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magazineIssue 3 April 2013

ALWAYSFREE!

WHAT’S HIP, NEW & NOTEWORTHY IN THE K-12 WORLD

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Classroom Quick Tips Google Tips & Tricks eLEARNER We Review 5 Great Art Apps Reader Q&A Questions? We Have Answers! Reviews Books, Movies & Teacher Tools

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IN THIS ISSUEThe No Bully Zone When It’s Hard To Speak Up Video Podcast Educational Technology Common Core Standards 7 Ways To Assess Knowledge Real Teacher Stories You Know You’re a Teacher When

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2 • TeachHUB Magazine • www.teachHUB.com

Publisher’sLetter

Spencer Barnard, Jr.Publisher - Hon. Ed.D.

Thank YOU! This is just the third

issue and the team appreciates how well you have responded to the publication. Thank you so much for your support and know this: we will continue to work hard to bring you the re-sources you need to tackle the issues you face in and out of the classroom.

Hope you enjoy this month’s issue: we aim to produce a product that will resonate with edu-cators; if there is anything we should be doing differently, please let us know.

Teach HUB Magazine • www.teachHUB.com • 3

Jacqui MurrayHas been a K-8 technol-ogy teacher for 15 years. She is the editor of a K-8 technology curriculum, K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-6 digital Citizenship curricu-lum, creator of two technol-

ogy training books for middle school and six ebooks on technology in education. She is webmaster for six blogs and an Amazon Vine Voice book reviewer. Currently, she’s editing a thriller that should be out to publishers next summer.

Meghan MathisNext school year will be her 10th teaching students with

Special Education needs. She has taught and co-taught

6th-12th grade students English, math, science, and

social studies in pull-out classrooms. Currently she teaches 9th-12th grade

English to Learning Support and regular educa-tion students. She enjoys writing about her experi-

ences in education and developing and sharing teaching resources with fellow educators. Meghan

lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, two ram-bunctious children, and two hyper dogs.

Katherine McKnightDr. McKnight is an author, educator and consultant. Her career in education began as a high school English teacher in the Chicago Public School system more than 20 years ago. She received her B.A.

degree from George Washington University, her M.Ed. from Northeastern Illinois University, and her Ph.D. from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Today, she serves as a professor of secondary education at National Louis University and an on-site professional development consultant for the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE).

Janelle CoxIs an education writer who

draws from her 15 years experience working with

children. As a trained educa-tional professional, Janelle

uses her experience and knowledge to provide cre-

ative and original writing in the field of education. Janelle Holds a M.B.A. In Education from the State University of New York College at Buffalo. She has also received training in the Identification and Re-porting of Child Abuse and School Anti-Violence

Education (SAVE).

Contributing Writers


Issue 3 May 2013Contents

Reader Q&AYou have questions, we have answers!

ReviewsBook: Cris Tovanis’ I Read It, But I Don’t Get ItMovie: Brooklyn CastlesClassroom Tool: Livescript Echo Smartpen

Epic Teacher FunniesYou know you’re a teacher when...

The No Bully ZoneBeyond ‘kids will be kids’

Workout TipsGeting the most out of your workout routine

Four Essential EnergiesSomething here we need, yes. StudyBlue for iOSCool app video review

Common Core State Standards Seven ways it will change your classroom

5 Great Music AppsCreate music while learning on your iOS device!

Sir Ken Rodinson’s TEDTalkHelping them move to the other side of the classroom

6

8

14

16

18

20

22

23

24

30

Literacy Strategies

No Bully Zone

Music Learning Apps

Smartpen Review

Movie Review


20624 Abbey Woods Court NFrankfort, IL 60423800-275-0279

© 2013 K-12 Teachers Alliance. All rights reserved

Masthead

Contributing Writers:Kim Haynes, Don Goble,

Jacqui Murray, Richard Byrne, Katie McNight, Pernille Ripp Meghan, Mathis, Janelle Cox

Publisher & President Spencer Barnard, Jr.

Art director Jamie Downing

content MAnAger Venita Griffin

sociAl MediA director Joe Federer

grAPhic designer Deanna Radwanski

illustrAtor Alexis Moulds

Video director Cameron Downing

PhotogrAPhy & AniMAtion Mike Maravilla

Video MAnAger Nicole Humphrey

director of Video PhotogrAPhy Matt Bressoud

Great Workout Tips

Common Core

4 Essential Energies

Cool App Review

Ed Revolution


Q: A few of my students have terrible study habits. Do you have any tips

for teaching them how to study?

Answer: We at TeachHUB believe this is one major issue that’s often overlooked. While a teacher only has so much control over their students’ study habits, there are a few things you can do as a teacher to get students to think critically about the way they study and hopefully inspire some change.

OrganizeTeaching students how to prioritize their after school

time is extremely important and is hopefully some-

thing that’s reinforced at home. Have students write

a list of after school activities (studying, eating, sports

practice, etc.) and have them rank each in order of

importance.

Creating a Study SpaceAs mentioned above, these habits need to be rein-

forced at home, but as a teacher, you can plant the

proverbial seed during school. If a student is strug-

gling with their study habits, have them identify their

“study space” and maybe even bring in a picture.

Drive this point home because having a dedicated

study space is extremely important for students to

focus and concentrate.

Time ManagementThat’s something we can all work on, but if a student

is able to train themselves to manage time effectively

when they’re younger, they’re much more likely to

carry that skill through the rest of their lives. Have

students mock up schedules for study time, free time,

extra-curricular activities, etc. Then have your students

evaluate their schedules to see if they’re staying true

to predictions.

Q: Some of the Common Core changes seem great in principle,

but how will the Common Core actually impact my classroom?

Answer: The Common Core is most definitely a significant change to classrooms across the country. Here are a few ways you can expect the Common Core to change your classroom:

1 Depth over width – teachers will begin to

cover fewer topics but will be required to dig

deeper into the subjects they’re covering.

2 Emphasis on nonfiction – as policies try to

adapt curriculums to relate more to marketable

skills, required reading will emphasize comprehensive

narratives rather than inference from stories. Students

need to know how to sift through huge amounts of

information to find what they’re looking for.

3 Speaking and listening – obviously, teachers

will see these two skills as already imperative to

education success, but now they will be added to the

curriculum.

4 Life skills are emphasized across subjects –

now math teachers will need to pay attention

to writing and literature teachers will need to be

critical of cognitive processes. Critical thinking will

be emphasized across all subject areas.


• Extended time to complete assignments – This is helpful not just for quizzes and tests, but for all assignments you may be giving your students. You could even give a student who has sustained a TBI material early, giving them the opportunity to preview the information before class which would allow them to participate in class discussions with their peers (Hsu and Kreutzer).

• Access to class notes and lectures – Providing students with copies of notes and even audio recordings of longer lectures will allow them to listen to them more than once and in small chunks, increasing their retention of the material.

• Ability to take breaks – Individuals with TBI can become overwhelmed quickly and sometimes, in situations that we might not immediately recog-nize. Giving these students permission to leave a situation that has become overwhelming, maybe to get a drink of water or go for a short walk, could mean the difference between a student breaking down and a student feeling in control of their emotions in the school setting (Hsu and Kreutzer).

• Testing accommodations – Allowing a student to keep formula sheets with them, utilize a calculator, use multiple-choice formats instead of essay tests, chunking longer tests and quizzes, and offering students the opportunity to provide answers orally to you during a quiet time rather than having to write the answers can all reduce the stress and anxiety felt by students with Trau-matic Brain Injuries (Hsu and Kreutzer).

• Be an advocate ally – One of the most challenging aspects of life with TBI can be the behavioral symptoms. A young person who remembers that they were once an upbeat, positive, popular person might now be dealing with depression, anxiety, and an inability to read social situations and respond as appropriately as they used to. These students are going to need to know that they have people around them who are supportive and understanding. They might not want to talk to us about what they are dealing with, but it is essential that we let them know we are here for them.

Answer: Traumatic Brain Injuries have received a significant amount of media attention, not least due to recent rule changes in the National Football League. TBI sufferers are known to have trouble adapting to the classroom during recovery, but here are a few ways to accommodate:

Q: One of my students suffered a traumatic brain injury, and he’s having a lot of trouble paying attention in class. How can I help him succeed?

Have a Question you would like to Submit? GO TO:


etting our students into our classrooms on

time each day, in their seats, with proper

materials, and willing to engage in our lessons

can be challenging enough. When we add in

the task of asking them to transact meaningfully with the

texts we ask them to read, it can feel like a Herculean

undertaking. By the middle and high school level, many

of our students have mastered the art of doing just as

much reading as is absolutely necessary and not a bit

more. Others - our reluctant, disinterested, or struggling

readers - have either mastered the art of “fake-reading,”

or have given up altogether. How do we break through?

How do we get students who engage with what they

read only on the most superficial levels to delve deeper?

And how do we get those students who struggle to com-

prehend even the most basic elements of text to master

the skills needed to become proficient readers? Teacher,

reading specialist, and nationally recognized educational

consultant, Cris Tovani tackles this important topic in

her book, I Read it, but I Don’t Get it: Comprehension

Strategies for Adolescent Readers.

Tovani presents her ideas in a well-set up

format, broken into three major sections.

Part 1: Setting the Stage, provides the reader with

examples struggling students typically encounter at the

middle and high school level, as well as a thoroughly

readable review of current theories on reading compre-

hension instruction. Tovani’s open and humorous tone

makes this discussion relevant and engaging – instead of

dry and boring. She introduces us to students who have

managed to successfully “fake read” for years, fooling

their teachers and parents into believing they under-

stood what they were reading when really they

had no clue. By learning “from the experts,” on the

ways they trick us, we can become better able to identify

who in our classrooms is “fake reading” and begin to

work with them on improving their reading comprehension.

G

BookReview

by Meghan Mathis I Read It, But I Don’t Get It:


Comprehension Strategies for Adolescent Readers

by Cris Tovani

In Part 2: In Support of Strategic

Reading, Tovani breaks down the

research on what proficient readers

do and gives real, applicable ideas

and instruction on how to teach

these strategies to your students.

This section was very impressive to

me because it took ideas that I had

always found somewhat daunt-

ing to teach (for example, how to

monitor your own understanding

while reading and use strategies

to get yourself back on track when

you realize you are lost) and clearly

explains how to teach that skill to

your students.

Finally, Part 3: Access Tools, gives

the reader blank examples of all

of the graphic organizers, work-

sheets, and other materials Tovani

mentioned in the previous sec-

tions. As a busy educator, I can’t

tell you how much I appreciated

her providing these resources. I do

not have to purchase an additional

workbook, search for the materi-

als online, or try to create them

myself from scratch. This section

illustrates just how serious Tovani is

about wanting to help other edu-

cators succeed with their classes

and by providing these tools she

leaves the reader with multiple

activities that can be used almost

instantaneously in the classroom.

Each section is well put together,

entertaining to read, and full of

useful information. I found myself

highlighting and annotating

numerous pages with notes in the

margins like, “I could use this in my

Biography Unit!” or “This would be

a great activating activity!” Tovani

has over 10 years of teaching

experience at the elementary level

and has worked as a middle and

high school reading specialist. This

background shows in the refresh-

ingly honest and forthright tone

she uses throughout the book. Her

examples do not take place in hy-

pothetical classrooms with students

who respond to her interventions

with implausible speed, but rather

were so obviously real that I found

myself wondering if Tovani had

been spying on some of my read-

ing lessons as she was writing. Her

students grumble, roll their eyes,

give up, keep trying, complain,

and give her their honest opinions

about her lessons, just like my

students do for me. Her ideas are

tested “in the trenches,” making

them all the more useful and valid

for real teachers everywhere. I

would recommend this book to any

teacher who wants to make sure

that all of their students are work-

ing towards becoming confident,

proficient readers.into the comfort-

ing notion that a little bit of brains

makes you more important than

the people around you.

Available on Amazon.com, Kindle, and paperback

I Read It, But I Don’t Get It:

ReviewMovie

by Stephen Eldridge

Brooklyn Castle Imagine a school where the cool kids are the Chess Team...

Previously in this space, we’ve

discussed big-budget fantasy

films of the type your students

are probably dying to go see (and

you might just enjoy, too.) But not

every film worth seeing plays on

three thousand screens—and few

films this year are as worthy of your

time as Brooklyn Castle.

Brooklyn Castle is a refreshing

story—a story of school that’s

getting it right. Specifically, it’s

the story of I.S. 138, the school

with what is undoubtedly the best

Junior High School chess program

in the country, despite serving a

student body with a poverty rate

above 70%. Watching the film,

it’s impossible not to notice the

passion that the students have

to succeed both in chess and in

their lives. These are skilled com-

petitors, albeit skilled competitors

who happen to be preteens. The

biggest danger in the film isn’t

that they will compete and lose—

it’s that budget cuts won’t allow

them to compete at all.

Their skill is in part due to the

tireless mentorship of Elizabeth

Vicary (now Spiegel), a teacher and

celebrated chess master in her own

right who has built the school’s chess

program into a force to be reckoned

with. I.S. 138’s vice principal, John

Galvin, also serves as a chess coach—

and when budget cuts threaten the

program, it’s he that leads the charge

to keep the team alive. It’s refreshing

to see a film about education where

success doesn’t depend on ques-

tionable revolutions in pedagogy or

politics, but rather on the dedication

of the teachers and the talent of their

students.


And what a group of students. The

film focuses most on five, all talented

chess players, and all with their own

challenges. Eighth-grader Pobo is a

pillar of support for his peers, and it

feels entirely fitting when he makes

the decision to run for student body

president. Alexis, a first-generation

American, struggles less with chess

than he does with testing into the

best possible high school so he can

be the success his parents dream of.

Patrick, on the other hand, is newer

to the game. He struggles with

ADHD, and chess is a way for him to

challenge himself to concentrate.

Two of the students’ stories struck

me above the others’ though. First,

Rochelle, the only female competitor

in the film. Having just left I.S. 138 as

the top-rated player in the school,

she finds herself torn between her

school work and the tantalizing pos-

sibility of becoming the first African

American female chess master. De-

spite being fiercely competitive, she

seems hesitant to commit to making

history—and who wouldn’t be a little

afraid to take on that challenge and fail?

This becomes especially clear in the

case of Justus, a sixth-grade student

who enters the school amid specula-

tion that he could become a master

before he becomes a teenager. His

competitive ranking on day 1 of I.S.

138’s program is higher than most

students’ when they leave it. But the

expectations have been set so high

for Justus that, in the words of one

interviewee, “Now every loss is a

personal tragedy.” Justus isn’t yet old

enough to understand that perfec-

tion is a goal, but not a possibility. His

challenge is learning not only to win,

but to lose without being crushed.

The filmmakers skillfully choose these

challenges to illustrate a point that’s

too often overlooked in discus-

sions about the future of education.

Teachers don’t only impart skills and

knowledge to their students—what

Vicary, Galvin, and all great educators

do is help students learn to use their

knowledge and their skills in ways

that improve their lives. When Galvin

sits down to talk with Justus about a

stinging loss, he doesn’t talk chess—

he talks life. Brooklyn Castle deserves

to be seen by anyone who’s ever

questioned whether quality teachers,

school funding, and equality of op-

portunity really make a difference to

our children. And anyone who likes a

good story, too.

– AVAILABLE NOW –

Video On Demand


ReviewToolClassroom

by Mike Maravilla

Livescribe Echo Smartpen

This audio and gesture recording pen is the bridge we’ve all been looking for in the classroom between the classic pen and paper and the computer generation.


n the age of technology, it seems like we’re

doing less and less handwriting. Students across

age levels are more likely to be spotted with lap-

tops or tablets instead of pens and pencils. Even

cursive has been dropped from most states, courtesy of

the new Common Core State Standards for English. As

a result of this shift, it’s been fairly easy to poke holes

in how we used to take notes in the classroom. Paper-

born notes are more difficult to share easily and broadly

and are susceptible to loss, damage and K9 ingestion.

Doesn’t sound like a battle that even college-ruled, Five

Star notebooks can win. But what if there was a way for

good ol’ fashioned handwriting to make a triumphant

return to the note-taking world?

Well it’s not exactly a return to the 80s, but Livescribe

certainly scores back some points for penmanship. And

that’s exactly what it looks like – a pen. If I could com-

pare its looks to any ink-driven tools we’d know and

understand, I’d say it’s like a Dr. Grip Pilot pen infused

with a generous helping of new age tech. While we

would ogle over ink colors and a fancy ergonomic grip,

Livescribers add to that a MicroUSB connector, built-

in speaker, audio jack, an OLED display and as much

as 8GB of storage. Pretty impressive. If anything, I’d

make the case that it represents a perfect marriage be-

tween mediums that would otherwise be generational

foes: pen vs. keyboard or ink vs. pixel.

So how does it work? Honestly, it functions just

like a normal pen would (albeit on special paper), but

it also doubles as a voice recorder so you don’t miss

any moments in the classroom. And while that in itself

sounds pretty handy, this pairing can be uploaded to

your computer, replayed and shared with others. It will

even integrate with some of your favorites like Evernote,

Facebook and Google Docs.

I

The Livescribe Echo takes the form of a

pen and infuses it with technology to make

classroom collaboration, classroom flipping

and note-taking easier and more interactive

than ever before.


How can it be used in your K-12

classroom? Although it might

sound like a device better re-

served for the college lecture hall,

the Livescribe Echo has plenty of

practical applications for the K-12

classroom too. Here are just a few

suggestions:

• Get your baseline:

In the beginning of the year,

it’s likely that you don’t

know your students’ abilities

by heart – especially as a

new teacher. You can have

your students take notes

with the device to baseline,

track and analyze how they

take notes in your classroom

to better tailor (and pace)

your lesson plans.

• Help Struggling Students:

By reviewing their notes, it

can help you pinpoint where

struggling students can

improve these valuable skills

for your class and beyond.

• Take it home:

These sharable, online notes

could serve as a home re-

view for both your students

and their parents to see

what they’ve been learning.

• Flipped Classroom Tool:

If you’re looking to try this

new-age teaching with your

students, the device can

be used to create material

that they can watch from

home and come to class for

troubleshooting rather than

lecture.

The Drawbacks? I always get a

little weary when I see a ‘draw-

backs’ section in reviews, but hon-

estly there aren’t nearly as many

as you’d think. Sure, the special

“dot paper” is required so the

pen can capture your handwrit-

ing, but it isn’t going to break the

bank – each notebook is only $5.

While some may find an internal,

rechargeable battery cumbersome

to plug in via USB on a regular

basis, I’d take it any day over con-

ventional AA’s. One of the big-

gest reasons I compare this pen to

the Dr. Grip is based on ink usage.

Like the popular ballpoint of old,

the Echo goes through ink faster

than you’d expect. But similar to

the special paper, 5-packs of these

refills can be found for $5 as well.

• The Bottom Line: The

Livescribe Echo is a device

that not only scores points

for penmanship, but is a fan-

tastic bridge between gen-

erations. It allows learners

of all ages to ingest informa-

tion at their own pace while

providing instructors the

ability to teach in a whole

new way. With prices start-

ing at $99.95 for the 2GB

variant, it’s a worthwhile in-

vestment for how much you

can improve the classroom

experience on both ends.

After school, the student can playback the day and see their notes come alive in real-time to reinforce their learning.

FunniesEpic

Illustrations by Alexis Moulds

“I’m so glad your mom packed Mountain Dew and Sour Patch Kids in your lunch!”

-No Teacher Ever!

What could better prepare your young student better for learning than loading their lunchbox up with sugary treats? Sugar AND CAFFEINE! Seri-ously though, parents. If you’re read-ing this, watch the caffeine and sugar. We have work to do!


“I totally became a

teacher so I could get

out at 3:00 every day.

-No Teacher Ever!

RIIIIINNNNGGG!! Don’t you feel that wave of relief after all of your students have left your classroom? And isn’t that in-evitably followed by that gut-sinking feeling you now have from the stack of approximately 3,235,937,193,295 papers you still have left to grade? BACK TO WORK!



The No BULLY ZONE

Too often, the behavior of bullies is written off as a natural part of childhood. “Kids will be kids” is the common retort.

Unfortunately, it’s rarely so easy for the victims of bullying to brush off the harassment and violence they experience.

BULLYING the effects

beyond “Kids will be kids”

by Janelle Cox

Bullying on Teens

Over the past decade, bully-related suicides have be-come more common among teenagers in America and across the globe. In fact, according to studies at Yale Uni-versity, bully victims are 2 to 9 times more likely to con-sider suicide than teenagers who are non-victims. Suicide among children 14 and under still remains among their leading causes of death. (AAS)

According to the National Crime Prevention Council 2003, from the Bullying Prevention Resource Guide, “Nearly 1.5 million students in grades 6-10 report be-ing physically or verbally bullied at least once a week.” Social networking sites work as a platform for bullies to publish hateful comments and torment their victims.

There are a number of effects that come with teenage bullying

> Physical bullying can result in injury. > Verbal and cyber bullying can lead to depression (even suicide), drug use, and stunted social development.

> Bullying can lead to retaliation and subsequent revenge from the tormentor.


Research suggests that in order to reduce bullying,

schools should establish a school-wide policy that

addresses direct and indirect bullying.

How to Reduce Bullying in Schools

> Set up a “bully box” or create a “hotline” for students to increase student reporting.

> Monitor areas where bullying is frequent (hallways, lunch room).

> Most signs stating the consequences of bullying around the school.

> Train teachers and school personnel how to spot and handle a bully.

> Educate parents on how to recognize and report bullying.

adopt the following strategies:

In order to prevent bullying from ever happening in our

schools, we must first convince parents and other educa-

tors of the seriousness of bullying. If you take one look

at the news, you will see reports of violence, suicides,

and abuse, all linked to bullying. Bully prevention is most

effective when educators, parents, and policymakers join

together to create a positive school environment.

> Has the school created an environment where students feel safe?

> Does the school implement bully-preven-tion strategies?

> Are parents educated and informed on school bullying policies and how to report issues?

> Have local policymakers passed legisla-tion against bullies?

> Have all local school districts trained school staff on bully prevention?

A Call to Action Consider the following questions:

BULLYINg Is a Serious Issue

The psychological and all-too-often physical damage done by

bullying is profound. While not every incident will do lasting harm,

keeping a record of all incidents allows you to better understand if

a pattern of bullying is occurring. It also creates evidence that can

be used to make your case to parents and administrators. Remem-

ber, if you dismiss an issue, it’s likely everyone else will, too.

It is essential that you provide your students with a safe and secure

environment where they feel protected. Be observant, and model

positive appropriate behavior. Provide students with anti-bullying

activities, and keep parents informed of what is going on in your

classroom. Together you can make a difference.

For additional information on bullying visit:

National Bullying Prevention Center

Bullying Prevention Resource Guide Stop Bullying.gov

Center for Safe Schools


Push Yourself & Change Your RoutineAre you a regular gym-goer already? Do

you commit to the same exercise routine

every time you’re at the gym? Or even

every week? The fact of the matter is that our bodies are built

to adapt to the stress we induce, and through millions of years

of evolution, have become very efficient at doing so.

It’s easy for us to get comfortable in our workout routines –

like we said, we’re creatures of habit. But if we want to see con-

tinued improvement in our physiques and general well-being,

we need to continually push ourselves to exhaustion – other-

wise, we’re simply meeting our body’s expectations.

If you’re like many gym-goers, your routine consists mainly of

sustained cardiovascular activity on a treadmill, stationary bike

or elliptical machine. These are great tools, but even, sustained

exercise isn’t always the best use of your time. Try changing

up your routine with resistance training with weights (15-20

reps per set is optimal for long, lean muscle) or even interval

training where you’ll “sprint” for a minute and walk/rest for two

minutes. You’ll tire faster, but that means you’re doing it right!

Find Your Inspiration

Half the battle of working out is making sure you’re in a routine you can maintain and build on. Does having a partner with you

help you push yourself to your limit? Or do you find yourself distracted by being social with fellow gym-go-ers? Do you like playing sports like racquetball, tennis, soccer, basketball, etc.? Sports can be a great way to get an awesome cardio workout without even thinking about it!

One effective mental game to play with yourself is tied closely to tip #1. If you schedule a start and a stop time for yourself, and you can’t cheat yourself by leaving early, you may as well get the most out of your gym time!

The optimal amount of time to spend working out is 45 minutes to an hour – less than that and you’re not getting your heart-rate up for a long enough time and more than that means you’re probably not working out at a high enough intensity.

2.1.

Classroom HEALTH TIPS

5 Tips

by Joe Federer

for Getting the Most Out of Your Workout Routine

We don’t have to tell you that your

schedule is crazy, and we don’t have to

tell you that sometimes (strike that

MOST of the time), it’s hard to moti-

vate yourself to work out – especially if

you’re trying to start a new routine.

But the truth of the matter is that get-

ting regular exercise has benefits not

only for our physical appearance but

has been shown to positively impact

overall health of both the body and the

mind.

That’s why you owe it to yourself to get

the most out of the time you dedicate to

exercise – whether you’re running, walk-

ing, lifting weights or playing sports. We

put together these 5 tips to help you use

your time most effectively.


Train Different Things on Different Days

If you’re running through the same

routine every time you go to the gym,

you’re no doubt bored when you go.

Maybe you find yourself watching TV on the treadmill, reading

on the stationary bike or zoning out to your music while you go

through the motions.

Well, stop it! Make your workout challenging and exciting

by designating different days for different muscle-groups. For

light-to-moderate gym-goers, try this weekly routine (or even

just add a few exercises into your current routine) and see if you

notice a difference in the quality of your workout:

Day 1: Upper BodyExercises (15-20 reps per set):

• 3 sets of light bench press/push-ups• 3 sets of pull-downs or assisted

pull-ups.• 3 sets of assisted dips or cable flyes• (Optional) 3 sets of sit-ups on a decline bench or stabil-

ity ball. • Cardio: 10-15 minutes of moderate intensity on the

rowing machine or elliptical if your gym doesn’t have a rowing machine.

Day 2: Lower BodyExercises (15-20 reps per set):

• 3 sets of light or body-weight squats. Make sure to ask a trainer about your form on these – it’s very important!

• 3 sets of walking lunges.• (Optional) 3 sets of dumbbell dead-lifts (or use a

machine to do hamstring curls if you have lower back issues).

• 3 sets of reverse crunches.

Day 3: Interval Cardio

• Choose a cardio machine. Stationary bike, treadmill, elliptical – whatever you like!

• Do a 5 minute warm-up to get your blood pumping, this part should get your sweat started but shouldn’t be too tough.

• Once you’re fully warmed up, do a 1-minute “sprint”. Run, bike or elliptical hard and fast. This should really get your heart rate up and should make you feel pretty tired.

• Now walk or lightly bike for 2-minutes with about as much intensity as your warm-up.

• Try to repeat this 5 times. It’s going to be tough, so if you need longer breaks than 2-minutes, go ahead and take them, especially as you’re getting used to the routine.

Develop a Ritual

In 1996, a scientist named Roy Baumeis-

ter conducted an experiment which

shaped our modern understanding of

will power. In the experiment, he split

subjects into two groups. Both groups entered a room with

a big table on which sat two trays – one hosting an aromatic

spread of freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies and the other

contained a spread of raw radishes.

The experiment went like this – Baumeister invited Group

A to indulge in a few chocolate chip cookies and told Group

B to help themselves to a few radishes. Then, Baumeister

distributed a puzzle which, unbeknownst to the subjects, was

unsolvable. The subjects in Group A devoted more than twice

the time to solving the puzzle as compared to Group B before

both groups gave up.

What this indicates is that we have a single “well” of will-

power to work with. When we have to tell ourselves “No” to

bad food (or, perhaps equally difficult, “Yes” to working out),

we exhaust precious willpower. The best way to combat this is

to plan ahead for ourselves. This week, rather than simply go-

ing to the gym when it’s convenient, schedule the days you’re

going to work out with both a start and a stop time, and build

that routine into a ritual. Once you’ve decided that you are

going to work out, not that you might work out, you exhaust far

less of your willpower.

Eat Your Protein! We hear it all the time. “I don’t want

to get big!” “I’m not trying to build

muscle!” Well guess what? The

more lean muscle you have, the faster

your metabolism runs and the more calories you burn

throughout the day.

Now if you follow the routine above (or even add a few more

exercises), you’re not going to wake up one day as Arnold.

We promise. The bodybuilders you see on TV and in adver-

tisements not only train up to 7 hours a day, they often use

anabolic steroids.

Ideally, you want to buy a whey protein isolate supplement,

mixing one scoop into water or skim milk twice a day – first

thing in the morning to kick-start your metabolism and one

immediately after your workout. Optimum Nutrition makes an

excellent Whey Protein Isolate supplement which we highly

recommend, but you can also get lean protein with fish, eggs,

chicken, tofu and other lean cuts of meat.

5.

4.3.

* Consult your doctor before starting new diet or fitness program


4How to Balance Your

Essential Energies

by Joe Federer

W e face a unique challenge today as humans. We have access to more information than any population in history, we know more than any generation ever has – and likewise, more is

expected of us now than ever before.

Teachers are facing what seems to be an impossible challenge. We’re expected to teach more infor-mation to more students who are expected to retain more of that information than ever before. And the methods for evaluating those students are another issue altogether (we could write books about how and why the current evaluation techniques are detrimental to both instructors and students).

But we as humans have an amazing ability to adapt to our present situation. We can help ourselves make that adaptation a conscious process by understanding the internal flows of our different ener-gies. In his magnificent book, The Way We’re Working Isn’t Working, Tony Schwartz identified 4 key energies in everyone: Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual.


1.Physical ENERGY

Those of us who work out

regularly know the feeling

of a workout missed. As

counter-intuitive as it may

seem, we feel sluggish, as if

we’ve lost energy. When we

neglect our physical energy,

our other three energies

suffer. In fact, recent studies

show a strong correlation

between cognitive function,

creativity and regular exer-

cise. Additionally, exercise is

one of few activities proven

to actually grow brain cells

(something scientists once

thought happened only in

early childhood).

There are mixed results

regarding what type of

exercise is best, but what’s

undeniable is that exercise is

important. If aerobic exercise

(running, jogging, etc.) is

something you enjoy, go

do it! If anaerobic exercise

(lifting weights, yoga, etc.)

is more sustainable for you,

stick with that! In reality, bal-

ancing aerobic and anaero-

bic exercise is the healthiest

approach, but do what works

for you!

2.Emotional ENERGY

This form of energy isn’t

quite as easy to regulate

as physical (or even mental

or spiritual). Emotion is, by

definition, difficult to control

and often reigns free over

our other thought processes.

Rather than training for

emotional energy or trying

to repress it, simply being

aware of our emotional state

gives us some control over it.

One form of meditation

often used in Buddhism as a

way to separate oneself from

swings in emotional energy

is to sit down with a piece

of paper and pen (sans TV

or computer), and simply

let your mind wander. Write

down the thoughts that oc-

cur to you, and try not to let

yourself engage with each

thought emotionally (wheth-

er it’s happiness or sadness,

depression or anger).

3.Mental ENERGY

As you’ve probably noticed

by now, the four types of

energy identified here are not

distinctly separate catego-

ries – each is affected by the

others. Mental energy is the

energy we need to sit down

and focus on one task at a

time. In Schwartz’s book,

he argues that our world of

extreme multi-tasking is detri-

mental to engaging deeply in

any one task.

Training your brain to focus

on one task for a long period

of time is like exercising your

muscles. When you first try to

focus your attention on one

specific thing, you’re exhaust-

ing your “attention muscle”,

but given ample rest and

repetition, you’ll build your

“attention muscle’s” strength

and endurance.

Now teachers are in a

unique position because our

jobs necessitate multi-tasking

during the day. But what

about planning lessons? Or

grading important papers?

Engaging in those activi-

ties with significant depth is

essential to our being great

teachers.

4.Spiritual ENERGY

Spirituality is one of those

terms that just about ev-

eryone has a definition for,

which makes it tough to talk

about. For the purposes of

our discussion here, think

about spiritual energy as the

motivation for why you do

what you do.

It should come as no

surprise that we didn’t get

into the teaching profession

for the big money and short

hours. But as we see with

many teachers, especially

after a few years of teaching,

that our spiritual energy be-

comes exhausted. That’s why

it’s important for us to step

back from our task-oriented

days to think about the big

picture of what we’re doing

and why we’re doing it.

Breathing meditation is

one technique Schwartz

recommends to all of his cli-

ents as a way to refresh both

your spiritual and emotional

energies. Many introduc-

tions to meditation recom-

mend starting at 20 minutes.

But many of the benefits of

meditation aren’t bound to

that 20 minute rule.

Try moderate-to-intense

exercise for 30 minutes 3

times per week, ideally to

break up the school day

and the work you do from

home. Do you feel a dif-

ference in both your body

and your mind?

Action Item

Make a conscious effort

this week to think about

your emotional state

throughout the day.

When did you feel most

refreshed and rested?

What led to you feeling

that way?

Designate time at least

once a week to engage in

that activity, and treat that

time as if it were an impor-

tant meeting (no interrup-

tions and no skipping!).

Action Item

Next time you’re plan-

ning an important lesson

or grading an important

paper, remove the other

distractions and tempta-

tions in your life. See if you

notice a difference in the

quality of your own work.

Action Item

When you feel bogged

down or stressed out, sit

down, close your eyes and

commit to a 5 minute medi-

tation. Breath in through

your nose for 3 seconds

and out your mouth for 6

seconds (this breathing pat-

tern reinforces a quieting of

the mind).

Action Item


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1 Depth not width—Dig into ideas. Make them clearer, more robust. Teachers will cover fewer topics in a year,

but with greater detail. Trust that the breadth of learning will come from that deeper understanding. The accepted pedagogy that similar topics be introduced every year, each with more detail, is no longer. Now, students will cover new topics at each grade level--fewer but fuller.

2 Nonfiction, not fiction—Literacy and reading is likely to be comprehensive narratives rather than inference from

stories. Why? Post-high school reading in both college and career is more often expository than fiction as high school grads study for college courses or receive specific training on a job. Students need to know how to perform the critical reading necessary to pick through the staggering amount of print and digital information required to thrive at the game called life.

3 Evidence is required—It will be paramount that stu-dents logically and dispassionately prove their claims

with organic conversations and authentic, well-understood evidence. Statements must have supporting facts that stand up under cerebral scrutiny. A claim of acceptability because it is ‘their interpretation’ will not be sufficient in a CCSS classroom.

4 Speaking and listening—Anyone who thrives in the adult world knows the importance of these two

skills. Now, they will be taught in the K-12 curriculum. The youngest learners will have guidelines for how to carry on a conversation--come to a discussion prepared, listen respect-fully to others, take turns speaking, build on each other’s conversations, ask clarifying questions. As they advance grade levels, so too will the requirements.

5 Technology is part of most/all standards—Not overtly, but teachers will find a fundamental understanding of

how technology scaffolds learning to be essential in deliv-ering Standards correctly. Many times, standards expect knowledge be ‘collaborated on, published and shared’. This is done through technology--pdfs, printing, publish-ing to blogs and wikis, sharing via Tagxedos and Animotos. Students and teachers will use the internet, online tools, software, tech devices as vehicles for achieving educational goals. No longer will they be ‘fun’ tools employed in the computer lab. Now, they will be integral to the curriculum. This means teachers will have to be comfortable with iPads, online widgets, Google Docs, and all those geeky tools that they admired from afar, when colleagues used them, promis-ing they would try them ‘one day’. That day has arrived.

6 Life skills are emphasized across subject areas—It’s not good enough students can write in literacy classes.

CCSS expects them to communicate just as effectively in every subject. And, where critical thinking has always been fundamental to math and science, that now expands to all classes. Students must understand cause and effect, transfer knowledge from one subject area to another throughout their educational day. That means, math teachers must pay attention to writing and literature teachers to cognitive processes.

7 An increase in rigor—Accountability will be expected of students and teachers. Too often, passing a test was

all the assessment that was expected. CCSS will look for more--transfer of knowledge (see 6 above), evidence of learning, student as risk-taker, authenticity of lessons, verti-cal planning, learning with increasingly less scaffolding and prompting, and differentiated instruction so all learners get it.

7Ways Common Core Will Change

Your Classroomby Jacqui Murray

The biggest pedagogic change to American education since the arrival of John Dewey is happening right now. It’s called Common Core State Standards. Its goal: to prepare the nation’s tens of thousands of students for college and/or career. If you are involved in any part of teaching, administrating, or planning, you are holding your breath, downing an aspirin, and crossing your fingers, knowing a storm is about to hit. You’ve prepared, but is it enough?46 states adopted the Common Core in an effort to bring consistency and uniformity to the hodge podge of state stan-

dards that dot the education landscape from California to Maine and Alaska to Florida. For most states, implementation is piecemeal, a bit at a time, with the full roll out not expected until sometime in 2015.

Besides turning your curriculum upside down, there are philosophic changes you as a teacher will have to buy into to fit the mold that is Common Core:


e-Learner APPLICATIONS

Just like the art programs we talked about in our last issue, music classes are suc-cumbing to similar cuts from curri-cula. Luckily, educational technology has made it easier and more affordable to bring that instruction into the class-room by way of tablets and music-driv-en applications.

This time around, we took a closer look at 5 apps that can help you bring music to life for the youngest child just banging keys all the way up to the as-piring producer and songwriter in your K-12 classroom.

A handy compact keyboard control-ler provides a great way to dock your iPhone and let your students play on a real keyboard. Many full-sized key-boards with piano weighted action are also available for a reasonable price.

This app is perfect for both the mu-

sic teacher and the piano student.

For the music teacher, you no longer

need to roll your piano to the gym

for performances, just plug into any

portable USB/Midi controller (using

Apple’s camera connection kit), the

school PA system and you’re ready

to play.

For the student (and cost-con-

scious parents), iGrand offers an af-

fordable and space-saving solution.

For late night practice sessions, the

app offers support for headphones,

which is great.

Whereas other apps have a toy-

like piano sound, iGrand is profes-

sional grade throughout – producing

stunning piano emulations. The full

version ($19.99) offers 18 different

pianos ranging from baby grands,

uprights, jazz and octave pianos.

One feature we really liked is the

ability to record your performances

and share them easily via e-mail so

you can send files to your piano

teacher, friends and family to show

them how well you’ve been doing.

We recommend a basic 88-key

hammer grade piano action key-

board for serious students learning

proper technique. In the mean-

time, try out the free version, the

sound alone will impress.

iGrand (iPad; $19.99 Full Version, Demo Version Free)

iGrand offers all the features a music teacher

and student will appreciate that’s lacking in other apps, including

sound quality.


This is a straightforward, easy-to-use app to help sharpen your music sight-reading skills for both treble and bass notes.

The idea is very simple, the app dis-plays a note on the scale and much like a multiple-choice exam, you choose which note is correct. To make things a bit more interesting, the test is timed (1, 5 or 10 minutes) so the faster you can answer correctly, the higher your score. Later, you can review your mistakes to help you hone your skills for the future.

However, we did find the requirement to log into Apple Game Center an an-noyance and the program crashes if you don’t. We understand that it might be fun to post your scores against others, but fear that this may deter some stu-dents from using the app if they receive a poor score that the world can see. Luckily, there is a free version with ads so you can try it out before buying.

Music Tutor is not dedicated to any one instrument, it’s a great tool for all your band students.

Piano Tutor is a great app for teaching students sight-reading skills and piano technique all in one package.

The app is stress-free to operate, offers lots of useful features and will score your performance against the clock like Music Tutor. Once you master all the songs in-cluded with the app, you can purchase additional packs for only $0.99.

Piano Tutor also offers up something for students who want to detect pitch by ear – it will play a note aloud and you have to play that note on the keyboard. Get it wrong and you can press play to hear it again or receive hints with conventional notes or “Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Si” until you get it right.

Lastly it also allows you to hook up a USB/Midi keyboard controller so you can practice on a real keyboard if you desire, a feature missing from too many current music app offerings in our opinion.

Music Tutor (iPad; $.99)

Piano Tutor (iOS; $2.99)

Sight Reading and Pitch Drills


Piano Dust Buster (iOS; $4.99 subsription)

This app is a fun way to get kids into learning how to read and play music in a game-type format.

The app has several modes to start your learning: Germ Attack drops notes down the screen (like Rock Band), so it will be easily recognizable for kids. Staff Master Mode is great for teach-ing sheet music reading long before they get a chance to do so in school. Practice Mode al-lows you to play alone and re-cords a score based on your performance. Show-Time Mode puts you front and center in a band-like environment and you

can receive praise for stellar per-formances.

Aside from different modes, the app allows you use your own instruments (i.e. keyboard or piano) using the iPad’s built-in microphone to listen to what notes you’re playing.

The app does have a big draw-back though – it comes with a starter song pack, but it requires a $4.99 monthly subscription to get more lessons and songs.

Luckily, on their website, they are constantly developing new apps with music teachers in mind for a similar purpose – learning.

Using the iPads’ microphone you can use your piano to practice and learn.

Beginner Piano


Mibblio (iPad; Free)

Mibblio does something that all these other apps don’t do – it pairs children’s storybooks with music. Although it really doesn’t offer much in terms of actual music education, it al-lows young children the op-portunity to interact with their favorite stories with a slew of different instruments as the story progresses. In this way, your kids can not only be-come familiar with the stories themselves with both spoken and written text, but also with how different genres of instru-ments like percussion, string and wind sound.

However, making a bunch of noise just isn’t always in the cards in a classroom. Thank-fully, you can, toggle between a “silent reading” mode and this musical variant when you have to keep it down to those 6-inch voices.

In either case, using this free app is relatively straightfor-ward and fun.

Each of the 9 add-on tales (a.k.a a “Mibblet”) is $1.99, which isn’t too bad, but ulti-mately we’d like it if they con-tinue to keep offering new stories to supplement their current offerings.

Although this app ranks the

lowest when it comes to legiti-mate music ed-ucation, it’s the one to get for

your kindergar-ten or 1st grade

classroom as a gateway into

not only future music-related,

educational apps, but into an interest in

music itself.

Young Kids


NanoStudio (iOS; $13.99, Mac and Windows; Free)

While this app is not for be-ginners, once you get over the learning curve, it is fantas-tic for the aspiring producer/songwriter student. The app is very similar to expensive Digital Audio Workstation (DAW) soft-ware and will start them in the right direction.

NanoStudio offers you up to 6 instrument tracks to work with and 16 if you choose to upgrade for only $4.99. The free app in-cludes a nice Eden synthesizer with an inspiring sound library including grand pianos, melodic synthesizer arpeggios, rock gui-tars and orchestral strings. The

drum machine is also fully pro-grammable so you can create your own beats by tapping on the on-screen pads.

When you are ready to really dig in deep, NanoStudio does not disappoint with a slew of full mixing, effects, sampler, wave-form editing and mastering.

Another thing we really liked is that you can easily export your songs to SoundCloud – a web platform that will be very famil-iar to avid music creators na-tionwide. We strongly suggest adding a USB/MIDI keyboard controller to get the full playing experience (see main photo).

The biggest plus to this app

is that you will learn how to ar-range and com-pose complete

songs using a timeline format.

Advanced Music Students


was recently re-inspired by Sir

Ken Robinson’s 2010 TEDTalk

titled “Bring on the Learning

Revolution” where he refer-

enced the Lincoln quote at the left. It’s

a brilliant contrast to complacent stag-

nancy and is driven by a desire (and

requirement) to adapt organically to

an ever-changing world. The thing is,

although the quote itself is something

we can all agree upon, as educators,

its application seems to have fallen by

the wayside.

Now I will preface this by saying that

there has been a great deal of changes

in education in the past year with the

adoption of the Common Core State

Standards (CCSS), but that doesn’t

necessarily mean that educators are

thinking and acting anew – it may be

a gross oversimplification here, but in

more cases than not, education seems

to be following a whole new, cookie-

cut playbook without any of that

special improvisation mixed into it.

So where is the silver lining (no

pun intended)? What liberties can

we possibly take as teachers within

the boundaries of the CCSS? And as

always, how do we manage to spark

creativity, curiosity and engagement in

our children?

Firstly, take comfort in the fact that

we’re asking where instead of whether

a silver lining exists at all. Secondly,

I’d argue that the Common Core

has given teachers more of a blank

canvas than a finished Picasso – sure

there are physical boundaries to the

canvas itself, but what you make of

the middle still takes plenty of finesse.

Robinson’s two biggest criticisms of

our educational system are its linear-

ity and conformity. I couldn’t agree

more. Very few things in life that

hold meaning for us proceed with

any sort of linearity – friendship,

hardship, love, family, career. Any of

these could be shuffled in a myriad

of orders and we would chalk it up

to fate or “everything happens for a

reason”. Education (especially higher

levels) is just as much a life step as all

these things, yet tradition expects it

to behave linearly, not organically.

While I’m still on about organic

things, I feel compelled to share a

relatable bit from Robinson’s TED Talk.

He comments that “we have built our

education systems on the model of

fast food…and it’s impoverishing our

spirit and our energies as much as fast

food is depleting our physical bodies.”

The more that we realize that people

cannot be standardized, regardless of

whether you’re a teacher or a student,

or better yet, regardless of age, gen-

der, upbringing or ethnicity, the more

fruitful our educational system can

become. Knowledge is not compart-

mentalized, math is no more important

than music and equality does not

equal standardization.

In realizing this, I am confident that

changes can happen in your classroom.

But how?

I

EDUCATIONALREVOLUTION Cultivate | Evolve | Flourish

The dogmas of the quiet past are inadequate to the stormy present...as our case is new, so we must think and act anew. — Abraham Lincoln


1STEP ONE: Learn How to Farm

Robinson stresses, “all you can do, like a farmer, is create

the conditions under which they [your students] will begin

to flourish.” It’s important to take responsibility for creat-

ing those conditions – to listen, to allow your students

access to educational technology, to understand what their

aspirations may be and how you can help in their journey to

achieve them.

Be mindful that learning how to farm also doesn’t happen

overnight – invest in your own knowledge and your ability

to use technology to save time and create engagement,

not the other way around.

2 STEP TWO: Get Students Concerned

The second step is getting students to be equally con-

cerned about getting the right answer as they are about

coming up with the big questions. Budget time to let your

students explore, communicate and create with the tech

tools they are already comfortable using. Allow success-

ful media literacy to factor into your grading. Coupling

critical thinking with innovative media creation not only

provides them greater engagement in the classroom, but

also valuable real-world experience for an undetermined

job market in the long-term.

If we are to prepare our students for a future we don’t

know or understand, holding them to purely quantifiable

measurements is for naught.

3 STEP THREE: Remember your passion

The third step is to be mindful of your passion for teach-

ing. You’re good at it. Frankly, you wouldn’t be doing it let

alone reading this article if you didn’t love it or want to give

more to your students. Give in to that passion. Enjoy what

you do on a daily basis. Try something new. Be the change.

Some of my favorite and most memorable teachers were

ones that took time to really understand our viewpoint as

kids – as much as their syllabus remained the same through

the years, it felt like they were speaking that message

exclusively to us. You can be an activist for great education

without standing on a soapbox with a protest sign. Educa-

tion is one of the few fields where putting in real effort and

time can affect not only your life, but generations. Endur-

ing is not the same as endurance.

As Sir Ken Robinson says, “human communities depend

on a diversity of talent, not a singular conception of ability.

At the heart of the challenge is to reconstitute our sense of

ability and intelligence.” We as teachers are able to trans-

form diversity into something more than what it represents

in regard to gender, religion or ethnicity – we can built it

into the cornerstone for what our entire educational system

sets out to accomplish: to prepare our future generations

for the next stormy present more adequately than the one

we face today.

In realizing this, I am confident that

changes can happen in your classroom.

But how?


FINALLY THERE IS

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