Teachers Change Lives by Dr. Bob Marciante

In this article Marciante addresses the important role of the teacher in society, theCommon Core Standards Movement, curriculum design, and suggests what shouldtake precedence in the teaching and learning environment.

Teaching is the most important profession on earth. It is often acknowledged that the parentis their child’s first teacher. The first years of a child’s life are indeed crucial years for learning,growth, and development. Many parents are very good at assuming the role of both theirchild’s parent as well as their child’s first teacher. Unfortunately there are some parents whohave serious needs when assuming one or both roles, which make the job of teaching muchmore challenging and demanding when these children become of school age. Add to thisdifficulty children who enter school with diagnosed and undiagnosed disabilities and otherhealth challenges.

In our culture, when children reach the age of three to five years old, teachers assume themajor responsibility for educating children. However, salaries for teacher as well as attitudesin our culture toward the teaching profession do not reflect the important role teachers playin motivating children to learn, imparting knowledge, developing character, and preparingchildren for the world of work and citizenship.

At a recent parent seminar I conducted in St. Louis, Missouri, I noted a “Tribute to a Teacher”the principal had posted on his office window:

A little of you lives in every child with whom you come incontact. Great is your influence, for you have contributed tothe development of every advancement in medicine andscience. You speak in every courtroom and from every pulpit.Your voice is heard in every song, and your influence is feltin every painting. You live in the pages of every book thathas ever been written. You ride into space with everyastronaut. You live in every home and speak through everychild at every dinner table when the child says “My Teachersays…” Walk proudly then, you are a teacher.

Author Unknown

Teachers will never receive compensation commensurate with theircontributions to society. Our culture is so far out of kilter regarding

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College Scholarship RecipientsPaige Wynne is a graduateof Plainfield East HighSchool. She embraced herhigh school experience, and was involved inextracurricular activitiessuch as the drama club,choir, and dramatic andmusical productions. She

is currently a freshman at the University ofIllinois in Chicago where she is majoring infilm and video production. Paige’s positivetemperament, strong work ethic anddetermination will contribute to herachievement in the future.

Sarah Ende’s high schoolcareer at Lakes CommunityHigh School has earned herrecognition for herachievement. In addition toher accomplishments, Sarahhad also excelled as being amember of the National ArtHonor Society and anintegral member of the golf varsity team andbowling team. Her ambition is to attendHeidelberg University in Ohio to pursue adegree in business management with a minorin art. Her goal in life is to “become anindependent business woman” to showcaseher creative talent.

The aspiration of MatthewBarszczewski is to be achef. At BlackhawkCollege in Illinois, Matthewis focused on the culinaryarts. A graduate of AllemanHigh School, he wasinvolved in extracurricularschool activities such as the

foreign language club and Key Club. Aperson of good moral integrity, Matthew has“a realistic perception

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Sarah EndeLake Community High School

Page WynnePlainfield East High School

Matthew BarszczewskiAlleman High School

fair and just compensation for members ofthe teaching profession that any semblance of reason and fair-mindedness might never bepossible. Take for example the fields of business and entertainment. The CEO of JPMorgan,Jamie Dimon was paid $23 million in 2011. His company recently lost several billion dollarsin risky investments. When he appeared before a committee of Congress, he was treated likea financial guru who simply made unfortunate investments. Consider the millions of dollarsKim Kardashian makes each year. It’s difficult to identify her contribution to society.

Teachers on the other hand are paid an annual salary from $30,000 to $90,000 and their jobsare being cut back along with other educational service providers such as teacher aides,counselors, special education teachers, and psychologists. Higher wages for teachers arewarranted, however, I believe most teachers would be content with a little recognition for thework they do every day to help children develop the motivation to learn and the confidenceto succeed. Instead, what we now have is a myopic focus on ‘accountability’ and ‘test results’used to judge teacher performance.

“People do their best work when they are respected, have the tools to do their job, and areunimpeded by structural roadblocks within the organization.”

The individual needs of children require more emphasis in education. Plato urged to look forthe “natural bent of genius of each pupil.” Society would do well to place teaching andlearning in the proper perspective by diminishing the unbridled emphasis on imposing thecorporate model on education (Common Core State Standards). In education, goals are multi-dimensional. Teaching should not be about producing carbon copies of the best ‘widget’possible. That’s the corporate model. In education, teachers are contributing to thedevelopment of unique individuals with diverse abilities, interests, talents, and skills. It isdestructive to pressure all students of the same age to achieve the same content, at the samegrade level, in the same way, and in the same amount of time. Our goal should be to striveto have every student perform at his/her personal best. Effort should be emphasized overachievement. Students, as well as all human beings, produce better quality work based onthe quality of their effort. Students in school are not all going to become engineers, scientists,architects, computer programmers, musicians or mathematicians. Some will. Many otherswill choose worthy careers from literally hundreds of diverse occupations as well as frommany more jobs that have not yet been created.

Ironically, the United States has produced 338 Nobel Laureates, more than almost all othercountries combined. This was achieved without the benefits of the ‘standards movement.’[If the concern is for children ‘at risk,’ poverty, family education and support, and the greatdisparity between rich and poor, then teacher training should be addressed rather than thesame ‘Common Core Standards’ for all students.]

Curriculum - Three Legged Stool Analogy

Curriculum has always been fashioned based on three important structures:

The Needs of Society (i.e. Schools are charged with meeting society’s need for moredoctors, engineers, scientists, etc.)

The Needs of Disciplines (Each discipline has its ownnomenclature and protocol. In science we teach scientificthinking, in math, mathematical thinking, in history, historicalthinking and so on).

The Needs of Individuals (the needs of individuals may beapproached from Maslow’s hierarchical structure of needs orfrom other structures created by those who have devoted theirlives studying human behavior and human needs).

Each of these structures is important. It is clear however, based upon the current direction ofschooling in the United States that the first two structures dominate. The third structureappears as an afterthought.

The goal of education should not be the identical common core standards for everyone butrather high standards for each child based upon his/her profile of unique abilities, interestsand personal goals. Engaging children at a young age to take more responsibility regardingtheir own learning should be a major goal of education. Who better toaddress this goal than a well-trained, talented and committed teacher?

of his abilities.” Hiscommitment to community involvement hasgiven him the opportunity to assumeleadership roles. Matthew’s ability to workwith people will help him in his venture.

A recent Highland HighSchool graduate, MitchellMoenster had been aninvaluable player on thefootball and baseball team.In addition to being aresponsible student and anathlete, Mitchell washonored as a leader in

community service. A research projectsparked his interest in pursuing a career inCriminal Justice. As a freshman atSouthwestern Illinois College, Mitchell’sdesire is “to make a difference in hiscommunity” as a police officer.

A graduate of ResurrectionCollege Prep, DanielleFitzSimmons had “emergedas a natural leader” duringher high school years. Shehad used her leadershipabilities “on the court, in theclassroom, and in thecommunity.” Being hard-working and self-motivated, her passion tolead has instilled an interest to help others.She was instrumental in the formation of ayouth group and club. She is continuing hereducation at Western Illinois Universitywhere her major is Criminal Justice.

Thomas Ameche is agraduate of St. Francis HighSchool. “Takingresponsibility for learning”had helped Thomas achievesuccess academically.Thomas was anaccomplished athlete andhad been active in

numerous service projects and youthministries. His volunteer work andextracurricular school activities have providedhim with positive life experiences. He isattending Loras College in Iowa, and ishoping his education will direct him toward apath where he “can be successful and happy.”

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Mitchell MoensterHighland High School

Danielle FitzSimmonsResurrection College Prep

FranCenter Nondiscriminatory PolicyFranCenter admits students of any race, color,natural and ethnic origin to all the rights,privileges, programs and activities generallyaccorded or made available to students atFranCenter. It does not discriminate on the basisof race, color, policies, admissions policies,scholarships and other FranCenter administeredprograms.

Thomas AmecheSt. Francis High School

Teachers Change Lives

The Center for Applied SpecialTechnology (CAST) created Universal

Design for Learning (UDL). UDL is an educational framework based on research in thelearning sciences, including cognitive neurosciences, which guide the development of flexiblelearning environments that can accommodate individual learning differences. UDLemphasizes creating curriculum that provides each learner with:

1. Multiple ways of knowing and acquiring information.

2. Multiple means of expression allowing learners alternatives for demonstrating what they know.

3. Multiple ways of engaging learners, tapping their areas of interest,challenging them appropriately, and motivating them to learn.

Unfortunately, this framework is being applied to the Common Core Standards Movementrather than to individual learners. In other words, this framework will be used only if it assistsin impacting the Common Core Standards. Hopefully, ‘the pendulum’ which has swung inthe direction of Common Core Standards will swing in the direction of the needs of individuallearners. It is not that Common Core State Standards are bad. They are not. However theyshould not be viewed as the epicenter of school reform. Children and teachers should be atthe forefront of educational change. History has shown that meaningful reform is bestachieved when it is developed locally within each district and educational community. TheUDL framework can serve as a vehicle for change to accomplish this goal.

Schools should address a simple and straightforward two-part question. “Is our school placingemphasis on: 1) the needs of our students (social-emotional, language, cognitive, psycho-motor, and processing needs); and 2) engaging teachers in meaningful staff development andtraining or are we preoccupied with the ‘Standards Movement’ and grading?”

Once a bandwagon movement has begun (Identical Common Core Standards for Everyone)it is difficult to derail the movement. It will end from its own demise. In the interim, parentsshould go a little out of their way to say “thank you” to teachers and other service providerswho are doing a fantastic job day in and day out engaging and motivating children to learnand helping them plan and pursue their own goals despite enormous pressures from multiplequarters to produce ‘widgets’.

“Grade equivalencies, stanines, and percentiles are charmsthat comfort the uncertain and guide the perplexed.”

Questions to Consider 1. Are students in your school more interested in the grades they receive

than what they are learning? __Yes ___No

2. Are parents overly concerned with tracking their own child’s grades? ___Yes ___No

3. Are teachers spending an inordinate amount of time prepping kids for tests and determining and posting student grades online on a daily or weekly basis? ___Yes ___No

Continued from Page 2Teachers Change Lives Students Need toThink Not Memorize

Facilitating and assessing reasoning skillsrather that simple factoid recall is essential inpromoting critical and creative thinking. Thisapproach doesn’t take away from theimportance of a knowledge base for learningbut rather emphasizes depth over breadth.

Processing and applying content is moreimportant than just memorizing it for a test.In math, for example, there should be a shiftaway from just “lectures and rote working ofequations to the practical application ofmathematical processes,” often incooperative learning teams applying real-world problems and situations. In highschool “math students might use probabilityto make decisions, geometry to design abridge, and statistics to create surveys.”When students work collaboratively theyoften surpass what they may have achievedindependently.

The quality of our questions determines inlarge part the quality of our students thinking.Mathematical thinking is different thanhistorical thinking or sociological thinking.Within each discipline lies the need to helpstudents think like the experts in each field.

FranCenter On-SiteSchool Workshops

CCSS, RTI, Assessments, and GradingImplementation

This workshop helps staff in theimplementation of Common Core StateStandards while preserving the individualdignity and needs of each learner. FC’s staffdevelopment program focuses upon the ‘BigPicture’ connecting CCSS, RTI, Assessment,and grading practices in a way all teacherscan understand and support.

Education in the ArtsIncreases CognitiveDevelopment

A thought-provoking and engaging workshopthat builds on Howard Gardner’s MultipleIntelligences to help teachers infuse the artsacross the curriculum to achieve greater: 1)student participation and, 2) cognitiveefficiency in children while addressingCCSS. Teacher collaboration, experientiallearning, and nurturing creativity areemphasized.

States Experimentingwith Al Carte HighSchool Menu

Louisiana Superintendent of Education John Whitehas a problem with schools. “They’re tooconfining”, he says. They trap kids in chairs, inclassrooms, in the narrow bounds of an establishedcurriculum. So White and a handful of fellowrevolutionaries have begun pushing a new visionfor American public education.

The model, now in practice or under considerationin states including Louisiana, Michigan, Arizonaand Utah, allows students to build a customcurriculum by selecting from hundreds of classesoffered by public institutions and private vendors.

These States are adopting a al carte model ofproviding instruction that allows students to planand control their individual program from multiplechoices within and outside the school community.

“Whether you want to be a welder or a nuclearphysicist, it’s highly likely that there are placesbeyond your local high school that are better ableto prepare you for that,” White said. “Within thefour walls of the school, there is only so much youcan do.” (Reuters)

The question is are these States looking out for thebest interest of students or is the goal of the modelto end public education as we know it?Furthermore, how will assessment andaccountability be addressed within such a diversemodel? Many aspects of the model can beapplauded, however it needs to be implemented as a research pilot program rather than immediatestate wide adoption.

Psychological and Counseling Clinic

FranCenter: The Centerfor One-to-One Tutoring

and EnrichmentFranCenter was founded 35 years ago as a not-for-profit corporation to serve the needs of children,adolescents and adults with a wide range ofabilities and challenges. The range includesindividuals identified through FranCenter testingto be within the autism spectrum, childrenidentified as learning disabled, or ADHD, toindividuals identified as highly gifted. The Centerserves as a resource to schools and families bydeveloping and coordinating a personalizedprescriptive program to meet each student’sindividual social-emotional, language, processing,motor, and academic needs.

Referrals to the FranCenter Clinic come from themedical community, schools, parents, supportorganizations, and companies. For moreinformation regarding FranCenter services see :

www.francenteradvantage.com orwww.francenter.com or call Fran at 630-541-8162.

If you answered yes to these questions you may want to consider taking steps to create a new schoolcultural framework that helps everyone in the school community respect, honor, recognize, andappreciate critical thinking, active learning, problem solving, and creativity in children.Counterproductive policies and entrenched mind-sets are not easily changed. However, change ispossible.

Teachers can help create a new school cultural framework by enhancing home school communicationsfocusing on individual learning projects, student motivation and effort, personalized learning goalsand achievement. Assessments including norm referenced tests are essential but they are not the sumtotal of teaching and learning.

Communications with parents which translate student learning and assessment into letter grades andpercentiles, without focusing upon the learning process and attributes described above, is dehumanizing.

Innovation Is Not DeadReynoldsburg Schools in Ohio have developed approaches to personalizing learning in their K-12district. Project STEM has garnered national attention. STEM represents (Science, Technology,Engineering, and Math). The district blends technology with instruction and partnerships with dozensof organizations. Their goal is to prepare students for life after high school. The high school isorganized as four career areas: 1. Health sciences and human services, 2. Business, education,leadership and law, 3. Arts, communication and design, and 4. STEM.

Unfortunately in schools today, students are increasingly being continuously directed and evaluated.Research demonstrates that these are the conditions that have been shown to suppress creativity.

To improve the quality of education in the long term, schools should not be ‘tightly controlled fromabove’ but rather allowed some freedom to innovate to more appropriately meet the needs of thediverse student population entrusted to them.

Parent SeminarRiding the High and Low Tides

of Tweenagers:A Survival Guide for Youand Your Tweenager

The anatomy of a tweenager (ages 10-13): they are busy learning about themselves; look fordeeper meanings in life; fascinated with the outside world and how it affects them; still seek parentapproval; believe they can make a difference; and, developing their own set of values. Theseroller-coaster years can be trying for parents and difficult on the tween as they “grow in tothemselves.” What they hate most is being different from everyone else; yet this is whatadolescence deals out to them.

This presentation gives an overview of who tween are (their physical, psychological and intellectualmakeup); helping parents understand the brain development of the adolescent – or why they dowhat they do. This program includes effective parenting tips and offers information on how toconnect with this particular age group by learning to embrace their uniqueness.

Hostility in the Hallways: Bullying Bullying is a complex and widespread problem that impacts thousands of children each year.Statistics indicate that across the U.S. 160,000 students miss school daily due to fear of attack orintimidation by other students. Bullies have a surprisingly high rate of depression. Targets are morelikely to have difficulty adjusting to middle school, are more likely to have academic difficultiesand more likely to drop out of school. Schools often become involved in bully prevention after acrisis has occurred. This workshop helps educators to become pro-active in the prevention ofbullying behavior.

This program will address: physical, verbal, and cyberbullying; characteristics of targets; anatomyof a bully, tools for targets, tools for parents and teachers; and provide extensive information oncyberbullying.

On-Site Training for the above programs is available throughout the year including summer.

Call FranCenter at 630-541-8162 for more information and scheduling.

Since the 1990’s a considerable amount of researchhas been conducted in the neuro-sciences, psychol-ogy, and education thatshed light on brainbased learning princi-ples. We conclude thisarticle by identifyingclassroom practicesthat build upon thesebasic principles. 1. The brain needs to be in the mood for

meaningful learning to take place. It is essentialthat the student associate positive feelings withpresented learning tasks. An alert brain releaseschemicals that facilitate changes in both thestructure and function of the brain.

2. Repeated success makes the brain change byselecting patterns for long term memory basedupon what’s working.

3. “Neurons that fire together wire together!”Cardiovascular fitness is important to the brainand improves brain function.

4. Regarding new learning, initial changes in thebrain may be only temporary. To becomepermanent the skill must be used.

5. Brain plasticity is a two-way street. Ifappropriately challenged, the human brain cangrow at any age. However, it can also decreasefunction through disuse or on-going destructivestress.

6. Memory is crucial for learning.7. Motivation is a key factor in brain plasticity. To

acquire a skill, understand a concept, or toimprove one’s ability in any area, the desire towant to accomplish the goal must be present.

8. The human brain searches for meaning throughpatterning.

9. Left and right brain functions complement eachother in efficient learners.

10. Proper nutrition and exercise feeds the brain.Based upon the ten principles outlined aboveteachers should: • Use a variety of approaches and methods in

teaching and in the way students are assessed.• Present learning experiences that encompass

the affective, psycho-motor as well ascognitive domains.

• Acknowledge that maturation and learningvaries considerably between individuals of thesame chronological age.

• Recognize that thought-provoking questions,novel experiences, and creative projectsstimulate brain growth.

• Acknowledge and accommodate the fact thatemotions are pivotal in learning.

• Promote active processing by the student tofacilitate learning and retention.

• Recognize the power of providing ‘choices’ inlearning activities.

• Know that appropriate challenge increases theability to learn while negative stress or threatinhibits learning.

Brain Based Learning Principles Developing a Better Brain through

MovementChildren must learn to move so they can move

to learn! The cerebellum alone containsalmost half of all the neurons in the brain. Thisdoes not included other brain areas - motor cortex,pre-motor cortex, parietal cortex, basal ganglia,and somatosensory cortex which are all involvedin motor functions. Children will develop a betterbrain through active engagement.

Early childhood teachers have long recognizedthat movement and the arts facilitate academiclearning. Unfortunately educators lackopportunities to learn new strategies to facilitatecognitive learning through music, art andmovement. Activities such as dance, movementimprovisation, playing rhythm instruments, visualarts experiences, creative dramatics, educationalgames and gymnastics are not well represented inmost elementary schools.

Educators that wish to improve academicachievement would do well to consider expandingthe role of arts education in their schools. It is notmore worksheets and paper and pencil tests thatwill improve the quality of education and learningbut rather how well schools address thedevelopmental needs of its students to help themeach develop a better brain.

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Cost for one book $36.95 plus $3.50 for mailing,total $40.45. Total cost for both books $73.90less 20% discount – you pay only $59.12 plus$5.75 shipping for a total cost of $64.87.

Complete form and mail with check madepayable to FranCenter to 1510 PlainfieldRd., Darien, IL 60561. Schools may submita purchase order with completed forms (Fax: 630-541-6543).

Education in the ArtsFranCenter is committed to helping schools improve and developtheir arts education programs. 1) The Center collaborates withprofessional arts organizations and artists to provide Artists inResidence in schools. An Artist in Residence program may bedesigned for a brief three week period, or for an entire semester orschool year. 2) Special Arts School Assemblies are designed byFranCenter and tailored to the needs of each school. 3) On-site staffdevelopment helps classroom teachers incorporate the arts into theirschool’s academic curriculum. 4) For over 30 years FranCenter hasprovided teachers in the arts on an annual contractual basis.Professional staff includes: classroom music, band and orchestra,movement education, classroom art, and dance teachers. 5)FranCenter’s Arts Evaluation Team can assess a school’s currentprograms in the arts and prepare a report of findings and recommendations for consideration.

All FranCenter’s Arts programs are educational as well asentertaining and are tailored to meet the individual needs and goalsof each school.

Finally, FranCenter’s Jump, Jive, and Swing program is designedto help schools raise funds for their own Arts Education programs.Jump, Jive, and Swing incorporates dance and is patterned after‘Jump Rope for Heart’. Students secure pledges for each dancethey perform at a school assembly. The Jump, Jive, and Swingprogram comes in a three-ring binder format and includes all theinformation needed to conduct a successful fund-raisingcampaign. All funds raised remain in the school to furthereducation in the arts. A companion publication entitled Dance forFun, Fitness, and Cognitive Development provides lesson plans,

dance instruction, and CD, including dances from around the world that children enjoy.

Copyright © 2009 FranCenter, Inc.All of our products are copyrighted to protect the work of our authors. You may, however, copy the Appendices as often as needed for a classroom.

Reproduction and distribution of this material for an entire school or group is not allowed and is a violation of copyright law.

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Developing a Better BrainRobert E. Marciante

If you believe that the education of young children has become too stilted and that youngsters’ heads are beingcrammed with facts and information to be memorized and tested, then this new book is for you. The author

believes there is an urgent need to provide young children with purposeful developmental experiences that willallow intelligence to unfold naturally.

In this book, Dr. Marciante offers a compelling case and a concrete approach for restructuring early childhoodeducation. He presents the latest research regarding brain function and kinesthetic learning. The integration of daily

psycho-motor and rhythmic experiences into the academic curriculum will ensure that young children are on the road to Developing aBetter Brain. Developing a Better Brain is a practical guide and program for teachers, principals, special education personnel and parents who want totake positive steps toward helping young children grow cognitively, creatively, emotionally and motorically. The book is published in athree ring binder format so that teachers can expand on each of the more than 50 unit lesson plans to meet the needs of their students.To order Developing a Better Brain and to be placed on FranCenter’s mailing list for other publications, workshop announcements, and

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