Education Short List

Halloween is just around the corner; and this is a fun time for teachers to bring in creative lessons, plus some arts and crafts. But what about older students? Or for children who don’t celebrate Halloween? Do they just get left out? Unfortunately that answer is usually yes. I actually had a girl whose family did not want her celebrating or participating in holiday activities. I always felt so bad for her, missing out.

Here, I have found several sites with lessons that incorporate the general fun feeling of Halloween, ones that create learning lessons for older students, others are focused on the seasons, another brings a thought provoking lesson into the history of Halloween, one tells us about what our Halloween costumes really say, and a few surprises. This list of lessons and sites should give teachers the chance to incorporate something different without excluding any of their students.

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http://www.edhelper.com/halloween.htm

http://www.edhelper.com/pumpkins.htm

http://www.edhelper.com/DailyThemes_November_1_2.html

http://www.edhelper.com/Autumn.htm

http://www.tolerance.org/activity/what-do-halloween-costumes-say

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Halloween/

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/teaching-topics/teaching-topics-halloween/

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/10/23/the-horror-the-horror/

http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2002/10/31/frighteningly-fabulous-festivals/

This morning as I listened to NPR, I heard about new letters of Lord Byron’s that are being sold for auction. The broadcast focused on the letters and the sale, and pending purchase, of the letters. But for me, I thought, “Wow, what a great learning opportunity.” For high school, or any poetry teaching instructors, that they could integrate this story and then begin a lesson on this missing letters.

I hope that you find it as captivating as I did.

The Poet himself

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=114215445

Lord Byron Story, as told on NPR’s Morning Edition
http://Lord Byron, Morning Edition, NPR

When I was a classroom teacher, the majority of my students were English Language Learners (ELL). That means, that my students knew another language better than they did English. There is a common misconception that ELL students are not as bright or are slower to learn that English Native Learners. This is not the case; it’s just that these students are learning two languages at the same time. Therefore special consideration and adaptations should be taken to assist ELL students.

Here is a tool that I have used many many times to aide my ELL learners. (Remember, English learners don’t necessarily have to be children, adults can be beginners as well).

Making noun flash cards is probably the easiest way to start with, especially for younger students and beginners.

On one side have students write their word in English (cat, dog, one, two, three) and draw a picture that is indicative of that word.
On the other side, draw the same picture; but this time have the student write what the word is to describe the image in their home language.

The home language (HL) part is crucial for two reasons. One, it lets the learner know that the English and the HL are the same. It shows the learner that there is a respect, value, and appreciation of their native language. Furthermore, by already knowing what a word is in one language it makes it that much easier to understand what it should mean in another. If we took out the HL component; the transfer of knowledge would be very slow going.

Students can use these flash cards throughout the year; plus they can make ones for all sorts of objects and subjects. This is also an independent activity that students can come back to when there is free time. The flash cards are portable, so they can easily be taken, and reviewed, anywhere where the student goes.

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Another way of utilizing flash cards is by expanding on learning nouns, verbs, and adjectives.
- In 3rd and 4th grade, all students focus on parts of speech and grammar; so even though these flash cards are directed at helping ELL students, it can be taught to the class at large.
**Remember that the flash cards for all of these mini lessons are to utilize the same format as described earlier**

- Also, you as the instructor, want to have at least two examples for each of the types of parts of speech mentioned

- It could be helpful to first go over nouns, verbs, and adjectives before creating the cards. Perhaps doing a list together on the board, so everyone can be involved in the discussion.

- First start with learning nouns

All words and drawings for nouns should be in blue. (Blue is like the ocean; vast, large, wide, and deep – just like nouns)
With nouns there are common and proper nouns, persons, places, and things – be sure to give students the opportunity to make at least three cards for each of the six types

- Second is verbs

o All words and drawings for verbs should be done in green. (Green means go, which leads to thinking of movement, which is an action; and verbs are action words)
o Here we need to include present, past, and future verbs

- Next is adjectives

o All words and drawings for adjectives should be done in red. (Red is commonly thought of as stop { which when using an adjective you normally don’t need more than one}, or as an emotional color {for love or anger} or as fire {hot, crackly} – and all of these symbols for red are directly related to adjectives)
o Here we include numbers, colors, emotions. Also, having a few objects around to help get the students thinking about adjectives can be quite helpful.

Using these particular colors is a valuable component to this lesson; it is also a strategy that I learned from GLAD (Guided Language Acquisition Direction). By giving students specific colors with specific sets of words, it provides learners with an additional way of remembering and, later, recalling what they have learned.

Although this lesson was originally intended for elementary school children this format can be used for adults who are learning English. These flash card lessons are specifically geared towards ‘Beginner, and Early Intermediate’ learners.

I truly hope that these ideas will be of assistance to you and your students in the immediate future.

Here is the link for GLAD – a great resource
http://www.projectglad.com/

Far too often, when we as a society think of those who need to be encouraged to read we think of children. What about adults? A staggering majority of American adults do not read for leisure. Last week as I listened to NPR tell the story about a Philadelphia bookstore, Black and Nobel, I was encouraged to hear one of the female patrons state that it was because of this store, that she was reading more as an adult. That statement alone was enough of a reason for me to post this article.

Here’s the story from NPR
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113781779

This is the actual bookstore’s website
http://www.blackandnobel.com/

How often do you read? For pleasure or work? Newspapers, stories about David Bowie, magazines, comic books, Harry Potter, Shakespeare’s Sonnets, etc.; these are all quality pieces of literature. Why not take the opportunity to read one?

This article came from The Week Magazine.

Think twice before you delete all those request from “annoying people” looking to befriend you on Facebook or LinkedIn, said Julia Angwin in The Wall Street Journal. “These acquaintances could come in very handy when looking for a job or a new career.” In fact, so-called weak ties may be a bigger asset in a job search than your closest circle of friends. “Your weak ties are your window on the world,” says Stanford professor Mark Granovetter, adding that he accepts friends requests, “if I know the person, whether I like them or not.”

But inviting more people into your social network raises the question of how much to reveal about yourself online.

I have another article I am working on, and how to best utilize a social networking site.
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For the time being, here are a list of recommended sites that help to watch over your online and internet personas.

Claimid.com – a free service to help tailor your online identity. You can pool together personal information by ‘claiming’ relevant content from the Internet, then share the resulting profile with others.

Google.com/profiles – a “personal branding tool” similar to ClaimID. Users set up profiles with their personal info and links to all web content they would like associated with them – such as Twitter feed or a company website. Whenever your name is searched, your profile appears on the first page of results.

Reputationdefender.com — a site that will “monitor everything that is said about you online,” for $15 a month. It combs the Web, presenting you with all the pages in which you are mentioned, and allows you to rank what info you’d like to appear first when people search for you online.

Something new that I am going to be doing on this blog is to do website reviews. The title gives it away really, but it’s going to be going through the pros and cons of working with this site. If you ever have a recommendation for a site review, I’d be happy to look at it.

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Teachers Pay Teachers

Here is a really fantastic resource for educators, or previous instructors. I stumbled upon it about six months ago. I consider it to be like an Ebay for educators. They call it, “an open marketplace for teachers.” Basically you can post lessons, worksheets, any education-related tools on there. Then you decide if you want to sell them for a price or for free. For each item sold, you earn money.

The two things that I love about this forum is that, one – I can find reliable and tested products from real educators. And two, that I can show my wares and creations to other teachers to earn a little extra moola.

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Here is my profile on Teachers Pay Teachers

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Store/Rosshalde-Pak-4

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/

For the nearly 10% of Americans out of a job, revamping your resume is key. And to those looking for make a change in position or career, it’s time to make adjustments to your CV as well. Here are the Top 6 steps to improve your resume.

1. Add new skills

a. Learn how to use Photo Shop? Just finished a scuba diving class? Taking Spanish lessons? These are all valuable skills that you have – put it on your resume.

2. Don’t have any new skills? Find one

a. Maybe now is the time to enroll in a class at your local community college. Learn a skill, meet potential friends, make new work connections. Attend a workshop

3. Update the language

a. This isn’t to say that you should use slang, but modernize your language. Instead of ‘keyboarding’ using typing or computer speed. Words per minute.

4. Update each part of resume

a. When was the last time you looked at your resume? Probably the last time you were looking for a job. Are there parts to your previous positions that you forgot to mention? Also check that your phone number, address, and email are correct. Revisit what skills and duties your previous jobs held. Didn’t you do more than just filing and sorting mail? Wasn’t there connect with vendors involved with your college role?

5. Volunteer

a. Volunteering is a great way to spruce up your resume. It’s gets you out of the house, helping out with organizations you want to support, lets you meet new people, and build future work connections.
Volunteering is something that will be mentioned in more detail in another post this week. If you don’t have the time to volunteer, think about financial contributions you have given to charities or non-profits, those can be included.

6. Change the Fonts

a. It might sound silly or frivolous – but just like giving a room a new coat of paint, changing your font size or style can bring new life to your resume. Obviously this isn’t the most crucial aspect; but it can be the little touches that catch an employer’s attention.

“Many job listings use the word ‘must,’ not ‘it would be nice to,’” according to Dave Opton, CEO and founder of ExecuNet. “If it says you must have experience in X, then tailor your resume to show that,” Opton says.

If you’re answering a job listing, be sure you respond in exactly the way the company wants. And be aware that if you’re not applying for a specific job but rather sending out dozens or hundreds of form letters, your resume is likely to end up in companies’ spam folders.

Now take another look at your resume. Get a second opinion, and a third. Does it present you in the right light? Is it professionally formatted? Does it feature accomplishments, rather than merely job titles and dates?

Although making changes to your resume isn’t a guarantee of landing that new position, it will give you greater confidence in what your abilities and qualifications are. Plus, it will speak more clearly of who you are to potential employers.

Good Luck!

**Addendum on 10/30/09**

– Make sure that for each position you are applying for, that you tailor your resume to fit that position. Look at what the requirements, descriptions, and responsibilities; from there you want to ensure that your resume includes those skills. This does not mean that you should lie. However, if your general resume states “telemarketing”, and the job description says, ‘includes talking to potential customers on the phone’, you should alter your resume to include that. The same applies to the cover letter that you send to potential employers.

– Keep a separate computer file for all applied positions. Title the resume as the position you applied for ( PDX Tutors tutor); that way, when you are asked for an interview you can guarantee that you take the correct resume and cover letter.

– Remember to give details to the schooling that you’ve had. Don’t just put that you went to college, add some of the classes, skills you learned, workshops you attended.

A few weeks ago NBC’s Nightly News show did a program on the KIPP school. Here is the article from the show, as well as the KIPP school link.

This school system is causing quite a stir.

http://dailynightly.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/10/05/2089928.aspx

http://www.kipp.org/

Hispanic Latino Heritage Month

September 15 was chosen as the starting point for the celebration because it is the anniversary of independence of five Latin American countries: Costa Rica, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and Nicaragua. They all declared independence in 1821. In addition, Mexico, Chile and Belize celebrate their independence days on September 16, September 18 and September 21, respectively.

For educators, this is an opportunity to celebrate diversity found in your classroom and/or your community. Personally, I believe that diversity should be integrated into lessons all the time, and that we shouldn’t necessarily focus on people’s racial backgrounds. However, having a dedicated time to honor the accomplishments of people from Latino decent should still be acknowledged.

Here is a grouping of six websites that are dedicated to providing teachers and instructors with materials and lessons that are directly related to teaching about Latino Heritage Month. And although the month of celebrating this month ends on October 15th, several schools and districts continue these types of lessons until the end of October.

EDUCATION WORLD LATINO LESSONS

http://www.educationworld.com/a_lesson/lesson/lesson023.shtml

SCHOLASTIC HISPANIC LESSONS

http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/hispanic/index.htm

SMITHSONIAN’S EDUCATION HISPANIC RESOURCES SITE

http://www.smithsonianeducation.org/educators/resource_library/hispanic_resources.html

TEACHING TOLERANCE SITE

http://www.teachingtolerance.org

TARGET’S DREAM IN COLOR SITE
http://scholastic.com/dreamincolor/

IMPORTANT FIRSTS BY HISPANIC AMERICANS

http://www.infoplease.com/ipa/A0933896.html

I own a Kindle. For those of you who have no idea what I’m talking about, a Kindle is Amazon’s “revolutionary wireless reading device.” It allows you to download books, magazines, newspapers and blogs from Amazon.Com directly to the Kindle and then read them as you would read normally. The only difference is, when you’re done reading you don’t have a newspaper to recycle or books to place on your shelf…you have the Kindle.

An avowed bibliophile, I was a bit horrified when I discovered my husband had bought me one of these newfangled contraptions for my birthday two years ago. I just couldn’t see me enjoying reading a book on a screen, when half the fun of reading was the tactile enjoyment of the book itself. The feel and look of a book is one of my most favorite things about them! But I gave it a try and quickly found myself falling in love with my Kindle too. It hasn’t taken over my love for books…but it certainly has made me love books on Kindle as well.

For those who are unconvinced…here are a few reasons why Kindle is fabulous for book-lovers:

Cheap Books
Although the initial price of a Kindle is a bit daunting ($299 the last time I checked), if you are the type who frequently walks in to a bookstore “just to look around,” and walks out with $60+ of new books, a Kindle might be for you. Kindle books are significantly cheaper than buying the books in a store (often by 60% or more!).
All your books in one place! The Kindle can store over 2,000 novels! If your bedside table looks like mine – more like a cart outside a used bookstore than a stand for your alarm clock and lamp – it might be an excellent reason to consider one.

Easy Reading

I know this sounds like a silly reason – but it has been one of the things I love most about reading on my Kindle. I can do it one-handed. As a new mom, I love being able to rock my baby to sleep AND read my book. I can lie in bed and read a 1,000 page book without having to struggle with how to hold in comfortably. I know, I know, you don’t think that’s a big deal – but trust me, it’s awesome.

Travel

This, in my opinion, might be the best reason to buy a Kindle. They are small (6”), lightweight, and can hold thousands of books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs. On my most recent vacation – I read seven books, all 500 pages long or more. I carried them all in my small purse – with my wallet, iPod, and chapstick!

It wouldn’t be fair, however, for me to tell you all about my Kindle and not share some of the negatives too:

It’s Expensive

I’m not going to try to tell you that $299 isn’t a lot to pay for something that still requires you to buy the books as well, it is. The books are significantly cheaper, but if you aren’t an avid reader, the Kindle might not be for you.
It isn’t a book! For me, one of the secondary joys of reading is the feeling of placing a finished book on the shelf, knowing it will always be there for you, like an old friend, if you ever want to go back and revisit it. When you finish a book on Kindle it is still there for you, safely saved on your main page…but it isn’t quite the same as putting it on the shelf in your living room. Additionally, that means that when you tell someone about the fantastic book you just finished, you can’t pull it off the shelf and say, “Here! Read this!”

It Uses Batteries

Which means that if you aren’t careful, those batteries might run out while you’re reading the most exciting novel you’ve ever read. Now, in fairness, the batteries last a really long time, and in this day and age we all charge our phones, cameras, iPods, etc. everyday…so this isn’t likely to be a huge problem…but it is something that sets it apart from a regular book.

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I love my Kindle. I also still love regular books and still buy them, on occasion – just not as much. If you are on the fence, I would recommend finding a friend who has one and borrowing it from them for a book or two. It takes a bit of getting used to, but for me – it was well worth it.

From an educational standpoint, I can only imagine the possibilities digital technology like this will bring to the field. Could students have all their books; social studies, math, reading, science in one digital notebook that could also hold their notes? Could we eventually add other forms of media other than just print? Imagine what our homework assignments could look like in the future? “Class, for tonight I want you to watch the three short clips showing what life during the Great Depression was like and then write 3 paragraphs describing what you think would be the most challenging aspects of life during that time.” “Class, please do the 5 practice algebraic equations in your Kindle tonight for homework. Remember…if you are having trouble you can bring up today’s lesson and re-watch exactly how we solved these types of problems in class today.” The possibilities would be endless…and very exciting!

http://www.time.com/time/business/article/0,8599,1929387,00.html?iid=tsmodule

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0015T963C/?tag=googhydr-20&hvadid=4309521925&ref=pd_sl_19calxq4k4_e