Teaching About Groups' Contributions

Did you hear that the state of California may now require social studies curriculum to teach about the contributions of GLBT individuals? Read my thoughs on Michael Reagan's article "Gay Social Studies Curriculum?" for a conservative look on the subject.

I recently read an article by famous political son, Michael Reagan, which involved what groups would be credited in a new social studied curriculum. The article, discussed how new California curriculum would now list contributions by people based on their sexual orientation, specifically, California is now the first in the nation required to “include the contributions of gays and lesbians in their social studies curriculum”.

Reagan aptly notes that this legislation not only promotes the gay/lesbian activities and lifestyles, but it opens up students to wondering why these people are qualified in the text as being lesbian, gay or transgendered, and why this aspect of their person makes them more special than other peoples. Sure, everyone loves to get credit, but is it really necessary to qualify the contributor with some sort of label? Although somewhat facetiously, Reagan wonders, “When I was a youngster I was teased and bullied for being an adopted child. In view of my personal experiences, should we add the contributions of adoptees to the legislation? How about adding the contributions of skinny kids, or kids with red hair, or extra-long legs or eyeglasses”?

I'm certainly not saying that all qualifications descriptions are bad, certainly not. In fact some "qualifications" (as Reagan puts it) enhance the story because the qualification or description is pertinent to the story. For example, it wouldn't make sense to omit that Rosa Parks was a black woman, the story of a woman sitting on a bus wouldn't be sensational or ground breaking. If we didn't know Ray Charles was blind he'd just be another (albeit, great) piano player. Beethoven's deafness was also astounding because it directly related to his musical contribution, and made the beautiful pieces of music even more unbelievable. I think what Reagan— and I— are stressing is that it should be the contribution and the contributor, not chosen circumstances that are the stress in the textbook.

The wise teacher should remember to teach the concepts of the text, but focus on the person himself, not what the person does; meaning that the teacher would discuss the any contributr to society but not necessarily focus on their sexuality. Similarly, a teacher may discuss the importance of the presidency, while still not agreeing with a President's moral and political actions.
Ultimately, this issue of what should and shouldn't be included in textbooks, and who should be involved with textbook selection is relevant to educational leaders.Curriculum selection also relates to the way teachers omit or stress points in the textbook or mandated curriculum.
For more articles on curriculum selection visit:

http://dianelockridge.hubpages.com/hub/Who-Should-Influence-Curriculum-Development

http://dianelockridge.hubpages.com/hub/How-Christians-Should-Choose-School-Curriculum

Kid Craft: Foam Visors with Letters

photo by: David Castillo Dominici

If you're looking for a fun and inexpensive craft look no further. Perfect for a rainy day, or for a birthday craft, you can personalize foam visors with foam letters or shapes. Creating things with foam accessories is not only quick and simple, you can reuse the leftover pieces for a future craft endeavors.

Kids love to personalize things— at least my kids do. If they see something in the store with their name on it, they just “have to” have it. And when their birthday signs they we hang each year inevitably end up hanging in their room until the next banner with their name appears in the kitchen on their birthday. With that thought in mind, I ran across a cute craft that your children will likely enjoy making just as mine did. It only takes two basic supplies— foam visors and foam sticker— but it will be well worth the time it takes for your child to create it, since they can enjoy their handiwork each time they leave the house.

Head to the local teacher-supply, craft store, online or at the discount dollar store and look for a colorful visor for each child. I found visors at a teacher-supply store for $1 each (but I think I’ve seen them in multiple packs at the dollar store before). Select a few foam sticker packs for the children to use to decorate their visor. Look for a variety of shapes and colors, and grab a few packs of letters too. It seems that the manufacturers never seem to add enough “RSTLNE” and A’s to the pack for several children to be able to spell their names fully. And while you are near the craft supplies, consider grabbing some googly eye stickers too, they just look so cute on almost anything!

1. Spread the craft supplies out on the table, and allow children to apply the stickers to the visor as they prefer. (Tip: Remove strap from the visor and lay the visor flat on the table covered in newspaper or a brown paper bag (to protect the surface).
2. Help children select the correct letter (for example Ns and Zs can look so similar) and help them take off the sticker backing as necessary.
3. Peel the sticker backing off the letters or shapes you've bought.
4. Place the foam sticker on the appropriate place on the visor.
5. Replace the unused foam stickers in a bag for use next time.

Clean up is relatively simple, yet those sticker backings may pop up around the house for the next few days. And don’t forget to take pictures of the constructing process and the final product. Kids LOVE to show off what they have created themselves, and long-distance relatives are sure to enjoy seeing the kids make and wear their handiwork.

OPTIONS
Pass out permanent markers or glitter glue, and let kids draw on the top part of the foam visor.
 

How to Lecture for Student Participation- Whole Brain Teaching

Have you ever sat in a classroom lecture and fallen asleep? If not, you are certainly a better student than me! The teacher in this classroom can't help but have engaged students, and he likely has students with great grades too, since he requires participation from everyone at multiple times during his classroom lecture.

While this lecture technique may be a little too disjointed for my tastes, I can definitely understand how students would enjoy this method of learning, particularly those who learn by aurally— since they will remember what is heard and what they themself say.

Check out this brief video (5 minutes) for an example of how to lecture in a new and exciting way that the instructor— Chris Biffle— calls Whole Brain Teaching.

Brief Video on Learning Preferences

WHY?

To say my kids "enjoy" trying to stump me and my husband is an understatement. The problem is, they keep asking us the same questions every day, and try to get us to not answer correctly. Not only are the questions SOOOOO simple (okay, I'll cut them a break, they are only in 4th, 3rd, and 2nd grades) but the questions are just so inane too. 

So while looking for the next great book to introduce my kids' repetoire, I stumbled upon the book that I think might educate both them and me a bit, or at least it would make for some great dinner conversation. The Time for Kids "Big Book of Why" seems like the perfect book, doesn't it?

  

Thought for the Day

"If you would thoroughly know anything, teach it to others."
Tryon Edwards 

   

"We learn by teaching."
James Howell 

Reading and Drawing- a Great Relationship

Parents and teachers alike all wish to instill a love of reading in their students. But sometimes the child isn't the most willing participant. In steps a great graphic book (with kid-friendly storylines) such as Jeff Kinney's "Diary of a Wimpy Kid" series.  If your child hasn't seen the movie, or read the books, it's a fun-filled story of Greg Heffley, who despite all his good intentions, can't seem to break free from his wimpy persona.

To learn more about the Wimpy Kid series and learn how to draw the fun characters, check out the brief instructional video below:

 

And check out the link below for a set of 5 books in the "Wimpy Kid" series.

This Date- Ideas for Celebration

Calendars are a great way to get ideas of how to celebrate the little things with your children or kids in your classroom,  but when your free calendar only lists the major holidays, or when you forget to look up the info on the internet, a book can be a great place to look for ideas for ways to bring a little fun into what could be a boring school day. In walks the great book "On This Date: A Day-by-Day Listing of Holidays, Birthday and Historic Events, and Special Days, Weeks and Months".

If a website with the info is more your thing, consider visiting http://www.brownielocks.com/month2.html for a list of many of the major holidays for the 2013 year.

Learn Sign Language At Home

Interested in sign language? 

I've been interested in learning more about sign language ever since I learned the motions to the song "Jesus Loves Me." To that end, I joined the sign language club in high school, purposefully watched the TV shows on PBS with a sign language interpreter, and took free classes in college just to learn more. I even taught my children basic signs when they were babies, and encouraged them to watch educational sign language shows as well.

Maybe you've just become interested in sign language, or maybe you want to introduce your family or students to this form of communication. Either way, check out the some of the great resources listed in THIS ARTICLE, which can help you learn sign language in the privacy of your own home.

October is Anti-Bullying Month

Although some adults may think that bullying is a normal childhood phenomenon, but time have changed. Bullying used to be seen as a shunning on the playground, however today's youth face much more serious problems such as cyberstalking. 

Sometimes it can be difficult to prove that a bullying situation exists, that's why gathering evidence of the incidents is so important. A "bullying journal" can be just the thing to prove incidents to school or local law authorities.  So just what is a bullying journal? Check out THIS ARTICLE for more information.  

And check out the great resource below for ways to teach children about the seriousness of bullying.

Tips for Volunteering in the Classroom

Photo credit: Arvind Balaraman

Looking for a way to help your child's school teacher? Check out the article  '13 Ways to Help Your Child's Teacher' for a suggestions on how to help out in the classroom without breaking your budget or investing too much time. Cleaver lists simple suggestions such as sharpening pencils, being a book-buddy, and helping out with general organization throughout the year.

Similarly, I suggest reading the article 'Why Do You Volunteer?' to check your motives on volunteering in your Child's classroom.

Tips for the New (and Old) Teacher

Photo by

stockimages

I often contribute to a blog for the The School Box teacher supply store, and was reading their latest blog roll. In it, a teacher-writer (don't you just LOVE that combo) gives four timeless tips for the teacher just starting her journey in this crazy, yet rewarding world of teaching.  But really, the tips aren't just for the new teacher; they are a sage reminder to keep things in perspective and remember the purpose of teaching.

Check out the article "Four Timely Reminders for All Educators" on The Learning Experience blog.

Classroom Hero Giveaway {from Little Debbie}

Do you love your child's current or former teacher? Why not nominate him or her for the Little Debbie Classroom Hero Giveaway? Check out the short video below for info on how and how often to enter the giveaway:

The Secret to Great Bubbles

Bubbles are fun for the young and old alike, but have you ever really thought about bubbles for an extended period of time?

For example, have you ever wondered how to make the perfect bubble? Ever wondered why bubbles pop when they touch your skin? Ever wondered if there was a way to play with bubbles more without them popping?  

The Steve Spangler team sure has thought about bubbles a lot, and has even created a great video just about the wonders of bubbles.  Check out the video "The Science of Bubbles" below for info on why bubbles are (normally) round, how to make your own bubble solution, and just general bubble fun for everyone.

So go get your Egghead on and start playing, and most importantly keep learning!

Back-To-School Bulletin Board Ideas

Tired of the ho-hum bulletin boards you've used in your classroom year after year?  Sure, recycling is good, but so is creativity! 

Instead of posting those good but already seen bulletin boards from yester-year, spruce up your classroom with the ideas in this article I guest-wrote for The Learning Experience blog. In it you'll find ideas about how your students can get to know you as the teacher, how students can get to know each other, and a fun classroom helper board. 

Supplemental American History Curriculum with WalllBuilders

photo from nixxphotography

Do you love history? I certainly do, in fact, I majored in history in college, mostly because I loved reading about it, and also writing those papers.  One of the main reasons I chose to change my major was based upon a presentation I heard by David Barton, founder and president of WallBuilders, an organization dedicated to informing and educating people about America's Christian heritage. In addition the content that Barton presented, I was impressed with his conversational tone and how he peppered the material with vital information about the Christian perspective and history.

Recently I found out that WallBuilders also has curriculum for kids called “Drive Thru History America” which includes 9 DVD video lessons, a teacher guide, student textbook  and worksheets (answer keys included), along with activities and assignments. Although the video lesson are only 10 minutes each, I’m sure the curriculum would make a great supplement or addition to an existing history curriculum, or a great way to help kindle a students interest in American history.

Explore the WallBuilders website for a list of helpful links on topic such as environmental issues and historical documents, as well as books and resources that you can purchase to learn more about the rich, Christian heritage of our nation.

Grab a Good Book {at your local library, of course}

I'm often telling my kids to sit down and read a book. Thankfully I set a good example, and almost always have a book I'm reading, but how often have you heard the excuse from your child (or student) that books just aren't any fun, or that they don't enjoy reading?  I suggest showing them this vintage library poster that explains the benefits of reading in a fun way.

Taken from Flavorwire

Olympic Teaching Ideas

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Instead of the boring (and let's face it, predictable) “What I did this summer” assignment that teachers inevitably ask their students to write, why not asking students to write about the 2012 Olympics instead? 

Writing starters may include:

·      Who is your favorite Olympian and why?

·      What is your favorite Olympic sport?

Writing starters for older students may include:

·      Background history on the location of the 2012 Olympic games (What makes London so significant).

·      Research the origins of the Olympic games.

                                                                                                       

But don’t think that the Olympics only lend themselves to writing scenarios. Oh no, just think of how the math teacher can discuss ratios and odds when analyzing wins and losses. And keeping track of the number of overall wins is the perfect way to introduce (and reinforce) charts and graphs.

'Reading Rainbow' Reinvented

One of my fondest television memories involved two men- Mr. Rogers and LeVar Burton— of 'Reading Rainbow' fame.  Both aired on PBS for the duration of my young childhood, and both instilled in me a great love of books. I have such fond memories of Mr. LevVar Burton that I became a follower of his on Twitter (no, I'm not a stalker), and was thrilled to recently see that he has reinvented Reading Rainbow for this generation of youngsters, in the form of an iTunes app.


Although the regular Reading Rainbow show went off the air in 2009 due to lack of funding and contract negotiations, the basis for the app is related to the original concept. Sure, teaching children TO read is important, but it is equally as important to teach them WHY to read. The app picks up where the television show left off, helping children become interested in books and reading, while reaching their preference of the tech-savvy generation, on a tablet.

Science Resource for Kids: a Christian Perspective

As a Christian, I find it difficult to find websites and resources that don't mention the phrase "millions of years ago" when referring to animals and plant life. While I try to tune this stuff out when I watch a documentary or read a book, I realize that my children are much more impressionable, and let's just say it, naive, about what is and isn't true.


That's why I'm so happy to endorse the Answers In Genesis website geared towards kid— Kids Answers— which gives information with a Christian worldview. For example, check out this poster pdf on their website:

 

It clearly gives scientific facts, while integrating the goodness of God into the picture. OUTSTANDING!  Check out Kids Answers website for fun printables, video clips (such as the animal of the week), posters, magazines, activities and more!