Happy New Year!

When the clock strikes twelve tonight, people all over the world will cheer and wish each other a very Happy New Year. For some, this event is no more than a change of a calendar and they won't even stay up until midnight. For others, the New Year symbolizes the beginning of a better tomorrow.

For me, it is a chance to spend quality time with my family and thank everyone who has helped me this past year. I want to thank my wife, daughter and son for making this past year so rewarding and memorable. I also want to thank all of my readers of this blog. Wow, more than 12,000 hits from all around the world. It blows my mind that so many people have read this blog. I am truly grateful to all of you and to those who return on a regular basis to read my thoughts and leave an occasional comment.

Tonight...
For the Saunders' family, we will continue the tradition of going out to dinner tonight at our local Japanese Steak House. We will watch the skillful chef entertain us as he prepares our meal right in front of us. After enjoying our dinner, we will rush home and have a family-fun game night. We rotate between playing board games and playing games on the wii. It is so much fun when I get a chance to win. This doesn't usually happen much anymore. Another sign that a year has gone by and I am continuing to get older.

Where ever you are at midnight, I hope you have a wonderful beginning to the new year and that you are surrounded by those who love you, inspire you and help you reach heights that you didn't think were possible!

I am looking forward to a good year ahead and I wanted to share some New Year wishes that I came upon.  

An Irish toast
In the New Year, may your right hand always be stretched out in friendship, never in want.

Benjamin Franklin
Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each New Year find you a better man.

William Arthur Ward
This bright new year is given me
To live each day with zest
To daily grow and try to be
My highest and my best!

Ann Landers
Let this coming year be better than all the others. Vow to do some of the things you've always wanted to do but couldn't find the time. Call up a forgotten friend. Drop an old grudge, and replace it with some pleasant memories. Vow not to make a promise you don't think you can keep. Walk tall, and smile more. You'll look ten years younger. Don't be afraid to say, 'I love you'. Say it again. They are the sweetest words in the world.

Happy New Year!

The Snow Day Cycle!

The Graph of Snow Day Excitement. Source: Michael Smith's http://www.principalspage.com/theblog/

Thanks Mike...I love this!

Snow Days affect us in different ways.
To break it down I’ve made a graph with words (it’s all I got, so bear with me).

Students:  It’s a combination of Christmas, their birthdays, and a trip to the amusement park.  In their lifetimes nothing rivals this special day.

Not their first cars.  Not their college graduations.  Not their weddings.  Not their firstborns.
Nothing.

The snow day to a child is life’s greatest gift.

Parents:  It’s fun about once a year (especially if they also get off work).  It’s not unlike summer vacation for mom and dad. 
Fun for awhile, but at some point  it is time for the kids to go back to school (this generally occurs about 9:42 am when the kids announce they are bored).
Snow Days #2-5 are simply babysitting nightmares.

Teachers:  They will tell you they don’t want a Snow Day… way too much to do.
That’s a lie. It’s a paid day off. Even if they have a lot to do, they get over it about halfway through watching Regis and Kelly in their pajamas (teachers’ pajamas… not Regis’s).

Principals:  It’s a break from students, parents, and teachers.
Enough said. Of course, if the principal is also a parent… all bets are off (sometimes watching 400 of other people’s kids is easier than 2 of your own).

Superintendents:  Snow Days are a nightmare.
Do you cancel school? Do you not cancel school?
Who wants to get up at 4:00 am and stare into the darkness and try to guess what the weather will be like in 3 to 8 hours? What do you say when parents call and complain?
Cancel school and people are upset about not being able to find a sitter.
Don’t cancel and the very same people complain about how dare you risk the children’s lives when it’s _________ (fill in the blank with snowing, windy, cold, foggy, or icy).
Even worse, don’t cancel and all four districts that surround you do (the dreaded Snow Day Donut).
It’s a no win. Now don’t get me wrong.  It’s still fun. It’s still a Snow Day!!!

As always, Snow Day is capitalized. That’s out of respect.  We don’t want to offend the precious Snow Day and risk it not returning.

Come on Mother Nature...we need a few Snow Days in 2011... ; )

iPad My Mom on Her Back!

 

As most of you know, the iPad is the perfect computer for people who don’t like computers. For someone just like my mom. For what most of these people need a computer for, the iPad is perfect. It doesn’t do as many things as a “real” computer does, but the things it does do it does in a way even non-tech-savvy people can figure out, and there are far fewer ways to make mistakes.

Picture this...my mom, a beautiful woman in her seventies, who up until this month, had never: owned a computer, created her own email account, surfed the internet more than 10 times in her life and had said on numerous occasions she didn't see the need for a computer in her home... is now the proud owner of an Apple iPad with a wireless printer. In the last 3 weeks, my mom has zoomed into the 21st Century and has created her own email account, had a wireless network installed in her home and is now buying ebooks online. Simply, amazing!  Pop...what about you? Don't let Mom get too far ahead in this "new world" of information technologies.

Within my parent's life this month, the iPad has revolutionized and redefined computing in their world. I wonder where the iPad will take them as they both explore the internet and beyond.

Way to go Mom!  You deserve a big iPat (iPad) on the back. Just another reason why I am so proud of you. Love you!

http://www.onthepontyend.com/2008/08/birmingham-city-2-barnsley-0.html

S. Korea schools get robot English teachers

by Jung Ha-Won Jung Ha-won – Tue Dec 28, 12:19 am ET

 

AFP/Ho – An English-teaching robot (R), "Engkey", stands in front of children at an elementary school … 

SEOUL (AFP) – Almost 30 robots have started teaching English to youngsters in a South Korean city, education officials said Tuesday, in a pilot project designed to nurture the nascent robot industry.

Engkey, a white, egg-shaped robot developed by the Korea Institute of Science of Technology (KIST), began taking classes Monday at 21 elementary schools in the southeastern city of Daegu.

The 29 robots, about one metre (3.3 feet) high with a TV display panel for a face, wheeled around the classroom while speaking to the students, reading books to them and dancing to music by moving their head and arms.

The robots, which display an avatar face of a Caucasian woman, are controlled remotely by teachers of English in the Philippines -- who can see and hear the children via a remote control system.

[No tipping required: China experiments with lifelike robot waiters]

Cameras detect the Filipino teachers' facial expressions and instantly reflect them on the avatar's face, said Sagong Seong-Dae, a senior scientist at KIST. "Well-educated, experienced Filipino teachers are far cheaper than their counterparts elsewhere, including South Korea," he told AFP.

Apart from reading books, the robots use pre-programmed software to sing songs and play alphabet games with the children. "The kids seemed to love it since the robots look, well, cute and interesting. But some adults also expressed interest, saying they may feel less nervous talking to robots than a real person," said Kim Mi-Young, an official at Daegu city education office. Kim said some may be sent to remote rural areas of South Korea shunned by foreign English teachers. She said the robots are still being tested. But officials might consider hiring them full time if scientists upgrade them and make them easier to handle and more affordable. "Having robots in the classroom makes the students more active in participating, especially shy ones afraid of speaking out to human teachers," Kim said.

She stressed the experiment was not about replacing human teachers with robots. "We are helping upgrade a key, strategic industry and all the while giving children more interest in what they learn."

The four-month pilot programme was sponsored by the government, which invested 1.58 billion won (1.37 million dollars).

Scientists have held pilot programmes in schools since 2009 to develop robots to teach English, maths, science and other subjects at different levels with a desired price tag of five to eight million won.

Sagong stressed that the robots, which currently cost 10 million won each, largely back up human teachers but would eventually have a bigger role.

The machines can be an efficient tool to hone language skills for many people who feel nervous about conversing with flesh-and-blood foreigners, he said. "Plus, they won't complain about health insurance, sick leave and severance package, or leave in three months for a better-paying job in Japan... all you need is a repair and upgrade every once in a while."

		Source:
		http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20101228/tc_afp/skoreaphilippinesroboteducationtechnologyoffbeat_20101228051921

Romeo and Harriet is a Big Hit at WLMS!

This past week, over 60 of our students were involved in putting on the hilarious musical spoof, written by Charlie Lovett and lyrics composed by Bill Francoeur, that puts the “shake” in Shakespeare!  With the help of a group of quarreling chorus members — Oregano, Carpaccio, Risotto, Prosciutto, Antipasto, Pesto, Mayo and Romano — each audience got a deliciously funny spoof of Romeo and Juliet. This comedic and intelligent show caused a lot of laughter for the audience members and they didn't  even realize the were learning about Shakespeare!  (Adapted from www.pioneerdrama.com)

I want to commend all of our talented actors, techies and musicians who made the show such a huge success.  I want to thank Ms. Motuang, Ms. Berla and Ms. Chiarella for helping to direct, lead and choreograph this production. Once again, it is so amazing to see how great our students are in the area of live performance.

Cyber Bullying Poster Contest Winners!

This month, we have been concentrating on helping our students think about cyber safety and making sure they are not victims of cyber bullying. On December 2, we had a cyber safety expert, a parent of one of our students, conduct an assembly with our students about the importance of being safe online and then later that evening we held a session for parents. In addition, our Student Services' intern taught lessons on what students should and should not do when they are online. As a culmination of these activities, 6th grade students were asked to create posters to promote cyber safety.

Congratulations to the following students for creating these winning posters below. The students are: Tyler Powell, Hailey Bell, Nick Jascewsky, Alexandra Patterson, Bethy Medina, Jalynn Powell, and Monique Bangudi.

For more information about cyber safety, here are some great sources:


http://www.netsmartz.org/


http://www.netsmartzkids.org/indexFL.htm

http://www.stopcyberbullying.org/index2.html

The Bright Minds Foundation Visits WLMS

This past Wednesday morning, the Bright Minds Foundation held its monthly board meeting here at WLMS. The foundation was created in 2006 by the Howard County Board of Education to support the school system as we attempt to fund projects that promote innovation, equity and learning for a lifetime. The foundation makes grants to schools or teachers where funding would otherwise not be available within the system’s budget.

Recognizing the importance of initiatives generated by community volunteers and educators here in Howard County, the board members are committed to helping those innovators' ideas becoming reality. To this end, the foundation has provided over 60 computers, printers and thumb drives to families here in our school community. During the board meeting on Wednesday, members of our school community had an opportunity to express our gratitude and explain the huge impact these donated computers have had in the lives our students and their families. (Adapted from Bright Minds Website)

I want to thank all of the board members for coming to our school and for the valuable service they are providing our community. I especially want to recognize Bright Minds Foundation's Board Chair N. Douglas Hostetler and Executive Director Pat Sasse for their generous support of our school. If you are interested in find out more about the Bright Minds Foundation and/or making a donation, please click on this link: http://www.brightmindsfoundation.org/index.html

The 12 Days of Teaching

Full Lyrics: 
On the 12th day of teaching, my new school gave to me:

12 copiers copying,

11 typers typing,

10 kids a-sneezing

9 students testing

8 hands a-raising

7 readers skimming

6 bells a-ringing

5 SNNOOOOWWW Days

4 SMART boards

3 red pens

2 sick day subs

AND A teacher’s pet in the first ROWWWWW

The Carolers:
Austin Cook – Vocals, Piano
Elizabeth Tuazon – Vocals
Nikki Dee – Vocals

Edutopia: Fact #1: Learning Makes Your Brain Grow

Changing Brains in the Classroom

By Sara Bernard

It turns out that if you tell students about this, it can have an effect on their brains too. Researchers Lisa Blackwell of Columbia University, along with Kali Trzesniewski and Carol Dweck of Stanford University, published a study in the journal Child Development in 2007 that found that both morale and grade points took a leap when students understood the idea that intelligence is malleable. Not only did those students who already believed this do better in school, but when researchers actively taught the idea to a group of students, they performed significantly better than their peers in a control group.

Willis also found this to be true in her middle school classroom. Her students were more motivated to study, she says, when they knew that they were all fully physically capable of building knowledge and changing their brains.

Here are a few tips for making your classroom friendly to malleable brains:

• Practice, practice, practice. Repeating an activity, retrieving a memory, and reviewing material in a variety of ways helps build thicker, stronger, more hard-wired connections in the brain.
• Put information in context. Recognizing that learning is, essentially, the formation of new or stronger neural connections, it makes sense to prioritize activities that help students tap into already-existing pathways (for instance, by integrating academic subjects or creating class projects relevant to their lives). In other words, nix the rote memorization. "Whenever new material is presented in such a way that students see relationships" between concepts, writes Willis, "they generate greater brain cell activity and achieve more successful long-term memory storage and retrieval."
• Let students know that this is how the brain works. Breaking through those neuro-mythological barriers that paint intelligence as predetermined may ease students' minds and encourage them to use their brains. Willis notes, "Especially for students who believe they are 'not smart,' the realization that they can literally change their brains through study and review is empowering."

For the full text, please click here: http://www.edutopia.org/neuroscience-brain-based-learning-neuroplasticity

Neuro Myths: Separating Fact and Fiction in Brain-Based Learning

By Sara Bernard, Edutopia

Myth Busting

Some of the biggest neuro myths, or misguided beliefs about neuroscience that have invaded the general psyche, include the following:

• The brain is static, unchanging, and set before you start school. The most widely accepted conclusion of current research in neuroscience is that of neuroplasticity: Our brains grow, change, and adapt at all times in our lives. "Virtually everyone who studies the brain is astounded at how plastic it is," Fischer says.
• Some people are left-brained and some are right-brained. "This is total nonsense," says Fischer, "unless you've had half of your brain removed." This may have emerged from a misunderstanding of the split-brain work of Nobel Prize winner Roger Sperry, who noticed differences in the brain when he studied people whose left and right brains had been surgically disconnected.
• We use only 10 percent of our brains. This is also false, according to Wolfe, Fischer, and a slew of scientists across the globe. In fact, brain imaging has yet to produce evidence of any inactive areas in a healthy brain.
• Male and female brains are radically different. Though there may be subtle differences between male and female brains, there is absolutely no significant evidence to suggest that the genders learn or should be taught differently. This myth might stem from a misinterpretation of books such as The Essential Difference: Men, Women, and the Extreme Male Brain, which focused largely on patients with autism.
• The ages 0-3 are more important than any other age for learning. Even though the connections between neurons, called synapses, are greatest in number during this period, many of the published studies that have to do with teaching during these "critical" time periods involved rats and mazes, not human beings.

"Understanding the Brain: The Birth of a Learning Science," a report published by the Organisation for Economic Co-Operation and Development (OECD), examines these and other unfounded neuroscience claims. Unfortunately, the science behind these ideas is often misunderstood and milked for profit.

For the full text of the article, click here: http://www.edutopia.org/neuroscience-brain-based-learning-myth-busting

Explore Howard: Howard County students learn to lead at Youth Empowerment Summit

Below is a link to an article about the HCPSS Youth Empowerment Summit for middle schoolers that I wrote about last week. In the picture, from the article, one of our WLMS students can be seen.

Explore Howard: Howard County students learn to lead at Youth Empowerment Summit

Inside the bullied brain - The Boston Globe

Inside the bullied brain - The Boston Globe

Fascinating article and research being conducted...

What the scientists found was that kids who had been bullied reported more symptoms of depression, anxiety, and other psychiatric disorders than the kids who hadn’t. In fact, emotional abuse from peers turned out to be as damaging to mental health as emotional abuse from parents. “It’s a substantial early stressor,” Teicher said. The data were published in July in the American Journal of Psychiatry.

Things got even more interesting when Teicher decided to scan the brains of 63 of his young adult subjects. Those who reported having been mistreated by their peers had observable abnormalities in a part of the brain known as the corpus callosum — a thick bundle of fibers that connects the right and left hemispheres of the brain, and which is vital in visual processing, memory, and more. The neurons in their corpus callosums had less myelin, a coating that speeds communication between the cells — vital in an organ like the brain where milliseconds matter. (Source: Boston Globe Article) For the full article, hit the link above.

WLMS' Robotics Team Advances to State Competition!

One of the two Wilde Lake Middle School's Robotic Teams is advancing to the state finals of the First Lego League competition in January. The team of Augie Garcia-Truong, Daniel Gramling, Calvin Kuang, Skylar Rankin, and Noah Rogofsky not only won the right to compete for the state title yesterday, but they also received the "best rookie team" award. Congratulations guys!

The other talented WLMS team (Alex Wilson, Ryon Tabler, Richard Green and Maddon Barham) just missed the cut-off score that would have made them eligible to move on to the next level. These four sixth graders have nothing to be ashamed of...they did an awesome job in only their first time in this type of competition. I hope they will stick with it...so we can do even better next year.

In only our second year, WLMS has really come a long way. Last year, both of our robots were not able to complete many tasks and did not earn many points. This year, both robots were programmed well and were able to complete most of the challenges. What a difference a year makes in experience and expertise. I want to commend Mr. Fox, our robotics sponsor, and all of the parents who have helped with this program.

By the way, our team members are using Mr. Fox's high school shirts. Mr. Fox is the robotics club sponsor at Atholton High School as well. Most of these students will be going to Atholton in the future.

I also want to thank Northrup Grumman for providing some of the equipment our teams use and paying for our entrance fee to the competition. Your support of this program is critical and much appreciated.

Way to go WLMS!!!

South Korean Teachers Visit WLMS

On Friday morning, 22 Korean educators visited WLMS to learn about our school's approach to middle level education. The teachers had the opportunity to hear our band perform, hear about our school improvement efforts from members of our leadership team and visit classrooms to see our students and teachers in action. During the debriefing, the teachers were very complimentary about how the students were actively engaged and using a lot of technology.

The teachers were from the province of Jeollabuk-do (North Jeolla) in the southwest of South Korea. This is the province in which I visited this past summer. Although, I worked in Iksan.

5th Annual YES Conference is a HUGE Success!

This past Thursday, over 250 middle school student leaders from 14 Howard County schools came together to hone their leadership skills and begin to imagine how they can improve their schools and communities. Five years ago, we began the Youth Empowerment Summit with only 4 schools and less than 100 students who participated. I am so happy to see how this program has expanded even though the funding for the program has been severely cut.

At this year's YES, I had the privilege of helping to warm-up the students by doing a group energizer called the Boom-Bang Orchestra and introducing Howard County Executive Ken Ulman. In fact, Mr. Ulman helped to conduct the Boom-Bang Orchestra. He is such a good sport and he gave a very good speech helping to set the tone for the day.


I want to thank my wife for helping to start the first summit and Kelli Brandt for inviting me to participate again this year. After talking to several of my WLMS students who attended, the day was a huge success and they are motivated to help improve our school in the coming months.

As you know, providing middle school students with the skills necessary to identify and solve real-life problems is a very important task. It helps to focus their abundant energy in a positive direction. In addition, leadership skills are useful life skills that can be adapted to most situations our students will face in the future.