Teaching Resources
The purpose of this section of our web site is to provide you with resources and ideas that will aid you in the classroom. The resources include power point presentations on a variety of topics, web sites, and multiple ideas to reflect upon. Each resource will be identified by an Exhibit Number.This section will expand over time so be sure to visit frequently. You have our permission to use the information and materials that are presented here.
If you like what you see in the resource section, you will love what you will experience at a FIIT seminar event. Be sure to check out the seminar descriptions and register today for a great learning experience!
Dr. Jim & MJ
Exhibit #1
Educational Resources from Dr. Sue LeBeau
A good place to start is by checking out the multiple resources that are provided on Dr. Sue LeBeau's web page.
Sue is a colleague and has extensive experience in online education at higher education institutions. She has over 30 years of experience teaching in the elementary and middle school grades in both the regular education and gifted classrooms.
Click on the Welcome sign above to navigate to Dr. LeBeau's informative site.
Exhibit #2
21st Century Learning Outcomes
Writing learning outcomes is a task that all teachers are familiar with. However, it is important to take a closer look at the outcomes that we design and make sure that we are meeting the needs of our 21st century learners. What should be included in a learning outcome that is designed to meet the needs of learners who are part of an ever changing and unpredictable world? View the power point presentation included below to find out. Your comments, reactions, and ideas are always welcome.
Exhibit #3
A Tribute to Teachers
You know by now that at FIIT we believe it is important to meet the needs of both the teacher and the student. It is also important for all of us to take a few moments to recognize the amazing contributions that teachers make to our society on a daily basis. In the words of Lee Iacocca (businessman who revitalized the Chrysler Corporation in the 1980's),
"In a truly rational society all of us would aspire to be teachers."
Read and reflect upon the poem written by Clark Mollenhoff (former columnist for the Des Moines Register). It certainly captures the essence of the impact that a teacher can have on a student. The poem can be accessed below:
All of the seminars presented by FIIT recognize the contributions made by teachers and project this point within the exemplary seminar facility and hospitality extended to every participant.
Mary Jayne suggests Exhibits 4 through 9 for early childhood teachers (Infant to Age 8) to review.
Exhibit #4
Teaching Young Children
Using the Teaching Young Children Web site, preschool teachers can share and find ideas, suggest topics that can be covered in future issues, and network with other teachers in a growing online community.
Exhibit #5
Social / Emotional Resources for Early Learning
Vanderbilt University offers a wonderful web resource that addresses the social and emotional competencies of young children.
Click on the pyramid model below to learn more about promoting social and emotional competence in infants and young children.
Also, check out this web resource for ideas relating to social and emotional interventions for young learners.
Click on the graphic above.
Exhibit #6
National Network for Child Care
Here is an an Internet source of over 1000 publications and resources related to child care. Publications are research-based and reviewed.
Click on the banner above to navigate to the NNCC site and take advantage of the multiple resources and options that await you!
Exhibit #7
Zero to Three
ZERO TO THREE is a national nonprofit organization that informs, trains and supports professionals, policymakers and parents in their efforts to improve the lives of infants and toddlers.
Click on the graphic below to link to this great site!
Exhibit #8
Abiyoyo Unit
By Pete Seeger
The African folktale"Abiyoyo" takes place in a small village. It centers on a boy and his father and their encounters with Abiyoyo, a giant. The story is intriguing to children because the giant who terrorizes the village is made to disappear through the efforts of the boy and his father.
The Abiyoyo unit has proved to be a favorite with children in preschool classrooms. Teachers report that "this unit is our all-time favorite" and that"disappear has become a part of the children’s vocabulary."disappear has become a part of the children’s vocabulary."
Click on the document below to access the unit.
Seeger, P. (1986). Abiyoyo, New York: Macmillan.
Exhibit #9
Co-Creating Scripts with Young Children
By Carol Garboden Murray
I have always believed that we need to become an emotional coach for our learners. This is due to the fact that emotions are developed early in the limbic area of the human brain. Young children are not able to plan and reason as well as we would like them to do because of the strong influence that emotions have on each child.
With these facts in mind, Mary Jayne has suggested an excellent strategy that is described in the following article by Carol Garboden Murray.
Writing and reading serve to make connections that can help young children address their emotions and help them to reason and deal with their emotions. The ability to communicate via the printed word provides the needed vocabulary that will help young children cope.
Writing can be therapeutic to all of us no matter what our age. We need to help our children benefit form this powerful tool. Co-Creating Scripts is a strategy that has a great potential for helping young children to understand and deal more effectively with emotional situations. It is a wonderful problem solving strategy and a great tool for you to utilize as a child's Emotional Coach!
Dr. Jim
You can access the article by clicking on the link below:
Carol Garboden Murray
TYC. NAEYC.ORG
Exhibit #10
WDWWWWHW
(Who Did What to Whom, When, Where, How and Why?)
This is a great strategy that can be utilized in multiple learning contexts. Students are prompted to write a WDWWWHW in order to demonstrate their understanding of a key concept. It is a challenge when the students are instructed to complete the task with just a single sentence.
You can scaffold the activity by having the students construct a table that isolates each letter. The students will then write the sentence from the information that has been written for each letter.
For Example:
Topic / Concept:
____________________________________________________________
W ___________________________________________________________
DW__________________________________________________________
W ___________________________________________________________
W____________________________________________________________
H ____________________________________________________________
W ____________________________________________________________
Exhibit #11
Essential Questions
Essential Questions serve to drive instructional units.
View the power point presentation to learn more.
