FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE INSPIRE 2014: Engaging Today's Student WINCHESTER, MA, April 10, 2014—The National Institute for Student-Centered Education (NISCE) will host its second annual conference, INSPIRE 2014: Engaging Today's Student on October 22 and 23, 2014 in Norwood, MA at the Sheraton Four Points. The two-day conference of workshops, lectures and presentations is designed to bring together the latest thinking on the challenges and benefits of adopting student-centered learning … [Read more...]
Conference Topic Survey Results
What Would Inspire YouLast month we asked our readers and INSPIRE 2013 participants to provide us with feedback on what topics, learning activities, and/or specific presenters would be most engaging to YOU if rolled into the INSPIRE 2014 conference agenda. We appreciate all of you that took the time to complete the survey. Here is what we garnered from your responses. 1. Brain-based learning and student engagement/motivation are of high interest.When you were asked to rank a range of … [Read more...]
Being Careful About What We Say
I imagine we may have a few differences when it comes to what we believe is appropriate communication with our students. For me, the goal is to increase communication and deepen relationships with students rather than increase distance between us and strengthen our negative assumptions about them. Lastly, and most importantly, we want students to love coming to our classes, to feel relaxed and comfortable in our presence, to feel safe enough to ask spontaneous questions, to take risks and to … [Read more...]
Teaching to Different Learning Styles When it Feels too Hard
Two years ago I talked about using Learning Styles in the Classroom. Since then, I have worked with many teachers who agree that teaching to varied styles is critical but wonder how to do it well when they don't have many resources, administrators don't think it is important, they worry the class will get out of control, and they have so many students they can't meet all their different needs. These are legitimate concerns that, if left unanswered, might prevent some teachers from promoting this … [Read more...]
Promoting Behavioral Change in Students
When I work with teachers and other professionals, they often ask me, "What are the best things to do to deal with a particularly difficult student who just won't respond to limits?" I tell them there isn't a simple answer. They say they know, but they still ask. I wish there were a magic intervention for each difficult child, something that works in this moment. But in my experience there is no one sentence you can say, or consequence you can set, that will solve a chronic behavioral problem … [Read more...]
Time Out of the Classroom: Why It Matters to Today’s Youth and Education System
On Thursday, March 27th, at the Regent Theatre in Arlington, MA, NISCE will be hosting the film Brooklyn Castle. After the film, Melina O’Grady, EdM, an Education Consultant with over 20 years experience working with youth and youth programs in Boston and San Francisco, will facilitate a post-film discussion. The following are excerpts from an interview with Melina. ___________________________________________________________________________________ Brooklyn Castle highlights the personal lives … [Read more...]
NISCE To Host Award-Winning Film “Brooklyn Castle”
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Documentary on Why After School Programs are Socially and Economically Advantageous. Winchester, MA, March 14, 2014 - The National Institute for Student-Centered Education (NISCE) and Schools for Children, Inc. (SFC) in partnership with Northeastern University College of Professional Services will host a screening of the critically acclaimed documentary "Brooklyn Castle" on March 27, 2014 at the Regent Theatre, in Arlington, MA.Winner of the Audience Award at the … [Read more...]
Beyond the SAT: Leveraging Noncognitive Measures of Success
This article originally appeared in OnlineSchools.org. __________________________________________________________ By the time students reach the end of high school, they will be well acquainted with cognitive skill assessments. Math, critical reading, and fact recall are prioritized in our traditional school systems, subjects that rely heavily on cumulative knowledge and memorization. Standardized scoring systems like the SAT, ACT, and GPA ratings might not provide a full picture of students’ … [Read more...]
Sanity and Humanity
As teachers in a school serving students with special needs, we have a little bit of advice we give one another from time to time. It comes in the form of an acronym – QTIP. When our students let loose on us in their anguish, anger, or misery, and we’re in danger of feeling overwhelmed, our colleagues will remind us to Quit Taking It Personally. If we were to take all our students’ pain and anger to heart we would quickly burn out or become basket cases unable to help ourselves or our … [Read more...]
Cracking the Behavior Code
The following is an excerpt from The Behavior Code: A Practical Guide to Understanding and Teaching the Most Challenging Students, by Nancy Rappaport and Jessica Minahan.__________________________________________________________________________________Ten percent of the school population—9 to 13 million children—struggle with mental health problems. In a typical classroom of 20, chances are good that one or two students are dealing with serious psychosocial stressors relating to poverty, … [Read more...]
