< Greenholme Teachers' Forum>: March 2008

Sunday 30 March 2008

Character Development

"Good Character is more to be praised than outstanding talent. Most talents are to some extent a gift. Good character, by contrast, is not given to us. We have to built it piece by piece - by thought, choice, courage and determination." John Luther
"Character is the firm foundation stone upon which one must built to win respect. Just as no worthy building can be erected on a weak foundation, so no lasting reputation worthy of respect can be built on a weak character" R. C Samel
Character Education:
The main goal for Character Education is to help schools create a frame work that will help shape the lives of children in assisting them to become fully developed and well-rounded persons, who will become contributing members and assets to their society.
Character Development
The Finding Common Ground: Character Development in Ontario Schools, K-12 is the Ministry mandate which involves a community consultation process to identify character traits that everyone can embrace to infuse Character Development into the curriculum. In late fall, the Director, Gerry Connelly, shared the Character Development consultation process developed to engage school communities in helping to define what character really means for all of us in the TDSB. Some of you may have seen her speak on a video as she spoke to a group of grade sixes at Pierre LaPorte Middle School.
In her Director’s BLOG, Gerry expresses the shared belief that student success is dependent on a safe, caring, inclusive learning environment where every student feels valued. She stated that, in addition to academic improvement, we continue to focus on the social, physical and emotional development of our students. Much of this starts with teaching our students about the value of character – respecting themselves and each other, making positive contributions to their school and community, thinking critically and creatively. By supporting the heart and art of teaching and learning in our classrooms, hallways, and our communities, we are nurturing the joy of learning. From there, everything is possible.
Following are the attributes Chosen for TDSB schools:
Respect, Co-operation
Responsibility, Teamwork, Honesty
Kindness & Caring, Empathy
Integrity, Fairness and Perseverance
To see the Director's announcement click here.
Useful Websites on Character Educatuon
Ministry of Education:
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/document/reports/literacy/booklet2006.pdf
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/general/elemsec/speced/shared.pdf
http://www.curriculum.org/edu/character/
http://www.edu.gov.on.ca/eng/literacynumeracy/character.html
Other Sites
http://www.charactermatters.ca/
http://www.character.org/
http://www.cfchildren.org/
http://www.characterfirst.com/education/index.html
http://www.charactercounts.org/
www.positivecoach.org/
http://www.giraffe.org/
http://www.ethicsed.org/
http://www.amenetwork.org/
http://globalethics.org/
http://www.devstu.org/
http://www.characterplus.org/
http://www.bu.edu/education/caec/
http://www.gwu.edu/~ccps/
http://www.ethics.org/
http://www.ncpublicschools.org/
http://www.urbanext.uiuc.edu/SchoolsOnline/character.html
http://www.atozteacherstuff.com/Themes/Chacter_Education/
http://www.uen.org/utahlink/activities/view_activity.cgi?activity_id=5399
http://www.cortland.edu/www/c4n5rs/
http://www.ascd.org/
http://www.makeadifference.com/
http://www.dontlaugh.org/
http://education.ufl.edu/web/?pid=305
http://www.nncc.org/Perents/ga.angry.html
http://www.tweensandteensnews.com/index.php
http://www.ltscotland.org.uk/inclusiveeducation/findresources/behavioursupporttoolkit.asp
http://sitc.education.ed.ac.uk/Dealing_With_Disruption
http://lacoe.edu/
http://www.actsofkindness.org/
www.hwdsb.on.ca/characterbuildshamilton/
http://www.freethechildren.com/
http://www.futureaces.org/
http://www.kidsareworthit.com/
http://www.metowe.org/
http://www.moralintelligence.com/
http://www.cfchildren.org/
http://www.tribes.com/
http://www.realdiscipline.com/
http://www.characteredu.com/
http://www.primaryideas.co.uk/index_files/otherstuff.html
http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/primary/publications/banda/behaviour_nqt_course/ (This is a complete management course for new teachers.
http://www.senteacher.org/wk/certificates.php#
Signs(sign language ) for classroom management
http://www..drjean.org/html/monthly_act/act_2006/08_August/pg06a.html
Quotations
Looking for inspirational quotes on particular topics? Try the following websites.
http://www.quotationspage.com/qotd.html
http://www.quotesandsayings.com/finquoteframes.htm
Books
Character Matters: How to Help our Children Develop Good Judgement, Integrity, and Other Essential Virtues by Dr. Thomas Lickona (Simon & Schuster, New York)
Growing Character: 99 Successful Strategies for the Elementary Classroom by Deb Austen Brown (Character Development Group Inc., Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Once Upon a Time: Storytelling to Teach Character and Prevent Bullying by Elisa Davy Pearmain (Character Development Group Inc., Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Parenting for Good: Real World Advice for Parents by Marvin Berkowitz (Character Development Group Inc., Chapel Hill, North Carolina)
Shouting Won't Grow Dendrites by Marcia L. Tate (Corwin Press, California)
Smart & Good High Schools: Integrating Excellence and Ethics for Success in School, Work, and Beyond by Drs. Matthew Davidson and Thomas Lickona (Center for the 4th & 5th R's, State University New York, Cortland)

Wednesday 26 March 2008

Extraordinary people

Extraordinary people - The artist with no eyes, Esref Armagan
Please watch this....

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=L3AgO6H0H98&eurl=http://widget-58.slide.com/widgets/sf.swf

Monday 24 March 2008

Interactive Math and Various Math Sites

E-Lab
http://www.harcourtschool.com/elab/grade_3.html

National Library of Virtual Manipulatives
http://matti.usu.edu/nlvm/nav/grade_g_2.html

Base 10 Blocks
http://ejad.best.vwh.net/java/b10blocks/description.html

Data Handling
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/revisewise/maths/data/

Various Math Sites
www.cyberbee.com/math.html
www.schooldiscovery.com/schrockguide/math.html
www.thecoo.edu/-aperter/mathsites.htm
www.math.rice.edu/-lanius/Lessons/
www.mathgoodies.com

Math Terms
www.amathsdictionaryforkids.com

Online Interactive Math Movies
www.knowthat.com
www.brainpop.com

Online Math Games
www.funbrain.com
www.lemonadegame.com

Also worth Exploring
www.figurethis.org
www.nelson.com
http://www.aaamath.com/
http://www.busyteacherscafe.com/wspages/math.htm

PROBABILITY BOOK/WEB SITE
http://www.ksu.edu/smartbooks/Lesson004.html

Starting Points - Math
http://www.ocdsb.edu.on.ca/Teacher_Res/
From the main page select CURRICULUM CONNECTIONS and then open Matrix File for each
subject in the Ontario Curriculum... What you'll find there are lesson Plans sorted by Grade Level
for each subject....thanks Ottawa-Carleton
http://illuminations.nctm.org/imath/index.html
Great resource...online Math Activities for kids from K to OAC...National Council of Teachers
of Math (US)....Resources, Lesson Plans...you name it..it’s here..awesome!
http://www.ocup.org/CD/html/unitdetails/units.php
The direct link to all the planner units written for Ontario Public School Boards (Grades 1 -
8)...you can browse the descriptions and download the units you'd like in .pdf format..worth the
drive to Acton!
http://www.avonmaitland.on.ca/~amdsbnet/
Avon Maitland School Board have linked sites for Students to the Ontario Curriculum at each
grade level. Each Grade also features links to lesson plans for Teachers (many developed within
their school board) ....may require a plug-in or 3 but definitely worth a visit!
http://www.edselect.com/
Collection of web sites chosen for classroom use by teachers and their students. These sites,
which match the Ontario Curriculum have been selected by Pat Elliott a certified Ontario teacher
with library specialist qualifications.
http://www.sasked.gov.sk.ca/docs/vrc/index.html
Curriculum documents, specific lessons, sorted by Grade and Subject…lots of time in
Saskatchewan! Click on the Evergreen Curriculum link from the first page to begin!
http://www.occdsb.on.ca/~epr/online.htm
Karen Walkowiak (Ottawa Carelton Catholic School Board) has linked web resources for K -6
teachers by subject....this is a "work in progress" (Grade 7 & 8 "coming soon") but you'll find
something useful for the grade you teach.. http://hydra.educ.queensu.ca/CM/
An online "Community" for Math Educators...good O.C. resources....Queen's University...If you
click on the Info button on the first page it provides a very useful overview of the site..
http://linktolearning.com
It's an excellent starting point for teachers...very clearly laid out and it even includes actual
lessons you can use with your students....Created by Kevin McAsh, Computer Resource
Teacher with the York Region District School Board.
http://www.superkids.com/aweb/tools/math/index.shtml
a quick and simple way for you (or your students) to generate math worksheets..endless #'s of
them in fact!
http://www.syvum.com/teasers/
"Brain Teasers"...logical problem solving challenges...3 levels of difficulty...suitable for older
students (Gr. 7 - High School) or as "Class Problems" for Gr. 4 - 7...each one comes with an
explanation...many are quite challenging
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Oracle/8314/oeclgrid.htm
Brent Phillips - Grade 7/8 teacher in Halton has created a site full of K-8 O.C. links ....again very
useful as a resource
http://grassroots.mediacentre.com/ocdebridb/
Web Resources and on-line activities for Grade 7 and 8 Ontario Math Curriculum - created by
staff and students at an Ottawa school
http://www.allmath.com/
An exhaustive American site...links to lesson plans and flash card type activities for students
http://www.stfx.ca/special/mathproblems/welcome.html
St. Francis Xavier University...Math Word Problems sorted by Grades 5-12
http://www.mathpuzzle.com/
Extensive on-line collection of Math "Brain Teaser" type puzzles...
http://www.enc.org/
A web page for Math and Science Teachers in the U.S. There are lesson plans and Links.
http://www.funbrain.com/
A great site for teachers, parents and students. The site has links and resources for every subject.
http://www.sdsc.edu/Education/K-12_Resources/
This is an extensive list of Science and Math links.
http://www.statcan.ca/english/kits/index.htm
The Statistic Canada Educational Resources web page. There are links for teachers and students.
http://forum.swarthmore.edu/
Math Forum Web page. Links and resources for Math teachers.
http://www.eduplace.com/math/brain/index.html
Part of Houghton-Mifflin site featuring "problem of the week" type brain teasers sorted by
Grade (3-4, 5-6, 7+).....Includes an archive of previous problems.
http://www.edunetconnect.com/
EduNet....Web Resources and Topic ideas for every subject connected to the Ontario
Curriculum...worth a visit
http://www.theteacherlist.ca/
Canadian, (IT Teacher in Edmonton)....found out about this at ECOO...you can subscribe to get
"a site a day" sent to your e-mailbox...also has lots of great links
http://www.mathstories.com/
4500 Word Problems sorted for Grades 1 -8....printable worksheets
http://juliet.stfx.ca/people/fac/pwang/mathpage/grade5.html
48 math problems written by Grade 5's..could be useful
http://www.thinkquest.org/library/
Searchable library of over 1100 student created sites...in all areas of the curriculum...a possible
starting point for student/teacher research about a specific topic...worth spending some time to
visit and bookmark sites for your students!

Data Poem

Data
By J. Nadas

I’ve asked my friends a question
What’s your favourite game?
I’m doing a class survey
Let me write your name.

First I’ll do a tally
I’ll make a mark to show
How many kids like each game
And after that, I’ll know.

Then I’ll make a bar graph
A title, I’ll decide..
The axis looks like one big “L”
Numbers go up the left side.

Games are at the bottom
Hockey, tag and ball
Which game is the favourite?
Which bar will be so tall?

Thursday 20 March 2008

Supporting Beginning Teachers - Building

Supporting Beginning Teachers -Planning

The best of Ontario Curriculum planning resources are all here. After all "life is too short"!
Elementary Curriculum Documents Sorted by Grade
Elementary Curriculum Documents Sorted by Subject
Elementary Curriculum Units
Elementary Long Range Plan Wizard
Elementary Timetabling Suggestions
ENO Curriculinks (K - 12)
Ontario Curriculum Web Resources (K - 12)
Secondary Course Profiles
Secondary Curriculum Documents Sorted by Grade
Secondary Curriculum Documents Sorted by Subject
Subject Resources (K - 12)
TDSB Curriculum Resources & Ordering Information
Trillium List of Approved Texts

Supporting Beginning Teachers

Welcome to Teaching & Learning!
The Beginning Teachers Resources site is meant to be a starting point in our collaboration -- Enjoy!
Welcome/Why We Teach
Themes of Success
2007/2008 Timeline of Professional Learning
New Teacher Induction Program
Mentoring at Your School
Multiple Models of Mentoring
Roles and Stances of an Effective Mentor
Beginning Teacher Coaches and FOS Mentoring
Central System Mentoring
Online Mentoring
Voices from the Classroom
Sources & Resources

Download the full 12-pageWelcome to Teaching & Learning Brochure
Listen to the Welcome Podcast
Download newly published Resource Guides from the Ministry:NTIP Resource Guide for New Teachers NTIP Resource Guide for Mentors NTIP Resource Guide for Principals NTIP TPA Manual
Building Effective Classrooms Resource Guide for Beginning Teachers
Click here for 32 pages of practical ideas. Winter Institutes for Beginning Teachers & Mentors
Click here to browse the session choices. Job Embedded Learning Initiative (JELI) for Beginning Teachers
"Fresh JELI" has arrived for 2007/2008. All the information is in our JELI FAQ - Enjoy!

Is Our Happiness Preordained?

Is Our Happiness Preordained?
By Laura Blue
Though most of us spend a lifetime pursuing happiness, new research is showing that that goal may be largely out of our control. Two new studies this month add to a growing body of evidence that factors like genes and age may impact our general well-being more than our best day-to-day attempts at joy.

In one study, researchers at the University of Edinburgh suggest that genes account for about 50% of the variation in people's levels of happiness — the underlying determinant being genetically determined personality traits, like "being sociable, active, stable, hardworking and conscientious," says co-author Timothy Bates. What's more, says Bates, these happiness traits generally come as a package, so that if you have one you're likely to have them all.

Bates and his Edinburgh colleagues drew their conclusions after looking at survey data of 973 pairs of adult twins. They found that, on average, a pair of identical twins shared more personality traits than a pair of non-identical twins. And when asked how happy they were, the identical twin pairs responded much more similarly than other twins, suggesting that both happiness and personality have a strong genetic component. The study, published in Psychological Science, went one step further: it suggested that personality and happiness do not merely coexist, but that in fact innate personality traits cause happiness. Twins who had similar scores in key traits — extroversion, calmness and conscientiousness, for example — had similar happiness scores; once those traits were accounted for, however, the similarity in twins' happiness scores disappeared.

Another larger study, released in January ahead of its publication in Social Science & Medicine this month, shows that whatever people's individual happiness levels, we all tend to fall into a larger, cross-cultural and global pattern of joy. According to survey data representing 2 million people in more than 70 countries, happiness typically follows a U-shaped curve: among people in their mid-40s and younger, happiness trends downward with age, then climbs back up among older people. (That shift doesn't necessarily hold for the very old with severe health problems.) Across the world, people in their 40s generally claim to be less happy than those who are younger or older, and the global happiness nadir appears to hit somewhere around 44.

What happens at 44? Lots of things, but none that can be pinned down as the root cause of unhappiness. It's not anxiety from the kids, for starters. Even among the childless, those in midlife reported lower life satisfaction than the young or old, says study co-author Andrew Oswald, an economics professor at the University of Warwick in Britain. Other things that didn't alter the happiness curve: income, marital status or education. "You can adjust for 100 things and it doesn't go away," Oswald says. He and co-author David Blanchflower, an economist at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, also adjusted their results for cohort effects: their data spanned more than 30 years, making them confident that whatever makes people miserable about being middle-aged, it isn't related, say, to being born in the year 1960 and growing up with that generation's particular set of experiences.

At first glance, the new studies may appear at odds with some previous ones, largely because in happiness research, a lot depends on how you ask the question. Oswald and Blanchflower looked at responses to a sweeping, general question: "Taken all together, how would you say things are these days — would you say that you are very happy, pretty happy or not too happy?" (The wording changes slightly depending on where the survey was conducted, but the question is essentially the same.) In a 2001 study, Susan Charles at University of California, Irvine, measured something slightly different: changes in positive affect, or positive emotions, versus negative affect over more than 25 years. Charles found that positive affect stayed roughly stable through young adulthood and midlife, falling off a little in older age; negative affect, meanwhile, fell consistently with age.

Charles thinks that feelings like angst, disgust and anger may fade because as we get older we learn to care less about what others think of us, or perhaps because we become more adept at avoiding situations we don't like. (The Edinburgh researchers, too, found that older study participants scored lower than younger ones on scales of neuroticism — worry and nervousness — and higher on scales of agreeableness.) Oswald chalks up the midlife dip in happiness shown in his study to people "letting go of impossible aspirations" — first, there's the pain of fading youth and the realization that we may never accomplish all that we had dreamed, then the contentment we gain later in life through acceptance and self-awareness. "When you're young you can't do that," Oswald says.

An oft-cited finding from other happiness research suggests, however, that neither very good events nor very bad events seem to change people's happiness much in the long term. Most people, it seems, revert back to some kind of baseline happiness level within a couple years of even the most devastating events, like the death of a spouse or loss of limbs. Perhaps that kind of stability is due to heredity — those happiness-inducing personality traits that identical twins have been shown to share.

Still, lack of control doesn't necessarily mean lack of joy. "The research also shows that most people consider themselves happy most of the time," says University of Edinburgh's Bates. "We're wired to be optimistic. Most people think they're happier than most [other] people." And even if you aren't part of that lucky majority, Bates says, there's always that other 50% of overall life satisfaction that, according to his research, is not genetically predetermined. To feel happier, he recommends mimicking the personality traits of those who are: Be social, even if it's only with a few people; set achievable goals and work toward them; and concentrate on putting setbacks and worries in perspective. Don't worry, as the saying goes. Be happy.

• Find this article at:
• http://www.time.com/time/health/article/0,8599,1721954,00.html

Wednesday 19 March 2008

Huna: The Hidden Secret of Life

What is Huna?
Huna is a system of belief originating in Hawaii. Huna is not a
religion but rather a way of living. In the Hawaiian Language, Huna
among other things means secret, the secret of life that our
ancestors have enjoyed and the very secret that most of us are
looking for. Huna can be applied to any aspect of your life to
receive the results that you want. With Huna, one has to remember
that everything is indeed possible. Huna is a unique system and yet
a system that is so universal that as you begin to learn Huna, you
will realize that you already know what I am talking about. Huna is
recognized by our soul because Huna is the "secret" within each of
us.
Understanding and accepting Huna will take a while based on your
current thoughts and the way you look at your life. There are seven
basic principles of Huna and of life.
Ike: The first principle of Huna says the world is what you think it
is.
You will realize you may have heard this from so many spiritual
leaders, speakers, books, movies and what not. This phrase is so
simple, yet, the realization of it, can be a life changing
experience. The world is what you think it is, your thoughts are
energy, we attract what we spend a majority of our time thinking of.
I will tell you this from my personal life, it is very easy for you
to be in pain when your thoughts are focused on the pain! It is that
simple, what you think of magnifies and expands.
Kala: There are no limits, everything is possible.
Imagine how unclear the first point would be without the second
principle of life.
Everything is indeed possible. Feeling that something is impossible
is just telling your mind, you can't do it! And when you tell your
mind, that you can't do it, that is exactly what happens. Whatever
you focus on expands so if you think you are a victim of daily life,
you are making yourself a victim of daily life.
Makia: Energy Flows where attention goes
The guiding principle of reiki, and many other forms of healing. As
I am writing this, my mouth is supposed to be quite numb because I
just got a few deep cavities filled, but the fact is its not. I am
perfectly normal and that is because as soon as I got home, I spent
5 minutes applying this principle to myself. So, if you start
focusing from today on, that Mondays will bring you harmony and new
opportunities, they will start to! Try it! Every time you catch
yourself thinking "Mondays just suck", just tell yourself "Nah, I
think Mondays are absolutely great, they are perfect and my day will
be in perfect harmony with my goals and everything around me". And,
note in your journal how many does of positive thinking leads to
positive mondays.
Manawa: Now is the moment of power.
So simple and yet again so life changing! We all know the past
cannot be undone and the future cannot be guaranteed. The present is
the only thing you can work with, even spellwork or meditations
effecting the tomorrow is done in the today. Today is your day,
tomorrow is unknown and yesterday is gone! Act today, do not be the
worst culprit by wasting your own time, or dwelling in the past or
dreaming in the future.
Aloha: To love is to be happy with
Anger or hatred, no matter how deep rooted can never bring
happiness. Even desires for revenge will never bring you happiness.
Love is the law of human life, going against it will only bring you
negative results. Love yourself, the world around you, love the
moment, love the challenge, love the power, love the circumstance,
love the enemy, love each soul.
Mana: All power comes from within.
When you say, "Yes, I can win the race", you are empowering yourself
to win. You are giving your body and mind permission to win. You
yourself are the only person in power. Your body, mind and
situations function on your will and directions.
Pono: Effectiveness is the measure of truth
A lot of you will not reach the bottom of this page. You will close
the page because a lot of what I am saying is more of a cliche to
you or because you are too scared that life can be this simple! You
believe the real secret of life can lie only in the nowhere, unknown
and unreachable by anyone alive. There is no problem in believing
that! None of us have learned to apply huna without questioning it
and its effectiveness. And the good news is, with Huna, you do not
blind faith in Huna to experiment and experience Huna working for
you. You can judge and see if what I am talking about holds any
truth in your life by experimenting with it and that is the only way
any method or system can prove its effectiveness to you. So, go
ahead and experiment. The bottom line with Huna is, "Yes, I have
experienced significant changes with Huna, and it has proven
efective to me, I believe it to be true, now is your chance to try
it, you should only believe what proves effective to you"

IS EXCESSIVE TELEVISION VIEWING IN CHILDREN LINKED TO ADHD?

IS EXCESSIVE TELEVISION VIEWING IN CHILDREN LINKED TO ADHD?
Watching too much television has been implicated in increased violent behavior and obesity in young children, and now there is evidence that it may promote inattention. Researchers have found that television exposure in children ages 1 to 3 is associated with attention problems at age 7. Furthermore, the investigators concluded that each hour of television watched per day increases these children’s risk of attention problems, such as attention- deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), by almost 10% at age 7.
Based on these findings, lead investigator Carolyn A. McCarty, PhD, and colleagues advised that efforts to limit television viewing in early childhood may be warranted. “Using a nationally representative survey sample, we found a significant association between the amount of television watched between ages 1 and 3 and subsequent attentional problems at age 7,” Dr. McCarty told NEUROPSYCHIATRY REVIEWS. “These results held when controlling for other factors that might explain this association, such as the amount of cognitive stimulation in the home.” Dr. McCarty is a Research Assistant Professor of Pediatrics and Adjunct Research Assistant Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington in Seattle.
The findings are consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendation that parents not allow their children younger than 2 to watch television because of concerns that it affects early brain growth and the development of social, emotional, and cognitive skills. The American Academy of Pediatrics also encourages parents to exert caution—such as setting limits on television viewing, helping children develop media literacy skills to question, analyze, and evaluate television messages, and taking an active role in their children’s television viewing—in children older than 2. Although previous cross-sectional research has suggested that television viewing may be associated with decreased attention spans in children, longitudinal data of early television exposure and subsequent attention problems have been lacking, according to Dr. McCarty and colleagues.
THE MEDIUM IS THE MESSAGE
The researchers sought to test the hypothesis that early television exposure (at ages 1 and 3) is associated with attention problems at age 7. They used the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth, a representative longitudinal data set, and the main outcome was the hyperactivity subscale of the Behavioral Problems Index determined for all participants at age 7. The main predictor was hours of television watched daily at ages 1 and 3. The study controlled for other attributes of the home environment, including cognitive stimulation and emotional support. Children who were rated as 1.2 or more standard deviations above the mean were classified as having attention problems.
“Attention problems include impulsivity, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating,” explained Dr. McCarty. “We did not use a diagnostic test to assess whether the children had clinically evident ADHD but instead looked at the degree of attention problems their parents reported they had.”
Data were available for 1,278 children at age 1 and for 1,345 children at age 3. Children ages 1 to 3 were chosen to participate because their brains are still developing rapidly, and symptoms of attention problems, such as ADHD, do not typically manifest in children until later years, noted Dr. McCarty. The investigators found that children watched an average of 2.2 hours of television per day at age 1 and 3.6 hours per day at age 3. Ten percent of children subsequently developed attention problems at age 7. In a logistic regression model, hours of television viewed per day at both ages 1 and 3 was associated with attention problems at age 7.
TIME TO TURN OFF THE TELEVISION?
“Our results have some important implications if replicated in future studies,” the researchers summarized in the April issue of Pediatrics. “First, we added inattention to the previously studied deleterious consequences of excessive television viewing, including violent behavior and obesity. Second, our findings suggest that preventive action can be taken with respect to attentional problems in children. Limiting young children’s exposure to television as a medium during formative years of brain development consistent with the American Academy of Pediatrics’ recommendations may reduce children’s subsequent risk of developing ADHD.”
ET TU, MISTER ROGERS?
Dr. McCarty’s team did not distinguish among different types of content of television programs in their study. “This study was designed to look at the impact of television as a medium rather than the content of programming,” Dr. McCarty pointed out. “It suggests that excessive viewing of television during early development is related to later attentional problems. However, we cannot infer causality based on the design of the study, nor can we surmise what kind of impact television viewing has on individuals later in development. Other research has certainly shown that some educational programs, such as ‘Sesame Street’ and ‘Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood,’ may be beneficial to the cognitive and creative development of school-aged children. However, no previous studies have looked at television viewing during the infant and toddler years, as we have. Clearly, our study has highlighted the need for more research to better understand the impact of media exposure on child development.”
AN “IMPORTANT” STUDY
In an editorial appearing in the same issue of Pediatrics, Jane M. Healy, PhD, called the study “important and long overdue. Approximately three decades ago, teachers of young children at all socioeconomic levels began to report troubling changes in their students, mainly centering on decreasing abilities to listen, pay attention, and engage in independent problem solving,” she reported. “Frequently, the teachers blamed the advent of fast-paced, attention-getting children’s programming for this trend. Now that the trend is viewed nationally as an ‘epidemic’ of ADHD, perhaps it is indeed time to ask the research questions so ably initiated by Christakis et al and to consider that pediatricians may have yet one more job to do in early parent education about placing limits on screen time.”
—Colby Stong
Suggested ReadingChristakis DA, Zimmerman FJ, DiGiuseppe DL, McCarty CA. Early television exposure and subsequent attentional problems in children. Pediatrics. 2004;113:708-713. Dennison BA, Erb TA, Jenkins PL. Television viewing and television in bedroom associated with overweight risk among low-income preschool children. Pediatrics. 2002;109:1028-1035. Healy JM. Early television exposure and subsequent attention problems in children [editorial]. Pediatrics. 2004;113:917-918. Huesmann LR, Moise-Titus J, Podolski CL, Eron LD. Longitudinal relations between children’s exposure to TV violence and their aggressive and violent behavior in young adulthood: 1977-1992. Dev Psychol. 2003;39:201-221.

Inspirational Video discovered by Nigel

This is a very inspirational video clip from a guest on an Oprah program. Its about a Professor who is dying of cancer, and gave his final lecture on her show.
Please share this with your friends and family.

http://video.stumbleupon.com/#p=ithct48cqw

Tuesday 18 March 2008

A/E/R Resources

Fresh AER: Elementary
Fresh AER: Elementary Report Card Handbook
Fresh AER: Kindergarten
Ideas from Mentors & 2nd Year Teachers
Overview for Elementary Teachers
Overview for Secondary Teachers
Parent Interview Ideas
Sample Elementary Report Card Comments
- more A/E/R resources are available on the Beginning Teachers section of the Program web site on TDSBweb (the direct link below will work from any school computer):
http://tdsbweb/program/beginningteachers

Responsive Instructions

According to Carol Ann Tomilson in The Differentiated Classroom, "Only teachers who utilize a variety of instructional models will be successful in maximizing the achievement of all students. Teachers need to "play to" students' strengths and mitigate students' learning weaknesses. This can be done only through the use of instructional variety."
Differentiation requires thoughtful planning and proactive approaches. When planning for students we should:
• Find out what students know and are able to do
• Let students in on what they are learning and why it is important
• Give students choices on how they will learn
• Give students choices on how they will demonstrate their learning
• Ask students about their interests
• Intentionally gather data about how students learn best
The websites below are great resources to help you address the diverse learning needs in your classroom.
Instructional Strategies that Work- This is one of my new favorite sites. I have been using it to plan Differentiated Instruction and High Yield Strategy sessions. Here you will find handy links to great on-line resources!
http://classroom.leanderisd.org/webs/marzano/identifying_similarities_and_differences.htm
Focus on Effectiveness- Integrating Technology into Research Based Strategies. This site focuses on the effective research based strategies reviewed in Marzano, Pollock and Pickering's text, Classroom Instruction That Works. Here you will find suggestions for integrating technology (e.g. digital cameras) into the nine research-based strategies.
http://www.netc.org/focus/strategies/rein.php
eworkshops- For elementary teachers. Click below if you haven't registered. This is a great site! It includes modules on Literacy and Numeracy with videos of teachers in action, activity sheets, lesson plans and more. You'll also find modules on Daily Physical Activity (DPA) from the government's Healthy Schools program,
http://www.eworkshop.on.ca/cfmx/edu/core.cfm
Links for K-12 Teachers. Here you will find many resources including sample lesson DI lesson plans and sample surveys to help students identify learning preferences; http://www.internet4classrooms.com/k12links.htm

Enhancing Learning with Technology (Differentiated Instruction) - I can't say that I have used this site. I came across it and it looks pretty good. Let me know what you think! http://members.shaw.ca/priscillatheroux/differentiating.html

Please remember,
If students aren't learning the way we teach‚ then we need to teach them the way they learn.
Dunn and Dunn

A/E/R Resources

Fresh AER: Elementary
Fresh AER: Elementary Report Card Handbook
Fresh AER: Kindergarten
Ideas from Mentors & 2nd Year Teachers
Overview for Elementary Teachers
Parent Interview Ideas

Excuses

My Excuse For My Excuse
Your excuse for making an excuse may be that you don't want something bad enough
In all likelihood, you may not achieve everything in life that you want. On the other hand, if you've achieved everything in life you've ever wanted, chances are that your goals haven't forced you to struggle enough to experience failure. Does this statement surprise you? It shouldn't. Why? If you've never set a target to achieve something difficult, you probably haven't stretched your abilities far enough.

Failure to achieve a goal is alright – that is a fact of life. But, what is not a fact of life is to expect success without doing anything to attain it. They are as many excuses NOT to realize a dream. In fact, it is very easy to find an excuse for every excus e you can invent as to why you haven't or can't achieve that greatest dream. It always amazes me that people who have the greatest excuses for underachievement are the biggest complainers. On the other hand, the greatest achievers are the ones who are getting it done because they know that they are the ones who are responsible to make it happen.

Excuses are only for those people who are unwilling to find the solution, here's the plain and simple solution to not having or acquiring what you want. Find a solution to your excuses and you will eliminate any reason not to get more, have more, or be more. You don't have to dream about a dream any longer – do it now with a vengeance burying any excuses once and for all.

Manners build Characters

Manners
We say, "Thank you."
We say, "Please."
We don't interrupt or tease.
We don't argue. We don't fuss.
We listen when folks talk to us.
We share our things and take our turn.
Good manners aren't too hard to learn.
It's really easy, when you find.
Good manners means,
JUST BEING KIND!

Monday 17 March 2008

Something worth a thought!!!!

Something worth a thought!!!!
A group of alumni, highly established in their careers, got together to visit their old university professor. Conversation soon turned into complaints about stress in work and life. Offering his guests coffee, the professor went to the kitchen and returned with a large pot of coffee and an assortment of cups - porcelain, plastic, glass, crystal, some plain looking, some expensive, some exquisite - telling them to help themselves to hot coffee. When all the students had a cup of coffee in hand, the professor said: "If you noticed, all the nice looking expensive cups were taken up, leaving behind the plain and cheap ones. It is, but normal for you to want only the best for yourselves, that is the source of your problems and stress. What all of you really wanted was coffee, not the cup, but you consciously went for the best cups and were eyeing each other¢s cups. Now if life is coffee, then the jobs, money and position in society are the cups. They are just tools to hold Life, but the quality of Life doesn¢t change. Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup, we fail to enjoy the coffee in it." So, don¢t let the cups drive you... enjoy the coffee instead. Enjoy Life..

Some Important Quotes

Some important quotes to read:
"The clothes on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is how you treat your fellow human beings that identifies who you are."
- Unknown (to me)
"I do not think the measure of a civilization is how tall its buildings of concrete are, but rather how well its people have learned to relate to their environment and to fellow humans."
- Sun Bear of the Chippewa Tribe
"Nothing will benefit human health and increase chances of survival for life on earth as much as the evolution to a vegetarian diet." - Albert Einstein (1879-1955), physicist, Nobel Prize 1921

Inspiring Quotes:

"When life throws you a lemon, make lemonade." - Murray Banks

"The first wealth is health." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Work like you don't need the money, love like you've never been hurt and dance like there's no one watching." (source unknown)

"What do we live for if not to make the world less difficult for each other." - George Eliot

"Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human Face." - Victor Hugo

"Everything that is really great and inspiring is created by the individual who can labor in freedom." -Albert Einstein

"The man who never made a mistake never made anything." (source unknown)

"You have to be the change you want to see in the world." - Mahatma Gandhi

"You cannot teach a man anything; you can only help him find it within himself." - Galileo

"A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles." - Christopher Reeves

"To dream of the person you would like to be is to waste the person that you are." (source unknown)

"You may be one person to the world; but you may also be the world to one person." (source unknown)

"Imagination is more important than knowledge." - Albert Einstein

"Most of the shadows of this life are caused by standing in one's own sunshine." - Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Courage is not the absence of fear ... it is the mastery of it" (source unknown)

"There is no reality; only perception." - Dr. Phil McGraw

"The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams." - Eleanor Roosevelt

“And in the end it's not the years in your life that count. It's the life in your years.” - Abraham Lincoln

“People rarely succeed unless they have fun in what they are doing.” - Dale Carnegie

“It is not length of life, but depth of life.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

“Kindness is an inner desire that makes us want to do good things even if we do not get anything in return. It is the joy of our life to do them. When we do good things from this inner desire, there is kindness in everything we think, say, want and do.” - Emmanuel Swedenborg

“The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about the future, or anticipate troubles but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly.” - Buddha

Fear, resistance, and struggle are all in your head. Your heart is the part with the courage and wisdom. Live from there. Act from there. - Rhonda Hess
You have to be the best you can with what you have. - Rick Hansen

Happiness is when what you think, what you say, and what you do are in harmony. - Mahatma Gandhi

Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right. - Henry Ford
Other people see things and say, "Why?" But I dream things that never were and say "Why Not?" - J.F. Kennedy

Try not to become a man of success but a man of value. - Albert Einstein

Never let the fear of striking out get in your way. - George Herman ("Babe" Ruth)

Take twice as long to eat half as much. - Anonymous

There is nothing either good or bad but thinking makes it so. - Shakespeare
Wherever there is a human being, there is an opportunity for kindness. - Seneca

I have two doctors, my left leg and my right. - G.M. Trevelyan
You are pure potential. - Maat

Live the life you imagine. Go confidently in the direction of your dreams.
-Henry David Thoreau

Sunday 16 March 2008

EarthHour Information

Here are some important websites relating to EarthHour which on March 29:
http://www.earthhour.org/
http://www.yesican-science.ca/
http://resources.yesican-science.ca/Earth_Hour/earth_hour.html
http://www.earthhour.org/user/yvVs to register as a participant

Thursday 13 March 2008

Language Arts - Reading program for Young children

Here is a very helpful and useful reading program website:
www.starfall.com

Educational and important websites

Ontario Software Acquisition Program Advisory Committee
http://www.osapac.org

Technology ideas

http://www.tvdsb.on.ca/currcomptech/nets/list.asp?software=Inspiration

http://aitt.acadiau.ca/tutorials/Presentations8/

http://www.teach-nology.com/

http://www.sitesforteachers.com/

http://www.schoolhousetech.com/products/freeworksheets/index.htm

http://www.teachercreated.com/lessons/

http://www.worksheets4teachers.com/

Links to Learning
http://www.linktolearning.com

http://www.primaryresources.co.uk/

http://www.apples4theteacher.com/math/games/100-number-chart-one.html

Math

http://cemc2.math.uwaterloo.ca/mathfrog/

http://www.multiplication.com/classroom_games.htm

http://www.ies.co.jp/math/java/

http://www.aaamath.com

http://www.funbrain.com

Worksheets
http://mayflower.ma.swin.edu.au/dmex

http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/numbertime/print/add_takeaway/index.shtml

Language

Graphic Organizers
http://www.educationoasis.com/

http://www.storylineonline.net/

Social Studies
http://www.tvokids.com/framesets/play.html?game=9&

Black History
http://www.africanhertour.org/story/conductors.html

http://www.blackhistorycanada.ca

http://www.blackhistorysociety.ca

http://www.cwo.com/~lucumi/women.html

Science
http://www.linktolearning.com/science.htm

Health
http://kidshealth.org/kid/

http://www.linktolearning.com/health/health.htm

http://www.teachnutrition.org/default.aspx?SectionId=156

The Arts
http://www.rhino.com/blackhistory/timeline.lasso

Wednesday 5 March 2008

Anyway Poem By Mother Teresa

Mother Teresa's Anyway Poem

People are often unreasonable, illogical and self‑centered;

Forgive them anyway.

If you are kind, people may accuse you of selfish, ulterior motives;

Be kind anyway.

If you are successful, you will win some false friends and some true enemies;

Succeed anyway.

If you are honest and frank, people may cheat you;

Be honest and frank anyway.

What you spend years building, someone could destroy overnight;

Build anyway.

If you find serenity and happiness, they may be jealous;

Be happy anyway.

The good you do today, people will often forget tomorrow;

Do good anyway.

Give the world the best you have, and it may never be enough;

Give the world the best you've got anyway.

Greenholme - An evergreen home where we grow professionally