resources Archives - Susan Fitzell

Schoolhouse of the Past… Schoolhouse of the Future

Susan Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP — Thu, 18 Mar 2010 02:29:16 +0000

Though many of the buildings still stand—including several here in New Hampshire—and a few are still in operation scattered around the United States, the one-room schoolhouse is pretty much a vestige of the past as an educational model. It was far from ideal, of course, with limited resources and curriculum, entirely dependent on the education and skills (or lack thereof) of one teacher.But in other ways, the one-room school did possess some positive qualities and values that our public school systems are struggling to recreate. The teachers in those tiny schools must, of necessity, have known every student in their classroom—not just their names, but their families, their histories, their individual challenges, and the worlds they lived in.Above all, the one-room school was a model of inclusion. Children of different ages, abilities, readiness, and social backgrounds mingled and interacted and, to a significant degree, were likely to take an active role in educating each other. Without separate classrooms for separate grade levels, student progress had to be assessed and rewarded differently. Standardized tests were not the sole or primary determinant of what a child had learned and understood.

I don’t mean to romanticize the past, simply to point out that inclusive classrooms, differentiated instruction methods, cooperative learning, and accommodated assessment are by no means new or revolutionary concepts. In fact, they are all time-tested ideas that merit our consideration and our efforts to adapt to the requirements and the opportunities of the modern schoolhouse.

This is a big part of what I am striving toward in my teaching and through books like Special Needs in the General Classroom: Strategies that Make it Work. I hope you’ll come back and join me as I explore some of the ideas and practices that I have come across and developed, myself, for creating inclusive general education classrooms.

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FREE Teacher (and Student) Websites!

Susan Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 18:11:02 +0000

Teachers and Students Connect Online

An easy way for teachers, students, and parents to stay connected is through the teacher’s website. Teachers can post classroom information, homework assignments, school news; whatever the teacher wants parents and students to know. If a student is absent, that student can check the website and get their assignments and be prepared when they return to class. Most teacher websites also include a link to the teacher’s email address which makes communication easier.

Many school districts already offer web pages to their teachers, but I learned this summer that this isn’t always the case. Some districts limit the information and formatting options available to teachers and not all districts provide ways for students to interact in their classroom experience via the internet.

A Web Presence for your Classroom

If you need a place to set up a web presence for your classroom, or you’re looking for more versatility than your district provides, check out the options listed below.

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Help for Teachers Affected by the Economy

Susan Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP — Fri, 01 May 2009 17:37:46 +0000

Tough Times for Teachers

As we continue to face issues with today’s economy, school’s and teachers in some parts of the country are feeling the crunch. I’ve recommended Teachers.net before, and even published articles in their gazette. Now its time to point you to some other important resources.

This March’s gazette has an article on Economic Relief for Teachers.
The Job Center offers a current listing of job openings sorted by state.
The Tutors Chatboard offers information and ideas about how to increase your income by tutoring in your spare time.

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Interesting Research on Autism and Empathy

Susan Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP — Mon, 12 Jan 2009 20:40:54 +0000

Autism and Empathy and Mirror Neurons

These articles aren’t new to publication, however, I believe they still are worth reading.

From: Mirror cells’ fading spark: empathy-related neurons may turn off in autism. by Bower, B.
Source: Science News, 12/10/2005.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
COPYRIGHT 2008 Science Service, Inc.

From: WE FEEL YOUR PAIN. . . . . . AND YOUR HAPPINESS, TOO THE HUMAN BRAIN’S SOURCE OF EMPATHY MAY ALSO PLAY A ROLE IN AUTISM by Carey Goldberg, Globe Staff
Source: The Boston Globe (Boston, MA), 12/12/2005.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
Copyright 2009 The Boston Globe

From: Is the future of autism research to be found in the mirror. by Kessler, Richard J.
Source: Pediatrics for Parents, 9/1/2008.
Via: HighBeam™ Research
COPYRIGHT 2008 Pediatrics for Parents, Inc.

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Good Ol’ Fashioned Flash Card Strategy & Resources

Susan Fitzell, M.Ed., CSP — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:02:51 +0000

Drill and Practice: Flash Cards with an Effective Twist!

Flash Card Strategy

I’m testing for my next level in Kung Fu in a couple months and one of the requirements is to memorize quite a bit of information from the Kung Fu Members Handbook. Memorization has never been easy for me. I think that’s why I have so many strategies in my seminars to help students memorize information. I’ve used the strategies myself with tremendous success and have found students surpass all expectations (their own and those of their teachers) when they use memorization strategies.

One of my favorite strategies is using good, old fashioned flash cards. I’ve almost always used standard flash cards for study and have handwritten the questions and answers using color, pictures, and mnemonics to help me or my students remember. This time, I wanted to try doing them on the computer and taking advantage of colored fonts, san serif -fonts, photos, etc. Then I could print them out and enhance them by hand if I wanted to. I believe that many times students don’t create flash cards to study from because they hate to write them out. So, this seems like a motivating avenue to explore.

The first step is finding out if there are any online resources for creating flash cards. I found some that I thought were not only heartening, they were helpful and effective. The first link I came across was written about a daughter who helped her mom remember words and people after a stroke. I had never considered that implementation of flash cards. So, consider how many ways we might use an age old technique like flash cards for study to help others.

Create Flash Cards in MSWord by Dian Chapman (for her mom): http://www.computorcompanion.com/LPMArticle.asp?ID=289. This site allows you to download a free MSWord Template for flashcards. This is what I was originally looking for on this quest. Sure I could have made one up myself, but how many times would I have to mess with the dimensions before I got it right? I figure, why reinvent the wheel. Someone else must have done it. Well, Dian did.

This next website has flashcards for ESL; however, the flash card instructions are generic and can be used for any subject. If you are looking for ESL flashcards you can make your own or pay for access to their ready made cards. http://www.eslkidstuff.com/flashcard_printing_instructions.htm

Flashcard Exchange dot com is the site that helped my daughter get through her advanced placement courses in high school. One wonderful benefit we discovered was that if you type in the title of a text book, you might find ready-made flash cards made by another teacher or student! This site has a feature that allows you to download flashcards onto a PDA! I might consider this option. Then I can study anytime anywhere discretely with my PDA phone! http://www.flashcardexchange.com/

And then there’s Quia, a site that allows you to create flash cards, games, activities, etc. www.quia.com

And finally, Microsoft’s website has templates for flashcards and designates exactly which Avery product fits the dimensions.
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT102530781033.aspx

Enjoy making flash cards and seeing your students increase their test prep success!

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