Subject:
T2T DIGEST (#659, 1/11/98) from Teachnet.Com
Date:
Sun, 11 Jan 1998 09:16:23 -0600 (CST)
From:
"Teacher-2-Teacher DIGEST"
Reply-To:
------TOPICS IN THIS DIGEST------
1. A Martin Luther King Treasure Trove
2. Re: Children's Lit. sites
3. Creative Connections
4. Re: fraction ideas
5. Re: fraction ideas
6. Re: fraction ideas
7. Hero poem and suggestion
8. Authentic learning
9. testing and assessments
10. Re: testing and assessments
11. Re: testing and assessments
12. Re: Tools
13. Re: White Board Clean Up
14. Re: White Board Clean Up
15. Writing a resume
16. 100th Day of School
---------------------------------
1. From: Maggie Lee Costa
Subject: A Martin Luther King Treasure Trove
Thanks to all who submitted grand ideas for MLK Day.
Here's my contribution:
http://www.kjchallenge.org
Go there! You'll find an amazingly complete website designed to engage
children and teachers in acts of kindness and justice. Have fun
exploring this one! Do so quickly, because there are some deadlines
involved if you wish to participate.
If someone else has already shared this, sorry-- I missed it.
All the Best,
Maggie Lee Costa
-------------------------
2. From: Becky Pyle
Subject: Re: Children's Lit. sites
This is a great site:.
http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~dkbrown/index.html
Becky Pyle becky@foryou.net
Urbana, OH
-------------------------
3. From: "Paul Hurteau"
Subject: Creative Connections
After teaching English and Science for several years in Kenya, East Africa
and the Amazon rain forest region of Ecuador, I have recently returned to
the US classroom (in the field of Arts in Education) and have created a
language arts based Web site for teachers and students based on my
experiences overseas. The site, called 'Let's Go!: Around the World' and
accessible at http://www.ccph.com, features 'Great Learning Adventures'
(field trips, safaris...) for students and 'Curriculum Connections' pages
for teachers linking site content to the math, science and social studies
curriculums.
The site is brand new and I am seeking feedback from fellow educators
before trying to promote it on a broader scale. I will use your input to
make it a better classroom tool. Any response will be greatly appreciated.
I hope you and your students enjoy the site and find it to be a valuable
resource.
Thank you.
Paul Hurteau
Creative Connections
89 Bath St. #2
Ballston Spa, NY 12020
E-mail: ph@ccph.com
Web site: http://www.ccph.com
-------------------------
4. From: Marasloan
Subject: Re: fraction ideas
>I want to do a hands on (FUN) beginning lesson on fractions with them. I
>have >thought of everything from cooking to bingo games and I haven't
>decided on
>anything yet. I need to impress this man!!! Any ideas that anyone has as to
>what I can do with the kids would be greatly appreciated! The class hasn't
>done fractions yet, so I want to stay as primary as possible.
I've used graham crackers to introduce halves and fourths with my LD students.
The perforations make it easy for them to see, plus they get to eat them when
the lesson is over with. I have them describe what they see to start with.
Then we get into how they could divide it into 2 equal pieces and talk about
how those would be called halves. Then we talk about dividing it between 4
people and how those would be called fourths. I also show how 2/4 are equal
to 1/2.
-------------------------
5. From: Jason Ferguson
Subject: Re: fraction ideas
>The observation is on Jan 20, 98. I will be teaching my former third grade
>students. I can choose any subject area and I have decided to go with math.
>I want to do a hands on (FUN) beginning lesson on fractions with them. I
have
>thought of everything from cooking to bingo games and I haven't decided on
>anything yet. I need to impress this man!!!
I have used Ed Emberley's Picture Pie book as an intro lesson on fractions
with 2nd and 3rd graders. I first make a poster using one of the colorful
designs in the book to use half-way through the lesson. The first part of
the lesson is a paper-tearing activity in which students identify halves,
fourths, eighths, and sixteenths. We do some simple trading, problem
solving, estimating, etc. during the paper-tearing activity. Then I show
my poster. Students are able to identify halves, fourths, etc in the
design (the pieces they have just torn look like the pie shaped pieces in
the poster design) and 2nd graders can even add up the fractions to
determine how many whole circles I used in each color to make the design (I
coach them using the circles we have torn previously). Then I introduce
the book. . . there is very little to read. . . it is a design book and
needs to be shown. I provide students with several pre-cut circles in
colorful paper and they create their own designs, labeling the fractions
and the sums. This lesson does take more than one class period.
Beth Ferguson
-------------------------
6. From: "elwood@fast.net"
Subject: Re: fraction ideas
Here's a way to introduce fractions...
Buy a few Hershey chocolate bars...the ones that are divided up into pieces
(regular sized bars break into 12 equal pieces). Write fractions on the
board starting with 1/2 and continue on with smaller fractions. Ask the
students to pick what fraction of the candy bar they want. Usually hte
first to volunteer will pick the 1/12 because 12 is a bigger number. Let
other students pick how much they want. Usually the person who picked 1/12
will want to really learn those fractions when they someone get 1/2 of a
candy bar.
-------------------------
7. From: SKasse
Subject: Hero poem and suggestion
Thank you for all who wrote asking for the poem about heroes. There were over
20! If I didn't get to everyone, I'm sorry, and will post the poem here.
From: Staci from Medford
I also suggest you trying to find Jonathon SproutÌs C.D. ÏHeroesÓ This is a
great album, from a talented performer out of NJ. He also has a web site.
Have a good week everyone!
The book is called The ChildrenÌs Book of Heroes by William J. Bennett.
The poem is
Our Heroes
by Phoebe Cary
Seeing what is right and doing it, even though the world tempts you to do
something else, is the mark of moral courage.
HereÌs a hand to the boys who has courage
To do what he knows to be right;
When he falls in the way of temptation,
He has a hard battle to fight.
Who strives against self and his comrades
Will find a most powerful foe.
All honor to him if he conquers
A cheer for the boy who says, ÏNo!Ó
ThereÌs many a battle fought daily
The world knows nothing about;
ThereÌs many a brave little soldier
Whose strength puts a legion to rout.
And he who fights sin single-handed
Is more of a hero, I say,
Than he who leads soldiers to battle
And conquers by arms in the fray.
Be steadfast, my boy, when youÌre tempted
To do what you know to be right.
Stand firm by the colors of manhood,
and you will oÌercome in the fight.
The ÏrightÓ be your battle cry ever
In waging the warfare of life,
And God, who knows who are the heroes
Will give you the strength for the strife.
-------------------------
8. From: Judith Williams
Subject: Authentic learning
The middle school, where I teach, has used authentic learning in its
curriculum for the past 4 years. We are very pleased with the expected
and unexpected outcomes and would like to network with others using
authentic learning so that we can have an exchange of ideas. Anyone using
this, please email me.
-------------------------
9. From: Avi Alex Gold
Subject: testing and assessments
Help!
I've got an interesting situation, some of the staff I work with have
opinions about allowing students to retake tests.
The literature says that it should be permitted. The feeling of the
administration is that it is a good idea, but these particular staff members
have the attitude that once and you're out!
Any ideas to convince them otherwise?
Reply soon please.
Thanks
-------------------------
10. From: Katharine
Subject: Re: testing and assessments
Unfortunately, the only way some students will pass is by being allowed to
retake tests.
Should they all fail? I don't know.
-------------------------
11. From: Kerri Whitehead
Subject: Re: testing and assessments
Well, I think that you're bound to meet with opposition to re-takes when
you **only** expect the student to re-take the test. According to
Mastery Learning, students should re-take tests if they fail, beacuse
they have not gained the information that they need to gain as is
dictated by the curriculum. In other words, they haven't met the
objectives of your lessons.
Mastery Learning ***also states that students should not reatke without
having participated in some form of correctives. Correctives may be as
simple as correcting mistakes made on the first exam, and then telling
where he or she received the information...ex: class notes 3/5/97, etc.
They may also include students being reatught in a differnt modality or
learning style.
In order to convince your staff to allow students to reatke tests, I
would probably tell you to ask them if good teaching means that only 1/2
of the class met the objective. And I would probably also ask them to
reflect on their knowledge about learning styles. Did they present the
materail in a variety of learning styles, or was it presented in only
one? There, of course is always the issue of "in real life, you don't
get a second chance..." Well, yes you do. My favorite example is the
pilot. He practiced over and over in a simulator before being allowed
to even fly a small plane. You want ***practiced*** people to be
entering society. Not everyone is going to get it right the very first
time, and not **anyone** should be expected to.
Mastery learning is a lot of work, but it really increases the
confidence of students. I make charts to show how many people got
mastery on end of the unit tests. Mastery level is conitinuing to
increase with each test given for many reasons, correctives are extra
work, students know that I'm not just going to forget about them if they
flunk a test--they know they'll be retaught, and so if they're just not
studying, they start to!, plus students are probably getting used to my
testing style and format, and to my teaching style.
I'm going on and on--I apologize!
KW
-------------------------
12. From: cscott12@sprynet.com
Subject: Re: Tools
I have a heavy duty stapler (1/4"-3/4" staples) that I use on paperback
books and anything that is too thick for an ordinary stapler. As soon
as I get new paperbacks, I staple them at the spine. No more pages
falling out or covers coming off. These staplers tend to be a little
expensive but Viking Office Products has one on sale this month for
$19.95, regularly $64.95. 1-800-421-1222
I also use plastic crates in which I have hanging files. I give each
child a number corresponding to their number in my grade book. I file
everything according to number, that way I don't have to rename the
files each year. I file correspondence concerning each child, midterm
grades, behavior documentation, etc. In another crate I file creative
writing samples. I file graded papers in another file, (these are sent
home weekly). The children put their numbers on all their papers.
This way the students (second grade) can help by filing papers.
Charlotte Scott
-------------------------
13. From: Lise
Subject: Re: White Board Clean Up
Best thing to clean the whipe/white board is nail polish remover.
Bats
-------------------------
14. From: "Lynda Reid"
Subject: Re: White Board Clean Up
I use a generic windex and an old towel. Works great.
Lynda
-------------------------
15. From: "Jana Michelle Lippe"
Subject: Writing a resume
I am about to start my final semester of college, and am realizing
that I really need to get on the ball if I want to find myself a
job!! My first step is to write a resume, and I was wondering if
anyone could point me towards a web site that outlines the correct
format for teachers. If someone could send me a sample resume of
their own, demonstrating a correct format, that would be great, too!!
I'm also interested in cover letters--what do I need to say in a
cover letter? A sample would be VERY helpful.
Thanks a bunch
Jana Lippe
missschatter@rocketmail.com
:) Jana
S094215@huntcol.edu
http://members.aol.com/suzyzoo/index.html
"I can't believe the first time I looked into your eyes I didn't instantly
know you were the man I'd spend my life with." Lois Lane, I
'VE GOT YOU UNDER MY SKIN
-------------------------
16. From: "Tammy"
Subject: 100th Day of School
~~~~~~~Excuse the Cross Postings!~~~~~~~
Hi!
The 100th Day of School is almost here! Have you been counting the days
at your school to see how many days your students have attended? If you
have, then visit our activity page about the 100th Day of School and see
what other educators around the globe are doing. Included on this page
are tips for Internet activities that you can do to celebrate this day.
http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/100th.htm
Enjoy!
Tammy
**********************************************
Tammy Payton
First Grade Teacher and Web-Editor for
Loogootee Elementary West
Loogootee, Indiana 47553
http://www.siec.k12.in.us/~west/west.htm
mailto:tpayton@dmrtc.net
----------END OF DIGEST----------
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