The Demeter School

Towson University Graduate

staciljess — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 22:53:11 +0000

Its official. I am now a graduate of Towson University. I can now devote my time to Early Childhood Education FULL TIME! I am very excited and I hope you will remain a reader as there will be much more to come! Thanks for sticking with me and Happy Holidays!

Stay Tuned…

staciljess — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 20:48:00 +0000

Stay Tuned for Demeter to return. Mid - Decemeber 2007.

Summer…A Time for Learning!?

staciljess — Tue, 26 Jun 2007 05:50:35 +0000

So summer is officially here! Schools out and the children are off the hook from reading, writing, and arithmetic! Right?

Summer is a great time for parents and caregivers to join in the fun of learning! Also, parents can help prevent “summer loss syndrome” which happens to many children over the summer.

Help them be prepared for school by taking part in simple and fun activities that you can incorporate into your summer plans. Check out the NEA site (as always) for great tips and advice from Read Across America!

Banning Together-Changing NCLB

staciljess — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 23:24:29 +0000

A recent article from the National Education Association names 5 National Education groups who are rallying for changes to the NCLB act, soon to be up for re-authorization.

The groups are urging Congress to focus on five areas of change:

*A redesign of the federal accountability framework to improve public schools rather than abandon them.
*Valid, reliable, unbiased assessment systems that are aligned with state standards.
*Maximum flexibility for states and school districts to address the assessment and learning needs of English language learners and students with disabilities.
*Helpful interventions tailored to the needs of schools and communities rather than the current system of punitive sanctions.
*Determination of the qualifications of principals, teachers, and other education professionals by states and local school districts.

I will keep everyone updated on this…

Demeter School- Winner of the 2007 Community Service Award!

staciljess — Sun, 03 Jun 2007 23:16:19 +0000

I must apologize for my recent decline in posts. I am working very hard on earning my degree while pursuing my advocacy work for children.

While I was away, a very exciting event happened for The Demeterschool.com! The site received the distinguished honor as the 2007 Community Service Award Winner from Towson University!

I must give thanks to Evolver Media for their assistance and investment into this site.

Our work is still not done…

A Must Read Novel

staciljess — Tue, 03 Apr 2007 01:45:05 +0000

I normally suggest reading material for children or non-fiction books for parents and teachers as a source of reference and helpful information. But I had to notify my readers of my newest find.

I recently began a new Jodi Picoult book (author of “My Sister’s Keeper and many others) entitled Nineteen Minutes. Though the book is a tough (by that I mean emotional, like most of her books) it is a MUST for parents and teachers. The story is about student bullies, classroom violence, and the ultimate school tragedy.

Also, for more insight on the author’s views, there are live chats that can help you express your opinions on these issues.

Remember: These are OUR CHILDREN!

PS. Please expression your views and concerns….

Homework?

staciljess — Mon, 02 Apr 2007 02:16:55 +0000

Lately on the news I have been hearing about an ongoing debate about homework. Good? Or Bad? Is it helpful to children in primary years or is it a waste of time that could be spent with family?
Let me know what you think…

The Power of Block Building

staciljess — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 06:27:51 +0000

In the October 2003 issue of the NCTM magazine, I read the article “The Power of Block Building”. I choose this article because it gave facts and evidence to our “world of data” on the power of play. Beth Casey and Barbara Cobb wrote about the mathematical benefits of blocks in the classroom and specifically focused on the book Sneeze Builds a Castle, which challenges children to use math concepts while building structures for Sneeze.
Casey and Cobb begin the article by explaining the benefits that most already recognized of block building. For example, balance, motor skill, and imaginary play. But since the increasing need for data and accountability the authors looked at the research on how block building improves math skills. Some positive evidence they discovered included that students who participate in block building at early ages have a better chance at achieving success in math in the elementary grades. Even gender differences in block building skills where recognized. Studies showed that boys built more complex structures then the girls did which suggests that “early intervention to develop spatial skills is needed, particularly for girls”.
The article introduces a book, Sneeze Builds a Castle, to help motivate the children in this play. Sneeze becomes involved with many problems that the children need to help solve. They learn to investigate how to build bridges and parts of Sneeze’s castle by using the blocks. There is a series of stories that go along with Sneeze’s journeys and the articles provides some classroom examples of how they involved the mathematical concepts into the block building lesson.
I can remember when I was younger playing with Legos. I would always build a house. Every single time. Maybe the rooms in the house would change, but my brother could always predict what I was going to make. I found this interesting when I read that in the elementary school and middle school levels, “boys build more architecturally sophisticated structures than girls do”. The article explains that these spatial skills are so important at younger ages, which is a good “defender” of block building.
I was also very excited to see a fictional character like Sneeze being played out in the classroom to reinforce math. When I think of math, I think of worksheets and workbooks. It is so wonderful to see it going in the direction that we know works! I was surprised to see that when the children played with the blocks, they reinforced their mathematical vocabulary such as “turn, flip, and slide”. The children really did use so many concepts and skills while investigating their problems. I even saw integration with others lessons such as science (exploring, discovering) and history (researching the background of castles and bridges).
This article gave me even more ideas about thinking “outside the box”when it comes to teaching mathematics. I enjoyed the integration of subjects, the play aspect of the lessons, and how the children were meeting objectives in creative fun ways. It also provided insight on the gender issue of education that I never planned for in my lessons. The article gave teacher ideas on how to implement this in the classroom and stressed the importance of new ways to approach mathematical concepts.