Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Early Learning, Educational Resources, Math Resources, Reading/Language Arts, Science Resources, Social Studies Resources | Posted on April 30, 2009
Pete’s PowerPoint Station – All Aboard!
Good morning everyone,
I love to save time. Who doesn’t? Thanks to Diigo user Jim Farmer, Instructional Technology Coach for Ware County (Georgia) School System, I have a site to share that will, I am certain, save us both time! It’s a resource site called Pete’s PowerPoint Station. I’m usually not a fan of sites with pages and pages of links, but Pete’s PowerPoint Station is something of an exception. For one, it’s well organized visually: You can quickly scan this list and find something of interest. Before long, you’re browsing a selection of, for example, ready-to-use Language Arts PowerPoints, then drilling down further, you find some on Alphabet & Ordering, and in a matter of seconds you’re looking at PowerPoints you can use right away or modify to your purpose. While it is true you can use Google’s Advanced Search feature to look specifically for .PPT file directories like PowerPoint Station do add value. But wait … there’s more! The Greta’s Games section has some interesting educational diversons to distract your kids from counting down to the last day of school, and Hannah’s Homework Help section offers support during their favorite out-of-school activity. But seriously, Pete’s PowerPoint Station is worthy of a few mouse clicks – I bet you’ll find something that will save you time with an upcoming lesson. I did! |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Early Learning, Educational Resources, Reading/Language Arts | Posted on April 30, 2009
Into the Book
I got this site from Florida List member, Debra Meyer. Into the Book is a reading comprehension resource for K-4 students and teachers. Focus on eight research-based strategies: Using Prior Knowledge, Making Connections, Questioning, Visualizing, Inferring, Summarizing, Evaluating and Synthesizing. There are videos and online interactive activities. Behind the Lesson provides information and teaching resources for each strategy. – The URL: http://reading.ecb.org/ |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Early Learning, Educational Resources, Odds and Ends, Reading/Language Arts | Posted on April 29, 2009
Hear classic children’s records at Kiddie Records Weekly
Before Hannah Montana, before the Wiggles, before the Backyardigans and other execrable music for the younger set came the great children’s records of the 1940s and 1950s. Now that I’ve reached the age where I believe everything older is automatically better, I’m considering turning my own kids onto some of these classics from a bygone age.
Kiddie Records Weekly plays vintage music for tots from the golden age of children’s music. You can download these records, or listen to them in streaming audio. When they were originally released, several of these records came with a read-along storybook. Kiddie Records Weekly provides digital versions of these books, allowing you to follow along just as your parents (or grandparents) might have. The album covers are a treat as well, featuring colorful illustrations, classic childhood characters, and the long-lost art of cursive writing. So if you’d like a change of pace from another Dora the Explorer sing along, let your elementary students try out something from Kiddie Records Weekly. –BILL FERRIS |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Early Learning, Educational Resources, Math Resources, Professional Development, Reading/Language Arts, Science Resources, Social Studies Resources, Technology | Posted on April 29, 2009
Using Classroom Technology to Enhance The Art & Science of Teaching
With 79 teachers from 50 schools all looking to answer key questions such as whether experience, subject taught or duration of teaching with a whiteboard impacts on achievement, one thing from the study is evident – the need for crystal clear learning goals. But for the average teacher looking to take some of this theory into practice, where do you start? Well, how about with this exclusive Marzano & Associates Learning Goals Templates resource pack on Planet? Teaching is an Art Using principles from Marzano’s book The Art & Science of Teaching, this resource pack includes 20 templates that can help set clear learning goals and track students’ understanding of these goals. Why not start at the beginning (they unpack in order) and use the first template to set the learning goals, ultimately ending up with the plenary template. Use with Activote or Activexpression These templates are perfect with your Learner Response Systems as they include voting options incorporated into the pages – use them to determine how much your students knew about the topic before the lesson and how much more they know after the lesson. Revealing MoreThan Just Answers As well as giving your students a clear learning goal expectancy, the templates can also reveal more than just the answers. For example, who doesn’t understand the topic? Who needs me to explain more? What did we not cover that you still need to know? |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Early Learning, Educational Resources, Math Resources, Reading/Language Arts, Science Resources, Social Studies Resources | Posted on April 29, 2009
Power Point Review Games
provide educators and trainers with easy-to- assemble educational games in a technology- enhanced environment to support key learning points. The site demonstrates the creative use of popular game shows and other familiar games to reinforce learning.
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Math Resources, Reading/Language Arts, Science Resources, Social Studies Resources | Posted on April 29, 2009
This page serves as a central collection point for useful instructional powerpoint presentations. Teachers are encouraged to share the ppt presentations that they use so that they may be added to this collection. Please email your presentations to
John Geanangel or Brenda Burkett.
To view these PPTs please click on the link in the 2nd column. If you would prefer to download these files, you should right click on the link and choose “Save target as”.
If you do not have PPT but you would like to view these presentations, you can click here to download and install MS PowerPoint Viewer.
Games |
Math
Level
|
Title
|
Description
|
Author(s) – School |
Elem. | Addition Shortcuts | Teaches how to take advantage of the commutative law by making combinations of 10 when adding long columns of numbers. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Subtraction Shortcuts | Teaches a time saving method of how to borrow across zeros and gives tips to avoid common subtraction errors. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Multiplication | Teaches multiplication facts by pointing out all the patterns that will help students to remember. Goes with Multiplication 2 | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Multiplication 2 | Teaches multiplication facts through rhymes, stories, and word plays. Goes with Multiplication lesson. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Multiplication Expressions | Teaches product, times, and how to write multiplication problems with variables, parentheses in multiplication and T-charts | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Long Division | Uses mnemonic device of family to teach 5 steps of division. Example is of 3 digits divided by 1 digit using the long division method. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Short Division | Teaches how to divided 3 digits by 1 digit using the short division method. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Division with 0 | Teaches how to divide when there is a zero in the middle of your dividend. Uses mnemonic device of family to teach 5 steps of division | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Division with Money | Teaches how to divide money and emphasizes where to put the decimal point. Uses mnemonic device of family to teach 5 steps of division. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | 2 Digit Division | Teaches how to divide 2 digits into 3 digits with remainder. Uses mnemonic device of family to teach 5 steps of division. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Division Trouble | Teaches how to divide large numbers such as 2 digits into 4 digits and also teaches the shortcut of covering the last number in your divisor and dividend in order to come up with a good estimate for the number in the quotient. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions I | Teaches what numbers in a fraction represent. Defines numerator and denominator. Gives many visual representations of fractions using circles, objects and rectangles. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions II | Teaches wholes, halves, thirds, quarters, eighths, fifths, tenths and how they are related to each other using pies. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions III | Teaches greater than and less than and how to compare fractions when the numerator is 1. Visual models of each problem. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions IV | Teaches equivalent fractions and how to find them. Many models of equivalent fractions given. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions V | Defines and illustrates a mixed number. Illustrates the relationship between a mixed number and improper fraction. Teaches how to change an improper fraction to a mixed number and a mixed number to an improper fraction | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions VI | Teaches factor, common factor, simplest form, greatest common factor and how to simplify or reduce fractions. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions VII | Teaches how to add fractions with like denominators. Some answers are simplified. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions VIII | Teaches how to subtract fractions with like denominators. Some answers are simplified. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions IX | Teaches product, multiple, common multiple, least common multiple, and how to set up an addition fraction problem with unlike denominators. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions X | Teaches how to add fractions with unlike denominators | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions XI | Teaches how to add mixed numbers with unlike denominators and how to convert improper fractions in the answer to mixed numbers and add this to your final answer. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions XII | Teaches how to subtract unlike denominators. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions XIII | Teaches how to multiply whole numbers by fractions | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions XIV | Teaches how to multiply fractions by each other | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fractions XV | Teaches how to multiply fractions and mixed numbers | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Percents I | Teaches introduction to percents, percent equivalents in fractions and decimals. |
Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Percents II | Teaches a brief review of what a percent is and how to find percents of whole numbers. |
Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Percents III | Teaches how to change a fraction to a percent. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Associative Property | Teaches associative property, use of parentheses, order of operations and parentheses. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Exponents | Teaches exponent, base, how to read exponents, how to convert and exponent & base to a standard number | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Exponents & Large #’s | How to write scientific notation using exponents and converting scientific notation back to standard numbers. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Fact Families | Teaches addend, multiplicand, inverse operation, 4 members of fact family for addition/subtraction and multiplication/division. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Mean, Median, Mode | Teaches the definitions of mean, median, mode and range and how to find each in a given set of numbers. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Factors & Prime Numbers | Teaches the definitions of product, factor, prime number, composite number, prime factorization and how to do prime factorization using a factor tree. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Place Value | Teaches periods to trillions, expanded form, standard form, and word form. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Positive & Negative Numbers | Teaches students the definitions of integers, positive and negative numbers, opposites, and how to combine integers with like signs and unlike signs. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Prime Numbers | Teaches students the definitions of factor and prime. Shows the student how to use Erastosthenes’ Sieve to find all the primes from 1 to 100. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Problem Solving I | Teaches how to solve a problem using an equation. It teaches how to use these 4 steps: 1 – understand the problem, 2 – decide how you’re going to solve the problem, 3 – solve the problem, 4 – look back and check. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Problem Solving II | Teaches how to solve a problem using a diagram. It teaches how to use these 4 steps: 1 – understand the problem, 2 – decide how you’re going to solve the problem, 3 – solve the problem, 4 – look back and check. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Rounding | Teaches how to round off whole numbers, dollars and decimals. Rounding off technique uses a four-line poem for easy memorization. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Algebra I | Teaches variable, algebraic expression, evaluating an algebraic expression, simplifying an algebraic expression, addition terms and subtractions terms used in algebra, and T-charts. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Algebra II | Teaches equation, equals, true, false or open equation, how to solve an equation, inverse operation, subtraction rule for zero, identity property, and commutative property | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Measurement | Teaches how big are a centimeter, millimeter, meter, kilometer, liter, gram, kilogram, inch, foot, yard and mile. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Graphs | Teaches graphing information from the first question to the survey, tally, bar graph, pie graph, line graph, and pictograph. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Coordinate Geometry | Teaches students the definitions of grid, coordinate grid, ordered pair, x-axis, y-axis, coordinates and how to plot ordered pairs and to find the ordered pair for a given point in the four quadrants. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Geometric Patterns | Teaches how to look for patterns in geometric designs using triangles, trapezoids, parallelograms, hexagons and square blocks. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Quadrilaterals I | Teaches the definitions of polygon, degree, angle, quadrilateral, the family of quadrilaterals, and the sum of all the angles in a quadrilateral equals 360 degrees. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Quadrilaterals II | Teaches the family of quadrilaterals, how to find the perimeter of all quadrilaterals and the area of squares, rectangles, and parallelograms | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem. | Triangles I | Teaches the definitions of polygon, degree, triangle, angle, and the sum of all the angles in a triangle equal 180 degrees. | Monica Yuskaitis, Walter White Elementary School, Ceres, California |
Elem./MS | Divisibility Rules | Students will identify numbers divisible by 2, 3, 5, 9, 6, and 10. Introduce this math concept with a PowerPoint show and Word handout. An Excel Quiz is included for assessment. Lesson details |
Pope Frye, Oak Grove Elementary School, Lexington, South Carolina |
A special thanks goes to Monica Yuskaitis of Walter White Elementary School in Ceres, California for sharing these wonderful math ppts.
Level
|
Title
|
Description
|
Author(s) – School |
Elem. | Traveling Around South Carolina | The lesson has a power point presentation that provides the students with important places, people, and things they should associate with the Low Country of South Carolina. Lesson Details |
Cynthia Jackson Oak Grove Elementary Lexington, South Carolina |
Elem. | 3 Branches of Govt. | Describes the 3 branches of govt. | Tricia Huff Lake Murray Elementary Lexington, South Carolina |
General | Physical | Biology | Physics
Level
|
Title
|
Description
|
Author(s) – School |
Elem. | Butterflies | This powerpoint introduces Butterflies Lesson Details | Deborah Foust Lake Murray Elementary Lexington, South Carolina |
Elem. | Insects | Teaches the basics about insects. | Glenna Shealy Red Bank Elementary Lexington, South Carolina |
Elem. | Amphibians | Introduces the basics of amphibians. | Glenna Shealy Red Bank Elementary Lexington, South Carolina |
Elem. | Pumpkins | All about pumpkins! | Brenda Burkett Lake Murray Elementary Lexington, South Carolina |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Odds and Ends, Technology | Posted on April 27, 2009
MyAwardMaker.com: Free, Fast, & Fabulous Award Certificates!
Good morning all,
It’s almost May, and that means June and the end of the year will be here before we know it. Soon, it will be “awards and celebrations” time. Assemblies, year-end parties, recognition of yet another year in the classroom… Certificates are a natural here, and thanks to MyAwardMaker.com, they’ve never been easier! Just choose the category you want, find the certificate you like, then open it up (it’s an Adobe .PDF you can save for later use offline!). Fill in the fields… Then just print and you’re done! What could be easier? |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Math Resources | Posted on April 26, 2009
Thinking Blocks at Math Playground
I got this one from my pal, Andy. From the site: “Thinking Blocks is an engaging, interactive math tool developed by classroom teachers to help students learn how to solve multistep word problems. Thinking Blocks encourages students to look beyond the surface to discover the concepts and relationships that are at the core of every math problem.” Not only that – they’re fun! – The URL: http://www.mathplayground.com/thinkingblocks.html |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Math Resources | Posted on April 26, 2009
The Exciting Math Website For Kids
Our innovative math skills development programs are research based, and really work. Best of all, like everything on the KidsKnowIt Network, they are 100% FREE. Use the free math games and math activities to review, and keep your math wits sharp, or use one of our math foundations programs to develop the basic brain skills that are required to succeed with math.
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Technology | Posted on April 26, 2009
Oh, so that’s where that option is…
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Early Learning, Educational Resources, Math Resources | Posted on April 23, 2009
Playing Fraction Pies
Description: Music + Fractions = Happy Playground! Students have always struggled with fractions. In this interactive, creative tool, students can create musical songs with fractional pieces of a pie. Have too many fractional parts, the music “whole pie” does not work. Students can create their own musical composition or choose from famous songs that have been created using “fractional pies”. Choose from four different musical instruments and let the laughter, and “Hey, look what I made!” start!
Implementation: Will be sharing this with the elementary mathematical teachers as a way to make fractional concepts concrete. View Live Site goPlay! |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Uncategorized | Posted on April 23, 2009
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Important Reminders | Posted on April 23, 2009
application-for-extended-contract-2008-2009
extended-contract-activity-and-evaluation-2007-08-for-end-of-the-year
extended-contract-time-documentation-2008-09
For those teachers completing extended contracts for the 08-09 year, forms are attached. You will need to turn in original application for the contract, time sheets, and supporting data. In addition, you will need to complete the attached Activity Evaluation sheet for your particular contract.
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Early Learning, Educational Resources, Reading/Language Arts, Technology | Posted on April 23, 2009
I want to thank Kandi Cagle, Debra Jenkins, and Amy Curtis for developing a very valuable resource for us. They have written the directions for creating class rosters and the preparations needed in order to have students take their reading tests online. The directions are very user friendly and a great quick guide to this process.
Reading Tests Online
1. Locate your thin “Online Access Pack” success tracker booklet (contains a lot of useful information with step-by-step directions).
2. Go to www.pearsonsuccessnet.com
3. Click Register on the Welcome page.
4. Enter the Access Code, at the top of front cover, from your teacher Access Pack exactly as it appears (case sensitive).
5. Fill-in the teacher information and create Username and Password (must be at least 6 characters – letters and/or numbers). After your registration is complete, log in.
6. Select Classes and then click Build a new class – complete the appropriate fields and Select all available products at the bottom and click Save.
7. Select Classes and then click Manage classes.
8. Click view in the Roster column. Click the Add a student button. The Add Student screen appears.
9. Type the student’s information. The required fields are marked with a red asterisk *. Each child’s username needs to be something the child remembers (their name?). It must be 6 characters, and it is case sensitive. Each child’s Skill’s Tutor number can be their password since all numbers are different for each child. Click Save to add this student to the class – or – click the Save and add another button to add an additional student.
10. To assign tests, click Classes and then select the Manage classroom assignments link.
11. Select a class or group from the drop-down menu. Click Assign tests. The Assign test screen opens.
12. Determine your assignment by selecting from the Assign from: pull-down menu. Select a test type from the Test type: pull-down menu. Click Go.
13. Click any of the checkboxes under Test name to select the tests and click next. Assign to entire class/group or Selected students.
14. Click Finish and preview.
* It’s a good idea to allow students to take a “practice” run using a past test before taking a “current” one. This allows the students to familiarize themselves with the online format. When the child is finished with the test, it will say done, and instantly give them their score. Also, it allows them to preview what they missed. Teachers can access all the grades for each area too!!
Wordle
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Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Technology | Posted on April 22, 2009
Wordle is a toy for generating “word clouds” from text that you provide. The clouds give greater prominence to words that appear more frequently in the source text. You can tweak your clouds with different fonts, layouts, and color schemes. The images you create with Wordle are yours to use however you like. You can print them out, or save them to the Wordle gallery to share with your friends.
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Important Reminders | Posted on April 22, 2009
The American Cancer Society is selling these very cute shirts to help raise funds for Relay for Life. The shirts are chocolate brown and feature the pink slogan of “Fight Like a Girl.” (Click on the attachment to see what the image looks like.) The shirts are available in short sleeve ($10) and long sleeve ($15). A portion of each shirt sold will benefit Eaton’s Relay for Life team. If you would like to order a shirt, please see
Hayley Lynn in room 102.
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Science Resources | Posted on April 21, 2009
Simple Science
What it is: Simple Science is a collection of informative science music videos for use in the elementary classroom. The videos can be used to reinforce science learning objective and science concepts. The videos can be watched from the website for free or purchased on DVD. Simple Science video topics include: adapting, micro organisms, forces, changes, dissolving, how we see, changing circuits, keeping healthy, life cycles (flowers), gasses, water cycle, sun, earth, moon, changing sounds, moving and growing, habitats, keeping warm, solids vs. liquids, plants, friction, teeth, circuits and conductors, materials, rocks and soil, magnets and springs, light and shadows, air, atoms, DNA, Earth, electricity, insects, and magnetism. The format reminds me of School House Rock. Lyrics for all songs can be downloaded for students to follow along.
How to integrate Simple Science into the classroom: Simple Science videos are perfect for introducing or reinforcing science concepts. The songs and videos break down science concepts so they are easy to understand. Use Simple Science with a projector for whole class instruction or set up a science center on classroom computers where students can stop by and watch the videos.
Tips: The Simple Science website did not work for me using the Opera browser. I was successful with the links using Firefox. |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Math Resources | Posted on April 21, 2009
Practice makes perfect, and IXL makes math practice fun. With unlimited math questions in more than 1,000 topics, students improve their skills and confidence and always have new challenges to meet. Click a grade below to get started!
www.ixl.com
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Grants | Posted on April 21, 2009
Grant Name:
Unsung Heroes Educational Awards
Funded by:
ING Financial Services
Description:
ING Unsung Heroes began as a way for ING to demonstrate its commitment to the education community. The awards are given to K-12 educators pioneering new teaching methods and techniques that improve learning. Each year, educators submit applications for an ING Unsung Heroes award by describing projects they have initiated or would like to pursue. Each project is judged on its 1) innovative methods; 2) creativity; and 3) ability to positively influence students. All K-12 education professionals, whether or not they are clients of ING, are eligible. Specifically, these individuals must be employed by an accredited K-12 public or private school located in the United States and be full-time educators, teachers, principals, paraprofessionals, or classified staff with effective projects that improve student learning.
Program Areas:
General Education, Professional Development
Recipients:
Public Schools, Private/Charter Schools
Proposal Deadline:
4/30/09
Average Amount:
$2,000.00 – $25,000.00
Telephone:
800-537-4180
Email:
ing@scholarshipamerica.org
Website:
http://www.ing-usa.com/us/aboutING/CorporateCitizenship/Education/INGUnsungHeroes/index.htm
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Professional Development | Posted on April 21, 2009
Autism Spectrum Disorders are the fastest growing diagnosis of childhood disabilities in the U.S. During National Autism Awareness Month, the NEA is highlighting some of its teacher and parent resources for reaching and teaching students with autism. Included: A resource guide for identifying and teaching students with ASDs.
Teachers who haven’t already had at least one student with an Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in their class soon could be in the minority. Once viewed as a rare condition, autism now affects one in every 150 American children. For boys, that number jumps to almost one in 94, according to information from the National Education Association (NEA). ASDs include a range of autistic behaviors, from some mild impairment of social skills to more severe conditions where children show little awareness of the outside world.
The estimated annual cost of educating and caring for individuals with ASDs is about $90 billion, noted the NEA. Early diagnosis and intervention have shown the potential to reduce treatment costs by two-thirds.
Inclusion policies are bringing more children with ASDs to mainstream classrooms, requiring more adjustments by teachers.
This April, the NEA is marking National Autism Awareness Month by publicizing its ASD resources for teachers and families, including The Puzzle of Autism, a guide to assist educators, inform parents, offer ways to help identify the typical characteristics of ASDs, and provide ideas for ways to work successfully with children who have the disability.
Patti Ralabate, senior policy analyst-special education from NEA’s Education Policy and Practice Department, talked with Education World about strategies for identifying children with ASDs and meeting their needs in the classroom.
Education World: Have children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs) increased in numbers in the past decade or so or have specialists become better at identifying autism?
Patti Ralabate: Both of these situations are true. Over the last 10-to-15 years, education diagnosticians and physicians have become more aware of the characteristics and diagnostic criteria for identifying individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). Plus, there does seem to be a growing number of young children exhibiting these characteristics. ASD is noted as the fastest growing diagnosis of childhood disabilities.
EW: What are some of the key elements of working with students with autism that all educators should know?
Ralabate: First, educators need to know that not all students with ASD are the same. Even though there are some common characteristics, such as difficulties with communication and social skills, restricted interests, and sensory integration issues, students with ASD have varying individual strengths and needs.
Educators also need to be familiar with the key deficits associated with the disorders and strategies that they can use in the classroom. NEA’s Puzzle of Autism guide provides clear suggestions to educators and parents about how to address these deficits in a general education classroom.
EW: How has the inclusion of children with autism in regular classrooms affected classroom teachers and curriculum?
Ralabate: In many cases, the specific needs of children with ASD can be met in general education classrooms with appropriate supports. Classroom teachers report that techniques are easier to implement if they receive needed professional development and regular consultation time with special education teachers, school psychologists, and autism specialists. A team approach is crucial. Some children with ASD also have significant behavior difficulties that can be disruptive in general education classrooms. Behavior assessments and behavior intervention plans developed in collaboration with classroom teachers help to make the inclusion of children with disruptive behaviors possible.
EW: What kinds of insights have educators gained from working with autistic children that can be applied to all students?
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Ralabate: Interestingly, educators find that many of the techniques they use with children with ASD help to make the classroom more organized. Consistent classroom routines, visual instructions and schedules, preparation for transition times, clear behavior expectations, menus of assignments, and structured formats for assignments can be applied to help all students.
EW: What can teachers say to other students who might not understand why a student with autism might be allowed to leave the room or do something separate from the rest of the class?
Ralabate: Generally, students understand that everyone needs time to work on special or individual projects. Using this explanation will satisfy younger children. Older students are often far more tolerant of the needs of other students than we might realize. If classrooms are flexible, offering all students a variety of choices to demonstrate what they have learned, the fact that a student is allowed to do something separate or different is less noticeable.
EW: What are some other resources for teachers who want to learn more about working with students with ASDs?
Ralabate: The NEA IDEA Special Education Resource Cadre provides an excellent professional development session based on The Puzzle of Autism. To make arrangements for a presentation, educators and parents need to work with their local and state NEA affiliates. In addition, many school districts and national organizations, such as the National Association of School Psychologists and the American Speech-Hearing-Language Association, offer professional development resources addressing the needs of students with ASD. There also are some colleges that offer courses for area educators.
This e-interview with Patti Ralabate is part of the Education World Wire Side Chat series. Click here to see other articles in the series.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Science Resources | Posted on April 21, 2009
Scholastic’s Virtual Forest Challenge (and more!)
Good morning all,
Came across this site thanks to the good folks over at YPluse (they have a terrific mailing list – if you don’t subscribe, you should!) As organizations worldwide recognize & celebrate Earth Day (click here for the history of the event on Wikipedia and note that some of the content is disputed…interesting!) schools everywhere will be featuring related lessons and activities. Scholastic’s Virtual Forest Challenge has been created to illustrate how the changes we make in our daily lives impact the environment. It’s been done before, but, I think Scholastic has a pretty good interactive here: The instructions are simple: your avatar is guided (you don’t control it) through a virtual representation of a typical home, school, store and park, where… … a series of questions are presented: … which are then scored and totalled at the end and expressed as a percentage of “Forest Health,” presumably the impact on the forest based on the lifestyle choices made. The questions themselves vary from the straightforward, tried-and-true ones we’ve already seen to several that are “updated” for the times and even a couple that I’ve not seen before. Interactivity isn’t the site’s main appeal, in my view, though – the graphics are pleasing and the navigation is intuitive, but it’s just a bit to “2D” for me! This activity could easily be supplemented however with discussions of particular questions or perhaps even web-based research to answer related questions. In fact a teacher could go through all the questions in advance and structure a lesson around it! There’s more, though – this activity is just the beginning – Scholastic (like everyone else these days!) is trying to build community: As you can see, the Virtual Forest Game is just one of several offerings, including a large selection of teacher resources (Scholastic really knows how to do these things right!), moderated discussion boards,quizzes, and this VERY cool “Act Green” collaborative activity: A class could easily integrate this into a series of lessons involving a range of topics. Very nicely done! Check it out for yourself! |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Math Resources | Posted on April 21, 2009
Great Random Number Generator
I’ve come across a fantastic interactive whiteboard resource which is great for presenting calculation problems in a motivating way. It’s ideal for starter or plenary sessions. The site is called Spinners and it is a random number generator with the added facility of being able to select addition, subtraction, multiplication or division operations.I love the flexibility of this website as you can use it with classes right across the primary age range. You can select the number ranges you want to use from single intergers to decimal numbers. There is also the facility of entering your own numbers and importantly the site works out the answers too! |
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Music, Technology | Posted on April 20, 2009
Free Music Archive has a large collection of music downloads to use for podcasts and videos.
Posted by jenmalonetn | Posted in Educational Resources, Reading/Language Arts | Posted on April 17, 2009
Two Great Websites for Teaching Nouns
If you are introducing or revising nouns in your class here are two great teaching aids worthy of a special mention. They are ideal for use on an interactive whiteboard, in full-screen mode (Press F11), but if you haven’t got one then they are fine on individual workstations. The first one Proper Nouns, explains different types of Proper Noun and stresses the need for beginning them with capital letters. The facts are delivered through a cartoon character and you can pause the animation to discuss points further if you wish. The site is colourful, has excellent graphics and is clearly presented. It is ideal for introducing a lesson or for a plenary.
The second called ‘What are Nouns?‘ is more comprehensive as it covers different types of noun such as common, proper, concrete, abstract, count and non-count and collective nouns. Again it works brilliantly in full-screen mode on an interactive whiteboard, and as well as having the explanations of what the different nouns are, this site also has a quiz and a game where children can test their knowledge. |