Using Props as a Creative Teaching Tool

SECA radio~~~~~Listen to Mary Jo Huff, author, educator, storyteller, share creative ideas to engage students in your classroom.

http://www.southernearlychildhood.org/radio.php

http://www.storytellin.com/

This is one of my favorite finger puppets, Mister Humpty Dumpty. Add the song, "Humpty Dumpty Dumpty" by Dr. Thomas Moore to the mix RESULTS.... minutes of FUN, MoVeMeNt, and SMILES!

http://www.drthomasmoore.com/videos/humptydumptydumpty.html

Technology - 21st Century Learners

Webinars

Free Professional Development Service from PBS TeacherLine!

PBS TeacherLine: Online Professional Development for Educators
PBS Teachers hosts free webinar for educators with high quality, standards-based graduate-level courses. Easy accessible online format that makes learning fun, flexible and collaborative. Teachers can earn graduate credit, PDPs, or CEUs while gaining strategies and resources to bring directly to the classroom.

Peer Connection!!!

SIGN UP NOW

http://www.pbs.org/teachers/webinar/

The Responsive Classroom Approach

You would be amazed how effective this approach is. I implemented this in a kindergarten class (22 students) for 6 weeks. What a difference and transformation! The Responsive Classroom is an approach to elementary teaching that emphasizes social, emotional, and academic growth in a strong and safe school community. The goal is to enable optimal student learning. Students learn best when they have both academic and social-emotional skills. Teachers must help them build academic and social-emotional competencies.

To teach is to touch a life forever!

Building a Classroom Library with Limited Funds

How convenient is it for students to be able to find books right in your own classroom library? How about this scenario......Celebrating Dr. Seuss week at school and ALL the Seuss books from the media center are checked out. BUT YOU have your own Dr. Seuss classroom collection with a copy of The Butter Battle Book. Kids love this book...... Gotta have~~~~
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Butter_Battle_Book

I have been working on a classroom library myself. I have bought books at garage sales, thrift shops, Goodwill and the Salvation Army stores. You can find great titles at bargain price and save. Not only books but children's music, too! I recently bought a RAFFI CD for $1.99. The electronic store (BB won't mention) down the road was selling the same CD for $12.99. BARGAIN!!! http://www.raffinews.com/

Click on the links for tips on "How to" obtain books. Also read helpful tips on creating and organizing a library for your future classroom. My problem.....too many books!

http://www.kimskorner4teachertalk.com/readingliterature/library.html

http://clerccenter.gallaudet.edu/literacy/resources/tipsforbuilding.html


CLASSIC~~~~Visit Dr. Seuss Website
http://www.seussville.com/

~WebQuests~ Technology in the Classroom

WebQuests are great ways to integrate technology in your classroom. As a future teacher, creating a lesson which uses Web-based activities is cutting edge. Educators are developing new teaching methods in education which allow students to explore and research the Internet quickly & safely. I feel that WebQuests can also be a part of homework curriculum where parents and students can work together at home on projects outside the classroom. This experience can help families bond through meaningful conversation on educational topics. They can both be a part of the discovery process. Parents can help their children with critical and creative thinking skills which will enable them to arrive to a final conclusion. Here's an idea~~~ teachers could organize "Quest Night" or "Quest Meet" where parents and students can come together to share and merge the information they have gathered and documented from the WebQuest. Topics such as environmental or health prevention issues are topic which can spark interest in children not to mention awareness. These issues should be taught in and out of school. Since Health and Safety issues seem to get the short end of the stick at school. Perhaps we can delegate this area to parents using our professional skills by creating WebQuest homework assignments. For those of you who think that this won't work because students don't have computers at home or do not have Internet access. Here are a few facts: Almost two-thirds of all American households have at least one computer and more than half have Internet access. In 2006, 50 million US households are Broadband subscribers.

Check out the Status of Household Computer Ownership and Internet Connection.

http://www.websiteoptimization.com/bw/06

Here are some helpful WebQuesting Sites:

WebQuests for Elementary Teachers

http://www.mtlakes.org/ww/tech/webtools/webq.htm05/


Spartanburg County School District Three

http://www.spa3.k12.sc.us/WebQuests.html

YouTube Video Teacher's Idea, Why Use WebQuests?
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=sarra1126

Kermits thoughts..."It's not easy being green"

Check out Jill Britton Mathematics Web Site.


Geometry


Tessellations


Topology

Flexagons

Number patterns

Escher in the Classroom

http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/home.htm

Listen to Kermit sing......"It's not easy........."
http://britton.disted.camosun.bc.ca/green.htm