NMSA in Action, November 2008 - Middle School Journal

November 2008 • Volume 40 • Number 2 • Pages 42-43

NMSA in Action

What's Happening

Middle Level Essentials Conference
April 23–24, 2009
Red Rock Resort, Las Vegas, NV

Topics include:

Differentiated Instruction to Meet the Needs of Every Student
The Differentiated Math Classroom
Literacy Across the Content Areas
Ninth Grade Academies (a conference-within-a-conference)

Symposium on Teacher Preparation
April 24–25, 2009
Red Rock Resort, Las Vegas, NV
Excellence in Teaching, Service, and Scholarship

Student Success Institute
May 29–30, 2009
Coast Plaza Hotel & Conference Centre
Calgary, Alberta, Canada

Topics include:

Student Motivation
Formative Assessment
Advisory
Literacy

Institute for Middle Level Leadership
July 12–15, 2009
Hyatt Regency Tamaya, Santa Ana Pueblo, NM

July 19–22, 2009
St. Regis Hotel and Resort, Ft. Lauderdale, FL

July 26–29, 2009
Hilton Whistler Resort, Whistler, British Columbia, Canada

Calling All Middle School Math and Science Teachers!

Join a virtual professional learning community of middle level math and science educators at http://msteacher.org. Middle School Portal: Math & Science Pathways, known as (MSP)², provides opportunities to:

Develop increased content knowledge in the areas of science, mathematics, technology, and developmentally appropriate pedagogy.
Participate in individual and collaborative professional development.
Share knowledge with a community of practitioners.
Easily locate and identify exemplary, standards-based resources.
Increase your understanding of Web 2.0 tools.
More effectively integrate technology into your existing teaching practice.
Explore standards-based math and science topics in depth.
Connect to "just-in-time" teaching ideas.
Search or browse by subject lists based on the national math and science education standards.

The (MSP)2 is one of the National Science Digital Libraries (NSDL) funded by the National Science Foundation. The Ohio State University College of Education, National Middle School Association, and Education Development Center have joined to create the Math & Science Pathways or (MSP)2.

Free Resources for Families

Your NMSA membership gives you free access to a quarterly resource for use with families. The Family Connection, edited by Judith Baenen, is an easy to read newsletter with great information for parents. Find it online at www.nmsa.org as a pdf that you can print and distribute as-is or you can cut and paste articles for use in your school newsletter. The winter issue will be available in mid-November and will feature articles on helping students learn from mistakes, benefitting from student-led conferences, and learning how to handle the response "I don't know."

Educators Honored at NMSA Conference

Karen Brown and Jane Feber were honored as the 2008 recipients of the Distinguished Educator Award at the NMSA Annual Conference in Denver, Colorado. Launched in 2003, this award recognizes outstanding practitioners in middle level education—those who have made a significant impact on the lives of young adolescents through leadership, vision, and advocacy.

Karen Brown is principal of Boyce Middle School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and also has served as a teacher, curriculum leader, and district inservice coordinator in her 35 years as an educator. Her school shares a common vision based on the characteristics of This We Believe and places the students' needs above all else. Karen is committed to meeting the professional development needs of her staff and making sure the school environment is positive so that staff and students are excited about coming to school every day.

Jane Feber is a teacher and teacher leader at Mandarin Middle School in Jacksonville, Florida. She is a National Board Certified teacher who has taught middle grades students for 35 years. She has authored two middle level language arts books and received state and local awards for teaching excellence in language arts. Jane believes in engaging students in their own learning, building relationships with parents, and helping students to see the value of giving back to the community.