Holiday Fun

Songs and poems are a lot of fun for the holidays or any day. I found some that the kids really enjoy at Can Teach. You can use these to inspire the kids to draw an illustration that goes with the poem. They can even write their own poems, or write a letter to someone telling them about the poem they just read. These are just a few ideas. Use your imagination and you can come up with plenty of uses for these poems in the classroom. You can get some poems from Can Teach at this link: http://www.canteach.ca/elementary/songspoems.html

Procedural and Conceptual Knowledge

Many educators have been debating about how mathematics should be taught. The process of teaching for procedural knowledge involves memorizing formulas and mathematical symbols. Students are drilled with mathematical problems to practice and reinforce the procedure that was taught. Teaching for conceptual knowledge encourages students to make connections to prior knowledge and apply that knowledge to a new situation. Students are often provided with a mathematical problem that they with solve on their own without a given mathematical formula. Although many argue one side or the other, most agree that there should be a balance of both conceptual and procedural knowledge taught to students. Some, however, are unsure which to teach first: the procedure or the concept.
Many teachers are turning to conceptual teaching because students easily forget procedures if they do not understand the concepts.Teaching conceptually prior to teaching procedurally makes sense. Algorithms were created by mathematicians who understood the concepts. They transferred their understanding into a formula that makes mathematical sense. One cannot understand a symbol, until they first understand its meaning. This is comparable to learning literacy. Teaching reading and writing is built on a knowledge base of the alphabet. A person cannot read printed words unless they understand the letters that make up those words. They also need to understand the meaning of those words. Thus is the same for interpreting mathematical formulas and symbols. Students need to build a foundation of knowledge before going on to standard formulas. After all, you would not give a toddler a novel and expect them to become avid readers.
They key is to help students understand why the mathematical procedure works, not that they need blocks to solve every problem. Using blocks is a tool to help students make connections that will help them understand the reasoning behind the mathematical procedure. These procedures only become rote, and meaningless to those who do not understand the meaning behind them. Using algorithms is not a skill if you don’t know how to use it. Therefore we need to teach the conceptual knowledge first so that we can apply it to the procedural method.

Primary Sources

When we are interested in finding out new information we turn to a variety of sources. Newspapers, photographs, television, even the internet are all great sources. Sometimes it's best just to ask someone what happened or how they feel about something. Hands on activities and human interaction are far more amusing and educational than sitting quietly with a textbook. It makes sense to provide these opportunities in the classroom because we use these methods in our own daily lives. There is more than one way to find the answers to our questions and kids deserve the chance to make these discoveries. Exposing them to primary sources also allows them to observe, make inferences and form their own opinions about what is going on in the world. Textbooks can sometimes be one-sided. This is not to say that textbooks are bad, but that they are often over used. Too much of anything can often be inundating. We certainly would not send our children to school to watch television all day. Such is the same with a textbook. Mix it up and explore a variety of learning materials. Expose kids to your favorite resources for information and allow them to share some of theirs. Not only will the kids enjoy it, but so will the teacher.

How much is too much?

There seems to be a controversy about too much homework. Of course, everyone's favorite teacher is the one that doesn't give any homework. However, homework does have a purpose. It provides reinforcement of the lessons taught and helps students to understand the concepts that will be discussed in class. Homework therefore is necessary, but should not be excessive. Students do not need busy work, especially with all the activities that they have planned after school. When preparing homework try to keep to this simple rule: Ten minutes per grade level. The goal is to keep students on track, academically, without becoming mere busy work.

Art

Art is a form of communication. Learning to decipher it's meaning is like any other form of communication, studying its language. When we think of how many jobs involve the arts, it is hard to ignore the significance of the arts in society. In fact, think about how the arts have been used throughout history from cave art to a painting by Picasso to the design of your cereal box. Art differs greatly from one culture to another and therefore it is so important to use the arts when teaching. If we are studying any particular culture, students can learn a great deal from the art created by that culture. Even music is an important part of and era. Think of the people living in Vienna at the time of Mozart (1760's) compared to the people living in New Orleans in the early 1900's (The birth of Jazz).
With all the technology available today it is so easy to access music, video and art to use in the classroom. Try playing music or a video in an art station to enhance learning. Also provide many opportunities for hands on art projects that will keep kids engaged in learning. Learning any subject can be enhanced by the arts. After all, do you want to hear me talk about it or would you rather see a picture?

Technology

We live in a world that is driven and dependent upon ever changing technology. In order to keep up with society we need to keep on top of this technology. As teachers, we need to demonstrate to our students the importance of using this technology, to be responsible and how to protect themselves. This is also an opportunity to stress the importance of education. If technology is constantly changing then we must always be learning.
Of course, in order to help our students, we need to have an understanding of this new technology. Teachers need to keep up to date with computers and their software, portable devices, and any technology that is available in the classroom. A teacher should not have to struggle through a lesson because he or she does not know how to handle a specific program or device. Teachers need to make it a point to learn how to use the technology that is available in the classroom. They should also know what to do if something does not work properly. Simple troubleshooting techniques can be very valuable. If there is a serious problem with the technology, the teacher needs to know where to turn for help.
Also, be sure that your students know what to do if they have a problem. Helping students with technology in the classroom may help keep them safe at home. Be sure that students know not to respond to certain messages, not to meet people they talk to online without a parent and when to report inappropriate material.

Party Time

There always seems to be a party going on at our elementary schools. Between all the holidays and birthdays there is enough sugar being distributed to fuel a lifetime. While many schools have taken steps to provide healthier lunches, classroom parties become an excuse to pile on the calories. I believe that as teachers, we need to set a good example for our students at all times. A classroom party is an excellent opportunity to show students how to eat healthy and have a good time doing so. Instead of serving cake, candy, ice cream and brownies we could show our students how to prepare fruit salad, veggies with dip or fruit kabobs with yogurt dip. The fun thing about fruits and vegetables are how colorful they are. Allow the students to get creative by arranging fruits or vegetables on a platter in a funky design or even a simple design like making a face. The most important part is to just have fun while showing kids healthy eating habits.

Parents and Stress

Being a parent can often be stressful. In fact, research has shown that parents are more likely to be depressed than people who don't have children. There can be many contributing factors such as work related stress, financial problems or even the task of caring for and supporting a family. When stress gets out of control, it can create an unhealthy environment for children. Sometimes parent don't know where to turn to get the help they need.
As teachers, we need to ensure the safety of our students. Parents should know that help is available. A simple way to help parents is to provide resources where they can get good advice and the help they need to prevent them from going over the edge. Maybe the school could provide a list of resources for parents that can be sent home. If you're writing a newsletter for parents, simply include a few tips on how to combat stress or just list a website like: http://stress.about.com/od/parentsunderstress/

Imagine You're A Slave

When learning about the Civil War and slavery, I found that many students don't really grasp the concept of how hard it was for the slaves. If students don't understand how harsh slavery is, then how can they truly understand the importance of the Civil War and the Civil Rights Movement? How do we teach such a concept without going into too much detail for the elementary level? One book, "Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt" by Deborah Hopkinson is a very nice picture book on the elementary level. It's the story of a girl named Clara who finds her way to the Underground Railroad. A good follow up to this book or any lesson about the Underground Railroad is a visit to the National Geographic Website. They have pictures, sounds and a journey with a slave to the Underground Railroad. This website is a great reference for kids to learn about the Underground Railroad. click the link to take the journey to freedom on the Underground Railroad.

Math Fun

Visual representations can be very helpful when learning new concepts. Art and math often work together to provide a stimulating reference in an elementary classroom. Author David A. Adler has put out a few books that can help introduce math to the class. Adler's new book "You Can, Toucan, Math" will surely delight children when learning about word solving. Some other books by Adler include "Shape Up!" and "Fraction Fun." Reading books about math can help engage students and give them a better understanding of mathematical concepts. Some art examples can also show students the importance of math and how it relates to things in nature. For more information visit www.mathartfun.com and www.davidaadler.com