Webinars

Free Webinar on Balanced Leadership

What is it that makes some school leaders great and others not so great? Why are some principals able to turn around their schools, when others turn around themselves and walk away from their schools, as evidenced by the exceptionally high turnover rate among school leaders? Based on a scientific analysis of decades of research and years of experience working with principals solving real problems, we've arrived at a simple answer: Balance.

Join Bryan Goodwin, lead author of the new ASCD book, Balanced Leadership forPowerful Learning , for this in-depth webinar where he will share practical strategies that self-professed ordinary people have used to become extraordinary leaders. You will learn about the three key roles that leaders must balance to be effective: visionary strategists, optimistic change agents, and purpose driven team builders. 

Balanced Leadership for Powerful Learning
Thursday, December 3, 2015, 3:00 p.m. ET (US)
Presented by Bryan Goodwin, McREL International

Register Now

From Chalkbeat:       

Student Achievement Series:

The Impact of Positive Behavior Reinforcement on the K-12 Classroom

Wednesday, December 8, 2015

1 PM Central

Hosted by:  Jimmy Myrick, Student Achievement Expert

Reserve your set today!

From Brookes Publishing - TILLS  

You've heard about the new Test of Integrated Language and Literacy Skills. Now learn Howto Get the Most Out of TILLS in a free webinar by the lead tool developer.

On Thursday, December 10th, at 3:00 p.m. EST, Dr. Nicki Nelson will talk about how to use design features unique to TILLS to assess a student's oral and written language.

In the webinar, you'll learn

• how TILLS subtests assess language levels using parallel tasks across communication modalities
• how to interpret patterns of students' strengths and needs, and
• how to use information from the Student Language Scale to know what to prioritize when planning intervention

Learn more, or registertoday!

WEBINAR: Foundational Reading Skills

1. Wed, Dec 2, 2015 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM EST

Show in My Time Zone

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FOUNDATIONAL READING SKILLS: Standards Tell Us What--Research Tells Us How 

We know that all students need the foundational skills to become proficient readers. 

"The Common Core State Standards define what foundational skills students should have by the end of each grade (K-5), but the standards do not tell teachers how they should teach. Teachers are thus free to provide students with whatever tools and knowledge their professional judgment and experience identify as most helpful for meeting the goals set out in the standards." (From Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts & Literacy in History/Social Studies, Science, and Technical Subjects, 2010) 

You can meet the goals by emphasizing skills that impact reading development and predict reading success. You can accelerate student progress by using highly-effective strategies to teach the foundational skills to developing and struggling readers. 

Attend this public webinar to: 

• Learn which foundational skills serve as predictors for reading success. 
• Understand the research about critical content and effective strategies for teaching the foundational skills. 
• Understand the implications of the research for instructional planning and priorities. 
• Recognize the role progress monitoring and ongoing assessment play in differentiating instruction. 
• Understand how to apply best practices to your current curriculum and lesson design to maximize student progress. 
• Receive FREE “Takeaways”—resources that will help you implement your current curriculum more effectively! 

This FREE 60-minute webinar is appropriate for: 
• Classroom teachers 
• Reading specialists 
• Title I teachers 
• Special Ed and RTI teachers 
• Curriculum specialists 
• Educational consultants 
• Tutors 
• Homeschool parents 

Other Details: 
- We will be using GoToWebinar. 
- You can join our session by using a Mac, PC or a mobile device. 

MyVoice app enables speech!

This is awesome!!!!  Two students at the University of Toronto have developed an app which is helping give voice to individuals with disabilities who are nonverbal.  The MyVoice app now has more than 12,000 users worldwide.  The app allows individuals to type sentences that are then relayed using computer-generated speech.  The app also features GPS technology that allows the generation of vocabulary that is unique to a user's location! The app is available through the APP Store and is $189.00 and is designed for iPhone and iPad.

Check out the story:  http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/story/2012/05/04/f-myvoice-speech-aid-disability.html

May is Better Hearing and Speech Month!

This annual event provides awareness about communication disorders and to promote treatment that can improve the quality of life for those who experience problems with speaking, understanding, or hearing. To get more information, please visit http://www.asha.org/bhsm/ for more resources.

To read makes my speaking English good?

Confession time...when it comes to grammar I am one of those people. You know...the kind who will edit someone's doodles, or worse, their e-mails/Facebook updates/love letters. If you haphazardly scribble me a note I will read it, acknowledge it, and probably add a comma. I can't help it - I love writing, editing, and grammar, especially when it's used correctly. So for this post I would like to share some of the best grammar resources I've found in the SERC Library...



The Chortling Bard - Caught'ya! Grammar with a Giggle for High School (IM 428.00712 KIE)
Tee-hee...chortling indeed...even this book's cover illustration of a puffed up Shakespearean type incites a laugh. In this 226-page resource, the author uses three of the Bard's most famous tales to teach writing mechanics to high school students at any level. She adapts the stories into modern, vocabulary-rich English, and includes thorough sentence breakdowns, word and literary device lists, and corresponding exams, as well as a grammar reference handbook. And as an added bonus, she includes a warm-up exercise for students to construct Shakespearean insults, pointing out that the average person won't know the origins of the words anyway, and that "English teachers are so thrilled that you are using Shakespeare that they won't mind." Now come check out this book, you gorbellied, clapper-clawed connigit!

Grammar Games (CD 372.61 DAV)
This award-winning CD-ROM contains four games for children to practice their grammar knowledge, including proper punctuation, formation of plurals and possessives, and identification of sentence fragments. Each game has multiple difficulty levels, allowing children of all ages to partake in the educational fun. The jungle-themed games (Rain Forest Rescue, Falling Fruit, Hidden Wonders, and Jungle Gizmo) are vibrantly colored and accompanied by a lively beat. This program will work both in and out of the classroom, so parents be sure to check this one out.

Tic-Tac-Grammar (IM 372.61 WIL)
This unique 166-page book fuses grammar lessons with the classic game of Tic-Tac-Toe. There are more than 150 different game sheets included, on which students match pictures with sentences in a fun, lightly competitive way. The games prompt students to make corrections to the provided sentences, in addition to coming up with new ones of their own. The book also contains additional activity ideas, recommended book lists, and blank Tic-Tac-Toe game pieces so that teachers can put their own creativity to good use. The excellent grammar guidance makes checking out this book a no-brainer - the only thing left to decide is who will be X's and who will be O's!

English Grammar in Use: A Self-Study Reference and Practice Book for Intermediate Students of English (IM 428.24 MUR)
Now...admittedly, the first three materials in this post speak to the more light-hearted side of teaching. But this book here? Serious business. This recently revised third edition is nearly 400-pages long, and contains hundreds of grammar rules with corresponding self-check exercises. There is also a CD-ROM included, with hundreds of additional practice activities, audio recordings of major grammar points, a built-in dictionary, and customized tests to help readers work on the areas of their choice. Though geared more towards self-study than school curriculum, teachers will find plenty of material to incorporate into their own lesson plans. It is also excellent for educators, college students, and any other individuals who need to brush up on their writing proficiency, or frankly, for grammar nerds like myself who get a cheeky delight out of testing our syntax savvy. Fun!


Note from the Grammar Police: Please feel free to point out any grammatical errors in this post in the comments. Statistics show a high likelihood of making a grammatical error when writing about not making grammatical errors.

Bonne Fête Nationale! (Happy Bastille Day!)

Il est le quatorzième de Juillet, et en France, c'est Jour de l'Indépendance! La Bibliothèque SERC collection des Jeunes a une section dédiée français, avec des titres tels que:
 
It is the fourteenth of July, and in France it is Independence Day! The SERC Library Young People's collection has a dedicated French section, with titles such as:

Food / La nourriture, By Barron's Educational Series (YP-FR F BAR)

Cuddly and colorful teddy bears teach new words to very young children - in both English and French! Barron's Bilingual First Books give little boys and girls an early start in learning a foreign language along with their own. Des oursons adorables et sympathiques enseignent aux enfants des mots nouvelles - en anglais et en français! Les Premieres Livres Bilingues de Barron's permettent aux enfants de s'initier une deuxieme langue ainsi que d'apprendre la leur initial.

Goodnight everyone / Bonne nuit à tous, by Lone Morton (YP-FR F MOR)

It's Martha's bedtime, but first she has to say goodnight to all her cuddly friends: teddy, penguin, monkey and little mouse. They're all tucked in...but will there be room for Martha? This delightful, appealing story has colorful illustrations and an easy-to-read text in both English and French. C'est l'heure du coucher de Marthe, mais d'abord qu'elle a à dire bonsoir à tous ses amis en peluche: Teddy, pingouin, le singe et la petite souris. Ils sont tous rentré po...mais il y aura place pour Martha? Ce superbe histoire appel a des illustrations colorées et faciles à lire le texte en anglais et en français.

My house / Ma maison, By Berlitz Kids (YP-FR F BER)

This interactive book teaches child friendly words in two languages. Meet this fun family and take a tour of their home. Each room has flaps you can lift to discover a surprise underneath! The book includes colorful illustrations and plenty of useful words in both French and English. Ce livre interactif apprend aux enfants, paroles amicales dans les deux langues. Rencontrez-vous familial et visite guidée de leur maison. Chaque chambre dispose de volets que vous pouvez soulever pour découvrir une surprise en dessous! Le livre comprend des illustrations colorées et beaucoup de mots utiles en français et en anglais. 
 

Early literacy skills builder (ELSB). By Diane Browder, Susan Gibbs, Lynn Ahlgrim-Delzell, Ginerva Courtade, and Angel Lee, 2007. (IM 372.4145 BRO)

Have you met Moe the frog? This cute puppet with corresponding stories and activities make this program student-friendly. The ELSB language-rich literacy curriculum was developed for students ages 5 to 10 with moderate to severe developmental disabilities. It uses systematic instruction to teach both print and phonemic awareness to students with cognitive disabilities, autism, developmental delays, multiple disabilities and mild disabilities who are English learners. The ELSB is a multi-year program with seven distinct levels and ongoing assessments.

Global Education: Using Technology to Bring the World to Your Students (370.116078 PET)

Eleventh graders in Bangladesh exchange video interviews with 10th graders in Georgia. High schools in Illinois have online discussions with students in six languages. Students across the globe contribute to a shared website on endangered animal species from their areas. This innovative book presents ideas which educators can use to integrate global education into lessons in their K-12 classrooms. A sampling of exciting global education projects from around the world demonstrate ways to help students connect with their peers across global boundaries. Read about the Flat Classroom Project, iEarn, the Global Schoolhouse Project, ePals and many more!

Children's Magazine Month

Have you ever studiously searched for hidden pictures in Highlights? Have you journeyed with Ranger Rick through new and exciting eco-systems (or your own backyard)? Or have you discovered a new favorite story in Cricket? Then you have been the recipient of the magic and knowledge that children's magazines can offer. Often overlooked in favor of books, today's magazines might surprise you with the abundance of literary richness they contain. Celebrate Children's Magazine Month in October by utilizing the comprehensive collections held by most school and public libraries, by subscribing yourself, or by utilizing them as teaching tools in your classroom. Check out the following links for ideas:

• How to Use Magazines in the Classroom
• Scholastic Classroom Magazines
• Highlights in the Classroom
• Weekly Reader Teacher Resources
• Magazines to Build Literacy Skills
  

Supporting Early Literacy in Natural Environments: Language and Early Literacy Activities in English and Spanish (IM 372.4 NOT)

The Washington Research Institute developed this wonderful set of language and early literacy activities in English and Spanish for adults and children birth to three. The twenty activities are designed to encourage early language and literacy development in natural environments. Some pages have also been translated into Somali and Russian.

English grammar in use: A self-study reference and practice book for intermediate students of English, 3rd edition, by Raymond Murphy (IM 428.24 MUR )

This 379 page book is an excellent and comprehensive self-study English grammar book to be used with middle and upper intermediate level students who have already studied the basic grammar of English. The book includes 145 units which each concentrate on a particular point of grammar. Exercises can be used individually, in class or as homework. An answer key and CD-ROM with further exercises are included.

Grammar practice activities: A practical guide for teachers, Second edition by Penny Ur (428.007 UR)

This 322 page book is a wonderful source of ideas for grammar practice with English language learners. The first section provides an introduction to grammar teaching in the ELL classroom. The second section provides nearly 200 communicative and gamelike practice activities in the main areas of English grammar. Reproducible pages are provided on a CD-ROM.

Games for language learning, 3rd edition by Andrew Wright, David Betteridge and Michael Buckby (418.0071 WRI)

This 193 page book was written for teachers who want to incorporate games in language learning. Games can be easily integrated into existing coursework and can provide meaningful and enjoyable language practice at all language levels. This updated edition included icebreakers and warmers and both group and solo games.