Middle/High School
- Can Technology Replace Textbooks?
- Social Sites Can Hurt Employment
- Bulletin Boards and Student Work
- Electronic Cheating
- Rural Students Need Extra Help
- Student Teachers
- Are You Ready for Prom?
- Student Note Passing
- Surviving Before Break Craziness
- Preparation List for Testing
Can Technology Replace Textbooks?
Posted by
Kellie Hayden
Kellie Hayden
As technology becomes more readily available for students, should teachers chuck their textbooks and mainly use the computer and Internet to teach their students?
Computers quickly and easily give students information at school. Most teachers know that students enjoy using computers and the technology associated with it. Students use computers for gaming, Internet surfing and social networking outside of school. However, should these reasons be enough to chuck the textbook?
Is Technology Better Than a Textbook?
On the Teacher Magazine website, the article Technology-Rich Classrooms Render Textbooks Useless by The associated Press shows a fourth grade class in Garden City, Kansas that has all but replaced textbooks with technology.
Personally, I like to integrate computers in the classroom. Computers are great for research, word processing, presentations, and video activities. However, I don’t think that students need to be reading longer text information, novels and short stories online. And, computers don’t always work as they should. Books are a personal passion and to replace them with a lit screen is somewhat scary.
Are Computer Only Schools a Reality?
Most schools have a computer lab or two, which need to be scheduled in advance and cannot be used on a daily basis. For every student to have a computer, the school district would have to dig deep into its pockets. Currently, many schools are concerned about how to pay for gas to bus the students to school.
I think that the Kansas fourth grade class is neat; however, I am not ready to scrap my textbooks and novels for blurry eyed students staring at a computer screen. I would much rather that they fall asleep reading their novel than slumped over at the computer desk.
Is Technology Better Than a Textbook?
On the Teacher Magazine website, the article Technology-Rich Classrooms Render Textbooks Useless by The associated Press shows a fourth grade class in Garden City, Kansas that has all but replaced textbooks with technology.
Personally, I like to integrate computers in the classroom. Computers are great for research, word processing, presentations, and video activities. However, I don’t think that students need to be reading longer text information, novels and short stories online. And, computers don’t always work as they should. Books are a personal passion and to replace them with a lit screen is somewhat scary.
Are Computer Only Schools a Reality?
Most schools have a computer lab or two, which need to be scheduled in advance and cannot be used on a daily basis. For every student to have a computer, the school district would have to dig deep into its pockets. Currently, many schools are concerned about how to pay for gas to bus the students to school.
I think that the Kansas fourth grade class is neat; however, I am not ready to scrap my textbooks and novels for blurry eyed students staring at a computer screen. I would much rather that they fall asleep reading their novel than slumped over at the computer desk.
Social Sites Can Hurt Employment
Posted by
Kellie Hayden
Kellie Hayden
Teachers, high school and college students who wants to get a job in the near future need to think about what is on their Facebook or MySpace. Employers do check.
Where does freedom of speech end and the world of work begin for high school students, college students and teachers with online websites? It is something that all people who have a MySpace or Facebook account need to ponder.
Many students, as well as teachers, have a MySpace or Facebook site. These can be private places to put personal photos, poems, discussions, etc. for friends to view. However, many employers are checking these sites before they hire someone. A few teachers have been dismissed over having improper or “raunchy” photos on a site.
The article When Teachers Go Wild on the Web by Ian Shapira [Washington Post, April 28, 2008] gives examples of where teachers who thought that their websites were not open to the public were found by parents and students. Some teachers were given a warning about what was posted on their sites, but some were let go.
Teachers are not the only ones who need to be careful about what they post. Alison Doyle in Alison’s Job Search Blog reports that employers will check social networking sites, blogs and chat rooms of potential employees. It does not matter what type of job the person is seeking: full-time employment, summer employment or even an internship.
So, next time pictures are taken at a party, think twice about posting them on a social networking site. Not only is Big Brother watching, but so is everyone else.
Many students, as well as teachers, have a MySpace or Facebook site. These can be private places to put personal photos, poems, discussions, etc. for friends to view. However, many employers are checking these sites before they hire someone. A few teachers have been dismissed over having improper or “raunchy” photos on a site.
The article When Teachers Go Wild on the Web by Ian Shapira [Washington Post, April 28, 2008] gives examples of where teachers who thought that their websites were not open to the public were found by parents and students. Some teachers were given a warning about what was posted on their sites, but some were let go.
Teachers are not the only ones who need to be careful about what they post. Alison Doyle in Alison’s Job Search Blog reports that employers will check social networking sites, blogs and chat rooms of potential employees. It does not matter what type of job the person is seeking: full-time employment, summer employment or even an internship.
So, next time pictures are taken at a party, think twice about posting them on a social networking site. Not only is Big Brother watching, but so is everyone else.
Bulletin Boards and Student Work
Posted by
Kellie Hayden
Kellie Hayden
Middle and high school teachers vary in their use of the bulletin boards and wall displays of student work. Displays can be distracting or an effective teaching tool.
Bulletin boards and student work taped to the wall can make a teacher's room look inviting or cluttered. It is a teacher's preference how to decorate a room, but the jury is out on the effectiveness of this practice.
Bulletin Boards in the Classroom
I am a middle school teacher and am not as artistically inclined as my elementary counterparts. However, I do create bulletin boards, and I do hang work on my walls. I find that middle school students (boys and girls) love to help design and make bulletin boards. Sometimes I ask students to either design bulletin boards or to put them up for me as a time saver. Pre-service teachers can be a big help too.
Many high school teachers do not use bulletin boards as a teaching tool, unlike most elementary teachers and some middle school teachers. It seems that the older the students are that the bulletin boards are used less.
Student Work Displayed on the Walls
Sometimes my room looks like a tapestry of student work on the walls, and sometimes they are blank. To reinforce key concepts, I like to hang student work. I don’t just pick the best pieces; I like to hang them all up on the walls. I find that this inevitably helps bolster the quality of the work for all students. Students show others their work, and they talk about the best ones. The key for this to be effective is to take it down after a week.
On the flip side of “plaster the walls with student work”, I have had teachers tell me that this is a distraction or too much stimulation for struggling students. So what is a best practice when it comes to bulletin boards and student work? I think that variety is the key.
Bulletin Boards in the Classroom
I am a middle school teacher and am not as artistically inclined as my elementary counterparts. However, I do create bulletin boards, and I do hang work on my walls. I find that middle school students (boys and girls) love to help design and make bulletin boards. Sometimes I ask students to either design bulletin boards or to put them up for me as a time saver. Pre-service teachers can be a big help too.
Many high school teachers do not use bulletin boards as a teaching tool, unlike most elementary teachers and some middle school teachers. It seems that the older the students are that the bulletin boards are used less.
Student Work Displayed on the Walls
Sometimes my room looks like a tapestry of student work on the walls, and sometimes they are blank. To reinforce key concepts, I like to hang student work. I don’t just pick the best pieces; I like to hang them all up on the walls. I find that this inevitably helps bolster the quality of the work for all students. Students show others their work, and they talk about the best ones. The key for this to be effective is to take it down after a week.
On the flip side of “plaster the walls with student work”, I have had teachers tell me that this is a distraction or too much stimulation for struggling students. So what is a best practice when it comes to bulletin boards and student work? I think that variety is the key.
Posted by
Kellie Hayden
Kellie Hayden
Students use electronic devices to cheat on assessments and to plagiarize papers in school. Teachers need to be aware and to try and stop this terrible moral issue.
Now that computers are used as a learning tool and students have MP3 players, programmable calculators and cell phones the size of a credit card or smaller, students are using these electronic devices to cheat.
How They Use Computers, MP3 Players and Cell Phones to Cheat
How to Try and Stop Electronic Cheating
Schools need to have strong rules for individual use of the computer. If students take assessments for other students or use the computer to cheat, they should lose their computer privileges along with consequences from the principal and parents.
Schools need to make strong plagiarism rules for students. If students copy papers, there should be strong consequences such as taking a zero, serving a detention or if the problem persists, receiving a suspension from school.
Teachers need to discuss these problems with students. Students need to understand that cheating is a serious offense. Some students do not think it is a "big deal."
Of course, there are some students who will always try to cheat. Some will get caught and some will not. Teachers are educators and not the police. However, there are a few things that educators can do to help deter it.
How They Use Computers, MP3 Players and Cell Phones to Cheat
- Students "borrow" or buy essays off the Internet
- Student text message answers to each other during an assessment
- Students put answers on MP3 player or programmable calculators before assessments
- Students log on as another student to take assessments on the computer for activities such as Study Island (practice questions on an Internet site for achievement test) or Accelerated Reader (students take tests over books that they read to reach a goal)
How to Try and Stop Electronic Cheating
Schools need to have strong rules for individual use of the computer. If students take assessments for other students or use the computer to cheat, they should lose their computer privileges along with consequences from the principal and parents.
Schools need to make strong plagiarism rules for students. If students copy papers, there should be strong consequences such as taking a zero, serving a detention or if the problem persists, receiving a suspension from school.
Teachers need to discuss these problems with students. Students need to understand that cheating is a serious offense. Some students do not think it is a "big deal."
Of course, there are some students who will always try to cheat. Some will get caught and some will not. Teachers are educators and not the police. However, there are a few things that educators can do to help deter it.
Rural Students Need Extra Help
Posted by
Kellie Hayden
Kellie Hayden
Rural students have problems just like urban students. Most people do not realize these problems because the rural students are out of the limelight of the media.
Rural middle and high school children do not have the experiences that urban and suburban children have; therefore, they should be considered a special population. They experience many difficulties in realizing their gifts and talents, mostly due to being isolated geographically.
Rural Schools Struggle to Help Students Reach Their Academic Potential
Rural schools have certain characteristics such as being too small. This sometimes makes it difficult to provide challenging academic programs. Plus, many of the schools are under-funded due to lack of industry and tax base. Many homes are literature poor without newspapers, magazines or books. So, many young students come to school several steps behind their urban or suburban counterparts.
Probably the strongest but least cited reason talented students do not get to reach their potential is that rural parents want their children to stay in the country and not go off to the city. Parents and community leaders fear “brain drain” because there is little work to keep them coming back home.
Rural Communities and Schools Instill Survivalist Attitudes
However, the rural attitude of “pull yourself up by your bootstrap” and “don’t be a burden on someone else” has produced many talented adults. These successful rural adults may not receive the proper academic gifted classes, but their parents’ work ethic and survivalist attitude instill in them a desire to succeed.
Rural Students Need Additional Attention and Adequate School Funding
I believe that rural children should be considered a special population. Many students come to school miles behind their suburban and urban counterparts because of their isolated homes. Most have never been to in a museum, a zoo, or a concert until they reach school. They need special attention and adequate funding to compete with other urban and suburban students.
Rural Schools Struggle to Help Students Reach Their Academic Potential
Rural schools have certain characteristics such as being too small. This sometimes makes it difficult to provide challenging academic programs. Plus, many of the schools are under-funded due to lack of industry and tax base. Many homes are literature poor without newspapers, magazines or books. So, many young students come to school several steps behind their urban or suburban counterparts.
Probably the strongest but least cited reason talented students do not get to reach their potential is that rural parents want their children to stay in the country and not go off to the city. Parents and community leaders fear “brain drain” because there is little work to keep them coming back home.
Rural Communities and Schools Instill Survivalist Attitudes
However, the rural attitude of “pull yourself up by your bootstrap” and “don’t be a burden on someone else” has produced many talented adults. These successful rural adults may not receive the proper academic gifted classes, but their parents’ work ethic and survivalist attitude instill in them a desire to succeed.
Rural Students Need Additional Attention and Adequate School Funding
I believe that rural children should be considered a special population. Many students come to school miles behind their suburban and urban counterparts because of their isolated homes. Most have never been to in a museum, a zoo, or a concert until they reach school. They need special attention and adequate funding to compete with other urban and suburban students.
Posted by
Kellie Hayden
Kellie Hayden
A student teacher in the classroom can give students exciting lessons and cutting edge educational strategies. They may be green, but they are fun!
Hosting a student teacher can be beneficial to the teacher and the students. Consider sharing expertise and hosting a student teacher this year. Student teachers come with excitement and usually a high amount of motivation. The students think they are “cool,” and they can give a harried teacher a break.
When some seasoned teachers are asked to take a student teacher, they think about it and turn it down. Student teachers do take some extra effort and work, but once they get going in the right direction, they are a great help to the teacher.
Student Teachers Can Start Helping Right Away
First, get student teachers helping with grading, making bulletin boards and working with struggling students. After a student teacher has been in the classroom a couple weeks or several days, he or she can start teaching individual lessons.
Within one to three weeks, most student teachers are ready to completely take over. This leaves the teacher time to work with struggling students, catch up on grading and critique the student teacher.
Don't Refuse a Student Teacher, Embrace The Opportunity to Help
The main reasons that most teachers refuse to take a student teacher are that they need total control of their classroom or that they have had a “bad” student teacher in the past.
I, personally, have had a couple of “bad” student teachers in the past 10 years, but I have had so many wonderful ones. So, next time a principal asks you to take a student teacher, give it a try. Your students will thank you for it, and you may learn something from the student teacher. I always do.
When some seasoned teachers are asked to take a student teacher, they think about it and turn it down. Student teachers do take some extra effort and work, but once they get going in the right direction, they are a great help to the teacher.
Student Teachers Can Start Helping Right Away
First, get student teachers helping with grading, making bulletin boards and working with struggling students. After a student teacher has been in the classroom a couple weeks or several days, he or she can start teaching individual lessons.
Within one to three weeks, most student teachers are ready to completely take over. This leaves the teacher time to work with struggling students, catch up on grading and critique the student teacher.
Don't Refuse a Student Teacher, Embrace The Opportunity to Help
The main reasons that most teachers refuse to take a student teacher are that they need total control of their classroom or that they have had a “bad” student teacher in the past.
I, personally, have had a couple of “bad” student teachers in the past 10 years, but I have had so many wonderful ones. So, next time a principal asks you to take a student teacher, give it a try. Your students will thank you for it, and you may learn something from the student teacher. I always do.
Posted by
Kellie Hayden
Kellie Hayden
For the young lady and gentleman, prom means a memorable evening. For parents, it means digging deep in their wallets. The best plan is to have one.
With the robins returning for spring also comes prom season. Because hundreds to thousands of dollars can easily be spent on this one night, it is good to have a plan.
Parents, do you have a plan or better yet a budget for prom night?
Expense for the Young Lady
If you happen to be the lucky parent of a daughter, dig deep in those pockets. She will need the following:
Expense for the Young Man
Parents of boys, you just have to worry about renting a tux and the shoes. And, maybe making your son get a hair cut.
Expense to Be Decided
Who will get to pay for the prom tickets, ride there (many rent limos), pictures, dinner before and activities afterward? Parents, it is best to converse with the prom date’s parents before the big night to decide who will pay for what on that oh so special, yet oh so expensive night.
So, make a budget and discuss the night with your child and the date's parents several weeks before prom night.
Parents, do you have a plan or better yet a budget for prom night?
Expense for the Young Lady
If you happen to be the lucky parent of a daughter, dig deep in those pockets. She will need the following:
- Dress
- Special undergarments
- Earrings, necklace and bracelet and possibly hair accessories
- Shoes
- Bag
- Make-up, lotion, and perfume
- Tanning package
- Hair appointment
- Nail appointment
Expense for the Young Man
Parents of boys, you just have to worry about renting a tux and the shoes. And, maybe making your son get a hair cut.
Expense to Be Decided
Who will get to pay for the prom tickets, ride there (many rent limos), pictures, dinner before and activities afterward? Parents, it is best to converse with the prom date’s parents before the big night to decide who will pay for what on that oh so special, yet oh so expensive night.
So, make a budget and discuss the night with your child and the date's parents several weeks before prom night.
Posted by
Kellie Hayden
Kellie Hayden
How should teachers handle note passers in middle school? It has been happening since the dawn of time. Do those kids really need a detention or something else?
Let me start by saying that I love to talk and was guilty of passing a few notes in class during my days in middle school. The trick was to fold it just right so that tape was not involved in sealing the hand written letter and passing the note when the teacher was not looking.
That being said, I am a big girl now and have my own classroom. I watched out of the corner of my eye as one of my university field experience students found a student with a letter. He brought it directly to me and was quite affronted that one of my students had a note. I smirked.
When does note passing require a consequence?
I think that note passing is a right of passage at the middle school. I don't get too bent out of shape if I see them on a student's desk. I throw them away without reading them when they end up on the floor.
But...
I do take care of business when
* the student is disrupting the class by passing the note
* the student is not taking class notes but writing a personal note
* the student writes horrible things about another and reads it aloud -- yes, this happened in a class
So, I am betting that most of you have your note passing stories. I just think in the schools today where students worry about drug dogs in the halls, bullies in the lunch room and gangs on the corner that note passing is not that big of a deal. You may disagree.
That being said, I am a big girl now and have my own classroom. I watched out of the corner of my eye as one of my university field experience students found a student with a letter. He brought it directly to me and was quite affronted that one of my students had a note. I smirked.
When does note passing require a consequence?
I think that note passing is a right of passage at the middle school. I don't get too bent out of shape if I see them on a student's desk. I throw them away without reading them when they end up on the floor.
But...
I do take care of business when
* the student is disrupting the class by passing the note
* the student is not taking class notes but writing a personal note
* the student writes horrible things about another and reads it aloud -- yes, this happened in a class
So, I am betting that most of you have your note passing stories. I just think in the schools today where students worry about drug dogs in the halls, bullies in the lunch room and gangs on the corner that note passing is not that big of a deal. You may disagree.
Surviving Before Break Craziness
Posted by
Kellie Hayden
Kellie Hayden
If you're a teacher, spring break is around the corner. The kids get wound up, and it seems that everything is due. Here are some suggestions to survive.
Spring Break....
Ah yes, a time for the sun and a break. But, in teacher speak, when spring break time roles aroud, it means more PDA in the hall, grades are due, the students are antsy and the teachers are wooped.
So, how does an overworked educator survive?
Five Things a Teacher Can Do Before Spring Break
Ah yes, a time for the sun and a break. But, in teacher speak, when spring break time roles aroud, it means more PDA in the hall, grades are due, the students are antsy and the teachers are wooped.
So, how does an overworked educator survive?
Five Things a Teacher Can Do Before Spring Break
- Make packets of review for upcoming achievement tests. They may be drill and kill worksheets, but it will keep the students busy. It never hurts to review!
- Assign Sustained Silent Reading (SSR) -- In other words, quiet reading means teachers can get paperwork done. And, reserch proves that reading improves vocabulary.
- Create a game where students keep track of their points and earn prizes for good behavior before spring break. Middle school kids love prezels and pop or soda. Pretzels are cheap!
- Organize a project where students are making items and are learning independently. This takes care of their energy. Busy hands mean less discipline problems.
- Get a movie or documentary that goes along with your unit of study. Yes, movies on a topic they are studying encourages connections and learning. And, what a great break for the students and the teacher.
Posted by
Kellie Hayden
Kellie Hayden
This is a list of ten things teachers can do to help their students perform well on high stakes tests. As testing becomes more important, the preparation is crucial.
It seems that lawmakers believe that testing is the magic bullet to fix education. Unfortunately, this means that students are tested repeatedly. Schools, teachers and principals are held accountable for those scores. So, teachers need to do their best to have their students be successful on these high stakes tests.
To prepare for the stress and the tests, here are ten suggestions and ideas:
To prepare for the stress and the tests, here are ten suggestions and ideas:
- Know content standards and create lessons that relate to them
- Pretest students early to find out what they already know and understand
- Cover all standards, but focus on the ones where students struggle
- Practice test taking with old tests; it helps for students to be familiar with test language and format
- Use “drill and kill” practice some, but find other ways for students to learn standards as well
- Do quarterly assessments to see where students need assistance
- Create a word wall of difficult words that are used on the test; each week a couple of new words can be introduced
- Find creative ways to motivate students, such as games and interesting projects for review
- Talk to students about importance of tests; however, students should not become overly stressed about them
- Give peppermint candy, drinks, and breakfast food on day of test. This gives students energy, and they can help relax students