tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-52433311729920230802024-03-14T04:22:00.046-04:00Books, and Games, and More...Oh My!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-58049022370279662152013-10-05T21:58:00.001-04:002013-10-05T22:21:12.664-04:00The Walking Classroom<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Even though the weather may be starting to change to fall-like temperatures here in the Northeast, fifth grade students at my school are very fortunate to be going outside while learning and walking at the same time - and they'll continue to do so as long as we're able to add layers!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Thanks to a generous donation from our PTO, combined with a grant from The Walking Classroom (TWC), we were outfitted with a class set of walk kits - MP3 players pre-loaded with 15-20 minute high interest podcasts covering a variety of learning topics and fitness tips. This amazing award-winning, evidence-based fitness and obesity intervention program is innovative and engaging for students. It's music to my ears as my students beg me every day to do a walk!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">One of my students explained that the walks help her to "clear the webs" in her brain, allowing her to focus more when she's back in the classroom. Other students have enjoyed the opportunity to be leaders in the walking line. And, the recall of the content when we discuss it later in class has been impressive!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a large body of research that suggests myriad emotional, cognitive, and physical benefits of daily exercise for children. Often times, families find it difficult to fit exercise in given their hectic schedules. With The Walking Classroom, students get much needed movement breaks during the day, and they learn about Common Core aligned topics such as narrator's point of view, famous explorers, or U.S. history. And all of this occurs while breathing in fresh air, walking briskly, and soaking up vitamin D! </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Founder Laura Fenn (a former fifth grade educator), left no stone unturned when she created TWC. I was extremely impressed when I excitedly opened up our package. I found all of the walk kits protected by high quality plastic storage containers. Each kit came with a set of ear buds (to be used by only one child for hygiene sake) and a AAA battery. In addition, there's a large binder filled with lesson plans and quick assessments for the 90 plus podcast topics. Each lesson plan is carefully laid out and very detailed. Laura even went so far as to create lessons on how to model caring for the equipment and a trial walk to get your students accustomed to the process.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here are my walking scholars on a recent outing. One of the best suggestions offered by TWC is to assign two students to be "pace-cars" at the front to keep things moving as well as two "cabooses" to make sure no one lags behind. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">I feel very fortunate to work at a school that values educating the whole child, and even more fortunate to have the backing of a very supportive PTO. We're also very grateful to The Walking Classroom for making this a reality for our students. TWC's tagline says it all: walk.listen.learn - what more could a teacher ask for?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">If you would like to donate, are interested in learning more about TWC, or considering bringing The Walking Classroom to your school, check out their website <a href="http://www.thewalkingclassroom.org/" target="_blank">here</a>. It's full of information about how it works, testimonials, and samples of the podcasts for your listening pleasure.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">As Laura Fenn often says, "Happy Trails!"</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-84999021520466097192013-09-08T21:19:00.003-04:002013-10-05T22:22:44.306-04:00Mindset... it's not a grey matter :)If you are a fan of Carol Dweck's <u>Mindset</u> book, you will love this "kid-friendly" (but not syrupy) text entitled <u>Your Fantastic Elastic Brain</u> (YFEB) by JoAnn Deak, PhD. If you have not read <u>Mindset</u>, get yourself to the library, bookstore, or Annie's Bookstop - and read it now! Not only will it benefit your children/students, you will be inspired to apply it to your own life, too! Then, immediately find YFEB to share with the children in your life. Seriously, once you read it, you'll want to share it with every child you know!<br />
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YFEB breaks down neuroscience into visually appealing, manageable chunks that children can readily understand. Research has shown that children who learn about their brains, how they function, and that they can grow over-time do increasingly better at improving effort, self-confidence, perseverance, and intelligence than their counterparts who believe in intelligence as a fixed commodity. </div>
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Not only is YFEB visually appealing, it uses scientific language with developmentally appropriate explantations -- and offers interesting metaphors such as a child being a "neuro-sculptor" of his or her own brain. This combination of appealing illustration, combined with theory, engages children and provides them very important information about one of the most important organs in their bodies - the brain. This resource, paired with Goldie Hawn's "Mind-UP" curriculum, offers some of the most comprehensive brain study available for children. The author's website mentions that adolescent and adult versions of this book will be available soon. This text is a perfect match through upper elementary.</div>
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Whether you are a teacher looking to introduce brain based learning and stewardship to your students, or a parent trying to support your children, this book is suited well for home or classroom use. There's also an app that reads the book aloud and has brain-based learning games. It can be purchased on i-Tunes for $2.99:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh366-4LbrBjxDKYqLML9uxhGVDTz20mtVKZkOxxLgjoIjDq_uFklWPrN8PR6YprHpUwF9vu7NGISGmCddOOQ0Mq4r63br47YQ9jIE7k7PS05rijs2zefG5fdV7vLJqtff1iv2BkCJG1LM/s1600/YFEB+app.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh366-4LbrBjxDKYqLML9uxhGVDTz20mtVKZkOxxLgjoIjDq_uFklWPrN8PR6YprHpUwF9vu7NGISGmCddOOQ0Mq4r63br47YQ9jIE7k7PS05rijs2zefG5fdV7vLJqtff1iv2BkCJG1LM/s320/YFEB+app.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-32438680001516080872013-08-19T15:50:00.001-04:002013-08-19T15:50:25.197-04:00"The Waterhorse" (book and movie)<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Here's a delightful children's book set in 1930's Scotland that explores the world of "Kelpie" or "The Loch Ness Monster". This slim chapter book, written in 1990 by Dick King-Smith (of "Babe" fame) is full of rich dialogue and interesting characters, one of whom is a beloved "monster". While the plot centers mainly around a family's attempts to keep the waterhorse, Crusoe, safe from his foes, it's simplistic plot is actually what makes it such an endearing story to share with children both young and old. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The movie, released in 2007, is vastly different in plot, offering much more action and suspense, which works equally well. It's one of the rare instances where I've enjoyed a movie as much as the book. It can be streamed on Amazon for $2.99 (at the time of this post) or purchased on DVD for $8.99.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">This story would work well in an elementary classroom as a literature circle selection, or as a read aloud. The book includes some of Crusoe's perspective, which would be a perfect springboard for a discussion on point of view.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The audio book, narrated by Nathaniel Parker (narrator of the Artemis Fowl series), is a wonderful companion to the printed book and would be a nice addition to a "listen to reading" station in readers' workshop.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">"The Water Horse's" guided reading level, for those who need to pay attention to such things, comes in at a Fountas and Pinnell level Q or Lexile of 910. </span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-67047798302480756682013-06-07T22:07:00.000-04:002013-10-06T09:14:46.676-04:00Twerp! Recommending a book BEFORE I finish it...UPDATE: After finishing this book, I still feel it's a great read, but can get a bit edgy at points - think Judy Blume. For that reason, I highly recommend that you preview it so that you can plan how, or if, you may change some of the wording at some points.<br />
Also, I've seen how some reviews have panned the book for the fact that it treats the bullying incident lightly and that bothers some. I think it opens up a great dialogue for discussion and offers a teachable moment for sure.<br />
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HERE'S MY ORIGINAL REVIEW:<br />
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I started reading this book aloud to my class yesterday after finishing the ever-popular book Wonder. We're 20 pages in, and Twerp is already a hit. I have no doubt that its appeal will continue throughout its 280 plus pages.<br />
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Surprisingly this is Mark Goldblatt's first book for young readers. It reads more like the effort of a more experienced middle grade author.<br />
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So, here's one reason why I'm recommending it before I've even finished... There's a scene at the beginning where the main character Julian is with his friend Lonnie and they've made the unfortunate decision to throw a rock at pigeons in a vacant lot "just to see what happens". My students were riveted. Some were hiding their heads in their hands not wanting, but really wanting, to hear more. They were scolding the character, shouting out at him. Yeah, this stuff was real people. I won't tell you what happened to the pigeons because, well, you're going to read it, right? </div>
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Twerp is a "journal" written in first person voice of the main character Julian. It's an assignment in response to a teacher's directive after Julian returns from being suspended from school. Goldblatt keeps the reader in suspense as to why Julian was suspended, but the stories he tells keep us so entertained we don't really mind waiting. </div>
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This book not only appeals to its intended audience, as Twerp's 1969 time period is a perfect trip down memory lane for its adult reader. That's assuming your a child of the 60's and 70's like I am :) Even if you're not a middle-aged reader, you will find a sense of familiarity and abandon as the boys are able to navigate their neighborhood unfettered by the chains that bind current young adults. </div>
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On the surface Twerp may appear to be a "boys' only" coming of age story but to relegate it to that status is really short-changing this wonderful middle-grade literature that crosses gender lines and is sure to please.</div>
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Twerp was recently published and is available to purchase or check out from your local library.</div>
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I received a complimentary review copy from net galley.com in exchange for an honest review.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-21221164902588480762013-06-03T22:23:00.000-04:002013-06-03T22:23:04.277-04:00Teaching Channel - Amazing stuff for, you guessed it, TEACHERS!Okay teachers (parents too, if you'd like to look at the latest best practices on curriculum and pedagogy) you must visit this site and sign up for their newsletter:<br />
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<a href="http://www.teachingchannel.org/" target="_blank">Click here for Teaching Channel website</a><br />
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I have been watching videos on this site for months now. If you are just launching Common Core, visit now! If you are looking to brush up on your skills, visit now! If you would like to watch hour long, high quality programs on teaching using STEM, how to implement math and the core, or reading fundamentals, visit now!<br />
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The best part is that the videos are K-12, and there's something for everyone.<br />
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I have begun to reflect on my practice so much from watching these videos and the programming on this site. It's very well produced, and the teachers who are showcased are amazing at what they do.<br />
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This is one of the best resources that I've found to help teachers perfect their craft.<br />
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I hope to offer a drop-in study group in the fall where like-minded colleagues in my building can stop by my room once a month to watch these videos and collaborate.<br />
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If you've got a favorite online or print resource that helps you and inspires, leave me a comment and let us know about it!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-80994658488577136832013-05-18T09:30:00.001-04:002013-05-18T09:32:45.887-04:00Holy Comics, Batman! Pixton for Fun and Pixton for Schools<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My students have been busily working over the past month to research energy sources and write persuasive essays explaining whether or not the continued use of the sources is beneficial or detremential to our environment. After having worked so hard, I thought they deserved a treat. I decided to have them create comics as their summative project, and we began this week using the online comic generator Pixton. Watch this quick information video to get a sense of the power of Pixton.</span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/HJzHAZtIpio?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We started off by using a template of a comic on paper so that students could map out their panels ahead of time. I checked in with them to be sure that they had the right content (quality and quantity) delivered in a way that made sense for a comic. After a few revisions, the students were ready to create in Pixton. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Many of my students are reluctant drawers, or do not see themselves as artistic. Their faces lit up when I explained that the paper copy was a "rough draft" of sorts, and that they needed to only write the words "polar bear" as a place marker - Pixton would supply the image. Suddenly, the mood in the room changed and the fun began!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pixton offers a one-month trial to all teachers, for up to 50 students. I contacted them and asked for an extension in time (by a week) and the ability to have trial accounts for 51 students. They replied very quickly and agreed to allow me the exceptions.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I was able to set up my student accounts with their usernames and passwords using an excel spreadsheet. The process went very quickly. You can also have your students use an activation code, which allows them to select their own user information. I like to keep control over these details to ensure privacy and safety, but that may not be necessary with older students. I also like the fact that Pixton for Schools is self-contained and private and need not be shared out with the public. You can determine whether or not you want students to be able to comment on each other's work, and there are other settings that you can set - for example, whether or not images from the internet can be imported.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">On to the fun stuff!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The website, found here: <a href="http://www.pixton.com/" target="_blank">Pixton for Schools</a> has many videos that show you how to use the comic generator. It also has an exhaustive help section that can be accessed with one click. And, it's searchable. I found it very helpful to use, and so did many of my students.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pixton has many stock characters, backgrounds and props (images that can be placed seamlessly in the comic). Students can click on a panel and gain quick access to all of these features. I found the ease with which all students used this product to be impressive.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Character clothing color and style can easily be changed with a click. The panel size and shape as well as border are also easily edited with a few clicks. Don't like a character's size, stance or even position of arms and legs? No worries - click, drag, click... you've made a whole new pose.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Want to change the color of a prop? Click and select on a palette of colors. The possibilities of what you can customize and edit are seemingly endless.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I overheard many students commenting to each other on how much fun this was, and they were all engaged working hard to create amazing work. What they didn't know was that they were not only having fun - they were honing their story grammar skills, exercising their abilities to create meaningful dialogue (even if without quotation marks), planning settings, and working on perspective and visual spatial reasoning while they placed the props and characters. The amount of embedded taught skills are enough to please any teacher!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here's an example of one of the comics created by a student in my homeroom:</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSzH3NtfqRkNdUl4WHR_HJCmrA-Blr8_dIz_R2MktQ1e4teUAtMwZk8PgiQOXVEIgyywP9WO4BgghVQDDbM7sz5r3Kb3m2BkW8Rg7rCA1Jath3nlNFkB4kgDbSsyq9cknu85DlaD2-B4/s1600/Pixton_Comic_geothermal_kc.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLSzH3NtfqRkNdUl4WHR_HJCmrA-Blr8_dIz_R2MktQ1e4teUAtMwZk8PgiQOXVEIgyywP9WO4BgghVQDDbM7sz5r3Kb3m2BkW8Rg7rCA1Jath3nlNFkB4kgDbSsyq9cknu85DlaD2-B4/s640/Pixton_Comic_geothermal_kc.png" width="410" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You can sign up for a free, for fun account that allows individual access to many of the characters and backgrounds. If you are a teacher, you can also obtain a one month, free trial, for up to 50 students. Subscription prices for the school year are very reasonably priced. Students can print their comics on completion, share them on the internet, or embed them into a blog, like I've done above. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Pixton, the web 2.0 comic generator. Give it a try! You'll be happy you did.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-64876871611454348882013-05-05T12:45:00.005-04:002013-05-05T15:12:38.812-04:00Ralph Masiello - Illustrator<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Ralph Masiello recently visited the elementary school where I teach and met with all of the students. I really enjoyed his presentation, especially the way that he connected with the kids. Not only is he an amazing illustrator, he's a great storyteller. I was fixated on his every word and so were my students.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The real treat came when he started illustrating for us: owls, dolphins, dragons, Sphinxes, and more. Bam, one done! KaPOW another! He made it look so easy. Each of the classrooms got to keep one of his signed drawings that he created for us. Our class received a dolphin leaping out of the water.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My students were so impressed and really raved about the time they spent with Ralph. He left autographed bookmarks with owls on them for each of the students. I smile as I pass my students' desks and see them peeking out of their books.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you have never experienced Mr. Masiello's work, you are in for a treat. He recently collaborated with his wife to create the start of what I believe will be a series of books, <u>The Mystic Phyles</u>. This book would appeal to mid-late elementary readers who are interested in mythology, cryptology, etc. and who like graphic novels or those which are heavy on illustration. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><i>Abigail Thaddeus lives with her grandparents in an old, spooky, ramshackle mansion. While her life is certainly unusual, Abigail finds it just plain boring. That is, until she receives an anonymous letter that sends her on a quest to research mythical creatures. With her best friend Charley's help, Abigail learns about beasts familiar (e.g. the unicorn) and unfamiliar (e.g. the bonnacon) and is shocked to discover that they may be more real than she had thought. When a threatening letter from the mysterious Board of Mystical Management arrives, Abigail has to decide whether to pursue knowledge at all costs or choose a safer path. Abigail's adventure is told through her journal entries, sketches, and beast research pages, using a scrapbook style.</i> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Not only is the book visually stunning, it's made of high quality page stock and the cover is solid too. It will withstand the many, many readings that it will endure as it is passed around a classroom or checked out from the library.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Masiello has also long been known for his work as one of the illustrators for Jerry Pallotta's alphabet books.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.charlesbridge.com/client/products/ProdimageLg/69143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><img border="0" src="http://www.charlesbridge.com/client/products/ProdimageLg/69143.jpg" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">from the Icky Reptile book</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Not only is Mr. Masiello an amazing illustrator for picture books, he's written a superb set of books to help children (and adults!) learn his tricks of the trade. I borrowed some of these from my local library, and my students and my own children are in the process of creating their own robots, dragons, and other creatures. The drawing lessons in these books may be bit challenging for younger children, but they are perfect for mid-upper elementary and middle school for sure. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">From the Robot Drawing Book</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In an age of high-tech overload, it's refreshing to see children engaged in creating with paper, pencil, and marker or pastel. Visit your local library or bookstore and start with one of these wonderful books. Sit down with your children and draw, read and learn. You'll have more fun than you may imagine! If you have favorite "learn to draw" books or other illustrators whose work you admire, leave a comment and share the titles with us.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you are interested in having Mr. Masiello visit your school or group, you can contact him through his website: <a href="http://www.ralphmasiello.com/" target="_blank">www.ralphmasiello.com</a></span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-38346955347099055792013-04-27T13:48:00.000-04:002013-04-27T13:58:37.740-04:00Think Fun! continued...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">After I blogged about how wonderful the Think Fun! games are, I found even more reasons to celebrate. First off, did you know that they will replace lost or broken parts for FREE? Yes, FREE! They even pay shipping!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"> And, the turnaround time is amazing. We lost a piece to the Chocolate Fix game this week. I sent an email to the company with their attached request form on Wednesday. I opened the mail today, Saturday, and voila! They had included an entire set of pieces, not just the one missing chocolate. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They also included a few sample cards from their newest game - Word Around - along with a 20% off coupon to be used on their site. Word Around looks like a lot of fun. I was challenged with the few cards they sent, but not impossibly so. I think kids would really love this game.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Basically it's a word puzzle. You have to look at one of the bands of color (determined by the color of the card back that came previously in the stack) and find the word that is spelled around that band. The key is knowing which letter you need to start with, then it just flows. No need to unscramble. Sounds easy, right? Not so fast! You're competing with others to get the answer.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Some of the words are a bit tricky and may not be known by younger children (e.g. astonish, delicate, trauma) yet, others are readily identifiable: cinnamon, driven, before. This is an excellent game for children who need practice with visual discrimination, tuning out excess stimulus, and maintaining focus. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It also provides a great opportunity to learn vocabulary without feeling hit over the head with it. Once you've solved a word it's only natural that kids will want to know what it means. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's also a great way for children to build problem solving stamina and strategies. Many players will quickly begin to understand that one needs to choose a start letter or look for a common letter pattern to try to form a word, and continuously move along using this strategy. Children who struggle with tasks like this tend to take in the detail or the whole picture, but are not able to chunk their thinking, or look for patterns.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It may seem like the game has limited play value given that there are only so many solutions, but the beauty of its design is that you will only use 1/3 of each card's possible answers in any given game. That, combined with the fact that there are over 300 words, and a game only takes about 10 minutes, means that you can play for quite some time before you've mastered all the words. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The fun thing is that you'd also be able to easily replicate this game and make your own cards on card stock. That would be a great way for kids to learn new vocabulary and try to come up with words that will trick others.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What a wonderful company to work with. They make excellent products, provide amazing customer support, and know how to get you coming back for more!</span></div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-54631924161764357802013-04-20T22:26:00.002-04:002013-04-20T22:26:37.173-04:00Think Fun Games<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I've always been a big fan of Think Fun games. I remember when my kids would sit for an hour (okay, 10 minutes... :) and play Zingo! years ago. They LOVED that game, and I did too! Our bookshelf is stocked with many of the Think Fun products, and I thought I'd share our favorites with you.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">First off, Rush Hour has been getting lots of play at our house this week. You can purchase a Jr. version, a deluxe version, or a regular version. They all look something like this:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The differences between them are basically the types of vehicles that you will receive in the package and the level of difficulty of the problem solving cards (although each set does have an easy-medium-difficult variant). We own the Jr. version, and I think we're almost ready to graduate to the regular version (rated 8 and above). And, when I say we're almost ready, I'm including myself! Some of these scenarios are challenging! </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For those who may not be familiar, the game is a "gridlock puzzle" which requires the player to make repeated strategic moves to free one particular vehicle up to move off the 6 x 6 playing board. In the case of the Jr. version, that vehicle happens to be an ice-cream truck. How fun!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Each of the 40 scenarios presented has a solution on the back. The nice thing about the solution set is that it's a bit cryptic, which prevents impulsive cheating. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">While this game is a fun challenge for all, I'd also like to point out the benefits for those who may be parenting children with special needs. I see so much potential for practice for children who:</span></div>
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">have difficulty persevering with tasks</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">present with executive functioning challenges (i.e. planning and coordinating thinking)</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">struggle with visual spatial awareness (having to line up the cars initially is a great way to practice reading positions on a grid, then having to coordinate moves to free the cars requires lots of thinking about which portions of the grid need to be freed up)</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you purchase the standard/adult version, there are reasonably priced ($6-9) expansion packs of cards you can purchase that also come with bonus vehicles.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I read reviews on Amazon that suggested the Deluxe version wasn't really "deluxe" so you may want to read some of the feedback before you purchase.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I highly recommend this puzzle / game if you have a child who presents with the challenges I mentioned, and I also endorse it for those who just want to see their kids/students working hard to problem solve something that's not a video game.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The next Think Fun game that may be of interest is Distraction (rated 8 to adult). And, it lives up to its name for sure. You can strengthen your memory by taking turns drawing number cards and remembering an increasing sequence of digits. Draw a distraction card and you must answer a quirky question before reciting the numbers in order. If you repeat the sequence incorrectly, and get caught, you collect all of the cards. The first player to run out of cards wins. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: verdana, arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This game initially caused some frustration for a few members in our family. If your child has a weak digit span (i.e. ability to remember a sequence of numbers and a common measure of short term memory in neuro-physcological testing), or is diagnosed with ADHD or dyslexia he or she is likely to be very challenged by this game. That said, you shouldn't shy away from introducing it. You should encourage its use in a non-threatening way. You can modify it to make it inclusive by allowing pencil and paper recording of the numbers for a few rounds until your child learns the rules and becomes accustomed to the game play. Then you can remove and fade the supports. You could also play in teams and pair your child with a "stronger" opponent. You could also bend the rules a bit, and program in the distraction cards at intervals that match with your child's digit span in order to build success. This game is a great tool in developing digit span, and it happens to be fun too!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Next up, Chocolate Fix (also rated 8 and up), the sweet logic game. It's like Sodoku without numbers. Like Rush Hour, it has 40 scenario cards that come with the game.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This is a game of logic and deductive reasoning, and a very inviting way to begin to explore the logic used in Sodoku puzzles without laying math on top. Unfortunately, this game doesn't have any extension packs, but the 40 challenges in the game box make it worth the $15 price tag.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you don't already own Think Fun! games, consider checking them out. If you do own some of them, comment with your favorites. All of these games are on our shelf and have been well-loved and enjoyed. Let me know if you enjoy them too!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-83483423883982537002013-04-16T07:45:00.002-04:002013-04-16T07:47:19.304-04:00Remembering all that is good about Boston<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm shocked and saddened that the city I love, Boston, and so many of her citizens and visitors, were victims of such a tragic event yesterday. Let's try to remember all that is good about Boston. It's all we have right now. May the days ahead bring answers and healing for those who are suffering. May the spirit of Boston rise up and conquer, as it has done so many times in the past.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-26211277679499215902013-04-15T15:14:00.003-04:002013-04-15T15:14:57.021-04:00101qs<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I used <a href="http://www.101qs.com/" target="_blank">101qs</a> with my students as a warm-up activity this week. 101qs is the brain-child of <a href="http://blog.mrmeyer.com/" target="_blank">Dan Meyer</a>. It's basically a website where people upload videos and images which others view to determine whether or not they are complex or perplexing. By asking questions and submitting them, people help the individual images/videos gain popularity, or not. If you don't like an image, just click on the "I'm bored" button and go to the next. If you have a question, submit it and see what others asked about the same image or video.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here's a sample of what popped up today:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My first question is, "When is 150 years from now?" followed up by, "How much money would one need to retire 150 years from now?" and lastly, "Is this a true statistic?" Some of these are "solvable" and others are what I would call "wonder-able" or "guess-able". What questions does this image create for you?</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You may be tempted to see these as merely mathematical problems (which they absolutely are), but they really lend themselves to perspective taking, inferencing, context clues, language development, critical thinking (e.g. what may be missing to actually be able to solve a problem), and how to formulate questions. It's a great opportunity for teachers (and parents) to introduce the idea of "thick vs. thin" questions (i.e. those that garner a yes or no answer, versus those that actually require a thoughtful response). The list of applications is really infinite.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The site is fully searchable, by grade level or keyword, and some of the images and videos even have common core lessons attached to them.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You need not be a teacher to use this site, and in fact, I encourage parents to do so. You may be amazed at the discussions that it can generate between you and your child or teen. I was blown away by some of the questions that my students asked this week about this image:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Can you imagine what some of them may have been?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Visit 101qs today. It isn't just for kids! Also, don't forget about Wonderopolis, a site I first mentioned a few weeks ago. Combine the two, and you'll have an interesting way to spend time chatting about things you never imagined!</span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-62709455769336449652013-04-14T17:43:00.001-04:002013-04-14T17:43:34.766-04:00"Look Up: Birdwatching in Your Own Backyard"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">In the Northeast US, signs of spring are finally starting to surface, albeit slowly! I love the sprouting flowers, longer days with sun shining, and the smell of freshly thawed soil. Corny, I know, but true! I especially enjoy the return of the birds. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Just yesterday I watched a busy robin plucking out tasty worms from the wet grass in our backyard while an industrious chipmunk was by her side washing his cute little face. It got me thinking about birdwatching. I've done a bit here and there; my friends and family will remember my fascination -bordering on obsession - with the hummingbirds at my feeder last year. I've never really been a birdwatcher per se (assuming Angry Birds doesn't count).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I did a quick search at the library today, and online, and came up with an impressive selection of books, journals and games that you can use with your families (or your students) if you want to venture out to look for and listen to birds this spring. I'm not a pro, but I'd imagine you'll need some binoculars and a birding hat, just to make it official!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This picture book, by Annette LeBlanc Cate is wonderfully written, and creatively illustrated. I knew I'd enjoy it when I saw the funny text bubbles on each page. It appears that even birds ask their moms to remove the crusts from their bread! But don't be fooled, this isn't just a lighthearted look at birds. Cate consulted with Jim Barton, a veteran birder associated with the Boston office of the Audubon Society. The result is a kid-friendly look at bird identification/classification, migration, shapes, colors, feathers, habitats and more. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZ0x_tqxHOXJh8yYUzLWXjSomDCnMmbaib3PHO43x2T26Rub2il38QxlznDtrZi1a-_qjNv2btx6pLwZ5BJ-7Kj1oY6duNuIId-Vhh2VGW0um3_UuFhW6VajfpzYFl5xNEzSajN-NpjU/s1600/look+up+birding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXZ0x_tqxHOXJh8yYUzLWXjSomDCnMmbaib3PHO43x2T26Rub2il38QxlznDtrZi1a-_qjNv2btx6pLwZ5BJ-7Kj1oY6duNuIId-Vhh2VGW0um3_UuFhW6VajfpzYFl5xNEzSajN-NpjU/s400/look+up+birding.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Although "An Egg is Quiet" also contains illustrations of insect eggs as well as birds, it's definitely worth reviewing as part of your birding adventure. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We have this book on our shelf at home. If you aren't familiar with Dianna Hutts Aston / Syliva Long's collaborations, you need to be. These books are lyrically written and provide some of the most detailed nature drawings I've seen in children's picture books. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It can also be fun to identify the nests, as well as the birds and the eggs. This "Take-along-guide" is a perfect resource for just that!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-m351vFqDccJDixoKSV3UokJJYmpch3Zmbf5ysSQ_-pPy7sUA9KWmRnIaTDn0dZr_ahvDSBPvVDviRYZwALvQSuzHDYVVAyTBSQR0ySL6oHPAnDhsR7r728LMSrMNyqc5IzG3mjzC08/s1600/bird+nest+eggs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-m351vFqDccJDixoKSV3UokJJYmpch3Zmbf5ysSQ_-pPy7sUA9KWmRnIaTDn0dZr_ahvDSBPvVDviRYZwALvQSuzHDYVVAyTBSQR0ySL6oHPAnDhsR7r728LMSrMNyqc5IzG3mjzC08/s1600/bird+nest+eggs.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Let us not forget the "fathers" of birdwatching! As many of you know, we have Audubon and Peterson to thank for their efforts in drawing and cataloging birds. These two picture books provide excellent, child-friendly introductions to their work and legacies.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Once you're out on the hunt for birds, you'll want to record your findings, and these two journals would be perfect for children to keep track of the variety of birds they see.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Bingo anyone? This game looks like fun! I've not actually seen it, so I cannot comment on its quality. It did receive high reviews on Amazon.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And, last but not least... One of the things that I think would make birdwatching especially fun would be having an app that can identify birdsongs - like having a birdcall version of Shazam! (the song ID app). It appears that this technology isn't too far off, but not yet available this spring. Here's a link to an article that I found on the topic:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://m.npr.org/news/Technology/152191615" target="_blank">Bird call "Shazam!"</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If you decide to birdwatch, leave a comment and let me know what types of birds are common in your area. If you're an avid birdwatcher, suggest additional resources that may be of interest.</span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-41444459909101298952013-04-12T19:51:00.003-04:002013-04-12T19:51:56.962-04:00Wordless picture books... not just for little ones!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">One of my favorite things to do is read picture books. I love browsing the children's section of our library to find what's new and interesting.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Wordless picture books, in particular, provide many opportunities for parents and teachers to connect with children and young adults in varied ways. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Even though you may think that true reading only occurs when there are actual words on a page, wordless books actually require their "readers" to comprehend and pay very close attention to visual clues and cues, a skill that many children struggle with and could certainly use additional practice in order to master.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">They also level the playing field for struggling readers, or those who may be English Language Learners. What a wonderful opportunity for students to share with younger buddies as well!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Wordless books also place a greater emphasis on a child's ability to follow story grammar (i.e. the beginning, middle, end, problem-solution, setting, and characters). And, the absence of words actually develops vocabulary and language usage at even higher levels than that of printed text - a wordless book reader needs to be able to generate vocabulary independently in order to be able to articulate the story internally or for others.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Inferencing - combining background knowledge with textual clues - becomes an even higher level skill when one is challenged by wordless text. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">What types of activities can parents and teachers pair with wordless texts?</span><br />
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<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Encourage story telling. What a effective method to develop oral language!</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Practice comprehension in a non-threatening way. Predict, infer, and question away without having to write or read.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Inspire creative writing - either by retelling the story or using it as a springboard for telling what may happen next.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Developing sequencing and cause/effect patterning and reasoning either through discussion or creating a graphic organizer to capture thinking.</span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Learning how to create and write dialogue </span></li>
<li><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Use the story to create a script or reader's theater and act it out.</span></li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Barnes and Noble has a complete selection of wordless books that appeal to the young (pre-k) through adolescent or even high school reader that you can browse <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/s/?category_id=800138" target="_blank">HERE</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This book would be a wonderful complement to a middle-grade study of slavery</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">And this looks like it would be a powerful companion for middle or high school students examining civilizations and empires:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">My writing classes used the well-loved Chris VanAllsburg book, "Harris Burdick" this week to create their own stories based on the story starters presented in the text. I knew I had a hit on my hands when the students begged me to take their stories home to finish them!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'd love to hear about favorite picture books from those of you who use them in your classrooms, or parents who share them with your children.</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-33078168922584223792013-04-11T20:08:00.001-04:002013-04-11T20:09:45.220-04:00Math fact fluency - what teachers want you to know...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Spring brings birds, daffodils, warm weather, and standardized testing! Along with that comes stress. Parents and teachers want to be sure their children/students are performing at or above standards, and that they are making effective progress. Unfortunately, many students get nervous and wonder if they'll be promoted a grade if they don't do "well", and many teachers worry about the very real possibility that their evaluations will be tied to the results of these assessments (that's a post for another day). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">So, what does this have to do with math fact fluency? </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As I work with my students to prepare them throughout the year for the state mathematics assessment (and more importantly to think and perform like real world mathematicians) I continue to witness how many students' problem solving abilities are greatly impaired because they have not mastered basic facts across all operations (addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">Why is math fact mastery important?</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">We can only hold so much information in our "working memory" (the part of your brain that stores and manages information for a short amount of time). If a child's working memory is tied up trying to remember a math fact, while also trying to learn how to simplify fractions, or find a common denominator, he or she is likely to become frustrated and give up. In many cases, children start to see themselves as "not good at math" when that's simply not true. A bit of practice can make all the difference!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">If we want to teach our children to eventually become competitive players in a global market, we need to give them the skills they need to succeed. In the United States and other countries, there's a recent push to introduce and expand STEM education (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). If we want our children to participate meaningfully in these learning experiences, they need to be mathematically literate. Mathematical literacy depends greatly on math fact fluency.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As parents, we get very concerned when our children cannot read - that is decode the text. Yet, somehow, we often do not seem to get as alarmed when our children haven't mastered the basic building blocks of higher level mathematical thinking. We need to be concerned, and we need to do something about it.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; font-size: large;">How does a child reach mastery? </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You know the answer to this, but I'll post it anyway because it's worth repeating: PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE! The good news is that our children are growing up in a very technologically advanced age. There are myriad ways for them to gain computational fluency without having to pull out the old-fashioned flash cards that many of us used as kids (although there's absolutely nothing wrong with them). </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It's our job as parents and teachers to ensure that children are taking the time <u><b>daily </b></u>- yes, <u><b>daily</b></u> - to actually practice the facts until they reach mastery.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Here are some of my favorite sites, some subscription and others free, that help children to practice. It's important that the practice have an element of urgency and timing to it. That's what helps students to gain automaticity with the facts:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.ixl.com/" target="_blank">IXL Math</a> </span> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Is a subscription site that has fact practice and lots of other leveled math problems. Although a very useful site, IXL does not time students in a way that creates a sense of urgency in their fact practice. The site allows students to solve 20 problems free each day without having an account. Yearly memberships average approximately $80.00</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.reflexmath.com/" target="_blank">Reflex Math</a> Has more of a game-based, timed focus on math fact practice. Home subscriptions can be purchased for approximately $35.00</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.firstinmath.com/" target="_blank">First in Math</a> game-based site that focuses on lots of aspects of fact fluency and number sense and many of the games provide a sense of urgency to solve the problems quickly. This site can be accessed for a yearly fee of $30.00.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.xtramath.org/" target="_blank">Xtra Math</a> is a free web-based practice site that also builds fluency through timed practice. Reviews from my students suggest that it isn't as much fun as some of the subscription sites.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The National Council of Teachers of Mathematics has created a free game site that parents, students, and teachers can access. It's called <a href="http://calculationnation.nctm.org/Games/AboutGames.aspx" target="_blank">Calculation Nation</a>.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">There are many iPhone, iPad, and Android apps that also focus on fluency. I'm not going to post those here as you can easily find them by searching for those on your device. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Once students have begun to master facts, there are many board and puzzle games that can be used to practice and apply the facts in fun ways. All of these are available on Amazon.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">CheckMath!, which plays like checkers, was developed by a math teacher to help students with factors and multiples.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjua02ETNaz5O2qYaJ3SA_WKsB1aonOdhepVWCXxXZpNaAxbW087_qIgarmM-XmDg2qJdqdvTPb-BaXmZ7jBsO76f_e8XjnQiuThddoDebk5PZuGrpLSTX463fHIYGmOiHfXS63hL4duKI/s1600/71EycmAN+-L._SL1189_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjua02ETNaz5O2qYaJ3SA_WKsB1aonOdhepVWCXxXZpNaAxbW087_qIgarmM-XmDg2qJdqdvTPb-BaXmZ7jBsO76f_e8XjnQiuThddoDebk5PZuGrpLSTX463fHIYGmOiHfXS63hL4duKI/s200/71EycmAN+-L._SL1189_.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">For younger students, Sum Swamp, is a fun way to practice addition and subtraction:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">The "24" game was developed many years ago by the creators of the First In Math site mentioned above. This problem solving game requires players to strategically combine multiple operations to arrive at an answer of "24".</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">A favorite in our house is "Shut the Box". A dice rolling game where low score wins:</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">No matter which method children use to practice, the most important thing is that they actually make sure there's commitment to doing it daily. Your child's teacher (and eventually your child) will thank you!</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-85688933664729173092013-04-08T18:09:00.001-04:002013-04-11T21:10:07.058-04:00Teaching Tolerance<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Do you know about this incredible organization? I first learned about them a few years ago and have been reading their magazine and newsletter ever since. I recently ordered some of their free (yes, FREE!) film kit resources. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The materials are most relevant to those residing in the US and Canada. </span>TT is a project of the Southern Law Poverty Center, and as so aptly stated on their website they are: "<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">A place for educators to find thought-provoking news, conversation and support for those who care about diversity, equal opportunity and respect for differences in schools." </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">What does that mean for educators? One stop "shopping" for amazing resources to teach students K-12. I just received two wonderfully packaged DVD sets from them today. I'm excited to preview them, and hopefully show them to my students. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">One of the DVD's titled "A Time for Justice" is suggested for use with grades 6-8</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">It ties nicely with our recent Civil Rights literature circles in which we broke into small leveled groups and read the books "Glory Be", "One Crazy Summer", and "The Watsons Go to Birmingham". </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">The other video titled "One Survivor Remembers" explores Gerda Weissman Klein's survival story and ties in with our recent reading of "Number the Stars".</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif; line-height: 18px;">Given the grades 6-8 ratings, I may have to select excerpts of these videos to ensure that the content is developmentally appropriate. Within the DVD sleeves, each kit also contains CD's with lesson plans and prints of primary sources that relate to the issue and period in history.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">Teaching Tolerance's educational kits and subscriptions to its magazine are FREE to classroom teachers, librarians, school counselors, school administrators, professors of education, youth directors at houses of worship and employees of youth-serving nonprofit organizations.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">I highly recommend subscribing to the magazine (in print or digital format) as they are extremely well written and contain a variety of articles on themes both contemporary and historical.</span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;">If you are an educator looking for high quality resources to supplement your reading, social studies, or history curriculum you should check out the <a href="http://www.teachingtolerance.org/" target="_blank">Teaching Tolerance Website</a></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px;"><br /></span></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-48503193727710521552013-04-06T19:44:00.001-04:002013-04-13T11:35:40.734-04:00"One Step Too Far" - adult fiction/mystery<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I'm finding that I'm really enjoying UK imports these days, from BBC America television to new novel releases. I just finished reading an advance copy of "One Step Too Far", the page-turning debut novel from UK writer, Tina Seskis. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">Excerpted from the author's GoodReads page: <span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #181818; line-height: 18px;"><i>Tina never intended writing a novel. She wrote One Step Too Far over a two month period in summer 2010 and then gave up writing entirely for well over a year, before writing her second novel A Serpentine Affair in autumn 2011. Her third book (working title Collision) is due for completion in 2013, and is the coming together of a key character from each of the first two novels, if Tina can make the plot work.</i></span> </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">You can buy it when it's released, this Monday, April 15th (after you file your taxes, of course!).</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">This book will likely be the talk of summer beach read circles (although it's writing surpasses what we typically expect from that genre) as it has all of the right ingredients that appeal to its target audience: suspense, drama, and plot twists extraordinaire. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">As the story opens, we meet Cat, a young mother who's in the process of running away from her family. The novel unfolds with a carefully restrained plot that allows us slowly into her secrets and motivations. Seskis deftly weaves characters and their perspectives throughout, allowing us bits and pieces of important clues as the story unfolds.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I enjoyed reading "One Step Too Far", although I did find the conclusion a bit too satisfying. In Seskis' defense, authors can't win in this regard as reviewers either praise them for a solid ending or pan them for leaving us hanging. That said, I thought many times that I'd figured out the twists, but I continued to be proven wrong. That alone made it a fun book to read. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">"One Step Too Far" is definitely worth reading. You don't need to wait until summer, either! You won't be disappointed and will likely find yourself unable to put it down as you try to find out what could possibly motivate Em/Cat to leave her family.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS', sans-serif;">I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher. My opinions are not influenced in any way by having received the complimentary copy.</span></div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-10664839770805655452013-04-06T14:16:00.003-04:002013-04-06T14:18:19.366-04:00"Real Kids, Real Stories, Real Change" a REALLY great book for upper elementary/middle gradesI found this book (another great resource from Free Spirit Press) and knew that I just had to introduce it to my students. We'll be spending a couple of our reading blocks this week digging into these short biographic profiles of some amazing kids from around the world.<br />
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The readability of these profiles is approximately a 5th grade level. It's a very approachable text as the font is large enough not to be daunting (but not so large it feels "elementary"), while there are just enough graphics and maps interspersed to keep it interesting. </div>
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Each of the profiles are categorized into chapters that cover themes such as: Kids Saving the Environment, Kids Standing Up for Themselves, Kids Helping Others, Kids Overcoming Challenges, and Kids Using Talents and Creativity. There's parity between genders, with both strong boy and girl figures represented from around the globe.</div>
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The applications for this book are really endless. We'll be examining and reading closely (yes, my new buzzword) to look for similarities and differences between the kids, their skill sets, curiousities, and their causes. We'll also explore the causes themselves and look at the effects of each young adult's efforts.</div>
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I am predicting that my reluctant readers will be particularly drawn to these mini biographies for a number of reasons. I would imagine that parents of reluctant readers would want to try this book with their own children. It offers a global perspective, using real-life examples, and delivers text in short, easy to digest snippets. It could easily satisfy independent reading requirements and kids may be sparked to become change agents themselves!</div>
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I borrowed a copy from our local library, but it's well worth purchasing for $9 on Amazon.</div>
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If you read it with your children or students, please leave a comment and let me know if they enjoyed it!</div>
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-78105120755285088112013-04-04T20:20:00.001-04:002013-04-05T08:54:34.312-04:00"Notice and Note" an amazing book for teachers and parents<br />
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With the advent of the Common Core Curriculum Standards teachers are being asked to present their students with texts that are more rigorous. In addition, we are being encouraged to engage students in close reading. No, that's not hold the book closer and read! It's strategic reading of text excerpts multiple times with a focus on various aspects of theme, conflict, characterization, and author's purpose. This isn't necessarily anything new for most teachers, but it does present an opportunity for us to dig a bit deeper and reflect on our instructional practices.<br />
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I stumbled across an amazing book that does just that! Not only can teachers benefit from its content, parents who are interested in working with their children to enhance comprehension can use this too.<br />
The premise of the book is that all of the commonly read literature in grades 2-12 contains "signposts" or signals that good readers attend to while reading. Here's a summary list that the authors created after analyzing numerous fiction texts:<br />
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1. <b>Memory Moment</b> - when a character stops and remembers something that happened earlier. This is a great time to stop as a reader and ask yourself why this event is important to the character or the plot.<br />
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2. <b>Words of the Wiser </b>- sometimes a character receives significant advice from another character (usually an older/wiser person). Often times this leads us to the themes and lessons in the book.<br />
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3. <b>Again and Again</b> - when a reader sees situations, phrases, or statements being repeated over and over, he or she should stop and reflect on the importance. Maybe you'll learn something about the theme, or it could be a foreshadow.<br />
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4. <b>Aha Moment</b> - sometimes characters figure something out or realize something that they should have seen all along. Again this leads us to themes, conflicts, and possible understanding of character development.<br />
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5. <b>Contrasts and contradictions</b> - characters and situations sometimes aren't as they appeared previously. Pause when this happens and consider why this is significant and what it means to the character and to the plot.<br />
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6. <b>Tough Questions</b> - when a character stops and asks him or herself a tough question you often find clues to the themes and conflicts in the story if you pause and wonder about its importance or significance.<br />
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If you would like to read more about how to use these signposts in your instruction, find questions that scaffold reader thinking, and see sample lessons, you must buy the book! It's well worth the $20.00 on Amazon.<br />
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I used these signposts with my class as a summative assessment for the book "Number the Stars" over the past two days, and I was very impressed with the critical thinking and analysis that I saw as I observed students working collaboratively to find text evidence of these signposts. Even my reluctant readers were enjoying finding and describing the significance of their evidence.<br />
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Parents can use these signposts while reading aloud to their children, or as activators to get kids thinking while they do their independent reading. For example, challenge your child to find at least one signpost during their reading time and stop to tell you about it's significance.<br />
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Teachers should really consider buying this book and collaborating with grade level colleagues to introduce it to your students. You'll be glad you did!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-62870646146678759422013-04-02T19:48:00.000-04:002013-04-02T19:54:10.218-04:00Blue Orange GamesI have purchased many games from this company and have not been disappointed yet. Our most recent find is "Golden Gate".<br />
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It's a relatively quick game, played in 5 rounds. The tin box is sturdy and the cards and chips are high quality. It's for 2-4 players and rated ages 7 to adult. I must say that I enjoyed playing it and so did my kids. The object of the game is to be the first to play all the cards in your hand and earn the most chips in the process. Players need to sequence cards either by going up (0,1,2,3...) or down (7,6,5,4...) while keeping in mind that green cards are neutral and red cards left in your hand will penalize you at the end of the game. Gold cards earn chips, but a player needs to be strategic in when he or she plays them. The longer you can hold onto and play a gold, the higher score chip you'll earn. Since it's a five round event, you have a chance to make up for a poorly played round. Like many games of this genre, there's a bit of luck and a bit of strategy, which is perfect for those children who maybe aren't ready for "full-on" strategy games. The educational value isn't huge, but children do need to think about whether to count up or down based on their hands, and the count "resets" at 0. That means that a count down from 0 goes to 10, 9, 8 and so on. A count up from 10 goes to 0, 1, 2, 3. Also, at the end, chip tallies need to be added (the values are 10, 20, 30, 40) and that makes for a perfect opportunity to practice mental math. At appx. $12.00 this game is well worth its value. </div>
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Another wonderful and fun Blue Orange Game is Spot It! We have the basic version:</div>
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Since purchasing this last fall, the company has come out with a number of themed versions of the game based on sports teams, holidays, and basic shape/number recognition. The idea is amazingly simple, yet so much fun to play. Basically, you're looking for matches on cards (and each card has a match with another no matter what). The images that you are trying to match will likely be different sizes and it takes careful examination to find the right combination. It really levels the playing field between adults and kids.</div>
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The beauty of the game is that it has high replay value. There are many variations in the directions and the game is never the same regardless of which way you choose to play. It's quick and easy and lends itself to playing at the beach, a restaurant, or even on a plane. Although this game is fun for all, it's particularly useful if you have a child at home or school who needs help and practice with visual discrimination.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-48081817922125290762013-03-27T17:20:00.001-04:002013-03-27T17:22:01.471-04:00Maze/Puzzle games..fun for EVERYONE!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">I am always on the lookout for games and activities that are fun and educational. l bought this on Amazon for my kids, but I have to admit that I'm having as much fun as they are. It's a great maze/puzzle that has cards of increasing difficulty. I haven't made it past beginner/intermediate! The cards themselves are very high quality material with two wipe off pens. The metal box is very durable. I would suggest wiping the cards off with a Lysol or other wet-wipe since they do get the hazing from the wipe off pen. Dry with papertowel and they continue to look like new after several uses. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Although everyone can find something to enjoy about these mazes, they are especially great practice for kids who struggle with executive functions (planning and organizing in particular)and for those who have difficulty with logical reasoning and visual / spatial skills. </span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">If you prefer to use an app instead of a table game (which is great for indoor recess or waiting at a restaurant) then you may want to check out "Flow" and "Flow: Bridges" from Big Duck Apps on iTunes</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;">. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-size: 14px; line-height: 20px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flow-free/id526641427?mt=8" target="_blank">Follow this link to iTunes</a></span></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Both of these apps are similar in principle to Lab Mice, and they offer different versions/levels and time constraints to add even more challenge.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-15117513314216972172013-03-26T16:58:00.003-04:002013-03-26T16:59:43.421-04:00Bullying... or, how we can help to prevent it!There is an increased focus on bullying these days, as there should be. Unfortunately many of our students and our own children are exposed to all sorts of behaviors that range from teasing all the way up to full-fledged bullying. Let us not forget, the bullies have parents too - even if they don't want to admit it. Not every kid is the victim, some are the perpetrators and others are the bystanders. Others are actually trying to be something different - peacemakers! Wouldn't it be great if all of our kids fell into one category? THE PEACEMAKERS! I realize that may be a Utopian view that isn't ever going to be reality. It's likely unicorns will walk on Earth the day that happens. But still, can't we try to imagine a world where kids work proactively to get along and broker peace? Maybe the adults could try it too?<br />
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I found a new resource that helps children (and their adults) to be more peaceful, mindful, and empathetic.<br />
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This book is an amazing resource that comes with a CD of all of the worksheets that you can use with students, or even your own children. Its target audience is grades 3-6. This text has 125 mini-lessons that can be taught within 20 minutes or less. <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 15px;">Student activities—including games, role plays, group discussions, art projects, and language arts exercises—affirm the importance of respect, listening, and kind actions vs. bullying in schools. Kids learn skills they can use to calm down and conflict resolution techniques for situations when strong emotions threaten to disrupt the peace. With a focus on preventing teasing, name-calling, fighting, exclusion, and other hurtful actions,</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 15px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 15px;"><em>No Kidding About Bullying</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 15px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="-webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; line-height: 15px;">also features activities to stop bullying when mistreatment is occurring.</span></span></div>
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If you'd like to see sample pages/sheets from the book, visit the publisher's site. They have many other wonderful resources for teachers and parents. I highly recommend (and own) many of their products:<br />
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<a href="http://www.freespirit.com/catalog/item_detail.cfm?ITEM_ID=704" target="_blank">FREE SPIRIT PRESS</a><br />
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I borrowed this from my local library, but I plan to purchase it and add it to my shelf. It's that good!<br />
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I will post additional mindfulness and empathy resources in coming weeks. Stay tuned...<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-81680954267848895402013-03-25T16:49:00.004-04:002013-03-25T17:45:12.775-04:00Wonderopolis!<br />
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Do you know about this amazing site? If not, read on. As their tag-line states, "Wonders never cease". It's brought to you by the NCFL (National Center for Family Literacy) and Verizon's ThinkFinity non-profit organization. So, what is Wonderopolis you ask? It's a daily dose of thinking and time well spent with a child or a group of children.<br />
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Visit the site <a href="http://www.wonderopolis.org/" target="_blank">HERE</a> and see what you think. It's updated each day with a new "wonder" that you can share with your class (perhaps as part of a morning meeting?) or with your own children as you settle down for the night after dinner (or maybe before, to spur conversation?). However you choose to use it, Wonderopolis is sure to be a hit with children and the adults in their lives. The best part? You can <a href="http://wonderopolis.org/nominate-wonder/" target="_blank">nominate</a> a wonder of your own! Have fun, and let me know what you think!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-32290444243439965072013-03-24T18:28:00.001-04:002013-03-24T18:35:49.729-04:00Online "Ezines" for Kids<div style="text-align: center;">
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I try to incorporate current events and non-fiction reading into my classroom as much as possible. I also like to share the news with my own kids too. I find that the "real" news often has too much detail (causing kids' eyes to glaze over) or too much information that they don't quite need to know at this young age. I spent a lot of time scouring the internet to find trustworthy news sites that are kid-friendly, but not watered down or condescending. Here are the ones that I think are the best-of-the-best. You can access the site for each e-zine by clicking on its title. All descriptions are taken directly from the sites. Be sure to scroll down, there's a handful of them:<br />
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<a href="http://www.youngzine.org/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Youngzine</span></a><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4e3303; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.youngzine.org/?register" style="color: #3f7231; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Join Youngzine</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4e3303; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> and </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4e3303; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"><a href="http://www.youngzine.org/ytimes_classroom_setup" style="color: #3f7231; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Sign up your class(es)</a></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #4e3303; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 21px;"> for free today!</span><br />
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Many educators have remarked that <a href="http://www.youngzine.org/" style="color: #3f7231; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Youngzine</a> is a perfect complement to academic material, and can be a great resource for teachers and their classes. Learning through current events not only makes students more aware of what's going on in the world, but also helps absorb concepts better. Here's <a href="http://www.youngzine.org/page/buzz" style="color: #3f7231; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">what teachers and parents are saying</a> about Youngzine.</div>
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Moreover, Youngzine now provides a safe <a href="http://www.youngzine.org/page/classroom-blogs" style="color: #3f7231; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-style: normal; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">"blog" environment for classrooms</a> - a constructive, creative and controlled way for teachers to create classroom assignments and foster discussions on current events!</div>
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Youngzine provides special features just for you, if you sign up as a Teacher:</div>
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<li style="background-image: url(http://yzstatic.com/images/PostBullets.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: block; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 16px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">Each of your classes gets a unique "Classroom Code" that identifies the students in that class. For each class, you get a Blog where you can post assignments and have students respond. You can include specific articles and quizzes to include in each assignment.</li>
<li style="background-image: url(http://yzstatic.com/images/PostBullets.png); background-repeat: no-repeat no-repeat; display: block; line-height: 21px; list-style-image: none; list-style-type: none; margin-bottom: 0.2em; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0.2em; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 16px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: left;">For each of your classes, you get to see a full report of each student's activities just by going to your classroom tab: their comments, assignment responses, points and quiz results.</li>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://htekidsnews.com/" target="_blank">Here There Everywhere - News for Kids</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: proxima-nova; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">Welcome!</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: proxima-nova; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: proxima-nova; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;"><em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Here There Everywhere</em></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: proxima-nova; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: proxima-nova; font-size: 17px; line-height: 25px;">is a news website/blog designed for elementary school-aged children. Its purpose is to show kids how they are connected to their world and introduce them to the people and events shaping it. It credits children with being interested in and being able to understand some of the more newsy topics (though there will be lots of the fun stuff, too!). HTE can be read with a caregiver or without.</span><br />
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<a href="http://www.ourlittleearth.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Our Little Earth</span></a><br />
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OUR LITTLE EARTH</h3>
</aside><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 19px;">Delivered by <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">email</strong> every two weeks</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 19px;"></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 19px;">It's <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">free</strong></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #373737; font-family: 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; font-weight: 300; line-height: 19px;"></span><br />
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Current events</strong> from around the globe for <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">kids</strong>.</div>
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For <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">all ages</strong></div>
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Completely <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ad-free</strong></div>
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Trusted by <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">schools and teachers</strong>in more than <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">50 countries</strong> and by thousands of <strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">families</strong> all over the world</div>
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<strong style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: inherit; font-size: 12px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Great resource and online site</strong> for kids, students, teachers, schools, libraries, and debate clubs.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.whyfiles.org/" target="_blank">Why Files: The Science Behind the News</a></span><br />
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<strong>Our Mission</strong><br />
The mission of The Why Files is to explore the science, math and technology behind the news of the day, and to present those topics in a clear, accessible and accurate manner. We are based at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, but The Why Files covers science at all institutions that engage in scientific exploration and discovery. We hope our work will help explain the relationship between science and daily life.</div>
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<strong>Our Content</strong><br />
The Why Files produces a new story each week, alternating longer features with shorter shorties. We also post a series of interactive <a href="http://whyfiles.org/interactives/" style="color: #cc0000; text-decoration: none;">science animations</a>, the ever-popular “<a href="http://whyfiles.org/category/cool-science-images/" style="color: #cc0000; text-decoration: none;">Cool Science Images</a>,” a series of <a href="http://whyfiles.org/teachers/" style="color: #cc0000; text-decoration: none;">Teacher Activity Pages</a> linked to the national science teaching standards, The Weather Guys, and Curiosities. Eager to explain the science behind the news, our home page reprises older stories that become relevant to the headlines.</div>
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<strong>Our History</strong><br />
The Why Files was founded in 1996 as part of the National Institute for Science Education, with funding from the National Science Foundation. We have published weekly on the web since January, 1996. Since 1998, we have been supported through the Graduate School of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.</div>
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<a href="http://tweentribune.com/" target="_blank"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Tween Tribune</span></a><br />
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Welcome to TeenTribune, TweenTribune,TTEspañol and TTJunior – the daily news sites for kids, tweens and teens – where you'll find the most compelling, relevant and interesing news for 55 million kids in K-12 and their 3.5 million teachers.</div>
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Stories are selected by professional journalists working closely with teens, tweens and teachers. Teens and tweens can post comments, with all comments moderated by their teachers before they are published</div>
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We allow teens and tweens to produce 99 percent of our content as a means of engaging them. Almost 100,000 teachers and 1 million students have registered so far.</div>
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We're encouraging kids, teens and tweens to seek out news on a daily basis because our democracy depends upon a well-informed public, so we believe it is important to foster a daily news-reading habit as soon as kids begin to read.</div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/kidspost" target="_blank">Washington Post: Kids Post</a></span><br />
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Kids version of the well-known newspaper.<br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/" target="_blank">Science News for Kids</a> </span><br />
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(This site is incredibly teacher/student friendly. It allows you to customize your printout by changing font size and even eliminating any text that you may not want to include.)<br />
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<em>Science News for Kids</em> (<em>SNK</em>) is an award-winning online publication dedicated to children 9-14, their parents, and their teachers. It was launched in 2003 by the nonprofit organization <a href="http://www.societyforscience.org/" style="color: #3388ff;">Society for Science & the Public</a> (SSP) as a youth edition and companion to SSP’s <em><a href="http://www.sciencenews.org/" style="color: #3388ff;">Science News</a></em> magazine.</div>
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<em>SNK</em> offers timely, interesting news stories and features, accompanied by suggestions for hands-on activities, books, articles, and web resources. It attracts nearly four million visitors annually. Younger and older visitors enjoy its pages.</div>
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<a href="http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/what-people-are-saying-about-science-news-for-kids/" style="color: #3388ff;">See what readers say about <em>Science News for Kids</em></a></div>
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<em>SNK</em> news stories are selected from articles from SSP’s award-winning flagship magazine, <em>Science News</em>, which enjoys paid print circulation of over 120,000 paid subscribers and millions of readers each year. <em>Science News </em>is written by a <a href="http://www.sciencenews.org/view/page/id/32646/title/Science_News_Staff" style="color: #3388ff;">staff</a> of professional science journalists and editors, and covers all areas of science. SNK content<em> </em>is tailored to make <em>Science News</em> accessible and interesting for the middle-school audience. Longer news features are commissioned from professional science writers as original articles for the site.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-88879101506550384142013-03-24T14:19:00.001-04:002013-03-24T14:55:01.282-04:00Wonder by RJ Polacio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">We're at the near beginning of reading this amazing book for young adults in my classroom, and I'm finding it difficult to read aloud. I keep wondering if I'm using the right tone, voice, pacing, rhythm to do this story justice. I'm loving how it's keeping my students on their toes, making them question themselves and the actions of others. They are digging deep into their values and morals. I love that stuff. One of the interesting parts of the book is the teacher, Mr. Browne's, precepts (think fortune cookie statements, inspirations, quotations) that he presents to his students. I found a blogpost by the author that explains these precepts, and how their use could play itself out in a classroom. You can find the post here:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2012/01/30/mr-brownes-precepts/" target="_blank">The Nerdy Bookclub - RJ Polacio post</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">(If you don't already read "The Nerdy Bookclub" blog, you should. It's excellent.)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I also found a teacher page on the author's website. It lists thought-provoking questions that go along with "Wonder", and it also has a compilation of all of Mr. Browne's precepts (spoiler alert):</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.rjpalacio.com/for-teachers.html" target="_blank">RJ Polacio's website</a></span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I'll write more about "Wonder" when we're through. I'd love to hear from others who have read it.</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5243331172992023080.post-78101772734961927492013-03-24T12:47:00.004-04:002013-03-24T12:48:30.255-04:00Using Animated Short Films<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I have been an avid follower of this blog/website for over a year now:</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><a href="http://www.literacyshed.com/" target="_blank">The Literacy Shed</a></span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"> It has an extensive and amazing collection of short films, videos, and images that get children and young adults to think critically and creatively. Each of the "sheds" focuses on a particular topic or theme. Within the "shed" (links) you will find a variety of links and suggestions for using graphics, films, and images to support your teaching.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I've used these films with my fifth grade students as part of our writing curriculum, social thinking / PBIS discussions, and to promote critical thinking. As impressive as The Literacy Shed is, you may still want to supplement with other resources. A quick search of YouTube will provide you with more films than you can imagine! Here are a few that I found in just a few minutes using the search term, "animated films".</span></div>
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<u><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Bath Time</span></u></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><u>Day and Night </u>(wonderful to use with a civil rights / prejudice unit)</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">As you know, it's important to preview all videos prior to showing them to children. Only you know what's appropriate for those students in your care. These videos are also wonderfully playful and engaging ways to work with children who struggle with social thinking and theory of mind. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I've also used these as a launching pad for writing assignments, or to have students re-tell or sequence the events. Many of these films do not have dialogue. You could use iPads and have students work in pairs to create the scripts. What an authentic way to introduce the concept.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">I hope that you enjoy these as much as I did. Be sure to stop by The Literacy Shed too!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07972838499281741379noreply@blogger.com0