Successful Teaching

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 12/18/09

2009-12-18T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my Personal Learning Network (PLN). As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Verbalearn – free tool to use! “VerbaLearn has grown into a comprehensive vocabulary building service that offers audio, video, flashcards, games, and much more. In countries all around the world, people are building their vocabulary faster with VerbaLearn's innovative review tools and adaptive technology…VerbaLearn attempts to bridge the gap between traditional print flashcards and the methods that today's internet users gather information with; video, audio, RSS feeds, games, etc. Because VerbaLearn allows users to study with a variety of tools that they are comfortable with, users actually enjoy the learning process and can accomplish much more in shorter period of time.”

Livebrush – “Livebrush is a drawing application. It employs an easy-to-use brush tool that reacts to your gesture. By combining simple motion controls with brush styles, Livebrush offers a fun and unique way to create graphics.”

Celestia - The free space simulation that lets you explore our universe in three dimensions. Celestia runs on Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X. Unlike most planetarium software, Celestia doesn't confine you to the surface of the Earth. You can travel throughout the solar system, to any of over 100,000 stars, or even beyond the galaxy.

Big Huge Thesaurus – “Synonyms, antonyms, and rhymes (oh my!) (Also blog post ideas and story plot/logline resources for writers.)”

We Seed – “WeSeed EDU offers educators a free, hands-on tool to help teach their students about the stock market and the world of investing. WeSeed shows users how to invest in what they know — the products, brands and companies that they use everyday — to help them grasp the concepts behind the stock market and the importance of investing.”

What Millennial Students Need to Know…Before They Get to College

2009-12-17T05:26:00.001-05:00

(Today’s post is by guest writer, Elizabeth O’Neill. She is a contributing writer for EarnMyDegree.com. She holds an MFA in creative writing, and has taught several college courses. )

The world is evolving at a breakneck pace. Teachers are working hard to keep up, and they’re making admirable headway. At the same time, certain shifts in our society have prompted new issues in higher education. Middle school teachers and high school teachers can help their students, by addressing these issues before graduation rolls around.

Beyond Grades

Grade-obsessed parents have created grade-obsessed kids. Good grades used to be part and parcel of dedicated scholarship. These days, especially in high school, GPA is everything. Students view their assignments as the means to a final grade, without much regard for the developmental “through line” – a.k.a. learning.

When students arrive at college unconcerned with their own learning outcomes (beyond grades), they’re more likely to choose an arbitrary major, to coast through easier course offerings, or to practice academic dishonesty when classes become difficult. By the time they reach college (especially given what it costs today), students should have the maturity to actively care about what, why and how they are learning. For their own benefit, they should aim to fuse connections between their studies and the outside world. They should be anticipating their careers, and building their competencies accordingly.

Middle school teachers and high school teachers can help students take ownership of their education by offering praise for “through line” thinking. Try to teach beyond the next test. Encourage kids to talk about their ambitions and individual goals. Integrate more class discussion with textbook chapters. And remember that some of your students will become poets, some will become accountants, some will become veterinary technicians. Regardless of the subject you teach, you should find ways to make your lessons speak to all of them.

Context

A lot of people criticize millennial students for their misuse of grammar and punctuation. Texts, tweets, and nonstop status updates have indeed affected students’ communication habits. But be careful not to squelch all your students’ texting talents and idioms. In the business world, executives are scrambling to teach themselves the e-parlance and netiquette that most of your students have mastered and popularized.

The real concern should be whether or not students are learning to shift gears between online and offline communication strategies. Because even though the Internet can be used as an educational tool and medium (quality online colleges and online universities are proving this point every day), it’s dangerous to assume that students will be able to draw their own distinctions.

Students need to recognize how screen reading differs from book reading, how emails differ from essays, and how Wikipedia differs from the Wall Street Journal. Middle school and high school teachers can help by combining online and offline assignments, which highlight key differences in accessibility and strategy. Teachers should also acknowledge the value of online literacy, for all the skim reading and acronym decoding it requires, because this kind of fluency will generate more and more applications in higher education and the working world.

Original image: 'School Room'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/50115004@N00/2915797223 by: Rob Shenk

Best Blogs for Special Education Teachers

2009-12-16T06:00:00.000-05:00

I was recently told that I was on the list of 50 Best Blogs for Special Education Teachers. I was truly honored to be included in this list because it makes me feel like what I’m doing is worthwhile. There are some great blogs listed here (besides mine!) and I hope you take time to check some of them out.

Original image: 'Rosie the Blogger'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/9106303@N05/2493066577 by: Mike Licht

This Year and Next Year

2009-12-15T06:00:00.000-05:00

Jill Hare from The Apple emailed me with these thought provoking open ended sentences. She asked that I fill out at least one of them and since I am an overachiever, I filled out each one. It was a great time of reflection for me and I invite you to give it a try too.

"This year I learned...."

This year I learned how wonderful it is to connect with others. Because of Plurk, Twitter, Skype, blogs and many other useful tools, I am able to connect with people all around the world. When I connect with others, I realize that the world doesn’t seem as big and scary as I thought it was.

"This year I noticed....."

This year I noticed that even though we may live in different places, we all want many of the same things for our children. We have a lot of the same dreams for the future generations. Our geographic locations really don’t mean anything when I look at our children and realize our hopes for them are the same. The details may be different but the big picture looks the same.

"Next year, I look forward to....."

Next year, I look forward to connecting with more people and learning new things. It is fun to learn and share with others. Since learning is a lifelong process, I hope to continue gathering new knowledge.

"Next year, I hope...."

Next year, I hope to continue to blog and connect with others who can gain from my knowledge and experiences. I hope other teachers will use me for a resource when they struggle and need encouragement. I hope that I can give teachers a “hand up” when they “fall down”

Thanks to The Apple for allowing me to contribute to their site!

Who Has More Rights?

2009-12-14T06:00:00.000-05:00

In the article Appeals court upholds decision to allow service dog in Columbia school, the court ruled that a autistic student’s service dog is allowed in the school with the student. Of course, there is concern from another student’s parents because their son is highly allergic to animals.

I’m really glad to hear that this decision was made but I also feel for the student with allergies. I too am highly allergic to many things. Yet, there has to be a line dr awn somewhere.

I am highly allergic to fragrances but it is everywhere. When we go out to eat, I might be sitting near a person who has heavy perfume on. Sometimes our server has a bunch on too. I actually had to drop out of our church choir because some of the women had perfume on that stopped up my hose and caused me to sneeze and cough a lot. I have been on airplanes and encountered the same problems. But that is something I will have to live with.

One of the students may have to change classes in order to meet the needs of both of them. Maybe they can just keep them on separate sides of the classroom. I think the school will just have to be creative with this.

I feel we need to make sure all of students have a chance to be successful in the classroom but I’m not sure how we would go about it in this situation. What do you think the solution would be to this type of problem? Has this ever occurred in your classroom, school, or district? If so, let me know how this was solved. I’m really curious about how this would be dealt with and I’m so glad I’m not the one making the decision!

Original image: 'Service Animal'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/59888866@N00/3166168670 by: Tom Arthur

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 12/11/09

2009-12-11T06:00:00.000-05:00

Imagine It - Students will discover 20th century writer and poet, Carl Sandburg, while learning about his writing style, affects on America and his home life at Connemara.

Track My T – Explore the journey your tshirt has taken from the cotton seed to the store before you bought it.

Planet In Action.com – “Welcome to PlanetInAction.com where the world is your playground. Google Earth is a highly detailed 3D representation of our entire planet. Rather than just looking at it, why not play on it! PlanetInAction.com brings you top quality ideas, applications and concepts that will let you experience your planet in a whole new way.”

Dare To Compare – “So, how do you compare with students nationally and from around the world? Pick a subject, a grade and how many questions you want to see (600+ currently in database), then click the Show Questions button.”

WordTwist.org – “Wordtwist.org offers an online variant of traditional Boggle, with different rules of game play and board distribution.”

Educarnival v2 Issue 16

2009-12-10T06:00:00.000-05:00

The Carnival of Education is up on the midway at Epic Adventures are Often Uncomfortable. Don’t miss out on all the fun! See what is going on in the Edusphere. My article De-Stress Your Class is there but there are lots of other great articles to read too! See you there and don’t eat too much cotton candy!

EduCarnival v2 is continuing from the Carnival of Education: "interesting and informative posts from around the EduSphere -- and a few from the Larger 'Sphere." Typically, articles have been focused on K-12 public schooling, but private, homeschool, school/life, college or other related topics are welcome as well.

You can submit your blog article to the next issue of EduCarnival v2 by using the handy-dandy carnival submission form. Past carnivals and future scheduled editions can be found on the blog carnival index page.

If you are interested in hosting an upcoming carnival, please email Clix at uncomfortableadventures (at) yahoo (dot) com.

Christmas, Chanukah, and Kwanzaa

2009-12-09T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is always an exciting time during the school year because my students always got excited. Of course when they start putting up Christmas stuff in the stores before Halloween arrives, it really drags the excitement along (but that is another story that I won’t go into!). Usually all of my students are Christians because I live in an area that is considered the “Bible belt.” So, this makes me want to give my students to holidays that others may be celebrating. I make it quite clear that I’m not encouraging my students to change religions but instead I want to encourage tolerance of other cultures and religions.

It was actually very educational to me when I found a synagogue that opened their store in order for me to buy dreidels. According to Wikipedia,

“A dreidel is a four-sided spinning top, played with during the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.”

When I bought this dreidel, the person even gave me lessons on how to play the game and was quite excited that I would teach my class about this game and about Chanukah. More from wikipedia,

“Hanukkah (also spelled Chanukah), also known as the Festival of Lights, is an eight-day Jewish holiday commemorating the rededication of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem at the time of the Maccabean Revolt of the 2nd century BCE. Hanukkah is observed for eight nights, starting on the 25th day of Kislev according to the Hebrew calendar, and may occur from late November to late December on the Gregorian calendar. The festival is observed by the kindling of the lights of a special candelabrum, the nine-branched Menorah or Hanukiah, one light on each night of the holiday, progressing to eight on the final night. An extra light called a shamash (Hebrew: "guard" or "servant") is also lit each night for the purpose of lighting the others, and is given a distinct location, usually above or below the rest.”

Wikipedia also says,

“Kwanzaa is a week-long celebration held in the United States honoring African heritage and culture, marked by participants lighting a kinara (candle holder). It is observed from December 26 to January 1 each year, primarily in the United States. Kwanzaa is considered one of the primary holidays within the U.S. Christmas and holiday season.”

I think it is important that students learn about other cultures and the holidays they celebrate. After studying these three celebrations, I like to have students find ways that all of them are alike. It is fascinating to watch them come up with similarities that they didn’t realize. For my students, all of these are so very different and they don’t think of ways they can be alike. Once we start discussing the similarities, they start to come up with more. In fact, I had one student who came up to me the next day after the lesson to tell me that they talked about this over dinner and they came up with a few more ways they were similar. The student wanted to bring up the discussion again so he could share his family’s ideas.

I really felt this was a successful lesson in teaching tolerance as well as learning about cultural diversity. What other holidays do you know that are being celebrated during this time? Do you do any special lessons on this topic? If so, please share because I would love to know.

Original image: 'The Geflocktne Dreidl'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53416300@N00/72151761 by: Philip Chapman-Bell

A Little Push

2009-12-08T05:30:00.000-05:00

One story in my Lutheran Hour Ministries Daily Devotion was this:

“Yesterday, while standing in line at the bank, I struck up a conversation with a soldier.
During our talk, he told me he was a paratrooper. Impressed because I have a deep respect for heights, I asked him how many times he had jumped.
With a smile, he responded, "Pastor, I've never jumped. Not even once. But I can tell you I've been pushed more than 40 times."

It made me think about the times I needed a push in my teaching career. Sometimes I thought it was something awful that happened to me in my career, and later on, looking back, I realized that without that push, what I was experiencing currently would never have happened. When I was dissatisfied with my current school and moved to a different one, I felt refreshed and motivated but if I hadn’t moved, I would have been stagnant and disengaged along with my students.

Sometimes we would have a new program to follow in our school and all of the teachers would grumble and gripe. Yet, after we got used to the program and learned how to best implement it, we would see positive results with our students and realize that it was an effective program. Yet, for weeks and months, people were unhappy about trying something new. It took time and energy and patience. People wanted to do it the same old way. Then the administration had to push us into doing something new.

When new technology was introduced to the school, many teachers were anxious and didn’t want anything to do with it. I remember when the first smart boards came to our school. I think for the first year, they sat in classrooms and no one used it. Then new teachers came to the school and begged for them so they could use them. As the teachers began to use them, others could see how effective they were. The administration began to realize how this could be used in the classroom and wanted all of the teachers to use it but the teachers were not all on board. Then one year, the school district bought promethean boards (like smart boards) and put them in the entire classroom. Now all of the teachers are using them but they had to be pushed to use it. It became part of the teacher evaluations.

Just like those commercials where the siblings didn’t like what they were eating, they would give it to their little brother, saying, “Let Mikey eat it,” that is the way I was treated in my school. I loved to try new things and fiddle with it until I could figure out ways to make it work in my classroom. Where others complained about it sucking up their time, I saw it as a fun challenge. Soon, the administration noticed this, and I was usually the first one to get new technology which suited me fine. Others saw this as an inconvenience but I saw it as a way to get neat new stuff for my classroom. I began to look for new technology that no one else had and found a way for the school to get it for me to try. It might have involved writing grants or doing presentations to show how these things were effective in other schools. I was willing to do what I needed to get it so in a way, I was giving my school the push that they needed.

At times, my students needed that push too. Many of my students were unsuccessful in their school career until they got to my class. Soon they were making good grades and feeling good about themselves. In fact, they felt so good finally that they didn’t want to leave my class. I even had a couple of students start making failing grades near the end of school in hopes that they could stay in my class. I had to push them out of the nest which was as hard for me as it was for them. One year I had an 18 year old girl who had watched her mother get killed and she was so traumatized that she carried a stuffed animal and refused to talk or look at anyone. I got her an internship at the local animal shelter and eventually she started to talk and interact with others. She even gave up her stuffed animal. Then I had to move her to working in a nursing home because I wanted her to try new experiences while she had me as a support system. That was very hard for her but she was successful because of her nurturing spirit. Without my pushing, I think she would have become very isolated and depressed from withdrawing from the world.

Sometimes we all need a little push. Has someone’s push helped you, either personally or professionally? Has your push helped someone else? Please share your stories because I would love to hear them.

Original image: 'Down you go!'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/96878569@N00/2205802458 by: Maureen K

Learning to Ride a Bicycle

2009-12-07T05:35:00.000-05:00

When it is not raining, my husband and I try to walk in the park for exercise. It always makes me smile when I see a parent trying to teach their child how to ride a bicycle. I usually see this in the spring and the summer or right after Christmas. The fun part for me is to see the different techniques that parents use to teach their children. It seems that the most important part, no matter how different the techniques, is that the child trusts the adult.

It made me realize that when teaching my students, I need to get them to trust me. If I don’t have this trust, I’m not sure they will ever be ready to learn independently. I know that I teach my students content but I also know that there is no way that I can teach them everything they need to know in one year. They need to learn how to learn so they can continue to learn when they are no longer with me. Just like teaching a child to ride a bike, just because they learn to balance and move forward without falling, they still need to learn other things.

I remember for a long time my father would push me on the bicycle and I would pedal as fast as I could. But once he let go, my bicycle would wobble and then I would fall. I look back now and realize that I was learning on a bicycle that was too big for me. When I would start to wobble, I couldn’t put my feet down to catch myself. I know when I fell a lot, I didn’t even want to get on that bicycle. I think my parents thought I would never learn to ride a bicycle! Do I do that when I teach my students? Do I have them on levels too high that when they falter, they can’t catch themselves? When they keep falling, they are afraid to try again.

After I had been riding a bicycle for a few years, my cousin who lived in the city came to visit me for a week. She really wanted to learn how to ride a bicycle so I agree to teach her. I decided that I was not going to teach her the way people taught me. I thought about how I wished someone had taught me and showed her these things so I wasn’t surprised how easily she learned in one day. I brought her to a hill and let her sit on the bike with me as I rode down the hill. She was able to feel how it should feel if she was alone. Now of course, she was able to put her feet down on the ground while sitting on the bike which really helped. I had her glide down the hill without pedaling so she could learn how to balance. We only focused on one skill at a time and when she was able to balance on the bike easily, we added pedaling. By the end of the day she was riding the bicycle as easily as me. I was surprised when I searched the internet for this topic and someone actually wrote about this as an alternative method so I will share it with you: Learning to Ride a Bicycle.

That is how I like to teach new skills to my students. I think about the end result that I want my students to achieve and then break it down into smaller steps for them to succeed at. When I model the skill for them a few times, it is like taking them on a ride with me so they know how it feels, how it looks like, and how to get to the end point. Then I find a way for them to “coast down the hill” for a taste of success. This may call for a lot of encouraging, and prompting but eventually they get there. Once they learn how to do one step on their own successfully, it is time to move to the next step.

I think learning new skills are a lot like learning how to ride a bicycle. This is also a great way to share this with the students and hope they can be successful.

Original image: 'IMG_3836.JPG'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/8566600@N07/1367360621 by: eyeliam

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 12/04/09

2009-12-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Skeletal System Game – learn the bones

WannaLearn.com – “Over 350 categories of free, first-rate, family-safe online tutorials, guides and instructionally oriented Websites!”

Teaching With Contests – “The purpose of Teaching with Contests is to assist educators in finding contests that can be used in the classroom to motivate students. We are here for the student and the teacher not the promotion of products or company public relations. Our goal is to select contests and programs whose primary goal is education and secondarily business/product promotion.”

Digging Back in Time –“Students will follow other students in the field at a hearth site archaeological dig and complete an activity which will help them learn about the systematic science of archaeology.”

Everyone Has a Story - Students will work cooperatively to decide on a topic and investigate it through oral history interviews. Students will understand that everyone has a story.

De-stress Your Class

2009-12-03T06:00:00.000-05:00

Thanks to Meaghan Montrose from TutorFi for sharing The Positivity Blog’s list of 7 Tips to Lift the Stress Out of the Morning in her post 7 Tips for Stress-free Mornings .

I thought about these tips and how I could apply this in the classroom. Simple steps like this can help the student and the teacher from being stressed out. Let’s face it, sometimes chaos happens but the little routines we have bring some sanity to our lives. The tips suggested are in bold italics and my comments follow the tip. I hope these tips help the class be more successful on a daily basis.

Plan the night before. I think it is good to let the class know what is in store for them. If I know each day’s activities, I try to post them on the board or a sheet that is posted for them to refer to. Some of my students get the schedule for the week given to them so they can refer to it when they need to.
Pack your bag the night before. I try to help my students plan what they will need for the next day. Just like writing a grocery list before we go shopping, I think it is important to know what materials are needed so everyone can plan to bring them. Making a list helps many students come in more prepared than they would without the list. Before they leave home, they can check the list to make sure they have everything they need.
Make your lunch the night before. Encourage students to get assignments done as soon as they can. How many times have we all thought that we would get to it tomorrow, or the next day, or right before it is due. Once it is complete, it isn’t hanging over our heads and causing stress. It actually can feel good to be ahead of the game.
Don’t forget to just relax. Enjoy learning! Be excited about any new knowledge you might learn today that you didn’t learn yesterday.
Get enough sleep. Let’s face it. Sometimes our students have busy active weekends and are tired and cranky when they arrive on Monday mornings. When I notice that the students are not focused and seem tired, I am usually spinning my wheels by trying to teach something new. I actually stop teaching and give us all a 5 minute time out. This allows so students to put their heads down, some to just refocus. I ask that no one talk and find something to do quietly for these five minutes. It really seems to help them. When the five minutes are up, I try to do a review before we start into any new material.
Use a morning routine. I have a daily class routine that we follow. When the students’ lives are in chaos, this steady routine can have a calming effect. I would usually have 5 minute journal writing after the bell rang. I give a suggested topic, quote, or they may write anything they want. After I have collected all the journals, I collect homework and discuss the answers. Next we review what was learned yesterday and then transition to new material. The last five minutes of class, I assign new homework and we straighten up the classroom. No one is allowed to leave until all trash is picked up off the floor.
Keep everything in its place. Take the time to file papers as I get them. Once I let things pile up, I tend to get overwhelmed. I teach my students how to organize their notebooks. I have them have a section for notes, a section for handouts, a section for graded work and a section for homework. At the end of each week, I give students 10 minutes to get their things organized. I know this takes class time, but I would rather do this and help my students be successful than rant about how it isn’t my job and let students get more and more discouraged. After we do this the first two months, the students have learned a new habit and it doesn’t take as much time to do this. By the second semester, they are doing it on their own and I don’t even have to plan class time for this activity

Original image: 'Day 79 - f o c u s'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/56387066@N00/1810357551 by: Margo C

Last Night I Sang to the Monster – A Book Review

2009-12-02T06:00:00.000-05:00

I just finished reading the book Last Night I Sang to the Monster by Benjamin Alire Sáenz (By the way, I am not being paid to write a review of this book.)

This is a very strong and moving book. Many students who are faced with alcohol problems would find this book motivating and inspiring. I think it would be helpful for them to know that they are not alone. At first I was a little unsure about how I would like this book but then once I got into it, I felt drawn into the main character. He couldn’t remember why he was in this place and each page led you closer to the events that led him here. As I read, I realized what a complicated character this was and I watched him change as I read the book. This would be a good book for high school students who are struggling with many of the same issues such as addictions and isolation. The profanity in the book was a little strong for this to be used in the classroom but I could see students reading this on their own. I would give this book a 4 our of 5.

My 2009 Edublog Award Nominations

2009-12-01T06:00:00.001-05:00

Nominations for the 2009 Edublog Awards are now open until December 8^th. You can find out more about this on The Edublog Awards Homepage.

My nominations for the 2009 Edublog Awards are:

Best individual blog: Blogush (I am always inspired by the many things he shares. He writes very thought provoking posts)

Best individual tweeter: Karenjan (I never want to miss her tweets because they are usually informational and upbeat)

Best new blog: Reality 101: Council for Exceptional Children’s Blog for New Teachers (New teachers share their experiences as they experience the realm of teaching)

Best class blog: South Paris Collaborative Chat (Different students add their thoughts to this blog)

Best student blog: Civil War Sallie (Great information from a teddy bear named Sallie Ann)

Best resource sharing blog: Epic Adventures are Often Uncomfortable (hosting the Educarnival and sharing links to great blog posts)

Best teacher blog: Bellringers (shares the fun and frustrations of her daily teaching adventures)

Best librarian / library blog: Cathy Nelson’s Professional Thoughts (another thought provoking blog)

Best educational tech support blog: e4Africa (helping to move the teachers in South Africa into the 21^st century)

Best elearning / corporate education blog: eicommunity (gathers blog posts from a variety of teachers to share with others)

Best educational use of audio: Bit by Bit (blogs when updates to podcasts are ready)

Best educational wiki: Moving Forward (great resource for educators)

Best educational use of a social networking service: OnlineProjects4Teachers (Ning that lets teachers post what online projects they are involved with in order to facilitate collaboration with others)

Kick a Ginger Day Horror

2009-11-30T06:00:00.000-05:00

After reading Kick a Ginger Day: One Mom’s Horrifying Account and seeing news accounts on TV, I was also horrified. For some reason I couldn’t get it off my mind. Of course, this leads to a discussion of sorts with my husband over breakfast which really is more of a rant.

Apparently a group on Facebook who was inspired by a South Park episode encouraged kids to beat up others who had red hair and freckles. At one school a 12 year old boy was surrounded by a group of 15 others (some were even his classmates) like a pack of wild animals and attacked him. They took him down and kicked him repeatedly.

This is just more evidence on how what our children watch can influence them. There is so much violence and profanity on television now that I think our children are desensitized to it. They think it is so cool to do these kinds of things. Even worse, many of these shows are showing that the “bad guy” gets away with it.

I have watched an episode of South Park once and swore that I would never watch that again. But apparently enough people watch this so they get advertising and continue to broadcast. I was horrified with the disrespect these characters use to interact with others. How can parents allow their children to watch this garbage?

At first I thought that this type of stuff should be banned from the airwaves! Of course my husband disagreed (amazing that we got married since we don’t agree on a lot of things but I guess after 30 years of togetherness, I should be glad we agreed on the important things!). He felt that censorship is “big brother-ish.” When I calmed down, I had to agree but something needs to be done. Parents need to monitor what their children are watching. If people don’t watch certain programs, their ratings go down, advertisers won’t pay for advertising and these programs will go away.

What happened to those great family shows? They don’t seem to make them anymore. I remember my children watching Little House on the Prairie, Eight is Enough, Our House, and Touched By An Angel. Those were great wholesome shows that a family could watch together and even talk about. Even now I tend to watch the Hallmark channel a lot because those shows just make me feel good about the world and others.

I watch a lot of TV shows now that my children are grown up but I don’t think I would have watched these shows with them. There is so much violence and blood in shows like CSI, Law and Order SVU, NCIS, and other shows like this. I didn’t let my children see those horror movies that “everyone else” got to see. I didn’t let them watch TV shows that “everyone else” got to watch. Maybe I was a fuddy-duddy (do they still use that phrase?) but I felt it was my responsibility as a parent to set these limits.

I hope some of these parents with young children will start to wake up and realize that they have a responsibility. It is time to say no to these movies and shows. It’s time to tell our children no. They do not need to watch these shows and encourage their continuing influence. They do not need to do what “everyone else” does because, let’s face it, not “everyone else” really does it!

Okay, I will get off my soapbox now. I just got so upset with this story and it all boiled over. Now, tell me what do you think? Do you let your children watch these types of things? If so, convince me why I shouldn’t feel this way. I’m not sure you can but I’ll keep an open mind.

Original image: 'Little Redheaded Boy at the Atlanta Zoo'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/93229003@N00/3431837959 by: Steven List

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/27/09

2009-11-27T06:00:00.001-05:00

Kidzillions – “We give kids the tools to manage their own money online. Parents complete the transactions, but kids make the decisions and learn the lessons.”

How to Rock Your Intellectual Game: The Top 111 Learning Strategies

A Lifetime of Color – “provides educators with a comprehensive resource of lesson plans, projects and techniques for teachers and educators!” Lesson plans from K-8 are included, demos of different techniques as well as a chance to try these techniques out.

Amazing Cells – “From the structure and function of organelles to communication on a molecular level, these materials explore the inner-most workings of cells in a dynamic and realistic way. Integrate the Print-and-Go activities below with the online activities available in the Amazing Cells section on Learn.Genetics to provide a good picture of what a cell does during its "resting phase." Tour the information on the rest of this page for teaching tips and background information.”

The Human Skeleton – interactive site that quizzes you on the names of the bones

Thanksgiving Blessings

2009-11-26T06:37:00.000-05:00

Today is Thanksgiving and I have so much to be thankful for this year. (cross posted on The Life of Loonyhiker)

· Husband (the center of my life!)

· Family (I feel the love!)

· Good Health (I feel good!)

· Money to pay my bills (being able to pay my bills lets me do other things without worrying)

· Ability to travel and mark places off our wish list (I love traveling to new places)

· My father who will turn 90 on December 7^th (after his stroke 2 years ago, I didn’t think he would make it to this age)

· Learning Mandarin (learning to speak Chinese is something I always wished I could do)

· Online friends (I feel so connected with others rather than isolated)

· Meeting online friends in person (I find this fascinating)

· Ability to help others (it makes me feel useful)

· Writing my blogs which I thoroughly enjoy (sharing my life with others)

· Teaching graduate courses for Furman in the summer. (sharing with others about my teaching experience)

· Books (to help me when I want to escape the real world)

· Laptop and internet (so I can stay connected)

· TVs (which are on at home all of the time)

· Recipes (so I can learn to make new dishes)

· Sunshine (makes me smile!)

· Music (makes me feel happy)

· Ipod (to take my mind off my misery while I exercise)

· Cell phones (with Verizon I can call family members easily)

· Toyota Prius (which now has almost 100,000 miles on it!)

· Cameras (because I love taking pictures)

· Rain (especially since we experienced a drought)

· Flowers (they make me smile!)

· Hiking (I love to experience God’s world)

Original image: Thanksgiving Centerpiece http://www.flickr.com/photos/alasam/2071941952/ by alasam

Educarnival v2 Issue 14

2009-11-25T06:14:00.001-05:00

The Carnival of Education is up on the midway at Epic Adventures are Often Uncomfortable. Don’t miss out on all the fun! See what is going on in the Edusphere. My article on Unblocking Social Networking Sites is there but there are lots of other great articles to read too! See you there and don’t eat too much cotton candy!

Contributing Makes Me Feel Amazing

2009-11-25T06:00:00.000-05:00

I love to get on Plurk and Twitter connecting with my personal learning network (PLN). I am always amazed at the things I learn from people around the world. The more I interact with others, the more I realize how much many our challenges are similar. I had heard that the Georgia Educational Technology Conference was going on and wished that I could be there because I love tech conferences. Over the years I think we have moved past learning about the specific tools as much as learning how to apply the tools in specific situations.

Someone asked me if I would be willing to Skype in so they could show the audience how Skype works. First of all, I was thrilled to be asked to contribute something to a conference that I wish I had attended. Second of all, I was thrilled to be a part of something bigger. The more that people learn about using the tools, hopefully, the more people will actually apply it in their classrooms. It seemed like many of the people in the audience were thrilled to see how easy Skype worked and how clear the sound and picture was.

Just being able to contribute something made me feel special. At first it is a scary thing to do because of course I had to get out of my pajamas and fix my hair! Then it is the thought about how dorky I sound or look in front of all those people! But once I got past those scary feelings, I felt amazing. Without people who contribute to things like this, it would be really hard to show others how things work. It is the contributions that people make which make the interactive part of networking worthwhile.

I’m been holding our Council for Exceptional Children Chapter 877 meetings on Flashmeeting. I love the platform and the ease that we have holding these meetings. The problem is getting people to attend the meetings. By being there online, whether they use a microphone, web cam, or just text, they are contributing. They are adding their ideas and thoughts. Maybe people don’t realize how important their contributions are and think that just watching the recording is all that they need. Contributions are what make this a much richer experience.

I love blogging about my teaching experiences, beliefs, and ideas but it is a one woman show. I am usually throwing out ideas and hoping there is someone in the great beyond who is listening to me. Yet, when I get comments, I am thrilled. I’m not sure that people realize how much their comments mean to me. By commenting, I feel like they are making the discussion a much richer environment. Instead of being a one woman show, it becomes a conversation and conversations are important.

I started to join wikis so that I can add information. I also joined Nings so that I can be part of the community. Not only was I contributing to other people’s pages but people were contributing to mine too! The wealth of information that is out there when we all join in the conversation is astonishing! This is a way to corral everyone’s strengths towards a specific purpose. No wonder these people seem to be so successful in their professional lives.

I have noticed that some people are doing presentations on building a personal learning network and I think I will jump on the bandwagon. By being a part of a personal learning network, I think teacher’s professional lives will be so much richer. I’m hoping to create a presentation so that I can offer this to teachers in my area in order to help them because they can tailor their network to their needs and interests. It doesn’t matter what grade level or subject they teach because it is the interactions that are important to being successful in the classroom.

Do you contribute to others so that you have an interactive network? If not, take the first step. Offer a comment on a blog, or join Skype, Plurk and Twitter. But don’t just lurk (not saying anything). Join in the conversation because I promise you, once you start, you will be amazed like I was!

Original image: The hands that help are holier than the lips that pray... by addicted Eyes

Pasta Tales Contest

2009-11-24T06:00:00.000-05:00

Here is what I found on the Olive Garden website about this contest. I thought it would be a great writing opportunity for students to win a $500 savings bond and a dinner. There is still time for your students to participate.

“TEACHERS WHO INSPIRE ARE RECOGNIZED
THROUGH OLIVE GARDEN’S ESSAY WRITING CONTEST
Olive Garden’s Pasta Tales begins online Oct. 19

Reading, writing and arithmetic — no matter the subject, teachers often leave their mark on students, inspiring them to strive for success and reach their goals. In recognition of teachers across North America, Olive Garden has announced the topic for its 14th-annual Pasta Tales essay writing contest: “Describe a teacher who has inspired you in school and how they have impacted your life.”.

From Monday, Oct. 19 through Friday, Dec. 11, 2009, Olive Garden’s Pasta Tales contest will give young writers in first- through 12th-grade in the U.S. and Canada the opportunity to share their stories in essays of 50 to 250 words. Pasta Tales entry forms and complete rules will be available beginning Oct. 19 at www.olivegarden.com/company/community/pasta_tales.asp and on Oct. 26 at local Olive Garden restaurants..

The contest grand prize is a three-day trip to New York City including dinner at the Olive Garden in Times Square and a $2,500 savings bond. Winners also will be chosen in each grade category and will receive a $500 savings bond and a family dinner at their local Olive Garden restaurant.

Pasta Tales entries must include the writer’s name, complete address, phone number with area code, grade, date of birth including year and a statement that the work is their own. Entries must be submitted either online or postmarked by Dec. 11 and sent to Pasta Tales, PMB 2000, 6278 N. Federal Highway, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33308-1916.

Submissions will be judged based on creativity, adherence to theme, organization, grammar, punctuation and spelling by the Quill and Scroll Society of the College of Journalism and Communications at the University of Iowa, with finalists selected by Olive Garden.

Since its inception, Olive Garden’s Pasta Tales has provided young people in the communities it serves a way to creatively express the influences, experiences and stories that have shaped their lives. For more information about Pasta Tales, call Katie Lennon at (954) 776-1999, ext. 240 between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. EST.

Olive Garden is the leading restaurant in the Italian dining segment with 695 restaurants, more than 87,000 employees and $3.3 billion in annual sales. Olive Garden is a division of Darden Restaurants Inc. (NYSE:DRI), the world’s largest company-owned and operated full-service restaurant company. For more information, visit Olive Garden’s Web site at www.OliveGarden.com. “

Entries will be accepted from October 19 through December 11. Enter online here.
“Describe a teacher who has inspired you in school and how they have impacted your life."

Passport to Success 2009

2009-11-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

On Friday we held the Passport to Success 2009. It was a successful experience and I think most of the students really got a lot out of it. The purpose of this event was to give insight to 11^th and 12th grade students with identified disabilities that will provide them with information to be successful in post secondary education and training. Our keynote speaker was Jordan Sorrells, who is the quarterback for the Furman Paladins. Even though I didn’t tape the very beginning of his speech (I had the camera on the wrong settings), I got the rest of it which was truly a magnificent speech and I think it reached many of the students. I hope you enjoy the speech!

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/20/09

2009-11-20T06:00:00.000-05:00

Teaching Preservation – “From art to social studies, lessons that incorporate historic preservation go beyond typical textbook activities by teaching your students to recognize and appreciate the rich heritage that surrounds them.”

LitCharts – “the faster, downloadable alternative to Spark Notes.” You can read them online, in a pdf file or on your iphone

Coolfood kidz – fun and interesting nutrition information and building healthy eating habits.

Internet Safety – “This blog is a place to learn about internet safety, explore the myths, uncover the facts and discuss what it means to stay safe online today.”

Power Point Games - These games were created in PowerPoint. Download the templates and modify the games to fit your curriculum needs.

The K-12 Online Conference is Coming

2009-11-19T06:00:00.001-05:00

This is a great professional development opportunity! I have watched many of the webcasts and they are well worth attending. There are lots of great ideas and information that you can get from this and I encourage you to attend. The following is from their website:

“The K-12 Online Conference invites participation from educators around the world interested in innovative ways Web 2.0 tools and technologies can be used to improve learning. This FREE conference is run by volunteers and open to everyone. The 2009 conference theme is “Bridging the Divide.” This year’s conference begins with a pre-conference keynote by classroom teacher and international educator Kim Cofino the week of November 30, 2009. The following two weeks, December 7-11 and December 14-17, over fifty presentations will be posted online to our conference blog and our conference Ning for participants to view, download, and discuss. Live Events in the form of three “Fireside Chats” are listed on the events page of our conference Ning and Facebook fan page, and live events will continue in 2010 through twice-monthly “K-12 Online Echo” webcasts on EdTechTalk. Everyone is encouraged to participate in both live events during and after the conference as well as asynchronous conversations. Over 122 presentations from 2008, 2007, and 2006 are available, along with archived live events. Follow the K12 Online Conference on Twitter and Facebook!”

Educarnival v2 Issue 13

2009-11-18T06:47:00.001-05:00

The Carnival of Education is up on the midway at Epic Adventures are Often Uncomfortable. Don’t miss out on all the fun! See what is going on in the Edusphere. My article on Lessons I Learned from Knitting is there but there are lots of other great articles to read too! See you there and don’t eat too much cotton candy!

Body Language is Important

2009-11-18T06:00:00.002-05:00

I recently saw this video on youtube about Basic Communication. It was a great video to watch and to show my students.

It also was a great reminder to myself about how my body language affects my own communication to others. I began to think of the different people I communicate with and some things I want them to feel when we are communicating but I’m not sure I use the appropriate body language. By writing this down, I hope it will make me more aware the next time I am communicating with them.

My Colleagues – I want them to know that I value their opinions and thoughts. Even if I don’t agree with them, I need to be aware that there are more than one side to any story. I need to have an open mind to new ideas they may have and be willing to try some of them. There is so much that I can learn from my colleagues whether they are new to teaching or a veteran. By valuing their ideas and opinions, I hope they in turn will treat mine the same way.

My Students – I want my students to know that I have confidence in what I am teaching. I want them to feel inspired and motivated to learn. By showing enthusiasm and confidence, it will make learning new material more interesting for them. They need to know that when they try something new and face complications, that I will be there for them. By using the right body language, I can show them that I really care about them and their thoughts. I will also be modeling good communication skills to them.

My Friends – Sometimes I take my friends for granted. I assume that they will be there forever for me and that isn’t true. I need to make sure that I am focused on our conversations more instead of thinking about what I should be doing or what I want to say next. I really need to be engaged in our interactions. I also need to watch their body language to see if they are really saying what they mean. My friend might need emotional support but not being saying that in words. As a friend, I need to be there for this person like I would want her to be there for me.

My Family – Like friends, I take my family for granted. I might not be as polite to my family as I am to others and that isn’t right. I need to show my family how much I care for them and how much they mean to me. If I ignore them or act disinterested in their interests, it is sending a message that I don’t value them, which is not what I want to do.

Body language skills are so important to learn. These can make an impact on a job interview or a relationship. These skills may determine whether or not you are successful in what you are trying to do. Sometimes I like to videotape my class and let the students review it. We do not attack anyone or put them on the defensive but instead look at the body language and the message they are sending. Sometimes students don’t realize what message they are sending and this can make a difference.

I once had an argument with a colleague who asked me why I was so defensive and I told her that her tone of voice was making me feel that way. She did not realize that she was coming across that way and did not intend for her comments to be taken that way. She really worked on this when she had conversations with me and we really got along much better and was able to work on many projects together peacefully. It also made me more aware of how I come across to people.

Even though I think body language skills are important for my students to learn, I also think it is important to refresh my own skills. Like any skill, if you don’t use it, you lose it. I think that adults may take this skill for granted also, and not use it the way we should. Now I need to go check out what my family is doing and practice these skills!