Grading Parents?

A current issue brought to the forefront in education is having teachers grade parents. I agree that a successful student needs an effective teacher, good administrators and involved parents.  How would you feel as a parent being graded on your involvement with your child's school? On the flip side as a teacher would you feel comfortable grading parents? I feel some students would be at a disadvantage because of their home life that they can't change. Check out the full article here:http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/01/26/kelli-stargel-teachers-grade-parents_n_814585.html/

Bloggers Gone Mad!!!

With just about everyone starting a blog these days, how does one choose the right blog to follow? The answer to that is easy- if you know the top five factors to look for in an effective post. So take a minute kick up your feet and ask yourself why you follow the blogs you do.
Okay that's long enough to think. Are you ready for the top 5 factors in an effective post? Drum roll please...

1.       Hook the reader with a catchy title and image if possible.

2.       Keep your post short and sweet.

3.       Have a clear layout and readable text.

4.       Make it relatable to your audience.

5.       End with a question.

Do you agree with this list? Do you feel there are more than five factors needed to write an effective post? I can be persuaded to change my top 5.

My Life As A Blogger!

My life as a blogger is similar to that of the 90’s sitcom known as “My so-Called Life”. Blogs are relevant, ever changing and sometimes drama filled much like a teenagers everyday life. I try to keep up with chosen blog topics and have begun dabbling in the world of math blogs. With most people having 24 hour access to the Internet at their finger tips I feel it is harder than ever to keep up with everything in cyberspace. Blogging has helped me figure out answers to complex math problems and has given me the freedom to vent on a world-wide platform. I enjoy exchanging ideas with others through blogs and often wait anxiously for responses to my posts.

Use a "Wordle"

Blogging Wordle

Check out this link to use with vocabulary terms. This makes reviewing vocabulary terms fun and engaging!

Oh the Places You Will Go!

This is my first attempt at creating an interactive bulletin board so to speak for my fellow teachers nation wide. Now I'm assuming that since you ended up on this blog that you have at some level dedicated yourself to teaching children. We all know how restricted our Internet privileges are at work so whether we like it or not we find ourselves working past that last bell.
My goal for this blog is for teachers to share ideas and resources to make life a little easier. In the past month I have been exposed to many great books and websites. Thank you Borders and Facebook! So introduce yourself and let the "trading" of resources and ideas flow.

One great organization I stumbled upon through Facebook is http://www.donorschoose.org/. This wonderful site is like a charity for teachers. You name what you need, why you need it, how much it costs and then generous people and companies make it happen!

“You have brains in your head. You have feet in your shoes. You can steer yourself in any direction you choose. You're on your own. And you know what you know. You're the guy who'll decide where to go.”
~ Dr. Seuss