Columbia Spotlight

This week the CHS teachers are creating playlists as an S&EL activity to get us pumped up for school. One of my favorite singers, the Britsh folk artist Yola, has a great new song, "Hold On."  According to Yola , "‘Hold On’ is a conversation between me and the next generation of young black girls. My mother’s advice would always stress caution, that all that glitters isn’t gold, and that my black female role models on TV are probably having a hard time. She warned me that I should rethink my calling to be a writer and a singer. . . but to me that was all the more reason I should take up this space. ‘Hold On’ is asking the next-gen to take up space, to be visible and to show what it looks to be young, gifted and black.” This reminded me of a great new PD opportunity,  Teaching Beautiful, Brilliant Black Girls: How to Curate Classrooms for Radical Transformation Confirmation . Click HERE if you are interested in this webinar: "Black Girls are beautiful and brilli

Edutopia is a great educational blog that focuses on several topics including virtual learning and equity in schools . Here are some of the best posts I've seen these past 2-3 weeks: How to Help Students See Themselves as Mathematicians   When students’ eyes are opened to the broad community of mathematicians, they reject stereotypes and gain confidence in their own abilities.   9-12 High School Developing a Social Justice Unit in English Language Arts   This rigorous, standards-aligned narrative unit combines classic literature and contemporary social issues.   9-12 High School How Students Can Learn From Judging a Book by Its Cover   A close collaborative analysis of the text and graphics on book covers makes for a powerful literacy activity.   9-12 High School Using Retakes to Nurture Growth Mindset   Offering students the chance to redo assessments and assignments can improve their self-perception—and the quality of their work.   9-12 High School 5 Keys to Successful Homework A

From September 15th - October 15th, Columbia High School will commemorate National Hispanic Heritage Month. The following resources can be useful in your classroom. 1. National Hispanic Heritage Month Website . The Library of Congress, National Archives and Records Administration, National Endowment for the Humanities, National Gallery of Art, National Park Service, Smithsonian Institution and United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have joined in paying tribute to the generations of Hispanic Americans who have positively influenced and enriched our nation and society. This website contains various lessons and materials from across these US Government institutions!  2. NEH Teacher's Guide . The National Endowment of the Arts has a great education platform called EDsitement. You can check out their National Hispanic Heritage Month website. 3. Tolerance.Org . The Teaching Tolerance website has incredible resources, so make sure to stop by there. They have webinars, student readings,