National Handwriting Day

copying
Originally uploaded by lloydcrew

National Handwriting Day is on John Hancock's birthday, January 23 (although there is some debate that his birthday is actually January 12). Take this opportunity to stress good handwriting with your students. Why not post a large birthday card to John in the school hallway and have the students sign with their best signatures? For more ideas, check the Handwriting Without Tears website.

Stepping Out

Get moving
Originally uploaded by lloydcrew

Ten years age Ms. Donovan, first grade teacher, had a "stepper" in her room. It was a bit unusual as a classroom tool, but it made perfect sense. When antsy youngsters needed breaks, they had a place to go that was not removed from their learning environment. As a piece of furniture, it was ideal. It stood upright without demanding a lot of space. The students would be directed to "step out the alphabet" or "count backwards from 12" before returning to work. Well, that mythical movement machine made its way to several classrooms but has since disappeared from the halls of Hosmer. I still keep my eyes out for ones on the curbside.

Here is our "Get Moving" station right inside out room. Students start or end their sessions with a boost. Others students come by for a 5 minute alertness break.

What do you have hanging around your basement?

Containment

Originally uploaded by lloydcrew

Getting kids to sit and attend on the rug is a real challenge. Sometimes giving more support is helpful. One favorite item at our school is the beach chair. Having back support works in some cases. As you can see in this photo, it is not always the answer, however. Without movement, this student is melting into the rug. Our solution was to add a small air cushion to the seat of the beach chair. It helped to change this youngster's alertness level, sitting posture and attention!

Wiggling Feet

Originally uploaded by lloydcrew

Theraband is great material to wrap around legs of chairs. Kids can use it to bounce their feet on, keeping them alert and on track. They can use it as resistance to stretch against. They can reach down, grab the band on each side and pull up to give their writing hand a break. We usually run out of this material and it can be expensive. Go to your local bike shop and have them save old bike tubes for you. They work just as well.

Let kids move!

Let kids move!
Originally uploaded by lloydcrew

Remember, our bodies were not made to sit in a chair at a desk all day...let kids move! How can you build movement into a student's day? Check in daily this week for suggestions!

Moving Day

This school year started with a move. As bad as it was, there were positive things about it...look what developed as part of our new space.

Great OT Blog

I love looking at this blog, OT Tools for Public Schools...lots of ideas and always pictures! Add it to your list.

Connect the Dots

Who doesn't love dot to dots? This site allows you to create a "connect the dot" image from a photo. It is great mouse practice. I made mine a little too detailed to be clicked on easily, but you should try one of your own. What a great end of the year activity for your students.

How To...

There is something appealing about completing something in 5 steps. Displaying these 5 steps can be accomplished with a simple list, but check out how it is done using a mind map. Certain students may find this "big idea", visual approach very helpful. See for yourself at Paul Foreman's blog, Mind Map Inspiration.

"At Attention" vs. Topsy Turvy

Why do we demand that students face the front with eyes on the adult during a talk or lecture?  Read this post on Everyone Listens Differently and see if you change your expectations for attention.  The bottom line is, know your students.  Know what engages them.  Know what  "participation" looks like for them. 

I have a fourth grade student with autism.  His instructional assistant is a little perplexed by his listening style, but doesn't try to change it. "He'll sit leaning off the chair with his head upside down but when I ask him about what the teacher was saying, he knows it all."  As an OT, I recognize that his is getting needed vestibular input through the positional change in his head.  This can be quite alerting.  As a student of Tai Chi, I can hear my instructor say. "Everybody needs to spend some part of their day upside down."

I have another fourth grade boy with ADHD who struggles to stay focused in his seat.  He disrupts others by talking and moving around.  I asked him what would help him in class.  Without hesitation he said "a chair that swivels".  I had just visited the site The Third Teacher and read this passage:

‘Growing bodies have a natural need to move,’ explains Dr. Dieter Breithecker, Europe’s foremost expert on the relationship between ergonomic design in educational furniture and the physical development of school children. ‘Increased opportunities to move while seated, including rocking, swiveling, and rolling, improve blood flow and oxygen to the brain, thereby increasing attention and concentration levels.’

Idea # 22 fom the site is Swivel to Attention

Give students furniture that lets them twist and lean safely. The movement will increase their ability to concentrate.

My student knew what he needed.  There is a biological need behind it.  It is not just something "fun and frivolous". 

Know what  "participation" looks like for your students.

Bubblewrap...The Real Stuff or The iPhone App?

OTs love bubble wrap.  It is such a sensory experience...the feel, the sound, the excitement!  We tape a sheet at the entrance of our room with a sign saying "please pop".  Now the iphone has an app for that.


Why not use both?  It follows the UDL principle of multiple means of engagement!

Sweeping Off the Cobwebs of this Blog

Habits...they are good when they are established, but boy can they break down! I have gotten out of the "habit" of communicating with this blog, but I am jumping right back into it. I liken it to jumping into Walden Pond which I did yesterday - a bit chilly but invigorating!

I will start again with one thing I learned this morning on Twitter (I got this idea from my friend Karen Janowski over at her blog).

Today's find was an article on FLOW, especially as it relates to teenage learners. I think you will find it interesting!

Today is...

09/09/09

Here are some fun activities you can do in class today to celebrate the number nine. Thanks to Jen at Far-Out Links to Learning. I think I'll have my students take nine deep breaths to start off their morning.

Summer Ends

Summer is a valuable time for removing yourself from routine tasks and dreaming a bit. Where did your path lead you? Are your ready for the adventure of school?

I once asked the three year old daughter of friends how her parents were doing. She responded, "Same old, same old."

Really? How can anything in your life be "same old, same old" when you are only three? Can we describe our classrooms and work in school in a similar manner? Bring in your dreams, new designs and fresh approaches. Keep learning. Join twitter for your professional growth. Let the journey begin!

Classroom Jobs - Think Digital

As you set up your rooms this week, why not add digital jobs to your job chart? In addition to "line leader" and "table washer", add "homework helper". This student could explain the first math problem in the homework using Voicethread, providing support to any student who gets home and forgets the process to solve a problem. It is also helpful for parents to understand the steps of the homework...how often as parents do we hear, "That's not how we do it in school!" Check out this example.

What other "digital jobs "can you add to you class job list? Add a comment and I will create a post of all your ideas.

The Power of Our Hands

OTs have a fascination with hands. It is through our hands that we interact with the world around us. Our hands calm others, take in information, manipulate tools, create masterpieces and are a vehicle for our imagination. Recently we have limited our hands in school to pencils and books. Are our hands having even less a role in this digital age we live in? Watch Pattie Maes from the MIT Media Lab discuss new technology that uses our hands and natural gestures to interact with our environment.

Webspiration is Open for (Free) Business Again!

Now you can get a free account to My Webspiration, an online web mapping tool. They opened the site up to new users again, so go for it. MyWebspiration

UDL in the Skies OR Soaring Senses

My colleague Lindsay and I just completed teaching a course on "barrier-free learning", incorporating Universal Design for Learning principles (UDL). A key feature of UDL is offering multiple means of representation, expression and engagement. Watch this video to see how a flight attendant engaged his audience in a way that sparked the interest of his passengers and encouraged participation. Imagine bringing this into the classroom!


The Rapping Flight Attendant - Watch more Funny Videos

Using Winnie Dunn's classification of sensory patterns, I would identify this particular flight attendant as a "sensory seeker". He added increased sensory input to his typical routine to keep himself and the passengers more alert. Check out Winnie Dunn's book, Living Sensationally - Understanding your Senses to learn more about sensory patterns in everyday life.

Thanks to @rmbyrne for his blog post highlighting this video. Check out his blog Free Technology for Teachers for a wealth of resources at your fingertips.

Seeking Information

Would you be so kind to complete this short form if you work with students on the autism spectrum. We will share the results with you!

photo citation: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paulworthington/82648702/

Pros, No Cons @EduCon

I am so excited to be heading down to Philadelphia tomorrow for EduCon 2.1. It is a wonderful experience driven by these guiding principles:

1) Our schools must be inquiry-driven, thoughtful and empowering for all members
2) Our schools must be about co-creating -- together with our students -- the 21st Century Citizen
3) Technology must serve pedagogy, not the other way around.
4) Technology must enable students to research, create, communicate and collaborate
5) Learning can -- and must -- be networked.

If you are not there, you can attend virtually...session recordings will be embedded on the wiki pages. Take advantage of the learning!

Learn From the Animals

We've had our fair share of ice here in the Boston area recently. Yesterday the Boston Globe gave some tips on navigating safely on this slippery surface. Their main suggestion was to walk like a penguin. It is such a great visual image, isn't it? Although it looks funny, it's not as silly as it seems.

- Keep your knees loose and lower your center of gravity.
- Use a wide based gait with your feet pointed out slightly.
- Walk flat footed on troubled areas and take shorter steps.
- Extend your arms to the sides to keep your balance.

These few changes to your body mechanics may just keep you on your feet. Who wants to try managing on crutches or with your arm in a sling?

image by odolphie

Happiness - Pass it on!

photo by mathewlees

According to the Boston Globe this morning, the impact of your social network may be greater than you think. A study cited in the British Medical Journal found there are three degrees of influence when it comes to happiness. It ripples through your extended network of social contacts - as far as a friend of a friend of a friend. Now that you know you have the power to lift the mood of others, how will you show up at school today? Go out and spread the cheer! Let me know how it worked for you.

Read the full article.

Turning Trash Into Treasure

Occupational therapists see function in most objects.

7 am - picked up on curbside after spotting it on a morning run

9 am - new life as a movement tool to get students ready to learn

Changing Disabilities To Possibilities

My K12 Online Conference presentation, Changing Disabilities to Possibilities - Using the MacGyver Approach is coming up this week. Here is a peek at the 2 minute teaser.

Learn in the Comfort of Your Own Home or School

Are you listening to the conversations? Going on right now is a free online conference for k - 12 educators. Check it out at the K12 Online Conference 2008. Listen anytime, anywhere. Listen by yourself or with your colleagues. Grab that cup of coffee and chose from among 40 different presentations (all 20 minutes in length). Let me know which ones you enjoyed...

Making it Count!

On my previous post, Jeff Utecht left a comment which I rejected accidentally when I was moderating it. My only defense was that it was way too early in the morning and I didn't have enough coffee. At any rate, I copied the comment from my email and pasted it here...

The best part about moving parent communication online is that you can track who visits and reads the website. We never could do that when we sent the paper copy home in student backpacks. A great way to 'sell' teachers on moving to communicating digitally is to embed a stat counter on the site so they can see that people are visiting and reading.

I can't agree with him more. It is so motivating to see that people actually are reading what you put out.

I use clustrmaps as a quick visual. This world map gives you a global glimpse of who is stopping by your site. I also use stat counter. It gives me information I didn't know I wanted. I can see how many people visited on a given day, what cities they came from and how much time they spent on the site.  

Jeff suggests Google Analytics. It lets you know how many hits on your site are within your school boundaries, for example.

All these programs are free.  Yes, data is useful, motivating and fun!

Parent Collaboration - Reflection # 5

Collaborating with parents is so important. I often wonder how can we do a better job. I first came upon Parents as Partners website that covers the topic from head to toe. In addition to the website, they have a regular webcast with Ed Tech Talk. It broadcasts on the 1st and 3rd Monday of each month and shares best practices in engaging parents and teachers in conversations about families and schools. Check in Monday 9:00 pm EST. The hosts for the show are Lorna Costantini, Matt Montagne and Rhoda Cipparone.

Then I read Jeff Utecht's blog post on Parent Conmmunication: From Print to Digital. As teachers move from paper newsletters to online communication, he offers 5 great suggestions on how to communicate in a digital format.

One of our principal's goal this year is to reduce the amount of copies made in the school. I think this is a great first step!

photo citation: .p a n e.

Does Learning Stop After You Leave the Schoolyard - Reflection # 4

Does learning stop when the bell rings and your students leave the four walls of your classroom?

We were on Second Beach in Middletown, RI this summer when we discovered a sand dollar. We thought this was an odd find on such a northern beach. The kids started to wonder if sand dollars where indigenous to this area. Wikipedia and google were not available. Luckily a teenager had her cell phone and I had the place to get the answer, even on the beach...ChaCha.

Mobile Answers. Just call. Just text. Just ask. We did. Within a few minutes, we received a text message explaining that they could be found in shallow coastal waters anywhere in the world, as far north as Alaska. This prompted more questions. What animal lived inside? In a few minutes a text came back explaining they were Echinoids, spiny skinned creatures. Their relations included the sea lily, the sea cucumber, the star fish and the sea urchin. Several more questions were asked and answered. I marveled that learning could take place anywhere. Yes, sitting on a beach in Rhode Island, sparked by a curious find of a sand dollar.

The cell phone is a handy tool. Imagine being on a field trip to pick apples and someone wonders how many types of apples there are in North America. I have the answer...I just asked ChaCha. Now you try. It's free (standard text message fees apply).

Text 242242
Call 1.800.2CHACHA

Nature Lovers - Reflection #3

Summertime is a time to connect with nature. If you happen to be close to the water, you have daily reminders of this. I always know when sunrise and sunset is, as well as high and low tide. This creates a rhythm to the day that effects all that I do.

In the summer edition of Tufts Magazine, there was an article titled What’s lost when kids lose touch with nature? In it, W. George Scarlett talks about the disconnect with the natural world. No longer are kids let loose to play in the woods or to roam the outside. Instead, they are indoors connected to TV and video games or outdoors in organized sports. This alienation from nature is a new focus of research. Is there a connection to obesity and attention deficit disorder in children? Not so long ago, many classrooms had a room pet. This taught the students care taking and promoted wonder. I haven't seen one in years.

Howard Gardner has added naturalist intelligence to his list of multiple intelligences. Do you have a student who is "nature smart"? Take time to gaze at a spider web and observe critters outside the school yard. Write nature journals and embed nature in math problems. How can you connect nature to your classroom?

How Much Movement Do You Need? (Reflection # 2)

I realize that summer agrees with me. I get to be outdoors, in the light, for many hours. I get to move in many different ways: swim, bike, run and kayak. All in all, it makes for a happy, productive day.

How much movement does each individual student need? It will vary just as it does for adults. Granted, some are satisfied with what they get in the typical day: walking to specials, moving around the room to get materials and running around at recess. But we all know there are students who are natural movers. They demand a great amount of movement just to reach their threshold and stay on task. How are we providing this input for them beyond what is naturally available in the school day?

At Hosmer, we have power stations in the hallways to give a quick boost to students as they transition. In the classroom, students stand to work or sit on Movin' Sit cushions. Some children require motor breaks in which they are given 5 minutes to move on a scooter board, ride a roller racer, jump on a trampoline or run up and down the stairs.

What ideas do you have? How can we better accommodate these movers and make them more productive during the school day?