Wednesday, August 29, 2007

"A Chance to Read" on PBS


PBS in partnership with Reading Rockets has produced a new television show, "A Chance to Read," that will be broadcast in parts of the country this weekend. It is not being broadcast in my area but it is possible to watch the 30 minute program online here.

One of the segments highlights Christopher Lee, PhD, Director of the Alternative Media Center, University System of Georgia who states:
For so many years, I truly believed I wasn't very smart. I truly believed I was stupid. And um…that kills me because there's so many other kids like me going through the same thing, and we've got to catch these kids early.

....Technology can unlock the minds of these individuals that are right now kind of locked behind a cage of letters and it can get them through college and it can have them keep and maintain a job. It can open the world for them. It can make them independent. Yeah, they can change the world!
Christopher Lee speaks from personal experience. There are children in our classroom who are experiencing similar doubts about their abilities, who believe they are stupid.

We can break the cycle! Technology removes the obstacles to learning for many students. It is essential that students have access to the tools that will "unlock their minds" and help them demonstrate what they know.

The program looks at children who are hearing impaired, are "twice-gifted," have learning or cognitive disabilities, and who are blind and demonstrates strategies and tools that promote reading success. In addition, there are a wealth of supplemental materials at the website.

It's wonderful to see programs like this being broadcast nationally. Check it out in your area or online.
Reading Rockets is a national multimedia project offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Ending the Global Creativity Crisis

Saw this video on Jim Gates' blog and had to share.

Tony Buzan, the originator of mind mapping, spoke to an audience of teachers about the research pointing to a serious, global Creativity Crisis. He articulated the central role of teachers to nurture brilliance and creativity to overcome the consequences of not teaching how to learn.
His words are powerful;
...there is a catastrophe occurring; it is a demolition of creativity, a demolition of dreams.
and
It is not creativity vs. curriculum or curriculum vs. creativity. Creativity is the engine of all curricula.

Watch his presentation here:


Then, watch this entertaining video of Sir Ken Robinson at TED 2006 asking, "Do Schools Kill Creativity?


Help put an end to the global creativity crisis. Recognize, value and nurture creativity.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

MacArthur Foundation Award Opportunity!


Andy Carvin, posting on the Learning.Now blog, points us to a Digital Media and Learning competition sponosored by the John T. and Catherine C. MacArthur Foundation. They are giving away innovation and knowledge networking awards that total up to $ 2 million.
Mobilizing the field of Digital Media and Learning through a $2 million open competition, supporting all generations of educators, learning entrepreneurs, and communicators.
Read more details here. I would love to see some of this money awarded for innovative digital media ideas that support struggling learners. Individuals (educators and students) are eligible.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Word Power

The importance of understanding words as a building block for academic success can not be overstated. A good vocabulary base = Word Power. Unfortunately, some of our students are deficient in this area, often as a result of flawed intentions. Their word power is powerless.

What does this look like and why does it occur?


One of the characteristic results of a reading disability is the inability to read grade level material. Typically remediation is directed at teaching the underlying skills necessary to become a more successful reader. It is systematic and structured and based upon remediating five reading skills identified by the National Reading Panel (2000): phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, and text comprehension. Remediation works at the student's skill level and is usually not aligned with the classroom curriculum.

When remediation alone is offered, there may be deleterious long-term consequences. Students fall further behind in their understanding of vocabulary and content when they are not exposed to grade level material. Research demonstrates that students who are poor readers have underdeveloped vocabulary as well. This is often times manifested as inferior oral presentations, insufficient curriculum understanding and substandard written expression. Is it possible to prevent the gap from occurring?

Absolutely! Compensation strategies combined with remediation are essential for success. Compensation for the disability is as important as remediation.

When compensation for the underlying skill deficits is not offered, vocabulary skill development suffers and it becomes extremely difficult to “catch up” to peers’ language skills without the opportunity to hear and see the words in combination. Over time, the gap increases and students fall further and further behind.

Text-to-speech software fills the gap. Text-to-speech removes the barrier to print and allows students access to the curriculum without struggling with decoding and fluency issues. They see the combination of the printed word (visual) PLUS hear it read to them (auditory). The benefits of multisensory repetition of the difficult multisyllabic words can not be ignored but must be embraced. Students have the opportunity to participate in classroom discussions and assignments. Students have the opportunity to feel successful. Students benefit from drawing on their vocabulary skills. They have WORD POWER!

As the new school year begins, allow your students the opportunity to capitalize on using text-to-speech to help them overcome reading skill deficits and access the curriculum. Digital text is accessible. Offer it in your classrooms. And talk with your resource teachers about the best text-to-speech options for your students.

Photo credit - http://flickr.com/photos/eclecticselections/542488112/

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Delicious 101

Do you ever bookmark a website on your school computer and then find you need that site when you get home? What do you do? Problem solved using social bookmarking tools like del.icio.us. Need some help understanding the concept?

Well, the good people over at Common Craft have created another "in plain English" video, this time "Social Bookmarking In Plain English." Check it out here. Simple, helpful, informative.

Eight Random Facts

Lisa Durff tagged me with the Eight Random Facts meme.

The rules are:
1) Post these rules before you give your facts
2) List 8 random facts about yourself
3) At the end of your post, choose (tag) 8 people and list their names, linking to them
4) Leave a comment on their blog, letting them know they've been tagged

Not sure if anyone cares but here goes:

  • I make the best baklava in the area using my mother's recipe.
  • I haven't seen a movie in a theater in over a year.
  • I read "The Fountainhead" and "Atlas Shrugged" when I was a teenager. (Loved to read then, still do now.)
  • I recommend "Colleges that Change Lives: Forty Schools That Will Change the Way You Think About College" by Loren Pope to every one looking at colleges with their kids.
  • I knew everything there was to know about the '67 Red Sox.
  • One of my five jobs during college was as a switchboard operator. Stayed with this job during all four years as it was the highest paying job at the time for college students on campus.
  • I've never read any Harry Potter books.
  • My musical genre of choice is Techno. (I listen to iTunes radio whenever possible - check it out if you haven't.)

Sorry, I just can't follow through with those last two rules.

If you are reading this and feel the need to share 8 Random Facts about yourself, consider yourself "tagged." I do not like memes and will not intentionally pass this along to anyone since I consider myself to be a "Meme Scrooge."

Photo credit: http://flickr.com/photos/64143414@N00/479784490/

Monday, August 06, 2007

Reaching Potential

The end of summer is fast approaching. As you contemplate the return to the classroom and what can be different with this new school year, ask yourself a few questions:
  • Are you reaching all your students?
  • Are your classrooms and materials accessible to all the learners in your school?
  • Are you inadvertently ignoring the needs of some students, especially students with disabilities?
  • Are there obstacles you can remove that prevent success for all?
  • How welcoming is your classroom?
When we create schools that do not welcome all learners, we are shutting the doors and limiting the potential for some of our kids.

Read the story of Yvonne Singer, a woman with cerebral palsy, who overcame limits and achieved her dream of becoming a college professor teaching online. Then, watch a video about Adele Schneidereit, another woman with cerebral palsy, who is co-founder and CEO of the Inspire the World Foundation. She is embarking on a mission to raise awareness and find a cure for this disorder.


Thank you to Dave Hohulin at UCP-Infinitec AT for the video link.