Using Handhelds in Elementary & Middle School Classes

Think about the advantages of hand-held computers in classrooms! They are less expensive than laptop and desktop computers and more practical for student use. In Virginia some students are using handhelds to record their voices while practicing foreign languages, some are working with computerized pens to work with multiplication and division, and some are recording scientific data. Schools that are looking to giving all students computers might consider what hand-held computers can do in education. If you are using hand-helds in your classroom, let us know about your successes.

Smart Kids Who Don't

We all know kids who start out in school with a great deal of promise, but end up with mediocre or worse academic records. Stanford Professor Carol Dweck is studying why some students achieve their potential and others don't. She's found the difference is whether people "look at ability as something inherent that needs to be demonstrated or as something that can be developed." Those who are more interested in showing what they can do rather than learning more, end up rejecting challenges and meeting with failure. After a number of failures, they are sure that they can't achieve, even though they can. Dweck's work also relates to moral development and how kids perceive themselves. If they see themselves simply as good or bad, they don't have room to grow like those kids who make a mistake and realize that they can work to improve. Interesting thoughts for teachers.

Crude, Rude Society

You see bad manners every day on television, you hear them on the radio, you experience them in your community, in your school, and in communication on the Net and through cell phones. What are children to think when they watch reality shows where nasty comments are rampant? What are children learning on social networks, in chat rooms, and on gaming sites? Has crude become acceptable? What about respect, thoughtfulness, kindness, consideration, and empathy? What about thinking before speaking and acting-before sending a nasty email or whipping off a 'not-so-kind' Instant Message? Schools are adding character education and manners and the social graces programs to their curriculum in an effect to teach their students that inappropriate actions and comments they encounter should not be copied, for if they do, their actions could come back to haunt them. What's your school doing to counteract the nastiness norm?

Middle School Crisis?

Sometimes it's a challenge to engage adolescents in learning. They are so full of life, but many aren't overly enthusiastic when it comes to their studies. They are constantly testing boundaries both at school and home. While some teachers excel with this age group, many do not, and the turnover rate is high. The U.S. government has funded projects to study how to best help teachers and schools more effectively engage adolescents in learning. What are your suggestions for our middle schools? Add them on the Teaching Matters site and also here on Power to Learn.

Can You Teach a Duck to Climb?

The video Animal School from the Raising Small Souls parenting site is an excellent reminder for all of us about how different the children in our classrooms can be. In a very effective way, it tackles teaching techniques and the need to understand learning styles and problems faced by the children in our classrooms.

Teachertube

Teachertube.com is a place where teachers are uploading teaching videos that you can use with your students. For example, there's Mrs. Burk (rapping with the basic math facts), Making Posters with Microsoft Excel, Pay Attention (about digital learners), Video Podcasting, Camstudio Quick Lesson, and much more. You can download the video and accompanying materials for your lessons, and you can upload your own video and materials. The site also has a blog, which will provide you with the latest information about TeacherTube.

Do you know a young hero?

Do you know a student hero who is between 8 and18 years old? If so, you might want to nominate your hero for the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes. Ten heroes are selected yearly. You'll need to fill out the application packet by April 30, 2007.

Your School Security

It's always a good idea to review your school's security procedures and update your school's crisis plan. Although it's impossible to cover every possible scenario, a well-developed plan is important, as is practice of the procedures listed in the plan. Make sure your parents are informed of what's in the plan. They need to know what happens during a lockdown, for example, and they need to know that you are working to keep their children as safe as they can possibly be. Check out this model crisis plan for Virginia schools, the Department of Education's Action Guide, security tips from the National Association of Independent Schools (written in 2002, but still very appropriate), and these resources from the National Association of School Psychologists. Know of other good resources like these? Let us know!

A Kinder, Gentler World

We worry about dangers to our students, especially when we consider terrorist attacks and attacks such as the tragedy on the Virginia Tech campus. Our schools have crisis plans, and we practice lockdowns. Perhaps one way we can avoid dangers from within our schools is to work with parents to help our children become more empathic and caring and compassionate toward others. The Random Acts of Kindness site is an excellent place to get inspiration for helping kids understand the importance of thoughtfulness and kindness. It's a great resource to share with parents, too. What are your ideas on promoting a kinder, gentler world?

Court Rules MySpace Postings are Free Speech

A Court of Appeals in Indiana has ruled that a judge violated the First Amendment rights of a teen when he placed her on probation for posting an expletive-laden entry on MySpace criticizing a school principal. In February 2006, Greencastle Middle School Principal Shawn Gobert discovered a Web page on MySpace purportedly created by him. The unidentified teen, who did not create the page, made derogatory postings on it concerning the school's policy on body piercing. The state filed a delinquency petition in March alleging that teen's acts would have been harassment, identity deception and identity theft if committed by an adult. A judge ruled that her comments were obscene and placed her on nine months probation. The teen argued that her comments were protected political speech under both the state and federal constitutions because they dealt with school policy. This incident magnifies the growing concern of many schools about exactly where does a school's authority end. Will parent and teachers become more and more adversaries rather than partners because of these kinds of incidents? Would love to hear your comments on this.