The Brain and Early Childhood Video
How do young children learn? What experiences engage and motivate them to remember, discover, and grow? Explore the connection between early brain development and educational practice with a new two-tape ASCD series, The Brain and Early Childhood. Recent advances in cognitive psychology and brain research offer practical insights on how young children develop and learn—and how teachers can create rich educational experiences for students of every age. The video explores the fundamentals of early brain development, shows how to create learning environments that support young children, and gives examples of good teaching strategies for the early grades and beyond. Price: $326 (member); $396 (nonmember). Stock no. 400054.
Technology Survey
Many school decisions today involve technology. Should your school purchase computers for a lab or for individual classrooms? Should your district provide Internet filtering services? Should your school purchase curriculum that integrates technology, or should staff members write the curriculum themselves? Gathering input on these issues can lead to better decisions and more effective implementations of the latest and most effective technology.
At Snapshot Survey, schools and districts can now develop a short survey and administer the survey online to assess their needs. To show how the process works, Snapshot Survey will conduct a two-week online survey of EL readers. The survey, which takes about 10 minutes to complete, contains questions that explore educators' attitudes, beliefs, and needs regarding technology in the classroom. Go to <!--since past April 28, not relevant link, so not SGML coded. At least I think that's why-->http://snapshotsurvey.org/ EL from April 10 through April 28 to take the survey.
The survey technology is also available, at cost, for schools and districts. Contact Cathleen Norris (e-mail: snapshotsurvey@umich.edu) for more information.
ASCD Resources on "Sustaining Change"
The following is a partial list of ASCD resources on this topic. For a more complete listing, visit ASCD's Web site or call the ASCD Service Center.
- The Hero's Journey: How Educators Can Transform Schools and Improve Learning. (1999). Brown, J. L., & Moffett, C. A. Price: $16.95 (member); $20.95 (nonmember). Stock no. 199002.
- How to Mentor in the Midst of Change. (1992). Sullivan, C. G. Price $6.95 (member); $8.95 (nonmember). Stock no. 61192015.
- Building Leadership Capacity in Schools. (1998). Lambert, L. Price: $10.95 (member); $13.95 (nonmember). Stock no.198058.
- Schools as Communities. (1999). Price: $396 (member); $466 (nonmember). Stock no. 499267.
- Mentoring to Improve Schools. (1999). Price: $396 (member); $466 (nonmember). Stock no. 498323.
- Implementing a Vision for Meaningful Learning. (NCREL, 1996). Price: $129 (member); $155 (nonmember). Stock no. 597002.
- Developing Teacher Leadership: A Training Guide and Materials Resource. (Center for Creative Leadership, 1997). Price: $995 (member and nonmember). Stock no. 597262.
Beginning School Mathematics
Helping schools sustain change in K–2 mathematics is a goal of ASCD's Beginning School Mathematics (BSM) program. This comprehensive program includes crucial staff development components—workshops and study materials—as well as key support features—a team-based approach, a help desk, and a newsletter for classroom teachers. Throughout the implementation, we intend to build the capacity within schools and districts to maintain the innovation with minimum outside support. Schools are now enrolling for training in the 2000–2001 academic year. For more information, look at ASCD's Web site, or consult the Curriculum Handbook case study about the pilot phase of the project, The Beginning School Mathematics Project. Price: $19.95 (member); $23.95 (nonmember). Stock no. 195264.
Effective Leadership
ASCD's Professional Development online course, "Effective Leadership," introduces educators to techniques and tools to enhance their skills and become more effective educational leaders. It also provides opportunities to interact with other educators who are interested in understanding how to lead in times of change. The course emphasizes the practical rather than the philosophical facets of educational leadership. For those who wish to dig more deeply into a topic, each unit includes an extensive list of related readings and links to Web sites. Visit the ASCD Web site for more information.
For Your Calendar
- 2001: Boston, March 17–19
- 2002: San Antonio, March 9–11
- 2003: San Francisco, March 8–10
- Building Capacity for Change,Washington, DC: May 10–12, 2000
- Understanding by Design,Washington, DC: May 10–12, 2000
- Including English-Language Learners in the Mainstream Classroom, Washington, DC: May 10–12, 2000
- Multi-Age: 14 Key Components of a Successful Elementary Program, Washington, DC: May 11–12, 2000
