CATESOL 2012 IS UPON US!

And Elaine and I will be there. Come visit us at Booth #113 – looking forward to seeing you!

IT'S OFFICIAL: AUTHORS & EDITORS RESTARTS – AND REINVIGORATES - ELL PUBLISHING COMPANY

For Immediate Release

March 8, 2012 - LOS ANGELES - Arthur and Elaine Kirn Rubin, Partners at Authors & Editors, the publisher of educational materials founded in 1982, announce their return after time spent away coping with parental end-of-life issues.

Authors & Editors’ English-as-a-Second-Language division, 2learn-english.com, offers books, games and activities in context, most of which are the creation of Elaine, an educator whose 40-year teaching career culminated in a position as Professor of English-as-a-Second-Language at West Los Angeles College. Now back in business, the Rubins are focusing on the U.S. Western States market, while preparing for entry into that of the Rocky Mountain and Midwestern states, with their growing multilingual populations.

Author & Editors’ new division offers over 100 titles, aimed primarily at teachers, administrators, coordinators and students, ranging from middle schoolers to adults. The business philosophy underlying 2learn-english.com can best be summed up by the phrase, “Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.” Their mission is simply to provide students with opportunities to gain self-sufficiency through the mastery of English; specifically, to provide the English language learning tools required to meet the requirements of today’s workplace, become and remain informed citizens, and deal effectively with the routines of day-to-day living.

Engaging and effective games, activities and books that motivate and assist learners in improving their English language skills are offered at their online book store, which can be found at http://2learn-english.charityfinders.com/,or visit them on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/?sk=welcome#!/profile.php?id=100001593784791, on LinkedIn at http://www.linkedin.com/in/2learnenglish, or at their blog, http://eslgamesactivitiesbooks.blogspot.com/. In the near future, information about them will also be available on Twitter and YouTube.

Contact:

Arthur Rubin or Elaine Kirn Rubin

Partners

2learn-english.com

Phone: (310) 836-2014

FAX: 310-836-1845

http://2learn-english.com

10736 Jefferson Blvd., #604
Culver City, CA 90230

TWO QUESTIONS FOR ADMINISTRATORS AND TEACHERS IN ADULT EDUCATION PROGRAMS

The Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) appears to be on its way towards cutting funding for adult education. To all educators, wherever you are, what do you think about the future of adult education in your community? How do you view your own futures in the adult education field?

STUDENTS INCREASINGLY REQUIRED TO SUBMIT INDIVIDUAL LEARNING PLANS

Currently more than half the states require students to create plans in which they identify their interests and attempt to translate them into career plans. Journalist Caralee Adams explains the thinking behind it: “When students understand the relevance of what they are learning – how it fits into their lives and long-term plans – experts find they are more likely to get exited about school” http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/college_bound/2012/03/individual_learning_plans_help_students_chart_career_paths.html

PAUL RYAN’S BUDGET PLAN AND AMERICAN EDUCATION

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan warns that the Ryan plan could have disastrous effects on K-12 education:

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/campaign-k-12/2012/03/duncan_blasts_ryan_budget_plan.html

INCREASING INTEREST IN DUAL-LANGUAGE IMMERSION PROGRAMS

Elaine and I want to share this story about the growing number of such programs, and the different approaches adopted by educators.

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/03/23/26duallanguage_ep.h31.html?tkn=UOYFwCZn88e1rEM0d6te%2BOfLl3FuSrmoWNqO&cmp=clp-edweek

THE NATIONAL EDUCATION POLICY CENTER VS. THE FORDHAM INSTITUTE

Journalist Ian Quillen discusses the implications of a recent tussle regarding the effectiveness of virtual learning: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2012/03/the_ever-growing_debate_over_t.html

QUALITY OF SCIENCE EDUCATION IN CALIFORNIA MIDDLE SCHOOLS SUBPAR, SAYS NEW REPORT

Journalist Eric Robelen quotes the following from the study:  "Across the state, middle school teachers confront large class sizes, limited access to equipment and necessary materials for science experiences, and students who all too frequently have lost interest in science....”

Click here for whole story:

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/03/most_california_middle_schoole.html

GREAT NEWS ABOUT CLIMBING HIGH SCHOOL GRADUATION RATES NATIONALLY

Please click here: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/state_edwatch/2012/03/forty_states_improve_hs_graduation_rate.html

TEACHER PREPARATION IS CRITICAL

Educator John Wilson has some interesting things to say about the importance of the right approach to teacher preparation. Such an approach, he maintains, increases teacher retention and performance, as well as boosting the prestige of the profession. For the full article, please read: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/john_wilson_unleashed/2012/03/teacher_preparation_matters_a_lot.html

QUESTIONS FOR ASPIRING TEACHER LEADERS TO PONDER

Educator Patrick Ledesma recently took part in a panel presentation regarding teacher leadership, in the course of which participants identified key questions emerging teacher leaders should ask themselves. Please click here to read the whole story:

http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/leading_from_the_classroom/2012/03/three_questions_to_begin_transformation_to_teacher_leadership.html

NEW STATE EDUCATION TECHNOLOGY TASK FORCE

In this piece, writer Ian Quillen announces the creation of a task force designed to address the issue of technology availability in California schools. Read the story here: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2012/03/california_launches_ed-tech_ta.html

THE IMPLICATIONS OF UNIVERSAL COMPUTER ACCESS FOR STUDENTS

In this piece, Robert Slavin of Johns Hopkins University discusses some of the ways in which “ubiquitous computer availability at home” will have a transformative effect on education: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/sputnik/2012/03/when_every_student_has_a_computer_at_home.html

PARENTS SHOWING MORE INTEREST IN IMPROVING EDUCATIONAL PROCESS

“While teacher satisfaction has declined to its lowest point in more than two decades, parent engagement is climbing to new heights across America, a new survey reports,” writes journalist Michele Molnar. For the full story go to: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/parentsandthepublic/2012/03/trending_up_new_study_finds_parent_engagement_on_rise.html

HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS ENTHUSIASTIC ABOUT TABLET TECHNOLOGY

Elaine and I were intrigued by the news of this survey, conducted in January, which shows that tablet ownership is increasing by leaps and bounds among college-bound high school seniors and college students, and that they “say they actually believe the prevalence of tablet technology will lead to a digital takeover of the textbook industry.” Read about it here: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/DigitalEducation/2012/03/perhaps_it_should_be_no.html

WHITHER COMMON STANDARDS?

Reporter Catherine Gewertz notes that a lot of work is going into implementing the Common Core State Standards, but what the upshot will be, nobody knows: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/curriculum/2012/03/preparedness_for_common_standa.html

SOME TIPS ON RESUME AND COVER LETTER PREPARATION FOR EDUCATORS

We think you will find valuable this advice on resume and cover letter preparation from two career services professionals:

http://blogs.edweek.org/topschooljobs/careers/2012/03/one-page_resume_you_must_be_ki.html

http://blogs.edweek.org/topschooljobs/careers/2012/03/cover_letter_tips.html

DIGITAL AND PRINT BOOKS: ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES

This piece by Francesca Duffy deals with some recent studies with possible implications all teachers should be aware of: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2012/03/remembering_what_you_read_print_vs_digital_books.html

RESULTS OF JOINT MIGRATION POLICY INSTITUTE AND VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY STUDY

Elaine and I wish to share this piece by reporter Lesli Maxwell, which reports the results of a study which suggests that students who complete ESL courses within 3 years tend to do better academically: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the-language/2012/03/english_learners_who_complete.html

CONFUSION AMONG CALIFORNIA TEACHERS OVER COMMON CORE STANDARDS

Reporter Lesli Maxwell reports that the English-language development teachers in California she has spoken react with bewilderment: http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/learning-the language/2012/03/common_core_standards_and_ells.html

WHEN AND WHY YOU CHOSE THE TEACHING PROFESSION

If you wish to share the story of the moment when you decided to become a teacher with others, Elaine and I suggest you take a look at the following: http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/teaching_now/2012/03/when_did_you_know.html

DIGITAL EDUCATION – GO SLOW

By Elaine and Arthur Rubin

We agree that there is much to be said for digital education, but we still think that educators shouldn’t embrace it uncritically. Our reasons:  

1. It has been shown that the 5 senses are a critical component in the learning process and digital tools do not utilize them optimally.  The benefits of holding a book, physically manipulating cards, playing an educational game with, or reading aloud to, others, seeing and hearing facial and vocal clues; these are lost or significantly diminished in the digital classroom.
2. Schools provide environments where the interaction of teachers with students is key to transferring information and skills, and digital education by its very nature reduces the amount of interaction between teacher and student.
3. The various types of spontaneous interaction (i.e., cooperation, collaboration, conversation), are minimized or vanish altogether in the digital classroom.
4. Quality and ease of use are simply missing in too many digital education products.

In short, whatever its merits, technology cannot replicate what a student gains from face-to-face communication.

JOHN SHINDLER ON THE ADVANTAGES OF COOPERATIVE LEARNING

By Elaine and Arthur Rubin

In my last post I discussed the section on competitive learning from John Shindler’s book, Transformative Classroom Learning. Just as interesting is Chapter 12 of the same book, “Effectively Managing the Cooperative Classroom.”

As I’ve already pointed out, the author believes that competition has its place in the classroom, but in this chapter he asserts that cooperative learning “offers a series of benefits that are impossible to achieve by other means…” He lists what he views as its principal advantages: 1) research shows that cooperative learning is better at facilitating student learning than either competitive or independent learning; 2) properly handled, it can “meet more learning style needs more of the time than individualized direct instruction;” 3) it can teach students collaborative skills useful to them later on in their personal and professional lives; 4) as a motivator, it is superior to other types of learning; and 5) it is more effective than other kinds of learning in “building communal bonds, learning conflict resolution skills, learning to consider other’s needs and learning to be an effective team member…”

Shindler cautions, however, that for students to get the most out of cooperative classroom learning, a number of criteria must be met. These are: 1) students must be made to see that the cooperative process has a purpose, “that they [the students] are ‘going somewhere;’” 2) the teacher must emphasize “the quality of the process,” not “the quality of the final product;” 3) cooperative learning activities must be structured in such a way as to maintain group cohesion; 4) expectations must be clear in order to keep students focused and their anxiety levels low; 5) teachers must adopt a long-term approach, not just deal with problems on a day-to-day basis; (6) the teacher must steer his or students in the direction of either increased self-reliance or efficiency; and 7) to increase their feeling of self-worth, students must be allowed to share their accomplishments with their peers.

GAMES AND ACTIVITIES, COMPETITION AND THE AFFECTIVE FILTER HYPOTHESIS

By Elaine and Arthur Rubin

A few decades ago, psychologist Stephen Krashen, Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern California, formulated what he was subsequently to call the Affective Filter Hypothesis. Simply put, this theory holds that factors like anxiety and lack of self-confidence have the potential to hinder language acquisition.  

What is the relationship, if any, between the Affective Filter Hypothesis and competitive games and activities?

John Shindler, in his recent (2009) book, Transformative Classroom Management: Positive Strategies to Engage All Students and Promote a Psychology of Success, distinguishes between what he calls “healthy” and “unhealthy” competition.  Among the characteristics of healthy competition: (1), “the goal is primarily fun;” (2), the competitive aspect is not presented or perceived as “valuable” or “real”; (3), the emphasis is on learning; (3), the competition is brief and high-energy; (4), the competitive exercise has no enduring effects; and (5), all participants believe that they have a plausible chance to win.

Unhealthy competition, on the other hand, is the exact opposite of the healthy variety on each of these points, and can cause anxiety and/or fear of failure. You can see that without mentioning the Affective Filter, Shindler has pointed to some of its components.

Moreover, he writes that having one’s students play a “friendly” game like Jeopardy, Trivia, or Knowledge Bowl can be an interesting and fun way to review content and/or reinforce skills in preparation for a test.  “But,” he writes, “If the outcome of the game becomes part of what is formally graded, the competition goes from the healthy to the unhealthy column.”

In the next blog, we will briefly describe Shindler’s views regarding cooperative learning.