Is an online course a good option for my child with learning disabilities?

Is An Online Course A Good Option For My Child With Learning Disabilities?

By Kay Johnson, Linda Broatch, M.A

First, you'll want to know if online instruction will work for your child. Taking a course or courses from an online school offers some potential benefits to kids with learning disabilities. The child can avoid the anxiety or embarrassment that his learning difficulties may cause in a classroom setting. If a child is stigmatized or even bullied as a result of his learning problems, online courses can help reduce the distractions that result from these issues. Pacing of instruction in an online school can be highly individualized.

However, especially for children with language-based learning disabilities, an online school may not be a workable choice because content, assignments, and assessment may be largely text-based. Parents will want to ask some basic questions, including:

* Do you have reading specialists on staff to work with my child?

* Do you have academic counselors on staff who can work with our traditional school to determine whether an online course is appropriate for my child?

* What accommodations do you offer students with learning disabilities?

* Do you offer an audio option for delivering content?

* How flexible is the pace of the learning?

* Will the coursework help prepare my child for statewide or district-wide standardized testing in the relevant academic content area? * Will my child be able to use the assistive technology tools he uses at home (or school), for your courses?

* Does the school teach study and/or time management skills?

* How much time and effort is required of parents to support their child's online coursework?

* Does the school offer a trial period so that students can see if an online class is going to work for them?

Kay Johnson, FLVS Communications Liaison, says: "At FLVS we have a team of reading specialists to work with students with reading struggles. If a student is two or three grade levels behind in reading, we can probably come up with strategies to help them. But if they're farther behind than that, it will likely be difficult for them to achieve in this environment. Also, while 'at-risk' students who have family or social-emotional issues can really benefit from face-to-face support, they can do quite well in the virtual school environment with that little extra face-to-face help."

Will my child's traditional school accept online school credits?

Even if an online school has an established relationship with your state's public schools, you should find out whether online school course credits will be accepted by your child's traditional school, and if they meet college admission requirements. There are several basic questions you can ask:

* Is the school accredited by a nationally recognized accreditation agency?

* Do the school's courses align with your state's academic content standards?

* Does the school provide a list of lessons and a recommended timeline for each course?

* How many courses are offered, overall and within specific content areas?

* How often are courses updated?

"All of the courses at our school are accredited and mapped to state and national standards," says Kay Johnson, "but even in that case, to be safe, parents should still make sure before enrolling in online courses that the traditional school is going to accept the credit."

Online Classes for Middle or High Schoolers

If you are thinking about letting your child take online courses not available at their current school, it is important to have the information to pick a reputable program.  Below is an article giving you valuable advice.

Online classes: A choice for your middle or high schooler?

By Kay Johnson, Linda Broatch, M.A

Online academic classes for students in grades six through 12 have become a booming industry over the past decade. Online schools served 700,000 students in 2005-2006, mostly at the high school level.1 Students - and their parents - are drawn to online schools for very practical reasons: Kids can take classes not available locally, they can complete coursework at home, and they can set their own schedule and pace for completing a class.

When you hear the terms "online learning," "distance learning," or "virtual school," you might imagine a student working alone at a computer on an old-style, self-directed correspondence course, with minimal instructor contact. But, in fact, today's more sophisticated online schools may offer students such features as "real time" classroom discussion with the teacher and other students; regularly scheduled and/or "as-needed" phone and email contact with the teacher; assignments based in the real world; or the chance to join group projects and clubs.

Who sets standards for online schools?

Figuring out whether an online school might be a good option for your child and family requires the same kind of careful evaluation process you'd use to select any school. For parents of kids with learning difficulties, identifying a high-quality online school is just the first step. You'll also want to ask some specific questions to find out if a program is a good match for your child's particular strengths and challenges, both academic and technical.

Careful evaluation of online schools is also important because there are big variations in program quality, and in the way states oversee, regulate, and participate in administering these schools. In some states and districts, online schools are a hotly debated topic because of funding, oversight, regulatory, labor, and philosophical issues. As of 2006, according to the North American Council on Online Learning, 38 states had established either state-led online learning, or policies regulating online learning, or both.

There is no body of well-designed research yet on how effective online instruction is for middle school and high school students as a whole. However, there are some "best practices" emerging that help define higher quality programs. This article will describe several basic features to look for in an online school, and suggest questions parents can ask to help evaluate how well a school will meet their child's needs.

We decided to talk with representatives of the 2007 winner of the Best Practice Award from the nonprofit United States Distance Learning Association - the Florida Virtual School (FLVS) - so they could provide us with information and resources for this article. Florida Virtual School has been in operation for 10 years; in 2006 it provided 55,000 half-credit courses to middle and high school students.

Tomorrow the article will address is an online course a good option for my child with learning disabilities?

Happy Memorial Day

             Happy Memorial Day

I want to truly thank all the men and women who served and are serving our country in the armed forces.  It is because of your love dedication to this country all children can get the "Best Education Possible".  God Bless you all and God Bless America!  Have a wonderful Memorial Day!!

Debra West

Great Teacher Gifts: Part 2

Now that 2010-2011 school year is almost over, parents are wondering what they should get their child's teacher to show apprecition. An article from greatschools.com gives some tips, that show your appreciation with gifts that will make teachers smile not sigh.  Below are more suggestions for teacher gifts.

Gifting the inspired, exhausted, and poor

By: Great Schools Staff

1. Coordinated love bomb: The group gift

For a real splurge, the whole class can take up a collection and send the teacher to a spa for a massage or other pampering treatment. Or if your school has a fund for needy children, the class can make a donation in the teacher's name.

If you really think big, the whole school can collaborate on a gift for all the teachers combined. When Susie Kameny was a paraprofessional working with autistic students at Grattan Elementary School in San Francisco, the PTA subscribed to an organic delivery box for the teachers so that they could enjoy fresh fruit in the lounge every week.

Remember, such coordinated group gifts need not break the bank. If you know that a sophomore English teacher loves the work of a local poet, students might write letters to the luminary asking him or her to pay a visit to the class. Does your kid’s chemistry teacher revere a certain Nobel prizewinner? Consider contacting the scientist and asking for an autographed photo and letter.

2. What teachers really need

With many school budgets strapped by the recession, your child's teacher may be spending a lot of his or her own money on basic classroom supplies. So some teachers appreciate the most practical sorts of gifts.

Randi Richards, who retired last year from teaching middle school in Winslow, N.J., says that her favorites over the years were tissues, hand sanitizer, Post-Its, pencils, and pens — all things she used regularly in the classroom.

Don't be shy about asking your teacher what he or she really needs to get the job done. "This saves teachers a lot of out-of-pockets expense in the classroom," says Kate McCauley, the mother of two and a teacher herself for more than 25 years in the Washington, D.C., area. "It's much more useful than a 'world's best teacher' mug."

3. Thoughts that truly count

The most meaningful gifts are often those that show just how much teachers mean to their students. Anita Bell, who teaches third grade in Berkeley, Calif., says: "One year my class and a room parent worked together to make a huge glittering sign with pictures and individual messages on the bottom and 'Anita rocks!' in six-inch glitter letters across the top. I was surprised to find it posted on the classroom door when I came to school one day. It made my day, week, year."

A photo album or scrapbook from the class will deliver the same emotional wallop. Theresa Gramza, a fifth-grade teacher in Vernon Hills, Ill., got a CD on which students and parents had recorded their favorite memories using a service called LifeOnRecord. "All the other teachers were jealous," says Gramza, "and although I received the gift two years ago, I still love listening to the CD."

Especially in these tough financial times, parents and students need not feel obligated to shell out a lot to make teachers feel special. "The best gifts I have gotten are thank-you cards telling me how much the student or parent appreciates me," says Danny Kofke, a special ed teacher in Georgia. "These notes help me realize why I became a teacher — to hopefully make an impact on someone's life and make this world a better place."

Great Teacher Gifts: Part 1

Now that 2010-2011 school year is almost over, parents are wondering what they should get their child's teacher to show apprecition.  An article from greatschools.com gives some tips, that show your appreciation with gifts that will make teachers smile not sigh. Gifting the inspired, exhausted, and poor

By: Great Schools Staff

Teachers are "inspired, exhausted, and poor," quipped a keynote speaker at a recent education conference. Now's the time of year when many parents and students will be wandering the halls of department stores wondering, What gift will help these heroes keep their faith alive? How do we show them we care? Will a giant ceramic apple send the right message? A "world's best teacher" coffee mug? Meditation tapes to reduce stress? A bottle of gin?

After exhaustive research, we've cracked the code on teacher gifts. Here's our primer on which to avoid (all of the above) and which will give them the goods (or goodies) to keep teaching another year.

A break from baked goods

Tempted to brush the flour off the family holiday cookie recipe? Think again, say veteran teachers, who get more than their gut-busting fill of gingerbread men and Swedish dreams every year. If you really want to go homemade and edible, consider making a sauce or jam that can keep for a while. Otherwise, all the work you put into baking may go to waste.

"I'm usually going out of town the next day for two weeks of vacation, so I could never eat it all even if I was tempted," says Leila Sinclaire, on leave from teaching in El Cerrito, Calif., about the pile of perishable sweets she typically received. Likewise, a plant may be a better bet than flowers.

Green light on gift cards

If you're at a loss for what your teacher might really like, consider a gift card from a bookstore. "I bought books for my classroom or myself and thought of the child who gave it to me when I made the purchase," says Carol Gordon Ekster, who taught fourth grade for 35 years in Derry, N.H.

Gift certificates good for a local movie theater or restaurant are also popular. Even a coffee card from a café near school is another way to give your teacher a much-needed break. "Teachers spend so much of their personal money on school supplies that it's wonderful to get treated to food and coffee through gift cards by generous parents," says Ekster.

Your Fifth Grader and Technology: Part 1

Your fifth-grader and technology

By the end of fifth grade, your child should demonstrate advanced keyboarding skills to edit her work.

By Miriam Myers, GreatSchools Staff

In a technology-rich classroom, your fifth-grader uses tools to enhance her understanding of language arts, science, social studies, math, and art. Her use of new tools to answer age-old questions is the first step to technological literacy.

Resources range from computers, software programs, and the Internet to digital cameras, camcorders, and voice recorders. Technology isn't a substitute for teaching, but a way to bring the world into the classroom. Plus, it's an essential tool for your child's future.

The Internet can connect kids to native speakers of a language they are learning or to scientists around the world. Computer-based programs can give teachers real-time feedback on how well students grasp a concept in math. But technology is no substitute for learning mathematical concepts or the basics of writing an essay.It's simply one way to enhance classroom instruction and help your child practice new skills and master new concepts.

The technology skills she learns will help your child write research papers in history and do multimedia presentations in science. She will develop critical evaluation skills by assessing the credibility of websites and learning about copyright laws and the ethics of using online information or pictures.

"Fifth-graders are very comfortable using a computer to complete learning projects," explains our teacher consultant Gayle Berthiaume.

Technology use varies from school to school Many states base their technology standards on the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS). But because children aren't tested on their use of technology, teachers aren't typically held accountable for teaching it. That means computer use varies widely from classroom to classroom. Your fifth-grader may have one or more computer workstations in the classroom, go to a computer lab once a week, or not use technology regularly.

To get the maximum benefit from technology, the best classrooms incorporate technology into regular lessons that develop students' higher-order thinking skills, promote creativity, and facilitate academic learning. Your child's teacher may use technology to evaluate students' progress.

Technology terminology

Fifth-graders build on their vocabulary to communicate about technology. Your child should be able to discuss common uses of technology in daily life and its advantages and disadvantages. He should apply strategies for identifying and solving routine hardware and software problems. Your child should be learning the names of computer parts - monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and speakers - and software terms - menu, file, folder, application, save, and quit.

Keyboard and mouse

Your fifth-grader continues to improve her skills in typing and using a mouse. She practices typing and increases the rate of words she types per minute. A fifth-grader should type 20 words per minute. To avoid repetitive stress injuries later on, she should learn to use the correct hand, wrist, and body positions and the proper techniques for striking the keys. By the end of the year, she should demonstrate advanced keyboarding skills such as cutting, copying, and pasting to edit her work. Schools may use a typing program that teaches students how to type.

Your Fourth Grader and Technology: Part 2

Your Fourth-Grader and Technology

Fourth-graders may do Internet research and use various types of software to complete activities that build on their classroom learning. Below the article continues from yesterday.

By Miriam Myers, GreatSchools Staff

1. Technology terminology

Fourth-graders build on their vocabulary to communicate about technology. Your child should be learning the names of computer parts - monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and speakers - and software terms - menu, file, folder, application, save, and quit.

2. Keyboard and mouse

Your fourth-grader continues to practice and improve her skills in typing and using a mouse. She works to build speed and accuracy. A fourth-grader typically types 15 words per minute. To avoid repetitive stress injuries later on, she should learn to use the correct hand, wrist, and body positions and the proper techniques for striking the keys.

By the end of the year, she should demonstrate advanced keyboarding skills such as cutting, copying, and pasting to edit her work. Schools may use a typing program that teaches students how to type.

3. Word processing and email

Your child can use a word-processing program the same way a professional writer does: to prewrite, draft, revise, and publish work. He may type his ideas in the first draft, then proofread and make changes. In the final stages of the writing process, your child may use word-processing software to add clip art; change the font, size, and color of the text; and learn to use spell-check. He may add bulleted and numbered lists and explore some of the advanced features of a word-processing program, such as using borders, shading, and page layout. He may also learn how to access files over a network. Gayle Berthiaume explains: "Many schools share and save files over a network. Students may access their saved work from any computer in the building."

Your child may make a class newsletter with pictures and text, write a book review, or email a pen pal in another class. He may learn to use cut, copy, and paste to transfer text or graphics from one program to another. Your child may use email or a program like ePals to contact a peer, another class, or experts worldwide.

4. Draw-and-paint software

Draw-and-paint software programs such as Kid Pix and AppleWorks are common in many fourth-grade classrooms. Students use the tools in the programs to type and create pictures. "Students create illustrations with draw-and-paint software for their presentations, brochures, or reports," Berthiaume says.

5. Presentation software

Your fourth-grader may use software, such as PowerPoint, Keynote, Pages, iPhoto, and AppleWorks, to add to a class book or presentation in which she makes a slide with pictures and text. Presentation software combines graphics with text to communicate in a visually exciting way. To create an effective presentation, students should be given clear guidelines, such as the number of words, graphics, or background colors to use on each slide. Your child may do a presentation on your state's history or present information for a book report.

Technology helps students present ideas, but it isn't a substitute for knowledge of history or geography. Berthiaume explains: "By first planning out or storyboarding their book or presentation, students concentrate on the content of their project."

6. Spreadsheets and databases

Fourth-graders may use spreadsheet programs like Excel and AppleWorks to organize data and make graphs. Your child may use database software such as FileMaker Pro, Microsoft Access, and AppleWorks to classify information. He may work with templates in which a spreadsheet or database has already been created. His job is to enter and organize the information. Your fourth-grader may contribute to a spreadsheet of his class's favorite hobbies or a database classifying its library of books.

7. Internet

In fourth grade your child may visit websites the teacher has bookmarked to further explore what is being taught in class. She may also learn how to bookmark her own sites. She develops critical evaluation skills by assessing the credibility of websites and learning about copyright laws and the ethics of using online information or pictures. She learns Internet search strategies and how to use search engines to do research.

The class may go on virtual field trips to regions, environments, and countries far from home and engage in activities such as viewing an active volcano. After reading a story by an author, your child may visit the author's website and send an email to ask a question about the book. Your child may learn to use an online dictionary and thesaurus. Your child may check weather forecasts online to compare the weather in different cities. She may go online to find primary-source materials such as letters and journal entries.

To learn about artists, your child may look at artwork online. There are also many museum websites your child can visit. The teacher may publish students' artwork by scanning pictures the children have created and making an online art gallery.

Classrooms may take part in science investigations with students from around the world through programs like the Jason Project. The class may also view online science lessons such as a simulation of a hurricane. Students can ask questions of scientists on the Internet.

What you might see in a well-equipped classroom

* Multimedia encyclopedias and dictionaries

* A digital camera and photo editing software — digital photos can be displayed in a slide show or used in books and projects

* Interactive storybooks on a computer

* One or more computers with access to the Internet and a printer

* A large-screen display connected to a computer used by the teacher to demonstrate a technology lesson to the class. If there is not one available, the teacher may have smaller groups gather around the computer to introduce a lesson or technology skill.

* Use of email with support from the teacher or classroom helper

* An interactive whiteboard — an electronic writing surface that can capture writing

Your Fourth Grader and Technology: Part 1

Your fourth-grader and technology

Fourth-graders may do Internet research and use various types of software to complete activities that build on their classroom learning.

By Miriam Myers, GreatSchools Staff

In a technology-rich classroom, your fourth-grader uses tools to enhance his learning in a range of subjects, including language arts, science, social studies, math, and art. He is taking the first steps to technological literacy: Using tools to solve problems.

The Internet can connect kids to native speakers of a language they are learning or to scientists worldwide. Computer-based programs can give teachers real-time feedback on how well students grasp a concept in math. But technology is no substitute for learning mathematical concepts or the basics of writing an essay. It's simply one way to enhance classroom instruction and help your child practice new skills and master new concepts.

The technology skills your child learns will help her write research papers in history and do multimedia presentations in science. She will develop critical evaluation skills by assessing the credibility of websites and learning about copyright laws and the ethics of using online information or pictures.

"Fourth-graders are very comfortable using a computer to complete learning projects," explains our teacher consultant Gayle Berthiaume.

Technology use varies from school to school Many states base their technology standards on the National Educational Technology Standards for Students (NETS). But because children aren't tested on their use of technology, teachers aren't typically held accountable for teaching it. That means computer use varies widely from classroom to classroom. Your fourth-grader may have one or more computer workstations in the classroom, go to a computer lab once a week, or not use technology regularly.

To get the maximum benefit from technology, the best classrooms incorporate technology into regular lessons that develop students' higher-order thinking skills, promote creativity and facilitate learning. Your child's teacher may also use technology to evaluate students' progress.

Tomorrow this article will continue giving more information on fourth grade and technology.

Your Third Grade and Technology: Part 2

Third graders learn the names of various computer parts and how to use a mouse to maneuver items on the screen.

By Miriam Myers, GreatSchools Staff

Learning technology terminology

Third graders use the proper terminology to communicate about technology. Your third-grader should be familiar with the names of the parts of the computer, such as the monitor, keyboard, mouse, printer, and speakers, and software terms such as menu, file, folders, applications, save, and quit.

1. Keyboard and mouse

Your third grader will use a mouse to click, drag, and drop. She will know the keys on the left and right side of the keyboard. She will practice typing the home keys and using the space bar. She will use the correct body position, hand-wrist position, and proper techniques for striking the keys. Some schools may use a typing program that teaches your third-grader how to type.

2. Word processing and email

Your third grader will type and add clip art in word-processing programs. Your child will learn to change the font, size, and color of the text. He may also use email to contact an expert, peer, or another class. He may make a class newsletter with pictures and text, write a book review, or email a pen pal in another class.

3. Draw and paint software

Draw and paint software programs such as Kid Pix and AppleWorks are common in many third grade classrooms. Third-graders use the tools in the programs to type and create pictures. Your third-grader may model multiplication and division word problems with number sentences and pictures. (A number sentence is a sentence that includes numbers, operation symbols, and an equal sign, such as 3x4=12.)

4. Presentation software

Your third grader may use software such as PowerPoint and AppleWorks to add to a class book or presentation in which she makes a slide with pictures and text. Your third-grader may contribute to class projects, such as a slideshow about heroes or one about the community.

5. A word about PowerPoint

Some critics argue that teaching young children to use PowerPoint puts too much emphasis on fonts and formatting and not enough on thinking, writing, and organizing ideas. Others argue that teaching the effective use of multimedia tools is essential, as long as they are used as visual aids to highlight and clarify a student's ideas.

6. Spreadsheets and Databases

Your third grader may use spreadsheet programs like Excel and AppleWorks to organize data and make graphs. He may be introduced to creating and using database software such as FileMaker Pro, Microsoft Access, and AppleWorks to classify information. He may work from templates in which a spreadsheet or database has already been created and he needs to enter the information. Your third-grader may contribute to a spreadsheet of the class's favorite foods or a database classifying the class library of books.

7. Internet research

In third  grade your child may visit websites the teacher has bookmarked to further explore what is being taught in class. She may go on a virtual field trip to the White House to learn about the government. She may also develop critical evaluation skills by beginning to learn to assess the credibility of websites.

"To reinforce learning at school, parents can help their child search the Internet to learn more about various topics. Comprehension is increased when people discuss what they have learned," explains our teacher consultant Gayle Berthiaume.

Your Third Grader and Technology: Part1

Third graders learn the names of various computer parts and how to use a mouse to maneuver items on the screen. Below is an article written by Miriam Myers on what should be in a third grade classroom as far as technology.

Your Third Grader and Technology by Miriam Myers

Your third-grader may use word-processing software, draw and paint software, and presentation software (such as PowerPoint) to complete activities in a range of subject areas, including language arts, science, social studies, math, and art. These activities, which integrate computers into the classroom curriculum, are the first steps to technological literacy: Using tools to solve problems. Many states base their technology standards on the National Educational Technology Standards for Students. But because children aren't tested on their use of technology, teachers aren't typically held accountable for teaching them. That means computer use varies widely from classroom to classroom. Your third-grader may have one or more computer workstations in the classroom, may go to a computer lab once a week, or may not use technology regularly at all. To get the maximum benefit from technology, the best classrooms implement technology into the curriculum plans to develop students' higher order thinking skills, promote creativity, and facilitate academic learning.

What you might see in a well-equipped classroom

1.  Educational software that reinforces reading and math skills

2.  Multimedia encyclopedias and dictionaries

3.  A digital camera — digital photos can then be displayed in a slide show

4.  Interactive story books on a computer

5.  One computer or more in the classroom with access to the Internet and a printer

6.  Large-screen display connected to a computer used by the teacher to demonstrate a technology lesson to the whole class. If there isn't one available, the teacher may have smaller groups come around the computer to introduce a lesson or technology skill.

7.  Use of email with support from the teacher or classroom helper

Keeping Away From High-Fat Dairy

According to an article in the June issue of Good Housekeeping magazine, we need to keep away from high-fat dairy. In a large study, older adults who reported eating more high-fat dairy, along with a lower intake of poultry, rice, pasta, and (not surprise) low-fat dairy, were 40 percent more  likely to die in the 10-year study period than those with healthier diets.  Sweets were killers, too:  People who indulged in more desserts (this group also reported a lower intake of fruits, veggies, and seafood) faced a 37 percent higher risk of death.

So, what does all this mean?  We need to make sure we have our families eating healthy low-fat dairy when they are young.  That way it won't be an issue later on in life.  When children are raised on a low-fat, low-sodium, low-sugar, foods, they are less likely to desire those things as adults.  Start by cutting back on unhealthy choices and substituting for healthier foods.  Everyone will feel better!

Technology and The Preschool Classroom: Part 2

According to an article from http://www.greatschools.com/ , technology should be apparent in the preschool classroom. Continuing the article from yesterday, below is the article written by Diana Townsend-Butterworth on this topic.

What to expect in preschool: The classroom

By Diana Townsend-Butterworth

Walk into your child's preschool classroom and you will find a large, colorful room divided into carefully planned interest areas. It will be filled with bright, primary colors and a variety of materials for your child to manipulate, explore, snuggle, play with, and share. The room is especially designed to encourage your child's natural curiosity and desire to learn about her world. Your child's classrooms will have many of the following learning centers, but the arrangement and composition of the centers will vary.

1. Large motor skills: Children crawl through tunnels, climb and balance, hop and jump, and bounce and dribble balls, developing coordination, balance, and large muscle control. Some classrooms have an area designed especially to encourage the use and development of large muscles. Other preschools will have a separate room with tunnels, balls, and climbing equipment.

2. Rug: This is where the entire class gathers to listen as the teacher reads a story or explains an upcoming project. Children often begin and end the day on the rug area.

3. Sensory: One child is experimenting at the water table to find out what floats and what sinks. Another is pouring sand through a funnel into containers of different sizes. Water and sand tables equipped with boats, cups, funnels, and sieves encourage children to explore mediums like water and sand, to understand the physical world, and to develop concepts underlying math and physics.

4. Science: Plants, classroom pets, and aquariums are found here. One child may plant a seed in a pot, carefully patting down the soil, while another measures the temperature in the aquarium, a third feeds the guinea pig, and a fourth examines a seashell. The teacher puts out interesting objects from nature, such as leaves, rocks, and seashells, for children to examine with a magnifying class, plus paper and markers to draw them.

5. Computer: Several children are clustered around a computer checking the charts and picture next to it. Some classrooms will have a table against a wall with one or more computers with chairs grouped around them to encourage children to work together. They will stock basic early-learner software such as phonics or counting games.

6. Outdoor playground: Outside, there will also usually be a safe, enclosed area with structures for climbing and balancing, and balls of different sizes to encourage large muscle control and coordination.

Technology and The Preschool Classroom: Part 1

According to an article from http://www.greatschools.com/ , technology should be apparent in the preschool classroom.  Below is the articel written by Diana Townsend-Butterworth on this topic.


What to expect in preschool: The classroom By Diana Townsend-Butterworth

Walk into your child's preschool classroom and you will find a large, colorful room divided into carefully planned interest areas. It will be filled with bright, primary colors and a variety of materials for your child to manipulate, explore, snuggle, play with, and share. The room is especially designed to encourage your child's natural curiosity and desire to learn about her world.

The organization of their preschool classroom sends important signals to children about "what there is to do and how to do it," says Marilou Hyson, associate executive director for professional development at the National Association for the Education of Young Children. Research indicates that a well-organized classroom helps children learn and motivates them to interact positively with each other.

Preschool classrooms are usually organized around interest areas or learning centers. These defined areas allow children to play and explore materials with the guidance of the teacher either individually or in small groups. Low dividers often separate the centers, but children move freely among them. Skills that lead to reading and writing and math are not confined to specific centers, but rather reinforced in different ways throughout the centers via communication, exploration and play. Your child's classrooms will have many of the following learning centers, but the arrangement and composition of the centers will vary.

1. Literacy: Here, children explore the world of books and feel safe and secure as they are introduced to reading. Brightly illustrated children's books are displayed on low shelves. In front of them, children are curled up on a rug with the books they have selected. They lounge against large, comfortable, multi-colored cushions as a teacher helps them sound out words. Children with headsets listen to tapes of stories, following the pictures in their books. Others gesture intently as a teacher reads a favorite story. Sometimes there are chairs and small tables with paper and crayons and markers for children to practice drawing and writing.

2. Dramatic play or housekeeping: Children experiment with different roles as they explore the familiar and the unknown through pretend play. This area is filled with props and dress-up clothes to encourage imagination. One day it might be a kitchen with a play stove, sink and dishes; the next day it might be a post office, restaurant, or airplane. Children learn to work with other children, to share and to make compromises (who gets to be the mother? The father? The baby?). They also practice verbal skills and develop an understanding of symbolic representation that leads to the development of reading and writing skills.

3. Manipulative play: One child is carefully stringing beads into colorful patterns, a second is building a complex structure out of Legos, and a third is bent over a puzzle, deep in concentration. In this area, shelves are filled with puzzles, pegboards, beads, and other small construction toys. Children develop fine motor skills by using their fingers and hands in creative ways. They learn hand/eye coordination and practice problem-solving skills.

4. Blocks: Two children are working together to build "the highest tower in the whole world." A girl is constructing a bridge and a boy is loading little people into cars for a journey over the girl's bridge and down the road he has just completed. Wooden blocks of different sizes and shapes are arranged on shelves along with small cars and an assortment of "little people" to encourage children to build replicas of their world, or creations of their imaginations as they practice symbolic representation. They are developing an understanding of the relationships between size and shape, and the basic math concepts of geometry and numbers.

5. Art: Here are the raw materials for creativity - colored paper, crayons, markers, tape, paste, safe scissors - set out on shelves and tables. One child is tracing the outlines of leaves; another is cutting out shapes and pasting them in patterns on colored paper. A third is painting at an easel, and a fourth is making a hippopotamus out of play-dough. Art projects may be done either independently or simultaneously as a class activity. Children are developing small muscle control and hand/eye coordination, as well as creativity.

 

Forbes List For Getting A Great Education

Below is an article from Forbes/GreatSchools.  It will give you an idea of the money put into education in different areas of the country and what that is all worth in educational dollars.  The important point of the article is spending more money doesn't guarantee the BEST EDUCATION POSSIBLE.  Check out the article below:

Falmouth, Maine, is a picturesque waterfront town 110 miles north of Boston with moderate housing costs — its median home price is $351,550 — per-student public-school spending just a touch above the state average and an enviable position at the top of the Forbes/GreatSchools list of places where your housing dollar will go the furthest in getting your children a great education.

Not much stands out to explain why the 2,100-student school district does so well. All seventh-graders have laptops, as do all middle-schoolers in Maine, thanks to a 2002 program that has distributed Apple MacBooks throughout the state. Teacher salaries are generous by Maine standards, at around $51,000 for a 10-year veteran, but low compared with $75,000 to $100,000 a teacher can earn in New York. At $10,000 a year, per-pupil spending is slightly above average for Maine but well below the $14,000 or so that big cities such as Chicago and New York spend. (Bing: What is the spending per pupil in your state?)

Here's one clue to the superior performance of schools in this 10,669-resident town, which was founded in 1658: Teacher turnover is extremely low. In the 13 years Barbara Powers has been school superintendent, only two teachers have left for jobs at other schools.

Here's one clue to the superior performance of schools in this 10,669-resident town, which was founded in 1658: Teacher turnover is extremely low. In the 13 years Barbara Powers has been school superintendent, only two teachers have left for jobs at other schools.

"People aren't using us as a launch pad to somewhere else," Powers says.

In partnership with GreatSchools, Forbes analyzed 17,589 towns and cities in the 49 states that administer standardized, statewide tests; Nebraska doesn't have one test for all schools in the state. GreatSchools also used the most recent data from the National Assessment for Educational Progress, a federal program that tests randomly selected students in fourth, eighth and 12th grades to assess learning and educational progress at the state level. Combining the data, GreatSchools determined an absolute score for each city in each state. It then graded each on a curve, with the highest-ranking city, Falmouth, representing 100. GreatSchools assesses more than 200,000 public schools, including public charter schools.

Teaching Your Child About The Flooding Along the Mississippi River

Army Engineers Still Blasting Levee to Stave Off Historic Flooding

On The Site  http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/, your child can read about current events.  Below is an article about the flooding along the Mississippi written on May 6, 2011.

It's not often that the government blows up private and public property, but that's exactly what's happening along the Mississippi River in a couple of states, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has blasted through a two-mile section of a levee to try to ease flooding in Ilinois and Kentucky.

Government engineers have blasted three separate holes in the Birds Point levee, in hopes of diverting the river from continuing to flood more than 100,000 acres of Missouri farmland so that homes and businesses in neighboring states aren't further inundated. Residents of many states along the Mississippi River say that this year's flooding is the worst they have seen.

President Obama declared disaster areas for parts of Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee, as Mississippi residents braced for what be a situation similar to the one being attended to by Corps of Engineers-generated explosions. Arkansas closed one well traveled part of its major interstate highway, Memphis residents reported flooding on major city streets, and people in Louisiana were on high alert.

The flooding follows on the heels of a series of deadly tornadoes and thunderstorms that killed a few hundred people across several Southern states and is the latest in a string of extreme weather events. The 2010 winter was extremely harsh in many parts of the country, and the resulting snow melt has also caused the Mississippi River to flood in North Dakota and South Dakota and in parts of Canada.

Teaching Your Child About Tornados

My family moved from the suburbs of Philadelphia to Huntsville, Alabama almost 27 years ago, so tornadoes are nothing new to us.  Almost two week ago Alabama experienced the worst natural disaster ever recorded in states history.  How do you explain and help children understand such devastating circumstances?  Below is an excellent article from the site http://www.weatherwizkids.com/.  Kids can learn all about weather in an easy to understand format.

Tornadoes

1.What is a tornado?
A tornado is a violent rotating column of air extending from a thunderstorm to the ground. The most violent tornadoes are capable of tremendous destruction with wind speeds of up to 300 mph. They can destroy large buildings, uproot trees and hurl vehicles hundreds of yards. They can also drive straw into trees. Damage paths can be in excess of one mile wide to 50 miles long. In an average year, 1000 tornadoes are reported nationwide.

With extreme weather, emergency disaster's happen all the time, so you need survival food when the weather turns ugly. By taking special precautions and having an emergency food supply, you'll be much more likely to stay safe.


2.How do tornadoes form?
Most tornadoes form from thunderstorms. You need warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico and cool, dry air from Canada. When these two air masses meet, they create instability in the atmosphere. A change in wind direction and an increase in wind speed with increasing height creates an invisible, horizontal spinning effect in the lower atmosphere. Rising air within the updraft tilts the rotating air from horizontal to vertical. An area of rotation, 2-6 miles wide, now extends through much of the storm. Most strong and violent tornadoes form within this area of strong rotation.

3. What is a funnel cloud?

A funnel cloud is a rotating cone-shaped column of air extending downward from the base of a thunderstorm, but not touching the ground. When it reaches the ground it is called a tornado.

4. How do tornadoes stop?
It is not fully understood about how exactly tornadoes form, grow and die. Tornado researchers are still trying to solve the tornado puzzle, but for every piece that seems to fit they often uncover new pieces that need to be studied.

5. What is a supercell thunderstorm?
A supercell thunderstorm is a long-lived thunderstorm whose updrafts and downdrafts are in near balance. These storms have the greatest tendency to produce tornadoes that stay on the ground for long periods of time. Supercell thunderstorms can produce violent tornadoes with winds exceeding 200 mph.

6. What is a mesocyclone?
A mesocyclone is a rotating vortex of air within a supercell thunderstorm. Mesocyclones do not always produce tornadoes.

7. What is a wall cloud?
A wall cloud is an abrupt lowering of a rain-free cumulonimbus base into a low-hanging accessory cloud. A wall cloud is usually situated in the southwest portion of the storm. A rotating wall cloud usually develops before tornadoes or funnel clouds.
8. What is a waterspout?
A waterspout is just a weak tornado that forms over water. They are most common along the Gulf Coast. Waterspouts can sometimes move inland, becoming tornadoes causing damage and injuries.

9. What is hail?
Hail is created when small water droplets are caught in the updraft of a thunderstorm. These water droplets are lifted higher and higher into the sky until they freeze into ice. Once they become heavy, they will start to fall. If the smaller hailstones get caught in the updraft again, they will get more water on them and get lifted higher in the sky and get bigger. Once they get lifted again, they freeze and fall. This happens over and over again until the hailstone is too heavy and then falls to the ground.

10. What is the largest hailstone recorded in the United States?
According to the National Weather Service, the largest hailstone is 8 inches in diameter and weights approximately 2 pounds. It fell in Vivian, South Dakota on July 23, 2010.
11. What is a gustnado?
A gustnado is a short-lived, relatively weak whirlwind that forms along a gust front. A gust front is the surge of very gusty winds at the leading edge of a thunderstorm's outflow of air. Gustnadoes are not tornadoes. They do not connect with any cloud-base rotation. But because gustnadoes often have a spinning dust cloud at ground level, they are sometimes wrongly reported as tornadoes. Gustnadoes can do minor damage.

12. What is a landspout?
A landspout is a very weak tornado that is not associated with a wall cloud or a mesocyclone. It is the land equivalent of a waterspout.

13. When are tornadoes most likely to occur?
Tornadoes can happen at any time of the year and at any time of the day. In the southern states, peak tornado season is from March through May. Peak times for tornadoes in the northern states are during the summer. A few southern states have a second peak time for tornado outbreaks in the fall. Tornadoes are most likely to occur between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

14. Where are tornadoes most likely to occur?
The geography of the central part of the United States, known as the Great Plains, is suited to bring all of the ingredients together to forms tornadoes. More than 500 tornadoes typically occur in this area every year and is why it is commonly known as "Tornado Alley".

How To Deal With Tantrums in Public!

WebMD Expert Discussion: How Do You Deal With Tantrums in Public? It can be embarrassing and frustrating when your child has a tantrum in public.  Below is the article from WebMD on helping to deal with public tantrums:

It can happened to every parent at one time or another. You’re in the checkout line at the grocery store, or trying to deposit a check at the bank. Your child picks the worst possible moment to have a complete and total meltdown. Everyone’s staring. What do you do?

First, realize you’re not alone. Even WebMD's guest parenting expert, Tanya Altmann, MD, has been through embarrassing public tantrums with her kids, she tells participants in our online discussion about Healthy Family Routines. She once had to leave a hot cup of coffee on the counter and abandon her friends at Starbucks as she carried out a screaming 18-month-old under her arm.

Tantrums are a normal part of childhood. But there are ways you can head them off at the pass, shorten them, or at least lessen their nuclear impact. Altmann advises parents:

•Play keep away. That is, avoid known tantrum situations. Watch for when your child has a tantrum, and try not to repeat the circumstances. Maybe your daughter can’t handle more than one errand, or your son just has a visceral reaction to the lights in your favorite grocery store.

•Hunger and tiredness are tantrum triggers. Don’t take a tired or hungry child out in public, if you can help it. Bring healthy snacks along with you to curb meltdowns, and don’t blow through your child’s nap just because you have a long list of errands to complete. You won’t get them done very fast if your son is kicking and screaming on the floor at the dry cleaner’s!

•Keep them entertained. Bring a few new items for them to play with when you take children on long outings. It doesn’t have to be much -- some stickers, a new book, or a toy she simply hasn’t seen in awhile.

•Focus on the good. Praise good behaviors, which encourages children to repeat them. Ignore provocative behavior and continue what you’re doing while you wait for your toddler to calm down.

•Give one warning, then leave. It may be inconvenient, but it’s more courteous to others and it lets your child know you’re serious: tantrums will not be tolerated.

One mom decided she couldn’t leave with her toddler when he went nuclear at the grocery store. She was shopping for household staples after being cooped up during a blizzard. “I just ignored it and smiled at the people around us, and finally he gave up. Just leaving wasn’t an option." No tantrums for the last few days, she reports, but she doesn't plan on going back to that particular store for a while.

To read the full article go to www.webmd.com.

How To Have a Healthy Child

According to an article from kidshealth.org, there's a lot of discussion these days about fit kids. People who care (parents, doctors, teachers, and others) want to know how to help kids be more fit.


Being fit is a way of saying a person eats well, gets a lot of physical activity (exercise), and has a healthy weight. If you're fit, your body works well, feels good, and can do all the things you want to do, like run around with your friends.

Some steps only parents can take — such as serving healthy meals or deciding to take the family on a nature hike. But kids can take charge, too, when it comes to health.

Here are five rules to live by, if you're a kid who wants to be fit. The trick is to follow these rules most of the time, knowing that some days (like your birthday) might call for cake and ice cream.

Eat a Variety of Foods, Especially Fruits and Vegetables

You may have a favorite food, but the best choice is to eat a variety. If you eat different foods, you're more likely to get the nutrients your body needs. Taste new foods and old ones you haven't tried for a while. Some foods, such as green veggies, are more pleasing the older you get. Shoot for at least five servings of fruits and vegetables a day — two fruits and three vegetables.
Here's one combination that might work for you:

•at breakfast: ½ cup (about 4 large) strawberries on your cereal
•with lunch: 6 baby carrots
•for a snack: an apple
•with dinner: ½ cup broccoli (about 2 big spears) and 1 cup of salad

Reviewed by: Mary L. Gavin, MD

Date reviewed: February 2009

To read the entire article go to kidsealth.org. It will be worth your time.

Teaching Your Child About The Mississippi River Flooding 2011

Army Engineers Still Blasting Levee to Stave Off Historic Flooding

On the site http://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/ , your child can learn about current events and other topics.  Below is an article about the Mississippi River flooding written on May 6, 2011.

It's not often that the government blows up private and public property, but that's exactly what's happening along the Mississippi River in a couple of states, as the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has blasted through a two-mile section of a levee to try to ease flooding in Ilinois and Kentucky.

Government engineers have blasted three separate holes in the Birds Point levee, in hopes of diverting the river from continuing to flood more than 100,000 acres of Missouri farmland so that homes and businesses in neighboring states aren't further inundated. Residents of many states along the Mississippi River say that this year's flooding is the worst they have seen.

President Obama declared disaster areas for parts of Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee, as Mississippi residents braced for what be a situation similar to the one being attended to by Corps of Engineers-generated explosions. Arkansas closed one well traveled part of its major interstate highway, Memphis residents reported flooding on major city streets, and people in Louisiana were on high alert.

The flooding follows on the heels of a series of deadly tornadoes and thunderstorms that killed a few hundred people across several Southern states and is the latest in a string of extreme weather events. The 2010 winter was extremely harsh in many parts of the country, and the resulting snow melt has also caused the Mississippi River to flood in North Dakota and South Dakota and in parts of Canada.

Elementary Social Studies

Elementary Social Studies: Resources for Students, Teachers and Parents

According to findingdulcinea.com, the Internet offers a wealth of social studies resources for elementary school students. Whether you're a student looking for a few hints in remembering all 50 U.S. states and their capitals, or an elementary school teacher interested in social studies lesson plans and activities that will inspire your class, the Elementary Social Studies Web Guide is a great place to find what you're looking for.

Whether you’re presenting geography or the history of the cultures of the world, you’ll find great resources for teaching elementary social studies with the sites listed below.

Insights for Teaching Elementary Social Studies

For a bit of history each day, try our On This Day section. To learn more about the many different religions of the world, see our selection of religion and spirituality Web Guides.

Some popular periodicals, such as Time For Kids, offer lesson plans and activities as a supplement to their articles.

Although findingDulcinea usually weeds out sites for especially poor design, we've made some exceptions here to help bring you as much useful information on teaching social studies in elementary school as possible.

We also usually avoid recommending sites that are mere directories of links to outside sources. In our education guides we make exceptions to this rule to provide teachers with more options for lesson plans and student activities. Teachers should approach each directory with caution and evaluate each outside link before using it in the classroom.

Museum Web sites often have history information, and some even have lesson plans or online activities you can use in the classroom. Also try browsing the Web sites of television channels or programs related to the subject you teach, for example, The History Channel. These Web sites often provide videos, interactive activities or games, and even specific teaching resources.

The “Elementary School Social Studies Resources at Home” section of this Web guide has more online activities and suggestions for supplemental work.

Top Sites for Teaching Elementary Social Studies

For worksheets and other printables for teaching social studies in elementary school …

edHelper.com has a mixed-review social studies practice divided by grade, and social studies resources divided by topic. Don’t miss the site’s time line creators, which can help you put historical events in context. A $20/year subscription is required to access materials.

 

For the full article go to http://www.findingdulcinea.com/.

Social Studies Curriculum for Elementary Schools

Social Studies Curriculum for Elementary Schools

By Terry Mulligan, eHow Contributor updated: February 16, 2011

One of the main focuses of a social studies curriculum in elementary school is preparing young students to become good citizens and understanding human values through a historical American perspective. Learning about the history of voting in the United States, world continents, famous women in United States history and Civil War heroes, among other things, provides information for the students to ground themselves with American ideals.

Voting Rights

Students will learn the history of voting rights in the United States.

Jupiterimages/Goodshoot/Getty Images This portion of elementary social studies focuses on the historical events of voting in the United States. Students learn about the evolution of voting in America -- including giving the right to vote given to American women and black Americans or assisting disadvantaged Americans with voting privileges. To complete the curriculum, students will be asked to compare and contrast historical voting conditions to current day voting conditions.

Famous Women

Each student will research famous women in United States history, select one of these women and detail the major contributions made by that woman for classroom discussion. The coursework includes discussions of the perils famous historical women encountered in pursuit of their ideals. Students will also comment on how these historical women might have felt if they had lived in current day circumstances -- including a specific current issue that might have concerned them.

World Continents

Students will learn about the seven continents.

Jupiterimages/Photos.com/Getty Images Learning about the seven continents of the world allows elementary school children the opportunity to compare different places and cultures to the way we live in America. The curriculum includes research and discussions of each continent in terms of area, population, economic conditions, annual growth and geographic elements for each region. To better understand other cultures, students compare the economic conditions in their own community to conditions of a city on another continent.

Civil War Heroes

A study of Civil War heroes gives students a better understanding of an era when the United States was in turmoil and fighting against each other. This course of study explores the ideals and contributions of men like Robert E. Lee, William Tecumseh Sherman, Abraham Lincoln and George A. Custer -- with an explanation of which side of the war they were on and why they were important to the history of our country.

Homeschooling Curriculumwww.K12.com

Individualized Learning, Personal Attention, Monthly Start Dates

Summer Reading Helpwww.LindamoodBell.com

Official site of Lindamood-Bell for summer reading help

Federal Grants For SchoolCollegeAdviser.com

You Deserve Free Money For College! Search & Apply For Grants Today.

Curriculum & InstructionACUOnline.ACU.Edu

Earn Your M.Ed. from ACU. Ranked in the Top 20 Best Colleges.

Teaching Your Child About Pollination

Learn about Pollination

According to an article from sciencewithme.com, pollination is an important process in the reproduction of plants that bear seeds. Without pollination, these plants would not be able to produce fruits! Yes, almost all the fruits that we eat and the beautiful flowers that we enjoy come from pollination!

Below is an easy to understand article about pollination that can help you explain the process to your child.

Pollination is an important process in the reproduction of plants that bear seeds. Without pollination, these plants would not be able to produce fruits! Yes, almost all the fruits that we eat and the beautiful flowers that we enjoy come from pollination! If you have seen yellow grains, sometimes white, black or green coloured grains in the flowers, these are pollen that help fertilize the plants’ cells and turn these into seeds. Pollen acts as the main component in pollination, helping the flowers and plants create seeds that grow into fruits.

How does pollination work?

Pollination happens when pollen created from the plant’s male reproductive system (called the anther or stamen) is moved to the female reproductive system (called the stigma or pistil). This fertilizes the plant’s cells to produce seeds.

Have you seen how bees surround your garden? If you try to observe them carefully, bees go from one flower to another as they try to gather nectar (a sugary drink) from the flowers. Nectar which turns to honey serves as food for the bees, and as the bees pass through each flower the pollen sticks from the plants’ anther onto the bees’ legs, and then gets transported to the stigma. This makes up pollination.

Sometimes bees that are bred from a big colony in a huge hive also gather pollen on purpose as they collect the nectar. This makes pollination more frequent and effective in generating seeds from the plants. Most plants rely on bees and other insects or animals for pollination, although certain plants can be pollinated by wind or water.

What are the types of pollination?

There are different ways for plants to be pollinated.

■Cross-pollination is the more common way of pollination. This is the type of pollination that happens when bees travel from one plant to another, carrying and transferring pollen in the process. Other insects can also help pollination in plants. These insects are attracted to the pleasant scent and striking beauty of the flowers, so if you see gorgeous flowers with different pretty colours you can think that this is to attract insects that can help in pollination. The nectar from the flowers draw the insects towards it. Once a flower or plant is pollinated, seeds will start to sprout. Insects are also not the only animals that can aid in pollination. Some mammals and birds can also help transport pollen or seeds from one place to another, and help pollination. For some plants, pollination can occur through the help of wind or water. These plants either do not have attractive flowers or lack nectar, and are designed to have pollen transported by wind or water.

■Self-pollination is a type of pollination that does not need the help of others. Pollen grains can transfer from the stamen to the pistil by itself. These plants are fertile on their own, although you will find only a few plants that have this characteristic. Certain food plants like tomatoes belong to this category. Plants that do not need others to pollinate can produce seeds that grow into fruits faster, but to create varities of a single type of fruit needs human intervention. Some plants that use self-pollination either have the capability to move the pollen from its stamen to its pistil, or move its pollen to the pistil of another plant.

To read the entire article on pollination and other science topics go to http://www.sciencewithme.com/.