Hmm, the website would help, huh? :)

Here is the link: http://socialstudiescentral.com/?q=content/online-interactive-simulations

Social Studies Simulations

Hello!

I found a really cool social studies website that posts many online simulations for students. Many of the activities get them involved in history. Check out Decisions in American History, You are the Historian, or Nation States (more for high school students). There are many more, but those are the ones I checked out and liked. You may be able to use them in your curriculum webs.

Veronica

Incompetent teacher

I joined the chat boards on teachers.net. This is a discussion board that has administrators as well as teachers. One post that caught my attention was about a principal who has an issue with a tenure first grade teacher. The principal posted this blog on 10/04/09. The problem with this teacher is she is incompetent. She does not teach the students anything. When the students move on to the second grade, the second grade teacher complains how the students don’t know anything. The principal attempted to transfer the teacher to another grade but the teacher threatened to sue, and the district sided with her. The reason the district sided with her is because the teacher is handicapped. The principal says that whenever something does not go her way she pulls the handicap card. The principal was in a bind, so I asked her if the parents are aware of the situation. I found out they are not so I suggested she attempt, without anyone knowing, maybe through a third party she can have the parents complain to the district. I don’t know any parents who knowing the situation will stand for it. Hearing this situation really made me see how some teachers don’t know how much influence they have in whether a student learns to the best of their ability. The early grades for students are meant to build the foundation for their future school career. This makes me want to do my all to help students as much as I can. I think people forget after a while to just act professional. If someone is that unhappy then they should just quit, because if you’re not happy with something then maybe it’s time for a change. I never want to be as arrogant as this teacher. Through respondents I also found out some information and other ways of going about it. One contributor was able to offer insight on how documenting everything is very important so that later on she can’t claim harassment because I figure that is the basis of that first grade teachers law suits. As a principal it would be a good idea for her to protect herself by having a record of everything. This was a very interesting blog because as good as the teachers union is in protecting teachers, sometimes it can work negatively also.

Blogs for Teachers

Hi - Came across this site that lists valuable blogs for educators that you can use for your journals.


Recommended Teacher Blogs

Color Schemes / Accessibility

Hey everyone, I thought I'd share 2 helpful links:

1. ColorSchemer - If you input a color on the left side, it will generate 16 colors that complement it. This tool can help you design your website color scheme. If you don't know where to start, you can check out the ColorSchemer Gallery.

2. BrowserShots - This website will allow you to check what your website looks like in other browsers (Internet Explorer, Safari, Firefox, etc). Some HTML/javascript will work differently or not work at all in some browsers, so BrowserShots can help you make sure all your visitors have a similar viewing experience.

:-)

USB Drives

Hey All,

Staples is having a sale from 10/4-10/10 and included are flash drives (I remember talking about buying them in class yesterday). PNY Attache USB Drives: 4 GB for $12.99, 8 GB for $19.99 and 16 GB for $34.99. I also want to recommend signing up for Staples' e-mails because they send coupons out constantly which is always nice as teachers. You also find out about their sales before anyone else since they send an early link to the next week's circular with awesome deals.

Back on the USB drive front, Microcenter (it's out by Roosevelt Field Mall on Merrick Ave next to Syms) has drives pretty cheap too. I got one of mine there, it's an 8 GB and I paid $16.99. They have 2 GB for $6.99 and 4 GB for $8.99.

Always looking out for classmates,
Liz Lerner

Top 20 Blogs for Teachers from Scholastic

I found this in Instructor Magazine and they are always a good resource of information. This month are their favorite blogs for teachers. Here is the article: http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3752562