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Greetings!
Hello! We hope this note finds you enjoying some wonderful weather. What a busy spring we're having at Inspired Teaching!
Aleta Margolis has been featured on the big and little screen in interviews for Comcast, ABC News Channel 7, and a short film being created for the National Council on Foundations.
Hundreds of entires for our first Inspired Teacher Essay Contest flooded in and the award selection process is underway. A celebration for the winners will be hosted May 1, by Barnes and Noble.
Partner schools are making a final push before the big yearly exams. Our program staff is helping teachers prepare students to show what they know when test day arrives.
Our course schedule for the year is wrapping up, but applications are now being accepted for the 2008-2009 Inspired Teaching Institute so get the teachers in your life involved!
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IN OUR OPINION...
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Do standardized tests tell us enough?
This month students throughout the country will be preparing for and taking standardized tests. The results from these tests will be used to evaluate an entire year of teaching and learning. They will consist mostly of multiple-choice questions, and they will focus on "core subjects," especially reading and math.
When you weigh the pros and cons of this tool for measuring student achievement, there are some good things that have come out of the testing movement. Standardized tests and their connection to the mandates of the Federal No Child Left Behind law have brought to light some serious disparities in the quality of education children receive in this country. The data from these tests have pushed school districts to reevaluate their curricula, teaching methodology, and school environments. Important discussions have begun about what it takes to truly improve student achievement for ALL children.
But these tests alone are not a sufficient measure of what students know, are capable of doing, and still need to learn. Performance tasks and portfolios are just a few of the effective "authentic assessment" strategies we see Inspired Teachers use to generate a more complete picture of student achievement.
Visit our Blog to LEARN MORE.
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ITEMS OF NOTE
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 Lights! Camera! Inspiration!
Inspired Teaching played a starring role on both the big and little screen this month.
The Council on Foundations and the Washington Regional Association of Grantmakers invited us to be part of a documentary spotlighting the work of area nonprofit leaders who are making changes in the community. A film crew visited Inspired Teaching to interview executive director Aleta and record a workshop. The video will be shown to an audience of around 3,000 at the Council on Foundations Leadership Summit in early May.
Aleta will also be featured as a "Comcast Newsmaker" in a TV spot that will run on a frequent hourly rotation on DC Channel 35 the week of April 21 following CNN Headline News.
And finally, as you get ready for work on Wednesday, April 30, tune into ABC News Channel 7 at 6:10 am to hear Aleta say, "good morning Washington!"
Barnes and Noble Bookfair for Inspired Teaching
If you've been waiting for the chance to buy those books on your booklist, Thursday, May 1 is the day to do it. You can build your library and help Inspired Teaching at the same time! Visit Barnes & Noble at 555 12th Street NW and present this voucher between 8 am and 10 pm. (You can cut the vouchers apart and share them with your friends and family!) A portion of your payment will be donated by Barnes & Noble to support our work. Thank you in advance!
Inspired Teacher Journal
Calling all Inspired Teachers! Submit your entry today for the inaugural Inspired Teacher Journal -a unique outlet for the work of Inspired Teachers in the Washington, DC area and beyond. Inspired Teaching is committed to producing a journal that maintains high standards of quality while providing editorial support for teachers with limited experience in writing. If you have an idea or a rough draft that you think you might want to develop, please contact us and we'll be happy to guide you through the publishing process. Contact Julie for more information or to submit your piece for review: julie@inspiredteaching.org or 202.462.1956, ext. 15 LEARN MORE.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
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Teaching Self Discipline
Wednesdays: April 30, May 7, 14, 21, 28 SIGN UP
Decrease time spent on discipline by building student problem-solving
skills. Learn to create a classroom where students' behavior is
governed by their role as valued members of their classroom community,
rather than punitive measures or rewards. Develop strategies for
successful student and teacher conflict resolution.
Inspired Teacher Essay Contest Celebration
Thursday, May 1, 2008 7:00 p.m.
Barnes & Noble 555 12th Street NW
Winners of the 2008 Inspired Teacher essay contest will be celebrated at an awards ceremony hosted by Barnes & Noble. Student winners will read the essays they wrote about their Inspired Teachers and the students and their teachers will receive prizes from each of the sponsoring organizations: Center for Inspired Teaching, Barnes & Noble, WHUR, and Washington Post KidsPost.
Final Inspired Teaching Institute Practicum Session
Wed., May 14, 2008 from 4:30-7:30 pm
Thurgood Marshall Center Trust, 1816 12th Street, NW / Washington, DC 20009
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Center for Inspired Teaching is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization that exists to ensure schools make the most of children's innate desire to learn. We do this by investing in teachers. Please visit our website to learn more about our philosophy, programs, and results.
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