Teacher Appreciation Week officially ended last Friday. But we're celebrating an extra day today (Monday, May 12) to give you the chance to freely explore our newest website for differentiated instruction: Science A–Z.
Many of you were among the tens of thousands of people who downloaded millions of resources during Learning A–Z's Teacher Appreciation Open House. We opened one of our websites each day of the week for free. And we are not yet finished showing our appreciation.
If you have been participating in the Open House or have a current license to any of the Learning A–Z websites, just visit your My Account page and log in with your username and password to collect your free Day Pass for Science A–Z. If this is the first time you are
taking advantage of the Learning A–Z Open House, fill out a short registration form to get free access to the Science A–Z materials for one day only.
The printable Science A–Z units are each written at multiple reading levels to accommodate the diverse needs of students in any elementary class. Life science, physical science, earth science, and process science units include science books, lessons, labs, worksheets, and activities, such as vocabulary cards.
Enjoy our gift to you. And if you have any questions, feel free to call
866.889.3731 or e-mail support@....
With our continued thanks for your hard work and dedication—every day.
The Learning A–Z Team
Please distribute this announcement freely. Visit all the Learning A–Z family of websites:
Teacher is like PEPSI "Ask for more "Teacher is like NIKE " Just Do It " Teacher is like NOKIA " Connecting People "Teacher is like MCD " I'm loving it" HAPPY TEACHER'S DAY
To all the greatest EL Teachers in Rompin & anywhere,
People laugh and cry,
Some give up and some always try ( that's you ),
Some say " Hi " while some say " Bye ",
Others may forget you but not me.
Happy Teacher's Day !
Happy teaching !
To All the Great Teachers
In this World
Thank you for being such wonderful teachers, exemplary role models,
and caring people;
Thank you for knowing your subjects and sharing your knowledge;
Thank you for not being afraid to treat students like real people;
Thank you for showing acceptance, approval, and appreciation.
These are all gifts that are so important to a student's development
and that your students will always remember you…
Words of encouragement, a little respect, and simple gestures of
kindness from a teacher promote the perfect climate for students to
study, learn and grow.
Your attitude translates into a spirit of friendliness and good will
towards others in an atmosphere of creative freedom, joy and ease,
and you foster this feeling in your classroom.
We salute the good work you've done. We appreciate the people you
are, and we thank for your positive influence. You have passed on
invaluable instruction and wisdom and created pleasurable moments
associated with learning that will always be sweet memories…
Thank you for answering the call to be teachers
Thank you for the enduring impression you've made in the lives you
have touched
Every community needs people like you
Your contributions are immeasurable
Your lessons are permanent
You improve our world
You are so important…
THANK YOU
THAANKS FOR.....
…making the difference
…long, long hours
…creating a sense of family
…being the keeper of dreams
…pleasing a lot
…using good judgement
…teaching for learning
…making reading fun
…forgiving
…being the wind beneath my wings
…that sensitive touch
…teaching class
…never giving up on anybody
…believing in miracles
…respecting each other
…taking responsibility for all students
…keeping a tight rein on discipline
…striving for excellence, not perfection
…being brave
…smiling a lot
…never depriving our children of hope
…being tough minded but tender hearted
…showing enthusiasm even when you don't feel like it
…keeping your promises
…giving your best
…your wisdom and courage
…being punctual and insisting on it in others
…providing creative solutions
…avoiding the negative and seeking out the good
…being there when students need you
…listening
…doing more than is expected
…never giving up on what you really want
…remaining open, flexible, and curious
…being a friend
…sharing
…keeping several irons in the fire
…being a child's hero
…going the distance
…having a good sense of humour
…being a dream maker
…giving your heart
When God created teachers,
He gave us special friends
To help us understand His world
And truly comprehend
The beauty and the wonder
Of everything we see,
And become a better person
With each discovery.
When God created teachers,
He gave us special guides
To show us ways in which to grow
So we can all decide
How to live and how to do
What's right instead of wrong,
To lead us so that we can lead
And learn how to be strong.
Why God created teachers,
In His wisdom and His grace,
Was to help us learn to make our world
A better, wiser place
When you thought I wasn't looking, you displayed my first report,
and I wanted to do another.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you fed a stray cat, and I
thought it was good to be kind to animals.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you gave me a sticker, and I knew
that little things were special things.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you put your arm around me, and I
felt loved.
When you thought I wasn't looking I saw tears come from your eyes,
and I learned that sometimes things hurt--but that it's all right to
cry.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you smiled, and it made me want
to look that pretty too.
When you thought I wasn't looking, you cared, and I wanted to be
everything I could be.
When you thought I wasn't looking--I looked...and wanted to say
thanks for all those things you did when you thought I wasn't
looking.
Teachers
Paint their minds
and guide their thoughts
Share their achievements
and advise their faults
Inspire a Love
of knowledge and truth
As you light the path
Which leads our youth
For our future brightens
with each lesson you teach
Each smile you lengthen
Each goal you help reach
For the dawn of each poet
each philosopher and king
Begins with a Teacher
And the wisdom they bring
Someone who is wise,
Who cares about the students and wears no disguise.
But is honest and open and shares from the heart,
Not just lessons from books, but life where you are.
A teacher takes time to help and tutor,
With English or math or on a computer.
Its teachers who's patient, even in stress,
Who never gives less than their very best!
Adapted:
ELTCM Resource Centre
I'm adding my best wishes to you all on this special day. Maybe because Mothers have to teach their children so much that so many become school teachers! You are cherished and appreciated! ! Not only today but everyday!! All my best wishes,
William
--- In Connecting_the_ Dots_in_Rompin@ yahoogroups. com, zaharah yahya <az_zah6759@ ...> wrote: > > > I'm dedicating this notes to All moms, or mom's to be >  A mom is GODS love in action > She looks with her heart and feels with her eyes > A mom is the bank where her children deposit all their worries and hurt > A mom is the cement that keeps her family together and her love last a lifetime... > We are
truly a great mom with love in our heart > Warmth in our soul > And peace keeper in our home... > Have a Blessed Mother's Day...2008.. . > > > Search, browse and book your hotels and flights through Yahoo! Travel http://sg.travel. yahoo.com >
Hi all Rompin Teacher Moms!
I'm adding my best wishes to you all on this special day. Maybe
because Mothers have to teach their children so much that so many
become school teachers! You are cherished and appreciated!! Not only
today but everyday!!
All my best wishes,
William
--- In Connecting_the_Dots_in_Rompin@yahoogroups.com, zaharah yahya
<az_zah6759@...> wrote:
>
>
> I'm dedicating this notes to All moms, or mom's to be
> Â A mom is GODS love in action
> She looks with her heart and feels with her eyes
> A mom is the bank where her children deposit all their worries and
hurt
> A mom is the cement that keeps her family together and her love
last a lifetime...
> We are truly a great mom with love in our heart
> Warmth in our soul
> And peace keeper in our home...
> Have a Blessed Mother's Day...2008...
>
>
> Search, browse and book your hotels and flights through
Yahoo! Travel http://sg.travel.yahoo.com
>
Teachers are never appreciated enough. But this year, Teacher Appreciation Week will be especially bountiful thanks to Learning A–Z, parent company to all the Learning Page subscription sister websites. In grateful recognition of teachers everywhere, Learning A–Z will open one of its six password-protected websites every day during Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5-9, plus the following Monday, May 12. Visitors can download, print, and use any of the differentiated teaching materials available on the websites.
The websites will be open and FREE from midnight to midnight Central time on the following schedule:
This month's FREE Learning Page worksheets range from seasonal selections to special coupons for Mom. The new worksheets are bound to help your students spring into learning and finish out this school year strong. New worksheet activities include:
• Completing springtime words • Counting seasonal pictures in Spanish • Writing an
acrostic poem using M-O-T-H-E-R-S • Adding and subtracting using springtime images
Next month, more new FREE worksheets will come your way as Learning Page buzzes with June Bugs.
All of the thousands of resources at Learning Page are FREE! If you aren't already a member, register today for access to all the materials at Learning Page. It’s quick and easy!
As the world becomes more and more globalized, being bilingual or even trilingual is increasingly important. Reading A–Z, a Learning Page sister website, helps encourage young readers to explore foreign languages by offering downloadable books in English, Spanish, and French. Students can celebrate Cinco de Mayo this month by reading a favorite book in English, then reading it in Spanish. There's no better time than the present to start students learning a new language. The earlier in life, the better.
Exercise Gets Kids Off on the Right Foot for Learning
In San Diego, reports Bob's Blog, early arriving students are getting a head start on the school day by jogging laps. Teachers report improved student learning performance and attention by those who run, and of course, it’s a valuable way to fight childhood obesity. It's not just about working out excess energy
or “the wiggles,” as one teacher puts it; exercise also stimulates production of a protein that helps the brain learn. It sounds like San Diego students are starting off their days on the right foot.
Sites for Teachers: Civics Lessons and Spring Songs
Want to find hundreds of the best websites for teachers? Sites for Teachers provides a comprehensive list of Internet resources ranked by their popularity. Here are a few of our favorite websites:
Learning Page is an interactive site that depends on YOU to let us know what kinds of materials you'd like to see and how you use what's already available. Please e-mail your thoughts and comments to us at learningpage@....
(We do not monitor replies to this newsletter, so be sure to use the e-mail address.) We will carefully consider your suggestions when developing new materials and may even use your comments in a future newsletter.
When you joined, you indicated that you wanted to receive occasional e-mails from us with news about Learning A–Z websites. If you've changed your mind and would prefer not to receive future newsletters, click here to change your newsletter preferences.
Access to Thousands of FREE Resources During Teacher Appreciation Week
Get Books, Lesson Plans, Worksheets, and Other Activities We all owe much of our success in life to teachers everywhere. We at Learning A–Z want to thank educators the best way we know how—by opening up access to our websites. Last year during Teacher Appreciation Week, we held an Open House that provided FREE access to ALL of our educational websites. Response was so overwhelming that we are going to do it again, and for even longer!
Explore Six Websites Bursting with Materials Each day during this year’s Teacher Appreciation Week, May 5–9, plus May 12, Learning A–Z will open one of its six password-protected websites. This will allow teachers to leisurely explore all of Learning
A–Z’s resources, including our newest website for differentiated instruction, Science A–Z.
Cute and lovable type, You are picky but always in love... and liked to be loved. Fresh and cheerful, but can be "moody" at times. Capable with people nice, soft, and that can love you for the way you are. Likes people that are easy to talk to, and can make you feel. comfortable.
Orange
You are responsible for your own actions, and you know how to treat people.You always have goals to reach and you really work hard to get there, you are competitive. Your friends are really important to you and you appreciate what you have, you sometimes over react that's because you are sensitive. comfortable.
Yellow
You are sweet and innocent. Trusted by many people, and have a strong leadership towards relationships. You make good decision and make the right choice at the right time. And always dreaming of Romantic Relationship.
Blue
You may have low self-esteem, and can be very picky. You are artistic and like to fall in love, but you let your love pass by, by loving with your mind, not your heart. relationship.
Pink
You are always trying your best in everything, and like to help and care for other people. But you are not easily satisfied. You have negative thoughts, and you look for romantic love like in a fairytale. relationship.
Green
You get along well with new people. You are not really a shy person, but sometimes you can hurt people's feelings by your words... You like to be loved and noticed by your lover, but mostly you are single, waiting for the right person.
Brown
You are active and sportive. It's hard for other people to become close with you, but you fall in love easily. But once you find out you can't get something, you give up and let go easily as well.
Aqua
Your feelings change suddenly and easily. You are always lonely, and like traveling. You are truthful, but listen and believe other people too easily. It's hard to find love for you, and get lost in love easily, Sometimes get hurt by love.
Lime
You are calm, but easily stressed out. You get jealous easily, and complain over little things. You can't get stuck into one thing, but you have a capable personality for everyone to trust you and like you.
Black
You are challenging, and have the "guts". But you don't like changes in your life. And once you make a decision, you keep it that way for a long time. Your love life is also challenging, and different.
Purple
You are Mysterious, never selfish and get interested in things easily. Your day can be Sad or Happy depending on your mood.You are popular between friends but you can act stupid at times,and forget things easliy.You go for a person that's trustworthy.
Navy
You are attractive, and love your life.You have a strong feeling towards everything. And very easily distracted.Once you get angry at someone, its hard for you to forgive them.
Olive
You are warm and light hearted.You seem to flow well with friends and family. You don't like Violence and know what's right.You are Kind and cheerful but don't evny other people.
Silver
You are imaginative and fun, You love trying new things.You like to challenge yourself and you learn things easily, you're easy to talk to and give good advice.When comes to friendship, you find it hard to trust someone, but once you find the right friend, you trust them forever.
Gold
You know what's right and what's wrong. You are cheerful and out going. It's hard for you to find the one you want, but once you find the right person, you won't be able to fall in love again for a long time.
Cream
Competitive and sportive. Don't like losing and always cheerful! You are trustworthy, and very out going. You choose love carefully, and don't fall in love easily. But once you find the right one, you don't let go or a long time.
Grey
ou are attractive, and active. You never hide your feelings, and express everything that's inside. But can be selfish at times. You want to be noticed, and don't like to be treated unequally. You can brighten up peoples day. You know what to say at the right time, and you have a good sense of humor.
Maroon
You are intelligent, and know what's right. You like to make things go your way, which can sometimes cause trouble for not thinking about other people's feelings. But you be patient when it comes to love.. Once you get a hold of the right person, it's hard for you to find a better love.
!
Maroon WHITE
You are shiny person,cute and intelligent Person. You like to make friendship with your higher persons, which can sometimes cause trouble. Your Strength is Your Love towards friends.You always looks to love somebody and u be loved by somebody.Your Intelligency may lead to success in your life
Any day is a good day for lessons about the environment. This month is especially
great. Environmental Education Week is April 13-19, and Earth Day is April 22. Today's children will carry tomorrow's torch, so let's teach them now about preserving, protecting, and restoring planet Earth. New Learning Page worksheets on topics such as recycling and reducing waste will help you teach children about environmental issues. See all the new worksheets:
• Matching nature pictures to words • Helping a fish through a maze of hazards • Following recycling rules • Writing haikus, concept webs, and sentences about the planet • Adding and subtracting using animal and plant images • Identifying things harmful to nature • Answering comprehension questions from a reading passage about the ocean
Plus, in an all new Tommy Tales adventure, The First Rescue, Tommy starts the search for his lost friends mysteriously scattered to the far corners of the universe.
Remember to visit Learning Page again in May and "Spring Into Learning" with all-new, all-free Learning Page worksheets.
Count it off... One, two, three, four... Get kids rockin' with math during Math Awareness Month in April, and every month. Eons before rock 'n' roll made its debut, ancient scholar Pythagoras connected harmonies and numbers by realizing that the Greek musical scale had a precise mathematical ratio between notes. And throughout the ages, music theorists and scholars have used mathematics to understand musical structure, explain how to hear music, and teach musical scales.
Share the music and
math interplay with kids by making homemade musical instruments (plastic eggs filled with rice, wood blocks covered with sand paper, jingle bracelets, oatmeal drums, and many more), then counting along to the rhythm of their music, and pointing out naturally occurring rhythms in everyday music.
Raz-Kids songbooks are another great way to listen to rhythm in song and in language. The songbooks, like Circle of Smiles, are one of the newest features on the increasingly popular subscription-based online reading website. Raz-Kids
is a Learning Page sister website and is among the family of Learning A-Z websites for differentiated instruction.
Learning new words is crucial to improving reading comprehension. But with more and more students in each class and less and less money available, teachers struggle with having appropriate materials for every student. Vocabulary A–Z, a Learning A–Z low-cost subscription website, may be just what teachers need to customize vocabulary lesson plans and activities AND meet the needs of all students—ESL/ELL, mainstream K–6, special education, etc.
Plus, it is easy to match classroom topics. For April's Earth Day and Math Awareness Month, Vocabulary A–Z has hundreds of words from which to generate lesson plans and worksheets on subjects such as conservation, habitats, plants, animals, numbers, measurements, and so much more.
As early as kindergarten, students are learning behaviors that will keep them in school through high school. Early steps can help assure that each child will continue through school successfully, and early intervention can alter the absentee path of potential dropouts. Intervention programs that take place in high school may be too late, according to a recent study at Arizona State University. Read more about this study, and share your comments at Bob's Blog.
Want to find hundreds of the best websites for teachers? Sites for Teachers provides a
comprehensive list of Internet resources ranked by their popularity. Here are a few of our favorite websites:
The Great Globe Gallery Just in time for Earth Day! Access more than 200 different images of the Earth.
Earth Balloon School assemblies gain new life with this gargantuan, traveling, inflatable model of the Earth.
Earth
Tutor Get answers within 24 hours to science and meteorology questions.
To find thousands of teaching resources, visit Sites for Teachers. Many of the websites provide materials for free.
"You provide wonderful materials and information on your website. I have told my fellow teachers about Learning Page, and they all think it's wonderful too. I can't wait to use your materials on oceans this summer... This is one of the best websites for teachers."
—Angela DeCicco;
Special Education Teacher
Learning Page has entire free galleries of worksheets and activities on dozens of topics, like oceans. The gallery on oceans alone has hundreds of fact files, cutouts, funsheets, and lesson plans on sea life.
All
of the thousands of resources at Learning Page are FREE! If you aren't already a member, register today for access to all the materials at Learning Page. It's quick and easy!
All the materials on Learning Page are developed for your benefit, so you will have
access to a comprehensive collection of FREE materials to help teach children. Please share with us the best ways to use Learning Page resources and tell us what other sorts of materials you'd like to see on Learning Page. Email your ideas and comments to learningpage@learningpage.com. We'll consider integrating your ideas in development of new materials as well as sharing your ideas in the newsletter.
When you joined, you indicated that you wanted to receive occasional emails from us with news about Learning A–Z websites. If you've changed your mind and would prefer not to receive future newsletters, click here to change your newsletter preferences.
Green is the order of the day. Shamrocks, clovers,
and leprechauns take over hearts and homes around the world on March 17 for St. Patrick's Day. Some restaurants will even serve green beverages, and tales of the leprechauns' elusive stash of gold at the end of the rainbow will fill story time. You will see plenty of green (and gold) in this month's fun collection of new worksheets:
• Connect-the-Dots Pot of Gold • Squiggly Rainbow Colors • Look! Up in the Sky! • Mini Word Searches • Favorite Foods Tournament Bracket • Seasonal Rebus • Rainbow Pourquoi Story • Words from "LEPRECHAUNS" • Strange Rainbow in the News • Clover Pictograph
Plus, this month you can download three free printable books.
In Colleen and the Leprechaun, a young girl travels to Ireland and learns of its magical, mythical past.
Tommy Goes to Ireland features Tommy and his pals helping the leprechauns solve the mystery of the missing gold.
Or,
inspire kids to breathe in the taste of springtime's beauty with this month's book on the Senses from Reading A–Z.
Next month, Learning Page will celebrate Earth Day, Every Day. Join us and the rest of the world in our quest to protect our planet.
Anyone can use the thousands of Learning Page materials for FREE. If you aren't already a member, register today for access to all the resources. It's quick and easy!
Sled teams of 12 to 16 dogs each and their mushers took off on March 1 from Anchorage headed for Nome, Alaska (roughly 1,050 miles away). They traverse over mountains, river, and frozen tundra in a trek that has become known as the last great race on
earth: the Iditarod. The dogs and their humans are racing not only other sled teams for the duration of the 10- to 17-day trip, but also they are up against sub-zero temperatures, zero-visibility storms, jagged mountains, and seemingly endless darkness.
The race is exciting to follow and a great opportunity for teachers to integrate many subjects. Visit the Iditarod website for regular race updates and the Learning A–Z websites for resources that support Iditarod-related themes.
If you are member of the Learning A–Z subscription-based websites, start by printing out a few great Reading A–Z books like The Last Great Race, The Jr. Iditarod, and Troika: Canine Superhero. Then cruise by Writing A–Z to print genre lessons at multiple developmental levels within your grade. Instruct students to compose expository writing
with informational reports on the mushers, the sled dogs, or the race itself.
Next, glide over to Raz-Kids where students can read and listen to a vast collection of audio, animated leveled books. Learn about many types of dogs with Breeds of Dogs. And finally, bring home your Iditarod-related topics with various unit resources from Science A–Z: a career file on dog breeders in the Life Cycles Unit, a Quick Read about animal ears in the Senses Unit, a Quick Read about glaciers in the Water Unit, and in the Adaptations
Unit, materials covering how animals and humans learn to live together.
Touch, sight, smell, taste, and sound—everything in life involves our senses, especially in springtime when the world teems with new life and fresh growth. Learning Page features an entire set of Senses theme sheets to help awaken the sensations of spring, which officially begins on March 20 on the vernal equinox. Download samples from the Senses unit, or register now to get everything at Learning Page for free, including the entire Senses theme pack and dozens of other theme packs. Each month, Learning Page also features new materials. The monthly additions include special samples from the Learning Page sister websites. This month, Learning Page has included free a printable
book on Senses from Reading A–Z.
Response to Intervention (RtI) is a new way of thinking for many educators. It involves recognizing that some students placed in special education classes are struggling with academic issues, not behavioral problems, and that remedying the academic problems may reduce the need for special education classes. The RtI initiative devotes a percentage of special-education funding to students struggling academically in mainstream classrooms.
Supporters of RtI, or Response to Intervention, believe that if the academic problems are remedied before a child is placed in special education, then there is a good chance special education may not be necessary. Response to Intervention is essentially a methodology of evaluating students with academic
delays, then working to bring the students up to speed before going the route of special education. It also supports a strategy of research-backed instruction on which all the Learning A–Z products are based: differentiated instruction. To learn more about RtI and to share your views, visit Bob's Blog today.
Parents and teachers are not the only ones who tell us how much they appreciate Learning Page and the Learning Page sister websites. Raz-Kids, Reading A–Z, and the entire family of Learning A–Z websites recently were nominated for CODiE awards from the Software & Information Industry Association. These awards honor outstanding services, content, and vision. For more information on these nominations and a special “thank you” to our customers, see Bob's Blog.
Sites for Teachers: Assessments, Supplies, and Materials for ESL
Want to find hundreds of the best websites for teachers? Sites for Teachers provides a comprehensive list of Internet resources ranked by their popularity. Here are a few of our favorite websites:
Corrective Reading Institute Assessment tests and remedial materials to help with phonics, spelling, and comprehension
A+ School Supply Decorate for St. Patrick's Day and find other supplies for parents and teachers
"I am planning on homeschooling all of my children through high school. Learning Page makes things simple for each child. I use the materials just as they are. I love the teaching techniques. Thanks very much!"
All the materials on Learning Page are developed for your benefit, so you will have access to a comprehensive collection of FREE materials to help teach children. Please share with us the best ways to use Learning Page resources and tell us what other sorts of materials you’d like to see on Learning Page. Email your ideas and comments to learningpage@.... We’ll consider integrating your ideas in development of new materials as well as sharing your ideas in the newsletter.
When you joined, you indicated that you wanted to receive occasional emails from us with news about Learning A–Z websites. If you've changed your mind and would prefer not to receive future newsletters, click here to change your newsletter preferences.
Valentine's Day holds many meanings for many people. But most students share a common sentiment for February 14: They get passionate about red, pink, and white construction paper, heart stencils, and silver glitter. So Learning Page's new worksheets include plenty of hearts and arts.
The entire month of February is National African-American History Month. To help educators integrate the accomplishments of African Americans into history lessons, Learning Page has great new worksheets and printable books.
Valentine "Monsters" puzzle
Cut-and-color Valentine cards
Math brain teaser
Valentine's joke word scramble
Cut-and-paste African-American history timeline
And two free printable books:
Martin Luther King, Jr.: This nonfiction book features one of the greatest champions of peace and equality.
Running for Freedom: A young boy and his father flee slavery via the Underground Railroad.
Next month, Learning Page will celebrate St. Patrick's Day with an Over the Rainbow theme.
All of the thousands of resources at Learning Page are FREE! If you aren't already a member, be sure to register today. It's quick and easy!
This year is one where February has an extra day. This bonus day, February 29, 2008, gets us back on track with the stars and seasons. Our calendar is synchronized with astrological events and the Earth's seasons, which do not repeat at an exact number of full days. Yet, our calendar has a fixed number of days with the exact same number of hours in each day. Over time, little by little, the calendar drifts out of alignment, and the extra day in a leap lear (approximately every four years) resynchs the calendar. Learning Page features free printable worksheets for children to learn about time and calendars.
Science is a wonderful thing. But most educators simply do not have another minute in the day to teach yet another subject. And many educators do not have access to developmentally appropriate resources to meet the needs of their diverse classroom population. Enter: Science A–Z. Science A–Z is the newest Learning A–Z website for differentiated instruction. The subscription website offers printable science units with leveled science readers for K–6 to integrate reading and science. Sample free science units on animals, sound, and water.
Teachers entering the classroom today are more qualified than they were 10 years ago, according to a recent report by the Educational Testing Services. For more information on the trends that have teachers scoring higher on licensing exams, visit Bob's Blog. (Bob Holl is vice president and publisher of the family of Learning A–Z websites.)
SITES FOR TEACHERS: ARTS, CRAFTS AND A SCAVENGER HUNT
Want to find hundreds of the best websites for teachers? Sites for Teachers provides a comprehensive list of Internet resources ranked by their popularity. Here are a few of our favorite websites:
Kids 101 Art
Online art gallery of kids' creations
MLK Scavenger Hunt
Search for information about Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. online
ABC Schoolhouse
Valentine's Day and other activities organized by theme
To find thousands of teaching resources, visit Sites for Teachers. Many of the websites provide materials for free.
"My children love the seasonal activity pages, and I was just thrilled to find something with the D'Nealian handwriting. This is the handwriting that the schools are teaching now, but I have not found it at any store."
We depend on you to let us know what sorts of new materials you'd like to see on Learning Page. Please email your suggestions and comments about Learning Page to: lpupdate@....
When you joined, you indicated that you wanted to receive occasional emails from us with news about Learning A–Z websites. If you've changed your mind and would prefer not to receive future newsletters, click here to change your newsletter preferences.
Sound research and common sense have put to rest the question of whether good teaching matters: It does. But exactly what constitutes high-quality teaching?
High-quality teaching occurs when teachers come to the classroom with a toolkit of knowledge and skills that they employ based on a set of effective practices and that lead, over time, to student learning. Teachers work as part of a professional community within a workplace that supports continuous learning for both children and adults.
The current, fragmented continuum for developing teaching expertise must be transformed into a system capable of supporting and assisting teachers to be the best they can be. It must be flexible, dynamic, and responsive to changing demographics and student needs; a system that "learns" and adapts to change.
Like most states, California has all the parts—recruitment, preparation, induction, and professional development for teachers. We assess teacher-candidates and novices, and we evaluate veterans. But we don't connect these elements into a smart system that is focused on results for students and supportive of teachers. We don't gather enough data about teachers and teaching, and we don't sufficiently share or use the data we do collect.
Margaret J. Gaston is the president of the Center for the Future of Teaching and Learning, based in Santa Cruz, Calif.
A forthcoming research review offers some counterintuitive advice for educators: Take time out of the curriculum to teach students to manage their emotions and to practice empathy, caring, and cooperation—and their academic achievement could improve in the bargain.
The new findings, discussed last week at a national forum here on social and emotional learning, are based on a not-yet-published analysis of 207 studies of school-based programs designed to foster children's social and emotional skills.
"In the past, when people would say, `You're taking away from academic time for these programs,' we would say, `Well, it's not going to hurt learning,' " said Roger P. Weissberg, the president of the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning, or CASEL, the Chicago-based group that sponsored the four-year study. "What we find now is that when you have these programs, academics improve."
The results come at what some see as a critical juncture in the movement to promote social and emotional learning. Research findings in education and other fields, such as brain science, seem to be converging on the benefits of such instruction, and programs based on the concept have a small but growing presence in schools.
One state, Illinois, has set down standards for teaching the subject. Another, New York, is developing voluntary guidelines for teaching students social and emotional skills. Lessons in social and emotional learning are also taught in some districts, from New Haven, Conn., to Anchorage, Alaska.
Some advocates of social and emotional learning contend that one roadblock to more widespread implementation of their programs is the federal No Child Left Behind Act, which has put new pressure on schools to raise test scores in core subjects and narrowed the curricular focus in some schools.
But the nearly 6-year-old law also calls on educators to employ "scientifically based" educational practices, and leaders of the movement for social and emotional learning hope the new findings will give their programs a more solid footing in schools nationwide.
"This research confirms what a lot of us have been saying for years," said Dr. James P. Comer, the Yale University psychologist best known for developing the Comer School Development Project, a model for improving the social, emotional, and academic outcomes of urban schoolchildren. "It's almost counterintuitive for some people to believe that it's about how you treat kids."
207 Studies Analyzed
For their analysis, the CASEL researchers sifted through 700 studies on a broad range of school-based programs aimed at honing students' social and emotional skills. Such programs might include, for instance, character education lessons, anti-bullying efforts, drug-abuse-prevention programs, or conflict-resolution training.
Out of that hodgepodge, the researchers culled 207 studies that met their criteria for inclusion in the analysis. The studies had to involve typical students ages 5 to 18, and use a control group of students, so that any gains could be compared against those that students might be expected to make under normal circumstances.
Just under half the studies also went a step further and randomly assigned students to either the experimental or the comparison group.
Strong Effects Found
Illinois Social and Emotional Learning Standards
The state has adopted standards for the social and emotional skills that K-12 students should be taught.
GOAL 1: Develop selfawareness and self-management skills to achieve school and life success.
(A) Identify and manage one's emotions and behavior (B) Recognize personal qualities and external supports (C) Demonstrate skills related to achieving personal and academic goals
GOAL 2: Use social-awareness and interpersonal skills to establish and maintain positive relationships.
(A) Recognize the feelings and perspectives of others (B) Recognize individual and group similarities and differences (C) Use communication and social skills to interact effectively with others (D) Demonstrate an ability to prevent, manage, and resolve interpersonal conflicts in constructive ways
GOAL 3: Demonstrate decisionmaking skills and responsible behaviors in personal, school, and community contexts.
(A) Consider ethical, safety, and societal factors in making decisions (B) Apply decisionmaking skills to deal with academic and social situations (C) Contribute to the well-being of one's school and community
Across the board, the researchers found, the programs did what they were supposed to do: After the lessons, the students in the experimental groups were better behaved, more positive, and less anxious than their control-group peers. The program students had also, apparently, gotten smarter, as measured by their grades and test scores.
As a group, those students scored 11 percentile points higher than the comparison-group students on a measure known as an "improvement index." The term, borrowed from federal education researchers, refers to the difference between the mean percentile rank for the intervention group and that of the control group.
"The impact here is almost twice that of studies on class-size improvements," said Mr. Weissberg, who is also a professor of psychology and education at the University of Illinois at Chicago. He was a co-author of the report with Joseph A. Durlak, a Loyola University of Chicago psychologist, and other researchers.
CASEL is scheduled to publish the report in early 2008. Mr. Weissberg shared the findings at the Dec. 10 meeting in New York, which was aimed at charting a future course for the 13-year-old organization and the movement it helps promote.
"When kids are disaffected or they're not motivated and engaged, improving academic test scores is a real challenge," Mr. Weissberg added, "and that can't be done unless you address students' social, emotional, and cognitive needs."
Some Skeptical
The analysis also showed that the good effects persisted six months or more after students took part in the programs, although to a lesser degree. And the lessons were even more effective when they were provided by teachers, rather the program developers or researchers, Mr. Weissberg said.
Some experts, however, continue to caution that such findings should be viewed with a dose of skepticism because since they have yet to be published in a peer-reviewed academic journal.
"I have always been a bit skeptical of in-house studies, because it's often the case that the people who do the evaluations have a stake in the outcome turning out a certain way," said Kevin R. Murphy, a professor of psychology, information sciences, and technology at Pennsylvania State University in University Park, Pa.
A critic of the theory of "emotional intelligence," Mr. Murphy was not part of the CASEL meeting. "That's not to say these programs can't work," he added. "But this is an area where the claims often run ahead of the evidence."
But Richard J. Davidson, a professor of psychology and psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, noted that the findings dovetail with his own work on emotion and the brain's structure and function. While studies have long shown that negative emotions, such as anxiety and fear, can interfere with learning, Mr. Davidson, who was named one of the world's most influential people by Time magazine in 2006, has documented that in people who undergo regular training in meditation or other practices akin to social and emotional learning, the brain circuitry actually changes.
"Social and emotional learning likely produces beneficial changes in the brain," Mr. Davidson told conference-goers here.
Though research is needed to better document the mechanics of such transformations, he said, "qualities such as patience, calmness, cooperation, and kindness should really now best be regarded as skills that can be trained."
`Not an Easy Sell'
Policymakers and educators at the K-12 level, though, can be reluctant to incorporate such teachings into the curriculum, said Carol S. Comeau, the superintendent of schools in Anchorage. Lessons in social and emotional learning have been part of the regular instructional program across that 48,500-student district since 2004.
"It was not an easy sell," Ms. Comeau said. "Some members of our school board thought it was really about self-esteem and helping kids feel good about themselves."
Test scores have risen districtwide since the changes have been incorporated. And now an ongoing study by the Washington-based American Institutes for Research suggests that some of that improvement could be due to the lessons.
Since 2005, David Osher, the lead researcher on the AIR study, has surveyed staff members and students across the district in grades 5-12 on measures of school climate—factors, in other words, such as the extent to which students feel safe and cared for in schools, whether parents are involved in schools, and the pervasiveness of student drug and alcohol use.
"When the school climate and school connections measures go up," Mr. Osher said, he has found that "students' performance on statewide tests in reading, mathematics, and writing also goes up."
Stay healthy and happy this winter with free worksheets from Learning Page:
Skiing connect-the-dots worksheet
Winter sports identification
Daily activities sentence completion
Winter fun book
Create-a-snowperson
Wellness word completion
Healthy habit identification
And more...
...including these three printable books:
Hibernation: Many diverse animals spend the cold winter months "sleeping."
Healthy Me: Exercise, eating and sleeping well, and other activities help keep the body healthy.
Lucy and Kim, Lost at Sea: The newest Tommy Tales features two friends stranded on an uncharted desert isle.
Next month, Learning Page celebrates February with Hearts and History.
All of the thousands of resources at Learning Page are FREE! If you aren't already a
member, register today for access to all the materials at Learning Page. It's quick and easy!
Educators simply do not have enough hours in the day. That is why Learning A–Z's latest website, Science A–Z, provides downloadable science books, materials, lessons, and worksheets at various levels of reading difficulty for PreK–6. (Learning A–Z is the parent company of Learning Page as well as a number of subscription supplementary curriculum websites.) Now educators can easily teach science while improving reading skills. The science website officially launches in a few weeks, but you can try free samples now!
Eating right, exercising, and practicing other healthy habits help us stay well throughout cold and flu season. Laughter is one of those very important other healthy habits. Scientists have shown that laughter is a great way to keep mental energy flowing and keep kids engaged in learning. Reading A–Z, a Learning Page sister website, not only provides all the books you need to keep kids reading throughout the winter months and the entire year, but also the site offers all the printable humor books you need to maintain healthy giggles and laughs among your students. Books such as If Animals Could Talk will be quick favorites among your young readers. Reading A–Z also has a collection of downloadable comic books for more fun reading.
More and more books are being made available in digital format, leading some to ask whether printed
books are becoming a thing of the past. The large body of printed materials available and the cozy feeling of curling up with a good book on a rainy day are just some of the reasons "e-books" are unlikely to replace traditional books for many years to come. For further discussion on e-books and other education news topics, check out Learning Page publisher Bob Holl's blog.
SITES FOR TEACHERS: FROM ONLINE FLASHCARDS TO CLASSIFIED ADS
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Very good article Rasid, The relationship teachers have with parents
and the community at large is critical to overall success of the
students. It's not easy for many teachers in Rompin to establish
these relationships but with dedication, caring and imagination ways
can be found.
--- In Connecting_the_Dots_in_Rompin@yahoogroups.com, "RASID BIN
HARUN" <sidskbridan@...> wrote:
>
> This is a very interesting article found in Teacher Magazine
> There're articles that need to be read.
> Please go to the web-side -
>
> http://www.teachermagazine.org/
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
--
>
> By Bill Ferriter
> ----------------
>
> I had a great idea the other day. I figure that if someone can
make
> millions by writing a book attempting to explain the complex inner
> workings of the relationship between men and women, I can make a
mint
> trying to explain the equally complex relationship between parents
> and teachers. Right?
>
> So I wandered over to the Self-Help section of the local bookstore
> and spent a few minutes browsing through the classic Men Are From
> Mars, Women Are From Venus looking for ideas. The first thing I
> noticed was the book's subtitle:
>
> A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You
> Want in Your Relationships.
>
> How perfect is that?! Teachers and parents across America will
flock
> to the shelves if I can somehow help them to "get what they want"
out
> of one another, right? And isn't communication the hardest part of
> the school-child relationship that we share?
>
> I've never met a teacher who hasn't been mystified by the actions
of
> a parent at least once a year, and I'm pretty sure that parents can
> say the same about teachers. Let's face it: We're two of the most
> complicated groups of people to understand—and for $29.95, I'm
> willing to be your guide!
> After browsing witty chapter titles like "Men Are Like
Rubberbands,"
> and "Women are Like Waves," I found what is going to be the title
of
> the first chapter in my book: "Scoring Points With the Opposite
> Group."
>
> My publisher—i.e., the guy down the hall with the only working
> printer in his room—tells me I should share some of my ideas here
> to "prime the marketplace." He seems to believe that my book will
> spread like wildfire through a word-of-mouth, grassroots buying
> campaign after y'all get a taste of what I've got to offer. So
here's
> an early draft of the key ideas in my first chapter.
> Scoring Points with Parents (Target Audience: Teachers)
> Parents rarely intend to be the red-eyed, flame-breathing creatures
> that you see in your nightmares. There are several things you can
do
> as a teacher if you are hoping to have a positive working
> relationship with the parents of your students. Begin by:
>
> • Recognizing that parents are valuable partners. Do you realize
how
> much collective knowledge parents have about their children? They
> have spent years nurturing and supporting the students that you've
> sometimes just met! Yet teachers often overlook parents during the
> course of the school year. Make an attempt to involve parents in
> meaningful ways in the education of their children. Ask for their
> thoughts and advice. Empower them to help make important decisions.
> Recognize them as experts and treat them as respected equals. Not
> only will you score points, you'll learn valuable information that
> will help you to do your job better.
>
> • Communicating early and often. All parents are passionate about
> their children. They want to know what their strengths and
weaknesses
> are. They want to know what is being learned in class and what
> assignments need to be completed. They want to know how to extend
and
> enrich learning at home, yet often the only source of information
is
> a cryptic conversation with a distracted twelve-year-old—or worse
> yet, picking through the pile of papers in the bottom of a
backpack.
> (It's grungy down there!) Work diligently to communicate with the
> parents of your students in meaningful ways. Send e-mails, create
Web
> sites, and host parent nights. Make phone calls—to express concerns
> and celebrate successes—and you'll surely score points with parents.
>
> • Admitting your mistakes. Teachers make thousands of split-second
> decisions every single day. Who was pushing in the lunch line? Was
a
> child being honest? Did students have enough time to complete their
> tests? Were the directions for assignments clear? Was I too harsh?
> There will be times when you make the wrong decision—after all,
> you're human and this job is hard! There is nothing more damaging
to
> your relationship with parents than to deny this reality. When you
> make a mistake, apologize and move on. You'll retain the trust of
> your parents and your own integrity at the same time.
>
> Scoring Points with Teachers (Target Audience: Parents)
>
> Teachers are rarely the incompetent, bumbling scatterbrains that
you
> see in your nightmares. There are several things that you can do as
a
> parent if you are hoping to have a positive working experience with
> the teachers of your children. Begin by:
>
> • Recognizing that teachers are professionals. The old
adage, "Those
> who can, do, and those who can't, teach," is not only insulting—it
is
> inaccurate. Teachers are generally highly trained professionals
with
> a deep understanding of the content they teach and the
instructional
> methods to make that content approachable for students of different
> ability levels. While you may not always understand the decisions
> made by teachers, in the vast majority of cases you can trust their
> training and experience. You'll score points with your child's
> teacher by providing him or her the professional respect that you
> expect to be given in your workplace.
>
> • Giving your child's teacher the benefit of the doubt. There are
> going to be times each year that your child comes home distraught
> over the actions of a teacher. In any setting where human beings
are
> together for six hours a day, there are bound to be disagreements.
> When this happens, begin by giving your child's teacher the benefit
> of the doubt! Make an appointment to hear what happened from the
> teacher's perspective. You'll sometimes find that your child's
> version of events was not a "complete disclosure" of the situation,
> and together you can work out a set of next steps to keep future
> misunderstandings from happening.
>
> • Saying thank you. Teaching is demanding. Imagine spending hour
> after hour alone in a room with 20 to 30 children who all have
> different academic, social, and emotional needs. And then imagine
> working in those conditions year after year with little recognition
> or praise. Like any profession, the critics of education are often
> louder than the supporters—and teachers take these criticisms to
> heart. It can be terribly discouraging to work long hours with
little
> pay in difficult conditions and then to hear only about failures.
> Take a few minutes each month to thank your child's teacher for
> something that he or she has done. Your kindness will remind
teachers
> that their efforts are appreciated—and score you serious points!
>
> • Saying thank you. Teaching is demanding. Imagine spending hour
> after hour alone in a room with 20 to 30 children who all have
> different academic, social, and emotional needs. And then imagine
> working in those conditions year after year with little recognition
> or praise. Like any profession, the critics of education are often
> louder than the supporters—and teachers take these criticisms to
> heart. It can be terribly discouraging to work long hours with
little
> pay in difficult conditions and then to hear only about failures.
> Take a few minutes each month to thank your child's teacher for
> something that he or she has done. Your kindness will remind
teachers
> that their efforts are appreciated—and score you serious points!
>
> • Saying thank you. Teaching is demanding. Imagine spending hour
> after hour alone in a room with 20 to 30 children who all have
> different academic, social, and emotional needs. And then imagine
> working in those conditions year after year with little recognition
> or praise. Like any profession, the critics of education are often
> louder than the supporters—and teachers take these criticisms to
> heart. It can be terribly discouraging to work long hours with
little
> pay in difficult conditions and then to hear only about failures.
> Take a few minutes each month to thank your child's teacher for
> something that he or she has done. Your kindness will remind
teachers
> that their efforts are appreciated—and score you serious points!
>
> So, what do you think? Does my book have potential? Should I quit
now
> and make a bid for a late afternoon talk show on national
television?
> Watch out, Oprah, here I come!
>
> Even if I don't make it big, I hope some of my ideas make sense to
> parents and to teachers. Anything that I can do to improve the
> parent/teacher relationship is worthwhile, I figure. After all,
we're
> counting on each other, aren't we?
>
> Actually, I'm wrong—it's the children in our schools who are
counting
> on us!
> --------------------------------------------------------------------
--
> Bill Ferriter teaches 6th grade history and science in the Wake
> County, N.C. schools. A North Carolina regional teacher of the year
> in 2006, Ferriter writes frequently on education topics. His blog,
> The Tempered Radical, was named "Best Teacher Blog" in the 2007
> EduBlog Awards competition.
>
This is a very interesting article found in Teacher Magazine
There're articles need to be read
Please go to the web-side -
http://www.teachermagazine.org/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
By Bill Ferriter
----------------
I had a great idea the other day. I figure that if someone can make
millions by writing a book attempting to explain the complex inner
workings of the relationship between men and women, I can make a mint
trying to explain the equally complex relationship between parents
and teachers. Right?
So I wandered over to the Self-Help section of the local bookstore
and spent a few minutes browsing through the classic Men Are From
Mars, Women Are From Venus looking for ideas. The first thing I
noticed was the book's subtitle:
A Practical Guide for Improving Communication and Getting What You
Want in Your Relationships.
How perfect is that?! Teachers and parents across America will flock
to the shelves if I can somehow help them to "get what they want" out
of one another, right? And isn't communication the hardest part of
the school-child relationship that we share?
I've never met a teacher who hasn't been mystified by the actions of
a parent at least once a year, and I'm pretty sure that parents can
say the same about teachers. Let's face it: We're two of the most
complicated groups of people to understand—and for $29.95, I'm
willing to be your guide!
After browsing witty chapter titles like "Men Are Like Rubberbands,"
and "Women are Like Waves," I found what is going to be the title of
the first chapter in my book: "Scoring Points With the Opposite
Group."
My publisher—i.e., the guy down the hall with the only working
printer in his room—tells me I should share some of my ideas here
to "prime the marketplace." He seems to believe that my book will
spread like wildfire through a word-of-mouth, grassroots buying
campaign after y'all get a taste of what I've got to offer. So here's
an early draft of the key ideas in my first chapter.
Scoring Points with Parents (Target Audience: Teachers)
Parents rarely intend to be the red-eyed, flame-breathing creatures
that you see in your nightmares. There are several things you can do
as a teacher if you are hoping to have a positive working
relationship with the parents of your students. Begin by:
• Recognizing that parents are valuable partners. Do you realize how
much collective knowledge parents have about their children? They
have spent years nurturing and supporting the students that you've
sometimes just met! Yet teachers often overlook parents during the
course of the school year. Make an attempt to involve parents in
meaningful ways in the education of their children. Ask for their
thoughts and advice. Empower them to help make important decisions.
Recognize them as experts and treat them as respected equals. Not
only will you score points, you'll learn valuable information that
will help you to do your job better.
• Communicating early and often. All parents are passionate about
their children. They want to know what their strengths and weaknesses
are. They want to know what is being learned in class and what
assignments need to be completed. They want to know how to extend and
enrich learning at home, yet often the only source of information is
a cryptic conversation with a distracted twelve-year-old—or worse
yet, picking through the pile of papers in the bottom of a backpack.
(It's grungy down there!) Work diligently to communicate with the
parents of your students in meaningful ways. Send e-mails, create Web
sites, and host parent nights. Make phone calls—to express concerns
and celebrate successes—and you'll surely score points with parents.
• Admitting your mistakes. Teachers make thousands of split-second
decisions every single day. Who was pushing in the lunch line? Was a
child being honest? Did students have enough time to complete their
tests? Were the directions for assignments clear? Was I too harsh?
There will be times when you make the wrong decision—after all,
you're human and this job is hard! There is nothing more damaging to
your relationship with parents than to deny this reality. When you
make a mistake, apologize and move on. You'll retain the trust of
your parents and your own integrity at the same time.
Scoring Points with Teachers (Target Audience: Parents)
Teachers are rarely the incompetent, bumbling scatterbrains that you
see in your nightmares. There are several things that you can do as a
parent if you are hoping to have a positive working experience with
the teachers of your children. Begin by:
• Recognizing that teachers are professionals. The old adage, "Those
who can, do, and those who can't, teach," is not only insulting—it is
inaccurate. Teachers are generally highly trained professionals with
a deep understanding of the content they teach and the instructional
methods to make that content approachable for students of different
ability levels. While you may not always understand the decisions
made by teachers, in the vast majority of cases you can trust their
training and experience. You'll score points with your child's
teacher by providing him or her the professional respect that you
expect to be given in your workplace.
• Giving your child's teacher the benefit of the doubt. There are
going to be times each year that your child comes home distraught
over the actions of a teacher. In any setting where human beings are
together for six hours a day, there are bound to be disagreements.
When this happens, begin by giving your child's teacher the benefit
of the doubt! Make an appointment to hear what happened from the
teacher's perspective. You'll sometimes find that your child's
version of events was not a "complete disclosure" of the situation,
and together you can work out a set of next steps to keep future
misunderstandings from happening.
• Saying thank you. Teaching is demanding. Imagine spending hour
after hour alone in a room with 20 to 30 children who all have
different academic, social, and emotional needs. And then imagine
working in those conditions year after year with little recognition
or praise. Like any profession, the critics of education are often
louder than the supporters—and teachers take these criticisms to
heart. It can be terribly discouraging to work long hours with little
pay in difficult conditions and then to hear only about failures.
Take a few minutes each month to thank your child's teacher for
something that he or she has done. Your kindness will remind teachers
that their efforts are appreciated—and score you serious points!
• Saying thank you. Teaching is demanding. Imagine spending hour
after hour alone in a room with 20 to 30 children who all have
different academic, social, and emotional needs. And then imagine
working in those conditions year after year with little recognition
or praise. Like any profession, the critics of education are often
louder than the supporters—and teachers take these criticisms to
heart. It can be terribly discouraging to work long hours with little
pay in difficult conditions and then to hear only about failures.
Take a few minutes each month to thank your child's teacher for
something that he or she has done. Your kindness will remind teachers
that their efforts are appreciated—and score you serious points!
• Saying thank you. Teaching is demanding. Imagine spending hour
after hour alone in a room with 20 to 30 children who all have
different academic, social, and emotional needs. And then imagine
working in those conditions year after year with little recognition
or praise. Like any profession, the critics of education are often
louder than the supporters—and teachers take these criticisms to
heart. It can be terribly discouraging to work long hours with little
pay in difficult conditions and then to hear only about failures.
Take a few minutes each month to thank your child's teacher for
something that he or she has done. Your kindness will remind teachers
that their efforts are appreciated—and score you serious points!
So, what do you think? Does my book have potential? Should I quit now
and make a bid for a late afternoon talk show on national television?
Watch out, Oprah, here I come!
Even if I don't make it big, I hope some of my ideas make sense to
parents and to teachers. Anything that I can do to improve the
parent/teacher relationship is worthwhile, I figure. After all, we're
counting on each other, aren't we?
Actually, I'm wrong—it's the children in our schools who are counting
on us!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Bill Ferriter teaches 6th grade history and science in the Wake
County, N.C. schools. A North Carolina regional teacher of the year
in 2006, Ferriter writes frequently on education topics. His blog,
The Tempered Radical, was named "Best Teacher Blog" in the 2007
EduBlog Awards competition.
Dear Friends,
I wanted to let you know about a great resource for working with
struggling adolescent readers and writers. You can explore AdLit
at http://www.adlit.org or sign up for the free monthly
e-newsletter, "Word Up!"
Follow this link to sign up:
http://pbsmail.org/adlit/join.html?r=E1edbNEqZuBo
We are dedicated to helping you inspire, encourage, and entertain young learners. With winter well on its way, this month's Learning Page has new materials to help one and all celebrate and learn about the season.
Winter's day word identification
Seasons-of-the-year cutouts
Wintry word find
Penguin story prompt
New Year's resolutions
You'll also find three free printable books in this month's Winter Wonderland activities:
World Holidays: Incorporate into your lesson plans a comprehensive view of the
many traditions celebrated around the globe.
The Castaway Pines: In this stage play, loggers leave a family of evergreens deep in the winter woods a bit jittery.
Next month, Learning Page will ring in January and the New Year with health and wellness activities.
All of the thousands of resources at Learning Page are free! If you aren't already a member, register today for access to all the quality Learning Page resources. It's quick and easy!
Seasonal changes mean transformation not only in the landscape, but also in the critters roaming the land; and big or small, the world’s wildlife never ceases to amaze us.
Imagine a town where polar bears outnumber people. So it is in Churchill, Canada, where the polar bears—which do not formally hibernate—come onto land to feed when ice forms in the surrounding Arctic waters. Then, circle around the globe to Australia and New Zealand and watch the tiny fairy penguins burrow on the beaches for the warm nights.
Animals are one of the most popular topics featured in the thousands of printable Reading A–Z books (Reading A–Z is a Learning Page sister website available at low-cost annual licensing.)
Winter is upon us, migrating species are making brief appearances around the world, and young animal enthusiasts are relishing the tales of reindeer and polar bears. Dedicated educators strive to keep alive students' passion to learn about science. But individual student needs vary considerably, and it is hard to find science materials at the appropriate reading levels of all the children in any given classroom.
That’s why the next Learning
Page sister website will deliver comprehensive, printable science units with leveled books, lessons, and hands-on applications. Some of the Science A–Z units will focus on wildlife and animals. The complete website is coming in 2008, but you can try a free science unit—including one on animals—anytime. Have fun learning about the newest Learning A–Z website. (Learning A–Z is the parent company for Learning Page and its sister websites.)
The nominations are in, the winners are being announced, and Learning Page would like to congratulate all the 2008 state Teachers of the Year and the many deserving finalists and runners-up. Among the winners are teachers who drop bowling balls from roofs, hold special cultural events for second-language learners and their families, and who keep the lines of communication open all day long via
interactive student websites. Learning Page salutes this year’s top educators and wishes all of you luck at the national competition in April.
Want to find hundreds of the best websites for teachers? Sites for Teachers provides a comprehensive list of Internet resources ranked by their popularity. Here are a few of our favorite websites:
Teacher Web Magazine Inspirational stories and grant news for today's busy teachers
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http://eflclassroom.ning.com/- Created by David Deubelbeiss, self
described as Teacher, Writer, Runner, Human Being wrote recently:
"Steve Hargadon who created the Classroom 2.0 site, (and the
inspiration for creating EFL Classroom 2.0! ) has just let us know
that NING will allow K-12 teachers to create networks without ads.
YES, without ads!"
"I think this is a great step forward and I hope more EFL / ESL
teachers climb onboard and use Ning with their classes. The power of
social networking is amazing and so educationally underrated. Social
networking, used properly, allows students to help each other, it
flattens the classroom and world and makes learning something
creative and interactive."
I've recently joined the Network and it is truly amazing - resources,
music, video, programs, papers, ideas, ideas, ideas! I put a link to
the Network in the LINKS section as well. Hope you check it out and
get involved or start a network of your own!
Happy Networking!
William
Like many of your messages to me, I received this in my personal email from Ahmad Ismail in reply to my recent posting. I thought it was worth sharing it and my reply with you.
Dear Mr. William,
Referring to your message-
"Immediate feedback; - stop using the RED PEN approach with tests. Have students correct themselves with your help. Don't wait weeks or even days to get feedback to students - make a teaching period out of marking papers". Can you elaborate more for me. What do you mean by stop using red pen? Even though I'm not going to teach English any more next year because I'm going to further my studies, maybe I can share this with other teachers. For your information all the English teachers that have attended your course will be leaving my school next year because they have got their transfers back to their hometowns. It's a bit of a pity for my school because most of the students won't have a chance to experience the knowledge that you have shared with the teachers. I also feel a bit disappointed because I won't even have a chance to attend any of your courses or programs. But the info that you have shared in the group is very helpful. I wish all the best to you in your PhD. I hope I can still ask your opinion when I'm doing my research on my Masters in TESL.
See you...
Ahmad Ismail
Ahmad, there are three points I can make briefly to you about the Red Pen approach.
1. I have many students from the neighborhood in Rompin who come to my home after school and I learn much from them about what goes on in the schools. They often bring me homework that has been corrected by their teachers and they are so discouraged by all the corrections and negative comments in red pen! There are rarely any positive comments and when there are even these are in RED. At the very moment when students present their work (presentation, assignment or test) to teachers (a figure of authority) they feelownership of that work. It represents the effort they have made to demonstrate what they have learned and an opportunity to be encouraged in their progress. When the teacher takes the work and marks all the mistakes in red pen, she is really telling the student "You have made mistakes!" Highlighting only what they HAVE NOT learned. He is giving the student back a bleeding paper! Highlighting all that is bad. STOP signs are colored in red! So we emphasize what's bad and students stop.IF they go again, they have to take time to pick up speed to regain any momentum they may have had. So if YOU as teachers are going to mark the work, at least mark it in the same color the students use to write the paper, making the necessary corrections, AND highlighting what was done correctly (praise) then have the students REWRITE their work following the DETOUR signs you have given them. Perhaps they will slow down but at least they won't stop. Too many students have seen the STOP signs so many times that they just don't want to keep going! Have you ever waited for what seemed like an eternity for a red light to turn green? Not a good feeling when you really want to get where you're going. Students shouldn't wait for your help with the work they are ready to submit. When they give you something they are open and ready at that moment to learn; so don't wait unless it's absolutely necessary and make it a positive learning experience.
2. We want students to continue to feel ownership of not only the work but of the PROCESS of learning. They should understand that you are more of a coach than a policeman with a red flag! The game goes on, you don't get a summons or go to jail! So it is FAR BETTER to simply underlin or note parts of the wirk(?) that need improvement and let them figure out how to improve it. At least give them time and encourage them to ask you how to improve it. Then they feel some sense of participation in the learning PROCESS.
3. I have used different techniques to help students learn from their written work depending on the class and the subject or assignment. With writing projects, I like to use the process approach where students know they will write a number of drafts before they get to the final work that will be assessed. They might have to do this mostly by themselves when the project is mostly homework. But even then, I make sure that some sharing of their work amongst each other takes place. I may have them exchange their work when it has been reviewed by me a few times and take them home for comment and suggestions for correction. For tests or other assignments, I make a class or part of a class period a time for the students to pair up or work in small groups to check each others' work with the understanding the final grade is not as important as the learning they will share with each other. (I like the small groups because there is less chance of somebody slacking off.) Then, as a whole class, we identify areas where many students have difficulty and then address those issues together. I also like the fact that this helps build a sense of the class being a team of learners with everybody contributing to achieving a common goal - everybody's success and being the best team!
Hope this helps clarify the issue for you. Thanks for the great question! And you can count on my help anytime. I'll do my best.
A number of New Links have been added today in the LINKS sections for
Multiple Intelligences and Learning Styles, Reading, etc. as well as a
new section for Spelling.
Enrich your teaching and check them out! Have Fun!
William
Offline 
Send Email
A teacher is like Spring,
Count it off... One, two, three, four... Get kids rockin' with math during 
In 
Sled teams of 12 to 16 dogs each and their mushers took off on March 1 from Anchorage headed for Nome, Alaska (roughly 1,050 miles away). They traverse over mountains, river, and frozen tundra in a trek that has become known as the last great race on
earth: the Iditarod. The dogs and their humans are racing not only other sled teams for the duration of the 10- to 17-day trip, but also they are up against sub-zero temperatures, zero-visibility storms, jagged mountains, and seemingly endless darkness.
This year is one where February has an extra day. This bonus day, February 29, 2008, gets us back on track with the stars and seasons. Our calendar is synchronized with astrological events and the Earth's seasons, which do not repeat at an exact number of full days. Yet, our calendar has a fixed number of days with the exact same number of hours in each day. Over time, little by little, the calendar drifts out of alignment, and the extra day in a leap lear (approximately every four years) resynchs the calendar. Learning Page features free printable worksheets for children to learn about 
Seasonal changes mean transformation not only in the landscape, but also in the critters roaming the land; and big or small, the world’s wildlife never ceases to amaze us.
