Painted Sneakers

http://www.marthastewart.com/article/painted-sneakers

Here's a great back-to-school project for middle school students, where they can express an "all about me" theme by decorating, personalizing, and painting their sneakers! Ask them to bring in an old or inexpensive pair of sneakers the first week back.

The Legacy of Kindergarten

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/28/business/economy/28leonhardt.html
How much does a great kindergarten affect test scores in middle school and beyond? Perhaps not at all. But...  Students who learn a good deal in kindergarten may be much more likely to attend college - AND earn more in the course of their careers!

More Than Half NY Students Fail Reading Test

Hidden Message Wordsearches

http://puzzlemaker.discoveryeducation.com/WordSearchWithMessageSetupForm.html

Design your own wordsearches, with a hidden message included! Useful for all subjects, reviews, vocabulary, etc.

There's Only One Way to Stop a Bully

Make a 3D Paper Dragon

http://www.hp.com/hho/hp_create/toys_games-3d_paper_crafts-3d_dragons.html

There are a trio of dragons available to download and print out for assembly here, all 

designed after "How to Train Your Dragon" characters. Art and assembly instructions can 

both be printed out. Great fun!

Incentives for States to Adopt National Standards

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/21/education/21standards.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Here's a hint: it's to do with the Race to the Top Competition...

How Stimulus Funds Can Go Very Wrong

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/19/education/19winerip.html

A great principal with an incredible track record is "removed". Why would this happen? "...because the Burlington School District wanted to qualify for up to $3 million in federal stimulus money for its dozen schools." 

New Family Fun, Learning, & Creativity Site

Chili Walla:

http://www.chiliwalla.com/

We're happy to recommend this family website for summer activities to keep kids busy and active, and to support families, learning, and creativity all year long - it's brand new, and looks promising with lots of great resources to come!

Teacher Tube

http://www.teachertube.com/
This "YouTube" style site services teachers only. Though it runs the gamut of K-12 topics (and sometimes quality), there are some gems included.

KerPoof! in the Classroom

http://www.kerpoof.com/how_to_play?c=teach_faq
Start with the Teacher's FAQ page above for Kerpoof - which is free for classroom use - and learn how to use it to supplement your instruction. Register your class with a school email address, find lesson plans, and classroom ideas to help you make stories, spell words visually, or even create animated movies or artwork. Great fun and learning for elementary and middle school classes!
http://www.kerpoof.com/teach?c=accounts/

Worldbook Curriculum Guide: Grade by Grade Typical Course of Study

How does your own curriculum fare in this typical (or standardized) course of study for each grade level, K-12?
http://www.worldbook.com/typical_course_of_study.html

STUDY FINDS COMPUTER ACCESS DOES NOT ENHANCE EDUCATION

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/11/business/11digi.html

Woodrow Wilson Teaching Fellowships

If you have the skills to teach high school science, math, technology, or engineering, take a look at these teaching fellowships. They include both a considerable stipend, admission to a master's program at quality participating universities, mentoring and support, and guidance toward certification. A 3 year teaching commitment after completing the program is required. Learn more about these programs at both links below.

http://www.wwteachingfellowship.org/about_the_program/teaching_fellowship.php?leadsource=ppc

http://www.woodrow.org/fellowships/teaching/annenberg/index.php

The Art & Science of Bubbles

http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/clean_living/art__science_of_bubbles.aspx

Here's a great way to experience summer fun and learning - with bubbles! Create some bubble magic with disappearing color bubbles, try making some bubble art, make a pop-proof bubble - or even a square one. Use the link below to also print out a mini book of bubble activities:

http://www.cleaninginstitute.org/assets/1/AssetManager/bubblebook.pdf

Science Experiments for Kids

http://www.highlightskids.com/Science/TryThis/h13TryThisArchive.asp

Keep kids busy this summer with some wonderful - and easy - science experiments to spark curiosity and imaginations.

LATER SCHOOL TIME, BETTER STUDENTS?

http://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode.cfm?id=later-school-start-time-leads-to-be-10-07-05

What do you think? If kids start school later in the morning, will they pay more attention? Be more rested? Happier, even? This study thinks so - read the article and listen to the podcast.

4th of July Parade Fans

http://familyfun.go.com/4th-of-july/patriotic-parade-wear/july-fourth-flag-663396/

Skip the last part of the instructions for this craft (for framing the flag with straws), and simply follow directions to make your own, wonderful 4th of July parade fan!
*H*A*P*P*Y*  *4*T*H*  *O*F*  *J*U*L*Y*  !!!!!!

Engineering in the Classroom

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/14/education/14engineering.html

Before they can even spell it, K-5 students are learning engineering principles in the classroom, with a hands-on, project-based learning approach. Answering the call for more competent students, as well as the Obama administration's Race to the Top States Competition, schools are exploring engineering curriculum for even the youngest grades, hoping to gain a competitive edge.