Li-Bear-y Corner

Windows to a Grandparent's Heart

2011-03-12T21:00:00.000-08:00

Tonight we had supper with my sister and her family, Rita and her husband Andrew, her daughter Kelsey and her boyfriend Travis and her son’s daughter Ava. Ava is 5 years old, two years younger than my granddaughter Hailey.

I remember the first time I saw Ava. She was a baby being carried in her Grandfather’s arms at Dan and my wedding. She was so little. And Andrew so smitten with that small bundle.

I have seen this tender look before in the eyes of another man. I saw that soft sweet expression every time Dan was with Hailey. Both of these men held these small beings in their large hands. Smiling, as they hardly breathed. You could see their hearts open and overflowing in the presence of their granddaughters.

One of my favorite pictures was taken the day Hailey was born. Dan is holding her in his arms looking down on her tiny face. The light shimmers and reflects in his eyes as he holds this wondrous gift.

Andrew once told me that he loved to just watch Ava sleep, marveling at her tiny fingers and toes. I sat between my husband and Andrew tonight, I watched him gaze at his wife and granddaughter with affection and tenderness.

As I contemplate these scenes, my eyes grow misty. We are so lucky to know this kind of love. I know these little girls are blessed with the love of family. There is something quite wonderful about a grandchild.

Here’s to the love of grandparents. I often joke that when I married Dan I gained a daughter and a son, but best of all I got a granddaughter without having to raise her parents.

Chronicling America - Using Digitized Historic Newspapers

2011-02-21T08:05:00.000-08:00

Using the Chronicling America site has been great fun. I discovered that the Weather Service has already celebrated 150 years. I learned how maps were made in previous years. I also learned that in 1888 dogs had to be licensed in Miles City, MT, my hometown. While talking to a friend about this site I learned that she has an original copy of the Daily Yellowstone Journal that once belonged to her mother-in-law. I hope your research uncovers equally interesting finds.

You can read historic Montana newspapers by going to the Montana Memory Project and linking to the Chronicling America Project. The Chronicling America Newspaper Project is a joint partnership between the National Endowment for the Humanities and the Library of Congress National Digital Newspaper Program. The Library of Congress site has digitized newspapers from every state.

One way to access Montana newspapers is to go to the Montana Memory Project. Once there, scroll to the bottom of the page. You can then choose which papers and dates you want to search.

http://montanahistoricalsociety.org/research/MTMemoryProj.asp

There is also a link to the Chronicling America site. http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/

This is a great place to jump in and explore. If you are like me this is also where you will start to get very frustrated. I would enter a search term and up would pop a number of newspapers. That was good. When I finished looking at the first one I tried to find the other potential newspapers. I couldn’t just click on the next one. That was bad.

I requested help from Martha at the MT Historical Society. She told me to open two windows in my browser and work back and forth. Great advise! Shortly after that she forwarded an email from the Library of Congress - they had just put their beta version online. Much easier to work with!

You can get your search results either as newspaper thumbnails or in list format. I used the list format and printed out the list. It made it easier for me to take notes and make comments about the newspapers as I searched. It gave me a thorough record of my searches.

List format

Thumbnail format

I also played with the browsing tool. Click on the browsing button. It brings up a calendar and a way to look at specific newspapers by date. You can search by state or individual paper. Under the column – browse issues is a calendar icon. You can click on the icon to fine tune your search by individual copies.

I would be interested in all comments after you peruse this site. Please let me know about problems you encounter. I would also like ideas for making this tutorial more meaningful. I enjoy reading all comments.

Browsing in the morgue: The best from Montana's early newspapers

Have you never been to Seussville?

2011-02-03T16:54:00.000-08:00

”Oh, the Things You Can Find, If You Don’t Stay Behind!” From On Beyond Zebra

So are You Going to Seussville? That imaginary village populated with colorful characters. That romp and play. Wouldn’t you go if you could?

Listen closely as I tell you all about my visit to the official site of Seussville. I experienced a wonderful adventure as I walked down the streets of Seussville.

Now please don’t ask why. But there are games, lesson plans, teacher and parent places. Did I mention it is fun. There is info on the esteemed author as well as his beloved characters. My favorite animation is the Seuss clock that moves while the page is downloading.

Click here if you would like a ticket to the magical Seussville.

Here are some other Dr Seuss Links

http://www.catinthehat.org/ Dr Seuss Memorial Sculpture

http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/pages/250.shtml Dr Seuss activities

http://www.drseussart.com/artofseuss.html The art of Dr Seuss

http://www.nea.org/grants/886.htm NEA Read Across America

http://orpheus.ucsd.edu/speccoll/dspolitic/ Dr Seuss went to War

The Paper Monster is Lurking Behind that Stack of Books

2011-02-02T16:30:00.000-08:00

You can always tell how stressed I am by looking at my desk. Does it looks like an avalanche in the making, ready to bury the unsuspecting passerby? Then you know I am a little stressed. Though to be fair I may just be going through a creative streak.

I know it is bad when my students offer to clean my desk off. When I am working on a new unit, I can tune out all distractions. The papers multiply, the book stacks grow taller, until either I come up for breath or my principal threatens to take my laptop away.

You see this is the first laptop I have had for school. It arrived the last of October and she told me she wouldn’t give it to me until I had my desk cleared off. It took me a week to dig out from under the piles of paper. I feel good that I managed to control the chaos until now. Three months people could see that there was a desk.

Right now the stacks are making me uncomfortable. They are growing taller. I can play hide and seek and no one would find me. I keep telling myself I need to take baby steps combined with action, instead of just reading FlyLady’s blog http://www.flylady.com/. She teaches people how to move from chaos to order. I read her posts hoping to bring order to my life and not just because she is funny.

I know the paper monster is lurking, hidden within the stacks. Waiting for that unsuspecting soul to walk by triggering an avalanche. Where to start? Hmm – I really don’t want to deal with the paper monster right now. I think I’ll go and play with some new ideas for class next week.

Internet Use and Cyberspace: Opening Pandora’s Box

2011-02-01T08:16:00.000-08:00

I was reading back posts from ilearntechnology her blog always has great information. I wanted to share some of the sites I found about internet safety to use with students. Some are completely free. Several of the sites are partially free. Many of these sites are from the United Kingdom.

1. Disney’s Surfswell Island http:home.disney.com.au/activities/surfswellisland

a. This site is from Australia. The format is designed for kids to learn by playing games. There are parent and teacher components. Another feature is the glossary.

2. Internet Safety
http://www.internetsafety.com/

Is a commercial site that features some good resources and printables for parents to use with their children.

3. Safe Surfing With Dongle
http://www.bbc.co.uk/cbbc/help/web/besmart.shtml

This site covers cyber issues like email and internet safety. It is in a game format. There are recommended links as well as a “grown-up” section.

4. The Carnegie Cyber Academy
http://www.carnegiecyberacademy.com/

This site has a downloadable game called “Carnegie Cadets: The MySecureCyberspace Game

In this game students make learn how to stay safe on the web. There is also a teacher’s packet.

5. Think U Know Cyber Café http://www.thinkuknow.co.uk/8_10/cybercafe/Cyber-Cafe-Base/

Game format – students help “Griff and his friends” stay safe while using email, chat areas and mobile devices. There is a teacher section.

6. Internet Safety with Professor Garfield http://www.infinitelearninglab.org/

“The Virginia Department of Education teamed up with the Professor Garfield Foundation and the Office of the Attorney General of Virginia to provide guidance for students, teachers, and parents to help students protect themselves online.”

7. Illinois State Board of Education http://www.isbe.state.il.us/curriculum/html/internet_safety.htm

Informative links about Cyberbullying

8. Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section http://www.justice.gov/criminal/cybercrime/cyberethics.htm

This site talks about cyberethics and cybercitizenship. It is a Department of Justice site.

9. Childnet International www.childnet.com/
This site is more adult centered. Features news, how to report abuse, teacher and parent components, and connected links.

Elementary teachers might want to check out www.childnet.com/kia/primary for more resources.

10. Welcome to the Web
http://www.teachingideas.co.uk/welcome/start.htm

This site makes me think of a webquest – students read and answer questions. Very good teaching module. It even comes with a Challenge. Students must go through the other sections and save their secret codes to participate in the challenge.

Cybersafety is very important. As parents and teachers we often feel overwhelmed by the scope of the problems that have jumped out of this pandora’s box. In the story Pandora found hope in the bottom of the box.

Many people have designed wonderful sites to help us keep our students safe. We teach children how to cross streets safely. Now we need to teach them how to be safe in cyberspace.

A Skitch In Time

2011-01-30T16:25:00.000-08:00

Skitch is a way to gather information from the screen. It is very versatile tool. After collecting the page image you can write notes on the page.

This page came from Projects by Jen
http://projectsbyjen.com Then I found her section on Guess the Wordle. In her post she gave some wonderful reasons to use wordle in the classroom.

The idea that resonated with me was showing key words. The connection I made was in using it to take notes and to do research. Using Skitch I was able to write on the page about my connections. For students as they read articles they could take notes make connections. The tool is easy to use.

Never Growing Old: Chicken Puffs Recipe!!

2011-01-30T07:00:00.000-08:00

Never Growing Old: Chicken Puffs Recipe!!

Google Search Stories Video Creator

2011-01-27T18:53:00.000-08:00

Storytelling has been around probably as long as man. In our digital world we are finding new ways to connect and tell our stories. Google ran an ad during Super Bowl 2010, people loved it. So Google developed a video creation tool for people to make their own 60 second Google Search Story.

You start by choosing a topic and developing 6 search terms. After typing in the terms strand, there is a drop down box under “using”. Here you choose: web search, images, map, news, blog search, product search, book. Google will then focus on that specific type of information to search for. After you have made your choices for search strands you choose the music.

The Google Search Story video creator is a great tool for collecting searches and using them to tell a story with music. I chose to tell the story of Sword Park Restoration Project in Billings, MT. This is a community project supported by the Billings Chamber of Commerce, Bike Net and other community partners. They have submitted this proposal and are trying to win the Pepsi Refresh Challenge.

To support this proposal you can vote daily at the Pepsi Refresh Challenge site. The winning entry will be decided based on popularity. This is a great project that helps connect our youth with our colorful history. You can sign up for daily reminders to vote by going tohttp://www.swordsforkids.com

Join us in taking the Pepsi Refresh Challenge and vote for Sword Park for Kids.

Is There An App for That?

2011-01-27T08:42:00.000-08:00

At lunch I would sometimes hear some of the younger teachers talking about "Apps" that they had downloaded. Followed closely by an exclamation, "They have an App for that?"

I had gathered from the context that an App was some kind of link to great tools, a type of button. At the time though I didn't have a fancy cell phone, I didn't have a Mac or an IPad or even an IPod. So the conversations ebbed and flowed around me.

Now rewind to October 1, 2010. One of my favorite health food stores - Mary's Health Food called to let me know that my name had been drawn and I was now the proud owner of an IPAD. Yeah!!! What a learning curve. I love the devise and new worlds are opening up every day.

My library until November had one computer the one I used to check out books with. It caused problems when kids wanted to search the electronic catalog for books as I was checking out books to other students. Well that became a thing of the past when I realized here was a 2nd computer available. You guessed it, my IPAD. The kids were in awe their dinosaur of a librarian had an IPad. What could be more amazing than that?

I have found some wonderful sources for Apps. Today I will focus on some educational Apps you might want to check out. Apptivities blogs about educational apps that are available and how to use them in the classroom. One idea that I learned about on their site was Social Learning with Digital Trading Cards using Bump and Comic Touch.

Google is a great resource for educators. Check out the Google Apps Education Training Center there are lots of ideas for using apps in the classroom.

I love Kelly Tenkely's blog ilearntechnology fabulous resource. She also writes iPad Curriculum, she reviews apps and how they can be of educational significance. I just read about tales2go promo and I'm going to go register our school.

Small Town USA Database

2011-01-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

e-Podunk www.epodunk.com is a fun database for looking at communities across the nation. I found information about small communities in Montana. They showed pictures when available. The viewer was invited to share pictures if they had them.

This would be a great place for looking at local history. They feature community attractions such as museums and other places of interest. Some even tell how the community got it’s name.

I can see using it with many sites developed in partnership with State Historical Museums.

Montana Memory Project (http://cdm15018.contentdm.oclc.org/ )

American Memory Project (http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/index.html )

Montana Place Names Companion Website (http://mtplacenames.org/ )

Montana Historical Society http://montanahistoricalsociety.org/

Nation Wide Links for State Historical Societies http://www.stenseth.org/us/statehs.html

Makeuseof.com has a great post featuring three historical maps mashup that would add to the historical element: History Pin; LookBackMap; SepiaTown

What do you do with emergent language? | Kalinago English

2011-01-23T08:27:00.000-08:00

What do you do with emergent language? | Kalinago English This is a great post with ideas for working with vocabulary. I always get excited when I find ideas I can adapt for my own classroom.

Social Justice and The Literature Connection

2011-01-21T21:58:00.000-08:00

What makes us connect with a person? It might be something as ordinary as a shared birthday. It might be a common experience. The more we learn about a person the greater the chance of developing a connection.

I chose to introduce the topic of the Civil Rights Movement by giving my students a Pre-test. I chose 11 vocabulary words from the book "The Bus Ride that Changed History: the story of Rosa Parks" by Pamela Duncan Edwards. I then had them tell me what they thought the words meant and to write two paragraphs about either the Civil Rights Movement or Rosa Parks. I then read the book to them.

My student's knowledge is very sketchy. As I graded the papers my favorite answer for "boycott" was "some kind of bed" (boy + cot). This unit of study should give them an opportunity to expand their knowledge.

As part of my library class I am focusing on the reader/writer connections. I am pairing fiction and nonfiction books with primary sources from several websites to encourage them to experiment with different kinds of writing.

Next week's lesson will be the e-learning adventure from the National Civil Rights Movement Museum "Before the Boycott: Riding the Bus". (See screen shot to the left.)

I often share a picture book and ask my students to listen as a writer. What techniques did the writer use? What story structure did they incorporate or borrow from? When I ask them to write I ask them to experiment with some of these strategies.

Before the Boycott is designed for middle school students to use individually. I am using it with my fifth graders as a whole class activity. Projecting it with an LCD projector and having the students use individual whiteboards to answer the questions. The Museum used primary sources (photo's) to develop their e-adventure, they also include a teacher section.

There are two other books that I will use in class. The first is "If a Bus Could Talk" by Faith Ringgold. This book is a Reading Rainbow book. It is a great tool to show how an author can take a real event and fictionalize it. The second book is "Rosa" by Nikki Giovanni and illustrated by Bryan Collier. The illustrations are rich additions to the story. I really enjoy using Visual Thinking Strategies with this book.

Visual Thinking Strategies use the following questions to help students explore artwork.

What do you see in this picture?
What else can you find?
What's going on in this picture?
What do you see that makes you say that?

Every time I use this technique I am amazed at the insight my students share. I am really looking forward to seeing what connections my students make, as they explore the literature written about Rosa Parks and the Civil Rights Movement.

Exploring the World of Words

2011-01-13T12:18:00.000-08:00

I have always been fascinated by dictionaries, though at times they are daunting. There are times though when I have looked up a word only to be totally confused by the definition. The definitions seem to be in a different language making me feel dumb because I still don’t get it.

As a teacher I believe that expanding a students vocabulary is important to my students success in school as well as life. I am always looking for better ways to interest my students in vocabulary. Imagine my delight as I read Joanne Troutner’s article “Infographics Defined” (Teacher/Librarian: the Journal for School Library Professionals, December 2010) and many great websites.

My favorite is Weboword. It illustrates one word a day with whimsical drawings. It explains words visually. It makes learning vocabulary fun, its like reading the funny papers. I have used the book Vocabulary Cartoons by Sam, Max, and Bryan Burchers in the past to teach some words. Weboword is based on a similar concept you can subscribe to have a daily word sent to you via email.

Ideas for integrating it into the classroom:

After showing students a number of samples letting them design their own illustrations/cartoon to depict the meaning. This helps them anchor their own learning, providing a different way to connect and remember their vocabulary words.

In the article “Bring Back the Joy” by Annette Lamb and Larry Johnson (Teacher/Librarian, Dec 2010) they talked about a Visual Dictionary by Merriam-Webster. What a delightful concept – pictures to clarify the meaning. I am sure many of my students will be captured by this way of looking up words.

VocabAhead – uses video to develop word understanding. There is a teacher’s section that offers suggestions and support for using the site in the classroom. They also encourage classes to make their own videos to share.

My own favorite is the Longman online dictionary. This dictionary is also available in print format. The Longman dictionary was developed for English learners and uses contemporary English. My students like this dictionary. The definitions are so much more understandable.

Exploring words should be an adventure that opens doors instead of a wall that keeps people out. Here’s to exploring a brave new world.

What Does Decadent Chicken Have to Do With Writing?

2011-01-08T07:59:00.000-08:00

Over the holiday break I gave my intermediate students an assignment to interview a family member or friend about a favorite recipe. I wanted them to have a great conversation and to write what they learned about the recipe, it’s history, and the cook. I wanted them to see that there are many forms of writing. I wanted them to make connections with part of their heritage.

I reminded them that we all eat. We can learn many things from talking to our family about favorite foods. I also figured that maybe they would go on to collect other recipes and this one would get them started.

When they came back from break about half had the assignment done. Recipes ranged from sugar cookies to hot dogs, Campbell’s tomato soup with extra tomatoes and milk. Many shared their version of macaroni and cheese. One of my students asked me, “Did you bring in a recipe?”

I told him I hadn’t but I would bring one in. I thought he had showed me a link that I had missed in making the assignment. I had one class that didn’t get the assignment before Christmas. So I adjusted the lesson and started with my recipe. I told them a little about Donna Rose, the lady who originally given me the recipe. I read them the recipe.

We talked about the title – Decadent Chicken Wrap. We discussed what decadent meant. I asked – “What do you want to know about this recipe or who gave it to me?” We talked about the importance of checking to make sure they had written everything down correctly. Why was proof reading important?

Several of the students asked me if they could have a copy. My answer was sure. I printed the recipe and made it available for anyone who wanted to copy it down. Next week I will read them the story “Miss Opal’s Auction” by Susan Vizurraga. It is the story of an elderly lady who is moving and has an auction. Her young neighbor is watching the things being sold and remembering all the good times they shared. Miss Opal buys back one of her cookbooks and gives it to the girl.

As I think back over my life - It was more than just great food. It was the conversations and the relationships that were built when we made it, talked about it. It was really about family and friends who broke bread together.

Donna Rose gave me this recipe in January 2003. She was one of my Library Volunteers and a fantastic cook.

Decadent Chicken Wrap

Ingredients:

4-6 chicken breasts – pounded flat

1 slice bacon for each chicken breast

1 slice ham for each chicken breast

1 slice Swiss cheese for each chicken breast

Sauce Ingredients

1-1/2 cups sour cream

1 can cream chicken soup

½ package dry onion soup mix

Step 1: Pound chicken breasts flat. Lay bacon under chicken, place ham and Swiss cheese on top.

Step 2: Roll up and secure with a toothpick. Put in 9 X 13 cooking dish.

Step 3: Mix sour cream and soup. Pour over and cover up chicken roll ups.

Step 4: Cook about an hour at 325.

What is Qwiki?

2010-12-06T20:54:00.000-08:00

Qwiki is a new way to search for information. It is still in Alpha – testing mode. It really looks intriguing. It reminds me of those early Star Trek episodes when they ask the computer for information about a topic.

One topic I searched was Alzheimer’s. It pulled up pictures, text and a computer simulated voice told me about the disease. It amazes me as I watch new technology and software pop up before my eyes and I realize I am watching history unfold in front of my eyes. I believe Qwiki is one of the tools that will revolutionize how we process information.

Check out the site at http://www.qwiki.com You are invited to look the future gathering and researching information. They are also inviting people to give feed back.

As I was reading a post on their blog, I came across this quote - “In the end, all we have, machine or human, are stories and methods of finding and using those stories” – Roger Schank. This statement really got my attention. I believe the future is about sharing those stories, because humans are hardwired to share their stories.

Related link: http://ilearntechnology.com/?s=qwiki&x=0&y=0 Uses in the classroom

The Thanksgiving Myth

2010-11-24T15:22:00.000-08:00

By LibraryDragon | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

This is a re-post from a post on gather.com

Today's Thanksgiving has been a series of myths and successful public relation moves. Somewhere a long the way it was dubbed the "first" thanksgiving. The colonists had celebrated many "thanksgivings" in their homeland. These celebrations usually consisted of prayer and fasting. The Wampanoag Indians and other Native American Tribes had feasts of thanksgiving through out the year.

Part of the myth around our national holiday involves the colonists inviting the Indians to this feast. When you read the surviving letter from Edward Winslow and listen to the re-tellings of the oral traditions of the Wampanoag you see this gathering in a different perspective. The Wampanoag were not sure of their new neighbors and kept an eye on them.

During that first year many of the new colonists died. They were buried at night to try and prevent the Indians from knowing the true number and strength of the colonists. In March Somoset and Squanto pay the colonists a visit.

The autumn festival is surrounded by controversy about what really happened. Did the colonists invite their new allies or did the Wampanoag invite themselves for some reason. After reading the research and oral histories of the time I believe that autumn, the colonists chose to celebrate their survival and were shooting off muskets. The Wampanoag were quick to respond. Massasoit arrived with 90 men to see what all the shooting was about - figuring the newcomers were going to war. When they arrive they realize they are not going to war but are having a party. Massasoit sends out men to bring back food. They stay for three days, during that time they feast and negotiate a military alliance.

Related Links for further investigation:

Oyate - Deconstructing the Myths of the "First Thanksgiving" http://www.oyate.org/resources/shortthanks.html

Plimoth Plantation http://www.plimoth.org/

History Channel http://www.history.com/topics/thanksgiving

Popplet - Request an invitation

2010-11-14T12:07:00.000-08:00

BrainBoltz visual review.

I am taking a new technology class and we explored some great tools that many of you already know: Glogster, Smilebox, Dropbox, WallWisher and Storybird. We also looked at a brand new tool still in Beta but with great potential Popplet http://www.popplet.com .

You can stop by the site and request an invitation. I am really excited about it. It is collaborative. I can see using it in the classroom to connect reading, writing and images. What a powerful tool!

Lesson I am working on: Books - Hattie Big Sky by Kirby Larson, If You're Not From the Prairie by David Bouchard, and Mama, Where Are You From by Marie Bradby. Having the students reflect on what connects these stories and how it connects to their life.

Popplet is a fluid program so when changes are made your link reflects current changes. No going back to edit what has already been published. I think this has so much potential. The review at BrainBoltz says it well.

Operation Military Kids

2010-11-07T07:18:00.000-08:00

The deployment of American soldiers has affected many communities. What we may not think about is the families - the children - of these service men and women. Any time a parent is separated from their children can be emotionally difficult. When you add risk factors and extended time it makes for a very turbulent time.

As a teacher I may see the stress from these students come out in many ways. If I am not aware of the back story (Mom or Dad is deployed) I may not be able to offer this student the support they need. Families of Active Duty soldiers are more aware of what resources are available to them. Families of Reserve or National Guard Units may not initially know about Family Support Services that are available.

One resource that many people may not know about is "Operation: Military Kids". OMK is the Army's program to support children and youth affected by deployment of their family members. The military is partnering with community resources to support and enhance the life of these students. They are encouraging schools and teachers and 4-H to be an active part in this program. Many states offer professional development through this program.

One of the programs offered is the Mobile Technology Lab - students learn about technology as they communicate with deployed family, learn to make podcasts and how to use other equipment. In 2009 - this program was active in 49 states and the District of Columbia. You can click on this link to find out about current events and contact information. The MTL (Mobile Tech Lab) is available for all OMK partners working with military children. Our kids need support and with your involvement they can get it.

Related posts:

Constitution Day http://libearycorner.blogspot.com/2010_09_01_archive.html

When Is Veteran's Day? http://libearycorner.blogspot.com/2010/07/when-is-veterans-day-why-would-kids.html

Where Are You From?

2010-10-23T18:56:00.000-07:00

That's a fairly direct question, but the answer to that is more complex. The surface question is" Where do you live?", the underlying question is "What influences made you the person you are?" These questions came to the surface for me a couple of years ago when I was introduced to two pieces of literature. "Where I am From" by George Ella Lyon and "Momma, Where are you From" by Marie Bradby.

As I thought how I would use it with my students, the possibilities tantalized me. I was not the only person who was touched by George Ella Lyon's poem, other teachers had been inspired and shared their ideas and experiences. I found a template for student's to write their own "Where I am From" poem. I also found some great ideas at The Book Chook for using the poem with students. at The Book Chook, Sue has a link where George Ella Lyon reads her own poem. Using these pieces of literature would make a great bulletin board by combining your students poetry and a childhood snapshot.

Two Voice Poems

2010-10-19T01:32:00.000-07:00

Two voice poems are an interesting form. They are great at showcasing different points of view. Paul Fleischman first showcased this type of poetry in his book "Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices". Reading this type of poetry is a great tool for helping students develop fluency. David L. Harrison wrote the book "Partner Poems for Building Fluency" to help teachers use this strategy with students.

In the American Memories(Library of Congress) lesson section "Nothing to Fear but Fear Itself" there is a poem called "A Graduation Poem for Two", that is a great example of comparing two different points of view. Lesley Roessing writes eloquently about comparing and contrasting a students life with a person from another culture. I think this poetry format has lots of applications.

Mary Ann Hoberman has written several books in her series "You Read to Me, I'll Read to You". They are delightful. Great two people stories. The one I think makes a good October selection is titled "You Read to Me, I'll Read to You: Very Short Scary Tales to Read Together." I think my favorite story in the book is called "The Witch and the Broomstick.". In her book she uses color to make it easier to read - purple (reader 1), lavender (reader 2), orange both read together. I am going to share her first poem in the hopes that you will explore this format further.

Introduction

Do you like to

Quake and quiver?

Do you like to

Shake and shiver?

Do you like your

Mind all jumpy?

Do you like your

Skin all bumpy?

If you do,

Then take a look

At the stories

In this book!

I'll read here

And you'll read there.

Both sides give you

Quite a scare.

Then, with middle

Words before us,

Read together

In a chorus.

Now we know

Just what to do:

You'll read to me!

I'll read to you!

Carousel Magic

2010-10-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

I have always loved the carousel horses. I first met them in books as a child, oh how exciting to be able to ride a real Merry-go-Round whenever you wanted. I looked forward to the carnival that came to out community every year, because they had a Merry-go-Round! My love for the beautiful horses continues to this day.

A few years ago Doris a friend who lives in Helena, MT took us to "The Great Northern Carousel". What a great piece of art by many wonderful artists. Here is an excerpt from the website:

"The Great Northern Carousel is a modern hand built menagerie carousel reminiscent of the splendid, turn-of-the-century carousels. Most of the 37 animals and one chariot were hand-carved by Ed Roth of Long Beach, California and hand painted by Bette Largent of Spokane, Washington. Todd Goings built the mechanism in Marion, Ohio and also built the spinning tub for the carousel. And, local artist Mary Harris created the original glass artwork depicting Helena area landmarks and scenery on the Carousel rounding boards."

Last year one of art teachers did an art unit with Carousel Animals. I did a little research for her and learned about the National Carousel Association. Last year they visited two Montana carousels the Great Northern Carousel in Helena, MT and "A Carousel for Missoula" in Missoula, MT. When looking at the archives I found out about a private carousel "Dream Maker Carousel" that is open to the public in Somers, MT. I told my husband I want to go see it next year.

This brings me to one of the new books that I added to our school library collection. "Feivel's Flying Horses" by Heidi Smith Hyde. This picture book tells the story of a woodcarver that comes to America and became one of the wood carvers making carousel horses for Coney Island. I found the historical note by the author very informative. It is a great book to introduce the Jewish immigration to America in the late 1800's.

Links of Interest:
http://www.carouselnews.com/ Carousel News
http://www.agilitynut.com/carousels/links.html Carousel links
Carousel Live Binder - http://livebinders.com/edit?id=35838

Making Movies in the Mind

2010-10-17T05:00:00.000-07:00

One of my greatest "Aha Moments" as a teacher happened early in my career. I had a student who was reading a book and listening to the story on a "Walkman" at the same time. For you youngsters out there a Walkman was an individual cassette player with headphones. I was teaching in a juvenile detention center and this student was about 16 and a struggling reader.

When "Sam" finished the book he looked at me with a very satisfied smile. Then shared "Wow, that was a great book. That was the first time I could see a movie in my mind when I read."

I looked at him with total surprise. I had no idea that there were readers who didn't see the movies in their mind. For me this conversation was a "Touchstone Moment". Since then I have learned that many students can't make pictures in their mind as they read. This conversation with "Sam" has influenced how I teach and one of my major goals - letting kids discover the movies in their minds.

Ralph Fletcher is a terrific writer. I love his writing for the wonderful words and rhythm. His books are great for "seeing" pictures in your mind. I read "Hello, Harvest Moon" to my students. It has great illustrations and rich vocabulary. I am a big fan of Ralph Fletcher, and have learned a lot from reading the professional literature he has written.

Halloween Poetry

2010-10-16T07:16:00.000-07:00

A great seasonal book with poetry and rhymes is Halloween Hoots and Howls by Joan Horton. My students laughed at the play on words. the illustrations are colorful and playful. Writingfix is sponsoring a Halloween poetry writing contest. It closes Oct 21, 2010.

You can also find Karen Mcgee's lesson for Halloween Hoots and Howls at Writingfix. I used her Halloween word bank as a starting place and then added other seasonal words. In th book there are several poems - that are great to share with students who cannot participate in holiday activities. I love the "Spider on the Ceiling". I then had the students fill out the Noun, Adjective, Verb chart in th lesson. I loved this lesson because it tied into what my 5th graders were learning in their classroom about parts of speech.

I used the ETTC (Educational Technology Training Center) poem templates to experiment with writing poetry. I only have one computer in my classroom so I put the poem template for "Noun + Adjective + Phrase = Poem". You can find it by name listed on the left side of the screen. I had my students to use the word bank and charts that they had made to write their poems. It makes for a great introduction.

Using Show Not Tell in the Classroom

2010-10-10T08:23:00.000-07:00

I introduce the topic of show not tell by reading a touchstone text that exemplifies the writer's craft I want my students to focus on and practice in their own writing.

Reading from the Magic Thief by Sarah Prineas - p7

“The pork chops were fragrant and crisp, the potatoes swimming in butter with a sprinkling of black pepper over their shiny brown backs. The chop house keeper returned briefly and added a plate oozing with berries and dusted with sugar. The wizard said something, but I didn’t hear him. I picked up my fork and cut open a potato. I let butter soak in for a second and then took an enormous bite.”

Tempting Treat – Ruth Ferris http://windows2mylife.blogspot.com/2010/07/tempting-treats.html

In the center of our mall there is a little kiosk that sells Cinnabon cinnamon rolls. The smell of freshly baked bread spiced with cinnamon wafts through the air. The scent tantalizes and teases me, taunting that it is within reach. As the enticing aroma tickles my pleasure centers, my brain goes on full alert. I reconnoiter the kiosk, surveying the display case. Scouting out calorie laden pleasure bombs, knowing that one bite will detonate my greed for more. I set about capturing the enemy, a choice roll that has both rich caramel flowing over the sides and thick luscious frosting standing guard on top. After capturing this sinful delicacy, I savor it with a frosty chilled latte. Mission accomplished.

“Breakfast Toast” is a successful writing-exercise, I have used with my students. I ask the students if they have ever eaten toast. They all look at me as if I have lost my mind. I go on to describe how I like my toast.

“I like my toast golden – not crisp, not blackened, just lightly browned. I sniff the melting butter – spreading like a puddle over my golden brown piece of toast. To this I add jelly or better yet honey. The smell of hot toast beckons as I sit down. Honey butter with its sweet flavor teases my tongue as I bite down into the lightly toasted bread.”

Student Example:

Pancakes by Lily Slunaker (5th grade 2009)

I love my pancakes golden brown and soft. I love it when the smell is sweet, and the taste is warm and delicious. I like the taste of the rich maple syrup against my tongue and the sound of the batter getting poured into the sizzling hot pan. I love having pancakes for breakfast because of their delicious taste, sweet smell and the sound of the batter sloshing in the hot pan. I love pancakes.

The prompt: – Write about how you like your toast or another food. I then let them write for seven minutes followed by sharing.

The Sharing – This is a very important part of the Writing Workshop and writing process. There are many ways to approach this. I modeled my classroom procedure after the National Writing Project class I attended in Laurel, MT.

I had the students bring their writing to the back of the classroom. We sat in a circle and I talked to them about being good listeners and a good audience. I also told the students when called on to read they had some choices they could make – (1) Read their writing (2) Have another student read it (3) Have me read it (teacher) (4) Say pass. As a reader make contact with your audience. Use inflection. Project your voice so everyone can hear you.

The listener’s role is to understand the writer. Ways to be a good listener: watch the reader, interact with the reader - nod your head, smile encouragingly, make eye contact, what part of the writing works. After the reader has shared their writing – thank them for sharing. I then tell them, they can retell the part that they liked best and why. I encourage them to use as many of the author’s exact words as they can. They can ask questions for clarification. They can talk to the speaker about what they are still confused about (I remind them they must do this in a respectful way.) In the book p 36 “Don’t Forget to Share” by Leah Mermelstein are some great questions audience members can ask the speaker. As a final step I ask the writer, “What part of the conversation was most helpful?”

This sharing and reflection is very powerful. Even though I give suggested prompts I always leave writing about something else as an option. I remind them that they need to keep the content school appropriate. Last year I had a young woman (4^th grader) share about her cousin’s murder. Two students moved to sit by her giving her support and comfort. These sessions are important to building community and a safe place to share their writing. It also provides the writer with a real audience for their work.

Recommended Professional Literature:

Don’t Forget to Share: The Crucial Last Step in the Writing Workshop by Leah Mermelstein

ISBN: 13: 978-0-325-00951-3

http://leahmermelstein.com/

What Would Happen If Animal Migration Stopped?

2010-10-06T21:04:00.000-07:00

Robert Krulwich - wrote a post called "Migration Blues: When Birds Don't Fly South". As I read his post my mind had a hard time wrapping my head around what is happening. If the animals stop migrating, not only will it affect their own species but what does it mean for human kind? What is causing this phenomena?

Krulwich creates a powerful scene when he writes - "Simply stated," says Princeton professor David Wilcove, "the phenomenon of migration is disappearing around the world. The great salmon runs of the Pacific Northwest have been reduced to a trickle ... Monarch butterflies are threatened by illegal logging of the Mexican forests where they winter. "

More and more studies show fewer creatures are migrating and those who do more often don't make it. There is no easy way to address this problem."

Krulwich writes: "Krulwich Wonders, NPR Sciency Blog. He tackles science and explains what is happening. A great science blog to use with students. The migration post shows the interconnectedness of many issues. Great discussion piece.

Links of Interest Smithsonian Migratory Bird Center

Hooking Kids on Literature

2010-10-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

James Prosek is a fabulous water-colorist. He has written and illustrated several books about fish for adults. His picture book "A Good Day's Fishing" is exquisite. The image on this post is from the book.

The writing is a great hook for kids who love the outdoors. It provides a great model for their own writing. Prosek takes a nonfiction subject and turns it
into a memorable picture book.

"Hooked On Fishing—Not On Drugs" is a unique, nationally accepted drug prevention program offered through the American Sportfishing Association's Future Fisherman Foundation. It is presented by certified instructors at the local level with lessons that are geared towards students in grades K-12 and is correlated with MT Core Curriculum Content Standards."

Montana Fish Wildlife & Parks sponsors the Montana Hooked on Fishing program. This program is a way to provide students with alternatives to drugs - by becoming fisherman. The national program has been very successful. MT Fish Wildlife and Parks have several posters of native fish available for classrooms that would connect beautifully with this book.

Newspaper article Future Fisherman Angler Editions Take Me Fishing

Those Sparkling Memories

2010-10-02T21:47:00.000-07:00

I have been working on a great part of my job choosing and ordering new books. This last week some of those orders arrived. Each time I open a box of books it is a treasure hunt. Oh I need to share this book with so and so. Last year I wrote two grants to buy fiction and nonfiction mentor books that will be added to our school collection.

One of the first books I shared with my students was "Canoe Days by Gary Paulsen (1999). The illustrations Ruth Wright Paulsen add depth to the wonderful prose. The pictures portray the vivid descriptions. Great example of taking a memorable day and melding it with exquisite words.

Before reading this book aloud - I selected approximately 20 words from the selection and broke them into 4 groups. I wrote the groups on the board and had my 4th & 5th graders use them for an alphabetizing activity. Once I started reading the story I could see the students' eyes light up as they made the connection to the vocabulary on the board and the selection I was reading.

All in all it is a great book to model for word choice and memories. It can also be used as a "boys" book - I heard the "ahs" when I read the author's name.

Links you might like Two Writing Teachers and WritingFix

Constitution Day - September 17th

2010-09-15T05:59:00.000-07:00

Constitution Day is observed on September 17. According to Wikipedia Constitution Day in 2004 to recognize the ratification of the US constitution and those who have become US citizens. Before 2004 this day was known as Citizenship Day. The 2004 act mandates that all publicly funded educational institutions provide educational programming on the history of the American Constitution on September 17th.

There are many great resources for educators that range from readers theater to trial simulation games. Check out some of these sites and I would encourage everyone to leave comments and share other sites that they like.

Justice by the People - Constitution Day September 17, 2010 http://www.scholastic.com/americanjustice/
Make your case - trial simulation game http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3749996
Constitution Center http://www.constitutioncenter.org/ncc_progs_Constitution_Day.aspx
Ed Helper - http://search.edhelper.com/cgi-bin/ednet.cgi
Teaching with Documents: Observing Constitution Day http://www.archives.gov/education/lessons/constitution-day/
ConstitutionFacts.com http://www.constitutionday.cc/
CNN - Constitution Day Activity http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/studentnews/09/14/activity.constitution.day/index.html

Baby Fritzy and the Varmint

2010-08-28T22:24:00.000-07:00

Last year my granddaughter was given 2 guinea pigs. Recently one died and so we were going to bring another one to her when we made the trip to Miles City. Since I was getting my classroom ready for the start of the new year I gave my husband the task of finding a guinea pig.

He checked at one of the pet shops they wanted $35.00 and had the gender we were looking for. Then he noticed that our local animal shelter had two guinea pigs. They had been brought in by different families. We adopted one for $10.00 and proceeded to bring him home.

I took him out when we got home. Sammi immediately went into staring mode. Max and Lady were "Ho Hum" now what? Baby Fritzy immediately started licking her chops. She came towards me and the guinea pig immediately started fearful chatting. I responded with a firm "No".

Baby just looked at me with puzzlement and confusion. She was sure she had misunderstood. Surely we meant for her to have the varmint for dinner. Deciding she had misunderstood me she came back and tried to take a bite, she connected with my hand. The fearful chirping was fast as the guinea pig seemed to be saying"Grandma what big teeth you have", as she looked into the open mouth of Baby. I pushed Baby away with my foot and said "No".

Baby Fritzy looked at me with incredulity. She couldn't believe I was serious about denying her this tantalizing morsel. Dan told Baby that she couldn't eat the "little fellow". She could sniff it and give it a lick but couldn't eat it. She gave him a disgusted look and came up to me sniffed the critter and gave him a gentle lick. Then sat down on her haunches and licked her chops in anticipation.

I put the guinea pig into a crate. Sammi and Baby Fritzy stared at the guinea pig for hours. The next morning I loaded the crate in our vehicle and came back into the house. Baby was sniffing furiously - searching for the missing varmint.

Why Continue Teaching Kids How to Write A Friendly Letter?

2010-08-13T14:37:00.000-07:00

In today's society we have text messages, email, cell phones, and a postal system that is losing money? So why continue teaching students how to write a friendly letter? Isn't it outdated?

I think that learning how to write letters is a skill that helps students process information. We teach students how to write poetry and how to read it for deeper meaning. Yet probably most of us don't write poems in our daily adult life. Yet we can appreciate the work done by others. I think students should be exposed to many forms of writing. It helps them develop many different skills that are important to their academic and social development.

As a librarian I am constantly trying to find ways to encourage students to take responsibility. One of the problems I encounter is students forgetting to return their library books. I know that the classroom teachers spend time teaching kids the parts of a letter. I was sadly disappointed when I saw that many of my students were not able to apply that knowledge. Last year I started having students write a letter to their parents/guardians when they had an overdue book.

After tweaking the project, my students gained letter writing practice and my books came back on a more regular basis. This year I want to introduce letter writing through literature. There are a number of picture books that make for a great lead in.

Dear Mrs LaRue: Letters from Obedience School by Mark Teague
Dear Mr. Blueberry by Simon James
Mailing May by Michael O. Tunnell
With Love, Little Red Hen by Alma Flor Ada
The Jolly Postman by Allan Ahlberg
A Lucky Dog: Owney, US Rail Mail Mascot by Dirk Wales

For my older students showing them the importance of letters as a window to historical events seems like a great connection. The National Postal Museum has some great information and curriculum units. The Pony Express is featured in Moving the Mail West. The United States Postal Service curriculum resource center, is another great site for exploring history through stamps. Take a look at their education kits.

What do you think, should we continue to teach letter writing in schools?

Do you think schools should continue to teach... » make online polls
Tags : letter writing education learning skills

It's About Connecting With People

2010-07-30T22:09:00.000-07:00

Last night I read an email that tickled me all the way to my toes. I received my very first blog award from Doreen at They say everyone has a story ... this is mine. I am very humbled and so very excited. Part of that award is to share 7 things you might not know about me.

1. I started writing my first blog last summer Bridging Memories. It is a combination of information for families and care givers who love and care for loved ones with dementia. In between facts, research and tips are pieces of the story of my Mother's battle with Alzheimer's. I started my second blog last fall Libeary Corner. The focus of it is education & technology. I started my third blog as a place to write slices of my life and put lots of the funny puppy stories. I call it Windows 2 My Life.

2. Dan and I celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary the 22nd of July. Years ago we went together and eventually life brought us in a complete circle. He is the love of my life.

3. I have a stepson Joe, a granddaughter Hailey, and a stepdaughter Peggy.

4. I am a pet parent to 4 dogs and 1 duck. Max a boxer cross, Lady a chocolate lab, Sammi, a Great Dane Lab cross, and Baby a black lab puppy, Mr Duck a muskagee.

5. I sometimes bead jewelry.

6. I retired from the Montana National Guard after 24 years.

7. I am doing some free lance writing.

I am passing this award on to the following 15 people who I feel are very versatile bloggers. They in turn will share 7 things about themselves and pass the award on. They are great reads and I encourage you to read them.

1. Ruth and Stacey - Two Writing Teachers I love their writing ideas, and how they encourage and challenge me.
2. Peggy - The Simple Woman - her beautiful writing and quiet inspiration
3. Melinda from Coming Clean Confessions of an Imperfect Parent - for sharing ideas for improving my blog
4. David of EFL Classroom 2.0 - for his encouragement and brilliance
5. Ellen Pham's Blog - Her friendship and encouragement
6. Teresa - Too Many Heartbeats - her courage and compassion
7. Lisa - Lisa's Gluten-Free Advise - her willingness to share
8. Kelly - iLearn Technology - her passion and knowledge - especially her friendliness
9. Susan - Book Chook - I love her writing and colorful site - I appreciate her warm comments.
10. Patti - 37 days - her posts are thought provoking and make me think
11. Alex - A Moderate Life - excellent content, great information
12. Kaye - SandwichInk - good ideas for the Sandwich Generation
13. Java - Never Growing Old -her friendliness and blog hops
14. Eloise - Mommy2TwoGirls - I love her comments & her friendliness
15. Crayon Wrangler - Coloring Outside The Lines - her sense of fun - I love the idea of "crayon wrangler"

There are two other people who I would like to to give an award to, Melissa & Kelly for listening to me as I try and figure this out and for their friendship.

What is a Windowfarm?

2010-07-27T12:38:00.000-07:00

Picture by Julia Makarova
http://www.windowfarms.org/

I was reading the blog from a Moderate Life and saw a blog list and one name was Window Farms. I was intrigued and went to check it out. It was really cool. People were using recycled Nestle's water bottles to grow plants in windows with hydroponics.

My first thought was looks like more skill than I have. Then I saw they have kits available for those of us who are mechanically challenged. As I read further you can join the group and get instructions and support for free. They are part of the Creative Commons licensing agreement. The community is very dedicated to encouraging people to grow their own food.

My second thought was - what a good classroom project. Everything from reading using nonfiction to watching the life cycle. Keeping a writers/nature journal, measuring plant growth, the list is endless. The best part would be eating your own home grown salad.

On the website there are a number of videos that explain different aspects of their project. Go check them out. I'm thinking maybe there is a window farm in my future. What about you?

History Portal

2010-07-18T21:03:00.000-07:00

A history portal for teachers - The Center for History and New Media. This portal provides access to many primary sources. One of the sections is Historical Thinking Matters - a website designed to teach students how to read and understand primary sources and how to develop historical narratives. One of the topics that is available is Rosa Parks and the Montgomery Bus Boycott. Lots of resources to examine from many points of view. Very well designed.

Do History is another segment that uses primary sources to piece together lives of ordinary people. Martha Ballard is the midwife they use as their example.

The Section on Research + Tools - shows individuals how to use different tools to study history.

This is a great portal with lots of information to investigate.

When Is Veteran's Day? Why Would Kids Want to Know?

2010-07-09T19:16:00.000-07:00

Do you know when Veteran's Day Is? What can you tell me about it? True the troops are out protecting us. But what does that really have to do with your life? Many students roll their eyes when they are asked about World War II. To many it is about as contemporary as dinosaurs. So how can we make it meaningful?

First , it is about seeing Veteran's as real people who have stories to tell. Humans are hard wired to think in a narrative format. Many students today know someone in the service. So how can we make the transition of what they know to what we want them to learn? What does "Native Words, Native Warriors" have to do with history? Why should teachers include studying about veterans if they aren't teaching "History"?

Studying about individuals and the complexity of culture hooks many students. Instead of just reading a biography, work with oral histories, work with primary sources. Hear the stories of real people who experienced what is now history. Using an inquiry approach develops higher level thinking and learning.

Native Words Native Warriors is an online program from the National Museum of American Indians . It was
designed to enhance the Smithsonian's traveling exhibit by the same name. The online version is geared for grades 6-12. Complete with lesson plans, resources, links. The focus is on how tribal veterans used their language as a weapon in World War I and World War II.

The lessons touch on the complexity of culture and provides background information for seeing Native tribes as unique and living cultures. I believe it helps people see beyond the surface when they can gain understanding about other cultures and the difficulties they have overcome. It helps build empathy and community.

The Veteran's History Project is a project of the American Folklife Center of the library of. Congress. This link has lesson plans for K-12. One of the interesting piece is the idea to "Take a Veteran to School". Teaching students how to ask questions how to make a video or documentary all involves higher level thinking besides the content information. It also makes connections between generations that is a valuable part of every community. These projects need to start well in advance of Veteran's Day to reap the most rewards.

This site also has podcasts, primary sources, background information. There are also forms and kits available, most free of charge. They have also included a website and information about the featured book Forever a Soldier. Forever a Soldier is the second book in the Veteran's History Project. The book is a collection of 37 stories from service men and women. The stories are from veteran's from World War I to Iraq.

Go for Broke National Education Center is an organization that tells the stories of Japanese American Veteran's during World War II. This site houses an oral history archive, lesson plans. It also contains historical information and research materials. The site encourages teachers to include the American story about the segregated Japanese American military units of World War II. They also encourage teachers to incorporated information about the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II and the civil liberty issues and injustices of that time.

"With the State of California’s adoption in 1998 of the History/Social Science Content Standard that requires students to learn about the “roles and sacrifices of individual American soldiers, as well as the unique contribution of the special fighting forces (e.g. the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the Tuskegee Airmen and the Navajo Code Talkers),” it is imperative that teachers be provided with the tools to incorporate this important aspect of history into curriculum.

By providing teachers with accessible curriculum resources to teach this American story, the Learning Center supports the promotion of ethnic tolerance, increases respect and support for the civil rights of all people, and demonstrates how prejudice and racial discrimination can undermine the foundations upon which this country was built. " Go for Broke website.

The Tuskagee Airman were also important veterans, their story also needs to be told to our students. These airman served with honor and bravery. Today the Tuskagee Airman organization have a youth program to encourage young people to develop through aviation.

The Tuskagee Airman National Historic Site is another resource for individuals. The Tuskagee Airman Project is a resource from Reach and Teach. The Black History Web also has some great resources. One resource that I find interesting is the Teach With Movies site (subscription).

These resources are just teasers. With some more searching you will uncover a treasure trove of other sources. I think these are great places to start. I would enjoy hearing how you use these ideas in your class. If you drop me a line I will link your project for other teachers.

Oh yeah November 11th is Veteran's Day.

Is There a Time Machine for Digital Natives?

2010-07-05T16:08:00.000-07:00

Teaching Digital Natives About History

How do you teach history to digital natives? My students are very visual, they are used to seeing videos and movies. A few years ago I had left a typewriter out on the table. My students came in and wanted to know about the unusual keyboard. One asked, "Where's the monitor?"

How can we give them the background knowledge to understand different times. One powerful technique is primary sources. Teaching students how to analyze and understand them. I can hear you say. "Great sound bite. Where do we start?"

Three Resources for Primary Sources

1. National Park Service Photo Collection

There are over 2,000 images taken by park service photographers, documenting architecture, Native American heritage, nature, transportation and scenic views. This is a search able database, that brings in a visual element to learning. This site also has maps available for the viewer.

There are over 400 National Parks in the United States. The National Parks Service has made teacher resources and curriculum materials available for using with students. Teaching With Historic Places is a great gem. It uses parks listed in the National Park Service's National Register of Historic Places. It focuses on history, social studies, geography, civics, and other subjects. There is even a template for developing your own lessons involving historic places. The National Park Service goals is to bring historic places into the classroom.

2. Library of Congress

American Memory You can look at webcasts, maps, newspapers, you can browse topics.

Library of Congress Online Catalog This is where you can find their on line collection.

My Library of Congress This is really the key to discovering the Library of Congress. There are virtual tours. Focus on collections, exhibitions, there is also a section directed at students and teachers.

Teachers Primary Source Kits. Classroom materials and professional development. Information on how to look at primary sources and use them to teaches students how to analyze and examine, photos, documents, maps etc. They have developed themed resources and lesson plans.

3. Repositories of Primary Sources

This is a database of over 5000 websites describing holdings of - manuscripts, archives, rare books, historical photos. It is primarily used by research scholars. Great resource for educators looking for background information.

Is that All There Is?

This is only the beginning. As teachers we need to encourage our co-workers, our students and communities to preserve our local and family history. Documenting the stories behind the photos are an incredible rich source of information. For further ways to incorporate photos and history you might look at a previous post

"Story Maps and the Digital Age". Primary sources allow students to develop their own understanding of events, people, and ideas.

Geography Resources for Teachers

2010-07-02T13:56:00.000-07:00

TES Connect has a down loadable Geography Directory with great resources, 179 pages of information. In the directory is a list of recommended blogs I clicked on "Geography and all that Jazz" I loved the pictures on the blog. The directory is a little dated but is still valuable.

One intriguing section was the Geography of Happiness. The Geography of Happiness Wiki tells the background of this amazing concept. Geography is so much more than just learning longitude and latitude. It is an integral part of culture, economics, and exploration to name just a few.

So much of language is directly associated with geography. I would really encourage you to check out TES Connect for many other resources, but especially the geography resources.

Storymaps and the Digital Age

2010-06-30T10:47:00.000-07:00

Maps have always intrigued me. I remember as a student being told that the early cartographers drew the known area and then wrote "Beyond this point there be dragons". I've never found the dragons but I still look.

Recently I discovered some map sharing tools that appeals to the historian and storyteller in me. It is a way to connect pictures and maps and include your own stories to go along with the pictures. I think it would be a great way to study things for social studies and history using primary sources. It would also be a great way to look at family history in context to the times.

As a student I would be engaged to compare and contrast pictures from "Historical Events" with current pictures. I am a very visual learner. Pictures are a really important tool that guides my learning. Learning how to evaluate pictures and add the storytelling element is higher level thinking at its best.

We Are What We Do developed Historypin in partnership with Google. I have included the introductory video and How to Use Historypin.

History in Haiku - Stories in Six

2010-06-24T08:42:00.000-07:00

I found this idea when I was browsing Associated Content. People submitted Haiku's about historical events. They were featured as "Daily series using haiku poetry to recount history." How does this translate into classroom applications? How about starting class with a daily haiku about what the students are studying. As they progress have the students write the haiku's.

This will help them on many levels. It's higher level thinking. They must take a large piece of information and condense and make it into a fun summary. They would even work as exit tickets. I'm excited by the possibilities.

Last year I heard about Six Word Memoirs in the National Writing Project that I attended. It is both fun and challenging to write a story in six words, it is somewhat easier to write a summary in six words. It definitely gets your brain working. They make great titles and fun writing prompts.

Some of my favorites. Six Word Memoirs "Not quite what I was planning." "Written by famous and obscure writers."

They have now morphed into Six Word Stories. In fact there are numerous websites that feature them as well as books that have collected them. Here are some links to some sites that feature them: NPR; Catrina Net; Smith Magazine; Marginal Revolution; "Read Twitters Six Word Stories."

Tech Transformation: Techie Breakie Session 7 - The Final

2010-06-23T08:38:00.000-07:00

Tech Transformation: Techie Breakie Session 7 - The Final

Starbright World: A Social Network for Seriously Ill Teens

2010-06-22T07:14:00.000-07:00

I learned about this site for teens at Teresa's Blog Too Many Heartbeats. Both she and her daughter suffer from dysautonomia an autoimmune disease. She was talking about how much Starbright World had helped her daughter. It is a site for teens and it is monitored to keep it safe. When I was reading the list of illnesses I was overwhelmed. I had never thought about how many kids are fighting so many life threatening diseases.

I also realized that this site not only allows teens to interact with other teens but it gives them a safe place to talk about being sick to people who really understand. The social network is for kids 13-20 who are ill and their siblings. I was really impressed that they allow siblings. Being a sib when someone you love is sick can be really scary.

There is also a Starlight Children's Foundation Blog that showcases what the foundation is doing. Check it out I know we have students at my school who would benefit from this site. Help spread the word.

Using Visual Images to Teach Perceptions

2010-06-17T19:35:00.000-07:00

Every person seems to have a running visual monologue going in their head as they listen and read. These visual images are reinforced by Hollywood, TV, magazines, books etc. I was doing a presentation for teachers last fall. One of the questions I ask is if I say the words American Indian or Native American: What picture do you see in your mind?

I followed this up by using Montage-a-Google and typing in Native American. We talked about how most of the images were of Native Americans from the past. One of the issues we are working on within our schools is the need to change those perceptions. Creating an awareness that there are different tribes that are a living vibrant contemporary culture. The second mosaic shows contemporary tribal members. We had an interesting discussion about perceptions.

This site would also work to introduce other topics in history and social studies, even biographies. If you click on individual squares it will bring up the original picture so that you can examine it closer, allowing for further discussion.

There is a great article on Engadget : How to Make Your Own Photo Mosaic. They list a couple of other sites that you can use to make your own mosaic from your own pictures: Andrea Mosaic for PCs and MacOSaiX for Macs. You can also make mosaics with Picasa.

United Way Hotline 2-1-1

2010-06-16T21:18:00.000-07:00

Reading the Summer 2010 copy of the American Educator I read that the United Way had established an easy to remember number, 2-1-1, that connects people to health and social services in their local communities. Currently it serves approximately 250 million Americans and is available in 46 states, Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico. Trained personnel will answer and help callers determine what services they need, shelters, job training, housing options, food banks, and other supports.

I clicked on http://www.liveunited.org/211 I learned that United Way are encouraging people to contact their representatives and senators and ask for support for the 2-1-1 Act legislation. I also read that 2-1-1 has been available in some states since 2000. After the Katrina and Rita disasters in 2004 FEMA encouraged states to move forward with implementing 2-1-1 in all states.

I had never heard of this program. So I decided to do some additional research - I was doubly surprised to learn that Montana has this service available. I would encourage you to visit the United Way site and learn about this service and how it may benefit our communities.

EFL Classroom 2.0

2010-06-15T09:19:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite Nings is EFL Classroom 2.0 It is designed for English Teacher's and Learner's. I enjoy it because it sparks so many ideas. I discovered this site when I was looking for review games to use in my classroom. I discovered BAAM games, they are power point games. I took the templates and used my own questions and answers. My kids love the game.

I am also a big fan of random generators. David Deubel created the EFL Classroom 2.0 Ning Network. He is an incredible creative educator. Recently he created a random blog generator. He has put over 100 blogs into the generator. Each time you click on the generator you read a new blog. Try it out.

We Give Books - Online Reading

2010-06-09T20:51:00.000-07:00

I was reading a post from Two Writing Teachers about a new program for children called We Give Books.  Any child with internet access can read books online free.  Each book they complete allows the program to donate a physical book to another charity.  This really looks good.  I hope you have a young person you can share this with.
I really like how We Give Books makes some suggestions about talking with children about their role in the giving process.
   "One of the aims of We Give Books is to encourage the conversations with your child that will better ensure he or she becomes a life-long giver. As you consider the non-profit organizations from which you can choose, take time to talk through the goals of each charity and your reasons for selecting the one you do. 
As long as you’re a member, you can support as many campaigns as you like. We Give Books even keeps track of the books you’ve donated to each campaign fo you."
They have a large online library for people to choose from.  The books can be read more than once.  I would really encourage you to check out the blog Two Writing Teachers.  They share lots of reading Writing Connections.

Walk Down Memory Lane

2010-06-06T05:33:00.000-07:00

When I first started teaching (in the last century) I bought Oregon Trail (Apple IIe). Later getting some other games that were developed to run on Apple GS. My very favorite at that time was the MECC Word Muncher game. My students loved the games back then. (Many of you might remember playing them as students).

Well imagine my delight when I was reading some posts on ilearntechnology and she talked about the original simulation game Oregon Trail. You have to remember that by today's standards the graphics and interactivity are very basic. As I was busy remembering my first love affair with technology, I wondered how I might use it in today's classroom with video sophisticated students? The original post had a wonderful suggestion - use it to introduce the history of technology and how things have changed.

Compare the modern game of Oregon Trail to the original. The Virtual Apple site has all those old games on it, adapted so today's users can play on line. Hip Hip Hoo-Rey! I think i'll go play a few rounds of Word Muncher.

Digital History

2010-05-27T17:29:00.000-07:00

The Digital History site has many resources for teachers and students alike. They are committed to using new technologies to enhance teaching and research of American History. You can find virtual exhibits, primary sources, guides, teacher pages, interactive timeline, multimedia, and the history reference room.

Digital History is a free resource and there is no advertising on it. The site is supported by some great partnerships. Under multimedia you can find flash movies, games, and recommended websites. But my favorite is the historical music connections. There are many games that relate to specific time periods. I looked at Famous Americans the game is from the Smithsonian.

Blog Generator

2010-05-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

David designed a random blog generator for ELT (English Language Teaching). Take a look at his blog at EFL Classroom 2.0. The ning features teaching English, most of the resources also work with other subjects and in most classrooms. This site is filled with lots of resources. I hope you will take advantage of it and explore it's many hidden treasures.

Here is the generator for your reading pleasure.

Today's Teaching Ideas

2010-05-26T19:21:00.000-07:00

I found two interesting tools/applications when I was reading David's Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero. The first one is 5 Card Flickr . You randomly get 5 pictures that can then be made into a story. Further ideas can be explored at Lesson 42 at Interface Magazine.

The other is an educators search engine called Topic Box. I found some very interesting link from the UK using this search engine. Education is changing from the inside out as we connect to each other around the world and share information, insights, as well as frustrations.

Educational Resources

2010-05-21T06:38:00.000-07:00

Larry Ferlazzo has an amazing website with literally 8000 links. A true treasure trove for any educator. I recently started following his blog Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day. He is a very knowledgeable person who has made countless resources available. The site is very well organized. It is just massive. You can also subscribe to his newsletter. I would recommend starting with his Teacher page on his website.

I really like his Favorite Games page. I was familiar with a number of his game sites but many were new to me. I can see lots of educational connections. There are many great learning opportunities, happy hunting.

Developing Geography Awareness

2010-05-18T20:55:00.000-07:00

The National Geographic has been building a national network of K-12 teachers, college geographers, educators, school administrators as well as other partners interested in improving geography education since 1986. The Geography Alliances are grassroots organizations that are developing geography education at local, state and national levels.

The primary objective of the Geographic Educators Alliance is to help students realize the importance of geography in an increasingly interconnected and interdependent world. Your local geography alliance can help you get classroom materials, extend your skills through professional development. Contact your State Geographic Alliance for further information.

National Geographic and each State Geographic Alliance has developed educational materials and lesson plans to use in the classroom. National Geographic Education Site has many resources. One interesting site is Google for Educators, they are hosting the Google Geo Teachers Institute this July 2010.

Heinle and National Geographic developed the Footprints Reading Library - that focus on materials to teach the English Language. Their site has a number of teaching tools and resources. Many of the sites have their own free newsletters.

National Geographic also has several great elements on their web site Young Explorers and Forces of Nature.

http://www.mapping.com/alliances.html State Geographic Alliance Sites

http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/kids National Geographic Kids

http://www.mywonderfulworld.org/ Geography Awareness

http://www.teachearth.com/states/Montana.html Montana Curriculum Materials

Picture Word Connections

2010-05-15T12:08:00.000-07:00

PicLits is a site that provides a collection of pictures and the option to use a word bank or the ooportunity create your own words. You can drag and drop words from the word bank onto your picture. At first glance it's a fun adaption of refrigerator magnets.

On second reflection, I realize that it could evolve to be much more. The opening lines to develop a setting- language development - poetry. Showing students ways to connect text-to-self and text-to-world. I really like having the picture as a springboard to making deeper connections. In years past I have used pictures from magazines to use as writing prompts.

I'm going to use this PicLits picture for this weeks writing prompt.

See the full PicLit at PicLits.com

See the full PicLit at PicLits.com

Telling Our Stories

2010-05-08T16:30:00.000-07:00

Last summer I had the opportunity to attend the Laurel Writing project in Laurel Montana. I followed this experience with a week long class at the Alberta Bair Theater here in Billings, Montana. Sean and Melanie Layne lead the Summer Institute. The Summer Institute is a partnership between Alberta Bair Theater and the Kennedy Center.

The two classes changed how I approached teaching. They changed how I viewed myself as a teacher and as a writer. My blogs were a direct result of the classes. They gave me the confidence and the need to keep writing. Writing to tell my individual story as well as to listen to the stories of my students.

One of the sites I found while working on my personal learning plan is the WritersCorps. "The WritersCorps helps low-income students improve their literacy and communication skills through creative instruction. Founded in 1994 with funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, WritersCorps operates programs in San Francisco, Washington, D.C., and the Bronx, NY."

One of the publications I bought is "Jump Write In!" a book of creative writing exercises for grades 6-12. I have been utilizing it for ideas to use in this last quarter of school. I have been so amazed by my students growth this year. Telling Our Stories is a critical piece for me as a writer and as a teacher.

Games for Learning

2010-05-01T13:26:00.000-07:00

I was reading the blog K-12 Techsters. I surfed in on the review of East of the Web . I was intrigued by the description and decided to investigate. I followed the directions and built a study room.
You can use pre-made lists or you can use your own lists and content. I tested it out with some content vocabulary “Parts of a Book”. I think the games make great learning tools. Here are the links to my study room at EastoftheWeb.
Study Room Register URL:
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/games/studyrooms/?p=user/register&studyroom=Book Nook
This link allows users to register for my study room the Book Nook.
Study Room Login URL:
http://www.eastoftheweb.com/games/studyrooms/?studyroom=Book Nook
This is the link for users to log in to my study room the Book Nook once you are registered.

East of the Web also has lots of stories for students to read. I think it is a quiet gem, waiting to be enjoyed.

Exploring Digital Knowledge

2010-04-25T11:53:00.000-07:00

I have been playing tourists as I journey through the web. Stopping at great landmarks and being awed at the grandeur. I have noticed some icons during my wanderings (I guess they are called badges.) These badges proclaimed "Google Certified Teacher". What's up with that?

Well today I learned, "the Google Teacher Academy is a FREE professional development experience designed to help K-12 educators get the most from innovative technologies. Each Academy is an intensive, one-day event where participants get hands-on experience with Google's free products and other technologies, learn about innovative instructional strategies, receive resources to share with colleagues, and immerse themselves in an innovative corporate environment. Upon completion, Academy participants become Google Certified Teachers who share what they learn with other K-12 educators in their local region."

Two of the three blogs that caught my interest are written by Google Certified Teachers: Educating Educators by Charlene Chausis; Free Technology for Teachers by Richard Byrne; and Technology Tidbits: Thoughts of a Cyber Hero by David Kapuler. Charlene was blogging about the free Google Guide for Teachers written by Richard Byrne.

I found a terrific slide show called 50 Sites in 60 Minutes. Lots of great links. I just skimmed the surface and found several I want to explore in more depth. I have some ideas of how I want to use them with my students.

The Art of Storytelling from the Delaware Art Museum. They have developed some units for connecting art and storytelling. I see lots of possibilities for connecting it to reading, writing and fluency.

The Digital Vault is part of the National Archives. You can explore using visual connections, a really intuitive research model. It's like being invited by your favorite relative to explore that big trunk in the attic. Knowing that there are surely some secrets worth examining.

Primary Access is program at the Center for Technology & Teacher Education in the Curry School of Education at the University of Virginia. I see lots of potential for this link. PrimaryAccess was developed for K-12 classrooms to develop higher level thinking skills, teach content knowledge and even help with storytelling skills. One feature i really like is you can make a rebus with primary sources, there is also a moviemaker and a storyboard.

I am just learning how to embed information so I am excited with EmbedIt. I think this will help me as I learn how to work with all the technology and applications that are out there.

The other link that intrigues me is BookRix. this site lets you make and read free ebooks. I see this working with language, reading, writing, and revision. Having an authentic audience, how exciting for the kids!

All of these bloggers have valuable insight to offer teachers about digital knowledge. They are committed to sharing ways to integrate technology into the classroom.

Sky Watching: Seeing the Cloud Pictures

2010-04-23T08:45:00.000-07:00

Watching clouds were a favorite pastime when I was young. I remember road trips when my sisters and I tried to spot pictures in the sky. Over the years I have had a lot of "windshield time" driving across Montana, watching the road and the kaleidoscope of our ever changing "Big Sky Country".

As a new comer to social networking and blogs in general I was aware of word clouds. After a few questions to more knowledgeable friends, I learned it was a collection of word tags. Recently I read the blog Changing Phase. Clare talked about several word cloud generators.

I had already played with Wordle, the word art generator created by Jonathan Feinberg. Several of the word generator's Clare referred to were inspired by Wordle.

Tagul is a program that creates word clouds with active links. I was thrilled with the possibilities. I used the Tagul program to make a star shaped word cloud based on my blog article "Reading Like Writers: Using Mentor Texts in the Classroom". I have a lot to learn in order to use this program to it's highest potential.

I also read the Wordle Blog. In his blog, Jonathan praised Tagxedo a word cloud generator developed by Hardy Leung. I took a delightful journey through his gallery of word art. I was disappointed when I realized my computer doesn't support silverlight, so I was unable to create my own word art.

I was feeling so excited about being on the "cutting edge" of new information. I headed over to the EFL Classroom Ning and searched word clouds and tagul and discovered several people, David, Ellen and Marisa - who had already shared information on the word cloud tech tools.

Ah well, I think I already said I have a lot to learn. Here is to watching clouds and looking for sky pictures both in the physical world and in the virtual world.

Reading Like Writers: Using Mentor Texts in the Classroom

2010-04-17T05:53:00.000-07:00

Last summer I had the great pleasure to attend a National Writing Project here in Montana. It was the Laurel Writing Project. It is an intense month long course. It was life affirming as well as life changing. It changed how I teach students. It challenged me to start writing. The experience also provided the fellowship of writers who were on their own journey - a true writers community.

My inquiry search was how to teach writing during the short time I have my library students. Even after the summer session was over I continued my inquiry search. I was convinced that there were ways to adapt my library program and combine it with the writing process I had learned. Eureka! I stumbled on - WritingFix. A rewarding strike with so many possibilities!

I found many ideas I could use at this Northern Nevada Writing site - WritingFix. They have lots of wonderful lessons, resources, and member sites. I fell in love with the great pieces of literature that was featured. They also have some great print publications at reasonable prices. I encourage everyone to take a look and explore the rich treasures.

Corbett Harrison is the creator of the WritingFix website. His link is full of wonderful lessons. The National Writing Project is a great program. My only regret is I didn't do it earlier.

Check out this year's Montana Writing Project.

Teacher Treasures

2010-04-16T19:59:00.000-07:00

I was reading Larry Ferlazzo's article "Giving Students Reflection Cards" His strategy of giving a student a card that redirects their thinking, reminded me of a strategy I used when I taught at Pine Hills (Juvenile Detention Center) many years ago. It worked well for me then and I gradually forgot about it.

After reading Larry's very thoughtful article, I revisited the book where I had found the original idea. It was in the book Peaceful Procedures from the Tops Learning Systems. Their science modules are great too. I still have the book and am delighted to see the company still publishing their wonderful materials.

Larry triggered my memories and I think I will revisit his reflection card strategy again. Thanks Larry.

Free Electronic Field Trip from National Park Foundation

2010-04-15T07:00:00.000-07:00

The National Park foundation is sponsoring an electronic field trip to Bryce Canyon National Park. It is an interactive learning experience. The date is May 18, 2010 - Times 10:00 am Eastern Standard Time and 1 pm Eastern Standard Time.

Please register.

There is a companion website available http://www.brycecanyoneft.org/.

If you go to the National Park Foundation site you will also have access to past electronic field trip broadcasts.

Using Questions In the Classroom

2010-04-11T08:44:00.000-07:00

I have tried to teach students about asking questions as one of the first steps in the research process. I was never satisfied with the depth of my lessons. I knew I was missing a fundamental step, but I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing.

In the forward of Dr Wiederhold’s book “Cooperative Learning & Higher-Level Thinking: The Q-Matrix”; Dr Kagan says, “To prepare for the future, we must move from teaching of facts to the teaching of thinking. It has become clear that unless we make the transition, we will produce a generation of students ill-prepared to cope with their world.”

After reading Dr Wiederhold’s book and Dr Kagan’s book – “Cooperative Learning”, I think I have found some of the pieces that were missing from my lessons. I have always tried to teach students to ask questions about their learning and about topics. The Q-Matrix gives students a frame to help them develop questions. After using the Q-Matrix in my lessons I discovered more students were asking better questions and comprehending the topic better.

I was able to do an informal assessment on who still did not understand the topic by listening to the questions they developed. I have my intermediate student’s (4th-6th grade) for 1 hour a week. I am developing “baby step” lessons using the Q-Matrix approach.

Dr Kagan has developed some wonderful dice with the Q Matrix words for student’s to use. I quickly realized that many of my students needed more modeling before they took some initial independent steps. I began a search online for some virtual dice or spinners that I could customize. I wanted to be able to put the Q-Matrix words on it and project it on my whiteboard. I wanted a focus the students could see as we generated questions.

I discovered some wonderful sites while searching for these tools. I really encourage you to explore these sites and find treasures of your own.

http://www.triptico.co.uk (Triptico has some really great tools. I found my favorite spinner at this site and a really good random name selector (for choosing kids for activities).
http://www.crickweb.co.uk/ks2literacy.html Crickweb search for word dice. They have developed some wonderful classroom tools.
http://www.bgfl.org/ the Birmingham Grid for Learning has some interesting virtual dice and many other great resources.

Technology Blogs That Deliver

2010-03-28T20:31:00.000-07:00

Kelly Tenkely writes two blogs that I am really enjoying the first is ilearntechnology and her second one is Stories of Learning. Both blogs are about sharing information and ideas with the education world at large. The first deals with technology and tools that are out there and how they can be integrated into the classroom. The second blog is about successes in the classroom. Things teachers are doing in the classroom that is working.

ilearntechnology won one of the edublog of the year in 2009. It is a very rich site. I found Fotobabble on the ilearntechnology site. Fotobabble lets you connect an audio recording to a picture and then embed it into your blog or page. What a cool concept.

Integrating it into the classroom - vocabulary (pronunciation); word walls; character development; setting; story starters; science and math concepts. I can also imagine an online scrapbook of classroom activities to share with their parents.

The 2nd blog Stories of Learning is meant to inspire teachers to try new things and find new ways to integrate technology into the classroom. One of the stories I read was from a teacher who was using to "Kill a Mockingbird" in the classroom. She had her students take the characters and built a facebook page. The students made comments as if they were the characters, they also used twitter for comments from the characters. Puts a different spin on reading a classic.

EFL Classroom 2.0 - Where One Teaches Two Learn

2010-03-27T22:18:00.000-07:00

EFL Classroom 2.0 is a social Ning that is filled with unexpected delights. I loved the Baam games on the site. I used one as a template to make a library game for my students. I can't wait for them to play it. (I'm waiting on a piece of equipment to get here.)

As a library media teacher finding fun activities is a critical piece of the learning structure. My students are always talking about their electronic entertainment - video games, tv, movies, dvd. I believe utilizing a game format is one way to reach them - learning masquerading as entertainment. I believe games provide amusement & repetition to make learning "fun".

Applying Technology Tools

2010-03-24T01:00:00.000-07:00

I have been playing with new pieces of technology and how it would look from my perspective as a librarian. One of our 6th grade teachers asked me to come and go over the research process with the 6th graders. This was a piece of collaboration on their Famous Scientist Project.

I went to http://www.weebly.com after seeing one of the 1st Grade teachers' site. She assured me that it was easy! It was and I was able to put together a page that works. http://milesave.weebly.com

On the home page I put buttons with live links on some resources that would be beneficial for home and school.

The 6th grade page is a specific page devoted to using the Big6 approach and applying their assignment. I have linked specific resources to this page that would help them in their research. I used two tools that are fast becoming favorites - Web Poster Wizard http://poster.4teachers.org part of http://4teachers.org and http://simplybox.com that Kathi shared with us Saturday.

The teachers page are a couple of links that I liked and could see as being valuable to others. One of my favorite finds this week is the Fletcher Elementary Web site with links to many educational games. So I started a game page. I would encourage you to go through the games and bookmark the ones you like directly.

An Art Mystery

2010-03-23T06:00:00.000-07:00

Eduweb is a company that utilizes todays technology in optimal ways to make learning memorable. I think this quote from their website says it all.

"At eduweb, our goal is to develop the most engaging and effective online learning experiences possible. To this end, we engage in research to better understand learning theory, learner preferences and engagement, and educational outcomes."

One of their interactive experiences is the "Case of Grandpa's Painting". It uses a playful way to compare artists and talk about color, composition, and perspective in relationship to specific artists.

I am going to use this piece when I talk to some of my students about the Dewey Decimal Section - 700-799 Art & Recreation.

SimplyBox - Corralling Websites Visually

2010-03-22T07:37:00.000-07:00

I love my technology class. What great tools we are learning about. One is Simply Box. You can set up an account for free. Sadly you cannot set up an account on a Safari browser.

For people who are visual this tool lets you take a picture of the logo or page and drag it into a box of like items. See an example on the student resource page that I made for my 6th graders. Check out the link Famous Scientists. This is an example of a public box.

Kids Games

2010-03-21T07:28:00.000-07:00

Two of the teachers at my school told me about a great tool for building a classroom website- Weebly.com It is pretty easy, you will have to play with it some.

While working to put together a website for my library students I found a website with a collection of some great educational sites for kids, parents and educators. The site is Fletcher Elementary School. I was very impressed with the collection of educational games that Mrs Haney put together for her computer lab. If you go to the links you could bookmark the sites directly and customize your own collection.

Some More New Tools

2010-03-10T06:24:00.001-08:00

While searching on the web for some tools for my classroom I found some real treasures for both tools, blogs and websites. They are all great reads filled with information to stimulate the creativeness of all the awesome readers out there.

One of the blogs I came across is Choosy Homeschooler. At her site I learned about Web Poster Wizard You can build a page with links and images for a class project or assignment. Lots of flexibility. The one I built is Teacher Tools all the links are live. http://poster.4teachers.org/worksheet/view.php?id=145624

Alexander Street Press is Show casing their collection of resources in honor of Women's History for the month of March. Usually access to their resources is by subscription only.

The American Indian Education site maintains a phenomenal hotlist of links to resources.

Integrating Technology in the Classroom focuses on tools and technology. Another site with lots of educational games is ABCreative Teacher Resources I really liked the game Ghost Blaster.

One of my favorite blogs is Two Writing Teachers They challenged everybody to write a slice of life, each day for the month of March. What an amazing challenge. I am working on meeting that challenge by writing about my life with our dogs at Gather.com One of the challenges they extended was using the slice of life writing in the classroom. As luck would have it Upstart is featuring bookmarks called My Life. My story. They also have a free activity guide to download.

Adding Tools to Your Classroom Tool Chest

2010-03-07T08:05:00.000-08:00

I was searching for additional sites with random name selectors when I came across Free Technology Toolkit for UDL Universal Design Learning focuses on the need for multiple approaches to meet the needs of diverse learners.

Many students struggle to learn in the classroom for a number of reasons. Countless teachers, parents, and medical technologists have worked to find and develop tools, machines and strategies to help these learners succeed in the classroom. The down side is often these solutions are expensive or complicated. The Free Technology Toolkit for UDL has found some great resources that can be used to benefit many students.

Another fabulous site that I found by accident is I Learn Technology an edublog about integrating technology into the classroom. So many great posts about things and sites that can be used in the classroom. I loved many of the science and math sites that they suggested readers explore.

The third site I found is a ning called Classroom 2.0. It is a community for educators using web 2.0 and collaborative technologies. They make a point of welcoming and supporting beginners in this learning journey.

These three sites have a wide selection of great tools. I hope you will add many new tools to your classroom tool chest. I really enjoyed exploring them.

Science Sites for Kids

2010-02-24T05:51:00.000-08:00

The American Museum of Natural History has a rich Web site: http://www.amnh.org/ology

This is a student friendly site. It actually has collectable trading cards for people to collect. Lots of information about different types of “Ology”. In fact I learned that some sea horses are endangered and some fishermen have set up sea horse sanctuaries. http://illegal-fishing.info/item_single.php?item=news&item_id=2333&approach_id=13

Kids National Geographic is also a very appealing web site: http://kids.nationalgeographic.com/ Lots of catchy audio and great information.

http://kids.yahoo.com/ Yahoo Kids has a World Factbook on it’s kid site.

KidSites.com has a collection of kid friendly science sites. Happy exploring. http://www.kidsites.com/sites-edu/science.htm

Perceptions

2010-02-23T16:00:00.000-08:00

Perceptions – most of us carry visual pictures that we associate with different words. If I say “dog”, most of us will pick a specific dog we know; or a breed of dog we like. This is true for flowers, music. It is also true when we hear the names of other cultures. We may either have a positive or negative connotation that we associate that culture with.

A few days ago I ran across a link for montage-a-google. This program collects images based on the term you type in. I typed Native Americans. (http://grant.robinson.name/projects/montage-a-google/app/#/native+americans) The image I got is shown in this link. Many Americans when they hear the words Native American or Indian will see similar visual images in their own minds. I found it interesting that the majority of the images are of Native leaders; clothing and images of the past. The subtle message that everyone hears and sees in most media and books is that Native Americans are from the past. It takes reprogramming are understanding to make our images current. Contemporary Native Americans are among us in all walks of life achieving dreams and goals like everyone else.

Working With Tools

2010-02-20T12:34:00.000-08:00

As a teacher I am always looking for new ways to approach things. More ideas for my bag of tricks. I have been taking a professional development class that is focusing on technology.

So I have been exploring some of the tools that are new to me. Today's session is voicethread

The voicethread sample were pictures I down-loaded from facebook. Other ideas that people came up were using voice thread to work with fluency. Having a student read a picture book. Lots of other applications. Take a moment and explore. You can use video as well as still shots on voicethread.

Web 2 0 List

View more documents from Billings Public Schools.

Opening a Treasure Chest

2010-02-17T20:24:00.001-08:00

I recently ran across a website for English as a Foreign Language Classroom 2.0. What a treasure! There are many resources that can be adapted for other classes. In the resource section is a collection of learning games. I really liked the BAMM game, a power-point game that could easily be adapted.

This site is actually part of a ning. Registration is free and the members are truly from around the world.

Tools for A Learning Community

2010-02-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

I have recently learned about some terrific websites and tools in a teachers workshop that I'm taking. I would like to share several of these cool websites for the classroom.

The Random Name Generator can be found at http://classtools.net/. You can use the generator to put your class list in and use for different activities, another use would be to use it to develop vocabulary games. The vocabulary application looks like a lot of fun.

Click here for full screen version

The Voki website also has some fun applications. It allows you to create an individual speaking avatar. You can use it at the start of class for directions, students can use it to talk about characters in a story. I recently read about one family using it with their young students to send thank you notes. http://www.voki.com/

I want to use the Vokis to explain the Dewey Decimal System. I plan to design 10 characters that represent the ten Dewey classes and have them available on a webpage. I think there will be many applications in the classroom - parts of speech, math and science concepts. Static information you want the students to listen to or maybe retell.

Get a Voki now!

I've also played a little with comic strips. In class my partner and I developed a comic strip that was about healthy concepts. Students could also work on making a comic strip to explain a concept they are studying.

By LibraryDragon | View this Toon at ToonDoo | Create your own Toon

http://www.makebeliefscomix.com/

http://www.toondoos.com

A Contemporary Christmas Story

2009-12-02T05:50:00.000-08:00

Title: Baseball Bats for Christmas

Author: Michael Arvaanluk Kusugak

Illustrator: Vladyana Krykorka

Publisher: Annick Press, LTD

ISBN: 1-55037-145-2; 24 pages; Book Level 4.4 Interest Level K-3

Baseball Bats for Christmas is based on a childhood memory of the author. Michael Arvaanluk Kusugak draws on his own experiences as a youngster growing up in Repulse Bay, in 1955. He shares a glimpse of his Inuit culture and traditions as he tells the story of his first "standy-ups". He and his baseball loving friends are puzzled, then delighted when Rocky Parsons, bush pilot, leaves 6 spindly "standy-ups" in front of the Hudson Bay Store. Michael shows the humor that often accompanies misunderstandings when cultures interact.

The author and illustrator have worked together on other books. Their first book together was "A Promise is a Promise" that Michael co-wrote with Robert Munsch. Vladyana Kryorka, the illustrator was born in Czechoslovakia now known as the Czech Republic. She has received several awards for her illustrations.

I really enjoyed the story and would recommend it as a read aloud in the library or classroom. This story would make a great introduction to writing personal experiences and memoir writing for older students. The illustrations meld with the text and are an integral part of the book. The visual element helps the reader to intuitively understand the rugged terrain and the tenacious people that call the Northwest Territory home.

Diabetes Education in Tribal Schools Program

2009-10-15T14:29:00.000-07:00

Joni Ackerman is the project director for the Diabetes Education In Tribal Schools. The project is offering "Health is Life in Balance" a K-12 curriculum for educators (anywhere in the US). The curriculum is inquiry based with a science and health theme; it includes a cultural, career, and physical activities component and is fully aligned with national standards. This educational resource is free.

Two of the "Health is Life in Balance" frequently asked questions are:
1. Why is a K-12 DETS curriculum needed?
Diabetes is almost three times more common in the American Indian and Alaska Native (AI/AN) population than in the general population. Once considered an adult disease, type 2 diabetes is increasing in young people in all U.S. populations. Many people are unaware that the onset of diabetes can often be prevented or delayed. The DETS curriculum intends to change perceptions, knowledge, and attitudes about diabetes through classroom learning experiences that will empower AI/AN students to adopt healthier lifestyles.

6. What are the goals of the DETS K-12 curriculum?
the curriculum incorporates inquiry-based learning that will enhance students' science process skills. Lessons encourage students to become researchers. Investigative inquiry (observing, measuring, predicting, inferring, classifying, experimenting, communicating, etc.) allows students to emulate the work of real life researchers. The discoveries of diagnosis, treatment, control, and prevention of diabetes increase student understanding and appreciation for direct and indirect effects of scientific research within a cultural framework.

Diabetes is an epidemic in the United States. Lets become part of the solution and educate ourselves and our children to choose health.

Remember the curriculum and Eagle Books are free and so is the shipping.

Resources:

The curriculum is also available from the Indian Health Service online catalog http://www.ihs.gov/MedicalPrograms/Diabetes/index.cfm?module+toolsCurriculaDETS

Information on ordering the Eagle Books
http://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/pubs/eagle.htm

NIH website about the curriculum and an overview of the units for each grade level
http://www3.niddk.nih.gov/fund/other/dets/

Viewable Downloadable K-12 Curriculum and Copy Masters
http://www.kbocc.org/dets.htm

Joni Ackerman (406) 768-3024 or online jackerman@fpcc.edu

IEFA Resources & Tools - MEA Conference

2009-10-15T04:42:00.000-07:00

Welcome.

For this session I would like you to look at 3 things before exploring the blog and links on your own. You will notice within the blog highlighted words like: Native Child. If you click on an anchor word (the highlighted words) the hidden link will take you to more information or a specific article.

1. Choose at least one link from the sidebar to look at. Most connect to Indian Education for All (Background information, perspectives by tribal members, authentic resources.) Others are good educational and historical resources.

2. Choose one of the following blog entries Columbus Was Lost or Thanksgiving 1621 .

3. Conversations-with-print wiki. At this site you will find lesson plans and book lists.

Another area you might want to consider are the ads. Using your knowledge how are the products marketed? Who are they marketed towards? Are any of them tribally connected? If not do any of the profits go to tribal programs? The ads change regularly and are actual ads through adsense.

I hope that you will return to this site and find information that will benefit you and your class.

Thanks for coming.
Ruth

Pepere Played the Fiddle

2009-10-14T07:36:00.000-07:00

Title: Pepere Played the Fiddle
Author: Linda Ducharme
Publisher: Pemmican Publications, 2006

Pepere Played the Fiddle is an elegant book to introduce young children to the Metis culture. The fiddle music of the Metis community is an integral part of their culture. I believe that introducing students to this music helps break the "Hollywood" stereotype of what Indian music sounds like.

Montana Office of Public Instruction has a publication "American Indian Music: More Than Just Flutes and Drums". They also distributed CD's that connect to the publication. Please contact them to see if the following CD and DVD is still available."American Indian Music- More than Just Flutes and Drums"-CD. A DVD that you might want to ask them about is "The Power of the Drum" (OPI: Indian Ed for All DVD).

I saw a friend at WalMart the other night. Angela shared with me that Labor Day weekend she attended the Montana Metis Festival. She said the music was fabulous. I didn't even know about it until then. I came home and told my husband that I wanted to go to it next year.

Butte's National Folk Festival also featured Metis music.

Resources:

Metis Radio http://www.metisradio.fm/
Metis History and Culture http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/history/music.htm
Metis Fiddler Quartet http://www.metisfiddlerquartet.com/
Virtual Museum of Metis Culture http://www.metismuseum.ca/resource.php/03146
Sierra's Song http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NGtckNUY7b8
Fox Fiddle-Metis Tunes from Montana https://sweetgrassmusic.com/index.php?page=shop.product_details&flypage=shop.flypage&product_id=35&category_id=11&manufacturer_id=0&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1&vmcchk=1
Montana Metis Project http://lcweb2.loc.gov/diglib/legacies/MT/200003227.html

Thanksgiving 1621

2009-10-13T06:15:00.000-07:00

If you asked most Americans to tell you when the first Thanksgiving was, who was there, and what they ate? You would get approximately the same mythological story.- In 1621 the Pilgrims were so thankful for surviving the winter, that they invited their Indian neighbors for a feast. Dinner is usually a more creative description but usually includes cranberries, turkey, popcorn etc.

I can see many people shaking their heads in agreement. That's pretty much how most of us learned it in school, on tv, and the movies. Would it surprise you to learn that the Harvest Feast of 1621 is more fiction then fact?

Lets look at different perspectives and develop an inquiry model for further exploration.

Resources for Further Exploration: Thanksgiving From Many Perspectives

Native American Perspective

http://abcnews.go.com/US/Thanksgiving/story?id=91029 Interview with Liz Lodge (Director Plimoth Plantation)

Teaching tolerance : 1621 http://www.tolerance.org/resource/1621-new-look-thanksgiving

Day of Mourning http://www.pilgrimhall.org/daymourn.htm

Deconstructing the Myths http://www.oyate.org/resources/shortthanks.html

American Indian Perspective http://www.nmai.si.edu/education/files/thanksgiving_poster.pdf

Wampanaog Indian Program at Plimoth Plantation

http://www.pequotmuseum.org/Home/CrossPaths/CrossPathsSummer2003/NativeNortheastWampanoagIndianProgramatPlimothPlantation.htm

Harvest ceremony: beyond the Thanksgiving Myth

http://www.nmai.si.edu/education/files/NMAI_Harvest_Study_Guide.pdf

Wampanoag: People of the first light http://www.bostonkids.org/educators/wampanoag/index.htm

Euro-American Perspective

Pilgrim Hall http://www.pilgrimhall.org/1stthnks.htm

Pilgrims to America (primary sources) http://www.awesomestories.com/history/pilgrims-america

Plimoth Plantation http://www.plimoth.org/

Maryland Historical Society - Thanksgiving http://www.mdhs.org/education/images/Web%20PDFs/Native%20Americans%20in%20Maryland%20Pre-Visit%20Lesson%202.pdf

History of Thanksgiving http://www.history.com/content/thanksgiving/the-first-thanksgiving

Many Perspectives http://www.proquestk12.com/bulletins/archive/nov06sl.htm

Primary Resources

Library of Congress American Memory http://memory.loc.gov/learn//community/EA_toolkit/overview.pdf

Using primary sources in classroom http://www.primarysourcelearning.org/about/psl_in_action/vol1_issue2.pdf

Native Resources (General)

Wampanoag Tribe site http://www.wampanoagtribe.net/Pages/index

Bibliography http://www.pequotmuseum.org/uploaded_images/FE0D3E8A-CF1C-4FB7-922A-1FB25CAC9029/NativeAmericanThanksgivings.pdf

Native Authors http://nativeauthors.com/index.php?productID=1395

Columbus Was Lost

2009-10-10T09:33:00.000-07:00

If you ask the average American about Christopher Columbus, they will usually tell you he "discovered" America in 1492. They look at me me with a dazed look when I say America wasn't lost.

Then I say; "If I left Billings, MT and ended up in Denver, CO; would I have discovered Denver?"

The answer is usually; "You can't discover it, there are people living there."

"Well, there were people living here when Columbus came. And to top it off he never set foot on North American soil."

Dr Oz said that men and women are hard wired differently. (Dah) He said men believe they know where they are, hence they don't need to ask for directions. Christopher Columbus truly believed that he had found India and a shorter route to the spice trade. What he really needed was a GPS unit.

One of the books I shared with my older students is the "Coyote Columbus Story" by Thomas King and illustrated by William Kent Monkman. The illustrations are almost cartoonish. I would read the story and ask the students to comment on what they noticed in the pictures. Visual Thinking Strategies work smoothly with this story.

From School Library Journal

"Grade 2-5-Coyote is in her female guise, and King reminds readers immediately that she is responsible for everything in the world-rainbows, rivers, toenail polish, and TV commercials. Her favorite thing of all is playing ball-all positions at once. But she finds it rather boring without a companion. However, the beavers have dams to build, and moose and turtles are also otherwise occupied. The humans will play, but they get rather hostile when Coyote wins every game. (After all she makes up the rules, and changes them as she pleases.) Then, three ships, Christopher Columbus, and a crew of clowns arrive. Will they play ball? No, they say, they've got to find things they can sell. No gold? No computer games? Convinced they're in India, they decide to grab some of the Native people and take them back to sell in Spain. Columbus sails away with his captives, the remaining humans catch the bus to Penticton, and when Coyote tries to fix things, what does she get? Another bunch of funny-looking clowns, led by Jacques Cartier. Monkman's illustrations are perfect. Brilliant colors are daubed onto screwball figures, and anachronisms abound. What seems a funny romp turns out to have a very sharp edge. This irreverent treatment of Columbus and his fellows may be disquieting to some, but it is long overdue."
Ruth Semrau, Upshur County Public Library, Gilmer, TX
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Seriously though, an excellent book to explore is "Rethinking Columbus: the Next 500 Years" 2nd ed, edited by Bill Bigelow and Bob Peterson. This book is available from Rethinking Schools online. This book provides other voices that tell about the encounter of the Europeans and Native Americans.

I was reading the blog from National History Education Clearinghouse, "Teaching About Columbus Day: Mythbusters". The article is well written and has some wonderful links to other voices and perspectives. If you are curious go to Fact Monster and look at the timeline of Columbus Day.

Education World featured a lesson plan titled "Should we Celebrate Columbus Day?". The students are told they have been hired by a fictitious community to determine if the community should continue recognizing Columbus Day. The students use an inquiry model and primary sources to explore this question. This lesson plan is also available on the National Education Association Website (NEA).

Documents of Taino History and Culture has some great background information about the people who greeted Columbus.

Examining the Reputation of Christopher Columbus by Jack Weatherford is a very thought provoking article. He makes some very powerful observations.

"Because Columbus captured more Indian slaves than he could transport to Spain in his small ships, he put them to work in mines and plantations which he, his family and followers created throughout the Caribbean. His marauding band hunted Indians for sport and profit - beating, raping, torturing, killing, and then using the Indian bodies as food for their hunting dogs. Within four years of Columbus' arrival on Hispaniola, his men had killed or exported one-third of the original Indian population of 300,000. Within another 50 years, the Taino people had been made extinct [editor's note: the old assumption that the Taino became extinct is now open to serious question] - the first casualties of the holocaust of American Indians. The plantation owners then turned to the American mainland and to Africa for new slaves to follow the tragic path of the Taino.

This was the great cultural encounter initiated by Christopher Columbus. This is the event we celebrate each year on Columbus Day. The United States honors only two men with federal holidays bearing their names. In January we commemorate the birth of Martin Luther King, Jr., who struggled to lift the blinders of racial prejudice and to cut the remaining bonds of slavery in America. In October, we honor Christopher Columbus, who opened the Atlantic slave trade and launched one of the greatest waves of genocide known in history." (Jack Weatherford)

Montana Humanities - One Book Montana

2009-10-05T20:34:00.000-07:00

The Surrounded by D'Arcy McNickle is the book that was selected for "One Book Montana". Dottie Susag is the discussion moderator. The story is about "Archilde, a young man of dual cultural identity - Salish/Spanish - returns to the Flathead Reservation to say his last good bye after attending an Indian boarding school and working in Portland".

McNickle's book was written before all of the following author's books: James Welch, Scott Momaday, Leslie Silko, and Louise Erdrich books. Unfortunately the issues that are center in most of these books are still issues today.

Everyone is invited to participate in this discussion. http://humanitiesmontana.ning.com/forum/topics/the-surrounded-moderated

Evaluate from an Informed Perspective

2009-10-01T18:39:00.000-07:00

Many books written for children about Native Americans perpetuate stereotypes and disrespect. Debbie Reese reviewed Richard Peck's, "A Season of Gifts" in her blog American Indians In Children's Literature. In her post she quotes some passages from Peck's book and explains why it is disrespectful to Native Americans. An example is the disrespect shown to the dead in this story.

One of the headings in Ms Reese's blog is "Evaluate from an Informed Perspective". I love that title because it says so much. One site that she refers people to is Elaine Cubbins website and her recommendations for evaluating a Native website.

Another great source for evaluation advice is Oyate. They sell the booklet, How to Tell the Difference: A Guide for Evaluating Children's Books for Anti-Indian Bias by Beverly Slapin and Doris Seale (Santee/Cree), and Rosemary Gonzales (Ojibwe). A great resource for evaluating print material.

On the Montana Office of Public Instruction is "A Guide for Evaluating Indian Education Services, Products, and Materials" It gives a checklist of items to consider as you evaluate the material. Becoming "informed" takes time. I believe we owe our students literature that breaks stereotypes and shows respect to other cultures.

Love Medicine Big Read Book Selection

2009-09-26T05:20:00.000-07:00

The YMCA Writer's Voice and The Parmly Library are two of the sponsors for this year's Big Read. The Big Read is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Arts designed to restore reading to the center of the American culture.

I learned yesterday that the Big Read has materials available for classrooms that want to participate. I also learned that the Big Read will be part of the High Plains BookFest in Billings, MT on Friday October 2, 2009 at the Western Heritage Museum.

"The Native American theme of this year's High Plains BookFest is derived from Love Medicine. Concurrent with the Parmly Billings Library Book Awards is the 7th Annual BookFest sponsored by the YMCA Writer's Voice. For information on the BookFest contact Corby Skinner corby@skinnerbenoit.com The Bookfest and the Big Read are designed to engage new audiences, and foster conversations about how literature addresses the challenges, rewards and many unique aspects of Native American life."

Louise Erdrich book Love medicine is about two Chippewa families living in North Dakota struggling to balance Native American tradition with the modern world. This book is considered a modern classic. The National Endowment for the Arts developed the teacher's guide as part of the classroom materials.

"Love Medicine" is written for "YA (high school)/Adult audience. The Big Read is working to have community discussion about the book. The Big Read has teaching materials as well as copies of the book available for classrooms that want to participate. As an adult if you want to sign up for the book discussion call 657-8258.

Loss In the Lives of Children

2009-09-23T20:28:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Greene tells the story of the Bitterroot Salish's forced removal from their homes in 1891. Her story is in the Fall edition of Teaching Tolerance; it is titled Connected to Everything. She tells the story of one family who lost their home.

Many of our students today are also dealing with loss: foreclosures, death, divorce, moving. In the Extension Activities she shows ways to constructively cope with loss. She gives some concrete examples of connecting what happened to her ancestor's in the Bitterroot Valley and our students today.

The quarterly magazine Teaching Tolerance is a project from the Southern Poverty Law Center; I have found it to be timely and very thought provoking. The article and lesson ideas by Jennifer Greene I believe will provide classes with the opportunity to discuss what happened in the past as well as what is happening to our students in contemporary America.

Corps of Discovery and Blackfeet Encounter

2009-09-07T15:19:00.000-07:00

This summer I had the good fortune to be a part of the Laurel Montana Writing Project, one of the other members, Kari Leibel, did a great lesson on point of view. She used the Lewis and Clark Journals "July 3 - August 12, 1806" and the DVD "Two Worlds at Two Medicine" by Curly Bear Wagner and Dennis Neary (Available from Going-to-the-Sun).

We examined what the journals said and watched clips from the video narrated by tribal elders discussing the tribal experience with Lewis and Clark. This allowed the students to grapple with interpretive problems helping the class develop the process of noticing and acknowledging difficulties in understanding text. (The Literature Workshop by Sheridan Blau)

Another book that describes Native Americans meeting the Corps of Discovery is the "Bad River Boys" by Virginia Driving Hawk Sneve; describing the meeting between the Lakota Sioux and Lewis and Clark. This event is written in the Lewis and Clark journals dated 23 - 25 September 1804. Sneve writes about the experience from the Lakota Sioux point of view.

When students examine historic events from different points of view it helps them develop critical thinking and higher level thinking skills.

I Can't Have Bannock But the Beaver Has a Dam

2009-09-02T19:42:00.000-07:00

Author: Wheeler, Bernelda (Cree/Ojibwe/Metis)
Illustrator: Herman Bekkering
Publisher: Peguis Publishers, Limited (1984)
ISBN: 13: 978-1895411485, pbk, black & white, 32 pages
Source: Oyate
Price: $11.00

A young boy is told that he can't have bannock because there is no electricity for the oven. This is a great book to use predicting strategies with for K-2 students. The pictures give great clues about what is happening. In my school, my students did not know what bannock was. Using predicting strategies and listening to the classroom responses; the lesson took about 20 minutes. If you just read the story it takes just a few minutes.

At the end of the story the author includes a recipe for traditional bannock.

My students loved the story and eagerly tried to predict what bannock was and what the beaver had to do with the story. In later library story times I read about beavers. The original story acted as an anchor story for our discussions.

Bernelda Wheeler was the first female aboriginal journalist in Canada. She was known for her work with CBC radio, interviewing First Nations people, issues and events. Sadly she died from cancer Sept 10, 2005.

Contemporary Native American News Part 2

2009-08-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

Another website you might want to explore is The Circle Native News and Arts. You will find current news, blogs, education, the arts. Currently in the education link they have included essays from high school students studying the Indian Boarding School period. Very interesting reading.

Native Web has Resources for Indigenous Cultures around the world, they also have a wiki set up.

Index of Native American Resources on the web is a virtual library. Use common sense when viewing individual links for accuracy and authenticness. The website does a great job of including such a diverse collection of links. It is a great starting place.

Bureau of Indian Affairs website. This site has some good information that you might want to compare and contrast to as you and your students explore current news found in other locations.

The Native American Radio service is a resource worth exploring.

The Native American Voices Radio Program great resource for audio learning.

The Native Voice is a newspaper out of Colorado. You can currently register free to read the newspaper.

Contemporary Native American News

2009-08-16T04:37:00.000-07:00

Indianz.com is a website with links to tribal news and entertainment that is affecting Indian Country.Many of the articles may not be picked up by other new service.

Since I live in Billings, MT I was very surprised that Great Falls Tribune had carried a story about 15 cases of Swine Flu hitting the Fort Belknap Reservation here in Montana,and I didn't know about it until I read about it at Indianz.com. It makes me thankful for other ways to keep connected and informed.

Indian Country Today is also a Native owned newspaper. It is a great source for current contemporary news that affects tribes. It is another great resource.

The Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian (NMAI) blog talks about the museum and its collections. It is a great tool for looking at how issues affect Indigenous People as well as informing non-native visitors about the history and culture of American Tribes.

Another source for contemporary native news is Native American Times. A recent article is about "Company Develops Native Language APS for IPOD

BANNING, Calif. - Cherokee-owned Thornton Media has created software, free to tribal clients, that allows them for the first time to program their indigenous language onto Nintendo DSi handheld consoles. The software, called "Language Pal" can program audio recordings in multiple dialects from multiple speakers. It allows the ability to program electronic flashcards, archived recordings, multiple-choice games, and tens of thousands of audio files with search able database for use on the Nintendo DSi. Thornton Media's Language Pal software is not an official Nintendo title, but 'homebrew' software created by an Authorized Nintendo Developer. Thornton Media has begun the process of becoming a licensed Nintendo developer. Read rest of article.

This is just a small collection of sites that deal with contemporary issues.

Indian Shoes a Contemporary Story

2009-07-24T04:20:00.000-07:00

Smith, Cynthia Leitich.
INDIAN SHOES
New York: HarperCollins, 2002.
Interest Level: 4-8, Reading Level 5.2

Genre: Fiction
ISBN 006029532517

The opening paragraphs give a taste of the imagery spiced with humor that flavors Indian Shoes:

“Ray and Grampa Halfmoon traipsed down the cracked sidewalks of a steel and stone city. Ray tracked Grampa’s steps, danced to the rat-a-tat-a-clang of a trash-can band, and skipped beneath the ruffling branches.

“Let’s duck in here,” Grampa Halfmoon began, “and say ‘Morning.’”

When the wind whistled into Murphy Family Antiques, Ray and Grampa whistled in with it. At the welcome mat, Grampa said “Morning” to Junior Murphy.. Ray retied his neon orange shoelaces and took a look around the store.”

In the book, Indian Shoes, Smith gives a glimpse of contemporary life through the eyes of a young Seminole-Cherokee boy living in Chicago. Ray lives with Grampa Halfmoon. She weaves the love of a grandparent and grandchild throughout the six short stories in her book. Smith brings the characters to life with a light touch and a good dose of humor.

I believe this would make an excellent read aloud to share with 4-6^th graders. I like the idea of using contemporary literature to set the stage for class discussions concerning the stereotype that Native American Tribes are gone and only existed in the past. This is a great piece to talk about diversity of Native American Tribes and that they have a living and evolving culture.

Teachers might want to pair this book with the short story “Medicine Bag” by Virginia Drive Hawk Sneve from her book Grandpa was a Cowboy & an Indian and other stories.

In the book, Indian Shoes, Ray Halfmoon lives with Grampa Halfmoon.Smith connects 6 short stories weaving the love of a grandparent and grandchild throughout the stories. She gives a glimpse of contemporary life through the eyes of a young Seminole-Cherokee boy living in Chicago. Smith brings the characters to life with a light touch and a good dose of humor.

How to Find Accurate & Authentic Stories

2009-07-02T15:30:00.000-07:00

Integrating authentic materials is a critical piece to integrating Indian Education For All into the classroom. There are thousands of books and websites claiming to be Native American stories. A question that most educators ask is "Which ones can I rely on?" Here is an introductory list to help you decide on your selections.

The first site I would like to share with you is Oyate. Their books and resources are authentic and most are written by tribal members. I would like to highlight one of their books in particular: "A Broken Flute: The Native Experience in Books for Children, edited by Doris Seale and Beverly Slapin, AltaMira Press and Oyate, 2005. This book deals with the issue of cultural accuracy in books for children and evaluates hundreds of books for children and teenagers published from the early 1900s through 2004." - from Montana Office of Public Instruction, materials sent to school libraries.

This is a great resource for reviewing books that you currently use. They often recommend other books that might meet your curriculum goals.

Strengths of the website - Authentic, stories specific to individual tribes, resources to evaluate materials.

Weakness of the website - This site is a little cumbersome. There is no"shopping cart" to easily keep track of purchases. Note-they are hoping to upgrade their current site.