Smartboard resources!

More to come...

http://www.mrshurleysesl.com/smartboards/index.html
http://www.theteachersguide.com/SmartBoards.htm

Instant online education

cosmolearning.com
Learning whatever you want with college lectures is right at your mouse-click... More explanation later...

Like Lilly Like Wilson - Taylor Mali (Be Inspired!)

And THIS ...

A collection of Graphic Novels - focused on diversity, social justice, and current issues

I will preface this entry with a confession; I am a graphic novel junkie. As an artist and avid fiction reader these little gems are my multimedia aesthetic fix. They are full of beautiful images, sounds (in the form of *boom* and *pow*), and often have exciting action-filled plots played out by emotional and intricate characters. While some graphic novels can only be found on the Internet, I prefer, and in fact crave, the smell of ink, glue, and the feel of glossy pages flipping under my fingers. I discovered graphic novels in middle school and they called to my adolescent senses. I was not the only teenager partaking of this textual drug either. And today they are more popular and readily available than ever.

Students, especially those in middle and high school, have a desire and a need to talk about current issues surrounding politics, policy, human rights, and diversity. When we bring such topics into the classroom in a respectful and honest way student voices are validated, current issues are discussed, and motivation to engage with text and learning is increased. I stumbled upon a few graphic novels that cover current issues and could serve as paired text for history, social/political science, current issues, genre study, and/or a mentor text (among other things). These topics, presented in a highly accessible multimedia format, will capture just about any teen at any reading level but can be appropriate for younger students as well.  To provide some grounding for this social justice approach to literacy, I would recommend reading Critical Literacy and Writer's Workshop: Bringing Purpose and Passion to Student Writing by Lee Heffernan. This book offers philosophical insight, practical and applicable tips, and a glimpse of the success that this form of literacy can provide. It reads fast, being only 86 pages in total, and will give you valuable information for this approach.

Read on for an annotated bibliography of these graphic novels, along with some links to lesson plans, discussion questions, and author websites and biographies...

Themed Text Sets - A Resource

Research says that integrating all subjects within a theme support achievement. When one topic is infused within all of the subject areas students are able to make connections between subjects and truly unify their knowledge in a relevant way. Vocabulary is strengthened when themes are used because words are used and repeated regularly. The following resources give sets of themed books to assist teachers with the task of centering learning around a theme.

Math? Fun? What is wrong with YOUR left brain?!?

Those of us who thrive on numbers, calculations, and abstract concepts are left-brain dominant. Those who love art, music, and are good at facial recognition and spatial abilities are right-brain dominant. This can often be determined by which hand you write with; lefties are right-brained and righties are left-brained. (Strange, I know.) See this informational link to learn why. Try also the Split Brain interactive learning game (just for fun).

So, from a person who resides mostly in her right mind (*wink*), I can say that geometry is SO much easier than algebra. Math is a struggle for me because I am slightly dyslexic and very literal. Abstract things escape me unless I have a strong conceptual understanding and first hand knowledge. Don't get me wrong, I love math when I get it. It just takes me forever to get it. NCTM Illuminations sent me a link to this math game called neXtu and I think it is a great avenue into math for kids who function like I do; mostly artistically and emotively and concretely and not very numerically.

Read more for a link to the neXtu game, as well as some other math game links for number fun!

A phonics instruction idea...

This entry will be quick and to the point (possibly even scattered), but I want to get the idea down and may have to come back for editing.

I am currently attempting to earn my reading endorsement and have to take a literacy assessment class. My professor, Deborah White, and the author of our text book which I would highly recommend because it is straight forward and full of practical techniques (Assessment First published by Scholastic), gives instructions for using alphabet charts while teaching phonemic awareness to students on page 65 (*gasp!*). In short (very short), she and her students chant the alphabet while looking at visual representations of each sound. Her example is "A, a, apple /a/, /a/, /a/. B, b, ball /b/, /b/, /b/." This activity benefits students because it addresses multiple ways of learning, it supports English Language Learning, and boosts motivation and interest. But I think there is a way to highlight these benefits. I will explain...