Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Tuesday's Teacher from Teacher Leaders Network

Teaching Secrets: Teaching Students How to Learn

Comment: Excellent approach for parents of children going to Middle School especially for the first time.
Even veteran teachers sometimes tell students to "take notes" or to "study" without ever sharing strategies for doing so. Modeling techniques for reading, note-taking, and studying can take time, but it is a worthwhile investment. By encouraging students to be intentional in their learning, you can equip them with the tools they need to be successful in your own classroom and in the future.

Great teachers not only have a firm grasp of content but are also adept at helping diverse learners master those concepts and skills. It can be a lot to manage, and new teachers sometimes lose sight of another important aspect of our roles: guiding students to become responsible for their own learning.

Awareness of common pitfalls and effective strategies can support your efforts to help students "learn to learn" throughout the school year:

Pitfall #1: Assuming students will be able to identify important information and take useful notes. Note-taking activities can be fraught with problems, particularly if the text is above the student’s reading level. Often students start writing immediately, taking wild guesses about what might matter. They blindly gather bits and pieces without a sense of how the facts relate to one another.

Avoiding the Pitfall: Work with students to demonstrate effective reading and note-taking strategies. Read selections aloud. Model (and have students discuss) how to select information that is worthy of inclusion in notes. Demonstrate techniques like previewing the reading, examining bold words and headings, putting main ideas in your own words, and being attentive to captions.

Explore different styles of note-taking, and discuss how to match note-taking styles with the content covered. For example, help students learn to recognize when it might be appropriate to use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast two topics, or when an outline’s hierarchical structure will help organize the study of chronological events. Introduce a range of note-taking tools (including highlighters, sticky notes, and index cards) that meet the varied needs of all learners. Practice taking notes as a group, engaging students in discussion about what is important and how to record it.

Pitfall #2: Assuming students know how to "study." The truth is that many students do not know how to go about learning material on their own.

Avoiding the Pitfall: Once students have learned to read carefully and take meaningful notes, you can guide them in using those tools to study effectively.

Set aside small chunks of class time each day to intentionally teach students about strategies for studying. Demonstrate that repetition is critical to retaining new material. Introduce different ways of using their notes: quizzing themselves with note cards, playing review games, and creating test questions for one another. Practice vocabulary together every day. Work on creating mnemonics to remember difficult sequences. Help students realize that learning is a process, not a night-before-the-test memorization activity.

Pitfall #3—Assuming students understand the link between studying and academic performance. Students who have never learned to identify important ideas, take useful notes, and study effectively may not "believe in" studying to enhance their academic performance. They may even assume that higher-performing students are "just smarter."

Avoiding the Pitfall: Set the stage to show students the dividends they will reap from their efforts. As you guide students in learning to take notes and study effectively, give them opportunities to evaluate and reflect on these techniques.

Ask students to set learning goals for their unit (perhaps based on pretests, if you use them). Regularly review those learning goals and have students reflect on their own progress. Prod students to discover what they still need to accomplish in order to be successful. As you monitor individual students' progress, make adjustments in your instruction and help them plan how to meet their own learning needs.

After the unit test or other assessment, have students reflect on their own progress from the initial pretest to the final product. How did the process of studying lead them to success? Which study tools do they find most useful? In what areas do they need to find new tools to help them learn? Asking students to think about how they learn (and to make adjustments accordingly) will help them feel more in control of their own academic progress.

As you work through the process together over the course of the school year, "learning to learn" will become quicker and more automatic for students. And you will have shared a valuable gift with them: the ability to encounter, organize, and internalize new concepts in their academic and professional lives.

Monday, August 29, 2011

Monday's Tattler

Good Morning!

Another great week at the GS. This week we are talking about making friends. We will be having a guest on Thursday to talk about Postcrossing. This should be very interesting. It's done with drawings and postcards...more about that later.

If there are any questions about your child's work or what has been sent home for him to do, please ask your child's teacher. Miss Amy is teaching reading, Miss Dayna handwriting and spelling, and Miss Lisa is teaching Math.

We have started a sticker chart for our breakfast and lunch eaters. If your child has eaten either his breakfast or lunch he will tell us after his meal and receive a sticker. Same with Milk. We are working on speaking in full sentences, and children are expected to answer, "I ate my lunch and drank my milk." Please work on having your child answer in a full sentence. This builds fluency in the language and communication skills.

We are introducing a writing desk for the children to write little notes and draw pictures for their friends. This is aimed at reading, writing, spelling and communication skills. We hope the children really enjoy this.

It's going to be warm again this week, so we are still in shorts and short SLEEVED shirts.

On Friday, we will be going to Buffaloville for lunch. Children will look at some of the ways children in the past lived. Children should wear their green shirts. If you do not have one, one will be provided for your child.

We are in the process of changing our school shirts. It's a loooooooooooong process. Please be patient.

Have a great week!


Saturday, August 27, 2011

Friday's Tattler

For the Award Winning Children, Awards go to

Clarisse and Odin for Manners!

For Milk Drinking:

Angelic
Annie
Alexis
Bryleigh
Connor D
Connor H
Devon
Dillon
Eden
Ely
Jil
Josiah
Kinsley
Lincoln
Logan
Odin
Sophy

For Plate Club

Angelic
Annie
August
Connor D
Devon
Lincoln
Logan


Under Saturday's Sun...


9 Strange But True Health Tips

By Bill Phillips and the Editors of Men's Health
Jul 25, 2011

I'm a research geek. Every day here at MensHealth.com at our 10 a.m. news meeting, we assess dozens of new studies from researchers from around the world. Then we publish the most surprising, practical, and empowering research—findings that can change your life.

You probably run across some of these studies, too; the major ones get a lot of media attention. That's why I actually prefer sifting through smaller, more obscure periodicals, hunting for research no one else is reporting. For example, over the past week I've learned:

You can lose weight by paying for groceries with cash; turns out, you're more likely to buy unhealthy foods if you pay with a credit card.

Taking a vitamin D supplement fortifies your muscles, making them less prone to injury.

Flirting at work is a hidden sign that your job isn't right for you.

Google is making us forgetful, because we're less likely to try to remember information that we know is readily accessible.Who knew, right? Here are nine more fascinating strange-but-true study findings we've run across over the past few years.

Live Longer by Changing Your Name

People with "positive" initials—ones that spell out things like J.O.Y. or W.O.W.—live nearly 4-1/2 years longer than people with neutral initials, according to a University of California, San Diego study. D.U.D.'s live nearly three years less. Other initials that may shorten life: I.L.L. and D.E.D.

Keep Your Mind Sharper by Being a Jerk

Research from the U.S. Administration on Aging suggests there's a marked difference between how younger and older people interpret misplacing their car keys. A young guy usually blames someone else. An old man typically blames himself. Never use your age as an excuse—you'll remain sharper longer.

Break a High Fever With Your Armpits

Anything up to 102°F is mild and can be treated by drinking plenty of fluids. But to quickly bring down a reading above that, put an ice pack under your arm or near your groin. Icing either spot will cool your body's core. It's uncomfortable, but it works fast. Then see a doctor.

Prevent Claustrophobia by Smelling This Fruit

If you get nervous in small spaces such as subways, elevators, and that closet of an office they stuck you in, visit your local fruit stand. A sniff of green apple may help relieve claustrophobic sensations, says Dr. Alan Hirsch, M.D., director of the Smell & Taste Treatment and Research Foundation. Carry one with you. Also, if you're selling your house, placing a basket of fresh green apples on the table may make potential buyers perceive the house as larger.

7 WAYS TO BE A BETTER FATHER:

Disinfect a Wound with Honey

No Neosporin in the house? Dab the cut with honey before covering it with a bandage. Believe it or not, honey has powerful antibacterial properties. A study in the Archives of Surgery found that honey is capable of destroying almost all strains of the most common wound-infecting bacteria.

Stop Bleeding with This Spice

Next time you nick yourself in the kitchen, reach for the black pepper, says Roberta Lee, M.D., vice chair of the department of integrative medicine at the Beth Israel Medical Center. Run cold water over the wound to clean it, using soap if you were handling meat. Then sprinkle on the pepper and apply pressure. In no time, the bleeding will stop. Turns out, black pepper has analgesic, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties. And don't worry—it won't sting.

See Your Tailor to Cure Back Pain

If you have an aching back, it may be because one of your legs is shorter than the other, says Steven McCaw, Ph.D., a researcher at Illinois State University. Even a slight imbalance can cause the spine to curve to the short side when you walk or run. Eventually, the bend puts painful pressure on disks. Most people can’t tell if their legs are different lengths, but a tailor can. Ask one for a quick measurement. If he finds an imbalance, correct the problem with a therapeutic, Dr. Scholl-type insert or see a podiatrist for a custom-made orthotic.

Massage Away Nicotine Cravings

If you’re a smoker who’s trying to quit, try this simple trick the next time a craving hits: Rub the skin between your index fingers and thumbs and the center of your palms. A study in Preventive Medicine found that men using this technique smoked 25 percent fewer cigarettes in a month than 10 quitters who used traditional distraction methods such as chewing gum. The quick self-massage evidently calms you and keeps your hands busy.

The fiber supplement Metamucil can help lower elevated cholesterol levels. In one study, men who took one packet mixed in water before each meal for eight weeks experienced drops in LDL cholesterol averaging 7 percent. Metamucil also helps to lower blood pressure, blood sugar, and the risk of heart disease, according to the National Fiber Council.

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Wacky Wednesday...


Engineers' Conversion Table sent by a friend.

You scientific types will especially appreciate this one; it is
pretty heavy scientific stuff... converting units:

1. Ratio of an igloo's circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi

2. 2000 pounds of Chinese soup = Won ton

3. 1 millionth of a mouthwash = 1 microscope

4. Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement = 1 bananosecond

5. Weight an evangelist carries with God = 1 billigram

6. Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour = Knotfurlong

7. 16.5 feet in theTwilight Zone = 1 Rod Serling

8. Half of a large intestine = 1 semicolon

9. 1,000,000 aches = 1 megahurtz

10. Basic unit of laryngitis = 1 hoarsepower

11. Shortest distance between two jokes = A straight line

12. 453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound cake

13. 1 million-million microphones = 1 megaphone

14. 2 million bicycles = 2 megacycles

15. 365.25 days = 1 unicycle

16. 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds

17. 52 cards = 1 decacards

18. 1 kilogram of falling figs = 1 FigNewton

19. 1000 milliliters of wet socks = 1 literhosen

20. 1 millionth of a fish = 1 microfiche

21. 1 trillion pins = 1 terrapin

22. 10 rations = 1 decoration

23. 100 rations = 1 C-ration

24. 2 monograms = 1 diagram

25. 4 nickels = 2 paradigms

26. 2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale
University Hospital = 1 IV League

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Teaching Tuesday

A-B-C’s of School Physicals

For most kids, summer time means swimming, summer camp and bike riding. It also means time for a physical exam before the start of the new school year. Do parents really know what to expect at their student’s school physical?

Dr. Barbara Bellar, a family medicine physician practicing at MetroSouth Health Center at Blue Island, in Blue Island, Illinois, explains that while a school physical is only required three times during a student’s school career, it is important to bring a child in each year. “As children grow, issues change and the physical exam is a great time to check in with them about things they may not be comfortable speaking with their parents about.” She also recommends bringing a child in at the same time each year which can make it easier to remember when to schedule them.

Dr. Bellar wants parents to be sure that the following are included in a school or physical:

* Medical history
* Height and weight
* Temperature
* Pulse, blood pressure
* Eye and ear check
* Heart and lung check
* Check of throat, gums and tonsils
* Lymph node and thyroid gland check
* Manual spleen, liver and kidney exam
* Check of flexibility and strength in joints of arms and legs
* Spine check for curves (scoliosis)
* Skin examination for abnormal moles and/or bumps
* Full review of all immunizations
* Pelvic exam, “cough test” hernia check/boys

In addition, MetroSouth primary care physicians will offer lifestyle suggestions during the exam, like diet and exercise recommendations, protection from sun exposure and disease prevention. He or she may also offer advice based on the age of the child, such as how to deal with bullies, the risk of eating disorders or proper protection during sexual activity. Emotional issues may also be addressed. With teenagers, alcohol and drug use can also be addressed. If a patient plays sports, the physician will go over prevention of sports injuries.

Most insurance companies will cover an annual check-up every calendar year. In some cases, there will be a small co-pay.

The state of Illinois requires that all children entering kindergarten, sixth and ninth grades have a complete physical exam, including proof of all required immunizations. Most schools also require students participating in sports to complete a sports physical. Dr. Bellar points out that a sports physical should not be considered a complete physical, as it usually just covers an evaluation of height, weight, body/mass index, heart and lungs.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Monday's Tattler

Good Morning!

This week we will be working on Manners. Please, thank you, excuse me are all parts of what we should say and don't. So we will be working on this this week.

Today is Mr. Terry's and Miss Judy's forty first wedding anniversary. If you are reading this, please tell your child to say happy anniversary for a treasure box pass.

Your shot records need to be in now. Your USDA CCFP paperwork also needs to be in NOW.

If you do not have this paperwork, you may not leave your child at school until you do.

We will be enjoying steak for lunch this week along with piggy pie, breakfast for lunch, baked chicken and bacon pizza. Our new food this week is a scone. This is a very English breakfast and tea bread. We hope the children really love these.

Please remember to dress your child in shorts, T-shirts and NO SANDALS.

Please make sure you check your child's folder every day to keep abreast of all out going mail.

Have a great week!

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Swimming Tattler

Finally, our swimming report for the summer:

Water Bug: Can't get his/her face wet yet
Jellyfish: Bobbin in the water but not near swimming
Squids: Going under and swimming but not yet jumping
Whales: Jumping to a teacher and swimming back to the side of the pool
Dolphins: Jumping off board and swimming in deep end
Diving Pelicans: Diving off board

Addie Diving Pelican
Alex S Diving Pelican
Alexa Squid
Alexis Diving Pelican
Angelic Whale
Annie Whale
Ashley Whale
August Dolphin
Austin Dolphin
Brennen Diving Pelican
Bryleigh Whale
Cindy Whale
Clarisse Whale
Deondre Diving Pelican
Connor D Whale
Connor H Whale passed swim test
Devon Whale
Dillon Whale
Edan Diving Pelican
Ely Diving Pelican
Emily Dolphin
Fallyn Whale passed swim test
Haidyn Diving Pelican
Helen Whale
Jack H Whale
Jack Ho Diving Pelican
Jack P Diving Pelican
Jacob Whale
Jasmin Dolphin
Jayce Diving Pelican
Jil Diving Pelican
Jill Dolphin
Josiah Diving Pelican
Judah R Squid
Juday W Whale
Kaya Whale
Kayla Whale passed swim test
Kinsley Whale passed swim test
Logan Diving Pelican
Madison Whale passed swim test
Michael Whale
Nya Dolphin
Odin Dolphin
Phoenix Diving Pelican
Reese Whale passed swim test
Rose Dolphin
Samuel Whale
Savannah Dolphin
Sophy Whale

Sunday's Extra!


As the back to school season begins in most parts of the country this week, parents and children alike are forced to deal with the prevalence of bullying and peer abuse at school. Long referred to by many as “the anti-bullying bible,” Please Stop Laughing at Me (Adams Media, a division of F+W Media), by New York Times bestselling author and bullying survivor-turned-activist Jodee Blanco, is required reading for the back to school season. Available as a free e-book this week only, this unflinching, unforgettable memoir does more than simply chronicle how one child was shunned—and even physically abused—by her classmates from elementary school through high school. It reveals the devastating effects bullying has not only on its victims, but also on the students, schools, and communities in which it occurs— effects that can last a lifetime.

Additionally, Jodee Blanco has sparked a grassroots movement inside America’s schools—as she travels nationwide to help kids, parents, and teachers alike cope with bullying. You may direct readers to these vendors for a free download or contact me for a digital review copy:

Amazon: http://ow.ly/63gve

Barnes & Noble: http://ow.ly/63gAm

iTunes: http://ow.ly/63gMr

Sunday's Plate!

From Food Navigator USA

Food prices could fall slightly in 2012, says USDA


Caroline Scott-Thomas, 27-Jul-2011

Related topics: Food prices, Food finance and prices, Market

Food prices are likely to fall slightly from 2011 levels next year, the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has said in its first food price index outlook for 2012.

US food prices have risen at a higher than forecast rate during 2011, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) for all food – that eaten at home and away from home – projected to rise 3 to 4 percent during the year. And several major food manufacturers said they intended to raise prices on the back of stronger commodity costs.

In 2012, the USDA said it expects the CPI for all food to rise 2.5 to 3.5 percent.

Nevertheless, the department also noted that the CPI inflation for food in 2010 was at its lowest level since 1962, rising only 0.8 percent over a two year period, despite volatility in food commodity markets.

“While many inflationary pressures that drove prices up in 2011 are not expected to intensify and may even decrease in 2012, retailers have been slow to pass on cost increases to date,” the USDA said. “Price levels in 2012 will hinge significantly on weather conditions in the American Midwest during the remainder of July and into August and September 2011.”

The CPI for all food is now 3.7 percent above the June 2010 level, the USDA said, with the food-at-home CPI up 4.7 percent since last June, and the food-away-from-home index up 2.3 percent

“Food commodity and energy price increases over the past year, combined with a weak US dollar, have caused most of the recent increases in grocery store prices,” it said.

Although rising food prices undoubtedly impact Americans, particularly in the current economic climate, recent USDA figures show that US household expenditure on food as a share of disposable income has hit an all-time low, falling to just 9.4 percent last year. This is down from 11.4 percent in 1990 and 13.2 percent in 1980.

In addition, market research organization the Nielsen Company points out that food accounts for a much smaller proportion of total household spending in the United States than it does elsewhere. Food spending accounts for about 11 percent of the average Austrian household’s expenditure, 15 percent in South Korea, and 45 percent in Pakistan. Per capita, that translates as $2,208 in the United States, $2,860 in Austria, but just $309 in Pakistan, the market researcher said.

Friday, August 19, 2011

Friday's Tattler

Winners on Friday:

Milk Awards;

Angelic
Annie
Bryleigh
Connor D
Connor h
Crishawn
De Asia
Devon
Edan
Jacob
Jil
Kinsley
Lincoln
Logan
Sophy
Kayla


Food Awards:

Angelic
Annie
Bryleigh
Connor D
Connor H
Devon
Edan
Jacob
Lincoln
Logan
August

Manners Award

Connor D
Devon
Edan
August

New Foods Awards

Connor D
Angelic
Keira
Devon
Kayla
Ely
Helen
Kinsley

Knowledge Bee

Josiah
Ely
Kayla
Jill
Devon

Congratulations to all our wonderful achievers. So pleased!

Thursday, August 18, 2011

Working With Families by Judy Lyden


We, at the Garden School, hear a lot about schools, day cares and children's groups who refuse to work with parents; who won't give the parent the benefit of the doubt; who literally scorn parents who are trying but may be misguided about childcare. And that's a shame because it really does take more than two parents to shape a life. Yes, the parents are the primary educators of the child, and yes the parents ultimately will be the primary influence on the child, but every time a child moves out of his own home into the world, he will learn, and that learning should come from unbiased and caring adults.

It is a privilege to work with other people's children. It is a privilege to be chosen over other places, other teachers, and other providers who do similar work, and that's how teachers and early childhood care providers should think about their clients.

Young mothers are just that - first timers - inexperienced - sometimes lost and sometimes unsure of what they are supposed to do about any number of situations. That's where experienced teachers, providers and care givers can lend an ear, and idea and a warm smile.

It's not easy. Let's face it. It's not easy to let 27 pounds of mean rule your life. When chaos strikes, that's the time for help. Offering help takes the right angle, the right words, and the right set of values. Experienced providers and teachers are supposed to have those values, and need to put their words into play for the sake of the children they serve. It's not always easy.

One child I know is an ungodly selfish little merchant of meanness. Nothing satisfies this one. There is always something wrong, the child is always ill or feigning illness when the child does not want to comply. Tears, sulk, tantrums, temper, fibs, all take their place in this overriding desire to dominate the parent, the teacher, the adult at hand.

Mom is completely lost. She hasn't a clue how to handle this child, so the suggestions give way to counseling, doctors, medication...and guess what? None of it works, and none of it works for a reason...apples don't fall far from the tree. The child is just like the parent, and the parent hasn't examined her own life with any real critique, so the example of selfishness is like a candy store with the door open.

Working with a parent like this is tough because no matter what you say or how you say it, change is not going to happen. The parent will continue to be selfish and ditto the child. Being straight forward with the parent and telling her directly that the child spends too much time focusing inward and not enough time focusing on the world will never sink in, but it's the most honest thing you can say and do, and the teacher or care provider should never give up because that's her job. Smile and remind this kind of parent that the child needs to focus on someone besides self.

When working with children is a matter physical elements of clothing, cleanliness, health, providers often cringe from telling a parent that a child's underwear needs to be changed every day and that the child, especially girls, need a bath daily. Dirty hair, dirty clothes, dirty child syndrome takes a strong provider with a lot of patience and a lot of moxie to convince a parent that no matter what, children need to be clean every day - for the child's sake. This is where providers can put their foot down.

"Your child needs to have a bath every day."

"I don't believe in daily baths," says the pugnacious parent.

"When the other children don't want to sit next to your child because the child smells, it's not fair to the child. Think of the stigma of being dismissed because you're unpleasant to sit near. The other children won't be able to voice an opinion now, but they will, and the only one who is going to suffer is your child because you'll be at work."

"Well, I don't think my child is dirty. It's a matter of opinion."

"But everyone else does think your child is dirty, and you need to do something about it today."

It's tough, but it needs to be said - for the sake of the child who needs to understand that body dirt should not be a fixture. Course, matted, uncombable hair is disgraceful and will only end up hurting the innocent child.

Ill children who come to school and day care are also a problem that needs to be handled right away. Epidemics start in schools and day cares because nobody paid attention to the kid with the 104. How is that possible? In anyone's morning routine, parents should routinely look at their children, speak with their children, and probably touch their children every morning. This touching, looking and speaking will usually discover that a child has awakened to an illness.

Calling a parent after breakfast to say that a child is running a 104 fever, has vomited most of what he or she has eaten for the last five weeks onto the table, floor, bathroom, hallway, classroom, and just about every crevice in the school is never a fun occasion. This is where an experienced teacher or parent takes the parent aside and reminds them that it is cold and flu season - all twelve months are cold and flu season - and it is always wise to hug, look and talk with your child every morning. That the child must be sent home and because he came to school ill, will be obliged to remain at home at least forty-eight hours.

Working with parents to help children read, write, and do simple mathematics is also a part of the teaching job. Sending home extra work for the children who don't achieve right away is important, takes thought and extra work. It means talking to a parent about exactly what the child can and can't do well, and focusing on fixing it. It means communication all the time, but not a very long time, it means for the next month, the teacher has to be the go getter about fixing the problem. If the parent cooperates, mostly, the problem will be resolved within a month's time.

Working with parents does not mean giving into delinquent behavior from either the child or the parent. It means telling a parent what they don't want to hear and then actually doing something to solve the problem, but being positive about it. Often it takes the parent to solve the problem and good experienced teachers and providers should not weaken when the problem is not solved. Taking parents to task for the sake of their child is the best parent teacher communication there is.




Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Wacky but Wonderful Wednesday from Food Navigator USA

Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the most caloric of them all?

Post a commentBy Elaine Watson, 20-Jul-2011

Comment: Well here it is guys.

Related topics: Trans- and saturated fats, The obesity problem, Sodium reduction, Market

Calorie labeling, healthier options and reformulation work notwithstanding, some of America’s biggest restaurant chains are still selling products so eye-wateringly caloric that diners eating just one course are getting all the calories they need for the entire day.

Super Size Me...

Super Size Me...

In its Xtreme Eating awards, a nutritional ‘hall of shame’ published in its latest Nutrition Action newsletter, health advocacy group the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) singles out eight products from The Cheesecake Factory, Applebee’s, IHOP and other well-known brands as examples of caloric excess.

Given that adults should limit themselves to about 2,000-2,500 calories, 20g of saturated fat, and 1,500 milligrams of sodium a day, diners at these restaurants had to exercise tremendous discipline to avoid exceeding their daily fat, sugar and sodium requirements in a single sitting, said CSPI nutrition director Bonnie Liebman.

“It’s as if the restaurants were targeting the remaining one out of three Americans who are still normal weight in order to boost their risk of obesity, diabetes, heart attacks, and cancer.”

Lower calorie options are available

Many of these chains did offer healthier options acknowledged CSPI co-founder Michael Jacobson.

IHOP, for example, includes SIMPLE & FIT options with a maximum of 600 calories; Applebee’s has a small number of items at 550 kcals or fewer; Denny’s has recently introduced its Fit Fare range and The Cheesecake Factory has a large menu containing several lower calorie salads and entrees.

However, their standard fare was far too caloric, said Jacobson.

“Instead of setting aside a few menu items called something like ‘Lean & Fit,’ why can’t menus have a small section called ‘Fatten Up!’ and keep the rest of the menu healthy?”

Products singled out by the CSPI include:

Denny’s Fried Cheese Melt(four fried mozzarella sticks and melted cheese grilled between two slices of sourdough bread with a side of French fries and marinara sauce).

  • Calories: 1,260
  • Saturated fat: 21g
  • Sodium: 3,010 mg
The Cheesecake Factory Farmhouse Cheeseburger(burger topped with grilled smoked pork belly cheddar cheese, onions, lettuce, tomato, mayo and a fried egg).
  • Calories: 1,530 (or 1,900kcal if accompanied by fries)
  • Saturated fat: 36g
  • Sodium: 3,210 mg

IHOP Bacon ’N Beef Cheeseburger (two patties with American and Provolone cheese on a Romano-Parmesan bun).

  • Calories: 1,250 (add another 620kcal for onion rings, 300kcal for seasoned fries or 80kcal for fresh fruit)
  • Saturated fat: 42g
  • Sodium: 1,590 mg

Cold Stone Creamery PB&C Shake(24-oz shake of peanut butter, chocolate ice cream, and milk).

  • Calories: 2,010
  • Saturated fat: 68g

Applebee’s Provolone-Stuffed Meatballs With Fettuccine (meatballs, fettuccine with marinara sauce and Parmesan cream sauce and a piece of garlic bread).

  • Calories: 1,520
  • Saturated fat: 43g
  • Sodium: 3,700mg

The Cheesecake Factory Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake (slice of red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting and whipped cream).

  • Calories: 1,540
  • Saturated fat: 59g

The Steakhouse (Morton’s) Porterhouse Steak and mash (prime beef steak and mashed potatoes).

  • Calories: 1,390 for the steak; 850 for the mash
  • Saturated fat: 36g for the steak, 34g for the mash
  • Sodium: 1,200mg for the steak, 1,300mg for the mash

Great Steak extra large King Fries (fries topped with cheese, bacon, and sour cream).

  • Calories: 1,500
  • Saturated fat: 33g
  • Sodium: 4,980mg

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Tuesday's Teacher

From Education Week Teacher

Comment: I just love this and plan to put this to use this year in school. Excellent.

Teaching Tomorrows Skills to Today's Students

By Heather Wolpert-Gawron

"Why do we have to do this?" Many teachers have been hearing this question more frequently in recent years. Students detect a deepening divide between "real life" and "school life," and they have a point. As teachers, we should commit ourselves to linking instruction directly to the skills students will need in higher education and the workplace.

As I wrote my recent book, Tween Crayons and Curfews: Tips for Middle School Teachers, I researched skills that stakeholders in higher education and business claim they need to see in their future candidates. As a result, I developed a list of 13 skills that today's students should master. The book shares strategies for helping students develop these skills.

Not long ago, I chiseled the list down to a manageable "top five" by asking fellow teachers which skills they believed were most important. Here are the skills teachers identified—along with a couple of strategies for addressing each:

Collaboration

• First, don't assume that students know how to build consensus. It's something many adults don't even know how to do. Guide students through pitching their ideas to the group one at a time. Give them language to use when they don’t agree with one another. Model for them how to praise and critique. Then model the hardest thing of all: moving on.

• Shift your classroom environment to disturb the hierarchy that students tend to develop. Students will need to be able to work with diverse colleagues in the future. In middle school, that can be a challenge—in any one small group, a student's best friend, greatest enemy, first love, most recent love, and future love may be gathered together. Stirring the pot can help: Change seat assignments and/or table groupings often. Surprise kids by rotating who sits at the head of a group of desks shoved together. Spring it on them that it's time to look at the room from a different vantage, and you'll find that their internal perspective can change too.

Communication

• Give students the words they will need in the future to talk to their bosses and co-workers. Talk to them about audience. You can scaffold students' development of communication skills by providing them with sentence stems that can help them to speak with maturity. It may feel awkward at first, but it's vital if you’re going to expect them to be able to communicate.

• Familiarize students with scenarios that will require them to communicate effectively. Show them the structure to use in a professional e-mail. Have them role-play leaving a voice-mail message or shaking hands professionally.

• Spend time involving students in developing the rules of discourse for your classroom. Ask them to help create norms for communication—then to hold one another to those norms. In my classroom, we develop norms for talking to each other, commenting on a blog, behaving during video conferences, etc. Not surprisingly, the norms for each situation are similar, leading students to deduce that manners and professionalism are universal.

Problem Solving

• Don't answer students' questions. As I note in my book, "Not every silence requires an immediate answer to end. It is the silence that allows for thought. Taking that a step further, by not answering the question, you have allowed possibilities to exist in student problem solving." Be the guide who helps students to find the answers, instead of being the go-to person who has all the answers. Move your own responses from "This means … " to "What if … ?"

Questioning

• The best way to prepare students to be able to answer the bigger questions in life is to train them to ask their own questions. Help them get to the heart of their inquiry and then celebrate questions that prove their comprehension.

• Have students develop their own assessments. Teach them how to ask high-level questions that can help assess content knowledge. Talk about the different formats of questions (closed choice, rank order, open choice, etc.), then ask them to design questions that test each other's knowledge of the subject they are studying. Teach your students to ask deep questions and you'll be able to assess their depth of content knowledge.

Independent Learning

• For teachers, independent learning is about letting go. It's about permitting students to experience their own "eureka" moments. It's also about making their brains sweat a little. For example, instead of writing my notes, comments, and questions on student essays, I meet with students individually and have them take notes using a template. We meet and talk. They identify and note the most important feedback, and we both sign off on what needs to be done. Students also set their own deadlines for revision, signing contracts that commit them to specific timelines.

• Google Advanced Search can be a great tool for independent learning. But, even as you "loosen the reins," guide your students in using this tool effectively. Show them how to hone their searches using the file type and usage rights features. It is the first step in releasing them to be responsible and safe in their own hunt for knowledge.

Of course, as you address the "top five" skills, you can easily weave in ways to help students develop other key competencies for tomorrow's workplace:

Decision-making: Learn how to weigh options. Learn how to defend your selection.

Understanding bias: Recognize agendas.

Leadership: Develop the skills it takes to be a leader (not a ruler).

Compromise: Find contentment even when giving something up or finding middle ground.

Summarize: Be prepared to "get to the point" when necessary.

Sharing the air: Learn when to be quiet so you can learn from others.

Persuasion: Develop the ability to be convincing in conversation and writing.

Goal Setting: Identify your goals and how to move toward them.

If you begin the year with all of these skills in mind, the content of your lessons will be more engaging, and ultimately, more applicable to life beyond school.