July 7

July 7

In the News
A Beautiful School Is a Caring School: http://asbointl.org/WhatsNew/SchoolBusinessAffairs/index.asp?bid=7496
Beautiful school buildings are often associated with higher cost, extravagance, or both. However, few studies in educational facilities have actually focused on the relationship of school building aesthetics and student learning, writes Delbert Jarman, T.C. Chan, and Linda Webb.

ISTE And MINDS Collaborate To Provide Streaming Video Of NECC 2004: http://www.distance-educator.com/dnews/modules.php?op=modload&name=News&file=article&sid=11511
By going to: http://necc2004.minds.tv/ and clicking on the video on demand registration page, you can see the presenter and the slide show form the recent conference.

Myrna Culbreath Challenge: http://www.edresearch.com/CulbreathChallenge.htm
Hooked On Phonics, The Phonics Game, and PhonicsOpoly are famous names of home reading programs. Their common characteristic – promises of rapid grade improvement without any proof. Gary Adams in his updated expose wonders why the FTC and the California Attorney General’s office don’t enforce the law and makes a $1,000,000 challenge to the author of PhonicsOpoly to prove her claims.

New York Approves System-wide Undergraduate Testing: http://www.nga.org/center/frontAndCenter/1,1188,T_CEN_EDS%5eD_7029,00.html?
hotOffThePress=1
The State University of New York (SUNY) Board of Trustees approved a system-wide testing program on June 22. Scheduled to begin in the fall of 2006, all 64 two- and four-year SUNY institutions will test 20 percent of their students every three years. Instead of establishing a common test, the Board elected to let campus officials select their own tests subject to a SUNY faculty panel review. The tests will measure quantitative skills, critical-thinking, and writing.

The One Computer Classroom
One Computer Classroom: http://studyplans.com/onecomputer.htm
I created this page with many resources for teachers and parents.

One Computer Classroom - But I Don't Have a Computer Lab! Using One Computer in the Classroom: http://www.serve.org/seir-tec/present/onecomptr.html

Computers in the Classroom: http://www.scs.k12.tn.us/SCS/trpages/OCCweb/default.htm

Great Teaching in the One-Computer Classroom: http://www.ellendale.k12.nd.us/tsp.htm

How To Thrive-Not Just Survive: http://www.education-world.com/a_tech/tech092.shtml
Especially look at "Activities for a One Computer Classroom."

Ideas for the One Computer Classroom: http://danenet.wicip.org/mmsd-it/tlc/1comprm.html
Specific ideas for Room Arrangement, Management and Scheduling, and Classroom Modeling are outlined on this web page.

The One Computer Classroom: http://www.remc11.k12.mi.us/bcisd/classres/onecomp.htm
Especially look at "Classroom Management Tips."

The One Computer Classroom: http://facweb.furman.edu/~pecoy/mfl195/onecomputer.html#top
Especially look at the "A Computer Project for the One Computer Classroom", "Issues Related to Making the Most of the One (or few) Computer Classroom" (printout), "Use the One-Computer Classroom To Teach & Reach Your Class" at http://www.k12.hi.us/~hsped/1computer/ways.html, "Classroom Management Techniques", Classroom Management Techniques", "Diverse Advice", "Integration Ideas for the One Computer Classroom", "The One Computer Classroom (Lorrie Felts)",

The One-Computer Classroom: http://eduscapes.com/tap/topic84.htm

The One Computer Classroom-From Reward to Treasure: http://horizon.nmsu.edu/ddl/onecomputer.html

The One Computer Classroom: General Applications Across Subject Areas: http://www.mcps.k12.md.us/departments/isa/staff/sweeney/training/onecomputer.html

One Computer Classroom-Getting Organized:
http://www.teachnet.com/how-to/organization/onecompclass040799.html

The One-Computer Classroom: A Review of the Internet Literature: http://kathyschrock.net/1computer/1computer.htm

The One Computer Classroom: Sharing the Ultimate Resource: http://www.fcae.nova.edu/~burmeist/FETC2000.html

Planning for the Ultimate One Computer Classroom: http://www.methacton.k12.pa.us/training/planint.htm

Strategies to Enable More Independent Work at the Computer: http://www.stemnet.nf.ca/~jscaplen/integration/english/independent.html

Teaching & Learning in the One Computer Classroom: http://etc.davis.k12.ut.us/dianne/Links.htm
Links to many sites for the one computer classroom

Tip Sheet: Strategies for Managing Students on One Computer or a Limited Number of Computers: http://www.lburkhart.com/elem/tip4.htm

And now things to do with that one (or more) computer!
Phonics Games
Clifford's Sound Match: http://teacher.scholastic.com/clifford1/flash/phonics/index.htm

Game Goo: http://www.cogcon.com/gamegoo/gooeypt.html
This site has many educational games that help students develop early reading and language skills.

Jim's Crankshaft: http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/wordsandpictures/cvc/crank/index.shtml
This game is an exercise in auditory discrimination of medial vowels, often the most difficult to hear and identify when learning phonics.

4-Blocks
Four Blocks is the name of a reading/writing method laid out by Patricia Cunningham. Basically, it uses four main "blocks" to teach and practice the skills of reading and writing. One is self-selected reading, one is guided reading, one is working with words, and one is a writing workshop. The program emphasizes kids working at their reading levels for independent reading, supporting children in accessing and understanding reading that may be slightly above their level, lots of modeling of reading strategies and written work. It fits in with reading/writing workshop and differentiating instruction.
Four Blocks is the idea of teaching reading four times a day - phonics; writing; self selected reading; and guided reading. Guided Reading the Four Blocks Way is focusing all the students attention on comprehension. You set a purpose in your before reading, then during reading, the children work in a variety of formats (small group, whole group, echo reading, shared reading, partner reading, individual reading, etc.), then the children work in an after reading discussion making sure that every child
knows what was learned.
Some books by Patricia Cunningham:
Phonics They Can Use
Classrooms that Work: They Can All Read and Write
4 Blocks Literacy in Kankakee: http://www.k111.k12.il.us/lafayette/FourBlocks/
The Carbo Reading Styles Program-National Reading Styles Institute (NRSI): http://www.nrsi.com/
Four Blocks Literacy Center: http://www.readinglady.com/4blocks/
Includes PowerPoint presentation of Four Blocks
The Four Blocks Literacy Model: http://www.wfu.edu/~cunningh/fourblocks/about_fourblocks.html
Four Blocks: Research: http://www.wfu.edu/~cunningh/fourblocks/research.htm
The Perfect Guided Reading Lesson: http://teachers.net/gazette/AUG02/sigmon.html

6-Traits
6+1 Trait Writing: http://www.nwrel.org/assessment/department.asp?d=1
Sandy Hoodenpyle's 6+1 spreadsheets scoring guide: http://www.middleweb.com//mw/images/Scorguide6traits.xls and student friendly version: http://www.middleweb.com//mw/images/SFriendly6traits.xls(cancel the login window and the spreadsheets open)
Six Traits of Writing Forum: http://teachers.net/gazette/AUG02/new2.html
Six Traits Posters: http://www.readinglady.com/Six_Trait_Writing/index.html
Posters can be printed from site.
Practical ideas
-Have kids circle the 2 traits on the 6-trait rubric that THEY want graded. It puts some differentiation into the grading and is less to think about than 6-traits. It definitely saves time.

Big6
Big6 - An Information and Problem Solving Process: http://www.big6.com/
Practical ideas
-Here's a suggestion to introduce the whole process to middle age students.. Try explaining to them that they are already expert researchers--they just don't know it yet, but that they do research every day of their lives. Then divide them into groups of 4 or 5 and tell them to pretend that they are going to a
movie together this weekend. Brainstorm the first Big6 step--what movie, what questions do they need to ask & have answered to choose a movie-- like the cost, time, theater, how they can get there, and so on. Move on to Step 2--where can they find out this info--newspaper, calling the theater, Internet, and so on. Which one is the best source and why? How do they use the newspaper (find the entertainment section of the paper)--and find all the answers to their questions, choose a movie and report to the whole group what they decided and why. For the last step, they can reflect on any info that was difficult to find (not all newspapers tell the cost, for instance) and how they could find out that information were they to do it again.
- Big6 when checking out library books
Step 1: Students come to check out sci-fi/fantasy. Define the task, & decide on the important information, which are the characteristics of sci-fi/fantasy books.
Step 2: Discuss where to locate sci-fi/fantasy.
Step 3: Do a few booktalks.
Step 4: Kids search, look through the books, etc.
Step 5: Kids check out books.
Step 6: The next week, kids tell me if their book met the criteria, and if they enjoyed it.

Earobics
Earobics: http://www.earobics.com/
This is a phonemic awareness software program.

Failure Free Reading
Failure Free Reading: http://www.failurefree.com/index.php
Failure Free Reading announces Intelligent Tutor system: http://www.eschoolnews.com/resources/partners/showrelease.cfm?ReleaseID=477
"The Intelligent Tutor system (a program which works with Failure Free Reading's revolutionary research based reading comprehension program for non-readers and very lowest literacy students) is designed to document every move the student makes. The Intelligent Tutor allows the teacher, tutor, or administrator to better track the progress and milestones in the student's work and will be featured as part of the Failure Free Reading's Online Solution as well as Failure Free Reading's LAN based software." There is a demonstration lesson at this site.

Fountas/Pinnell Literacy Collaborative Way
Fountas/Pinnell uses data to drive the small homogenous guided reading groups. The data comes from running records that you do with the students to determine their reading level and assess the strategies they are using. Then, you plan your instruction based on the strategies they need to use. Independent strategy use is the goal. They use a Shared Reading component for Large Group work. They emphasize Vigotsky's "zone of proximal development" as the key for developing lesson plans for reading. The plan shifts from K-3rd grade based on the students development and ability to be more independent in a Reading Workshop approach. F/P has phonics books you can buy that are K, 1st, and 2nd grade.

Layered Curriculum
Kathy Nunley's Layered Curriculum: http://www.help4teachers.com/

Lexile Framework for Reading
Lexile Framework for Reading: http://www.lexile.com/

Problem-Based Learning
Center for Problem Based Learning: http://www.imsa.edu/team/cpbl/cpbl.html

Reading Logs
Grade 1simple daily reading log- There are 4 columns across and 20 rows down. The columns are: "Date", "Title of Book", "I read with.......", "I enjoyed......" The kids change their books each day and
read with their families each night. Everyone participates. Use large ziploc bags to go back and forth each day.

Reading Rockets
A Screening Tool for Parents and Caregivers of Four-Year-Olds: http://www.readingrockets.org/getready/

Reciprocal Teaching
Reciprocal Teaching: http://www.ncrel.org/sdrs/areas/issues/students/atrisk/at6lk38.htm

Computerized Book Quiz Programs

Accelerated Reader
Accelerated Reader: http://www.rosenpublishing.com/acreader.cfm
Greene County Tech School District-Accelerated Reader: http://www.gctsd.k12.ar.us/display/hs/MediaCentre/ar

Bookadventure
Bookadventure.com: http://bookadventure.com/index.asp
Bookadvdnture is a free online reading motivation program for grades K-8.

Scholastic Reading Counts
Scholastic Reading Counts: http://src.scholastic.com/ecatalog/readingcounts/index.htm

Should these programs be used "just for fun"?
Should they be used in only certain grades? How about middle and high school?
Should students be able to look at the book while taking the test?
Is it time consuming picking quizzes to go with books you already have?
Is using these programs a way for a teacher to say they are using the computers?

Articles
Greer, JaKay. "Point: A Positive Experience with Accelerated Reader" Teacher-Librarian. April 2003, vol. 30, no.4.
Brisco, Shonda. "CounterPoint: AR: What Are Motives Behind the Motives?" Teacher-Librarian. April 2003, vol. 30, no.4.

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This site began in March 1998 and was created by Janet Luch.
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