships and loans for thosewho further their education, and paidsabbaticals for those who desire topursue studies in great depth over aprotracted period.
I recognize that not every teachercan agree with every proposal, but Ihope every teacher will agree that thegoal of making good teaching evenbetter is a worthwhile goal. Teachers,I hope we can work together to im-prove the quality of teaching and edu-cation.
I want the dialogue to continue,and I welcome your comments. To re-view the proposed initiatives, visitwww.kde.state.ky.us/coe/ocpg/dpi/teacherinitiatives/initiatives.htm onthe Internet.
Mr. Cody:(You suggest) that middle school and high school teachers take
the Praxis II to determine if they “demonstrate sufficient academic
knowledge in their content area.” In 1976 I had to meet the guide-
lines of the Kentucky Department of Education to graduate with a
bachelor’s degree and receive my certification to teach in grades K-8.
... By 1986, I had to meet ... criteria to receive my master’s degree. I
met those guidelines as well. ...
Now ... you are proposing that I prove that I have the sufficient
academic knowledge to keep my present certification under newly
established guidelines. I find this proposal to be offensive. I believe
all teachers can advance in teaching knowledge and techniques.
However, I thought that was what our professional development days
were to provide. ...How is the teaching profession ever going to receive the respect
that we all seek if our own state of Kentucky’s education commis-
sioner has questions about the academic ability of Kentucky’s teach-
ers already in the classroom?
Respectfully,Beverly JohnsonTwenhofel Middle School, Kenton County
6th-grade mathematics
(Note: This teacher also has taught U. S. history, world civilization,
language arts, health and reading.)
Dr. Cody,For the first time I am truly impressed with an idea from KDEconcerning teacher development. I want to commend you forthe suggestion in Kentucky Teacher to offer sabbaticals and reim-bursement for advanced courses and certifications. I think this is the first time I have felt the potential for beingrewarded for pursuing excellence.
I have an ABD in Educational Leadership, and I have degreesin Political Science, Geography, English and Secondary Educa-tion—as well as other endorsements. I have been effectively (how-ever unintentionally) punished for seeking advanced degrees.Thank you for helping the initiative to restore respect for theteacher who is an academician.
E. Carolyn TuckerDixon Elementary/Middle School, Webster County7th- and 8th-grade social studies and language arts
Kentucky Teacher Forum
February 1999 Kentucky Teacher4
By Sharon Crouch FarmerKentucky Department of Education
In 1995, writing scores for 4th-graders at L.C. Curry Elementary werea bottom-scraping 4.6 on a 140-pointscale. By 1998, those scores reachedan astonishing 74.6. This school is inone of Bowling Green’s poorest neigh-borhoods, where 98 percent of the 297students qualify for free or reduced-price lunches. What happened?
A number of things took place:School administrators made staffchanges, hired classroom aides, allot-ted extra time for conferencing withstudents, integrated writing into allcontent areas and involved faculty inprofessional development. Those werethe most obvious changes. However,the most significant changes camewithin the classrooms.
Sharyn Bailey, one of the district’stwo writing cluster leaders and a pri-mary teacher at L.C. Curry, and 4th-grade teacher Betsy Stevens spear-headed an effort by the faculty to ex-amine and improve scores.
“We first realized everyone in-volved with portfolios had to adopt anattitude for success,” said Stevens.That attitude needed to embrace the“team” concept, self-motivation, highexpectations of self and students, risktaking and problem solving. “We allbegan to look for tools and methodsand to share them with each other, andwe shared each success,” Stevensadded.
For Bailey, the new emphasis onlanguage development as an essentialpart of writing has been a key tool.
“Writing is not a skill you’re bornwith. It has to be taught,” Bailey said.“If we can’t form the words in ourminds or say them, then we sure aren’tgoing to be able to form them on pa-per. Students must be prepared in pri-mary for the language demands of 4thgrade.”
Bailey emphasizes expression inher primary classroom. “We work onputting words to our feelings to get apoint across,” she said. Activities in-clude role playing, whole-class de-scriptive writing and teacher model-
ing of specific types of writing. Dailyoral language in the classroom in-cludes such components as synonyms,word analogies, sequencing, similesand phonograms. The walls of theclassroom sport “dead words” — thosethat can be dropped in favor of moredescriptive language.
Students write in a journal everyday. “I read and respond to those writ-ings and learn not just how they aredoing academically but how they aredoing personally as well,” Stevenssaid.
Specific questions and problemsappear on the classroom chalkboardeach day, encompassing all contentareas. While students may work onanswers independently, they also dis-cuss them as a class.
Students have weekly spelling con-tracts that require them to learn to useand understand words. “Students areasked to complete seven or eight de-velopmentally appropriate activitiesinvolving those words,” Bailey said.
Teachers meet with students bothone-on-one and with peers. “It’s agreat way to expand and clarify ideasand gives the student writer the op-portunity to hear the point of view ofanother student. The observers learnappropriate questioning techniquesand what to expect when they have aconference,” Stevens said.
Fourth-graders at L.C. Curry key-board each piece they write for port-folios; teachers say students find copyeasier to edit that way. Students spendthe bulk of their time doing prewritingexercises and conferencing — talkingabout their story and ideas and takingnotes. They develop rough drafts insegments. Teachers and students gettogether after each segment, asneeded, to make sure the focus andpurpose of the piece are maintained.
“Students need to feel that whatthey say is important, that they canwrite and that [what they write] isappreciated,” Bailey said.
The school shares a speech thera-pist, Bonnie Nicks, with two otherschools. Nicks tries to use whole-classlanguage lessons, in addition to tradi-tional pull-out lessons with individual
students or small groups, as a methodof meeting the needs of identified stu-dents. Both students and teachers ben-efit. Nicks’ work assists teachers indeveloping language activities for stu-dents.
“Language underlies everythingthese students do all day,” Nicks ex-plained. “If they can’t understandwhat you are saying, or if they don’tknow what words to use to answer,they won’t succeed easily.”
Nicks says that concentrating onlanguage and listening helps buildskills needed for learning — skills thatsome students don’t get at home.
“They don’t have conversations athome regularly,” she said, “and whatthey don’t experience, they can’t use.”
Principal Rebecca Duncan, whohas been at the school for two years,talks of rewards.
“One of the biggest rewards hasbeen the excitement of our students.They begin to realize that good writ-ing is fun, necessary for success, agood way to express feelings and a wayto make an audience laugh, cry orchange behavior,” Duncan said. “Butwe’re not finished yet. We will con-tinue to make necessary changes andto meet high expectations.”
Write the talk: Teachers use oral language to boost scores
Stress the importance of spoken language. Encourage students to speakin complete sentences, answer questions in complete sentences, and beable to recognize spoken and written complete sentences.
Help students become skilled at sequencing their own ideas, retellingevents in their own lives in proper sequence.
Encourage descriptive embellishment through spoken and written lan-guage and expressive artwork.
Help students identify and describe feelings.Give students words each week to research, use in daily language and
incorporate into paragraphs.Special tip for 4th-grade teachers: Communicate with primary teachers
so they know how to prepare students for success at the next level.
Tips for teachers from L.C. Curry teachers
Daily journaling is a requirement for students at L.C. Curry Elementary, helping writingscores to soar. Jose Gonzalez (left) and Jarren Nixon take the task seriously.
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The following article is adaptedfrom a longer article printed in the Fall1998 issue of “Kentucky English Bulle-tin,” a publication of the KentuckyCouncil of Teachers of English/Lan-guage Arts. It is printed here with per-mission.
Teachers are often reluctant to trypeer conferencing in their day-to-dayclassroom instruction. Who has thetime? Students do not know how tohelp each other. They correct only sur-face errors. It’s a waste of valuable in-struction time.
Ideally, peer conferencing is notsomething we must make time for; itis a natural part of day-to-day writingtime. Of course, students must betaught how to conference, and theywill make common mistakes as theyare learning. But peer conferencingwill not be a waste of valuable instruc-tion time when students are given thetraining and experience — and thefreedom to discover each other’sunique styles, strengths and weak-nesses. Teachers who take the risk ofpeer conferencing in their classroomgain rewarding experiences for boththemselves and their students.
Making Time: Any teacher whoteaches writing knows that studentswrite/think/revise at different speedsand levels. Allowing for these differ-ences in a given block of time set asidefor writing is messy but necessary.While some students are researchingor writing on computers, and some areprewriting, drafting, pondering topics,reading model papers from teacher-provided files, conferencing with theteacher or, yes, goofing off, some stu-dents could be reading each others’drafts and making comments or ask-ing questions, helping each other im-prove the quality of their writing.
Controlling the Pace: Peerconferencing can help with the bur-den every writing teacher faces in try-ing to conference with 120 students aday. Teachers can control the pace inseveral ways:
• Ask students to have at least onepeer conference before they have ateacher conference.
• Require that students revise theirown papers before requesting ateacher conference.
• Ask students to jot down twoquestions they want answered duringtheir conferences so the teacher orpeer has a targeted problem to address.This gentle nudge forces students tolook analytically at their own papers.Identifying your own writing strengthsand weaknesses is an important stepin effective self-revision, which is ul-timately what we want students to beable to do.
By Elaine StoryLanguage Arts Teacher and Cluster LeaderMason County Middle School
Mason County Middle School students Megan Turk (left) and Randi Rosenbaum conferabout a personal narrative Megan is writing. Their teacher, Elaine Story, is an advocate ofpeer conferencing, calling it an effective learning tool for students and a major time saverfor teachers.
Modeling the Writing Process:Whenever possible, write with yourstudents. This helps you rememberwhat it’s like to struggle over words.Students benefit when they see youdelight over a well-chosen word or
bang your head when you becomeblocked by frustration. When youwrite with your students, you canask them for suggestions; you canmodel a more mature level of writ-ing; you can demonstrate your lovefor writing and the pride that comeswith a finished product. Displayingenthusiasm and flaws lets studentsknow it’s okay to make mistakes, tochange your mind, to scratch outand to brag about a well-turnedphrase.
Peer conferencing: Rewards outweigh the risks
Reviewing the Basics: Studentsmust have a basic understanding ofthe six elements of proficient writing:purpose and audience, idea develop-ment, organization, sentence structure,wording and correctness. How youteach or review these elements is upto you. To illustrate the differences be-tween a piece that has a focused pur-pose and a piece that does not can beas easy as sharing the two pieces withthe class. Discuss the strengths andweaknesses of both pieces. Ask the
class to generate questions to help thewriters improve the pieces. Readingand discussing the benchmarks canalso give students examples ofstrengths and weaknesses in the sixelements of proficient writing. Readdrafts or have students read their draftsto the class or to small groups, andinstruct students to jot down questionsor suggestions as they listen, then givethe suggestions to the writers. Reviewways to begin pieces effectively. Dis-play the six elements and any tips youhave collected in your experience andresearch. Provide models of well-writ-ten pieces.
Being a Student: I never trulyunderstand an assignment until I doit myself. This year I wanted stu-dents to try a personal essay, but be-cause I did not have many models, Ifelt insecure in asking them to writeone. I studied the characteristics andbegan drafting my own. I shared myprewriting list and rough drafts, andI read my final copy to the class. Idiscovered it was not as difficult asI had feared, and I felt more confi-dent in asking the students to write.They too studied the characteristics,read models, and pondered over ap-propriate topics. We all learned to-gether.
Modeling: Once you have ex-posed your writing to the unforgiv-ing scrutiny of your class, continuemodeling correct questioning tech-niques. I once wrote a descriptivevignette about the burial of mygrandmother and brought it to theclass with a genuine desire for help.I had questions about word choice.The students were reluctant to offersuggestions, because they knew Ihad missed a day of school to at-tend my grandmother’s funeral andthought they would upset me. Buthow many times do we read sensi-tive material from our students andtry to respond to it strictly on thebasis of writing? I start conferenceslike this with a disclaimer, admittingto the student that the content oridea behind the writing is far moreimportant than the quality — port-folio or no portfolio.
Giving Instruction: I ofteneavesdrop on peer conferences,then ask both students to listenwhile I conference the same piece.I point out the value of the sug-gestions one student has givenanother, but I usually add more soboth students gain an idea of aneffective conference. I have askedtwo brave s tudents to mode lconferencing for the entire class.One student reads while the othergives suggestions. The class is freeto agree and disagree with the sug-gestions given. We all learn to-gether by sharing ideas about whatconstitutes good writing.
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In the Rockcastle County andOldham County school districts,teachers don’t say, “Today we’redoing a portfolio piece.”
Instead, students write reviewsof books they are reading. Socialstudies students express theiropinions in letters to the editor ofthe local paper. Auto mechanicsstudents write safety pamphlets.Woodshop students write how-tobrochures.
Some of these assignments maybe included in student portfolios;many won’t be. The importantthing is that students are respond-ing to well-designed writing tasksthat link with their learning in acontent area. They are communi-cating what they’ve learned bywriting about it.
Several years ago this might nothave been the case. However, inrecent years these two school dis-tricts have placed high priority onimproving s tudent wri t ing bytraining teachers to teach real-lifewriting forms.
The approaches may varyslightly, but their foundations arestrikingly similar: Both districtsbuild their writing programs onstrong administrative support forprofessional development in writ-ing, teacher participation in writ-ing projects at nearby universities,a clearly established district goalto improve student writing andteachers who are willing to worktoward that goal by integratingwriting across the curriculum.
With strong, continuing profes-sional development, English teach-ers and content area teachers alikehave blossomed as writing instruc-tors. As teachers learned moreabout the writing process, schoolsin both districts raised their writ-ing scores 10 to 20 points on theaccountability index between 1994and 1998.
Rockcastle CountyThree years ago, Rockcastle
County schools became focused onwriting, said Shelby Reynolds, districtinstructional supervisor. The districtpolled teachers to find out what typeof professional development theyneeded. Principals helped decide howprofessional development would bedelivered.
“We decided early on that writingis the key to success for KIRIS(Kentucky’s former student testingand school accountability system),and we expect it will be for CATS (anew system taking effect this year),”Reynolds said. “The increase in ourstudents’ scores reflects the increasein their ability to write well.”
Several teachers in the district wereparticipating in the Eastern KentuckyWriting Project, and others had takenEnglish classes at Eastern KentuckyUniversity. The district sought helpfrom Charles Whitaker, director of thewriting project and an English profes-sor at Eastern. Whitaker has workedwith Rockcastle County teachers forthree years because of what he termstheir “high-intensity, long-term com-mitment” to improve writing instruc-tion and student writing.
“Rockcastle County is doing qual-ity things,” Whitaker said. “Often dis-tricts see professional development asa one-shot hit. It doesn’t work thatway with writing. The approach bythis district offers teachers time tolearn and lots of encouragement.”
For the past three fall semesters,groups of teachers have met withWhitaker to learn how to design goodwriting tasks across the curriculum.They read and critique student writ-ing. They put what they learn intoclassroom practices. About 20 teach-ers volunteer each year for training,and they receive stipends supportedthrough collaborative funding by theschool district and the Eastern Ken-tucky Writing Project. Whitaker also
meets with teachers individually or ingroups after school or during planningperiods.
At the high schoolOn-site leadership is important
to the writing program’s successat Rockcastle County High. Interimprincipal Ruth Allen says her back-ground as an Eastern KentuckyWriting Project Fellow gives her an“inside view of writing. Teachersfeel they can come to me to askfor help.”
Several faculty members at thehigh school, like senior Englishteacher Jennifer Mattingly, also areEastern Kentucky Writing ProjectFellows. Mattingly, who was writ-ing cluster leader last year, andAllene Cornelius, this year’s writ-ing cluster leader, compiled a note-book of wri t ing mater ia ls forteachers to use as re ference.Teachers also look to the school’swriting cluster leader for writingtraining and for help in develop-ing writing tasks.
Brodhead ElementaryStudent accountability scores at
Brodhead Elementary have risen fromzero to 72.87 as the teachers havelearned more about teaching writing.There have been no novice writers inthe 4th grade for two years.
“We knew immediately we didn’tknow how to write,” said PrincipalMark McKinney. “We looked for any-thing to help us improve.” The EasternKentucky Writing Project and CharlesWhitaker, its director, provided help andmotivation. Several teachers atBrodhead are Writing Project Fellows.All feel comfortable asking for help fromWhitaker or one another.
“Work with a focused purpose” is amotto at Brodhead, and writing is thefaculty’s focused purpose. Teachersteach writing consistently throughoutthe school. “Every class uses the sameprocess, same vocabulary,” said pri-mary teacher Kathy Dyehouse. “Oncewe knew the methods and how to setup writing prompts correctly, it made abig difference in the children’s writing.”
Teachers’ professional developmentis improving student writing
By Faun S. FishbackKentucky Department of Education
Brodhead Elementary teacher Kathy Dyehouse asks a student a question as she encourageshim to focus on the message he wants to deliver to his audience. Dyehouse is an EasternKentucky Writing Project Fellow.
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Oldham CountySince the second year of education
reform, Oldham County schools haverequired every student in every gradeto have a writing and a mathematicsportfolio. Since 1997, the district hasset writing requirements fornonaccountability grades. There aredistrict exit standards in writing forgrades 5, 8 and 12. In this district, anapprentice-level writing portfolio is aminimum requirement for high schoolgraduation.
Elizabeth Dick, a district directorof instructional support and a Louis-ville Writing Project Fellow, worksclosely with writing cluster leaders ineach building. Together, they are re-sponsible for much of the district’songoing instructional support. Theyget assistance from the 12 OldhamCounty teachers who also are fellowsof the Louisville Writing Project at theUniversity of Louisville.
Oldham County’s writing programencourages teachers to write with theirstudents, submit their own work forthe students to critique and demon-strate for students how to receive con-structive criticism on writing.
“Teacher writing is the key!” Dicksaid. “It made all the difference in myclassroom when I wrote along with mystudents.”
Dick holds monthly meetings withthe cluster leaders. The meetings giveteachers a chance to talk with othersoutside their building, to sharesamples of student work and exchangeadult-written work that can be usedas models, she said. They take the in-formation back to teachers at theirschools.
Portfolio analysis is an importantinstructional process for teachers, Dicksaid. For example, last summer teach-ers from LaGrange Elementary met toreview student writing. Each group,composed of a teacher from each gradelevel, evaluated portfolio pieces froma certain grade level. Each group pre-sented its findings, pointing outstrengths, weaknesses, common prob-lems and other information that wouldhelp teachers guide their students’writing.
Dick holds after-school seminarson certain topics such as improvingthe letter to the reviewer and on-de-mand writing. She works with teach-ers during their planning periods. Shealso conducts overview sessions on
Approximately 100 teachers met inFrankfort and Louisville in October toselect and write questions for the Com-monwealth Accountability Testing Sys-tem (CATS). Kentucky Gov. PaulPatton paid a surprise visit to theteachers who worked at the Louisvillesite.
Patton told the teachers he stoppedby because he was “very interested inthe test and how it is developed. Theteachers here today represent everyregion of Kentucky, and I have faithin your ability to produce a sound ac-countability test.”
The governor and the teachers ex-changed ideas about what they con-sider important about the CATS test-ing and the test development process.He told the group of teachers workingon the content for social studies,“When you’re leading the way in edu-cation reform, you’re going to have to
reevaluate occasionally, but you haveto continue to move forward.”
Teachers developing the mathemat-ics content questions showed Pattonthe types of questions Kentucky stu-dents are expected to answer. “WhenI see our students being asked ques-tions on these levels, I know we aremoving in the right direction,” he said.“The questions they can answer to-day are much more advanced thananything I was taught at their age.”
Patton thanked the teachers fortheir hard work during the week-longwork session and encouraged them to“go back to your communities andspread the word that you helped de-velop this test.”
See the center pages for a mini-poster saluting the Kentucky teacherswho worked on the CATS test devel-opment team.
Gov. Patton talks with teachersdeveloping CATS test questions
Interested in finding out more aboutwhat’s happening in these two districts toimprove student writing? Most of the ad-ministrators and teachers interviewed forthis story can be reached by e-mail throughthe KETS global listing. Here are their phonenumbers:
Shelby Reynolds — (606) 256-2125.Ruth Allen, Jennifer Mattingly andAllene Cornelius — (606) 256-4816.Mark McKinney and KathyDyehouse — (606) 758-8512.Charles Whitaker, Eastern KentuckyWriting Project director, by phone at(606) 622-2093 or by e-mail [email protected] Dick — (502) 222-8880.Dewey Hensley — (502) 241—6681.
At the high school“Not every school will produce a
novelist, but every student will at sometime in his or her life have to write atransactive piece to communicatesomething in the real world,” saidEnglish teacher Dewey Hensley. “Thatcould have a great impact on who theyare and who they become.” Hensleyand Judy Texas are writing clusterleaders at South Oldham County HighSchool.
Getting teachers to see that writ-ing emerges from a content area isimportant. “Writing is not just the re-sponsibility of English teachers. Itmust be across disciplines,” Hensleysaid. When a school has a program toproduce better writers, the responsi-bility ripples out to all teachers, headded.
Hensley, a former co-director of thewriting project at the University ofLouisville and a current member of thestate Writing Advisory Committee,said he enjoys his work as clusterleader.
“I’ve learned more about writingby teaching it,” he explained. “It’s aninvestment of time, but it’s worthwhileto see the changes happening withteachers and students.”
Robin Glascock (left), a teacher at Harrison County Middle School, and Ernestine Hall of theJefferson County school district office talk with Gov. Paul Patton, who paid a surprise visit toteachers working on new state assessment questions.
portfolios for new employees eachyear.
A four-week course on writing forparents was successful this fall andwill be repeated this winter as an es-tablished district program, Dick said.The weekly hour-and-a-half sessionsinformed parents about the types ofwriting their children are doing; howparents can conference with their chil-dren about writing; and writing con-tent, mechanics and ethics.
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February 1999 Kentucky Teacher10
Editor’s Note: Educators emphasize theimportance of a smooth transition anytime students move from one schoolbuilding to another or from one levelto another (elementary to middleschool, middle to high school), evenwithin the same building. Here’s howone district paves the way for change.
Making the transition from elemen-tary to middle school is the acceptedorder of educational growth and ma-turity. Still, educators hear 5th-grad-ers express fear and uncertainty aboutmaking the move to middle school.
Last year, Heath Middle inMcCracken County increased its effortsto ease those fears. Heath’s schoolcouncil collaborated with the councilsat its two feeder elementaries to pro-
By Faun S. FishbackKentucky Department of Education
It is common practice for someteachers to divide their days amongseveral schools in a district to providespecial instruction to students. So itwasn’t that unusual two years ago forBarry M. Turner Sr. to be asked toteach choral music at two differentFayette County high schools.
What is unusual is Turner’s ap-proach to the assignment. Instead oflooking at it as “two different schools,two different repertoires,” Turner said,he saw the opportunity to direct alarger choir that could do larger piecesof music and offer a bigger variety ofvoices. He combined classes at the two
schools into one choir. The 80 studentsat Tates Creek High School, whereTurner has taught for 11 years, prac-tice the same music as the 35 studentsat Henry Clay High School, where hehas taught for two years. After-schoolrehearsals bring both groups togetherin a combined chorus.
Turner says he is pleased with theresults. “The students love being to-gether as well as traveling and per-forming together,” he said. “They getalong well. The combined chorus issomething they really want to do.”
In a competition on a cruise shipto Nassau last summer, the chorus re-ceived the first-place trophy. Thegroup performs for civic functions inLexington and presents several con-
McCracken County builds bridges to middle school
United we sing
Barry Turner directs the combined choirthat mixes voices of students at Tates Creekand Henry Clay high schools in FayetteCounty.
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By Donna K. MattinglyCounselor, Heath Middle School
certs each year. This year, auditionsfor Henry Clay’s musical theater pro-duction are open to Tates Creek mem-bers of the combined chorus. “The stu-dents are excited about working to-gether on stage,” Turner said.
A project in early 1999 will find thecombined chorus singing backgroundvocals for a song on the newBackstreet Boys album. Brian Littrell,a member of the top-40 singing group,attended Tates Creek High School andwas a member of Turner’s chorus.
Turner says he has “created an at-mosphere for music lovers in the learn-ing institution. I take advantage ofevery opportunity that comes along forthe public to hear the combined cho-rus of Henry Clay and Tates Creek highschools.”
For more information, contactTurner at Tates Creek High School byphone at (606) 381-3620 or by e-mailthrough the KETS global listing or [email protected].
vide a successful, multifaceted transi-tion plan for soon-to-be 6th-graders.Students at the elementary and middleschools also contributed to the suc-cess of the program.
First, Heath 6th-graders wereasked, “What do you wish you hadknown about Heath Middle Schoolbefore you enrolled as a 6th-grader?”Their answers fell into six categories:academic, staff, procedures, programs,food service and facility.
To help elementary students lookforward to middle school, the threeschool councils suggested strategiesthat included several activities:
• A “Did You Know ...?” fact sheetwas prepared using 5th-graders’ ques-tions and 6th-graders’ answers.
• A panel of 6th-graders visitedeach elementary school to answerquestions about middle school and to
distribute the fact sheet.• Each 5th-grade homeroom sent
two students to shadow 6th-graders forone day. The 5th-graders kept a jour-nal to report back to their respec-tive homerooms.
• All 5th-graders took the tradi-tional year-end tour of the middleschool.
• Each 5th-grader’s family re-ceived the March, April and May is-sues of the middle school newslet-ter, which contained features writ-ten specifically for 5th-graders andtheir parents.
At a follow-up meeting, the threecouncils evaluated the effectivenessof the transition plan and used theirfindings to make plans for thisspring. As recommended by thisyear’s 6th-graders, more 5th-graderswill be asked to shadow 6th-grad-
ers this spring. During half-day vis-its to the middle school, 5th-grad-ers will eat lunch, meet 6th-gradeteachers, follow an abbreviated classschedule and tour the building. Anight meeting will be held for 5th-grade students and their parents toshare information about middleschool expectations.
The transition program has beena win-win situation for everyoneinvolved. A student echoed the posi-tive evaluation.
“I felt less stress because [HeathMiddle School] students came to myschool and answered questions wewanted to know,” said the student.For more information, contact DonnaMattingly by phone at (502) 488-3128 orby e-mail through the KETS global list orat [email protected].
February 1999 Kentucky Teacher 11
The Kentucky Geographic Alliance and the National GeographicSociety again will sponsor the Summer Geography Institute, sched-uled for June 20-July 2 at Murray State University. A Hancock CountyHigh School teacher who participated in the event in 1996 recom-mends the summer ’99 session to other teachers.
“During my two weeks at Murray, I became more familiar withthe use of technology in the classroom, learned new teaching strat-egies, became familiar with state and national geography standards,acquired many lesson plans and classroom materials, and made newfriends from all areas of the state,” says social studies teacher LindaTongate. “In the process, I had fun — and I earned six hours ofcredit toward my master’s degree free!”
The institute showcases Murray State’s geography technology re-sources and spotlights the role of technology in geography instruc-tion. Sessions also examine the role of integrated geography instruc-tion in preparing students for the five-area social studies core of thestate’s new assessment of student achievement. Teachers at all gradelevels may apply for six hours of college credit, free room and board,and reimbursement for mileage.
Tongate says she considers the institute one of the most impor-tant experiences in her teaching career. “I encourage any teacherwho wants to be part of one of Kentucky’s best teacher trainingprograms to apply,” she said.
For more information, contact Carlisle County social studiesteacher Tom Wilson by e-mail at [email protected]; by mail at 1310 South10th St., Mayfield, KY 42066; or by phone during evening hours at(502) 247-1286.
Get your hands on the arts!Chris Kelly and Lynn Moore, preschool teachers at Covington
Independent’s James E. Biggs Early Childhood Education Cen-ter, were concerned about meeting a schoolwide goal to com-bine literacy and fine arts. Neither had an arts background or agreat deal of time for planning.
“To translate a love of the arts to our students, we realizedwe would have to awaken the artist in ourselves,” Kelly said.They took the plunge and attended the Louisville location of theKentucky Institutes for Arts in Education during the summer of1997.
“We learned during those two weeks that it’s process, notproduct, that’s important,” Moore said. “We learned that it isunnecessary to plan additional activities, that the arts and hu-manities can be part of everything you do.”
Institute activities offer hands-on experience in drama, mu-sic, dance, creative writing and the visual arts. Participants, guidedby professional artists, explore their own creative potential, shareideas and experiences, and discuss connections to curriculumdevelopment.
Moore and Kelly left the summer ’97 institute confident, thenreturned in summer ’98 to tell first-time participants what theexperience had meant to them and share some of the work theirstudents had produced the past year.
By Sharon Crouch FarmerKentucky Department of Education
Becky Rhodes gets creativeduring a summer session of theKentucky Institute for Arts inEducation. Rhodes said sheborrows a lot from the humani-ties to get results as a learning-disabled resource teacher atFairdale Elementary in JeffersonCounty. “My students arehesitant to take risks, so I have tocreate an atmosphere that saysit’s okay to be different. That’sone thing I am learning here,”she said.
Summer ’99The three Kentucky Institutes for Arts in Education are two-
week professional development seminars for teachers, adminis-trators, parents and others interested in promoting and imple-menting arts in education. They are collaborative projects of theKentucky Center for the Arts and the three universities that hostthe institutes:
• Murray State University, June 1-11• Morehead State University, June 14-25• University of Louisville (at Kentucky Center for the Arts), June 21 - July 2.
All three institutes provide hands-on experience in creativewriting, dance, drama, music and visual arts.
Professional artists who work in educational settings serve asfaculty. A day-long field trip and special presentations provideinformation and ideas about resources, facilities and connectionsto curriculum.
Institute supporters include Ashland, Inc. Foundation, Ken-tucky Center for the Arts and the Kentucky Department of Educa-tion.
Space in the institutes is limited and available on a first-come,first-served basis. For information, contact Jeffrey Jamner, direc-tor of school programs, at (502) 562-0703 or [email protected] is coming soon to the Web at www.kca.org.
Geography + technology = graduate credit!
Two Sizzlin’ Ideas for Summer ‘PD’
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Gender inequities in mathematics and science havebeen well documented and are now found to be carryingover to technology learning. In 1990, a study of elemen-tary and secondary schools found that males dominatedschool computing activities and that girls accounted forless than 30 percent of all before- and after-school com-puter use.
Why? Traditional thinking is that males naturally ex-cel in mathematics and logic and females do not. Strongrole models for females in these areas are few. By middleschool, females are less interested and less confident inthose areas. In fact, some researchers report that 82 per-cent of middle school girls do not see themselves as strongmathematical thinkers.
Society is beginning to change, but the change is slowwithout consistent and specialized opportunities to ex-pose girls to computers. At least two school districts inKentucky, the Kenton and Robertson county districts, be-gan to change last summer with programs that involvegirls in nontraditional experiences.
Two districts blaze trails to equity in technologyBy Sharon Crouch FarmerKentucky Department of Education
Language arts teacher PeggyCarwin recognized the reaction of herfemale students when they sat downat computers. It was the same reac-tion she experienced herself at that agewhen she faced mathematics prob-lems: Intimidation.
Carwin, who teaches at TurkeyFoot Middle School in Kenton County,took a giant step out of her academicspecialty to offer a summer workshopof nontraditional experiences for girls.
“The math phobia of old is thecomputer phobia of today,” saidCarwin. “Women of my generationlacked the confidence to master themath skills necessary for successfulcareers in science, medicine or engi-neering. Many middle school girls to-day are hesitant to try to master thecomputer skills necessary for high-paying jobs.”
Using her connections as a School-to-Work coordinator, Carwin workedwith Northern Kentucky Tech DeanAngela Taylor to put together the fa-cility, instructors and curriculum. The
Summer/part-time job develop-ment in the rural counties of Kentuckycan be a tough job. Janet England,who develops such programs for stu-dents in Robertson County, has to beinnovative.
England, coordinator of thedistrict’s family resource and youthservices center, got the job done —with a little help from grant writerPeggy Hedges; district technology co-ordinator Patti Price; and Crystal Car-penter, a former student now work-ing for YES Computer Systems.
The Robertson County Board ofEducation received a Job Training Part-nership Act grant for Summer YouthEmployment and Training for 14- and15-year-olds. Carpenter and Englandwrote a curriculum that called for stu-dents to install central processing unitsinto computers and use various soft-ware. The curriculum also reinforcedcritical-thinking and life-coping skills.The TENCO Private Industry Councilprovided funding through BuffaloTrace Area Development District.
The four girls who participated in
extended school services program andNorthern Kentucky Restaurant Asso-ciation provided funding.
All 6th- and 7th-grade girls couldparticipate as long as they had pass-ing grades and a record of good be-havior. “There are lots of programs foradvanced students and for those in lowsocio-economic environments,” ex-plained Carwin. “This program is forthose in the middle who often get ig-nored.”
Curriculum for the week-longcamp included computer-assisteddrafting and building an electronic cir-cuit. The students visited with womenwho use technology successfully intheir careers and toured a local busi-ness where women use technologydaily.
As a result, Katie Jessee, now an8th-grader, sees a different future. “Ididn’t realize how much fun I couldhave or how much money I couldmake,” she said, “or what all womencan do.”
Kenton CountyGirls explore and experience
Robertson CountyGirls earn and learn
Circuit-breaker makers (from left) Nichole Bates, Ashley Oliver, Hillary Smith and LaurenWestendorf learned in last summer’s technology camp for girls that they could succeed innontraiditional areas. All were 7th-graders at Turkey Foot Middle School in Kenton County.
the eight-week program had to com-plete 175 academic hours and 75 workhours. They were paid a stipend of$599 for the completion of the aca-demic hours and $5.15 per hour forworking at the Licking Valley CAP Se-nior Citizens Center or the local library.They received a $25 bonus for com-pleting the program.
“We started them out (installingprocessors) on an old, small harddrive,” said Carpenter, “then workedup to a 166 Pentium, 3.2 gigabyte, 32-Ram hard drive with the latest operat-ing system.”
“There are few job opportunitiesin our community,” said England, “butthe class gave the girls so much morethan just a skill. They have grownmore confident, their self-esteem hasimproved, they are positive and knowl-edgeable.”
Eighth-grader Sara Abshire pointedto teamwork as another new experi-ence. “(I’ve learned that) teamwork isimportant,” she said. “I am not one tonaturally participate in a group, so thishas been great.”
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Two of three national awards come to Kentucky superintendents
Kentucky school superintendentshave won two of three “Leadership forLearning” awards given by the Ameri-can Association of School Administra-tors for the school year 1998-99. An-other Kentucky superintendent wonhonorable mention.
The annual award recognizes AASA
members who have demonstrated out-standing leadership by creating pro-grams that significantly improve stu-dent achievement. Kentucky’s winnersare Stephen W. Daeschner of JeffersonCounty (urban category) and StuartX. Silberman of Daviess County (ru-ral category). Lois Gray, superinten-
dent of Hardin County Schools, wonhonorable mention in the rural cat-egory.
Daeschner is being honored in theurban districts category for JeffersonCounty’s Jump Start Early ChildhoodProgram for 3- and 4-year-olds. Infor-mation provided by AASA states thatDaeschner’s commitment to seeingevery student performing at or abovegrade level by age 10 led him to ex-pand full-day kindergarten for everyyoungster in the district; consolidateseparate preschool programs into asingle early childhood program witha common curriculum for all income-eligible 4-year-olds; and enlist finan-cial support from local businesses andcorporations to extend the program toat-risk 3-year-olds. Early evidence sug-gests Jump Start graduates are per-forming at a higher level in elemen-tary school on districtwide and state-wide assessments.
Silberman is being honored for ru-ral Daviess County’s Graduation 2010,an initiative to raise student achieve-ment by giving first-year primary stu-dents enriched learning opportunitiesbased on the latest research on brain-based learning. A series of curricularadditions — including instruction ona musical instrument, Spanish lan-guage lessons, and appreciation of thevisual and performing arts — enhance
DEEP IN THOUGHT —Ricky Freeman seems
toally engaged in learningduring class at Deer Park
Elementary in DaviessCounty. The district has
drawn national acclaim forits Graduation 2010
initiative to raise studentachievement. One recentaccolade came from the
American Association ofSchool Administrators
(see details on this page).
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the students’ neurological develop-ment. The program started with asingle external partner, the OwensboroMercy Health System. Several commu-nity businesses and higher educationinstitutions have joined the district aspartners.
Hardin County’s Lois Gray is oneof 12 superintendents in the nation toreceive an honorable mention for lead-ership in effective programs. Heraward recognizes the district’s ap-proach to helping all students succeed,starting with a preschool program fo-cused on each child’s health, educa-tion and family. The program is amodel site for the Kentucky TransitionProject (Project STEPS).
AASA plans to recognize Leader-ship for Learning award winners at theorganization’s National Conference onEducation, Feb. 19-22 in New Orleans.Each of the three national winners willreceive an engraved Steuben sculptureand $4,000 to support improved edu-cational opportunities for students.The awards have been presented an-nually at the convention since 1982.
For more information aboutAASA and its annual recognitionprograms, go to www.aasa.org onthe Internet. Look for descriptionso f the winn ing in i t i a t ives inAASA’s “Leadership News” at thatsite.
The National Council of Teachersof English will hold its annual springconference March 4-6 in Cincinnati.Sessions are designed for P-12 teach-ers interested in the latest strategies forsupporting student readers and writ-ers. Many of the sessions are hands-on with a focus on integrating the artsand other disciplines with literacy.
Keynote speakers include authorsRobert Pinsky, Dorothy Allison, WalterDean Myers, Christopher Myers,George Ella Lyon and Robert Scholes;and 1997 National Teacher of the YearSharon Draper.
For details about registration andhousing, call NCTE at (800) 369-6283or visit www.ncte.org/meet/spring/99on the Internet.
The Department of Education and KET will broadcast three sessions providing technical assistance onthe consolidated planning process. The broadcasts are designed for educators to tape and keep on file foruse throughout the planning and results assessment process. All three sessions will air on KET StarChannel 703 from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. ET. Note change in channel access number.
Materials for telecasts are available at kdeweb.kde.state.ky.us/consolidated/ on the Web. Fordetails, phone Debbie McDonald at (502) 564-2116 or e-mail her through the KETS global addresslist or at [email protected].
Feb. 11 — “New Data, Adjustments and Sec-ond-Year Application.” What to do with newdata; how to make adjustments; how to developthe second-year application for funding. For allindividuals (including parents and communitymembers) involved with implementing a con-solidated plan (both district and school).
Feb. 18 — “Readiness.” The “hows and whys”of consolidated planning. A repeat of Regional
NCTE spring conferenceReminder: KET to air sessions on consolidated planning
Technical Assistance Session 1. Particularly help-ful for educators, parents and community partnersnew to the process.
March 1 — “Leadership and Component Man-agers.” For individuals interested in or responsiblefor implementation of a district or school plan. Thisis a repeat of Regional Technical Assistance Ses-sion #2.
February 1999 Kentucky Teacher14
Kentucky has nominated six el-ementary schools for recognition in theU.S. Department of Education BlueRibbon Schools program for 1998-99:
• Hinsdale Elementary, KentonCounty
• Hatcher Elementary, Ashland In-dependent
• Northern Elementary, ScottCounty
• Piner Elementary, Kenton County• Southside Elementary, Woodford
County• William H. Natcher Elementary,
Warren CountyTo be recognized by the Blue Rib-
bon Schools program, schools mustdemonstrate a strong commitment toeducational excellence for all students.This year’s program emphasizes tech-nology; professional development; andschool safety, discipline and drug pre-
Kentucky Educational Television’s professional development programming for Feb-ruary and March offers many choices for subscribing districts and schools.
“One of the top six conferences inthe nation!” That’s how a presidentof a nationally known technology ven-dor rates the Kentucky Education Tech-nology Conference. Grab this oppor-tunity to learn and discuss instruc-tional strategies, take home informa-tion about collaborative projects, learnnew software, hear new and creativeideas on classroom instruction, anddiscover what students are accom-plishing using education technologywithin the curriculum! More interestedin the technical side? Come learn aboutthe latest advances in technology fromsome of the nation’s most respectedtechnicians.
KETC ’99 will also spotlight whatstudents have achieved using technol-
Middle and high schools are eligible to apply for the next schoolyear’s Blue Ribbon recognition. Applications are available on the Web.Go to the U.S. Department of Education’s home page at www.ed.gov/and click on “Topics, A-Z,” then “B” for Blue Ribbon Schools. Or godirectly to www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/BlueRibbonSchools/. For additionalinformation or hard-copy application packets, contact Kay Anne Wilbornat (502) 564-3421, (800) 533-5372 or [email protected].
Six schools chosen for Blue Ribbon honorsvention. The program identifies andrecognizes the nation’s most outstand-ing public and private schools, makesresearch-based effectiveness criteriaavailable to all schools for self-assess-ment and improvement, and encour-ages schools to share informationabout best practices
The Kentucky Department of Edu-cation sent Blue Ribbon 1998-99 ap-plication packets to Kentucky districtsand elementary schools. (The recog-nition program alternates each yearbetween elementary schools andmiddle-secondary schools.) A panel ofKentucky educators and citizens se-lected the six top nominees.
Those six schools now representKentucky in the national Blue RibbonSchools program. A national reviewpanel will evaluate the nominationsand select schools for national recog-nition in the spring of 1999.
Blue Ribbon Schools Program 1999-2000
KET lists programs for February and March
Education Technology Conference March 4-6
ogy tools. The Student TechnologyLeadership Program — STLP — ishosting several student involvementareas. Watch student know-how inaction as students serve as conferenceassociates, junior engineers, technicalwriters, cyber reporters andvideographers.
The deadline for conference pre-registration is Feb. 12. Visit the con-ference Web site at www.kde.state.ky.us/ketc99 for registration details.On-site registration will be availableMarch 4-6 at the conference site, theCommonwealth Convention Center indowntown Louisville.
Preregistration Deadline: Feb. 12!
FebruaryCoaching Clinics in Golf, Women’s Softball, GymnasticsForeign Language Swapshop — Seminar 2Kentucky Council of Teachers of Math ShowcaseKentucky Science Teachers Association ShowcaseUsing CD-ROM in the Physics Classroom — Seminar 1Teaching the Writer with Special Needs: Middle LevelTeaching Journalistic WritingEarth Science: A Content Course for Teachers — Seminar 3Middle School Writing — Seminar 2
MarchUsing CD-ROM in the Physics Classroom — Seminar 2Teaching AP EnglishTeaching AP U.S. HistoryKentucky Council of Teachers of Math ShowcaseKentucky Science Teachers Association ShowcaseWriting in the Science Classroom — Seminar 2Earth Science: A Content Course for Teachers — Seminar 4Teaching the Writer with Special Needs: Elementary LevelTransforming Middle Schools Through DWoK — Seminar 3Community PublishingForeign Language Swapshop — Seminar 3Serving Minority Language Students: Secondary LevelMiddle School Writing — Seminar 3
For registration and information, call KET Professional Development at (800) 432-0951.
The Kentucky Bar Foundation is offering grants for nonprofit organizationsthat initiate law-related projects, including school-based activities. The applica-tion deadline is March 12.
Since 1988, the foundation has awarded almost $370,000 to Kentucky com-munities to assist in law-related education and services.
For more information, contact the Kentucky Bar Foundation, 514 West MainSt., Frankfort, KY 40601; (800) 874-6582.
The Kentucky Association of Student Assistance Professionals invites educa-tors to its fourth annual statewide conference, “Student Assistance Programs: ABlueprint for Safe and Drug-Free Schools,” on Feb. 25 at the Executive WestHotel in Louisville.
For a conference brochure, contact Barry Kellond, Student Assistance Coordi-nator, Shelby County High School, PO Box 69, Shelbyville, KY 40066-0069; phone(502) 633-2344; fax (502) 647-0238; e-mail through the KETS global list or [email protected].
Grants for Law-Related Projects
Student Assistance Conference
“It really didn’t hit them until they saw a picture of Geo Bear with apenguin,” Barber said. “‘That bear is in Antarctica!’ they said. It really gotthem interested.”
The class study of the polar regions was in addition to the regular cur-riculum. “I think it is important to find fun and engaging lessons and activi-ties to teach students the skills addressed in the performance standards,”Barber said.
She focused the unit on social studies and science. However, what stu-dents learned about the North and South Poles also was addressed in math-ematics, writing and reading.
To contact Barber, call (502) 485-8348 or send e-mail to [email protected].
Primary students connectFrom Page 1
February 1999 Kentucky Teacher 15
By Lisa York GrossKentucky Department of Education
Bulletin BoardThe Department of Education seeks people to fill
vacancies on content advisory committees for the Com-monwealth Accountability Testing System, popularlyknown as CATS. Members generally serve for three yearsand develop open-response questions and multiple-choice items for the core content tests.
Committees include teachers of all grade levels,school and district administrators, and university fac-ulty. The committees meet twice a year, with additionalmeetings scheduled as needed. Members are selectedusing the department’s guidelines for ethnic, genderand geographic balance of representation. Members arereimbursed for expenses related to their participationon the committees. Stipends or fees to pay substitutesare provided when appropriate.
The deadline for applications is Feb. 19. A listing ofcommittee openings and an application form are avail-able at the department’s Web site. Go towww.kde.state.ky.us and click on “Curriculum and Test-ing,” then “Curriculum and Assessment Development.”
CONTACT: Rhonda Sims, 18th Floor, 500 Mero St.,F r a n k f o r t , K Y 4 0 6 0 1 ; ( 5 0 2 ) 5 6 4 - 2 1 0 6 ;[email protected]
Assessment committees need you!
The Department of Education is co-sponsor-ing the Martin Luther King Jr. Academic Project,designed to encourage educators, students andcommunities to develop long-term initiativesand programs that reflect the tenets and teach-ings of the late Martin Luther King Jr.
The program has separate divisions for stu-dents, educators and community. Each divisionhas seven entry categories: writing, fine arts,technology, communications, community in-volvement, integrated curriculum plans andservice learning. Students and educators mayparticipate in one of four levels: primary, el-ementary, middle school or high school. Projectsmay include lesson plans that reflect the theme:“Positive Actions in Our Schools and Commu-nities.”
Competitions will be held at the district, re-gional and state level. One state finalist will bechosen from each division and in each of theseven categories.
District-level competitions must be com-pleted by Feb. 15. State-level winners will beannounced on April 4. The project is sponsoredin part by the Department of Education and theKentucky Martin Luther King Jr. Commission.
CONTACT: Karen Simms, 17th Floor, 500Mero St., Frankfort, KY 40601; (502) 564-3678;[email protected]
Join the Martin Luther King Jr.Academic Project
The Kentucky Council of Teachers of English/Language Arts’ 63rd annual convention will beFeb. 12 and 13 at the Galt House East in Louis-ville. This year’s theme is “Kentucky Readers andWriters: A Common Wealth of Literacy.” The con-vention is for educators from primary through theuniversity level.
Featured speakers include Harvey Daniels,author of “Best Practice” and “Methods That Mat-ter”; author Stephen Tchudi; teacher Jan Cheripco;and children’s author Evangeline Nicholas.
More information about the convention isavailable on the Internet at www.kcte.org/con-ference/conference.html.
CONTACT: Donna Vincent, PO Box 61,Graham, KY 42344; (502) 338-4058; by e-mailth rough the KETS g loba l l i s t ing [email protected] or [email protected]
Language arts convention scheduled
The spring training for school math-ematics leaders is scheduled for siteswithin each education region.
Region 1: March 23,Kentucky Dam Village
Region 2: March 24,Cave City Convention Center
Region 3: March 29,Gheens Academy
Region 4: March 9,Ramada Inn, Florence
Region 5: March 16,Holiday Inn North, Lexington
Region 6: March 17,Somerset Center for RuralEconomic Development
Region 7: March 3,Morehead State University
Region 8: March 2,Jenny Wiley State Park
All sessions will run from 8 a.m.until 3 p.m. local time. School math-ematics leaders will receive more detailsin February.
CONTACT: Nela Phillips, 18thFloor, 500 Mero Street, Frankfort,KY 40601; (502) 564-2106; by e-mailthrough the KETS global listing [email protected]
Mathematics training set
Murray State University is accepting nominationsfor the 1999 Kentucky Outstanding Teacher Awards.The university-sponsored program awards $1,000 to ateacher in each education level: primary/elementary,middle school and high school.
All full-time teachers in Kentucky are eligible. Judgeswill evaluate each nominee’s service and commitmentto education.
To nominate, send no more than two double-spaced,typewritten pages about the nominee. Include a para-graph (with specific examples) on each of three areas:excellence in teaching, contributions to parental in-volvement in learning and commitment to school ex-cellence. Also include your own name, job title, rela-tionship to the nominee, address and telephone num-ber.
The deadline for nominations is April 17. Mail toDean’s Office, College of Education, Murray State Uni-versity, PO Box 9, Murray, KY 42071-0009.
CONTACT: Russell Wall, (502)762-3832; TamiDandeneau, (502)762-3817
Murray seeks nominations for teacher recognition
February 1999
Ph
oto
by R
ick
McC
omb
Kentucky Department of Education Wilmer S. Cody, Commissioner
Kentucky TeacherKentucky Teacher
Kentucky Teacher is published by the Kentucky Department of Education for teach-ers, school administrators, counselors, support staff, parents, students, legisla-tors, community leaders and others with a stake in public education. Pleaseaddress correspondence to Kentucky Teacher, 1914 Capital Plaza Tower, 500 MeroSt., Frankfort, KY 40601; e-mail [email protected].
The Kentucky Department of Education does not discriminate on the basis of race,color, national origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provi-sion of services. Alternate formats of this publication are available upon request.
Printed with state funds by the Winchester Sun, Winchester, Ky.,on recycled paper
Commissioner of Education
Associate Commissionerfor Communications
DirectorDivision of Public Information
Editor
Copy Writers
Photographer
Graphics and Design
Wilmer S. Cody
Hunt Helm
Armando Arrastia
Fran Salyers
Sharon Crouch FarmerFaun S. Fishback
Lisa York Gross
Rick McComb
Susie Morrow, ManagerBarbara Burch
Bill DavisMichael Gray
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News for the Nation’s Most Innovative Educators
I want to commend you for the suggestion ... to offer sabbaticals andreimbursement for advanced courses and certifications. I think this isthe first time I have felt the potential for being rewarded for pursuingexcellence.
E. Carolyn Tucker, teacher, Dixon Elementary/Middle School, Webster County, ina response to Commissioner Wilmer Cody’s professional development proposals.For the rest of her response, plus comments from a teacher with a different pointof view, see Page 3.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE:
A teacher travels to Antarctica...............................................1
Y2K brings challenges, opportunities.....................................2
Teachers respond pro and con to teacher development proposals........................................3
Writing instruction:Language development........................................................ 4Peer conferencing ................................................................5Professional development.....................................................6
A salute to teachers whohelped build CATS ......................................................Center
Two out-of-the-box ideas....................................................10
Sizzlin’ ideas for professional development..........................11
Equity: Girls and computers...............................................12
News and ideas for teachers..........................................13 -15
READY WITH THE ANSWER — Student Colleen Miller appears eager to answer theteacher’s question during class at L. C. Curry Elementary in Bowling Green. Colleenand her schoolmates have demonstrated big gains in writing, raising the school’sscores on state writing tests from 4.6 in 1995 to 74.6 in 1998. To find out how, seePage 4.