Saturday, December 15, 2012

MzTeachuh: Kids Need A Kids' World To Grow Up In

MzTeachuh: Kids Need A Kids' World To Grow Up In: These are my own thoughts. I've been in a locked-down school with my class of Severely Handicapped students on April 20th. Why April 20th? H...

Kids Need A Kids' World To Grow Up In

These are my own thoughts.

I've been in a locked-down school with my class of Severely Handicapped students on April 20th. Why April 20th? Hitler's birthday. In our area, pretty much every year a local would inevitably be in front of the school waving a weapon for whatever obscure reason. I've been locked down in a new high school while two hundred students had a race riot. I was required to take Part-R training (the type of training police officers and those working in psychiatric facilities need) while I was teaching the Severely Emotionally Disturbed, then, later administrating a Non-Public School. I've been locked down in a middle school more than once for an intruder alert. Trying to keep kids safe.

The magnitude of evil we are witnessing is uncomprehensible to us. We are clearly in a pitched battle, a spiritual battle. The mystery of evil always points its finger at God. 'I dare you to stop me,' it says. And, for some reason I don't understand, God chooses to use people to intervene and do good. It is my observation that good has been eroded in the name of individual rights and convenience. We mourn the loss of a six year old, but not a six week old fetus. We consider numberless weapons to be our right, then leave them available for access by the unstable, who are not treated for their instability. We permit drug use that causes insufferable damage, including schizophrenia, as though drug users were just in a lower caste system. Children's programming, what used to be 'cartoons,' openly ridicules those of faith, even God and Jesus. We allow what was once called unacceptable pornographic language and productions to be viewed in homes as the norm, regularly seen by children. Children are left to supervise themselves for hours every day, not outside the home, but inside the home with the predators online, and through video games their minds are instructed with murderous skills. Not only do children view immodest behavior and dress, but girls and boys customarily dress the same way.

My response to this.

Blame God? I think not. Blame ourselves for not obeying His guidance and ignoring His wisdom. We sacrifice our children on the altar of modernity just like the prophets of Baal. We enable the shooters by being passive. We need to represent the needs of our children in our schools, communities. We need to agitate for care and safety of our children. We need to write, speak, vote for safety.

Kids need a kids' world to grow up in.

MzTeachuh: Teaching and Parenting Ideas Tweets of the Day 12/...

MzTeachuh: Teaching and Parenting Ideas Tweets of the Day 12/...: 1.Why Nate Silver Can Save Math Education in America http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/12/why-nate-silver-can-save-math-educ...

Teaching and Parenting Ideas Tweets of the Day 12/15/12

1.Why Nate Silver Can Save Math Education in America

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/12/why-nate-silver-can-save-math-education-in-america/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feedutm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

2. Tinsel Time: 5 Sensory Activities with Tinsel

?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Special-ism+%28Special-ism%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

3. Writing for a Cause This Holiday Season!

http://blog.firstbook.org/2012/12/14/writing-for-a-cause-this-holiday-season/

4. Assessments: Upgrading the Age Old Practice of Letter Writing

http://theeducatorsroom.com/2012/12/assessments-upgrading-the-age-old-practice-of-letter-writing/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theeducatorsroom%2FvPKE+%28EducatorsRoom%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

5. The Season of Miracles: What Does Faith Have To Do With It?

http://www.ahaparenting.com/_blog/Parenting_Blog/post/The_Season_of_Miracles_Faith/

6. Courage to Teach—Touchstones

http://theeducatorsroom.com/2012/12/courage-to-teach-touchstones/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+theeducatorsroom%2FvPKE+%28EducatorsRoom%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

7. How Using Social Media Affects Your Brain

http://edudemic.com/2012/12/how-using-social-media-affects-your-brain/

Here a little Christmas card for you all.

What Child is This- Lindsey Stirling http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1A3i0GATnRI&feature=share

MzTeachuh: Teaching Is Being A Hero

MzTeachuh: Teaching Is Being A Hero: Victoria Soto, first grade tacher, Sandy Hook Elementary School. Saved her class before being murdered. "This is Victoria Soto, an...

Teaching Is Being A Hero

Victoria Soto, first grade tacher, Sandy Hook Elementary School. Saved her class before being murdered.

"This is Victoria Soto, and although I didn't know her, she is my hero. I don't know too much about her, but I know a lot of people who do know her and she's amazing. Victoria was a Stratford high graduate and only 27. She was killed today after she hid her first graders in closets and cabinets and told the shooter they were in the gym. He killed her and not one of her children were harmed. I have never been more proud to be from Stratford or to be a teacher. God bless Victoria, her family and friends, and all of those who were involved today in anyway. Victoria is a true hero." Christine Nealy

1. In Connecticut: Prayers, Grief, Questions ... And Stories Of Heroism

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/12/15/167320059/in-connecticut-prayers-grief-questions-and-stories-of-heroism?utm_source=news&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=20121215

2. My entire career in education I've worked in high schools in 'high needs' areas WITH metal detectors at the front doors. Since day one I've always kept my door locked to my classroom, while the school day is going on. Partly out of my forgetfulness to unlock it all the way but also due to the fear that someone could come in and hurt my children. We have children in the building that due to their diagnosis are severely emotionally disturbed and at times we've had incidents occur in the neighborhood that put our school 'at risk'. I think that after the incident in CT, all schools should seriously consider metal detectors in schools as a precautionary measure. No, they (the metal detectors) don't look pretty but they will help protect or most precious commodity- our children. Continue to pray for the parents, children and community this affected.
https://www.facebook.com/TheEducatorsRoom

http://www.apa.org/topics/violence/school-shooting.aspx

3. Unspeakable Tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/responding-tragedy-sandy-hook-elementary-david-markus?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_content=blog&utm_campaign=sandyhook

3. Talking with Children About Difficult Subjects: Illness, Death, Violence and Disaster

http://www.aboutourkids.org/articles/talking_children_about_difficult_subjects_illness_death_violence_disaster

4. Tips for Talking to Children About the Shooting

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/12/15/health/tips-for-talking-to-children-about-the-elementary-school-mass-shooting.html?smid=tw-nytimes&_r=1&

5. 10 Ways to Talk to Kids About World Events in the News

http://www.education.com/magazine/article/10-ways-talk-current-events/?cid=80.

6. How To Talk with Kids about a School Shooting

http://www.ahaparenting.com/_blog/Parenting_Blog/post/How_To_Talk_with_Kids_about_Tragedies_Like_School_Shooting/

Friday, December 14, 2012

MzTeachuh: Teaching Is Giving Kids Choices

MzTeachuh: Teaching Is Giving Kids Choices: 1.The value of choice in student engagement http://www.thepolliwogjournal.com/?p=470 2 . The Classroom of Choice: Managing the Lear...

Teaching Is Giving Kids Choices

1.The value of choice in student engagement

http://www.thepolliwogjournal.com/?p=470

2. The Classroom of Choice: Managing the Learning Environment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVsTXUS52IA

3. Offering Students Choices from Day One

http://www.teachervision.fen.com/teaching-methods/classroom-management/6710.html

4. The Classroom of Choice: Giving Students What They Need and Getting What You Want

http://www.questia.com/library/119453308/the-classroom-of-choice-giving-students-what-they

5. Choice Is a Matter of Degree

http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/sept10/vol68/num01/Choice-Is-a-Matter-of-Degree.aspx

6. Personalised Learning - Engaging Students by Providing Choice in the Classroom

http://kidspeak.wikispaces.com/Personalised+Learning+-+Engaging+Students+by+Providing+Choice+in+the+Classroom

7. How to Put Choice Theory in the Classroom

http://www.ehow.com/how_7913359_put-choice-theory-classroom.html

8. Liven Up Your Lessons by Giving Students Choices

http://www.edutopia.org/lesson-engagement-student-choice

MzTeachuh: Any Unexpected Journeys? Tweets of the Morning 12/...

MzTeachuh: Any Unexpected Journeys? Tweets of the Morning 12/...: That's today! 1. Scheme aims to create jobs for those with autism http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1214/1224327836236....

Any Unexpected Journeys? Tweets of the Morning 12/14/12

That's today!

1. Scheme aims to create jobs for those with autism

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/ireland/2012/1214/1224327836236.html

http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/top-ten-common-questions-about-special-education/

2. Most Pakistan Girls Not in School

http://www.teachhub.com/most-pakistan-girls-not-school

3. How to Turn Your Classroom into an Idea Factory

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/08/how-to-turn-your-classroom-into-an-idea-factory/

4. Top Ten Common Questions About Special Education

http://www.specialeducationadvisor.com/top-ten-common-questions-about-special-education/

5. Common Core School Standards Have States, Teachers On Edge

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/12/common-core-school-standa_n_2285729.html

6. 3 Sensational Candy Experiments

http://special-ism.com/3-sensational-candy-experiments/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Special-ism+%28Special-ism%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

7. Boston School Turnaround Spurred By Giving Teachers More Power

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/12/boston-school-turnaround-_n_2285795.html

Thursday, December 13, 2012

MzTeachuh: Thinking About Education Tweets of the Day 12/13/1...

MzTeachuh: Thinking About Education Tweets of the Day 12/13/1...: Should I have work experience before college? 1. Should Work Experience Come Before College Education? http://blogs.kqed.org/mindsh...

Thinking About Education Tweets of the Day 12/13/12

Should I have work experience before college?

1. Should Work Experience Come Before College Education?

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2012/12/should-college-education-follow-work-experience/

2. K-12 Education May Not Benefit From Brighter Fiscal Outlook

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/12/k-12-may-not-benefit-from_n_2287220.html

3. American 4th Graders Among Top Readers in Global Study

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/12/11/15pirls.h32.html?tkn=QLBFxQ0kJHb6ohnbZSAuqVmRRpdrshq5wpML&cmp=clp-ecseclips

4. Vocabulary Development During Read-Alouds: Primary Practices

http://www.readingrockets.org/article/39979/?utm_source=Twitter&utm_medium=Hootsuite&utm_campaign=RRSocialMedia

U N voting on disabilities.

5. U.N. Passes Unanimous Resolution Expressing 'Deep Concern' Over Long-Term Challenges for Persons with Autism, Developmental Disorders

http://www.autismspeaks.org/about-us/press-releases/un-passes-unanimous-resolution-expressing-deep-concern-over-long-term-challe

6. Video: Reading Tips for Children with LD

http://www.ncld.org/learning-disability-resources/videos/video-reading-tips-children-ld

7. Connected Classroom: Using Online Tools for Lesson Planning

http://www.edweek.org/tm/articles/2012/12/12/fp_baldwin.html

MzTeachuh: Civil War Era Christmas Carol--True Story

MzTeachuh: Civil War Era Christmas Carol--True Story: A Mournful Christmas Eve 1863--Thomas Nast The lyrics to the Christmas Carol, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' were written by Henr...

Civil War Era Christmas Carol--True Story

A Mournful Christmas Eve 1863--Thomas Nast

The lyrics to the Christmas Carol, "I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day' were written by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow on Christmas 1863. It is more of a mental struggle to continue on than a carol. His circumstances were difficult. His oldest son, Charles aged seventeen, had run off to join the Union Army, and although the family strongly supported the abolitionist cause, the thought his boy in the midst of the chaos and danger created a very melancholy and philosophical poem. His second wife had died in an accident three years before; his first wife in childbirth.

So the imminent prospect of his son entering the gruesome War was not the only stressor oppressing the poet's thoughts. The poem reveals his inner struggle. Longfellow fully realizes the tragic powers at work in his life. But, as with his other poems, despite the darkness, he finds the glow of hope. This poem reaches out to all of us suffering loss and worry for our loved ones, whatever war may be threatening them.

Charley was seriously wounded, but lived to become an excellent soldier.

Ed Herrman with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Longfellow's Christmas

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=sXfzp296zhA#!

I heard the bells on Christmas Day
Their old, familiar carols play,

and wild and sweet

The words repeat