By: Leigh Melander, Ph.D.

Mr. Lawrence relates an amusing anecdote over at Get Lost, Mr. Chips.

He was subbing for a teacher whose high school journalism class apparently was signed up to use a "mobile computer lab" on a cart:

This was met with deafening silence. He figured maybe they didn't hear him, so he offered a second time, but he got no takers. The kids were pretty well behaved, so he settled in and let them do their thing.

Then, as he writes, they woke from their collective stupor. When they realized that their computers wouldn't print or access the Internet, they began demanding that he do it.

So this guy did what most other teachers would do in the same situation, and dutifully acquiesced to their demands, hooking up the system to the network.

This is exactly why our students don't learn responsibility, when the adults in their lives bend over backwards to cater to their every whim, repeating instructions and giving third chances.

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If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend taking a look at the website Wikipedia . Wikipedia is a wiki , a sort of free form website that everyone can contribute to and edit at will. It is formatted as a giant encyclopedia. There are articles about all kinds of interesting things. If there isn't an article about a topic your are interested in, they encourage you to write one.

Wikipedia is a multilingual Web-based free-content encyclopedia. It exists as a wiki, which is the name of the software, and is written collaboratively by volunteers, allowing most articles to be changed by anyone with access to a web browser and an Internet connection. The project began on January 15, 2001, as a complement to the expert-written (and now defunct) Nupedia, and is now operated by the non-profit Wikimedia Foundation. Wikipedia has more than 3,700,000 articles in many languages, including more than 1,000,000 in the English-language version. Since its inception, Wikipedia has steadily risen in popularity, and has spawned several sister projects. Editors are required to uphold a policy of "neutral point of view" under which notable perspectives are summarized without an attempt to determine an objective truth.

Wikipedia's co-founder Jimmy Wales has called it "an effort to create and distribute a multilingual free encyclopedia of the highest possible quality to every single person on the planet in their own language." However, there has been controversy over its reliability and accuracy. Common points of criticism are vandalism, inconsistency, uneven quality, unsubstantiated opinions, systemic bias, and preference of consensus or popularity to credentials. In addition, some critics have suggested that Wikipedia cannot justifiably be called an "encyclopedia", a term which (it is claimed) implies a high degree of reliability and authority that Wikipedia, due to its open editorial policies, may not be able to maintain. Nevertheless, its free distribution, constant updates, diverse and detailed coverage, and its numerous multilingual versions have made it a much-used reference source for many. The word "Wikipedia" is a portmanteau of wiki and encyclopedia.

There are over 200 language editions of Wikipedia, around 100 of which are active. Fourteen editions have more than 50,000 articles each: English, German, French, Polish, Japanese, Dutch, Italian, Swedish, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian, Chinese, Norwegian, and Finnish. Its German-language edition has been distributed on DVD-ROM, and there are also proposals for an English DVD/paper edition. Many of its other editions are mirrored or have been forked by other websites.

Visit the WIKIPEDIA here -- http://www.wikipedia.com

 
By: Frank Holes Jr. Whether you as a teacher realize it or not, you are the best model of behavior in your classroom. A large part of your proactive behavior plans should include your own behavior you demonstrate to the students every day.

You must set expectations for your students, demonstrate the behaviors, and be vigilant to correct the kids. Don't waver on your expectations; inconsistencies will only confuse the students and cause you more problems.

If you stay calm, collected, and in control, your students will exhibit the same behaviors. The same is true about enthusiasm; if you are excited about your lesson and truly believe in its importance, the kids will respond in kind. Conversely, the kids will know when you are tired, bored, don't want to be there, or are 'winging it.'

If you are late to class, or don't start on time, the kids will pick up on it and be more likely to do the same. The same is true about the way you dress, the way you act, the language you use, and your 'body language'.

If you want your students working from 'coast to coast', or from bell to bell, you need to set the expectation of activity all hour. Start with a warm up, and ensure the kids are doing it. Keep them busy on activities with transitions between each. Don't let there be any down time. Work them to the end of the period, and have them pack up when you say so, not whenever they want to.

If you want your students to quietly read in class, but you are spending that time working on other things, it sends the message that you don't value the activity personally. Modeling the skill for the kids reinforces your belief that it is important. It shows you as a lifelong learner who values the skills you're teaching them.

The same is true for writing, or labs, or math problems. Students rarely have the chance to see real people performing schoolwork - for many, the only examples (and role models) are their classmates. Work along with your students.

Now this doesn't mean you have to do this the entire time. You must also supervise, coach, monitor, and actively support their learning. But you can spend at least a few minutes 'at their level'.

Be a positive role model for your students. Don't just explain and show the behavior; be the example day in and day out.

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For this article, and more on teaching and education, be sure to check out our website:http://www.starteaching.com

“Learn How To Make A Difference In The Lives Of Your Students And Inspire Them To Do Their Best For The Rest Of Their Lives With Teacher Tested Techniques You Can Use Immediately In Your Classroom"
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• Cool4Kids - sites annotated and selected by kids and teens - not as well updated as you might like, but if you connect you will generally find interactive, lively sites that appeal to kids
• Enchanted Learning - a controlled searching environment - subscriptions for home and school are available - basic searching is free - limited, but useful
• K-3 Resources from Tapped In - teacher selected set of resources for classroom use - Christina Wilder's description of how she selected the sources is a guide for all teachers - you will need to register and login (free)
• KinderSite - new portal containing only peer reviewed sites that support education
• KinderStart - interesting site focused upon information about children - easy to use format is aimed at parents, teachers and care-givers - does include lesson plans - some commercialism
• NIEHS Kids' Pages - from the National Institutes of Health, activities, challenges/brainteasers, jokes, links for elementary - includes many educational activities that will engage and teach environmental and health issues
• Primary Web Sites - Internet resources for primary students - includes a section on "teacher productivity"
• Reference Information for Elementary School Students - Use this site to build your own "portal" for a project - includes encyclopedias, maps and more - from Linda J. Buckwheat
• Teacher's MousePad - very thorough and well maintained listing for Elementary level - covers most subjects - includes tips from experienced teacher

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Math Review
Here is a great way to get students really interested in reviewing math! Quiz Master or 'Jeopardy' style game on adding, subtracting, and simplifying fractions!


Includes 30 different printable cards and complete instructions! Games for grade 4, grade 5, and grade 6.

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What is a Hero?

This innovative and unique lesson plan gets students thinking about heroes and heroine, celebrities, and superheros.

Core of the lesson are 5 questions:

1. What made them famous?
2. Does your hero or heroine have qualities that wish to develop in yourself?
3. What personal sacrifices have your hero or heroine made?
4. What contributions to society has your hero or heroine made?

This lesson will get talking about what they are interested in like popular movies, Star Wars, The Matrix, comic books, rock stars and popular television.

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Math Lessons
Lesson Plans, manipulatives, and resources for teaching fractions and equivalent fractions.
Literature Enrichment
Rime of the Ancient Mariner Unit and well known fairy tales in Play format.
Teacher Ebooks
Ever thought of writing but don't know where to start? Glenn Dietzel will show you how to get it out in 29 days… !
Characterization
Lesson Plans on Character, including Characterization in Harry Potter, building character and more..
Becoming a Better Teacher
Tips and tricks, classroom secrets and more from Veteran teacher Christine Morrison.

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