Thursday, April 29, 2004

Reference: Education: K through 12: Elementary

Reference: Education: K through 12: Elementary This is the Open Directory Project elementary education category. This is the best directory on the Web for elementary school sites. It is a human edited site. Every site is reviewed by a real person before it is allowed to show up in the directory. This means crap and spam don't usually get in. I browse the Open Directory Project all the time looking for good sites to blog.

Tuesday, April 27, 2004

Unbiased Teaching about American Indians and Alaska Natives in Elementary Schools.

Unbiased Teaching about American Indians and Alaska Natives in Elementary Schools. This paper looks at ways teachers can instruct elementary students about American Indians and Alaskan Natives in an unbiased manner.



From the site:



The contribution of American Indians and Alaska Natives to American life reflects a long heritage, which includes the wide-spread use of Indian words that name geographic places in this nation. American Indians and Alaska Natives maintain their tribal traditions, religion, and languages. At the same time, they strive to assimilate modern technologies. Nonetheless, many students in American schools know comparatively little about the native populations of their own country.



This Digest gives teachers realistic information about this growing population. It identifies some of the common myths about American Indians and Alaska Natives that contribute to curriculum bias. The concluding discussion suggests activities and resources to help elementary students--and their teachers--understand the realities of how Indians live today and how they lived in the past.



THE ROLE OF ACCURATE INFORMATION



Bias about Indians is often the result of inaccurate information. The realities of American Indian and Alaskan Native life are often oversimplified and distorted. Stylized classroom accounts of Indian life reinforce the "buckskin and feather" and the "Eskimo and igloo" stereotypes (Madison School District, 1978). With such instruction, students are certain to develop misguided impressions of Indians.

Sunday, April 25, 2004

Children's Literature Connection

Children's Literature Connection. Encourages networking and collaboration among writers, illustrators, teachers, librarians, booksellers, publishers, and parents in upstate New York and Western New England. News, calendar of events, and membership information.



From the site:



The Children's Literature Connection is an organization dedicated to the advancement of children's literature. Our goals include encouraging networking and collaboration among writers, illustrators, teachers, librarians, booksellers, publishers, editors, parents, and others, and strengthening the connection between the people who create children's books and the people who use them.



Recent changes in education policy are discouraging teachers from using authentic children's literature in school. Part of our mission is to provide a counterpoint to those arguments. Our children won't be literate if they don't read literature.

Friday, April 23, 2004

A Professor Responds by Computer to the Writing of Elementary Students.

A Professor Responds by Computer to the Writing of Elementary Students. This is a quaint article from 1992. This was from when e-mail was new and novel.



From the site:



During the Summer of 1990, I responded to the writing of 20 fourth through seventh graders from a computer installed in my home in Bloomington, Indiana by the Bartholomew County (Indiana) Community School Corporation. Working daily with their classroom teacher in a summer school computer writing class that drew students from all over Columbus, Indiana, the students sent me 263 pieces of writing in 4 weeks. The experience is one that I will never forget, and one that I hope the young writers and their teacher, Vickie Osman, enjoyed.



The students wrote their drafts on Microsoft Works. Then their teacher attached their files to messages that she sent by modem to me with an electronic mail program called CCMail. Microsoft Works is essentially a user-friendly program that presented few problems to the upper elementary students as they wrote daily anything ranging from a 3-line haiku to 10 to 20 computer-screen stories. Only a few students seemed to have any difficulty composing on a computer. Occasionally, messages were scrambled or even lost because of faulty commands, but no one quit because of technical difficulties. At times, Mrs. Osman and I decided that we were experiencing more problems than the students, primarily because we were working with 20 times as many messages as each individual student. She had to make certain that all of the students' writing (sometimes as many as 40 a day) were attached to her CCMail message to me. I had to make certain that I responded daily to all messages sent by these students, who had just completed grades 3 through 6.



Of the 20 students enrolled in the class, 2 entered fourth grade the following fall; 9 entered fifth; 5 were eligible for sixth; 4 would be in seventh.



Asked on a questionnaire to report their average grade in English, 5 noted that they earned mostly A's; 7 received B's; 3 C's; 5 D's and F's.

Wednesday, April 21, 2004

Preventing Violence by Elementary School Children

Preventing Violence by Elementary School Children. I always thought by working in the primary grades that I would avoid violent students. After all, they can't be that dangerous until they get big, right. Boy was I wrong...



From the site:



Young children face a vast and increasing array of challenges as they attempt to develop prosocial competencies and a conciliatory, nonviolent approach to life. They suffer from a lack of closeness with adults, but also from an overabundance of exposure to graphic violence in the news and entertainment media and, increasingly, in their homes and communities. All these forces affect the temperament of children, and each child expresses a unique set of responses to potentially inflammatory situations.



Mental health and education professionals generally agree that it is essential to begin developing prosocial attitudes and behaviors in children at a very young age because aggression that is not remedied nearly always leads to later acts of delinquency (Slaby, Roedell, Arezzo, & Kendrix, 1995). This digest presents an overview of effective antiviolence strategies for use with elementary school children that educators can integrate into their schools and classrooms.



PRINCIPLES AND GOALS OF VIOLENCE PREVENTION PRACTICES



The most effective antiviolence efforts focus on measures that prevent all types of children's bad conduct: "aggression", including undirected anger, such as tantrums, and lashing out at others; "bullying", which is targeting someone thought to be weaker; and "hate bullying", which is victimizing someone of a different (and perceived to be inferior) gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation (U.S. Department of Education, 1999).

Monday, April 19, 2004

Educational Ideas from 5-6 Grade Connection

Educational Ideas from 5-6 Grade Connection. Ideas, tips, and lesson plans created by an international group of teachers belonging to the 5-6 Grade Connection Listserve.



From the site:



5-6 Connection is a group of teachers from all around the world who have come together to form a 'virtual teachers' lounge' and share ideas from management to subject lessons to recipes! We intend to present some of the ideas we have come up with to you... but if you want more, maybe you should think about joining us!



This is what our 'Listmom' has to say about 5-6 Grade Connection...



'5-6gradeconnection is a "connected" group of teachers world wide who do a lot of sharing and creating materials besides discussing various topics and concerns with each other. Connection also stays connected having an email prayer chain, and creating a directory of its members.



Our biggest population is 5th and 6th, but we do have other levels besides LD, ED, Sped, Music, Principals, and various others on our list.



Connection has 2 free weeks, and then asks $5 as a one time fee to help pay for the server. Name, city and state are only required before approval into Connection. Other information is in the Connection welcome letter which you receive after subscribing.

Saturday, April 17, 2004

What Elementary Teachers Need To Know about Language.

What Elementary Teachers Need To Know about Language. Just in case you don't know all of this already. It is a good summary of the basics of oral and written communication.



From the site:



Over the past decade, education reforms have raised the educational bar that all children in the United States--including newcomers--must clear to finish school and participate in the economic and social world of the 21st century. These reforms place tremendous pressures on children and teachers: In addition to mastering the content-area curriculum, children must become skilled users of language. They must be highly competent in reading and writing to pass the various assessments that constitute gateways for completing school, getting into college, and finding jobs. Teachers need a wealth of content and pedagogical knowledge to ensure that they are providing appropriate instruction to all students. Teachers also need a thorough understanding of educational linguistics--how language figures in education. This foundation would support teachers' practice overall, and in particular, it would help them teach literacy skills (Snow, Burns, & Griffin, 1998), especially to English language learners (August & Hakuta, 1998). If approached coherently, preparation in educational linguistics would cover many items on lists of teacher competencies, such as skills in assessing children, individualizing instruction, and respecting diversity. This Digest summarizes some basic aspects of oral and written language about which elementary teachers need expertise in order to promote literacy. However, it is only one part of the formula for effective teaching. How literacy skills should be taught and how teachers can learn what they need to know about language are beyond the scope of this Digest.



WHAT SHOULD CLASSROOM TEACHERS KNOW ABOUT LANGUAGE?



Classroom teachers and other educators should be able to answer a basic set of questions regarding oral and written language. Underlying their knowledge should be an understanding that oral language proficiency developed first in the native language (and often in a second language) serves as the foundation for literacy and as the means for learning in school and out. Teachers need to know how written language contrasts with speech so they can help their students acquire literacy.

Thursday, April 15, 2004

Mrs. Large's Second Grade WebQuest Page

Mrs. Large's Second Grade WebQuest Page. Resource to enhance thematic units taught in second grade. Primarily based on science or social studies themes.



From the site:



I designed this website for my second grade students to use as we study each of our themes throughout the year. The purpose of each webquest is to enhance the thematic unit that we are currently studying. If by chance anyone else should happen to visit my site and would like to try a webquest I would be very happy. Anyone is welcome and encouraged to try them. I hope you enjoy them. These could be adapted to first grade or classes with only one computer by doing them with the whole class. It would take much longer in some cases, but I think it could be done.

Tuesday, April 13, 2004

Parent Involvement in Elementary Language Arts: A Program Model.

Parent Involvement in Elementary Language Arts: A Program Model. Get those parents involved!



From the site:



"Parent involvement" is fast becoming a hot topic. Teaching periodicals, parent magazines, newspapers, and even television talk shows and special broadcasts are emphasizing the impact parents make in educating their children. Topics include hints on effective communication at conference time, tips for establishing study skills and habits at home, and information on how to use parents effectively as volunteers in the classroom (Vukelich, 1984).



A potential limitation with the teacher-parents involvement suggestions described in some articles is that even though they may be worthwhile, they often lack an overall organization that allows teachers to plan and develop principled programs for parents (Becher, 1986; Becher, 1984; Vukelich, 1984). Many well-meaning, dedicated teachers approach parent involvement as an "afterthought" that may lack purposeful implementation. Parent involvement, in this sense, is not seen as part of the curriculum. A general format may help to eliminate wasted effort and guide the development of an organized approach to parent involvement--a parent involvement program that is integrated into the language arts curriculum.



DIMENSIONS OF INVOLVEMENT



Petit (1980) attempts to organize the various dimensions of parent involvement. Petit specifies three levels or degrees of increasing parent involvement: (1) monitoring, (2) informing, and (3) participation.

Sunday, April 11, 2004

Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site

Carol Hurst's Children's Literature Site. Includes reviews of great children's books, classroom activities, lesson plans, and professional topics.



From the site:



This is a collection of reviews of great books for kids, ideas of ways to use them in the classroom and collections of books and activities about particular subjects, curriculum areas, themes and professional topics.

Friday, April 9, 2004

Literature-Based Mathematics in Elementary School.

Literature-Based Mathematics in Elementary School. I had never thought of math as a fiction genre before...



From the site:



"When we think of mathematics books, we think of non-fiction, even though mathematics itself is predominantly fiction" (Pappas, 1999).



Some of us may feel uncomfortable with the notion that mathematics is fiction, but the concepts and procedures of mathematics are all constructions of our minds, products of our attempts to understand our worlds, real and imaginary. Some mathematical ideas have obvious practical applications in our everyday lives, while other ideas seem very abstract, with little apparent connection to life as most of us experience it. All mathematical ideas, though, take shape through our attempts to communicate, and therefore find their way into our literature. Having an inherent sense of number (Dehaene, 1997), we express mathematical ideas in stories, essays, poems, books, and other forms of literature that convey life experiences, real or imagined. One way of connecting school mathematics to everyday life, then, is to draw attention to the mathematics embedded in the literature of everyday life, to reveal the mathematics inherent in human thinking and communication about life experiences.



BENEFITS OF THE LITERATURE CONNECTION



Linking mathematics instruction to children's literature has become increasingly popular in recent years for a variety of reasons. Some suggest that the literature connection motivates students (Usnick & McCarthy, 1998), provokes interest (Welchman-Tischler, 1992), helps students connect mathematical ideas to their personal experiences (Murphy, 2000), accommodates children with different learning styles (Murphy, 2000), promotes critical thinking (Murphy, 2000), or provides a context for using mathematics to solve problems (Jacobs & Rak, 1997; Melser & Leitze, 1999). Hebert and Furner (1997) introduced the idea of "bibliotherapy" to help students see mathematics as a tool for making life easier. Smith (1999) described the use of literature in designing lessons that place mathematical ideas in a cultural context.

Wednesday, April 7, 2004

First School Years

First School Years. Free worksheets, flashcards and other educational resources for teachers and parents of children in their first few years of school.



From the site:



The worksheets and resources on this site are targeted primarily at Key Stage 1 ( 5 - 7 year olds). Some may also be suitable for children in Early Years or lower Key Stage 2. The printables are in Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF format. Don't have Word? Don't worry - just download and install Microsoft's free Word 97/2000 viewer by clicking below.

Monday, April 5, 2004

National Data for Studying Rural Education: Elementary and Secondary Education Applications.

National Data for Studying Rural Education: Elementary and Secondary Education Applications. I work in an urban school. However, i found this look at rural primary schools of interest.



From the site:



Information collected specifically on rural education is scant (Haas, 1992; Stern, 1994). However, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) recently geared up its efforts to disseminate data and products on elementary and secondary education that contain measures of community urbanicity, making rural-urban comparisons or rural-focused analyses possible (Stephens, 1992). This digest describes NCES datasets, presents issues that can be addressed with NCES data, and offers practical tips for accessing these data.



NCES has primarily two types of data: population data and survey data. Population data cover the nation's school universe and provide descriptive information. Survey data do not actually cover the national population, but can yield estimates from nationally representative samples of schools or students. Most NCES surveys are conducted by questionnaire (some with supplementary telephone or personal interviews) using stratified probability samples. Driven by specific policy issues, surveys collect detailed and dynamic information.



POPULATION DATA



The Common Core of Data (CCD) covers all public elementary and secondary schools as well as local and state education agencies. Information collected by CCD includes descriptive data on schools and districts (name, address, phone number, and locale); demographic data on students and staff; and fiscal data (revenues and current expenditures). CCD is a major source for identifying and describing public elementary and secondary schools and school districts in the U.S.

Saturday, April 3, 2004

Kindergarten Resources

Kindergarten Resources. Lesson plans, activities, and Internet resources for kindergarten classes.



Frpm the site:



Hop on board for an hour of exploration and sharing of exemplary web sites, thematic units and classroom organization ideas to kick-start your school year.



Click on Sue Roseman for recently added web resources!



Walk away from this session with a wealth of resources and web site links for all subject areas.



Time will be allotted to the exploration of sample kindergarten schedules, worksheet ideas, center ideas, balanced literacy and 4 blocks resources, home/school connections.



Participants will leave with a comprehensive web page handout, accompanying online resources, and simple web-based activities to use with students.



Emphasis will be placed on exploring sites which link to strands in YOUR curriculum.

Thursday, April 1, 2004

Small Catholic Elementary Schools: An Endangered Species?

Small Catholic Elementary Schools: An Endangered Species? This article looks at the supposed demise of small Catholic elementary schools. I know of several here is Texas and they seem to be doing fine...



From the site:



In practical terms, a Catholic school is small when students in two or more grades share the same instructional setting. Within this digest, the small Catholic school will considered to be an elementary school with an enrollment of 100 or less. To be financially viable, a small school must recognize its smallness and seek structures and methods appropriate to its size.



WHERE ARE THE SMALL CATHOLIC SCHOOLS?



A recent Small Schools Survey (Reck, in press) found that 462 Catholic elementary schools in the United States enrolled fewer than 100 students in 8-grade schools, or under 12.5 students per grade in schools with fewer than 8 grades. Over three fourths of these schools are located in only 13 states.



HOW DO SMALL CATHOLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS FARE ON ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT TESTS?



Many persons still remember the argument for public school consolidation in the 1950s and 1960s: "bigger is better." Recent educational research shows, on the contrary, that size by itself does not indicate the quality of a school (Marshall, 1984) and that small schools can and do achieve as well (Alberta Department of Education, 1984; Sher and Tompkins, 1977; Eberts, 1984; ERIC Clearinghouse on Educational Management, 1982).



The Small Schools Survey of Catholic elementary schools (Reck, in press) indicates that 94% of the composite class averages are on or above grade level. Moreover, the median class average on the composite achievement score increases through the grades--with the eighth grade composite score 1.8 years above the national norm. In other words, the longer a class studies in a small Catholic school, the higher the group tends to score above the expected level.