The Importance of Pre-reading Activities
October 11, 2011 by PLB · Leave a Comment
Recent research brought to light a new lesson format that gave due importance to pre-reading activities. It was found that what is done before reading, is very beneficial for understanding the text. This preparation work is what helps students get connect the new information to what they already know.
This new format suggests that […]
Learning and Fun
October 7, 2011 by PLB · Leave a Comment
Read aloud:
Knock. Knock.
Who’s there?
Police.
Police who?
Please laugh at my joke.
Recently, I visited a friend’s son in the hospital, and I was reminded of the movie “Patch Adams.” Dr. Adams was a physician that helped children momentarily forget about their troubles and focus on smiling. In a hospital where doctors were only concerned about a […]
Creating a Student Acceptable Use Policy
October 7, 2011 by PLB · Leave a Comment
The purpose of an Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is to communicate in clear language how a district’s computer and network resources are to be used so that the environment is safe, secure and reliable.
It is recommended to have both a staff and student Acceptable Use Policy as there should be differences in the […]
Causes of Bullying – the Carrot and the Stick
October 6, 2011 by PLB · Leave a Comment
All living creatures are programmed to strive for power. There is nothing inherently wrong with this. It is the nature of life. Having power feels good; being powerless feels bad.
There are two general methods of obtaining this power – the carrot way and the stick way.
The carrot way is the positive way. It […]
Defining Phonemic Awareness Skills
October 5, 2011 by PLB · Leave a Comment
Many students who seem bright actually struggle with reading. When tested, most of their cognitive skills test high — except for one: phonemic awareness skills. Phonemic awareness is the ability to blend, segment, and manipulate sounds.
It is essential to keep an eye on the student’s spelling and reading skills. These signs can indicate […]
Intuitive Learning Style vs. Sensate Learning Style
October 4, 2011 by PLB · Leave a Comment
The Four Dimensions of Learning are about how we relate to the world, make sense of ideas, make decisions and manage life in general. The Sensate learning style and Intuitive learning style are about how the subject takes in information and makes sense of ideas.
This area has much to do with preferences in […]
Encouraging Parents
October 1, 2011 by PLB · 2 Comments
Last week I made a few calls to the parents of the computer class students I teach. I told the parents what a pleasure it is to have their child in my class and how I am looking forward to getting to know them. I added an individualized unique comment about each student […]
Compacting Curriculum for Gifted Learners
Sometimes it is necessary to spell things out. When students object to the fact that the teacher has different expectations for different students, it is time to talk about what it means to be unique.
What is “fair?” Is it okay for the gifted students to not have to do all the work required […]
Autism in Children: Physical Development
September 29, 2011 by PLB · Leave a Comment
Autism in children may cause physical delays. Some people with autism have serious digestive issues. Physical development is the foundation for neuro-development.
Changes in the lower brain like the cerebellum affect balance and coordination. The muscle tone of children with autism may also be different from that of typical students. Most of the time, […]
Responding to Online Bullying
September 28, 2011 by PLB · Leave a Comment
In recent years, kids have found another way to pick on each other: the Internet. It is natural to get upset when kids write or distribute terrible things about a child, either to them or about them. This is called “cyberbullying”.
Cyberbullying or online bullying is any harassment, threatening, or bullying that uses the […]
