TeacherHax Notebook
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Many teachers find that using a stopwatch to time class segments helps keep students engaged. I use Apimac Timer on my computer to show students how much time they have left to finish in-class tasks. It has a stopwatch, countdown, alarm clock, and clock in a big, easy to read display. It even plays a nice satisfying "ding" at the end of the countdown.
Timer for Mac OS X - Freeware stopwatch, alarm clock and countdown utility for Mac
www.apimac.com/timer/index.php Timer for Mac OS X
Freeware stopwatch, alarm clock and countdown utility for Mac. Version '08   Apimac Timer is a complete and professional stopwatch, alarm clock, countdown and clock utility for Mac OS X. Apimac Timer is freeware and gives you the same well-known ease of use as other Apimac Applications.
 
HOWTO: Subscribe to a Google Calendar using iCal - The Unofficial Apple Weblog (TUAW)
www.tuaw.com/2006/04/13/howto-subscribe-to-a-googl... HOWTO: Subscribe to a Google Calendar using iCalPosted Apr 13th 2006 3:00PM by Scott McNulty  So Google
has released a web calendar that supports the iCal format.
Big deal, right? I use iCal, so what do I care? Well, you can use iCal to subscribe to any shared Google Calendar, and
it works like a charm, though keep in mind that Google Calendar doesn't support Safari (I used Camino to make this how
to).In order to subscribe to your own Google Calendar, first log into gCalendar (as I like to call it). You'll notice the Manage calendars link on the left hand side of your calendar (highlighted in the picture to the right). Go ahead and click on that, and continue reading this tutorial, after the jump.After you click on 'Manage calendar' you should be in the Calendars tab of the Calendar Settings screen. Click on the 'Sharing' setting as highlighted below:  This whisks you to 'Share this calendar' where you can pick to publicly share a calendar (as we have done below) or share it with only certain people. I have decided to share all my information with the world because everyone is always hounding me for appointments (Steve, I'll pencil in lunch with you next time I am in Cupertino, I promise!).  Now just click on the Calendar Details tab, and you'll see a whole bunch of info about the calendar you are currently in. The part we care about is the 'Calendar Address,' which is the web address that iCal needs to subscribe to your calendar. Simply click on the green 'ICAL' button shown below.  Clicking on the ICAL button will result in this pop up (remember this doesn't work yet in Safari); 
That's the address we need for our iCal calendar. Copy it, and create a new calendar in iCal. Command click on the newly created calendar and pick 'Subscribe' like so:  Paste the web address you got from clicking on the green ICAL button into the 'Subscribe to' field:  Give it a name (I'm so clever with my names): 
Click 'OK', and there you have it! Events you add to your Google Calendar will now show up on this iCal calendar (though you can't actually add events using iCal, which is kind of a bummer). 
Have you ever had a kid come to school with their homework saved on a WEEIRD file format that the school computers can't read? NeoOffice, the Mac version of OpenOffice, has the ability to read and save as various different file types.
It's very handy, as a teacher, to be able to look the kid in the eye and say "I can convert that...". Better yet, encourage the kids to download it (it's free) and do their homework in it instead of MS Works or WordPerfect or whatever. NeoOffice is a fully-featured set of office applications (including word processing, spreadsheet, presentation, and drawing programs) for Mac OS X. Based on the OpenOffice.org office suite, NeoOffice has integrated dozens of native Mac features and can import, edit, and exchange files with other popular office programs such as Microsoft Office. Released as free, open source software under the GNU General Public License (GPL), NeoOffice is fully functional and stable enough for everyday use. The software is actively developed, so improvements and small updates are made available on a regular basis. It is available for free from the NeoOffice download page.
Getting Things Done by David Allen
Click on the "View Fullscreen" button to view. This is really cool for teachers who struggle with classroom management. It usually takes a few years of experience to become a good classroom manager, but these tips can help.
How to Implement a Discipline Program in Your Class | eHow.com
www.ehow.com/how_2021257_implement-discipline-prog... Introduction
Teachers are faced with a number of behavioral issues that occur in their classrooms every day. Oftentimes, teachers are not fully prepared for these challenges and these disruptions affect the learning environment of all students. Implementing an effective discipline program in your class will eliminate interruptions and place the focus back on student learning. Here are some steps to follow to implement an effective discipline program in your classroom.
Instructions
Difficulty: Easy
Steps
1
Step One
Develop a Code of Conduct. Describe the behavior you want to see from your students in four to five sentences. Keep your statements positive and as detailed as possible. Example: Students will work to the best of their ability and allow others to do so likewise.
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Step Two
Teach the behaviors you want your students to demonstrate. If you want them to be respectful of one another, teach them how to do it in a formal lesson. Describe what it looks like and what it sounds like. Do this for every behaviour you want your students to demonstrate.
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Step Three
Practise the skills often. Some students will need to practise the skills often before they are successful. Allow them the opportunity to practise your expectations as needed.
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Step Four
Be consistent. Impress upon your students that these behaviors are to be demonstrated at all times in the classroom.
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Step Five
Correct your students when they are not demonstrating the behavior. Refrain from punishing them for not meeting your expectations. Instead, correct them and have them repeat it the proper way. Example: A student enters the room in a disrespectful way during a transition. Remind the student of the expectation and have them leave the room and enter again while following the expectation correctly.
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Step Six
Provide active supervision. Students will meet your expectations if they know you are guiding them and leading them along the way.
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Step Seven
Recognize their efforts. When you see a student meeting the expectation, praise them verbally by describing how they are meeting your expectation. Example: "Mary is on task. Her eyes are on her paper and she is quiet." How to Teach a Teenager With a Learning Disability How to Write a Five-Paragraph Essay | eHow.com
www.ehow.com/how_11467_teach-teenager-with.html Introduction
Writing a sentence is difficult for students with learning disabilities, let alone a whole paragraph. How can a student with a learning disability learn to write a five-paragraph essay?
Instructions
Difficulty: Challenging
Steps
1
Step One
Read. Read out loud. Read independently. Listen to books on tape. Read a group story and then watch the video. Talk about character feelings, plot, setting and all other aspects of the story. Immerse your students in reading and build writing experiences from the topics and ideas you read about.
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Step Two
Assess your student's writing skills. If your student cannot write a complete sentence or cannot put paragraph ideas into logical order, it will be unrealistic for you to expect your student to write an essay.
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Step Three
Teach the writing process. There are four basic steps to writing: thinking of an idea, writing a rough draft, revising and correcting, and publishing the finished piece.
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Step Four
Have several spelling strategies available for students to learn from and use. One of the most frustrating aspects of writing for teenagers is not being able to spell.
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Step Five
Write and edit the introduction paragraph. In the first paragraph your student will be introducing the idea that the paper will cover, and the contents of paragraphs two through four. Talk about the ideas the paper will cover and come up with descriptive and main idea sentences. Write the main idea and description sentences on note cards or strips of paper. Write ideas on a huge piece of poster board. Edit the sentences and put them into a logical and readable order.
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Step Six
Write and edit paragraphs two through three. By now your student should have an idea of what paragraphs two, three and four will cover. Following the same procedure as with the introduction paragraph, have your student write sentences on note cards or large sheets of paper for editing and to organize ideas. Some students may need to lay out all three paragraphs and others may be able to start writing without using the visual guide.
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Step Seven
Write and edit the conclusion. Explain that the last paragraph will sum up the contents of the entire paper. Write and edit using the visual aids, if necessary. Compare the conclusion and introduction paragraphs for similarities, and change close wording.
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Step Eight
Publish the finished piece. Encourage your student to dress up the finished product with a decorative cover. Let the student use the computer for typing instead of writing by hand. Add pictures and graphs or anything to emphasize the content of the essay.
Tips & Warnings
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Novice |