Instructor (1990) articles from August 2008

Instructor (1990) archives from August 2008

A new year, a new generation.(from the editors)(Editorial)
August 1, 2008... For those of us who typed our papers on a Smith Corona, it's a startling thought: Every child in your elementary or middle school cannot remember a world without the Internet, laptops, or cell phones. How these students play, communicate, and...

Win a class trip to Scholastic!(THE SCHOLASTIC KIDS GORILLA SUMMIT)
August 1, 2008... Scholastic Inc. invites you and your class to apply to participate in the Scholastic Kids Gorilla Summit, hosted in partnership with Turtle Pond Publications, the Owen and Mzee Foundation, and the Clinton Global Initiative. [ILLUSTRATION...

Five reasons to visit ...(Website overview)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... teacher.scholastic.com 1. A new new teacher site Need some advice for that death-defying first year? Visit our redesigned new-teacher site! Here you'll find tons of how-to strategies, hands-on tips, great creative ideas, and...

When you're sick, students suffer.(your career)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Whether you call out to nurse a cold or take a much-needed mental breather, you're entitled to a certain number of sick days. But according to research from Harvard University, teacher absences have a small but significant effect on student...

The rookies have spoken.(your career)(Survey)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Did your education studies prepare you for the classroom? Based on a nationwide survey of more than 600 first-year teachers, about 80 percent reported that they felt ready to teach and were confident in their ability to handle specific subject...

Rate your principal.(your career)
August 1, 2008... Everyone can benefit from constructive criticism--even the big boss. Starting with the 2008-09 school year, teachers can evaluate their school's principal, and the principal in turn rates him-or herself using the Vanderbilt Assessment of...

Q&A.(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... I need a mentor, but my school doesn't have a program. what can I do? Sara Hahn, the director of a Los Angeles tutoring program, says first try reaching out to master teachers from your student-teaching assignments and asking for pointers....

Pass it forward.(ideaswap)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... At the beginning of the year, I set up my fourth graders with first-grade buddies. Both the big kids and the little kids love it. And often, teaching is the best way to learn. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] --Cari Matejka, Olean, NY ...

The tables are turned.(idea swap)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... I give my fourth and fifth graders a "teacher test" to help them get to know me. Soon after they walk into class and get settled on the first day, I have the students take out a pencil and a sheet of paper, and I tell them we are taking our...

A new twist on the memory game.(idea swap)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... As an icebreaker, we play the Poster Game. I put up a premade poster with numbers, letters, words, pictures, and symbols. I give the class one minute to study the poster. Next, I cover the poster and tell them to draw everything they remember....

It's always about you.(idea swap)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... To help the students get to know one another and learn AppleWorks (or PowerPoint) presentation tools. I have them create a "Me" presentation. We do the first few slides together, and then students work on their own. They write about their...

Whose line is it?(ideaswap)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Before the first group assignment, we establish group-work expectations with an improv skit. Four student volunteers are cast in roles: the "know-it-all," the "goof-off," the "too-cool-for-school kid," and the "teacher's pet wanna-be." The...

Tiny tales.(ideaswap)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... My students' first assignment of the year is to write their memoirs. I use passages from The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros as a model. We create a topic list to help trigger their ideas (e.g., special treasures, Grandma's house,...

Web site welcome.(ideaswap)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... I welcome students online before school even begins. I set up my classroom Web site about a month before the school year starts. I include the class schedule as soon as I have it, along with our supply list and a personal welcome letter. I make...

How do you use your whiteboard? Have a whiteboard in your classroom or in your future? We asked five teachers how to make the most of it.(ideaswap)
August 1, 2008... 1. To See the Bigger Picture I scan the pages of a social studies or science book onto the whiteboard so the whole class can experience the book at once. The pictures and diagrams are big enough for the whole class to see, and I'm able to...

Ask a psychologist.
August 1, 2008... Q Last year I had a kindergartner who cried every day when she had to say good-bye to her mom. I'm about to meet my new students and would love to help ease the transition for everyone. What can I do? Many teachers find that writing a...

Best for coloring.(teachers' picks)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... BEST FOR COLORING Inspired by earth's natural surroundings, Crayola's True to Life products have tricolor tips for added depth and complexity. "The colors blend really well," says our tester, "and are a great lesson in color mixing."...

Best randomizer.(teachers' picks)(ReMARKable Spin Wheel)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... BEST RANDOMIZER Our tester gives the ReMARKable Spin Wheel a thumbs-up. "It's a fun way to select 'volunteers,' and the kids love it." Fill in the sectioned template with a dry-erase marker, or design your own using a blank one....

Best for class participation.(teachers' picks)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... BEST FOR CLASS PARTICIPATION Get all your students to raise their hands high with Hands Up Dry-Erase Answer Boards. "My class races to write their answers and get their plastic hands in the air," raves our teacher tester. www.roylco.com; 24 for...

Best for staking your claim.(teachers' picks)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... BEST FOR STAKING YOUR CLAIM EZ iD Scissors help keep kids organized. "Letter and shape tiles easily snap onto the handle, so children have fun personalizing their scissors," reports our tester. Available in a variety of sizes and colors....

Best for spelling.(teachers' picks)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... BEST FOR SPELLING Inside Answers 3-Letter Words Card Sets slide open to reveal the vowel that completes each word. "Kids enjoy using these on their own to learn," says our tester. www.learningresources.com; $14.95. Product No. 62* ...

Looking for the latest clikers? We can help.(teachers' picks)(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... RESPONSECARD XR FROM TURNINGPOINT TECHNOLOGIES Looking for the Latest Clickers? We Can Help. PROS: Small, durable, and easy to set up. CONS: The screen goes blank quickly--leaving kids to wonder if their remote broke....

4 to teach ABC's & 123's.(teacher's picks [BOOKS])(Buyers guide)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Everyone needs alternatives to the alphabet song and "one, two, buckle my shoe." [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] A Child's Day: An Alphabet of Play By Ida Pearle. $ 12.95. The twist in this colorful alphabet book is that every entry is a...

5 Best back-to-school reads.(teacher's picks [BOOKS])(Brief article)(Recommended readings)
August 1, 2008... Another year, another group of eager faces--and another crop of school-themed stories sure to start off read-aloud time right! Third Grade Baby By Jenny Meyerhoff, illustrated by Jill Weber. $15. A debut chapter book from a hilarious...

4 nonfiction gems.(teacher's picks [BOOKS])(Brief article)(Recommended readings)
August 1, 2008... The experts agree: Great nonfiction is key for growing strong readers. Here's what to add to your book bins. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] On the Scale, a Weighty Tale By Brian Cleary, illustrated by Brian Gable. $15.95. Cleary and Gable have...

4 short story collections.(Brief article)(Recommended readings)
August 1, 2008... Short stories are just the thing to capture tween readers--and their sometimes short attention spans. Oddest of All By Bruce Coville. $16. With nine eerie stories from one of the spooky greats, this compelling collection dives into murky...

Supporting our troops' families.(CLASSROOM RESOURCES)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... SOAR (Student Online Achievement Resources) is a Web-based educational resource specially designed for military families. Students take an assessment, and SOAR directs them to individualized tutorials so they can improve skills where needed....

Gotta learn 'em all.(CLASSROOM RESOURCES)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... So your middle school class can chant all five Pokemon raps--and it does, every day? Maybe it's time you got Nintendo's adorable pocket monsters on your side. At the Master the Science Web site, you can download free Pokemon-themed science and...

X Marks the spot.(CLASSROOM RESOURCES)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... HP has recently launched Teacher Experience Exchange, its online community by and for teachers. Log in to find and share lesson plans, develop your professsional and life skills, or participate in an online forum. HERE"S HOW: Get plugged...

A=[[pi]r.sup.2]--Mmm, Pie ...(CLASSROOM RESOURCES)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... What better way to review math than with Springfield's favorite dysfunctional family, the Simpsons? OK, there are better ways, but what could be more fun? Simpsonsmath.com may not be pretty, but it has loads of lesson ideas that range from Bart...

Space rangers go to infinity and beyond.(CLASSROOM RESOURCES)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Buzz Lightyear took a trip into space on the space shuttle Discovery. Now students can read Buzz's journal, listen to his transmissions, and play science-related games on NASA's Space Ranger Education Series site. HERE'S HOW: Buzz over to...

Rewards for the right-brained.(GRANTS)
August 1, 2008... Teacher grants from the Kids in Need Foundation support creative classroom projects that make innovative use of common teaching aids, approach the curriculum from an imaginative angle, or illuminate unexpected connections between educational...

School counselor of the year.(GRANTS)
August 1, 2008... Each year the American School Counselor Association honors individuals who are running top-notch, comprehensive counseling programs at the elementary, middle, and high school levels. Ten finalists and their nominators will go to ASCA's annual...

Environmental curriculum.(GRANTS)
August 1, 2008... The Melinda Gray Ardia Environmental Foundation will pay up to $1,500 to help develop environmental curricula that integrate field activities with classroom teaching and encourage students to apply ecological principles to solving social...

All aboard the information superhighway.(GRANTS)
August 1, 2008... Public schools in high-poverty rural areas may qualify for a technology grant of up to $10,000 from the Foundation for Rural Education and Development. DEADLINE: September 13, 2008 FOR MORE INFORMATION: Visit www.fred.org for...

As American as selling apple pie.(GRANTS)
August 1, 2008... The Leavy Awards for Excellence in Private Enterprise Education is looking for economics curricula that successfully instill in K-12 students a deeper understanding and appreciation of our economic system. One U.S. teacher will win $7,500. ...

Raise your voice for Libraries.(GRANTS)
August 1, 2008... If your public school library is seeking to expand its services beyond the bookshelves, a $500 minigrant from the Ezra Jack Keats Foundation can help. Past grants have funded creative projects such as pen pal programs, art shows, and bookmaking...

An essay contest for teachers.(GRANTS)
August 1, 2008... Your 100-word essay describing how technology has increased awareness of environmental issues can earn your school more than $200,000 in products, services, and cash from Samsung, Microsoft, and DirecTV. Samsung's Hope for Education contest is...

The electronic butterfly net.(GRANTS)
August 1, 2008... The Vernier/NSTA Technology Awards promote the innovative use of data-collection technology using a computer, graphing calculator, or other handheld device in the science classroom. Six K-12 science teachers will each win a cash prize, Vernier...

Scary monsters and super creeps.(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Orkin's Junior Pest Investigators Web site gives kids the 411 on integrated pest management, an ecological way of understanding and controlling pests. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] HERE'S HOW: Scuttle over to www.juniorpi.com for lesson plans...

Take a stand against bullying.
August 1, 2008... Share your thoughts about school bullying. Reseacheres Sheri Bauman {University of Arizona} and Jina Yoon {Wayne State University} are conducting an anonymous online questionnaire and are seeking K-12 teachers to participate. [ILLUSTRATION...

Putting global issues into focus.(CONTESTS)
August 1, 2008... Challenge 20/20 pairs K-12 classes in the U.S. with classes in other countries. Teams then collaborate over the Internet to tackle one of 20 global problems and find solutions that can be implemented at home. DEADLINE: August 15, 2008 ...

They're on the sims anyway ...(CONTESTS)
August 1, 2008... So why not help your students learn math and engineering skills while they're having some fun? In the Future City contest, seventh and eighth graders design a virtual metropolis using SimCity 4 Deluxe software and then build a real-life model....

Art for a small planet.(CONTESTS)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Cryola's 2008-2009 annual Children's Art Exhibition challenges K-6 students to take the theme "Green--Earth's Favorite Color" and turn it into a fun, eco-friendly learning experience. HERE'S HOW: Submit student artwork to...

Trash into treasure.(TerraCycle's Recycling Brigades)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... Keep the landfills empty while earning money. With TerraCycle's Recycling Brigades your school can earn two cents for each nonrecyclable wrapper or container it collects. TerraCyle then turns the trash into school supplies like pencil cases and...

The self-directed classroom: first-grade teacher Beverly Lynk shows good classroom design is essential for great classroom management.(classroom design)(Brief article)
August 1, 2008... My philosophy," says 25-year veteran Beverly Lynk, "is not to do anything for my students that they can do for themselves." We visited Lynk in her first-grade classroom at Town Center Elementary, a K-3 school in Plainsboro, New Jersey, and...

Teaching kids to be global citizens: five schools that are breaking the borders.(global citizens)
August 1, 2008... When seventh graders at the Washington International School learn about water pollution, they study the nearby Potomac River. Then they link by video teleconferencing to students in Bangkok, Thailand, who are studying the Chao Phraya River....

Generation IM: getting through to today's teched-out children.(instant messaging)(Cover story)
August 1, 2008... Jacob is your average American 11-year-old. He has a television and a Nintendo DS in his bedroom; his family also has two computers, a wireless Internet connection, and a PlayStation 3. His parents rely on e-mail, instant messaging, and Skype...

7 Ways to bring today's tech into your classroom: and you don't have to have a huge budget or Gates-level expertise to make it happen.(cover story)
August 1, 2008... 1 HAVE YOUR STUDENTS BLOG. Mary Kreul, a fourth-grade teacher in Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin, has two blogs--one with scheduling information and homework assignments that students and parents can use as a resource, and the other where students...

Smart board: interactive whiteboard best practices shine at NYC school.(SMART Education Solutions)
August 1, 2008... Two years ago, when Library Media Specialist Peter Kornicker wrote a proposal to enter his school, Don Pedro Albizu Campos (New York, N.Y.), in the Collaboration Category of the Intel Schools of Distinction competition, he had no idea that his...

The SMART way: to create the 21st-century classroom.(SMART Technologies Inc.)
August 1, 2008... It is a rare occurrence in K-12 education when a technology moves from being a useful classroom tool to an education platform upon which an entire teaching philosophy is built. But that is precisely what has happened over the course of the past...

Lubbock provides model for successful SMART implementation.
August 1, 2008... When it comes to a school district that has a top-down implementation of interactive whiteboards from SMART Technologies (Calgary, Alberta, Canada), few make a more powerful statement than Lubbock Independent School District (Lubbock, Texas),...

No dads allowed: father involvement boosts student achievement and makes kids happy. So why aren't we doing more to make dads welcome?(school community)
August 1, 2008... It's time for your annual back-to-school picnic. A parade of grown-ups file into your classroom, some carrying trays of home-baked goodies, others finishing up e-mails on their Blackberries. Your school boasts an impressive volunteer rate, even...

New teachers and mentors trade secrets: a veteran mentor and a new teacher offer frank advice for making it work.(teacher leader)
August 1, 2008... At best, the mentor-mentee relationship is one of mutual respect and consideration. The mentee feels she can ask her mentor for advice and support; the mentor gently bestows wisdom without feeling dragged down by additional responsibility. At...

Growing up too fast: branded. Objectified. Over sexualized. How can teachers help kids be kids?(TOUGH TOPIC)
August 1, 2008... Picture this fifth-grade girl. You might have seen her: a tall, skinny, blonde daubed in eye makeup and body glitter, squeezed into skinny jeans and a sequined top. The one who pushes her chest out ever so subtly and pouts her pink, shimmering...

Inspiring kids to write: your step-by-step guide.(best practice)
August 1, 2008... At the beginning of the school year, we teachers want so much for our young writers: for them to discover who they are, to pursue and preserve their dreams of childhood, and to experience the joy of something meaningful springing from their own...

Not ready for school? It's time for school, but not every child is ready. Experts weigh in on how to handle the hitters, huggers, grabbers, and the rest.(Social Skills)
August 1, 2008... THE WANDERER It's circle time, but Shawn has other ideas. He's doing jumping jacks, dumping food in the fish tank, and running wild in the block area. DO determine why Shawn's always on the move, says Mary Munson, an early childhood...

Routines for all day long: for many of your students, these may be their first days, weeks, and months of school. Help them to feel settled with these seven simple routines.(preK-K)
August 1, 2008... 1. A SPOT FOR EVERY LUNCHBOX Keep cubbies or bins in order by asking parents to label everything that comes into the classroom--that way if something gets misplaced, it's easy to return it to the rightful owner. Encourage kids to make...

Get the most from picture walks: these activities help children explore picture clues and really think about books before they read.(Reading Skills)
August 1, 2008... SET THE STAGE FIRST: Tell children that they'll take a picture walk before you read a book aloud. Explain that a picture walk is like a sneak preview that helps them think about the story ahead of time. [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] ...

Welcoming grandparents: grandparents' day is September 7. These activities will make visitors feel welcome, now and all year long.(Classroom Celebrations)
August 1, 2008... FAMILY ODDBALLS WHAT IT TEACHES: Mental math, addition subtraction WHAT YOU NEED: I die per pair, paper and pencil [ILLUSTRATION OMITTED] WHAT TO DO: As a class, review odd and even numbers by reading The Odds Get Even: The...

Itching to Write! Get kids antsy for writing workshop with these buggy activities.(grades 3-5)
August 1, 2008... A STINGING BEE WHAT IT TEACHES: Creating similes, writing persuasively WHAT TO DO: Bring in several recent movie reviews from the newspaper. Make sure to include at least one "bad" review. As a class, discuss the reviews and how the...

Learning to work together: the beginning of the year is important for building interpersonal skills and classroom community. These ideas help you to start off on the right foot.(grades 3-5)
August 1, 2008... TRUST ME WHAT IT TEACHES: Trust, listening, verbal communication WHAT YOU NEED: Scarves or bandannas; items to create minor obstacles, such as a chair or wastepaper baskest; space to create an obstacle course WHAT TO DO: Arrange...

Icebreakers tweens won't hate: day one: middle school: this year, ditch the name game and break the ice with activities that keep kids on their toes.(grades 6-8)
August 1, 2008... PLAY KATIE COURIC THE ACTIVITY: Students interview, profile, and introduce a classmate they don't yet know. Questions can be about how students spent their summers, families, hobbies, or what they most look forward to this year. THE...

What's going on in that teen brain? The middle-school mind is a mysterious entity. Luckily, recent research can shed some light on what's going on inside your students' heads.(grades 6-8)
August 1, 2008... WHAT THE RESEARCH SAYS: TEEN BRAINS ARE SLEEPY. Many tweens and teens look at their formative years as a buffet of school, friends, and sleep--usually they choose the first two. How little rest they get becomes a bragging point in the...

Rachael Ray: the famous cook dishes about her own school days--and the big benefits kids get in the kitchen.(pop quiz)(Interview)
August 1, 2008... * Who was your favorite teacher growing up? I loved all of my teachers. My elementary school had open classrooms where everyone was able to study at their own pace. It was a very flexible environment, and we were evaluated at our own rate...