New Resources for Teachers

From Jennifer Gonzalez's Blog, Cult of Pedagogy

Packets - Why Worksheets Can Be Good and Bad

Read this if you're thinking about the value of worksheets in your classeroom and/or you're looking for good suggestions on how to craft you lessons with more effective strategies. 

From Learner - The New York Times

Interesting Photos Help Students Become Better Writers

Read this if you're looking for ways to extend the use of claims and evidence in writing.

From Edutopia

The Architecture of Ideal Learning Environments

This blew me away especially since Cape has been planning such terrific environments for the new schools that are now being built. Technology, safety and security, transparency and multipurpose space are defined and explained. Many are included in our new elementary schools - now onto the design of a middle school!

Holiday books for a Special Spring Break!

All About Peter, Tiny and The Bee Book. Brightly recommends giving books for Easter! 

Read Across America Celebrate on March 2!

Celebrate with me!

As I read The Lorax to the students at Mariner Middle School I asked them to think about how Suess used words to make his story rich, interesting and deep using these devices.

Flashback                          

Prediction

Dialogue

Themes

Descriptive words

Alliteration

Plot elements

Rising action

Climax

Resolution

Message/Moral

Assonance -   "a resemblance in the sounds of words or syllables, either between their vowels (e.g. meat, bean) or between their consonants (e.g. keep, cape)". Wikipedia

PBL for Today

Project-based learning has been mentioned in recent meetings that I've attended. Just in time I read a report from KQED-TV (San Francisco)

Here are the elements that are needed to make PBL effective.

"Project-based-learning assignments should include six basic qualities -- intellectual challenge and accomplishment, authenticity, public product, collaboration, project management and reflection -- according to a framework released by the Buck Institute for Education. Executive Director Bob Lenz says "intellectual challenge" often is a missing element in PBL projects"

Motivation to READ? Suggestions

Running low on ideas for getting your students to read?
Some simple suggestions:

1. Read to others. March 2 in READ ACROSS AMERICA DAY and a perfect time to get others involved in your class as guest hosts and readers. 
2. Allow choices. Discuss genres. Try new types of books or articles.
3. Talk about it. Read then discuss in small groups. Celebrate ideas and understanding. 

PE Classes - Changes with Heart

PE Class - Changes with Compassion and Heart

A school district in Wellsville, New York noticed that students were showing up for PE class unprepared. They took a critical look into the issue using empathy to conceptualize the causes and make the changes. Read their story on Jennifer Gonzalez's Blog, Cult of Pedagogy.

Here's a quote from the story relating PE to the Literacy standards.

"Meanwhile, the Common Core State Standards were just beginning to settle into New York State schools and classrooms. Teachers were grappling with the instructional shifts that underpin the Core. Many struggled to define how literacy could support learning outside of English, math, science, and social studies as well. PE teachers, in particular, needed the most support."

I was SO ENLIGHTENED by their approach! This article is a MUST READ for ELA and PE teachers!

A Lost ART? Speaking and Listening

Travels around the Cape. So many questions and issues float up. 

Recently at CHHS - a conversation/workshop around teaching speaking and listening. Teachers are alarmed. Students don't know how to... Speak effectively AND Listen effectively.

There are simple constructs that we can teach them. We do not. Till now.

Speaking and listening are an integral part of the Common Core Standards.  My work has been with teachers. Teach students to listen. Teach them to speak.

Babies babel.

Toddlers speak in words, then phrases, then sentences.

What about school children? They are void of good information especially those who have grown up responding to screens, phones, computers, televisions.  How to speak well? How to listen?

Let's change that.