Sunday, February 29, 2004

Whole Language in an Elementary School Library Media Center.

Whole Language in an Elementary School Library Media Center. This is a good article on how school librarians can help teach whole language in the elementary grades. As a school librarian, I appreciate the content here.



From the site:



In a traditional or basic skills approach to education, learning is broken down into small pieces. Children are asked to learn these pieces and are rewarded for their behavior. Teachers diagnose what children know and then remediate by teaching them what they do not know. Social constructivism, reflected in the whole language approach, is very close to the opposite in its philosophical stance. Learning occurs through use of language and literature, not as a separate part of it. Texts are kept whole, not broken down into parts. Teachers observe and assess what children know and build upon their knowledge, designing a classroom environment and learning activities cooperatively with children so that they become internally motivated to learn. The goals of instruction are broader and address affective considerations. Whereas in a basic skills program the goal is to teach children how to read and write, the goal of a whole language curriculum is to help children become avid readers and writers, to develop a love of learning.



The change from a basic skills to a whole language approach precipitates vast changes in the school library media center. This digest will examine these changes, specifically at the elementary school level, in terms of three curricular foci: theme studies, process writing, and literature-based reading. It will also discuss the new demands placed upon the collection and the school librarian.



THEME STUDIES



Theme studies are not unlike the units of study many teachers have taught for years. The main difference is that theme studies rely upon children's literature instead of textbooks. Children explore a topic in far more detail and spend much longer on each theme than in a textbook-driven program. Children engaged in a theme study use the school media center to seek information about specific topics. They also use works of various genres to supplement their research. Fiction, for example, demonstrates attitudes and behaviors, the reasons to use the information found in nonfiction books. Poetry can provide an aesthetic dimension to the theme study topic.

Friday, February 27, 2004

Mrs. Ayers' Kinder Themes

Mrs. Ayers' Kinder Themes. A small collection of thematic units for Kindergarten that can be adapted for other grades as well.



From the site:



Hello, my name is Donna Ayers and I would like to welcome you to my home page! I hope you enjoy some of the activities that I have listed in the pages. Please check back to my page often as I am adding new ideas and Units on a regular basis!

Wednesday, February 25, 2004

Elementary School Foreign Language Programs.

Elementary School Foreign Language Programs. This article reviews the methods and theories used by schools which have successful foreign language programs in the primary grades.



From the site:



A wide range of elementary school foreign language programs have been designed for the English-speaking child. These programs vary in intensity and outcome, depending on the goals and the availability of time and resources. Before starting a new language program, teachers and administrators should consider all possible program models and select the one that corresponds best to their goals and available resources.



At one end of the spectrum are total immersion programs, where virtually all classroom instruction is in the foreign language. At the other end are foreign language experience (FLEX) programs, where classes may meet only once or twice a week and where the goal is not to develop language proficiency, but rather to introduce children to one or more foreign languages and cultures. Elementary school foreign language programs fall into the following broad categories: total immersion, partial immersion, content-based FLES (foreign language in the elementary school), regular (non content-based) FLES, and

Monday, February 23, 2004

Mr. R's Songs That Teach

Mr. R's Songs That Teach. A language arts dictation music program for K-5 grade levels aligned with the California State Contents Standards and Open Court.



From the site:



Mr. R's Songs That Teach program offers all students an enriched integrated language arts music and dictation program. Engaging in this high potential practice, allows all students to have a wealth of language, which promotes English only and second language learners to become lifelong learners and effective communicators.

Saturday, February 21, 2004

Students at Risk in Mathematics: Implications for Elementary Schools.

Students at Risk in Mathematics: Implications for Elementary Schools. Our students are doing poorly at math. They have been for years. The problem starts in elementary schools. What can we do? This article has a few ideas.



From the site:



Two groups of students in schools are learning substantially less mathematics than they should. They are entering the work-force unable to use mathematics effectively, and probably account for a significant amount of the reason national assessment scores in mathematics do not show much improvement.



The first group consists of the "typical or usual" potential school dropout and underachiever. The second group of students, the group we term "nominal mathematics students," stay in high school and may even go on to college, but their mathematics education is not adequate to allow them maximum educational and life choices. Both of these groups, the potential dropout and the nominal mathematics student, are at risk of not developing adequate mathematical knowledge and skills and contributing less than what they might to their own lives and to society.



What can the elementary school staff do to address the problems of these at-risk students? This digest and the publication on which it is based were developed to help schools and teachers know some of the problems the students have, what the elementary school staff can do, and what elementary classroom teachers can do. Most of the recommended actions will help not only these students, but also others.

Thursday, February 19, 2004

DLTK's Children's Book Breaks

DLTK's Children's Book Breaks. Free printable instructions and templates for crafts, coloring pages, and other activities to accompany favorite children's books.



From the site:



Great bookmarks, crafts, coloring pages and other activities to go along with some of your favorite children's books! Good for thematic units involving children's books.

Tuesday, February 17, 2004

Cognitive Learning in the Environment: Elementary Students.

Cognitive Learning in the Environment: Elementary Students. This paper look s at how students in elementary school can use cognitve learning.



From the site:



Cognitive learning in the environment as it relates to secondary schools and students was the topic of a recent ERIC/SMEAC ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION DIGEST (Lisowski and Disinger, 1987). The situation with respect to outside-the-classroom instruction, which is somewhat different in the elementary setting, is the topic of this digest.



There are a number of similarities between the field instruction situations in elementary and secondary schools, the most prominent being that affective, not cognitive, learning has traditionally been the primary objective of field instruction at all K-12 levels. Likewise, most of the educational research dealing with learning in the environment--or, more generally, outside the classroom--at both elementary and secondary levels has centered on noncognitive areas (Disinger, 1984).



There are typically fewer difficulties in arranging for elementary out-of-school activities than for secondary school activities. The self-contained elementary school classroom allows for flexible scheduling, and the absence of rigid time frames for instruction in specific subjects makes it easier for the teacher to arrange to leave the classroom and engage in "outside" ventures. Also, ause the elementary teacher is more of a generalist than is the secondary school teacher, there is greater potential for the planned integration of knowledge which is possible through in-the-environment experiences.



Countering these factors, the elementary teacher is typically not well-versed in the various specific content areas associated with field learning, and generally sees his or her primary task as instruction in the "basic skills" areas or 3 Rs. This may be the result of elementary teacher education and training which generally does not provide depth in the sciences or social studies.

Sunday, February 15, 2004

Education Place

Education Place. Elementary resources for teachers, students, and parents. Includes reading/language arts, math, science, and social studies centers, intervention, professional development, searchable activity database, educational games, and textbook support.



From the site:



K-8 resources for teachers, students, and parents. Includes Reading/Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Intervention, Professional Development, activities, games, and textbook support.

Friday, February 13, 2004

Ability Grouping in Elementary Schools.

Ability Grouping in Elementary Schools. This article talks about grouping students together in the primary schools. This of course makes perfect sense. Try it and you will be accused of tracking though...



From the site:



Ability grouping of students is one of the oldest and most controversial issues in elementary and secondary schools. Hundreds of research studies have examined the effects of the two most common variants: between-class and within-class ability grouping. Between-class grouping refers to a school's practice of forming classrooms that contain students of similar ability. Within-class grouping refers to a teacher's practice of forming groups of students of similar ability within an individual class.



This digest summarizes the conclusions of Robert E. Slavin's 1986 comprehensive review of research on the different types of ability grouping in elementary schools. The purpose of his review was to identify grouping practices that promote student achievement.



WHY USE ABILITY GROUPING?



In theory, ability grouping increases student achievement by reducing the disparity in student ability levels, and this increases the likelihood that teachers can provide instruction that is neither too easy nor too hard for most students. The assumption is that ability grouping allows the teacher (1) to increase the pace and raise the level of instruction for high achievers, and (2) to provide more individual attention, repetition, and review for low achievers. The high achievers benefit from having to compete with one another, and the low achievers benefit from not having to compete with their more able peers.

Wednesday, February 11, 2004

Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University

Children's Picture Book Database at Miami University. A keyword-searchable database of over 4000 picture books; includes abstracts, subject classification, and Web links.



From the site:



Welcome to our academic website which gives teachers, librarians, parents, and students a place for designing literature-based thematic units for all subjects.



Our site offers you:



* abstracts of over 5000 children's picture books;



* search capabilities for over 950 keywords, including topics, concepts, and skills which describe each book;



* weblinks for keywords so you can integrate your up-to-date content knowledge with our picture book resources.

Monday, February 9, 2004

The Supply and Demand of Elementary and Secondary School Teachers in the United States.

The Supply and Demand of Elementary and Secondary School Teachers in the United States. This essay examines the supply-and-demand of teachers at several levels including elementary. I know one thing. Regardless, our salaries will never be equal to our educations.



From the site:



Policymakers and educational administrators consider several factors when making decisions about the need for teachers. The number of teachers required in a district depends largely on K-12 enrollment growth patterns, the pace of teacher retirement and attrition, and desired teacher-student ratios. Other factors, such as high immigration rates within the population or policies on reducing class size, also contribute to the demand for new teachers (Yasin, 1998). This digest will give a brief overview of teacher supply and demand in the United States, including projections for the next 10 years.



PROFILES OF TEACHERS AND STUDENTS IN THE UNITED STATES



For the past ten years, the supply of public elementary and secondary school teachers has grown. Currently, the number of teachers in the United States is estimated to be 3.1 million, 2,666,034 of whom are teaching in public elementary and secondary schools (Snyder, 1999). Another 400,000 teach in private elementary and secondary schools (NCES, 1997). These estimates indicate an increase of about 17 percent since 1988. For the 1998-99 school year, there were 2,780,074 teachers in public schools. Over a million of those teachers (approximately 40 percent) were in the six states of California, Florida, Illinois, New York, Ohio, and Texas.



The number of elementary and secondary school teachers is projected to increase by 1.1 percent annually to a total of 3.46 million by the year 2008 (Gerald & Hussar, 1998). Elementary school teachers will increase to 2.05 million and secondary school teachers will increase to 1.19 million by 2008 (Gerald & Hussar, 1998). Similarly, elementary and secondary student enrollments are projected to increase to 54.27 million for the same time period. However, other factors such as teacher retirement and increased immigration will continue to increase the number of students, and thus the need for more teachers.

Saturday, February 7, 2004

Book Review - God's Choice: The Total World of a Fundamentalist Christain School by Alan Peshkin

Book Review - God's Choice: The Total World of a Fundamentalist Christain School by Alan Peshkin. I found this book review. It is an interesting look at a book which examines Christian fundamentalist education.



From the site:



Alan Peshkin wrote God's Choice: The Total World of a Fundamentalist Christian School in the 80s. Nonetheless, the forces that shaped the forming and operation of the anonymous "Bethany Baptist Academy" are still very much an issue today. While new possibilities such as charter schools give parents more control over the education of their children, only private endeavors can possibly offer a parent from a Christian Fundamentalist background the type of schooling that Peshkin described today. And the appeal for some goes beyond the escape from the secular world. The school that Peshkin described has all the elements of a successful school: institutional unity of purpose, a dedicated faculty, strong discipline, rigorous homework, and committed parents. As Bethany Baptist Academy is probably not alone in its success, it is useful to ponder the implications of the success of the fundamentalist private school.



Bethany Baptist Academy has no confusion as to the mission that drives it. The goal is to prepare students to be successful in a world that they intend to be apart from. "Separate from the world-in it but not of it" is the driving principle. Students should come to be "saved", lead wholesome lives, witness their faith to non-believers, and at the same time maintain their distance from the secular world. And, the student has to be taught to do this while they also learn to interact and live in a secular world that will daily challenge their lifestyles. Both the faculty and parents of Bethany strongly believe in this purpose and the message in constantly reinforced in all aspects of the curriculum and at home.



This type of schooling is bound to bother some educators. Students are not taught to value viewpoints that differ from the biblical interpretations of their teachers. Critical thinking skills are only sharpened to question in biblically and politically correct tones. Cultural diversity is not valued when most religious perspectives (and all but one sexual one) are taught to be incorrect. Further, state regulations for schools are ignored. This is problematic to those who believe in teacher certification and state assessment of scholastic achievement of students. The success and proliferation of schools such as Bethany is a direct challenge to many educators.

Thursday, February 5, 2004

Guidelines for Starting an Elementary School Foreign Language Program.

Guidelines for Starting an Elementary School Foreign Language Program. Many of us wish to teach foreign languages to primary school students. This article gives ideas for starting these types of programs.



From the site:



In the past decade, schools have demonstrated increased interest in beginning the study of foreign languages in the early grades. Influencing this trend are a number of national reports urging that the study of languages other than English begin early (Met & Rhodes, 1990). Another influence on the trend toward an early start is research that indicates that the early study of a second language results in cognitive benefits, gains in academic achievement, and positive attitudes toward diversity (Rosenbusch, 1995).



Perhaps the most important influence on early foreign language study will come from the national initiative, Goals 2000. In this initiative, foreign languages are designated as part of the core curriculum, together with traditional subject areas such as math, science, and social studies. As part of this initiative, the foreign language profession has developed national standards for foreign language programs beginning in kindergarten and continuing through 12th grade. Although these standards are not mandatory, they are certain to increase even further the interest in starting foreign language study in the early grades (Phillips & Draper, 1994).

Tuesday, February 3, 2004

Mrs. Griffin's Kindergarten Page

Mrs. Griffin's Kindergarten Page For Kindergarten students, parents, and teachers. Contains several thematic units, photos, activities and strategies, a full-day schedule, and links for kids and teachers.



From the site:



Hi, My name is Amy Griffin. I have currently become the Pre-K Coordinator for Nottoway County Public Schools. I have taught in Nottoway for 11 years. I plan to keep this page for Kindergarten students, parents, and teachers. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns about anything on here please feel free to e mail me! Hopefully I will eventually make a page for the Pre-K Programs in our county!

Sunday, February 1, 2004

Foreign Language Program Articulation: Building Bridges from Elementary to Secondary School.

Foreign Language Program Articulation: Building Bridges from Elementary to Secondary School. If you teach children foreign languages in elementary school, they probably will do better with the foreign languages in high school. It sure makes sense to me.



From the site:



Foreign languages are currently enjoying attention unparalleled since the heyday of the early 1960s. There is a renewed interest in and emphasis on elementary school programs that are generally referred to under the broad heading of Foreign Languages in the Elementary School, or FLES. The emphasis on FLES in the 60s did not lead to the anticipated proliferation of second language programs because of a lack of realistic program goals and adequate planning, inattention to sound curricula and appropriate instructional materials, and failure to place qualified teachers in FLES classrooms. It is crucial, therefore, that current attention focus on these elements which are so vital to successful FLES programs. Even with these elements carefully in place, articulation remains a critical factor in the development of a successful K-12 language program.



WHAT IS FOREIGN LANGUAGE PROGRAM ARTICULATION?



For the educational practitioner, articulation is the process of providing a smooth and logical transition from an elementary to a secondary program and ensuring continuity from one FLES classroom to another. This kind of academic sequencing provides opportunities for those students with both the interest and ability to continue their elementary school language study at the secondary level. Articulation can be viewed from two perspectives: horizontal and vertical.



"Horizontal articulation" focuses on outcomes, teaching strategies, materials, and evaluation within a course level. If language instruction is offered in more than one elementary school in a district, such instruction should be based on a common curriculum. Teachers from different schools (or classrooms) must address the same objectives at each course level, while utilizing similar strategies and instructional materials.