IDRA Classnotes

Classnotes Podcast (February 6, 2014) It’s never too early to engage children in exploring science and math. And in bilingual classrooms where children are learning English, science and math can be deliberately integrated to support language learning. In this Classnotes episode, Rosana G. Rodríguez, Ph.D., IDRA director of development, and Juanita García, Ph.D., an IDRA education associate, talk about how early childhood teachers can weave activities grounded in inquiry that develop bilingual skills and oral language in bilingual classrooms by simultaneously introducing mathematics concepts at very young ages.

Using a story from IDRA’s Semillitas de aprendizaje supplemental curriculum Rosana and Juanita demonstrate how teachers can use Readers Theatre to engage students in developing oral fluency, a critical factor necessary for reading comprehension. Rosana and Juanita are interviewed by Laurie Posner, MPA, an IDRA senior education associate.

Show length: 14:30

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Building Interest in STEM through Language Development and Storytelling

Semillitas de aprendizaje

Along Came a Spider: Exploring the Tangled Web! – Exciting Interest in STEM via Language Development: Powerpoint Download

Readers’ Theatre: A Viable Reading Strategy?

Using Semillitas de aprendizaje in the Early Childhood Classroom

Oral Reading in the School Literacy Curriculum

Oral Reading Fluency as an Indicator of Reading Competence: A Theoretical, Empirical, and Historical Analysis

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post Readers Theatre in Early Childhood Ed – Podcast Episode 134 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (January 30, 2014) Following a trend over the last decade or so of pushing for higher math education among high school students, some areas are getting push back. With veiled arguments about students needing “choices” and not being “college material,” curriculum requirements are being weakened. Most visible is Texas where the State Board of Education has voted to remove Algebra II as a required course.

Math educator, Paula Martin Johnson, M.A., talks about why Algebra II is critical for all students and, particularly, for low-income and minority students who will undoubtedly suffer the consequences of being sidelined into watered-down, non-college prep courses. Paula is interviewed by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate.

Show length: 14:57

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“Tracking, Endorsements and Differentiated Diplomas – When ‘Different’ Really is Less”

The Texas Latino Education Coalition Supports Inclusion of Algebra II in All Endorsement Tracks

The Algebra Project

Trend-Starting Texas Drops Algebra II Mandate

Texas education board approves compromise on Algebra II requirement

When Are We Ever Gonna Have to Use Algebra II? Sooner Than You Think

MathTV – free bilingual website for Algebra II students

Math Planet – free website for Algebra II students

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post Why Algebra II? – Podcast Episode 133 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (December 2, 2013) Last year in Classnotes Podcast episode 113, Bradley Scott, Ph.D. director of the IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity, introduced the concept of a sixth generation of civil rights and educational equity. In this episode, Bradley describes the five previous generations that have led us to this sixth generation that is currently being shaped to guarantee excellent schools for all students.

The 10 federally-funded equity assistance centers, including the SCCE, identified these six phases of civil rights in education as they engage with others in profound conversations about what it will take for our public schools really to educate all children to excellence. Bradley is interviewed by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate.

Show length: 14:41

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The Challenge of Seeing, Part II – Shaping the Sixth Generation of Civil Rights and Educational Equity

The Challenge of Seeing – Shaping the Sixth Generation of Civil Rights and Educational Equity

Coming of Age

The Fourth Generation of Desegregation and Civil Rights

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post Six Generations of Civil Rights in Education – Podcast Episode 132 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (November 11, 2013) A new model of parent engagement is sweeping the Texas Rio Grande Valley. Evolving out of IDRA’s Family Leadership in Education Model, several PTA Comunitarios are uniting poor, minority families to improve the education of the children in their neighborhoods. The results to date are powerful. PTA Comunitario meetings are bringing families together to examine Texas education policies and their implications for children’s access to advanced placement, dual credit and pre-algebra courses; Texas’ education budget; and college readiness strategies.

In this Classnotes podcast episode, Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate, and Frances Guzmán, M.Ed., IDRA education associate, describe the unique aspects of PTA Comunitarios and how to start one in your community.

Note: PTA Comunitario has a new name, Education CAFE, which emphasizes the diversity of communities who are engaged in impacting their public schools.

Show length: 14:51.

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PTA Comunitario Webpage

PTA Comunitario as a Family Leadership Model – An ‘Investing in Innovation I3 Project

Hosting Superintendents, Quizzing Candidates and Marking Maps – A Fully Engaged PTA Comunitario

Community Leaders Discuss How PTA Comunitarios Give Voice to Parents in their Children’s Education

IDRA’s Family Leadership Principles

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post How to Start a PTA Comunitario – Podcast Episode 131 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (October 17, 2013) Most of us can remember a time when students were expected to be silent in the classroom. Noise was a sign of trouble or at least inattention. But as the field has learned about the importance of student engagement in effective teaching and learning, educators and researchers have explored new strategies.

IDRA education associates, Veronica Betancourt, M.A., and Paula Martin Johnson, M.A., describe how introducing substantive conversation techniques can develop a deeper understanding in the content and academic vocabulary while stretching student’s thinking and connecting with their interests, explorations and questions. They give examples of using substantive conversation in the math and science classrooms. Veronica and Paula are interviewed by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate.

Show length: 14:04

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Breaking the Bonds of Boredom in Science and Math

Five Standards of Authentic Instruction

Substantive Conversations in the Classroom: Powerpoint Download

Promoting Substantive Conversation in the Science Classroom: Word Document Download

The “Fourth-Grade Slump” and Math Achievement Addressing the Challenge with Student Engagement

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post Substantive Conversation in the Classroom – Podcast Episode 130 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (October 1, 2013) There is a lot of attention on how students and teachers can use iPads and other tablets in and outside the classroom. But school administrators too can use these technologies in creating an equitable teaching and learning environment that maximizes student achievement. IDRA education associates, Veronica Betancourt, M.A., and Paula Martin Johnson, M.A., continue our series of conversations on seven research-based strategies IDRA has developed for delivering instruction differently for secondary students. In this episode, Veronica and Paula focus on Strategy #4: Maximize use of technology in delivery of effective science and EL instruction and use Internet resources to supplement and enrich instruction of English learners.

This episode is the third in our three-part series on using iPads and other tablets in the educational arena. But, Veronica and Paula focus here on capitalizing on what can be done on any tablet without the need to download or purchase any apps. They describe how iPads can be used for online data collection for evaluative purposes and for capturing ongoing “snapshots” of classroom life for value-based professional development that includes student voice as a means of reciprocal learning. This is especially critical for traditionally marginalized student groups, such as English learners who already face the challenges of finding their social identity and learning a new language while discovering their academic identity as well.

Veronica and Paula are interviewed by Aurelio M. Montemayor, M.Ed., IDRA senior education associate.

Show length: 13:58

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The Learner-Centered Approach – Leading with the iPad and Other Tablets

Science Classroom Strategies for English Learners – iPads and Other Tablets for Teachers

Science Classroom Strategies for English Learners – Learning with the iPad and Other Tablets

Science Instructional Strategies for English Learners ~ A Guide for Elementary and Secondary Grades

Science Smart!

“The Learning-Centered Principal,” 

Using Classroom Walkthroughs to Improve Instruction

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post Leading with iPads for Diverse Students – Podcast Episode 129 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (September 6, 2013) School transformation doesn’t just happen by decree from a superintendent or principal. Systems and support for teachers and other staff must be deliberate and sustainable. This is how, the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district has become a leader in connecting high school students to college. For example, at the district’s College, Career & Technology Academy, two-thirds of high school students last year were in college credit-bearing classes. And the school is aiming for 100 percent.

In this third and final part of our interview, Linda Carrillo, CCTA principal, describes types of college credit students are earning, teacher support and how the teachers feel about what they are doing. Linda is interviewed by Hector Bojorquez, an IDRA education associate.

Show Length: 17:04

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Video interview with Dr. Daniel P. King, superintendent of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) school district [04:46 min]

Higher Education Success – Key System Strategies 

Defining a Schoolwide College-Readiness Culture for All Students An Interview with Roland Toscano

Describing the First-Year Experience for First-Time-in-College Students at Major Community College

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post A Principal on Supporting Teachers for Student College Readiness – Podcast Episode 128 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (August 21, 2013) The Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district is demonstrating dramatic school transformation. After looking at the data, the district wanted to bring back students who had dropped out, many of them in their senior year. But rather than bringing them back to something that hadn’t worked, the district created the College, Career and Technology Academy in partnership with South Texas College. The students were then encouraged to come back and finish high school and at the same time begin college coursework. The students responded.

In this second part of our interview, Linda Carrillo, principal at the district’s College, Career & Technology Academy, talks about expectations for staff, three core elements of the transformation that is happening at PSJA and parent engagement for students who are young adults.

Linda is interviewed by Hector Bojorquez, an IDRA education associate.

Show length: 17:10 min.

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Video interview with Dr. Daniel P. King, superintendent of the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo (PSJA) school district [04:46 min]

Higher Education Success – Key System Strategies

Defining a Schoolwide College-Readiness Culture for All Students An Interview with Roland Toscano,

Describing the First-Year Experience for First-Time-in-College Students at Major Community College

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post A Principal on the Core Elements of School Transformation – Podcast Episode 127 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (August 12, 2013) Deep in the heart of the Texas Rio Grande Valley, something amazing is happening. Many in our nation don’t expect much of economically disadvantaged minority students who are in under resourced schools in depressed areas like those near the Mexico border. But the leaders in the Pharr-San Juan-Alamo school district expect a lot.

Linda Carrillo, principal at the district’s College, Career & Technology Academy, asks how often do teenagers hear, “You didn’t finish high school, start college today”? She describes how, rather than giving up on students who fall through the cracks, PSJA supports them to come to a new high school to graduate with college hours.

Linda is interviewed by Hector Bojorquez, an IDRA education associate.

Show length: 12:32

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College Ready School District with Dr. King: Video Interview

Higher Education Success – Key System Strategies

Defining a Schoolwide College-Readiness Culture for All Students An Interview with Roland Toscano

Describing the First-Year Experience for First-Time-in-College Students at Major Community College

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post A Principal on Setting Expectations for College – Podcast Episode 126 appeared first on IDRA.

Classnotes Podcast (June 26, 2013) Six students received prizes in a national competition among participants in the Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program, a nationally-recognized cross-age tutoring program of IDRA. In this annual contest, tutors write about how the program helped them do better in school and how they had helped their tutees to do better.

IDRA’s dropout prevention program, the Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program, has a 98 percent success rate among students who were considered at risk of dropping out. Linda Cantú, Ph.D., director of the program, reads examples from some of the winning essays and shares her passion for the program. Linda is interviewed by Bradley Scott, Ph.D., director of the IDRA South Central Collaborative for Equity, provides and introduction.

Show length: 15:11

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Six Teens Win 2103 National Essay Contest Award

The full text of all of the winning essays

Coca-Cola Valued Youth Program

We welcome your comments and questions to the podcast. Send an e-mail to [email protected].

To ensure you don’t miss a single episode of IDRA Classnotes, subscribe to the podcast in iTunes, (download iTunes free if you don’t have it) or sign up to receive an e-mail alert as soon as a new show is published.

The post The Power of Student Voices in Dropout Prevention – Podcast Episode 125 appeared first on IDRA.