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Educator’s Update
Professional Development News for
Educators
Fall/Winter 2007/2008 Issue

The Educator’s Update is a professional development newsletter published and distributed during the school year at no cost to
educators. Distribution is courtesy of Educational Service Centers in Northwest Ohio and local public and private schools in
Northwest Ohio and Lenawee and Monroe counties, Michigan. Permission is granted to duplicate and forward the newsletter in its
entirety for further distribution. Editor: Dr. Peggy Treece Myles, School Improvement Consultant, Lucas County Educational
Service Center, 2275 Collingwood Blvd., Toledo, Ohio 43620 (e-mail: lcesc_pmy@nwoca.org). [If the fonts of the newsletter are not
compatible with your software, hold down the left mouse and scroll from the beginning to the end. Then, change the font type on the
tool bar to a single font that you usually use.]

According to one of today’s favorite quick online references these days,

Wikipedia defines profession as “an occupation, vocation or career where
specialized knowledge of a subject, field, or science is applied. It is usually
applied to occupations that involve prolonged academic training and a
formal qualification.” In recent years, education has been accepted as a profession
although some critics continue to disagree, saying that the education does not
regulate itself as “true” professions are expected to do.
Changes in the past two decades have “improved” the status of education as a
profession. Applying some of the characteristics of professions (again, according to
Wikipedia), the education profession employs a “skill based on theoretical knowledge,”
requires extensive education, and necessitates passing tests of competence. The
profession requires licensure (or certification) and certainly attracts altruistic
individuals who are dedicated to public service. Granted some of the characteristics
attributed to professions do not apply to education: Educators usually do not have
individual “fee-paying” clients or advertise their services, for example.
Professionalism also has “unstated” characteristics, such as a mode of attire:
Lawyers conjure up the image of dark suits for the courtroom; Doctors wear white lab
coats. Educators are expected to wear “professional attire.” Furthermore, professional
behavior is regulated by “ethical codes of conduct.” For educators, the ethical code of
conduct is not established by the profession itself, but rather by state laws or
agencies, and also by professional associations to which the educators may choose to
belong.
Professions also allow and demand a high degree of autonomy. “This
professional autonomy can only be maintained if members of the profession
subject their activities and decisions to a critical evaluation by other
members of the profession.” Going into a classroom or office and closing the door
is not the mark of a professional and cannot be the practice of the educator. Now more
than ever before, educators must collaborate and communicate with each other about
the issues and practices of their profession. They MUST assume responsibility for their
profession. Their clients are not only the students; their clients include parents,
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community members, each other, even the global society—because educators MUST
make a positive difference. The educator’s world has expanded far beyond the
classroom or office. Continued learning and self-reflection are the hallmarks—that’s a
given in the “learning profession.” Both require openness and the willingness to
expose vulnerabilities for critique, with the intention to improve. As professionals,
educators owe their “clients” nothing less, rather a lot more to really live the
profession.
The same things that make for a great person
—a heart full of love, commitment, curiosity, a
good listener, a lifelong learner, and a great
sense of humor.
The Image of the Teacher If you wrote a textbook, what would it be
called? Maybe a physics book called “Go
Teachers have been portrayed in a Figure.” Or a biology book called “Tight-Fitting
variety ways by the media over the years. Genes”.
Books and magazines, radio, television, and
even the internet allow stereotypes to develop
and to persist, but these sources of information
also shed a bright light on the many wonderful
people who comprise the profession. A recent All too often, educators find themselves under
issue of NEA Today (October 2007) revisited the microscope, with the “diagnosis” a bit hard to
“popular culture’s depiction of teachers” by accept. Critics of our education system and our
listing books, television programs, and music by educators have always been around, but their
decades, beginning with the 1950s, that have arguments usually do not have the evidence-base to
made an impression of what teachers are like. support their convictions.
Eve Arden played the teacher in Our To examine the perceptions of “the state of
Miss Brooks in the popular ‘50s television education” each year, the professional organization Phi
sitcom. To Sir With Love (with Sydney Poitier, Delta Kappa and the Gallup Organization conduct a
1967) and Up the Down Staircase (with Sandy survey of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public
Dennis, 1967) are still around in book and movie Schools to gauge what the people who should know
formats. Welcome Back, Kotter (1975-1979) best—parents—and the general public think about the
featured Gabriel Kaplan as the teacher education of our greatest natural resource.
challenged daily by a group of “misfit students” In the recently released results of the 39th
on television, while Eve Arden returned to the annual poll, parents rated their children’s public
big screen as the principal in the original Grease schools higher than the public at large. The question
(1978). Dead Poets Society (1989) put Robin can be asked about the role of the media in influencing
Williams into a serious role as the the public’s opinion of public schools generally. (For the
unconventional teacher at a conventional boys’ complete report: www.pdkintl.org)
boarding school. The popular TV show Fame,
about a magnet school for the performing arts, ***************
began its five year run in 1982. Who can watch
Mr. Holland’s Opus (1995) without shedding a Opportunities to Share
few tears? Boston Public hit the small screen in So you think you aren’t doing anything “special” in
2000 and continued through 2004. your classroom? Ask the teacher next door what that
With only this sample extracted from something special is. Others often see what we cannot
many, educators can see their profession as see in ourselves because we are so busy doing it as a
respected and dignified, but also admit to being matter of course.
human beings who laugh and cringe like Here is an opportunity to share that something
everyone else, despite what the students think. “special” so others may benefit from your experiences,
wisdom, and ideas: The 54th Annual Convention North
Central of the International Reading Association is
From an Edutopia (September 2006) interview planned for Minneapolis, May 3-7, 2009. Online program
of Dolly Parton, who launched Imagination proposal forms are at www.reading.org now.
Library to send books to preschoolers: To give you the added boost to participate, you
What is your idea of the perfect teacher? need to know that Jim Davis, of Garfield fame is the

opening speaker. No doubt, he will bring along his easily
recognizable cartoon cat.
Through the Professor Garfield Foundation,
Garfield promotes reading (phonemic awareness,
vocabulary, and comprehension) and writing, including
spelling, and math, science, and social studies with games,
videos, cartoons, and other activities at
www.professorgarfield.org for children and youth, from
preschool through junior high/middle school. Teachers
and parents can download a wide variety of resources,
including books, and posters. Music and art teachers will
find “Art-Bot” and “Music-Bot” on the website useful for
motivating students. Everything on the website is free.
Teachers Learning from YouTube?!?!?!?
Not quite, but close. TeacherTube
(www.teachertube.com) has videos about
teaching, demonstration lessons, and resources.
Although you may not be able to use your red
pen to “grade” the productions, you can rate
them and add comments. Or, submit your own!
See what you might be missing?
“Publish”—for Real
Highlights for Children magazine welcomes all
types of writing appropriate for children, plus
has an annual contest. Dust off that story you
began in college and send it. You may be the
winner of the monetary award AND get to see
your writing in the magazine. Write: Fiction
Contest, Highlights for Children, 803 Church
Street, Honesdale, PA 18431
(http://www.highlights.com/custserv/).
Get the Kids Published Too!
Do they love sports? Have them write about
their favorite sport and submit their
masterpieces to Sports Illustrated. The “Write
Like Mike” contest is for students ages 8-12. The
winning students’ school gets $1,000 for sport
equipment.
(http://us.penguingroup.com/static/html/enter/e
nter_writelikemike.html)
Other magazines and websites that publish
students’ work include:
Stone Soup (www.stonesoup.com)
International Kids’ Space (www.kids-space.org)
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Potluck (www.potluckmagazine.org)
Potato Hill Poetry (www.potatohill.com)
A new magazine (2008) for fiction, nonfiction,
poetry, and art of students, ages 6-12, Launch
Pad: Where Young Authors and Illustrators Take
Off! is looking for children’s work on a variety of
topics. (www.launchpadmag.com)
Or, publish the students’ work on your own
website. Need to create one first? Try the free
Class Homepage Building at
teacher.scholastic.com or contact WGTE
(www.wgte.org) for information about “Build
Your Own Website” workshops.
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Professional Development
Lifelong learning is no longer an
option for anyone in today’s rapidly
changing world. One mark of the true
professional is continuing to study,
learn, and reflect. Plus, in education, as
in many professional fields, continuing
education is a requirement for
maintaining the credentials. Because of
the need for lifelong learning, variety
has entered the once-traditional higher
education realm. For graduate credit
(Michigan and Ohio) and/or contact
hours (Ohio), try some different venues.
Costs/tuitions vary, so read the online
registration information carefully. All of
the following programs offer “online”
learning opportunities, so warm the
cocoa and snuggle into your “jammies.”
Annenberg Media Resources
Emphasis on the arts (including writing) and history in the
classroom. (http://www.learner.org/resources/)
Apple Professional Development
For educators at all grade levels and subject areas, as well
as technology experiences, to broaden and enhance the
incorporation of media applications into teaching and
students’ learning.
(www.apple.com/education/solutions/apd)
Connected University (Classroom Connect)
Technology integration courses along with math, educational
leadership, and curriculum and instruction.

(http://corporate.classroom.com/cu.html)
eTech Ohio
A wide range of online courses in technology and content
disciplines. (ww.etech.ohio.gov)
Pearson Achievement Solutions
Especially acclaimed for its ELL [English language learners]
courses but offers a range of other areas also.
(www.teacher-courses.com)
PBS Teacherline (Public Broadcasting System)
Encompasses all content disciplines and grade levels.
(www.teacherline.pbs.org)
Scholastic Red
Focuses on reading/literacy from emergent literacy through
adolescent literacy. (www.scholasticred.com)
Value-Added Learning Network
Provides educators with a way to learn about and use value-
added analyses adopted for use in Ohio.
(www.value-addedlearningnetwork.org)
Verizon Literacy Campus
Resource of free online courses on a range of literacy topics,
as well as discussion forums and databases.
(www.literacycampus.org)
Teachers in Ohio need to
remember to get the approval of their
local professional development
committee before enrolling/registering
for professional development offerings.
Michigan teachers may want to
check with the Michigan Department of
Education for the acceptance of out-of-
state and online coursework for
certificate renewal. (Michigan teachers:
Remember that credit hours for
upgrading from the provisional to
professional certificate must be in a
“planned program” that you develop
with the institution that will be
submitting your application for the
professional certificate.) Also, the
Michigan Department of Education will
not accept standard CEUs or contact
hours for certificate renewal. Only SB-
CEUs (State-Board Approved) are
permitted.

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What Time Does to Money
1957 - 2007
 Fifty dollars in 1957 is worth $6.58 in 2007,
thanks to inflation.
 In 1957, gasoline was $.23 a gallon. What did
it go up to today?
 In 1957, a year at Harvard set parents back
$800; today, $31,665.
 Of course, the median income in 1957 was
$4,966. Today, it’s $46,326.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Leap Beyond Limits
Limited in what you can do as your budget is cut deeper
and deeper? Maybe you are the teacher these grants are
seeking.
The Airborne Teacher Trust Fund (begun by a 2nd grade
teacher) – Purpose: to provide teachers with money for
art and music education otherwise cut due for budgetary
reasons. Grant amounts: $200-$10,000.
(www.airbornetrust.com)
The Melody Program of the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
accepts grant applications requesting musical instruments
for K-12 music program if no other source of funding is
available. (www.mhopus.org/teachers.asp)
How about a mini-grant to “pay-it-forward”?
(http://payitforwardfoundation.org)
Short on Cash…and Creative Ideas?
YES, Something for Nothing!
FREE subscription to A & E Television Network’s
magazine, The Idea Book for Educators, full of
classroom ideas
(www.aetv.com/class/theideabook)
FREE subscription to newsletter of The National
Center for Learning Disabilities, LD Essentials
(www.ncld.org/essentials.html)
FREE standards-based lesson plans on money
and its value (www.usmint.gov)
FREE videos and lesson plans on meteorology
from The Weather Channel
(www.weatherclassroom.com)

What is your wish?
You post your wish list of supplies and resources
for your classroom or school and philanthropic
Santas may visit the site to make your wishes
come true.
(www.theteacherswishlist.com)
Check out the free three-part video series from
Apple on podcasting:
www.apple.com/education/resources/podcasting
videos
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To honor the birth of Dr. Seuss, the NEA
[National Education Association] sponsors
Read Across America on March 3 each year.
The NEA is distributing a FREE resource
calendar and toolkit (with art of children’s
illustrators), but act quickly by e-mailing
readacross@nea.org to request your copies.
These resources also are available to
download from the NEA website:
www.nea.org/readacross.

Lessons & Resources

The famous Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race can
come to your classroom as you implement
prepared lessons and the students follow their
mushers’ progress. (www.iditarod.com)
For photos, to give a human face to the name
and events of history and today’s world, check
Stock.XCHNG at www.sxc.hu/index.phtml.
Another huge “friendly” collection is
www.wisegorilla.com. Curriculum-like
categories of photos also are available at
www.pics4learning.com.
www.zooweb.com helps to locate zoos around
the world and check their zoocams.
In the 5th grade, typical students encounter
about 10,000 new words. About 60% of these
words have common Greek, Latin, or Anglo-
Saxon word parts (Nagy et al., 1989). About
4,000 of these words are derived from
familiar words (prefixes, suffixes, etc.).
Another 1,300 are inflections of words
familiar to the students.
Download free classroom books by Hans
Wilhelm (such as Tyrone the Terrible and
Pirates Ahoy!) at
www.childrensbooksforever.com.

By the Day:
January 18, 2008
February 14, 2008
March 3, 2008
Winnie-the-Pooh Day
Read To Your Child Day
Read Across America
√√√√
So, your students don’t proofread
March 6, 2008 World Book Day (U.S.) their work because their computers
By the Week: have spell check? Here is an
March 1-7 Return Borrowed Books Week example of what could happen that
April 2, 2008 International Children’s Book Day may serve as a lesson for them.
April 13-19 National Library Week
May 12-18 Children’s Book Week
June (2nd week) National Bathroom Reading Eye halve a spelling chequer
Week (Honest, I’m not making this one up.) It cam with my pea sea
It plainly marques four my revue
By the Month:
Miss steaks eye kin knot sea.
April National Poetry Month

Eye strike a key and type a word


And weight four it two say
Weather eye am wrong oar write
It shows me strait a weight.
As soon as a mist ache is maid
It nose bee fore two long
And eye can put the error rite
Its rare lead ever wrong.
Eye have run this poem threw it
I am shore your pleased two no
Its letter perfect awl the weigh
My chequer tolled me sew.
- Author Unknown -
- Wanting To Stay That Way -
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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What’s In a Name?
Your name is worth 3-20 cents each time
it is sold for a direct mailing
(www.greendimes.com). How many unwanted and
wasteful catalogs and advertisements does that
dump into your mailbox in a year? About 41
pounds of junk mail EVERY year
(www.41pounds.org) or an average of 10.8 pieces
of junk mail a week, compared to only 1.5
personal letters. That’s approximately 4.5 million
tons of junk mail in the U.S. EACH year, using
100 million trees (The Green Guide of National
Geographic).
Do you think that is wasteful? Well,
consider this: “Americans toss out an extra 25
million tons of trash over the holidays, largely
due to packaging” (The Green Guide of National
Geographic).

Test YOUR Knowledge

The United States recently began using a redesigned Naturalization Test. Here are 10
items from the redesigned test for you to determine whether or not you could become
a U.S. citizen.

1. How many amendments does the Constitution have?

(Answer: 27)

2. What stops one branch of government from becoming too powerful?

(Answer: checks and balances; separation of powers)

3. The House of Representative has how many voting members?

(Answer: 435)

4. There are four amendments to the Constitution about who can vote. Describe
one of them.
(Answer: 1) Citizens eighteen and older can vote. 2) You don’t have to pay a poll tax to vote. 3)
Any citizen, including women and men, can vote. 4) A male citizen of any race can vote.)

5. What are two rights only for United States citizens?

(Answer: Apply for a federal job; Vote; Run for office; Carry a U.S. passport)

6. The Federalist Papers supported the passage of the U.S. Constitution. Name one
of the writers.
(Answer: James Madison; Alexander Hamilton; John Jay; Publius)

7. What territory did the United States buy from France in 1803?
(Answer: Louisiana Territory or Louisiana)

8. Who was President during World War I?

(Answer: Woodrow Wilson)
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9. Name one U.S. territory.

(Answer: Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands, American Samoa, Northern Mariana Islands, Guam)

10. Why does the flag have 13 stripes?

(Answer: because there were 13 original colonies; because the stripes represent the original
colonies)