Friday, November 29, 2013

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/29/13

tools2Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Figure This – “demonstrates challenging middle school mathematics and emphasizes the importance of high-quality math education for all students.  Funding for the project was provided by the National Science Foundation (NSF) and the U.S. Department of Education.” (L:M; SA:M)

Civil War Animated Maps – “Our collection of animated maps bring battles of the American Civil War to life, complete with troop movement animations, narratives, video, and more.(L:M,H; SA:SS)

Map Your Recipe – “enter the ingredients of a recipe and it will show you where the fruits and vegetables that went into it were first domesticated.” (L:G; SA:LA, SS, S)

Smithsonian Science Education Centerscience games from the Smithsonian (L:G; SA:A)

PlaceSpotting – google map quiz (L:H; SA:SS)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Thursday, November 28, 2013

Happy Thanksgiving 2013

ThanksgivingHappy Thanksgiving!

Today is Thanksgiving here in the United States and it is time to remember all that I’m thankful for. Throughout the year I try to think of this every day but I purposefully make myself name 5 things every day that I’m thankful for. Today I thought I would show some of the things that I’ve been thankful for (not in any priority order but just as I think of them).

1. My husband (he is always at the top of my list!)

2. My family

3. My friends

4. My home

5. My health

6. ability to pay bills

7. knitting

8. hiking

9. laptops

10. IPad

11. Digital cameras

12. Cellphones

13. Skype

14. Kindle

15. Treadmill

16. Seasons

17. Hot tub

18. Prius

19. Love of traveling with my hubby

20. Love of teaching

21. Furman

22. Ability to learn new things

23. Learning archery again

24. Wildflowers

25. Nature

26. Honest people

27. Kindness of strangers

28. New recipes that turn out great

29. Microwave

30. Hiking boots

31. Hiking sticks

32. Yarn

33. Spinning wheel

34. Fitbit

35. Losing weight

36. Online support group for losing weight on My Fitness Pal

37. Tervis cup

38. Birkenstock sandals

39. Hand knit wool socks

40. Hand knit shawls

41. Hand knit wool mittens

42. Hand knit wool hat

43. Hand knit wool sweaters

44. TV

45. DirecTV

46. Internet

47. Email

48. My Sunroom

49. Hot cocoa

50. Straws

51. Mocha Frappuccino

52. Ear buds

53. My watch

54. Credit cards

55. Doctors

56. My church

57. My neighbors

58. Our camper

59. National and state parks

60. Books

I realized as I wrote this list that I could go on and on and on and I’m so lucky to be able to do this. I will stop at 60 but I know this list could go on for a long time. I hope you and your family have wonderful Thanksgiving. Thank you for visiting my blog!

Image: 'Thanks for My Flickr Friends!'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/24882165@N07/4102336245
Found on flickrcc.net

Wednesday, November 27, 2013

SC Mushrooms

DSC_0008Last week we attended the Upstate Master Naturalist meeting and had a wonderful class about mushrooms. The talk was given by Tradd Cotter from Mushroom Mountain in Liberty, SC. He has been growing mushrooms for more than 20 years.
Here are the notes that I took from his talk.

1. Mycology is more like mushroom psychology.
2. Mychorrhizal symbiosis emerges 400+ million years ago based on fossil records.
3. Interkingdom actions between Eukaryota, Bacteria, and Archaea. Some fungi impossible to grow without this interaction.
4. Plant – fungus – virus: 3 way symbiosis; survives 149F soil temperature; braided together they can perform amazing things.
5. Mushrooms produce spores
6. Spores are discharged from the gills and have an adhesive so they can stick to wood or mulch.
7. Spores land near each other and germinate. They mate and become a vegetative state.
8. Mycelium is not a root.
9. As long as there is food, it will never fruit.
10. They burn their way through whatever they are on. Their ends are very hot.
11. They can even be cannibalistic.
12. Natural surge is circular.
13. Maitake mushroom only grows in oak.
14. Oyster mushrooms grow on anything.
15. Need water to swim through environment. That’s why water is so important.
16. Fluid comes from the ground and causes droplets.
17. It has to hit a barrier to grow fruit.
18. Biggest mushroom growing gets all the water and nutrients.
19. Mushrooms create heat, carbon dioxide and water. They stretch when they want oxygen.
20. Fairy rings – most are poisonous; one found in front of Long Hall in Clemson.
21. Mycoheterotroph– take nutrients from mushrooms; mychorrhizal cheating (Indian Pipes)
22. Lady slippers depend on fungi for growing, then it kills the mushroom.
23. In presence of nematodes, creates fungus rings, invites it to put the head in the ring, contracts and strangles the nematode.
24. Strands at base holds soil. It can hold 20-30 times its weight.
25. Leaf debris falls which is food for fungi and is a great water filter.
26. Large morel – to find, look up at trees and find host trees.
27. Small pink chanterelle – near creeks and birch
28. Tropical mushrooms near Beaufort and Savanna; associated with the collapse of ant colonies; as big as a 5 gal. Bucket; 24 in. in diameter; can grow 4-5 feet tall
29. Gilled mushroom – stays above ground for 2 months, no bugs
30. Mushroom alcohol attracts slugs.
31. Mosquitoes feed off oyster mushrooms.
32. Worms love fungi.
33. White oyster - grows in winter.
34. Phoenix oyster grows when it gets hot.
35. Wood Blewits – love mulch
36. Jack O’Lantern – saprophyte, likes stumps and buried wood, gills glow in the dark.
37. Mycorrhizal fungi – grow on roots of living trees; symbiotic relationship; good for water retention for plants.
38. Plants give fungus sugars and fungus gives plant phosphates and nitrogen.
39. When plants get synthetic fertilizer, they forget about fungi.
40. Carbon trading with plant hosts – 30% more nitrogen; 60% more phosphates.
41. Increases soil porosity and encourages worms.
42. Ectomychorrizal fungi – outside; doesn’t invade the plant; Porcini, chanterelles, truffles, includes 5000 mushrooms.
43. Endomychorrizal fungi – 7 fungal species; annual and perennial veggies
44. Pecan Truffle – tuber lyonii – grow underground; grow on pecans and oaks; has male sex hormone in it
45. Mushrooms are evolving to grow underground.
46. Squirrels and chipmunks dig up truffles because they are very fatty and good for in the winter. Poop is great for spore dispersal.
47. Black trumpets craterellus – smells like apricot, grows near beeches.
48. Gold chanterelles – taste peppery; smell like apricots; does not have true gills, and always forked; orange with white interior
49. Hedgehog – hydnum repandum - have teeth, fruity, grow on confers; won’t find in oak forest
50. Lacterus volemus – exude milk when cut; has gills; milk tastes sweet
51. Lacterus hygrophoroides – favorite of squirrels
52. Indigo Milky – L. Indigo- blue on bottom and top; edible (chop and cook with eggs or potatoes – turns everything blue); loves flood plains and oak trees
53. Lobster mushroom – 2 organisms living together; likes hemlock trees; pairs up with non-poisonous
54. Boletes – conifer loving; pores are white, yellow, orange, or bitter
55. Xanthconium Separanis – tylopilus species – bitter; could be hop replacement for beer.
56. Phallus caninus – grows out of mulch from eggs within an hour, nasty smelly spore mass
57. Lion’s Mane Pom Pom – Hericum erinaceus – tastes like crab meat; weak parasite
58. Hericium Coralloides – waterfall mushroom; tastes like lobster
59. Chicken of the Woods – brow rot goes after cellulose (white rot goes after the white); grows all over the east coast; species depend on wood; usually hardwood like oak.
60. Hen of the woods – Maitaki – Grifola frondosa – white oak, red oak, and rarely on sycamore
61. Illegal to hunt and sell mushrooms in South Carolina
62. Hemlock Reishi – Ganoderm Tsugai – weak parasite; prevalent now due to demise of hemlock; used to make teas and tinctures.
63. Agarikon – grow on old trees; Pacific NW; shouldn’t be picking them; tip is growing surface; age them by rings in the conch, fights tox virus; strong antiviral properties; can be used to carry and transport fires.
64. Forked fungus beetle – sits on top of conch and fight over females; 1 male pushes other mall all the way down off the conch so the winner can mate with female; lay larvae in base of conch.
65. Morel – oversized yeast fruit in spring; yellow, blond or black; grow with large tulip poplars on hillside, should be all hollow; produce tubers; can be mistaken for magnolia pods or sweetgum balls (but wrong habitat if you see Magnolia or Sweetgum)
66. Devils Urn – found near morels
67. If Tulip Poplar is flowering, it is too late to find morels; Fruit between certain temperatures; harvesting them encourages them to grow more. Also Wash in water and throw spore water back out. Air dry them and spores hiss out. 2 week window (measure ground temperatures)
68. Cordyceps – microparasites – eats insects; false truffles (mummified carpenter ants); mind controlling chemicals to move fungus where it needs to survive.
69. Mycopesticides – target specific biological pest; alternative to chemicals
70. Some birds look for conchs and polypors on trees. They know they can work on those trees.
71. Collect spores and mix with bird feed. Give to birds, deer, turkey.
72. Blue jays – fighter jets
73. Hummingbirds – stealth bombers
74. Haiti project – taught them to grow mushrooms on waste

Original Photo by Pat Hensley

Tuesday, November 26, 2013

Frame My Future Scholarship Contest 2014

I was recently contacted by Katie Gargano from Diploma Frame about a scholarship contest that she thought my readers might be interested in so here it is!

FrameMyFuture“Title: Frame My Future Scholarship Contest 2014

Deadline: March 5, 2014

Websitehttp://www.diplomaframe.com/contests/frame-my-future-scholarship-contest-2014.aspx or www.framemyfuture.com

Eligibility: The scholarship contest is open to all students who plan on attending a U.S. college/university as a full-time student for the 2014-2015 academic year and is a legal U.S. resident.

Entering the scholarship: To enter the scholarship, submit an original creation that communicates what you want to do in your personal and professional life after college. Follow the theme: This is how I Frame My Future. Some examples of entry ideas are: photograph, collage, poem, drawing, painting, graphic design piece, short-typed essay and more.

Prizes: We are awarding a total of $6,000 in college scholarships. There will be five winners of the $1,000 scholarships and the Grand Prize Winner, the top vote-getter Finalist, will earn an additional $1,000 donation to their 2014 attended college/university.

More information can be found on www.framemyfuture.com.”

Monday, November 25, 2013

Furman Volleyball 2013

DSC_0057This year I had a volleyball player in my class and my husband and I decided we wanted to support the team. So, we tried to go to as many games as we could and even went to one away game. We have had such a great time watching the games, the fans, and meeting some parents.

I think it is so important that as educators we support out students in and out of the classroom. Teaching is not all about inside the four walls of a room. I think it is important for students to see educators outside of the classroom and I think it is important for parents to see that educators care about their children.

Teaching is not all about what goes on in the classroom but I can learn a lot about my students when I see how they are outside of the classroom. It is interesting to watch my students interact with others and see the group dynamics of their friendships. It also helps me find a connection that I can use in the classroom when I’m teaching.

I have been to football games, basketball games, volleyball games, baseball games, softball games, recitals, and plays. I believe the students appreciate it and have had them come and thank me for being there. We will continue to support the students outside of class because I feel it makes a difference. It makes a difference how I perceive them and how they perceive me. It builds a relationship so that when I need to ask them to try something difficult, they trust me to give it a try. When I believe they can do something that they don’t think they can, they are willing to risk failure because they know I care. 

If you are interested in seeing any of the many (yes, I mean MANY) pictures I’ve taken of our wonderful team, you can click on the links below.

9/28/13 and 10/2/13

11/1/13 and 11/2/13

11/8/13

11/9/13

11/22/13 – Southern Conference Tournament

11/23/13 – Southern Conference Tournament

Do you support your students outside the classroom? If so, please share what activities they are!

Original Photos by Pat Hensley

Friday, November 22, 2013

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/22/13

tools2Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Media History Digital LibraryOnline Access to the Histories of Cinema, Broadcasting & Sound” (L:M,H; SA:A)

Quotes Daddy – “is the largest online archive of famous quotes, featuring over 1,000,000 quotes from famous individuals throughout history, using a fast and intuitive search function with a variety of user options.” (L:G; SA:A)

Math LiveMath lessons for elementary school students (L:E; SA:M)

JST Virtual Science CenterInteresting science lessons from a Japanese science site. (L:E,M; SA:S)

Perfect Pitch – Get to know the instruments in an orchestra (L:G; SA:FA)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Thursday, November 21, 2013

A Good Teacher Is…

flexibleIn What Makes a Good Teacher? From Tinkerings, Tim asks,

“What makes a good teacher?”

I’m nearing the end of the semester with my class and even though I’m enjoying teaching this class, I have had some challenges.

Since I’m a big fan of lists, I thought I would answer this question with my list of what makes a good teacher. These are not in order of priority but rather as I thought of them.

A good teacher is:

  • Flexible. It is important to be able to adjust to what is going on in the here and now without getting upset and rattled. Students pick up on these emotions and it could set the tone for the class.
  • Prepared. Nothing is worse than being unprepared. This invites a lot of misbehavior, boredom, and loss of time. A teacher who is prepared is setting a positive example for the students.
  • Sincere. Students know when the teacher is sincere is faking it. I hear students talk about teachers they feel are teaching just for the money (which I assure you is not a lot!). They don’t feel the teacher enjoys teaching or the subject and really doesn’t care about the students.
  • Happy. I’m not saying that teachers need to be happy all of the time but overall happy with the career they have chosen and happy with their life. This shows in their body language and in the tone of their voices. It is what helps them “shine” when they are in a group of other teachers.
  • Knowledgeable. A good teacher knows their subject and can answer questions. Students know when the teacher is fumbling around guessing and has no idea what they are talking about.
  • Organized. Organization is key to an orderly classroom. Again this sets a good example for the student. Teachers who can’t find anything, loses things constantly, or piles things up in a haphazard fashion is going to have a hard time keeping up with the endless paperwork deadlines or other responsibilities that come up every day. It is better to stay ahead of the paperwork before it becomes overwhelming.
  • Open minded. Teachers need to be open to other opinions or other solutions to problems. Always insisting that there is only one right way or one right thought narrows the possibilities.
  • Committed. Teachers understand that they will put in more time than an 8-5 job. They understand they will do a lot of work at home, make phone calls on their personal time, and be involved in extracurricular activities outside of the classroom. They also understand that they will never be paid for what they are really worth. But all this doesn’t matter because it is all worth it.

What would you add to this list? Please share.

Image: 'Flexible'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/90935137@N00/351684037
Found on flickrcc.net

Wednesday, November 20, 2013

Make the Memories Last

Great WallMy husband and I have done a lot of traveling lately and recently went to Epcot. We enjoyed walking through the World Showcase and it brought back lots of great memories of places we have been.

We went through the China exhibit and saw places we actually visited in 2000. There were many cities, cultural, and historical sites that we saw in person! The movie we saw made us want to go visit again!

When we saw the Eiffel Tower, it brought back memories of our trip to Paris. I remember going to the Louvre and Versailles.

As we walked through Norway, I remembered learning a lot about the Scandinavians when I was in school as a child. My husband learned about them too and we grew up 800 miles apart!

When we started talking about what made some things more special than others, we realized it was because we actually saw things in person that we remembered studying when we were in school. It was so exciting to see these things in real life! But if you had told me as a child that one day this information would be important to you, I wouldn’t have believed it.

My husband remembers his third grade teacher making them memorize the poem “Trees” by Joyce Kilmer. Whenever we are in a forest or he is impressed with the trees that surround us, he begins to recite that poem. It has stayed with him for over 50 years!

So when I am teaching a student something, I need to think about what future ramifications this information may have. They might not recall this information after the test, or even in the next five years but who knows when they may remember it on future travels or interactions with others. Hopefully they are studying places, people, or ideas that might impact them later in life. It might just help them when they visit places as a tourist, or actually help them with their jobs. I need to share with them how this might not seem important or relevant right now in their lives but it may be useful later on.

It makes me excited to think of possibilities for this information to travel across space and time.

Isn’t it great to be a teacher!

Image: 'Grande Muralha - Great Wall'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/30578078@N00/247113681
Found on flickrcc.net

Monday, November 18, 2013

Suggestions for a Frustrated Teacher

frustrationRecently on another site for special ed teachers who knit and crochet, someone asked the following questions. I thought I would share my answers.

· How do you keep control over your classroom? How do you deal with a couple of kids who act out on a regular basis, while not neglecting the others?
A: Have a behavior plan in place and be consistent. Stick with this plan for at least a month even if it seems like it isn’t working because students will test you to see who can give in first. Consistency is the key. I would call parents on a regular basis (at least every other week) and brag about their children when they are doing good things. I would also just touch base to see if they had any concerns and tell what we were working on. I would come into class and tell the kids that I called some homes to brag about them. The kids who act out always ask why I wasn’t calling their homes and I would tell them that if they were good that day, I would call home to brag and I would. This made them try harder to act appropriately.

· How do you keep them on task? E.g., for a fidgety student, a case manager recommended some silly putty to keep his hands busy. Instead, it just keeps him fully engaged in playing with the putty (which is a tolerable result because at least he’s staying in the classroom and isn’t disturbing others), but usually ends up with him throwing pieces across the room (then the putty is taken away, he starts throwing things, and has to be removed from the room).
A: I have used the rubbery squishy balls for a student to manipulate while I am talking. This has helped. I also allowed students to stand up in the back of the room as long as they weren’t disturbing anyone.

· How do you let your kids know that failure is ok? One or two go into anxiety attacks at the thought of getting even one question wrong, to the point where they not only refuse to try to answer it, but also refuse to move on to the next problem.
A: I would start off with some activities I knew a student would be able to do. The more successful they are, the more likely they are to attempt harder stuff. I also told my students that on some things, even if they got all of the answers wrong, I graded for effort and they wouldn’t fail. I also said that I could tell if they gave full effort or not and if they didn’t, they would fail.

· When situations are spiraling out of control, how to you break the cycle? A kid acts out, teacher reports it to mom, the kid becomes resentful and acts out more, teacher has to tell mom, to the point where even when the teacher want to email the mom about positive behaviors the kid panics.
A: This is why contacting parents on a regular basis is so important! Once you get in a routine about giving attention to the positive behaviors, many of the negative behaviors will fade. Check out Classdojo.com which is a free program on PC and free app for Ipad. It is fun and easy to use for behavior management.

· How do you manage all of the bureaucratic paperwork? Keeping track of unique IEPs for each student, teacher evaluation requirements, etc.
A: I have a spreadsheet with all of the things that have deadlines and list the deadlines. Each day I make a list of what needs to be done that day and then prioritize. It is important to stay ahead of the paperwork so I don’t get overwhelmed.

· Any other advice?
A: Exercise, take vitamins, and drink plenty of water. Stay healthy. When you get run down, you feel miserable and unhappy with yourself, your job, and others. Ask the students which teachers they like the best and then go observe these teachers. Ask other teachers who they think are the best and go observe these teachers. Both observations will help you see how other teachers do things and help you see strategies in action. Find a hobby outside of teaching so you can get some distance and perspective about your teaching. reading.

Do you have any other suggestions to any of the questions? Please share!

Image: 'Arrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrgh! .....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/53211846@N00/404625070
Found on flickrcc.net

Friday, November 15, 2013

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/15/13

tools1Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.


Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Canadian Museum of Nature –interactive games and facts (L:G; SA:A)

Practical Money Skills – “These top-quality financial literacy materials, including classroom modules, games, DVDs and brochures, are free and available for access now by all educators, parents and consumers. “ (L:G; SA:M)


My Reading Mapped - Here is your chance to digitally experience history by zooming in on the details in over 100 Google Map formatted documentaries on history and science. So, join me as we explore the world, and digitally walk where explorers of the past have traveled, locate sunken ships, view plane and train crash sites, roam ancient ruins,survey battlefields and forts, discover undersea phenomena, research environmental disasters, digitally climb the tallest mountains, and investigate famous crime scenes. (L:T; SA:A)

Quotes Daddy – “is the largest online archive of famous quotes, featuring over 1,000,000 quotes from famous individuals throughout history, using a fast and intuitive search function with a variety of user options.” (L:G; SA:A)

Explain3D – interactive educational simulations (L:M,H; SA:A)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Thursday, November 14, 2013

Helping Piano Teachers

TeachPianoTodayI was recently interviewed this week on the Teach Piano Today Podcast about helping piano teachers teach students with exceptional needs. You can see the blog post and listen to the interview here. Andrea asks questions that piano teachers mention on their facebook page and I hope I gave suggestions that may help them. I think a lot of the suggestions would work even if you weren’t a piano teacher and could use the suggestions in any classroom. If you have the time, please stop by and listen to the interview.

If you have any other suggestions you could add to what I’ve said, please share.

Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Extra! Extra!

extrasI was listening to a podcast the other day and they were talking about what shows/movies they would love to be an extra on and it started me thinking. This would be a great activity for students to do in a variety of ways. Students could write the names of the shows or movies and tell why they chose them. This could be a writing assignment, a poster, a presentation, or a discussion with a classmate to practice social skills or an oral presentation to the class to practice public speaking.

If I could have been an extra on a set, here are the shows and movies that I would have wanted to be on.

TV Shows:

Downton Abbey – I love the time period, the clothes, and the actors. I also think it would be so much fun to walk around a castle that is used for the set.

Blue Bloods – I love Tom Selleck and any show he is in. I think it would be really great to see him act in person and to see what he is like when he isn’t acting. I also would love to visit New York again.

Movies:

Any Harry Potter movie – I just think those were all fun movies and it would be great to be a part of them.

Any Indiana Jones movie – I love the settings where the adventures take place. Of course, I like Harrison Ford too so seeing him in person on and off the set would be delightful!

Gone With The Wind – That was my first introduction to the south and I fell in love with the south. I knew that was going to be my goal when I grew up. I wanted to spend the rest of my life in the genteel south with their soft and loving ways. I loved the dresses the women wore and how the men treated their women. I came to south for college and never looked back!

What TV shows or movies would you like to be an extra on? Please share.

Photo: Extras by Andrew Ferguson

Tuesday, November 12, 2013

A Time for Gratitude

gratitudeIn 5 Ways to Teach Gratitude in your Classroom #creativitymatters from Cool Cat Teacher Blog , Cool Cat Teacher shares ways to teach gratitude. She shares,

“I like the definition of gratitude and its benefits from Psychology Today:
‘Gratitude is an emotion expressing appreciation for  what one has—as opposed to, say, a consumer-oriented emphasis  on what one wants or needs—and is currently receiving a great deal of attention  as a facet of positive psychology. Gratitude is what gets poured into the glass to make it half full. Studies show that gratitude not only can be deliberately cultivated but can increase levels of well-being and happiness among those who do cultivate it.  In addition, grateful thinking—and especially expression of it to others—is associated with increased levels of energy, optimism, and empathy.’”

November is usually a time for giving thanks since this is the month we celebrate the Thanksgiving holiday.

Many times we take it for granted that our students know how to show gratitude. I’m not sure that some students know what gratitude is and how to identify it.

My husband and I are volunteers with the Red Cross and we respond to disaster locally in order to help clients who have been affected by the disaster. The disaster may have been caused by fire, flood, hurricanes, tornadoes, heat, or ice. When we respond, I feel so bad for the family and part of me feel thankful that it isn’t me being affected. I feel guilty for feeling this way. I am always grateful that I’m in a position to help others and they are always appreciative of the help that Red Cross gives them.

In addition to the suggestions given by Cool Cat Teacher, I have some that I would like to add.

Sometimes it is hard during the cold season and holiday time for my students to find anything to be thankful for. Even though I try to set a positive example, many students can’t relate to my life.

I would have students identify things and people in their lives that mean a lot to them. In a chart, I would have them write down why they mean a lot to the student. In another column, I would have them write what the student’s life would be like if they didn’t have these things or people in their lives.

I would have students look through current events articles where people are having tough times. I would ask students if they can relate to the situation. Then I would have them compare their own life to the person’s life in the article. I would ask them to explain how they are better off than the person in the article.

What kind of activities would you suggest to help teach about gratitude? Please share.

Image: 'gratitude and rust'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/18161271@N00/4786965539
Found on flickrcc.net

Monday, November 11, 2013

Jeopardy

jeopardyI’m so excited to find out that one of my blogging friends, John Pearson, from the blog Learn Me Good is going to be on Jeopardy Teachers Tournament. It starts this Monday and goes through Friday the 22nd.  It should be an exciting show and I hope he does well! So if you have the time, please watch and cheer him on!

You can find out when Jeopardy airs and on what channel by going to this interactive map:  http://www.jeopardy.com/showguide/whentowatch/

Image: 'Jeopardy 1'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/22926400@N04/3447978179
Found on flickrcc.net

Friday, November 8, 2013

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/8/13

tools2Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Metta – “flip web content into video lessons.” (L:T; SA:A)

Space Math – “introduces students to the use of mathematics in todays scientific discoveries. Through press releases and other articles, we explore how many kinds of mathematics skills come together in exploring the universe.” (L:M,H; SA:M)

The Right to Food: A Window on the World – teaching students about hunger and malnutrition. (L:E,M; SA:S, SS)

27 Ideas for Teaching with Topographic Maps – “Topographic maps are a fantastic teaching resource for educators. They can be used in a variety of ways in the science, math, geography, and history curriculum, from elementary to college level. Use the following ideas as an aid in building educational lessons or to spark your own ideas for using topographic maps in the curriculum.” (L:G, H; SA:A)

Word Sense – “is a reimagined dictionary and thesaurus.” (L:G, H; SA:A)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Metta – “flip web content into video lessons.” (L:T; SA:A)

Space Math – “introduces students to the use of mathematics in todays scientific discoveries. Through press releases and other articles, we explore how many kinds of mathematics skills come together in exploring the universe.” (L:M,H; SA:M)

The Right to Food: A Window on the World – teaching students about hunger and malnutrition. (L:E,M; SA:S, SS)

27 Ideas for Teaching with Topographic Maps – “Topographic maps are a fantastic teaching resource for educators. They can be used in a variety of ways in the science, math, geography, and history curriculum, from elementary to college level. Use the following ideas as an aid in building educational lessons or to spark your own ideas for using topographic maps in the curriculum.” (L:G, H; SA:A)

Word Sense – “is a reimagined dictionary and thesaurus.” (L:G, H; SA:A)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Wednesday, November 6, 2013

Cold Weather

coldFall has arrived and the temperatures are dropping. Maybe I’m getting older but it seems like I feel the cold so much more. What happened to all that talk about global warming? I sure wouldn’t mind some of it when I’m cold. Now is the time to talk to students about appropriate clothes for the weather.

I think this needs to be done with young children all the way up to teens. Younger children need to be taught to dress properly to protect themselves from the cold and teens need to be taught that being warm is more important than being cool.

Some children might not have cold weather clothes so it is important to be sensitive while teaching these lessons. I try to ask questions that will help me judge whether they do or not. If I suspected someone needing a winter coat I usually head to the guidance counselor for help. Many times I have brought in my husband’s old coats and told a student that I was getting rid of it and asked if they wanted it.

One lesson I teach is fun for the older students is about fashion and cold weather. We actually brainstorm ideas on how to be fashionable but still stay warm. I think the students enjoy this discussion. We also look at sale papers to see how the models dress for cold weather but are still looking “cool.”

Do you discuss cold weather dress in your classroom? How do you approach it? Please share.

Image: 'Walk,NY'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/87907929@N00/3228826470
Found on flickrcc.net

Tuesday, November 5, 2013

National Novel Writing Month

writingIn Writers! NaNo-ers! Rebels! From Sioux's Page, Sioux  talks about National Novel Writing Month otherwise known as NaNoWriMo which is during the month of November. This group encourages people to write at least 50,000 words this month.

For me, saying I would write a novel is pretty daunting but writing 50,000 words is pretty amazing too. It falls in the same category as running 50,000 miles. But if I break this down into days, it is about 1700 words a day which could possibly be more manageable.

I started thinking about 50,000 as a number.

I started an exercise program this year in order to lose weight. I didn’t want to be on a diet but wanted a life style change so I decided I would try to walk at least 10,000 steps each day. At first I thought it was impossible and now I’m finding that I reach this goal at least 5 out of every 7 days. I’m always amazed when I see the total steps I walk for the week.

My maximum level of calories is 1800 calories each day but mostly stay between 1300 and 1600 each day. This means that I get about 50,000 calories each month.

I burn about 1600-2000 calories each day. This means I burn about 50,000 calories for the month.

So maybe I could try to write a novel with at least 50,000 words. Maybe.

I know that my students see final goals for the class in the same way. They see accomplishing goals as insurmountable.

Maybe I need to find parallels in their life that match the final goals. They need to see that they accomplish things in the same way but the final goal is just different. It is almost like going on a trip and traveling the same amount of miles but just ending at a different destination.

I think that writing would be a great project this month but for my students, I would make it a word number goal. Maybe I would make a number of days kind of goal or number of paragraphs.

I think the important thing would be to get students writing and thinking and sharing.

Do you focus on writing this month? What activities do you do? Please share.

Image: 'Be seeing you
http://www.flickr.com/photos/19487674@N00/58499153
Found on flickrcc.net

Monday, November 4, 2013

A Nature Walk

DSC_0003Last week, I led second graders on a nature hike at our state park. Life cycles is part of the second grade curriculum so I try to make sure that we go over the life cycles of dragonflies, frogs, birds, bats, flowers and trees. One of their vocabulary words is metamorphosis and I have the use that at each stop along the way and they love it. We also see the bat box and owl box which has no evidence of bats or owls so we talk about bat guano and owl pellets. It is so funny how second graders love to talk about poop! Along the way I try to point out some plants that they will see in most forests around us like poison ivy, alder, rhododendron, mountain laurel, and purple gentian. We also saw the men working to repair the dam so I was able to talk about safety habits in the workplace and point out how the men were hooked into a safety cable. One other thing I always stress to the children is how we all need to take care of our parks for future generations and they seem to really get it.

Another fun thing for me is to listen to the comments of the children as they walk. Some of the children had been to the park before but mostly for picnics and not hikes. After our hike, many children talked about getting their families to come back so they could take them on the hike we did. One little girl talked about how this was the best field trip she had ever been on!

The weather started out with sprinkles of rain but we never had to put on rain coats. The temperature was cool but perfect for hiking and the scenery was awesome.

I’m so glad the teachers wanted to bring their classes to the park! I hope you think about sharing nature with your students.

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Friday, November 1, 2013

Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 11/1/13

tools2Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels: E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Got Brainy - Learn SAT and ACT vocab words the funnier way (L:H; SA:LA)

The Chronicles of Narnia – an audiobook (L:G; SA:LA)

Science and Cooking: From Haute Cuisine to Soft Matter Science “Top chefs and Harvard researchers explore how everyday cooking and haute cuisine can illuminate basic principles in physics and engineering, and vice versa.” (L:H; SA:S)

We Do Listen – “…help young children learn how to listen, learn important life lessons, and feel good about themselves.” (L:E; SA:A)

MathsFrame – “ has more than 170 free interactive maths games. All resources are designed, by an experienced KS2 teacher, to help children to visualise numbers, patterns and numerical relationships and to develop their mathematical thinking.” (L:E; SA:M)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley