What We Really Want To Say

I listened and pictured all the school secretaries I worked with over the years and the smile on their faces if they could record something like this on the school voice mail system.

I'm sure teachers are applauding.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pwghabw4N80

Monkey Year

"How are your students this year?" I asked my friend about her kindergarten students.

"Monkeys." Was her answer. "They were born in the year of the monkey and they show it!"

3 Ways Educators Are Embracing Social Technology

Interesting article I found on Mashable from Greg Ferenstein. Read the entire article here:
http://mashable.com/2010/01/10/educators-social-technology/#


The modern American school faces rough challenges. Budget cuts have caused ballooning class sizes, many teachers struggle with poorly motivated students, and in many schools a war is being waged on distracting technologies. In response, innovative educators are embracing social media to fight back against the onslaught of problems. Technologies such as Twitter and Skype offer ideal solutions as inexpensive tools of team-based education.

Pockets of experimentation are emerging all around the world, and I hope to inspire my fellow teachers with some stories of success. From cell phones to social media, below are three schools that have chosen to go with the flow of popular technology to turn the tide for education.

Skype and Language Learning

Why force students to yawn over a textbook when a real-life native speaker is only a Skype (Skype) call away? At Marquette University, Spanish students hone their foreign language skills with frequent webcam chats with their English-learning counterparts in South America.

“I absolutely fell in love with this program,” wrote one student. Professor Janet Banhidi, the brains behind the virtual language exchange, said Skype conversation gives students a surprisingly authentic experience. As a teacher (and fluent speaker), she can only give her students limited 1-on-1 attention. With Skype, every student has weekly access to a free personal tutor.

Perhaps the greatest benefit of using Skype is the radical increase in motivation. A whopping 85.3% of Janet’s students kept in touch with their digital pen-pals outside of the classroom through Facebook (Facebook). “In the end, the best part of this exchange was gaining a friend who I still today talk with on Facebook” said one student. Additionally, though some of her students enroll to simply fulfill a language requirement, many participants have gone on to major in Spanish from the experience. Students who go above and beyond mandatory assignments will be more likely to remember class material and apply it when they get out into the working world.

Mobile Phones


While many schools around the country have declared all-out war on mobile devices, Wiregrass High School took a decidedly different approach, integrating cell phones into the entire educational experience. Students exchange questions and answers with their teachers via SMS and browse classroom blogs for additional instruction. Moreover, as an efficient collaborative tool, students can quickly trade notes or take a snapshot of the blackboard for later studying.

Like with any tool, students do misuse the privilege, but according to the school’s principal the number of cell-phone related infractions is “minuscule.” Perhaps this is because the policy permits students to use cell phones socially between classes, giving them a much needed digital fix throughout the day. Wiregrass’s experience pairs nicely with similar workplace-related research which shows that giving employees periodic down-time with the Internet actually boosts productivity. In the end, fighting pervasive technologies may just sap the energy of everyone involved.

Another Day

My friend's Facebook status this morning:

"Another day, another dollar. And I mean that literally.... I'm a teacher!"

Jane Owen, Newport Beach, Ca



Here's Jane follow-up comment:
"The Spanish speaking nannies here get more than I do!"

It's Parent Campout Time - a.k.a. Kinder Registration

Baywood Elementary in San Mateo, CA: API scores in the 900's, a fantastic staff, highly involved parents, and too many students for the overcrowded neighborhood school.


Parents here line up outside the school office TWO DAYS before Kindergarden registration begins! But this is no ordinary campout. Besides sleeping bags and beach chairs, the super organized Baywood parents bring pitchers of martinis to share and a large screen to watch movies.


Once upon a time, I taught second grade at Baywood. I'm still friends with some of the staff there, but this year, my cousin's son is now one of the newly admitted students.

I can't wait to hear about the annual Baywood Campout from a parent's point of view!


Anyone work at a school similar to this?

Kids Are Quick

I wish I knew where this originated. Enjoy!


TEACHER: Maria, go to the map and find North America.
MARIA: Here it is.
TEACHER: Correct. Now class, who discovered America?
CLASS: Maria.
_________________________________________________________________________

TEACHER: John, why are you doing your math multiplication on the floor?
JOHN: You told me to do it without using tables.
__________________________________________

TEACHER: Glenn, how do you spell 'crocodile?'
GLENN: K-R-O-K-O-D-I-A-L'
TEACHER: No, that's wrong
GLENN: Maybe it is wrong, but you asked me how I spell it.
____________________________________________

TEACHER: Donald, what is the chemical formula for water?
DONALD: H I J K L M N O.
TEACHER: What are you talking about?
DONALD: Yesterday you said it's H to O.
__________________________________
TEACHER: Winnie, name one important thing we have today that we didn't have ten years ago.
WINNIE: Me!
__________________________________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Glen, why do you always get so dirty?
GLEN: Well, I'm a lot closer to the ground than you are.
_______________________________________________________________________________________
TEACHER: Millie, give me a sentence starting with 'I.'
MILLIE: I is..
TEACHER: No, Millie..... Always say, 'I am.'
MILLIE: All right... 'I am the ninth letter of the alphabet.'
_________________________________
TEACHER: George Washington not only chopped down his father's cherry tree, but also admitted it. Now, Louie, do you know why his father didn't punish him?
LOUIS: Because George still had the axe in his hand.
________________________________________________________________________________________

TEACHER: Clyde , your composition on 'My Dog' is exactly the same as your brother's. Did you copy his?
CLYDE : No, sir. It's the same dog.
___________________________________
TEACHER: Harold, what do you call a person who keeps on talking when people are no longer interested?
HAROLD: A teacher

C-SPAN Helping Teachers

If you've never checked out C-SPAN's website for teachers, you really should.

C-SPAN in the Classroom offers materials for Classroom Civics and Social Studies Teachers. With elections this fall it's a good idea to start collecting materials now.

No, I'm not being paid by C-SPAN, but I did work there for a year, a long time ago.

Great people. They'll help you find video you can use in your classroom too. Check it out.

http://www.c-spanclassroom.org/

No Governator Autograph

"As of September 1, 2008, the Commission on Teacher Credentialing no longer prints or provides a paper copy as an official document.
The online official record of your document will be viewable to you and your potential employer directly through the Commission's website in approximately 48 hours."

So says my e-mail from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. The last time I renewed my credential, I paid my money and received a nice certificate, signed by the current California governor.

I'm all for reducing paper and storing documents online, but is it wrong to want a certificate with my name on it signed by Arnold Schwarzenegger?