Search results matching tags 'teachers' and 'blog'

Supporting ESL Students: Resources And Tips For Mainstream Teachers

Anonymous — Thu, 09 Aug 2012 20:30:10 GMT

Written By: Robyn Shulman Supporting ESL Students: 10 Tips For Mainstream Teachers-Updated with Resources! From the 1997-98 school year to the 2008-09 school year, the amount of ESL learners enrolled in U.S. public schools increased from 3.5 million to 5.3 million, a 51% increase (National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition, 2011). According to the U.S. [...]

Fakebook

Anonymous — Sat, 09 Jun 2012 12:00:00 GMT

Use "Fakebook" to chart the plot of a book, the development of a character, a series of historical events, the debates and relationships between people, and so on! You can get started by entering a name at the top of the page. Then proceed to add friends, posts, comments, and profile information. http://www.classtools.net/fb/home/page

"Fakebook" allows teachers and students to create imaginary profile pages for study purposes.

Students and teachers have the ability to embed, print, or download the "fakebook" page and upload it to a blog or blackboard site. This could be a great math project for the students to do with famous mathematicians. Each one could write about their lives and comment on each others "fakebook" page.

Reasons Teachers Should Blog

Anonymous — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 23:56:31 GMT

I like to blog. Whether as a teacher (on my class blog), parent (on a separate, personal blog), or educator advocate (on this blog), I like keeping my thoughts in a central location both as a resource to other teachers/educators/administrators and a resource to myself. With a simple keyword in my “search” box, I can find all of the resources I once found and preserved to find again. As a childhood diary fanatic–ok, more than just childhood, I kept diaries until I finally made the move to the blogosphere–blogging is just a logical thing for me to do.

Regardless, I am always in the search for validation and justification of my blogging habit. Today, this post made me that much more validated for my time spent “curating” (as I like to call it) my thoughts on this blog.

Steve gives 7 reasons why teachers should blog, and I’ll add my own thoughts and experiences to his reasons.

1) Blogging causes you to reflect.–Yes, it does. I did a lot of reflection on my own teaching process and my plans for this school year on this blog over the summer. I worked through some problems, idealized my classroom, and envisioned my approach. Reflection = check.

2) Blogging can crystalise your thinking.–If you go back to some of my earliest posts from April of this year, you can trace my train of development and the events/conferences/occurrences that worked to change my opinion. Thought–>experience–>revision–>new thought. Check.
3) Blogging can open up new audiences.–Since creating this blog, over 2,000 people have read my thoughts. AMAZING!!! Luckily, there are only maybe one or two people who have snuck a peak in my childhood diaries–thankfully, because they’re field with drivel–but I want an audience for these thoughts; they’re actually worth something!!

4) Blogging can create personal momentum.–Absolutely. Because of this blog, my Google Reader must keep track of the various blogs and feeds I am following just to keep you all up to date. I feel an added pressure now to be on the top of my game, to know more, do more, and be more than I would if I didn’t feel accountable to this blog and its readers.
5) Blogging can give you valuable feedback.–Ok, unfortunately, I haven’t gotten much in the way of feedback through comments on this site. I do, however, get comments on both facebook and twitter. I also take a look at the search terms that lead people to this page, so I know what content people have used. I know those “I can” statements keep getting viewed daily. That provides me feedback. There is a need for those, and people want them.

6) Blogging can be creative.–I don’t know that I’m creative. I’m unplanned. I type the way I talk, but I also try to throw some of those 10-point vocabulary words out every now and then. Blogging is, though, a creative output.

7) Blogging can raise your game. Blogging is immediate. As soon as you press the Publish button, your ideas are on the web in front of a potential worldwide audience.–This is definitely true as well. I know I’ve seen my own spelling and grammatical errors, but that’s a reflection of my imperfections, I guess. Particularly as I am trying to write in a style that does reflect my style of conversation. I do try to watch what I say, and I never say anything that I don’t truly believe when I say it. I don’t implicate my school or demean my students, profession, or community. Why? Because I have genuine affection and care for all of them. Blogging is immediate, and I’m still shooting for that “Googled Well” idea

Do you have ANY stories you'd like to SHARE????

teachertellALLs — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 01:42:17 GMT

Hi,

I'm an elementary teacher - or was for several years. With this economy, I've been out of work for a couple years and have been substitute teaching in the meantime. I've thought about writing a funny book about the life of teachers - the good, the bad, the venting ... LOL. So if anyone would like to send me their stories ... I'd love to hear them. I will be changing names but feel free to change them yourself if you'd like. I chose this site b/c I've already seen some of the stories that interest me and actually felt a sense of relief come over me that I wasn't the only one dealing with the feeling of the "popular" teacher cliques, the absolutely horrible principal, etc., etc.

But amongst those, please feel free to include the good stories with students --- the cute things that get us through the day. I was actually just subbing at a high school the other day in the library and one side was really quiet and the other NOT. I kept reminding the 'chatty' kids to quiet down. And finally, jokingly said, "Look at the other side, they are being so quiet, you guys are making me look bad. One of the boys said, this side of the library is the cliquey side so it's always louder. Don't worry, you're doing a great job." It just reminded me why I've been interested in going back to school to get endorsed to teach the older kids. It's the wit and sarcasism and attitude that I share with them that just cracks me up.

Anyway ... I really hope to get a great response and hope that I can turn it into something great.

Free Speech and the Ultimate Education Taboo

Anonymous — Thu, 17 Feb 2011 20:16:00 GMT

Freedom

At least some of the nation is familiar by now with the case of Natalie Munroe. Munroe stands to lose her job as a teacher because of the comments made on her blog. The blog has been removed, but the last page cached by Google can still be viewed. I've read reports of the comments in other news stories and while the comments reflect poor judgement and attitude in general, it does not appear that any of them were directed at a student in general. Should she lose her job for engaging in this type of free speech?

I have certainly made efforts to skirt some of the major issues and problems facing my school district when writing on this blog for fear that it could lead to negative outcomes, but I have never felt the urge to publicly vent my frustrations regarding students. Munroe expressed that this blog was a personal blog, never intended for student or administrator viewing. I believe that lesson number one for all of us is that we give up the right to choose our audience when content is posted online in any forum. Just this year, students began to discover another blog that I maintain which has become an expression of my religious faith. When they ask me about it or comment on it at school I start to get a little anxious about what kind of repercussions this could have in my teaching profession.

So how much freedom do teachers have to express themselves and their personal opinons online? Perhaps a good standard would be that if it is acceptable in public it should be acceptable online. I cannot pass judgement on this particular case without really seeing not only the comments, but the context of Munroe's musings, but this information is not currently available. Many teachers have chosen to go the route of sarcasm and parody to anonymously bemoan and complain about difficulties of teaching. (A prime example being Mr. Teachbad -- be warned, this content is not always G-rated quality) Even if we draw the line at student directed criticism, how far can a teacher go in criticising the institutions which employ them?

I have frequently resisted the urge to use this forum to raise issues pertaining to my high school and school division, but sometimes I want to open the window on our school to the public and help them see what day-to-day life in the school looks like so they can better understand the good, the bad, and the ugly. Is that appropriate?

Taboo

The second issue raised by the "Natalie Munroe Blog Scandal" is that of student motivation and accountability. Increasingly, this has become the taboo topic for discussion in the public policy forums of education. I have been lucky to teach mostly seniors in elective Psychology classes for the last six or seven years. With a few exceptions, they are capable and eager to learn. But I can vividly remember some of the classes that were not. My third year of teaching I had already decided that a career change was in order if things did not improve the next. They did, but as much a result of my students as my effort.

In responding to the Munroe story, one commenter urged her to get out of the profession anyway because part of the job of a teacher is to motivate these students to learn. If more people outside of the classroom understood how much of a struggle this can be, the impression of teachers in America would greatly change. Increasingly, accountability drops in the lap of teachers at the exclusion of all else. One argument takes the analogy of production. If a company builds a defective product, the product isn't blamed for coming out flawed. I've yet to meet a "product" that plays a role in its own development, possessing the autonomy and ability to respond to or rebel against the process which creates it.

I never want to be the teacher, and I would never support a teacher who attempts to make students shoulder the entire responsibility of their own education, but questioning the ability, motivation, or effort of students has become the taboo topic of education. If nothing else, I hope this event opens the door to looking holistically at how we promote student achievement. Accountability for administrators in providing solid leadership, accountability for teachers in providing quality instruction, and accountability from students in taking ownership of their learning and achievement.

My thoughts on all of this could change over time, but I believe it really opens the doors for discussion that could benefit our profession and the individuals in it. What are the limits to teachers' free speech online? and Is it time that we break the taboo of questioning student responsibility and accountability for their own education?

Image: http://www.digitaltrends.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/10/internet-social-networking-computer-monitor-privacy-monitoring-300x200.jpg

“Fear the Unlived Life”

Anonymous — Thu, 03 Feb 2011 22:59:44 GMT

“Do not fear death… only the unlived life.
You don’t have to live forever;
You just have to live.”

I have been basking in what I am teaching lately. Sounds odd, perhaps, but in grade seven we are reading Natalie Babbit’s “Tuck Everlasting” and I just am enthralled with her phenomenal metaphors and even more so, with her message.

The idea that life is meant to be lived, and lived to its fullest!

Tuck Everlasting is the story of a family that has the ability to live forever. Due to some “special” water, they have been blessed/cursed with an inability to die on this earth. We journey with them as they meet a young girl, tell her their secret and then have to make her understand why she must not share it with anyone. As in every good story, there is a villain and this novel is no different. A sinister man wants to capitalize on the “special” water and threatens to change the world – the balance of young and old, dead, alive, everything!

Three reasons why I read this book in class:

1) the language is so fantastic – Babbitt uses vivid imagery to tell her tale:

“The first week of August hangs at the very top of summer, the top of the live-long year, like the highest seat of a Ferris wheel when it pauses in its turning. The weeks that come before are only a climb from balmy spring, and those that follow a drop to the chill of autumn, but the first week of August is motionless, and hot. It is curiously silent, too, with blank white dawns and glaring noons, and sunsets smeared with too much color.”

Doesn’t that picture of sunsets just make you smile? Make you think of a beautiful, colourful sky?

2) the tale is intriguing - I believe that there is no excuse for mediocre literature in my language arts classes. Time is too precious, and quality literature too plentiful to accept anything less. This book is truly a page-turner. I love hearing my students beg me to read right to the bell!

3) the message makes a difference – there is nothing more as an educator that I want to accomplish than inspire my students to be the best that they can be. I don’t mean that in a trite way, but rather it is a desire that is deeply rooted within me. I want them to be inspired, to be passionate about learning, and to truly live their lives to the fullest.

Someone once said “do not see to add more days to your life, but more life to your days.”

I can not safe my students from heartache,

I can not guarantee them that the road ahead will always be smooth -

I can not spare them from tears, set-backs, and failures,

but I can encourage in them resiliency,

I can foster in them a love of life that will hopefully – light within a fire to live life well!

Okay with not knowing it all…

Anonymous — Fri, 21 Jan 2011 06:19:12 GMT

I have been busily preparing for a professional development day with our staff… and have heaped on my shoulders a tonne of research, reading, sifting and sorting. Somehow in it all the idea of process and collaboration got replaced with perfection and correctness.

It got me thinking.

I would be working STRONGLY against such behaviour in my classroom. I have tried to challenge some of my over-achievers to learn when to draw the line, to learn to discern when an answer on a test is truly complete.

Why? How could I get so lost myself?

Because I believed that the success of the day was based on my performance. That grappling with some questions – tough, tough questions about why we assess? Is it for punishment or rewards… do our reporting and communication plans line up with our vision and purpose for assessment? What is fair? What do our grading practises say about what we value?

All in all, some heady stuff.

And more so, all in all, some questions that I will never, ever be able to answer on my own. Nor do I have to.

To facilitate, as dictionary.com states, means to help forward.

Now that, that is my job.

To help forward.

To put forth the questions, to allow for proper discussion to happen, to help my staff push the boundaries and seek to improve student engagement and learning… that is my role – not to have it all figured out.

So – the “expert” books have all been put away… “perfect powerpoints” have been abandoned and replaced with quality questions… engaging learning activities… and fun team-building breaks.

I can’t wait.

We might come up with some great answers – or we might really grapple with some serious issues… but I am at peace with that. Why? Because performance, least of all my performance, is not what the day is about. Its about learning… and what better place and space to do that in, than with my colleagues. I can’t wait!

Embracing the “Interruptions”

Anonymous — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 23:32:29 GMT

I was inspired by a blog friend’s post today about the importance of not being so “frantic” on the job… of the importance of people. A very important reflection as we begin school again tomorrow and today was in my mind, an opportunity to really plan ahead for the next long while.

Long while.

Really?

Is that really all that important? As I so desire to have healthy life/work balance – I desire to work ahead, but sometimes that prep work is null and void … work too far into the future and the game changes, discussions take you other directions and so forth. It is important to have a big picture view, but it is equally as important to not be too detailed and too tied to those details.

So today, as I went to school, I put down my bags and my Starbucks coffee – a nice treat still being paid for by the many gift cards I received for Christmas – and went a-wandering. Hugs, stories, laughs and shared memories abounded and I was once again amongst my school family. It didn’t take “long” but was so important.

This term – as I go on – I want to keep in mind what Mrs. Pripp says about being “frantic” -

“When you are constantly busy, or claiming to be, you shut yourself off to others. People realize that you will not be able to help, because you are too busy; you will not give them that precious time they may need, because you have too much to do. This is detrimental to furthering personal connections. When people stay out of your way because you are frantic, they often do not come back… “

Her blog continues to challenge as she states “So when you return to school, make a conscious effort to turn off your busyness.”

When I first started at my school – I used to apologize when I knocked on my principal’s door – and I could tell how much that bothered him. After a while – we had a talk about it – and he shared how the “interruptions” are his work… that talking with me, connecting with me is important and a vital component to his job. A few years later – when my colleague stepped into his role as an interim principal for the year, he taped the sign below on the wall by his desk so that he would remember that important philosophy during his year as principal. People are more important than paperwork.

“My whole life I have been complaining that my work was constantly interrupted, until I discovered the interruptions were my work.” ~~ Henri Nouwen

That makes me think of my students too. How often am I busy on the computer – doing the next lesson plan… typing an email in the minutes between classes… and don’t raise my head – stop often enough – and CONNECT.

So tomorrow – make some connections!

Classroom Resolutions

Anonymous — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 12:46:00 GMT

Well, the new year is upon us, and I have to admit that this is a time of year that I really enjoy. I like reflecting on what has happened in the past, greatly anticipate what is ahead, and eagerly set goals so that I can get the MOST out of myself, my students and our times together.

So, with that in mind I am posting a few of the “resolutions” and goals that I have been pondering for my classroom as the countdown to 2011 approaches. Be sure to add some of your own if yours isn’t on the list:

1) More meaningful comments: Nothing speaks more to a student than specific, focused comments on their homework. This new year, I would like to prioritize comments on my student’s homework. No assignment is too large or small - in each there is an opportunity for my students to grow and demonstrate new skills, new discoveries, and the accomplishment of their goals. I would really like to use my comments as a way to point out their accomplishments, to remind them of the ways in which they are making progress, and giving them greater instructions so that their work can be continually refined. While I want to work SMARTER and not HARDER, I believe that more focused and meaningful comments will definitely be worth the time and effort!

2) Making room for more individuality and greater creativity: Over the holidays I read somewhere a quote from Sir Ken Robinson, that states “creativity is as important in education as literacy, and we should treat it with the same status.”

How can my students really be creative if I give them assignments with no room for differentiation? Or options? How can I ensure that they feel that they can be creative in their presentations, in their problem-solving abilities, and in their methods of reasoning?

a) Showing possibilities – I think that I can model creativity by showing my students examples of different assignments and exemplars.

b) Co-create rubrics and criteria – it is essential that my students don’t feel that they will be penalized for thinking outside the box. I need to make sure that the rubric will not penalize them for being creative.

3) Opportunities for praise: Another great goal to have for the new year is to consistently look out for opportunities to PRAISE my students, be it inside the classroom or outside the classroom. It might be that a student is holding the door for a teacher, or helping a little one with their mitts on the playground, or being patient in the line-up at the water fountain. By making a BIG deal of these little things… I can celebrate the behaviours I want to see and hopefully inspire more. A phone call home, a note in an agenda, or acknowledging kindness in front of the room… that is how I plan to praise. Now, I know that there are perils when it comes to praise – - – but I believe that it is “dangerous” only when it is focused on academics alone, or used as a way of manipulating rather than inspiring. I truly think that by praising my students, I am thanking them and showing gratitude for the great contributions they make to our community.

4) Exploring new technology tools: With a quick web-search I can fairly easily find phenomenal resources that are easily adapted for my specific topic of study. It is amazing how technology is an instant grab for my students, and how it incites some of their most creative and best work. I want to commit this new year to trying a minimum of two new technologies or websites a week.

5) Networking with others: Twitter, Edublogs, and connecting through the blogging world – there is a wealth of information and inspiration out there for teachers of all ages and with all different levels of experience. I want to commit to being an engaged partner in these great teacher networks and make meaningful connections and comments.

What about you?

What are your goals for your classroom in 2011?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Technology ideas for K-2 teachers

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 21:40:59 GMT

Upper grade teachers can do so many cool technology projects with their upper grade students. Often, K-2 teachers (and their students) get left out of the super fun educational technology projects. Here are a few ideas to get you started as the new school year begins.

Typing Practice

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/typing/levels/level1.shtml

Typing isn’t the most exciting skill to teach, but it’s one of the few things upper grade teachers want kids to be good at (on the computer). This site makes typing fun, and has many different levels.

Kid Pix

Every K-2 students loves Kid Pix. Lessons could be free choice (make something cool), guided practice (here’s what the stamp tool does), or give them an assignment (make an AAB pattern using frogs and flies). Kid Pix is also a great reward if a student finishes an assignment early.

Tumblebooks

Tumblebooks is like an interactive narrated book online. It’s perfect for beginning (or non-)readers. It is a paid subscription to access it, but there are plenty of small libraries (like the Oakland Library) that offer access to Tumblebooks through their own public library site.

Basic Computer Skills

K-2 students need to learn basic skills like copy and paste. I like to teach them the shortcuts (command+c to copy). A fun lesson could be to draw something/anything in Kid Pix, copy the picture, paste it into Word, type your name, and print. Those are many, many skills, especially for a kindergartner, but it makes for several great computer lab lessons.

Podcasting

example at http://www.billselak.com/pt/archives/category/group-1
I’ve podcasted with students as young as second graders. The above link is for 20 podcasts from second graders. During summer school, they researched an aspect of life in Italy, wrote a script, and recorded it. They chose photos for a slideshow, and I put it all together. There are much simpler versions of this–students can read a story they write, or sing a song they’re practicing for a winter performance. For kinder kids, they could count, say their ABCs, or describe a photo. As long as you publish it, it’s a podcast!

I hope that helps. Please add your thoughts and ideas in the comments.

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Search results matching tags 'teachers' and 'blog'

Supporting ESL Students: Resources And Tips For Mainstream Teachers

Fakebook

Reasons Teachers Should Blog

Do you have ANY stories you'd like to SHARE????

Free Speech and the Ultimate Education Taboo

“Fear the Unlived Life”

“Do not fear death… only the unlived life. You don’t have to live forever; You just have to live.”

Okay with not knowing it all…

Embracing the “Interruptions”

Classroom Resolutions

Technology ideas for K-2 teachers

Typing Practice

Kid Pix

Tumblebooks

Basic Computer Skills

Podcasting

“Do not fear death… only the unlived life.
You don’t have to live forever;
You just have to live.”