Take 5! Integration Update - October 20, 2010 (Vol.2/#7)

Issue #7

“Take 5” is a weekly update containing information related to teaching and learning for today and beyond...

Take just 5 minutes (or less) to look over these resources and see what might be helpful for your and/or your students. Better yet, set aside at least 15-30 minutes a week (yes, that's been increased from last year!) to focus on finding resources and ideas that will improve student learning and prepare them for their future!


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Tips and Tools for Teachers 

• Teachers Love SMART Boards (blog) - A wonderful resource for elementary teachers (and often JH/HS, too). Sign up in the right margin to get email updates when they post a new resource or tip!

• Twiducate (A Twitter-like website) - From their site:
  Create an online community of  your classroom
  Share inspirations, ideas, readings, thoughts
  Post discussions, deadlines, homework
  Instantly create surveys for students
  Keep parents informed of daily projects
  

  How could you use Twiducate for your classes, team, group, teachers, staff, etc?
  

Ponderings (& Resources!)

• Brain Rules for Babies - A great website resource (FREE) or you can buy the book. A follow up to the excellent for anyone, Brain Rules: 12 Principles for Surviving and Thriving at Work, Home, and School by John Medina. The 'baby version' is for raising "smart and happy children from age 0 to 5 (after that, apparently, you're on your own... or he'll have his next book out by then, I presume!) Some things we can all learn, no matter what age we teach or how many children we have:

• Why you shouldn't praise your kid's intelligence
• The amount of TV kids under two should watch
• The best predictor of academic performance

• Better yet, take the Brain Rules for Parenting Quiz (some of these apply to childless teachers, too!)

Learning Opportunities -- LOTS!!! ("Fall into Learning!")

1. In-District Professional Development Opportunities - Calendar
2. NWO STEM Symposium on Nov. 6 (Saturday) at Penta Career Center from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. The event is an opportunity for preK-12 teachers, pre-service teachers, administrators and higher education faculty to share and learn from one another in a common effort to advance science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education for people of all ages. Online registration of $40 closes Oct. 29. The on-site registration fee is $50. Undergraduate students can attend for $20.
3. BGSU hosts Early Childhood conference on Nov. 13 - a one-day conference for preschool and kindergarten educators on Saturday, Nov. 13, on its campus. The keynote presenter is Laura Barker, a clinician and educator. The registration fee is $59 until Oct. 15 and $69 after. The conference website http://cee.bgsu.edu/container.php?x=early_childhood has program and CEU details and a registration link.
4. SMART Board User Group Meeting at Lucas Co. ESC - Thursday, Nov. 18 from 4-6pm (2 contact hours) - FREE to REVS staff (more info on THIS FORM)
5. In the right margin of this blog, enter your email to receive future postings into your email Inbox (Take 5s and more!) -- plan on 1-3 posts per week.

;-) Just for Fun! (and a little learning, perhaps)

• Extreme Pumpkins - In case you thought you'd seen it all... here are some creative (and some gross!) ideas for this year's carving tradition.