March 23, 2009-Resumes, Interviews, and Hiring

Here's some tips from last meeting's discussion about resumes, interviews, hiring, and administration shenanigans. Thanks to Will Allen for sharing the information with us.
Resume Tips:

• Keep it to 1 page (front and back is okay)
• Put it on nice paper – Nothing too fancy, but good quality paper that doesn't feel cheap.
• Don't be “cute.” This is a professional document, don't put pictures of your family dog.
• Pick one font and stick with it.
• Make it look clean, to the point, avoid redundancy and clutter.

For work experience or sections like that, be specific.

• List what you did while teaching.
• Use active verbs.
• Don't make the reader dig for information.
• If the district has any online portion or resume database or anything, use it.
  

Interview Tips:

• If you are being interviewed in a place you'd want to work, you will be given opportunity to ask questions – have a couple topics in mind to ask about.
• He was asked a great question once, “Why are you the best principal for this school?”
• Bring some samples of your work, but don't force feed anything. Just have a few things ready in case it comes up during the interview.
• Be genuine above all else, try to relax and answer questions honestly.
• “I don't know” is an okay answer, but it's a better answer if you follow it up with, “but I hope to learn about...”
• They aren't going to expect students who are just out of college to know everything, that's okay. They don't want to hire someone who is going to lie to them, so just be honest and willing to learn. We've been learning for years, it's what we're good at, and that's great.
  The most important thing, “It's about fit.”

Remember that you're interviewing them as much as they're interviewing you. Sometimes you'll be perfectly qualified and you won't get hired because it's just not the right fit. Sometimes you'll be perfectly qualified and leave thinking, “I really don't want to work there!” because it's just not the right fit. Other times they will hire a young inexperienced teacher over a veteran because it's just a better fit. Don't take it personally if it just doesn't feel right. Some place else will, so don't lose hope.

Next Meeting:

"The Real World: Teachers" - Interview Experience

Louann Reid, Pam Coke, and Joshua Williams

April 6, 2009

From 6-7pm in Eddy 10

March 9, 2009-Student Teaching Panel

March 9, 2009-Student Teaching Panel

I just want to thank the other student teachers who showed up and participated on our panel! I know you all are busy and it was great you could attend!

Holly, Joy, and I participated on a student teaching panel where NCTE members could ask us questions about what it is like to be a student teacher. Thanks to the members for bringing such great questions. We were asked: what management issues have we had, what support do we get from CSU, what classes do we teach/grade levels, and many other questions. Hopefully this panel helped those of you who are student teaching soon.

If you have any questions about student teaching feel free to email me at stephstrickland13@yahoo.com and I would be happy to answer!

Feb. 23, 2009- "Audio Commentary"

Feb. 23, 2009- William Foster and Kimberly Fields from Front Range Community College attended our meeting and spoke to us about audio commentary. Teachers are now able to respond to students’ papers with voice instead of written comments. William and Kimberly said that in the beginning they began this program in order to “spice up their classes”. They also informed us that students prefer this method because it is fun to do and that the teacher’s tone comes across differently.

There are three different types of audio commentary that William and Kimberly told us about and those are Purevoice, Gabcast (over the phone), and Screencastomatic.

William uses Purevoice and gave us slides on how to use Purevoice. The following is from his slides:

Getting to Purevoice

• http://www.qctconnect.com/
• Click on “Purevoice” and you will be directed to Purevoice “Overview,” “Benefits” and “Downloads"
• Click on “Downloads” (He said one of the benefits is that it is a small file)

Using Purevoice

• All you wil need, once the program is installed, is an email account and a headset with a microphone and earphones, or your own personal microphone and earphone set
• The program is used just like an email.

Features

• Record your responses, just as you would on a tape recorder
• Your tone, attitude, and emotions will be captured
• Say more/Write less
• The recipient can respond in the very same email!!
• Have complete conversations as needed.
• The recordings can be saved and archived if desired because the message comes in the form of an attachment to your email address.

Kimberly uses mostly Gabcast and Screenomatic.

Gabcast (http://www.gabcast.com/)

• Gabcast uses Skype with microphone
• Free login with email/password
• Channels to help organized
• Can do the grading straight from your phone; just watch your phone minutes.
• There is NO privacy setting so avoid talking about grades since it gets published to the web.

Screencastomatic (http://www.screencastomatic.com/)

• Use screen shots with audio comments
• Video comments
• Go GREEN! This means you do not have to collect papers!
• See the following video to learn about Screencastomatic

February 9, 2009 "Video Generation"

On Feb. 9, 2009 Louann Reid came and spoke about the “Video Generation Meets Print: Helping All Reader’s Succeed”. Louann started by giving background information on today’s generation that we will be teaching.

Who is the Video Generation?

• Born 1982-1994
• Called Millenials

College Students today have more access to technology

• 97% have a computer
• 60% have some sort of portable music

Teaching for Multi-literacies

• Use graphic organizers
• Use multi-model texts along with more traditional tests

Graphic Novels are Motivating.
More reading means that there is more time with text which helps with student comprehension.

Louann then proceeded to show us two different graphic novels that were based on Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis. We did a focalization activity where we discussed the different types of word bubbles/narration and how that changes the story; we answered the questions “who sees? Who speaks?”

She showed us some famous graphic novel titles such as Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang, Maus by Art Spiegelman, and many others. Louann also answered any questions that we may have had about incorporating graphic novels into the classroom.

If you all have any questions about graphic novels and how to use them in your classroom, feel free to e-mail Louann Reid with questions at Louann.Reid@colostate.edu.

News and Notes: January 28, 2009

Thank you to all who attended last weeks meeting. A special thank you to Pam Coke for speaking at our meeting. For those of you who may not know Dr. Pamela Coke, she is a faculty member in the CSU English Education area and the teacher adviser to NCTE@CSU. The list of Dr. Coke's accomplishments, awards, and general awesomeness would certainly take up a whole blog. If you would like to find out more about her, please visit the CSU English Department web page. The presentation that Dr. Coke shared with us focused on the structure of NCTE as a National organization, the benefits of becoming a member, and where we fit as student's within that organization.

A few key highlights that she mentioned about NCTE are:

• Becoming a member of a professional community
• Gaining new teaching ideas
• Access to teaching conferences and conventions, author lectures, and networking
  
• The opportunity to help professionalize the profession

She also discussed the NCTE state affiliate CLAS, the Colorado Language Arts Society, and their upcoming conference March 5th-8th in Denver. For graduate students, travel funds may be available through the English Department. For all members of NCTE@CSU travel funds may be available through the SLICE office here on campus. For more information on the CLAS conference visit http://www.clas.us/.

To wrap the up the evening we discussed what members of NCTE@CSU might like to hear about in the future. Here's the list of what we brainstormed:

• Continuing Education Requirements (post-licensure)
• Pro's-Con's of teachers Unions
• What happens after I student teach: options, routes and roads
• Writers' Workshops
• Book Banning and Censorship
• RTI
• How do I get published: conference proposals, submitting to journals, etc.
  
• Open session with a School Counselor
  
• Dotting my i's and crossing my t's: Information session with the State Education Agency

Do you have other ideas? Please let us know at nctecsu@gmail.com.

Keep your eyes open for updates and add-ons to our blog and feel free to comment. We look forward to a great semester and to seeing you all at our next meeting. Please note the change of day and location. Meetings are now on every other Monday in Eddy Hall, room 10. See you there!

Next Meeting:
Monday, February 9, Eddy Room 10
Speaker: Dr Louann Reid
Topic: The Video Generation

Welcome Back!

Happy New Year! School is back in full swing and we are excited to get back to our biweekly meetings. 

This week we will be meeting in Eddy 8 at 6pm. Pam Coke will be speaking about the upcoming Colorado Language Arts Society conference. (www.clas.us) This is a great opportunity to find out more about what is going on in our own back yard.

As always there will be food for mind and belly. 

Email us with any questions @ nctecsu@gmail.com  

Wednesday October 15 Meeting

Exciting news! Our t-shirts are in! We have short sleeve shirts for fifteen dollars, with the NCTE logo on the front and "Caution: Corrects Grammar!" on the back. If you are prone to chilliness - or aren't a fan of flaunting your grammatical prowess - we have long sleeve tees for twenty dollars, also with the NCTE logo but with "Been There Read That" on the back. You can purchase both together for thirty. Both options are available for purchase at meetings, payable in cash to Nick, our treasurer.

Tonight's meeting featured a speaker from the League of Women Voters - a non-partisan (not affiliated with any party) organization dedicated to educating the public on the issues surrounding elections.

The league of women voters is a grassroots organization. At the local level the LWV focuses on particular issues relevant to the Fort Collins and northern Colorado community. Located at the city, county, and state level. National issues that the LWV focuses on include immigration, campaign finance reform, global climate change, health care reform and civil liberties. More information on most ballot issues can be researched at vote 411.com.

All NCTE members received a ballot issues booklet, which covers statutes and amendments, including Amendment 59 - regarding educational funding and TABOR rebate:
If passed, Amendment 59 would revoke the limit on spending and would suspend the rebate to taxpayers beginning in 2011. This amendment would allow the state to collect that money and put it into a state education fund, and would revoke amendment 23, an established provision for a steady increase in pupil funding.

Upcoming local meetings of the League of Women Voters in our area are:

Oct. 16: 7pm Meeting on Amendment 46 (Loveland Public Library 300 n. Adams)

Oct. 20: 9:30 – 11am Public Ballot Issue Presentation explaining and giving pros and cons on the ballot issues (Plymouth Congregational Church, 916 W. Prospect in Fort Collins)

Oct. 23: 7 – 8:30pm Public Ballot Issue Presentation explaining and giving pros and cons on the ballot issues (Fort Collins Main Public Library, 201 Peterson in Fort Collins)

Teaching at International Schools

On Thursday, October 23 at 4pm in Laurel Hall, Eric Trujillo will give a presentation on teaching at international schools.

Among other things, his speech will cover:
What not to expect - discipline or attendance regulations will vary depending on the country.
What to be aware of in the world of international teaching - hold on to your passport!
Types of recruitment fairs and hints for success at these fairs.

An explanation of the many different types of international schools, and links for contacting them!

Wednesday October 1

Hi All!

We will be meeting this Wednesday in Eddy 5. Our guest speaker will be Barbara Wallner, sharing her wealth of knowledge on teaching the Millennial Generation:

"Honoring Generational Characteristics: Millennials, how should you be taught?"

At our last meeting Anne DiPardo from the University of Colorado shared some insights on what to look for when seeking a healthy school environment in which to work. We discussed how a healthy culture is more than just the school level - certain elements (inclusion, generosity) can be found along with other more visible elements. When you go to interview at a potential school, check for these elements:

A good school environment has:

1. Good leadership - which leads to collaboration and empowers good teaching. We can find this by discussing with the teachers of the school at which we are interviewing "What is daily life like here?" or "Describe your role as a teacher" and watch to see how they respond to and refer to their leaders.

2. Unspoken norms of institutional behavior - is collaboration a usual occurrence?

3. Openness to Questions - cultivates hope and curiosity in a school.

4. Get a sense of immediate body response. Do you feel tense? Stressed? Or does the school make you feel safe and relaxed, ready to grow?

5. Ask what protection the school offers for first year teachers. Any mentoring or support systems in place to help ease your first year?

6. Quality of Professional Development Opportunities Ask: "What's going on in inservices?" Positive inservices lead to teachers who not only survive, but thrive.

and most importantly, observe:

7. Attention to Kids Are the students the focus of the school? Of the teacher's energy? Listen to the casual talk between teachers: is it caring talk focused on the kids?

First Fall Meeting

Hello NCTE members!

Last Wednesday we met in Eddy 8 to discuss conferences of interest to pre-service teachers in the Colorado area. We discussed past events, the career and educational benefits of attending and participating in conferences. Pam gave us hints and suggestions for writing and submitting a proposal for presenting at either conference in the upcoming year.

If you are curious about attending a conference, but unsure of traveling far or paying big bucks, you might consider attending a regional conference. Friday and Saturday September 19th and 20th in Larimie, WY the University of Wyoming will be hosting the Literacy Education Conference. Louann Reid will be presenting on Saturday morning, and registration is relatively affordable at $50.

This year the NCTE annual conference on English Leadership will be held the weekend before Thanksgiving (November 20-25, 2008) in San Antonio, Texas. This year's theme is Leadership for Learning: Learning to Lead. There are three days of events scheduled, including workshops offered at reduced rates for NCTE members. Students can register at the reduced rate of $90 if you are a member of NCTE, and $100 if you are not yet a member.
Reasons to Attend
1. You will receive a wealth of teaching ideas. Pam tells us that if you submit one idea, you receive a stack, the teacher equivalent of gold!
2. If you are interested in researching a specific topic, you can streamline your conference attendance to speakers on your chosen field.
3. The exhibit hall is full of publishers, booksellers, and promoters of the newest educational technology, all of whom want you to use their products in your classroom.
4. There are often YA lit authors present to read from, discuss and sign copies of their latest books.
5. Opportunities for networking abound. If you are soon going to be student teaching or looking for a job there are many school districts and educators looking to meet you!
6. Events like this greatly lessen the isolation often felt by new teachers.
7. If you are considering a job in higher education, universities often interview at conventions like this!


We look forward to seeing you at upcoming meetings. We always have food, prizes, and share educational resources.



Next spring the Colorado Language Arts Society will hold their 39th Annual Regional Spring Conference at the Inverness Hotel and Conference Center in Denver. The theme this year is Creating a Teaching Life. Registration forms are available at www.clas.us

Interviewing Tips

This is from the old blog, dated March 30, 2007.

INTERVIEWING TIPS

At our last meeting, Joe Cuddemi (the principal at Kinard Jr. High) came in to speak with us. He gave a passionate and motivating talk about teaching, and he gave us tons of great practical interviewing tips. We took them down and they are posted below.

INTERVIEWING TIPS FOR YOUR FIRST YEAR

1. Do your research on the school and district.

2. Meet people in the school and build connections.

3. Talk about instruction; speak to how YOU can make an impact.

4. Explain your desire to contribute to a healthy, cooperative school culture.

5. Talk about student-engagement. What is engagement? How do you know when students are engaged? How can you improve student engagement?

6. Articulate your methods. Explain cooperative learning, assessment, and feedback.

7. Talk about your role as an English teacher. The English teacher has a leadership role in a school for ALL reading and writing, even across departments.

8. Think about flexible creativity. Ask yourself: can I do whatever it takes to reach students?

9. Understand that classroom management is a byproduct of relationships, instruction, and meaningfulness in school. Everything should have meaning.

10. Talk about professional learning communities. Know how to discuss these.

11. Be able to explain how you will modify your instruction to reach students. (Differentiation, ya’ll.)

12. Don’t be afraid to show your passion. It separates you from the pack as a young teacher. You may not have experience, but your passion for learning and improving can easily compensate.

13. Show your communication skills. Build trust in your professional community so that together, your school can best reach students.

14. When going into your first year, the recommendation from your cooperating teacher is supremely important. Make sure you have a good relationship in that regard.

15. Don’t be afraid to get deeply involved in your new school. It is well worth it.

April update

Hello fellow NCTE members!

As we gear up for the final push of the last five weeks of the semester everyone is busily trying to tie up loose ends. I have a few loose ends of my own to share:

Last meeting Casey and I went over what we found to be the best and most educational of the many seminars we attended at the Colorado Language Arts Society Regional Conference. It was a great weekend at the Inverness Hotel March 7-9, even if we did not hear from Niki Giovanni or Gene Luen Yang.

The highlights for me were the many sessions on using Film and Graphic Novels in the classroom. We heard from Jessica Keigan and Kim Brady from Horizon High School in Thornton, CO on Film Literacy in the Integrated Classroom - the phenomenal handout from this session alone is an entire unit plan including, among many other useful instructional plans, feature film reading activities for:

Gladiator
Kingdom of Heaven
Melinda and Melinda
Titanic
Cinderella Man
Bend it Like Beckham

Casey shared tips and strategies from a session on How to Save Time Grading and Change Lives - given by David Cohara, Wendi Johnson, and Benjamin Reed from Standley Lake High School, discussing the benefits of using the MicroConference and the E-Conference with twenty-first century students in our rapid society. Tips included details on how to:

Assess and Prioritize,
Make comments - not corrections,
Praise,
Discuss the writing,
and how to use shortcuts to streamline the grading process.


Our next meeting tomorrow night in Eddy 8 from 7-8 pm we will discuss the t-shirt options for our club this semester, and we will have a drawing for a teacher-iffic prize, before we hear from this week's guest speaker: Nola McMillen from Bennett Elementary will share hints and advice for teaching Second Language Acquisition in the Language Arts class.

We hope to see you all there!

Upcoming Events:

* Northern Colorado Writers Conference -
Fort Collins Hilton April 4th and 5th
For registration and information visit - http://www.ncwc.biz/

* CSUnity -
Forms are available in the SLICE office, located in the Lory Student Center
Sign up as a group or individual
Must sign up by March 14th at 5:00 p.m.

* CSU Writing Project Workshop
Held on campus on April 19th
For registration and information please e-mail nctecsu@gmail.com

New Logo!

This is the logo that will appear on the front of our t-shirts - with the phrase:

"Caution: Corrects Grammar"

on the back!
We are also looking into ordering some with:

"Been there - read that"

And we are checking prices between hoodies and shirts - so come to the next meeting to find out about ordering yourself one!

3/5 meeting

This semester of NCTE is turning out to be a great one so far. We had a great and productive meeting last night, with the new design for the t-shirts selected, the first round of helpful handouts from Abby and Casey, a presentation from guest speakers and a prize drawing to end the night!

NCTE members heard from Lona Bunton and Jennifer Cooper, 8th grade team teachers of an interdiciplinary unit between English and History brought us helpful packets with all the information needed for a new teacher to plan an Interdisciplinary Unit, the musts and benefits, lesson plans and grading rubrics.


Musts:

• The disciplines working together must have the same students

• The instructors must be able to work together, be flexible, and have something to add to the process.

Benefits:

• Students learn to do research in English - actually do the research in Social Studies; students actually only have to do one research project well vs. two quickly. This provides students with the skills they need to do the research, and the topic comes from social studies and is pertinent to both courses.
• Students get to read every day from independent novels.
  
• Helps students to see education as connected and integrated - not just isolated skills.

The course themes include:

• Skills and Drills
• geography
• grammar
• poetry
• literary terms
• Myself My World
• self selected reading
• current events
• careers
• Watership Down: A study of self and society
• Honor and Service
• To Kill a Mockingbird: A study of significant historical events that create heroes in our world
• Africa & Middle East: A study of social hierarchy, civil rights abuses and leaders who have confronted these issues through honorable methods.
• Faith & Belief Systems
• The Odyssey: Study of polytheistic beliefs (Greek Mythology)
• Middle East: 3 monotheistic religions, with a focus on Islam
• Asia: Hinduism and Buddhism
• Development of personal belief system
• Economics & Politics
• Animal Farm: A study of political systems through literature
• World Economic and political systems
• Europe: A study of the Russian Revolution to today
• Environmental Exploitation:
• Misssing Persons League: Exploring current and future exploitation of the earth
• South America: The Amazon rainforest
• North America: Drilling for oil in Alaska, East St. Louis
• Autobiographies
  

Upcoming meetings:

• March 26, the Wednesday after Spring Break. Our guest speaker Nelda Issacs will tell us about what an administrator is looking for in a new teacher's interview, and will enlighten us on the qualities of a successful resume!
  
• April 9, Nola McMillen from Bennett Elementary will discuss teaching ELA.
• April 23 we might hear from a Peace Corps representative about teaching abroad!

We look forward to seeing you all there!