Quality Schools

Classroom spaces that work : Mariynn K. Clayton with Mary Beth Forton

2012-01-15T13:28:00.003+05:00

Imagine spending every day in a physical space designed for people much bigger than you.. It’s likely that you’d end up feeling uncomfortable, insignificant, and out of place.
Unfortunately, this is how many children feel every day in their classrooms. Whether it’s because the chairs are too big or too small, the aisles too narrow, the tables too low, or the displays too high, the message is clear: "This room was not made for you."
The sad fact is that most classroom spaces are far from ideal. Perhaps they were originally designed and built with little or no consultation with the teachers who would be working in them. Teachers probably won’t be able to transform an inadequate classroom space into an ideal one, they can make dramatic improvements. The most obvious place is by thinking about the students. Create a physical environment that makes children feel comfortable and significant and that best serves their needs.

Make the Classroom Fit the Children’s Bodies

Too many times I have watched students struggle with attention and behavior problems that were clearly the result of being in spaces that were too small, too crowded, or otherwise unsuited to their physical size.

So, before you even meet the students, estimate the range of sizes based on what’s typical for that age. Use this estimate to:

Choose desks, tables, and chairs that fit the children. Also, consider making modifications to the furniture you currently have.
Select and arrange bookcases and shelves. In general, children should be able to see and be seen over any shelves.
Determine where to locate display areas. Displays meant for children should be at their eye level whenever possible.
Plan the amount of space needed for class meetings. When children are sitting in a circle, there should be approximately three inches between children.
Plan enough space for table work. Keep in mind that when children sit at a table to work, they need "elbow room" and space to spread out materials.
Plan enough space for the children to line up at the exit door. For comfort and safety, it’s best to allow about nine inches between children.
Plan passageways—the aisles children use to move about the room. In general, a passageway should allow two children to walk past each other comfortably.

After students arrive, observe how they use the room. Make necessary adjustments and invite the students to be part of the design process whenever possible. This gives children a sense of ownership and increases their investment in making the design work.

Source: Responsive Classroom Newsletter: April 2001

What Teachers Should Know and Be Able to Do: National Board for Professional Teaching Standards®

2012-01-11T14:43:00.001+05:00

Policy Position (Five Core Propositions)

The National Board for Professional Teaching Standards seeks to identify and recognize teachers who effectively enhance student learning and demonstrate the high level of knowledge, skills, abilities and commitments reflected in the following five core propositions.

1. Teachers are committed to students and their learning.

Accomplished teachers are dedicated to making knowledge accessible to all students. They act on the belief that all students can learn. They treat students equitably, recognizing the individual differences that distinguish one student from another and taking account of these differences in their practice. They adjust their practice based on observation and knowledge of their students' interests, abilities, skills, knowledge, family circumstances and peer relationships.

Accomplished teachers understand how students develop and learn. They incorporate the prevailing theories of cognition and intelligence in their practice. They are aware of the influence of context and culture on behavior. They develop students' cognitive capacity and their respect for learning. Equally important, they foster students' self-esteem, motivation, character, civic responsibility and their respect for individual, cultural, religious and racial differences.

2. Teachers know the subjects they teach and how to teach those subjects to students.

Accomplished teachers have a rich understanding of the subject(s) they teach and appreciate how knowledge in their subject is created, organized, linked to other disciplines and applied to real-world settings. While faithfully representing the collective wisdom of our culture and upholding the value of disciplinary knowledge, they also develop the critical and analytical capacities of their students.

Accomplished teachers command specialized knowledge of how to convey and reveal subject matter to students. They are aware of the preconceptions and background knowledge that students typically bring to each subject and of strategies and instructional materials that can be of assistance. They understand where difficulties are likely to arise and modify their practice accordingly.

Their instructional repertoire allows them to create multiple paths to the subjects they teach, and they are adept at teaching students how to pose and solve their own problems.

3. Teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning.

Accomplished teachers create, enrich, maintain and alter instructional settings to capture and sustain the interest of their students and to make the most effective use of time. They also are adept at engaging students and adults to assist their teaching and at enlisting their colleagues' knowledge and expertise to complement their own. Accomplished teachers command a range of generic instructional techniques, know when each is appropriate and can implement them as needed. They are as aware of ineffectual or damaging practice as they are devoted to elegant practice.

They know how to engage groups of students to ensure a disciplined learning environment, and how to organize instruction to allow the schools' goals for students to be met. They are adept at setting norms for social interaction among students and between students and teachers. They understand how to motivate students to learn and how to maintain their interest even in the face of temporary failure.

Accomplished teachers can assess the progress of individual students as well as that of the class as a whole. They employ multiple methods for measuring student growth and understanding and can clearly explain student performance to parents.

4. Teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience.

Accomplished teachers are models of educated persons, exemplifying the virtues they seek to inspire in students -- curiosity, tolerance, honesty, fairness, respect for diversity and appreciation of cultural differences -- and the capacities that are prerequisites for intellectual growth: the ability to reason and take multiple perspectives to be creative and take risks, and to adopt an experimental and problem solving orientation.

Accomplished teachers draw on their knowledge of human development, subject matter and instruction, and their understanding of their students to make principled judgments about sound practice.

Their decisions are not only grounded in the literature, but also in their experience. They engage in lifelong learning which they seek to encourage in their students.

Striving to strengthen their teaching, accomplished teachers critically examine their practice, seek to expand their repertoire, deepen their knowledge, sharpen their judgment and adapt their teaching to new findings, ideas and theories.

5. Teachers are members of learning communities.

Accomplished teachers contribute to the effectiveness of the school by working collaboratively with other professionals on instructional policy, curriculum development and staff development. They can evaluate school progress and the allocation of school resources in light of their understanding of state and local educational objectives. They are knowledgeable about specialized school and community resources that can be engaged for their students' benefit, and are skilled at employing such resources as needed.

Accomplished teachers find ways to work collaboratively and creatively with parents, engaging them productively in the work of the school.

New academic year greetings 2012

2012-01-08T11:35:00.000+05:00

Minister of Education Ms. Sifa Mohamed and the subordinates of the ministry of education extend heartfelt and warm wishes to the beloved students, parents, principals, teachers and staff of the education sector on the occasion of the new academic year 2012.

ސުކޫލުތަކުގައި ހިންގޭ އިތުރު ޙަރަކާތްތަކުގެ ސަބަބުން ދަރިވަރުންނަށް ހެޔޮ އަސަރު ކުރެއެވެ

2012-01-08T10:15:00.000+05:00

ސުކޫލު ނުވަތަ މަދުރަސާއަކީ ދަރިވަރުންގެ ހަޔާތުގައި ވަރަށް މުހިއްމު ދައުރެއް އަދާކުރާތަނެކެވެ. އެއީ ތުއްތުއިރުއްސުރެ ތަޢުލީމާއި ތަރުބިއްޔަތު ހޯދައި، ދިރިއުޅުމުގެ ތަފާތު ހުނަރުތައް އުނގެނުމަށް ކޮންމެ ދުވަހަކު މަދުވެގެން އެއްފަހަރު ގޮސް އުޅޭ އެދުރުގެ އެވެ. އެއީ ދަރިވަރުންގެ ޢިލްމީ ހަޔާތް ބާއްޖަވެރި ކޮށްދޭ ގޯއްޗެވެ. ހަމައެހެންމެ އެއީ އެކުދިންގެ ދުނިޔަވީ ހަޔާތަށް މަގުދައްކައިދޭ ބިނާވެސް މެއެވެ. އަދިހަމައެހެންމެ އުޚުރަވީ ޙަޔާތް ބާއްޖަވެރިކުރުމުގެ މަގުތައް ހޯދާ ކިއްލާވެސްމެއެވެ. މި މުހިއްމު މަރުކަޒުގައި ދެވޭ ތަޢުލީމުގެ އިތުރުން، ހިންގޭ އިތުރު ހަރަކާތްތަކުގެ ސަބަބުން ދަރިވަރުންގެ މުސްތަޤުބަލު ފުރިހަމަ ގޮތުގައި ބިނާކުރުމަށް މަގުފަހި ކޮށްދެއެވެ.

ޒަމާން ބަދަލުވަމުންދާވަރަކަށް އަޅުގަނޑުމެންގެ ހަޔާތަށް އައުކަންތައްތަކެއް ތަޢާރަފުވަމުންދެއެވެ. އެކަންތައްތަކާ ކުރިމަތިލުމަށްޓަކައި އެކިކަންކަމުގެ މަޢުލޫމާތު އެނގުމީ މުހިއްމު ކަމެކެވެ. އެހެނީ އެކަންތައްތަކާ ކުރިމަތި ނުލެވިއްޖެނަމަ ފަހުން ހިތާމަކުރަންޖެހޭނެތީއެވެ. ދެތިން ފޮތް ހިފައިގެން ސުކޫލަށް ގޮސް ފިލާވަޅުތައް ހެދި ޒަމާން ފަސްދީ ހިނގައްޖެއެވެ. ކިޔެވުމުގެ އިތުރުން ސުކޫލުގައި ހިންގޭ އިތުރުހަރަކާތްތައް ގިނަވެ އެކަންކަމުގެ މުހިއްމުކަން ވަނީ އިންތިހާއަށް ބޮޑުވެފައެވެ. އެހެންކަމުން ސުކޫލުގެ އިތުރުހަރަކާތްތަކުގައި، ޚާއްޞަކޮށް ސުކައުޓާއި ގާލްގައިޑުފަދަ ޙަރަކާތްތަކުގައި ބައިވެރިވުމުން ދިރިއުޅުމުގައި ދިމާވާ އައު ކަންތައްތަކާ ކުރިމަތިލުމަށް ހިތްވަރުލިބޭނެއެވެ. މިގޮތުން ދިމާވާ އެކިއެކި ގޮންޖެހުންތަކުން ސަލާމަތްވުމަށް އަމިއްލަޔަށް މަސައްކަތްކުރުމުގެ ޤާބިލުކަންލިބި އަމިއްލަ ދިރިއުޅުމުގައި ކުރަންޖެހޭ ބައެއްކަންކަން ކުރަން އެނގި، އެކަކު އަނެކަކާ ގުޅުންބަދަހިކުރުމަށް މަގުފަހިވެގެންދެއެވެ.

އިންސާނުންނަކީ ތަފާތު ބައެކެވެ. އެކި މީހުންގެ ކިބައިގައި ޤުދުރަތުން ލައްވާފައިވަނީ އެކި ހުނަރުތަކެވެ. އެހެންކަމުން މިފަދަ ހުނަރުތައް ކުރިއެރުވުމަށް ދަރިވަރުންނަށް ފުރުސަތުތަކެއް ލިބިދޭންޖެހެއެވެ. މިފުރުސަތުތައް ލިބިދެވޭނީ އެކަންކަމަށް ޢަމަލީ ފިޔަވަޅުތަކެއް އެޅިގެންނެވެ. ސުކޫލުތަކުގައި ދަރިވަރުންގެ ހުނަރުތައް ތަރައްޤީކުރުމަށް ބާރުއެޅި އެފަދަ ކުދިންނަށް ވީހާވެސް ގިނަ ފުރުސަތުތަކެއް ދެވިއްޖެނަމަ އެކުދިންވެގެންދާނީ ކާމިޔާބު ބަޔަކަށެވެ. ލިޔުންތެރިކަމުގެ ހުނަރުތަކާއި ޅެންވެރިކަމުގެ ހުނަރުތައް އަދި ތަމްޘީލުކުޅުމާއި ލަވަކިޔުމުގެ ހުނަރުތައް އަދި ކުރެހުމާއި އެކިއެކި ކުޅިވަރުތައްކުޅުމުގެ ހުނަރުތައް ލިބިގަނެވޭނެ މާޙައުލެއް ސުކޫލުތަކުގައި ޤާއިމުކުރެވިއްޖެނަމަ، ދަށް ނަތީޖާ ލިބި މާޔޫސްވެފައިވާ ހާލުގައި ސުކޫލު ނިންމާކަށް ނުޖެހޭނެއެވެ.

ސުކޫލު މަދުރަސާތަކުގައި ހިންގާ ދިވެހި ކުލަބާއި ތިމާވެށި ކުލަބު އަދި އިސްލާމު ކުލަބާއި ކުޅިވަރު ކުލަބުތަކުގެ ސަބަބުން ދަރިވަރުންގެ ކިބައިގައިވާ ހުނަރުތައް ކުރިއެރުވުމަށް މަގުފަހިވެގެންދެއެވެ. ވާހަކަދެއްކުމުގެ މުބާރަތްތަކާއި ބަހުޘް މުބާރާތްތައް، އެކިއެކި ދީނީ ކުއިޒުތަކާއި ތިމާވެށީގެ އެކިއެކިޕްރޮގްރާމުތައް އަދި ތަމްޘީލާއި ޑުރާމާ މުބާރާތްތައް ހިންގުމުގެ ނަތީޖާއެއްގެ ގޮތުން ދަރިވަރުންގެ ހުނަރުތައް ތަރައްޤީވަމުން ދެއެވެ. މިފަދަކަންކަމުން އެފަދަ ހުނަރު ހުރި ކުދިންނަށް ރަނގަޅު ފުރުސަތުތަކެއް ލިބިގެންދާނެކަމާމެދަކު އެއްވެސް ޝައްކެއްނެތެވެ. މިކަމުގެ ސަބަބުން އެފަދަ ދަރިންގެ ހިތްތަތަކުގައި ދީނީ ރޫޙޫ އާލާވެ، އަމިއްލަ މާދަރީ ބަހަށާއި ޤައުމީ އެކިއެކި ކަންކަމަށް ލޯހުޅުވި ޤައުމާއިގެން ކުރިއަށްދާނެ ދަރިންތަކެއް އުފަންވާނެކަން ޔަޤީނެވެ.

ގާލްގައިޑައި ސްކައުޓުފަދަ ހަރަކާތްތަކުގެ ސަބަބުން އެހަރަކާތްތަކުގައި އުޅޭކުދިން ކަމެއް ދިމާވުމުން ހަދާނެގޮތެއްނޭނގި ބިރުންގޮސް މައިން ބަފައިންގެ ފޫބުޑަށް ވަދެ އޮންނާކަށް ނުޖެހޭނެއެވެ. އެއީ އެފަދަ ހަރަކާތްތަކުގެ ސަބަބުން އިޖުތިމާޢީ އެކިއެކި ހުނަރުތައް ދަރިވަރުންނަށް ލިއްބައިދެވޭތީއެވެ. ފެތުމާއި ކެއްކުންފަދަ، ޖޯލިގެތުމާއި ވިޔުންފަދަ އަދި ތަފާތު ވައްތަރުގެ ގޮށްޖެހުންފަދަ ކަންކަން އަމިއްލަޔަށް ކުރުމުގެ ޤާބިލުކަން ލިބޭތީއެވެ. ދިރިއުޅުމުގައި ދިމާވާ އެކިއެކި ކަންކަން އަމިއްލަޔަށް މާބޮޑު އުނދަގުލަކާ ނުލައި ހައްލުކުރުމުގެ ވިސްނުމާއި ކަންކަމުގެ ވައްޓަފާޅި ދަސްވުމުގެ ނަތީޖާއެއްގެ ގޮތުން ޖެހިލުންކުޑަ، ކަންކަމަށް ކެރިގެން ކުރިމަތިލުމުގެ ރޫޙު އުފެދިފައިވާ ދަރިންތަކެއް ޤައުމަށް ނެރެދެވެއެވެ. ކަންކަމުގައި ފަސްޖެހިފައި ނުތިބެ އަމިއްލަ ނަފްސަށް އިތުބާރުކުރުމުގެ ރޫޙު ހަރުލާފައިވާ މުވާޠިނުންތަކެއް އުފެދެއެވެ. މިހުރީ ހައްތަހާވެސް ސުކޫލުތަކުގައި ހިންގޭ ތަފާތު ހަރަކާތްތަކުގެސަބަބުން ދަރިވަރުންނަށް ކުރާ ފައިދާއެވެ. ހެޔޮ އަސަރުތަކެވެ.

ސުކޫލުތަކުގައި ހިންގޭ ތަފާތު ހަރަކާތްތަކުގެ ސަބަބުން ދަރިވަރުންގެ ކިބައިގައި ގެއްލިފައިހުރި ހުނަރުތައް ނެރެ ދައްކާލުމަށް މަގުފަހިވެގެން ދެއެވެ. ނަތީޖާއެއްގެ ގޮތުން ތަޢުލީމީ ގޮތުން މާބޮޑު ކާމިޔާބީއެއް ނުލުބޭ ކުދިންވެސް މުޖުތަމަޢުގެ ތެރޭގައި ބާކީވާކަށް ނުޖެހެއެވެ. އެކުދިންނަށްވެސް ފުރުޞަތުތަކެއް އޮތްކަން ވިސްނި އެކަންކަމުގައި ކުރިއަށް ދިއުމުގެ މަގު ތަނަވަސްވެގެން ދެއެވެ. އެހެންކަމުން ސުކޫލުތަކުގައި ހިންގޭ އިތުރު ހަރަކާތްތަކަށް އިތުރު ސަމާލުކަމެއްދީ އެފަދަ ހަރަކާތްތައް ކުރިއެރުވުމަށް ސުކޫލުތަކުން ގުޅިގެން މަސައްކަތްކުރުން މުހިއްމެވެ. އެއިރުން އިތުރު ކުރިއެރުންތަކެއްލިބި ކާމިޔާބުގެ އެންމެ އުސް ކުރިބޯށްޓާ ހިސާބަށް އެރުމަށް މަގުތަނަވަސްވެގެންދާނެއެވެ. "2009ގެ ޖަމާޢަތުގެ ޚަބަރުން ނަގާފައިވާ"

ދޭހައިގެ ސުވާލުތަކަށް ޖަވާބުދޭށެވެ.

1. ދަރިވަރުންގެ ހަޔާތުގައި، ސުކޫލު މަދުރަސާތައް މުހިއްމު ދައުރެއް އަދާކޮށްދޭ ތަންތަނަށް ވެފައިވަނީ ކީއްވެ؟

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2. ޒަމާނާ ގުޅިގެން އަންނަ އައުކަންތައްތަކާ ކުރިމަތިލުމަށްޓަކައި ކުރަންވީ ކަމަކީ ކޮބާ؟

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3. ސުކޫލުގައި ހިންގޭ އިތުރުހަރަކާތްތަކުގައި ބައިވެރިވުމުން ލިބޭނެ ދެފައިދާއަކީ ކޮބާ؟

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4. އެކި މީހުންގެ ކިބައިގައި ލައްވާފައިވާ އެކި ހުނަރުތަކުން އަންގައިދެނީ ކޮންކަމެއްތަ؟

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5. ދަރިވަރުންނަށް ދަށް ނަތީޖާ ލިބި މާޔޫސްވެފައިވާ ހާލުގައި ސުކޫލު ނިންމަންޖެހެނީ ކީއްވެތަ؟

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6. ސުކޫލުތަކުގައި ހިންގޭ އެކިއެކި ޕްރޮގުރާމުތަކުގެ ސަބަބުން ދަރިވަރުންނަށް ލިބޭނެ ރަނގަޅު ފުރުސަތުތަކަކީ ކޮބާ؟ އަދި

އެކަމުގެ ފައިދާއަކީ ކޮބާ؟

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7. ގާލްގައިޑައި ސުކައުޓު ފަދަ ހަރަކާތްތަކުން ދރިވަރުންނަށް ކުރާ ދެފައިދާ އެއް ލިޔޭ!

2012-01-03T14:33:00.000+05:00

Wish you all a wonderful New Year!

What teachers really want to tell parents by Ron Clark

2011-12-05T09:37:00.000+05:00

According to Ron Clark, new teachers remain in our profession an average of just 4.5 years, and many of them list "issues with parents" as one of their reasons for throwing in the towel.

So, what can we do to stem the tide? What do teachers really need parents to understand?

Ron Clark advices....
We are educated professionals who work with kids every day and often see your child in a different light than you do. If we give you advice, don't fight it. Take it, and digest it in the same way you would consider advice from a doctor or lawyer. I have become used to some parents who just don't want to hear anything negative about their child, but sometimes if you're willing to take early warning advice to heart, it can help you head off an issue that could become much greater in the future.

Please quit with all the excuses
He suggests parents if they really want to help theirr children be successful, stop making excuses for them.

"Some parents will make excuses regardless of the situation, and they are raising children who will grow into adults who turn toward excuses and do not create a strong work ethic. If you don't want your child to end up 25 and jobless, sitting on your couch eating potato chips, then stop making excuses for why they aren't succeeding. Instead, focus on finding solutions."

Read more at http://edition.cnn.com/2011/09/06/living/teachers-want-to-tell-parents/index.html

The Rule of Six by Thomas R. Hoerr

2011-12-04T11:28:00.000+05:00

Thomas R. Hoerr says "Each individual needs a different kind of support. We should deliver critical feedback in such a way that the listener hears it, considers it and acts on it. Good leaders praise, but they also push, prod, and let teachers know when their performance isn't satisfactory."

What is the Rule of Six?
Creating a context in which teachers can use negative feedback constructively is an important - but difficult - part of the principal's job. The rule of six helps.

This rule recognizes that all communication takes place within the context of a relationship. According to Thomas, if you want to build a supportive relationship, you need to give the other person in the relationship at least six positive comments for every negative one.

Your "deposits" - positive comments or interactions - must remain greater than your withdrawals

We must work harder at focusing on whatever others do that is effective and worthy of praise. Leaders should do this because people deserve to have their achievements noted and also because it creates conditions that enable us to deliver difficult messages when necessary.

People will listen to negative feedback from good leaders even if it is painful to do so, if the relationship is strong and they trust the leader.

Source: http://www.ascd.org. apr09/vol66

Principals and Pancakes!?

2011-11-29T13:16:00.000+05:00

Those Plates Are Hot!
Thomas R. Hoerr

As school heads ......

Do you ever feel attacked?
Do you ever need help?
Do you find yourself in a corner?

Thomas R. Hoerr says,

"Good leaders don't avoid heat - they can't.
But they can look ahead and prepare for it."

Thomas explains....

When (he's) in a heated situation and feeling attacked, (he) needs to remember that time can be (his) ally.
Principals need to establish a personal advisory board, a network of people to turn to for advice or simply to vent .
Anticipate what will cause people to get upset and work to change the situation, or at least talk about it before positions are hardened (or entrenched).

Learn the 3 important lessons Thomas, a school head, recognized while eating breakfast with his mother at a pancake house.

Read more at http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership
Source: www.ascd.org. Nov 2011, volume 69, no 3

How about creating a concept for your school notice board?

2011-11-28T09:48:00.000+05:00

The Self-Study Cycle: A Philosophy of Continous Improvement

2011-11-27T08:53:00.000+05:00

Schools don't get repaired unless questions are raised by those who know the school best. By creating and nurturing a culture of inquiry, a school can embed its philosophy and mission in its school-improvement efforts. Figure 1 depicts a School Self-Study Cycle - a process for building continual improvement into the structure of a school.

Figure 1. A school self-study cycle

Source: Inquiry and Action: School Improvement Guide, pg4

How much walking do i need to do?

2011-11-24T09:27:00.000+05:00

The ideal amount of walking, according to many health organizations and the U.S. surgeon general, is a total of 30 minutes a day for at least five days a week.
Your goal should be to take advantage of every single walking opportunity you have, and to walk regularly. if you don't have time for the full 30 - minute walk on one particular day, because you have to go to the store, visit a neighbor, then pick the kids from the school, don't worry. This doesn't mean that you have to abandon your walking altogether. Divide the 30 minutes into three 10 minute sessions.
Many people feel they get enough exercise to remain healthy, but in fact, only 30 percent of us actually do. Make a note of the amount of exercise you got last week. How often did you exercise, take a walk, use the stairs, and so on? It may be surprising to discover how little we exercise during an average week. Continue to make notes as you gradually bring walking into your life. This will help you stay motivated.

Source: Reader's Digest association, Inc, 2008

How many calories can I burn and can I really lose weight just by walking?

" Shutdown law " or "Cindrella law"

2011-11-23T10:09:00.000+05:00

SEOUL, South Korea pulled the plug on young gamers after midnight by blocking access to game websites, in its effort to curb game addiction among adolescents.
The new system called the "Shutdown law" also referred to as the "Cinderella law" blocks those under the age of 16 from accessing gaming websites after midnight.
A 2010 survey found nearly 14%of 9 - 12 year olds in South Korea are internet addicts.

Can children be addicted to internet games and gaming? Does this impact the education of the child?

Source: http://edition.CNN.com

What is a health promoting school?

2011-11-22T09:14:00.000+05:00

The concept of health promoting schools established by WHO is about helping schools to build and use their entire organizational capacity to improve health among the students, staff, families and community members. A health promoting school is a school constantly strengthening its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and working.

DISTINGUISHED BY SIX FEATURES, A HEALTH PROMOTING SCHOOL:

1. Engages health and education officials, teachers, teacher’s representative organisations, students, parents and community leaders in efforts to promote health, with ;

· families and community groups involved in the school.

· Community services, businesses and organisations linked to the school.

· School/ community projects and outstretch services.

2. Strives to provide a safe, healthy environment, including;

· Sufficient sanitation and water.

· Freedom from abuse and violence.

· A climate of care, trust and respect.

· Social support and mental health promotion.

· Safe school grounds.

· Opportunities for physical education and recreation

3. Provides school health education, with;

· Curricula that improve student’s understanding of factors that influence health and enable them to make healthy choices and adopt healthy behaviour throughout their lives.

· Curricula that include critical health and life skills, a focus on promoting health and well-being as well as preventing important health problems, and access to information and activities appropriate to children’s intellectual and emotional abilities.

· Training and education for teachers and parents.

4. Provides access to health services, with;

· services (screening, diagnosis, monitoring growth and development, vaccination, selected medications or procedures) that may be most efficiently provided in the school setting, depending on school resources and mandates

· partnerships with local health agencies

· nutrition and food safety programmes

5. Implements health promoting policies and practices, such as;

· an overall policy supported by school administration and management as well as teaching practices that help create a healthy psychosocial environment for students and staff

· policies on equal treatment for all students

· policies on drug and alcohol use, tobacco use, first aid, and violence that help prevent or reduce physical, social, and emotional problems

· create health promotion activities, such as physical exercise, mental and spiritual health promotion

6. Strives to improve health of the community, by;

· Focusing on community health concerns affecting the children and adolescents

· Inviting parents and community participation

Source: Health Promoting Schools Handbook
Ministry of Education, Maldives

Harvard EdCast: Make Just One Change

2011-11-20T08:30:00.000+05:00

Dan Rothstein and Luz Santana, authors of the book, Make Just One Change, explain why teaching students to ask their own questions just may revolutionize the classroom.

About the Harvard EdCast

The Harvard EdCast is a weekly series of podcasts, available on the Harvard University iTunes U page, that features a 15-20 minute conversation with thought leaders in the field of education from across the country and around the world. Hosted by Matt Weber, the Harvard EdCast is a space for educational discourse and openness, focusing on the myriad issues and current events related to the field.

http://www.gse.harvard.edu/news-impact/2011/11/harvard-edcast-make-just-one-change/

Happy Holidays!!

2011-11-17T10:21:00.000+05:00

We have come to the end of our academic year, and what an exciting and eventful year this has been!

None of this would have been possible without our wonderful teachers and staff who work tirelessly to make their schools the vibrant, active and progressive school and learning environment it is today.

School Health Services

2011-11-16T13:10:00.000+05:00

An important component of health promoting schools is health services. Facilities to provide first aid, health screening, counselling and access to basic health services are vital for the health and well being of students:

The school will ensure all students have a health screening on school entry and every 2 years following the initial check up. This can be done by the school health assistants, trained teachers and/or in partnership with local health service providers and NGOs.
A refferal mechanism to the health service will be established to provide appropriate care for students and staff with serious illness, emotional health problems and those requiring emergency medical care following injury.
The school will have at least one staff trained in first aid available during school sessions and a health room with facilities providing first aid. Clear procedures in providing care, refferal and recording of behavioural and medical information will be in place to support students' health condition, with a respect for confidentiality ensured.
The school will actively carry out preventive health care activities such as nutrient supplementation, immunisation and counselling, and provide psycho-social support to those with special requirements in partnership with local social services.
The schools will have a mechanism in collaboration with the health sector and NGOs to access Information, Education and Communication (IEC), other resource materials and expert assistance in carrying out health programmes.

Source from: Health Promoting Schools Policy/ Ministry of Education and Ministry of Health

Misunderstanding and preconceptions about Africa

2011-11-02T09:23:00.000+05:00

Prof. HAN highlighted his experience with Africa emphasizing that it is essential for people to understand Africa before judging on issues concerning the continent. In trying to clarify this point, he disclosed the image or perception of most people in Korea and other countries about Africa that the continent is a jungle where people living with animals and nothing else like socio-economic development is underway. Showing his stand on this, professor HAN insisted that development in Africa is possible if successful participatory initiatives like village movement in Korea could be applied. Korea's development is a result of hard working and commitment among citizens and government as a whole. However, Korea's experience cannot be copied and pasted to Asian, Pacific or African countries but can be conceptualized in each countries context to fit the desired needs.

Develop your child's writing

2011-10-30T09:51:00.000+05:00

FOR GENERATIONS, parents have read bedtime stories to their children, hoping to help them develop language, vocabulary and creativity. But new educational research shows that writing is as fundamental to a child's development as reading.
Five keys to help your kids write:

Word Power. As children's vocabulary grow, they are drawn to new words they hear. Help them practice using new words by writing notes to each other, creating a "word jar" with your child's favourite words and talking about new words you hear in songs.
Reading aloud. This is a great way to teach kids grammar, syntax and other structures of writing. Try all genres: poetry, non - fiction, even picture books.
Identity. Just the way your child's favourite colour changes by the minute, so will her style of writing. As she tries out new ways of expressing herself on paper, expose your child to a variety of writing styles, then let her develop her own writing identity.
Time. make writing time sacred and consistent.
Environment. To create the ideal writing environment for your aspiring writer, you'll need a surface, writing tools, good lighting and a little bit of inspiration.

Source from: Your Child's Writing, Pam Allyn

Mistakes Teachers Often Make

2011-10-27T14:39:00.000+05:00

Teachers often -

Fail to do effective long-range and daily planning.
Fall into rut a by using the same teaching strategy or combination of strategies day after day.
Spend too much time with one student or one group and not monitoring the entire class.
Begin a new activity before gaining the students' attention.
Talk too fast, and are sometimes shrill.
Use a voice level that is always either too loud or too soft.
Stand too long in one place (the feet of clay syndrome).
Sit too long while teaching (the posterior of clay syndrome).
Overemphasize the negative.
Are way too serious and not much fun.
Are way too much fun and not serious.
Are ineffective when they use facial expressions and body language.
Tend to talk to and interact with only half the class (usually their favorites, and usually on the right).
Interrupt students while they are on task.
Do not intervene quickly enough during inappropriate student behavior.
Do not learn and use student names in an effective way (kids pick up quickly on this and respond in kind).
Fail to do appropriate comprehension checks to see if students understand the content as it is taught.
Use poorly worded, ambiguous questions.
Introduce too many topics simultaneously (usually the result of poor planning).
Overuse punishment for classroom misbehavior - going to an extreme when other consequences work better.

Grow Your Own Pizza garden

2011-10-26T09:54:00.000+05:00

"Hello! My name is Tomato. Do you like Pizza?Did you know that the sauce on pizza is made from tomatoes and herbs? And now you can grow these same delicious things in your garden to make your own!My friends Bell Pepper, Oregano, and Baby Basil work with me to help you grow the best pizza ingredients. It's a fantastic garden for the whole family!"
What you need:

A sunny spot
Compost or bagged garden soil
A wooden stake
Three and a half feet of string
Plastic or metal edging to create a pizza outline
wood edging to define slices
Seeds of your favourite toppings 9our garden includes tomatoes, peppers, basil and oregano)

Getting started:

Choose a site that offersa good amount of sun
Decide how much of each type of plant you want to grow, and outline a circular bed that will give you enough room to plant your seeds
Plant your seeds. As a rule of thumb, tomatoes need at least two feet of space to grow, bell peppers need one foot, basil needs 15 inches and oregano needs 10 inches
When you are finished, give your plants a big drink of water
Provide support for your tomato plants once they sprout. Use a cage or a wooden stake to do this.

Source by: kauaifamilymagazine.com

Writers at Risk By: Carol Adler, Missoula, Montana

2011-10-25T12:05:00.000+05:00

Several groups of children are at high risk of inadequate progress in written language. Some children of average intelligence fall further behind their peers as they get older. They need special help. How can they be identified? How can we give assistance?

early success in writing for all children
early identification of writing difficulties
intervention, to provide the maximum direct assistance to those children at risk of failure.

As teachers, we must take special care to avoid labeling children as disabled. However, it is through continued diagnostic teaching that we will recognize specific areas in which each child needs additional support.

When a child is recognized in class as delayed in language abilities, is the delay recognized as

general?
specific?

Do these group of children have different educational needs? What assistance is provided to these children? Are these children given assistance early in their schooling when it may be most critical? What assistance is provided to classroom teachers who recognize these needs?

How do children learn new words? by: Warwick B. Elley/University of Canterbury

2011-10-23T09:33:00.000+05:00

MOST CHILDREN IN SCHOOL learn the meanings of more than a thousand new words each year. Yet few teachers deliberately set out to drill their pupils systematically on selected word lists. Nor do children consult their dictionaries a thousand times a year. Even if they did, it is unlikely that they would remember what they read so that it became permanent part of their lexicon.
The prevailing assumption underlying practice in the classroom is that children acquire most of their new words from context during silent reading.
The trouble with learning from silent reading is that many pupils do not read widely or quickly enough. The avid reader goes on growing, the slow reader gets left behind, and we have yet another case of "the rich get richer"syndrome.
A recent study was undertaken by the Research Committee of the Canterbury Council of the New Zealand Reading Association, to explore how much new vocabulary children do learn from context while listening to stories, how much difference it made if the teacher discussed new words in passing, how permanent the learning was, and how much the weaker readers learned relative to the good ones.
The findings reported confirmed the fact that much vocabulary acquisition does occur during the enjoyable experience of listening to suitable stories read aloud to the class. It was clear too, that the teacher explanations add substantially to the level of acquisition, that the lower ability children learn as many new words, or more, than the bright, and that learning is long-term.
The essential point here is that story time is frequently productive, and not a frivolous waste of time." Now for a story" is a popular one in most classrooms. It is encouraging to realise that it is also a productive learning exercise.

Impress your students with mental math tricks!

2011-10-19T08:21:00.000+05:00

Squaring 2-digit numbers (other than the numbers that end in 5)

Let's say you want to square 58. Square each digit and write a partial answer. 5x5 = 25. 8x8 = 64. Write down 2564 to start. Then, multiply the two digits of the number you're squaring together, 5x8=40.

Double this product: 40x2=80, then add a 0 to it, getting 800.

Add 800 to 2564 to get 3364.

This is pretty complicated so let's do more examples.

32x32. The first part of the answer comes from squaring 3 and 2.

3x3=9. 2x2 = 4. Write down 0904. Notice the extra zeros. It's important that every square in the partial product have two digits.

Multiply the digits, 2 and 3, together and double the whole thing. 2x3x2 = 12.

Add a zero to get 120. Add 120 to the partial product, 0904, and we get 1024.

56x56. The partial product comes from 5x5 and 6x6. Write down 2536.

5x6x2 = 60. Add a zero to get 600.

56x56 = 2536+600 = 3136.

One more example: 67x67. Write down 3649 as the partial product.

6x7x2 = 42x2 = 84. Add a zero to get 840.

67x67=3649+840 = 4489.

Island Aviation Award for support staff of the year

2011-10-18T08:58:00.000+05:00

Name of the Awardee: Shujau Saleem

Address: H. Rumania

School: Jamaluddin School

Duration of service: 20yrs

“Today I have a successful career in the National arena of sports in Maldives. I believe that you are the foundation for all the pillars of my success in sports.” – Aishath Shaffa, student of Jamaluddin School-

Alia Investments Award for leading teacher of the year in a secondary school

2011-10-17T08:57:00.000+05:00

Name of the Awardee: Ashraf Ali

Address: Lilymaage, Ga. Nilandhoo

School: Dharumavantha School

Duration of service: 13yrs

“I have found him to be very enthusiastic and committed in discharging his duties both as a teacher and leading teacher.” – Abdhulla Didi, Principal of Dharumavantha School-

ADK Group Award for leading teacher of the year in a primary school

2011-10-16T07:58:00.000+05:00

Name of the Awardee: Moomina Anwar (Shiyama Anwar)

Address: Fehividhuvaruge, S. Feydhoo

School: Kalaafaanu School

Duration of service: 20yrs

“ I am quite happy to note that Shiyama knows each of her students individually, and this allows her to inform parents of the strengths and weaknesses of their children.” –Dr. Hala Hameed, Chairperson of Kalaafanu School Board-