Walton's Educational Newsletter

What Are New Literacies?

2013-04-30T09:06:00.000-07:00

To be deemed a literate person in today’s society; learners must be skilled in the new literacies of reading and technology. The internet and other forms of information and communication technologies (ICTs) are restructuring reading, writing, and how we communicate. Today the most common type ICTs are search engines, webpages, e-mail, instant message (IM), blogs, podcasts, e-books, wikis, YouTube, IPod’s, I Pads, and various educational apps. These are used daily as a supplement for teaching reading to students. As technology changes daily, reading teachers, classroom teachers, and literacy educators are being held responsible to successfully integrate these technologies into their curriculum to prepare students to become global competitors. Huntsville City School System has become one of the leading school districts to move their entire curriculum to digital. In a partnership with Pearson Education, they have moved all textbooks and supplements to online. This will ensure that each student is preparing for success in college and the workforce. there are at least four elements that apply to nearly all of the current perspectives being used to inform the broader dimensions of new literacies research (Coiro, 2008) : (1) The Internet and other ICTs require new social practices, skills, strategies, and dispositions for their effective use; (2) new literacies are central to full civic, economic, and personal participation in a global community; (3) new literacies rapidly change as defining technologies change; and (4) new literacies are multiple, multimodal, and multifaceted; thus, they benefit from multiple lenses seeking to understand how to better support our students in a digital age.

The Internet is immeasurably growing and becoming a part of every classroom instruction in developed nations around the world. The Internet has proven to be a valuable tool in many classrooms. Making the Internet available to classrooms does not ensure the maximum return will be gained by just making it available. Long term job embedded professional development that is personally relevant, actively engaging, and cognizant of the developmental process through which teacher’s integrate technology in their classrooms (Garry, 2012). Having successful, well trained teachers is recommended in many literacy programs. The idea of present-day literacy represents the essential skill set involved in effectively retrieving, handling, and effectively communicating information. In many educators’ efforts to modernize classrooms and update curriculum, teachers have logically focused on technology and integrating technology to create openings for students to gain important technical skills. When utilizing traditional literacies students were taught to just trust the information given. With new literacies, students must show proof of the information given. Students now have to find evidence within that vast global digital library that's relevant to what they are researching, assess the information to determine its value, and then organize that information into digital files or other personal e-libraries. Daily new literacies are rapidly advancing and changing. Improvements in the way teachers use technology in classrooms are growing at a swift pace. To ensure that students are able to compete on a global level, teachers must be trained in the ever changing world of new literacies. Reading has moved from the one classroom and one teacher concept. Today the world is education’s oyster and readers have access to global reading knowledge.

Test Anxiety. Does It Really Exist?

2013-04-04T16:37:00.002-07:00

Do you sweat, chew your pencil, and feel butterflies in your stomach as your teacher hands out a test? A lot of people (adults included) get freaked out when it's time to take a test. It's natural to feel some stress about taking tests. In fact, sometimes a little adrenaline (a hormone made by your body during times of excitement or stress) is a good thing to jump-start you.

Here are some tips for taking tests:

· First, be sure you've studied properly. It sounds like a no-brainer, but if you're sure of the information, you'll have less reason to be worried.

· Get enough sleep the night before the test. Your memory recall will be much better if you've had enough rest. In a scientific study, people who got enough sleep before taking a math test did better than those who stayed up all night studying.

· Listen closely to any instructions. As the teacher hands out the test, be sure you know what's expected of you.

· Read the test through first. Once you have the test paper in front of you, read over the entire test, checking out how long it is and all the parts that you are expected to complete. This will allow you to estimate how much time you have for each section and ask the teacher any questions. If something seems unclear before you start, don't panic: ask.

· Focus on addressing each question individually. As you take the test, if you don't know an answer, don't obsess over it. Instead, answer the best way you can or skip over the question and come back to it after you've answered other questions.

· Relax. If you're so nervous that you blank out, you might need a mini-break. Of course you can't get up and move around in the middle of a test, but you can wiggle your fingers and toes, take four or five deep breaths, or picture yourself on a beach or some other calm place. As we all know, it can be easy to forget things we know well — like a locker combination. The difference is we know we'll remember our locker combination because we've used it hundreds of times, so we don't panic and the combination number eventually comes back. During a test, if you blank out on something and start to get tense, it suddenly becomes much more difficult to remember.

· Finished already? Although most teachers will let you hand a test in early, it's usually a good idea to spend any extra time checking over your work. You also can add details that you may not have thought you'd have time for. On the other hand, if you have 5 minutes until the bell rings and you're still writing, wind up whatever you're working on without panicking.

These tips should help most people, but some can get serious test-taking terror. If you're one of them, you may need to talk to a parent, teacher, or counselor for help.

My Child Won't Stop Eating Boogers!

2013-03-05T17:03:00.001-08:00

Hey, get your finger outta there! Instead of picking them out, let's learn about those little blobs. Yeah, we're talking about boogers.

To understand what boogers are, you need to know about mucus (say: myoo-kus). Mucus is the sticky, slimy stuff that's made inside your nose. If you're like lot of kids, you have another name for nose mucus: snot. Your nose and sinuses make about a quart (about 1 liter) of snot every day.

Mucus has a pretty important job — it protects the lungs. When you breathe in air through your nose, it contains lots of tiny things, like dust, dirt, germs, and pollen. If these made it all the way to the lungs, the lungs could get irritated or infected, making it tough to breathe. Luckily, snot helps trap this stuff, keeping it in the nose and out of the lungs.

After this stuff gets stuck inside the nose, the mucus surrounds it and some of the tiny hairs inside the nose called cilia (say: sih-lee-uh). These hairs help move the mucus and the trapped stuff toward the front of the nose or the back of the throat. When the mucus, dirt, and other debris get dry and clump together, you're left with a booger.

Boogers can be squishy and slimy or tough and crumbly. Everybody gets them, so they're not a big deal. In fact, boogers are a sign that your nose is working the way it should!

If you have to get rid of boogers, your best bet is to blow 'em out of your nose and into a tissue. Picking your nose isn't a great idea because boogers contain lots of germs and because poking around in your nose can make it bleed. Consuming them is the ultimate NO! NO! No one will want to touch your hand or share a pencil or any material after seeing you do that! So remember mucus is something we all have, but not something we should share. Happy Hygiene!

Teaching Channel

2013-01-24T09:18:00.001-08:00

Teaching Channel is a video showcase—on the Internet and TV—of inspiring and effective teaching practices in America's schools. We have a rapidly growing community of registered members who trade ideas and share inspiration from each other.
With the help of the Tch community, our mission is to revolutionize how teachers learn, connect, and inspire each other to improve the outcomes for all K-12 students across America.
In order to accomplish this mission, we have three simple goals, all of them reliant on input from teachers:
• Build professional learning resources that teachers want
• Deepen and improve opportunities for teacher learning
• Elevate and celebrate teachers in our society
Our videos are produced by a unique team of professionals—a collaborative effort between video production experts, education advisors, and the classroom teachers themselves. We should point out that Teaching Channel does not determine or influence the content taught in our videos.
Our video library offers educators a wide range of subjects for grades K-12. The videos also include information on alignment with Common Core State Standards and ancillary material for teachers to use in their own classrooms.
Teaching Channel Presents, a weekly one-hour program featuring Tch videos, airs on PBS stations in nearly 75 million homes across the United States.
A non-profit organization, Teaching Channel launched publicly in June 2011.
*****All information taken fronm the teaching channel webpage******
Below is a link to The Teaching Channel. It is a great resource for teachers.
https://www.teachingchannel.org/?national=1

Four Basic Steps to Better Vocabulary

2013-01-11T18:21:00.001-08:00

While there are not any magic shortcuts to learning words, the larger your vocabulary becomes, the easier it will be to connect a new word with words you already know, and thus remember its meaning. So your learning speed, or pace, should increase as your vocabulary grows. There are four basic steps to building your vocabulary:

1. Be Aware of Words

Many people are surprised when they are told they have small vocabularies. “But I read all the time!” they protest. This shows that reading alone may not be enough to make you learn new words. When we read a novel, for instance, there is usually a strong urge to get on with the story and skip over unfamiliar or perhaps vaguely known words. But while it is obvious when a word is totally unknown to you, you have to be especially aware of words that seem familiar to you but whose precise meanings you may not really know.

Instead of avoiding these words, you will need to take a closer look at them. First, try to guess at a word's meaning from its context—that is, the sense of the passage in which it appears; second, if you have a dictionary on hand, look up the word's meaning immediately. This may slow down your reading somewhat, but your improved understanding of each new word will eventually speed your learning of other words, making reading easier. Make a daily practice of noting words of interest to you for further study whenever you are reading, listening to the radio, talking to friends, or watching television.

2. Read

When you have become more aware of words, reading is the next important step to increasing your knowledge of words, because that is how you will find most of the words you should be learning. It is also the best way to check on words you have already learned. When you come across a word you have recently studied, and you understand it, that proves you have learned its meaning.

What should you read? Whatever interests you—whatever makes you want to read. If you like sports, read the sports page of the newspapers; read magazines like Sports Illustrated; read books about your favorite athletes. If you are interested in interior decorating, read a magazine like House Beautiful—read it, don't just look at the photographs.

Often people with very low vocabularies don't enjoy reading at all. It's more of a chore for them than a pleasure because they don't understand many of the words. If this is the way you feel about reading, try reading easier things. Newspapers are usually easier than magazines; a magazine like Reader's Digest is easier to read than The Atlantic Monthly. There is no point in trying to read something you simply are not able to understand or are not interested in. The important idea is to find things to read you can enjoy, and to read as often and as much as possible with the idea of learning new words always in mind.

3. Use a Dictionary

Most people know how to use a dictionary to look up a word's meaning. Here are some pointers on how to do this as a part of a vocabulary-building program:

• Have your own dictionary

Keep it where you usually do your reading at home. You are more likely to use it if you do not have to get it from another room. At work, there may be a good dictionary available for your use. At home, most people do not have a big, unabridged dictionary; however, one of the smaller collegiate dictionaries would be fine to start with.

• Circle the words you look up

After you have done this for a while, your eye will naturally move to the words you have circled whenever you flip through the dictionary. This will give you a quick form of review.

• Read the entire entry for the word you look up

Remember, words can have more than one meaning, and the meaning you need for the word you are looking up may not be the first one given in your dictionary. Even if it is, the other meanings of the word will help you understand the different ways the word is used.

Also, the word's history, usually given near the beginning of the entry, can often give a fascinating picture of the way the word has developed its current meaning. This will add to the pleasure of learning the word as well as help you remember it.

4. Study and Review Regularly

Once you have begun looking up words and you know which ones to study, vocabulary building is simply a matter of reviewing the words regularly until you fix them in your memory. This is best done by setting aside a specific amount of time each day for vocabulary study. During that time you can look up new words you have noted during the day and review old words you are in the process of learning. Set a goal for the number of words you would like to learn and by what date, and arrange your schedule accordingly. Fifteen minutes a day will bring better results than half an hour once a week or so. However, if half an hour a week is all the time you have to spare, start with that. You may find more time later on, and you will be moving in the right direction.

In order to review words effectively, all the information on a word should be kept in one place—in a notebook, for example, or on an index card. Index cards are convenient because the words can be placed in alphabetical order, which makes them easy to find when reviewing; and the cards can be carried around with you, so you can study them anywhere. You should try to be systematic about studying, so that you are sure to review each word at least once every couple of weeks.
Do not throw cards away, though; you can get a great feeling of accomplishment by looking at the growing stack of words you have learned and by occasionally glancing at an old card and thinking, “Once I actually didn't know the meaning of this word!”

Five Tips for College Student's To Start The New Year .

2012-12-31T11:45:00.000-08:00

1. Don’t procrastinate. If you're like most college students, time is one of your most prized possessions. Manage it with the utmost care so you aren't always feeling rushed and stressed. Learning good time management skills (including how not to procrastinate in the first place) can be one of the best gifts you'll give yourself all year.

2. Learn to say "no." College is full of amazing, exciting, fantastic things. But there are only so many hours in a day, and only so much you can reasonably expect of yourself. Learn to say "no" early -- and to be okay with doing so -- so that you aren't constantly demanding more of yourself than you can actually deliver.

3. Get academic help, even if you don't think you need it. Sure, your paper will probably earn you a passing grade. But heading to the writing center, for example, for some helpful feedback just might make it an out-of-the-park-home-run paper. Why not take that extra moment of time and utilize the academic resources you have access to?

4. Make healthy choices. Instead of setting weight-loss or exercise goals, for example, aim to start small and make healthy choices. For example, you can decide to eat at least 2 more fruits or veggies a day, sleep at least 6 hours (if not more!) a night, exercise 3 times a week, or drink only one cup of coffee a day. Think about it in terms of making healthy choices (e.g., get more sleep at night) instead of avoiding unhealthy ones to set yourself up for a positive outlook.

5. Find fun, cheap ways to manage stress. Managing your stress may be one of the best resolutions you can make for the New Year. Learn how to take your mind off of things -- without blowing your budget, of course -- before your stress gets the best of you.

I Hate My Child's Teacher!

2012-12-20T20:05:00.001-08:00

When your child has a fantastic teacher, you are likely to see your child excited about learning and going to school. Yet, what should you do if the teacher is not so great, if your child complains about the teacher or problems arise? It's best to remain calm and have a plan of action.

If you think there may be a problem, here's a plan of action:

Gather the facts.

Try to remain objective and open-minded. If there is a problem, don’t immediately assume that it is entirely the teacher's fault; it could be a problem with your child or the school. If your school or teacher will allow it, sit in and observe what goes on in the classroom. If parent observation is not permitted, talk with other parents to see if their children are having problems. Also talk with parents whose child had this teacher in past years to determine if there is an ongoing problem.

Document the problems.

Write down the times and dates of incidents of a teacher's inappropriate behavior. If other parents are noticing problems, ask them to do the same.

Call or meet with the teacher.

Schedule a face-to-face meeting if you feel a phone call won't resolve the problem.

Approach the teacher as a professional and an ally.

Avoid a confrontational attitude and stick to the facts. Try to stay clear of personal criticism. Focus on classroom practices, curriculum and what you feel your child needs. Once you have had a conversation with the teacher, give him the opportunity and a fair amount of time to improve the situation.

Contact the principal.

If you don't see any progress after a few weeks, take your concerns to the principal. But be aware that it is always better if you can resolve the problem without involving the principal. Once you involve the principal, you cross a line, and your relationship and your child's relationship with the teacher will be forever changed.

Follow the school's policy.

Your school should have a policy on teacher-parent disagreements. Ask what the policy is and follow it. Give this process time to work.

Contact the district superintendent.

If you still haven't resolved the problem after speaking with the principal, contact the district superintendent. Ask what the district's policy is on evaluating teachers and how teachers are assigned to schools in the district. Gather other parents with you who are concerned about the teacher. Realize that this process takes time and may not end in a quick solution, but there is hope if you are persistent in working with other parents and continue to voice your concerns.

How to Teach A Culturally Diverse Classroom.

2012-11-23T07:59:00.000-08:00

Culture is central to learning. It plays a role not only in communicating and receiving information, but also in shaping the thinking process of groups and individuals. A pedagogy, or curriculum, that acknowledges, responds to, and celebrates fundamental cultures offers full, equitable access to education for students from all cultures.

Some of the characteristics of culturally responsive teaching are:

Positive perspectives on parents and families
Communication of high expectations
Learning within the context of culture
Student-centered instruction
Culturally mediated instruction
Reshaping the curriculum
Teacher as facilitator

Seek to understand parents' hopes, concerns and suggestions

Conduct needs assessments and surveys (in the parents' first language) of what parents expect of the school community
Establish parent-teacher organizations or committees to work collaboratively for the benefit of the students
Conduct home visits in which parents are able to speak freely about their expectations and concerns for their children

Keep parents apprised of services offered by the school

Send weekly/monthly newsletters (in the home language) informing parents of school activities
Conduct monthly meeting at parents' homes or community centers to inform parents of school activities
Host family nights at school to introduce parents to concepts and ideas children are learning in their classes and to share interactive journals

Gain cross-cultural skills necessary for successful exchange and collaboration

Research the cultural background of students' families
Visit local community centers to find out about the cultural activities and beliefs of the students
Tour students' neighborhoods to identify local resources and "funds of knowledge" (Moll et al., 1992)

Communicate clear expectations

Be specific in what you expect students to know and be able to do

Create an environment in which there is genuine respect for students and a belief in their capability

Encourage students to meet expectations for a particular task
Offer praise when standards are met

Vary teaching strategies

Use cooperative learning especially for material new to the students
Assign independent work after students are familiar with concept
Use role-playing strategies
Assign students research projects that focus on issues or concepts that apply to their own community or cultural group
Provide various options for completing an assignment

Bridge cultural differences through effective communication

Teach and talk to students about differences between individuals
Show how differences among the students make for better learning
Attend community events of the students and discuss the events with the students

Research students' experiences with learning and teaching styles

Ask educators who come from the same cultural background as the students about effective ways to teach them
Visit the communities of the students to find out how they interact and learn in that environment
Ask students about their learning style preferences
Interview parents about how and what students learn from them

Devise and implement different ways for students to be successful in achieving developmental milestones

Ensure success by setting realistic, yet rigorous, goals for individual students
Allow students to set their own goals for a project
Allow the use of the student's first language to enhance learning

Create an environment that encourages and embraces culture

Employ patterns of management familiar to students
Allow students ample opportunities to share their cultural knowledge
Question and challenge students on their beliefs and actions
Teach students to question and challenge their own beliefs and actions

Use resources other than textbooks for study

Have students research aspects of a topic within their community
Encourage students to interview members of their community who have knowledge of the topic they are studying
Provide information to the students on alternative viewpoints or beliefs of a topic

Develop learning activities that are more reflective of students' backgrounds

Include cooperative learning strategies
Allow students the choice of working alone or in groups on certain projects

Learn about students' cultures

Have students share artifacts from home that reflect their culture
Have students write about traditions shared by their families
Have students research different aspects of their culture

Vary teaching approaches to accommodate diverse learning styles and language proficiency

Initiate cooperative learning groups (Padron, Waxman, & Rivera, 2002)
Have students participate in book clubs or literature circles (Daniels, 2002)
Use student-directed discussion groups (Brisk & Harrington, 2000)
Speak in ways that meet the comprehension and language development needs of ELLs (Yedlin, 2004)

Utilize various resources in the students' communities

Have members of the community speak to students on various subjects
Ask members of the community to teach a lesson or give a demonstration (in their field of expertise) to the students
Invite parents to the classroom to show students alternative ways of approaching a problem (e.g., in math: various ways of dividing numbers, naming decimals, etc.)

Develop integrated units around universal themes. These tips will offer teachers an opportunity to affirm and validate those approaches and strategies they are already using and an openness to accept the reality that today’s students need more. A child does not care about what you know until a child knows that you care. Happy teaching.

Subtracting across zeros.

2012-11-06T17:50:00.001-08:00

Just a few tips to refresh your students memory on subtracting across zeros.

What style of learning best suits you?

2012-10-28T20:24:00.001-07:00

The three main types of learning styles: auditory, visual, and kinesthetic. A good number people learn best through a combination of the three types of learning styles, but each individual is different.

Auditory Learners: Hear
Auditory learners would rather listen to things being explained than read about them. Reciting information out loud and having music in the background may be a common study method. Other noises may become a distraction resulting in a need for a relatively quiet place.

Visual Learners: See
Visual learners learn best by looking at graphics, watching a demonstration, or reading. For them, it’s easy to look at charts and graphs, but they may have difficulty focusing while listening to an explanation.

Kinesthetic Learners: Touch
Kinesthetic learners process information best through a “hands-on” experience. Actually doing an activity can be the easiest way for them to learn. Sitting still while studying may be difficult, but writing things down makes it easier to understand.

Types of Learning Styles: What Everybody Should Know
Although most people use a combination of the three learning styles, they usually have a clear preference for one. Knowing and understanding the types of learning styles is important for students of any age. It is advantageous for students to understand their type of learning style early on so that homework and learning may become easier and less stressful in the future. Although it may be tempting to stick with what works, it’s important to practice and train the other types of learning styles early on so that, as he grows, the child can utilize the other types just as effectively.

The link below will take you to a free online learning style quiz.

http://www.edutopia.org/multiple-intelligences-learning-styles-quiz

How to Read Informational Text.

2012-10-21T19:19:00.002-07:00

The most important purpose of informational text is to convey information about the natural or social world, typically from someone presumed to know that information to someone presumed not to, with distinctive features such as headings and technical vocabulary to help accomplish that principle. By our definition, therefore, biography is nonfiction but is not informational text, because its primary purpose is to convey information about an individual’s life. Procedural or how-to text is also nonfiction, but not informational text because it’s primary purpose is to tell someone how to do something, not convey information about some thing.

Nonfiction narrative or “true stories” are also nonfiction but not informational text, because their primary purpose is to tell of an event or series of events that have occurred. This is not to say that biography, procedural text, nonfiction narrative, and other types of nonfiction are not important; they are just not the same as informational text.

Informational text is key to success in later schooling. We have all heard that from around fourth grade on, “reading to learn” is a major focus in school (Chall, 1983). Students encounter more textbooks and other forms of informational text as they move through the grades. The tests they take contain increasingly more difficult informational texts. College curricula are replete with a variety of informational readings. If we include more informational text in early schooling, we put children in a better position to handle the reading and writing demands of their later schooling. We would like to see a day when children “read to learn” and “learn to read” from the earliest days of school and throughout their school careers. The following is a listing of the five informational text structure:

1. Description

Signal Words: such as, for instance, in addition, also, specifically

Tips: Ask yourself: what specific person, place, thing, or idea is being described? Look for a topic word or phrase and for synonyms.

2. Problem and Solution

Signal Words: problem, issue, since, as a result, solution, idea, so, leads to, causes

Tips: Ask yourself: what is the problem and what is the solution?

Look for the problem first and then the solution

3. Compare and Contrast

Signal Words: similar, same, alike, both, as well as, unlike, as opposed to, on the other hand, in contrast, instead

Tips: Ask yourself: what is being compared?

How are they the same? How are they different?

4. Cause and Effect

Signal Words: since, because, if, due to, as a result of, causes, leads to, consequently, then, therefore

Tips: Ask yourself: what happened and why did it happen?

Remember, you are looking for a cause, not a solution.

5. Sequence

Signal Words: first, second, third, then, next, before, after, finally, following

Tips: Ask yourself: Is this event taking place over time?

Look for steps or references to time such as dates.

When researchers investigate the kinds of texts children like to read, they've found something that isn't surprising: Different children have very different reading preferences. Some children seem to prefer informational text, some seem to prefer narrative text, and many don’t seem to have preferences for any particular genre. Utilizing these tips for understanding informational text will turn your young reader into an informed reader.

How to Help Your Kids with their Homework

2012-10-08T18:57:00.001-07:00

Students who do their homework consistently tend to have better grades. It’s not always easy to get them to do their homework, especially after a busy day, but these tips can help:

Talk to your children about their homework. It’s important that your kids understand why it’s important to do their homework and the positive impact it has on grades. Homework helps them practice what they have learned as well as prepare them for upcoming classes. Plus, by doing their homework they develop the discipline and skills they need to be successful throughout their school years.

Talk to the teachers. Different teachers might expect different things from parents, so be sure to talk to them to figure out your role. For example, some teachers prefer parents review their kids’ homework; others prefer parents make sure kids do their homework. Teachers can also tell you how much time your child should spend doing homework and what to do if the homework is too easy or too difficult.

Select a fixed time to do homework. The best time to do homework is the one that works best for your child and you. It can be before or after playing, watching television or dinnertime. What’s important is that homework time is consistent. Avoid leaving it for the end of the day, when your child is tired and sleepy.

Pick a quiet area and eliminate distractions. To help your children focus on homework, pick a place in the house where there’s plenty of light and no distractions. It doesn't have to be fancy. It can be the kitchen table or a desk. Make sure the TV is off and put away electronic devices, unless they’re essential to doing homework.

Get them the resources they need. You don’t have to be an expert in all subjects to help your kids with homework. However, you need to make sure they have the tools they need to succeed. If you need expert help, you can always take them to the library or help them with their search online.

Edmodo is a way to stay connected to what's going on in your child"s classroom.

2012-09-30T20:41:00.001-07:00

At Edmodo, we help teachers make their classroom a community.

Edmodo provides teachers and students a secure place to connect and collaborate, share content and educational applications, and access homework, grades, class discussions and notifications. Our goal is to help educators harness the power of social media to customize the classroom for each and every learner.

Edmodo promotes anytime, anyplace learning. Functionally, it allows teachers to post messages, discuss classroom topics, assign and grade class work, share content and materials, and network and exchange ideas with their peers - but in reality, it is so much more. Take a peek at some of the unique ways teachers are using Edmodo to make their classroom a community.

In late 2008, Nic Borg and Jeff O'Hara, believing we need to evolve our school environment to reflect the connected world in which we live, set out to create a tool that closes the gap between how students live their lives and how they learn in school.

Parent accounts are a great way for parents to observe and stay up to date with their child’s Edmodo activities. With more and more parents signing up for Edmodo, we wanted to provide additional information and tips on how to get started, as well as our most frequently asked questions from parents.

5 Tips to Help Parents Get Started:

1. Parents should create a parent account, not a student or teacher account.

2. In order to create an account, parents will need their unique parent code. This is not the same as a group code, which is what students use to create an account. (See the below FAQ for information on where to retrieve the parent code)

3. Parents only need one parent code, regardless of whether their student has multiple teachers using Edmodo. Once their parent account is created, they will be able to see all of their student’s classes from that account.

4. Parents only need one account at all times. Parents can add multiple students to one account, or remove students if necessary.

5. Parents of younger children who are asked to create a student account for their child only need to create one account. The child/student will use the same account for all their classes and throughout all their years in school. The same rule applies for parent accounts- one account is used year after year, until your student/child graduates.

**all information taken from edmodo.com*****

ADHD and ADD...will it hurt my future?

2012-09-21T20:26:00.002-07:00

ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and ADHD (Attention Hyperactivity Deficit Disorder) are similar conditions. Fortunately, such conditions may be prevented or improved with diet and supplementation instead of risky mainstream drugs. The suspected culprits for increased behavior and attention problems are multiple: excessive sugar and high fructose corn syrup, lack of vital nutrients, increased environmental toxins, increased vaccinations, and exposure to microwaves and other electro magnetic radiation. In addition, lack of proper nurturing and parenting likely plays a big role as well. The school experience can be challenging for students with ADHD. Students usually are identified only after consistently demonstrating a failure to understand or follow rules or to complete required tasks. Other common reasons for referral include frequent classroom disruptions and poor academic performance.

Studies found that students with ADHD, compared to students without ADHD, had persistent academic difficulties that resulted in the following: lower average marks, more failed grades, more expulsions, increased dropout rates, and a lower rate of college undergraduate completion. The disruptive behavior sometimes associated with the disorder may make students with ADHD more susceptible to suspensions and expulsions. A study by Barkley and colleagues (1990b) found that 46 percent of their student study group with ADHD had been suspended and 11 percent had been expelled.

ADHD's core symptoms—inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity—make meeting the daily rigors of school challenging. Difficulty sustaining attention to a task may contribute to missing important details in assignments, daydreaming during lectures and other activities, and difficulty organizing assignments. Hyperactivity may be expressed in either verbal or physical disruptions in class. Impulsivity may lead to careless errors, responding to questions without fully formulating the best answers, and only attending to activities that are entertaining or novel. Overall, students with ADHD may experience more problems with school performance than their nondisabled peers. ADHD symptoms tend to look different in adults than in children. In adults, ADHD symptoms can include fidgeting, forgetfulness, an inability to relax, and difficulty with completing tasks, focusing attention, and maintaining relationships. Many people mistakenly believe that ADHD is a problem seen only childhood -- one that children "grow out of." Yet, about half of those who had ADHD in childhood -- nearly 5% of Americans -- continue to have it into adulthood.

The inattentiveness and difficulty finishing tasks that made it tough for children to sit still in school can evolve into self-esteem issues, trouble holding down a job, and substance abuse problems.

7 Tips to Better Articulation

2012-09-01T07:17:00.002-07:00

Education prepares us to become confident and articulate speakers. Employers look for people who are well spoken. Mastering articulation is mandatory for every public speaker (student or professional) to be easily understood and to make a strong impact on the audience.Below I will give a few articulation exercises and practical tips that will assist in helping you to articulate better and gain control over your verbal communication:

1. Focus on the tongue. The tongue plays a big part in shaping the words you speak; so every public speaker has to literally keep his tongue in check.

Here is an exercise that can help you control your tongue: Utter the alphabet A – utter it in such a larger than life manner, that your face breaks into a smile. When that happens, focus on your tongue – you will notice that it is minimally touching your teeth on both sides.

What has happened is that the distance between your tongue and the front of your mouth has shortened, making you emit a very clear sound! Practice these articulation exercises and you will gain tongue control and soon the words flowing out of your mouthpiece will sound crisp, clear and full of impact!

2. Strengthening the articulatory organs. Here is an easy diction articulation exercise that can help you strengthen all the face and body muscles that get involved while speaking – partice public speaking tongue twisters daily.

Think about it – if you can master the art of saying sentences such as Betty bought a bit of butter, but she found the butter bitter, so Betty bought a bit of better butter to make the bitter butter better crisply, then you can speak normal sentences with some real gusto!

That said, you have to follow these tips while speaking aloud tongue twisters:

Speak slowly.
Speak carefully.
Make sure the first and the last words are crisply spoken and avoid jumbling words.
Repeat the tongue twister at a faster speed till you reach a sound level of coherence, crispness and lucidity.

3. Download famous speeches, poems, or spoken word performances. And practice speaking them at home after you are through with the exercises mentioned above.

4. Buy video recordings of famous speakers is the fourth of my recommended articulation exercises. And practice the same by repeating after them. Of course, you do not have to follow their style and language. All you need to do is to listen how they emit words, phrases and terms, and how they emphasize certain words, and how they allow their language to flow.

5. Record what you are practicing. Focus your attention on the speech language patterns that are imperfect and work on them.

6. Practice simple breathing and meditation exercises. These will help you get a grip on your speech and control a motor-mouth, should you possess one.

7. Expert advice. Some experts say that speaking aloud and mastering the large passages of the well-known Gilbert and Sullivan's opera text lyrics Pirates of Penzance can help you effectively deliver the most complex speech. Good luck!

Completing a few of these simple, yet effective, articulation exercises that can make you an articulate public speaker.

Yes... even middle school age children need help with literacy!

2012-08-26T14:14:00.001-07:00

Middle school age children need continuous guidance with reading. Because of the importance of reading and literacy, we consistently urge classroom teachers, school-based educators, educational policy makers; family and community members take the following actions to improve the literacy performance of all middle level students.

Specifically, classroom teachers should:

Engage in whole school planning to implement components of a successful school- or district-wide literacy learning plan that is integrative and interdisciplinary.
Collaborate with administrators, librarians, guidance counselors, intervention specialists and other school-based educators to improve reading instruction and achievement.
Interpret assessment data and make information available to other teachers and school-based educators.
Provide opportunities for students to read material they choose and for students to be read to each school day.

State/District Leaders and Policymakers should:

Provide needed funding for schools to implement high-quality literacy programs in their school.
Provide needed funding to insure that all young adolescents are surrounded in their classroom and school libraries by a plethora of new, interesting, and diverse reading materials.
Provide funding for staff development of all school personnel so that they understand how to integrate reading instruction across content areas and school setting.
Work to enact legislation that will further school and district-wide efforts to improve student reading achievement.
Provide mentoring opportunities for new teachers so that they can learn ways of supporting young adolescent literacy learning.

School-Based Educators should:

Become knowledgeable about literacy learning.
Provide professional development opportunities so that all teachers are able to facilitate literacy learning in all curricular areas.
Provide modeling and coaching to introduce new instructional strategies for integrating reading instruction across all subjects.
Provide opportunities for teachers to read to students during the school day.
Guide students in selecting books to read and provide for multiple opportunities to respond to texts in writing.
Know what to look for in good literacy learning classrooms.
Coordinate efforts in school and district for improved literacy learning.
Integrate literacy throughout the curricula recognizing the multidisciplinary nature of reading instruction.

Teacher educators should:

Provide both pre-service and in-service teachers with an understanding of the literacy learning process, a repertoire of strategies for enhancing learning in the content areas, and methods for improving vocabulary development.
In partnership with schools, provide professional development opportunities for all teachers to become expert reading instructors in their content area.
Model good reading instructional practices in their college and university classrooms.

Families and community members should:

Be positive role models for reading and writing.
Provide an abundance of reading materials and exhibit a positive attitude about reading and writing.
Encourage young adolescents to read.
Be engaged as partners with the school in the academic lives of adolescents.

What are common core standards, and why should you care?

2012-08-12T13:21:00.003-07:00

What is the Common Core State Standards Initiative?

The Common Core State Standards Initiative is a state-led effort to establish a shared set of clear educational standards for English language arts and mathematics that states can voluntarily adopt. The standards have been informed by the best available evidence and the highest state standards across the country and globe and designed by a diverse group of teachers, experts, parents, and school administrators, so they reflect both our aspirations for our children and the realities of the classroom. These standards are designed to ensure that students graduating from high school are prepared to go to college or enter the workforce and that parents, teachers, and students have a clear understanding of what is expected of them. The standards are benchmarked to international standards to guarantee that our students are competitive in the emerging global marketplace.

What does it mean for my child?

The standards were designed to prepare students to succeed in today’s global marketplace and have an increased emphasis on critical thinking and 21st-century skills. The development of these skills begins in the early grades to allow teachers adequate time to teach the advanced material, and to give students adequate time to master it. The standards emphasize not just memorizing conceptual understanding and progressive learning.

Parents should expect to see students engaged in building their analytical thinking skills and applying what they have learned rather than simply memorizing information. More 21st-century skills will be integrated, and the rigor or work will require additional student perseverance and cooperation.

Literacy and mathematics skills that students learn in the first grade and subsequent grades have been aligned to what they will learn in upper grades, resulting in a coherent learning progression across each grade level.

For answers to more frequently asked questions about Alabama Common Core Standards, click on the link below.

http://www.alsde.edu/general/ALCCS_Frequently_Asked_Questions.pdf

5 Classroom Rules of Whole Brain Teaching

2012-08-05T11:06:00.000-07:00

In researching the dreaded topic of classroom management, I was introduced to "Whole Brain Teaching." I was impressed with the simple format and the fact that research based strategies were being put to great use. I was so impressed that I wanted to share the 5 classroom rules of whole brain teaching with you. I am copying and sharing the work of Jeff Battle, from North Carolina. In my opinion this program is a great way to keep classroom management fresh, new, and engaging. See article below written by Jeff Battle.

Jeff Battle, Director, North Carolina Whole Brain Teachers

jkbattle@gmail.com

The following are five classroom rules that will make your life amazingly easier. One of them is nuclear power in your hands!

If rules are only posted on your board they are not really a part of your class. You must have the rules running around in your students’ heads for them to be effective. It will also help you quiet extra talking in the class. Look for that as you read.

Teach them as follows:

Rule One:Follow directions quickly! (the gesture: make your hand shoot forward like a fish)

Rule Two:Raise your hand for permission to speak (the gesture: raise your hand, then pull it down next to your head and make a talking motion. This rule will be the most commonly violated. See below for how you stop this without criticism or negativity.)

Rule Three:Raise your hand for permission to leave your seat. (the gesture: raise your and, and then make a little walking figure with your index and middle finger.)

Rule Four:Make smart choices! (the gesture: tap one finger to your temple as you say each word.

Rule Five:Keep your dear teacher happy! (the gesture: hold up each thumb and index finger out like an “L” framing your face; bob your head back and forth with each word and smile really big!)

In elementary school, rehearse the rules first thing in the morning, after lunch and after each recess. When you call out the rule number, your students respond with the rule itself and the correct gesture. Make the rehearsals as entertaining as possible; use a variety of voices (happy, robot, froggy) and tempos, fast, slow, super fast. For additional fun, ask of your liveliest students to lead the rules rehearsal.

Rule Two will be the most commonly violated, duh. You do not have to call anyone down; you do not have to mention names. If you are addressing the class and some kids are talking, you stop, hold up two fingers and loudly say “RULE TWO!”

Every kid in your class should repeat rule two energetically with gestures. This signals the violators to stop talking ... without you needing to scold them.

Rule Five is nuclear power. Think about it- keep your dear teacher happy. THERE IS NO LOOPHOLE! No student can convince you that they are making you happy. You are the world's greatest authority on what makes you happy. If they try to convince you they are making you happy, immediately inform them that does not make you happy.

If a student complains that they don’t know how to make you happy, tell them that following the first four rules will be just dandy.

Rule Five has no loophole.

If parents ask why their child should worry about making you happy, respond that you have the responsibility to teach their child and every other child in that class. The happier you are, the better you can do your job.

Now, let's think briefly, about how these five classroom rules relate to brain structure. The brain learns in five ways, by seeing, saying, hearing, doing and feeling. When you teach the rules with the Whole Brain signs, your students' brains are maximally operative. They see the signs, hear the rules, say the rules and make the gestures. If you are upbeat and entertaining in your presentation, and of course you are!, your students will also have the lovely feeling of having fun. Also note that for all five modes of brain learning to take place for your students, you have to engage in all five modes yourself. Whole Brain Teaching is as great for the instructor's brain as the students'!

Here's to a healthy start to a new school year.

2012-07-29T06:17:00.002-07:00

It's school time again! You're probably feeling excited and maybe a little sad that summer is over. Some kids feel worried or a little scared on the first day of school because of all the new things: new teachers, new friends, and maybe even a new school. Luckily, these "new" worries only stick around for a little while. Let's find out more about going back to school.

The First Day

Most teachers kick off the school year by introducing themselves and talking about all the stuff you'll be doing that year. Some teachers give students a chance to tell something about themselves to the rest of the class.

When teachers do the talking on the first day, they often go over classroom rules so you'll know what's allowed and what's not. Pay close attention so you'll know if you need to raise your hand to ask a question and what the rules are about visiting the restroom.

You might already know a lot of kids in your classes on the first day. But it's a great day to make a new friend, so try to say hello to kids you know and new ones that you don't. Make the first move and you'll be glad you did and so will your new friend!

Feeling Good on Day One

Seeing friends you haven't seen in a while can make the first day a good one. You also can make the day feel special by wearing an outfit you like. Maybe you got a great T-shirt on vacation, or your new sneakers put a spring in your step. If you wear a uniform, you might wear a favorite watch, a new hair band, or a piece of jewelry to show your personal style.

It can make you feel good to be prepared and have all the supplies you need. Some schools distribute supply lists before the year begins, so you can come stocked up on pencils, folders, and whatever else you'll be needing. Once you've covered the basics, you might tuck an extra few dollars in your backpack for an emergency (like forgetting your lunch money). Or maybe you'd like to bring along a book or magazine to read while you're on the bus.

Whatever you put in your backpack, make sure you pack it the night before. This prevents the morning panic when you can't find your homework or lunch box. Speaking of lunch, that's something else that can help you feel good at school — whether it's the first day or the 100th day. Help your parents pack it the night before if you don't like what's on the menu at the cafeteria. Try to include a variety of foods in your packed lunch, especially fruits and vegetables.

A Bad Start?

What if you hate school by the end of day one? Teachers recommend giving things some time to sort themselves out — once you know your way around the building and get adjusted to the new routine, you'll probably feel better. If those feelings don't fade, talk to your mom, dad, teacher, or school counselor.

Here are a few final tips for a fantastic school year:

Get enough sleep.
Eat a healthy breakfast.
Try your best.
Use good work habits, like writing down your assignments and turning in your homework on time.
Take your time with school work. If you don't understand something, ask the teacher.

Keep a sense of humor. One teacher we know shows his new students a picture of himself graduating high school — a grinning goofy guy in a red graduation cap and gown. This usually makes the kids laugh, and it's a good way to remind them that school is fun!

How to start having a problem free school year.

2012-07-24T20:00:00.002-07:00

Remember that unpleasant incident from last year? You do? Then it's time to put it to bed. It's the past! If last year wasn't a first-rate school year for your child, you should be even more bound and determined to make this year better than last year! "But you just don't understand. Last year this happened or my child …" Unless something tragic and life changing happened last year in school, then it's safe to say, it doesn't really matter what happened last year, this is a new year; a fresh year. You may not always be able to change a situation. However you (and your child) have power to change your reactions to situations. Let's take a few examples of what may have happened last year to make it not so good.

Embarrassment – It's tough being a kid. Things cause us to be mortified. Ever wet your pants in school? My best friend did. He wanted to die. He thought he'd never live it down. I'm pretty sure he's the only person on the planet who remembers that. Teach your child to try to make light of embarrassing situations. Sure that's easier said than done, but if he can laugh with others, it won't be so traumatic.

Friendship drama. She's not my friend anymore. I was the only person not invited to the party! I can't believe she said that to me. Unfortunately, hurt feelings are a part of life. Acknowledge your child's feelings and put it behind you – it's a new year.

Situation with a teacher. I heard of one 4th grader who didn't report to the safety meeting at the end of the school year. He told the teacher/coordinator that he forgot about the meeting and asked if he could still be a safety. The teacher said no because the student didn't demonstrate responsibility. The child fretted for weeks that he'd actually be assigned to that teacher the following year. In his mind, "he hated that teacher". Guess what? That child was in that teacher's class. And that child ended up loving the teacher and having an excellent year.

Remind your child that things are not always as bad as they seem. Remind them that things have a way of working their selves out.  Remind them to worry about nothing.  Ninety percent of the things we worry about never happen; and as for the other ten percent, it's out of our span of control anyway. Teach them to make their motto the motto of one of their favorite Disney movie, The Lion King. Hakuna Matata! What a wonderful

phrase. Make it your problem free philosophy for the school year.

How to Differentiate Instruction

2012-07-14T15:38:00.001-07:00

After having read what the research has to offer on differentiated instruction, specifically, brain-based research on learning, learning styles and multiple intelligences, and authentic assessment, you are now ready to plan.

Step 1- Know Your Students
Determine the ability level of your students.
This can be done by surveying past records of student performance to determine capabilities, prior learning, past experiences with learning, etc.
Survey student interests.
It is also important to get to know your students informally. This can be done by an interest inventory, an interview/conference, or asking students to respond to an open-ended questionnaire with key questions about their learning preferences (depending on the age group).
Is behavior management a problem?
This is key when planning for activities that require less structure. However, it is still important to determine learning styles and preferences for students who may have a hard time controlling their behaviors. Sometimes knowing preferences can help to motivate students to attend to any tasks that are presented.

Step 2- Have a Repertoire of Teaching Strategies
Because "one size does not fit all," it is imperative that a variety of teaching strategies be used in a differentiated classroom. Among many teaching strategies that can be considered, there are four worth mentioning: direct instruction, inquiry-based learning, cooperative learning, and information processing models.
Direct Instruction
This is the most widely used and most traditional teaching strategy. It is teacher centered and can be used to cover a great amount of material in the amount of time teachers have to cover what students need to learn. It is structured and is based on mastery learning. More information can be found on:
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/methods/models/
Inquiry-based Learning
Inquiry-based learning has become very popular in teaching today. It is based on the scientific method and works very well in developing critical thinking and problem solving skills. It is student centered and requires students to conduct investigations independent of the teacher, unless otherwise directed or guided through the process of discovery. For more information, go to:
http://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/inquiry/
Cooperative Learning
Probably one of the most misunderstood strategies for teaching is "cooperative learning." Yet, if employed properly, cooperative learning can produce extraordinary results in learning outcomes. It is based on grouping small teams of students heterogeneously according to ability, interest, background, etc. However, one of the most important features of cooperative learning is to pick the best strategy that will be used to assign the task for students to accomplish. The more popular strategies include JigsawII, STAD-Student Teams, or Group Investigation. For more information, go to:
http://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/cooperative_learning/
Information Processing Strategies
Teaching students "how to" process information is a key factor in teaching students how to strategically organize, store, retrieve, and apply information presented. Such strategies include, but are not limited to, memorization, KWL, reciprocal teaching, graphic organizing, scaffolding, or webbing. More information on this topic can be found at:

http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/methods/info_processing/

Step 3- Identify a Variety of Instructional Activities
Engaging students in the learning process using activities that motivate and challenge students to remain on task is probably one of the most frustrating events in the teaching learning process. But if you know your students' profiles, you have a better chance at keeping them on task to completion of any given assignment or activity. In a differentiated classroom, activities are suited to the needs of students according to the mixed ability levels, interests, backgrounds, etc. For example, if you have English language learners in your class, you need to provide activities that are bilingual in nature or that provide the necessary resources for students to complete the activity with success. Good activities require students to develop and apply knowledge in ways that make sense to them and that they find meaningful and relevant. Ideas for activities can be found at:
http://www.teach-nology.com/teachers/lesson_plans/

Step 4- Identify Ways to Assess or Evaluate Student Progress
Once again, we cannot assume that "one size fits all." As a result, varying means of student assessment is necessary if students are to be given every opportunity to demonstrate authentic learning. Authentic assessment has been around for a long time and is now taking the limelight as we attempt to measure students' progress in a fair and equitable way. A variety of assessment techniques can include portfolios, rubrics, performance-based assessment, and knowledge mapping. For more information on this topic go to:
http://www.teach-nology.com/currenttrends/alternative_assessment/
The Bottom Line
Differentiated instruction is about using teaching strategies that connect with individual student's learning strategies. The ultimate goal is to provide a learning environment that will maximize the potential for student success. The important thing to remember is to hold on to the effective teaching strategies that lead students to positive learning outcomes and to make adjustments when necessary. It's about being flexible and open to change. It's also about taking risks and trying teaching and learning strategies that you would have otherwise ignored. It's about managing instructional time in a way that meets the standards and also provides motivating, challenging, and meaningful experiences for school age students who are socialized to receive and process information in ways that require differentiation of experience. These are very exciting times for the teaching profession, we are faced with a generation of learners who are challenging us to think about how we deliver instruction.

F.O.C.U.S on Classroom Management.

2012-07-07T19:52:00.001-07:00

Effective teachers are passionate about educating their students. They want to spend their time teaching, not dealing with classroom disruptions. A good plan that is well thought out lets you start your journey, having already seen what it will be like to arrive at your destination. In other words, it helps you see where you will end up before you even take the first action steps.

The problem often is that the classroom management plans we create are more concerned with being a kind of roadmap, full of busy steps along the way to what we believe will be successful classroom management, whereas what might be more useful is a compass and a clear idea of what lies at the end of our journey. As teachers we need vision more than specific directions.We all find our own way to being the kind of classroom practitioners we become, and we sometimes deceive ourselves that moving forward in planned steps is the same as moving in the right direction.

Reality check. Nobody should pretend it's easy to draft a classroom management plan that works, and I know there's a lot to be gained from the mistakes we all make. I've lost count of the number of classroom management plans I've started and abandoned, and I'm sure that I learnt something from each one. But there is a better way to plan for classroom management success. For great tips on classroom management, click on the link below.

https://www.teachingchannel.org/videos?landing_page=Classroom+Culture+Behavior+Landing+Page&gclid=CJXHs_SIibECFQgHnQodMV3ymw

Using Positive and Negative Numbers

2012-07-02T10:59:00.000-07:00

Here is your cheat sheet to help you remember what to do with positive and negative numbers (integers) with adding, subtracting, multiplying and dividing.

Time Required: 20 Minutes & Practice

Here's How:

1. Adding Rules:

Positive + Positive = Positive: 5 + 4 = 9
Negative + Negative = Negative: (- 7) + (- 2) = - 9

Sum of a negative and a positive number: Use the sign of the larger number and subtract

(- 7) + 4 = -3
6 + (-9) = - 3
(- 3) + 7 = 4
5 + ( -3) = 2

2. Subtracting Rules:

Negative - Positive = Negative: (- 5) - 3 = -5 + (-3) = -8
Positive - Negative = Positive + Positive = Positive: 5 - (-3) = 5 + 3 = 8
Negative - Negative = Negative + Positive = Use the sign of the larger number and subtract (Change double negatives to a positive)
(-5) - (-3) = ( -5) + 3 = -2
(-3) - ( -5) = (-3) + 5 = 2

3. Multiplying Rules:

Positive x Positive = Positive: 3 x 2 = 6
Negative x Negative = Positive: (-2) x (-8) = 16
Negative x Positive = Negative: (-3) x 4 = -12
Positive x Negative = Negative: 3 x (-4) = -12

4. Dividing Rules:

Positive ÷ Positive = Positive: 12 ÷ 3 = 4
Negative ÷ Negative = Positive: (-12) ÷ (-3) = 4
Negative ÷ Positive = Negative: (-12) ÷ 3 = -4
Positive ÷ Negative = Negative: 12 ÷ (-3) = -4

Tips:

1. When working with rules for positive and negative numbers, try and think of weight loss or poker games to help solidify 'what this works'.

2. Using a number line showing both sides of 0 is very helpful to help develop the understanding of working with positive and negative numbers/integers.

Teaching Word Learning Strategies

2012-06-21T18:15:00.001-07:00

Because most words are learned indirectly through multiple exposures, it is important to teach word learning strategies. When teachers teach their students how to look for meaningful word parts in new words or to infer word meanings from context, they are teaching valuable word-learning strategies. Content-area texts contain a large proportion of specialized vocabulary with Latin and Greek word parts or roots. When vocabulary instruction includes Latin and Greek roots, teachers are equipping their students to better understand many content area concepts.

In this short clip, watch how the teacher breaks down the concept word, ecosystem, into smaller meaningful parts.

http://courses.edtechleaders.org/EfE_Videos/video.html?video=E3_Videos/e3_greek_root/e3_greek_root&speed=high

Ten Ways to Connect Reading and Writing

2012-06-10T17:36:00.000-07:00

Here are ten ways to connect reading and writing.

1. Predictable books: Begin by reading aloud a book that has a predictable ending. Stop reading the book before the ending is reached. Have students create scenarios describing how the story will end. In other words, let the students finish writing the book.

2. Journal writing: While reading a book, have students select a character and write a journal entry from that person's perspective. This activity works really well with mature students and chapter books.

3. Letter/Postcard Formats: Students select a character and communicate with that character using a letter or postcard. Encourage students to ask questions and express their feelings about what is happening in the story.

4. Fairy-tale transformations: Students write their own fairy-tale or fable using a well-known story as a guide. An example would be taking the story of Goldilocks and the Three Bears and transforming it into Goldilocks and the Three Hares, or Moldy Socks and the Three Shoes.

5. Writing extensions: Students write a story or extension to a book using either one or all of the characters, the setting, and the plot. An example would be writing a story about Frodo from the Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien based upon the rich setting and plot of this book. This is especially helpful for students who have a difficult time deciding what to write about since it provides a background and place for their writing.

6. Poetry: Students write their own poetry using a poem that they have read as a model. This is especially fun when students write parody poems in which they take serious poems and re-write them to be humorous.

7. Skits: Primary students love to re-enact their favorite stories. To help connect reading and writing, offer a "skit slot" during the week in which students can use the story from books to write skits. In doing this, it is important to emphasize the need to write the skit, as well as to take time to rehearse. Skits provide a tremendous opportunity for students to not only practice writing while creating the skit, but also to practice reading while rehearsing.

8. Online Book Author Project: This project integrates reading, writing, and technology into an authoring project in which students write their own books. Students can work together as individuals or as small groups. This project is best implemented as a thematic unit in which a book is written over several weeks in a series of steps. In preparation for writing, students will need to learn not only about the writing process, but also about the literary elements found in literature. As these ideas are discussed and accompanied with relevant activities, examples from books could be used to connect and reinforce the ideas. Story maps, diagrams, and storyboards could also be used to identify the structure of a story as books are being read as well as during the writing process. Students would subsequently write their own story using what they have learned. After a revision process, the story would then be made into an online book added to the school online website for peers, parents, and teachers to view. If a website is not available, the students' projects could be saved to a disc or blog to be shared with others.

9. Book Blog: Each week, give the students an opportunity to write a short response to something that they read during silent reading, group reading, or partner reading. Administer the blog by providing suggested ideas for responses each week. For example, one of the captions for a week could be, "Where have you been? Describe a place, or setting that you read about this week. Why did you choose it? Would you change anything about it?" Another example for a caption could be, "Rap your book! Choose a book or a chapter from a book, you read this week. Write it as a rap, or poem if you prefer. Include characters, plot, and setting".

10. Inquiry-based Research Project: Not all students will be interested in fiction books. Some students will be more interested in reading about scientific or historical nonfiction, such as the solar system, animals and their habitats, or the civil rights movement. Nonfiction literature provides a wonderful opportunity to encourage students to learn through inquiry in which they research topics that they find interesting. Allow the students to self-select a topic of interest so they will stay motivated. Provide guidelines, a timeline, and clear expectations for the project. Consider breaking away from the traditional mold of research papers and allow students to present their data through slideshow presentations, skits, or videos. Just make sure students are still accountable to write what they have learned and to cite sources.