Teacher Appreciation Week May 7-11

Teacher Appreciation Week this year (2012) is this week (May 7 to 11).

It's a great time to thank a great teacher for all he or she has done.

It's also a great time to be a teacher.  Many businesses offer Teacher Appreciation Week savings.  Some of these businesses are nationwide.  However, many are local.  So, look around and see who is offering teacher specials this week in your area.

And, THANK YOU!!!  Thank you for a job well done.

Create Custom Lesson Plans With New TED-Ed Videos

This new site is amazing!  It allows teachers to customize lesson plans and use videos and slides from this site - TED-Ed http://ed.ted.com/lessons/ .

There is something for almost every subject.  I just looked at it to check it out and have not delved deeper.  However, I saw lessons on science, art, Business, health, math and more.

Check out this lesson plan and video on the size of an atom:

TED-Ed | Just How Small Is an Atom?

Great Math Site for Finding Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

Do you find yourself inside a personal complex math problem when trying to decipher the definitions of mathematical terms?  If so, I ran across an amazing site that clearly explains the differences between Mean, Median, Mode and Range.  It's called Purple Math:

Mean, Median, Mode, and Range

When you're done reading this you will no longer find the average to be a "Big Blue Meanie" and may even find yourself singing, "Home home on the RANGE".  OK, enough of corny humor and onto figure out numbers at Purple Math.com

What is Education Worth?

I do not want to stir up Wisconsin-style protests, but I see the news reports that banter about teacher salaries and what education is really worth.  And, it makes me sad that teachers, like home-makers, are de-valued in our society.

Investing knowledge into the next generation is worth far more than we spend.

A good teacher is worth his or her weight in gold.

It's time to take educating our youth and aging population seriously and to give it value.  True, we have public education and private education systems in place.  However, the value goes beyond money and is more than words can express.

If you are a teacher or educator in any form - Your value is priceless!

St. Patrick's Day Holiday Learning

It's almost time for the wearing of the green.  St. Patrick's Day is March 17, and it is a holiday that takes history and transforms it into fun.

This article explains some of the common symbols of St. Patrick's Day and provides helpful tips to enjoy with your children:

St. Patrick's Day Symbols and Activities for Kids

Take The Toyota - Heads Up! Challenge on Discovery Education

Attention parents of new teen drivers!

The Discovery Education website has a helpful online game that helps teens learn about driving and potential risks.  Read all about it and play online here:

Toyota - Heads Up!

They have a course for left and right-handed drivers.  When you complete the game, there are helpful real-life driving stats.

Read about all the details at the above link to find out how your teen could win $1,000 just by playing online till May 7, 2012.

Learning About Idaho For Kids

Teaching kids about states - This is a great place to start (for lack of any kind of alphabetic or first to last state order).  If you like potatoes, you might be fond of this one:

Idaho: One State Among 50 That Offers a Fun Lesson for Summertime Learning

If Idaho is too far for you to visit, take a virtual field trip.  Get out a map of the state and let your child run his or her finger along the roads and rivers.  Get a miniature doll or car and roll it over the map.  If you like, make a 3D version of the state.  Study the hills, mountains, valleys, etc. and recreate it with clay or other crafting materials.

Use your imagination and make learning come alive for your child.