BmoreSchools

In addition to education, I also have a passion for photography. I just started using my new Nikon D7000 and am interested in practicing using it! If you know any schools, youth programs, etc. who could use a volunteer photographer, I’d be happy to snap some photos. Check out pictures I’ve taken at my photo blog!

One of my Facebook friends recently posted the question, “What should be a law?” I responded that “I think all parents should be required to attend classes on how to help their children develop literacy skills. Maybe they could go a few weeks a year until their first child is 7 or 8. That would make a huge impact on how educated our country is and in the end would be financially worth it.”

I posted the idea on the Bmoreschools Facebook page and received some interesting responses, so I thought I would create a blog about the idea.

I also asked the question, “Parents, would you attend workshops to learn additional ways to help your children develop literacy & academic skills? If not, why? If so, what would you like to see in the workshops? How to motivate children? How to use the Internet as a learning tool? How to engage your children in reading? How to best help with homework? Something else?”

I had the opportunity to observe and to lead parent workshops while I was a graduate student at Towson University. I gave a presentation on ways parents could help their children visualize as they read. For example, children can listen to a poem read aloud to them and can draw their interpretation of what they comprehend. My graduate partner and I read the poem “Band-Aids” by Shel Silverstein and gave the parents the opportunity to draw images they were able to visualize as they listened to the poem. I even explained how parents can learn from older children’s drawings. For example, I teach developmental college reading students, and I have them read a description of a house and the surroundings and draw as many details as they can.  Something in the description is compared to being “as big as a football field,” and a path “snakes” around the house. If my students draw a football field or little slithery snakes, I know they were not reading carefully or had difficulty comprehending the description.

We always linked what we presented to research we had done on the topic to help the parents understand why what we were discussing was important and beneficial for their children. For instance, research has been done to show that practicing visualization strategies helps children improve their reading comprehension (and the goal of reading is comprehension). We shared specific quotes from different articles to the parents to show the support from the research.

I think sharing information such as the above examples with parents is a great way to equip parents with many strategies they can use to help their children learn. All parents, no matter their education level, can benefit from attending workshops. If I was a new parent, even though I have a masters degree in Reading Education, I feel I could still benefit from attending workshops. In addition to learning strategies from educators, parents can also discuss what they already do at home to help their children, and parents can learn new ideas from each other.

The workshops could be a half hour to an hour long. Maybe parents could be required to attend a few sessions and then could decide if they wanted to continue attending? Also maybe workshops could be offered online as well as face-to-face, or they could even be offered in families homes (of families who were willing to host them). I know parents don’t like the idea of attending mandatory workshops, but I really think the benefits would be worth having everyone participate.

As parents, educators, community members, or students, what do you think of the idea of parent workshops? I am very interested to hear your ideas, so please respond here or on the Facebook discussion.

Last week, I was given a tour of the Forbush at Glyndon school. The school is a part of the Sheppard Pratt Health System, and it serves students with emotional disturbances and students with autism. I was there interviewing for a teaching position, and the principal was nice enough to show me around the entire campus.

I noticed that the school had some really great features. For one, the cafeteria had ping pong tables and air hockey. The cafeteria also had an area where students could sit and eat outside, weather permitting. Another difference about the cafeteria is that the students actually prepare and serve the meals. I love that idea because students can take ownership over the food. The principal said she hears comments like, “Did you try the soup today? I made it.”

The school also has a wood-shop class and a very nice greenhouse. Students even sell plants and wood products they have made in local stores.

I wonder if more schools incorporated features such as the ones found at the Forbush school, students might feel more of a sense of ownership towards their school and might enjoy their school day a little bit more.

What do you all think? Ping-pong tables for every cafeteria in Baltimore?

I am giving away two sets of Nancy Drew books. The first set includes the books “Without a Trace” and “A Race Against Time.” The second set includes “False Notes” and High Risk.” They are mystery books geared towards 4th-7h graders. They are in excellent condition!

If you are interested in the books, simply like the Facebook page and comment on the Facebook or on this blog letting me know you are interested and if you have a preference for which set of books you’re interested in. First to respond gets ‘em!

I will mail the books to you at no charge. I can even address them to your children.

Thanks for supporting Bmoreschool’s effort to bring the community together to discuss education in Baltimore

Looking for something other than a book to give to a child to help him or her improve literacy skills? The parents who bring their children to the reading program at my graduate program are introduced to some games that help children improve literacy skills and can be played by the entire family. Some games are:

Dr. Seuss One Fish Two Fish Board Game (ages 3-6)

Brown Bear, Panda Bear, What do You See? (ages 3-6)

ThinkFun Zingo 1-2-3 (ages 4-6)

Boggle Jr. (ages 3-6)

Boggle Reinvention (ages 8-14)

Apples to Apples (ages 8-10)

The Great Word Race Game (ages 6-12)

These games will make great holiday gifts!

I hope everyone enjoyed their Thanksgiving. When you find yourself with a spare moment, check out my Resources for Parents page. I have listed some educational sites that I have learned about as a graduate student at Towson. Some sites have interactive games, some have vocabulary practice, and some have news stories written for children or teens. Also, there are a few sites where you can find books on particular grade levels.

Let me know if you use any other educational sites with your children, and I will add them to the page. Thanks!

This clip from March 3, 2011 is definitely worth watching: Diane Ravitch on The Daily Show with John Stewart.

I really like most of Diane Ravitch’s views and have read her book, The Death and Life of the Great American School System: How Testing and Choice are Undermining Education. I highly recommend watching the clip and reading the book if you get a chance.

I am starting back up my book giveaway. All books are in great condition. I will even mail them to you for free! I am giving away books, and in return, you are helping to establish a community of people in Baltimore to discuss education. I included pictures of the books below. Just like the Bmoreschools Facebook page and leave a comment on the blog letting me know which book you want. If you’re the first to like the Facebook and ask for the particular book, it’s yours. I’d say it’s an easy contest to win.

*Judy Moody & Stink The Holly Joliday has been given to Crystal in Dundalk.

Getting a free book in the mail is always fun!

Let me know which book you would like.

The books for this giveaway are: Lego Knights Kingdom The Lost Kingdom w/ stickers, Lego Knights Kingdom The Magic of the Tower w/stickers, Justin Bieber His World, Smiffy Blue by Walter Dean Myers, Star Wars Jedi Quest Book 1 (ages 9 and up), Itchy Itchy Chicken Pox.

*I have also added The Little League Team from the Black Lagoon and The Talent Show from The Black Lagoon (the 2 books come together),  Captain Underpants and the Perilous Plot of Professor Poopypants and Capt. Underpants and the Attack of the Talking Toilets (the 2 books come together), Magic Tree House Sunset of the Sabertooth and Magic Tree House Dolphins at Daybreak (the 2 books come together), and Eloise Little Miss Christmas (DVD). Let me know what your’e interested in!

If you give me your child’s name, I can address the mail to him or her

I’m using Far Side cartoons in class today to help my students make inferences (make conclusions using what is stated and what they know from background knowledge to figure out what is not directly stated). Here is one of my favorite pictures to use. What can you infer?? (click the picture to enlarge it)

Someone emailed me about an initiative that I will be discussing more about in the future. What are the factors that contribute to young black males dropping out of school in Baltimore City? Does anyone have any personal insight/light to shed on the issue? I have ideas, since I teach a diverse population of developmental college reading students, but I am curious to hear others’ input.

Where do problems lie? Family structure? Disconnect between curriculum/educators/school system and student? Negative influences in the community? Something else?

Join the conversation on Facebook  by liking the Bmoreschools page.

Other Baltimore blogs you should explore: Maryland Math Madness, The Smallest Twine, Epiphany in Baltimore, and Surviving the System