2011 January | Imagine This!

Monday, January 31, 2011

National Title I Conference: Day one

This week we will be bringing you daily updates from the National Title I Conference in Tampa, Florida. Here is the entry for day one, Monday, January 31.

Educational leaders from all across the county gathered in Tampa, Florida this morning for the start of the 2011 National Title I Conference, and I think the majority of attendees—including myself—are staying at the Embassy Suites downtown. The jam-packed workout room and long, staggering breakfast lines were evidence of just how many people are here for the conference. Waiting in a line for breakfast may be nothing new, but having to wait in line to use the treadmill at a hotel workout room was definitely a first for me!

But the lines didn’t end there. Attendees lined up at the Imagine Learning booth to play the interactive “Free the Aliens” game for a chance to win an iPod and the glory of being the highest scorer. It brought out the competitive side in all of us as we experienced just one of the engaging activities of Imagine Learning English. Herb Monroe, from Henrico County in Virginia, was just one of many attendees who competed for the top spot. After playing the game he said, “I’ve got to come back.” He was determined to give it another shot and get the highest score. He went on to say, “It’s fun and colorful. The kids would love this!”

Read the day two recap here.

- Emily Bybee is an area partnership manager for Imagine Learning

Posted by Carter in EdTech, ESL, Students with Disabilities | 4 Comments »

Thursday, January 27, 2011

How to find more funding to help more children

Educators share many common traits: creativity, commitment, a love for society and children.

However, one trait is seldom mentioned but very deserving of recognition: making the most of available resources.

In many classrooms you’ll find examples of teachers using available resources to enhance their teaching. For example, you might find

common household items used for memorable lessons,
old magazines sliced and diced for classroom bulletin boards, or
school supplies purchased by generous educators reaching into their own wallets.

If educators are forced to creatively stretch their budgets when the economy is strong, what are they to do when the economy weakens? In times like these, educators will want to add one powerful tool to their toolbox: additional funds in the form of grants. Read more »

Posted by Dave in ESL, Standards and tests, Struggling Readers | 1 Comment »

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Classroom kit giveaway!

***UPDATE*** Due to extremely popular demand, we’ve decided to give away a few more classroom kits. Everyone who leaves a comment through the end of today (Friday, Jan. 28) will be entered in a drawing to win the remaining kits. We reached 25 comments too quickly! And to you 25 first-responders, we will be in touch. To everyone else: keep the comments coming! We’ve enjoyed the discussion and love hearing your innovative ideas for teaching your students with technology.

In his recent State of the Union address, President Obama stressed the need for continued innovation and technology in education. With that in mind, we’re giving Imagine Learning classroom kits to the first 25 of you who leave a comment telling us one way that you use technology in your teaching.

Your classroom kit contains the following:

Booster stickers and removable Booster tattoos for the whole class
A full-size Imagine Learning English poster
A set of window clings featuring Booster and the other characters from Imagine Learning English

Booster is a flying robot who offers students feedback as they progress through Imagine Learning English. As students learn new skills, Booster is there to encourage them when they’re doing well and to nudge them in the right direction whenever they need a little extra assistance.

Kids love Booster, and you will too. Ready to claim your prize? Leave a comment below and share one way you use technology in your teaching.

Posted by Carter in ESL | 40 Comments »

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The State of the Union address

Last night, President Obama addressed the nation in his State of the Union speech. In case you missed it, you can watch the speech in its entirety at the end of this post.

Education is always an important issue for government, and President Obama talked about it extensively Tuesday night, emphasizing the need to invest in education and technology and return the United States to a place of global prominence when it comes to educating our citizens.

We really enjoyed this Wordle created by Richard Byrne on the Free Technology for Teachers blog:

Posted by Carter in ESL | 3 Comments »

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

School name-calling: 15 tips for eliminating bullying

No sticks. No stones. No dissing. That’s the motto for No Name-Calling Week, a project inspired by The Misfits, a young adult novel written by popular author James Howe. The book tells the story of four friends who grow tired of being constantly teased in middle school and decide to run for student council on a no name-calling platform.

Inspired by this idea, GLSEN and Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing created the No Name-Calling Week Coalition, which now consists of over 50 national partnering organizations. In March 2004, the coalition organized the first No Name-Calling Week in schools across the nation. Since then the project has gained thousands of supporters who believe in its cause, which is to end name-calling of all kinds and provide schools with the tools and inspiration to launch an ongoing dialogue about ways to eliminate bullying in their communities.

As someone who has seen close family members suffer from the effects of bullying, I was thrilled to learn about this project and how I can participate. While it originally began in middle schools, the NNCW project has since been extended from kindergarten through twelfth grade because all students can benefit from learning how to be more understanding of one another and how to address name-calling and bullying.

Would you and your students like to participate in this powerful project? Here are 15 ways you can make the eighth annual No Name-Calling Week meaningful in your school or classroom: