LMA Connections Blog

No one wants to do something that repeatedly makes them feel stupid. Students may decide it’s less painful not to do the homework.

If you have been in my office or asked me about homework guidelines at all within the last year, you have probably heard this statement or a similar version. Cathy Vatterot, an associate professor at the University of Missouri-St. Louis, has researched the the relationship between homework and success, and has recently published a book on best practices in supporting diverse needs through homework.

I read an interview with her through edweek.org that highlights her findings. The article Homework in the Responsive Classroom is quite representative of the pattern I have seen through our admissions applications as the graduation requirements in the state of Michigan have increased. More and more schools are required to put rigor into practice as increased homework expectations. For students with learning disabilities, this can be a direct obstacle to the success the requirements were designed to increase.

Rest assured that amount of homework does not equal rigor, educational research supports this as does brain research. I was really struck by a statement in this article explaining that Vatterot ” sees incomplete homework as a crucial window for teachers into the academic and personal needs of students”. For new families, LMA’s response to homework can be a large adjustment. Learning does not need to be “hard” or painful to be effective and good study habits are not necessarily formed by occupying time on a regular basis. Repetition and practice are important for learning; meaningful repetition and practice.

Good study habits are formed through success and developing recognition and strategies for seeing tasks of various sizes through to completion in a variety of settings. This can be a painful process I know, and can be much more difficult to observe and live through at home (and in the classroom); but it is also much more rewarding in the long run. It takes a community to “raise” a child, particular our children who creative thinkers. It takes a strong community to support our children to learn beyond “doing whatever it takes to get by” versus learning to learn and recognize individual successes and strengths. To our parents and staff, thank you for being that type of community!

Thank you to those who supported LMA through GoodSearch in 2009! A summary of your support is below. We greatly appreciate your thinking of us as you search the internet!

Have you heard of Good Search? Do you use GoodSearch? If you said no, you are not alone! So, the next question is, would you like to help Lake Michigan Academy with only the extra effort of adding a toolbar for internet searches? Of course you would! Visit GoodSearch.com and select Lake Michigan Academy as your charity of choice and every time you search on the internet, $.01 will be donated to LMA.

Happy Holidays to all!

Mrs. B

Think College is an initiative at the  University of Massachussetts Boston. Their website provides explanations and resources for supporting individuals with LD succeed in college. One of the resources I read through this evening is an explanation of how services are different in college versus high school. Visit Think College: High School/College Differences to read more.

Can We Help?

One of the words used to describe LMA is often community. Today was one of those days! We had two staff members out today and couldn’t find a sub to cover all. Our part-time teacher took over in the afternoon for one, other teachers coordinated to cover the remaining classes and even the students pitched in!

For students who at times struggle with unexpected changes in their  routines, they maneuvered the staffing changes like pros.  I was a few minutes late for Algebra as I answered a question in the hallway, but when I entered, one of the students was working through examples on the board. They reviewed the concepts they covered in their homework the night before and all participated.

On top of that, I cannot even describe the experience as the class worked through the project left for them and a new-to-LMA-this-year student shared (randomly) how much he appreciated that he has learned that he can “do math”!

“Can we help our community?”

About an hour and a half after Algebra, I had finished my lunch and returned to my desk. Four of our business students came to ask permission to develop a fundraising campaign to support ASPCA. They had a suggestion, reasoning, a plan and were ready to follow-through if they received permission. They are an example of leadership and service in action!

Today was a day for goosebumps of excitement as I walked the halls a little bit ago.

Not only is it holiday time and decorations are appearing, but this year’s LMA Touch included entrants for Mrs. Braunz’s inspired idea of an LMA Math Art Prize! There are angles, geometric dragons, unique art, math in music, math in love, representations of being individual and how math can explain things that appear random… as well as a giant snowflake and pi! These projects are powerful not only in their uniqueness and relation to math and art, but because they represent all the grade levels. Students voluntarily participated and we have pieces from students in grades 5-12 so far.  (stay tuned for pics!)

Also, I popped into the classrooms as I went around viewing projects and found the elementary students designing and building Gingerbread Houses complete with yards and sleds; an indoor habitat under construction;  math projects and solving equations; and the Middle Schools Revision of the Michigan Seal – “The Seal of  Miss Ropp’s Room: If you seek pleasant learning, Look around you!”

Students wanted to show me what they were working on – they had pride in their learning! A powerful morning at LMA!!

Every day I struggle with which parts of my students’ stories can I share and which would be too personal or too embarassing/mortifying. I struggle because I am frequently in awe of the growth I see in our kids, so I’ve settled my struggle with sharing “Little Bits”.

Today’s Little Bits included seeing the pride in a little one’s eyes as he realized he is reading better and watching two high school students work through a problem and misunderstandings with maturity and compassion.

This week, we have had two outside visitors join us, Ms. Gilliard’s son who had a day off of school and Dr. Sheffel who is a professor in special education and mathematics at Michigan State University. Ms. Gilliard’s son was welcomed in by her class as well as a high school student who assists in her class once a week. Those types of natural  situations for modeling skills for our students always put a smile on my face. I can not imagine not being able to take those opportunities for natural learning!

Dr. Sheffel greatly appreciated her morning observing in math classes and was thrilled that she could see theory in practice. I was also proud of our students who were willing and quite articulate in showing her different methods used to support math at LMA.

In short, this holiday season I am thankful for the commitment our staff, parents, board and students have to learning and growing!!

Mrs. B

Thanks to Eli’s Mobil Store at Breton and Burton, Lake Michigan Academy has been awarded a $750 ExxonMobil Educational Alliance grant for our Science Program. Funded by the ExxonMobil Corporation, the ExxonMobil Educational Alliance program is designed to provide Mobil Retailers like J & H Family Stores with an opportunity to invest in teh future of their ccommunities through educational grants to neighborhood schools.

How is LMA different? How can you tell when different is “better”? Our kids move often. Helping them learn how to harness this energy is one of the areas in which we focus. Seating options, fidget tools, movement breaks, etc…  these are important tools for helping children develop strategies for learning.  “Getting Kids Moving in School” shows that this is gaining national attention!

MICHIGAN DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
NOTICE OF PUBLIC HEARING

The Michigan Department of Education, Office of Special Education and
Early Intervention Services will conduct public hearings to receive
comment on the following proposed administrative rules and documents:

Special Education Programs and Services Administrative Rules
(2009-043ED)
Criteria for Specific Learning Disabilities
Nonpublic Services Plan

The rules are promulgated by the authority conferred on the
superintendent of public instruction by sections 1701 and 1703 of 1976
PA 451, MCL 380.1701 and MCL 380.1703, and Executive Reorganization
Order Nos. 1996-6 and 1996-7, MCL 388.993 and MCL 388.994. The
proposed changes will bring the administrative rules into alignment
with the reauthorized Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and
update outdated language.

In addition, the Michigan Department of Energy, Labor and Economic
Growth, State Office of Administrative Hearings and Rules will conduct
public hearings to receive public comments on the following proposed
administrative rule:

Due Process Procedures for Special Education (2009-049ED)

The rule is promulgated by authority conferred on the State Office of
Administrative Hearings and Rules by sections 1701 and 1703 of 1976 PA
451, MCL 380.1701 and 380.1703, and Executive Order 2005-1, MCL
445.2021. Rule 340.1883(3) contains an incorrect rule reference. The
current subrule references Rule 340.1881, a rule that was rescinded in
2005. Hence, this subrule must be amended to reflect the correct
reference (R 340.1724f).

The proposed rules are accessible on the Michigan Department of
Education, Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services
Web site at www.michigan.gov/ose-eis under “Spotlight.” These rules
are published in the November 15, 2009, Michigan Register. The rules
are proposed to take effect upon the filing with the Secretary of State.

Public hearings for both rule sets will be held at the following sites:

Tuesday, December 1, 2009 from 3:30 – 8:00 p.m. at Wayne State
University Law School, Spencer M. Partrich Auditorium, 471 W. Palmer,
Detroit, Michigan 49202; and Wednesday, December 2, 2009 from 3:30 –
8:00 p.m. at Ingham Intermediate School District, Thorburn Education
Center, Conference Rooms B & C, 2630 West Howell Road, Mason, Michigan
48854.

Oral or written comment may be presented in person at the hearing or
submitted in writing by mail, e-mail, or facsimile no later than 5:00
p.m., December 18, 2009. All comment will be reviewed and considered
in the final version of the rules. Comments may be submitted to the
following:

Public Comment
Office of Special Education and Early Intervention Services
Michigan Department of Education
P.O. Box 30008
Lansing, MI 48909
Email: mde-ose@michigan.gov
Fax: 517-373-7504.

If special accommodations are needed to participate in the public
hearings, contact Meredith Hines at 517-373-0924 or email at hinesm@michigan.gov
by November 16, 2009.