Great Website

This is a website that should be linked to all of your blogs and one that you should refer to frequently for a variety of reasons. Please write a comment about what you think of this website especially in relationship to what we have been discussing in educational psychology. Click on the image above to go to the Edutopia link.

Positive Classroom Management Ideas

As we have talked about in educational psychology, there is nothing more important for beginning teachers (see "Chalk" one more time if you aren't fully convinced) than effective classroom management skills. There are many resources online but a couple of resources you should check out are: "The Building Blocks of Positive Behavior" and "Creating a Positive School Climate for Learning." The Minneapolis Public Schools has adopted this program and have used it with success. Mr. Lowrey, the social studies teacher in "Chalk" could have benefited from access to these links.

Math Solutions

"Math Can Solve Problems"

The Value of Study Abroad

5.2 million Americans were estimated to be living overseas in 2008, compared with 3.7 million in 2000. Marine Gen. James L. Jones, the incoming national-security adviser in the Obama administration, lived in France for most of his childhood. He encourages young people to go out and see other countries and cultures. "Anyone who has the opportunity and doesn't seize it is really missing out on one of the most important components to be successful in today's shrinking world." Read the entire article at: "A Team of Expatriates."

Profound Reading

If we had only had this book around a year ago before the financial meltdown we might not be in the mess we are in now. Sometimes the most difficult ideas to live are the ones that are the simple ones. So why is this concept so difficult to get for so many people? View: If You Don't Have the Money Don't Buy it.

Voices and Commentary

Voices and Commentary on Education

What would it take for Iowa------and Minnesota, Wisconsin and the rest of the nation------to fully prepare students for the globally competitive world of today and tomorrow? Click on the Voices and Commentary on Education, explore this webpage for 20-30 minutes, and respond to some aspect of the questions raised on your blog for this week. Is it possible for our schools to be the very best in the world? What would it take for this to happen?

You might also like to watch the video on the new teacher panel organized for this project to see how these teachers' responses compared with our new teacher panel last Monday.

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Watch: Believe in Your Students and comment on how our schools would change if we did believe in and trusted each and every students we come in contact with in our schools? Why doesn't this happen?