There are a number of things parents need to watch for when deciding what school or class in which to enroll their children.

The teachers we remember most were probably the most fun. They were caring, empathetic, enthusiastic and conveyed a love for learning. They taught us the most and made the biggest difference in our lives. But they had qualities we probably weren’t even aware of. They were experts in their field and conveyed information in creative, memorable ways. Great teachers help students feel like they can learn and succeed. But it’s hard to know ahead of time if a teacher has these memorable qualities. Still, there are some things parents should watch for when deciding what school or class in which to enroll their children.

The Basics

A good teacher will have mastery of the subjects they teach, as well as a firm grasp of general subjects like mathematics, science, literature, grammar, writing, spelling, history, geography, art, and even music. He should know that every child is different and will know how to teach his subject to every child. A good teacher will know how to motivate and integrate kids of diverse backgrounds and ideally has an understanding of child psychology and learning theory.

Social Awareness

Qualified teachers should have the ability to identify kids with emotional or psychological problems and have access to resources for helping such children. They should also be able to spot gifted children, or those with learning deficits. Good teachers are able to teach children awareness about the hazards of drugs, smoking, AIDS and sex (when appropriate), as well as being able to communicate with parents about their kids.

Credentials

It’s a good idea to get some information about a teacher’s credentials. If possible, find out where your child’s teacher studied, what kind of training he has and any advanced qualifications or specializations he might possess. A good teacher, confident in his qualifications, will be glad to share whatever information you might need. Ask for a meeting and have a conversation about what you hope for from your child’s school and try to establish some common goals with the teacher.

These are some of the basic skills your teacher’s background should have provided:

• Knowledge of the subjects they teach and methods for presenting information
• Diagnostic, planning, organizational and management skills and techniques
• An understanding of the ways in which children learn and the ability to select the best teaching practices for each student
• The ability to accurately evaluate student learning
• Knowledge of parental involvement strategies and ways to deal with culturally diverse populations

There are a number of things parents need to watch for when deciding what school or class in which to enroll their children.

The teachers we remember most were probably the most fun. They were caring, empathetic, enthusiastic and conveyed a love for learning. They taught us the most and made the biggest difference in our lives. But they had qualities we probably weren’t even aware of. They were experts in their field and conveyed information in creative, memorable ways. Great teachers help students feel like they can learn and succeed. But it’s hard to know ahead of time if a teacher has these memorable qualities. Still, there are some things parents should watch for when deciding what school or class in which to enroll their children.

The Basics

A good teacher will have mastery of the subjects they teach, as well as a firm grasp of general subjects like mathematics, science, literature, grammar, writing, spelling, history, geography, art, and even music. He should know that every child is different and will know how to teach his subject to every child. A good teacher will know how to motivate and integrate kids of diverse backgrounds and ideally has an understanding of child psychology and learning theory.

Social Awareness

Qualified teachers should have the ability to identify kids with emotional or psychological problems and have access to resources for helping such children. They should also be able to spot gifted children, or those with learning deficits. Good teachers are able to teach children awareness about the hazards of drugs, smoking, AIDS and sex (when appropriate), as well as being able to communicate with parents about their kids.

Credentials

It’s a good idea to get some information about a teacher’s credentials. If possible, find out where your child’s teacher studied, what kind of training he has and any advanced qualifications or specializations he might possess. A good teacher, confident in his qualifications, will be glad to share whatever information you might need. Ask for a meeting and have a conversation about what you hope for from your child’s school and try to establish some common goals with the teacher.

These are some of the basic skills your teacher’s background should have provided:

• Knowledge of the subjects they teach and methods for presenting information
• Diagnostic, planning, organizational and management skills and techniques
• An understanding of the ways in which children learn and the ability to select the best teaching practices for each student
• The ability to accurately evaluate student learning
• Knowledge of parental involvement strategies and ways to deal with culturally diverse populations

Spelling is a major skill that students must master before they can feel truly comfortable reading and writing. Read on to learn tips you can use to help your children with their spelling skills

With the advent of word processing programs containing grammar and spell check features, students are often failing to learn and master important skills. Today’s students must not allow themselves to become over-reliant on the available technologies. Students should first understand the underlying rules that these technologies use, before using them as writing and spelling aids.

Recognition and Memorization

In order for a child to spell proficiently, they must be able to recognize letters and sounds. Recognizing sounds is usually necessary because so many children learn from spelling phonetically.

Children must also remember the correct sequence of letters and be able to spell the word in their mind. Children cannot expect for words to magically appear in their head or on a piece of paper! Practice and dedication are required. The human memory works in predictable ways. Understanding how your memory works can help you use it to its full potential.

• People only remember what they really want to remember: children must make a conscious choice and effort in order to learn their spelling words.
• People tend to remember recently learned material: children cannot study words just once; they must relearn old words in order to make them permanent knowledge.
• People learn material easier when they discover it themselves: introducing children to new words through reading is more effective than giving them list upon lists of words, because they have not discovered them on their own.
• People must practice what they want to memorize: as the old saying goes, ‘practice makes perfect’; children must practice spelling in order to grasp it

Practice

Even though it is up to the student to make the choice and effort to memorize spelling words, parents can still help their children succeed.

• Teach Meaning. Make your child’s spelling words relevant. When teaching a new word, explain the definition and use it in a few sentences so that your child will understand its usages.
• Use Flash Cards. Have students write each word on an index card with the proper definition underneath each word. Read the words to your child and have them spell each word aloud. If they will be practicing spelling alone, have them write definitions on one side of the cards and words on the other, so that they may quiz themselves.
• Use Tracing. Another helpful tip for students is to have them trace over a word with a pencil or have them write the word several times on a sheet of paper. Writing words helps reinforce the proper spelling in a student’s memory.
• Identify Misspelled Words Together. When your children write stories or other assignments have them go back through have the student identify the words they know they spelled correctly and which ones they are unsure of. Working on identifying misspelled words together will give them a sense of responsibility for finding and correcting their own mistakes. This reinforces the habit of rereading written work and is an early introduction to the art of editing. Taking note of these errors will also help you and your student to compile a list of words he or she should work on memorizing in their spare time. Do not overload your child with spelling assignments and activities, but help them to become aware of which words he or she tends to have the most problems with.

Parents do not need to overwhelm their students with English and grammar rules at a young age, but it is important to work together. Slowly introduce spelling activities and lessons as your child matures. Before you know it, your children may be on their way to becoming spelling bee champions!

Teachers certified through alternative teaching programs can be competent and effective (or more so) as teachers certified through traditional programs. Read on to learn how to properly judge their credentials.

Teachers certified through alternative teaching programs can be competent and effective (or more so) as teachers certified through traditional programs. In response to the growing need for teacher, many states are now using with great success nontraditional means to recruit and certify teachers. One example is of this is the recruitment of people from the professional world who have a great deal of life experience to draw from. While a strong professional background does not eliminate the need for certification, it can be a big plus to learn from someone who has practical experience to share.

If you want to get a better idea of how well qualified your child’s teacher is, consider these suggestions:

• Ask to see your child’s homework. Walk through the assignment with your child and see if she understands the questions, or what is expected. Watch for patterns in any lack of understanding.
• Ask your child about a typical day in the classroom. Get a feel for the way the day is organized. Are there group projects? Creative time? Reading time?
• Find out what techniques your child’s teacher uses to administer discipline. What are the established rules of the classroom? What are the set consequences for specific actions? Is recess used as currency?
• Talk to the teacher directly. Find out about his system for evaluating student performance. How heavily does he rely on standardized tests? Does he get outside the basic requirements and offer your child more than just state standards to learn from?
• Take note of the comments on your child’s papers. Are they constructive? Do they offer guidance? Is the teacher specific about what needs to be changed or what was good and why? Does he offer suggestions form improvement?
• How much attention does the teacher pay to the development of social skills? What are his academic expectations for your child? Do they meet or exceed your own? How well does the teacher communicate with you and how welcome are your questions?
• If at all possible, ask for permission to observe your child’s classroom. Take careful note of how the teacher handles transitions from one phase of the day to the next. Watch for imbalances in the amount of attention the children are getting.

At the very least, be sure she has a bachelor’s degree, full competence in her subject area and a firm grasp of all subjects, some kind of valid certification and experience in a classroom under the guidance of a mentor. It’s important to evaluate your child’s teacher so that you can feel confident about entrusting your child into her care and tutelage. Don’t feel that you are overstepping your bounds. The teacher is a partner with you in the education of your child.

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Organization is a key ingredient to a good story or essay. A well structured paper will be much more logical to the reader, as well as more effective in its goals. Information in a story, especially key information, should be delivered at just the right time, and with an inviting lead. An organized paper makes sure that ideas are linked together with smooth transitions.

Important Ways to Organize

• Capture your audience’s attention with an interesting opening paragraph
• Insert supporting facts when needed. Do not overuse or underuse outside information
• Order your paragraphs and sentences in a logical manner with good flow
• Make use of smooth transitions that allow your essay to flow
• Include a strong conclusion which ties up any loose ends and reiterates the main points of the essay
• Never lose track of your goal, every paragraph, sentence, and word should build towards your conclusion

A five paragraph essay is a great beginning technique for organization. This approach is meant for essays only, and is not meant for personal narratives. Once a student advances in their organizational skills, this is not a suggested technique for upper level essay writing.

In a five paragraph essay, the first paragraph is the lead, the middle three paragraphs make up the body, and the fifth paragraph is the conclusion. The lead paragraph is the attention-getting introduction; at least three sentences long, it should have a thesis, and, relate to the points made in the body of the essay. The body paragraphs should all describe one point each, and should have transitions from one paragraph to the next. The conclusion ties everything together.

]]> http://egit22.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/teaching-organization-in-writing/feed/ 0 egit22 http://egit22.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/teaching-reading-to-older-kids-who-have-learning-disabilities/ http://egit22.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/teaching-reading-to-older-kids-who-have-learning-disabilities/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:40:19 +0000 egit22 http://egit22.wordpress.com/?p=72 ]]>

Learning disabled students struggle with math and reading, but socially they can be as developed as their classmates. Age appropriate settings and methods help older students who struggle with learning disabilities to acquire the math and reading skills they lack.

Techniques for teaching older kids to overcome their reading disabilities enables students to learn in an environment appropriate to their age and social development. Students who progress in reading at a normal rate can read most of the words in their daily vocabulary by 4th or 5th grade. After that, new words come at the rate of several thousand new words per year, primarily through reading. Most older readers who suffer learning disabilities are exposed to more spoken words than they can read. Older students have to overcome a huge vocabulary deficit before they can get beyond the 5th grade reading level. The following are three common areas where older reading-disabled students tend to struggle, along with methods employed to teach them what they need to excel beyond the limits of their disability.

Sound-symbol correspondences

Short vowels usually occur before one or more consonants when in closed syllables. Students can be taught to read the syllables and then to spell them in longer, age-appropriate vocabulary. Once they have six or seven syllable types under their belts, students can chunk sequences of letters together, recognize them visually as a unit and understand spelling patterns. As syllable recognition develops, students can learn more about prefixes, root words and suffixes, to the point where they can link meaning with the spelling components of the new words they encounter.

Word retrieval

Some learning-disabled readers struggle with word retrieval. That means they don’t develop word sufficient word recognition. Quick speed drills can develop automatic recognition of syllables and words and phrases. In one drill, a student will read several lines of easily confused syllables, such as pre, pro and per. Other methods include taking turns with a passage in a group setting, reading along with a tape-recording, reading an assigned part in of a play and rereading familiar text.

Vocabulary

Teachers use new words as often as possible in classroom conversation and reward students for noticing, or if the student uses the word outside of class. Students are taught to use context, root words, word origins to figure out word meanings. In the best case, word study will linked to class subjects.

]]> http://egit22.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/teaching-reading-to-older-kids-who-have-learning-disabilities/feed/ 0 egit22 http://egit22.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/tips-for-incorporating-technology-and-multimedia-into-lesson-plans/ http://egit22.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/tips-for-incorporating-technology-and-multimedia-into-lesson-plans/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:39:06 +0000 egit22 http://egit22.wordpress.com/?p=69 ]]> Technology is becoming an increasingly relevant part of students’ lives. This article discusses ways to best utilize technology and multimedia elements in the classroom.

Today’s students feel comfortable with technology because they have grown up with it as a major part of their lives. Most have acquired the ability to use multiple technologies at once. For instance, students can ask their friends questions over instant messaging services and research a term paper through a search engine, all while listening to music in the form of mp3 files. Since students have the ability to utilize technology, more teachers view technology as a way to reach out to their students.

Online Research

Many students use the internet to research topics, especially those they are unfamiliar with. If you would like to incorporate online research into the classroom, you should begin by teaching your students how to determine a source’s credibility. This lesson is essential because your students may stumble across questionable information and not question its credibility because it’s published by someone who sounds important or who has the capabilities to post information on the web. Develop research assignments that involve going to websites of credible organizations such as government organizations (.gov), educational institutions (.edu), and non-profit organizations (.org).

Using Multimedia Elements

Often, school computers are loaded with presentation software such as PowerPoint and Keynote. This software allows students to utilize various forms of media elements in their presentations. For instance, students can incorporate video and audio files into their presentation along traditional elements like visuals and text. Presentations with video and audio files have the potential for being compelling, eye-catching experiences. Ensure that all students have access to the same, or similar, software packages. You wouldn’t want to make students who don’t have access to a computer or a computer with this software to feel that other students have an unfair advantage.

Children learn about reading and writing by thinking about the sounds that words make and what those words look like when written out. When children are able to see that writing is another form of communication like talking, they want to explore it for themselves.

You can help your child learn writing by doing the following:

• Get them used to making the shapes of letters by connecting the dots or by using a pen to go over letters you have already written in pencil.
• In the beginning don’t worry about messy writing. You don’t want to criticize them because they need to have fun while learning.
• Don’t worry if they cross out words when they practice writing. Many children will try out different spellings until the word looks right to them.
• Get your child to try writing out words on scratch paper, and then correct the words so they how the word is spelled correctly.
• Write a story with your child so they can watch you and see the words and spellings to use. Watching you write is a great way for children to learn how to write.
• Help your child make their own labels, cards and books.
• If your child would like to write their own story, help brainstorm ideas they can write about, what will happen over the course of the story, and how it’s going to end. Help them develop the characters in the story.
• Explain to them that they need different words for the past, present, and future.

]]> http://egit22.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/tips-for-teaching-kids-how-to-write/feed/ 0 egit22 http://egit22.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/theoretical-basis-for-call-instruction-design-2/ http://egit22.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/theoretical-basis-for-call-instruction-design-2/#comments Mon, 27 Apr 2009 10:34:32 +0000 egit22 http://egit22.wordpress.com/2009/04/27/64/ ]]>

Computers have become so widespread in schools and homes and their uses have expanded so dramatically that the majority of language teachers now think about the implications. Technology brings about changes in the teaching methodologies of foreign language unless they are used simply to automate fill-in-the-gap exercises. The use of the computer in and of itself does not constitute a teaching method, but rather the computer forces pedagogy to think in new ways to exploit the computers benefits and work around its limitations. To exploit computers’ potential we need language teaching specialists who can promote a complementary relationship between computer technology and appropriate pedagogic programs.

A number of pedagogical approaches have developed in the computer age, including the communicative and integrative/experimentative approaches outlined above in the History of CALL. Others include constructivism, whole language theory and sociocultural theory although they are not exclusively theories of language learning. With constructivism, students are active participants in a task in which they “construct” new knowledge based on experience in order to incorporate new ideas into their already-established schema of knowledge. Whole language theory postulates that language learning (either native or second language) moves from the whole to the part; rather than building sub-skills like grammar to lead toward higher abilities like reading comprehension, whole language insists the opposite is the way we really learn to use language. Students learn grammar and other sub-skills by making intelligent guesses bases on the input they have experienced. It also promotes that the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) are interrelated. Sociocultural theory states that learning is a process of becoming part of a desired community and learning that communities rules of behavior.

What most of these approaches have in common is taking the central focus away from the teacher as conveyor of knowledge to giving students learning experiences that are as realistic as possible where they play a central role. Also, these approaches tend to emphasize fluency over accuracy to allow students to take risks in using more student-centered activities and to cooperate, rather than compete. The computer provides opportunity for students to be less dependent on a teacher and have more freedom to experiment on their own with natural language in natural or semi-natural settings.

Computers have become so widespread in schools and homes and their uses have expanded so dramatically that the majority of language teachers now think about the implications. Technology brings about changes in the teaching methodologies of foreign language unless they are used simply to automate fill-in-the-gap exercises. The use of the computer in and of itself does not constitute a teaching method, but rather the computer forces pedagogy to think in new ways to exploit the computers benefits and work around its limitations. To exploit computers’ potential we need language teaching specialists who can promote a complementary relationship between computer technology and appropriate pedagogic programs.

A number of pedagogical approaches have developed in the computer age, including the communicative and integrative/experimentative approaches outlined above in the History of CALL. Others include constructivism, whole language theory and sociocultural theory although they are not exclusively theories of language learning. With constructivism, students are active participants in a task in which they “construct” new knowledge based on experience in order to incorporate new ideas into their already-established schema of knowledge. Whole language theory postulates that language learning (either native or second language) moves from the whole to the part; rather than building sub-skills like grammar to lead toward higher abilities like reading comprehension, whole language insists the opposite is the way we really learn to use language. Students learn grammar and other sub-skills by making intelligent guesses bases on the input they have experienced. It also promotes that the four skills (reading, writing, listening and speaking) are interrelated. Sociocultural theory states that learning is a process of becoming part of a desired community and learning that communities rules of behavior.

What most of these approaches have in common is taking the central focus away from the teacher as conveyor of knowledge to giving students learning experiences that are as realistic as possible where they play a central role. Also, these approaches tend to emphasize fluency over accuracy to allow students to take risks in using more student-centered activities and to cooperate, rather than compete. The computer provides opportunity for students to be less dependent on a teacher and have more freedom to experiment on their own with natural language in natural or semi-natural settings.