Family Literacy Websites

Family Literacy programs provide a way to teach families to read and write so that they can help their children at home. Family literacy embraces the intergenerational links which can interrupt the cycle of illiteracy. Teaching the parents and grandparents to increase their academic skills allows them to be a child’s first teacher.

The years from birth to 10 are a crucial age span, when a firm foundation is laid for healthy development and lifelong learning. At three, most children are self-confident and trusting, intellectually inquisitive, able to use language to communicate, able to use their increasing physical activity agility to play and explore, able to relate well to others, and able to empathize with others.

Enjoy the following family literacy websites to gather various ideas/activities to strengthen family literacy!


Reading is Fundamental
http://www.rif.org/parents


Family Literacy Special Collection
http://literacy.kent.edu/Midwest/FamilyLit/parent_links.html


Partnership for Reading’s “A Child Becomes A Reader”
http://www.nifl.gov/nifl/pfr.html


Family Literacy Resource Notebook: http://literacy.kent.edu/Oasis/famlitnotebook/


Family Literacy Foundation: www.read2kids.org


National Center for Family Literacy: www.famlit.org


International Reading Association: www.reading.org


American Library Association: www.ala.org


Barbara Bush Foundation for Family Literacy:
www.barbarabushfoundation.com


Early Childhood Education
http://www.ed.gov/offices/OERI/ECI/publications.html#ECD


United States Department of Education
http://www.ed.gov/parents/landing.jhtml?src=pn

Teaching Diverse Learners

Educators are teaching more diverse populations in their classrooms. With the diversity that exists today, it is necessary for them to employ effective teaching strategies that empower students. Here's one of my PowerPoint slides which covers a glimpse of meeting the needs of diverse learners:

Digital Storybook Defined

A colleague of mine asked me to define a digital storybook. Based upon my experience with empowering students to create their very own storybooks, here's the definition I came up with:















Good luck as you empower your students to effectively integrate technology in the classroom!

Sites for Teachers

Check out this resourceful website http://www.sitesforteachers.com filled with free printables, resources, games, puzzles, awards, activities, and more! This is a wonderful site to share with other educators!

WEB SITES FOR UPCOMING PACIFIC CONFERENCES

PIBBA CONFERENCE
The 28th Annual International Pacific Islands Bilingual Bicultural Association (PIBBA) Conference will be held Monday-Thursday, June 22-25, 2009 in Guam. The theme is "Invigorating Languages and Cultures of the Pacific." Visit the PIBBA Conference website at http://www.uog.edu/newsDtls.aspx?id=251 or http://geocities.com/pibba.international.

You can also earn two (2) ED894 graduate credits or CEUs. You must register for the conference before you register for the graduate credits at the Professional Development and Life-Long Learning Center, 2nd floor, MARC/Computer Center/PDLLC Building, Room #217. For more information, call 735-2601 or fax 734-1233.

Please note that the PIBBA course is free to qualified GPSS educators who have an approved contract on file with the Yamashita Educator Corps (YEC) office or who apply by May 1, 2009. For additional information about the YEC Recertification Program, call 735-2470.


PEC
The Pacific Educational Conference (PEC) will take place Wednesday-Thursday, July 15-17, 2009 at the University of Guam. The theme is “Preparing the Pacific Child for Life.” You can register for the PEC at http://www.prel.org/pec/pec-2009-registration.aspx.

FIRST INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE

The School of Education will host its First International Conference on Current Trends and Challenges in Education from December 14-16, 2009 at the Guam Marriott Resort and Spa. Visit the conference website at http://www.geocities.com/uog_soe. For more information contact the Conference Chair, Dr. Lou Ferrer at

(671) 735-2440, or e-mail lourdesferrer@yahoo.com.

Using WebQuests to Enhance Instruction

Using a WebQuest has proven to enhance instruction of students. It integrates technology by enabling students to use the World Wide Web to learn about a specific topic. It makes learning interesting for them, and allows them to explore selected areas in more depth, but within limits that you have selected. It is ideal for classes which combine students with different ability levels. It can further help students become creative researchers rather than simply “surfing” from one site to another.

If you haven’t created a WebQuest yet, why don't you visit the following web sites to learn more about creating your very own WebQuest!

http://webquest.org/search/

http://projects.edtech.sandi.net/staffdev/buildingblocks/p-index.htm

http://www.geocities.com/guamwebquest

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/LessonTemplate.html

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestwebquest-es.html

http://webquest.sdsu.edu/webquestrubric.html

http://webquest.org/index.php

http://webquest.org/index-resources.php

http://www.learningplace.com.au/deliver/content.asp?pid=17845

http://www.teach-nology.com/tutorials/web_quests/print.htm

Resourceful Organization Websites

Resourceful online resources will undoubtedly make a difference as you try to meet the needs of ALL students. Visit the following organization websites to assist you with assessment, meaningful instruction, effective teaching strategies, ESL techniques, special education, diversity, early childhood education, educational technology, linguistics, literacy, content areas, and so much more!

Association for Childhood Education International – http://www.acei.org/

Center for Applied Linguistics - http://www.cal.org/

Center for Research on Education, Diversity & Excellence - http://crede.berkeley.edu/

Council for Exceptional Children - http://www.cec.sped.org/

International Reading Association - http://www.ira.org/

International Society for Technology in Education National Education Technology Standards - http://cnets.iste.org/

Teachers of English to Speakers of Other Languages, Inc. – http://www.tesol.org/

National Council of Teachers of Mathematics - http://www.nctm.org/

National Art Educators Association - http://www.naea-reston.org/

National Science Teachers Association - http://www.nsta.org/

National Council for Teachers of English - http://www.ncte.org/

National Council for Teachers of Social Studies - http://www.ncss.org/

National Business Education Association - http://www.nbea.org/

Sheltered Instruction Observation Protocol (SIOP) Institute - http://www.siopinstitute.net/

American Association of Family and Consumer Sciences - http://www.aafcs.org/