Summer seems to be flying by way too fast. I came across this today:

 

 

 

So, remember, enjoy every moment with your children!

 

I love making memories with mine.

 

Colorado vacation : July 14 - 19, 2013
 

 

 

Summer's Here

Summer's here!
Another year of school is at an end.
We've learned a lot and grown a lot
and made a lot of friends.
We'll say goodbye,
now summer's here,
it's time for us to part.
But we'll remember all our friends
and keep them in our hearts.
-Helen H. Moore

 

this poem was found on http://forums.atozteacherstuff.com/showthread.php?t=19355

Happy Mother's Day!

Today is a beautiful day!

No...I'm not referring to the weather...it is a beautiful day because it is Mother's Day.

I hope this book reminds you of the beautiful relationship between a mother and her child.

Love You Forever by Robert Munsch is a story about the changing relationship between a mother and son. I was first introduced to this book at a Mother's Day tea in my oldest son's Kindergarten classroom.

 

This book always manages to bring me to tears. So, have the tissues handy!

 



Listen to the author read this book

 

The official Robert Munsch website contains information about the author and lots of special stuff.

Graduation Day

Today is a milestone for me.

 

 

 I graduated from Northwest Iowa Community College with my Associate of Arts degree in Pre-Professional Education.

This picture is courtesy of Northwest Iowa Community College.

Summer--time Fun

I've been thinking about how to keep my kids entertained this summer.
I came across this list of homemade recipes in my files.
Now, I will be armed when I hear cries of "I'm bored" or "there's nothing to do".

Egg Yolk Paint

1 large egg
1/2 tsp water
Food coloring

Crack open the egg and separate the yolk from the white. Put the yolk in a bowl and add the water.

Mix the yolk and water well and then add some food coloring until you reach the desired color.  Make several bowls of this mixture to create different colors.

Uses:  Egg yolk paint can be used to paint designs on sugar cookies before they are baked. You can also use this mixture to paint pictures on heavy paper.

Face Paint Recipe

1 tsp cornstarch
1/2 tsp cold cream
1/2 tsp cold water
Food coloring

Mix the ingredients together and paint away! This will wash off with cold cream.

Homemade Finger Paint

2 cups flour
2 tsp salt
2 1/2 cups cold water
2 cups boiling water
Food coloring

Mix flour with salt. Add the cold water; stir until smooth.  Gradually add this mixture to the boiling water. Boil unti the mixture becomes smooth and thick.  Add the food coloring until you get the desired color.

Milk Paint

1/4 cup sweetened condensed milk
Food coloring

Mix the sweetened condensed milk with desired amount and color(s) of food coloring.

Note: Apply this paint in a thin layer because it will take a long time to dry.

 

Puff Paint

1 cup salt
1 cup sugar
Food coloring
squeeze bottle

Mix ingredients together and put in a squeeze bottle.

To use: Squeeze paint out of the bottle onto the paper.

Spray Paint

water
food coloring
spray bottle

Mix together water and food coloring in a spray bottle.

To use: Hold the bottle about a foot or two away from paper and spray.

Painting with Shaving Cream

Materials:

• Foam Shaving Cream
• Food Coloring
• Aluminum Foil

Instructions:

1. Give each child a sizable sheet of foil or make a huge long one and give each child a section. Be sure the kids are past the stage of putting things in their mouth as this is not as tasty as it looks (you could try it with aerosol whipped cream, though).
2. Give each child a large dollop of the shaving cream in the center of their foil. You could fold up the edges of the foil to keep the shaving cream in place on the foil, if desired.
3. Let the child choose colors from food coloring. Encourage mixing and combinations of several colors.
4. When they are done, their “art” can be allowed to dry and you get a flattened gummy version of their work.

Happy May Day!

The view from our front door
 

 

I did notice that our tulips have buds on them...in the snow! We're having some crazy weather in Northwest Iowa.

Security Issues and Ethics In Education

Businesses, schools, and individuals rely on computers and networks to be safe, reliable and efficient. It is essential to take steps to protect the systems and information from known risks.  Employees, teachers, and students have an obligation to use computers responsibly and not abuse the power of a computer. Schools have the added responsibility and challenge of keeping their students protected against unethical practices and people.
 

DID YOU KNOW...

that an unprotected computer could be compromised by an intruder within 20 minutes?!?

 

As a teacher, I must be prepared to continuously update my educational technology knowlege and technology integration skills to offer future generations the best possible education.  
Following these safe computing tips will help minimize the risk of viruses. Two popular antivirus programs are Norton AntiVirus and McAfee AntiVirus. They can be set up to monitor for viruses, including scanning removal storage media and files downloaded from the Internet. It is important to set this program to update virus definitions automatically every week. Sometimes there are false warnings, known as virus hoaxes, that are spread over the Internet. A quick check of the Symantec Security Response Hoax Web page can verify the validity of any virus warnings.

People can use computers for both good and bad actions.  The standards that determine whether an action is good or bad are called ethics.  Computer ethics are the moral guidelines that govern the use of computers, networks, and information systems.

Five areas of computer ethics frequently discussed are

1. unauthorized use of computers
2. hardware, software, and information theft
3. information privacy
4. copyright
5. the existence of objectionable materials on the Internet

It is important to protect children from being exploited. One way the government has helped is by passing the Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) in 2000. This act protects children from obscene, pornographic, and other information considered harmful to minors. Windows and Mac computers have parental controls available in their operating systems. Parents can use these tools to prevent their children from accessing inappropriate material on the Internet. They can also install special filtering software programs, like Net Nanny, for additional protection. Educators can protect students by implementing these controls and also following an accetable use policy, creating a resource page on their Web site for students to quickly access teacher-approved Web sites, and actively monitoring students as they access the Internet.

PLEASE NOTE: This post is made possible by information found in chapter eight of  Shelly, Gary, Glenda Gunter, and Randolph Gunter. Teachers discovering computers: Integrating technology in a connected world. Seventh Ed. Boston, MA: Course Technology, 2012. Print.

"Oh, the Places You'll Go!"

I was thrilled to discover this website. I am such a fan of Dr. Seuss.

Seussville
This website is the official home of Dr. Seuss. The website is made possible by Random House Children's Books and Dr. Seuss Enterprises, L.P. It is a place for children (and adults!) to learn and explore the world of Dr. Seuss. There are activities and games related to the Dr. Seuss books. The website also features a character guide that tells which book a character appears. The educators' section is filled with news about special events and celebrations, resources to share with students, and tips on incorporating Dr. Seuss books into the curriculum. The parents' section lists Dr. Seuss books by age, offers tips on reading with your kids, and also includes a link to sign up for a monthly newsletter. The monthly newsletter is delivered via e-mail and includes news about upcoming books, contests, games, activities, and more.

Wednesday Wisdom

I'm guessing that there are many teachers who would agree with this picture.

Friday Funny

Here's a sneak peak of summer! Hope you enjoy it!

How Does a Teacher Decide on Technology?

Teachers consider and use the information from many sources to evaluate the appropriateness of educational technologies.

Sources of Information:

• the Local School District
• State Department of Education
• Professional Educational Organizations
• Apps Reviews by other users
• Colleague Recommendations
• Conferences
• The Web

When teachers conduct an evaluation, they ask questions like:

1. Does this technology meet the needs of the curriculum?
2. Is the product or content developmentally and age appropriate for the classroom learning situation?
3. Is is valuable to me?
4. Is it worthwhile?
5. Does this technology enhance the teaching and learning process?
6. Is the technology appropriate? 

A rubric is a great tool to use for evaluation purposes. A rubric is a detailed scoring guide for assessment, based on stated criteria. For example, a teacher can use a software/app evaluation rubic to help assess the quality of software and apps.

To be considered appropriate, educational technology must:

• be suitable for the educational situation
• be motivational
• promote learning at the correct levels of student ability and academic achievement
• address curriculum standards and related learning objectives

Teachers should continue to evaluate the technology while it is being used, as well as after the instruction using the technology is compete.

 

 

 

Finding funds to support classroom technology integration is one of the more difficult aspects of implementing technology in schools. There are many school districts that don't have sufficient funds to incorporate technology at all levels. However, fund-raising drives, academic contests, and grants can often help a school obtain funding.

A World Without Wires

Technology has come a long way. Think about this: when was the last time you used a corded phone? Improvements in technology have given us wireless computers and mobile devices. The picture of the work or classroom environment has changed, too. People are no longer tied to a desk loaded with wired devices. Wireless technology makes it possible to work just about anywhere because of wireless internet connectivity.

It is important to note that wireless communications technology is not new. An Italian inventor, Guiglielmo Marconi, sent and received the first wireless teletype message using radio waves more than 100 years ago. It is thanks to his discoveries that allow us to enjoy the benefits of wireless technology.  In fact, we experience the benefits of wireless technology on a daily basis and take them for granted. For example, my family and I have a wireless home network. My desktop computer has a wireless network card which allows me to access the internet. My netbook also accesses the internet via a wireless connection. Incidentally, my netbook has a Bluetooth USB adapter so I can use my wireless mouse.

There are two items of wireless technology that I would like to have someday – a mobile hotspot device and a tablet. I read that some users are replacing their wired home network routers with a mobile hotspot device. The thing that I am most intrigued by is the idea of taking the device with you to use at a park, or while waiting for an appointment, or on vacation. I think this would be a great device for a teacher to use. She/he could take the kids on a field trip and still (provided there is cellular service) be able to conduct a lesson using technology. Lifehacker.com has a great article on how to choose the fastest, cheapest and most reliable mobile hotspot device. 

Tablets are being used at all levels of education. So, which one do I choose? This article compares specs and features on the Kindle Fire, the iPad 2, and the Nook Color. They are very comparable devices and ultimately, it depends on how I am going to use it.

I found three iPad apps that I think would be helpful to me as a teacher should I choose to go with an iPad.

Teacher's Assistant Pro is an iPad app that boasts it is perfect for busy teachers. The price is $12.99 – but there is a free trial version. It allows the teacher to enter achievement, behavior, or discipline information as it happens and immediately send the report via e-mail to the parents and administrators.

How Rocket Learned to Read teaches kids to read. It reads the story to the child. The child can read the story themselves and when they get to a word they don't know, they tap on that word to have the app pronounce it. There are two games included that help children work on letter skills and learning to spell sight words.

gFlashPro is a fully functional card editor that allows the user to create and edit their own set of flash cards. The app also keeps track of your score. This would be a very versatile app because it could be used for various subjects.

The Joys of Reading

Research shows that children who are exposed to books in their homes and classrooms have interest in a wider range of literature than do children from situations where books are given less attention. 

 

Dr. Seuss had the right idea. In fact, being read to by an adult is the factor most important to success in learning to read. Literature provides the reader with experiences with excitement, adventure, or even struggle. Good writing and an interesting story can transport readers to other places or other times.

I developed a love of reading and books when I was a little girl.  One of my favorite stories was, "Twas the Night Before Christmas". I read this book to my dolls and stuffed animals.           I read it to my "class" when I played school. It didn't matter to    me that it was a story about Christmas. I read that book no matter what time of year it was. I really enjoyed that book.  To this day, I can remember the feel of the pages, the colorful illustrations, and the bright red color of the cover of the book.

The book looked similar to the one pictured here. 

Here are some websites to assist you in your search for children's books.

Harper Collins Children's Books 
Harper Collins Childrens Books website is home to classics such as "Where the Wild Things Are", "Charlotte's Web", and "The Giving Tree". The site has lists of new up and coming books, as well as award winning books.

Database of Award-Winning Children's Literature
This website is owned and operated by Lisa Bartle, a reference librarian at California State University in San Bernardino. This free resource is a collaborative database of award-winning children's literature. The website lists the awards and also gives an explanation on the criteria for winning each award. The database is searchable by a number of parameters including: setting, suggested age of the reader, or genre.

McGraw Hill Children's Literature Database
This website is maintained by the McGraw Hill textbook company. It is a searchable database of children's literature. Choose your topic or other search parameters to locate book(s) of interest.

1-2-3 Eyes on Me, 1-2 Eyes on You

 

The school year will be filled with fun lessons and activities. but we can't get to them unless we follow the rules.

 

Rules for the students:

1. Eyes are looking
2. Ears are listening
3. Lips are closed
4. Hands are still
5. Feet are quiet

Rules for the teacher

1. I listen to 1 student at a time
2. I listen to kids who raise their hands
3. I teach when there are no distractions

It is also important to keep the classroom looking neat and tidy. So, when it is time to clean up, you might hear this song:

 

Twinkle, twinkle little star

Time to clean up where you are

Put your work back in its place

With a smile upon your face

Twinkle, twinkle little star

Time to clean up where you are

 

 

Also, anytime the students hear me say, "1-2-3 eyes on me!" it is their cue to answer saying, "1-2 eyes on you!". Students should stop what they are doing and be quiet so they can hear what is happening next. (Remember the rules for the students.)

I hope my students enjoy their time spent in my classroom. I think it is a great place to learn! 

Welcome

I love watching a child learn. Their minds are so eager to learn. It is amazing to watch how they work through a problem to come up with a solution.  Children get excited about learning new things and love to show off what they know. As a teacher, I get to be a part of that learning process.

So, then why is this blog named "The Student's Path"? Why didn't you use apples in the name, or some combination with abcs or 123s or something like that?

I suppose I could have chosen a more traditional name, however, the world of education is changing and evolving. School isn't just a brick-and-mortar classroom, anymore. There have been many advances in technology and communication tools that have made it possible for new paths for learning. These new paths are revolutionizing education. So, I wanted this blog to foster that feeling of change and growth.















Also, all this talk of paths makes me think of hiking trails. As with hiking on a trail, learning isn't always easy. A child can experience curves and road blocks in their educational path. Sometimes it can be hard to know what direction to go. It can be helpful to have a guide to help you navigate through tricky terrain. I've been down this trail before. Allow me to be your guide on "the student's path".