Summer training from NCER

On August 13-17, the National Center for Education Research, in conjunction with the Institute for Policy Research at Northwestern University, will host a summer research training institute workshop on the use of within-study comparison designs to compare causal effects from an experiment with those from a quasi-experiment that share the same treatment group comparisons. The workshop will be held at Northwestern University and the application deadline for this workshop is May 14, 2012. For more information about the institute and registration click here:


http://ies.ed.gov/whatsnew/conferences/?id=981&cid=5

New data on Latino/a college completion

From this morning's (4/11/12) Inside Higher Ed...
Excelencia in Education on Tuesday released data showing Latino college completion rates, by state. "The state-level data on Latino college completion show that today’s investment, or lack thereof, in Latino academic preparation and degree attainment can have a compounding effect on state populations, economies, and communities in the near future,” said Deborah Santiago, the organization's co-founder and vice president for policy and research.

State level and summary reports are available for download here: http://www.edexcelencia.org/eaf/50states

Peer instruction works!

An article in today's (April 11, 2012) Chronicle reports on a study testing whether or not peer instruction is actually helping students learn vs. just pressuring those less sure of themselves into conforming. An excerpt:
"The questions were given in pairs of “isomorphic” questions, having different contexts and “cover stories” but assessing the same core concepts. First, a question was asked using the usual vote-discuss-revote model. Then the second, isomorphic question was asked with only individual voting taking place.
If the peer discussion was merely creating an environment of peer pressure to vote the same as the knowledgeable students, then what you’d expect is that the percentage of students answering correctly would be relatively low on the first vote on Question 1, then high on the revote, then back to low again on Question 2. But that’s not what the study found! On the first vote, an average of about 50% of students were voting correctly. On the revote of the first question, that average went up to just shy of 70%. On the first vote of the second question — testing the same concept but in a new context — the percent voting correctly was above 70%."
The study cited is: M. K. Smith, W. B. Wood, W. K. Adams, C. Wieman, J. K. Knight, N. Guild, and T. T. Su. Why Peer Discussion Improves Student Performance on In-Class Concept Questions.
Science 2 January 2009: 323 (5910), 122-124. [DOI:10.1126/science.1165919]

Poetry for STEM curricula and common core standards

April is National Poetry Month and Booklist (April 2012) offers lots of ideas for utilizing poetry to support and enhance lesson plans.
Poetry to support STEM curricula:
Bug Off!Creepy, Crawly Poems . By Jane Yolen. Illus. by Jason Stemple. 2012. 32p. Boyds Mills/Wordsong, $16.95 (9781590788622) 811. Gr. 1–5.
Incredible Inventions. Ed. by Lee Bennett Hopkins. Illus. by Julia Sarcone-Roach. 2009. 32p. Greenwillow, $17.99 (9780060872458). 811. Gr. 1–5.
A Leaf Can Be . . . By Laura Purdie Salas. Illus. by Violeta Dabija. 2012. 32p. Millbrook, $17.95 (9780761362036). K–Gr. 3.
One Big Rain:Poems for Rainy Days . Ed. by Rita Gray. Illus. by Ryan O’Rourke. 2010. 32p. Charlesbridge, $9.95 (9781570917165). 811.008. Gr. 2–4.
Steady Hands: Poems about Work. By Tracie Vaughn Zimmer. Illus. by Megan Halsey. 2009. 48p. Clarion, $16 (9780618903511). 811. Gr. 4–7.
Step Inside! A Look inside Animal Homes. By Catherine Ham. 2012. 32p. illus. EarlyLight, $14.95 (9780983201427). 591.56. K–Gr. 3.
Track That Scat! By Lisa Morlock. Illus. by Carrie Anne Bradshaw. 2012. 32p. Sleeping Bear, $15.95 (9781585365364). 591.479. Gr. 1–4.
Water Sings Blue:Ocean Poems . By Kate Coombs. Illus. by Meilo So. 2012. 32p. Chronicle, $16.99 (9780811872843). 811.6. Gr. 2–6.
What’s Looking at You, Kid? By J. Patrick Lewis. Illus. by Renee Graef. 2012. 32p. Sleeping Bear, $14.95 (9781585367931). PreS–K.
UnBEElievables: Honeybee Poems and Paintings. By Douglas Florian. Illus. by the author. 2012. 32p. Simon & Schuster/Beach Lane, $16.99 (9781442426528). 811. Gr. 2–5. 
Outside Your Window: A First Book of Nature. By Nicola Davies. Illus. by Mark Hearld. 2012. 108p. Candlewick, $19.99 (9780763655495). 808.81. PreS–Gr. 2.
Out of This World: Poems and Facts about Space. By Amy E. Sklansky. Illus. by Stacey Schuett. 2012. 40p. Knopf, $17.99 (9780375864599); lib. ed., $20.99 (9780375964596). 811. Gr. 3–5. Swirl by Swirl. By Joyce Sidman. Illus. by Beth Krommes. 2011. 32p. Houghton, $16.99 (9780547315836). PreS–Gr. 3
A Mirror to Nature:Poems about Reflection . By Jane Yolen. Illus. by Jason Stemple. 2009. 31p. Boyds Mills/Wordsong, $17.95 (9781590786246). Gr. 2–5. 
Edgar Allan Poe's Pie: Math Puzzlers in Classic Poems. By J. Patrick Lewis. Illus. by Michael Slack. 2012. 40p. Harcourt, $16.99 (9780547513386). 811. Gr. 3–5.



Poetry to facilitate teaching Core Curriculum: (RL.1.4—RL.6.4)
RL.1.4. Identify words and phrases in stories or poems that suggest feelings or appeal to the senses.
In the Wild. By David Elliott. Illus. by Holly Meade. 2010. 32p. Candlewick, $16.99 (9780763644970). PreS–Gr. 2.

Peaceful Pieces: Poems and Quilts about Peace. By Anna Grossnickle Hines. Illus. by the author. 2011. 32p. Holt, $16.99 (9780805089967). Gr. 2–5.
Swirl by Swirl. By Joyce Sidman. Illus. by Beth Krommes. 2011. 32p. Houghton, $16.99 (9780547315836). PreS–Gr. 3.

RL.4.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including those that allude to significant characters found in mythology.
Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night. By Joyce Sidman. Illus. by Rick Allen. 2010. 32p. Houghton, $16.99 (9780547152288). 811. Gr. 3–6.

A Foot in the Mouth: Poems to Speak, Sing, and Shout. Ed. by Paul B. Janeczko. Illus. by Chris Raschka. 2009. 61p. Candlewick, $17.99 (9780763606633). 811. Gr. 4–7.

A Mirror to Nature:Poems about Reflection . By Jane Yolen. Illus. by Jason Stemple. 2009. 31p. Boyds Mills/Wordsong, $17.95 (9781590786246). Gr. 2–5.


RL.6.4. Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including figurative and connotative meanings; analyze the impact of a specific word choice on meaning and tone.
Lemonadeand Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word . By Bob Raczka. Illus. by Nancy Doniger. 2011. 48p. Roaring Brook, $16.99 (9781596435414). 811. Gr. 2–5.
Under the Mambo Moon. By Julia Durango. Illus. by Fabricio VandenBroeck. 2011. 48p. Charlesbridge, $12.95 (9781570917233). 811. Gr. 3–5.

Sweethearts of Rhythm: The Story of the Greatest All-Girl Swing Band in the World. By Marilyn Nelson. Illus. by Jerry Pinkney. 2009. 80p. Dial, $21.99 (9780803731875). 811. Gr. 5–8.