Category Archives: Educational Ideas

(Once a teacher, always a teacher)

The W.H. Stark House in Orange, Texas

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I love to visit historical sites, especially houses where people lived. It’s like taking a step back in time! I try to imagine what it would have been like to live in that era and try to learn about the lives of people who lived in those houses.

The W.H. Stark House is a great example of a beautiful, historical house built in 1894. Designated as a National Historic Landmark and a Recorded Texas Historic Landmark by the Texas Historical Commission, this 15-room Victorian mansion is located in Orange, Texas, and has been a community landmark and point of interest for many visitors through the years.

Now let me introduce you to the family who built the house: 

  • William Henry Stark was born in 1851. After a long courtship, he married Miriam Lutcher in 1881. He became a prominent businessman and philanthropist in the Orange, Texas, area. He died in 1936.
  • Miriam Melissa Lutcher Stark was born in 1859. After marrying William Stark, they had two children. Frances Ann, however, died as a young child, so Lutcher became their only living child. Miriam was a collector and donated much of her collection to UT in Austin. This included works by Byron, a page from the Gutenberg Bible (circa 1456), and a first issue of the King James Bible dated 1611. She died in 1936, shortly after the death of her husband.
  • Henry Jacob Lutcher Stark was born in 1887 to W.H. and Miriam. Later in his life, he established a private foundation to improve the quality of life in Southeast Texas, including education, the arts, and health and human services.

When I read about this family, it sounds like a family who cared about other people. They had a tragedy in their life, the death of their young daughter, but they didn’t let that keep them from being a productive and helpful family.

Visit the W.H. Stark House website to learn more about this beautiful house and family.

Tours are available Tuesday – Saturday from 10:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Admission is limited to individuals who are ages 10 years and older. Part of the tour includes stairs.

Consider the city of Orange, Texas, for your travel plans, a city that has a lot to offer!

Earth Day in April…Recycle, Reuse, & Reduce (The 3 R’s)

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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!

Video Games Can Sharpen the Mind

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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, Rated #1 in 2008, Has Leading Co-Op Program

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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 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! 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.

Types of Intelligence

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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.”  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.

AutismSpeaks.org

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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.

My Students

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Many years ago when I first started teaching school, I taught an Early Childhood class 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 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.

Gift Idea: Tornado Lab

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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 has Great Selection of Animal-Themed Products

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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!

National Cowgirl Museum & Hall of Fame Located in Ft. Worth, TX

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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.

I  had been hearing about this museum, and we 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 A Cowboy’s Wife, would enjoy it, too!

Learn about Innovative Tutoring

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I do private tutoring in my home, using my nearly twenty years experience as a public school teacher as a resource. Different kids learn in different ways, and it just depends on the child. What works with one child might not work with another. So I have to figure out what works for each individual child and what they consider to be a fun way to learn (sometimes so fun they don’t even realize they’re learning).
If you’re wanting a fun way to help your kids reach their academic potential, then Innovative Tutor is probably what you’re looking for. SCORE! Educational Centers use a customized approach for each child and try to instill a lifelong love of learning which is so important. SCORE!’s leaders have appeared on Good Morning America and The Today Show to name a few, have been around for 15 years, and have a great track record. So do your research, check them out, and then give them a call.

Have You Tested for Dyslexia?

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I helped a friend’s son once who was in second grade and having problems. He should have been in third grade. I went to his classroom and worked with him one or two mornings a week and some days we would work out in the hall. I could tell he was having trouble processing info, so one day I talked with a counselor and told her there was something wrong with his processing skills and asked if he had been tested for dyslexia. They had given him other tests before, sent him to another place for further testing, and  thought his problem was mostly behavioral. I explained to the counselor that I had worked for six years as a Resource Room teacher and knew something was wrong. I talked to his mom about the possibility of dyslexia, she requested dyslexia testing, they tested him, and the test showed that he was dyslexic. Now he goes to a dyslexia class every day.