There is a no greater gift that we can give our children than quality education. Education knocks down the barriers erected between the rich and the poor, it’s the catalyst that’s needed for the reaction that combines hard work and determination and converts it to success, and it’s wealth that we can never lose once we’ve gained it. With over 90 percent of American children being educated at public schools, improving the quality of education a student receives translates to improving the quality of these schools. To do this, city administrative officials must focus on:
· Hiring and retaining qualified teachers who are dedicated to the profession.
· Improving the standards at preschools so that kids enter K12 schools ready to learn. The potential in each child must be developed.
· Improving safety at schools, especially those in poor neighborhoods where the crime rate is high.
· Involving parents in the education process, with teachers providing regular feedback on how their children are performing at school and opening up channels of communication between parents, teachers and the school authorities.
· Improving facilities and infrastructure at schools.
· Putting funds to good use to further the development of the school, and hence its students.
· Holding quality after-school programs to help weaker kids with homework, assignments and lessons.
· Decreasing the number of drop outs.
· Taking a career-oriented approach with seniors or providing guidance and counseling to choose the right colleges and majors.
· Performance-based incentives for teachers to motivate them. An amount of accountability must also be factored in to ensure that they don’t help students cheat by leaking test papers or helping them with answers.
· Improving not just academic test scores at schools, but providing students with an all-round educational experience that will prepare them to face the life ahead.
By-line:
This post was contributed by Heather Johnson, who writes on the subject of New Jersey teaching certificate. She invites your feedback at heatherjohnson2323 at gmail dot com.
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August 27th, 2008
A friend and I are going to make an interactive whiteboard based on Johnny Lee’s video. For about $40 in parts you can make an interactive whiteboard. When I went to the Maker Faire I got to try it out. Very cool.
Here is a video on Instructables giving a little more explanation about how to make the pen. The software for the program is free to download on Johnny Lee’s site, but it’s only for PCs. I did find a link for Mac compatible software.
The main site for Mac users is:
The Download Link is:
To link the Wiimote:
-Run the App
-Press 1 & 2 at the same time (the LEDs should start to blink)
-Hit “Calibrate”
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August 14th, 2008
Teaching is considered a profession, yet many of us go around lacking some a basic tools of a professional - business cards. If you’re lucky, your school district will provide them. However, it’s time for teachers to step up to the plate and really claim our professionalism and the simple gesture of being able to give a business card to parents is gratefully received. Make sure you order then early in the year so that you have them for Back-to-School Night.
I’ve had business cards printed every year I’ve been teaching in the US and the company I recommend is Vista Print. They are very reasonably priced and have over a hundred pre-set designs to choose from or you can create your own design.
A few caveats:
- Use a junk* email account because they will send you multiple offers afterwards.
- They offer two types of business cards: premium and free (the free ones have the Vista Print logo on the back).
- The way they make their money is by add ons. For example, you can get a special offer for 250 business cards for free but then you can get another 500 for a low rate or you can change the paper to glossy.
Business cards are such a great way to easily connect with parents and with students. It’s time for teachers to have business cards like any other professional.
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August 7th, 2008
Whether you’re a new teacher or a veteran, you probably find yourself honing your skills and reflecting on how you want to improve the learning of your students. I know for myself I was really frustrated by all of the conversation in grad school about cooperative learning, yet never had the opportunity to see any first-hand. Well, here is an article about that will help, “100 Awesome Classroom Videos to Learn New Teaching Techniques.”
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August 6th, 2008
