Archive for March, 2012

Monday, March 26, 2012. Today I am grateful for computers and the internet, which can help us do a better job as teachers or parents.  – Doc Meek

Image from: http://www.school-clipart.com/_pages/0511-0703-2013-4528.html

Elementary Education

From Janelle Cox, your Guide to Elementary Education Celebrate Springtime with an Easter Poem Spring is finally here! Now it’s time to start planning for Easter-themed lessons, projects and activities. Whether your looking for a simple bunny craft, a creative lesson plan or a… Read more Top 10 Easter Journal Writing Ideas Inspire your students to get creative with their journal writing. Provide them with a variety of Easter-related journal prompts and topics to help get them in the Easter spirit. Topics include…Read more See More About:  easter activities easter books easter worksheets Printable Easter Word List This comprehensive Easter word list can be used to create many Easter activities such as: worksheets, writing prompts, word walls, word searches and…Read more See More About:  easter books easter activities easter worksheets Holiday Lesson Ideas Holiday-related lesson plans, activities, ideas, links, coloring pages, crafts, book lists, and more for elementary school teachers and their students. Elementary Education Ads Easter Easter Activities Easter Bunny Easter Holidays Easter Ideas Featured Articles Classroom Organization for Efficiency and Productivity Parent Communication Strategies and Ideas Substitute Teaching Tips Professional Growth and Development Becoming an Elementary School Teacher Assessment and Testing More from About.com Financial Emergencies An unexpected change in your financial situation can be incredibly stressful. Here’s how to cope. More> Retirement Planning Learn the top five things you need to do in order to start building a retirement nest egg.More> This newsletter is written by: Janelle Cox Elementary Education Guide Email Me | My Blog | My Forum

Thank you again, Janelle Cox, for helping us teachers and parents to do our jobs!

Doc Meek, Mon, Mar 26, 2012, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

Sunday, March 25, 2012. Today I am grateful for those at www.TeacherPlanet.com who help teachers and students get the most out of school! – Doc Meek

Newsletter Issue #419- March 26, 2012 – Now over 140,000 Subscribers Worldwide How do you teach child safety in your classroom? Visit Got 2B Safe! to share your lesson plan demonstrating how you teach theGot 2B Safe! personal safety rules and be entered for a chance to win a $10,000 classroom makeover. While you’re there you can also download a free education safety kit! This Week at TeacherPlanet Share:  Facebook Twitter Forward to a Friend Hello Doc, You are receiving this complimentary newsletter because you subscribed at one of our TeacherPlanetwebsites. We hope that you find all of our resources useful. If you need to contact us, you can do so here. What’s New? Did you know that the month of April is Math Awareness Month? This issue of our newsletter focuses on math as well as April Fool’s Day fun! Lesson Plans April Fool’s Day is also known as All Fool’s Day. It is a holiday that is celebrated around the world. They even celebrate it in Japan, Russia, and South Africa. This means that while you and your students play jokes on each other, you can also teach them about other cultures and traditions! Theme Units April is a very exciting time because it is Math Awareness Month! This year’s theme is“Mathematics, Statistics, and the Data Deluge” Visit the TeacherPlanet Math theme page for lesson plans and resources as well as the Math Awareness page at MathGoodies.com! Worksheets & Printables Celebrate the arrival of Spring in your classroom with these great Spring Worksheets atWorksheets4teachers.com Vote Now Which of these attributes do you look for most in a Free publishing program? -Fun and easy to use -Engages my students -Motivates my reluctant writers -All of the above So far, voters want it all in a Free publish program! What do you think? — vote here! Teacher Tools This week’s featured teacher tool – Math Numeracy Tools – 55 Interactive teaching tools for Mathematics- can be a great asset when incorporating Math Awareness month into a lesson! Submit Your Ideas What do you want to see in our newsletter? Perhaps you have some ideas, articles, worksheets or webquests? Please submit your ideas by visiting this page. We’ll be sure to list your name as the author! Make the most of your valuable time and money by earning an  from WGU.  At WGU your  will be highly respected, flexible, and affordable with tuition that is half the cost of “for-profit” universities. Now is the best time to further your career with WGU. Other TeacherPlanet Features . Share:  Facebook Twitter Forward to a Friend Quote of the Week “A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way and shows the way” – J.C. Maxwell Grants for Teachers Find over 1000 Grant Opportunities for Teachers at Grants4Teachers.com Featured Grant this week: Shirley G. Benerofe Foundation Grants Joke of the Week Many answers to the age old question “Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road? “ Degrees for Teachers Online Masters and Doctoral Degrees in Education at Teacherscollege.net Featured Schools: Western Governors University – Online Masters Degree … …. ……… …. ……Nova Southeastern University – M.A.T.L. online. … …. ……… …. ……Drexel University – Master of Education … …. ……… …. ……University of Cincinnati – Master’s Degree Online Certificate of the Week This week’s featured Certificate: Bike Riding Certificate Try our Certificate Builder! It lets you create unlimited, customized printable certificates for each of your students. eBooks and Posters This Week’s Featured eBook for Teachers: Math Amazements: Astounding Investigations Uncover Math in Your World(Grades 5 -8) This Week’s Featured Classroom Poster: Catch a Rainbow Assessment Rubrics This week we are featuring a Math Problem Solving Rubric at Rubrics4teachers.com ESL Resources This week at ESL4Teachers.com – “ESL Word Games”

Thank you, TeacherPlanet.com for your educational leadership!

Doc Meek, Sun, Mar 25, 2012, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

Friday, March 23, 2012. Today I am grateful for Dr Norman Doidge and Gemm Learning for helping parents and students know that the brain that struggles can learn to rewire itself. Yes! – Doc Meek

IN THIS ISSUE Click to read story The power of brain plasticity More Gemm success stories Join us on Facebook. Success Stories Here are some recent emails: “He has really blossomed in this program. He is picking up books to read, checking them out of the library on his own and getting a lot of meaning out of what he is reading. He is surprising me every day now with his reading!” “We’ve seen so many gains in his expressive language. And his teacher’s have at school as well. He talks about what he wants to do. He’s more conversational and speaks in fuller sentences. :)” For helpful links, articles and info on Gemm, join us on Facebook. Click Here Unlock Potential With Science An opportunity to rewire your child’s learning Neuroscience Goes Mainstream The book The Brain That Changes Itself by Norman Doidge, published in 2007, was the first best seller to talk about the over-looked opportunity to rewire learning with mental exercise. This important book relays all kinds of astonishing stories of brain rewiring and rebirth after strokes and other brain injury. For the last 150 years the working theory of the brain was that it was fixed, like a computer. But now we know that this is not true, it is adaptive and capable of great change. In fact, like all parts of the body, it wants to “heal” and function better, if shown how. Because of this profound opportunity to transform lives, Dr. Norman Doidge describes brain plasticity as the most important scientific discovery of the 20th century. Read more about the book here PBS Documentary Then came Brain Fitness for Kids, the New Science of Learning, a documentary by PBS about Fast ForWord software — how it was developed, how the science works, and what results clinicians are seeing. This recognition by the mainstream media about the importance of the brain plasticity opportunity has ignited interest in brain based interventions to help learning by working directly on the underlying cognitive impediments. How brain fitness training helps learning You can buy the Brain Fitness for Kids video on Amazon, or watch a 3 minute summary on our website: Brain Fitness for Kids video Free Consult Gemm Learning has had consistent success tapping into the brain’s potential to improve using Fast ForWord — to help reading, processing, focus and learning efficiency. Every case is different. To find out if we can help your child using the principles of brain plasticity call for a free consult at 877-914-4366 or tell us about your child in this online screening. Gemm Learning offers home based reading and learning programs that target the underlying cause of difficulty, monitored by certified educators.  For K-12 students and adults. .

. Serving families at home throughout the US and Canada. HQ: 429 Pelham Manor Rd, Pelham, NY 10803 • 1380 East Putnam Avenue, Old Greenwich, CT 06870 Phone: 877-914-4366 • Email: info@GemmLearning.com • Website: www.GemmLearning.com .

Doc Meek, Fri, Mar 23, 2012, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

Friday, March 16, 2012. Today I am grateful for Janelle Cox, of About.com: Elementary Education, who helps provide leadership and practical help for elementary school teachers . – Doc Meek

Rainbow image from:  http://www.copyright-free-images.com/nature-landscapes-copyright-free-images/rainbow-copyright-free-images/sky-with-rainbow.jpg.html

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Creative St. Patrick’s Day Writing Prompts

Celebrate St. Patrick’s Day by encouraging your students to become creative writers. I have compiled an extensive list of creative writing prompts and ideas for St. Patrick’s Day. You will find writing prompts, creative writing ideas and St. Patrick’s Day party tips. Use this list in conjunction with your St. Patty’s Day theme.

Do you have any St. Patrick’s Day writing prompts or ideas you would like to share? Join in on the conversation on our Forum.

Thursday, March 15, 2012. Today I am grateful for humor, heaven, honorable Irishmen, and St Patrick’s Day (March 17). – Doc Meek

Maxine says: “If you find a four-leaf clover . . . you have entirely too much time on your hands.” 😮

As a “fellow Irishman,” I want to thank Maxine and her creator, John Wagner, for adding beloved humor to our days!”

Doc Meek, Thurs, Mar 15, 2012, Sherwood Park, Alberta, CANADA

P.S. SAINT PATRICK’S DAY IN CANADA

Text and image from: http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/st-patrick-day

St Patrick’s Day is a public holiday in the Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador on the nearest Monday to March 17 each year.

This event commemorates the life of St Patrick, a missionary who worked in Ireland and is said to have died on March 17 in the fifth century. He played an important role in converting the inhabitants of Ireland to Christianity. Now, his feast day is an opportunity to celebrate Irish culture.

St Patrick’s Day, which is an official holiday in Newfoundland and Labrador, celebrates Irish culture, history and traditions. ©iStockphoto.com/Garth Johnson

What do people do?

In some cities, notably Toronto and Montreal, large scale St Patrick’s Day parades are held, often on the Sunday closest to March 17. The parade in Montreal has been held every year since 1824. However, the first recorded celebration of St Patrick’s Day was in 1759 by Irish soldiers serving with the British army following their conquest of part of New France, a French colony in North America. In some places there are Irish cultural events. For instance, the Irish Association of Manitoba organizes a three-day festival of Irish culture in the week of St Patrick’s Day.

People who have an Irish background or enjoy Irish culture may hold Irish themed parties and serve traditional dishes, such as Colcannon or Irish stew. Colcannon is a dish of mashed potatoes mixed with kale or cabbage and Irish stew is traditionally made with lamb and root vegetables. Traditional Irish drinks include stout, a dark beer, and whiskey. Other parties may be themed around the color green. Guests may be expected to wear green clothes and only green food and drink is served.

Public life

St Patrick’s Day is an official holiday in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It is observed by the provincial government, but post offices, stores, many schools, businesses and other organizations are open. Public transport services run on their regular timetables.

St Patrick’s Day is not a public holiday in other parts of Canada. Schools, organizations, businesses, stores and post offices are open as usual. Some organizations may arrange St Patrick’s Day parties, but these do not usually disrupt normal affairs. Public transport services run on their regular timetables. In cities, where parades or large public events are held, there may be some congestion or road closures.

Background

St Patrick’s Day marks the feast day and anniversary of the death of a Christian missionary known as Patrick. He was born in the year 387, probably somewhere near the present day border between Scotland and England. At the age of 16, he was captured and taken to Ireland as a slave. During this period, he became very religious and after six years he fled back to his family.

Later in his life, he returned to Ireland as a missionary. He is said to have played an important role in converting the inhabitants of Ireland to Christianity and in ridding the island of snakes. However, there is no evidence that there have been any snakes in Ireland in the past 10,000 years. The “snakes” he drove out of Ireland may represent particular groups of pagans or druids. It is believed that St Patrick died on March 17 probably in the year 461 or 493 (according to different sources). St Patrick is buried under Down Cathedral in Downpatrick, County Down, and is one of the three patron saints of Ireland. The other patron saints are St Brigid of Kildare and St Columba.

St Patrick’s Day celebrations were brought to Canada by Irish immigrants. The day is a bank holiday in Northern Ireland and a public holiday in the Republic of Ireland. In the rest of the United Kingdom, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, it is celebrated, but is not an official holiday.

Symbols

The most widely-seen St Patrick’s Day symbols are the colors green, and sometimes orange, and the shamrock. The shamrock is a symbol of Ireland and a registered trademark of the Republic of Ireland. It is the leaf of the clover plant, which grows on the ground, often among grass and an Irish Catholic symbol of the Holy Trinity. It is sometimes confused with the four-leaf clover, which is a variety of the three-leaf clover and is thought to bring good luck.

About St. Patrick’s Day in other countries

Read more about St. Patrick’s Day.

Text and image above from:

http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/st-patrick-day