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Ed-Rev, digital/audio books, teacher ratings, teaching science, best books, cadaver lessons

Education Roundup

In a trend that just can’t seem to reverse itself, the most elite colleges are becoming ever more unattainable for even the highest achieving students. This month, Harvard announced an admittance rate of 5.9 percent, Yale will admit 6.8 percent and Princeton 7.9 percent. Part of the steady trend downward is attributed to more applicants from China and more applications being filed per student.

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The Sonoma County Office of Education (SCOE) is celebrating Teacher Appreciation Week (May 7 to 11) by showcasing some of the exemplary teachers working in local public schools. The “Thank a Teacher” posters on local transit buses feature 16 teacher photos, one of which is science teacher Shirley Austin-Peeke of Adele Harrison.

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Ed Rev 2012 is the premier area parent and educator conference/exhibit on learning differences. This year’s event will be on Saturday, April 21 from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at AT&T Park in San Francisco. There are exhibits, speakers, workshops and more. If you teach or have children with learning differences, this program provides access to incredible resources. Registration is free for teachers, administrators and students. Parents pay $60. If you volunteer to help, your entrance is free. www.edrevsf.org

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There is a Digital Bookmobile National Tour circling the Bay Area but even if you can’t connect with the actual tractor-trailer, you can teach yourself how to download eBooks and audiobooks from our public library system by visiting search.overdrive.com. All you need is a library card, easily obtainable from our beautifully renovated local library.

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The Kenwood School is having a schoolwide garage sale and bake sale on Saturday, April 21 starting at 8 a.m. Another save the date for the school is their annual fundraiser, this time with the theme, “Lights, Camera, Auction,” on Saturday, May 12 at VJB Winery.

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New York City’s decision earlier this year to release teacher performance ratings is a hot topic in education news (how should teaching abilities be measured and should that information be public). Education reform advocates say teachers need to be held accountable, other say the ratings are flawed, misinform the public and unfairly punish teachers. California Teachers Association spokesman Frank Wells said the 325,000-member union hasn’t felt any push yet to disclose teacher ratings in California school districts but this is an issue to watch. To read the whole story go to tinyurl.com/825umxn.

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California State University offers a great free How to Get to College poster for prospective students, parents, teachers and counselors. Order it at their helpful website blogs.calstate.edu/college/ which has great resources for middle and high school students, parents, teachers and counselors in English and Spanish.

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Last week, the Sonoma Valley Unified School District hosted day and evening open focus groups in English and Spanish as part of its strategic planning process. The community was invited to talk in greater depth about issues raised in the recent community, teacher and parent surveys. Participation was confidential. Having lived in a school district that neither surveyed nor asked for any form of feedback from parents, I am impressed by these efforts to hear from the community during the strategic planning process.

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Thanks to a new study, scientists believe they have found the scientific key to what has previously been described as “game intelligence” in top soccer players. With so many players having physical ability and ball sense, why are some players better able to “read” the play, be in the right place at the right time and steal goals? The multi-year study found that game intelligence can be understood scientifically, based on exceptional “executive functions” (creative thinking, finding new solutions to problems, revising behavior based on outcome, flexibility to change tactics). They did extensive cognitive testing on 57 elite soccer players and compared various levels of players with each other and the general population. For details on the study go to ki.se/?l=en.

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A noted group of scientists and educators is proposing a dramatically different way that students in K-12 should be taught science. Their 8+1 concept moves away from memorizing scientific facts and focuses on helping students understand eight fundamental science concepts. The “plus one” is the importance of inquiry, the practice of asking why things happen around us – and a fundamental part of science. The 8+1 concepts were derived from two basic questions: What are things made of and how do systems interact and change? The eight concepts are: atoms, cells, radiation, systems change, forces, energy, conservation of mass and energy and variation. This is a big change from science today in the U.S., which is taught in isolated disciplines such as chemistry, biology and physics without clear connections being made between the subjects. See the study at 8plus1science.org/.

The annual “What Kids Are Reading: The Book-Reading Habits of Students in American Schools” report, lists the top 40 books kids in grades 1-12 are reading. For the first time, this year’s report also includes author and educator opinions on what kids should be reading. The report also includes the best Spanish-language books, the top Common Core informational texts and stories and librarians’ picks. You can download a free copy at renlearn.com/whatkidsarereading.

Most of our local schools are celebrating Earth Day on Sunday, April 22 both in the classroom and in their gardens. Check with your school for details, volunteers are needed on most campuses.

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I heard that Prestwood’s talent show earlier this month was a fantastic showcase of dancing, singing, instrument playing and joke telling. More than 70 students participated and director Tara Boucher produced a great event enjoyed by all. Prestwood students also shined in the recent Sonoma County Ag Day art and writing contests. First place honors in various categories were brought home by Madeline Sickert, Isabella Brophy, Tatum Isreal, Michael Monasterio and Reese Dobson.

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Presentation School students head out on two big outdoor education trips this month. The fifth grade is heading to Westminter Woods (camp and conference center in Occidental) for five days, and eighth grade is going to Wasington, D.C., for five days.

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This is too interesting not to mention. From April 15 to May 6, on Sundays from noon to 5 p.m., Santa Rosa Junior College is offering a course on human anatomy using real human cadavers as the centerpiece for learning about how the structure of the body informs the function, and dysfunction, of the whole person. This course is designed for anyone curious about what lies under our skin. The cost is $252.