You've made it through another week. It's time to rest your brain, have some fun, explore some new resources… Kick back and start your weekend off on a light note!
THIS WEEK @ EDUCATION WORLD
Dozens of new postings this week, same as every week! Among the great resources you'll find this week…
Teachers Who Inspire
For Teacher Appreciation Week: principals share stories of the teachers who inspired them.
100 Report Card Comments
At a loss for words? Let us help you write constructive, insightful, and original comments.
News for Kids
So, why did the Titanic really sink? One new theory "holds some water."
How would you rate your school's efforts to educate students about good nutrition?
We make a strong effort to teach "meaty" lessons about good nutrition.
Most teachers "feed" students occasional information about good nutrition.
Nutrition education? What's that? Our plate is empty.
Children With Healthy Diets Do Better in School, Study Suggests
Do teachers in your school understand the important connection between nutrition and students' academic achievement? A study published last month in the Journal of School Health confirms the importance of a healthful diet. Fifth graders in Canada provided information about the foods they eat; from that information, researchers assigned each student a Diet Quality Index (DQI) score. A standardized literacy assessment revealed that students who ate more fruits and vegetables, and consumed fewer calories from fat, scored better on the assessment. "We demonstrated that above and beyond socioeconomic factors, diet quality is important to academic performance," the authors concluded. Read more about the study
FOOD FOR THOUGHT
Not On the Test
If you feel a too-heavy emphasis on "teaching to the test" is causing Your Students to be Left Behind (YCLB), you'll take Tom Chapin's song to heart. Chapin, who writes songs for kids (and happens to be Harry's brother), has composed "Not On the Test," which includes this stanza:
The School Board is faced with No Child Left Behind
With rules but no funding, they're caught in a bind.
So music and art and the things you love best
Are not in your school 'cause they're not on the test.
Chapin's ode to the important things lost when a focus on testing consumes us is available online in video and text formats. In an accompanying fact sheet Chapin shares some of the many benefits that a curriculum strong in the arts provides for students and schools.
CAUGHT ON THE NET
Spell-a-roo
Do your students need to be more careful about proofing their work for spelling errors? If so, the Spell-a-roo game will provide them with practice for doing just that. Students begin the game by choosing their spelling level, Beginner or Intermediate. One at a time, they are presented ten sentences that contain underlined words. Which of the underlined words is misspelled? Students click on the misspelled word and receive immediate feedback. Besides providing fun and interactive spelling reinforcement, this game also offers a format that teachers might adapt as they build activities for needed spelling p-r-a-c-t-i-s-s.
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FROM THE LIBRARY SHELF
Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader?
Beyond being educational and entertaining, Are You Smarter… is also a "smart" buy for teachers who see its potential as a teaching tool. Just for fun, once each day, why not share with students a question from the book? You might even prepare a brief lesson to support the daily question. Learn more or buy the book.
UPCOMING CONFERENCES
Maybe Monday will be a good day to approach your school or district leaders about attending one of these upcoming conferences put on by well-known national associations.
2008 International Conference
The annual conference of the National Association for Multicultural Education (NAME) will be in New Orleans, Louisiana, from November 12 - 16, 2008.
Embrace the Future
The annual conference of the National Council for Social Studies (NCSS) will be in Houston, Texas, from November 14 - 16, 2008.
If your national non-profit organization's conference should be listed here, send an email to conventions@educationworld.com. We will be happy to include it in our rotation so long as it is open to all educators and/or administrators (not only members).
LEAVE 'EM LAUGHING
Kid Quotes
"Moses came down with the Ten Amendments, which were God's Bill of Wrongs." (Susie F., age 7)
"Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and the world laughs at you." (Rob P., age 8)
"If life gives you nothing but lemons, make up a better shopping list for it." (Steven B., age 8)
"Doctors automatically know what's wrong with you. They have a sick sense." (Beau M., age 10)
Spell-a-roo
Maybe Monday will be a good day to approach your school or district leaders about attending one of these upcoming conferences put on by well-known national associations.
Kid Quotes
