Creating a Healthy Classroom

I want to keep my students safe and healthy. We have added pressure to keep classrooms clean and have rigid sanitizing protocols. I have been wearing a mask in public, but I forget it is important to clean my mask. I use my own water bottle, but I forget to clean it with soap and water. Recently I listened to a doctor explain that a dirty mask can create its own complications. I want to keep striving to create a healthy space for learning. The CDC has mask washing guidelines/suggestions.  

1. Wash your mask after each use.

2. Machine Washing: Use regular laundry detergent and the warmest water possible.

• Hand washing: 
• 5 tablespoons (1/3rd cup) household bleach per gallon of room temperature water or
• 4 teaspoons household bleach per quart of room temperature water (check to see if the bleach is made for disinfection).
• Soak the mask in the bleach solution for 5 minutes.
• Rinse thoroughly with cool or room temperature water.

 

It can never hurt to help students and families navigate through these new health protocols.  Let's keep helping each other.  Look for more resources at Liz and Ron's Educational Resources. 

Favorite Education Resources (Grades K-3)

We love simplicity! It seems that moms and dads are just looking for ways to encourage learning and play. So here are my favorite early childhood products, websites, and resources.

Character Education:

VeggieTales: Rumor Weed and Fib From Outer Space

Habits of Mind: ASCD

Reading:

Free BOB Book Activities (free)

BOB Book Ideas

TumbleBooks-eBooks for Kids: Free through Spokane County Library

30 Flip Books-expensive (you could make your own kit)

Shape Rocket-App (free)

Sound Beginnings-App (free)

Reading A-Z: The online leveled reading program

Pairs in Pears

Math:

Zero to Three

Shape Puzzle

Shape Puzzle #2

Oreo Matchin' Middles Game

Little Hands Card Holder

Melissa and Doug Fishing for Numbers

Math Link Cubes

Music:

Hap Palmer

Go Fish Guys: Party Like a Preschooler

Science: 

Wow in the World

Social Studies:

Xavier Riddle and the Secret Museum - PBS Kids

A Kid Explains History

The Who Was Show

Curriculum: 

Hewitt Learning

Kahn Academy

Assessment Tools: 

P.A.S.S Test: This is a non-timed test.  A pretest is given to find the appropriate level test to administer. Specific recommendations are given in the generated report.  Contact: customerservice@hewittlearning.org

Teeth Care and Technology

In our house, we have battled over brushing teeth.  We have interviewed dentists, watched YouTube videos, implemented reward systems.  None of these strategies have worked! 

Just recently, our son wanted to buy his own electric toothbrush (we were in shock and denial).   We did not waste time. We went to the grocery store to make some comparisons.  The Philips Sonicare Kids Brush was his first choice (fun design).  We were naive. We both had Sonicare toothbrushes so we bought the kids version. 

We had no idea that this brush had Bluetooth capabilities and works with an online application.  The application teaches children how to brush their teeth effectively. The app program keeps track of morning and nightly brush routines.  Sonicare has developed a quirky animated creature (looks like a Furby).  When a child turns on his toothbrush the creature starts to brush his/her own teeth.  A child can see the plaque being scrubbed away.  After each bushing period, the child receives a virtual gift. 

We like to be frugal at our house, but this purchase has been a wonderful educational tool! 

Eagle Watching on Lake Coeur D' Alene

It is eagle watching time in the Inland Northwest!!  December 26th-30th is eagle watching week along the eastern shores of Lake Coeur D’Alene.  The bald eagle count was 260 on December 19, 2012.

DIRECTIONS: Go east of Coeur d'Alene about 8 miles on Interstate 90. Take the Wolf Lodge Exit. Both of the staffed viewing areas are along Highway 97.

For more information: http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/outdoors/tags/lake-coeur-dalene/

Eagle watching can be done along the shores or on one of Coeur d’ Alene Resort’s cruise boats. Lake Coeur d’Alene Cruises

Adults: $21. 75| Seniors: $19.75| Children: $13.75

More Info:

"Twice Exceptional Students": Let's Focus on the Strengths

In the last several weeks.  I have had conversations with parents who are concerned for their child/children with special needs.  At the same time they have children who are in need of challenging and engaging classroom curriculum.  A child who reads literature two grades beyond his/her peers has no one to share and converse their thoughts and impressions.  This can be lonely. My husband teaches children with special needs and many of them are “twice exceptional.” They struggle with a disability; yet they can write, read, or calculate at a level far beyond their peers.  Sometimes children are so advanced that they are bored and cause challenges in the classroom.  Moving children in to special education is not always the answer.  Maybe, we need to focus on a child’s strengths instead of deficits and move students into “Gifted Programs” or engaging differentiated curriculum. The definition of gifted according to the US Department of Education is:

"Children and youth with outstanding talent who perform or show the potential for performing at remarkably high levels of accomplishment when compared with others of their age, experience, or environment." - US Department of Education, 1993.

I just love the  “potential” word in the quote above.  Some parents are just realizing their child’s potential.  It can be easy to overlook the underachievers.

Characteristics According to NSGT:

1. Often a perfectionist and idealistic.
2. Heightened sensitivity.
3. Sequential or spacial learners.
4. Far ahead in content and curriculum compared to peers.
5. Problems solvers
6. Often thinking on an abstract level.  May need help with concrete skills.
7. May define success by an “A” grade.  Anything less feels like a failure.

According to Parent Involvement Matters.org “Educational research suggests that opportunities to engage in cognitively complex tasks are essential to optimize potential. This has been affirmed by studies in psychology and neurophysiology, as well. MRI brain studies show that the developing brain is plastic during the first seven or so years of life and begins to network and “hardwire” based on the degree of exploration and level of complexity a child engages in over time. That is one reason it is crucial for young children to engage in exploratory, hands-on, meaningful discovery learning rather than static, directed learning."

Priest Lake Dog Sled Races

 Inland Empire Sled Dog Association hosts a dog sled race the first week of February in Priest Lake, Idaho. Races will be held 9 a.m. -1:30 p.m.  The race location: Near Priest Lake, Highway 57 and Ravin Ranch Road between milepost 32 and 33. Race distances range from 2.4 miles to 21 miles.

• PSDSA Race Schedule  
• Iditarod History 
• Iditarod History-"How Stuff Works" 
• History Channel Scholastic Lessons 
• More info-YouTube 
• www.stanleycc.org
  
  
  

Washington State: Oregon Trail and More

Spokane to Walla Wall-Trip #2

Fort Walla Walla

This is one of my favorite family trips. I have pictures of my family and students standing on the Oregon Trail. The ruts in the road are deep and permanent. Neta Lohnes Frazier published a book called, "The Stout-Hearted Seven." This book is based on the Sagger family adventures and hardships along the Oregon Trail.  The children do become connected to the Whitmans and the Whitman Mission.

• Palouse Falls State Park
• Dayton Historic Depot
• Fort Walla Walla Museum
• Whitman Mission and the Oregon Trail

• Narcissa Whitman Journal Entries
• Walla Walla Digital Collection-Whitman College
• Walla Wall History Links

Lodging Ideas for Large Groups:

• Camp Kiwanis
• Camp Kiwanis
• Vacation Rental (6-8 People)
• Vacation Rental (6-12 People)
• Lewis and Clark Trail State Park

 

Digging for Washington State Orchard History

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I just love to travel through Eastern Washington. Many would say that the land looks similar.  When looking closely we observe basalt columns, rich farmland, orchards, and vineyards.  My husband’s family owned a large orchard in Yakima.  Parts of the orchard were sold through the years, but to this day families still boast of their long orchard history in and around Eastern Washington.  My social studies textbook does not cover much about Washington State’s agriculture. 
Many of these links do have primary source information. 


Washington State Orchard Information:




Washington State Orchard Information:




http://www.orangepippin.com/orchards/united-states/washington




http://www.orangepippin.com/resources/book-reviews






http://www.washfruit.com/history

Washington Agriculture Museums and Information:

http://scenicwa.com/listing/eastern-washington-agricultural-museum.html






http://centralwaagmuseum.org/






http://co.garfield.wa.us/eastern_washington_agricultural_museum/






http://www.pioneerfarmmuseum.org/directions.html- Eatonville, Washington





http://www.lib.washington.edu/preservation/projects/washag/ag

Deer Park:

http://www.cdphs.org/arcadia-orchard.html

Yakima:

http://www.historylink.org/index.cfm?DisplayPage=output.cfm&file_id=5356

http://yakimavalleymuseum.org/apple/journey01.cfm

http://www.johnsonorchardsfruit.com/history.html

http://yakimavalleymuseum.org/apple/index.cfm

http://www.treeripened.com/history.html

Wenatchee:

http://www.columbiafruit.com/history.html

http://www.inlandnw.com/?p=214

http://research.washingtonhistory.org/Results.aspx?q=orchards

Washington State:

http://www.bestapples.com/facts/facts_washington.aspx

http://appleorchardtours.com/history.htm

Literature:

Steven Kellogg’s, “Johnny Appleseed”

“Growing Kids and Planting Trees” http://www.weaversorchard.com/growing-kids-and-planting-trees/

 Washington Map

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Inspiring Reluctant Readers: National Bookmobile Day

Reluctant readers are found in our classrooms and homes. I just love finding books about struggling readers! Author, Heather Henson wrote a book called “That Book Woman.”  

Teenage Cal is the main character.  He is growing up in the isolated Appalachian Mountains. He just cannot understand why his little sister loves to read, until the "Book Woman" arrives.  This story is based upon the true Pack Horse Librarians, known as "Book Women" in Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky.

Author Heather Henson has a blog at http://www.heatherhensonbooks.com/books.html.


Pack Horse Librarian History Sites:

http://www.appalachianhistory.net/2011/01/pack-horse-librarians.html

http://newdeal.feri.org/library/j_1k_bg.htm

http://www.kykinfolk.com/knott/bookwomen_easternkentucky.htm

http://newdeal.feri.org/works/wpa07.htm


"Pegusus" Washington State's First Bookmobile:

http://www.historylink.org/_content/printer_friendly/pf_output.cfm?file_id=5439

http://www.libraryhistorybuff.org/bookmobile.htm

National Bookmobile Day: