The Leader in Me
This year students at Harry S Truman Elementary School and Western Salisbury Elementary School are busy learning the 7 Habits of Highly Effective People (Stephen Covey). This initiative, The Leader in Me, will help our children find their strengths and potential as we share the common language of the Seven Habits. We will be on a journey with our children as we help them discover their strengths and talents – the leader in each of them.
Below is a summary of the Seven Habits that will help our children develop their potential.
Leadership is communicating people’s worth and potential so clearly that they are inspired to see it in themselves.
~Stephen R. Covey
Habit 1: Be Proactive
I am a responsible person. I take initiative. I choose my actions, attitudes, and moods. I do not blame others for my wrong actions. I do the right thing without being asked, even when no one is looking.
Habit 2: Begin with the End in Mind
I plan ahead and set goals. I do things that have meaning and make a difference. I am an important part of my classroom and contribute to my school’s mission and vision. I look for ways to be a good citizen.
Habit 3: Put First Things First
I spend my time on things that are most important. This means I say no to things I know I should not do. I set priorities, make a schedule, and follow my plan. I am disciplined and organized.
Habit 4: Think Win-Win
I balance courage for getting what I want with consideration for what others want. I make deposits in others’ emotional bank accounts. When conflicts arise, I look for third alternatives.
Habit 5: Seek First to Understand
I listen to the ideas and feelings of others. I try to see things from their point of view. I listen to others without interrupting. I am confident in voicing my ideas. I look people in the eyes when talking.
Habit 6: Synergize
I value other people’s strengths and learn from them. I get along well with others, even people who are different from me. I work well in groups. I seek out other people’s ideas to solve problems because I know that by teaming with others we can create better solutions than any one of us alone. I am humble.
Habit 7: Sharpen the Saw
I take care of my body by eating right, exercising, and getting sleep. I spend time with family and friends. I learn in lots of ways and lots of places, not just at school. I take time to find meaningful ways to help others.
Managing Your Safari Bookmarks
Bookmarks can be a great timesaver when you’re saving an article to read later, speeding up your workflow by having quicker access to your commonly used sites, or collecting a list of your favorite websites. By organizing your bookmarks, you can easily manage hundreds of bookmarks without getting overwhelmed. Read more about managing your Safari bookmarks here.
Wikis and Garage Band in 5th Grade
Mrs. Shirk’s fifth grade class began using Wikis this year to supplement class discussion. A weekly question is posted and students have the opportunity to submit their answers throughout the week. Students enjoy responding in their own words and seeing their classmates’ opinions. The students also appreciate being able to review past discussions.
Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.
Truman’s GarageBand club meets on Friday afternoons. Students from grades 3, 4, and 5 have the opportunity to create their own original compositions using Apple’s GarageBand software. Some students opt to record their own voices, while others create arrangements using the built-in audio loops. They also learn how to use effects to creatively transform sounds.
Listen to this project by Anna Bitar.
Click to enlarge.
Click to enlarge.
TL2014 – Resources of the week… (weekly)
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Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice | Teaching Tolerance
Using Photographs to Teach Social Justice is a series of 12 lessons. Each lesson focuses on a contemporary social justice issue. These lessons are multidisciplinary and geared toward middle- and high-school students.
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The Innovative Educator: Connect students to industry thought leaders with LinkedIn
This is a great idea…having students connect with industry and thought leaders through LinkedIn.
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Social Media Guidelines for Students and Job Seekers| The Committed Sardine
Here’s something that has been a hot topic in both the workplace and classroom for some time now—to what extent should social media play a role in these environments? This infographic is from Onlinedegrees.org and provides some useful stats and guidelines concerning this issue.
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Is it time to start the conversation of competency/proficiency-based learning?
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PRINCIPALLY SPEAKING: How are We Measuring the Tough Stuff?
Is implementation of common core sucking the oxygen out of the room?
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“Social media is a tremendous way for students to engage in meaningful work and causes. This is why it is so important for educators to be in the know when it comes to guiding and supporting all students in making a difference using this powerful resource. In the post below Stephanie Rivera shares some students worth following. “
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12 Intensive HTML5 Infographics
These infographics may be useful for computer science classes interested in coding in HTML5.
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Search Tips & Tricks – Inside Search – Google
Useful tips from Google – get movie times, convert currencies, track packages, etc.
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Teachers and Social Media| The Committed Sardine
An informative way to look at social media guidelines: Looking after yourself – respect and protect yourself; Looking after others – respect and protect others; Looking after property – respect and protect intellectual property
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Parent Roadmaps to Common Core Standards / Parent Roadmaps
“The Council of the Great City Schools’ parent roadmaps in English language arts/literacy and in mathematics provide guidance to parents about what their children will be learning and how they can support that learning in grades K-8. These parent roadmaps for each grade level also provide three-year snapshots showing how selected standards progress from year to year so that students will be college and career ready upon their graduation from high school”
Saving Documents in Pages
Saving looks a little different in Lion, the new operating system on your Mac. The guide below will help you understand the different ways to save. This applies to 
the entire iWork suite of software, including Pages, Keynote, and Numbers.
Teaching and Learning 2014 