How We Talk to Girls

I've seen two videos recently that have really made me stop and think about how we talk to girls in our society.   Here they are:


1)  Like a Girl




2) Inspire Her Mind




As a female, I know personally how the deck can be stacked against us in certain ways.  Also, as a teacher I see many of the same sayings, thoughts, and stereotypes placed on our young ladies today.

I know kindergartners who are concerned about wearing high heels (usually a small platform on the bottom of their shoe) and if they need more lip gloss.  I'm not exaggerating here.  These two girls that I am thinking of - ages 6 and 7 - cannot identify or write many of the letters of the alphabet, they used to struggle with even identifying their names if they were spelled out in front of them, and they cannot write or identify all of the numbers 1-10.

These girls are not stupid.  They are very intelligent, but the message they have been given from a very, very young age is that their appearance is more important than anything else, especially school or any kind of 'work' like reading or doing math.

When this message is made clear to girls, it also translates into expectations for boys.  While in kindergartner most boys think girls have cooties, as they grow up around girls who increasingly focus on their appearance, since that is what girls are directly and indirectly told is important, boys will start to conform and expect that stereotyped standard as well.

We need to be even more cognizant of the language we use with young children and the messages, intended or not, that we send them.

We can do more for our girls.

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The Internet in Real Time

I am well aware that the internet is filled with tweets, likes, pins, photos, and much, much more.  But it is incredibly impressive when you can see the accumulation of internet "stuff" pile up in front of your eyes.  

Here is quick snapshot of this internet accumulation for only 30 seconds from today:

It might be hard to see, but here is a break down of those 30 seconds:

• Pins: 7,140
• Tweets: 171,000
• Facebook Likes: 1,565,880
• Facebook Posts: 1,649,280
• Hours of Video Watched on YouTube: 69,420

It baffles me!

If you want to check out the internet in real time, check it out here. The website starts accumulating the data as soon as you load it, so all numbers start at 0... but I bet you won't see many zeros.

Technology in the Classroom

Let's get some technology resources together for teachers. Here are just a few:

1) 27 Apps that have changed my Teaching and Learning Practice 

 2) What do you want kids to do with technology?

 3) 9 Powerful (And FREE) Tools To Boost Summer Learning

 4) 10 Exciting Ways to Use Mobile Phones in the Classroom 

5) Apps That Rise to the Top: Tested and Approved By Teachers

What other resources do you love?
Add links in the comments section to articles, apps, blog posts, and anything that you think is a great technology-related resource for teachers.

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Great YouTube Channel for Phonics, Sight Words, and More!

If you are looking for fun songs to help teach your students the alphabet, letter names, letter sounds, and even sight words, check out Have Fun Teaching.

I have several students who just start singing in class.  They are in kindergarten or first grade, and while they are still mastering letter sounds, they are able to sing out lines of text like, "Lately I've been, I've been losing sleep..."  While I'm sure they have little idea of what the lyrics from pop songs mean, imagine if that type of automaticity could be achieved for letter names, letter sounds, and even for spelling sight words!

Here are just a few of Have Fun Teaching's videos:

What Do the Letters Say? (What Does the Fox Say Parody)



Alphabet Song



Letter F Song



The "Are" Song

Father's Day Craft and Gift Ideas

Here are some Father's Day craft ideas that are great for any man in your child's/students' lives that you are looking to thank:

1) DAD Picture Frame

2) A Pup for Pop

3) Fishing Cupcakes

4) I Love You This Much

5) M&M Bow Tie

6) We Love You Because Photo

7) I Think You're Dandy Card

8) Father's Day Goody Bags

Critical Thinking and Teamwork

Here is an infograph from Resources for Teachers with some good ideas for practicing critical thinking and teamwork in a short amount of time:

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Characterization

I LOVE this easy four-square characterization organizer:

The character's name goes in the middle of the page, surrounded by four squares that include the characters Feelings, Actions, Sayings, and Thoughts.

This graphic organizer will be great when reading novels to better understand characters and for student writing as they develop their characters.  

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