Register to Vote Through ASCD
ASCD has recently launched an expanded voter registration initiative to encourage participation in the upcoming U.S. elections. The initiative builds on existing voter registration tools currently available as part of ASCD's Web-based Action Center, an advocacy tool that connects educators with resources to help them speak out on issues of excellence and equity in education. The ASCD Action Center helps users locate and communicate with federal officials, state policymakers, and members of the media; get information about legislation; learn about ASCD's beliefs and positions; and register to vote.
- Spanish language accessibility and translations.
- Special voter registration links on many of the ASCD affiliate, network, and student chapter Web sites.
- New e-mail lists for election reminders.
- Absentee ballot information and links.
- New voter registration links on ASCD's online news and communications sources (SmartBrief and Affiliate Action, for example).
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For more information on ASCD's voter registration tools and Action Center, visithttp://capwiz.com/ascd/home/.
ASCD Wins Publications Awards
- Three 2004 APEX Awards for Excellence to Educational Leadership: for the overall issue “Creating Caring Schools” (March 2003); and in the category of Cover Design, “Creating Caring Schools” (March 2003) and “New Needs, New Curriculum” (December 2003/January 2004).
- A Grand Award for excellence in annual reports to The 2003 Executive Director's Annual Report: Voices.
- A Distinguished Achievement Award in the category of Professional Development Research to Educating Oppositional and Defiant Children, by Philip S. Hall and Nancy D. Hall (ASCD, 2003).
- A Finalist Award in the same category to The First Amendment in Schools, by Charles C. Haynes, Sam Chaltain, John E. Ferguson Jr., David L. Hudson Jr., and Oliver Thomas (ASCD, 2003).
- A Finalist Award in the category of Cover Design to The Threads of Reading: Strategies for Literacy Development, by Karen Tankersley (ASCD, 2003).
- Two Finalist Awards to Educational Leadership: in the category of Learned Article, “A Reader's Guide to Scientifically Based Research,” by Robert E. Slavin (February 2003); and in the category of One-Theme Issue, “Creating Caring Schools” (March 2003).
- The Platinum Award to The 2003 Executive Director's Annual Report: Voices. The report was ranked 25th out of 1,200 entries (mostly corporate).
- A SNAP Bronze Excel Award to Math Wonders to Inspire Teachers and Students, by Alfred S. Posamentier (ASCD, 2003).
Promoting U.S. Public Schools
ASCD and other members of the Learning First Alliance (LFA)—a permanent partnership of 12 leading U.S.-based education associations—have developed A Practical Guide to Promoting America's Public Schools, a new communications tool to help educators promote the value of public education in the United States. The four key messages outlined in the guide are based on an analysis of public opinion data conducted by LFA.
The guide is designed to enable ASCD and other LFA members to effectively communicate the value of public schools to parents and the public through speeches, articles, and back-to-school messages. The guide is posted on the LFA Web site (www.learningfirst.org). The Web-based version allows users to post ideas and resources as well as share their successes using the guide.
Outstanding!
Do you know a teacher whose impact on student achievement is remarkable? A principal whose innovative ideas spark success in students? An administrator whose leadership in your school or district is impressive? Show your appreciation by nominating that educator for ASCD's Outstanding Young Educator Award (OYEA). The OYEA nominee is an education professional, 40 years of age or younger, who demonstrates exemplary commitment and exceptional contribution to the profession. The fall nomination period ends Oct. 15, so fill out the online form today athttp://webserver3.ascd.org/web/OYEA. The annual winner is awarded $10,000, among other prizes, and each of the finalists will receive $1,000.
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ASCD recently announced two finalists from the spring nomination period: La'Mont Geddis, a technology coordinator and teacher at Ernest E. Just Middle School in Michellville, Maryland; and Alesia Slocumb-Bradford, a math teacher at Jefferson Junior High School in Washington, D.C. Geddis and Slocumb-Bradford will compete for the 2004 OYEA award along with the two finalists selected in November.
Resources
<BIBLIST><HEAD>Books</HEAD>The Multiple Intelligences of Reading and Writing: Making the Words Come Alive. (2003). By Thomas Armstrong. Using the pioneering theories of Howard Gardner, the author highlights ways to tap the intellectual strengths of all students. Stock No. 102280. Price: $18.95 (member); $22.95 (nonmember).Visual Literacy: Learn to See, See to Learn. (2002). By Lynell Burmark. This guide will open your eyes to the fascinating field of visual literacy and show you how to use an image-rich curriculum to reach more students and teach them more quickly and meaningfully. Stock No. 101226. Price: $18.95 (member); $22.95 (nonmember).In Search of Understanding: The Case for Constructivist Classrooms. (1999). By Jacqueline Grennon Brooks and Martin G. Brooks. The authors build a case for developing classrooms in which students construct deep understandings of important concepts. Stock No. 199234. $13.95 (member); $16.95 (nonmember).</BIBLIST>
<BIBLIST><HEAD>Videos</HEAD>Reading in the Content Areas. (2002). Three 25–30-minute videotapes with an Online Facilitator's Guide. Stock No. 402029. Price: $440 (member); $540 (nonmember).How to Use Graphic Organizers to Promote Student Thinking. (1999). One 15-minute videotape. Stock No. 499048. Price: $79 (member); $95 (nonmember).</BIBLIST>
<BIBLIST><HEAD>Mixed Media</HEAD>Teaching for Understanding Professional Inquiry Kit. (1996). By Charlotte Danielson. Eight activity folders and a 70-minute videotape. Stock No. 196212. Price: $189 (member); $220 (nonmember).</BIBLIST>
Board of Directors Proposes Changes
At its July 2004 meeting, ASCD's Board of Directors voted unanimously to send ASCD members a ballot on a series of proposed constitutional changes recommended by ASCD's Constitutional Review Committee, which was appointed by then-President Raymond J. McNulty in October 2003. The ballot will be mailed in December 2004.
Coming in October
- Peter Elbow debunks the idea that reading must precede writing, and maintains that writing must play a central role in beginning literacy.
- Tom Romano describes the qualities that create voice in writing, and tells how he helps his students cultivate authentic voice.
- Marilyn Burns explains how writing can help students think more deeply about math, and gives practical strategies for incorporating writing into math.
- Kathleen Blake Yancey describes how teachers can use technology to teach writing.
- Doug Baldwin of Educational Testing Service and Paul Thomas of Furman University in Greenville, South Carolina, present differing views about standardized writing assessments.
