Tag Archives: United States

We are Called to Inspire our Students even in the Last Few Weeks of School…Remember the “Why” in Choosing to Teach


(Picture posted on Facebook by Teacher2Teacher #T2T)

We have limited days left with our students.

What a blessing it has been to greet them each morning as they enter our building, our classroom. To be able to tell them they can learn the impossible and see that which is not visible. Be a caregiver, boo-boo healer, magician, entertainer, disciplinarian and mentor. To be a dispenser of hope and a well of motivation and inspiration. Provide them examples to model after and to strive to emulate.

What a blessing it has been to be all we are called to be to them this school year.

We as educational support staff, teachers and administrators  have modeled for those placed in our care more than we will ever know.

Hopefully, we have modeled positive conflict resolution, how to demonstrate and hopefully deal with disappointment and frustration, how to be kind in words and actions and how to forgive.

Our students have watched and listened to our words and actions.

As one who who chooses to work within the world of education, teach and inspire our future leaders of tomorrow, this is so very important for us to remember.
Let us have faith that the seeds and examples we have planted and provide will be watered to bear fruit for many years to come.

May the last few weeks of school be all that you hoped this school year would be …on the first day of school!
May we continue to seek knowledge in all things-

Denise

Principal

St. Augustine Catholic School

Twitter:

@dballwriter and @principal567

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Never Underestimate the Power of Believing in a Child

As educators, we have been blessed with an awesome responsibility to educate the whole child to become productive citizens and leaders of tomorrow.

As an administrator, one of the blessings of my job is to help my faculty and staff be the best they can be in the lives of those placed in their care.

Simple reminders:

*to greet students at the door and actually “see” them each day

*to remember that as an educator, we are the rational adult called to model behaviors for our students…forgiveness, flexibility, humor, compassion etc.

*it is okay for students to know that mistakes have been made or something is not “known” …demonstrate how to build the muscle of “recovery” and “collaboration”

Never underestimate the power we have in lifting up our students to new heights…if you BELIEVE they will ACHIEVE!

 

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things~

Denise

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Great Summer Sites to Utilize for Learning Recommended by MACUL

Hello Everyone,

Below are some great sites to utilize for summer learning!

Engage Your Child  in Active Summer Reading

Gobstopper is a free tool for assigning,aonitoring and leveraging summer reading in the classroom. As students read, they will see questions and get feedback, and they can stay motivated by earning badges. Teachers can use the tool to assign books, check on students’ progress throughout the summer and even benchmark data on students’ mastery of Common Core Standards before the start of the new school year. The tool can be used on all devices that have a browser and Internet access.

 

http://www.gobstopper.com/

 

Challenge Children to Find the Location

GeoSettr helps you create your own GeoGuessr games. When you visit GeoSettr, you will see two screens: the one on the left displays a map with a Pegman; the one on the right, the Street View imagery for the Pegman’s current location. Move the Pegman around, and zoom in if you like, until you find the location that you want students to guess. When you’ve chosen the location, click “set round” to save the location. After you’ve set five rounds (locations), your game is assigned a URL that you can distribute to students. When they play your GeoSettr game, students use the visual clues in the Street View imagery to guess the location. After making a guess, students see the correct location and its distance from their guess.

http://geosettr.com/

 

Let Your Fingers Do the Hiking

Fotonautsfree Fotopedia National Parks app for the iPad, iPhone and iPod touch lets users explore all 58 National Parks in the United States—from Acadia to Zion, including Yosemite, Yellowstone, Grand Canyon and Glacier National Park—a journey that would require several years. Users will first discover the diversity of the national parks through a selected set of 1,500 photos; then they can dive into specific parks to find even more photos. The collection includes 3,000 stunning photos by the renowned professional photographer QT Luong, along with photo-stories based on the images of the national parks. In addition, each image is linked to a related Wikipedia entry. The app is available in 10 languages.

https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fotopedia-national-parks/id406969208

 

See It in 3-D

AndAR Model Viewer is a free Android app that is capable of displaying 3-D models on Augmented Reality markers. The goal is to help young students better understand the differences between shapes such as cones, cubes and squares, a Common Core math requirement. It helps build students’ spatial reasoning—they can zoom in on these objects and interact with them in the virtual space—and it gives students an understanding of what these objects look like in real life.

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=edu.dhbw.andarmodelviewer&hl=en

 

See Mathematics in Action

The National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath) opened in New York City in 2013. The museum’s exhibits and programs aim to stimulate inquiry, spark curiosity and reveal the wonders of mathematics. As part of its commitment to provide engaging, interactive mathematical experiences, MoMath has created Math Midway, a hands-on traveling exhibition that highlights the engaging and playful nature of mathematics. The Math Midway is making appearances at science and technology centers across the country.

http://momath.org/

 

Assemble a Geometric Paper Torso

Australian architect and paper artist Horst Kiechle recently constructed a geometric paper torso complete with modular organs, including lungs, intestines, kidneys, pancreas stomach and more. The piece was made for the Science Lab of the International School Nadi, Fiji. On completion of the model, Kiechle launched an extensive website with free downloadable templates you can print and assemble, along with photographed step-by-step instructions for every piece.

http://torso.amorphous-constructions.com/

 

Explore the Himalayan Glaciers

GlacierWorks, Microsoft and mountaineer/filmmaker David Breashears have collaborated to develop Everest: Rivers of Ice, a new interactive site that takes visitors on a virtual trek to Mount Everest base camp. Virtual travelers make eight stops along the way to base camp. At each stop, they can explore panoramic images of valleys and glaciers. After completing the virtual trek, they can compare the size of Himalayan glaciers in the 1920s to the size of those same glaciers today. GlacierWorks’ mission is to document, educate and raise awareness about changes to the glaciers in the Greater Himalaya through art, science and exploration.

http://www.glacierworks.org/home/

 

 

 

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things~

 

Denise

 

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Online Virtual Tours …A Wonderful Classroom Resource

Hello Everyone,

Our Unlock the Teacher team has been very busy writing but we are always on the lookout for great educational resources to share.  Below is a list of A-M-A-Z-I-N-G online virtual tours that parent or teacher can utilize as a curriculum resource or for some learning fun!  Please check them out and let us know which tour your child(ren) or students liked best.  When we all come together and share best practices, it is our students, our future who benefit.

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things~

Denise

A Hotlist of Virtual Field TripsAn Internet Hotlist on Virtual Field Tripscreated by Group Project

Introduction | Math | Science | The Arts | Social Studies | Language Arts


Introduction

Need to spice up that old lesson?…..check out these great virtual field trips…


The Internet Resources

Math

Science

Language Arts

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Suggested Summer Reading for Teachers and those who Play a Role in the Life of a Child

Having written my thesis on phonics, I found this book a good and reflective read. I am still a believer in the importance of phonics in the classroom and at home but I am and feel we as educators must be, open to others views and opinions. I learned a lot from this book and highly recommend it for your summer “must read” list.

“The Great Reading Disaster: Reclaiming Our Educational Birthright” by Mona McNee and Alice Coleman

Amazon’s Book Description:

 

“By the late 1980s half the nation’s children were receiving eleven years of progressivism schooling that failed to give them even the elementary basis of education that was completed by the age of seven in earlier days. This great reading disaster was caused by the ?look?say? method of teaching, which presented whole words not individual letters. This book explains the causes and provides the solution to this problem. In 2006, the Secretary of State for Education and Skills has ordered schools to use the phonic method but there seems little evidence that its implications are properly understood or that any serious re-training program for teachers is being put in place. The authors believe their explanations and recommendations in this book are thus needed just as much as ever.”

 

 

The next book is an excellent read and has sat in my office on my book shelve for a couple of years now. I have lent it out many times now in hopes that it might inspire those who read it to refuse to give into the easy path and CHOOSE to be the difference in the life of our children…our future! Our Unlock the Teacher team has talked on this before on how we feel ALL children are capable of learning. I know many have heard me tell the story of when I taught in the city and I was told that my students could not or would never understand Shakespeare, so I should not waste my time. Well, not only did my 8th grade English/Literature students learn all about Shakespeare, The Tempest became one of their favorite reads that year. Much of how our students respond in our classrooms or buildings depends most on how we choose to approach our environment and communicate learning expectations. I highly recommend this book for all educational staff and parents too!

 

 

“Dumbing Down Our Kids: Why American Children Feel Good About Themselves but Can’t Read, Write, or Add”

 

Amazon’s Book Description:

 

Dumbing Down Our Kids is a searing indictment of America’s secondary schools one that every parent and teacher should read.
Dumbing Down Our Kids offers a full-scale investigation of the new educational fad, sometimes called “Outcome Based Education” the latest in a long series of “reforms” that has eroded our schools.
-Why our kids rank to, or at the bottom of international tests in math and science

-Why “self-esteem” has supplanted grades and genuine achievements

-How the educational establishment lowers standards and quality in our schools-while continuing to raise their budgets and our school taxes

-The dumbing down of the curriculum so everyone can pass-but no one excel

-How parents, students, and teachers can evaluate schools and restore quality learning.

 

If you have a good book to recommend or your staff has chosen a book to read as a team, please share and together we can learn from each other. It is in the collaborative process that we will make a difference for our children of today and the future of tomorrow.

 

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

 

Denise

 

 

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Unlock the Teacher Promotes Autism Awareness Month…Teacher Resources

As a company which celebrates the gifts of each individual, we wanted to take time to recognize all those with autism that contribute to the greater good!

The following are sites that can be helpful to both parent and teacher of autism children:

We believe that when we share the good in each other, amazing things can happen!

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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Great Pictures of Nature from a Fellow WordPress Blogger in Seattle

Great pictures of nature…take a moment and calm your spirit!

~Denise

Water Images - 52 Weeks 2012

Delay, delays, so this and the next is a bit of catching up.  I’ll work from most recent to earlier in the year.

We work the Seattle’s Fremont Market every Sunday.  Ian goes every week, I go on the first Sunday of the week (it’s a 2 1/2 hour drive, but it’s our best market).  It works – Ian hates doing internet work, I hate rising at 3am… To each their skills at our farm.

March 31

It just kept raining…. so to the kitchen, a glass of water and a window into the rainy day

 

March 30

Glacier, Washington : Hopeful skiiers head for Mt. Baker in the driving rain.

 

March 29

 

March 28

Water falling in mass off a broken gutter onto the speckled pavement creates an abstract pattern that caught my eye.

March 27

It’s dark, it’s wet, it’s cold….getting desperate here….

 

March…

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“You are the Difference” Presentation for Birmingham Public School District’s MLK Educational Training Conference

Unlock the Teacher

Presents

“You are the Difference”

for Birmingham Public School District’s

MLK Educational Training Conference

January 16, 2012

All labor that uplifts humanity has dignity and importance and should be undertaken with painstaking excellence.
~Martin Luther King Jr.

Unlock the Teacher was asked to present at Birmingham Public School District’s MLK Educational Training Conference.   The district invited over thirty presenters to come in an speak on various topics. The entire educational staff for the district was then able to look at all presentations being offered, and choose two to add to their professional development plan.

I was happy to come in and share Best Practices, Anti-Bullying techniques and remind educators the very important responsibility and role we play in the life of a child.  As Carol Buchner once said, “They may forget what you said but they will never forget how you made them feel.”

As educators, we pass on wisdom/skills by modeling  the expected behavior.  Of course, all the wonderful educators knew the importance of these tips. However, sometimes even the most qualified and most dedicated teachers need reminders, and these teachers were positive and a joy to collaborate with today.

“A hundred years from now, it will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much money I had in the bank…but the world may be a better place because I made a difference in the life of a child.”

  — Forest Witcraft

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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Patriotic Lesson Plans for the Classroom or Home School Parent

In order for our students and children to learn pride in our country, then we must model the expected behavior.  I have selected a few sites that I find informative and useful when teaching American History to students k-12.  If you have a great resource that you utilize in your classroom, please share.  It is in the collaborative process that we will succeed!

Patriotic Symbols

http://www.history.ctaponline.org/center/hsscm/index.cfm?Page_Key=1386

Developed by Dr. Priscilla Porter in conjunction with Carol Ann Fullam, Bellflower Unified School District; Lynne Lords, Los Angeles Unified School District; Carrie Tokunaga, Culver City Unified School District; Elisa Field, El Rancho Unified School District; and, Sharon Beatty, Compton Unified School District under the auspices of the Center for History-Social Science Education at California State University, Dominguez Hills

American Government

From the 13 Colonies to Constitution Amendments

http://www.mrdonn.org/government.html

F-R-E-E Power Point Presentations in American History (I love this site!)

http://americanhistory.mrdonn.org/powerpoints.html

Free Video Clips to Accompany Your Great Lessons

http://videoclips.mrdonn.org/index.html

Lesson Planet Lessons

http://www.lessonplanet.com/search?keywords=patriotism&media=lesson

May we seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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Common Core State Standards (CCSS) and Student Workshop Responses Have Been Great…Thank You!

Response to our Common Core State Standards Workshops has Been Amazingly Successful…Thank You!

Unlock the Teacher workshop pictures in schools for the 2010/2011 School Year

Although we worked in schools this past school year 2010/2011 to help align building curriculum to the Common Core State Standards , since we posted our workshops to prepare our calendar for next school year, the response has been amazing!  We are thrilled with the response and inquiring emails are great…we are happy to answer any questions and we work with all schools to include but not limited to public, private and charter.

On this blog alone, we are averaging 40-100 views a day for our workshops and our subscriptions for our blog have doubled. (Note: Since this blog post was written, this blog has surpasses 750,000 views and averages 400-600 views a day. 6/2021)

As we continue to prepare for next year’s schedule, we are also finishing up a few academic eBooks.

Outside of our Common Core State Standards Workshops another hot topic of inquiry from our readers is our Anti-Bullying Workshops.  Brief examples of these workshops will be posted soon.

The positive responses from educators has been so rewarding, as they are my colleagues. To have such great emails commenting that you like what we are trying to do is very humbling and synergistic.

We appreciate all the emails, comments and questions.  We are also trying to write grants now to be able to provide workshops for those schools who have asked but cannot afford it for their staff or students.

Thank you!

May we continue to seek knowledge in all things,

Denise

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