How to capture videos from YouTube & organise them on iTunes

For teachers who take a laptop into class, downloading or ‘capturing’ YouTube clips and playing them on iTunes is an excellent way of organising the videos that you use with your students.



http://www.teflclips.com/
TEFLclips is a site dedicated to the possibilities for YouTube and other video sharing sites in the classroom. Every week a new lesson plan is uploaded.

http://www.jamiekeddie.com/

Reach Every Child - New Year Resources

Reach Every Child | Welcome!:

"New Year, as all holidays, presents a rich opportunity to capitalize on student interest and create new lessons that stimulate thinking, understanding and achievement. Such elements as culture, art and the core subjects can be enhanced easily with some good links that have materials and ideas to jump start pre- and post-holiday learning. Some of the better free sites follow."

Tips to Overcome Procrastination

Procrastination - Overcoming Procrastination - Tips to Overcome Procrastination:

"You might procrastinate if: You just sat down to study, and you suddenly realize you forgot to do something very important. Something other than your homework, that is. Does this sound familiar? It's procrastination!

It’s important to know when you are creating a diversion and trying to get around your homework. Many things can take your mind off of the time you should spend doing math problems or preparing for a test. But it’s so east to procrastinate! Try making some changes to your homework routine to get the most out of study time.

Tips for Overcoming Procrastination:

Turn off the music before you sit down to study. Many students claim they can concentrate while listening to music, but research disagrees.

Put the dog or cat outside. You know you can’t resist them when they wander in and want to play!

Bring a snack or drink to your desk before you start. That way you won’t be tempted to walk away.

Turn off your instant message tool. Concentrate on the mission at hand if you have to research online. Don’t get distracted by email or instant messages.

Turn off the TV and the phone. If you really want to make the most of homework time, you can sacrifice these two for an hour or so!

Just remember, if you change your study habits now, you can avoid things that will interrupt your thoughts and distract you from things that really mater. "

Top 8 Components of a Well-Written Lesson Plan

http://k6educators.about.com/od/lessonplanheadquarters/tp/8_steps_lp.htm

By Beth Lewis, About.com

Whether you're working on your teaching credential or being reviewed by an administrator or evaluator, you will often need to write out a lesson plan during your teaching career.

Make sure it includes the eight essential components of a strong, effective lesson plan and you'll be on your way to achieving every teacher's goal: measurable student learning.

Use the blank lesson plan template to stay organized.

1. Objectives and Goals
The lesson's objectives must be clearly defined and in lined with district and/or state educational standards.

2. Anticipatory Set
Before you dig into the meat of your lesson's instruction, set the stage for your students by tapping into their prior knowledge and giving the objectives a context.

3. Direct Instruction
When writing your lesson plan, this is the section where you explicitly delineate how you will present the lesson's concepts to your students.

4. Guided Practice
Under your supervision, the students are given a chance to practice and apply the skills you taught them through direct instruction.

5. Closure
In the Closure section, outline how you will wrap up the lesson by giving the lesson concepts further meaning for your students.

6. Independent Practice
Through homework assignments or other independent assignments, your students will demonstrate whether or not they absorbed the lesson's learning goals.

7. Required Materials and Equipment
Here, you determine what supplies are required to help your students achieve the stated lesson objectives.

8. Assessment and Follow-Up
The lesson doesn't end after your students complete a worksheet. The assessment section is one of the most important parts of all.

Twelve Things to Keep in Mind when Teaching Teenagers

http://www.cambridge.org/elt/englishinmind/teacher_resources/teaching_teenagers.htm

"- It seems that all teenagers are interested in pop songs, so exploit that interest by bringing music – and the feelings that can be expressed through songs – into the classroom.

- Teenagers (perhaps especially the current need-to-know generation) like to be seen as cool and up-to-date, so bring in topics of current interest from IT, sport, entertainment and media, and English-speaking cultures that is personally relevant to your learners.

- Teenagers are discovering (often with difficulty) a different relationship with others and group work allows individuals to interact with different classmates in a less stressful, collaborative atmosphere.

- Teenagers are starting to define their proper personalities (sometimes it seems they have multiple personalities!) and role-play activities can allow them to try to express different feelings behind non-threatening, face-saving masks.

- Part of growing up is taking responsibility for one's acts and, in school, for one's learning, so a measure of learner autonomy and individual choice can be helpful for teenagers.

- It's amazing how some teenagers will have an almost encyclopaedic knowledge of a particular field, so let individual students bring their outside interests and knowledge into the classroom through cross-curricular work.

- Variety – including surprise and humour – is the spice of classroom life (perhaps particularly with teenagers and their infamous short attention span), so try out different warmers, starters and fillers to change the pace and enliven the organisation of your lessons.

- Teenagers are discovering their (often awkward) bodies so use movement by giving students an opportunity to move around during class.

- Teaching in secondary school often means teaching multi-level classes, but effective classroom management can help even with very large classes.

- Use of the mother tongue can not only steer a whole class activity away from misunderstanding, confrontation and potential discipline problems (always a risk with teenagers), but also help avoid pressure on an individual by removing the impression that one person is being tested and put on the spot.

- Games can provide not only purposeful contexts in which to use language but they also stimulate interaction, provide competition and are fun – as long as rules are clear and clearly followed by all participants.

- Project work offers each individual a chance to use their individual talent to do something personally meaningful and motivating with the language they are learning – and the resulting posters and other visuals can be displayed around the classroom (just as teenagers decorate their rooms at home)."

Pay Attention



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aEFKfXiCbLw

"Since most of today's students can appropriately be labeled as "Digital Learners", why do so many teachers refuse to enter the digital age with their teaching practices?

This presentation was created in an effort to motivate teachers to more effectively use technology in their teaching."

YouTube Alternatives

Many schools block YouTube videos, but they can be very useful for teaching English and other subjects so here are some alternatives to YouTube.

aTube Catcher:
I use aTube Catcher to download the videos I'm going to use in my lessons. (Free and very easy to use).
English:
http://atube-catcher.en.softonic.com/
"If you want to download and convert videos from YouTube or other popular video sites without having to spend ages doing so, look no further than this no-nonsense software. aTube Catcher allows you to do everything (i.e. the downloading and conversion) from within the same window. All you need to do is paste the link to the video and select the format you want to convert to and aTube Catcher does the business for you - at a very quick pace to boot.

Rather handily, the program can also be used as a standalone file converter, letting you take a FLV file and transform it into a different format using a similar process. The program also dishes up a bevy of useful options, such as the ability to define the quality and resolution of the video, audio channels, codecs and more. All in all, aTube Catcher is a brilliant tool for quickly grabbing cool movies from the most popular video sites."

Spanish:
http://atube-catcher.softonic.com/

TeacherTube:
http://teachertube.com/

SchoolTube:
http://www.schooltube.com/

Edublogs TV:
http://edublogs.tv/index.php

KickTube:
http://kickyoutube.com/ The video shows how to download YouTube videos.


Zambar: Free online file conversation.
http://zamzar.com/

http://www.techcrunch.com/get-youtube-movie/
To download a video to your computer, enter the URL for the video in the box. It will be downloaded in flv format (use VLC or another compatible player to view it).

More information:
Larry Ferlazzo:
http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/2008/12/20/the-best-ways-to-access-educational-youtube-videos-in-school/

Joyce Valenza:
http://www.schoollibraryjournal.com/blog/1340000334/post/1410038141.html?nid=3714

http://streamingvideo.wikispaces.com/

http://www.teachforever.com/2008/10/how-to-show-youtube-and-other-internet.html

http://www.wikihow.com/Main-Page

http://www.tonyvincent.net/?q=node/33

BBC NEWS | UK | Education | Yoda 'speaks like Anglo-Saxon'

BBC NEWS | UK | Education | Yoda 'speaks like Anglo-Saxon':

"Star Wars character Yoda's sentence structure is similar to old Anglo-Saxon, a linguistics expert has said.

Author David Crystal also says a number of characters in the Lord of the Rings are excellent examples of non-standard English for children to study.

In his book The Stories of English, the academic even discusses the effect on pronunciation of the BBC and on vocabulary by the Sun.

He said he wanted to attack purists who would not tolerate non-standard English

'Devil speaks Queen's English'

Mr Crystal, a professor of linguistics at Reading University for 20 years, said Yoda - a Jedi master in the Star Wars films - was a good way to get children interested in how preferences in English word order changed from the Anglo-Saxon era to that of Middle English."

BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Scheme to stop slang in classroom

BBC NEWS | UK | England | London | Scheme to stop slang in classroom:

"A school is taking part in a pilot government scheme to stop slang words being used in the classroom.

If a pupil at Lilian Baylis School in Kennington, south London, uses slang the teacher corrects it on the board and gives the standard English phrase.

They then put a tick next to the slang each time it is repeated to show how often students slip into the habit.

Headmaster Gary Phillips says pupils need to be proficient in both spoken and written English to pass exams.

He does not mind slang used in the playground but not in the classroom.

Pupil Nicholas Harris
Pupil Nicholas Harris uses slang with his friends
'We are not trying to ban slang. Children will speak to each other how they wish - that's part of being a child,' Mr Phillips said."

Free Printables for Teachers - Free flashcards, printable games, free worksheets, printables, phonics, clipart, projects, ebooks and other resources

Free Printables for Teachers - Free flashcards, printable games, free worksheets, printables, phonics, clipart, projects, ebooks and other resources:

"Free resources for teachers of young learners. All of the resources are designed to be versatile and useful in many K-6 classrooms. I have free flashcards, worksheets and handouts to match, free phonics cards, free ESL games, an international project exchange library, printable certificates, printable stickers and activities all ready for printing."

BBC NEWS | UK | Education | Schools given tips on talking

BBC NEWS | UK | Education | Schools given tips on talking:

"Schools are being given official guidance on how to teach pupils standard spoken English.

The guidance, published on Monday by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority, says speaking accurately and clearly is a vital skill.

Head teachers have warned in the past that television and computer use are harming children's conversation skills."

BBC NEWS | UK | Education | UK's Vicky Pollards 'left behind'

BBC NEWS | UK | Education | UK's Vicky Pollards 'left behind':

"Britain's teenagers risk becoming a nation of 'Vicky Pollards' held back by poor verbal skills, research suggests.

And like the Little Britain character the top 20 words used, including yeah, no, but and like, account for around a third of all words, the study says.

Lancaster University's Professor Tony McEnery who conducted the research said vocabulary size was defined early on.

His study of blogs, questionnaires and speech found teenagers used half the words of average 25 to 34-year-olds."

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | 20 of your most hated cliches

BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | 20 of your most hated cliches:

"20 of your most hated cliches

Hands over mouth
According to an online survey, cliches like 'at the end of the day', '24/7' and 'literally' are among the most reviled. Here are 20 more that particularly irk Magazine readers.

1. My vote for most irritating cliche has to be 'basically'. I even manage to irritate myself by using it, although I do try not to.
AS, Salford, England

2. A few minutes ago I said 'basically' was the most irritating cliche. I've changed my mind: 'To be fair' is the most awful thing anybody can ever say, particularly since it is invariably followed by a biased and utterly unfair comment.
Ian, Sheffield

3. My most hated expression has to be 'to be honest'. What does it mean? Are you normally dishonest then? To my shame you might even catch me saying it.
John Airey, Peterborough

4. It has to be 'going forward', used by business people/politicians, as in: 'Going forward, we need to do...X.' Since time is irreversible, it's totally unnecessary. No one experiences life 'going backward'.
Alex Brodie, London"

Duh! or The Knack for Stating the Obvious

Alcohol Frequently Seen In Cases (from the Colorado Daily News)
Child's Death Ruins Couple's Holiday
Couple Slain, Police Suspect Homicide
Heat Wave Linked to Temperatures (from Daily Sun Post)
If Strike isn't Settled Quickly, It May Last a While
Infertility Unlikely To Be Passed On (from the Montgomery Advertiser )
Official: Only Rain Will Cure Drought (from The Herald-News, Westpost, Massachusetts)
Plot to Kill Officer had Vicious Side (from The Chicago Tribune)
Putting Mattress On Floor Prevents Fall From Bed (from the Associated Press)
Sadness Is No. 1 Reason Men And Women Cry
Something Went Wrong in Jet Crash, Expert Says
Study Finds Sex, Pregnancy Link (Cornell Daily Sun, December 7, 1995)
Teenage Girls Often Have Babies Fathered by Men (The Sunday Oregonian)

Alan November Weblog : Getting Started With Social Bookmarking Using Del.icio.us

Alan November Weblog : Getting Started With Social Bookmarking Using Del.icio.us:

"Getting Started With Social Bookmarking Using Del.icio.us
Social bookmarking has many benefits within the classroom. As a teacher, you can bookmark valuable sites for yourself or your students. Students can work together to develop a bookmark list for their class or for a single project they are working on.

What is HotChalk?

What is HotChalk?:

"HotChalk is a learning environment for K-12 teachers, students and parents that includes a learning management system (LMS), a rich library of teacher-contributed lesson plans, premium digital content like NBC News video, and professional development for teachers in a Web-based environment. Available through any Internet browser, the HotChalk Learning Environment is an easy to use system and brings teachers, students and parents together to improve education.

Improving the Lives of Teachers

HotChalk’s mission is to improve the lives of teachers to drive measurable student results. By automating the work involved in planning and grading HotChalk makes teachers highly productive at a level that was never possible before. In addition, by delivering a rich library of digital content, HotChalk opens up the potential of the classroom, stimulating learning and making it interesting."

Social bookmarking tools - Teaching Hacks

Social bookmarking tools - Teaching Hacks:

"What is Social Bookmarking

There have been many different attempts to classify web sites through the use of more traditional classification systems such as Gail Shea Grainger's 'Dewey Browse.' Dewey Browse uses the Dewey Decimal System to classify web sites for grades K-12 students. The problem is that web sites come in and out of existence. Other commercial ventures offer a more up to date list of web sites for students and teachers at a monthly price. A few examples are 'StudentLink' and 'NetTrekker.'

All these services, free or commercial, use a top down approach for organizing web sites into predefined categories. Where individuals might make suggestions through a submission form on categories or web sites, but have very little effect the organizational structure of the web site.

Social bookmarking sites turns the hierarchical model upside down. In the past an individual might have saved their favourites or bookmarks on their local computer. Their bookmarks might have been organized under a few general headings. The social bookmarking web site allows individuals to store their bookmarks on the Internet and makes them accessible anywhere."

UsingEnglish.com - Learning English (ESL) Online

UsingEnglish.com - Learning English (ESL) Online:

"Resources for English as a Second Language

UsingEnglish.com provides a large collection of English as a Second Language (ESL) tools & resources for students, teachers, learners and academics. Browse our grammar glossary and references of irregular verbs, phrasal verbs and idioms, ESL forums, articles, teacher handouts and printables, and find useful links and information on English. Topics cover the spectrum of ESL, EFL, ESOL, and EAP subject areas."

Science and history of cocaine and Coca-Cola - The Naked Scientists 2008.10.24

Science and history of cocaine and Coca-Cola - The Naked Scientists 2008.10.24:

"Surprising as it sounds, Coca Cola LogoCoca Cola gets its name from one of its original ingredients - cocaine. And although the drug's now illegal, this wasn't always the case. But how did it become popular, what led to its downfall, and how does Coca Cola come in to it?"

100 Blogs That Will Make You Smarter | Online Universities.com

100 Blogs That Will Make You Smarter | Online Universities.com: "By Kelly Kilpatrick

Reading blogs doesn’t have to be an exercise in futility or a waste of time. Your blog addiction can serve you well by with these blogs that are sure to make you smarter. These blogs bring you information about politics, technology, art, literature, an international perspective on life and culture, and much more. Become a regular reader of these blogs and who knows how intelligent you will be in the end."

Kwanzaa Information, Websites, Free Printable Activities, Games, Lessons & Crafts - Associated Content

Kwanzaa Information, Websites, Free Printable Activities, Games, Lessons & Crafts - Associated Content:

"Habari Gani? This is the Swahili greeting given at Kwanzaa, the least known but fastest growing of the winter holidays. When you greet someone with Habari Gani? you are saying literally, 'what's the news?' Kwanzaa, meaning 'first fruits of the harvest' celebrates family, community and culture. Kwanzaa is celebrated from December 26 - January 1, seven days. In the seven days there are seven principles to aim for; I have listed their Swahili name as well as a description westerners can understand.

unity (umoja),
self-determination, knowing oneself (kujichagulia),
collective work and responsibility; sharing the load (ujima)
cooperative economics, barter, trade for the common good (ujamaa),
sense of purpose (nia),
creativity (kuumba),
trust, faith (imani)

The symbols of Kwanzaa include:

seven candles (3 red, 3 green, 1 black), standing for Kwanzaa's seven principles (look similar to a menorah)mishumaa

a candle holder, representing the stalk of corn that shows that we grow as a family from the earth (the kinara)

a straw place mat, recalling tradition and history (mkeka)

a variety of fruit, symbolizing the harvest (mazao)

vibunzi -- an ear of corn for each child, celebrating the child's potential"

Activities for ESL/EFL Students (English Study)

Activities for ESL/EFL Students (English Study):

"Quizzes, tests, exercises and puzzles to help you learn English as a Second Language (ESL)
This project of The Internet TESL Journal (iteslj.org) has thousands of contributions by many teachers."

Free Printables for Teachers - Free flashcards, printable games, free worksheets, printables, phonics, clipart, projects, ebooks and other resources

Free Printables for Teachers - Free flashcards, printable games, free worksheets, printables, phonics, clipart, projects, ebooks and other resources:

"Free resources for teachers of young learners. All of the resources are designed to be versatile and useful in many K-6 classrooms. I have free flashcards, worksheets and handouts to match, free phonics cards, free ESL games, an international project exchange library, printable certificates, printable stickers and activities all ready for printing."

Time Savers - Planning | Teachers TV

Time Savers - Planning | Teachers TV:

"Synopsis

The Time Savers team of educational gurus visit three schools to offer ideas on how to invest time to save time.

As most teachers know, planning can be very time-consuming indeed, and with today's hectic school life, it can be very difficult to take a step back and see where you could be saving time.

Here our three experts: Jane Dixon an Early Years expert; Nick Packard covering ICT and technology; and Lisa Cook a Thinking Skills specialist, offer handy advice at both primary and secondary schools."

School Matters - Teacher Mental Health | Teachers TV

School Matters - Teacher Mental Health | Teachers TV:

"School staff talk openly and honestly about their mental health problems amid claims that one in three teachers will be affected by them at some point during their career.

Chris Danes and former president of the NUT John Illingworth talk about how their depression forced them to leave their respective posts of deputy headteacher and headteacher. Carole Dimmock, a primary school teacher, tells us why she ended up being admitted to a mental health unit.

St Philip's Special school in Surrey, which employs a therapeutic consultant to work with the pupils, has found that his services are increasingly being used by the staff as medical assistance for teachers facing mental health problems is erratic."

NQTs - Induction and Lesson Observation - Secondary | Teachers TV

NQTs - Induction and Lesson Observation - Secondary | Teachers TV:

"Synopsis

This programme explores the teaching, the techniques, and the process of managing lesson observation from both sides of the fence.

NQT Leandra Downes is undertaking her sixth and final observation of her NQT year at St Mary Redcliffe and Temple School.

Her English lesson is observed and once its finished, Leandra has a feedback session with Assistant Head Stephen Clayson. They discuss what went well with the class as well as any areas for development.

A common comment made by NQTs as they are observed throughout their first year of teaching is that they feel they are being judged. At a time when there is so much to learn, take account of and to practise, this can be unnerving.

However, if the roles and responsibilities of both NQTs and their supervisors are clear, then these negative perceptions can be turned into positive support."

English Pronunciation Practice for ESL EFL TOEFL TESOL TESL learners - stress-timed and Intonation patterns in English

English Pronunciation Practice for ESL EFL TOEFL TESOL TESL learners - stress-timed and Intonation patterns in English:

"English Pronunciation Practice

Practice with Pronunciation Using English is a stress-timed language and, as such, good pronunciation depends a lot on the ability to accent the correct words and successfully use intonation to make sure you are understood. Simply put, spoken English stress the principal elements in a sentence - content words - and quickly glides over the less important words - function words. Nouns, principal verbs, adjectives and adverbs are all content words. Pronouns, articles, auxiliary verbs, prepositions, conjunctions are function words and are pronounced quickly moving towards the more important words. This quality of quickly gliding over less important words is also known as 'connected speech'."

How to Write a Classroom Newsletter « teachingchildren.ca

How to Write a Classroom Newsletter « teachingchildren.ca:

"Classroom newsletters should be a regular and essential part of each school year. Even if you school has a monthly newsletter, you classroom should still be sending out a classroom newsletter regularly. The purpose of your classroom letter is to keep parents informed and involved in what their children are learning within your classroom and any special events that may be happening within your classroom. Here are the basics of a classroom newsletter:"

Ed Tech: The Blog: What do LOUIS V. GERSTNER JR. and the Wall Street Journal Know about school?

Ed Tech: The Blog: What do LOUIS V. GERSTNER JR. and the Wall Street Journal Know about school?:

"Do our schools need to improve? Certainly! Just as productive citizens should strive to improve every day. How? Mr. Gerstner seems to think class size has nothing to do with performance. Tell you what- Let Mr. Gerstner have a go with a class and let's see how he does with 5, 10, 15, 50, 500 or (what the heck?) 5000 students. He can even have an easy subject- Kindergarten. Ridiculous? No more so than his premise."

myWebspiration

Introducing myWebspiration:

"Think Visually. Work Collaboratively.
Anywhere. Anytime.

Webspiration™ is the new online visual thinking tool that helps you capture ideas, organize information, diagram processes and create clear, concise written documents whether working individually or collaboratively. With integrated diagram and outline views you can think visually, structure your work effectively and express your ideas in the ways that communicate best."

Grammar Lesson - Hyphens in compound adjectives

Grammar Lesson - Hyphens in compound adjectives:

"A single adjective made up of two or more words is called a 'compound adjective'. The words in a compound adjective are linked together by a hyphen (or hyphens) to show that they are part of the same adjective."

Free Hanukkah / Chanukah Printables - Associated Content

Free Hanukkah / Chanukah Printables - Associated Content:

"Very soon, the lovely Hegrew celebration of Light, Hanukkah or Chanukah, will begin. Whether Jewish, Christian, Muslim or whatever your creed, Hanukkah is a lovely holiday to explore and enjoy. Here are some free lesson plans, coloring pages, puzzles, games and activities to help celebrate and understand this winter holiday."

Edicy - everyone can create a website - Start

Edicy - everyone can create a website - Start:

"Everyone can create a website

It’s easy. There are tens of designs to choose from and a website can be up and running in minutes — for free. Edicy is mostly used by small businesses, startups, non-profits and freelancers alike."

BBC NEWS | The Editors - Grammar Test

BBC NEWS | The Editors:

"Each week on Newswatch (http://news.bbc.co.uk/newswatch/ukfs/hi), complaints come and go from members of the public about what some see as mistaken news priorities, bias, inaccuracy, or trivialisation. But what remains constant, and what seems to elicit the ire of viewers more than anything else, is one topic: sloppy grammar. Everyone seems to have their personal bugbear, be it the use of 'less' instead of 'fewer', the split infinitive, or the use of a plural noun with a singular verb. And many feel that standards have slipped in recent years.

We thought we'd put this to the test, and invited a number of BBC journalists to demonstrate their grammatical expertise - or otherwise - on camera. Perhaps surprisingly, five presenters or correspondents were brave enough to take up the challenge: spotting 20 deliberate grammatical errors which we'd inserted in a mock conversation between a presenter and a correspondent."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2008/11/grammar_test_your_turn.html

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/theeditors/2008/11/grammar_test_results.html

Learning Outside the Classroom - Home

Learning Outside the Classroom - Home:

"Welcome to the Learning Outside the Classroom website

The Manifesto for Learning Outside the Classroom partnership has created this resource with the help of many experts and practitioners in learning outside the classroom. The resource is designed to help professionals working with young people aged 0–19 to provide high-quality experiences."

Behavior Plan, Behavior Modification Plan

Behavior Plan, Behavior Modification Plan:

This article is written to assist and provide support to parents and teachers involved with behavior issues that are causing some concerns both at home and or at school. There is much that can be done to help, however; the focus here is on the preventative approach which is key to maintain positive behaviors.

A consistent approach when dealing with children with behavioral concerns most often leads to more productive and positive behaviors. It is highly recommended that you plan strategies that you can implement regularly. Whether the child is acting out, involved in conflicts, bullying, or being verbally or physically aggressive; it is important to ensure that you have positive interactions and that you refrain from calling the child 'bad', it is the behavior being exhibited that you are unhappy with and the child needs to know it is not him/her it is the behavior. Acceptable and appropriate behavior is developmental - it happens over time and is greatly influenced by parental support and guidance, peers, previous experiences and the intervention techniques employed by teachers, caregivers and parents. As 'Dr. Phil' often says: "You teach people how to treat you".

Occasionally, despite your ongoing efforts, consistent applications of interventions and techniques, some children will continue to display ongoing behavioral difficulties. You cannot be all things to your child at all times. You may need to seek the advice and assistance of professionals.

The Basics:

Promote self-esteem and confidence every chance you can. Catch your child doing something great and praise him/her. Provide opportunities for the child to become responsible. When they take responsibility well, let him/her know. Always be objective and understanding - do not lose your patience even though you are tempted to. Use your best judgment at all times, remain objective and seek to understand. Patience, patience, patience! Even though you may be very frustrated.

Next Steps:

Communicate your expectations with a minimal number of rules and routines to be followed. Think big, start small. Involve the child when you are establishing rules and routines. Ask for his/her assistance. Make sure they repeat them - this will help them remember. Emphasize the child's strengths and minimize the weaknesses. Set your child up to be successful when the opportunity presents itself. Provide opportunities for the child to reiterate expectations. For example: "What always needs to be done before bed?" Encourage the child to participate and monitor their own behavior. For example: "What is terrific about what you're doing right now?" AVOID power struggles - nobody wins! Take time to discuss appropriate and inappropriate behaviors. Routines - children with behavior difficulties benefit from clearly established routines, I can't say enough about this. Role play some situations based on unacceptable behaviors and discuss them. Set up practice situations and role play those. For example: Tommy just came and stepped on your toe, you even though he did it intentionally. How will you handle this situation? Teach the skills necessary for appropriate behaviors.

In Summary:

If you're this far - you're concerned and you want some strategies. Now you're ready for the implementation stage. You are now ready for the 5-step plan:

1. Pinpoint the behavior that you want to change. Be specific.

2. Gather your information. When does the unacceptable behavior occur? How often does it occur? Under which circumstances does it occur? What event precedes the behavior? What is the child's view of the behavior? Does the inappropriate behavior always happen when the child is alone? Supervised? With others? At a specific time?

3. Now it's time for you to interpret what the information may mean from the previous step. Give it your best shot when trying to analyze the information you've gathered.

4. Plan for Change! Now it's time to set your goals - with the child. What are the short term goals? What are the long term goals? Who's involved, what will happen. The plan for change should be collaborative between you and the child. Be specific, for instance: Johnny will not yell and scream when it's time to do homework - or time to go to bed. In your plan for change, some rewards and or a reward system should be in place. For instance, when 5 instances of appropriate behavior happens, Johnny will have .............(opportunity to indulge in his favorite activity, a new sticker book etc.)

5. Evaluate how your plan is working. If it isn't working, make the necessary changes collaboratively. Once again, if after several consistent tries you find your plan isn't working and there is no noticeable change in the unacceptable behaviors, the child may need to be referred to a specialist.

Good luck!

Teaching Tip of the Day - Classroom Management and Discipline

Teaching Tip of the Day - Classroom Management and Discipline:

"Have you ever held onto anger or annoyance from disruptions in class? Have you ever gone to bed upset over the behavior of a student and the next day found yourself still annoyed? If so, you are making your own life miserable and possibly adding to further misbehaviors. As much as possible, try to start fresh everyday. This doesn't mean that you forget about previous infractions, i.e. if they have three tardies then today means four. It does mean that you should start teaching your class each day with the expectation that students will behave. Don't assume that because Julie has disrupted your class everyday for a week, she will disrupt it today. By doing this, you will not be treating Julie any differently and thereby setting her up to disrupt again (like a self-fulfilling prophecy). This is one of the top tips for successful classroom discipline and management."

Estudiar y Aprender inglés gratis desde Internet.

Estudiar y Aprender inglés gratis desde Internet.:

"Esta web utilza la tecnología Microsoft Agent technology. Con esta tecnología dispondrás en la web de un personaje en todo momento que te ayudará a hablar en inglés. Así aprenderás a hablar inglés de forma fácil y rápida ya que ahora podrás escuchar todos los textos en inglés de esta web tantas veces como quieras. Uses Microsoft Agent technology - Merlin (c) 1996-1998 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved ¡Descarga ahora el programa!
¡Aprender inglés es fácil! Realiza este grupo de ejercicios en inglés clasificados por temas y repasarás conceptos variados de la gramática inglesa! Encontrarás secciones para aprender y estudiar el inglés, ejercicios, glosarios de vocabulario, gramática, verbos frasales y modismos, vocabulario actualizado y nuestra herramienta conjugador de verbos."

http://www.e-aprender-ingles.com/index3.php?verbo=go&submit=%A1Conjugar%21&go2=conjugar

Behavior: Teaching Rules and Routines

Behavior: Teaching Rules and Routines:

"The best strategies for establishing acceptable behaviors are those strategies that are pro-active and preventative. If you want cooperative children/students, they need to understand and be able to follow your rules and routines. Meeting this goal will ensure that you have a good learning environment."

Top Tips for Successful Classroom Discipline and Management

Top Tips for Successful Classroom Discipline and Management:

"Classroom discipline and management causes the most fear and consternation in new teachers. However, classroom management is a skill that is not only learned but practiced daily. Here are ten tips that can lead to successful classroom management and discipline. These tips can help you cut down on discipline problems and leave you with fewer interruptions and disruptions.
1. It's Easier to Get Easier
Many teachers make the mistake of starting the school year with a poor discipline plan. Students quickly assess the situation in each class and realize what they will be allowed to get away with. Once you set a precedent of allowing a lot of disruptions, it can be very hard to start better classroom management and discipline techniques. However, it is never tough to get easier as the year goes on. While you don't have to follow the adage, 'Never smile until Christmas,' it does have its merits."

TeachersFirst: Wiki Walk-Through

TeachersFirst: Wiki Walk-Through:

"A wiki is a web site that lets any visitor become a participant: you can create or edit the actual site contents without any special technical knowledge or tools. All you need is a computer with an Internet connection. A wiki is continuously “under revision.” It is a living collaboration whose purpose is the sharing of the creative process and product by many. One famous example is Wiki-pedia, an online encyclopedia with no “authors” but millions of contributors and editors. The word 'wiki' comes from Hawaiian language, meaning 'quick' or 'fast.'"

Reading Aloud Christmas Treats - Teachers TV

Charles Dickens:
http://www.teachers.tv/video/30574

"A quick burst of festive spirit, as Michael Rosen visits Charles Dickens' London home to explore his Christmas legacy.
Michael Rosen, Children's Laureate visits 48 Doughty St, the elegant townhouse in London where Dickens and his family once lived.
Now a museum, Michael looks at how the house could have inspired characters from Dickens' Christmas classic A Christmas Carol and views memorabilia from the time it was written.
The programme will give students and teachers an insight into how Dickens helped shape the Christmas we know today, as well as being a way to inject a bit of Christmas spirit in the classroom."
Poetry in Motion:
http://www.teachers.tv/video/30583

"Watch Children's Laureate Michael Rosen as he goes on a crusade to make poetry fun in the classroom.
Starting by reading his favorite Christmas poem, Michael then visits St Alban's Primary School in London to show how poetry can be made exciting and enjoyable through performance.
He talks to the teacher about the use of actions to enhance the poems and gives tips for other teaching staff who might want to use similar techniques with their own classes.
A programme for pupils, teachers and anyone interested in making poetry come alive in the classroom."

creandowikis » home

creandowikis » home:

"El objetivo de este wiki es crear un espacio en el que enseñar a usar un wiki de una manera rápida y sencilla. Dado que la página wikispaces está en inglés, pretendemos poner a vuestra disposición una herramienta en castellano con la que podréis aprender a manejar este wiki sin problemas.
Para ello, iremos mostrando los diferentes pasos a seguir a través de vídeos en los que iremos creando, paralelamente, otro wiki. Así, os enseñaremos cómo personalizar vuestro wiki, cómo introducir post, imágenes, vídeos, etc."

Behavior strategies - Effective Behavior Management

Behavior strategies

"Children come in their individualized packages and you get a variety of behavior types inside and outside of the classroom. The rules for effective management seem simple - conistency, postitive reinforcement and logical consequences - easier said than done?!

Each of the following articles provides strategies to help you 'deal effecitively with all behavior types'.

The Tattletale

The Aggressive Child

The Teaser and the Teased

The Child Who Lies

The Attention Seeker

The Bully

The Lacking in Motivation Child

Oxford compiles list of top ten irritating phrases - Telegraph

Oxford compiles list of top ten irritating phrases - Telegraph:

"Heading the list was the expression 'at the end of the day', which was followed in second place by the phrase 'fairly unique'.

The tautological statement 'I personally' made third place – an expression that BBC Radio 4 presenter John Humphreys has described as 'the linguistic equivalent of having chips with rice.'

Also making the top 10 is the grammatically incorrect 'shouldn't of', instead of 'shouldn't have'.

The phrases appear in a book called Damp Squid, named after the mistake of confusing a squid with a squib, a type of firework.

The researchers who compiled the list monitor the use of phrases in a database called the Oxford University Corpus, which comprises books, papers, magazines, broadcast, the internet and other sources.

The database alerts them to new words and phrases and can tell them which expressions are disappearing. It also shows how words are being misused.

As well as the above expressions, the book's author Jeremy Butterfield says that many annoyingly over-used expressions actually began as office lingo, such as 24/7 and 'synergy'.

Other phrases to irritate people are 'literally' and 'ironically', when they are used out of context."

BlogSavvy.net Is your BlogSavvy?

BlogSavvy.net Is your BlogSavvy?:

"BlogSavvy is where the beginner and the Professional bloggers come for resources, new insight, inspirational posts, and a different take on the meaning of blogging and the abilities to make your Blog…"

Classic Christmas Carols and Songs for the ESL Classroom - ESL EFL TESOL English Classes Christmas Activities

Classic Christmas Carols and Songs for the ESL Classroom - ESL EFL TESOL English Classes Christmas Activities:

"It's the holiday season and that means it's time to sing Christmas Carols (songs)! The links below lead to some of the most popular Christmas Carols in English. Each carol has the first verse and the difficult words defined at the end of the song so that you or your classes can understand each song. There is also a link at the end of each page to a printable sheet so that you can print the Carol out for use at home and in class."

Another Christmas tradition is the reading of by Clement C. Moore. Follow the links below to followed by a reading comprehension based on this Christmas classic.
'Twas the Night Before Christmas by Clement C. Moore
Reading Comprehension based on 'Twas the Night Before Christmas

Basic Guide to Teaching Grammar in an ESL / EFL Class Setting

Basic Guide to Teaching Grammar in an ESL / EFL Class Setting:

"Teaching grammar plays a central role in every ESL / EFL teacher's classroom. The important question that needs to be answered is: how do I teach grammar? In other words, how do I help students learn the grammar they need. This question is deceptively easy. At first look, you might think that teaching grammar is just a matter of explaining grammar rules to students. However, teaching grammar effectively is a much more complicated matter."

http://home.earthlink.net/~eslteacher/units/holidays.html

CHRISTMAS

Time for a Think Sheet

Time for a Think Sheet:

"Thinks sheets are a great strategy to ensure the student who behaved inappropriately has time to think, reflect and respond with an appropriate measure that should have been taken. Every class seems to have students who can benefit from think sheets. Keep them handy!"

Teachers' Domain

Teachers' Domain

A treasure trove for K–12 teachers, Teachers' Domain offers more than 1,000 classroom-ready multimedia resources to enhance students' learning experiences. (Free registration required.

http://www.teachersdomain.org/

Multiple Intelligences in the ESL Classroom

Multiple Intelligences in the ESL Classroom:

"The theory of multiple intelligences was developed in 1983 by Dr. Howard Gardner, professor of education at Harvard University. Here is a discussion of the eight different intelligences Dr. Gardner proposes and their relationship to the ESL / EFL classroom. Each explanation is followed by lesson plans or exercises which can be used in class."

Linea 900 - El juzgado de Emilio

Linea 900:

"Tiene fama de ser un juez blando, como podría deducirse por sus sentencias más famosas, pero los que le conocen bien afirman que es muy riguroso aunque compasivo y complaciente. Se llama Emilio Calatayud y es el titular del Juzgado de Menores número 1 de Granada. Línea 900 ha sido durante una semana la sombra de Emilio Calatayud, el juez que condena a algunos menores a aprender a leer y escribir. El programa ha estado en su casa, en su juzgado y en sus charlas a padres y educadores. Hemos seguido a algunos menores que están en libertad vigilada o haciendo una prestación social; a otros que ya cumplieron su condena e incluso a los que permanecen encerrados en un centro de reforma. Porque aunque sea más conocido por dictar sentencias ejemplares, a Emilio Calatayud no le tiembla el pulso a la hora de mandar a la cárcel a los que han cometido delitos graves.

El juzgado de Emilio es un buen termómetro para tomar la temperatura social de nuestro país. En apenas 20 años no solamente han cambiado los menores y sus hábitos, han cambiado también las familias, los colegios y la sociedad en general. Los casi mil casos que se ven al año en este Juzgado son todo un repertorio de formas y comportamientos de nuestros menores. Más del 80 por ciento de las sentencias llevan aparejadas medidas de reinserción"

http://www.emiliocalatayud.com/