This is not really education related...but I find this site offers a free program that really makes my computer time less frustrating. Once you have downloaded the program it remembers all your passwords and instantly logs you into whatever sites you allow. It is highly secure and you can prevent it from memorizing any sites you wish.
Enjoy!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
The Importance of Pre-School
Child psychologists and early learning specialists have long known that a child develops 50 percent of his or her learning potential by age 4, and 80 percent by age 8.
So why are we not aiming at preschool as the critical problem in our educational system?
Some provinces are slowly moving to full day Kindergarten but this does not address the problem of children in daycare.
Most daycare workers are underpaid and many daycare centres do not provide much more than child-minding services.
More emphasis needs to be placed on the critical learning stages BEFORE a child enters school.
There is more than enough research evidence available to prove the need to formalize daycare practises.
So why are we not aiming at preschool as the critical problem in our educational system?
Some provinces are slowly moving to full day Kindergarten but this does not address the problem of children in daycare.
Most daycare workers are underpaid and many daycare centres do not provide much more than child-minding services.
More emphasis needs to be placed on the critical learning stages BEFORE a child enters school.
There is more than enough research evidence available to prove the need to formalize daycare practises.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Word Champ
Word Champ is a Language Learning Network for learners of many different languages. English learners will find a selection of free features on this site, including a helpful webreader and many activities, flashcards and drills to learn English at a safe and challenging pace. Learners can track their progress and search for other language partners who are doing the same. For those willing to pay for a premium membership (9.95 USD/year) the options are endless. Teachers can use Word Champ to upload or create homework assignments and assign them to paying users quickly and easily. As with any computer generated practice and translation software, users are advised to watch for and report errors and inconsistencies in order to improve the product.
http://www.wordchamp.com
http://www.wordchamp.com
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Free Seminars On-Line
Why Are Our Seminars Free?
There's no hidden agenda and no sales pitch. BizLaunch.com corporate sponsors fund the seminars because they want to educate small business owners. The more successful your business becomes, the more you'll hopefully buy from them. It's as simple as that.
(I have tried them - they are worth the time)
There's no hidden agenda and no sales pitch. BizLaunch.com corporate sponsors fund the seminars because they want to educate small business owners. The more successful your business becomes, the more you'll hopefully buy from them. It's as simple as that.
(I have tried them - they are worth the time)
How to avoid Burnout
If you're feeling overwhelmed and burned out, putting in long hours without seeming to get ahead, becoming irritable with your students, then there are things that you need to do to take care of yourself. Here are a few suggestions...
Enroll in a fun workshop, seminar or conference or personal,
non-teaching interest.
· Change teaching grade assignments in the school.
· Change schools.
· Go into a different teaching role such as resource,
administration.
· Take on a new task such as a school or district committee.
· Take up swimming, jogging, walking, rowing, cycling.
· Get more sleep.
· Use deep breathing, meditation techniques, music to relax.
· Cultivate allies among students, staff, and parents.
· Find friends outside of teaching.
· Go to out-of-town conferences.
· Collect and mount motivational posters in your classroom.
· Take a vacation, a week-end getaway, or go to a spa retreat.
· Be flexible, or you'll be permanently bent out of shape.
· Join a sports league or a charitable volunteer group.
· Get a pet (rabbit, cat, dog...).
For me, one of the first things I do to relax after having a hard week with my students is to get some inspiration from other teachers through teacher movies.
The Emperor's Club (2002)
I rarely buy movies after I've viewed them.
This movie is the exception.
The Emperor's Club with Kevin Kline is one of my favourite teacher movies. It showed me that although I can try my best, do all I can for my students, I can't "fix" them all. There will be failures, especially with students whom I tried to reach, but for whom I was unable to change their behavior. There will be students you can't stop for whatever reason, from going down the wrong path.
The Emperor's Club more than any other movie, shows the internal struggles of the classroom teacher.
This movie also shows that for every student you can't change, there will of students where you will make a difference.
Those you will inspire to do their best through all the little things you do with them all year long.
Even though they don't tell you or acknowledge the impact you have on them, in later years, they will remember and be grateful for the things you did.
Other movies I've enjoyed:
Freedom Writers (2007)
Stand and Deliver (1988)
The Ron Clark Story (2006)
The Karate Kid (1984)
Glory Road (2006)
Hoosiers (1986)
Coach Carter (2005)
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Renaissance Man (1994)
Enroll in a fun workshop, seminar or conference or personal,
non-teaching interest.
· Change teaching grade assignments in the school.
· Change schools.
· Go into a different teaching role such as resource,
administration.
· Take on a new task such as a school or district committee.
· Take up swimming, jogging, walking, rowing, cycling.
· Get more sleep.
· Use deep breathing, meditation techniques, music to relax.
· Cultivate allies among students, staff, and parents.
· Find friends outside of teaching.
· Go to out-of-town conferences.
· Collect and mount motivational posters in your classroom.
· Take a vacation, a week-end getaway, or go to a spa retreat.
· Be flexible, or you'll be permanently bent out of shape.
· Join a sports league or a charitable volunteer group.
· Get a pet (rabbit, cat, dog...).
For me, one of the first things I do to relax after having a hard week with my students is to get some inspiration from other teachers through teacher movies.
The Emperor's Club (2002)
I rarely buy movies after I've viewed them.
This movie is the exception.
The Emperor's Club with Kevin Kline is one of my favourite teacher movies. It showed me that although I can try my best, do all I can for my students, I can't "fix" them all. There will be failures, especially with students whom I tried to reach, but for whom I was unable to change their behavior. There will be students you can't stop for whatever reason, from going down the wrong path.
The Emperor's Club more than any other movie, shows the internal struggles of the classroom teacher.
This movie also shows that for every student you can't change, there will of students where you will make a difference.
Those you will inspire to do their best through all the little things you do with them all year long.
Even though they don't tell you or acknowledge the impact you have on them, in later years, they will remember and be grateful for the things you did.
Other movies I've enjoyed:
Freedom Writers (2007)
Stand and Deliver (1988)
The Ron Clark Story (2006)
The Karate Kid (1984)
Glory Road (2006)
Hoosiers (1986)
Coach Carter (2005)
Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)
Renaissance Man (1994)
a good movie resource
here's a fantastic resource site which offers curriculum activities and materials for a wide range of popular movies:
http://www.youthfilmproject.org/programs.htm
http://www.youthfilmproject.org/programs.htm
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Speak First
There are countless recommendations on how to learn English, or any other language for that matter.
While a 'variety of methods' approach may leads to a balanced learning style, the problem is trying to focus on the one method that works the best.
If you think about yourself, you will recall that you learned to speak first.
Speaking a language on a regular, sometimes forced, basis is the single most effective way to learn a language.
This fact was driven home to me when teaching English in China. I found myself in front of 30 High School English teachers. I had come prepared with reams of material all geared for people whom I thought would have some grasp of English. I discovered, to my amazement, that they could barely speak the language.
Yes they knew grammar; some better than I. But the silence at the beginning of that first class was palpable. I quickly jettisoned all my materials and began to encourage them to speak. By injecting a lot of silly humour and many, many games they began to loosen up and speak.
So, if you want to learn English, throw out the grammar books, ditch the writing assignments and immerse yourself orally into the language. There are countless way to do this...just select the ways that are the most convenient for you - but remember: you must push yourself outside of your comfort zone if you want to make serious progress.
If you have any suggestions on how to immerse yourself orally into English, please let me know. I love to find new ways for my students to enjoy speaking English.
While a 'variety of methods' approach may leads to a balanced learning style, the problem is trying to focus on the one method that works the best.
If you think about yourself, you will recall that you learned to speak first.
Speaking a language on a regular, sometimes forced, basis is the single most effective way to learn a language.
This fact was driven home to me when teaching English in China. I found myself in front of 30 High School English teachers. I had come prepared with reams of material all geared for people whom I thought would have some grasp of English. I discovered, to my amazement, that they could barely speak the language.
Yes they knew grammar; some better than I. But the silence at the beginning of that first class was palpable. I quickly jettisoned all my materials and began to encourage them to speak. By injecting a lot of silly humour and many, many games they began to loosen up and speak.
So, if you want to learn English, throw out the grammar books, ditch the writing assignments and immerse yourself orally into the language. There are countless way to do this...just select the ways that are the most convenient for you - but remember: you must push yourself outside of your comfort zone if you want to make serious progress.
If you have any suggestions on how to immerse yourself orally into English, please let me know. I love to find new ways for my students to enjoy speaking English.
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