Archive for the ‘K-12 Education’ Category

United Nations Day Teaching Tips

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

The United Nations, an international organization dedicated to keeping peace among the world’s nations, was created on October 24, 1945. This month, then, would be an excellent time to focus on how to settle disagreements and learn something about the U.N. Here are a few suggestions:

1. Read this excerpt of the U.N. Charter and discuss what it means:

We the peoples of the United Nations determine…to live together in peace with one another as good neighbors, to work for the equal rights of men and women and of nations large and small, and to promote better standards of life.

2. Try making your own criss-cross puzzle from the underlined words in the excerpt above.

3. Relate the word ‘equal’ to the definition learned in math.

4. Research to find the member nations of the United Nations and write them down. Once they are written, put them in alphabetical order; count the syllables in the names; find them in an atlas and make note of their geographic location (which continent has the most members? the least members?); make tally marks representing each country and practice counting by 5′s and 10′s. Which nations were charter members? Which countries were added later? Find out more about each country by breaking your class into groups.

5. Unscramble the names of these member countries:

DESWEN, LAPNOD, GARTENANI, SUITARALA, DIANI, GEPTY, TRAGE TRABINI, NADACA, HACNI, TENUDI TASSET

Now put these letters, from the countries above, in sequential order to form two words telling what the United Nations is working toward:

CROWLEAPED

6. Here are two realistic situations. Ask your children how they would solve these predicaments in order to make peace. Is there another way to achieve a win-win outcome?

A. Barbara, Cindy, and Judy have always been best friends. Lately, though, Cindy and Judy have been excluding Barbara from their playtime fun. Consequently, Barbara has decided to turn the rest of the class against them. Which way would achieve peace? Brainstorm other ideas!

a. Talk to the three girls privately to determine why Barbara is being ignored.

b. Punish all three girls by not allowing them to play.

c. Start a class discussion about what it means to be a friend.

B. William and Jose were close pals because they liked doing the same things, going to the same places, and going out with the same friends. When it was time for their first school dance, however, they both wanted to ask the same girl. Having found out that Jose had asked Maria first, William wouldn’t talk to Jose at all. Which way would achieve peace? Brainstorm other ideas!

a. Suggest that neither boy take Maria to the dance.

b. Suggest that William, Jose, and Maria all go together as friends.

c. Suggest that William tell Jose how he feels and see what Jose says.

I hope these ideas are useful and inspire your own creativity.

And remember…Reading is FUNdamental!

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Tutoring Needs Are Met in the Chicago Schools

Tuesday, April 20th, 2010

One of the biggest problems across our nation is large classrooms and too many students falling behind in their education. There are too few teachers for individualized instruction, and generally those parents of children who fall behind cannot afford private tutoring. They personally cannot tutor their own children, in most cases, because they either lack sufficient education themselves or are too busy — sometimes working two and three jobs to support their family.

In the fall of 2005, the Chicago schools got the help they needed in this area from the United Stated Department of Education that now underwrites the new Chicago schools A.I.M. High! program. (A.I.M. means Advancing Individual Mastery.)  The program gives supplemental tutoring services after-school to low-performing students, who attend Chicago schools that have not met adequate yearly progress for three consecutive years under the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act.

The tutoring is held in the child’s school at no cost, covering Chicago schools students in grades one through twelve. There are a maximum of 15 students for each tutoring class, and a maximum of 20 weeks of instruction per student, including 60 to 80 hours in reading and math. Tutoring teachers receive professional development and are both highly qualified and certified. Tutors are familiar with each student’s particular needs, using an individualized tutoring plan that specifies achievement objectives for each student with timetables. Nationally recognized instructional tutoring materials are used by these Chicago schools tutors.  Children with special needs receive special accommodations.

According to Chicago schools Superintendent Arne Duncan, U.S. Secretary of Education Margaret Spellings cut through the red tape and bureaucracy to make the tutoring program happen. Duncan expressed his appreciation to Spellings at a special ceremony in 2005, which was attended by the Secretary, Mayor Richard Daley, Senator Dick Durbin, Senator Mike Enzi, Congressman Danny David, Congressman Bobby Rush, and other city and Chicago schools officials.

Though such assistance was promised by NCLB, this extra assistance from Spellings for the Chicago schools means a win-win situation for the schools, the educators, the community, the parents, and especially for the Chicago schools students.  Spellings noted that A.I.M. High! will make a huge difference for Chicago schools students in their futures — meaning there may be an opportunity to continue on to college and knowing that they will be prepared to enter the workforce with sufficient skills to be successful.

Both the Chicago schools and Spellings see this as a new opportunity for the U.S. Department of Education and school districts across the nation to work together to help students succeed in life. It is definitely a win-win situation for all concerned.

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Girls’ Boarding School

Monday, April 19th, 2010

Is your girl child feeling pressured in the co-ed classroom environment? Do you want to bring up your child in a healthy all girls’ environment? Well then waste no time to admit your girl to a good and reputed girls’ boarding school where she will receive the proper training to develop a self-belief that will help her to become tomorrow’s leader.

Education is not just attending school and learning facts. Your child should have to develop skills to meet the challenges of the future. A girls’ boarding school will give your girl the right environment to learn and grow. Girls in a boarding school find a close-knit community, wide variety of clubs, teams and activities that help to have a proper intellectual, emotional, social and spiritual growth.

A girls’ boarding school will enable your child to explore the world around her, both inside and out of the classroom. In the classroom they will have sharing and will have an equal exchange of ideas. She will get a competitive environment where she will learn to perform and dominate. In most of the schools the students remain busy on weekdays with their academic schedules, electives, extra curricular activities and evening studies. While on weekends they have a lot of relaxation, weekend trips, recreation and cultural outings.

The resident students and faculty of a girls’ boarding school form a community. The resident faculties are the disciplinarians and hand holders of the students. They always keep an eye to the girls, assist and guide them and offer counsel when necessary. They all form a family away from home. Sometimes the schools even take the resident girls to local malls, movie, shopping, amusement park and cultural events.

The girls’ boarding schools have lots of activities. What does your girl like? Is she interested in sports? Boarding schools, these days, have their own athletic centers featuring basketball and volleyball courts, fitness centers, aerobics room and also gymnasiums. Each school has a specialized gymnasium director to guide your child. If she is interested in music, there are music departments where she can have training in music. She will also have the opportunity to perform in music ensemble. The girls’ boarding schools also guide the students to express themselves artistically. They have special drawing, painting classes to develop their skills in drawing.

When your child is in a girls’ boarding school you may wonder whether your child is having proper nutrition. You need not have to worry about your child’s diet, as the boarding schools are on a mission to encourage the girls to have a proper and healthy choice regarding their daily menu. The schools promote healthier eating of the students by adding more nutritious and organic foods to their menu.

As girls start growing they may start to become interested in boys. If such happens to your child she will be more concerned about boys than her books. But studying in girls’ boarding school will protect your child from the impact of boys. Besides, the girls are not subject to sexual harassment in an all girls environment.

Social and emotional growth of the girls is the motto of the girls’ boarding schools. A good girls’ boarding school will not only offer your girl child with the support and guidance to develop her intellect, curiosity and creativity but also the school will help your child to build up her self-discipline and decision making skills and abilities.

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Affordable Degrees – How To Study Without Going Broke

Sunday, January 18th, 2009

I’m telling you affordable degrees are the wave of the future.  Do you remember how when all your drone friends were slaving away at their universities with less money than the guy that sleeps in your hedges?  Meanwhile, you laughed all the way to the bank every week with the sweet check you collected from the carwash?  Well, its been awhile, since you’ve felt that sort of ability to condescend, but not for long.  Lie to your friends and tell them that you’re going to your grandmas for week…and then return with a PhD!

That’s right, someone finally got higher education right.  Instead of learning things…and paying someone to do it, you can just tell them what you’ve learned and then collect the appropriate degree.  It’s genius and affordable.  This exciting program also will only sideline you for five days.  I know it’s a week and that’s pretty irritating, but depending on your current level of knowledge you can walk away from that week with an associate, bachelor, masters or even a PhD. (more…)

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5 Preschool Activities For Grandparents Day

Monday, December 8th, 2008

As with most holidays, school will use Grandparents Day as a special activity for the class.  This can be especially true of preschool, where there is as much focus on social activity and every day life as there is on learning the functionalities of reading, writing, and arithmetic.  However, with so many different holidays to plan activities and crafts for, you may be out of ideas for Grandparents Day.  Have no fear; there is always something new and different to try.

If your preschool has a high level of parental involvement, you may have your preschoolers create family trees.  While these don’t have to be long and detailed, they can trace the immediate family and the grandparents.  It can also be made creative, actually drawing a tree with branches that reach to each family member. (more…)

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