| Volume Two Issue Ten | August 2002 |
| Global Connections Inspiring Stories Featured Themes Teacher Discoveries Student Explorations The Lighter Side |
|
Global Interactions Foster Talented Students
Welcome to August!
The dog days of August are upon us. Summer is in full bloom and the time for harvesting is rapidly drawing near. Gradually shortening days remind us that fall is just around the corner and that the 2002-2003 school year will soon be beginning. This month's newsletter will focus on resources found on the World Wide Web that will make the transition to a new school year easier.
In addition to this newsletter, keep checking Vital Picks. We have been highlighting resources teachers will find useful for the classroom. We have also been highlighting accomplishments of teachers and urge you to nominate teachers for our Vital Award.
Join us at our discussion board. Current threads include Harry Potter, discipline at school, student drug use, Boston Public, and using the Internet as a tool for plagiarism. We'd love to hear your thoughts on these and other issues!
Don't forget to visit our new resource links! Visitors may now search for resources based on the grade level and subject they teach. We've included the best we can find on the World Wide Web. We will continue to add more and welcome any sites you may wish to submit.
Send your ideas to teachers_corner@vitalknowledge.com.
As you prepare for yet another school year, you may wish to give consideration to involving your students in collaborative activities with other students around the world. One program you may be particularly interested in is ePALS.
ePALS bills itself as the world's largest online classroom community. Over 4,000,000 teachers and students from 182 countries use their free online program. It provides members with the collaborative tools to communicate with students and teachers worldwide. By registering as a new member you will receive access to a wide variety of services including:
- ePALS from around the world from a variety of cultures, languages, ages, and grades.
- Collaborative tools such as discussion boards, chat rooms, and email with instant translation into eight languages.
- Projects to use in the classroom and in collaboration with your ePALS.
- Interfaces in five different languages with two additional languages being added soon.
- E-cards, world maps, professional development resources, links to other online resources, and more!
Take some time to visit ePALS today! It could be the beginning of special relationships between your students and other students from all over the world.
Check out these other resources for opportunities to build collaborative activities into your curriculum:
First you may wish to visit the Southern Indiana Education Center for suggestions on how to build collaborative activities into your classroom.
School World offers links to a number of collaborative projects you and your students may wish to become involved in.
ThinkQuest is a global network of students, teachers, parents and technologists dedicated to exploring youth-centered learning on the Net.
Canada's Network of Innovative Schools offers opportunities for professional development, research, collaboration, networking and more.
With students, parents, and teachers preparing to return to school, we thought you might find motivation in the following story titled The Boy Under the Tree.
By David Coleman and Kevin Randall
In the summer recess between freshman and sophomore years in college, I was invited to be an instructor at a high school leadership camp hosted by a college in Michigan. I was already highly involved in most campus activities, and I jumped at the opportunity.
About an hour into the first day of camp, amid the frenzy of icebreakers and forced interactions, I first noticed the boy under the tree. He was small and skinny, and his obvious discomfort and shyness made him appear frail and fragile. Only 50 feet away, 200 eager campers were bumping bodies, playing, joking and meeting each other, but the boy under the tree seemed to want to be anywhere other than where he was. The desperate loneliness he radiated almost stopped me from approaching him, but I remembered the instructions from the senior staff to stay alert for campers who might feel left out.
As I walked toward him I said, "Hi, my name is Kevin and I'm one of the counselors. It's nice to meet you. How are you?" In a shaky, sheepish voice he reluctantly answered, "Okay, I guess" I calmly asked him if he wanted to join the activities and meet some new people. He quietly replied, "No, this is not really my thing."
I could sense that he was in a new world, that this whole experience was foreign to him. But I somehow knew it wouldn't be right to push him, either. He didn't need a pep talk, he needed a friend. After several silent moments, my first interaction with the boy under the tree was over. At lunch the next day, I found myself leading camp songs at the top of my lungs for 200 of my new friends. The campers were eagerly participated. My gaze wandered over the mass of noise and movement and was caught by the image of the boy from under the tree, sitting alone, staring out the window. I nearly forgot the words to the song I was supposed to be leading. At my first opportunity, I tried again, with the same questions as before: "How are you doing? Are you okay?" To which he again replied, "Yeah, I'm alright. I just don't really get into this stuff." As I left the cafeteria, I too realized this was going to take more time and effort than I had thought -- if it was even possible to get through to him at all.
That evening at our nightly staff meeting, I made my concerns about him known. I explained to my fellow staff members my impression of him and asked them to pay special attention and spend time with him when they could. The days I spend at camp each year fly by faster than any others I have known. Thus, before I knew it, mid-week had dissolved into the final night of camp and I was chaperoning the "last dance." The students were doing all they could to savor every last moment with their new "best friends" -- friends they would probably never see again.
As I watched the campers share their parting moments, I suddenly saw what would be one of the most vivid memories of my life. The boy from under the tree, who stared blankly out the kitchen window, was now a shirtless dancing wonder. He owned the dance floor as he and two girls proceeded to cut up a rug. I watched as he shared meaningful, intimate time with people at whom he couldn't even look just days earlier. I couldn't believe it was him. In October of my sophomore year, a late-night phone call pulled me away from my chemistry book. A soft-spoken, unfamiliar voice asked politely, "Is Kevin there?"
"You're talking to him. Who's this?"
"This is Tom Johnson's mom. Do you remember Tommy from leadership camp?
The boy under the tree. How could I not remember? "Yes, I do," I said. "He's a very nice young man. How is he?"
An abnormally long pause followed, then Mrs. Johnson said, "My Tommy was walking home from school this week when he was hit by a car and killed." Shocked, I offered my condolences.
"I just wanted to call you," she said, "because Tommy mentioned you so many times. I wanted you to know that he went back to school this fall with confidence. He made new friends. His grades went up. And he even went out on a few dates. I just wanted to thank you for making a difference for Tom. The last few months were the best few months of his life."
In that instant, I realized how easy it is to give a bit of yourself every day. You may never know how much each gesture may mean to someone else. I tell this story as often as I can, and when I do, I urge others to look out for their own "boy under the tree."
From: Inspirational Stories
The beginning of another school year is certainly a busy time for teachers. Fortunately, the World Wide Web has a multitude of resources that can help make the early days of school a positive experience for both you and your students. Check out the following sites:
A to Z Teacher Stuff has a forum-based site with tips from teachers on what they do to welcome their students (primarily K-6, some 6+). It also has postings on calming school jitters, icebreaker activities, decorating advice, communicating with the parents, and more!
Check out these back to school pages created by Bry-Back Manor.
Back to School takes an "everything you need to know" approach to teaching on the first few days of the school year. Contains links on proper classroom setup; activities to play; and even safety in the classroom and on the bus.
The New York State United Teachers offer first day tips, effective room arrangements, and ways to maintain an effective learning environment from day one.
ChildFun has a number of activities with a back to school theme. Be sure to check out their other back to school links.
ABC Teach has great resources for any time during the school year including those back to school days.
Teachnet offers tips for getting the school year off to a great start. We also think you will be impressed with the resources found at Teaching is a Work of Heart and The Teacher's Corner.
Finally Pro Teacher has an extensive number of links to pages offering a wide variety of back to school tips. Find icebreakers, tips for room set ups, checklists of to do items, classroom management tips, activities, and more!
One of the greatest challenges classroom teachers face as they embark upon another school year is meeting the needs of their special education students. Gone are the days when these students were delegated to one corner of the room and spent their time segregated with one teacher. For the most part, these students are now fully integrated into the regular classroom setting. Fortunately there are a multitude of resources on the World Wide Web to assist in planning to meet the needs of these special students.
NLD on the Web is a comprehensive site created solely as a resource on non-verbal learning disabilities. It contains a wide variety of resources. You'll also find similar resources at NLDline. General information and frequently asked questions can also be found at Nonverbal Learning Disabilities, or visit Tera's NLD Jumpstation to read about one 18 year old girls story. A quick overview can also be found at NLD.
The Aspergers Syndrome Coalition of the United States provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive information on Asperger Syndrome and related conditions. Other resources can be found at the AS Information and Support site, the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, What is AS?, and the Asperger Syndrome Web Ring.
Visit LD Online. This is a comprehensive site for students as well as parents and teachers of children with learning disabilities. You may be particularly interested in The Teacher's Home Page that includes strategies and techniques.
The Learning Network offers strategies and activities for increasing children's learning skills. Use the down arrows on this page to choose the topic of your choice.
ABC Teach has a wide variety of Reading Comprehension worksheets for all grade levels. Most of these are in pdf format and require Adobe Acrobat Reader. You probably have this program on your computer, but if not it can be downloaded for free at their site.
There are plenty of sites where you can find resources ready to use in the classroom. You may wish to visit Ed Helper, DLTK's Educational Activities, the Learning Page, or RHL School. Or, your students may enjoy a visit to FunBrain, Billy Bear for Kids, the loveable cartoon character Arthur, Kid's Place, or Kids Domain. These sites have resources for younger students and you will find many appropriate for your special needs students.
The World Wide Web also has a wide variety of resources for parents and students to assist them in preparing to return to school and having a successful year. Share the following with your students and parents. They may make the transition easier not only for your students, but also for yourself!
The National Safety Council gives tips for returning to school safely. It includes a note to parents, a coloring sheet for children, tips for bus safety, and other great resources!
The American Academy of Pediatrics has tips for making the first day easier, a checklist for the first day of school, homework tips, and other great resources! Other back to school tips can be found at SmarterKids, Kid's Health, and the Kid Krazy Korner. You will also be impressed with the resources found at Family Corner.
Alberta.com also has a variety of resources for students and parents, with a back to school theme. Be sure to check out the Gearing Up section.
Younger children may enjoy a visit with the lovable cartoon character McGruff. He has great safety tips for returning to school!
Kid's Domain always has great resources for a wide variety of topics including returning to school.
Finally, while returning to school is an exciting time for most students and teachers, others experience a high level of stress at this time of year. About has a number of interesting articles on back to school stress.
A high-school student came home from school seeming rather depressed.
"What's the matter, son," asked his mother.
"Aw, gee," said the boy, "It's my marks. They're all wet."
"What do you mean 'all wet?'"
"I mean," he replied, "below C-level."
From: Aha Jokes
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