2 - K12.com

Critical Thinking
and the K12 Curriculum
By John Holdren
K12’s Senior Vice President for Content and Curriculum
“Critical thinking”—while the phrase is often bandied about in educational circles,
it is, ironically, often used uncritically. You hear it in slogans like, “What matters isn’t
factual knowledge but critical thinking skills”—a claim that, when examined critically,
falls flat on its face.
At K12, our approach to critical thinking begins with an examination of the relevant research in cognitive science (the study of learning and how the mind works). One of the most
consistent findings among cognitive scientists is that an expert’s “higher order” or “critical
thinking” skills—his or her ability to solve complex problems—must be grounded in a broad,
deep, well-structured base of factual and conceptual knowledge.
From kindergarten on, K12’s curriculum focuses
not only on helping students build a strong
knowledge base but also on developing their critical thinking skills, including:
I identifying different problem types and
applying appropriate procedures
I solving complex and nonroutine
problems
I explaining and justifying their
problem-solving procedures
I engaging in inductive and deductive
reasoning
I making inferences that go beyond
what they already know
I comparing and connecting otherwise
isolated facts and skills
I evaluating and questioning received
information
I analyzing, evaluating and applying what
they have learned in order to identify
and solve new problems
I monitoring and evaluating their own
learning and thinking (what cognitive
scientists call “metacognition”)
To help students develop these skills, K12 has
worked with subject area experts—mathematicians,
scientists, historians, writers and others—to map
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the structure of knowledge within each major discipline, including what we call the “big ideas.”
By “big ideas” we mean the mental frameworks of understanding that separate the expert
from the beginner. Cognitive psychologists have
examined the ways in which the minds of experts
associate and organize information. In their given
fields, experts know a lot, and their minds organize this knowledge into rapidly accessible concepts and categories. For example, give an expert
physicist a description or picture of a problem,
and her mind might quickly recognize, “Ah, this
is a conservation of energy problem,” and then
quickly retrieve the relevant equations. At K12, we
know that by starting children with some initial
sense of these big ideas, we can help them associate new concepts and ideas in ways consistent with
how experts mentally organize their knowledge.
As students develop factual knowledge and
conceptual understanding, they practice critical
thinking through tasks that ask them to reflect on
what they’ve learned and how it applies to new
tasks and situations. For example, in History
courses, K12 students interpret primary sources,
construct arguments using historical evidence, and
make “what-if” conjectures about the past.
K12’s English/Language Arts courses help students progress from a focus on what happens in
s
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12’s Vice President for Evaluati
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a story to why it happened. Activities engage students in higher-level skills such as
making inferences, evaluating motivations,
and predicting what might happen next.
As students examine a writer’s choices in
language, imagery or other literary elements,
they learn to read like a writer—to analyze the
strategies the writer uses to achieve his or her
purposes.
K12’s Math and Science courses follow the
proven principle that students can learn critical thinking skills by being guided through
worked examples of how experts solve problems.
One of K12’s animated characters might be called
on to model expert thinking—the character thinks
aloud about the kind of problem and how it
might be solved, or she may talk with another character about strategies for solving the problem.
In Math, K12’s lessons provide models of sound
mathematical arguments, which help students explain
and justify their own problem-solving procedures. Many
lessons present challenge activities that help students extend their knowledge beyond the lesson objectives. For
example, elementary students work with tessellations and
number puzzles, while from middle school on, students
encounter challenges, including financial investment problems and higher-level data analysis.
Cognitive science proves that critical thinking must
be based on a firm foundation of factual knowledge and
a grasp of the big ideas that inform a discipline. At K12, we
explicitly teach big ideas across the curriculum and incorporate activities to help students use and apply the big
ideas. The big ideas in turn help students think critically
about why the skills and facts they’re learning are important
and useful. It’s a powerful combination. K12
contents
Winter 2010
Welcome to the new, digital version of The xPotential magazine!
Inside you’ll find the same features, sections and columns as the print
version—only now you can easily access additional information, K12
resources and supplementary links to web resources. Plus, you’ll find
audio and video clips to truly make The xPotential an interactive magazine and personal resource.
We hope you like the new digital version and we look forward to your
comments and suggestions.
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\ ek-sp-’ten(t)-sh-l \ n (2007)
1: the innate “possibility factor”
unique to every child < hard work
and the right education can unlock
and completely develop a child’s ~ >
2: LIFE PROMISE; LIFE POSSIBILITY
3: the personal, visceral and intellectual zenith that a child can reach by
immersing herself in the passionate
combination of cognitive science,
individualized learning approaches,
and rich, engaging content found in
the K12 curriculum.
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Thoughts on Learning
Critical thinking and the K12 curriculum
K12 Close Ups
The Roy family connects
Quick Clicks
Quick questions; booster program; family perks
6 Tips to Take With You
How to prepare your student for college, career & life
Class Acts
WAVA teacher Chad Donohue brings literature alive
Going Down the Write Path
Why writing is critical to success
Rejuvenate!
Tricks, tools and tips to get over the mid-year hump
Winterland of Gingerbread
K12 Gingerbread houses around the world
4th Annual Art Competition
Announcing the 2009 competition winners
We want to hear from you!
E-mail feedback and article ideas to
xPotentialstories@K12.com
Click Here
3
The Roy family on vacation in Madeira,
Portugal, in front of the world's second
highest cliff face, Gabo Girao, on a recent
trip to Europe. From left to right: Ashley,
Jennifer, Brent and Blair.
For TXVA parent Jennifer Roy, connecting with other parents
just reinforces K12 decision
Reach Out
The best advice Jennifer Roy gives to new K12 families is to be patient—and
to seek out other families for support, guidance and a little reassurance.
When Roy of Forth Worth, Texas, enrolled her two daughters in the Texas
Virtual Academy@Southwest (TXVA), she admits that the first year was a little daunting—until she reached out.
“The first year I kind of struggled, and then in the
second year I decided to reach out to others for support,” said Roy, who has a 13-year-old in middle
school, and a 15-year-old in high school. Now in her
third year, the K12 “veteran” recalls—and reinforces—
that connecting with other parents can make all the
difference in the world.
“For me, connecting with other parents solidified
in my mind that K12 is the best possible education I
can give my children,” said Roy. “It’s always good to
get confirmation from other parents who face the
same struggles, ups and downs, that you do—and that
erases any doubt,” she added.
Roy reminds new—and seasoned K12 families, too—
that everyone has bad days no matter what school your
children attend. “When you’re having a bad day, it’s reassuring to talk to somebody else and they’ll say, ‘Hey,
it’s Ok …you’re doing the right thing,’ and that encouragement goes far to help you, especially when you
watch your children continue to thrive,” she explained.
lished a Yahoo Group for TXVA where parents go to
post questions, seek advice and support, or just
discuss areas of mutual interest with other parents.
Roy also is part of the KnowHow Blog on the the bigthinK12, serving as a frequent contributor in addition
to what she does on Yahoo to support families not
only in Texas, but also across all of K12.
In addition, she is chair of the Texas chapter of the
National Coalition for Public School Options, an
alliance of parents that supports and defends parents’
rights to access public school options.
Some 240 people participate on the Yahoo site
posting questions, seeking advice, or just browsing the
discussions to network with other like-minded K12 families. “Sometimes I’ll chair the group or someone else
will jump in, but the purpose is to connect and offer
support and encouragement,” Roy said. In addition,
she noted that the site also is used for organizing field
trips, outings and extracurricular activities.
Yahoo!
Recognizing the valuable support she received by
reaching out to other parents, Roy has flipped roles
from seeking out support to now giving support and
making it easier for parents to network. She estab-
Where in the world is K12?
CLICK HERE FOR THE RECIPE!
“It’s really busy at the beginning of the school year,
when we might have several hundred participants in a
week,” she laughed. But Roy is quick to point out that
the beginning of the school year is also the hardest for
new families. “When people first start the program,
they don’t anticipate the learning curve and can become impatient very quickly,” Roy said, referring to a
recurring topic on the discussion board. “The boxes
arrive and it can be a bit overwhelming, but if you just
hold on for a couple of months, and let your children
adjust—you’ll see how everything works, and you’ll feel
much better. Patience is key,” she said.
But, Roy clearly remembers from her first year that
it’s hard for parents to “see the light, so to speak” in
the beginning, and that’s why she reached out for support and guidance. “It’s just good to bounce questions
off other parents who know what you are going
through,” she said, adding, “Once parents figure it all
out, they love the program.” K12
Ever wonder where our K12 families are in the world? The answer is EVERYWHERE!
Click the button below to access an interactive map to see all the places where
there are K12 families just like you!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MAP
4
Home
Forth Worth, Texas
...........................................................................
School Name
Texas Virtual Academy@Southwest
...........................................................................
Pet
Miniature Schnauzer, Maggie
...........................................................................
Favorite Family Books
Bible, Hank the Cow Dog, Charlie and the
Chocolate Factory, and Fig Pudding
...........................................................................
Favorite Family Activities
Camping, hiking, biking, throwing Frisbees,
swimming, cooking, traveling, playing
games, spending time with friends, and most
of all...just being together.
...........................................................................
Favorite Family Dinner
Fizzy Chicken with Lemon Vinaigrette and
Parmesan Rice
The Booster Program
was launched to give families just
like yours the opportunity to get
more involved, help build the school
community and have some fun!
When you become a Booster Program member, you have the opportunity to connect with school staff and other
Booster Program members to share your thoughts
and ideas. There are various activities and levels
of involvement to help you determine what the
right fit is for you.
There are Booster Programs around the nation
supporting K¹² online schools, so whether you
live in Georgia or California, there's a local program for you. And as a Booster Program member, you are connected to other dedicated
parents, teachers and volunteers working for
their children and schools in similar ways across
the country.
Many Booster groups are well on their way to
putting together local activities and events.
Would you like to get in on the fun?
Join other families who are making a difference—register today!
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE SITE
Quick Questions:
What is one learning
web site that you and your
student love to use?
E-MAIL MY ANSWER NOW
Take Our Poll
................................................................................
..........
Schooling at home makes doing the housewo
rk
harder. Who does it in your house?
................................................................................
..........
The Learning Coach (Whew! Just me!)
The Learning Coach and partner (Fairly equal share
s.)
The kids and Learning Coach (I wish we could put
it
on the Daily Plan!)
The kids and my partner, but not usually the Learning
Coach
(I do so many other things, so it’s what THEY do!)
Each member of the family takes a share of the work
(Smallest to largest! If the child can walk, he can help!
)
We hire a service or have outside help to do the
housework (I just need the help, because school takes
so
much of our day.)
Clean the House? Why? (Cleaning the house
while the kids are small is like shoveling
before the blizzard is over!)
We’ve teamed up with companies that offer high-quality services or
products that could be of interest to you and your family. And for the
first time ever, K¹² families can enjoy these products, along with
special perks, simply by visiting our partners’ web sites.
........................................................................................................................
Join the K¹² family by purchasing single courses or enrolling in a
full-time virtual academy using the K¹² curriculum, and you can enjoy
substantial discounts from major retailers. Click for a list of retailers.
........................................................................................................................
Already enrolled in a K¹² program? Get promo codes for products via
the Online School (OLS). Click for a list of products.
CLICK TO TAKE OUR POLL
5
Laurel Maestas, K12’s director, school counseling programs, likes to
say that “parenting is the one job that you work yourself out of if
you do a good job.”
And to help you do the best job you can, Maestas offers some
tried-and-true tips to help parents guide their children through
school and down the right path —whether it is college, career, profession or workforce.
So listen up!
Seriously, listening to your child is
number one on Maestas’ list of tips parents can do to help guide a
child or teenager down the right path.
s
d
a
D
r
o
f
s
Tip
Lessons Learned
Veteran K12 fathers Jason Romaine and Houston Tucker share tips,
insights and thoughts on dad’s role at home
Like many K12 families, the Romaine family
of Pasadena relied on mom Michele to handle
the lion’s share of their children’s education
while dad Jason went to work.
“We were doing a version of the 80-20 rule,
with mom responsible for 80 percent and dad
doing 20 percent,” said Jason, the father of
two children, third- and fifth-grade students
who attend CAVA (California Virtual Academies). “But you soon discover, especially as the
children get older and the curriculum becomes
harder, that dads have to pitch in because I’m
amazed sometimes how challenging the curriculum can be at their grade levels," he added.
His advice to dads?
“You can do this without experience, and you
get better at it as you go along. Be patient and
consistent with your kids, and make sure you always check in with mom to see what you can do
when you get home from work,” Jason advised.
Little things are important, too. “Even if it’s
just grading a worksheet or going over a les-
6
son, it helps out and gets you involved in the
education,” he added.
Jason noted that dads can educate anywhere, any day and at any time. “I always look
for teachable moments. You can be at the supermarket and talk about how a purple potato
comes from the mountains of Peru—that’s a
nice geography lesson.”
Active Participation
When it comes to participating in their
child’s education, oftentimes a dad’s first reaction is to just jump right in and tackle a task or
knuckle-down to fix a problem.
Hey, that’s what dads do.
And that’s all well and good if you’re hunting and gathering for supplies for an art project. But dads, take a cue from a seasoned K12
father of three (ninth, sixth and third grades)
who has been with the K12 program since its
inception nine years ago.
“Rather than just taking a back seat and
“It’s really important to support your children
by acting as a sounding board and listening to
them so they can make life choices—and then
you can gently nudge them along the way,” advised Maestas.
And, it’s never too early to begin. Whether
your child is in K-8, middle school or high
school, Maestas offered the following tips parents can use to help children explore and make
decisions regarding college and career.
K-8
It’s never too early to begin exposing your
child to careers or professions by helping them
to understand some specifics about, say, a doctor, police officer, electrician, or nurse. Kids are
curious, and there is always opportunity to share
some information about
sticking a toe in once in a while, it’s better
to take a more consistent, active, role,”
advised Houston Tucker of Tennessee, whose
ninth-grade daughter started with K12 in the
first grade.
For example, take some time to sit down
with your spouse and take a look at what the
curriculum will look like for the year. Then, discuss what the best way is to approach the year
and individual responsibilities. “It’s really
about dads taking a day-in and day-out active
role in their child’s education,” said Houston.
“A father can take on, say, a subject that he is
interested in or passionate about. Remember,
dads can bring a lot of experience to the
table,” he added.
Listen Up
In addition, there is one pearl of sage
wisdom Houston offers to a dad that doesn’t
require any heavy lifting—just listen.
“A lot of times, it’s just about listening to your
spouse and trying to understand what she goes
through on a daily basis,” said Houston. “If
there is a problem or issue and you come home
from work, it helps to just listen and grasp
what’s going on; just empathizing with your
spouse—rather than just immediately pushing
out a plan to solve it can help a lot because your
spouse is looking to you to just listen and understand. And, over the course of a school year,
“
“
Middle school is the time to engage your child about savings and let them know
that money is being set aside for them for college.
what a person does for a living. “It’s important
to scaffold your children for college, just as it is
important for parents to scaffold their kids for
adulthood,” explained Maestas. “Starting early
allows children to build a ‘catalogue’ for them
to draw from later when making college choices
and career decisions,” she added.
In addition, parents should begin to investigate various college savings plans and choose a
course of action to begin saving for postsecondary education.
Middle School
At this stage, parents can help a child explore
his or her particular interests
and nudge them to start focusing more on specific careers or areas of demonstrated interest.
At this stage Maestas advises parents to allow a
child to explore many areas of interest without
trying to put the child “in a box.” The message
a parent should send to a middle schooler is
that it is assumed the child will go on to some
form of postsecondary education. “This is the
consistent message that parents should send to
their children and openly engage them in conversation—without a lot of pressure—about college and career,” said Maestas.
Regarding your college savings plan,“Middle
school is the time to engage your children about savings and let them know
that money is being set aside for
them for college,” said Maestas, “It’s also a
great opportunity for parents to inform relatives and friends that they can contribute to
their child’s college savings plan, especially via
birthday gifts or gifts for other special occasions,” noted Maestas.
High School
It is no cliché that high school “flies by.” One
day your child is a freshman; the next day he or
she is garbed in cap and gown. So the message
here is to focus early on decisions! “A lot of children say they want to go to college, but when it
comes time for them to actually do everything
they need to get there—they don’t,” explained
Maestas. Parents need to encourage their high
CONTINUED ON PAGE 8
which can be a roller-coaster ride,
listening and then pulling together helps the whole family
move forward,” he said.
Flexibility
It is also important for
dads to remember that flexibility is important. The K12
educational program and
robust curriculum allow
you to be flexible in the
education of your child. In
fact, the word freedom is
The Romain
often attributed to the
School Roo e’s
K12 curriculum because
m
families have the freedom to craft and hone
their educational structure that specifically
suits their lifestyle and
family situation.
“Parents, especially if they are new to K12,
need to remember that they don’t have to
recreate the school day that they remember as
kids,” Houston said. “You can be flexible and
structure the school day in a way that works
best for everyone. And be flexible because
something that worked for the family for six
months may not work anymore, so be willing to
adjust,” he said, adding, “And, be sure to get
feedback from your children and involve them
in any decision-making process.”
Jason a
nd the
kids
7
Financial Aid
“
“
schoolers to explore colleges and curriculums
and then take them on campus visits. But, Maestas noted that when it comes time to collect college application resources and actually fill out
the applications, it is the student’s responsibility.
“It’s the process that the student has to learn,
and they have to take responsibility for their postsecondary education,” advised Maestas. “Parents
can shepherd them through the process by helping them get organized, set goals and timetables.
Nearly 70 percent of college students receive
some sort of financial aid package. But the overriding reason why many kids do not go to college is because parents never applied for
financial aid. This is the one critical area where
parents must take responsibility because they
fully understand the family economic situation
and the student does not.
“Some families feel overwhelmed by the
financial aid process, but it is a lot easier because
the applications can be done online and all you
have to do is follow the steps to complete the
forms,” said Maestas. “Families need to re-
member that financing a child’s education is a
partnership that involves the student, family, college and the government. It’s in everyone’s best interest for the student to go on to college—and
everyone in the process is there to support you,”
she added.
Maestas noted that there are numerous resources for parents to go to for information,
along with high school counselors and college
financial aid officers. K12
INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT
FINANCIAL AID? CLICK HERE.
Families need to remember that financing a child’s
education is a partnership that involves the student,
family, college and the government.
Learning Any Time, Any Place
Jason’s Model
At K12, the mantra is that learning can take place at any time and at any
place. So where is the best place in your house for learning?
We asked both Jason and Houston to share their thoughts.
“One of the things you learn early is that you may need a
dedicated space for learning,” said Jason. Of course, that
space can be the dining room, kitchen, den or other comfortable area in the house, but it’s important to find an area that
is conducive for learning.
Now parents certainly don’t have to go to this length, but
Jason decided to fully get his kids focused on school—he
built a 12x12 addition to his house that serves as the family
school room.
“I built it off the garage, and it has their computers, desks,
cabinets for their materials and boards to post things. It’s functional and sends a message to my kids that when they are here,
to be
n’t need
s
e
o
d
g
in
it’s time for learning,” he said.
Read
job!
Houston’s Model
The Tucker family takes a wider view of where learning takes
place: basically anywhere. “My advice is always to tell parents to do
what works best for them,” said Houston. “In our house, we have
an upstairs room that—quote, unquote—serves as our school room.
But, we may hang out there for awhile, then move to the kitchen table
or another room, or the kids can go read in their rooms if they want to,”
he added.
“Again, it’s all about flexibility,” Houston reiterated. “You can have a
plan, but it doesn’t have to be so rigid. If a set learning place works for
one parent, it may not work for another, and vice versa.”
8
Housto
“multitask n
ing!”
a desk
The d
ining r
oom ta
ble
for din
ner any isn’t just
more!
WAVA teacher Chad Donohue
brings literature alive
When Chad Donohue taught at a traditional public school, his
classroom was adorned with Elvis memorabilia, glitter and other whacky
stuff that created a festive learning environment. So when Donohue
joined WAVA to teach sophomore English, he was leery about re-creating
his unconventional classroom setting and conveying his enthusiasm for literature in a virtual environment. That didn’t last long.
“I thought I would be disconnected and lose that personal connection
with the kids,” said Donohue, who has taught sophomore English for
three years. “But then I discovered that I could have just as much fun—
even more fun—using all of the K12 connecting technologies, tools and
programs that really connect with the kids—even YouTube,” he added.
YouTube? To bring poems and literature alive, Donohue will video himself reading a poem or novel that his classes are studying.
“When I read the ‘The Cremation of Sam Magee,’ I dressed in a winter parka and turned the lights down low to add to the dramatic effect of
the poem,” said Donohue. During a reading Donohue will intentially
make mistakes, and students who catch them can e-mail him the correct
answers and earn extra credit.
“It’s a great strategy because it gets students to analyze a poem and examine
each stanza. And parents have e-mailed me and told me how much they enjoy the
videos… it’s become a family event,” he added.
WAVA English teacher Chad Donohue reads
poetry on YouTube—for dramatic effect!
in writing. “I can get a sense of how a student is doing, what is holding a student back
or if he or she is moving forward,” he said.
But all fun aside, Donohue is passionate about helping students master writLike many new K12 teachers when they first started, Donohue discovered that the
ing and gaining an appreciation for literature. In fact, he is quick to acknowledge
K12 virtual learning environment fosters more students participating in class than at
that the K12 programs and technologies connect
a traditional brick-and-mortar school.
him to his students much more than when he
“Kids participate more in discussions in a virtual
taught in a classroom.
environment than when I was teaching in a classroom
“It’s pretty amazing but I have much more
where maybe two to three students dominated the disin discussions in a virtual
one-on-one time with students than I ever had becussion,” Donohue said. “I find that my kids have the
environment than when I was
fore,” he noted. “When I taught 30 kids in middle
freedom to tell me what they really think because they
school and I stopped to help one student for two
don’t
have to worry about the many pressures the kids
teaching in a classroom
or three minutes, I’d turn around and kids would
often
face
in a classroom,” he said, adding, “When I’m
where maybe two to
be throwing cell phones and putting each other in
online,
students
give me a detailed description of, say,
three students dominated
headlocks,” he laughed.
John Steinbeck’s “The Pearl”—where if they were in a classthe discussion.”
Donohue explained that utilizing such techroom, some of them wouldn’t say a word.”
nologies as Elluminate!, screen recorder and K-mail,
Donohue recalls one particular student who told him he
allows him the time to work with students as a group or individually. “For exwas the first teacher to ever help him. “It’s empowering to
ample, if a student e-mails me about a problem, with K-mail all of our previous conbe able to help kids individually; to spend time on their papers and to foster emerging
versations are recorded so I can easily go back and look at all of our exchanges and
talent. When kids see that you have provided a lot of commentary on their essays, they
focus on the student. It’s powerful because I can take the time and craft a response
write back and thank me for that and that forges a connection. Then I begin to ask
based on all of our previous exchanges,” Donohue explained.
them to share a poem or some writing they have done and Bingo!—they recognize I am
Moreover, Donohue “reads” each e-mail to gauge how a student is progressing
interested in developing their talent… It’s a monstrous moment,” he said. K12
Connecting
“Kids participate more
9
Putting pen to paper
or fingers to keyboard is not what writing is all
about. Now that may seem at first contradictory,
but Kayleen Marble, AZVA Middle School English teacher, asserts that mastering composition
and writing skills really hinge on brainstorming,
thinking, passion and process. And, she says,
quoting poet William Wordsworth:
Kayleen
Marble
“That’s one of my favorite
writing quotes because our goal is to teach students
that writing is a way to share their thoughts and
ideas,” Marble explained. “I love it when I read a
paper that is passionate. When students really feel
strongly about something, it comes across in their
paper,” she added.
A K12 writing coordinator for four years at
AZVA, Marble this year is teaching English to seventh- and eighth-grade students. She is passionate about driving the message that writing is one
of the most important skills teachers, parents and
learning coaches can help children acquire.
“When I talk to high school teachers and ask
them what I can do to better prepare my students, they all tell me—help them become better
writers,” said Marble. “Writing has a huge impact in our lives, and we must prepare students
not just with their writing, but with their un-
10
“Fill your paper
with the breathings
of your heart.”
derstanding of how to put ideas together to effectively communicate ideas,” she added.
Why Composition/Writing Is
Different From Other Subjects
“I think the first thing kids need to understand is that composition/writing is different
from other subjects. It’s a nonlinear process,”
Marble said. “In some subjects, such as math,
you have a specific formula to follow, and if you
follow it, you will get the right answer. Writing
is not that way. You have to think of ideas, organize them, begin writing, think of more ideas,
find out where they fit into your pattern of organization, write some more, and go back and
forth until you have it done. Then you have to
begin to revise for word choice, fluency, etc.
After completing all that, you might find things
you left out and you will go back and draft
again. It’s a big cycle until you finally give it one
final polish and edit,” she explained.
In essence, composition/writing is a craft,
compared to other subjects where there is always
a right or wrong answer. “With writing, nothing
is ever wrong. It is just not as good as it could
be,” added Marble.
.....................................................................
“The difference between the almost right
word and the right word is really a large matter—’tis the difference between the lightningbug and the lightning.”
–Mark Twain
...................................................................
“As Twain said, writing is about finding that
one word that makes your readers see in their
mind what you are trying to explain,” said Marble, adding, “The writing process is actually teaching students a thinking process. It’s about planning,
T
s
a
y
W
ti
ric
U
Do’s and Don’ts for Learning Coaches
Don’t stress about mistakes
in punctuation and spelling. Many learning
coaches make the mistake of overemphasizing the “conventions” of writing when a
student is writing. The creative process
needs to be free of these things initially.
When students begin writing, just encourage them to pour out their ideas. If they
need to do it verbally, then record it or write
it down for them. Then go back and help
them organize the ideas into a beginning,
middle and end. Show them, through examples, how to make it better, to add better
words or make it flow better.
In the beginning, you might have to help
them a great deal—being a role model—and
helping them see what good writing is. Over
time, pull back, ask questions and lead them to
discover this on their own with your support.
Then after all the writing is done, worry about
spelling and punctuation and grammar and
all those final conventions. Don’t feel as if
you need to correct everything all at once.
Writing is a process and will develop over
me. If you have a well-rounded English curculum, with the components of Grammar,
sage and Mechanics, Vocabulary, Spelling,
Composition and Literature, then your students will develop the “conventions” of
writing over time.
Do pick skills to focus on
each month. Marble often uses a format
called the “Six Traits of Writing” as a guide.
They are: ideas, organization, word choice,
sentence fluency, voice and conventions.
Also, begin with ideas. As students do
their work this month, focus on making
their ideas better. Then, the next month,
work on organization. During this month,
focus on good hooks, thesis statements,
paragraphs, patterns of organizations, and
conclusions. The next month focus on word
choice, then sentence fluency, then voice,
then finally conventions. Once you have
gotten through a month of each trait in
isolation, then work on all of them together. By giving students a good foundation in each individual trait, you will
improve their writing over all. For teaching
ideas and examples, just Google “six traits
of writing” and you will find a wealth of resources, from printable posters to lesson
plans. It will enhance your students’ writing
and make them more aware of the individual component part in writing.
And, always give positive feedback.
Make sure that you tell children what they
have done right in their writing. It’s easy to
give them a paper where you point out all
the mistakes they make. Don’t do this.
Pick one or two things for them to work on
and then praise, praise, praise for everything good you see. Our goal is to help
students LIKE to write!
4 Tips to Take the Stress Out of Writing
1
Write every day. Keep a journal jar where children can pull out a strip of
paper with a writing topic. Glue it onto a notebook page and just let them write for
fun—not as an assignment. Also, learning coaches can make this even more fun by
creating their own adult journal jar and writing with their kids.
You can find some ideas at the following web sites:
organizing and putting ideas down in a coherent
way that gets ideas across. It’s about strategizing
and sharing your personality in your writing in a
meaningful way.”
Further, Marble asserts that writing is a craft that
cannot be taught in a day, a week or even a month.
“It is something—like reading—that needs daily practice. Some people say that ‘it’s not rocket science’
but I think it is. It is a serious subject that needs
constant exposure,” she said. K
12
Want to hear more from Kayleen
on writing?
The K-5 Writer’s Toolbox with
Kayleen Marble.
LISTEN NOW
The Writer’s Toolbox for Grades 5-8
with Kayleen Marble
LISTEN NOW
• http://christmas.organizedhome.com/printable/adult-journal-jar
• http://christmas.organizedhome.com/gifts-in-a-jar/childs-journal-jar
Encourage creativity. If students initially do not want to write,
encourage them to go through the thinking process orally. Tape record or
video tape their ideas; have discussions of how to organize their ideas.
Initially, it is OK for the parent to help them outline their ideas and think
through what they would say.
2
Use graphic organizers. There is a wealth of free resources on
3
the Internet with visual graphic representations for organizing all types of
writing. Use these to brainstorm ideas into word webs, use four squares to
organize paragraphs. All students need a visual representation of how their
ideas will fit together BEFORE they actually sit down to write an essay.
4
Always go through the whole writing process.
Students need to know the “process” to writing. They need to understand
that although it is nonlinear—there is a process to follow but it entails
constant work and revision. The more you revise the better your work will be.
Tips, Tricks, Techniques and Tools to
Get Over the Mid-year Hump
Rejuvenate!
It’s called the “mid-year hump” and you don’t
need to Google the term to know what it means. Parents and
learning coaches know; kids know; teachers know—heck, even
the family dog knows. It’s that time of year when the holidays
are over, daylight is short, and it seems like every nook and
cranny of the country is feeling the chilly, gray—and in some
cases—arctic breath of Mother Nature.
Yep, we are knee deep in the mid-winter blahs.
But, no worries, because our veteran blah-busters
here at K12 (Heidi and Lori) have some sage tips and
strategies to help families hurdle over the mid-winter
hump—recharged, refreshed and raring to tackle the
second half of the school year. As K12 parents themselves, who collectively have educated seven children
through the K12 curriculum, both Heidi and Lori
have dealt with all of the highs and lows—and survived! Here they share their collective advice:
Take Stock
First and foremost, this is the perfect time of year
to take stock of where your family is regarding school.
What’s going right? Wrong? What can be improved?
Or, maybe the family just needs some time to take a
breath and have an open conversation about setting
goals for the second half of the year—and every family member’s role in how to achieve those goals—regarding education and family life. Further, utilize the
“three buckets” to prioritize your goals.
12
K
n
i
h
thebigt
thebigthinK12 is K12’s online community that lets
high school students, teachers, and parents
connect through discussions, polls, news feeds,
blogs, and more! It’s an enclosed yet global
online community where your student can get
involved in school clubs or discuss their hobbies
and interests outside of school and parents can
connect with one another and their school
for support and information. Only users with
K¹² user IDs can gain access to this community
and have the opportunity to connect with lots
of others, but without actually leaving the
boundaries of the K¹² community. Please
note thebigthinK12 is available for
students in grades 9-12 and parents
using K12 for grades K-12.
............................................................
Getting there is easy—simply log in
to the Online School as you normally
would and click on thebigthinK12 link that
appears on the screen.
12
We know that parents can get overwhelmed at times
and individual roles within the family can become
skewed. So take time to have a family conversation and
discuss individual roles, and then implement adjustments that can get the family back into the groove of focusing on education—and making it the priority.
Also, setting goals can help families re-focus their
short- and long-term goals for the remainder of the
school year. Well, at least until “Spring Fever” comes
around! Here, K12 makes it easy because you can use
your daily and weekly plan and progress bar to stay on
track. Be confident in the fact that you can adjust,
tweak or revise your schedule in order to find a schedule that works for your family dynamic. That’s the
beauty of the K12 program—you have permission to
craft an educational environment that fits into your
family’s individual and collective lifestyle.
And don’t forget to use the “three buckets.”
These are the daily “have to do,” “need to do” and
“want to do” items that can help you prioritize your
time. For example, allocating daily time for core subjects —language, arts and math—is placed in the “have
to do” bucket. Maybe spending more time on a concept that your child hasn’t completely grasped is
placed in the daily “need to do” bucket, and checking
out an enrichment or “After the Lesson” link falls in
the “want to do” bucket.
Stay Connected
This time of year, a family can stray from its collective focus that was up and running at the beginning of the school year. So it’s vital to stay connected
within the family, and equally important to connect
with other parents. Reaching out to other families is
a great way to share ideas, discuss problems or concerns. And, it’s reassuring to know that
there are people available and willing to
lend a comforting ear when needed for
support and feedback.
If you are having trouble getting over
the mid-year hump, realize that the worst
thing parents or learning coaches can do
is to disconnect. Sure, the K12 curriculum is challenging and it takes effort and
consistency. But, success is at hand by
staying connected and enthused—which
filters down to your children because they
often take their “cues” from adults.
Remember that the attitude and motivation of the parent can be directly tied to the
attitude and motivation of the child. If you
are feeling low and cranky, your child likewise will be cranky. Try to be consistent,
encouraging and maintain a positive demeanor,
which signals to children a sense of security, causing
them to thrive in the home education environment.
Kids have great radar and easily pick up negative signals. Demonstrating an enthusiastic and positive attitude will work wonders to not only get you over the
mid-winter hump, but spur educational achievement
as well.
Buffet Management
To reiterate, the K12 curriculum is all about mastery. Make sure to review the objectives and attack
areas appropriately. Aim for the shortest distance between points A and Z to master the lesson’s concepts
and objectives. For example, if there are eight different activities provided for mastering an objective and
your child grasps it after two steps, well, it’s OK to
take the assessment and move on to the next lesson
if your child scores well. Parents can help themselves
by reviewing the objectives and assessment tools and
then selecting the most direct path between A and Z
to master the objectives.
Remember, you have permission to make choices,
so be confident that you can be selective and make
the right choices that work best for your child. Remember, too, that the K12 curriculum is built by the
top educators in their respective fields and disciplines. There is a deep, wide vault of curricula to suit
a variety of student engagement and learning levels.
Mid-winter also is the perfect time—for both new
and seasoned K12 families alike—to ensure that you are
tailoring the K12 curriculum to master objectives and
not overwhelm your child and yourself instead. Heidi
and Lori like to use the “buffet management”
Lori Beverage
lives in Lawrence,
Mass., has been home
educating her four
children for 14 years,
and has used the K12
program since its inception. Lori also is
K12’s Online Community Development
Specialist and loves talking with
other K12 parents as part of
their daily life. Lori believes
that educating her kids at
home has been the single best
thing she could have done for
them to prepare them for life
and their future success.
metaphor. Because the K12 curriculum is extensive,
some families want to, or feel required to, put everything on their plate by doing every activity, resulting in
educational overload and that queasy feeling that we
all get from trying to consume it all. It’s more prudent
to practice “buffet management”, where you scan the
educational buffet and select the items that your child
can best digest and that have the most benefit. Basically, some parents try to have their children consume
too much of the extensive K12 curriculum and ancillary offerings, when it’s better to be selective to meet
core objectives, and then move on to new objectives.
Shake Things Up!
As part of your mid-year re-evaluation, think
about shaking things up. For example, maybe you decide to be more flexible during the school day and
switch learning times around from morning to afternoon, or vice versa. Or, maybe you decide to sleep in
in the morning and start the school day later—fine.
Or, maybe you switch study areas for a “change of
scenery”—fine. And, you can discuss block scheduling with your teacher and test that kind of structure
to see if it works for your child. Again, it’s all about
what works best for your child and family.
Another tip to shake things up is to make a concerted effort to rid your family of time wasters and
spend that time on fun activities. Maybe you take more
field trips or go for walks and discuss a lesson. Remember, it’s OK to turn off the computer and close
the book because learning can happen anywhere.
So now that we’ve completely flattened that midwinter hump, it’s time to gear up again and enjoy the
second half of the year! K12
Heidi Higgins
lives in Pocatello, Idaho, with her
husband and the youngest three of her
six children. She has been using the K12
curriculum since 2002. Having taught all
K12 courses expect kindergarten (most of
them three times!) Heidi delights in the
depth of the curriculum, but understands
that the most challenging part of using it
is what goes on inside the
home and with the family.
She loves to share her insights, helps and hints with
other families ready to take
on the challenge of balancing
life with learning.
13
Crystal Award Win
By Kiara S., fifth grade,
Chicago Virtual Charter Sc
Inspired by her own fond family memories
during the Christmas season, Julie Allen, local development manager at Washington Virtual Academies (WAVA), decided four years ago to launch a Winterland of Gingerbread event.
“It was a family tradition to build a gingerbread house when I was growing up, and when I got married and had kids, I continued the tradition,” said Allen.
Spurred by the success—and fun!—of the WAVA event, K12 schools all over the world have started
various Winterland of Gingerbread events. Today, the three-day events include many in-person social
activities, contests and community fundraising events. For example, The Agora Cyber Charter School
in Pennsylvania used its gingerbread event to raise money for the local county food bank.
And, most important, the annual event brings families together to craft everything from a simple
gingerbread house to more elaborate theme-oriented structures that showcase imagination and creative use of materials.
In addition, students can vie for various local statewide awards, and there is a national competition—
the Crystal Award—that includes submitting a gingerbread house and essay.
But, the real joy of the events centers on bringing together K12 families for holiday cheer, socializing and fostering a greater feeling of community. In fact, the events have become so popular that
prospective families attend events to meet parents and find out more about K12 schools.
In fact, the event has gone global as K12’s International Academy students participate from all corners of the globe! The three-day virtual event is called “The Winter Wonderland Festival” which included the “Holly Jolly Jingle”contest where students sing songs, play trivia games and participate in
a reading of “The Gingerbread Man.” The final night is when students showcase their gingerbread
houses and winners are selected.
Said Allen: “For me, it’s so sweet to see families together and knowing that they had a great time
building their displays.” And, no doubt, it rekindles warm childhood memories that now will be shared
by many more K12 families.
14
This past week was the most
tiring, and exhausting week I t
made a gingerbread house for
did it take me about 20 hours t
house, I had to cut out 86 pieces
them together! Assembling the
took a long time. This was a
I know every part of it was wort
The first reason I chose
when I was little I used to love
like a good challenge and it exc
projects! Moreover, I knew I w
memories. The laughs, nights s
morning with my Mom and sist
never forget. Overall, I apprecia
agement that was given toward
family members and (even from
Colorado saw my gingerbread
loved it). The memories built m
are priceless. I had a fun time w
........................................................
If you want to know the step-b
1. make the dough
2. trace or print templates on pa
3. cut templates out
4. place cut out templates on top
5. put on floured baking sheet an
6. let pieces harden overnight
7. paint the pieces
8. assemble furniture
9. assemble one level of the hou
10. after assembling one level of
needs to be placed in the firs
11. decorate the house
........................................................
All the candy used in making
Tootsie Rolls
Starbursts
Fruit roll-ups
Mints
Sugar Babies
Gumdrops
Gum
Ice cream cones
Candy canes
Pez
Pretzels
nner
hool
t exciting, spectacular,
hink I have ever had! I
the first time. Not only
o finish my gingerbread
s of gingerbread and put
e furniture for the house
very tiring process, but
th the effort.
e this house was because
doll houses! Also, I really
cites me to take on artistic
would be making lifetime
staying up until two in the
ters, and my sore feet I will
ate all the help and encourds me this week from all my
m my Grandma who lives in
house on our web cam and
aking this gingerbread house
with it all.
.................................................................
by-step process, please read below.
aper
p of rolled out dough and cut
nd cook
se
f the house, put all furniture that
st level and so on for the remaining levels
.................................................................
this house:
15
“I found I could say things with color and
shapes that I couldn't say any other way—
things I had no words for.”
–Georgia O’Keeffe
National Grand Prize
Justin T.
California Virtual Academies
Night Fruits
We asked you to set up your easel, grab your crayons, and sharpen your pencils
and boy, did you ever!
The 4th annual K12 Art Competition was a huge success with more than
2,300 submissions from around the globe. The scope of talent and creativity
was remarkable, and we thank you for entering your work.
After careful deliberation, judges from each school submitted a list of finalists
to the K12 panel to name the national finalist as well as the three grand prize
winners. We are thrilled to announce the winners right here in our new online
version of the xPotential. And, stay tuned for more information about how to
access the upcoming online art gallery so you can view the works of all finalists.
Bravo to all participants! Get your ideas ready for next year —we’re already
planning big things!
NATIONAL FINALISTS
Kindergarten
• Zara R., Washington Virtual Academies: Butterfly
Grayson G., Ohio Virtual Academy: Cardinals
First & Second Grade
Eric T., Hillsborough Virtual School, FL: Fruit Picnic
Rubee R., Washington Virtual Academies: Vace des fleurs
National Honorable
Mention
Rachael Y.
Ohio Virtual Academy
Nickers 'n' Neighs
Third & Fourth Grade
Danielle H., Arizona Virtual Academy: Tender Moment
Vayu G., Lawrence Virtual School: Wolves in a Forest
Fifth & Sixth Grade
Steven L., California Virtual Academies: Peaceful Night
Meena R., Washington Virtual Academies: Purple Mountains Majesty
Seventh & Eighth Grade
Alycia W., Agora Cyber Charter School: Zebra
Dakota H., California Virtual Academies: Toucan
Ninth & Tenth Grade
Grace C., Texas Virtual Academy: Camouflage
• Justin T., California Virtual Academies: Night Fruits
National Honorable
Mention
Zara R.
Washington Virtual Academies
Butterfly
Eleventh & Twelfth Grade
• Rachael Y., Ohio Virtual Academy: Nickers 'n' Neighs
Ki P., Wyoming Virtual Academy: Snowy Mountains