Welcoming Challenges in the Classroom

Hello Friends!

I want to address a topic close to my heart.  Students with challenges.  As a classroom teacher who has a special education endorsement and a mother of a child with autism, you can see why this topic really pulls at my heart strings.  It has been my experience, that we as a society learn more from those we see as being radically different then those we often term a nuero-typical. 

Have you ever noticed how we have learned more about learning by trying to understand those who do need atypical methodologies?  Then it dawns on researchers and educators if that works well with a particular population then most likely it will enhance the learning of all.    Personally, I have learned more about teaching from students who have given me challenges and have cultivated a better instructor.  I think our students have much to learn from each other and it's up to us to create a culture of safeness within in our classrooms.

http://www.ted.com/talks/lang/en/ami_klin_a_new_way_to_diagnose_autism.html


While on Ted Talks, I recently viewed two interesting videos.  One was on identifying, children as early as 6 months and how to intervene.  There is no cure, but they are beginning to find ways to lessen the impact.  Everyone lives have now been touched by autism in one fashion or another. 

The other Ted talk explored how to help students with autism using videos.  Salman Kahn suggests that watching a video on how to do math could be the homework assignment.  He has created a free website for students and teachers called the Kahn Academy.  Much of this website is focused on math and science objectives.  Students can practice skills they need to know in these areas and teachers can monitor their progress.  It is definitely worth checking out.
http://www.khanacademy.org/

More Web 2 Tools

Hey Fellow Teachers,

We have all experienced the difficult task of record keeping in our classroom.  Homework turned in or  NOT and attendance.  There is a Web 2 tool for that.  This Web 2 tool is called Class You can reward positive rewards for class participation, being helpful, creative, working hard and creativity.  There are negative consequences as well for being disruptive, disrespectful and not turning in homework.  You can email reports to parents quickly.  Teachers can have a class summary as well.  It is also free!  Students each have a avatar.  Check it out!!.http://teach.classdojo.com/#!/features

Another teacher friendly Web 2 tool is Socrative.  Socrative is an electronic student response system that allows for quizes, exit tickets and games.  The teacher designs the tools needed and then invites the student to participate by having a room number they type in.  It works with all devices.  The quizzes can  be true/false, multiple choice or short answers.  The program gathers the data for you as well.  The game programs look extremely motivating and fun! Take a look!  http://www.socrative.com/how-it-works

Technology and Cooperative Learning

Greetings!

Technology has become a big part of our world.  Technology is needed to be integrated into education.  The stakeholders who will be employing our students in the 21st century will be expecting students to be skilled in using technology.  These same stakeholders will be requiring all of their employees to be able to cooperatively work with others.  During these trying economic times, many schools are struggling to fund computers and or notebooks for their students.  As Americans, individualism is held in high esteem.  This highly valued characteristic may be counter intuitive for realm of the working world.  Collaboration is valued in today's work place.  Students need to practice skills that enable them to be productive and communicate with other people. 

Due to this high regard for individualism, the thought is to have a 1 to 1 ratio of student to technology.  Students do need a 1 to 1 ratio to computer when working on independent writings or projects.  Our economic crimping maybe to our students' benefit.  But the possibility exists, that students may actually benefit from sharing a computer and working collaboratively.  I have noticed that when each student has a computer they are just engaged with the computer.  When students share they become more interactive with each other and dialogue ensues.  Of course as with any cooperative learning in the classroom, guidelines will need to be set:

• The computer is to be used for the focused task. 
•  All students are to work together and dialogue should focus on the learning or task. 
•  Students will share the work and will take turns with hands on the computer.

In the study, referred to as "A Hole in the Wall", children taught themselves how to use a computer.

The interesting thing is these students did not individually learn.  These students were in groups.  I have a feeling that if just one child was presented with a computer they would learn, but not as much if he would have had a group of peers to share ideas and dialogue.  Watch and form your own opinion.

The Courage to Teach

Greetings All!

As we approach Independence Day, we honor those who ensure our freedoms.  Our military men and women serve our country daily to safeguard the rights set out by our forefathers.  People who serve the law in any capacity support our citizens freedoms and safety.  Firefighters are diligent in safeguarding our personal well being and properties.  Many of them are working very hard across our nation and risking their lives to fight wild fires that seem to be popping up in every state due to drought conditions.  Education has always been at the very core of our great nation.  These United States of America issued a proclamation that all have the right to a free education.  Educators have been given the torch to instruct our children so that our freedoms and rights maybe passed on for generations to come.  Militia, law enforcement, firefighters and educators should be honored for the courage to hold the light of freedom just like our Lady- Statue of Liberty.

My daughter, who is a educational studies and political science major, gave me a book to read. The book, " The Courage to Teach" by Parker Palmer, states educators must teach from their hearts.In order to be effective teachers, we must be true to ourselves, our passions and our styles.  When we teach from the heart we are authentic.  Our students respond to authenticity.  The current policy in education has forced upon many a teacher to use direct instruction with scripted instruction.  Much of instruction is also being dictated by state standards.  Teachers names are being published in some states as ineffective teachers if their students do not reach a certain standard.  Is this inefficacy due to not letting teachers teach with their hearts?

COURAGE is demanded of today's teachers to find ways to teach with passion and authenticity to reach our students.  UNITED,  we can change policy and encourage educators to honor their own styles and teach authentically.  As teacher are charged with the ills of  education, BRAVERY  is needed to forge and channel our education system into new directions.  PATRIOTISM for the very citizens we serve, our students, is required. 

A SALUTE TO ALL TEACHERS!!!

In honor of you watch this video.

Promoting Multiple Intelligences

Greetings!

Many of us are aware of fact that there are multiple intelligences.  Schools are stagnating these various intelligences in the name of academics.  Often times students are removed from art, music, PE in order to achieve success on state standardized test.  Art, Music, Dance and Industrial Arts are placed at the bottom of the educational totem pole.  Yet, skills for the 21st century will demand our students to be critical thinkers and synthesize their knowledge in creating something new.  Sir Ken Robinson is saying in our schools today we are literally destroying the creative nature of our students.  Are we biting off the hand that will eventually feed our students?

Personally, I can not imagine a world without art, music and people who can fix my car, build my homes, design my clothes and cut my hair.  I need and want those people in my life.  I believe all of us our meant to be creators in some fashion or another.  We need to find ways for our students to explore and tune their many gifts.  Finding mentors for students in the arts is one way.  Teachers promoting skills of creativity in technology is wonderful.  Technology is tremendous and can provide for one avenue of creativity. There is still something said for students to create using materials around them or their very own bodies. We as educators must allow for creativity in many ways.  Focus schools may be able to provide some answers to multiple intelligences.  Skyping of mentors could be another.

My husband and I recently went to a concert performed by Buddy Guy.  During his concert he introduced an extremely talented musician. His name is Quinn Sullivan.  He brought the audience to their feet.  He is thirteen years old.  Buddy met Quinn when he was 7 years old.  Quinn came to see Buddy in concert and it was arranged that this 7 year old would come on stage and play a few chords.  So Buddy thought.  Quinn blew him away by repeating what Buddy played.  Buddy became this young artist mentor.  He has encouraged and worked with him.  Quinn has gone out on tour with Buddy for the past 2 years.  How sad it would be NOT to recognize such talent. I have included some videos of Quinn, one of his performance with Buddy at seven and another more current.  Be prepared to be AWESTRUCK!

Habits of Mind

Hello Fellow Teachers,

Some of you may or may not be familiar with the term Habits of Mind.  Habits of Mind is a social studies instruction technique.  This technique is well described in the book "Reading Like a Historian" by Sam Wineburg, Daisy Martin and Chauncey Monte-Sano.  "Habits of Mind" requires students to use critical thinking skills and become investigators of history.  Students are asked to identify their sources as primary or secondary and to identify the perspective of the writer.  Primary sources are often introduced to students to investigate with guiding questions in cooperative learning groups.

I had the wonderful opportunity to hear Sam Wineburg with some of his Stanford colleagues.  This  resonated with my teaching heart and soul.  Since this was my first year teaching 4th grade Nebraska studies, I had a few opportunities to put this into practice but knew in the back of my mind I would be looking to expand this technique into my classroom.

Of course one of the problems is finding primary sources to fit your needs.  The world wide web can be helpful.  You can access many historical archives through the internet including The Library of Congress.  While taking Nebraska Land Trails class, I visited Homestead National Monument in Beatrice.  Low and Behold!!! They had designed an educational activity using primary sources.  This involved looking at claim and proving up documents by homesteaders in Nebraska.  Perfect for 4th grade Nebraska History!  Since they have easy access to these documents, the educational director has agreed to help me find case studies for my students.  I am just ELATED!

During my graduate class, each of us were asked to research and present on the west migration from a perspective of a particular group.  I choose Afro-Americans.  We had the opportunity to go to Nebraska History Museum Archives.  I had the wonderful opportunity to read a autobiography of
one of the first Afro-American homesteaders in Nebraska, Robert Anderson.  Robert was a slave, Civil War soldier, Buffalo Soldier, homesteader who lost, train worker, and finally successful homesteader in Western Nebraska.  His autobiography is titled, "From Slavery to Affluence".
I will definitely be using this in my classroom.  I created a Globster to use in my classroom.
So I will share it with you as well.  I can use this in many ways: overview of Afro-American perspective or jigsawing to cooperative groups.  There are many links to internet sources.

http://amheckman.edu.glogster.com/afro-americans-westward-migration/

Happy History!

Nebraska Land Trails

HOWDY!!!!!  Teaching Partners!

I have just finished a class with Doane College called Nebraska Land Trails.  We have been exploring the time period of the Great Migration.  It is truly amazing the great history right here in our area.
Nebraska was a very important jumping off place to go west.  Those places included Omaha,  Nebraska City, Brownville and Plattsmouth.  If you are teaching Nebraska History or Westward Expansion, I recommend this class.

Many of these places are best kept secrets even to Nebraskans.  Of course, we need to begin with Lewis and Clark.  Try the Lewis and Clark Center in Nebraska City.  They have a life size model of a keel boat and wigwam.  http://www.mrb-lewisandclarkcenter.org/

Next, you want to visit the winter station of the Mormons.  The Mormon Trail is well known as they journeyed to Salt Lake City, Utah.  The first Mormon emigrants established a resting stop and built a village called Winter Quarters. You will get an excellent prospective of the Mormons and it's free.
 
http://www.lds.org/church/places-to-visit/mormon-trail-center-at-historic-winter-quarters

Not to far from Winter's Quarter is Fort Atkinson.  You will not want to miss this.  This is a full scale fort with many buildings and rooms furnished of the time.  Also on the grounds is a monument statue depicting Lewis and Clark offering tokens of friendship with the United States government. The fort was in use from 1820-1827.   http://www.fortatkinsononline.org/

Last, but not least (because there are many more sites in Nebraska) is  Rock Creek Station.  Rock Creek is located near Fairbury, NE.  Historically, Rock Creek has immense significance.  A station for pioneers to gather supplies after paying a toll bridge fee to cross the creek.  Later, this was a station for stage coaches and the Pony Express.  Wild Bill Hickok murdered the station owner and 2 hired hands.  He was employed as a station hand.  The buildings are impressive and you will be able to see the swells formed by the wagons. http://www.fairbury.com/images/history/pony-express.png
Happy Trails to you!! Much easier than the pionees' days!