All posts by Walter

Causes and Friends, Learning, Mental Health, Using social media

THink before you click!

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I posted this on Facebook a while ago, but I think it bears repeating. It was a tip I posted by a respected law enforcement agency warning people to be extremely careful about “sharing” requests to help find missing children. There have been cases where these requests were created by someone looking for a child who wasn’t actually missing but the individual was seeking information about the child for questionable reasons. Those reasons range from custody battles and a parent hiding a child from an abusive parent to sex trafficking.

No doubt some are legitimate but is it worth the risk? When a missing child is reported, law enforcement uses many resources including social media. Personally, my policy is to only share posts about missing children made by verifiable law enforcement agencies. It’s NOT worth the risk.

I’ve expanded the original Facebook post and included it on my website because this is important. Most people are caring and want to be helpful and that means sometimes on social media we click without much thought. Good intentions can have tragic consequences.

This might also be a good reminder to talk with any children who have social media accounts about the dangers and hazards. If they see a missing puppy post last seen in their neighborhood, will they go looking for it? I hope not because I’m not sure who posted it and why.

Some will object to living in fear but it’s not fear; it’s caution and common sense. I doubt that most parents would teach their children to try to beat the yellow light when crossing the street. We teach them to look both ways even when the light is green, right? This is no different. I queried a second-grader at school about fire safety recently. She had no trouble remembering (and demonstrating!) “Stop, Drop, Roll.” Let’s teach them to to “Stop! Think!”

If you need some help with that conversation there are some great resources on the Internet and schools can often be helpful. One personal favorite site is Netsmartz–all kinds of short videos and resources there for different aged kids teaching how to be smart on the Internet.

Since this post will also show up on Mr. Boomsma’s Facebook Page… do think, but please click and share it. You just might save a child in the process.

Classes and Courses, Substitute Teaching

Substitute Teacher Hiring Process Update

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First, note that every district has its own hiring process, minimum qualifications, pay rates, etc. for substitute teachers. The superintendent’s office for the district you are employed by or applying to will always be your best starting place for questions and information, application packets, etc.

The fingerprinting and background check process is, however, fairly standard. There has been a minor change in the way the Maine D.O.E.(Department of Education) handles this. For those who are familiar with the process, the change is actually quite simple. You will no longer be mailed a copy of the “CHRC Approval” certificate. (In the past, I suggested that a copy of this be presented to your district office.)

In checking with several districts, it appears most districts are no longer requiring a copy since the status can be easily verified online, by them and you. (You can also check your own status at any time.) This is done using what is commonly referred to as the NEO system or site.

Visit the “NEO” Page on the Maine D.O.E. Website
to check your status

If you are subbing in more than one district, each will have access once you have applied and given them your social security number. In many respects, the process is easier!

A special note for all subs: While the reasons are complicated and not exactly logical, you are required to go through the fingerprinting and background check process every five years and pay the associated fees. As a substitute, you cannot “renew” your certification. The D.O.E. does not send notices or reminders–some districts do, but ultimately it is your responsibility to keep your credentials current. Five years is a long time and it’s easy to forget this! I’d suggest you make it a habit to check your expiration date at the beginning or end of every school year. (The link is given above.)

More good news: There is now a fairly simple and straightforward description of the finger-printing process on the Maine D.O.E. website, including access to the required application.

Visit the Maine D.O.E. webpage describing the finger-printing requirements and process.

Even more good news: I will be updating this information and including it in future Substitute Teacher Workshops… there are currently three scheduled for early spring. Details will be posted here and on Mr. Boomsma’s Facebook Page later this week.

Classes and Courses, Learning, Teaching

About Learning Engagement and being cute

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I wish I could tell you it was intentional… I recently spent some time “catching up” on some reading of blog posts and e-newsletters. I found that several of the items were very connected even though they came from widely diverse sources.

Dearborn Real Estate Education’s “Strategies for Creating Unforgettable Student Experiences in the Classroom” did a reassuringly good job of “selling” the fact that classroom education has some distinct advantages and will provide an edge over low-cost on-line only education.

Edutopia’s Students Think Lectures Are Best, But Research Suggests They’re Wrong isn’t new news, but it does raise an interesting point: “…students don’t invest in high-effort strategies they think are ineffective.” At first, that sounds like a keen grasp of the obvious until you read and realize “It can be difficult for students to gauge their own understanding of a topic.”

Last but not least (human nature likes three’s) Seth Godin’s Break the Lecture completed this package. He makes an interesting comparison of listening to music versus listening to lectures. Spoiler alert: His last sentence nails it. “If we’re going to do it (lecture) live, then let’s actually do it live.” Reminds me a bit of the Harvard Review article that suggested the point of most lectures in the college setting is to “get the material from the instructor’s notes into the student’s notebook without passing through the brains of either.”

If you are teaching (and who isn’t really?), I commend these articles to you. When the very logical Kahn University model took off, lecturing as a teaching method again came under attack. So we’re caught in a zero-sum game. Any teaching method used poorly or exclusively becomes ineffective.

I have participated in (and I’d like to think given) some very effective lectures. The discussion might just be about how to lecture effectively and, most importantly, engage the students in learning. How do we engage our learners?

I spent some time at school this week and a second-grader tugged on my sleeve because she wanted to tell me a secret. After I leaned down, she whispered the name of one of her classmates who “wants to read with you because she thinks you’re really cute.” Hey, if it makes her excited about reading, I can live with it!

Causes and Friends, Just for Fun

Getting the Spirit

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If you haven’t heard, I’ve been selected to receive the Abbot Spirit of America Award this year. While I truly believe “the work is the reward,” it will be an honor to receive this recognition. I’d love to share that recognition with friends and Grangers who’ve made the work possible. Join us on November 15, at 7 PM for a celebration of volunteerism and the Spirit of America.