Green Tip: Buy Better Batteries

Buy better batteries!

Non-rechargeable: It's very tempting, in a shopping rush or on a budget, to buy "cheap" batteries. We've all seen them at the discount store, with four or more "AA" in a package for $1 or so. In this case, you get less than what you pay for. These batteries are often "heavy duty" or "super heavy duty" and will be dead before you know it. If you don't yet use rechargeable batteries, at least go for the higher-end long-lasting batteries. They may be more expensive initially, but will last longer and prove less expensive over time.

Rechargeable: These are your best bet. When a battery runs low, you simply place it in your charger for a boost. Rechargeable batteries seem to last forever, making them the "cheapest" bet in the long run. They also contain enough to juice to properly run high-energy electronics such as digital cameras.

Warning: Rechargeable batteries contain heavy metals and must be recycled. Visit Rechargable Battery Recycling Corporation for information on where you can drop in or mail your dead batteries.

Visit the Go Green! section of the website for more information.

News: February, 2009

What a month! We have completely reorganized the American History section for high school by subdividing the NYSDE Regents Curriculum Outline into 20 separate and distinct units (or chapters) of study. This change is designed to correlate to the precise units of study implemented by high school social studies teachers. Much remains to be done, but what a terrific beginning!

Tip: eBay for Teaching Supplies

We would like to mention that we LOVE eBay. Not just love, but adore. For example, we maintain subscriptions to magazines like National Geographic for the neat articles and great maps. But were you aware that huge lots of National Geographic maps are available on eBay for around $20? When you figure in the shipping charges, buying a lot of maps equates to about $1 per map. Just log into eBay and do a search for "NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC MAP" and lots of listings will pop up.

Do you have a money-saving tip to share? Leave a comment!


Student Handouts, Inc.

News: January, 2009

Happy New Year! We are hard at work uploading and creating new handouts, worksheets, and PowerPoint presentations. We have revamped (and hopefully improved) our PowerPoints on the French Revolution and Napoleonic Era. Enjoy!

Teaching Tip: Create a Classroom Blog

A classroom blog is a great way to reach out beyond the school walls to parents and students.

Instructions:

1. Open a blogging account on a site like blogspot.com.
2. Name your blog something simple that students will remember, like MSJOHNSONSENGLISHCLASS.
3. Every day before you leave the building, post what happened that day. For example: "PERIOD SIX - ENGLISH I: Today we looked at the use of metaphor in writing, and read an excerpt from Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles. The homework assignment is to answer questions 3, 5, and 7 on page 45 of the textbook. Tomorrow we will discuss these questions in class and begin discussing the development of mystery fiction."
4. If you can't update every day, be sure to do so by the end of the week, making sure to list what was done in class and what assignments were given.

Benefits of a Classroom Blog:

• Students and parents quickly and easily can see what assignments are due.
• Make certain that parents know about the blog, because students may be tempted to keep it a bit of a secret. This way, when a student tells a parent, "I don't have any homework," the parent can quickly confirm it.
• Teachers get a chance to highlight their organizational and teaching skills.
• Supplemental learning can occur. If you're covering Shakespeare, you can post a link to a site dedicated to Shakespeare.
• Parents are connected. Many parents who are dedicated to their children's education cannot contact teachers often, nor attend conferences. A classroom blog keeps parents informed and lets them know that the teacher cares about keeping parents informed.
• Homework can be posted. Many schools offer hosting for notes, PowerPoints, etc. If not, there are free hosting sites available online. You can scan or copy/paste handouts, etc. You can copy/paste the instructions for a term paper. This will give students and parents easy access to "back-up" copies of assignments.
• Students gain access to the educational benefits of technology.
• Teachers are not pestered by students asking, "What did we do yesterday?" Such students can be directed to a classroom or library computer and told to check the blog.

News: December, 2008

The first semester is nearly over, and we are all preparing for a much needed winter break. Please check out "Miscellaneous" for everything from holiday puzzles to test prep materials for upcoming semester exams.

News: November, 2008

We have nearly completed the upload of our English vocabulary handouts. These are designed as weekly "spelling words" to help students prepare for the ACT, SAT, and other college entrance examinations. Please click on "English" to see these lists by grade level.