Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 6/28/13

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

GeoGuessr - a geography guessing game (L:M, H; SA:SS )

Sprouster - Ipad app; like Free Rice, spelling words correctly earns rice to feed the hungry. (L:E ; SA: LA )

Dictionary Word Games - fun word games (L:G; SA: LA )

Problem-Attic - Get instant access to 30 years’ of well-respected, proven questions for Math, Science, Social Studies and English. (L:H; SA: A )

Rivers of Ice - learn about glaciers in the Great Himalayan region (L:G; SA: S)

Original Image: Tools by Pat Hensley

Yes, but…

In From ‘yes, but’ to ‘how can we?’ and ‘why not?’ from Dangerously Irrelevant by dr.scott.mcleod@gmail.com, Scott states,

"We give too much attention to yes, but and rarely, if ever, embrace the more powerful questions of why not? and how can we?”

When I stop and think about this, I realize that I do spend too much time with the “yes, but…”I use that as an excuse not to try new foods or try new things which keep me from having new adventures.

I think I need to train my mind with a new thought such as “Why not? What is the worse that can happen?” If the worse is not severe illness, injury, or death to myself or others, I need to move forward.

I remember years ago when I was in Nassau, Bahamas and allowed this man to put a boa constrictor around my neck. No, I had not been drinking and I wasn’t mentally incapacitated. I didn’t event think about “yes but” or “what if” at the time. It was more of a Star Trek - “boldly go where no man has gone before” kind of attitude.

Over the years I have let the “yes but” stop me from trying things like rock climbing or roller blading. Now the worse that can happen at my age is severe injury and I’m not willing to risk it.

How many times have our students felt in this same predicament? How many times are they not willing to risk being told they are lazy or a failure because it has happened so many times in the past. For some students, this shot in their self esteem is a severe injury and they aren’t willing to risk it. I have to figure out ways that I can protect my students so that they can make mistakes without causing severe injury to them emotionally. Not one way will work for every student but I need to be there to catch them when they fall and keep them from getting hurt severely. I’m not saying I can keep them from getting hurt, any more than a parent can protect their own child all of the time. Sometimes the small hurts are actually important lessons. But we can keep them from getting severely hurt which is even more important.

Sometimes by building them up so the setbacks don’t hurt too much is a successful strategy. Sometimes preparing the students for possible setbacks and talking about how to respond to setbacks can also work. Sometimes by giving them strategies to deal with setbacks and teaching them how to move forward will help them.

How do you help your students get past the “yes but” and move to the “why not”? Please share.

Image: '...Just a Little Girl, Lost in the+Moment'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/34120957@N04/6950404017
Found on flickrcc.net

31 Years Ago

31 years ago today, I married my best friend! It was a hot humid day but the sun was shining and we were married at the Furman University Bell Tower. Life was good and just beginning for us as a couple. I didn’t realize how lucky I was at the time but looking back now, I truly can appreciate what that monumental step led to. We continue to have a rich and wonderful life together and look forward to many more years in the future.

Every year has gotten better and better and I’m so lucky to have found someone willing to put up with me all this time. We balance each other and together we are better people.

Anyone who thinks a good marriage is easy is wrong. Every year we work on keeping our marriage strong. We don’t keep secrets from each other and we make sure that we are the most important person to each other.

I can’t imagine life without my best friend! I love you Don!

Original image by Pat Hensley

How Testing Affects Teachers

In Is Standardized Testing Changing ME for the Worse? from The Tempered Radical, Bill Ferriter shares,

“I'm starting to realize that standardized testing isn't just changing EDUCATION for the worse.  It's changing ME for the worse.”

The problem is that parents can see this too but unfortunately they are blaming teachers.

Last night I had a discussion with a parent who was quite disgusted with the school system. He didn’t like what was being taught and was blaming the teachers.

Now as a teacher, I agree that there are some good teachers and there are some bad teachers but I don’t believe you can blame the curriculum on the teachers.

Parents don’t seem to realize that in most cases, teachers’ hands are tied. They are told what to teach and many times there are pacing guidelines and teachers need to follow these guidelines. Many times these guidelines are put in place so that the students are prepared for the gosh-awful TESTING!

It seems like our lives in the school revolve around the word testing. In fact, it makes me think of the Harry Potter stories and the one-who-shall-not-be-named. Because, even though we don’t always admit it, most of our behavior is centered around one major focal point - testing. It seems like testing is the only thing that is important in the school system anymore.

· I need to make sure all the students meet standards on the test.

· I need to make sure that all of my students are on the same level as other students in the same grade.

· I need to make sure that the students in my school are the same level as other schools in the county, state, and nation.

This puts so much pressure on the students, teachers and administrators.

Let’s face it. No one is going to be the same all across the board. And if people actually believe this they have no clue as to human behavior and human development. I sometimes wonder what planet the policy makers come from!

They use the excuse that these tests will show competence of students and teachers. Hogwash! The tests just show what students can do well on tests and how well the teachers can teach to the test.

This parent complained that students can’t compute numbers in their heads and have to use calculators for basic math. One of the reasons teachers push calculators is because the test is timed and students need to use them for the test in order to speed up the process. Remember, they don’t want to know how well you can do the skill, they just want to know how well you can pass the test.

There are lots of complaints from the community that we don’t teach the basics anymore. I believe that many teachers have a lot of common sense and given the freedom to teach, there would be a lot more teaching of basics in the classroom. Unfortunately teachers no longer have that freedom and have to do what they are instructed to do in order to keep their jobs.

Until we can make the policy makers realize what a disservice they are doing to our children, this kind of teaching will continue and probably get much worse.

How do you feel testing has affected your teaching? Please share.

Image: 'Students taking a computerized exam'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/27315689@N00/748443511
Found on flickrcc.net

Attitude Control

In The Key to Staying Positive in Your Classroom: Throw Away Your Depends from Cool Cat Teacher Blog by coolcatteacher@gmail.com (Victoria A Davis, Cool Cat Teacher), she asks,

“Does my attitude depend on others? Be careful - there are always reasons for having a bad one.”

What a great post and I hope if you have the time, you will read her entire post! She is right on target with what she shares.

Too many times we use others as an excuse for our attitudes. It is everyone else’s fault that we are feeling the way we do. We think that if others would do things the way we want, then we would have a better attitude.

The problem is that I don’t control other people’s actions or thinking. But I do control my own behavior and thoughts.

I can decide each day that I will try to do what is right and have a good attitude. I can decide that I will not let other people’s behavior and thoughts control my own.

I also need to have a plan when that “stinkin’ thinkin’ (my friend always calls it that) comes into my head. This may be thoughts that I’m not good enough (because I feel that others see me as incompetent) or I can’t do something (because others aren’t doing what I need them to do) or I’m not going to do something (because others made me mad). Instead I need to remind myself that I’m capable of doing things if I try and if I’m not successful, at least I tried and I need to find another way to accomplish what I want. I need to remind myself that if someone hasn’t done something which becomes an obstacle for me, I need to either do their part myself or find something else I can do while I wait for them to do their part. If I’m stubborn and refuse to do something because someone made me angry, then I need to remember that this doesn’t accomplish anything and if they are stubborn for the same reason, then nothing will get done. Someone needs to start the ball rolling and that someone might as well be me.

I have to make sure that my attitude reflects my own thoughts and actions and is not a reflection of others. When I look in a mirror, I need to be proud of who I am seeing.

By having an attitude that depends on me and not others, I actually feel better about myself. I feel more confident and sure of myself. Hopefully this will shine for others to see too which will improve my relationship with others.

How do you feel about your attitude? How do you deal with a bad attitude when you have one? Please share.

Image: 'india'
http://www.flickr.com/photos/62337512@N00/3511587504
Found on flickrcc.net