Which Intelligence Are You?

Here is another site I stumbled on in my ventures around the web. This graphic comes from Bestcareermatch.com. I find this article interesting, not only because it gives homage to the theory of multiple intelligences, but it encourages job seekers to consider their own weaknesses and strengths in terms of the multiple intelligences, as well.

Obviously, multiple intelligence theory has implications beyond the classroom and it's good to see that those uses are being explored out in the world.

Ancient Classroom Secrets?

When I was a classroom teacher I kept a secret from my parents, my administration and even my students--we practiced meditation every day.  Right after lunch I would turn out the lights for a minute, ask my students to close their eyes or put their heads on the table, then I would lead them through a few minutes of guided meditation where we imagined ourselves to be calm, emotionally and mentally ready for the afternoon of learning to come.  My other secret was that we practiced deep breathing and movement in the morning to get our day going.  People wondered why I had such a well-behaved, productive classroom.

Apparently I am not the only one who feels that energy flow, meditation, emotional and mental grounding are important in the classroom.  I caught a glimpse of a news program featuring Goldie Hawn and the work her Hawn Foundation is doing to promote these skills in the classroom.  I knew I had to find out more.  Mind UP, Hawn's program focuses on the social, emotional and academic learning for all students.  According to their literature,

Our program provides children with emotional and cognitive tools to help them manage emotions and behaviors, reduce stress, sharpen concentration, and increase empathy and optimism.

Isn't that what we want for all of our children? If this sounds interesting to you, you can check out the website at Mind UP.  Scroll down to watch the video featuring Hawn and one of the scientists who worked with her on formulating this program.  It's a (ahem) mind-opener.

Teaching your parents well . . .

As teachers we are often called upon by parents for advise on how to improve home life so that students are better able to succeed.  I don't like to give parents specific advice, which can often be misunderstood as telling parents what to do or accusing parents of not running a proper home.  Instead, I like to point them to different websites that I believe they will find helpful in developing, implementing or modifying their ideas on parenting.

I have to admit I am a New Age-y, love-a-thon type of parent myself, so most of the sites I find are of this type.  Some parents appreciate them and others don't, but to my mind, I am providing them with the best information I have. 

One website I stumbled upon that I found interesting was The Missing Secret to Parenting, a take off on the popular book The Secret, a proponent of the Law of Attraction (LOA).  At its most basic, the LOA posits that we attract into our life those things which we mirror.  In other words, if we want to have loving children, we must show them love.  If we want our children to love learning, we must show them the way.

Of special interest to me was a recent article, How Do Your Children Start Their Day?   The piece talks about how parents help set the tone for their childrens' day by what they say and the behavior they model.  It is also helpful for teachers to consider how they start their day with their students.  Do you start the day dreading the eventual acts of misbehavior or apathy from students or do you start the day with high hopes and anticipation?  Either way, the law of attraction says you're likely to get whichever one you expect.

(Un)Wired for Excellence

Like many schools, Hollis Brookline High School in New Hampshire wanted to improve their internet connectivity.  Wiring the entire campus with ethernet cables was both costly and time consuming.  Their second choice was a laptop cart, but due to scheduling and other concerns, that too was not a solution.

Instead, administrators decided to take advantage of a free beta test of one of U4EA's systems. What is interesting about this story is the ease with which implementation occurred.  First, the school started out slowly, connecting only a few classrooms or laptops at a time, making sure they functioned properly before moving on. 

Three unanticipated benefits came from the school's new connectivity.  First, the school's existing computer labs were freed up so that teachers were able to use existing hardwired computers in more efficient ways.  Reluctant teachers, freed from fiddling with wires and other connectivity issues, became more adventurous in using the new system.  Finally, traveling teachers could go from class to class without worrying about connectivity issues.

Now Hollis is looking to complete another piece of its five-year technology plan--improving on its distance education program.  Something tells me they're going to do all right.

2010 Emerging Technologies

Technology Review selects technologies based on the editor's reporting of key fields. They asked this simple question, will this technology the world? Several of these changes are on the major scale that's likely: better bio fuels, which is a renewable fuel that is derived from biological matter. Other changes will be more local and involve in how technology is used;for example 3D screens on mobile devices, new applications for cloud computing, and social television. There will be new ways to implant medical electronics and develop drugs for diseases. These will affect us the most important.

Enhancing Students Learning Through Technology

Favorite Icebreaker Activity

ICE BREAKER


The memory game is my favorite game I play with my students on opening day as an icebreaker. I start by saying my name and an exciting thing I did during the summer. The next person does the same, but has to repeat what I said. The game continues until everyone has a time to share. Students have a blast trying to remember everything that was said. To end the game I have to repeat every name that was said and an activity. This is a great way to learn students names.

WHATS YOUR FAVORITE ICE BREAKER??????