Free Parent Involvement Activity - "Detective" - Grades K-3

Comprehension, Sequencing

Write four (or more) clues on individual index cards, and hide them around your home. Next, tell your child there is a surprise hidden in the house.

Show your child where the first clue is and let him read it ("You will find the next clue when you find 'deduce' in the dictionary."). When he looks in the designated location (that page of the dictionary), he will find the next clue card ("What you seek is in Dad's sock drawer."). Each clue leads to the next, until he finds his surprise!

Source: Bright and Beyond, Smart & Simple Activities to do with your Child, Reading, Grades Kindergarten to 3rd, Ages 5-9. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "Sock Sports" - Age 1

Large Motor Skills, Hand-Eye Coordination

Sock Slam Dunk: Stand an open, large paper grocery bag in the middle of a room. Hand your child a balled-up sock (or a small stuffed animal or ball) and show him how to race by the bag and throw the sock in. After a while, give him two balled-up socks to throw into the bag at the same time. You can also encourage your child to stand still and try to shoot the balled-up sock into the grocery bag from different distances.

Sock Target: Draw a face on a large paper grocery bag. Cut out a large hole for the mouth. Place the open bag on a table, put a book in the bottom of the bag to weigh it down, and let your child try to throw balled-up stocks into the mouth.

Source: Bright and Beyond, Smart & Simple Activities to do with your Child, Age 1, 12-24 months. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Free Motivational Teacher Quote - "The Coach"

“Coaching is the single most important part of expanding others’ capabilities.
You’ve surely heard the saying ‘Give a man a fish, and you’ll feed him for a day;
teach a man how to fish, and you’ll feed him for a lifetime.’ That’s coaching.
It’s the difference between giving orders and teaching people how to get things done.
Good leaders regard every encounter as an opportunity to coach”

Quote by: Ram Charan Execution p 74

And the Winner is...

Congratulations to

Shannon Buffano (Lirette)

Our Lady of Guadalupe School - Chicago

Shannon has won two (2) round trip airline tickets on Southwest Airlines!

Thank you to everyone that visited us at the Illinois No Child Left Behind Conference in Chicago.

We look forward to working with each and every one of you soon!

Have fun Shannon!

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "Categories" - Ages 7+

What is a lepidopterist?

Think of a general category and suggest to your child that she try to think of things that fit the category. Some possible categories to explore might be flowers, birds, farm animals, things you find at the beach, unusual names, etc. Take turns choosing the categories and naming the items that go into each of them. To make it a bit more challenging, you can try to only name items for a given category that start with a specific letter. For example, if your category is "Sports" and you choose "S" as your letter, some possible entries might include the following: soccer, swimming, sky diving, snorkeling, skiing, etc.

You can also encourage your child to write down a certain number of words that fit the category or as many items as she can think of within a certain time frame. If she is playing with others, they can all write down as many items as possible individually (bonus points can be awarded for items that are not on the other players' lists).

Source: Bright and Beyond, Smart & Simple Thinking Activities to do with your Child, Ages 7 and up. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "Come Out Of The Barn!" - Preschool

Imagination, Listening Skills

Tell your child that you are going to play a game where she pretends that she is a farm animal and you are the farmer. Ask her what farm animal she wants to be, and talk about what the animal says (a cow says "moo," a pig says "oink," etc.).

Now have her go "into the barn," which could be going into another room, hiding under a little blanket tent laid over a table, or simply sitting on a chair. Tell her that you (the farmer) are going to call her out of the barn by speaking her language.

If she is a cow she can come out if you "moo," but if you "oink," or "baa," etc., she should stay in the barn. "Oink, oink. Come out of the barn! Hmm, that didn't work. Neigh, neigh. come out of the barn!" etc.

Source: Bright and Beyond, Smart & Simple Preschool Activities to do with your Child, Ages 3 to 5. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Report Examines Missing Link In Teacher Quality Campaign

In a new Education Sector report titled Rush to Judgment: Teacher Evaluation in Public Education, Co-founder and Co-director Thomas Toch and Robert Rothman of the Annenberg Institute for School Reform examine the causes and consequences of the crisis in teacher evaluation, as well as its implications for the current national debate about performance pay for teachers.

And the report examines a number of national, state, and local evaluation systems that point to a way out of the evaluation morass.

A host of factors—a lack of accountability for school performance, staffing practices that strip school systems of incentives to take teacher evaluation seriously, union ambivalence, and public education’s practice of using teacher credentials as a proxy for teacher quality—have resulted in teacher evaluation systems throughout public education that are superficial, capricious, and often don’t even directly address the quality of instruction, much less measure students’ learning.

To view the entire report, click here.
Sources: Education Sector

GA County Going To All Single-Sex Public Schools

Students in all of Greene County's (GA) regular public schools will be separated by gender starting next fall, a move educators hope will improve rock-bottom test scores and reduce teen pregnancy and discipline rates in the small, rural system.

The school board approved the measure last week, drawing vocal protests from some students, parents and community members.

It exempts only a charter school, which is public but operates independently from the rest of the system and has a limited attendance zone.

School officials say they need drastic change to save the low-performing district from slipping further behind the rest of the state. "This school district is in bad shape," said Superintendent Shawn McCollough. "We've made very positive incremental steps in the last two years. Our kids need help faster than what we're doing, and that's why we're moving to a faster, more innovative program."

Districts nationwide have been scrambling to implement single-sex education, since federal officials finalized rules to ease the process in 2006. But officials in Greene County, east of metro Atlanta along I-20, say they believe they are the first in the country to convert the entire district to a single-gender model.

To view the complete article, click here.
(The Atlanta Journal-Constitution 02.14.08)

Free Motivational Teacher Quote - "Enjoy Today"

One of the most tragic things I know
about human nature is that
all of us tend to put off living.
We are all dreaming
of some magical rose garden over the horizon
instead of enjoying the roses
that are blooming outside our windows today.

Quote by: Dale Carnegie

Free Teacher Joke - "Stay Calm"

In the supermarket was a man pushing a cart which contained a screaming, bellowing baby.
The gentleman kept repeating softly, "Don't get excited, Jack; don't scream, Jack; don't yell, Jack; keep calm, Jack."
A woman standing next to him said, "You certainly are to be commended for trying to soothe your son, Jack."
The man looked at her and said, "Lady, I'm Jack."

***********

Great weekend everybody! If you go shopping, bring your patience, or better yet, shop on-line! If it's school supplies you're in need of, please visit our place. Here's a link.

Hidden Meanings That Tickle Your Funny Bone

Subject: Language Arts
Grades: 4-6

Overview
Introduce students to the concept of figurative language with this activity that will tickle your funny bone and help students see the “hidden meaning” behind the literal translation of idioms.

Objectives
Students will:
· Learn the definition of “idiom”
· Demonstrate their understanding of idiomatic expressions.
· Write creatively about the origins of idiomatic expressions

IRA/NCTE Standards for the English Language Arts
Standard 4: Students adjust their use of spoken, written, and visual language (e.g., conventions, style, vocabulary) to communicate effectively with a variety of audiences and for different purposes.
Standard 6: Students apply knowledge of language structure, language conventions (e.g., spelling and punctuation), media techniques, figurative language, and genre to create, critique, and discuss print and nonprint texts.

Materials Needed
· (Optional) WordTeasers: Idioms

Getting Started
Write this sentence on the chalkboard: “It’s really raining hard.” Then call on volunteers to come up with other ways to say the same thing. (The rain is really heavy. We’re having a downpour.) See if any student suggests: It’s raining cats and dogs. (Or, if not, write that sentence on the chalkboard.) Discuss with students how they think that expression got started. (Note: You may want to refer to the “raining cats and dogs” challenge card in the WordTeasers: Idioms game box for the origin of the expression.)

Development
Tell students that there are many expressions or sayings in English that have “hidden meanings.” Then say: For example, what if you heard someone say, “Tom has a green thumb.” Would you think that Tom’s thumb really is green? Why or why not? Does anyone know the “hidden meaning” for green thumb? (Special talent for growing plants and flowers.) Where do you think that expression came from? (The green color in plants comes from chlorophyll in the plant. People who work with plants often get this green pigment on their hands.) Conclude by telling the glass that expressions like “raining cats and dogs” or “green thumb” are called idioms. These are phrases in English that don’t mean exactly what the individual words might suggest. The phrases have “hidden meanings.”

Activity
Write three idioms on the chalkboard, e.g., climb the walls, hit the hay, eat humble pie. (You might select your idioms from the WordTeasers: Idioms game box.) Have students suggest other idioms to add to the list. Discuss the meaning of each idiom with the class. Then challenge the class to select one of the idioms and write a short paragraph explaining where this expression came from or how it got started. Have students read their “origin” of the idioms to the class. Then, read the actual origin for each idiom from the back of the WordTeasers: Idioms challenge cards.

Extension
Divide the class into small groups. Give each group of a copy of the worksheet below. Allow time for students to complete the worksheet. Then call on one student in each group to read one of the sentences aloud. Do students think the answer is correct? Why or why not?

Directions: Fill in the missing word to these popular idioms.

1. Jack is so clumsy; he’s like a __________ in a china shop.
(a) squirrel
(b) deer
(c) bull

2. Before a big test, Jose always acts cool as a ________________.
(a) cucumber
(b) banana
(c) tomato

3. Hillary says that her new video game is so bad it’s for the __________.
(a) canaries
(b) birds
(c) bats

4. Maria is being very quiet about the birthday party because she doesn’t wan to spill the ________________.
(a) beans
(b) cabbage
(c) soup

5. Shannon says that the test was a piece of _____________. She knows she got an A.
(a) pie
(b) cake
(c) candy

Extension
As time permits, tell students they’re going to take the WordTeaser Challenge. Let each student draw out a WordTeaser challenge card from the game box and read the question or statement to another student. See if that student can (a) give the meaning of the idiom in the challenge card and (b) answer the challenge.

Next Week: Get Ready for the SATs with WordTeasers: College Prep

Source: WordTeasers: Idioms — an educational game designed to get kids talking, laughing, thinking, writing…and improving language arts skills. Ages 9+ . Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "Balloon Letters" - Reading

Pre-Reading, Letter Recognition, Phonics, Word Recognition

Use a permanent marker to randomly write the letters of the alphabet on a balloon (or beach ball).

Toss the balloon to your child, and after he catches it, encourage him to identify the letters beneath his hands.

Once he has named them, encourage him to come up with some words that start with those letters. Now have him toss the balloon back so you can think up a few words as well!

As your child's reading skills grow, you can write words on the balloon. After he catches the balloon and reads the words under his hands, let him try to use the words in a sentence.

Source: Bright and Beyond, Smart & Simple Reading Activities to do with your Child, Grades Kindergarten to 3rd Grade. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "Car Dealership" - Preschool

Imagination, Visual Discrimination, Language Skills, Listening Skills

Help your child line up some toy cars and trucks and explain that you are interested in "buying" a car. Tell him that your are ooking for a car with, for example, "a red stripe on the roof." When he spots the car you are talking about (possibly with the help of more clues), ask how much it is and pretend to pay for it.

Continue buying cars, or bring in other "customers" like stuffed animals or toy people to buy them.

Source: Bright and Beyond, Smart & Simple Preschool Activities to do with your Child, Ages 3-5. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Dade Schools Eye Advertising Revenue

Advertisements may soon hang from gymnasium walls and adorn perimeter fencing at public schools throughout Miami-Dade County.

At the urging of the School Board, Superintendent Rudy Crew and his staff are exploring the possibility of allowing advertising in schools as a possible stream of revenue for the cash-strapped district.

While ads abound in other South Florida school districts, the move by the Miami-Dade School Board is nonetheless controversial. Critics say children are already inundated with advertising, and that a captive audience of students shouldn't be bombarded with the wiles of Madison Avenue.

''The perception is that advertising in schools is a free source of money,'' said Robert Weissman, managing director of Commercial Alert, a Washington-based consumer group. ``That isn't true. There are huge costs involuntarily being taken out on the kids.'' Advocates say allowing advertising encourages partnerships between local businesses and schools. The revenue doesn't hurt, either.

In Miami-Dade County, the School Board was recently tasked with slashing $240 million from the district's budget in just four years. ''Certainly we want to continue to be competitive with grant money,'' said School Board member Martin Karp, who proposed the advertising idea at last month's board meeting. ``But this is also a great opportunity for us to generate some dollars. And it can be done in a very tasteful way.''

To view the complete article, click here.
(The Miami Herald 2.11.08)

No Child Opponents Criticize Law

Several of the nation's leading critics of the federal No Child Left Behind education law gathered on a stage in Milwaukee on Friday to criticize what the law is doing to teaching and learning, but they offered few specifics when it came to what they want to see in its place.

The general message to several hundred teachers at the Wisconsin State Reading Association convention at the Midwest Airlines Center was to fight for letting teachers be the primary deciders of what goes on in their classrooms.

In terms of the long-standing reading wars, this was definitely an encampment of whole language educators. Reading programs that heavily emphasize phonics and programs that provide scripted plans for what a teacher should do with students were on the outs here.

Such approaches are encouraged under No Child Left Behind and are used widely, both in Milwaukee and nationwide.

To view the complete article, click here.
(Milwaukee Journal Sentinel 02.08.08)

IL NCLB Conference Raffle - Southwest Airlines Tickets

Are you our Winner?

Thank you to everyone that entered our raffle for two roundtrip Southwest Airline tickets at the Illinois No Child Left Behind Conference.

We will be announcing our winner on Thursday, February 21st, 2008. The winner will be announced here on our blog.

Be sure to sign up to receive our blog postings via email to receive the winner notification. Or be sure to stop back next week to find out if you are taking a vacation!

Thank you for visiting Chicago School Supply!

Population Explosion

Subject: Geography; World Culture
Grade(s): 4-6

Overview
Students become junior demographers as they research and report on the population density of countries and continents around the world, charting their research on the a world map and on a bar chart in Microsoft Excel.

Objectives
Students will:
· Understand and define population and population density
· Understand the relationship between population and area
· Compare the population density of the six inhabited continents and draw conclusions

National Geography Standards
Standard 1: "How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective"
Standard 9: The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human population on Earth's surface.

Materials Needed
· Outline map of the world (copies for every two students)
· Crayons or colored pencils
· (Optional): WorldTeasers: World Culture & Geography

Getting Started
Ask the class if anyone knows what the word demographer means? Explain that a demographer is someone who studies human populations. A demographer can be thought of as a population expert. Demographers help us understand our world…or even our classroom. To illustrate, ask the class if they agree or disagree with this statement: “Our classroom has a lot of students.” What do they think “a lot’ means? What if the class had 60 students? Would that be “a lot”? Why or why not? Tell students that the average classroom size in elementary schools in the United States is 25. Then say: Compared to the national average, does our classroom have a lot of students? Why or why not? Say: By knowing the average population of an elementary school classroom in the U.S., we can better understand the population of our classroom. Explain that in this lesson students will become demographers as they study the populations of the world.

Development
Tell students that demographers study many different aspects or characteristics of a population. One characteristic that they study is called population density. Tell students that population density can be thought of as the number of people within a certain area as compared to the size of that area. It is calculated by dividing the total population of an area by the size of that area (usually in square miles or square kilometers). Write the formula for population density on the chalkboard.

Population density = Population/Land Area

Ask students how they think could calculate the density of their classroom. (Measure the size of the classroom in square feet; then divide the population of the classroom by the area of the classroom.) Next, write the following data on the chalkboard. Have students calculate the population density of the following three countries: United States, Monaco, and Mongolia.
Population Land Area Density
(square miles)

United States 303,320,000 3,794,066
Mongolia 2,951,786 603,909
Monaco 32,671 .76

Which of these countries is the most densely populated? (Monaco, the most densely populated country in the world.) Which is the least densely populated? (Mongolia, the least dense populated country in the world.)

Activity
Divide the class into six groups to research the area and population of each of the six inhabited continents of the world (North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Australia, and Africa). Have each group calculate the population density of their continent. Then, write the results in a chart on the chalkboard. Next, distribute an outline map of the world to each group. Have students use a dark crayon color to color in the continents that have a population density greater than 100 people per square mile; a medium crayon color to indicate continents that have a population density between 50 and100 per square mile; and a light crayon color to indicate continents with a population density less than 50 people per square mile. When done, ask students what conclusions they can draw from the map about populations of the world.

Extension
Have students create a Microsoft Excel bar chart, comparing the population density of the 10 Most Populous Countries of the World (China, India, United States, Indonesia, Brazil, Pakistan Bangladesh, Russia, Nigeria, and Japan). Or let students select their own population density data to analyze, such as the Population Density of the Largest City on Each of the Six Continents of the World. (See the six Population Explosion Challenge Cards in the WorldTeasers game box.) You may want to print out the following instructions for creating a bar chart in Excel.

Instructions for Creating a Bar Chart in Microsoft Excel
1. Open a Microsoft Excel worksheet (or spreadsheet).
2. In Cell A1, type the word Countries.
3. In Cell A2 through A11, type the names of the 10 countries to compare.
4. In Cell B1, type the word Density.
5. Enter the population density for each country (Cells B2 through B11)
6. Highlight the data.
7. Click Chart on the Insert menu.
8. Under Chart Type, highlight Column. Click a Chart sub-type, then click Next.
9. Click Data Range Tab.
10. Next to Series in: click Columns. Click Next.
11. Fill in Titles, Axes, Gridlines, Legend, Data Labels, and Data Table, as desired.
12. Click Finish.

Next Week: The “Bottom Line” on Idioms

Source: WorldTeasers: World Culture and Geography — An educational game designed to help upper elementary grade students supersize their global knowledge with fascinating, intriguing, and amusing trivia about countries and their culture. Grades 4 +. Available at SchooDoodle.com.

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "Coin Collection" - Grades Kindergarten to 2nd Grade

Currency, Place Value

This activity will help your child learn how to read the year-date on coins and also create an annual age progression of a group of coins.

Create a four-column grid on a piece of cardboard or poster board. Label the tops of the columns,

"Pennies," "Nickels," "Dimes," and "Quarters." In the sections of the grid below each heading, write the current year and each progressively earlier year until you have the ten most recent years written in each column.

Now help your child look for coins throughout the house, and tape or glue the appropriate ones onto their proper spots on the board. Finding all forty coins might take a while, but a lot of the fun is in keeping an eye out for the missing years.

Source: Bright and Beyond, Smart & Simple Math Activities to do with your Child, Grades K-3rd, Ages 5-9. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "Music Time" - Ages 0-12 months

Sensory Awareness, Language Skills

Move Along: Babies love music and hearing you sing. As you are singing or listening to music with your baby, hold him and move to the rhythm or pat him gently in time to the music.

Sing & Stretch: As you sing a song such as "Row, Row, Row Your Boat," gently curl and uncurl your child's arms and legs to the rhythm.

Sing & Do: Sing about what you are doing while you are with your child. For example, "We're getting in the car! We're getting in the car! Hi Ho the Derry-O, we're getting in the car!"

Song List: Tape a list of songs by your child's changing table to help you remember different tunes to changing his diaper. You can also make up songs, such as, "I love Nicky's nose, nose, nose. I love Nicky's tummy, tummy, tummy."

Source: Bright and Beyond, Smart & Simple Baby Activities to do with your Child, 0-12 months. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Many States Spend Less Money In School Districts With ELL or Low-Income Students

When it comes to school funding, too many states still provide the least to school districts serving students with the greatest needs, according to a report released last month by The Education Trust.

The seventh in a series of annual reports, The Funding Gap includes state-by-state analyses of funding trends from 1999 to 2005, comparing the resources available to school districts serving the highest percentages of low-income students and students of color to the resources available to districts serving the lowest percentages of such students. For the first time, the report also compares funding available to school districts serving the high percentages of English language learners (ELL) to that available to districts serving the lowest percentages of ELL. Using data for the eight states with the highest percentages of English learners, the report finds that high-ELL districts generally receive less financial support than do districts with few or no ELL students.

In 1999, Illinois’ funding gap was the second-largest in the nation. By 2005, the Illinois gap was still the second-largest, and had actually gotten worse. Illinois is joined by Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Maine, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia and Wisconsin at the top of the list of states in which the funding gap between high- and low-poverty districts grew between 1999 and 2005.

In Vermont, the funding gap grew by more than $2,000 per student, even as the state was under court order to provide equitable funding to poor districts. In 1999, Vermont ensured that high-poverty districts had more than $2,000 more per student. By 2005, that funding pattern had reversed – high-poverty districts were now receiving about $264 less per student than in more affluent districts.

In eight states – Illinois, Kansas, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New York and Wyoming – high-minority districts received at least $1,000 less per student than districts with lower percentages of minority students.

To view the entire report, click here.

Companies Are Rushing To Create Virtual Worlds For Children

Walt Disney and other entertainment companies are stepping up to capitalize on the latest Internet phenomenon: the rise of virtual worlds for kids.

These "digital playgrounds", as experts call them—such as Disney's Club Penguin and Ganz Inc.'s Webkinz—are drawing bigger crowds than adult virtual worlds such as the popular Second Life.

Disney plans to spend $5 million to $10 million apiece to develop as many as 10 virtual worlds built around familiar Disney characters and franchises, according to an article in the L.A. Times business section.

According to research firm EMarketer Inc, about 20 million children and teens will visit virtual worlds by 2011, up from 8.2 million in 2007.

To view the entire article, click here.

High School Teacher Who Couldn't Read Shares His Story As An Advocate Of Education

John Corcoran taught in the Oceanside Unified School District for 17 years and didn't know how to read.

“(By the time) I was 48 years old, I had already graduated from college, taught school for 17 years in California, and I couldn't read or write or spell my native language of English,” Corcoran said.

This spring, Corcoran, 70, will publish his second book, Bridge to Literacy: No Child or Adult Left Behind. “This book really is a call for action.

It's a call for gathering all the tribes on both sides of the bridge,” Corcoran said. “We, as a society, cannot leave all of this to the teachers.”

Corcoran's first book, “The Teacher Who Couldn't Read,” told his story of struggling through elementary and high school and then college, and his subsequent experiences as an illiterate educator. He said he wanted the world to know he didn't beat the system by faking his way through life.

To view the complete article, click here.
(The Union-Tribune 01.26.08)

Finding Time For Success

Under mounting pressure to raise achievement in public schools, a handful of states and cities and many charter schools are seeking to squeeze more hours, days and even weeks into the academic calendar to ensure students get the reading and math lessons they need without sacrificing music, art or even recess.

The extended-school movement has gained important allies on Capitol Hill and is touted by billionaires Bill Gates and Eli Broad as a step the next president should consider.

The advantages of a longer school day could be seen one Friday at the D.C. Preparatory Academy.

After the final bell at most schools in the city, second-graders in one D.C. Prep classroom started a round of chess. They also read one more book before heading home.

With a school day from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., they spend as much time at the Northeast Washington charter school as many adults spend on the job: 40 hours a week. That's about 7 1/2 hours longer than the weekly schedule for their peers in regular D.C. schools, as well as the schedule in most public schools nationwide.

But some educators and lawmakers have concluded that the old-fashioned school day is simply too short, especially for struggling students, even though it's unclear whether the benefits outweigh the costs.

To view the complete article, click here.
(The Washington Post 02.04.08)

Free Teacher Joke - "Pointless"

Sally: Want to hear the story about the broken pencil?

Phil: No thanks, I'm sure it has no point.

**********

Great weekend to stay inside and browse the internet! If you're looking for school supplies, check out our website, Schoodoodle.com. It's loaded with fun ideas for your classroom!