loonyhiker on Plurk: http://www.plurk.com
Loonyhiker on Twitter: http://twitter.com
Email me at successfulteaching@gmail.com
Yes I Can by Danny O’Flaherty from his Secret Garden CD. : http://www.dannyoflaherty.com/.
Moving at the Speed of Creativity Blog by Wesley Fryer
My ebook: Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 2011
(For pictures, please click here.)
Our meeting was held at the Pickens County Museum of Art and History. I had never heard of this museum before and it has existed since 1975. The building was a jail from 1902 until 1975. The exhibits were fantastic and full of artifacts. I would definitely recommend people to go check out this museum.
Here is a list of things that we saw along the trail:
1. Black Walnut trees
4. Basswood - Bees made hives in this.
5. Holly
6. Lycopodium
7. Beech - with copper leaves
8. White Pine - look for pink lady slippers in this area around May
9. Rattlesnake plantain - area is full of Catesby Trillium in the spring
10. Hepatica - area has northern maidenhair fern, lady fern, hay scented fern in the spring
11. Cranefly orchid - purple leaves, won’t see bloom at leaves at the same time.
12. Ginger - area is rich with Indian Pink, blue star, bellwort in the spring
13. Daisy Fleabane
14. Foamflower
15. Black Cohosh
16. Pipsissewa
17. Oconee Bells
18. Silverbell - by the covered bridge, has striped bark
19. Sparkleberry
20. Dogwood -Named for Dag or Dague meaning skewer
21. Climbing Hydrangea - fragrant white blooms that are to see because they are usually at the tops of the trees trying to get the sun.
22. River Oats - or “fish on a pole”
At the end of the hike, some people chose to continue hiking with Joe across the road. We were the first group to be on this new trail that they are putting in. Here are the things we saw along the way:
1. Sassafras tree - 1st commodity of the new world, problem with propagating because birds love the seeds (near gas tank beside store)
3. Pink berries possibly beautyberry along fence of old house
4. Daffodils
5. Honey locust
6. Beehives
7. Hackberry
8. Shortleaf pine
It was a wonderful day and even though it was overcast and sometimes misty, it was a wonderful day to be outdoors! I can’t wait to visit this nature trail again in the spring!
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
Primaries and Caucuses - featured lesson; “Students will examine the caucus and primary systems of selecting delegates, Students will discuss the processes involved in the two systems, Students will determine the pros and cons for each system” (L: H, SA: SS)
Running for Office - “The political cartoons in this exhibit, drawn by renowned cartoonist Clifford K. Berryman, illustrate the campaign process from the candidate’s decision to run for office to the ultimate outcome of the election. Although many political procedures have changed, these cartoons show that the political process has remained remarkably consistent; Berryman’s cartoons from the early 20th century remain relevant today.” (L: H; SA: SS)
Vatican Museums – virtual online tour of the Vatican (L: M, H; SA: FA, SS)
JFK Library and Museum – Interactive exhibits (L: G; SA: SS)
NASA@Home and City - “Have you ever wondered how space impacts your daily life? Pick a starting point and see how space traces back to you.” (L: M, H; SA: LA, S,SS)
Original Image by Pat Hensley
(This post was written by Rachel Stanley, an education blogger whose unusual educational background has given her firm opinions on what makes a good teacher. She was educated at home for eight years before attending a boarding school for sixth form and then Oxford University to read Classics.)
Just as no two classrooms are the same, there is no single template for what makes a great teacher. Each school environment requires a different set of skills and traits to bring out the best in its pupils. There are, however, certain universal traits and skills that make any teacher ‘great’. Here are my top seven of the most common examples of habits which all highly effective teachers will employ.
1) Confidence is the key to every child’s development, be it social or educational. Low self-esteem can cause anxiety problems and depression in students, so every great teacher knows that building their students’ self-confidence is a priority. This may be through positive reinforcement when they try hard or succeed in class, or it may be going that extra mile to keep an eye out for confidence problems, or staying after class to provide support. Either way, an effective teacher works to keep their students confident and happy.
2) Even the most interesting of subjects can go over a student’s head if not explained in an engaging way. Every effective teacher constantly works to keep their lessons as practical, precise and understandable as possible. Each lesson should be explained in simple, deliberate language, with practical examples to reinforce the information. This way, students stay attentive and understand what they’re learning in real world terms.
3) The ability to take things at a slower pace is perhaps a less obvious habit that you’ll see in effective teachers. With the syllabus looming over every lesson, sometimes leading a class can feel like a race against time. No matter how much pressure you may feel to advance with a subject, unless the class has really taken in the lesson, there’s no point moving on. Effective teachers know how to adjust the pace of their lessons to let the information really sink in.
4) This might seem like a trivial point, but the best teachers know the names of their students. Knowing every student by name creates a familiar, comfortable atmosphere, helping to create a personal relationship with each child, and means that you can address any class issues in an instant.
5) Every teacher can take feedback, but only the most effective actually use this feedback to inform their future lesson plans. Asking classes what they enjoyed and what parts of the syllabus they had problems with, can be a great basis on which to structure future lessons. It also helps to get an idea of which children are responding to which teaching techniques.
6) Technology is everywhere and using the latest gadgets can be a great way to re-energise a lesson plan. The children will respond to cool and desirable new technology, and teachers might find that using new equipment can actually make teaching easier.
7) Arguably the most important of all: be flexible. Effective teacher knows that every year, every term and every day is different. You need to be able to adapt to new problems and change your style to fit new children, new syllabuses and new environments. The most effective teachers don’t have one set teaching style, they respond to what’s required of them and adapt their style to suit their students.
Do you have any habits you think make a great teacher? It would be great to hear your ideas in the comments below!
Image: 'Reading Aloud to Children'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/83955435@N00/5484879
