Betty's Blog

Newly added words to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Betty — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 22:18:00 GMT

Why not see if new words added to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary aren't new to you? A list of some of the more notable words and the year they were first used in an English-language publication might get you started. I am pleased that I actually blogged about dwarf planets. My first experience with edamame came when my son mentioned that he liked it a couple of weeks ago. I wasn't even sure what it was. And what's up with fanboy? How come it took it 89 years to make it into the dictionary? The very idea!

A sampling of the added words:

Dwarf planet (1993): celestial body that orbits the sun and has a spherical shape, but is too small to disturb other objects from its orbit.

Edamame (1951): immature green soybeans, usually in the pod.

Fanboy (1919): boy who is an enthusiastic devotee, such as of comics or movies.

Students might enjoy using words from the list to write paragraphs like this one:

Some malware locked me out of my webinar, so I headed down to the infinity pool to eat some edamame, fresh from the pod. A waitress came by with a glass of soju…or was it prosecco?

I'm sure a lot of spell checkers will go crazy in the process.:) You should see the red marks on my screen right now.

It might also be a great back to school activity to give students a list of some of the newly added words and have them write their own definitions before revealing the actual meanings of the words.

Learn a new language or two or three

Betty — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 21:33:44 GMT

Although I took two years of Spanish in high school and made mostly A's, I am only capable of understanding a word every now and then and only remember a few words and phrases. Being able to speak and understand another language is something I have always wanted to do. When we traveled to Paris a few years ago, I learned just enough French to tell the wait staff that I didn't like seafood. One disbelieving chef actually emerged from the kitchen with an entire uncooked fish and promised he could cook it to my liking. I'm not sure my French was all that good.

If you want to learn to speak French, you can find free software downloads along with a French word of the day at transparent.com. The site has software for 105 languages, and I must admit that I haven't even heard of some of them. Each language has a variety of free resources available along with inexpensive software that you can also purchase to keep the challenges coming. Products can be chosen by age and experience level. Kids will also love some of the free online games.

The learning process on this site focuses on learning real life words and meaningful phrases spoken by native speakers and using these as spring boards to even greater understanding and comprehension. The learner really gets a feel for the language through a variety of listening and speaking activities. So, if you want to learn to speak Italian, you can work at your own speed while learning a wonderful new language. The Transparent Language International Cafe even gives you a chance to order from a menu in Italian and four other languages. After ordering, the waiter returns with your meal so you can see what you ordered and determine if you need a little more practice learning the language.

Students might enjoy the free word a day feature available for some of the languages. It is really cool because you hear the words pronounced and also written in the chosen language as well as in English. Students could include words from other languages in their stories and compositions to add a little flair to their writing.

With technology, it has become easier to learn another language and also, a lot more fun. If you want to learn to speak Spanish, or another language, it's possible to download free software, take quizzes, play online games, or pick inexpensive software that meets your budget. There is also a delightful Spanish blog on transparent.com that even has a post on food vocabulary. The blog nicely combines English and Spanish in a way that makes you just want to learn more.

Are cooking shows making me fat?

Betty — Tue, 08 Jul 2008 15:59:48 GMT

I have an idea. Let's blame America's obesity on all of the cooking shows that seem to be taking over television. My husband is now obsessed with watching people cook. I'm wondering if there is a support group I can join. I do know that whatever he is learning is not transferring into the kitchen. That's probably a good thing since most of it looks pretty unhealthy to me.

Watching people prepare and taste food just isn't entertaining to me. And yet, others not only find the process entertaining but can probably replicate what they see in their own kitchens. This is similar to how students learn in school. Some students have the ability to sit back and learn without being actively involved. Others need hands on, active experiences.

Technology has made me realize that I need hands on experiences before the learning sticks. I am quickly left behind at show and tell demonstrations and soon feel intimidated and discouraged. Yet, there is an excitement for me when I get to participate and try to get things to work all by myself. Of course, the necessary ingredients are patient instructors and devices that work. Oh, and another ingredient needed is an instructor who can get down to my level when it comes to technology. Wait a minute. This is starting to sound like a cooking show!

Just looking only works for me in museums.

Links to children's books and more

Betty — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 19:14:20 GMT

Kids know what they like when it comes to books. When I share some of my favorites with my grandsons, I can tell almost immediately if they are with me or not. Sometimes we don't even get past the first page. With other books, they want to hear them again and again.

Adults can write all of the reviews they want for children's books, but kids will probably get more from reviews recorded by their peers. CNN.com asked children what they thought about ten of the latest book releases for children and got some pretty honest answers. You can listen to the children review the books and can see that they are enjoying the process. What a great idea for teachers and librarians! Recording book reviews just seems like fun to me.

Another way to preview children's books page by page is at Lookybook. I found this unique link and more on Pat's (Successful Teaching) post Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom. The other links on Pat's post are definitely worth a look see!

My grandsons love this book. I think they'd like a mud washing machine of their own.

The upper crust

Betty — Sat, 05 Jul 2008 17:06:16 GMT

My sister recently told me that she heard that the reason we sometimes refer to affluent people as being the "upper crust" is because at one point in time, only those with money could afford a top crust for their homemade pies. When I googled upper crust, I found a lot of restaurants with that name, so I added "expression" and found this explanation at Kidzworld about familiar expressions originating from the 1500's.

Bread was given out according to status. Workers were given the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle and guests got the top or the "upper crust."

Both explanations sound reasonable to me, but I thought my sister's was interesting since I recently made a blueberry pie. The recipe for Aunt Julie's Blueberry Pie came from Veggie Mom's blog, and I found it while reading Melissa's blog, The Scholastic Scribe. Both are great blogs that I have recently added to my "must read" list.

The reason that I am blogging about my pie is that it reminds me of teaching sixth grade math. I used recipes a lot to help my students understand why they really did need to know math. Recipes and menus are real life ways to get the point across. Sometimes for assessment, I had them double recipes or cut them in half. To demonstrate their knowledge of percentages, they had to select menu items, and add on the tax and tip. A lot of times they worked in groups. For final projects, they brought in family recipes and designed their own restaurants, complete with floor plans and menus.

When I bought the ingredients for the pie, I found myself thinking as a sixth grade math teacher. "Okay, how many cups are in a pint?" I asked myself since the blueberries were sold by the pint. Luckily, I remembered.:)

My top crust clearly demonstrates that I am a random person and that the pie is homemade. I'm sure my former math students would probably say something about my uneven top crust since I was a stickler for straight lines, but it tasted mighty good.

50 things blamed on the cost of oil

Betty — Fri, 04 Jul 2008 16:16:44 GMT

A list of 50 things blamed on the cost of oil is worth taking the time to read. The list by Tom Weber on The Wall Street Journal's Buzzwatch is complete with links and will definitely make you think. You might even want to comment and add an item or two of your own.:)

The list includes things like school field trips, school lunches, and community college calendar changes. Of course, schools are always one of the first groups to feel budget cuts.

The list of of 50 things being blamed on rising fuel costs could be the beginning of a meaningful cause and effect lesson for students. They could add to the list by thinking of ways their own lives are changing.

Since there are both negative and positive changes connected to the cost of oil, this list could also launch a few compare and contrast papers.

It's not a matter of trust

Betty — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 15:16:10 GMT

A recent study by internet security firm Symantec Corp. indicates that parents might know where their children are but don't always know what they are doing on the internet.

Some findings from the study aren't really that surprising.

Overall, parents appear to underestimate how often their children encounter indiscretions online, such as receiving requests for personal information, being approached online by a stranger, and experiencing cyber pranks or bullying.

In fact, although 25 percent of U.S. children report having experienced requests for personal information, fewer than 2 in 10 parents think this is happening to their children.

Although 13 percent of U.S. children report experiencing cyber pranks, only 2 percent of parents believe their children are being cyber bullied.

I have had parents tell me that they trust their children and don't worry about their internet activities. (These are the same parents that claim their children never lie.) Hello. Welcome to the real world. Kids will be kids and that's why they need parents.

My parents held the reins tightly. If the internet had been around back then, my sister and I probably would not have had access to it. That's just not practical today. Computers are everywhere, and teaching children to be responsible internet users is very important. Parental controls and supervision are as necessary to the process of using the internet as training wheels are to learning to ride a bike. Freedom is given as it is earned, but parents must continue to be aware of the places their kids visit and the people they meet along the way.

No spam sent by me

Betty — Thu, 03 Jul 2008 02:19:11 GMT

Thank you Mystery Teacher for letting me know that someone is sending out spam emails with my address. Please let me know if any of you are also receiving spam emails supposedly from me.

You can email me through my blog or report it to Teacher Lingo on the feedback tab at the top. I have reported it and hopefully, the spam emails will stop soon.

As for the person who is doing it, please find a better use of your time.

Thank you again, Mystery Teacher, for the heads up about this irritating problem.

I just love reading other blogs

Betty — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 16:23:56 GMT

I spend part of each day reading and commenting on other blogs and am delighted that I was included on a list of 50 Must-Read Up and Coming Blogs by Teachers. The list is posted on TeachingTips.com which is a resource site for teachers and students. Check out the list to find some links to bloggers who share your interests.

My favorite part about blogging is making new friends. I enjoy reading blogs here on Teacher Lingo and just love the feel of the community. When some of you go a few days without blogging, I really miss reading your posts.:) There are some terrific bloggers in the TL community, and I usually read all of the latest posts before venturing out into Blog Land.

There are a lot of incredible educational bloggers out there, and I add new blogs to my must read list all of the time. The blogging world is just amazing to me. It always makes my day when people comment about something I have written, and I just learn so much from reading other blogs. What a great way to share ideas and meet new people.

Taking off to discover new blogs!

Don't say it if you don't mean it

Betty — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 16:27:01 GMT

Advice given to me years ago by a wise pediatrician saved me a lot of back pedaling. "Don't threaten to do something if you don't really mean it." I remembered his words often in the course of raising children and teaching school.

Sometimes when truly frustrated, it's human nature to put some consequences in place that aren't really doable. For example, telling an entire class that they will all miss lunch if someone doesn't immediately come forward and confess to some unacceptable behavior only puts the teacher in the hot seat if the guilty student remains quiet. A teacher at our school warned her class that they would all stay in their seats when the final bell rang if their behavior did not improve. She stood by her decision and caused all of them to miss the bus. Needless to say, the principal and a lot of parents were not happy.

It's easy to get frustrated and say the first thing that comes to mind. The moment the words come out of my mouth, I scramble for a way to shove them back in and go with another plan. However, kids are like elephants and never forget the things we wish we had not said. When adults are indecisive or come up with outlandish threats, kids sometimes enjoy pushing the envelope. I have heard students say that they love it when a teacher gets mad and seems to go out of control. It's not always easy to stay calm and set reasonable consequences, but it's definitely worth it and makes life a whole lot easier.

Ten ideas to keep kids busy during the summer

Betty — Mon, 30 Jun 2008 14:03:17 GMT

With kids needing something to do during a tough economy, a lot of parents are having to be creative. For some great ideas, check out the top 10 suggestions made by Jack O'Connell, State Superintendent of Public Instruction in California.

Just to get you started, I've included a few of his ideas here.

Turn off the television and computer and play outside: Parents can encourage their children to join a city league to play team sports such as baseball or swimming. Physical activity helps prevent childhood obesity. Teamwork teaches children about helping, sharing, listening, respect and participation. Contact the local parks and recreation department for sports and summer activity schedules.

Get puzzled: Play sudoku or Scrabble as a family. These types of activities encourage children to think and solve problems.

Go grocery shopping: Adding up the grocery bill helps kids practice their math skills. Let them choose fruits and vegetables to teach them how to make healthy choices.

Plan dinner: Learning to cook will teach children to be self sufficient and independent. Preparing meals requires math and reading skills.

I think going to the library is number one on my list.:) Today I am taking care of my grandsons, and I'm going to list all of the things we do for another blog post.

Rediscovering the public library

Betty — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 17:56:42 GMT

I love spending the day in my favorite book store sipping on a cup of coffee while perusing the book shelves for a great read. I guess I could be called a book store snob by some people. I just love going to a Starbucks attached to a Barnes and Noble. With the economy being what it is, and gas prices eating my lunch, I can no longer spend five dollars for a cup of coffee and purchase books that take me less than a week to read.

Therefore, I have been forced to venture back into the public library. Oh, my! The library is no longer the shhhhhhhhh! place it used to be. The term "user friendly" comes to mind. I discovered that the library very close to my house (about $1.37 in gas miles) is updated and not at all stuffy. There is a computer room, an awesome area for my grandsons with books, toys, and puppets, an entire section of periodicals, and yes, tons of books to check out for free. I didn't get to drink coffee, but that's okay. I can brew my own and sip on it while I'm driving.

While in the children's section of the library, I was delighted to find that talking was okay, and that children were laughing as they played with some of the coolest puppets I have ever seen. It wasn't long before I had a shark puppet attached to my own arm. My grandsons had just as much fun as they normally do in the book store, and it didn't cost a thing.

The librarians were friendly and gave us literature on free movies for the kids. The movies are held at lunch time in a separate room, and it's even okay to bring in food to eat during the movie. My grandsons also signed up for a reading club and will get a free book and food coupons for reading at least ten hours over the summer.

I'm sure we are all making changes in our lives due to the rising costs of just about everything. I think the library is a positive change for me. It certainly agrees with my budget.

Technology becoming the new cool

Betty — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 15:01:47 GMT

It's pretty obvious that teenagers love technology. They are constantly hooked up and sometimes oblivious to their surroundings. Engaging in normal conversation for a lot of teens takes the form of text messaging. Keyboarding skills aren't nearly as honed as the thumb actions taking place on cell phones. Advertisers were all ears this week at the "What Teens Want" conference in Manhattan as they learned more about these young consumers.

"Technology is starting to define what's cool in a way that fashion used to define what's cool," said Tina Wells, CEO of Buzz Marketing Group. For teens, "as long as it's technology, it's what hot."

Technology also has turned advertising upside down, with companies scrambling to adapt to Internet video, digital video recorders, mobile media devices and online social networking. It's a fast-moving, tech-heavy world that teens take for granted.

There's not much that a cell phone can't do. Connecting to the internet, sending text messages, acting as a GPS, taking videos . . . the list goes on and seems to get longer daily. You don't have to be a teenager to want the latest and greatest in technology. I was watching Oprah this week and saw a Flip camera for making YouTube videos and decided that I have to have one. It's on my birthday list. Maybe some of those advertisers need to have a "What Baby Boomers Want" Conference.:)

See if you agree with teens about "What's hotter?"

Teens on tech: What's hotter?

93% say Internet rather than TV

• 71% say texting rather than IM

• 69% say magazines rather than blogs

• 65% say Mac rather than the PC

• 57% say Facebook rather than MySpace

Source: Buzz Marketing Group

A lot to do at this virtual zoo

Betty — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:58:51 GMT

Children and adults are fascinated by animals. Most elementary students will take at least one field trip to the zoo, and the zoo is also a wonderful place for a family outing. Learning about animals is a way for children to learn compassion and to understand nature. If you and your children want to have a meaningful experience learning about amazing and beautiful zoo animals, Zoo Country is a virtual paradise. The colorful pictures on this site make you want to learn more about the animals.

Children will also enjoy seeing which animals fall into the different categories. Categories at this virtual zoo include the cutest, ugliest, biggest, smallest, weird and funny, and of course, endangered animals. Students doing research for school or including unusual animals in their writing will find factual information along with beautiful pictures of all of the zoo animals. What a great way to learn about animals before actually taking a field trip to the zoo. Plus, teachers could use this virtual zoo as an online resource when teaching a unit on animals.

Educational materials are available at inexpensive prices. Animal activities and crafts will delight children as they play and learn more about the different zoo animals. It's not hard to find games and activities for the whole family to enjoy. There are also some awesome party ideas for children's birthday parties with animal themes.

There are all sorts of great links on this site to activities where you can learn new things and challenge your brain. For example, you can find a link to a free IQ test and other fun quizzes. Once you start hanging out at Zoo Country, you'll find that it's fun to spend a little time checking out all they have to offer. One link leads to another, and it's amazing how much there is to see and do.

Animal books and toys are almost always a hit with kids. Stuffed animals are a source of comfort for a lot of children. After reading about the different zoo animals, you can find just the perfect lifelike stuffed animal as a gift for your child. One of our family's favorite stuffed animals is affectionately known as "Stinky Monkey". His sweet little face looks just like the one in the picture. Children's natural curiosity about animals makes learning about them fun for the whole family. I'm sure you'll find Zoo Country a fun place to visit.

First dose of The Baby Borrowers

Betty — Thu, 26 Jun 2008 14:00:28 GMT

To summarize the first episode, ouch! The babies were crying, the teenagers were whining, and the real parents were in stress mode. It was a little hard to watch. I could feel the tension and developed a headache before it was over.

The living arrangements of the five teenage couples is disconcerting. Staying in a house together and sharing a bedroom is indeed a dose of reality. There is a professional nanny that stays in the house to monitor the babies, but still.

I found it amusing when the teenage girls had to wear a baby bump vest as a pregnancy simulation and one girl cried and refused. Another girl was personally offended when the real mother stepped in to admonish her for not feeding her son. The very idea! I mean this girl just pouted and refused to help with the baby because of a little constructive criticism.

It was all about them. The teen couples put themselves first and soon realized how difficult it is to take care of babies full time. I can't even imagine how the real parents were able to hand over their babies and watch the frustration the teens experienced as they attempted to take on the roles of parents. Yes, they are able to watch and intervene any time they want. Yes, nannies are ready to fly into action if they feel the babies need help. There were actually times that I wanted to jump in and take over. It was painful to watch, and the teens will have the babies for three days.

There are no prizes or winners on The Baby Borrowers, so this reality show is just about reality. The teens will experience taking care of babies, toddlers, teenagers, and the elderly.

Is it possible for a reality show to make a difference and get through to teens that having babies isn't child's play? Watching this show just one time made a big impact on me. Hopefully, it will get through to some.