Issue link: http://educator.cta.org/i/812811
Want to know more about issues facing our ethnic minority com- munities, and how to advocate for change? Then get over to CTA's third Joint Ethnic Caucus Issues Conference, May 5-7, at the Marriott Hotel in Manhattan Beach. The conference is open to all CTA members. Its theme, "Be Proud, Be United, Be Engaged for California Public Schools," reflects the strength of diversity in promot- ing the quality of life for everyone. NEA Vice President Becky Pringle, near right, and CTA Vice President Theresa Mon- taño are keynote speakers. Workshops include " Talking About Color," involving techniques and strategies to facilitate conversation about race, socio-economic sta- tus, gender and politics; and " The Welga Project," which gives K-12 teachers an overview of Filipino-American contributions to the Grape Strike of 1965 and provides curricular materials for educators, now that California mandates the teaching of this history. Learn more or register at ctago.org. May is Better Hearing and Speech Month, a time to raise awareness about communication disorders. A communication disorder, according to the American Speech- Language-Hearing Association, is an impairment in the ability to receive, send, process and comprehend concepts or verbal, nonverbal and graphic symbol systems. The disorder may be evident in the processes of hearing, language or speech, and it may range in severity from mild to profound. A few ideas to raise awareness among students: • Discuss what makes for effective communication. What words come to mind when you think of communication? Create a word cloud to display in the classroom. • Ask students to illustrate by hand or digitally why communication is important or what communication means to them. • Hold a communication-themed scavenger hunt. For more ideas and information, see asha.org/bhsm. Fit for Life A recent study found that an hour of running adds seven hours to your life. Think of all the things you could do with that extra time! The truth is, any regular physical activity that raises your heart rate is good for you. May is National Physical Fitness and Sports Month — reason enough to get out from behind that desk. Kids aren't the only ones who need to get in shape. Get in the habit of doing what moves you, from brisk walks to cycling to jumping rope. It's about time. Joint Ethnic Caucus Issues Conference Better Communication Your Fave Field Trip? What makes for a great, even magical field trip? It could be an awesome museum outing, teach- ing while tide-pooling, a special visit to a hospital, theater or tech company, or some other unique learning experience. For an upcoming Educator story, we want to know the best field trips you've taken with students — with photos, if possible — and what made them so memorable. Send to editor@cta.org with Field Trip in the subject line. Note: Parents must have signed a media release form for their child's photo to appear in the Educator. Write to editor@cta.org to request a release form in English, Spanish or Hmong. 10 cta.org news & notes in the know