Category Archives: Educational Ideas

(Once a teacher, always a teacher)

FREE Admission to Museums with Bank of America Card – First Weekends of Each Month

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Free Ticket:

Check out “Museums on Us” and see if you’re close to one of the 100+ museums participating in this freebie.  There are museums located all over the United States that have free admission for the primary cardholder on the first weekend of every month. Just click on your state and the museums will be listed.  This works with Bank of America ATM, debit and credit cards.

Our son told us about this offer last year, but then he went off to college and things got busy with us here so we never utilized this freebie.  Our daughter, Christi, reminded me of this offer (thanks again Christi!).  Our son is home from his freshman year at college and so I  located the museums we’re wanting to see.  We’re planning to visit a museum this weekend for FREE.  All three of us have B/0f/A cards and are the primary cardholder, so we all get in free of charge!

Going Back to School

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Many people in today’s world are going back for additional job training or maybe even switching to a whole new field.   Some are going to medical assistant school, some to get their alternative certification for teaching in the public schools, some to get training in computer skills, etc.   People are trying to get an edge in today’s competitive job market by increasing their level of skills.   Going back to school is a good way to do that.

Philanthropists

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Philanthropists are interesting to read about and learn what they do to help other people.  For example, I was reading about richard willich recently, and the article said that he asks these three questions in his personal and philanthropic philosophy:

  1. Is it the truth?
  2. Is it fair?
  3. Will it improve things?

I think these are very worthwhile questions, and I like the fact that he supports positive youth programs as well as educational and historical preservation pursuits.  That’s probably the teacher side of me that’s drawn to these pursuits.

Do you know of some interesting philanthropists?

Book Giveaway: The Five Love Languages of Children

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Children need to feel loved in order to thrive. This book gives a lot of usable suggestions for how children interpret and feel love. What makes one child feel loved might not be the same for another child. Learn the love language of your child (or children).

I am giving away a copy of this book, The Five Love Languages of Children, and will mail it within the U.S. (Sorry, money is limited and I have to restrict it to postage I can afford.)

This is all you need to do to enter the giveaway: Leave a brief comment on this post with your name (first name is fine) and your email address. Your email address will be confidential and I will not share it with anyone. Names will be disqualified who do not leave email addresses because that is how I notify the winner. I will notify the winner by email to get their mailing address. Again, the mailing address will be confidential and I will not share it with anyone.

Deadline for entry is February, 10, 2010.

Using RANDOM.ORG to determine the winner, the winner is… Maria.  Congratulations, Maria!

If you would like your name entered twice, post about this on your blog and leave a comment with the link to your post.

*Watch for another book giveaway soon: The Five Love Languages. Learn your spouse’s love language and also your love language.

Pillsbury Turkey Sugar Cookies

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It’s fun to make Pillsbury Turkey Sugar Cookies for a fun project with the kids. Use icing for the “glue.” Glue 6-8 pieces of Candy Corn along the top edge of the cookie.  Glue 2 M&Ms in the middle of the cookie for the eyes. Use a small tube of icing to form the beak underneath the eyes (a small v-shape).  Make turkey feet at the bottom of the cookie.

Online Degrees From Home

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I know several people who have gotten an online degree and are glad they did.  If I didn’t have a degree, I would consider getting one online.   For someone who had young children at home and wanted to get an online teaching degree, I think that would be great to be able to get a degree from home and be able to study at one’s convenience.

One online site that received attention from TIME Magazine and NBC is Western Governors Online University, founded by 19 U.S. governors to help working adults.  I like the fact that it is nonprofit, is competency based, and emphasizes that each student masters the necessary skills in order to receive a quality education and succeed.  If I were getting an online degree, I would consider WGU considering all of the positive things I’ve read.

Displays

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cardboard-display-8-09There are so many uses for cardboard displays.  As a previous elementary school teacher, I think a cardboard display would be a great way to display books or maybe to set up an interest center.

If you have a business and need a way to display DVDs or CDs or maybe you don’t have a business but still need a way to display CDs and DVDs, then you might be interested in checking out these cardboard displays.

Quality Online Master Degrees

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Online master degrees are becoming more popular.  There are quality degrees available that can be done online without leaving home.  Some top ranked schools are hesitant to offer online degrees because they think that the quality of the degree is diminished.   However, Gonzaga University realizes that the opposite is true and offers several quality masters degrees online.  Experienced professionals in the work force who might not be able to get a masters degree otherwise are able to get a quality degree in a time frame that works with their busy schedule.

By the way, Gonzaga University is:

  • Ranked #3 in the west by US News and World Report
  • Ranked “one of the nation’s best universities” by The Princeton Review and by Forbes Magazine
  • Ranked a “best value in private universities” by Kiplingers Personal Finance.

Laptops for Business, Home & College

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Are you in the market for a laptop?  Check out wholesale laptops for savings.  Maybe you need one for your business or have a college student in the family who needs a laptop for college work.  Or maybe you would like to have one for home to check email and do searches on the Internet.  Whatever reason, in today’s market it’s great to be able to save money on your purchase!

Low-Cost Vacation: Austin, TX

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Austin is a fun place to visit and can provide an inexpensive vacation.   It really is a pretty area, and one part of the vacation can include driving on the west side of Austin and enjoying the beauty of the hills and the Colorado River.

There are several free things to do while visiting Austin.

Freebies:

* Texas State Capitol – open daily.  It’s 14 feet taller than the National Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., and is recognized as one of the nation’s most distinguished capitol buildings.  It is definitely impressive inside and out.  The view from the ground floor looking straight up to the top of the rotunda area is awesome!   Children enjoy going up the beautiful staircases.   Located at 1100 Congress Ave.  (512) 463-0063

* Austin Nature and Science Center – provides families, individuals, and also groups with recreational and educational experiences including a “living museum,” trails,  interpretive exhibits, programs, and collections. Open on Saturday 9- 5 & Sunday 12- 5.   Located at 301 Nature Center Dr, Austin, TX.

(512) 327-8180

* Texas Memorial Museum – a natural history museum which contains exhibits about Texas’ geological and zoological history.  Children especially enjoy the first floor.  They are open on  Saturday from 10 –  5 & Sunday from 1-5 and are  located one block north of the UT football field at  2400 Trinity St.  Austin, TX  (512) 471-1604.  Free admission.

OTHER ATTRACTIONS WITH ADMISSION FEE:

  • Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum – an excellent museum worth visiting!  Located at 1800 North Congress Avenue.  (512)-936-8746
  • Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum – also a museum worth visiting.  Located at 2313 Red River Street.  (512) 916-5137
  • Austin Children’s Museum located at 201 Colorado Street.  (512) 472-2499

* Texas Rowing Center located on the Hike and Bike Trail on Town Lake – a fun place to rent canoes.  They are open 6 AM until dusk every day.  (512) 467-7799.  (We have done this a couple of different times, and it’s a fun activity for the whole family.  Town Lake provides a great view of downtown Austin.)


Happy Cinco de Mayo!

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In case someone doesn’t know, Cinco de Mayo means “May 5” in Spanish.  When I think of May 5, I think of when I used to teach school and a lot of teachers would wear Mexican dresses (two of my dresses are in the picture), we would do Cinco de Mayo activities with the students, and the Hispanic teachers there would treat the faculty and cook authentic Mexican food for lunch.  The food was awesome!

If you would like to read more about the origin of Cinco de Mayo and about activities for children and the family, then visit Cinco de Mayo: Origin, Activities, & Books for Children on my site, “How to Teach Kids.”