Students In Major Cities Perform Better Compared to International Peers

Students in six major U.S. cities are performing on par or better in mathematics than their peers in other countries in grades 4 and 8, according to a new study by the American Institutes for Research (AIR).

However, students from five other major cities are not faring as well, and overall, U.S. student performance in mathematics falls off from elementary to middle school grades — and remains behind many industrialized nations, particularly Asian nations.

The report, Counting on the Future: International Benchmarks in Mathematics for American School Districts, offers the first comparison between students from large U.S. cities and their international peers. The study compares U.S. 4th grade students with their counterparts in 24 countries and 8th grade students with peers in 45 countries.

“If you are a student today competing for jobs, the good jobs will not go to the best in your graduating class - they will go to the best in the world,” said Dr. Gary W. Phillips, a Chief Scientist with AIR and the lead author of the report.

Dr. Phillips presented his findings on Thursday, October, 23, 2008 at the annual fall conference of the Council of the Great City Schools in Houston, Texas. He served as the acting commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) within the U.S. Department of Education from 1999 – 2002, and is nationally known for his expertise in large-scale assessments and complex surveys.

The study found that students in grades 4 and 8 from Austin, Boston, Charlotte, Houston, New York and San Diego performed better or on par with their peers in other countries. Students from Atlanta, Chicago, Cleveland, the District of Columbia and Los Angeles performed below the international average.

When comparing students who are “proficient” on two math benchmarks, the United States places higher than the international average at grade 4 and grade 8. However, the nation’s performance overall was significantly lower than that for Singapore, Hong Kong, Taipei, Japan and the Flemish portion of Belgium at grade 4; for grade 8, the nation’s students also had fallen behind the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands and Hungary.

“Large urban cities are intimately connected to the nations of the world,” said Dr. Phillips. “Large international corporations locate their businesses in our cities, foreign students attend our schools and our own businesses export goods and services to foreign nations. Large urban cities need to know how their students stack up against their peers in the nations with which we do business.”

To view the complete study, click here.
Source: The American Institutes for Research

Report Reveals High Parent Frustration with America's High Schools

Parents across America share high hopes for their children's academic success and many know their involvement is vital.

But parents with students in low-performing high schools say their schools don't give them the tools and information they need to be more effective in helping their students succeed, according to a national report released.

"One Dream, Two Realities: Perspectives of Parents on America's High Schools," by Civic Enterprises, and based on research conducted by Peter D. Hart Research Associates, captures the views of parents of high school students in America's urban, suburban, and rural communities from diverse backgrounds and income levels.

The findings point to concrete steps that can improve parental engagement in schools and strengthen efforts to prepare all young people for success in college and the workplace. The report was commissioned by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

"The critical role parents play in educating children is often a blind assumption or a target of attack," said John Bridgeland, president and CEO of Civic Enterprises and co-author of the report. "The findings of this report call for a halt to the blame game. This report disproves the prevailing myth that low-income parents are not interested in their children's academic success. The opposite is true. Parents, especially those with students trapped in low-income or low-performing schools, desperately want to be involved and want their students to succeed. What parents need is an access point—a way into schools—so they can become partners in helping students learn and achieve."

Many parents surveyed believe that schools should do a better job of reaching out to them or engaging them as partners, particularly parents of students in low-performing schools.

In fact, 80 percent of all parents surveyed, and 85 percent of parents of students in low-performing schools, believe parents should be involved as advocates for their children when it comes to picking courses and teachers.

The report reveals a stark contrast between the experiences of parents with students in low-performing schools and those with students in high-performing schools.

According to the survey:

-Only 15 percent of parents with students at low-performing schools feel that their school is doing a very good job challenging students, compared with 58 percent of parents with students in high-performing schools.

-Forty-seven percent of parents with students in low-performing schools said that their schools were doing a good job in encouraging parents to be involved compared to 85 percent of parents with students in high-performing schools.

-Twenty-five percent of parents with students in low-performing schools say that their school informed them about academic and disciplinary problems compared to more than half (53 percent) of parents with students in high-performing schools.

-Less than 20 percent of parents with students in low-performing schools believe schools do a very good job preparing their students across four categories: preparation for college; helping students develop confidence, maturity, and personal skills; developing a special talent; and preparing them for a good job. Half of parents with students in high-performing schools feel this way.

-Half of parents of students in low-performing schools said they felt welcomed in the schools compared to four out of five parents with students in high-performing schools.

Each year, more than one million students fail to graduate from high school on time. Research shows that when parents are involved, students perform better and are less likely to drop out.

Yet studies have shown that as students grow older, parents tend to become less involved with their children's academic lives due, in part, to unique barriers like difficulty in helping them with homework or lack of resources for parents of high school-aged students.

Source: Civic Enterprises, LLC

Science Evolves in Classroom

In the past six years, science has slipped as a priority in public schools while reading and mathematics have grown dominant.

But in coming years, experts say, the same federal law that elevated reading and math could spark a resurgence of science in the classroom.

The 2002 No Child Left Behind law required states to test students in science starting in the 2007-08 year, on top of reading and math assessments mandated from the start.

Virginia has given science tests since 1998, but the exams are new for Maryland and the District. (Separately, Maryland tests high school students in biology as a graduation requirement.)

To view the complete article, click here.

(The Washington Post 10.27.08)

Looking for FREE science fair resources? Visit ScienceFairSanity.com

Successful. Healthy. Regularly.

A daily hit of athletic-induced endorphins gives you the power to make better decisions, helps you to be at peace with yourself and offset stress.

To introduce health and nutrition in your classroom curriculum, visit SchooDoodle.com and review our large selection of wellness books, classroom decorations, and athletic equipment.

Successful people eat healthy and exercise regularly.

TheApple.com joins forces with SchooDoodle.com

Exciting news for educators everywhere - TheApple.com has partnered with SchooDoodle.com to distribute free lesson plans for teachers and parents!

TheApple brings members of the education community together to support and advance the profession. TheApple provides resources to promote careers in education, while fostering a community with exclusive benefits where information about the education community is provided to the education community by the community itself.

SchooDoodle.com will be sharing new and innovative activities that can be used in the classroom. TheApple will help to spread the good news about these free classroom (and parent) activities by making them available in their Lesson Plan section.

Thank you for your continued support of SchooDoodle.com - we know that this new partnership will help to make your demanding profession a bit easier. Also, be sure to add our Lesson Plan widget located in the sidebar of our blog to your computer's desktop. The widget will automatically (and securely) upload free lesson plans to your CPU every time we add them to SchooDoodle!

Free Classroom Joke - "The Pirate Joke"

A pirate walks into a bar and the bartender says, "Hey, I haven't seen you in a while. What happened, you look terrible!"

"What do you mean?" the pirate replies, "I'm fine."

The bartender says, "But what about that wooden leg? You didn't have that before."

"Well," says the pirate, "We were in a battle at sea and a cannon ball hit my leg but the surgeon fixed me up, and I'm fine, really."

"Yeah," says the bartender, "But what about that hook? Last time I saw you, you had both hands."

"Well," says the pirate, "We were in another battle and we boarded the enemy ship. I was in a sword fight and my hand was cut off but the surgeon fixed me up with this hook, and I feel great, really."

"Oh," says the bartender, "What about that eye patch? Last time you were in here you had both eyes."

"Well," says the pirate, "One day when we were at sea, some birds were flying over the ship. I looked up, and one of them shat in my eye."

"So?" replied the bartender, "what happened? You couldn't have lost an eye just from some bird poop!"

"Well," says the pirate, "I really wasn't used to the hook yet."

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Weekend time, take in a few happy moments! Enjoy the weather if you can. Halloween is just around the corner. If you are on-line, why not check out our website? You never know what may strike your fancy!! Please visit Schoodoodle.com. Thanks!

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "In The Interview" - Age 7+

"Character is higher than intellect." Ralph Waldo Emerson

How Many Handshakes? When Amanda arrived at her interview, she and the seven other competitors for the position shake hands with each other. Amongst these eight people, how many total handshakes are there?

Who Bought Lunch? The president of the company wants to find out if Amanda is smart enough to work for the company so he has asked his associates to help with a brain teaser for her. Amanda must figure out which of the six associates bought lunch today. Her only clue is that four of the associates will make one false statement. All of the rest of the statements will be true. Who bought lunch today?

Kate said:

It wasn't Andrew

It wasn't Matthew

It wasn't Ryan

Ryan said:

It wasn't Emily

It wasn't Matthew

It wasn't Price

Matthew said:

It wasn't Ryan

It wasn't Kate

It wasn't Andrew

Andrew said:

It wasn't Emily

It wasn't Kate

It wasn't Price

Price said:

It wasn't Andrew

It wasn't Matthew

It wasn't Kate

Emily said:

It wasn't Ryan

It wasn't Andrew

It wasn't Price

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

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "Baby Like You" - Age 3-12 months

Language Skills, Visual Discrimination

Show your child a doll or a picture of a baby from a magazine. Point out different things about the baby and relate them to your child. "Isn't this a pretty baby? Here is the baby's nose. Here is Monica's nose. Here is the baby's knee. Here is Monica's knee," etc.

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Source: Smart & Simple Baby Activities to do with your Child, Ages 0-12 Months. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Chicago School Supply Competes in Blogger Challenge 2008 to Raise Money for Local Schools

PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 2008

Contact: Michael Ockrim
mike@chicagoschoolsupply.com
http://www.chicagoschoolsupply.com
866 648-2668

Chicago School Supply Competes in Blogger Challenge 2008 to Raise Money for Local Schools

Education supply retailer pledges to raise money and complete classroom projects for underserved Chicago area schools.

Chicago, IL- Bloggers around the globe are competing this month to raise money for U.S. classrooms on DonorsChoose.org for the Blogger Challenge 2008. Education bloggers like Chicago School Supply CEO Mike Ockrim are up for the challenge. "Our goal is to raise $2,500 and complete 20 classroom projects this month" says Ockrim. "This is our first time competing in such a project, and it is really exciting. Many of our projects are already 65-75% funded and just a few more dollars will provide these Chicago classrooms with the resources they need to enhance the learning process".

DonorsChoose.org is a non-profit organization developed to provide students in need with much needed resources often lacking in the public school systems. Teachers submit project proposals for their students onto the Website and the ideas become classroom reality when individuals, called 'Citizen Philanthropists', choose projects to fund. The idea behind the this challenge is for bloggers to inspire their readers to become 'Citizen Philanthropists'. The blogger that mobilizes the most readers will receive a lunch with Yahoo! CEO Jerry Lang, In addition, Yahoo! will pay for a field trip for the kids at a school of the winning blogger’s choice (up to $5,000).

Proposals range from "Magical Math Centers" ($200) to "Big Book Bonanza" ($320), to "Cooking Across the Curriculum" ($1,100). Any individual can search such proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project(s) they find most compelling.

Chicago School Supply, http://www.chicagoschoolsupply.com, serves public and private school administrators, principals, teachers and parents throughout North America, Europe and Asia.

Their online retail store, http://www.schoodoodle.com and their Weblog, http://www.schoodoodle.com/blog/ are resources for teachers and home schools seeking tips, free lesson plans, articles and educational materials.

Eco-friendly Schools Offer Students Fresh Lessons

On the outside, Great Seneca Creek Elementary School looks in Germantown, MD, much like any other. But inside, it is unmistakably green.

This was the first public school in Maryland to receive certification as "eco-friendly" — a concept catching on in schools around the nation.

Eco-friendly schools offer ways to save energy, improve air quality and educate students about the environment.

Great Seneca fifth-grader Eddie Graves explains it best. "It doesn't use as much water," he says, citing the waterless urinals and motion-activated faucets.

He's standing in the library, where a slanted ceiling helps light bounce off the floor-to-ceiling windows.

The U.S. Green Building Council, a private group, has certified or is considering certification for more than 1,000 schools around the country, most within the past few years, says the council's Taryn Holowka.

Other schools, such as Little Bennett Elementary in Clarksburg, MD have been built green but did not seek certification.

To view the complete article, click here.
(USA Today 10.19.08)

Free Lesson Plan for Teachers - The Story of Stuff

Are you looking to fill 20 minutes of class time with consumer information that is appropriate for both elementary and high school students, as well as applicable to science, economics, history, critical thinking and more?

Sounds too good to be true, right?

We recently watched the 20 minute video on The Story of Stuff website. Annie Leonard takes us from start to finish on where our stuff comes from, and more importantly, where it ends up.

The video is engaging, informative, and succinct. Annie unveils some startling facts about U.S. consumers and their relationships with the environment, other nations, and themselves.

Take 20 minutes and watch this fantastic video - it has over 4 million viewers and has won a SXSW Web Award! Then, find a way to share the video with your students. Your next class period will be choked full of heated discussion that engages each one of your students. They will surely have a thought on at least one of the facts presented.

Next, inspire your learners to explore the Story of Stuff website to identify ways that they can contribute less stuff to society!

States Act To Cushion Wall Street Meltdown

By Pamela M. Prah, Stateline.org Staff Writer

Cascading economic problems flowing from the crisis on Wall Street are forcing states to urgently redraw their financial blueprints for the rest of this year and next to cushion the impact of the credit squeeze, staggering paper losses for millions of ordinary Americans and soaring energy prices.

California, which just ended a record 85-day budget impasse, fears its newly-approved plan to balance its books is already $1 billion in the red.

Utah cut most state agency budgets by 3 percent in a Sept. 24 special session, and Oregon Gov. Ted Kulongoski (D) has rescinded a 3.2 percent pay raise for agency directors in his state.

In New York, the epicenter of the financial cataclysm, Gov. David Paterson (D) is laying the groundwork for a special legislative session to deal with conditions that he expects will add $1 billion to the state’s $6.4 billion deficit. New York, along with New Jersey and Connecticut, will be hard hit by the layoffs of thousands of financial industry employees – by some estimates, the financial sector accounts for as much as one-fifth of their revenues.

“The feeling in the states is that this is going to be a tough fiscal 2009, and 2010 is looking difficult,” said Scott Pattison, executive director of the National Association of State Budget Officers.

The tidal wave of bad news comes on the heels of an already brutal budget year that forced states to dip into rainy day funds, implement hiring freezes and put off projects to collectively plug deficits of more than $40 billion in their fiscal 2009 budgets — triple the $13 billion shortfall they weathered the previous year.

Here’s a rundown of recent state action to deal with the financial emergency:

Florida: Lawmakers moved $672 million from reserves to chip away a projected $1.5 billion deficit for this year. That’s on top of the 4 percent cut Gov. Charlie Crist (R) imposed on all state agencies a day after he signed the new budget.

Hawaii: Gov. Linda Lingle (R) postponed selling $625 million in bonds, saying the state would get a better deal waiting. Some analysts expect the national downturn to lead to a recession in Hawaii as tourism has been hit hard.

Massachusetts: Gov. Deval Patrick (D) is mulling a special session and wants the Legislature to give him broader authority to make emergency budget cuts because tax collections are running $200 million less than a year ago.

Maryland: Gov. Martin O’Malley (D) has directed state agencies to look for budget cuts of up to 5 percent to make a dent in a projected $1 billion deficit by 2010. The governor also is banking on voters Nov. 4 endorsing a ballot measure to legalize slots, a move that proponents say would bring the state $500 million.

Missouri: The turbulent credit market has prompted the state to drop its one-of-a-kind plan that would have combined the design and construction of 800 bridges into one contract.
Pennsylvania: Gov Ed Rendell (D) directed state agencies to reduce spending and eliminate out-of-state travel with the aim of cutting $200 million from this year’s budget.

Virginia: Facing an estimated $3 billion deficit over two years Gov. Tim Kaine (D) plans to start cutting next month and legislators will review the cuts in January.

To read Stateline.org's complete article, click here.
Stateline.org gave permission to reprint a portion of this article.

Free Teacher Motivational Quote - "Passion"

There are many things in life

that will catch your eye,

but only a few will catch

your heart. Pursue those.

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Hope you have a great fall weekend! The weather is changing, so if it's getting outdoors that excites you, do it! If you find you're inside, check out the new items on our website! You never know what you will find! Please visit Schoodoodle.com.

Financial Crisis Now Striking Home for School Districts

The crisis besetting U.S. and world financial markets is hitting school districts hard, as they struggle to float the bonds needed for capital projects, borrow money to ensure cash flow, and get access to investment funds locked up in troubled institutions.

In Cumberland County, NC, school officials froze plans to build a $20 million elementary school in the 53,000-student district after a neighboring county failed to find buyers for $454 million of its own construction bonds.

The state of Maine has delayed 12 major school construction projects totaling $348 million in 11 school districts. In other states, even districts able to borrow money are paying higher interest rates while bracing for yet another drop in property-tax revenue.

To view the complete article, click here.
(Education Week 10.10.08)

Healthy Halloween Alternatives

First and foremost, the picture of this boy breaks my heart. Shame on the parents for enabling their child to lead an unhealthy and inactive lifestyle. The formula for a high-quality life (from a physical standpoint) is easy - eat healthy and exercise regularly.

Give me a moment to step down from my soap box.

Halloween is around the corner. The boys and I are knee deep in selecting costumes (for them and my wife and me), planning our trick-or-treat route, and accepting party invitations.

Truth be told, Halloween is my least favorite holiday of the year. Thanksgiving - now there is a great holiday! Good food and no gifts. Then three days off to digest and relax!

This year, step out from the standard industrial sweets Halloween and offer the kids in the neighborhood a healthy alternative. NOTE: you must put some effort into this! If you throw something together last minute, you will surely have pumpkins smashed on your driveway in the morning!

Preparing goodies at home is a great way to involve your children in the excitement of Halloween in a more educational manner. Think of all of the math and reading skills you can incorporate by simply following a basic recipe together. There are also extension activities that can be added on throughout the weeks leading up to October 31st.

My son, Nathan, will be dressing us as Curious George this year. In preparation for a party this week, he and I made Monkey Bread for all of his friends (Banana Bread). It is an amazingly simple recipe that involves all sorts of pouring, cracking, mixing, and spraying. What a great way to burn 40 minutes! We were also able to substitute olive oil for butter to lower the saturated fat content and substituted soy milk so that his brother Nick could enjoy the bread without upsetting his milk allergies.

Remember, presentation can go a long way. Break out a few bunches of bananas for a centerpiece. Add monkey cutouts to windows and doors. Frame out the table with monkey trim. Give every child a monkey name tag. Have games and prizes featuring the Curious George books and DVDs. Tell stories with monkey puppets. Play monkey dominoes. Build a jungle scene with flying monkeys.

Need a few more Halloween tips? Checkout PBS Kids and Experience Life Magazine.

Have a safe and healthy Halloween!

Free Parent Involvement Activities - "Character Development" - Grades 2-3

Creative Writing, Composition, Story & Character Development
When creating a story, the character should be as familiar to the writer as possible. suggest that your child choose an existing character from a book, or create her own. Next, encourage her to write down the answers to the following questions about the character:
Who is your character and how old is he/she?
Where does the character live?
What does the character look like?
How does the character treat others?
What does your character like to do? Hate to do?
What makes your character happy? Sad? Angry?
Who are the character's friends? Enemies?
What does the character want more than anything?
What does the character fear more than anything?
What words describe your character (brave, timid, cheerful, sullen, etc.)?
With this information, challenge your child to write (or tell) a short story. Here are some possible scenarios:
The character finds herself in charge of a runaway train.
The character wakes up inside of a medieval castle.
The character decides to start a lemonade stand.
The character needs help moving a piano.
Encourage your child to incorporate character development when building the story ("How did she react when she was confronted by her enemy?" "What emotions did she feel when arriving at her home?").
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Source: Bright and Beyond, Smart & Simple Writing Activities to do with your Child, Kindergarten to 3rd Grade, Ages 5-9. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "Color Collage" - Age 2

Color Recognition, Creativity

Help your child make a collage using only materials of a certain color. for a "blue collage," set out blue construction paper, blue pompoms, blue fabric scraps, blue magazine pictures, etc. Help her glue these items to a piece of paper or cardboard.

She can also draw on her collage with blue crayons or markers. This is a great time to talk about different shades of blue -- dark blue, light blue,navy blue, royal blue, etc.

Caution: Monitor your child closely during this activity. Always use non-toxic materials.

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Source: Bright and Beyond, Smart & Simple Age 2 Activities to do with your Child, 24-36 months. Available at Schoodoodle.com.

Northern Illinois Educational Retailers Association (NIERA) Fall Meeting

Today I attended the fall meeting for the Northern Illinois Educational Retailers Association (NIERA). Our guest speaker was Mr. Gabriel Lopez, a lobbyist and government relations specialist for the State of Illinois.

What does that mean to teachers? Mr. Lopez's job is to impact public policy (read: increase funding for education). Mr. Lopez provided us with the dismal Sate of the State Address, as well as provided us with insight to the fiscal year 2010 budget proposals and a few silver linings.

For FY09, Illinois has roughly a $60B budget. Their $1.8B deficit (read: unpaid bills) is one of the highest in the U.S. FY09 is a No Growth Budget - no growth and no cuts - basically treading water for 12 months and hoping not to drown. Not too positive.

A potentially bright spot is for the fiscal year 2010. The State has approved a bill to lease out the Lottery. This is a new funding stream expected to generate $10B for capital construction projects (i.e. new school construction, school repairs and upgrades, road repair, etc.).

There are also talks of increasing the state's income tax in exchange for discounts given on property taxes. While there are process-slowing politics surrounding this bill (the Gubernatorial Election is in 2010), many see this as a positive revenue addition that will increase budgets in the coming years.

So what is the moral of the story? Buy more school supplies online at SchooDoodle.com! Kidding!! Plan your classroom and school needs around a budget equal to or less than this year's allocation. We will not see increased budgets for a few fiscal years to come.

Chicago School Supply joins DonorsChoose.org Blogosphere Challenge 2008

Let the challenge begin! Starting October 1, 2008, bloggers from around the globe will compete to raise money for U.S. classrooms on DonorsChoose.org.

Never heard of DonorsChoose? Here is how it works...

DonorsChoose.org is a simple way to provide students in need with resources that our public schools often lack. At this not-for-profit web site, teachers submit project proposals for materials or experiences their students need to learn. These ideas become classroom reality when concerned individuals, whom they call Citizen Philanthropists, choose projects to fund.

Proposals range from "Magical Math Centers" ($200) to "Big Book Bonanza" ($320), to "Cooking Across the Curriculum" ($1,100). Any individual can search such proposals by areas of interest, learn about classroom needs, and choose to fund the project(s) they find most compelling.

In completing a project, donors receive a feedback package of student photos and thank-you notes, and a teacher impact letter.

How can you contribute? Easy!

Visit our Giving Page located on DonorsChoose.org. Review the local projects that we have selected and donate a few dollars to help complete the project.

Many of our projects are 65-75% funded! Just a few dollars from you will provide these Chicago classrooms with the resources that they need to enhance the learning process.

All contributions are tax-deductible...

Donate to local schools on our Giving Page at DonorsChoose.org!

Happy Birthday, Mr. Dictionary!

Surreptitiously. Surreptitiously tell the person next to you the name of someone you admire. Definition: adv. Secertly; Clandestinely.

Many of us might use the spell check or thesaurus functions on our computers instead of cracking open a print version of dictionary, but those tools are to be credited to Mr. Noah Webster.

He is often referred to as, " the Father of American Scholarship and Education." Over five generations of children across the United States learned spell and read using his Blue-Backed Speller books.

Celebrate Noah's birthday on October 16th by taking a moment to open a print dictionary and add a new word to your vocabulary.

Better yet, play an educational game that will make learning new words fun and bloviating! Checkout our selection of WordTeaser Games for Idioms and College Prep available on SchooDoodle.com.

We also have a large selection of student dictionaries and dictionary workbooks for parent and teacher use.

Happy Birthday, Mr. Dictionary!

Teacher Tax Deduction for School Supplies Passes Congress

On Friday, President Bush signed HR 1424, the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 after it passed the House by a vote of 263-171.

In addition to allowing the government to purchase mortgage assets from cash-strapped banks and guaranteeing money market investments, several other parts of the bill include items that directly affect education such as the 2-year extension of tax benefits relating to qualified tuition and expenses, out-of-pocket teacher expenses, Qualified Zone Academy Bonds (QZABs), computer contributions and donations of book inventories.

Free Classroom Joke - "Who's Watching the Cookies?"

The children were lined up in the cafeteria of a Catholic elementary school for lunch.

At the head of the table was a large pile of apples.

The nun made a note, and posted on the apple tray, "Take only ONE. God is watching."

Moving further along the lunch line, at the other end of the table was a large pile of chocolate chip cookies.

A child had written a note, "Take all You want. God is watching the apples!"

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Have a nice fall weekend! I love apples. I found out that apples work better at waking a person up than coffee. And I think that's a great way to do something healthy for your body! Enjoy your time, hopefully get out and take in the crisp air! If you are indoors, please visit our site, Schoodoodle.com. You never know what you might find! Enjoy!

Using Video Games as Bait to Hook Readers

When PJ Haarsma wrote his first book, a science fiction novel for pre-teenagers, he didn’t think just about how to describe Orbis, the planetary system where the story takes place.

He also thought about how it should look and feel in a video game.

The online game that Haarsma designed not only extends the fictional world of the novel, it also allows readers to play in it.

At the same time, Haarsma very calculatedly gave gamers who might not otherwise pick up a book a clear incentive to read: one way that players advance is by answering questions with information from the novel.

Haarsma is not the only one using video games to spark an interest in books. Increasingly, authors, teachers, librarians and publishers are embracing this fast-paced, image-laden world in the hope that the games will draw children to reading.

Spurred by arguments that video games also may teach a kind of digital literacy that is becoming as important as proficiency in print, libraries are hosting gaming tournaments, while schools are exploring how to incorporate video games in the classroom.

To view the complete article, click here.
(The New York Times 10.05.08)

Free Parent Involvement Activities - "Count and Cross" - Grade K-2nd

Addition, Multiplication, Sequencing

Help your child write the numbers two through twelve, in order, on a piece of paper. Next, give her two dice and let her roll them. She can then cross out the number on her paper that is equal to the sum of the two dice.

If she rolls a number that she has already crossed off, she tosses the dice again. the game is over when she has succeeded in crossing off all of the numbers.

For an older child, let her jot down the following numbers: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 12, 15, 16, 18, 20, 24, 25, 30, 36. After she rolls the dice, she can multiply the two numbers and cross out the appropriate number.

Two or more can play the game by taking turns with their own rows of numbers. The first one to cross off all of her numbers is the winner.

Variation -- Instead of writing the numbers two through twelve in a row, jot down only the number two, followed by ten blank spaces. Play the game as above, but players must write in the sum they rolled in its correct spot within the number sequence.

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

Free Parent Involvement Activity - "I Spy" - Age 1

Observation & Discovery, Language Skills

Surround yourself and your child with a number of your child's toys, then give him clues as to which toy you are thinking about. For example, "I spy a vehicle that has a loud siren." If he doesn't immediately point out or pick up his fire truck, give him more clues: "I spy a vehicle that rushes to put out a fire."

When you are on a walk,you can also play I Spy. For example, you might say, "I spy something that barks," and your child can point out the neighbor's dog.

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

10 Free Scholarships for Minorities

Ron Brown Scholarships
http://www.ronbrown.org/home.aspx

FastWEB Scholarship Search
http://www.fastweb.com/

United Negro College Fund Scholarships
http://www.uncf.org/scholarships/uncfscholarship.asp

Jackie Robinson Foundation Scholarships
http://jackierobinson.org/

Intel Science Talent Search
http://www.sciserv.org/sts

Thurgood Marshall Scholarship Fund
http://www.thurgoodmarshallfund.org/

FinAid: The Smart Students Guide to Financial Aid
http://wwwfinaid.org/scholarships/

United Negro College Fund
http://www.uncf.org/

Gates Millenium Scholarships
http:///www.gmsp.org/

McDonald's Scholarships
http://www.mcdonaldsnymetro.com/

CHITAG: Chicago Toy and Game Fair Update

Saturday November 22nd, 1 pm – 6 pm - Games in Education Forum

As an Approved Illinois CPDU Provider, this Forum will provide professional development seminars on how and why to use games in the curriculum.

Professional educators, parent educators, administrators, and future educators are all invited to attend.

Topics include but are not limited to:

· Why games are good for the brain

· How to evaluate games for their educational potential

· How others are integrating games into their educational programs

· How to differentiate instruction using games

· How games evolve to match developmental levels from early childhood to adulthood

· Practical exercise in evaluating and using games in the curriculum

Gender Gap in Teaching Grows: Only 24% of New Recruits are Men (EUROPE)

Teaching is becoming an increasingly female-dominated profession with men making up less than one in four new recruits, official figures revealed yesterday.

Despite a multimillion-pound campaign to attract more men into teaching, the latest statistics reveal a widening gap between the sexes among those gaining teaching qualifications from universities and teacher training colleges.

In 2006-07, less than a quarter (23.8 percent) of teaching qualifications were obtained by men, according to figures published by the Higher Education Statistics Agency—the lowest figure in five years.

This was a fall of 1.5 percent from the previous year.

To view the complete article, click here.
(The Independent 09.26.08)

Number of Schools in Restructuring under No Child Left Behind Increases by More than Half

The Center on Education Policy (CEP) released its most comprehensive report to date on how states and school districts implement school restructuring, the ultimate sanction for chronically low-performing schools under the federal No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB).

The report finds that the number of Title I schools in restructuring during last school year, 2007-08, increased by 56 percent to an estimated 3,599 schools, or about 7 percent of all Title I schools in the nation.

This total is up from the 2,302 schools, or 4 percent in 2006-07.

The report, A Call to Restructure Restructuring: Lessons from the No Child Left Behind Act in Five States, is a culmination of CEP’s study of NCLB restructuring in California, Georgia, Maryland, Michigan, and Ohio, and reviews other state and national data.

These five states were chosen because they have relatively large numbers of schools in restructuring and well-established accountability systems, and represent a variety of geographic areas. To gather data for the study, CEP conducted interviews with state officials and district and school staff in 19 districts and 42 restructuring schools within these states.

The report finds that many schools have remained in restructuring for multiple years, with little guidance from the federal government on what to do about persistently struggling schools. In the five states studied, only 19 percent of the schools implementing restructuring made adequate yearly progress based on 2006-07 tests.

Most restructuring schools in the five states (86 to 96 percent) used the “any-other” restructuring option in the NCLB law, which allows schools and districts to take any major action, aside from the four more specific options, to change school governance.

However, state interpretations of this option varied widely. Michigan and Ohio encouraged schools to employ “turnaround” specialists, while Maryland has barred schools entering restructuring after 2006-07 from choosing a turnaround specialist.

Many schools that missed AYP targets solely because of the performance of student subgroups still directed considerable resources to all students. Principals and teachers at schools that have raised student achievement enough to exit restructuring remained concerned about maintaining progress, particularly as AYP targets will keep rising until they reach the ultimate goal of 100 percent proficiency.

Meanwhile, some principals at schools that replaced staff reported unintended negative consequences, such as being unable to fill positions with qualified teachers and having little time to plan for the new school year after spending the summer hiring.

To view the entire report, click here.
Source: The Center on Education Policy

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