Let me tell you about a museum we really enjoyed! If you are traveling through Illinois, let me recommend stopping at the Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum in Springfield. It opened in April 2005 and is a world-class museum and library. The museum “communicates the amazing life and times of Abraham Lincoln in unforgettable ways.” It truly is an unforgettable museum!

In the Plaza, which is the central hub of the museum, you and your family can have your picture taken with Abraham Lincoln and his family. The life-size figures stand in front of the White House portraying the Lincoln family shortly after their arrival there in 1861. We took pictures of our family with the Lincoln family, and that was fun!

This is truly a fun and fascinating museum to visit. The mistake we made was not allowing enough time to tour the whole museum. There is so much to see and do, so I would recommend allowing several hours for your visit. They also have a Cafe which is open from 9-5. We ate lunch there and enjoyed it. Or if you just need a break for a snack, the Cafe is a nice place to rest and relax. Click here for more info.

With Earth Day being this month, a lot of people are thinking about ways they can become more environmentally friendly. I went to a teacher’s workshop back in 1988 and learned a few tips to teach my class…just remember the “3 R’s.” (Check to see what your community does.)

• RECYCLE - We’ve been recycling for over 15 years. A truck comes weekly and picks up recycling from our recycling bin which we place out by the curb with our trash can. If you don’t have this option, check on locations of recycling stations in your area.

1. Plastics - Check for your area as to which plastics they recycle. I know for our area, they recycle #1-#5 & #7. If you don’t know how to tell what the recycling number is for plastics, look on the bottom of the container and find the triangle. There will be a number inside of it.
2. Glass - Our area recycles clear glass. Check for your area.
3. Paper - Our area will take newspapers and cardboard.
4. Plastic grocery bags - I don’t put these out by the curb, but there are a couple of grocery stores in the area that recycle bags. I take them to the grocery store to recycle where there is a recycling receptacle for them by the front door of the store.
   

• REUSE - Some items can be used more than once.

1. Donate - Give things to a charity. (I know someone who threw away a pair of good pants because they didn’t fit her anymore.)
2. Hand-me-downs - Give something to a relative or friend who can use it.
   
3. Reuse paper grocery bags - Use them for trash instead of buying new plastic liners for a trash can. If the bags aren’t soiled, empty them when they are full of trash and reuse again.
   
4. Reuse plastic cereal bags - Line the bottom of your trash bag (the paper grocery bag) so it doesn’t leak. Use them for chicken bones and other smelly garbage. Use a twisty to help contain the smell.
   
5. Reuse gift bags - My friends and I have done that for birthdays and Christmas many years, and sometimes we would get back a gift bag that we had originally given out. We didn’t care…we’d laugh about it.

• REDUCE -Reduce the amount of natural resources that you consume.

1. Reduce paper - Read the newspaper online and help save trees.  I like not having to deal with all the paper accumulation.
2. Reduce gasoline - Plan errands efficiently so that the least amount of gas is used. Try to group errands together that are close in proximity.  If your destination is close enough, walk or ride a bike (great exercise).  Car pool when possible.
   
3. Reduce wattage - Use fluorescent light bulbs that are energy efficient.  We are buying more and more of these bulbs until we have all of our bulbs replaced.  (except for the decorator bulbs)
   
4. Reduce heating & cooling - Set the thermostat a few degrees warmer in the summer and use ceiling fans or floor fans.  Set the thermostat a few degrees cooler in the winter and wear a sweater in the house.
5. Reduce water - Use energy efficient shower heads and take shorter showers. (I need to work on this one about shorter showers!)  Only use the dishwasher or clothes washer when full.  A full dishwasher actually saves water versus washing by hand.  TURN THE WATER OFF WHILE BRUSHING TEETH.  So much water is wasted just from this habit alone.  Wet the toothbrush, turn the water off, brush teeth, and then turn the water back on.

There are a lot of other things you can do that I haven’t mentioned or haven’t thought about.  If you have a good idea, I’d love to hear about it!

How many of you have video games at your house? We certainly do! We’ve had several game systems for the kids through the years. We started off years ago with Super Nintendo, then Nintendo 64, then GameCube and Game Boy, Nintendo DS, and then the Nintendo Wii. As a teacher, I think there are some great games out there for kids that are good for eye/hand coordination, problem solving, memory, and other skills. Some games we have that I think are excellent include Tetris, Big Brain Academy, and Animal Crossing. They’re not only fun for kids, they’re fun and mind sharpening for adults as well! What are some other good games?

Kettering University has been ranked by US News and World Report as “the #1 University in the nation for Industrial and Manufacturing Engineering” in its “America’s Best Colleges Guide for 2008.” The university is unique because they place students in companies their freshman year and rotate them between the school and their co-op job. They alternate every three months so they can gain valuable hands-on experience, starting with their first year at Kettering. As an educator, I see the value in that type of education. They offer engineering co-op programs that provide engineering work with an integrated learning experience. This allows students to experience the best undergraduate engineering programs in the country. Each year, there are 2,300 Kettering undergraduates placed as professional co-op students at places like the CIA, General Motors, Sandia Research Labs, TRW, UPS, and Walt Disney World. Their programs include not only industrial engineering, but they also have a whole list of degree program majors with various concentrations of study, the highest degree being a bachelor’s or master’s degree. As soon as they graduage, 98 percent of Kettering graduates have job offers, and these offers are often where they’ve had their co-op educational experience. That’s an excellent track record!

Psychologist Howard Gardner’s theory of multiple intelligences is that each person has varying levels of different intelligences, so every person is different and has a “unique cognitive profile.” Not sure of your types? Here’s a really short quiz you can take for fun to find out one of them.

When I taught in the public school system, I was a “Gifted and Talented” teacher for my grade level. I attended many workshops for G/T teachers, and we studied Howard Gardner’s theory which stuck in my mind. Here are his seven areas of intelligence or giftedness:

1. Bodily-Kinesthetic has to do with movement or physical activity. Learning is best accomplished by physically doing something, rather than reading or hearing about it. People with this intelligence usually excel in sports, dance, acting, or building, for example, and this group might also include surgeons and soldiers.

2. Interpersonal has to do with interaction, sensitivity, and empathy with others. Learning is best accomplished by working with people and discussing things. People in this group might include social workers, teachers, counselors, managers, or diplomats, for example.

3. Verbal-Linguistic has to do with language and words, either written or spoken. Learning is best accomplished by reading, taking notes, listening to a lecture, debates, and discussions. People in this group can learn foreign languages easily and might include linguists, writers, politicians, lawyers, and teachers.

4. Logical-Mathematical has to do with logic, reasoning capabilities, abstract pattern recognition, scientific thinking, and the ability to perform complex calculations. People in this group might include scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and doctors.

5. Intrapersonal has to do with being introspective, self-reflective, and having a high level of self awareness. Learning is best when working alone. This group might include philosophers, psychologists, theologians, writers, and scientists.

6. Spatial has to do with visualizing and spatial reasoning plus strong visual memory. These people have a good sense of direction and might include architects, engineers, and artists.

7. Musical has to do with a high level of sensitivity to music, rhythm, tones, and sounds. Learning may be best accomplished through lecturing, and playing music in the background may assist learning. People in this group would be musicians, conductors, singers, and composers.

IQ tests measure a person’s Linguistic, Logical-Mathematical and Spatial Intelligence. A person might be a genius in another area, yet the typical IQ test would miss it. So don’t fully rely on IQ tests for intelligence levels.

Years and years ago, autism used to be thought of as something rare. But it’s not rare, because one out of every 150 people are diagnosed with some type of autism, a complex neurobiological disorder. Several of my friends have children with autism. It affects their ability to communicate and relate to others. Please watch a beautiful, short video of a precious little girl and her family. Click here to watch.

Years ago when I first started teaching school in Texas, I taught an Early Childhood class for two hours in the morning. I taught the rest of the day in the Resource Room, working with K-4th graders in small groups. Two children in the Early Childhood class, Jess and Stephanie, had cerebral palsy. They were three years old when they started the class and such sweet children to work with. They amazed me because even though they couldn’t talk much and required special seats so they could sit on the floor during group time, they understood so much. They had the cutest sense of humor and would smile the sweetest smiles when they thought something was funny. And they always loved everyone. I think I learned as much from them as they did from me. If you know a child who has cerebral palsy, then you probably know what I mean.

If you’re looking for a great Christmas gift for the “scientist” at your house, check out Elizabeth’s Discovery Exclusive Tornado Lab. And for the non-scientific students, it would be so much fun that they wouldn’t know they were learning. When I used to teach first grade, we would do a science experiment with a two liter bottle and make our own twisters. Sometimes it worked and sometimes it didn’t work very well. This would have been so cool to have!

The Jungle Store carries animal inflatable items, stuffed animals, animal print bedding, and animal print party supplies. In fact, they have the largest selection of stuffed animals on the web and are always adding new animals. They even carry animal greeting cards, gift wrap, and stationary. If you are looking for animal inflatable items or stuffed animals to decorate a child’s room, or maybe you’re a teacher teaching an animal unit, then check out The Jungle Store. If you’re wanting to decorate a bedroom with an animal theme, visit their website and look at the unique bedding they have available. I did and was amazed at all the different animal themed products they carry!

We had been hearing about this museum, finally got to visit it a while back ,and really enjoyed it.  I imagine Lori, who blogs about being the wife of a cowboy at http://www.acowboyswife.com, would really enjoy it, too! 

The National Cowgirl Museum and Hall of Fame is a beautiful museum dedicated to the women of the American West, and in fact, it is the only museum in the world dedicated to honoring those women who were really courageous and had trail blazing spirits that wouldn’t quit. The museum is actually famous and is known nationally for its educational exhibits, library, and photographs.  It’s a great resource to people all over the country and probably in other parts of the world as well. Our family enjoyed learning about the West and these extraordinary women through neat exhibits and hands-on experiences. Make sure you allow enough time when you go because you don’t want to miss any part of it.    Bring the whole family because it’s great for kids of all ages.