tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-81263381770234757892024-03-13T12:10:29.338-07:00Christina's Educational BlogA nation's culture resides in the hearts and in the soul of its people. ~Mohandas GandhiChristinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.comBlogger49125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-60200200258245233942010-01-22T11:51:00.000-08:002010-01-22T12:04:37.671-08:00I'm tired of....Question of the day: "What are you tired of?"<br /><br />This is not to be answered literally, but a way to get your voice heard about various organizations ranging from illnesses to discrimination, many of which, face our nation today.<br /><br />There are global issues that touch us all, and make us want to advocate change, things like animal cruelty, world hunger and discrimination. These are causes you want to get behind, because witnessing the devastation, neglect, and violence is almost too much to bear. There’s so much to be done in the world. The big question is, how do we make a difference? OK, so we’re not Bill Gates or Angelina and Brad with millions of dollars to donate to our favorite causes and charities. Many of us work hard just to make ends meet. But, we’re tired…tired of global warming, cancer and heart disease. Yet, we just don’t know how our small contributions could possibly make a dent in changing anything. And because we all want to help in any way possible, this website (<a href="http://www.imtiredonline.com/">http://www.imtiredonline.com/</a>) was created to do just that.<br /><br />Their products? Well...100% recyclable material used, both Eco friendly and fashionable. The founders (Dan and Carrie)designed and created the bracelets out of recycled tires and metal. Last, but not least, the bracelets are completely made in the USA.<br /><br />Remember: <strong>For every $10 bracelet you buy, they donate half the sale ($5) to important causes. You pick the cause and your bracelet and the donation will automatically be made on your behalf.</strong><br /><br />So what are you "<strong>tired</strong>" of?Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-77907935840967608202009-07-09T15:42:00.000-07:002009-07-09T15:47:42.063-07:00SMARTboardI attended a great crash course on how to use and teach with a smart board. Not all school districts have smart boards in their classroom, but many schools are trying to get the funds to <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">incorporate</span> them into the classroom. They are very useful and a great way to bring teaching to life. Although it does take some time and lots of practice getting to know how to use this new form of technology, it is very <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">beneficial</span> and rewarding. There is a website that anyone can log-on to and try a FREE 30 day trial to get used to working with a smart board and also help you prepare a sample demo for the future...or a upcoming interview! Check it out: <a href="http://www.smarttech.com/">www.smarttech.com</a><br /><br />Have Fun!Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-33640125698130941442009-06-04T12:39:00.000-07:002009-06-04T13:00:22.483-07:00Active Participation Ideas<span style="color:#33ccff;">Keeping children actively engaged during lessons is a strategy the teacher often has to face with his or her students. When children are actively involved in their lesson it keeps them motivated, engaged, and interested in learning more. It also helps children stay on track and gives them a chance to be a valuable member of their class.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">There are many various forms of active participation strategies a educator can use. These strategies can be used for partners, groups, or whole class.</span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"><strong>Partner</strong> active participation strategies include: <em>Poems for Two Voices</em>: when reading a poem, have the children pair to read every other line and a second strategy is <em>Timed-Pair-Share</em>: where students share with a partner for a predetermined amount of time, and then the partner shares with them for the same amount of time. </span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"><strong>Group</strong> active participation ideas include: <em>Talking chips: </em>is when the teacher poses a question for the students in the group to discuss. each member is given a "chip" and the students each take a turn "talking" by placing their chip into the center of the table or basket. another idea is <em>Team-Pair-Solo</em>: students solve problems first as a team, then as a pair, and finally alone.</span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"><strong>Whole Class</strong> active participation strategy include: <em>Fish Bowl</em>: this strategy provides students an opportunity to engage in formal discussion and to experience roles both as participant and as active listener; students also have the responsibility of supporting their opinions and response using specific textual evidence. Students are asked to engage in a group discussion about a specific topic- within two circles. Inner circle students will model appropriate discussion techniques, while the outer circle students will listen, respond, and evaluate.</span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-56828532890587668422009-05-22T15:10:00.000-07:002009-05-22T15:13:34.663-07:00Summer Fun 2009<a href="http://imagecache.allposters.com/images/pic/152/ARV-895-endless-summer-post~The-Endless-Summer-Posters.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 301px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 450px" alt="" src="http://imagecache.allposters.com/images/pic/152/ARV-895-endless-summer-post~The-Endless-Summer-Posters.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="color:#ff6600;">Summer is finally here!!!! Although I will be taking several graduate courses, I will be blogging about interesting topics in regard to the courses I am enrolled in.<br /></span><div> </div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">I cannot wait to make it down to the shore as well to soak up the sizzling summer sun.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span> </div><div><span style="color:#ff6600;">Enjoy!</span></div>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-40334203465438825302009-05-22T15:07:00.000-07:002009-05-22T15:10:42.663-07:00Memorial Day<a href="http://www.ccsd146.k12.il.us/schools/fierke/events/memorial%20day.gif"><img style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 379px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 365px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="http://www.ccsd146.k12.il.us/schools/fierke/events/memorial%20day.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Happy Memorial Day!!!!! Enjoy your weekend!<br /><div></div>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-25839515728197990772009-05-05T07:10:00.001-07:002009-07-07T17:02:20.649-07:00Cinco De Mayo!!!!<a href="http://www.tonysplaceivyland.com/images/cincodemayo18balloon.jpg.gif"><span style="color:#000000;"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 252px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 290px" alt="" src="http://www.tonysplaceivyland.com/images/cincodemayo18balloon.jpg.gif" border="0" /></span></a><span style="color:#000000;"><br /></span><div><span style="color:#000000;">Cinco de Mayo is a date of great importance for the Mexican and Chicano communities. It marks the victory of the Mexican Army over the French at the Battle of Puebla. Althought the Mexican army was eventually defeated, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to represent a symbol of Mexican unity and patriotism. With this victory, Mexico demonstrated to the world that Mexico and all of Latin America were willing to defend themselves of any foreign intervention. Especially those from imperialist states bent on world conquest. </span></div><div><br /><span style="color:#000000;">Cinco de Mayo's history has its roots in the French Occupation of Mexico. The French occupation took shape in the aftermath of the Mexican-American War of 1846-48. With this war, Mexico entered a period of national crisis during the 1850's. Years of not only fighting the Americans but also a Civil War, had left Mexico devastated and bankrupt. On July 17, 1861, President Benito Juarez issued a moratorium in which all foreign debt payments would be suspended for a brief period of two years, with the promise that after this period, payments would resume.<br />The English, Spanish and French refused to allow president Juarez to do this, and instead decided to invade Mexico and get payments by whatever means necessary. The Spanish and English eventually withdrew, but the French refused to leave. Their intention was to create an Empire in Mexico under Napoleon III. Some have argued that the true French occupation was a response to growing American power and to the Monroe Doctrine (America for the Americans). Napoleon III believed that if the United States was allowed to prosper indescriminantly, it would eventually become a power in and of itself. </span></div><div><br /><span style="color:#000000;">In 1862, the French army began its advance. Under General Ignacio Zaragoza, 5,000 ill-equipped Mestizo and Zapotec Indians defeated the French army in what came to be known as the "Batalla de Puebla" on the fifth of May. </span></div><div><br /><span style="color:#000000;">In the United States, the "Batalla de Puebla" came to be known as simply "5 de Mayo" and unfortunately, many people wrongly equate it with Mexican Independence which was on September 16, 1810, nearly a fifty year difference. Over, the years Cinco de Mayo has become very </span><a href="http://cyber.sfgate.com/examiner/prev/examiner-050595/37.html"><span style="color:#000000;">commercialized</span></a><span style="color:#000000;"> and many people see this holiday as a time for fun and dance. Oddly enough, Cinco de Mayo has become more of Chicano holiday than a Mexican one. Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on a much larger scale here in the United States than it is in Mexico. People of Mexican descent in the United States celebrate this significant day by having </span><a href="http://cyber.sfgate.com/examiner/prev/examiner-050195/8.html"><span style="color:#000000;">parades</span></a><span style="color:#000000;">, mariachi music, folklorico dancing and other types of festive activities. </span></div><div><span style="color:#000000;"></span></div><div><em><span style="color:#000000;">Source:</span></em> <a href="http://clnet.ucla.edu/cinco.html">http://clnet.ucla.edu/cinco.html</a></div>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-67328849498844950992009-05-04T15:00:00.000-07:002009-05-04T15:07:17.905-07:00Peta<a style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; DISPLAY: block; PADDING-LEFT: 22px; BACKGROUND: url(http://www.peta.org/images/300x250_banner_vegpsa2.gif) no-repeat left top; PADDING-BOTTOM: 0px; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px; FONT: 13px/17px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; TEXT-TRANSFORM: capitalize; WIDTH: 300px; COLOR: #fff; PADDING-TOP: 10px; HEIGHT: 250px; TEXT-DECORATION: none" href="http://veggietestimonial.peta.org/?c=vtugwb"><span style="DISPLAY: block; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 78px 0px 0px; WIDTH: 100%">I Am A Educator, and I Am a</span><br /><span style="DISPLAY: block; FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 148px 2px 15px 0px; FONT: 9px Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; CURSOR: hand">Check Out All the Celebrity 'Veggie Testimonials' at PETA.org</span></a>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-32904104092962459342009-05-04T11:53:00.000-07:002009-05-04T11:56:18.358-07:00Final Reflection<span style="color:#ff99ff;">This past semester has been an absolute pleasure being a student in Dr. Luongo's graduate class. I have nothing but great things to say in regard to the professor and the class. This was my first online class and I absolutely enjoyed every minute. Having an online course teaches you to be self-discilplined, independent, responsible, and most of all it provides you with confidence. Dr. Luongo has worked wonderfully to keep everyone updated and in the "loop" with our weekly modules, but gave us our independence as well. She has taught us how to be in control of our assignments as well as make us feel confident and comfortable in our academic success. </span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ff99ff;">I particularly enjoyed the educational videos, articles, and websites we examined and read. On a weekly basis we were responsible for: weekly powerpoint presentations which were available on Blackboard to use as a guide for each of the chapters, reading the chapters and handouts, taking quizzes, and blogging about related topics and any other kind of topic we wished to share with our classmates. I also had a blast working on the projects, which allowed us to be creative and incorporate material we were learning. </span><br /><span style="color:#ff99ff;"><br />Dr. Luongo has made this semester a joy and I am proud I was part of her class, she has always been very clear on what she expects and what the class is about and I would recommend her to anyone and would take more of her classes as well...actually I'm keeping my fingers crossed she is teaching more online classes. I think the college should offer more online courses, it really is a great benefit to have.</span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-3464784056175374002009-04-30T10:33:00.000-07:002009-04-30T10:37:17.421-07:00Summer Reading Challenge<a href="http://www.orangebeachlibrary.org/orange/images/Frontpage/books.gif"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 300px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 300px" alt="" src="http://www.orangebeachlibrary.org/orange/images/Frontpage/books.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#ccccff;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ccccff;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ccccff;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ccccff;"></span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#ccccff;">Today, April 30 there is a live webcast about: Summer Reading. Here is the link:</span> <a href="http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=608&eml=TNL/20090430/TNL">http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/collection.jsp?id=608&eml=TNL/20090430/TNL</a><br /><br /><span style="color:#ccccff;">Join the countdown and encourage summer reading!!!!</span></div>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-81421724353874370302009-04-29T17:07:00.001-07:002009-05-04T11:48:40.273-07:00Standardized Tests<span style="color:#33ccff;">I cringe when I hear the word: standardized testing. Although every school uses this form of assessing students on a broad range across the country, I think it is an unfair way to determine a child's academic ability. The most common standardized test is the TerraNova test which tests students on a variety of subjects. the test results are given to the school, school district, and parent/child. The test is based on a scale-percentile, which is divided into three (3) levels: above average (80 or higher), average (30-79), and below average (29 and below). Seriously, how can you say a student is average if they receive a score of 40 in math? A 40 on a classroom test is failing and on a report card would be a failing mark as well. This form of assessment is all over the place and very unreliable. Also, not all students are great test-takers and because of this standardized testing is useless.</span> <span style="color:#33ccff;">I know that these tests will continue to be used to assess the students in our schools and continue to be compared to other children across the country, but I do feel they should not be taken as serious as they are and not to make them so important where classes are stopped for a week, now that is silly!</span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-38360764724309226172009-04-29T17:06:00.001-07:002009-05-04T11:26:06.149-07:00Report Cards<a href="http://mail.urbana.k12.oh.us/~macket/report%20card.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 266px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 206px" alt="" src="http://mail.urbana.k12.oh.us/~macket/report%20card.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><span style="color:#ffff33;">Report cards were never my favorite part of school. I used to dread when my parents would have back-to-school-night to go and speak with my teachers and get my report card. I was always so nervous and I didn't have a reason to be because I always did well in school, I just worried over nothing and I thing many children have this feeling. It's not like college where you have more control over your grades that you earn because in high school, and college you know when you are having a test or quiz whereas in elementary school it is sometimes sprung upon you without knowing. I used to feel it was not a fair evaluation/assessment. I also used to think how important the letter grades were, for example for outstanding work you would receive an "A" and for poor work you would get an "F." What a great way to make children hate those letters that represented poor or failing marks. </span></div><div><span style="color:#ffff33;"></span> </div><div><span style="color:#ffff33;">In today's schools there are many methods to communicate with students and parents and to keep records of students' s achievement. There are several methods when reporting student progress depending on the grade level. For example, letter grades may be used for those in the upper elementary, junior high, and high school levels. besides report cards many teachers will use progress reports to assess their students on a monthly basis, or for the younger children, a weekly basis.</span></div><div><span style="color:#ffff33;"></span> </div><div><span style="color:#ffff33;">Report cards will always exist and they will always make some children out their worry and nervous, but the purpose of them is still needed and the purpose of report cards will always give the parent and child a broad sense of their achievement and a better understanding of where improvement is needed.</span></div><div> </div><div> </div>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-79380755964145717252009-04-24T09:06:00.002-07:002009-04-28T10:45:16.869-07:00California Learning Resources Network (CLRN)<span style="color:#ffcc00;">CLRN provides educators with a "one-stop" resource for critical information needed for the selection of supplemental electronic learning resources aligned to the </span><a href="http://www.cde.ca.gov/be/"><span style="color:#ffcc00;">State Board of Education</span></a><span style="color:#ffcc00;"> academic content standards.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#ffcc00;">CLRN objectives:<br />1. Identify and review supplemental electronic learning resources such as software, video, and Internet resources.<br />2. Identify learning units aligned to resources and the state academic content standards.<br />3. Maintain an interactive web site to provide information about electronic learning resources through an online searchable database and links to state education technology projects and resources. </span><br /><p><span style="color:#ffcc00;">After reading a little about CLRN I was eager to explore the site and see what it was really all about. I was aware that they had many of the traditional subjects, but when I discovered there was a link for visual and performing arts I was overjoyed. I have always had an interest the the performing arts field. One day when I am a teacher I hope to be able to incorporate some kind of program in the school for children to have access to. </span></p><p><span style="color:#ffcc00;">There were several links I found useful and enjoyed. I also found the grade levels to be mixed which gave teachers a wide range of choices to work with. There were so many topics to choose from, such as: acting in a television series, acting in musicals, acting in a comedy, how to read music, understanding drama, and so on.</span></p><p><span style="color:#ffcc00;">Check it out..it's FREE at: <a href="http://www.clrn.org/home/">http://www.clrn.org/home/</a></p><br /><br /></span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-2900445850192176722009-04-24T09:06:00.001-07:002009-04-28T10:16:51.025-07:00Lesson Plans<span style="color:#33ffff;">Teachers at every level prepare plans that aid in the organization and delivery of their daily lessons. These plans vary widely in the style and degree of specificity. Some instructors prefer to construct detailed types of outlines while others prefer a more simple brief format. Regardless of the format, all teachers need to make wise decisions about the strategies and methods they will use to help students achieve their goals. </span><span style="color:#33ffff;">A lesson plan will not only help you, as the educator, stay on track but it also serves as a guide for a substitute teacher to help him/her manage a learning environment. </span><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">When creating a lesson plan you have to think about the following: what are the goals, what content will I be teaching, and is this student-level appropriate? Once you are aware of what you will be doing, the next step is to create the lesson plan. A typical lesson plan consists of: the unit title, instructional goals, objectives, procedures, materials (if any), assessment, state standards, and provisions. </span><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ffff;">My past two projects for my education courses have been on creating: a unit of instruction lesson plan and a technology enhanced lesson plan. the unit of instruction lesson plan was based a subject of choice and creating a week long outline for that subject to teach in a classroom, whereas my technology enhanced lesson plan was to focus on how to incorporate technology into everyday teaching. I know that formatting a lesson plan for each subject is time consuming but I feel it's a great way to map out ones goals and instructions to see how he or she will accomplish what they plan to by using their lesson plans as guides. Lesson plans also help you stay on track and stay organized which is essential when teaching children, unorganized teacher = unorganized students. You set the standards and if you cannot hold it together when instructing a lesson or the class as a whole than it is inevitable to expect the students to do the same. </span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-45015535945624876412009-04-17T15:31:00.000-07:002009-04-17T15:59:32.274-07:00Portfolios<span style="color:#6666cc;">Another form of assessment is a portfolio, which is a "limited collection of a student's work used either to present the student's best work(s) or to demonstrate the student's educational growth over a given time, on one or a set of learning targets."</span> <br /><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;">The work that is selected for a portfolio is carefully selected to add to the whole document to show one's growth and academic achievement over a period of time. "Presenting one's best work and demonstrating educational growth are two purposes for a portfolio," of course there are many more. Another type of portfolio is a growth and learning-progress portfolio, which contains examples of a student's work, along with comments, given by the instructor to demonstrate how well the student's ;earning has progressed over a given period of time. This type of portfolio is used for formative assessment. When putting a portfolio together student's will insert work into the document several times a year, typically three (3) or two (2). Along with the pieces of work the student should include a little write-up explaining why each piece was included/it's meaning, student reviews, whether it be your own or from other's, and student drafts, notes/teacher notes and comments on the progress.</span><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;">I think portfolios are great because it gives other's a chance to appreciate your hard work and it's a great way to speak confidently about your work and include other's in on your project and what details go into creating your portfolio. It really allows other's to see a different side of you and what your achievement includes and how well you comprehend the material. It is especially great for those who are going on interviews, they can easily bring that and speak about certain assignments and give the interviewer a chance to see a piece of their work, that they are proud of. </span><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;"> - "Assessment and Grading in Classrooms." Chapter 9, Page 180-185</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6666cc;"></span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-73334025590362601652009-04-17T11:15:00.000-07:002009-04-17T11:35:00.125-07:00To Test or Not To Test?Testing has been and always will be a major part of assessment in the classroom. Growing up I was never a great test taker-I was decent-but not great. Prior to attending catholic school, when I was in public school, I was in the 98 percent tile of the standardize test scores. when my parents moved me to catholic school my grades dropped drastically. My teacher from the public school always told my mom I was best suited for the public schools system and that I would thrive, whereas my sister would do better in a catholic school. I'm not sure if i even understand this myself but I guess she knew what she was talking about because I only attend a public school once more throughout all of my schooling and again when I was in the public school I did excellent. Nowadays I am in a catholic college, but this time my grades are great and I work hard to maintain my G.P.A. Does the school really have something to do with how a child academically succeeds? I'm not sure if it has something to do with the school, as it would with the teacher.<br /><br />Since I never liked to take tests and never felt I could show my full potential and understanding, I was not a fan of tests and always had a stigma against them. I feel schools place too much emphasis on the tests rather than other material that could be counted or taken in place of tests. I am not saying that we should get rid of tests altogether, but I do think we need more forms of assessment than just tests.<br /><br />There are several kinds of tests: essay based tests and multiple choice based tests. each subject requires different kinds of test formats. Essay based tests are a great way, in my opinion, to let the students fully explain their knowledge and comprehension of that subject/topic, and I would rather have an essay formatted test. Multiple choice based tests can go in many directions: they can either really give you the lead way because of the various choices or they could really confuse you and turn out to be worse than any other kind of test. I look at a multiple choice test in these ways: 1. if you are stumped, you have several other choices to narrow the answer down to, or secondly, if you really know the material but when you see other choice answers you begin to second guess yourself and a test you studied for hours for and were confident you would get a passing grade can turn to be a disaster.<br /><br />I think tests are important to keep in the curriculum but to make some modifications to the types of tests given and to make sure they are related to the subject the educator is testing the students on.Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-84090173446885444802009-04-13T15:03:00.001-07:002009-04-13T15:21:38.698-07:00Earth Day 2009<a href="http://photobucket.com/images/earth%20day" target="_blank"><img alt="earth day Pictures, Images and Photos" src="http://i252.photobucket.com/albums/hh20/bntblog/world-earth-day.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">April 22nd is Earth Day! There are many great sites that you can use to access helpful tips on how to go green, fun classroom activities, games, and reading material. </span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">Senator Gaylord Nelson, founder of Earth Day wrote this interesting article: <em>"How the First Earth Day Came About"</em></span><br /><br /><strong><span style="color:#3333ff;">Article:</span></strong> <span style="color:#000099;">What was the purpose of Earth Day? How did it start? These are the questions I am most frequently asked. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">Actually, the idea for Earth Day evolved over a period of seven years starting in 1962. For several years, it had been troubling me that the state of our environment was simply a non-issue in the politics of the country. Finally, in November 1962, an idea occurred to me that was, I thought, a virtual cinch to put the environment into the political "limelight" once and for all. The idea was to persuade President Kennedy to give visibility to this issue by going on a national conservation tour. I flew to Washington to discuss the proposal with Attorney General Robert Kennedy, who liked the idea. So did the President. The President began his five-day, eleven-state conservation tour in September 1963. For many reasons the tour did not succeed in putting the issue onto the national political agenda. However, it was the germ of the idea that ultimately flowered into Earth Day. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I continued to speak on environmental issues to a variety of audiences in some twenty-five states. All across the country, evidence of environmental degradation was appearing everywhere, and everyone noticed except the political establishment. The environmental issue simply was not to be found on the nation's political agenda. The people were concerned, but the politicians were not. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">After President Kennedy's tour, I still hoped for some idea that would thrust the environment into the political mainstream. Six years would pass before the idea that became Earth Day occurred to me while on a conservation speaking tour out West in the summer of 1969. At the time, anti-Vietnam War demonstrations, called "teach-ins," had spread to college campuses all across the nation. Suddenly, the idea occurred to me - why not organize a huge grassroots protest over what was happening to our environment? </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">I was satisfied that if we could tap into the environmental concerns of the general public and infuse the student anti-war energy into the environmental cause, we could generate a demonstration that would force this issue onto the political agenda. It was a big gamble, but worth a try. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">At a conference in Seattle in September 1969, I announced that in the spring of 1970 there would be a nationwide grassroots demonstration on behalf of the environment and invited everyone to participate. The wire services carried the story from coast to coast. The response was electric. It took off like gangbusters. Telegrams, letters, and telephone inquiries poured in from all across the country. The American people finally had a forum to express its concern about what was happening to the land, rivers, lakes, and air - and they did so with spectacular exuberance. </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">For the next four months, two members of my Senate staff, Linda Billings and John Heritage, managed Earth Day affairs out of my Senate office. Five months before Earth Day, on Sunday, November 30, 1969, The New York Times carried a lengthy article by Gladwin Hill reporting on the astonishing proliferation of environmental events: </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">"Rising concern about the environmental crisis is sweeping the nation's campuses with an intensity that may be on its way to eclipsing student discontent over the war in Vietnam...a national day of observance of environmental problems...is being planned for next spring...when a nationwide environmental 'teach-in'...coordinated from the office of Senator Gaylord Nelson is planned...." </span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;">It was obvious that we were headed for a spectacular success on Earth Day. It was also obvious that grassroots activities had ballooned beyond the capacity of my U.S. Senate office staff to keep up with the telephone calls, paper work, inquiries, etc. In mid-January, three months before Earth Day, John Gardner, Founder of Common Cause, provided temporary space for a Washington, D.C. headquarters. I staffed the office with college students and selected Denis Hayes as coordinator of activities. Earth Day worked because of the spontaneous response at the grassroots level. We had neither the time nor resources to organize 20 million demonstrators and the thousands of schools and local communities that participated. That was the remarkable thing about Earth Day. It organized itself.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">***Please keep in mind I <strong>did not</strong> write this article it was written by Senator Nelson. When I came across it I found it interesting and wanted to share it with everyone. I also added links to websites that I found interesting, feel free to take a look...</span><br /><br /><a href="http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/">http://holidays.kaboose.com/earth-day/</a><br /><a href="http://www.earthday.net/">http://www.earthday.net/</a><br /><a href="http://earthday.wilderness.org/history/">http://earthday.wilderness.org/history/</a><br /><a href="http://www.epa.gov/earthday/">http://www.epa.gov/earthday/</a><br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">*Also check out the Scholastic web page for cool "going green" ideas. For example, go green report cards.</span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-80360350063267908652009-04-12T16:29:00.000-07:002009-04-12T17:11:58.585-07:00Videos & Social Networking<span style="color:#ff6600;">The videos for this module had a variety of topics being discussed. The titles were: Le Book, Cyberbullying, and Social networking with special education students and tips.</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The first video: Le Book was a French video which portrayed how someone reacts to something "new." Like many of us who are introduced to new things all the time, we can grasp certain things easier than others. We may not always like being forced to use for example, new software and by trying to figure it out we become frustrated. Just like the man in the video he was unsure and nervous to tackle the book, he was afraid he was going to loose the story if he turned the page and was unsure what would happen if he closed the book. I think this is a great example of how we all get and can see a little part of us in him. once you learn how to use the new software, or for his case open and close or turn the pages of the book, we become more comfortable and eager to proceed with exploring. </span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">The next video: cyberbullying, is a serious case with many young children and teens today. although the video was animated with panda bears there is more behind this topic, a topic that harms and affects many people in the world today. And unfortunately does not always get resolved with a happy ending.</span> <span style="color:#ff6600;">Cyberbullying is a main cause for children and teens committing suicide today. Not to long ago I was watching a TV program on investigating the Internet and cyberspace with teens and older children (typically 8 and older) and many of the stories shared were about children being bullied through the Internet and becoming so frustrated they took their own life. Many of the parents were not aware since it had been going on on the computer and became aware of the cyber abuse after it was too late. The severity of the abuse ranges from being told you are "fat" to naming calling, such as "you're gay!" I think parents need to definitely become more active in their child's computer use and need to teach their children how to protect themselves from bullying going further. In the video they mentioned three great words to help stop or prevent this from happening: "STOP, BLOCK, and TELL!!!!"</span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;"></span><br /><span style="color:#ff6600;">Social networking is part of our daily lives and the computer. We are all aware of myspace, facebook, twitter, and blog pages, so it is no surprise when people talk about the "creeps" that are out there pretending to be people they truly are not. Teens these days are now making sure their web pages are set to private because of those individuals who's incentive is to cause harm, etc. Networking is a great way to get yourself out there, but it can also be dangerous. The teens in the video seemed very aware of who is out there and what could happen if they are not careful. Being able to have access to a computer and the technology is amazing as long as you know the do's and don't's. The teens expressed how many of them set their pages to private to secure that nobody other than those they know can access them or send them anything through mail or IM's, their parents seem to be very on top of what is going on, for example one boy said that he computer is placed in his living room where his family spends much of their time and his mom is always making sure he is not on bad websites or people are not bothering him. There are pros ands cons to everything and if you are caution there is no harm in trying new things out and there is definitely no harm in making sure your child is using the computer wisely and is not being bullied. </span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-83320830924384124462009-04-06T15:40:00.001-07:002009-04-07T14:07:53.943-07:00April- National Poetry Month<a href="http://www.learnersonline.com/weekly/archive99/week8/boybook.gif"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 158px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 176px" alt="" src="http://www.learnersonline.com/weekly/archive99/week8/boybook.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">April is National Poetry Month, and a great time to explore the world of words with your students! </span><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">Some Interesting books for the classroom are:</span><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">1. Hip Hop Speaks to Children, by, Nikki Giovanni</span><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">2. Poetry for Young People by, Emily Dickinson and Lewis Carroll and Robert Frost</span><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">3. Dinothesaurus, by, Douglas Florian</span><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">4. Fathers, Mothers, Sisters, Brothers, by, Mary Ann Hoberman</span><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;"></span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-64386801593033607492009-04-06T12:42:00.000-07:002009-04-06T12:50:19.291-07:00Hoppy Easter!<a href="http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/easter.gif"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 287px" alt="" src="http://www.theholidayspot.com/easter/easter.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><div><br /></div><div></div><br /><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;"><em><strong>HAPPY EASTER!!!</strong></em></span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;">Great sites full of resources and activities for teachers:</span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;"></span><br /><a href="http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/teacher/easter.htm">http://www.woodlands-junior.kent.sch.uk/teacher/easter.htm</a><br /><br /><a href="http://familyfun.go.com/easter/">http://familyfun.go.com/easter/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/easter/easter-party-crafts.html">http://crafts.kaboose.com/holidays/easter/easter-party-crafts.html</a><br /><br /><a href="http://abcteach.com/directory/seasonalholidays/easter/">http://abcteach.com/directory/seasonalholidays/easter/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.eslkidstuff.com/EasterGames.htm">http://www.eslkidstuff.com/EasterGames.htm</a>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-89804579385559353622009-03-31T09:49:00.000-07:002009-03-31T11:04:32.370-07:00School Web Pages<span style="color:#6633ff;">Classroom web sites can be a helpful resource not only for students but to their parents as well. It is a site designed and created by you, the teacher, where you can post announcements, homework, educational links, upload photos, add a reading list or books, and so much more! </span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;">You can be as creative as you want and really make the site as personal as you wish. Having a class web site is almost a requirement these days and making sure you are on top of constantly updating it can make or break the idea of having a resourceful class site. </span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;">As I searched around my districts school web pages, I noticed many of the teachers sites are very similar. Although I am unsure of how much access they truly have to adding certain things onto their pages, I would assume they would have more about their class and students added on to view. Again, this could be a security issue with posting pictures of children and their names. Safety first!</span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;">I think the websites in which the teachers create and build their pages through may not be the most recent sites and have the latest layouts, etc. could inhibit them from making a really fun and interactive site. </span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#6633ff;">All in all, having a school web page is not only great for each teacher's classroom (for students and parents) but also great for the school to have the opportunity to present what they are all about.</span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-16882224000512303342009-03-30T12:00:00.000-07:002009-03-30T12:11:10.264-07:00Peanut FREE Schools<span style="color:#663333;">Below is a link for a news segment from Good Morning America as they visited Wallace Primary School in Hoboken, NJ, where my sister, Lea, is a kindergarten teacher. The Interview was based on Wallace becoming one of the schools taking a step forward to become a safer environment for children with peanut allergies. They are now a complete peanut free school, but many question is this a good step in the right direction or a step backwards in the wrong direction? I think schools in general try to do everything they could to make the school a safe haven for all the children attending it. I would love to hear feedback from everyone and see what you all think.</span><br /><span style="color:#663333;"></span><br /><span style="color:#663333;">Please feel free to real the article and watch the video clip....enjoy!</span><br /><br /><a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/story?id=7141066&page=1">http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/story?id=7141066&page=1</a>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-86792683266818794362009-03-29T14:04:00.001-07:002009-03-29T14:30:28.176-07:00Web Page Building<span style="color:#339999;"><span style="color:#993399;">Creating a web page can be intimidating and make you want to run in the opposite direction, but there are many sites out there that provide step-by-step tools to help guide you in building your very own web page. Web pages can be used for multiple purposes, for example, school web pages. Educators and faculty members use school web pages to connect with students, parents, and other members of the school board to post updated news and activity announcements.</span> </span><br /><span style="color:#339999;"></span><br /><span style="color:#993399;">"Creating a web page can be as basic as typing information into a single online form." - Lauren Goldberg, "How to Build Your Own Web Page"</span><br /><span style="color:#993399;"></span><br /><span style="color:#993399;">Through these sites you will be guided on how to enter text, add links, upload pictures, learn how to post homework assignments, update calendar dates, and highlight school activities. </span><br /><span style="color:#993399;"></span><br /><span style="color:#993399;">There are many benefits to having a web page. For example, if you are using it for your classroom it can provide parents and students with information. Everybody today uses the computer for one reason or another, whether it may be to check your e-mail, write a paper, create a PowerPoint presentation, or to simply google something. It will forever be part of our lives and adding this form of technology to our classroom, where half the children know how to access and use a computer would be great.</span><br /><span style="color:#993399;"></span><br /><span style="color:#993399;">Web page building can be a fun project to take on, plus you can learn something new and be that much more technology savvy because you have mastered how to create a web page with neat gadgets, links, educational information, photos, etc. </span><br /><span style="color:#993399;"></span><br /><span style="color:#993399;">Creating a web page does take time, practice, and patience, but so do many things we try to accomplish and succeed at in life. Why not try it out, you never know what can come of it, but also remember to be wise of what you post and puiblish because it can only come back to haunt you if you allow it to. </span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-39563738848862817492009-03-23T16:40:00.000-07:002009-03-23T16:43:39.108-07:00How NOT to Use PowerPointBelow is a funny youtube clip on the do's and don't's when creating a PowerPoint presentation. It you like comedy and enjoy learning something new then you will love this clip. I first saw this clip in my graduate class with Dr. Luongo and wanted to share it with everyone. Take some notes!<br /><br /><br /><object height="344" width="425"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/cagxPlVqrtM&hl=en&fs=1"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/cagxPlVqrtM&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-8582147962846014402009-03-14T14:23:00.000-07:002009-03-14T14:29:03.678-07:00Saint Patrick's Day<img style="VISIBILITY: hidden; WIDTH: 0px; HEIGHT: 0px" height="0" src="http://counters.gigya.com/wildfire/IMP/CXNID=2000002.0NXC/bT*xJmx*PTEyMzcwNjU4NjkxMzQmcHQ9MTIzNzA2NTg3NDQyMiZwPTU5MDcxJmQ9Jmc9MSZ*PSZvPTE2NTM2N2M4NTg1ZDRhNDE5YmEwODhjNzhmYjkxZTRm.gif" width="0" border="0" /> <a href="http://www.jupitergreetings.com/" target="_blank"><img alt="jupitergreetings.com" src="http://www.jupitergreetings.com/files/anims/00000000/106_lg_clr.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">Happy Saint Patrick's Day!</span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">I know I'm a few days early but I wanted to give teachers an opportunity to visit these sites to collect fun printables, learn the history, and gather other classroom crafts before the holiday is over. Enjoy!!!</span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33cc00;">Fun Sites:</span><br /><a href="http://familyfun.go.com/stpatricks/">http://familyfun.go.com/stpatricks/</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~greentown/stpat/stpat.htm">http://www.northcanton.sparcc.org/~greentown/stpat/stpat.htm</a><br /><br /><a href="http://www.fvsd.ab.ca/stm/St%20Patricks%20Day.htm">http://www.fvsd.ab.ca/stm/St%20Patricks%20Day.htm</a><br /><br /><a href="http://arthur.k12.il.us/arthurgs/stpthunt.htm">http://arthur.k12.il.us/arthurgs/stpthunt.htm</a>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8126338177023475789.post-53416508722254376002009-03-11T14:47:00.006-07:002009-03-13T17:22:52.078-07:00Web-Based Educational Resources<span style="color:#33ccff;">Educational resources or "e-learning" is instruction delivered via a computer that is designed to build knowledge and skills. The Educational Technology Division (ETD)collaborates with teachers in the development of Interactive Resources (IRs) for teaching and learning in schools. Each web-based IR is a stand alone resource that can be reused and customized to meet the needs of teachers and pupils. The IRs developed with teachers are added to the pool of resources that can be shared and used in classroom teaching and learning.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">Jose Fermosos, a writer for an online newspaper wrote a funny and interesting article about web-based educational resources. his opening paragraph was: "Want an education? Open up a browser. With the information available online, you could probably get a complete education without ever leaving your house" and how true it is. for many traditional teachers, students, and parents it is hard to find reliable, relevant, age-appropriate, and safe sources online that could be used for educational purposes. </span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">He rated the top web-based educational resources:</span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">1. <strong>Cosmeo-</strong> an online homework toolkit from the Discovery Channel for kids in grades K-12. It includes over 30,000 videos and math tutorials, close to 150,000 reference articles and entertaining, but always educational, interactive games. </span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">2. <a href="http://www.bestinc.org/MVC/"><strong><span style="color:#33ccff;">Best Robotics</span></strong></a> - If your kids dream of electric sheep.... encourage their interest in robots, and you might help spur them on to a future in engineering or science. Best Robotics can help, with a robotics competition that attracts more than 10,000 students in grades 6-12 nationwide. It matches up tech pros with kids in a robot-building process that leads up to the competition, which includes oral presentations and sportsmanship evaluations. </span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">3. <strong>Education.com</strong>- The recently launched Education.com fills a need as a one-stop educational online resource for parents, and it has a strong community aspect too. It includes more than 4,000 reference articles from reliable sources such as education Ph.D.s and government agency studies. The site still has a way to go, but we can't wait for it to fully grow up. </span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">4. <strong>Curriki.com</strong>- Teachers, do you need lesson plans or guidelines on how to teach a segment on Romeo & Juliet? Check out Curriki.org, a nonprofit site that aims to do for school curricula what Linux did for operating systems: Create a freely accessible, open-source alternative. The site is continually updated with input from educators and parents. Teachers have free access to add lesson plans and the more knowledgeable educators become involved, the more they improve each lesson plan.</span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">5. <strong>Kiddix</strong>- If you want to protect your kids from online threats while giving them a hand up on the educational ladder, why not give them an operating system tailored to their needs? Kiddix is a good start. Its <a href="http://blog.wired.com/monkeybites/2007/07/tux-goes-to-ele.html">colorful, simplified interface</a> is easier for kids to pick up on their own than Windows or OS X. The Linux-based OS is secure and it's got built-in parental monitoring tools too.</span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">6. <strong>eNature</strong>- A crucial aspect of growing up is figuring out your place within the rest of the natural world, and this means more than just measuring up to bullies in the playground. Kids love animals and with the help of eNature.com, they'll get a close-up guide to enhance their curiosity. There's also a similar open-source project, the <a href="http://tolweb.org/">Tree of Life</a>, covered recently on <a href="http://blog.wired.com/wiredscience/2007/05/the_difference_.html">Wired Science</a>.</span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">7. <strong>Idealist.org</strong>- Many schools and colleges emphasize volunteering as part of the educational process. But how do you find the right place to volunteer? At Idealist.org, nonprofits post volunteer opportunities for kids (and adults too) in an easily searchable interface. There's a similar site at <a href="http://www.iearn.org/">iEarn</a>, which enables teachers and students to collaborate on volunteer projects.</span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">8. <strong>Smithsonian Institution</strong>- The Smithsonian Institution is more than just a large cluster of crusty old buildings. It's also an incredible online resource for every child in America -- there are innumerable educational features on everything from sharks and grizzly bears to Presidents and musicians. Be sure to check out <a href="http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/students">Smithsonian Education</a>, a site-within-a-site made specifically for younger children, with engaging Flash-based presentations as well as the <a href="http://www.si.edu/research/">Smithsonian Research</a> site, which features detailed cultural programs for kids of all ages. </span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;"></span><br /><span style="color:#33ccff;">As you can see there are a variety of resources online that could be helpful for all teachers, students, and parents. The web has become a world-wide resource for the "average Joe". everyone can use the computer to research different topics and learn something new every day. it is a a multi-dimensional useful tool.</span>Christinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07697533079303839261noreply@blogger.com1