Thursday, May 17, 2012

Etymology

Ever wonder about the origins of words and how English is actually the development of Greek and Latin origins? Well look no further than exploring the Online Etymology Dictionary where etymologies are "not definitions; they're explanations of what our words meant and how they sounded 600 or 2,000 years ago" and can help us to build vocabulary and comprehension in our math, science, social studies and english classrooms.

Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Figment

Figment is a community where you can share your writing, connect with other readers, and discover new stories and authors. Whatever you're into, from sonnets to mysteries, from sci-fi stories to cell phone novels, you can find it all here. You can easily sign up and begin to incorporate literacy in an entirely new way in your math, science, social studies , science and art classrooms.

Tuesday, May 15, 2012

Facing the Future

Despite being a resource that helped secure my first teaching position, Facing the Future, creates tools for educators that challenge students to develop critical thinking skills, build global awareness and engage in positive solutions for a sustainable future. Additionally, there are free units and resources that are readily available for your classroom as you begin to explore ideas of conservation, sustainability, water scarcity, and global warming as well as real-life classroom examples and written testimonies from teachers.


What I've Learned About Effective Reading Instruction


Richard Allington, former president of the International Reading Association and publisher of over 100 books, articles and books provides a compelling case for teaching and learning in our classroom. Allington cites that "exemplary teachers we studied too often had to teach against the grain" and that "motivation for reading was dramatically influenced by reading success." Both of these observations have huge implications for my practice as a facilitator of learning. With so much of the current trend to focus on so-called great teaching, how are we recognizing that exemplary teaching as Allington states centers on providing instruction that is radically different and then acknowledging success to build great success. Seems like a simple idea but in practice the challenge lies in identifying and communicating positive student behavior even in those students whom we may not like. Additionally, particularly as it relates to our course as developing high quality units to coincide with literacy strategies, the author describes good teaching as planning instructional time and allowing students to develop a "writing task" for some ten days or more. To sufficiently allow youth to observe that writing (and learning for that matter) is a constant process between drafting, editing, reviewing and publishing whether its for designing a data table, a sculpture, or a geometry theorem.  

Friday, May 11, 2012

TES Teaching Resource


TES is the "largest network of teachers in the world"and is a centralized location for sharing and downloading free lesson plans, classroom resources, revision guides and curriculum worksheets. Whether you are looking for SEN teaching strategies and approaches, VCOP activities, or secondary classroom activities, you can choose from 1000s of teacher resources, download them for free and adapt them to suit your classroom activities. Its also a place to search for open positions both domestic and international. Enjoy and please let me know if the site is helpful and how you use it. 

Tuesday, May 8, 2012

Autobiography: Why Content Area Reading?


Begin to explore some of your experiences with Math and Science either in school or more preferably outside of school. What were some of those experiences? How did they shape you into the person you are today? What do you wish your teachers knew about you? Use some of the sentence starters below to begin to frame your thinking and to rekindle your path: 

* I first remember doing a math problem ………………………….

* I do (well, poorly) in math because……………………..

* I am the (worst/best) in doing _______  I know this because……………………….

* I (depend/don’t depend) a lot on my calculator, since ……………………

* I prefer to work alone/in groups, because…………………………

* Which type of math has been easier for you Algebra or Geometry?  Why do think so? Which type of science has been easier or more challenging for you Biology or Physics, or Chemistry? 

* How do you learn the best?  At home working alone.  Working with a group outside class?  When I get many of the same kinds of problems to do?  When I use what I know in new situations?

* I get the most bored in math class when………………………….

* I get the most interested in math class when  …………………………….

* Any other comments/ideas that you have regarding your life and mathematics would be appropriate.

As educators, it is critical for us to embrace our journey through life so that we can be conscious