March Madness: The Halls & Walls Talk

A thoughtfully designed, inviting classroom environment speaks to the students who spend time there each day. It tells them that their teacher cares enough to create a space where learning can thrive! Case in point: the classroom of Clough Pike Elementary 2nd grade teacher, Robin Blamer. The halls and walls in and around Robin's room are filled with authentic, student-driven writing, charts and drawings. There's never a doubt about what Robin's students have been learning. Just look around. It's all right there!

Tanny

Welcome to Reading Street

Thank you to the West Clermont Board of Education for adopting Reading Street for our young readers, grades one through five at the March 22 Board meeting. The Teaching & Learning Department shared teachers' and students' voices about the program via a VoiceThread. Hear what they had to say:

Credits: Cheryl Turner, producer

Lisa Canter

Natalie Crawford

Cathy Cumbow

Jody Davis

Krista Devine

Devon Glassburn

Jeanne Halladay

Jackie Hospelhorn

Mimi Ladenburger

Gail Matheny

Layna Stiles

Mary Taylor

Stephanie Walker

Monte Wilson

West Clermont third graders

March Madness: In Search of Spring Reading

Spring break is coming and for some people that means time—at last—for pleasure reading. I took my bibliophile curiosity to work today to see what our colleagues are reading and recommending. Hope you get some ideas here for your spring break beach reads (readers' names in parentheses):

Fiction
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (Nancy Maher)
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Tim McGonagil)
Prey by Michael Crichton (Gary Bertsch)
Remarkable Creatures by Tracy Chevalier (Tanny McGregor)
Under the Dome by Stephen King (Gary Brooks)
Copper Sun by Sharon Draper (Jill Hartard)
Apollyon: The Destroyer is Unleashed by Tim LaHaye and JerryJenkins (Sarah Bose)

The Story of Edgar Sawtelle by David Wroblewski (Kendra Herdtner)

World Without End by Ken Follett (Katie Hauer and Courtney Gelter)
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriell Barbery (Kathy Stemmer)
South of Broad by Pat Conroy (Pat Crahan)
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (Jake Riordan)
The Friday Night Knitting Club by Kate Jacobs (Cyndee Westermann)
The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult (Becky McCammon)
I Alex Cross by James Patterson (Tracey Collins)

Nonfiction
Man of Constant Sorrow: My Life and Times by Ralph Stanley and Eddie Dean (Rudi Smith)
Linchpin by Seth Godin (Laura Nazzarine and Cheryl Turner)
Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard by Chip and Dan Heath (Jeff Riel)
Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse (Jim Beshalske)
The Explosive Child by (Kathy Ballitch)
New Found Land by Allan Wolf (Steve Brungs)
Death in Yellowstone by Lee Whittlesey (Jim Mason)
What the Dog Saw by Malcome Gladwell (James Shelton)

What are you currently reading? Comment, below, with your spring break recommendations.

M.E.

PS For me it's a nonfiction work The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Photo credit: "Reading on Tangalle Beach" by Indi.ca via Flickr Creative Commons

March Madness: A Vision of 21st Century Teachers

Video by Mahoning County (OH) Educational Service Center:
Creative Commons License

    We know what 21st century students look like. But what about 21st century teachers? Some of our younger colleagues don't have to reinvent themselves... they grew up with 21st century technologies and literacies. And then there are the rest of us, teachers who still remember the smell of fresh mimeograph ink and the sound of an Underwood typewriter.

   What does it mean to reinvent ourselves? According to Alvin Toffler, “The illiterate of the 21st century will not be those who cannot read and write, but those who cannot learn, unlearn, and relearn.”

   We can all be 21st century teachers if we are willing to learn, unlearn and relearn. Wipe the mimeograph ink off your fingers and check out A Vision of 21st Century Teachers... maybe you will see yourself!

Cheryl

March Madness: Thanks, Warren!

From Warren Bennis, an encouraging quotation:

"One of the marvelous things about life is that any gaps in your education can be filled, whatever your age or situation, by reading and thinking about what you read."

This is good news. I didn't pay much attention in Problems of Democracy in 11th grade.

Tanny

March Madness: Life-long Learner

   Learning is a lifelong process. Ask Joy Mansfield, art teacher at Brantner Elementary. After 29 years of teaching, Joy decided to get a Masters' Degree in Educational Technology.

  While she used to be afraid of technology... of pushing the wrong button... Joy has now embraced it! Her new learning has energized her, resulting in a huge boost of enthusiasm for teaching. Some of the technology applications Joy has been integrating in her instruction includes Web Quest, Photo Story, and Movie Maker. Joy states, "I started with what I had and what was free."

   To see more of Joy's passion for learning check out the The Brantner Studio website. There is no teacher "burn-out" here... Joy Mansfield is on fire!

Cheryl

Happy St Patty's Day 2010

When you meet on St. Patrick's Day, you can count on lots of green.

Happy St. Patty's Day from the Reading Street Green Team.