Halloween in the Classroom

"Educational" is probably not the adjective that comes to mind when you think of Halloween. But teachers can certainly integrate "fun" holidays like Halloween into their classrooms. Crayola's Happy Halloween webpage offers educators fun, free, and easy crafts, activities, and lesson plans to help celebrate the Halloween season!

We like the lesson plan for the Boo! Creative Writing Banner, in which spooky stories and poems come alive in your students' imaginations as they craft unique Boo! Banner representations of the plots and characters in the stories.

Students love variations in their daily routines, and Halloween provides a wonderful opportunity to introduce some festive fun to their day!

Are teacher colleges teaching well?

Secretary of Education Arne Duncan is calling on teacher colleges to improve their programs and be held accountable for teacher effectiveness. According to TIME Magazine, in a recent speech at Columbia University's Teachers College:

To that end, Duncan said, "I am urging every teacher-education program today to make better outcomes for students the overarching mission that propels all their efforts." He suggested that more states mimic a model currently being used in Louisiana in which student test scores in grades 4-9 are traced back to their teachers, who are in turn traced back to their place of training, whether it be an ed school or an alternative certification program like Teach for America.

As teachers, what are your thoughts on your own education and how it has affected your ability to educate your students? What would you change about your training? What did your school do well? Are you happy to hear about increased federal funding, such as innovation grants that provide money for teacher "residencies"? Do teacher education programs need to be held accountable to a greater extent than before? Please share your thoughts and comments on this blog and, as always, let Maupin House know what we can do to make your job easier.

Don't forget our contest!

Don't forget to enter Maupin House's Name Our E-Newsletter Contest! Entries are due November 30!

Put your thinking cap on. You know our audience, our mission, and our passion. Have a great idea? One lucky winner will receive a $150 Maupin House credit! With so many great titles already in stock and so much buzz about the upcoming ones, this is one contest you do not want to miss! Be sure to pass the contest info on to your peers. We'll be sure to remind you up until the cut-off date through our blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

To enter, e-mail up to three (3) suggestions with your contact information to tmorgan@maupinhouse.com. Should you submit more, only the first 3 will be considered.

ENTER TODAY!

Solving the mystery: How do we help children choose books that feed their love of reading?

Thursday, October 29, join a unique collaborative in the form of a FREE webinar co-hosted by one of our newest Maupin House authors (Cathy Puett Miller) and Audrey Borden, director of My Gifted Girl. This webinar will have a family focus but will also contain information valuable to educators as well. When both home and school work together, the result is incredible.

The topic will be "just right books." We often see this term used when referring to leveled readers, but the idea goes beyond that. Not only do we want to help children select books they can easily read (on their instructional level), but we must also consider interest, the power of choice, and books that scaffold children to higher reading levels and provide a challenge.

We'll also be talking about finding time to read with your child, understanding the benefits and challenges of collaboration between home and school, and real-life reasons to read.

Join this important discussion by visiting Audrey's Facebook page for a special invitation. There are limited slots available, so we encourage you to sign up early. Additional resources from this special event will appear on Cathy's blog after the fact.

Come be a part of an exceptional learning opportunity on the Worldwide Web. We'd love to have you!

Are you ready to take part in a revolution?

When I first started talking with Julie Graddy at Maupin about these two new titles (now available for pre-ordering on Maupin House's website), we knew we had potential to initiate a unique collaborative between families and schools. Anytime Reading Readiness and Before They Read are purposefully being released in tandem because they focus on three big ideas with two distinct audiences. Anytime is written with families in mind with quick, easy-to-read tools and explanations. Before They Read offers educators in preschool and kindergarten a "fit anywhere" foundation that will help teachers move every child to the threshold of conventional reading.

Used together, we envision these two titles giving communities, schools, and families opportunities for partnerships and cooperation as never before. The result of combining these support systems is bound to bring incredible results -- children who are excited about reading, view themselves as readers (as they should) even before they know how to decode, and are primed to step into the world of phonics with confidence and essential schema. For me, these books symbolize a chance for The Literacy Ambassador® to spread an important message even further. All of you reading this post can join me in lighting the spark and fanning the flame of literacy with children, families, and teachers.

Here's just one concept that can make an incredible difference: having more "chat" zones both at home and at school. As Dr. Catherine Snow so wisely reminds us, "Everyday conversation is the basic activity in the world of three- to five-year-olds." For young children, it is through the talk that learning happens. These little books show you plenty of ideas for squeezing "chat zones" into busy days.

Talk with, not at, one child today. Listen to that child's ideas and tell him or her something about his or her world!

Guiding high schoolers to college

The federal What Works Clearinghouse released a new online guide called "Helping Students Navigate the Path to College: What High Schools Can Do." If you are an educator, administrator, or policy maker, you can use the tips in this guide to help ensure students' access to higher education.

Facebook apps for education

Interactyx has a nice round-up of Facebook applications that are easily integrated into the classroom. Have you tried any of these? What are your favorites? Can you add to the list? And how do your students feel about bringing school to their personal Facebook worlds?

Google Apps

Do you use Google Apps in your classroom? Are you looking for more lesson plans and applications? Google lets you search by subject and grade (K-12) for lessons you can implement today.

If you have your own Google Apps lesson plans, consider submitting them for review.

For more educational resources from Google, including video tutorials, a discussion forum, a community map, and news, visit the Google Apps Education Community site.

Teacher Next Door FHA/HUD program

Teachers, are you looking to purchase a home? You might want to look into the Teacher Next Door program first. From FHAInfo.com:

The Teacher Next Door program was established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to offer single-family houses, townhouses and condominiums for sale to a teacher at a 50 percent discount. The goal through the Good Neighbor Next Door program is to encourage teachers to buy homes in low and moderate-income neighborhoods.

The Teacher Next Door program is open to any person "employed full-time by a public school, private school, or federal, state, county, or municipal educational agency as a state-certified classroom teacher or administrator in grades K-12." Participants must certify that they are employed by an educational agency that serves the school district/jurisdiction in which the home they are purchasing is located.

A teacher wishing to purchase a home under the Teacher Next Door program must be in good standing with their employer. Your employer must certify that you are a full-time teacher or school administrator. You don't have to be a first-time homebuyer to participate. However, you cannot own any other home at the time you close on your Teacher Next Door home. You must agree to live in the HUD home as your only residence for 3-years after you move into it.

What Are the Benefits for the Teacher?

The selected bidder may purchase the property at a 50 percent discount from the list price. For example, if a HUD home is listed for $100,000, an officer can buy it for $50,000. To make a HUD home even more affordable, you may apply for an FHA-insured mortgage with a downpayment of only $100 and you may finance all closing costs.

Qualifying homes are restricted to specifically designated single family homes, townhomes and condominiums that are located within the revitalization areas. Other types of properties, such as a duplex or triplex, do not qualify for this program. In addition, the homes must be HUD acquired homes and cannot be other real estate for sale in the area (i.e. VA foreclosure homes, resale homes or new construction). HUD sells all qualifying homes as-is. In other words, HUD does not provide any guarantees or warranties.

If the home you want to purchase needs repairs, you may use FHA's 203(k) mortgage program. This program allows you to finance both the purchase of the home and the cost of needed repairs. You have the benefit of one loan for both costs and one monthly payment.

Because homes sold through the Teach Next Door program are located in Revitalization Areas there may be additional assistance from state or local government sources. Local or state governments want to encourage families and businesses to move into

How do I participate?

Teacher Next Door property is listed and sold exclusively over the internet. Properties are single-family homes located in Revitalization Areas. Properties available through the program are marked with a special Teacher Next Door button. Bids are awarded once each week. Your bid must be the amount of the list price. You may submit your bid directly or utilize the services of a real estate broker. Winning bids are randomly selected by computer. The winning bid is posted each week on the web site where you made your bid.

In all cases, HUD requires that you sign a second mortgage and note for the discount amount. No interest or payments are required on this "silent second" provided that you fulfill the three-year occupancy requirement.

What happens if I can’t fulfill my obligation or I am no longer a Teacher?

Depending upon the circumstances, failure to fulfill the three year residency requirement may have serious consequences. HUD may restrict the home owner from selling the property for no more than 110% of the original sales price. In addition, HUD may require all or part of the discounted amount to be repaid. Generally the pro-rated repayment amount goes as follows: repayment of 90% of the discounted amount during the first year, repayment of 60% of the discounted amount during the second year, and repayment of 30% of the discounted amount during the third year. Should fraud or other serious charges suspected, HUD may file criminal charges against the Officer, ban the Officer from further participation from any HUD, FHA, and other Federal programs, and may face the possibility of serious fines and potential prison time. HUD will conduct "spot checks" during the first three years to insure that the residency requirement is being fulfilled.

How can I get more information?

You may search for foreclosure's here,

or

Contact a local lender or Realtor in your area.

National Day on Writing!

Today, October 20, is the National Day on Writing! The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is hosting an all-day live webcast featuring a "cross-section of authors and writers, audio/visual presentations, highlights from local celebrations, writings from a variety of galleries, and so much more!"

Click here to join the live webcast!

Carol Baldwin Preview!

Carol Baldwin, Maupin House author of Teaching the Story, gives folks a preview of what her session will include at the AASL National Conference in Charlotte, NC, on Nov. 6. Don’t miss it!

"Learn From the Masters: How Creating Fictional Characters and Setting Enhances Reading Instruction"

Wiki Tips From Carol Baldwin

Learn how to teach the wiki way with advice from Carol Baldwin!

Carol Baldwin, author of Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8, offers helpful tips for incorporating wikis into writing lessons. In this short video titled “Wikis, Word Choice, and Red Fonts: The Revision Wave of the Future,” Carol discusses two easy ways to use wikis in the classroom. Carol also points out that many wiki sites, such as pbworks.com and wikispaces.com are free for all educators. Watch Carol’s video to learn how to use wikis to improve the revision and creative writing processes of your students.

Carol Baldwin is a freelance writer in Charlotte, North Carolina, and has written for a variety of local and national publications. Baldwin developed Teaching the Story from materials that she taught in several different classrooms. She is active in the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators and presents at educational conferences and workshops nationwide. You can contact Carol Baldwin through Maupin House Publishing for in-service training and conference speaking.

Visit Carol Baldwin's blog to learn more about her and her writing!

Extended schooling (continued)

To continue our discussion on extended schooling from our October 6 post"Extended Schooling - What do you think?," check out this opinion piece "Year-round school not solution for education woes," from The Reflector.

" 'Now, I know longer school days and school years are not wildly popular ideas,' President Barack Obama mentioned earlier this year. 'Not with Malia and Sasha, not in my family and probably not in yours. But the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom.

What is our president talking about and suggesting? Year-round school, of course. Why, do you ask? Well, Obama's Education Secretary Arne Duncan put it this way: 'Our school calendar is based upon the agrarian economy and not too many of our kids are working the fields today. Young people in other countries are going to school 25, 30 percent longer than our students here. I want to just level the playing field.' "

Click here to continue reading.

An education in fashion

Jones New York is hosting a special event to support education and honor your community's teachers:

This month, visit participating Macy's stores to cheer on your favorite teachers as they walk the runway and model the best fall looks from Jones New York in an exclusive fashion show. Plus, you'll have the opportunity to shop for a great cause: from October 17th to October 24th, 10% of the selling price, up to a maximum of $300,000, of apparel sold from five Jones New York lines (Collection, Signature, Dress, Suit, and Outerwear) will be donated to Jones New York In The Classroom, a non-profit organization supporting teachers and children's education.

Join us at the following Macy's locations:

Saturday, October 17th, 2 - 4pm

• Willowbrook Mall, Wayne, NJ
• Palm Beach Gardens, Palm Beach Garden, FL
• St. Louis Galleria, St. Louis, MO
• Valley Fair, San Jose, CA

Saturday, October 24th, 2 - 4pm

• Woodfield, Schaumburg, IL
• Bellevue Square, Bellevue, WA
• Houston Galleria at Hildalgo, Houston, TX

Learn more at jnyintheclassroom.org—where education is always in fashion.

Overworked and underpaid: Discussing performance pay for teachers

American teachers are dedicated and courageous souls. But they are all too often overworked and underpaid.

Secretary of State Arne Duncan seems to have recognized this mounting problem. With plans to dole out hundreds of millions of dollars to states and school systems, Duncan has declared that performance pay of public school teachers is his “highest priority,” according to an article from The Detroit News.

The article, “Five Myths About Paying Good Teachers More,” reminds us of the many challenges reformers must face when developing performance-based pay scales.

“If today's reformers want to break the deadlock, they're going to have to let go of several myths hanging over the debate:

1. Merit pay has a strong track record
2. Teachers unions are the biggest barriers to merit pay
3. Principals are good judges of teacher talent
4. Student test scores offer a simple solution to the evaluation problem
5. Teachers are most motivated my money

…Experiments with performance pay would help determine whether it improves teaching and learning, but expectations should be tempered. When asked, teachers say higher salaries are less important to them than a work environment in which they feel respected and receive help to improve their craft…Done right, performance pay may contribute to a more professional culture in public school teaching. But it surely isn't going to transform the profession by itself.”

To continue reading the entire article, click here.

Whether everyone agrees with these myths or not, this article brings to light the important discussion of teacher compensation. We need to start talking about ways to better reward our teachers, so they are better able to serve our children. From our perspective, the value of an excellent teacher cannot really be measured, and our debt to them for their service can never truly be repaid—but that shouldn’t stop us from trying.

What do you think about performance pay for teachers? How can we best compensate teachers, and how should we compensate the best teachers for their extraordinary service?

Sit. Stay. Read.

From CNN's iReport:

Registered pet partners, Jim Wilmoth and Bailey, took some time Saturday afternoon to volunteer at the West Virginia Book Festival. As part of the Delta Society (The Human-Animal Health Connection) Jim and Bailey regularly participate in Kanawha County Public Libraries' "Sit. Stay. Read." program. Listen to Jim describe the work they do and the contributions Bailey makes in support of literacy.

2010 Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards from eSchool News

Call for Nominations: 2010 Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards

Does your superintendent "get it" when it comes to technology? Does he or she demonstrate exemplary vision for the use of technology to improve all facets of education—and show outstanding leadership in working to make this vision a reality?

If so, then help us recognize these accomplishments by nominating your district's chief executive for eSchool News' 10th annual Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards.

Nominees, who must be general superintendents of a K-12 school system, will be judged according to the criteria below. Ten national finalists will be chosen by the editors of eSchool News in consultation with last year's winners. The 2010 winners will be honored in a ceremony held at the same time as the American Association of School Administrators annual conference in Phoenix and in the February 2010 issue of eSchool News.

But hurry, because nominations will only be accepted online through Friday, Oct. 30. Please go to:

http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/tssa/submittssa/

Thanks,
The Editors

Ten "Hallmarks of Excellence" for the eSchool News Tech-Savvy Superintendent Awards

1. Must be a general superintendent.
2. Models the effective use of technology in the day-to-day execution of the superintendency.
3. Ensures that technology resources are equitably distributed among students and staff.
4. Insists that adequate professional development is a component of every technology initiative.
5. Demonstrates exceptional vision in leading the development and implementation of a districtwide technology plan.
6. Exhibits a thorough understanding of the role of technology in education and can articulate that understanding to all school district stakeholders.
7. Provides exceptional leadership in supporting the integration of technology into the curriculum.
8. Demonstrates exceptional vision in employing technology to streamline school district business operations.
9. Demonstrates curiosity and open-mindedness in considering emerging technologies and weighing non-traditional solutions to traditional problems.
10. Thinks creatively and strategically about the long-term challenges and opportunities of technology in the school district and in education at large.

Educators and social networking

From MCH's B2i Today Newsletter:

A joint research study by edWeb.net, MMS Education, and MCH investigated K-12 educators' use and attitudes about social networking and Web 2.0 collaborative technologies including blogging, wikis, video-sharing, and more. The survey was deployed to 70,000 K-12 principals, teachers, and school librarians. Educators who responded provided insight on the overall high value they see in using social networking in education.

Key findings of the preliminary survey include:

• 86% of educators who have joined a social network have joined Facebook. There are a number of social networks dedicated solely to education but these sites are just beginning to penetrate the market.
• Looking ahead, educators expressed a strong preference to join a social network dedicated to education.
• Educators who have already joined a social network are far more positive about the technology and its value in education than educators who have not joined a social network.
• Nearly 50% of schools and districts block educators' access to social networking websites.

To get the final results of the survey, click here to register for the free MCH webinar.

To download the preliminary survey results, click here.

Remember to recognize!

Children enjoy recognition for their accomplishments just as much, if not more, than adults do. It's important to let your students know how much you appreciate their hard work and good behaviors on a regular basis.

Visit TeacherVision.com for free printable awards and certificates. We especially like their awards dedicated to reading achievements, but they have dozens of certificates ranging from good citizenship awards to student-of-the day awards. All award certificates are printable and customizable.

So, don't wait until the end of the year to pass out student recognition awards. Make it a monthly, or even a weekly routine to recognize the achievements, efforts and progress of the students in your classroom. Knowing that they have something to look forward to—an awards ceremony—may help in keeping your students focused and goal-oriented.

Extended Schooling - What do you think?

An article in our local Gainesville Sun discusses President Obama’s suggestion to extend school days and school years, in order to help American schoolchildren compete academically with those in other countries.

In Florida, it seems this proposal is unlikely as schools struggle to fill budget holes with temporary funding. But other states and districts will have to decide if extended schooling is both feasible and beneficial.

“Obama's suggestion was to extend traditional school into the summer months, but the more limited summer programs once available in the state and Alachua County already have been whittled away because of funding cuts,” according to the article, "Longer School Year Unlikely."

But budgetary concerns aside, would longer school days and extended school years actually benefit our children, and would it be realistic for our educators? Teachers are stretched pretty thin as it is, even in the best of circumstances. And children really need time outside of school to enjoy just being kids.

Possible solutions lie in the hands of private sector community organizations to provide safe and educational voluntary weekend programs as alternatives to extended schooling. But what are some other viable solutions that could enhance educational initiatives?

If you’re a teacher, parent, or if you just have an opinion on this topic, please share your thoughts with us and our readers.

Give back with a backpack

From Greater Good/The Hunger Site:

Millions of low-income children in the United States rely on food support from the National School Lunch Program. But when school is not in session, children living in food-insecure households are at risk of going without the nutritious food they need. Even mild undernutrition can affect behavior and school performance -- children are unable to learn when they're hungry and anxious about where their next meal will be coming from.

Enter: The BackPack Program, developed at the Arkansas Rice Depot in Little Rock after a school nurse asked for help because hungry students were coming to her with stomachaches and dizziness. The local food bank began to provide the school children with groceries in nondescript backpacks to carry home.

Currently, there are more than 2,200 BackPack Programs around the country, serving more than 90,000 children each year. Backpacks, filled with child-friendly, vitamin fortified and nonperishable food, are discreetly distributed to children to take home on weekends or before holiday vacations.

But with an estimated 12.4 million U.S. children in food-insecure households, Feeding America is nowhere near its goal of reaching all the children at risk.

You can help! $25 helps Feeding America establish and strengthen BackPack Programs around the country, ensuring that children have access to food so they can break the cycle of hunger and poverty.

Feeding America is the nation's leading domestic hunger-relief charity, with a network of more than 200 member food banks and food-rescue organizations serving all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico. Right now, many member food banks and food-rescue organizations are seeing an increase in demand, as high as 20% in some areas.

Upon purchase, you will receive an automated e-mail with a link to a full-color certificate of acknowledgment that you may print and frame for display or gift-giving. Adobe Acrobat Reader, or equivalent .pdf viewing program, is required to open the file. The certificate makes a great "instant" gift for an honored colleague, family member or friend.

Please note: Your purchase is tax-deductible in the U.S.A., and you will receive a receipt from GreaterGood.org for your taxes. 100% of this gift goes to Feeding America as a grant through GreaterGood.org. GreaterGood Network stores do not receive any profit from the sale of this Gift That Gives More™; we bring it to you in the spirit of the greater good. GreaterGood.org has ultimate authority and discretion with regard to the distribution of its funds. All expenditures made are consistent with the exempt purposes of GreaterGood.org.

FREE Standard Shipping! Place this, or any other Gift That Gives More™ of more than $1.00 in your cart, and your standard, ground order will ship FREE within the U.S.! See Current Promotions page for details.

CONTEST: Name our E-Newsletter!

Now through November 31, 2009, you have the opportunity to make Maupin House history by naming our newsletter!

Put your thinking cap on. You know our audience, our mission, and our passion. Have a great idea?

One lucky winner will receive a $150 Maupin House credit. With so many great titles already in stock and so much buzz about the upcoming ones, this is one contest you do not want to miss! Be sure to pass the contest info on to your peers. We'll be sure to remind you up until the cut-off date through our blog, Twitter, and Facebook.

To enter, e-mail up to three (3) suggestions with your contact information to tmorgan@maupinhouse.com. Should you submit more, only the first 3 will be considered.

*Maupin House reserves the right to not choose any submission. Contest ends November 31, 2009. Limit 3 entries per person.*

Banned Books Week: Celebrate the power of literature

Stop the presses—literally! Isn’t the practice of banning books but a faint memory of censorship in our country’s history? Isn’t it something that only happens in the movies or in dystopian novels like Fahrenheit 451? Unfortunately, no. According to the Banned Books Week website, “More than a thousand books have been challenged since 1982. The challenges have occurred in every state and in hundreds of communities.”

So, to celebrate the freedom of reading everywhere, this week Maupin House joins teachers, librarians, booksellers, and publishers across the country in recognition of the 27th annual Banned Books Week (Sept. 26-Oct. 3).

Though many of the documented 513 challenges in 2008 were rejected, according to the American Library Association (ALA), the practice of banning books in America still exists. Among the books challenged or banned in recent years are The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck, The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini, The Tenth Circle by Jodi Picoult, and—hold onto your hats—books in Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling.

Click here to view an interactive map, from the ALA, showing books that have been challenged or banned from 2007-2009

To combat attempts of censorship, the American Booksellers Foundation for Free Expression (ABFFE) and the National Coalition Against Censorship (NCAC) collaborated to form the Kid’s Right to Read Project, which offers support and advocacy for those facing book bans or challenges.

Visit the Banned Books website to learn what you can do to raise awareness and prevent censorship, or find local events celebrating the freedom of reading.