Archived News and Notes

May 2009

• We are pleased to announce that Sheila A. Brown has joined the SERP Team as the Director of the Boston Field Site. Sheila brings extensive knowledge and experience with her, particularly in the areas of literacy, systemic reform, and educational leadership. Please read more about Sheila and all of the people at SERP.
• Recommended Reading
  Constructive Controversy: The Educative Power of Intellectual Conflict
  By David W. Johnson, Roger T. Johnson, & Karl A. Smith
  "By passing up conflict, instructors miss out on valuable opportunities to involve students and enhance their learning."
  Download entire article
  Reprinted with permission from the authors and Change Magazine
  Originally published: January, 2000
• Report on SERP's Word Generation in Education Week
  Research Partnership Launches First Product
  By Debra Viadero
  "When researchers from the Strategic Education Research Partnership met with Boston secondary school teachers three years ago, the teachers told them they had a problem. Students struggled to understand their textbook lessons because they continually tripped up on—or glossed over—the academic words they came across."
  Read entire article at EdWeek.org
• SERP Summer Institute: Word Generation - The Big Picture
  June 18–20, 2009
  The SERP Word Generation summer institute is a two and a half day professional development course offered by Harvard Graduate School of Education’s Programs in Professional Education. Sessions will be led by SERP Principal Researchers Catherine Snow and Richard Elmore, as well as Word Generation creators and Boston practitioners with experience in implementation.
  
  By the close of the final day, institute participants will have a solid grounding in the theory and research driving the program as well as an understanding of how Word Generation is designed to serve as a platform for building a culture of collaboration and capacity for instructional improvement.
  
  The summer institute is designed for district personnel and school faculty who will take a leadership role in bringing Word Generation into schools and classrooms.
  Registration Information
• Catherine Snow's Webinar on Word Generation was a great success! SERP thanks Schools Moving Up for hosting the event. View an archived copy of the presentation.