Weekend Reads 8.24.13

Articles:

No Rules Classroom {Zella Said Purple}

What if you didn’t have “rules” in your classroom or home?  Might sound crazy to some, but I love how Jeanne explains how she pulls this together beautifully in her preschool classroom.

Desperately Seeking Family Time {Kids Activities Blog}

There’s a 30 minute conversation linked here, which hits on some interesting topics as well, but the brief post that leads into it hit some strong chords for me.  What is robbing us of family time and what can we do to protect it?  (Plus, you really should get to know Holly Homer.  Trust me.  She’s amazing.)

Teaching Boys to Become Strong Learners {Ottowa Citizen}

Edmond Dixon left his job as a principal to learn more about how we could better serve the boys he kept finding lined up outside his office, day after day.  He shares some of his findings in this article as well as in his new book.

“Teach boys to spell while tossing a ball or let them act out the process of evaporation, said Dixon. The next day, they’ll come back asking to play “that game” again, without realizing they’re learning, too.

“We want boys to become as enthusiastic and passionate about learning in the classroom as they are about their video games and the sports they play,” said Dixon.”

Activities:

Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Puppet Tutorial {Twodaloo}

This puppet (pictured above) is so adorable, so usable, and honestly quite simple and inexpensive to make.  Talk about getting a bang for the buck!

Exploring Loose Parts and Mirror Play {One Perfect Day}

What a simple yet ingenious twist!  Adding a mirror to manipulatives or loose parts to add a whole other dimension to the play — literally! (pictured above)

Rock Star Authors {Small Types}

If you have older kids/students who enjoy competition shows like The Voice or America’s Got Talent, they’ll really enjoy this idea for a Rock Star Authors competition.  And they’ll be reading, thinking about reading, talking about reading, and really having a great time!  Erin Wing of Small Types give you the simple outline, your kids take it from there! (pictured above)

And Here’s Something Odd…

…Yeah.  Me telling someone how to use Facebook!  I’ll admit, I still feel like a newbie when it comes to this seasoned media, but I thought I’d let you know a few things you can do if you want to be sure to see posts from Not Just Cute showing up in your feed.  (And why wouldn’t you, right?)

First, LIKE the page, of course!  But did you also know that the more you interact with a page’s posts (hit “like” or add a comment) the more likely future posts will show up in your feed?  Well, if you did, congratulations.  If you didn’t, you can head over to GeekWire  and read more about the mystical process used to create what shows up on your Facebook screen.

Enjoy Your Weekend!