Missouri State Teachers Association

Decisions, Decisions

     I used products from Tom Snyder Productions for years.  Students and I loved them!  I ran across this company's website, and was pleased to see updated and additional versions of the "Decisions, Decisions" software I incorporated into a life skills class for seventh graders.  In summary,

Through role-playing simulations, students learn and apply the lessons of history. They examine fundamental historical and social studies events and ideas, including the crafting of the U.S. Constitution; the expansion of ancient empires; the building of democracy in developing nations; New World colonization; sustaining the environment; handling peer pressure; and more. Employing an authentic 5-step decision-making model (based on one used by national policymakers today), students gather and analyze information, use examples from history to assess options, evaluate possible outcomes, and make decisions. Be prepared for some of the most exciting - and informed - discussions you've ever heard!

     The research, report, and debate aspects of this program are what intrigued me the most.  If you're looking for a unique way to conduct a study skills class or an entertaining way to teach social studies, peruse the website.  I highly recommend it.

Google Offers Free Software

     Strapped for funding to pay licensing fees for Word and Excel on each computer in your school's lab?  Google is offering you an alternative to Microsoft's market dominance:  word processing and spreadsheet capabilities over the internet.  Of course, one might be concerned about the privacy of his or her documents in cyberspace.  However, a benefit to using this service is increased access for collaboration and editing.

     Right now, there are no advertisements linked to the free software.  But I'm sure Google will find a way to make money at this venture!

High Tech Invades the Lunch Room

     Even the lunch lady at Rome, Georgia's  West End Elementary School has gone high tech.  A student's fingerprints are scanned to pull up his or her personal account when exiting the lunch line.  Hmm.  I wonder if parents can request a report of their children's daily eating habits?

Photo from Getty Images via CNN.com.

Getting the Biggest Bang for Your Tech Buck

     The Consortium for School Networking has developed a web-based program to help school districts determine where to spend their technology budgets.  I don't have first-hand information about this service, but it sounds as if "Value of Investment" is worth investigating.

"Rather than measure the effectiveness of educational technology programs based on some combination of dollars and cents, project director Rich Kaestner said VOI was created so schools could evaluate technology investments in relation to their impact on certain qualitative goals, including progress toward improved student test scores, classroom equity, and 21st century skill sets, to name a few."

     Read more at eSchool News.

Teachers Take to Blogging

     In this article from USA Today, Greg Toppo reports a growing trend.  Teachers are anonymously venting about classroom concerns, uncooperative parents, lack of funding, and other education issues via weblogs.

     Though written surreptitiously, in isolated cases the author of such a blog has been discovered or given him/herself away.  And they've set themselves up for termination, non-renewal of a contract, or voluntary resignation.

     Are these public diaries helping the causes of education?  Or is it evidence that becoming an educator is a futile effort?  My concern is that those considering a teaching career will read the horror stories outlined in these blogs and determine the profession isn't worth the trouble.  That would be a shame.

     I had my share of bad student and parent encounters, lack of basic supplies (like paper, for goodness sake), overwhelming paperwork, and the list goes on. . .  Corny is the image of the "Ah ha!" moment for the student and, in turn, the teacher's satisfaction in conveying a key concept to him or her.  But that really does happen!  It is just one reason most teachers enter the profession.  There are many other rewards that range from individual student success to leaving a legacy upon a generation to follow us - all noble, and all worthy.

     Time will tell if this newer style of communication will have a direct effect upon the number of students who enter colleges of education!

School of the Future

     Microsoft opened its first "School of the Future" in Philadelphia this fall.  Among its attributes:

• Students use smart cards to open lockers and buy lunch.
• There are no textbooks or chalkboards
• All students (or "learners" in S of the F lingo) have laptop computers with wireless Internet access.
• Educators have interactive whiteboard technology in each classroom
• Assignments, quizzes, and tests are sent to learners electronically.
• Enrichment and remedial work can be assigned immediately upon completion of classwork or an assessment.
• And much more. . .  See this article from delawareonline:  The News Journal for details.

     I would be so excited to work in this environment, and I am interested to see how educators and learners fare this year.

Read, Write, Think

     No matter what you call the class, if you teach English (or language arts or communication arts), I think you'll find some noteworthy lesson plans at Read, Write, Think.  Included in each are the following:

• Lesson/Unit Overview
• From Theory to Practice
• Additional Reading
• Student Objectives
• Instructional Plan (resources, preparation, instruction, and activities)
• Web Resources
• Student Assessment/Reflections
• NCTE/IRA Standards

     This is one of the best sites I've seen in terms of organization and lesson design.  Additional features on the website include the complete NCTE/IRA standards, web resources, and student materials.  It gets high marks in my book. . .

Need a NoodleBib?

     I definitely could have used one in college! NoodleBib is "The Web's most comprehensive and accurate MLA and APA bibliography composer with a fully-integrated note-taking component" according to the company website.  And after taking the online tour (five minutes more or less), I may have to agree.

     The prompts, on-screen hints, and help buttons look simple enough to me.  But the end result looks like you've slaved all day to write and format a bibliography.  This software allows the user to open work in a Word document, email it to a classmate, and open it for review by a teacher.  The feature that especially stood out was a "Check for Errors" button that could be selected before publishing a bibliography.  This gives students feedback before submitting work to an instructor.  High school English teachers and media specialists should take a look at this software.

     And unless I didn't understand the pricing pages of this site, it looks like a reasonably-priced service. . .

Google SketchUp: Cool Tool

     After thirty minutes or so, I had to force myself to stop using Google SketchUp.  After downloading this free software, I found myself easily engaged in designing 3-dimensional images that included a replica of my home and an ideal office space.  Art educators teaching perspective may find this technology useful.  (It even allows you "to move the sun" across your design to see where shadows fall.)  Industrial technology teachers may suggest students use SketchUp at home, in the lieu of classroom computer assisted design software.  Minds more creative than mine could find numerous uses for this program.  And best of all - it is at no cost to the user!

     I taught English on an interdisciplinary, middle school team for much of my career in education.  Team projects, including one in which our students designed a biosphere, would have benefited from a program such as this.  It takes about 3-5 minutes to download and install (with a high-speed connection), and an instructor pops up as soon as you open the program.  As I browsed through the SketchUp website, I noticed there are video tutorials, a help center, and even a professional version for purchase by advanced users.