Overscheduled kids ~ where do we draw the line?

Do you ever wonder how many activities are "too many" for your child? As a society, our kids are more overscheduled than ever. Between soccer practice, gymnastics, church events and play dates, do they really have time to just enjoy being a kid? As a teacher, I see the effects every day in school of kids who are shuffled from one activity to the next during school nights, yet can't seem to get their homework done or keep their eyes open during class. Or maybe they are boucing off the walls from lack of sleep. Regardless of how it manifests itself, being overscheduled has been shown to create havoc on on children's ability to learn, concentrate, and maintin a healthy and balanced mind and body. What happened to just playing in the backyard and enjoying some downtime with neighborhood friends friends and family? In our haste and desire to give our children all the opportunities to try new things, are we overstimulating them to the point of fatigue?? (Which is highly correlated to ADD and ADHD, both which have risen sharply in the last decade.) You decide... I have found several interesting articles showing the detrimental effects of overschuled, busy kids. They also cite several examples each to support the theory that fewer activites and more downtime may actually stimulate higher order thinking skills while encouraging natural creativity. The first article is from an educational point of view. The second link is one posted from momsblog.com from a moms point of view. The third one I simply found interesting. Just food for thought... http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/curr237.shtml http://themomblog.ocregister.com/2010/10/05/are-your-kids-in-too-many-activities/67948/ http://hubpages.com/hub/How-much-is-too-much-activity-for-children

Reaching kids through music

This is a great study of reaching inner city kids exposed to violence through music. The rationale, reasoning, and implications are spelled out as well as effective methods and practices. It could easily be argued this same approach could be taken with mainstreamed students in any classroom, with ESL students or with students of special abilities. The focus here is on the positive nature of integrating music; not on the circumstances of the student. http://idea.library.drexel.edu/bitstream/1860/2990/1/Carrie%20Davoli.pdf

Teaching Math Through Literacy

Ok, so most of you who know me know that I am a huge fan of integration. I believe fully that no subject matter should be taught in isolation or fragments. Rather, it should all be nciely blended (integrated) in order to be more meaningful for the learner. Through some recent conversations I have concluded that many parents (and even a few educators) are not aware of the tremendous benefit of teaching math through literature (or at least introducing a topic) and some simply do not know how. So I have included a few links here to get you started. The first one is one of my all-time favorite math authors, Stuart J. Murphy. The other two are by Amy Axelrod and Cindy Neuchswander, both excellent authors of children's literature with a focus on math content. Please explore at your convenience. Most of the books can be found in your local library..no need to spend money on the sets. http://stuartjmurphy.com/ (great for k-2) http://authors.simonandschuster.com/Amy-Axelrod/1271388 (primarily K-2, possibly higher) http://www.cneuschwander.com/ (any age, but especially helpful for grades 3-5) http://www.harcourtschool.com/menus/math.html ) overall a great resource for parents or teachers)

Voicethreads ~ the easiest thing you've never done!

Ok, so you hear all the hype about podcasts, digital storytelling, voicethreads, etc. But what are all these new digital devices and how can they work for you? Look no further. I have found the site with all the answers. And the good news is there is a tutorial for every question you can possibly have about how to create, record, and share your own digital story. So the next time you want to share information, photos, or a new project you (or your class) has created, visit this cool site to learn how to design your own story, in your own words, with your own self-designed illustrations or photos. Enjoy! http://voicethread.com/#home

Jigzone ~ an interactive online puzzle site

Teachers/Parents: Ever want your children to enjoy computer time without worrying what they are doing? Jigzone offers a balance between fun and learning. There are many shapes and sizes of online puzzles to choose from to fit the needs of diverse learners with different abilities. Your kids will love it! http://www.jigzone.com/

Wikis, Blogs, and more

Hello all~ My online class will soon be over. I am amazed by how much I did not know about technology, in particularly Web 2.0. Podcasts, vlogs, blogs, wikis, FOSS, and even my latest project ~ digital storytelling, all seem like something for someone else to do, not me. But being an educator has taught me two things: 1. I am a lifelong learner and, 2. I am creative. So by learning about the use of all of these digital tools and by being responsible for creating a version of them in one way or another, I have become empowered to be accountable for my own learning. This is the same principle we teach our students; we provide the opportunity and environment for learning, they must choose to learn. After all, real learning is an active process, it is not passive. So, as for me, I choose to learn. I hope all of you readers will also. Keep an open mind, allow yourself to think and explore, be confident in your abilities, but most of all encourage our children to do the same. Allow them to feel empowered by the learning process and at every possible opportunity, set them up for success with technology. 21st century teaching and learning has arrived....be a part of it!

How to apply technology in the classroom ~ a link that brings it all together!

Teachers.....are you unsure how to take all of the new 21st century technology tools and apply them to the needs of your classroom? Look no further. The following link gives you access to loads of great resources, all designed to meet the ever-changing needs of your class. The online games, activities and even professional development tools are grounded in constructivist principles, so they mesh well with social learning practices. Furthermore, they can very easily be adapted to any grade and can be integrated with any area of content. Enjoy fingertip learning (and teaching) at its finest! http://4teachers.org/

The advantages of binlingualism

How many times do we hear the term ESL and think of a struggling student, having difficulty in reading, writing and daily academic tasks because of a language barrier? Do we stop and think that bilingual students often have to process in one language before transferring the information into another to act upon it? (At least during the early stages of language acquisition.) Wow..talk about higher order thinking skills at work! Unfortunately, the notion of being "bilingual" in our educational system frequently has negative connotations, often impacting a student's beliefs about their own identity and culture. The following article is an amazing account of the benefits of being bilingual. By the way, this is a great website for teachers. It's called "Layered Curriculum: Dr. Kathie Nunley's website for educators.) Check it out and prowl around; you'll find some neat info. http://www.help4teachers.com/bilingualism.htm

No teacher left behind: How to teach with technology

I found this great article in Educause which emphasizes many of the points in the Curtis J. Bonk book, The World is Open. I printed it to share with my co-workers, but if you are like me and prefer to save trees, just click the link below to read. http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/eqm0544.pdf

Check out this article in Wired magazine relating to free college courses

Remember all we read about Chris Anderson (editor of Wired Magazine) in the Bonk book? Not to mention the whole chapter on FOSS and open courses? Well, I was online tonight and stumbled across an article promoting Anderson's book, which happens to be about free online college courses for all. Ironically, you can actually receive the book for free as well. Click the following link for more information: http://chronicle.com/blogPost/College-Lectures-Should-Be/7257

Web 2.0 - Candaian government's social network debate

This is an article I found about Web 2.0, as it relates to the Canadian government's social network debate. How many times do we stop and think about the growing pains of the government when it comes to the digital "fingertip knowledge" age we have entered? This article sheds some interesting insights and perspectives on the subject. http://www.itworldcanada.com/news/web-2-0-governments-social-networking-debate/01484

Teach-onomy

Once the page below opens, click the tab on the left titled "Teaching & Learning ~ How does it happen?" Then click the ppt icon on the right. http://wsfcsel.schoolwires.net/22992032819116960/site/default.asp

25 Tools : A Toolbox for Learning Professionals

Ever wonder how to use all those super cool digital devices out there but you really are not sure when or where they best fit into your technological world? Wonder no more. The following link gives a succinct, yet thorough overview of the top 25 digital tools needed by professionals. What a great resource, particularly for educators!

http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/25Tools/index.html

Thought for the day....

Everyday you make a choice to be happy. You alone hold this power; nothing or no one can take this away from you unless you allow them to. Furthermore, you also hold the power to learn. So choose often and choose wisely to engage in scintillating interactions, whether it be with a friend, a book, or a website. There is nothing greater than the galvanic experience gained from an intellectual journey.