Service Learning - 1,700 students and 40 teachers in sicence

The service efforts of 1,700 students to protect the Grand River watershed and the Great Lakes will be recognized Wednesday, May 20, at Celebration Cinema North, as part of the Groundswell initiative.

Groundswell is a coalition of community partners that creates opportunities for hands-on environmental learning for students throughout Kent County.

The group worked with 22 public and private schools and more than 40 teachers this school year. Teachers received extensive professional development, as well as funding for student-developed stewardship initiatives.

http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2015/05/work_of_1700_students_service.html

Service Learning: K12 program is a success

A Rockford elementary school's year-long project learning about hunger and homelessness culminated in a fundraiser Tuesday night.

Crestwood Elementary students began exploring those topics in all subjects, from social studies, to reading, and to math. Their service-learning project ended with in art class, designing bowls for a community dinner, according to principal Nicole Peterson-Reeves.

"The culminating event was creating ceramic bowls in art class, decorating those bowls, and the symbolism of the empty bowl signifies the empty bowls that kids go home to when they're hungry," she said.

http://www.wzzm13.com/story/news/local/rockford/2015/04/21/students-service-learning-project-helps-kids-food-basket/26162723/

Scientists prove even the thought of money spoils enjoyment

The idea that money does not buy happiness has been around for centuries, but now scientists have proven for the first time that even the thought of money reduces satisfaction in the simple pleasures of life.
http://www.physorg.com/news194159156.html

Playing it safe isnt really safe

Adventurer leaves NY career to walk across US
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100527/ap_on_re_us/us_the_big_walk

Creating a Classroom Management Plan

If you want the four Rs then you have to read this article - well done.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Creating-a-Classroom-Management-Plan&id=4244155

Five Strategies: Project Based Learning

This is a decent article for improving what you are doing or for designing some new project lessons.

You can also pick up a free Guide to build lessons that promote social skills and academic skills if you want it.

http://ezinearticles.com/?Project-Learning-Approach---Five-Strategies&id=4212091



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Use Reiki to reduce stress and improve your wellness.
http://www.joyfullighteducation.com

Three tweaks to improve instruction

Below is link to useful article on 3 easy teaching strategies to improve student participation. Check 'em out at http://ezinearticles.com/?How-to-Uncork-Creative-Instruction&id=2579023


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Self Growth Tool
www.personalpowerawareness.com

Heal Your Self
www.joyfullighteducation.com

Free education resources
www.educationreporting.com

Spiritual resource directory (free)

Teacher Success depends on critical thinking & classroom management

Critical Thinking Techniques
Six pages of prompts to ignite classroom discussion. Students learn about applying knowledge. When you ask questions allow them to work together to arrive at an educated guess and use that to steer your lesson plan and accomplish learning objectives. Get it for a donation at http://www.educationreporting.com

Polish Up Classroom Management
Classroom management starts with you. Dust off your practices and self esteem with an email course on Personal Power http://www.personalpowerawareness.com/educators.php

Use student collaboration and keep your batteries charged

Building Relevant Classroom Collaboration
The are 35 pages with techniques to put your students to work. This compares a traditional lesson with a lesson based on collaboration. There is a section focused on building effective time lines for class lessons. Included is a defined classroom collaboration lesson which you can use as a model to build your own lesson. Let student work drive your class - not your talking and talking. If that's not possible in your class then you need to boost your classroom management skills. Take if for a donation at http://www.educationreporting.com

Recharge Your Batteries
Understanding your own energetic is a key to better teaching and living. Check out the guide at http://www.joyfullighteducation.com/ebook.php

Or, use the biomat that literally charges you up and is approved by the FDA at http://www.joyfullighteducation.com/biomat.php

Teachers: thousands of free learning resources

Unleash Web Learning
This packed resource has reviewed over 200 web sites - over 100 pages. All the sites are free - no membership costs to use the content. You save time because we researched the zillions of web sites and culled these nuggets. Included are sites for your Professional Development. Or, use this for classroom activity, homework, or special assignment. Pick and choose sites covering science, math, software, Microsoft Office tutorials, and much more. Each site listed has links on its' page to more resources .... so this eBook gives you over 1,000 new web resources at your fingertips. Have all this for a donation at http://www.educationreporting.com

Revise and Move Forward
Explore your understanding of who you are with over 500 resources (all free) at http://www.pillarsoflightspiritualcenter.com

Measuring Curriculum Checklist

This comprehensive checklist grades your lesson work. Use it to fine tune your teaching skills or use it as part of your Improvement Plan. To hone your skills used in this checklist review your classroom management techniques. Your private assessment tool for a donation at http://www.educationreporting.com

Grow your skills in living with an email course about personal power for a donation at http://www.personalpowerawareness.com

Teachers need TLC too

So much news, everywhere you look, about the quality of education ......

Everyone has the right answer to fix the issues and challenges that have existed for decades.

Teachers, if you find yourself weary and in need of some spiritual tools to uplift and transform the quality of your living then check out this book .....

Energetic Living - http://www.joyfullighteducation.com/ebook.php

.... or the baskets of links/resources at Pillars of Light Spiritual Center - http://www.pillarsoflightspiritualcenter.com

Quantum energetics - or just talk ions

Here is an easy way to apply ions to real life - a healing tool that is certified by the FDA.

Check it out! Discuss the flow of positive and negative ions in/out of the body to get students familiar with the idea that electrical charges do exist. are essential to our health.

The link below has the details and the research links too.

http://www.joyfullighteducation.com/biomat.php

Troubled Teens Explore Their Artistic Side

Program for juvenile offenders fosters creativity, literacy, and freedom of expression through hip-hop.
http://www.educationreporting.com/viewArticleDetails.php?id=849

Hip-Hop Helps Teach Everything from English to Algebra

Like many 16-year-olds, Amir Ali spends a lot of time after school talking with friends about sports, girls, and music -- specifically, hip-hop music. But last year, during his sophomore year at Lynwood High School, in Lynwood, California, Ali noticed a drastic shift in these spirited afternoon after-school conversations.

http://www.educationreporting.com/viewArticleDetails.php?id=848

Students learning math lessons using hip-hop

check out this project based learning ...
http://www.educationreporting.com/viewArticleDetails.php?id=847

$3.5 Billion in Title I School Improvement Grants

.S. Secretary of Education Arne Duncan announced the final requirements for $3.5 billion in Title I School Improvement grants to turn around the nation's lowest performing schools. The applications are now available.

http://www.educationreporting.com/viewArticleDetails.php?id=841

What Makes A Teacher Qualified

NPR: American schools have been trying for decades to improve teacher quality, with mixed results. Over the next year, we will explore those efforts, and look at the latest crop of teachers entering the profession.

http://www.educationreporting.com/viewArticleDetails.php?id=838

Mental Imagery Aids Perceptual Learning

Perceptual learning -- learning by repeated exposure to a stimulus -- can occur by mental imagery as much as by the real thing. http://www.educationreporting.com/viewArticleDetails.php?id=839

Free Packets: student participation, teacher development

If you want to get some new ideas, without spending any money, then check out two packets for K12 teachers. One focuses on service learning and the other provides strategies to improve student participation.

http://www.educationreporting.com/index2.php

Bring reality to your classroom and having fun too

I have two gems to share with you today .....

1. Making math real: "How can four friends share six cookies equally?"
http://www.educationreporting.com/viewArticleDetails.php?id=817

2. Five star teacher blog: from toys to tools - how to use cell phones in class.
http://www.educationreporting.com/index.php#blogs

Jack

The invisible key is relevance .......

I'm displaying 15 links below to provide lesson relevance and skill building for K12 teachers...

..... no worries about your political party these days ..... seems everyone has gripes about the Feds "improving education" and what they do ... or don't do ..... been dat way ever since the Dept. of Ed got created.

..... with K12 ed our kids suffer the losses as nothing gets done to produce, enforce, and fund sutainable K12 improvements ..... as more and more double sided rhetoric gets stimulated.

... unfortunately our government - like any large corporation, or even school district, that's outta control - has become bloated with 1) powerful folks voting their own agendas instead of what serves a sensible solution, 2) domineering special interests groups wanting to take control, and 3) disturbing political agenda groups twisting facts and figures....it gonna be a while to see what's capitulated.

No doubt, there is a bumpy road ahead for K12 education while teachers are left to steer the course and dig the trenches. Well, the Los Angeles school district has taken matters - a link to that news is below - into their own hands ....let's see what they're gonna have articulated.

Click here to read the newsletter.

The project learning and service learning RSS feed is updated with new resources;
http://www.educationreporting.com/greenschool.xml

Jack

Teaching and innovation - the right mix - with evidence

I'm combing the web to bring you the nuggets that juice up teaching skills to electrify lesson and jolt critical thinkin' opportunities ....

.... no worries about your time .... it won't take hours to read thiese and grab some insights.

1. Segway inventor Dean Kamen highlights the flaws in American science education as he discusses how to use innovation in class rooms. Click Here.

2. The strong performance of Cleveland's schools using innovation schools are compared to other public schools citywide. Click Here.

3. The devastation of Hurricane Katrina four years ago brought with it many changes for this city, but perhaps its most enduring mark may be the new charter school system that came cascading in during the storm's aftermath. Click Here.

You can get thousands of free learning games resources here http://www.educationreporting.com/Education_Games.xml

Jack

Teachers keep workin' while everyone else is ....?

I've done the research - you save the time and reap the rewards.

.... the 15+ links below will surely blow some fresh breezes in a few classrooms across this world - no doubt.

I've had three of my own major myths revealed to me - so far this year .....

......one, robots can never replace teachers - I covered this in an earlier issue.

...... two, technology won't shift the shape of K12 classes too, too much.

....... three, no sustainable and equitable effort is .... or will be made..... to educate young people by public institutions - across the K12 curriculum.

Last week I discovered the Open Education Resources (OER) and the Open Language Learning Initiative (OLLI)........so much for the floor of my myth #3. You have a link to 'em both -and other FREE K12 courses, and higher education as well - below.

http://www.educationreporting.com/archive.php

Teachers: Seven Top Replete Resources & Strategies

Time to begin gearing up for classes and building those dynamo lessons ....

You've had a well deserved summer break, ready to start thinking about lesson ideas and learning strategies for this new year? You don't wanna just use what you did last year or even the year before.

Hey, we would have never stepped foot on the moon, it ain't no hoax, doing the same ole stuff year after year.

Yep, I encouraging you to break outta da box - starting now!

http://www.educationreporting.com/index25k.php#Seven

Jack

Teach using projects or service learning feed: http://www.educationreporting.com/greenschool.xml

Teach with online games feed: http://www.educationreporting.com/Education_Games.xml