Teaching Strategies by Teaching Treasures Publications

Whip Cracking

2012-01-30T13:20:00.001+11:00

You may wonder what whip cracking has in common with teaching but I found this great web site where recycling is number one for the original inventor of tubewhips, Nathan Griggs. Nathan's tubewhips are made from recycled inner tubes of cars. If you are planning a project for your classroom about recycling, you may like to consider this as an option. Simply visit the web site http://tubewhips.com/ and learn more about different recycling techniques and how your students could implement perhaps something like this.

More Outdoor Industry Outcomes

2012-01-28T16:08:00.000+11:00

OUTDOOR SAFETY
Duty of care, Basic first aid e.g. snakebites, stings, insects, Safety & welfare of self and others, Cause & effect of decision making, Recognise individual strengths and limitations, Team building skills, Observation skills & techniques, Weather conditions, Appropriate clothing.

NAVIGATION
Duty of care, Map reading, Compass work, Process of orientation and landmarks, Group work, Cooperation, Communication skills, Cause & effect of decision making, Implement navigation skills individually & as a group.

INITIATIVE GAMES
Duty of care, Team building skills, Building better relationships, Cooperative learning, Communication skills, Recognise individual strengths and limitations, Group risk management, Cause & effect of decision making, Leadership & Planning, Health, safety & welfare of self & others, Improving problem solving, Breaking down larger tasks into smaller tasks, Behavioral & social issues, Learn through challenge, Understand team goals, Respecting and understanding others.

CHALLENGE COURSE

Duty of care, Team building skills, Cause & effect of decision making, Cooperative active learning, Group planning and negotiating, Recognise individual strengths and limitations, Challenge and be challenged using a safe environment.

BUSH ART & CRAFT
Duty of care, Project planning, Decision making Implementation & process management, Use of natural resources e.g. sticks, rocks and leaves, Teamwork, Cause & effect of decision making, Caring for the environment, Minimal impact, Communication skills, Behavioral & social issues, Emergency procedures, Recycling, Health, safety, and welfare of self and others.

CAMP COOKING

Duty of care, Emergency procedures, Minimal impact, Hygiene procedures, Food safety, Food storage & handling techniques, Safe water for drinking & cooking, Cooking & cleaning techniques, gas, trangia, wood, bbq etc.

SURVIVAL SKILLS
Duty of care, Basic first aid - snakebites, stings, insects, How to light a fire, Collect drinking water, Make an emergency shelter & make a simple animal trap, Cause & effect of decision making, Recognise individual strengths and limitations, Wildlife encounters & Bush tucker, Communication devices & how to get help, Finding your bearings, Safety & welfare of self and others.

WHIP CRACKING

Duty of care, What makes a whip crack, How sound travels, Parts of a whip, How & why whips are made, Leather whips & recycled tube whips, Implementing reduce re-use recycle, Learn how to crack a whip, Types of whips, Whip cracking demonstration.

UNDER THE STARS

Duty of care, Camping practices & safety issues, Camping hygiene procedures, Safe toileting practices, Living in confined areas, Behavioral & social issues, Cause & effect of decision making, Minimal impact, Erecting tents or other temporary shelters, Clothing & equipment, Equipment handling.

ANIMAL SPOTTING
Duty of care, Observation techniques, Endangered local plants, Weeds & wildlife, Impacts of local farming practices, Minimal impact, Animal tracks & droppings, Safety and welfare of self and others.

BUSH WALKING

Duty of care, Codes of ethics, Planning process for bush walking, Cause & effect of decision-making Maps, compass, navigation, orientation, landmarks Emergency procedures, Walking techniques & skills,

Health, safety & welfare of self & others, Behavioral & social issues, Recognise individual strengths and limitations, Environment, Public & Private Land Teambuilding & cooperation, Minimize risk Observation skills, Minimal impact, Safe toileting practices, Food & drinking water requirements, Skill, experience, physical fitness, Communicate ideas & information, Personal equipment.

CANOEING

Flat and White water, Duty of care, Codes of ethics Minimal Impact, Planning process for canoeing, Cause & effect of decision making, Appropriate clothing, Water safety issues, Hypothermia, Dehydration, Paddling strokes, Equipment handling, White water hazards, Entrapments in watercraft, Natural & unnatural strainers, Rocks & obstacles, Safe toilet practices, Emergency procedures, Communication and signals, Behavioral & social issues, Teambuilding skills, Recognise individual strengths and limitations, Health, safety and welfare of self and others.

WATER SAFETY
Duty of care, Equipment handling, Team building, Hydraulics & river mechanics, White water hazards, Foot entrapments, Defensive swimming techniques, Communication, Signals, Roping skills, Rescue techniques, throw bags, vector pull, Mechanical advantages, Cause & effect of decision making, Health, safety and welfare of self and others, Recognise individual strengths and limitations.

GARDENING
Garden tool safety, First Aid – bites, stings, allergies, Health, safety & welfare of self & others, Soil structure, texture, pH, Organic growing, Herbicides and Pesticides safety, Pests and diseases, Weed control, mechanical, chemical and biological, Direct seeding skills versus seedlings, Soil preparation Mulching, Harvesting and picking techniques.

POI & FIRE TWIRLING

Duty of care, Recognise the dangers of fire twirling, Fire Risks and Safety, What is glow Poi, How to use the Poi, Learn how to use the Poi, About fire twirling and demonstration.

WIND WATER SUN
Duty of care, Wind Water Solar energy, About Hydro-Electric Power Stations.

If you would like to know more or are after further information then I would suggest you contact GOAL. They can be found here: http://www.outdooradventurelearning.com.au/contact_us.html

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.outdooradventurelearning.com.au/schools.html

Continuing on from my previous blog regarding outdoor activities and their outcomes, I have located some interesting outdoor activities from GOAL (Griggs Outdoor Adventure Learning) and posted these below (with permission).

Each activity states what the participants will be learning and these are important when you as a teacher wish to add an activity to your curriculum and cover certain outcomes. Many outdoor providers will give you some idea as to what your class will be doing and learning so it is up to you to choose the best options.

Outdoor Industry Outcomes

2012-01-25T15:18:00.000+11:00

Having had a number of blogs about the outdoor industry providers and the things you should look out for, I thought I would now start digging up some good points in favour of the outdoor industry. Of course the best outcome in taking your class to an outdoor camp is the physical exercise and the team building which takes place over several days.

Outdoor providers should strive to deliver a creative learning process by catering for the needs of each individual and to provide academic, artistic, and social aspects in each program through active participation. If they don’t promote this then they are sadly lacking as far as my opinion goes. Staff who provides the activities should be trained in first aid and CPR and carry a first-aid kit during activity time. Of course schools will always need to provide their own containing the medication or equipment needed for their students.

Instructors should specify that they take child protection issues extremely serious and all staff should have undergone stringent ‘Working with Children’ checks and abide by a code of conduct. Because each group of participants has different needs, outdoor providers should be flexible and be able and willing to adjust their program to suit your needs. As far as activities are concerned these should contains outcomes to complement your curriculum.

For example bush walking should contain some or all of the following: Duty of care, Codes of ethics, Planning process for bush walking, Cause & effect of decision-making, Maps, compass, navigation, orientation, landmarks, Emergency procedures, Walking techniques & skills, Health, safety & welfare of self & others, Behavioral & social issues, Recognise individual strengths and limitations, Environment, Public & Private Land, Teambuilding & cooperation, Minimize risk, Observation skills, Minimal impact, Safe toileting practices, Food & drinking water requirements, Skill, experience, physical fitness, Communicate ideas & information, and Personal equipment.

If you like water activities such as canoeing then outcomes such as these should be part of the program: Flat and White water, Duty of care, Codes of ethics, Minimal Impact, Planning process for canoeing, Cause & effect of decision making, Appropriate clothing, Water safety issues, Hypothermia, Dehydration, Paddling strokes, Equipment handling, White water hazards, Entrapments in watercraft, Natural & unnatural strainers, Rocks & obstacles, Safe toilet practices, Emergency procedures, Communication and signals, Behavioral & social issues, Teambuilding skills, Recognise individual strengths and limitations, Health, safety and welfare of self and others.

Of course water safety should always be delivered before any water activity so these outcomes should be found in their program: Duty of care, Equipment handling, Team building, Hydraulics & river mechanics, White water hazards, Foot entrapments, Defensive swimming techniques, Communication, Signals, Roping skills, Rescue techniques, throw bags, vector pull, Mechanical advantages, Cause & effect of decision making, Health, safety and welfare of self and others, Recognise individual strengths and limitations.

Besides Canoeing, Water Safety and Bush Walking, I will track down and discuss more activities and outcomes that these should contain in my next blog such as:

TEAM BUILDING
NAVIGATION
ABSEILING & RAFTING
INITIATIVE GAMES
CHALLENGE COURSE
BUSH ART & CRAFT
OUTDOOR SAFETY
GARDENING
CAMP COOKING
SURVIVAL SKILLS
THE ENVIRONMENT
POI & FIRE TWIRLING
WIND WATER SUN
WHIP CRACKING
UNDER THE STARS
ANIMAL SPOTTING

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://outdooradventurelearning.com.au/

Good Outdoor Providers

2012-01-23T16:07:00.000+11:00

In order to finalise my issues regarding psychopaths, sociopaths, pedophiles and unscrupulous managers in the outdoor industry, I must stress the following point.

Please do not discount all outdoor adventure learning providers should you encounter a rogue provider. And certainly don’t lump all outdoor adventure learning providers in the same category. There are many good ones out there, many family orientated providers and fantastic, fun filled instructors. It is the same old adage… one rotten apple tends to spoil the whole lot.

Don’t let this happen as children will start losing their outdoor learning opportunities all to soon and we have fought long and hard for these opportunities to finally become part of our curriculum and aspirations for a wholesome learning environment.

A good outdoor provider is one who insists on children wearing appropriate clothing. A pedophile instructor for example will be happy enough for children to wear skimpy, floppy shorts or t-shirts so that when they participate in an activity he has the opportunity to view something he shouldn't. For example climbing activities including upside down or crawling exercises. Water activities such as sit-on tops or kayaks where children's legs are parted and all is in plain view of the pedophile instructor.

A good outdoor provider does not blame his staff for everything. Does not lurk in the dark. Does not spy on girls or boys in the amenity block. Does not unnecessary touch in inappropriate places. Does not allow skimpy clothing such as extremely short shorts. Or in the case of a water sport such as canoeing allow bikini tops or pfd's with just the bikini bottoms on and no decent shorts. Does not allude to sexual references, gestures or the like. Does not pretend to be something he isn't etc. etc.

Perhaps by now you have understood where I am coming from. Perhaps you have experienced some or all of what has been penned down so far. Perhaps it is time for you take action and put a stop to this terrible behaviour which is happening to your children.

Don't be afraid to try out a new provider if you suspect your current provider. Just because you have used the same outdoor provider for several years doesn't mean that the place is ok. Perhaps you have heard rumours and perhaps these rumours are right! Open your eyes if you go on camp with your classroom and watch what goes on. Listen to the conversations of your students and watch those kids who suddenly become withdrawn or quiet. What has happened! It is your responsibility to care for those placed in your trust.

When a manager, or instructor boasts about the number of girls supposedly asking him if he would like to sleep with them then you can bet that you are dealing with a very evil man and that you will need to take action. When a manager or instructor boasts about what he has seen on some of these camps... again, you are dealing with a very evil man and you will need to take action. Please listen to your conscience and protect those who can not protect themselves.

Feel free to leave your comment.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/

Sexual and mental harassment

2012-01-21T15:17:00.001+11:00

My previous blog stated about the fact that outdoor learning is more motivating than classroom based learning and that it provides a stimulating impact. In most cases this is correct however, it really should read positive motivation. It should definitely include the word positive.

If a child were subjected to sexual or mental harassment it would definitely provide a stimulating impact but definitely not in a positive way. It could cause irreversible damage, bring about many psychological problems in the future and ruin a child’s chance in life.

How do we identify these perpetrators? They often work in management positions – alone. They can’t keep good staff – good staff always leaves and often without receiving their proper pay. Your gut feeling tells you that something is wrong but you can’t put your finger on it. They promise the world but deliver balderdash.

I think I am going to divert a little here but I believe it is important for the safety of children and adults alike. The Hare Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (PCL-R) is a diagnostic tool used to rate a person's psychopathic or antisocial tendencies. People who are psychopathic prey ruthlessly on others using charm, deceit, violence or other methods that allow them to get what they want.

The symptoms of psychopathy include: lack of a conscience or sense of guilt, lack of empathy, egocentricity, pathological lying, repeated violations of social norms, disregard for the law, shallow emotions, and a history of victimizing others.

According to Mind Disorders the twenty traits assessed by the PCL-R score are:

•glib and superficial charm
•grandiose (exaggeratedly high) estimation of self
•need for stimulation
•pathological lying
•cunning and manipulativeness
•lack of remorse or guilt
•shallow affect (superficial emotional responsiveness)
•callousness and lack of empathy
•parasitic lifestyle
•poor behavioral controls
•sexual promiscuity
•early behavior problems
•lack of realistic long-term goals
•impulsivity
•irresponsibility
•failure to accept responsibility for own actions
•many short-term marital relationships
•juvenile delinquency
•revocation of conditional release
•criminal versatility

Now, unless you spend some time with a person it will be difficult to determine many of the above character traits so I think that we should listen to what some may call gossip. We should hear what is being said and come to a conclusion which will determine your next step.

So dare I repeat myself?

"Of course the most important issue with any outdoor learning activity are the safety codes and codes of conduct. These safety codes and codes of conduct provide clear boundaries and should be adhered to at all times by all participating school children but should also be adhered to by teachers, parents, caregivers, and activity providers with no exception. Outdoor learning should be delivered in a safe environment."

I will continue this blog....

http://teachingtreasures.com.au/

How to Recognise a Sociopath

2012-01-18T15:22:00.041+11:00

Coming back from my previous blog about psychopaths or sociopaths in the outdoor industry perhaps you wonder how you can identify these people who are not suitable for the delivery of outdoor learning activities.

Take a look at the manager or the boss who runs the business, organisation or not-for-profit group. Can he keep his staff? Does he have a large turnover of staff? Does he blame the large turnover of his staff on "seasonable working conditions" which is by the way another one of his many lies.

Is his current staff happy to be there or are they just putting on a fake happy face because they need to keep their job? Is he married, divorced, living in a de-facto relationship? If he is single who is his girlfriend, how old is she, who is she? You may say that all of this is irrelevant but I do not believe it is. You as a teacher has the responsibility to take care of those children entrusted in your care by the parents. How would you feel if it came to light that one of those young girls was sexually molested by the manager of the outdoor centre or by the activity provider?

Therefore it is your duty to make sure you choose a safe environment for your outdoor learning adventures and provide for the physical and mental care of each child that is placed under your wings for protection. To come back to the issue of listening to rumors, it may be in your best interest as a teacher to listen but also to make informed decisions.

Don’t just listen to one person, ask around. Ask staff, cleaners, maintenance guys, cooks, gardeners, instructors, and anyone else floating about who works there or has worked there in the past. Ask about the boss? Is he ok or does he have serious issues. If staff will not give you a direct and honest answer up front, be rest assured that there is something terribly wrong. No person should be afraid to tell you what a wonderful boss she or he has!

No person should be afraid to sing praises about the great job and working conditions she or he has. They are afraid however to speak up if they are threatened of loosing their job, not receiving their rightful pay or worse, be subjected to mental or sexual harassment. Many people will not speak up for themselves because they need the job in order to pay the bills and it is hard enough to get a job so the last thing they want is to loose it. I guess their manipulating psycho-boss has them literally working in limbo land (or hell).

I will continue this blog....

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasurespublications.com.au/2012/01/outdoor-learning.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/bullying.htm

Psychopaths in outdoor industries

2012-01-15T14:49:00.000+11:00

In my previous blog I stated that teachers taking their students to outdoor centres should question the validity of management and staff and look at issues such as those who display signs of a psychopath, pedophile, sociopath, or physical, mental, or sexual harassments. I will now look at those issues more closely and also at the sadness of the fact that sometimes working with children clearance means just that. A clearance on paper perhaps but in reality that person simply has not been caught yet or not convicted yet.

For example the staff employed may be perfectly all right however, the manager may be a pedophile or dare I say may even display psychopathic or sociopathic tendencies and uses good staff as a smokescreen to cover up his terrible deeds. Does management look after their staff and is staff paid their dues? If staff is treated poorly, unfairly or with contempt then be rest assured you will receive low quality, low caring activity standards from your outdoor provider.

Low standards are often not because the staff is inadequately trained but rather because management is not doing the right thing.

How often is staff checked for working with children? Perhaps staff is checked regularly but who checks up on the big boss? Who checks the manager? Most likely…. no one. He just disappears under a smokescreen, quietly moves about his business and in the process wreaks havoc among innocent children, staff, parents, the community, and society in general.

A psychopath in a management position is extremely dangerous. He may seem like a nice, amiable sort of a person when you first meet him but this is all a facade. Underneath he is anything but nice, a menace to society and a threat to our children. A psychopathic boss often uses intimidation to clamp down on staff who are ready to blow the whistle. He will also use phrases such as: "It is so difficult to get good staff these days." He will always blame his staff for his inadequacies, refer to his staff as being lazy, unreliable or not able to follow commands. He will always use the blame-shift tactics.

You may wonder how I managed to get so sidetracked from the original article of "Outdoor Learning." You see my previous statement that outdoor learning should be delivered in a safe environment sparked all of this. A safe outdoor environment is absolutely necessary for any child to learn outdoor skills.

Taking children out of the classroom and into outdoor learning situations will open many doors for unscrupulous people. People who will take advantage of young girls and boys and who have no conscience or remorse. Just because a certain person has been in the outdoor industry for ten years or more does not mean he is ok. Just because someone has working with children clearance does not mean he is ok. It just means he has not been caught yet if he is doing the wrong thing.

I will continue this topic in my next blog.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/
http://www.teachingtreasurespublications.com.au/2012/01/outdoor-learning.html

Active Outdoor Learning

2012-01-13T02:00:00.000+11:00

As stated in my previous blog I believe that outdoor learning is the process of active learning in the outdoors. With active learning I mean that participants learn through what they do, through what they are confronted or challenged with and through what they discover.

They learn about the outdoors, they learn about themselves and about others while also learning outdoor skills through investigation, experimentation, providing feedback, reflecting on happenings, reviewing situations and of course team building and cooperative learning.

Looking at all of this I think that most readers would agree that outdoor learning is true learning because participants use natural environments to see, hear, touch and smell the real thing. They use actions that will deliver and experience results and consequences. Outdoor learning provides for participants to respond positively to opportunities, challenges and responsibilities. They have to manage risks, cope with change, behavioral issues and have the potential to discover abilities and interests they didn’t even realize existed.

In a nutshell… outdoor learning can help to bring classroom-based subjects alive, stimulate unexplored interests and in essence is not limited. Of course the most important issue with any outdoor learning activity are the safety codes and codes of conduct.

These safety codes and codes of conduct are usually found in a business' Child-safe Child-friendly Policy and Code of Conduct statement, provides clear boundaries and should be adhered to at all times by all participating school children but should also be adhered to by teachers, parents, caregivers, and activity providers with no exception. Here is a good example of a Child-safe Child-friendly Policy.

Outdoor learning should be delivered in a safe environment. Child safety checks should be done. For example in New South Wales you would visit the NSW Commission for Children and Young People either online or in person at their office in Surry Hills NSW. They will tell you who is prohibited from working with children.

Basically a person who has been convicted or found guilty of a listed serious offence against children (whether in NSW or elsewhere) is prohibited from child-related employment. And also anyone registrable under the Child Protection (Offenders Registration) Act 2000 is prohibited from child-related employment. It is an offence for prohibited persons to apply for or attempt to obtain, undertake or remain in child-related employment in any capacity, whether paid, volunteering or self employed.

Teachers taking their students to outdoor centres should question the validity of management and staff. Rumors may sometimes be just that but why do rumors start? Perhaps there really are not so nice people at the helm. Look at issues such as pedophilia and physical, mental, or sexual harassment. I will look at those issues more closely in my next blog and also at the sadness of the fact that sometimes working with children clearance means just that. A clearance on paper but in reality that person simply has not been caught yet or not convicted yet.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.outdooradventurelearning.com.au/childsafe-policy.html

Outdoor Learning

2012-01-10T14:04:00.000+11:00

Having looked at the statistics for obesity in our November 16, 2011 blog and the general decline of health for school children one must wonder if outdoor learning should be taken more seriously. According to the Outdoor Learning Org. outdoor learning is really a very broad term which includes outdoor play in the early years, school projects, environmental education, recreational and adventure activities, personal and social development programs, expeditions, team building, leadership training, management development, education for sustainability, and even adventure therapy.

I would have to agree with Outdoor Learning Org. in that outdoor learning does not really have a clearly defined boundary however, it does have one common core in that all forms of outdoor learning value direct experience. This experience is in stark contrast to the indoor classroom.

I think we can all agree on the fact that outdoor learning is more motivating and provides a stimulating impact in most cases. It has been debated whether or not outdoor learning has more credibility as far as learning is concerned, so I think I will leave this issue up to you as a reader to decide. Credibility through skilled teaching or being able to facilitate an outdoor experience has certainly proven in the past that outdoor experiences are a better stimulating source of fascination and personal growth for the participants.

Some may argue that outdoor learning is a breakthrough in learning but I beg to differ. We haven’t always had formal, compulsory classroom based schooling. Over the centuries most great explorations have been achieved outside the classroom so to state that outdoor learning is a new breakthrough in learning would be incorrect. I believe that outdoor learning is the process of active learning in the outdoors. I will however explain further about active learning in my next blog.

Teaching Strategy Link:

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/outdoor-education/main.html

Team Building

2011-12-12T14:45:00.000+11:00

Most teachers look for an opportunity to develop teambuilding skills with their students and to push them beyond their boundaries or in other words, to help them learn new skills outside their familiar surroundings. Bearing that in mind, using outdoor adventure learning camps to facilitate these learning outcomes would have to be ideal. I was reading the other day on the NSW Department of Education and Training web site that the educational value and purpose of activities should deliver the following:

Engage and challenge all participants to discover and develop their individual talents and capabilities for lifelong learning
Develop positive self-concepts for all participants
Encourage active, effective and responsible participation for all participants
Respect the importance of moral, ethical and spiritual differences for all participants
Implement the enjoyment of learning for all participants and encourage them to be self-motivated, reflective, competent learners
Promote a fair and just society that values diversity
Assist with the continuity and coherence of learning, and facilitate the transition between learning levels for all participants

I guess easier said than done would be the consensus here unless you can dig up an outdoor activity provider who will deliver all of the above and hopefully more. Personally, I believe that all educational activities should deliver academic, artistic, and social aspects in each program using a creative learning process.

The emphasis here is on creativity, uniqueness and the ability for outdoor instructors to keep their participants for the entire length of time that the program runs for. If you have paid for a 4-hour canoeing session for your students, they should get 4 hours and not 2.5 or 3 hours. If you have booked in for a 4 hour low ropes session then your students should get that time and the instructor should not loose the group after a couple of hours or less.

Parents pay a lot of money for these outings and they should get value for money. Teachers spend a lot of time organising these camps so they too should get value for their effort. The teaching strategy here is simple... you should get value for your money so search for the right place to take your students because if you don't.... you or your students will not have benefited from any of these outdoor learning activities from these providers.

Teaching Strategy Links:

http://www.outdooradventurelearning.com.au/

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/outdoor-education/main.html

Basic principals of maths

2011-11-21T10:55:00.001+11:00

The nature and the learning of mathematics are difficult for some and often a daunting task like it used to be for myself. As I got older and started understanding the basic principals of how and why certain mathematical equations came to a specific answer, I can now relate to students who approach maths with the same trepidation as I did many years ago.

Maths can be complicated and hard to learn but I believe that with the right guidance and an element of fun it can be learned and students may even acquire a taste for it. I believe a step by step approach is good and as each step is achieved or peeled back another step or maths challenge is uncovered. A Curtin University student was presented with the following question to answer in one of her unit studies for the Bachelor of Education. If mathematics were a food what would it be and why? Her answers were as follows.

If mathematics were a food it would be an orange. A very small daily intake of vitamin C keeps me strong and healthy just like a small daily dose of mathematics keeps my brain active, which is beneficial for the many daily tasks I do.

If mathematics were a food it would be 2 minute noodles. Quickly prepared, fun to eat, all tangled like many maths problems yet easy to digest and remember.

If mathematics were a food it would be a gingernut biscuit. Not so hard after all once soaked in your hot drink.

If mathematics were a food it would be shortbread. It looks boring and dry yet it is sweet once eaten and fulfilling.

Finally, if mathematics were a food it would be the cherry on my cake. Without the cherry, the cake is plain and boring just as plain and boring as life without maths would be.

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more2.html

The Obesity Problem Solver

2011-11-16T04:00:00.028+11:00

Yesterday I was reading about the issue of the amount of people (including children) being overweight. According to news-medical.net, obesity and overweight have in the last decade become a global problem. According to the World Health Organization (WHO) back in 2005 approximately 1.6 billion adults over the of age 15+ were overweight, at least 400 million adults were obese, and at least 20 million children under the age of 5 years were overweight.

Experts believe if the current trends continue by 2015 approximately 2.3 billion adults will be overweight and more than 700 million will be obese. The scale of the obesity problem has a number of serious consequences for individuals and government health systems.

This really is an alarming issue and because of this a new outdoor adventure crowd called Griggs Outdoor Adventure Learning - GOAL have started up as discussed in my earlier blog. They have viewed these worrying statistics and believe there is a desperate need to encourage our young and old to adventure outdoors. As the author of this blog I believe that we can learn so much from each other and outdoor adventure programs are in essence designed to rejuvenate that love for the outdoors. So I wonder if you would agree with me by saying that: "Outdoor recreation could be the best obesity problem solver there is!"

GOAL runs fun, safe and professional outdoor programs that will help in the effort to reduce these alarming statistics and currently offers a Massive 20% Discount if you make and pay for a booking during December 2011 or January 2012 for small school groups or home education groups. So if you are in the Nymboida area and would like to take advantage of this offer, simply mention this blog when obtaining a quote to receive your discount. To make further inquiries or read about the activities simply visit http://outdooradventurelearning.com.au/

The main Teaching Strategy here is of course that we must keep our children or students active while learning. However, there is a desperate need to keep ourselves active too, how else are we to keep up with these fit youngsters and continue teaching them. We need to live by example and being fit and active ourselves is a good thing.

Outdoor Adventure Massive 20% discount

2011-11-13T13:13:00.000+11:00

Most schools (including home educators) look for some sort of outdoor recreation or adventure learning program to improve their students' educational outcome. A new outdoor adventure program has just started up in northern NSW, Nymboida called Griggs Outdoor Adventure Learning - GOAL which is supported by the original founders of Teaching Treasures Publications.

Their goal is to deliver a creative learning process by catering for the needs of each individual and provide academic, artistic, and social aspects in each program. They like to bring out children’s imagination, promote truthful behaviour and furnish children with a feeling of responsibility in order to strengthen self-initiative and develop their overall education.

Their instructors are dedicated to accept each person as they are, to teach them new skills with love and respect, and are enthusiastic and creative in their approach. Programs can include all or some of the following activities: Art & Craft, Canoeing, Bush Walking, Initiative Games, Navigation, Teamwork, Camp Cooking, Camping, Survival Skills, Water Safety, Outdoor Safety, Fauna & Flora, Whip Cracking, Poi, Wind Water & Sun Activities, and the Environment.

GOAL encourages students from all schools to come and enjoy their stay in Nymboida with them. Public, Private, Christian, Steiner, Montessori, Alternative, or any other school is welcome to contact them for a quote and check out the program to make sure it is suitable.

Home educators who would like to get away for a few days with their children are also most welcome. The Griggs Outdoor Adventure Learning family has over 20 years of home education experiences to share and they believe that there is bound to be something to talk about. While home taught children are learning some new skills with their instructors, parents can share homeschool ideas and experiences with one another and with the original founders of Teaching Treasures, Peter & Ingrid or join in the fun with the rest of the group.

This blog is proud to offer you a Massive 20% Discount if you make and pay for a booking during December 2011 or January 2012 for small school groups or home education groups. Simply mention this blog when obtaining a quote.

The Teaching Strategy in all of this is that learning through outdoor adventure programs are an excellent way of enriching your educational program.

The fun of Maths

2011-11-12T07:20:00.000+11:00

I believe mathematics can be fun and should be fun in order to stimulate a desire to want to learn. It should also combine several learning outcomes so that there is creativity and variation and not just one factor to learn but several to avoid tediousness.

I also think that it should create a sense of achievement in every student, which can be done if students work in small groups and help each other with problems and come to an agreed solution. This also covers the mathematical concept of learning as a social activity according to Booker, Bond, Sparrow and Swan who state that "both the mathematics and the manner in which it is learned are influenced by the way children interact with each other and with their teachers" (Booker et al. 2004, p. 6).

Learning maths is also like putting building blocks together to make something and the achievements of the end product are satisfying and a confidence builder for the students. Although students may come to see maths as unrelated, irrelevant and a waste of time, I believe it will be my duty and pleasure as a teacher to come up with ideas and innovative ways of presenting maths to my students. It is the teacher’s job to show students that maths is "all joined together, accessible to all, and everywhere you look" (Frid 2001, p. 16).

Learning Strategies Links:

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Bible-Projects/homeschool-projects-main.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/maths6-8/main-worksheets6-8.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more2.html

The nature of maths is power

2011-11-09T06:22:00.000+11:00

According to personal believe, the nature of mathematics is power. If one possesses not only the knowledge of maths but also the understanding of how it works, their position in life is often of a higher degree compared to those who simply have not mastered mathematical concepts. Mastery of maths presents job opportunities such as lawyers, doctors, engineers or scientists. These are job opportunities that require knowledge rather then muscle.

No adeptness to mathematical concepts leaves positions such as manual labour, which in turn can create health problems to those who are physically incapable of doing these kinds of labouring tasks. Personal positive experiences in maths certainly have not come until much later in life.

For example the benefits of knowing the time tables by heart have paid off on many occasions however, the lack of understanding simple concepts have hindered many experiences which should have been fun and uncomplicated, yet they presented problems and frustrations beyond measure. I now understand mathematics to be like the foundation of a house. The foundation needs to be laid properly so the rest can be build upon it. If the foundation is not square and done properly, nothing else will fit and cause enormous problems and one must start from the beginning again.

If mathematics concepts are not understood right from the beginning in primary school years, the students once they reach high school, will be left floundering and possibly fail due to either poor teaching or their own non-mastery of mathematical concepts such as was mine. According to the Board of Studies NSW (2002, p. 6), mathematics teaching needs to have a practical application, provide opportunities for creativity, challenge and leisure. It should support concurrent learning across other key learning areas and build a foundation for future mathematics education.

I believe that children learn many mathematical concepts through play and games as I did. I also believe that hands-on experiences in real life situations are extremely important. Simple tasks such as shopping, working out quantities, cooking, building projects such as a model plane or a rabbit cage are all ways and means of teaching children how to grasp mathematical concepts. Not only will children be reading on how to do a project, they will also be working out mathematical equations and if done in small groups, the process of collaboration will also help them gain social skills as well as academic skills.

Maths is used in everything we do, be it playing music, paddling a canoe or reading a book. Teaching maths from a textbook or drumming in times tables by rote is easy enough to do; but getting children to understand the maths concepts of how and why it works the way it does is something I believe teachers should focus on. If children can understand the reason why they are learning what they are, then maths will no longer be tedious, frustrating and cause bad memories and a life-long distaste for anything mathematical.

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more3.html

Learning Anxiety

2011-11-06T08:27:00.000+11:00

Did you know that mathematics anxiety is a learned fear of mathematics? Many learners suffer from this and curriculum tailored incorrectly will increase the problem. Did you also know that tests and speed drills can add to mathematics anxiety?

Also unrealistic expectations can add to mathematics anxiety as well as worrying about what others think about one's learning abilities. Not to mention emphasizing memorisation above the meaning and understanding of mathematical issues increases mathematics anxiety.

So how do you reduce mathematics anxiety? What could be a key teaching strategy to solve this problem?

Perhaps model problem solving strategies rather than giving worked solutions may lead students to think about how they think rather than copying other people’s methods. Also encouraging students to express how they feel about the mathematics they are experiencing may reduce mathematics anxiety.

Students who monitor their mathematical thinking search for understanding, not just the answer and this reduces anxiety to ‘get it right’. Positive thinking about how you think and what you already know also reduces maths anxiety.

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/main-maths.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more.html

The Process of Learning

2011-11-03T10:00:00.000+11:00

Over the years the content and nature of any school curricula have been changing and no doubt will continue to change due to factors such as advancements in technology and the electronic media like the Internet and interactive (electronic) whiteboards for example.

As a teacher or home educator it is your professional ability to intelligibly communicate key aspects of these changes with regard to what currently constitutes ‘best practice’ in teaching and learning. Therefore as you identify, analyse, synthesise and evaluate aspects of let’s say English teaching and learning, you need to document and justify your ideas about what constitutes the ‘best’ curriculum and teaching practices for helping your students learn english.

Consequently it is up to you to keep up to date with technology, probe around places such as Twitter, Facebook, Utube etc in order to assess the possibility of either using these systems or not. It requires forethought, discretion and wisdom to make sound judgement in order to make a safe decision for your students. Are these systems really necessary for your students to learn or do they chew up valuable time, create more headaches and leave a trail of destruction behind for some.

Your key teaching strategy in all this is to remember that education is the process by which all people learn no matter what background they are from, whereas instruction refers to the facilitating of learning, generally by a teacher. Teaching encompasses the actions of imparting learning to the student and learning is to impart specific knowledge, skills, or abilities that can be applied immediately upon completion by the learner.

http://teachingtreasures.com.au/

Our Children’s Privacy

2011-10-31T18:30:00.000+11:00

Should we allow ourselves, and our children to be ignorant of the underhanded methods used by corporate empires to gain much of our personal information through the use of online free apps (applications)? Like all things there is an opposite opinion, not to discourage the use of online apps as teaching tools. If you are online you will inevitably use some of these apps. Do not however be mistaken by the use of the word FREE especially when it comes to big business.

Large corporations do not provide anything without considering the future…. and that is the bottom line. In other words, they are giving something away that will cost them very little in order to cash in on something that we really should value more carefully…. our personal information. This personal information is gleaned about your habits such as your likes, dislikes, belief, daily schedules, intellect and whatever other private information to further manipulate your life into the future.

"How can they do that?" you ask.

By gaining your personal information they can tailor advertisements to the online services you use and before long you begin to rely on these. Make that "Free" product more tailored to your future use to gain even more of your attention and before long you’re hooked, or rather tied into their little controlled system and it can reach as far as just about everything you do.

Many of these companies are tied to other companies who utilise the information gained and the control of your personal life is increased. If you don’t believe this is happening, just keep on letting it go on. In the not to distant future you may understand and realise what has been happening.

With the responsibility of teaching children and how to use these supposedly free apps, we should spend equal amount of time teaching children how to protect their valuable privacy. Educators and parents need to inform children not to rely too much on the ‘honesty’ of these corporations who try to glean as much information out of us as possible with these ‘free’ apps.

Is your freedom or the future freedom of our children of so little value that we simply give away our precious privacies? Why should a shopkeeper want your postcode, date of birth or any other information? Online purchases are of even more of an invasion into our lives. Should we continue to be ignorant and be manipulated, or should we educate ourselves and our children and be in control of who we are, what we buy, and what information is necessary for anyone else to know.

Do you want to live in a world socialising with apps and gadgets or do you want to live in a world where real people socialise with one another? Perhaps these supposed free apps will be blamed in the near future for our children’s anti-social behaviour among other reasons.

A further thought: Is it not true also that there is no privacy where there should be privacy and where unscrupulous people should be exposed, these same people are protected by our privacy policies?

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/sitemap.htm

Twitter, Facebook or Utube

2011-10-31T05:00:00.000+11:00

Are these systems really necessary for your students to learn or do they chew up valuable time, create more headaches and leave a trail of destruction behind for some?

http://teachingtreasures.com.au/

http://teachingtreasurespublications.com.au/

Six key elements of successful learning

2011-10-30T10:18:00.000+11:00

Apparently there are six key elements of learning any subject matter. If a learner is able to answer the 6 questions below then a demonstration of higher level thinking skills has been applied and the key teaching strategy in all this is to encourage higher level thinking skills so that learners are pushed beyond their limit as much as possible. It may seem frustrating for both learner and teacher at times but according to educational experts it should produce results worth while.

The 6 questions are:

What did I learn?

Which Learning Outcome did it address?

Which activities enabled me to learn this?

How will I use the learning?

Why will the learning help in my development?

What references support my claims to the questions above?

I would think that it is totally safe to state that ALL learners will definitely not be able to answer the above questions. It would also be safe to state that MOST learners will not be able to answer the above questions. However, SOME learners will be able to answers the questions and aid their teacher in developing an appropriate curriculum for the future. I wonder how teachers are coping with all this? Let me know your thoughts.

http://teachingtreasurespublications.com.au/

USA online game

2011-10-13T11:13:00.000+11:00

For students who would like to learn the States of America there is a great interactive game online found at http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/gknowledge6-8/usa-online/usa-states.htm

It also covers the capital cities of each State found at http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/gknowledge6-8/USA-capital-cities.htm

Explore the USA, South America and Central America with these online games in order to either teach, or use as a supplementary resource with your own program.

Recycling

2011-10-12T11:39:00.004+11:00

If you would like to delve into a recycling project with your students then Nathan's Tubewhips found at http://tubewhips.com.au/ may be ideal. It is all about recycling the inner tubes of cars and turning these into great stock whips. Your normal stock whip is made of cowhide and of course you have the beautiful roohide whips. These tubewhips however are unique in that old inner tubes from cars are cleaned up, cut into strips and plaited into whips.

Nathan's web site shows a wonderful display of images and is full of information. The best part though, is that if you are looking for something to do regarding recycling and being an entrepreneur for high school students, Nathan himself is only a young fellow of 18 years old. He started when he was 16 and has been developing his tubewhips ever since.

The fact that Nathan is young and has had the fortitude to explore his options for a career, a passion and future financial opportunities it is well worth exploring this area as a project for those who don't mind a 'whip cracking' opportunity as an educational outcome with a difference. His inner tube whips are just one way of implementing the 3 R's... Reduce, Re-use, Recycle.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://tubewhips.com/index.html
http://tubewhips.com/about-us.html

Value of Online Games

2011-10-11T11:12:00.000+11:00

Recently I expressed my concerns about children playing games without educational value. Of course there needs to be some element of fun in children's lives and therefore I believe that senseless shoot em' up games needs to be restricted in order for young children to develop into well adjusted social persons.

The following games provided within this area are for students aged between 5 and 15, are interactive and provide a fun way to perhaps achieve some of the students' outcomes. Activities may be chosen by students, parents or teachers and are designed to provide an interest in maths, english, science, art and general knowledge.

Many students place high value on video games, online games and downloadable games for relaxation, pleasure or something to share with their friends. These games incorporate an element of fun combined with a constructive educational value. Teachers could utilize certain gaming software within their curriculum and parents could encourage educational gaming software to further their child's learning.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/english-online-main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/more_free_stuff.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/science4-5/mainscience4-5.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/art/artK-3/main-art.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/gknowledge6-8/main-online-general-knowledge.htm

$41 million for online curriculum

2011-10-03T08:00:00.000+11:00

The Hon Peter Garrett MP Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth released the following statement:

$41 million for online curriculum support to benefit teachers and students

"Students and teachers are set to benefit from a $41.2 million digital curriculum package which will provide new digital resources, helping teachers implement the Australian Curriculum. School Education Minister Peter Garrett said the package will give all schools in metropolitan, rural and regional areas access to new online materials for the first seven subject areas rolled out under the curriculum, as well as cross-curriculum capabilities."

With all this money going toward online learning one would hope it is not going to end up supporting social networks where bullying is not uncommon. Let's hope that the earmarked $10 million, which is going to "support teachers by providing high-quality online professional learning resources that further their professional development and may include helping teachers learn how to use wikis and blogs" is going to prove a disaster.

Are wikis essential learning material for our children?
How do children benefit from making another blog and joining the already millions out there with most of these containing copyright material and causing serious copyright breaches?
How are more brand new computers (with the latest software) in classrooms going to benefit already struggling families who can not purchase or upgrade their exisitng PC?
Is it going to make it easier or more difficult for students to go online and bully others through social networks?

These are just some of the questions or rather concerns I have. Feel free to leave your comment.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/bullying.htm
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/

American Teacher Film

2011-10-02T08:00:00.000+11:00

Lauren Woodman, General Manager, Worldwide Partners in Learning has announced that Microsoft Partners in Learning is "teaming up with a soon-to-be-released film called the 'American Teacher' which tells the collective story by and about those closest to the issues in our educational system—the 3.2 million teachers who spend every day in classrooms across the country.

The feature-length documentary brings together educational experts, student interviews, and a year of documenting the day-to-day lives and sacrifices of public school teachers. American Teacher raises important questions about how we value our strongest, most committed, and most effective teachers, and the ripple effect this has on how our children learn and their potential for future success."

The film should be of interest to many teachers, parents, home educators and the general public as it should expose some of the joys and frustrations of teaching. Australia is not immune to similar or identical issues which will be raised in this film so it will be interesting to watch the outcome of all of this!

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/teaching-joys-frust.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/teaching-strategy.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/index.html

Classroom Management

2011-10-01T15:24:00.002+10:00

I came across the following article today: "When someone sneezes, a common response is, “God bless you.” But one California teacher finds this statement so offensive and disruptive that he’s working to cut back on its usage in the classroom. Steve Cuckovich, a health teacher at William C. Wood High School in Vacaville, California, has attempted to banish the friendly gesture, as he believes it is both disrespectful and disruptive.

To punish students who do, indeed, say “God bless you” after one of their classmates sneezes, he purportedly knocks 25 points off of their grade. While this story may seem unbelievable at first glance, Cuckovich, himself, has commented on the classroom ban."

It is an interesting development as teachers need to be able to discipline so I think a different method needs to be implemented here as it should not affect the final mark of a student. Perhaps introduce a research project for the student who says “God bless you” and have the student find out where the saying originated from and have it backed up by Scripture! Some extra reading, research, writing and presenting the topic of “God Bless You” may start some different type of conversation in the classroom and improve communication skills as well.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Bible-education-act.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/earning-respect.htm

Adult Learning Mathematics

2011-09-26T19:50:00.001+10:00

I was wondering how adults would learn Maths compared to children and so I went on a bit of a search online. I found an interesting statement from Math.com which claims that businesses and companies in the United States spend over $4.3 billion on remedial math education for their employees each year. This did not surprise me. Apparently adult learning now exceeds 7.2 million with most adults using the Internet for education and this number is growing at a rate of 62% each year.

No doubt Australia has its own fascinating figures when it comes to adult learning. Being a Maths' Sufferer (as I call myself) it is not surprising to find myself struggling with the many web sites out there trying to help improve my Maths. I guess part math-anxiety is to blame where the person simply believes that "I can't do Maths".... and that is that and no amount of talking is going to change their mind. It will require a very special and skilled person to persuade them otherwise and make them believe that there is hope and they can do it if they were only shown HOW.

So as far as the 'Adult Learning Mathematics Teaching Strategy' is concerned, it is a matter of perseverance and finding the right resources to help. Perhaps some of the links below will help if you teach maths to adults. Although the age group is displayed, a lot of the activities are used for adult learning by lecturers who are involved in adult learning.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/maths6-8/main-online-math6-8.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more2.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more3.html

Bridging the Learning Gap

2011-09-21T08:00:00.001+10:00

Until September 30, 2011 the eBook 'Bridging the Learning Gap' comes automatically as a complimentary copy with any other eBook purchase made through the Teaching Treasures Shopping cart found at: http://teachingtreasures.net/products/reading-and-writing.html

Bridging the learning gap comprises of six fun English grammar lessons using paper, oral and Internet based methods. These simple, yet effective lessons are easy to follow, step by step instructional activities for students ages six to twelve. Ideal for teachers or parents who wish to teach or re-enforce some basic grammar. Mix auditory, visual and hands-on techniques to improve and build upon children's weaknesses or skill gaps rather than sticking to one method only. Thoroughly tested on numerous students between the ages six and fourteen.

Use the lessons over six days, six weeks or incorporate two lessons in one week. It is totally flexible to suit your teaching schedule. For best results you must be organized. Print all lessons well in advance and study them thoroughly so you are acquainted with its content. Obtain any additional materials you may need; e.g. old magazines, exercise books, glue, scissors etc. Before starting each lesson, ensure you have photocopied all relevant pages to avoid students having to wait for their material. They will loose interest and enthusiasm if you are disorganized.

Bridging the Learning Gap Content
Lesson Plan 1 What is grammar? Parts of speech - nouns, pronouns, adjectives, verbs, adverbs, prepositions, conjunctions, interjections. Flash cards.

Lesson Plan 2 Review 'grammar flash cards'. Capital letters & flash cards. Story reading with corresponding 'capital letters' worksheets. Internet.

Lesson Plan 3 Review 'parts of speech' & 'capital letters'. Introduction of spelling and dictionary usage with corresponding worksheets.

Lesson Plan 4 Review 'parts of speech' & 'capital letters'. Singular and plural rules with corresponding worksheets.

Lesson Plan 5 Review 'parts of speech'. Introduction of commas - question marks & exclamation marks.

Lesson Plan 6 Review lessons 1 - 5 with complimenting fun activities. Story reading, oral comprehension using the Internet.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://teachingtreasures.net/products/products.html
http://teachingtreasures.net/products/reading-and-writing.html

Metalinguistic Awareness

2011-09-20T17:18:00.001+10:00

Today I came across an engaging word called metalinguistics. For experienced teachers or those who are in the field of studying languages it is not a tricky word but merely part of their vocabulary. What metalinguistics basically means is the ability to think about language and talk about it. Not so difficult after all!

If you are a teacher then the development of metalinguistic awareness is really a crucial component in that the learner should be able to competently select and discuss the use of process and strategies appropriate to their needs. When a learner obtains metalinguistic awareness they become aware of their listeners and how these listeners affect the choice of language the learner uses. This means the learner uses vocabulary; varies intonation, tone, volume, pace etc.

The learner also becomes aware of social situations and how these affect the language they use. For example the learner is aware of when to speak and when not to speak in a social situation. Or when to ask questions and when not to, and have the awareness of who talks first and who has the final say during a conversation, debate or perhaps an argument.

Finally, metalinguistic awareness also uses language behaviour that is opportune to the situation. Some teaching strategies for metalinguistic awareness are for example self-talk, predicting, paraphrasing and summarizing.... read more

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/metalinguistic.html

Online English Games

2011-09-19T18:17:00.000+10:00

I was scratching around to find some online English educational games the other day and found the main entry page to a dozen of these for students ages 11 to 13. However, these activities can be used for ESL students, or gifted students in primary school, or those high school students who need revision work.

I believe that learning should contain a combination of methods and using some online activities is probably a good idea if you want to improve some computer skills at the same time as dictionary skills, reading, spelling, typing, and even geographical research is included. The links below go to the interactive Teaching Treasures English pages.

Test student's knowledge with these challenging English antonyms. Twenty questions in total.
Combine Science with English with this animal home activity. A dictionary may be required.
A challenging activity with these collective nouns. Several examples are given.
Twenty English homophones in a fun way to use and learn the language.
Test student's knowledge regarding opposite gender. A dictionary may be required.
Plural form of words are tested. Increase student's grammatical knowledge. Twenty words in total.
Increase student's spelling abilities with these twenty incorrectly spelled words
Twenty incorrect words to fix. A dictionary may be required by some students.
A quick challenge to test student's knowledge about correctly naming young animals.
One letter is missing in these geographical locations. Atlas may be required.
One letter is missing in these Scientific names. Dictionary may be required.
Singular form of words are tested. Increase student's grammatical knowledge.

Teaching Strategy Links:

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/english-online-main.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/antonyms.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/homes.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/collectivenoun.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/homophones.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/gender.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/plural.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/spelling.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/spelling2.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/babies.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/missing.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/singular.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/missing2.htm

$ Special e-Book Discount $

2011-08-27T13:36:00.000+10:00

If you like a bargain and are considering buying some educational e-Books then this may be the thing for you. If you purchase any of the e-Book products to the value of $20 or more from Teaching Treasures between 27 August 2011 and before 10 September 2011, they will automatically send you a complimentary e-Book product from their shopping cart range of their choice.

You will not have to do anything special to be eligible for this e-Book offer except make a purchase of $20 or more between the above mentioned dates from Teaching Treasures Publications online shopping cart at: http://teachingtreasures.net/products/products.html Products not listed on their shopping cart are not eligible for this offer.

Orders can be placed by visiting their web site and are processed using Paymate only. Products are attached as a pdf or zip to the email address you provide. Please allow a few days for processing and/or your payments to clear.

Please make sure your email box can accept up to a 16mb file when ordering. If your email box does not accept large files, it is possible to open an account with Google or Hotmail for this purpose.

http://teachingtreasures.net/products/products.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/

Relevancy of Art

2011-08-27T12:04:00.001+10:00

A parent recently asked me if Art was relevant in the classroom or if it was just another time waster. I had to admit that certain types of art are certainly most relevant while other forms of 'art' I would classify as definitely a waste of time.

Looking at art in the classroom I believe it should include sections of reading, writing, research, working alone and working with others (collaboration), maths, science, technology and I would even dare to go as far as to say physical exercise.

There are many forms of art and many of these would include some or even all of the above. I don't think it is difficult to throw some kind of 'art' lesson together and many educators can do this, but can you put a decent art lesson together where students will walk away from knowing that they have achieved something useful? A true outcome of their expectations?

I was watching the frustrations of an art student recently and it was not a pretty sight. When art becomes a teacher's choice only and when students are made to produce something to the teacher's liking or fail.... then you know that the outcome is a waste of time and not a progressive learning outcome.

Without boring you any further I am recommending just a few links below for those who wish to explore the very basics of colour mixing in art, or explore Aborigine art ideas.

Teaching Strategies Links:
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/WorksheetsK-3/art.htm
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/art/artK-3/main-art.htm
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/art/art4-5/main-art4-5.htm
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/art/art6-8/main-art6-8.htm
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/educational-games.html
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/art/Art-Borders/mainart.htm

The closure of edna

2011-08-25T12:08:00.000+10:00

Although somewhat old news, an interesting article caught my eye this morning, the closure of edna. For those who don't know what edna is, (or better said what edna was.... Australia's free online network for educators). "The decommissioning of edna will commence on 30 June 2011, and be completed on 30 September 2011. This decision is the outcome of a recent review," their website stated.

Apparently the edna website and most associated services will cease, including: news headlines, newsletters, news RSS feeds, resources, theme pages, search and browse functions and associated RSS feeds, event listings, schools calendar, and event RSS feeds.

I guess that there will be a large downstream effect on the portals and many services will have serious implications. Not to mention the cost associated with updating all relevant links on web sites. Edna claims that all services that are ceasing will be archived as far as possible so that may be a good thing or not depending on your outlook.

Edna will be missed by many as they did list numerous wonderful resources. The staff also did a great job of putting together a list of great web sites for teachers of which http://teachingtreasures.com.au/ was proud to be part of among others such as ABC Schools TV, ABC Behind the News, ABS Education, Literacy & Numeracy, DEEWR news releases, CURLS Centre for Learning Innovation, DET NSW, FUSE, DEEWR OECECC, ECA Webwatch, ACARA, BBC Learning & BBC Schools, HighWire Standford University Free Online Full-text Articles, and QLD Teaching and Learning Connect plus many more.

So to those who worked hard and honest for the benefit of educators in Australia... a big thank you.

What will replace edna?

In March 2010, education.au was merged with another ministerial company – Curriculum Corporation – forming a single new ministerial company called Education Services Australia (ESA).
ESA's web site presents its charter as:

“...to provide efficient education services to meet the future needs of all education sectors, particularly in relation to the implementation of national initiatives such as the National Curriculum and the Digital Education Revolution.”

The new ESA organisation has taken over the previous companies' operations and is presently developing a strategic plan regarding the services that are now under its responsibility. This includes services such as edna, The Learning Federation (TLF, now the National Digital Learning Resource Network - NDLRN) and supporting services for the Australian Curriculum. As part of the re-alignment process for the new organisation, the opportunity has been taken to measure the effectiveness of the current edna services.

What does this mean?

When there is talk of implementation of national initiatives such as the National Curriculum and the Digital Education Revolution I believe teachers, parents and the general man in the street needs to consider what it is all about. A true educational progress or an already fragile education system about to collapse even further.

Unlocking the language code

2011-08-22T13:48:00.001+10:00

The other day I read an interesting article by Kerry Hempenstall, lecturer in psychology at RMIT University. Although I do not entirely agree with the opening statement the article does have merit in that those who are learning to read need to unlock the alphabet. With unlocking I believe that someone is teaching them the basics and the learner in turn will expand on that knowledge either alone or with continued help until capable of reading alone.

Kerry mentions that in order to have a productive writing system the learner needs to be able to identify the sound for each letter, and blend the sounds together to recreate the spoken word; and that our language is like a code and it needs phonics to unlock this code.

It seems an easy enough statement, especially for those who can already read but for those who are still learning it can be a daunting task. As teachers we need to help those learners and the two key Teaching Strategies are encouragement and a positive atmosphere in achieving this goal.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/reading-methods/reading-methods.htm

Cyberbully

2011-08-20T14:45:00.000+10:00

Recently the Education Department apparently said that it is reluctant to amend its disciplinary guidelines on cyberbullying or become involved in incidents outside school hours for fear of exposure to compensation claims. However, many parents and teachers believe something needs to be done before it gets out of control and lawsuits start choking our legal system.

I would have to agree with the author (Jonathon Pech) of the article in that if you suspect something is wrong, don't wait until it is too late. As parents and teachers we need to act quickly and nip this unsavory behavior in the butt or suffer the consequences.

Accountability is what it boils down to and litigation is one big money spinner and if it is at the expense of our children then it is not worth it. That cyberbullying is on the increase is obvious, one only needs to read the papers or read the news online. Is there something we can do about it? Perhaps restrictions on mobile phones or the social media, or implement policies and procedures. But then again... are we policing things too closely? Do we take away more freedoms?

Children should be able to learn in a safe environment and definitely not harassed after school hours by their peers. Bullies tend to grow up and sometimes continue as bullies in the workplace. An unpleasant situation all around, loosing money for many businesses and creating health issues for those being bullied.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/bullying.htm

Active Learning

2011-08-18T16:13:00.001+10:00

Today I would like to take a quick look at students aged 9 to 10 years old however, if you teach ESL you may even like to use the following for some of your activities and adapt them for your level. Rhyming is always a great way to introduce new words or expand on existing learner knowledge. Words such as flower, power, tower, cower are perhaps already known to your students but it could be that these are completely new to them.

If the words introduced are new try some pictures to explain the meaning of them. Use picture-matching activities such as showing a picture on the left and drawing a line to match the correct sentence to the picture. Although this is a basic activity it can be made more complex by splitting one sentence in half and have students match one half of a sentence to the correct other half.

Perhaps mime is your thing or if possible display small objects to explain the meaning. Of course elicit the information from your learners first in order to gauge their knowledge base and to establish that very important communication between yourself and your learners in order to keep all students engaged.... active learning.

Introduce short activities using a dictionary so students can check the grammatical role of a word and thereby extending their language skills. Provide multiple choice question: e.g. I went back into the house because I …….. my bag. ---- (a) forget (b) forgotten (c) have forgotten (d) had forgotten

It is always good to pair students so they talk to one another. Communication is a great way to learn new things, further develop existing knowledge or come to understand how your student think so you may be able to help them achieve the best possible outcome for whatever it is they are learning. Communication is active learning and will help develop English language skills.

Teaching Strategy Link:

http://teachingtreasures.net/pet/english9-10.html

Articulation

2011-08-15T10:25:00.000+10:00

It is interesting to note that in the English language we have such variety of words, or a colourful language. One word can describe several meanings but often a word leaves us wondering what it means too. Below I will give a couple of examples of such words which may be of interest to you as a teacher, parent educator or ESL student.

articulation = The manner in which an individual moves his/her tongue, lips and jaw when making a sound.
phonemes = The individual sounds of a language.

When teaching English to a learner the articulation is important as your learner will take on, or copy what and how you present the sound of a word or sentence. If your personal articulation is above standard.... most likely your learner will develop the same standard, which is a good thing.

Individual sounds of a language vary from county to country so of course there will be differences if you have been educated in the USA, UK, Australia, or perhaps New Zealand. If you have been shifting around 2 or more English speaking countries you may even have developed a whole new way of sounds.

It is therefore important when dealing with young learners or ESL students that your teaching is of a good standard so they have a headstart in life. It is also important to use good teaching materials and the link below will take you to some excellent worksheet examples.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://teachingtreasures.net/pet/english5-8.html

Religious Activities

2011-08-14T15:09:00.000+10:00

If you ever have the need for an online religious activity, be it for a Sunday School lesson or the classroom then the following may be helpful. You will need a KJV bible (King James Version) in order to complete the biblical activities.

The activities are quizz based and ask questions such as "What was Luke's profession" and " What stood still for Joshua". Approximately 20 questions are given and once your learners have completed all the questions they simply select the 'check answers' button to view the results.

You can choose from 6 different activities ranging from ages 5 and up:

The Bible what page (ages 10 up).
The Bible unscramble quizz (ages 10 up).
Unscramble some names (ages 10 up).
God's Creation (ages 5 up).
Bible alphabet (ages 10 up).
Which verse (ages 10 up).

Teaching Strategies Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Bible-what.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Biblebooks-quiz.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/unscramble-names.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Godscreation.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Biblealpha-order.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Which-verse.htm

Elicitation

2011-08-04T08:22:00.000+10:00

If you are teaching a foreign language, elicitation may be of benefit to help achieve a more successful outcome for your learners. Elicitation is the act of obtaining language data from the learner in order for the teacher to use the learners’ existing language knowledge to stimulate information-gap activities.

The technique of drawing upon previous learned language knowledge can test the learners' capacity to provide data to the teacher and avoid the necessity of slowly explaining the meaning and use of the language item.

The learners’ covert knowledge is drawn into the lesson by the teacher who speaks very little during this process while the learners are given the opportunity to contribute their opinions, knowledge and ideas providing a positive and active learning atmosphere, process and technique.

Because elicitation also provides the teacher and learners with active involvement, it sets the speed of the lesson development and shows learners’ strengths and weaknesses. Elicitation can cover grammar items, ideas, opinions, feelings, situations, contexts and words/phrases among other things.

Due to the fact that elicitation reduces Teacher Talk Time (TTT), the learners are provided with more opportunity to practice their speaking skills leading to increased learner confidence which is a major objective for all teachers.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/LOTE_more.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/

Mathematics Methods

2011-07-09T14:25:00.000+10:00

Today I am looking at the Teaching Strategy of Mathematics and some methods by which it should be delivered. Maths should stimulate a desire to want to learn by delivering the content creatively and with variety so not just one outcome is achieved but several to avoid tediousness. Combining key learning areas across the curriculum such as reading (English), accessing online video (Technology), numbers and symbols (Maths), and Pythagoras (Social Studies) allows students to explore the content and processes in mathematics curriculum.

It should also create a sense of achievement and equity in every student. Students need to collaborate in small groups and help each other with problems and come to an agreed solution. This also covers the foundational mathematical concept of learning as a social activity in that “both the mathematics and the manner in which it is learned are influenced by the way children interact with each other and with their teachers” (Booker et al. 2004, p. 6).

Frid (2001) teaches that mathematics is like a foundation, everything depends on it. The foundation needs to be laid properly so the rest can be build upon it. If the foundation is not done properly, it will cause enormous problems and generally one must start from the beginning again. If mathematics concepts are not understood in primary school years, students could be left floundering in high school and possibly fail due to either poor teaching or their own non-mastery of mathematical concepts. Scaffolding and effective teaching methods will need to be implemented at a young age in order for students to master mathematics in consecutive years.

Teaching Strategy Links:

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more.html

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more2.html

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more3.html

Presenting a Foreign Language

2011-07-08T08:00:00.001+10:00

Although some students consider learning another language as unrelated, irrelevant to them and a waste of time, in order for anyone to be an effective teacher, it is the teacher’s duty and pleasure to come up with new ideas and innovative ways of presenting a foreign language to students.

It is the teacher’s responsibility to show students that learning a second language is relevant in today's society and that it is "all joined together, accessible to all, and everywhere you look” (Frid, 2001). The Board of Studies NSW (2002) basically says that teaching requires a practical application, provide opportunities for creativity, challenge and leisure. Effective teachers need to support concurrent learning across other key learning areas and build a foundation for future education.

Students should be given the opportunity to develop knowledge, skills and understanding through inquiry, application of problem-solving strategies including the selection and use of appropriate technology, communication, reasoning and reflection (Board of Studies NSW 2002).

One effective method used in foreign language teaching is elicitation. Elicitation is the act of obtaining language data from the learner in order for the teacher to use the learners’ existing language knowledge to stimulate information-gap activities. The technique of drawing upon previous learned language knowledge can test the learners' capacity to provide data to the teacher and avoid the necessity of slowly explaining the meaning and use of the language item.

The learners’ covert knowledge is drawn into the lesson by the teacher who speaks very little during this process while the learners are given the opportunity to contribute their opinions, knowledge and ideas providing a positive and active learning atmosphere, process and technique.

Because elicitation also provides the teacher and learners with active involvement, it sets the speed of the lesson development and shows learners’ strengths and weaknesses. Elicitation can cover grammar items, ideas, opinions, feelings, situations, contexts and words/phrases among other things. Due to the fact that elicitation reduces Teacher Talk Time (TTT), the learners are provided with more opportunity to practice their speaking skills leading to increased learner confidence which is a major objective for all teachers.

Teaching Strategy Links:

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/main-news.htm

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/articles/languages.html

Language Learning Methods

2011-07-07T15:00:00.001+10:00

Today I would like to take another look at the Teaching Strategy of learning a foreign language and some methods by which the target language could be delivered. Language learning should stimulate a desire to want to learn by delivering the content creatively and with variety so not just one outcome is achieved but several to avoid tediousness. By combining key learning areas across the language program such as reading (English), accessing online video (Technology), numbers and symbols (Maths) allows students to explore the content and processes within a foreign language program.

Foreign language learning should also create a sense of achievement and equity in every student. Students need to collaborate in small groups and help each other with problems and come to an agreed solution. This also covers the foundational concept of learning as a social activity in that the manner in which the language is learned is influenced by the way learners interact with each other and with their teachers of course.

The foundation of any language needs to be laid properly so the rest can be built upon it. If the foundation is not done properly, it will cause enormous problems and generally one must start from the beginning again. If foreign language learning concepts are not understood early, students could be left floundering as they progress and possibly fail due to either poor teaching or their own non-mastery of language learning concepts. Scaffolding (step by step learning) and effective teaching methods will need to be implemented early in order for students to master the target language in consecutive years.

Much language teaching and learning has changed from individual and rote learning, to cooperative group learning and social interactivity such as dialogue, discussion, argumentation and negotiation. The traditional passive learning has also been replaced with active learning, known as constructivism.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/language-con.htm
http://teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/reading-methods/reading-methods.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/articles/languages.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/main-news.htm

Foreign Language Learning Experience

2011-06-29T17:45:00.000+10:00

Within this blog I will discuss a foreign language learning experience, the learning situation and personal feelings toward the methodologies used during the 1980s, and compare these to the methods used during that period and those that are used today. I will also discuss how the earlier methods were effective but only to a certain extent. This in turn will reveal that the skills taught were not used in a realistic way and that there is always room for improvement in teaching a foreign language.

Having attended schooling in the Netherlands it was common to be taught several foreign languages. During the early 1980s I was taught three foreign languages, besides my native tongue Dutch, I was taught English, German and French. Each of these foreign languages was taught in the same manner and utilised identical methodology, which was grammar first and followed by translating word-for-word and phrases (lexical items) from native tongue into the foreign language. This was in effect accomplished through the memorisation of extensive lists of words and phrases or what may now be called the Grammar-Translation Method.

During the process of learning my foreign language, several written tests were administered in order to gauge progress. By having a good memory I was able to achieve satisfactory results and quite capable of passing these tests with flying colours. However, using that language effectively in a ‘real-world’ setting was near impossible as I soon discovered while on holidays in France. For example, a simple visit to the bakery proved that being able to say ‘boulangerie’ didn’t help me much in ordering fancy pastries. Nor being able to say the German word Wurst was going to get me a decent meal in Germany while on holiday there.

All the memorising of extensive word-lists in the world did not make me a good speaker of the target language nor did it provide confidence or the ability to communicate with the locals, leaving me floundering with my acquired foreign language skills.

The above experiences proved to me that the main focus of years of learning a foreign language was based on mental discipline and intellectual development rather than being able to communicate the target language effectively. This in turn ...... click here to read more >>>

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/articles/languages.html

Foreign Language Teaching

2011-06-29T17:38:00.000+10:00

Trying to teach a language with rules and extensive lists of vocabulary to learn is rather difficult and believe it or not lots of people end up knowing some vocabulary of the target language they are learning but find it difficult of course to communicate.

The problem with the old traditional approach, also known as the Grammar-Translation Method, is that a lot of teachers believed that explaining the rules was sufficient and their job was done. However, the vast majority of language learners want to speak the new language, so the opportunity to practise the new language in ways that are not stressful and do not lead them to feel embarrassed should be provided.

Inevitably constructive support is what is needed and if you are a good teacher you will provide this for all of your students, whatever their ability level or signs of progress they demonstrate. This is one of a teacher’s most important skills. Building confidence, humour and laughter are essential ingredients in language learning.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/articles/languages.html

Psalm 96 Project

2011-06-07T10:00:00.001+10:00

Good teachers should never forget that they too were young learners once and in reality still are learning every day. Deuteronomy 4:9-10 says "[...] keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons; Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children."

Teaching our children is a task not just for 'qualified' (with a degree) teachers but it is a task for any adult. Parents, grandparents, friends etc. How are children going to learn if there is no one capable of teaching them the good and honest things of life.

A great project is Psalm 96 which is the focus in this Art project. Students were asked to make a drawing that they thought would compliment Psalm 96. English was covered by reading the Psalm. Parts of the Psalm were written and memorized. Several verses were cross referenced with other Scriptures, aiding in students understanding of these verses.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Bible-Projects/sing-unto-the-Lord.htm

Teachers in the Bible

2011-06-06T10:00:00.001+10:00

Recently I was reading a few Scriptures from the King James Bible and came across some where teachers were mentioned. I wondered how many teachers these Scriptures applied to and if some of you reading this blog would recognise some of those character traits.

Let teachers be teachers of truth and not of lies.

Habakkuk 2:18-19 "What profiteth the graven image that the maker thereof hath graven it; the molten image, and a teacher of lies, that the maker of his work trusteth therein, to make dumb idols? Woe unto him that saith to the wood, Awake; to the dumb stone, Arise, it shall teach! Behold, it is laid over with gold and silver, and there is no breath at all in the midst of it."

By their fruits ye shall know them. Our behaviour will show if we are true or not.

John 3:1-3 "There was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews: The same came to Jesus by night, and said unto him, Rabbi, we know that thou art a teacher come from God: for no man can do these miracles that thou doest, except God be with him. Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God."

Are teachers good examples or not?

Romans 2:20-23 "An instructor of the foolish, a teacher of babes, which hast the form of knowledge and of the truth in the law. Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?"

Teaching Strategy Link:

http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/index.html

Faith in Teaching 4

2011-06-05T10:00:00.006+10:00

Welcome back to Faith in Teaching blog 4. In the first three blogs we looked at the positive and negative influences people have while we teach our learners. It is up to each individual to work out if a person is having a positive or negative influence on us so we can accept their help or reject it quickly in order not to loose any further confidence.

If you read the previous blog then you will realise that you must sort out the bully by seeking the authority's help. Encourage the husband or wife to get involved. Seek friends who support, encourage and are like-minded and avoid upsetting neighbours. Tell parents, grandparents and in-laws to either be helpful or butt-out.

Show kids respect if you want them to respect you. Learn how a library works to relief the burden on library staff. Avoid disorganized resource centres. Bookmark good web sites and financially support web site owners so they can continue to provide new resources. Establish your own library of research books at home. Don’t waste time talking to people unless they have something useful to say.

The final point I mentioned was Faith. Faith plays a major role in many people’s lives; seek the truth with all your heart and you will find it. Isaiah 55:6 says; Seek ye the LORD while he may be found, call ye upon him while he is near. And perhaps that is what you need to do as it is our faith which gives us the strength to cope each day with things that come our way. Psalm 34:14 says; Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it.

So… if you get down the dumps and wonder why you do what you are doing, consider the points above and think about how you can change your attitude, the attitude of others and get on with what you set out to do. But before I sign off let me show you a chapter of the book of Galations from the King James Bible.

The reason I am posting this is because as Christian teachers we get very much involved with worldly issues, laws, and religious and cultural issues in the classroom. I hope this has been interesting reading for you and I look forward to writing the next blog.

Gal 3:1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?
Gal 3:2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Gal 3:4 Have ye suffered so many things in vain? if it be yet in vain.
Gal 3:5 He therefore that ministereth to you the Spirit, and worketh miracles among you, doeth he it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?
Gal 3:6 Even as Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.
Gal 3:7 Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.
Gal 3:8 And the scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the heathen through faith, preached before the gospel unto Abraham, saying, In thee shall all nations be blessed.
Gal 3:9 So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham.
Gal 3:10 For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse: for it is written, Cursed is every one that continueth not in all things which are written in the book of the law to do them.
Gal 3:11 But that no man is justified by the law in the sight of God, it is evident: for, The just shall live by faith.
Gal 3:12 And the law is not of faith: but, The man that doeth them shall live in them.
Gal 3:13 Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: for it is written, Cursed is every one that hangeth on a tree:
Gal 3:14 That the blessing of Abraham might come on the Gentiles through Jesus Christ; that we might receive the promise of the Spirit through faith.
Gal 3:15 Brethren, I speak after the manner of men; Though it be but a man's covenant, yet if it be confirmed, no man disannulleth, or addeth thereto.
Gal 3:16 Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Gal 3:17 And this I say, that the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.
Gal 3:18 For if the inheritance be of the law, it is no more of promise: but God gave it to Abraham by promise.
Gal 3:19 Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.
Gal 3:20 Now a mediator is not a mediator of one, but God is one.
Gal 3:21 Is the law then against the promises of God? God forbid: for if there had been a law given which could have given life, verily righteousness should have been by the law.
Gal 3:22 But the scripture hath concluded all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to them that believe.
Gal 3:23 But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed.
Gal 3:24 Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Gal 3:25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.
Gal 3:26 For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:27 For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
Gal 3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
Gal 3:29 And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/

Faith in Teaching 3

2011-06-04T10:00:00.003+10:00

Welcome back to Faith in Teaching blog 3. We previously looked at the positives influences of those who help us. Now let’s look at the negative influences those people who help us could have.

1. colleagues – bullying, jealous, unsupportive
2. husbands – don’t care, not interested, too busy
3. wives – don’t bother me, I’ve got better things to do, it’s your job not mine
4. friends – intrusive, obstructive
5. neighbours – hinder, disturb, distract
6. parents – disregard, indifference
7. grandparents – contempt, reject abilities
8. in-laws – meddlesome, interfering, distressing
9. kids – resentful, disobedient, disrespectful
10. library staff – impolite, inconsiderate, unhelpful
11. resource centres – dinosaur stuff, overstocked, disorganized
12. internet – difficult to find good stuff, dead links
13. books – limited availability, expensive
14. strangers – irritating, aggravating, frustrating
15. faith – trying, upsetting, preventing, restraining

The above negatives seem depressing but I’m trying to point out some people, issues or events that may cause you to feel listless and down-hearted after years of teaching. Why do we get the attitude of ‘why do I bother’ and can you do something about it. Maybe you can’t but I believe if you tried to pinpoint some problems maybe you could get that enthusiasm back again, renew your energy and look over the horizon once more.

Let's look at the final answer to this issue in our next blog Faith in Teaching 4.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/home-news/news-main.htm

Faith in Teaching 2

2011-06-03T09:00:00.010+10:00

Welcome to the Faith in Teaching series blog 2. Remember from blog 1 that I penned down 15 possibilities (no doubt you could have added many more to the list) let’s examine these quickly one by one and see if these possibilities are supportive and provide you with positive help.

1. colleagues – talk to colleagues, swap ideas, encourage one another
2. husbands – a wealth of helpful information, life’s experiences, a different viewpoint
3. wives – encouraging new ideas, a listening ear, different approaches
4. friends – wind down and relax, mill over issues, solve problems together
5. neighbours – enthusiastic about your job, interested in what you do
6. parents – supporting, understanding, lend a hand when time is precious
7. grandparents – been there done that, relate past experiences
8. in-laws – helpful opinions, kind-hearted, accommodating
9. kids – willing to help, cooperative, fresh ideas, accepting
10. library staff – long-suffering, sympathetic, thoughtful
11. resource centres – a treasure of information, variety
12. internet – resources, information, guidance
13. books – suggestions, answers to questions, adequate supply
14. strangers – outsider’s point of view, unconstrained, objective
15. faith – trust, confidence, reliance, devotion, loyalty, commitment

OK… these were the positives, now let’s look at the negative influences the above possibilities could have... More in the next blog 'Faith in Teaching 3'

Teaching Strategies Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Bible-Projects/homeschool-projects-main.htm

Faith in Teaching 1

2011-06-02T10:07:00.000+10:00

Why do we get depressed and downhearted after years of teaching? Why do we loose interest in the kids we teach and why is the attitude of ‘I don’t care’ creeping in, and worse… it is staying. Those that have taught for many years will recognize the above issues and may have experienced some or all of these points. Many people that are teaching kids ask these questions and wonder why they loose the enthusiasm they once had.

Remember when you first started? Great plans, excellent ideas… no they were brilliant, wonderful resources, unlimited energy, new horizons to explore, exciting prospects and the list goes on.

What happened?

I guess with everything we do in our own strength, there is a limit before we burn out, experience difficulties in implementing new ideas and gather the energy to tackle another day. In other words, we need help. Some need help every day, others from time to time.

Where does this help come from?

1. colleagues
2. husbands
3. wives
4. friends
5. neighbours
6. parents
7. grandparents
8. in-laws
9. kids
10. library staff
11. resource centres
12. internet
13. books
14. strangers
15. faith

Now that I’ve penned down 15 possibilities (no doubt you could add many more to the list) let’s examine these quickly one by one and see if these possibilities are supportive and provide you with positive help.

More on this in the next blog 'Faith in Teaching 2'

Teaching Strategies Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Bible-education-act.htm

Sunbirds Project

2011-05-18T11:00:00.003+10:00

If you feel a little gloomy because the sun has not come out for awhile then an art project about the sunbird may be just what you and your students need. Simply ask your learners if they know what a sunbird looks like.

Locate where these birds live, if they migrate or not, what they eat, breeding cycle, endangered or not etc. Snippets of information can be written on a large poster with drawings of sunbirds.

There is the ruby cheeked sunbird, the crimson sunbird, the superb sunbird, and the olive backed sunbird. Of course all live in various parts of the world so this project is a combination of geography, english, and art.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/student-projects/sunbirds.htm

Robert Wadlow project

2011-05-17T11:00:00.001+10:00

If you like teaching record breaking events such as the Robert Wadlow project then this could be a start. Simply follow the links and ask your students to research as many facts as possible.

Robert Wadlow is recorded as being the tallest person in the world, 8 feet 11 inches, but there is one person recorded in the Bible being 6 cubits and a span which is about 10½ feet tall. His name is Goliath of Gath, a Philistine. You can read about him in 1 Samuel chapter 17.

There are a couple of tasks on the following web page which can be used or use your own teaching strategy to encourage your students to learn about special people or events.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/student-projects/robert-wadlow.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/student-projects/robert-wadlow2.htm

Fruit

2011-05-16T11:00:00.001+10:00

If you like to teach young learners about the importance of eating healthy then a fruit project may be a good starting point. The teaching strategy here is to stress the importance of eating raw fruit and vegetables. Emphasis on raw as this is of course much better for you then if everything was cooked or processed.

Young learners can benefit from the web page links below and it would be a great idea to bring in different fruits your students may never have seen before. Although this can be an expensive exercise! Perhaps each student could bring a piece of fruit to class and you can categorize how many apples, oranges, bananas, kiwi fruits, pineapples etc were brought in.

Incorporate this into a graph for maths purposes if you like. Why not link your health project to a maths project! Complete the online health knowledge test and include a little technology to the project.

Teaching Strategies Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/student-projects/fruit.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/student-projects/fruit2.htm

Bull Ants

2011-05-15T11:00:00.002+10:00

The behaviour of ants has fascinated scientists for a long time and no wonder when you consider they can carry food up to seven times their own body weight. Their social behaviour is among the most complex in the insect world.

To include your strategy of teaching about ants you can visit the web pages listed below. Did you know that ants communicate by touch and smell and constantly touch each other to pass on their nest odour?

Your learners will be fascinated to learn that all ants have two sets of jaws, the outer pair is used for carrying objects and for digging while the inner pair is used for chewing. All ants play an important role in the environment. They will dispose of rotting plants and dead animals ranging from a little mouse to a big elephant.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/student-projects/bull-ants.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/student-projects/bull-ants2.htm

History

2011-05-14T10:59:00.000+10:00

Teaching History is an interesting strategy to use within the classroom to encourage creative and critical thinking. Once you start delving into the past you will discover things you never knew about and you will see how things have changed over generations.

Your learners will discover different cultures, different languages, new ideas, fantastic architectural structures and flora and fauna which may be extinct now. Look at housing, family size, occupations, health issues, wars, pestilences, famines and natural disasters.

All of those issues are part of our history. If you don't like going to far into the past then perhaps last week's or last year's history could make an interesting project.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/history_project.htm

Llanfair P.G. Project

2011-05-13T14:29:00.000+10:00

Teaching students about geography can be boring for some, yet exciting for others. To add a little spice to your next geography lesson take a look at this teaching strategy.

Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch means; "St. Mary's Church in the hollow of white hazel near a rapid whirlpool and the Church of St. Tysilio near the red cave."

Did you know that Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch is not the longest town name in the world? Thailand has a town whose name has 163 letters:

Krungthepmahanakornamornratanakosinmahintarayutthayamahadilokphopnop- paratrajathaniburiromudomrajaniwesmahasatharnamornphimarnavatarnsathit- sakkattiyavisanukamprasit.

Perhaps by including a neat little surprise such as this one it would get your students more enthusiastic about places around the world. My guess is that your students would have problems pronouncing the names like most of us but it certainly is a good teaching strategy to include into your lesson.

How many students are able to copy the name correctly? Try it!

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/student-projects/Llanfair.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/student-projects/Llanfair2.htm

23 Ways to discover Japan

2011-05-12T14:20:00.000+10:00

23 Ways to discover Japan is an interesting way to explore another culture. The key teaching strategy here is to conduct research and document the findings. The final project is of course putting something readable together for others to view and learn from. Take a look at the examples below.

1.How many islands does Japan have? Name them.
2.What is Kansai?
3.How big is Japan?
4.What is Japan's population?
5.How many languages do Japanese people speak?
6.What type of money does Japan use?
7.What is the capital of Japan?
8.Which is the main island?
9.Name the waters surrounding Japan.
10.What is the main food crop grown in Japan?
11.How many active volcanoes does Japan have?
12.What is a pagoda?
13.Can you draw a pagoda?
14.What does Nippon mean?
15.What are the colours of the Japanese flag? Draw the flag.
16.Where is Mount Fuji?
17.Why is 'tea' important in Japan?
18.Where is the Horyu Temple?
19.What kind of climates does Japan have?
20.What other countries are closest to Japan?
21.What is a tsunami?
22.What is a typhoon?
23.Visit Japan on the net.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/japan_project.html

Making Friends

2011-05-11T14:12:00.000+10:00

Making Friends is an original write-up from Teaching Treasures Publications and although found in many other places online it does not take away its copyright from this write-up. You can do a search online and more than likely come up with the same article. Another good copyright breach example for your students if you wish to go into copyright issues as a project.

However, this activity is about making friends, which can be difficult, especially these days with so many peer pressures. You're the odd one out if your clothes are different, your hair is the wrong cut or colour, your shoes are bought on a budget and don't display the designer label.

Maybe you happen to enjoy listening to the wrong kind of music, your folks are not as trendy as they should be, you don't have a credit card, or you weren't preapproved online for that nifty colour coded credit card but your friends were. Not to mention... What!.... You don't do drugs? etc....etc...

Let me tell you a secret!

If you want to develop a more pleasing personality and make friends.......... become genuinely interested in other people. Show kindness........ you may be wearing the latest designer label clothes, the hottest brand shoes, the coolest jewelry, and got online approval for that credit card but if you display sourness and selfishness you'll have a battle ahead of you to make good friends.

All of the above and more key teaching strategies about making friends can be found at the links below.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Danger%20zone/friends.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Danger%20zone/friends-activity.htm

Learn About Spiders

2011-05-10T14:06:00.000+10:00

Some students have phobias about spiders and it can become a serious problem during school outings. Spiders should not be regarded as deadly, venomous creatures and certainly deserve to be left alone as much as possible.

It is your task as a teacher to explain that spiders have a right to life as much as anybody or any other creature in this world. Encourage students to observe a spider and discover its beauty and the challenges it encounters to survive each day.

Your teaching strategy to start with is the challenge of making sure all students are comfortable with the fact of a spider being nearby.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Danger%20zone/deadly_spiders.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Danger%20zone/spiders-activity.htm

Cumulus Clouds

2011-05-09T14:13:00.000+10:00

Outcomes which are explored within this Christian principles teaching strategy:

English: Develop reading and writing skills
Art: Explore artistic abilities
Science: Improve Scientific knowledge
Technology: Develop research skills using technology
Mathematics: Use math in a fun way
Health: Discover more about keeping healthy
Society & Environment: Explore environmental issues

A wonderful teaching strategy which incorporates the observance of weather patterns and clouds is the cumulus clouds project. Research, observation and documentation, reading, writing, graphing and visiting online weather stations are just a few of the things you can include with this project.

The clouds were observed for one week and notes taken each day in the morning and late afternoon. A graph was made and the different cloud formations plotted (covering graphing in math).

Books about cloud formation were read and a documentary video viewed. Psalm 147, a Psalm of praise was read and portions memorized.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Bible-Projects/cumulus-clouds.htm

Learn about Rats

2011-05-08T10:30:00.001+10:00

Animal studies are always of particular interest to most students and the humble rat was no exception using the following teaching strategy; Enjoy learning about rats and that these creatures have their place in Creation.

A pet rat was examined for this project. Library books were borrowed and rat facts explored. Body features of the rat were looked at closely, taking special care to part the lips slightly and expose teeth.

Health issues were discussed and diseases that rats spread. Once students had a grasp of rat-facts they completed a short essay and decorated it with their personal art work.

Outcomes which are explored within this Christian principles teaching strategy:

English: Develop reading and writing skills
Art: Explore artistic abilities
Science: Improve Scientific knowledge
Technology: Develop research skills using technology
Mathematics: Use math in a fun way
Health: Discover more about keeping healthy
Society & Environment: Explore environmental issues

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Bible-Projects/rats.htm

The Sun Project

2011-05-07T10:00:00.002+10:00

Outcomes which are explored within this Christian principles teaching strategy:

English: Develop reading and writing skills
Art: Explore artistic abilities
Science: Improve Scientific knowledge
Technology: Develop research skills using technology
Mathematics: Use math in a fun way
Health: Discover more about keeping healthy
Society & Environment: Explore environmental issues

Genesis chapter one was read and a seven page book designed. It was discussed what God created from day one onwards. The title of the book was: "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth"

Day 1) light - day & night
Day 2) heavens
Day 3) land - fruit trees, grass, oceans/rivers
Day4) sun - moon - stars - seasons
Day 5) birds - fish
Day 6) animals - man
Day 7) God rested

After Genesis chapter one was read students were asked to explore books about each of the topics on the days. The entire project runs over seven days and by the end each student will have their personal account of God's Creation.

For example on day four, the sun was researched and students wrote a short essay about their findings. You can see from the student example that it is a different approach to perhaps your usual teaching strategy but different is good because students need the variation within their learning environment in order to keep them stimulated and engaged.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Bible-Projects/sun.htm

Gathering Summer Fruits

2011-05-06T08:58:00.001+10:00

A summer fruits project keeping Christian principles in mind.

English: Develop reading and writing skills
Art: Explore artistic abilities
Science: Improve Scientific knowledge
Technology: Develop research skills using technology
Mathematics: Use math in a fun way
Health: Discover more about keeping healthy
Society & Environment: Explore environmental issues

The following teaching strategy was used to encourage knowledge about fruits and vegetables and healthy eating habits. The huge variety of fruit and vegetables was discussed with students. At one local fruit shop they counted no less then 107 different varieties. It was a big job counting the varieties but it was confirmed by the shop keeper the children counted correctly.

A list was made of the different fruits they could think of and more varieties from foreign countries were added to the list. It never seemed to stop growing.

Students were asked to find Bible verses which contained the words Summer Fruits. These are listed here.

Next they were asked to paint a picture titled: 'Gathering Summer Fruits'.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/Bible-Projects/summer-fruits.htm

Student Display

2011-05-05T11:00:00.005+10:00

Create an interest among the students and parents within your class or school, allowing your students to make an individual poster about themselves from babyhood to their current age, displaying history about their lives.

Photos of themselves could be copied and glued to the poster, the student or parent could write an explanation about the photos, additional information of prominent facts about themselves could also be written on the poster like current age, height, colour hair, eyes and skin, some of the things they like and dislike etc.

Some of the students may like to draw a cartoon drawing of themselves, a picture (drawing) can tell a thousand words, student will have fun with this idea.

The teaching strategy here is that students get involved in the research of family history, they read, write, plan a display, design poster, interact with friends, family in order to gain information. A great way to encourage sharing with other class mates about past events such as holidays or sport events.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/4Displ_Idea.html

English Display

2011-05-04T11:04:00.002+10:00

A book display is a great way to encourage english skills. Reading and writing are important at any age so the following teaching strategy can be adopted to suit your students.

You will need access to a good variety of books. Use the local library, the school's library, your own or ask friends. Display the books in an interesting way. Students could help design the display. Keep size and colour in mind when co-ordinating the display.

Make and display a poster or banner that reads: 'Reading is Fun' You can make this yourself or have students create one for you. Allow students to browse through other books of equal quality stacked on a separate table or on the floor.

This helps to prevent your display being dismantled by eager readers. Interact with the students by asking them if they can locate the author's name, where it was printed, the index, copyright page etc.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/3Displ_Idea.html

Science Display

2011-05-03T10:00:00.001+10:00

A Bug Display

Safety is always a priority. Ensure students understand the dangers of looking for bugs under rocks and in dark corners. Discuss insect and spider bites before collecting bugs.

Teaching students about insects is a great way to get out of the classroom for a short time. You will find insects in any schoolyard and sometimes even within the classroom. The teaching strategy is to develop students interest about bugs by collecting, displaying and identifying them.

You will incorporate first-aid, reading, writing, classification, researching, identifying, co-operation, team work etc. all within this one activity. It can be conducted over a week, month or even longer.

If pushed for time simply use the project as a one-day stint. Of course your insect collection will be much smaller and perhaps not as interesting. Bugs hold a fascination to many students so why not utilise it!

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/2Displ_Idea.html

Technology Display

2011-05-02T10:55:00.001+10:00

If you have students who appreciate the hands-on approach in class then you can utilise the following teaching strategy using Technology as your main outcome. The idea with this exercise is to develop students interest on how things work by letting them take old appliances apart.

With the help of a few basic tools you can take apart any small technology item such as an old walkman, beaters, remote control toy car etc.

Safety is always a priority. Cut off power cords before students work on the appliances. Utilise the parts of the item to create a robot perhaps.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/current_ideas.htm

Animania - Snakes

2011-05-01T11:00:00.002+10:00

The final Animania section is a wonderful teaching resource utilizing the strategy of incorporating technology, science, and English. The technology aspect includes online interaction with a game-like-quiz about various animals.

The science aspect is drawing upon previous learned knowledge and learning new information and applying the newly learned knowledge to the online Animania quiz game. Of course it stands to reason that the English aspect includes your learner having to read.

LEARN ABOUT SNAKES is the seventh Animania activity followed by the interactive quiz.

Quote: "Snakes are reptiles that lay eggs, breathe with lungs and have skins covered with scales. Reptiles are cold-blooded and their temperature depends on their surroundings. Snakes are found all over the world except in the Antarctic. You can find the Adder and the Viper snakes all over Europe and across Asia."

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Ani-Main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/snakes1.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Snakes.htm

Animania - Water Wonders

2011-04-30T11:00:00.011+10:00

The sixth Animania section is all about creation in the ocean and again it is an interesting teaching resource utilizing the strategy of incorporating technology, science, and English. The technology aspect includes online interaction with a game-like-quiz about various animals.

The science aspect is drawing upon previous learned knowledge and learning new information and applying the newly learned knowledge to the online Animania quiz game. Of course it stands to reason that the English aspect includes your learner having to read.

LEARN ABOUT WATER WONDERS is the sixth Animania activity followed by the interactive quiz.

Quote: "Sharks are the best hunters in the sea and beautiful creatures of the deep. With their sharp teeth and strong jaws they can tear up seals, turtles, fish, people and if they get really annoyed they'll even tear up a small boat. Leave a shark alone and generally it will leave you alone, most sharks are more scared of you and will soon swim away."

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Ani-Main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/waterwonders1.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/WaterWonders.htm

Animania - Bears

2011-04-29T10:00:00.001+10:00

The fifth Animania section is also an interesting teaching resource utilizing the strategy of incorporating technology, science, and English. The technology aspect includes online interaction with a game-like-quiz about various animals.

The science aspect is drawing upon previous learned knowledge and learning new information and applying the newly learned knowledge to the online Animania quiz game. Of course it stands to reason that the English aspect includes your learner having to read.

LEARN ABOUT BEARS is the fifth Animania activity followed by the interactive quiz.

Quote: "The grizzly, or brown bear, is one of 8 species of bears found in the world. Two well-known species in North America are the polar bear and the American black bear. The other species are the sun bear, the sloth bear, the Asian black bear, the giant panda bear and the spectacled bear which lives in South America."

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Ani-Main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/bearfacts1.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/bearfacts.htm

Animania - Dogs

2011-04-28T11:00:00.002+10:00

The fourth Animania section is also an interesting teaching resource utilizing the strategy of incorporating technology, science, and English. The technology aspect includes online interaction with a game-like-quiz about various animals.

The science aspect is drawing upon previous learned knowledge and learning new information and applying the newly learned knowledge to the online Animania quiz game. Of course it stands to reason that the English aspect includes your learner having to read.

LEARN ABOUT DOGS is the fourth Animania activity followed by the interactive quiz.

Quote: "Dogs must be cared for properly. Regular exercise is important as well as balanced diet, clean bedding, vaccination and a good wash-up every now and then. Remember the work involved in keeping a dog before you purchase or accept one as a gift. You are responsible for its well-being!"

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Ani-Main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/dogs1.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Dogs.htm

Animania - Horses & Donkeys

2011-04-27T10:00:00.002+10:00

Once again, the third Animania section is another interesting teaching resource utilizing the strategy of incorporating technology, science, and English. The technology aspect includes online interaction with a game-like-quiz about various animals.

The science aspect is drawing upon previous learned knowledge and learning new information and applying the newly learned knowledge to the online Animania quiz game. Of course it stands to reason that the English aspect includes your learner having to read.

LEARN ABOUT HORSES & DONKEYS is the third Animania activity followed by the interactive quiz.

Quote: "Until recently donkeys in Australia were the object of ridicule and derision. Although classified as vermin in Western Australia and inferior to the horse, donkeys are being kept as pets more and more. Instead of donkeys being tinned as pet food they are now often sold as love-able pets to eager buyers."

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Ani-Main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/horses1.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Horses.htm

Animania - Birds

2011-04-26T11:32:00.001+10:00

Animania is an interesting teaching resource utilizing the strategy of incorporating technology, science, and English. The technology aspect includes online interaction with a game-like-quiz about various animals; this time utilizing birds as a teaching resource.

The science aspect is drawing upon previous learned knowledge and learning new information and applying the newly learned knowledge to the online Animania quiz game. Of course it stands to reason that the English aspect includes your learner having to read.

LEARN ABOUT BIRDS is the second Animania activity followed by the interactive quiz.

Quote: "The most remarkable feature of a bird are the feathers. A bird depends on its feathers for its powers of flight. The wing feathers must not become separated from each other in flight and the whole wing must maintain a smooth surface if it is to give lift and aerodynamic control that the bird requires."

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Ani-Main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/birds1.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Birds.htm

Animania - Monkeys

2011-04-25T11:09:00.002+10:00

Animania is an interesting teaching resource utilizing the strategy of incorporating technology, science, and English. The technology aspect includes online interaction with a game-like-quiz about various animals.

The science aspect is drawing upon previous learned knowledge and learning new information and applying the newly learned knowledge to the online Animania quiz game. Of course it stands to reason that the English aspect includes your learner having to read.

LEARN ABOUT MONKEYS is the first Animania activity followed by the interactive quiz.

Quote: "Some monkeys enjoy living high up in the tree tops. They are good climbers and love monkey-ing about. Monkeys eat fruits, insects, plants and they don't even mind the odd bird egg. They use their strong arms to swing from branch to branch, firmly holding on with their hands."

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Ani-Main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/monkeybusiness1.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Animania/Monkeybusiness.htm

Easter Celebrations

2011-04-24T05:18:00.007+10:00

Easter is a celebrated feast for some and although not all schools promote Easter celebrations it may be an opportunity to teach some culture to your students. There are many Easter projects online to choose from and most activities incorporate craft such as cutting, gluing, coloring etc.

Of course craft is a great teaching strategy for younger children and encourages fine motor skills. While these fine motor skills are being developed you could include the meaning of Easter; death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

On the other hand you may also like to cover the topic of commercialization of Easter much like Christmas where much money is spend and explain the debts many people accumulate over these festal days.

Although the following Bible based worksheets are not written for any particular festal day, they cover the outcomes approach now adopted in many countries with each worksheet covering several learning areas.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/christian-worksheetsK-3/main-christianworksheetsK-3.htm

Mathematics Anxiety

2011-04-23T11:05:00.002+10:00

Mathematics anxiety is a learned fear of mathematics. Many learners suffer from this and curriculum tailored incorrectly will increase the problem. Did you know that tests and speed drills can add to mathematics anxiety?

Also unrealistic expectations can add to mathematics anxiety as well as worrying about what others think about ones learning abilities. Not to mention emphasizing memorisation above the meaning and understanding of mathematical issues can increase mathematics anxiety.

So how do you reduce mathematics anxiety? What could be a key teaching strategy to solve this problem?

Perhaps model problem solving strategies rather than giving worked solutions may lead students to think about how they think rather than copying other people’s methods. Also encouraging students to express how they feel about the mathematics they are experiencing may reduce mathematics anxiety.

Students who monitor their mathematical thinking search for understanding not just the answer, this reduces anxiety to the problem of 'I must get it right'. Positive thinking about how a student thinks and what they already know may also reduce maths anxiety.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/educational-games.html

Curriculum Development

2011-04-22T10:33:00.004+10:00

When considering the development of any curriculum one must place emphasis on the fact that curriculum is more than a collection of activities. It is essential that the curriculum you are going to use is coherent, focused on importance, and well articulated across the learning levels.

For example an English curriculum should focus on English content and include all processes that are important and worth the time and attention of learners. Certain English topics are more important than others for various reasons.

Putting more emphasis on certain topics may be necessary for preparing students for college, University, the workforce, or citizenship. It is quite logical and certainly should never become shrouded in mystery for any teacher or learner for that matter.

The following statement may seem a contradiction but it is not really. Curriculum can be lousy but if you are vibrant, enthusiastic and capable of enthralling your students then no matter how poor your curriculum is your students will learn.

When designing new Curriculum think about the following key elements. Does your curriculum meet the needs of all students? Is the learning theory, and other cognitive psychology that you are implementing, reveal findings on how students learn?

How does your curriculum determine developmental readiness or developmental appropriateness? And finally, are your methods and purpose of assessment for student learning to build them up or break them down.

In other words, does your teaching methodology encourage character building, confidence building, and stimulate the learner to want to keep learning and achieve the highest possible level of learning?

Key teaching strategy: If your students are not stimulated nor encouraged by the curriculum you are using then you are not using the best teaching methodology and you may need serious revision of your teaching abilities.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au

The Ever Changing Curriculum

2011-04-21T10:00:00.004+10:00

Are these systems really necessary for your students to learn or do they chew up valuable time, create more headaches and leave a trail of destruction behind for some.

Six key elements of successful learning

2011-04-20T10:24:00.002+10:00

Six key elements of learning any subject matter are if a learner is able to successfully answer the following questions.

What did I learn?
Which Learning Outcome did it address?
Which activities enabled me to learn this?
How will I use the learning?
Why will the learning help in my development?
What references support my claims to the questions above?

It is safe to state that all learners will definitely not be able to answer the above questions. It would also be safe to state that most learners will not be able to answer the above questions. However, some learners will be able to answers the questions and aid their teacher in developing an appropriate curriculum for the future.

If a learner is able to answer the above questions then a demonstration of higher level thinking skills has been applied and the key teaching strategy in all this is to encourage higher level thinking skills so that learners are pushed beyond their limit as much as possible.

It may seem frustrating for both learner and teacher at times but it produces results worth while.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/yearguide/year-by-year-main.htm

Thematic Unit Frogs

2011-04-19T08:00:00.003+10:00

Once upon a time it was the ‘ultimate thing to do’ for teachers to present thematic units to their students. Perhaps some teachers still insist on thematic units while others are totally over this phase in their teaching career.

If you are one of those teachers who can get good learning results out of students by presenting a thematic unit then the following might be a teaching strategy you can implement, complete with ideas and helpful suggestions.

Frogs online learning thematic unit is quite extensive with many interactivities and worksheets to choose from. Flashcards provide excellent reading opportunities before completing the interactivity. A frog photo gallery leads to more reading, learning about tadpoles and the environment, suitable for ages 6 to 10.

Suggested Outcomes:
Science , English, Math, Technology, Art , Society & Environment

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/themes-main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/sciencek-3/frogs-photogallery.htm

Worksheet Generator

2011-04-18T15:13:00.004+10:00

Having discussed the advantageous teaching strategy of basic worksheets it is sometimes difficult to locate these. To overcome that problem there are a few worksheet generators available online. A worksheet generator is a simple program which allows you to generate a new worksheet each time you click the "new worksheet" button or a "refresh worksheet" button.

The following worksheet generators will assist you in generating thousands of various worksheets in subtraction, addition, multiplication and homophones.

Simply select one generator to view a random worksheet. To view the next worksheet simply select the 'Refresh' button on the toolbar. By continuous refreshing the page you will view a new worksheet. To view an answer key simply click the 'Teaching Treasures' logo. A new window will open up and display your answer key. Close the window when you have finished this page. To view a new worksheet again simply 'Refresh' the page again.

Worksheet generators are a great tool to use, simple yet very effective. Please remember though that all material pulled from this web site is copyright material so you are subject to the Copyright Act and what it allows you to do (eg. Part VB of the copyright act - 10% etc).

Professional teachers should know their obligations regarding copyright but it can be confusing for student teachers so it is a good policy to double check with someone who knows more about it than you do. Perhaps the school's librarian, principal or another teacher you are currently working with.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/worksheet-generators/main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/Basic-worksheets/Main-Basics.htm

Basic Worksheets

2011-04-17T14:57:00.003+10:00

It happens to all teachers. You have planned the day near perfect. Timed every activity and it should have all run smoothly apart from the fact that one or two students finished to quickly. What to do with that time gap is very important. You can not leave those students sitting idle nor is it sometimes a good policy to ask them to help someone else with their task.

It is therefore an essential teaching strategy to have a good supply of basic worksheets handy. Basic worksheets are there to fill in those spare minutes. It does not matter if your student does not complete that basic worksheet but it does matter if your student sits there idle.

Keep them occupied with more to read, write or calculate. Unless your student has a book to read or is able to work on another assignment while waiting for the rest of the class to finish, a supply of basic worksheets might be all that is needed to stop disruption, distraction or agitation within the classroom.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/Basic-worksheets/Main-Basics.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au

Kindergarten Online Games

2011-04-16T20:00:00.002+10:00

Using online educational games is an important teaching strategy for any learning environment. As mentioned in my earlier blog, useless gaming should be restricted in any classroom. However, educational friendly, online interactive child safe learning is a wonderful tool to help your students enjoy learning.

For young learners such as Kindergarten it is important to set time limits. With that I mean, don't use the PC as a babysitter but as an actual learning tool. Living in a technology based world children will benefit from becoming familiar with keyboard skills at a young age.

A simple keyboard activity can for example consist of asking Kindergarten students to locate the alphabet letters on the keyboard. By introducing this teaching strategy you will see an improvement in letter recognition, keyboard skills and children recognizing correct spelling when offered two choices.

Online games also encourages reading, afterall... how does one play a game unless instructions are read first!

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/englishk-3/typing_skills.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/englishk-3/Englishmain-online-activities.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au

Let's Talk About Water

2011-04-15T20:00:00.002+10:00

Crystal clear water is at a premium around the globe and the World Bank recently called for governments to start treating fresh water as a precious, economic resource and stop the gross waste of water.

Australians living in a country known for its beautiful, sparkling rainwater, which incidentally is shipped overseas in quantities of hundreds of thousands of litres for consumption, are realizing the importance of storing those precious drops which in some parts of this vast country come far and few between.

Some areas are dry and dusty with spinifex blowing in the red hot sun. Places where men dare not go, unless extremely well prepared. In other parts of this magnificent country, people pray for the rain to stop, especially during the wet season. Where houses, farms and roads used to be, the swelling waters take no pity on anyone or anything.

So how do we educate our children about using water wisely?

Key Teaching Strategy:
Use Maths to calculate how much water each person uses on average a day, a week, a month, a year.

Use Technology and do a search online to find a water-wise educational web page.

Use English to write about it.

Use Art to draw about it by designing a water-wise poster.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/articles/alternative-water-storage.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au

Story Writing

2011-04-14T20:00:00.001+10:00

Story writing is either loved or hated by students. Those who love reading usually enjoy writing a story or two but those who dislike reading usually dislike writing too. As always, it is up to the teacher to encourage, persuade or give the ultimatum for the work which needs to be done.

Perhaps a good yarn such as 'gone bush' or a 'fishy story' may encourage your students to come up with their story writing idea. Sometimes it just needs you as a teacher to spark their memory and an interest in writing. Writing can be done with pen and paper, on the computer or in comic strip format.

Hand drawings can also be scanned and text inserted if their handwriting makes it difficult to read because of limited writing space within their comic strip. Or perhaps a drawing program on the computer will make scanning unnecessary. If you find yourself with a student who absolutely hates writing but loves drawing then perhaps try the comic strip approach as a teaching strategy.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/articles/gone-bush.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/articles/gone-fishin.html

Does Homeschooling Work

2011-04-13T08:00:00.011+10:00

Depending on each situation it would be difficult to make a statement that homeschooling definitely works. I will only briefly touch on this as our children never went to public school until they started tertiary education outside the home so I can only relate to what I’ve seen in other families.

I believe that taking a young child out of primary school or a teenager out of high school can be a blessing or a traumatic experience, depending on the situation. If your child is willing to leave school for home education then your battle is half won.

With plenty of input from you, encouragement and diverse learning opportunities, the change can become a most wonderful blessing for your family. Your child can excel, get over the peer pressures and start enjoying life and enjoy learning once more.

Key Teaching Strategy: It is a personal choice to home educate or use the public (or private) schooling system. Whichever one you decide upon make sure you and your children are happy with the choice. If your children are not happy to be home taught then you might have more problems than you bargained for.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/main_homeschool.html

Teaching Hygiene

2011-04-12T08:00:00.002+10:00

Much has been written and said about cleanliness in restaurants. Every now and then people vindictively drool over a story about a restaurant not being up to health regulation standards. Customers complain about waitresses handling money and then serving food without washing their hands. Sometimes they take a glimpse into the kitchen and are horrified at the cooks personal hygiene.

But how often are customers scrutinized for their filthy habits? Their nose picking antics and then a serve of pizza straight after, or a visit to the toilets without washing hands. How have customers been getting away with these unclean habits for so long in a society where cleanliness should be a priority?

So a survey was conducted throughout major fast food outlets. The answer may surprise you... or perhaps not.

Q - 1: Do customers wash their hands before they sit down and dine-in?A - No, not generally. Actually, I have never seen anybody do it yet....

Read more... ??? Questionnaire Restaurant Proprietors Answered ???

So how do you incorporate hygiene within your curriculum? Key Teaching Strategy: Visit the above link and read the survey. Conduct a similar survey with your students at the school canteen or local fast food outlet.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/articles/customer-behaviour.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/HP_more.html

Is your child socially disadvantaged?

2011-04-11T08:00:00.002+10:00

Although personal research shows that age segregated classes are the cheapest way to educate children, the result could be social dysfunctionality. Personal research has also indicated that children need social experiences across a wider age range and not just their age group.

So if that were the case then children could become rather limited in experience not being able to effectively socialise with children younger or older than themselves, including adults and senior citizens. That might explain why it is not uncommon to see such children, socially disadvantaged.

On the other side, research has also shown that home educated children are more likely to steer away from youth related problems. These include teen suicide, drug abuse, alcoholism, crime, promiscuity, teen pregnancy, abortion and the list goes on.

If home educators do a thorough job the children are more likely to be pleasant, mature, and become independent young adults.

Key Strategy: Strong commitment is involved with home education but it may be all worth its while to gain a generation of young adults, who upon completing their school years are socially well adjusted.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/articles/socially-disadvantaged.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/main_homeschool.html

Online Games

2011-04-10T08:00:00.005+10:00

Although many students place high value on video games, online games and downloadable games for relaxation, pleasure or something to share with their friends, we believe these games need to have a much greater educational value.

For example when a video game is simply about how to shoot a target... it tends to provide no lasting benefit to those that use these programs, and little or no educational value.

However, if video games, online games or downloadable games incorporate an element of fun combined with a constructive educational value then students can learn from these games.

Key Teaching Strategy: Teachers could utilize certain online games or gaming software within their curriculum and parents could encourage educational online games or gaming software to further their child's learning.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://teachingtreasures.com.au/more_free_stuff.html

Get Rich Quick

2011-04-09T20:00:00.006+10:00

Like many people, obsession with money is common. Every day people aimlessly wander around, wondering, contemplating, and scheming how to get rich. Obsession with wealth has become part of western society; poverty is far away on the other side of the world and carefully, deliberately and usually successfully forgotten.

How to get rich and own treasures is something many people dream about, although few ever achieve it. So how do people get rich so they can afford to buy those treasures? Some buy lottery tickets; others spend half their pay packet each week on gambling or at the local TAB (betting club). Others simply slink into the night and steal what they haven't got.

There are many ways of getting rich illegally but also legally. Betting, gambling or riding the lotto machines are all legal but will also waste a lot of your money. So how do you as a teacher incorporate some gambling or get rich quick morals into your curriculum?

Key Teaching Strategy: By simply talking about it. Give examples of people who are very rich and famous but also locate examples of those who have lost their wealth. Provide math problems which show how much a student can save by putting aside a little money each week. Use your imagination!

Quote: "Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal. But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal." (KJV Matthew 6:19-20)

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/articles/get-rich-quick.html

Home Education

2011-04-08T14:50:00.004+10:00

If you're thinking of taking your children out of school, the answer to your question is very simple, you can either struggle on trying to correct your children's behaviour or you can home educate your children. Home education is the best alternative if you want to be in control of your daily shedule.

Home education is becoming a popular choice for many parents these days and parents that choose this option are often providing a very successful education for their children, from infants right through to 17years of age or more. Parents who home educate are also finding the many hidden advantages of closer family sharing and having more control over what their children see, hear, learn and do at the appropriate time in their lives.

To those who teach their children I would like to say this.... Keep your head up high, do the best you can and encourage your children to do their best. Listen to those who have a comment to make regarding how to improve your teaching ability. Keep an open mind and weigh up what they say.

Key Teaching Strategy: Advice goes a long way, to listen to it doesn't cost anything, to apply good sound advice could save you time, money and future frustrations and heartbreak. To ignore good advice could be detrimental to you and your children.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/home-news/what-is-home-education.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/newsletters/teaching-joys-frust.htm

Teaching Maths

2011-04-07T10:11:00.002+10:00

Recently I came across an interesting University exercise, which was a math’s teaching strategy. It was designed for first year student teachers enrolled in their Bachelor of Education Primary School. They were asked to identify and link a food source with mathematics.

For example: If mathematics were a food it would be an orange. A very small daily intake of vitamin C keeps me strong and healthy just like a small daily dose of mathematics keeps my brain active, which is beneficial for the many daily tasks I do.

And: If mathematics were a food it would be 2 minute noodles. Quickly prepared, fun to eat, all tangled like many maths problems yet easy to digest and remember.

Also: If mathematics were a food it would be a gingernut biscuit. Not so hard once soaked in your hot drink.

And if you like shortbread: If mathematics were a food it would be shortbread. It looks boring and dry yet it is sweet and fulfilling once eaten.

Finally, if you had to buy mathematics and it were a food it would be the cherry on my cake. Without the cherry, the cake is plain and boring just as plain and boring as life without maths would be. An interesting teaching strategy of having students include some critical thinking or perhaps identifying maths aspects from a different angle.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/maths/Maths_more.html
http://teachingtreasures.net/products/products.html

Teaching Art

2011-04-06T09:19:00.001+10:00

Several selected art ideas are gathered in the Art area I looked at the other day. Three animated graphics deal with colour and colour mixing. These graphics show students how colours are mixed to make new colours, flash cards provide excellent reading material and a computer based activity covers reading, comprehension and spelling.

Students will learn and benefit from Australian Indigenous culture and their unique art. If students can learn to draw a few geometrical shapes like cubes, cylinders, spheres and cones, they can learn to draw many things. It's surprising what students, or anybody really, can achieve if they set their minds on it. Learning to draw what one sees gives the joy of achievement in art. Some excellent tips and ideas in this section.

Most younger children also enjoy drawing, painting and making craft projects. Exploring their world of art is one way a child can develop coordination skills and fine motor skills.

An interesting healthy art activity with the following statement also caught my attention. It states: Always wash your hands before you eat without much a-doo. Or the germs on both of them will get inside of you. An excellent way to promote good health, make children aware of germs and you can easily incorporate this teaching strategy in your art lesson for younger children.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/Art-main-entry.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/art/artK-3/main-art.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/art/Joy-of-Drawing/drawing-tips.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/Art-Projects/art-main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/healthy-art.htm

Teaching English

2011-04-05T19:22:00.004+10:00

For new teachers it can be daunting to not only face a classroom full of students but to also have that responsibility of teaching and making sure all students learn at their level. Teaching English includes many topics. There is grammar, homophones, antonyms, spelling, singular, plural and much more. Just a few helpful teaching strategies are:

Mix auditory, visual and hands-on techniques to improve and build upon student's weaknesses or skill gaps rather than sticking to one method only.

For best results you must be organized.

All lessons should be prepared well in advance and you need to study them thoroughly so you are acquainted with the contents.

Obtain any additional materials you may need; e.g. old magazines, exercise books, glue, scissors etc.

Before starting each lesson, ensure you have prepared all relevant pages to avoid students having to wait for their material.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/English6-8/main-english.htm

Teaching Science

2011-04-04T11:21:00.001+10:00

When we think of teaching and learning Science many of us don't realise the broadness of this learning area.
For the very young the Science area begins with animal recognition, gender, insects, frogs and possibly looks at 'what is in an egg'. Birds, monkeys, bears, snakes, dogs, horses and sea creatures are also covered.

Science is a wonderful way to improve reading, writing, comprehension and spelling with educational games and interactivities that will thrill many middle primary school students.

Once the basics of Science are covered the advanced students would go on to explore areas of the periodic table, chemical symbols and their elements. A number of worksheets and printable periodic table charts are availalble from the teaching tools area for the busy educator.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/main-science.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/sciencek-3/mainscienceK-3.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/science4-5/mainscience4-5.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/science6-10/mainscience.htm

Teaching ABC's

2011-04-03T08:53:00.004+10:00

The Deluxe ABC's kit is different than the usual syllabus. Cursive letter writing is introduced immediately which is in stark contrast to the basic 'printed' letters. If you feel up to the challenge and you believe your student is capable of attaining the high standard set out in the Deluxe ABC's then go for it.

With your patience, perseverance and your daily enthusiastic input, your young student will achieve the goals you set out for him or her. If you feel that the cursive letters are to difficult or inappropriate for your student print the 'alternative letter' instead.

The deluxe ABC's kit was written for 5½ - 6½ year old children. It can be used as a stand-alone teaching tool in schools or for those who wish to teach their child to read and write at home.

It is also ideal as a supplementary resource for students who are not coping well in the education system or for those who would like more advanced tutoring materials.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/abc/main.htm
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/teaching-tools/abc/lesson1-24.htm

Locating Educational Materials

2011-04-02T11:00:00.005+11:00

Educational teachers or trainers are often responsible for locating new materials which encourage learning. Sifting through many thousands of resources online is not easy. A great variety of worksheets for Kindergarten, primary and high school (public and private) students covering English, Health, Art, Math, Science, Society and Environment, Language other than English (LOTE) and Technology are needed on a daily basis.

So where do you go?

No doubt there are many good web sites and when you find them it is best to bookmark these so you can easily locate them again. One mistake some new comers to the Internet make is that they bookmark these favourite sites only on their home PC. Once they get to the classroom it quickly becomes apparent that their bookmarks don't exist. So remember to place all your favourites on your work computer too so that there is no delay or confusing when it comes to teaching time.

If you are looking for worksheets which complement a Solar Project for students ages 11-15 then check out the solar project link. If you are looking to buy some e-Books then visit the Teaching Treasures Workbooks area.

Teaching Strategy Links:
http://teachingtreasures.net/products/workbooks.html
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/solar-energy/solar-power.htm

Explore Mathematics

2011-04-01T08:00:00.001+11:00

Mathematics is one of the most important subjects to teach. You have to remember that each child learns at a different rate so bear that in mind when using any worksheets. Children of all ages really enjoy a hands-on approach and short, targeted games are an excellent way to teach number strategies.

As a teacher or parent you need to teach mathematical numbers and concepts, to develop knowledge of shapes, number patterns and skills in addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. The Explore Mathematics workbook covers all that and more.

The following age groups provide a general idea of what a student could learn at that age or level.

Ages 7-8 ... Count the rooms at home. Ask them why they think the house needs so many rooms. Discuss how the builders work out how many rooms are needed for a large family and why there are building regulations. They might even want to make a model house using simple maths.

Ages 9-10 ... Review basic addition and subtraction facts, basic multiplication facts from 0-12. Multiply by one and two digit multipliers with carrying. Solving word problems, learn basic concepts of sets, number patterns, measurement, geometry, Roman numerals and money.

Ages 11-12 ...Introduce percentages, measurement in metric or imperial system, basic geometry concepts finding area and volume. Introduce equations and basic algebra.

Key Teaching Strategy: In order to teach anything you need to have reasonable knowledge of that topic yourself.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://teachingtreasures.net/products/products.html

Year 10

2011-03-31T20:50:00.004+11:00

You're not dealing with children any more but rather with young adults. They like their space and privacy. Sometimes withdrawn and at other times untamable. Enjoy their vibrant lifestyle and encourage as much communication as possible between you as a parent and them.

What they should know: Advanced English and Mathematics. They should be able to listen and respond with a responsible attitude. Cultural understanding and historical knowledge across several countries. They should be able to investigate, communicate and participate in social areas.

They should be able to work Scientifically concerning science in daily life. Understand Technological concepts of investigating, devising, producing and evaluating. Acknowledge different techniques and styles of reaching an outcome.

Active citizenship should continue to be promoted. Politics and legal systems need to be understood and explored more widely.

Teaching Strategy Link: http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/yearguide/year10.html

Years 8 & 9

2011-03-30T20:48:00.001+11:00

Children at this age are very sensitive and get upset, offended or stressed out easily. They are also full of life and it is sometimes hard to keep up with them physically.

Their knowledge base is fairly broad and you might need to expand your own knowledge base in certain areas in order to understand and ascertain what children at this age are talking about.

Times are changing!

Continue to build solid foundations on what they have learned. Explore wider areas of Technology and Scientific experiments. Continue to develop a second language if one was learned previous year.

Learn more about cultural identities, natural and economic systems. In Mathematics the focus will be on solving equations and re-enforcing algebra.

Teaching Strategy Link:
http://www.teachingtreasures.com.au/homeschool/yearguide/years8-9.html