Resources for Educators & Parents from tonight’s radio show

We have a jam packed show tonight with lots of great ideas, so I thought I would post some links to the resources we talk about. These are FREE and include great stuff for the students in your life to earn (PISTONS TICKETS!)–check them out:

*Michigan Reads: This is a fabulous program that encourages kids to read, read and read! MEA & the Pistons have teamed up–and we’re trying to get to 10,000 books statewide. Check it out: your students can win free Pistons tickets:

http://michiganreads.com/

*The Electric Company is all new! The show and a new website have been re-energized for a new generation. It’s fun, but it’s built on the same solid research about how kids learn. Share the first link with your students aged 6-9. The second is for educators and parents (with free games and printables for you.) I saw the EC give a presentation recently–it’s really interesting stuff:

http://www.pbs.org/parents/electriccompany/

http://pbskids.org/electriccompany/

*You HAVE to hear Patricia Polacco talk about her struggle to learn to read–did you know she was 14 before she could read a single sentence? I wish I could have met the teacher who helped her figure it all out. She’s an amazing story–and I’m sure he is too. Visit her website to read more:

http://www.patriciapolacco.com/

I’ll have more in the coming days–including some info on how you can set up your own bookmobile like the one you’ll heard about on tonight’s show. Let me know what you think.

And of course, TUNE IN tonight at 7p.m. on WJR NewsTalk 760–feedback gratefully accepted!

Kerry

From struggling readers to an old fashioned bookmobile–tomorrow night’s show has it all!

You won’t want to miss tomorrow night’s “Voices of Michigan Education!” Renowned childrens author Patricia Polacco gives a heartwrenching–and heartwarming–interview about her struggle to learn to overcome dyslexia and learn to read…and the teacher who made it all possible. There won’t be a dry eye in the house!

Plus, remember the Electric Company? It might not be exactly the show you recall–it’s all new and it’s geared toward attracting today’s students with a mixture of hip hop music, engaging lessons and current teen stars. If you’ve got a struggling reader or are looking for great parent or teacher resources to help, tune in and hear what they have to say on the show.

And, an old-fashioned bookmobile for modern times. Find out where this unique idea has students running from their homes to get the latest reads…and how YOU can do it where you live!

Tune in tomorrow night at 7pm on WJR, NewsTalk 760–Voices of Michigan Education, covering the issues YOU care about.

Sure, we can teach them to read, but how do we get them to LOVE it?

Are the students in your life bibliophibians or bibliophobians? Do they read because they have to or because they love to? February’s “Voices of Michigan Education” tackles all things reading related–from helpful new resources for struggling readers (remember The Electric Company? They’re all new, and they’re on our show) to what to do to keep older readers engaged and interested in trying new genres to an old-fashioned bookmobile that has today’s students pumped.

But I want to know from you–what do you do to help foster a real love of reading? How do we make kids lifelong readers? Share your tips and tricks–and listen to us talk about them on WJR NewsTalk 760 on February 9th at 7 p.m. We can all learn something along the way!

How Are MEA Members Making a Difference in Their Communities?

The podcast of the last Voices of Michigan Education radio show is posted. If you missed it last week, check out what members are doing in their schools and communities. There are some wonderful things going on. What are you or someone you know contributing this time of year? We want to hear your stories too!

Go to the “Podcast of Shows” page or listen here, please give it a moment to load:

It’s a Season of Giving for MEA Members

On our next edition of the Voices of Michigan Education (Tuesday, December 8 on WJR 760 Detroit and across the state on Saturday, December 12 – station listings on the right of this page) we’ll discuss a topic that is now an annual event on the program.

They say that this is the season for giving and that’s going to be even more evident to you after joining us for a discussion of some wonderful projects being undertaken by teachers and school employees in an effort to make a difference in their communities.

The members of the Michigan Education Association give more than $70 million dollars to charitable causes during the year, but many of them also dive in personally to make a difference in a person’s life. We’ll talk with MEA members who have, among other things, raised thousands for homeless students in Macomb County, filled trucks with food in West Branch, collected winter clothing for families in Kalamazoo, adopted families for the holidays in Gull Lake, and put together holiday food baskets in the Grand Rapids area.  You’ll definitely be inspired.

We’ll also talk about a new program launching this week which gets kids in the seats at Pistons games, all for reading a few books. Join us for the December edition of the Voices of Michigan Education.

Has the Internet Made Parent-Teacher Communication More or Less Effective?

On our November edition, the Voices of Michigan Education tackles an issue that may be one of the most important during the school year, not just for teachers, but parents. Communication.

It’s always interesting to hear the varying opinions on school communication between parents and teachers from both perspectives as many times those viewpoints differ greatly. And with the increased use of the web, has this access to a child’s weekly assignments and instant e-mail communication between parents and teachers made the process more or less effective?

We’ll be talking to a number of people with some keen insight into this issue, including  teachers from Ann Arbor and Farmington Hills, an assistant principal from Walled Lake, a parent from Grosse Ile and the President of the National PTA.

Join host Mark Gilman for a lively discussion on parent-teacher communication, Tuesday, November 10 at 7 p.m. on Newstalk 760 WJR in Detroit and across the state on Saturday, November 14 (see station list in the right column of this blog).

Lansing Debates The Future of Michigan’s Education

We invite you to join News Talk 760 WJR Tuesday night, October 13 at 7 for a discussion on the fight in Lansing to save Michigan’s educational funding as school cuts continue to be front and center in the legislature’s efforts to reach a budget accord.

Amidst a temporary 30-day budget extension, Michigan lawmakers are continuing to re-examine school funding, and on our next program we’ll talk with State Senator Gretchen Whitmer, State Representative and former teacher Jennifer Haase, National Education Association Chief Economist Dr. Richard Sims and Michigan Education Association Director of Communications Doug Pratt to get an update on the negotiations and discuss how these potential cuts could affect the future of our state and its public education system.  In and out of the classroom, proposed cuts in Lansing could have a devastating effect on our economy, a return to larger classrooms, a shakeup in your child’s school year and an end to the Michigan Promise scholarship.

It will be all discussed on our next edition of The Voices of Michigan Education, 7 p.m., October 13 on WJR 760 in Detroit and Saturday, October 17 across the state (see stations listed on the right of this page).

When is Bigger not Better? Classroom size.

On the September edition of the Voices of Michigan Education, with school back in session, it’s no secret that budget cuts in education are forcing your child’s school to do more with less than they’ve had to in many years. But in the case of the classroom itself – is more taking away from the educational experience?

We discussed the rise in classroom size and whether it’s taking away from your  child’s ability to do quality work, to achieve and in some cases the ability to participate in a class with increasing behavioral issues. We talked with a teacher, researcher, economist, reading specialist and an outspoken school board member about the subject as we tackle many sides of this complex issue. Classroom size – a big issue for many school districts that has become a front and center concern amidst one of the worst state economies in decades.

That’s the September edition of the Voices of Michigan Education. Go to the Podcast section to download this edition.

Links to the Health and Education Research Operative Services (HEROS) extensive research on the subject of class size as mentioned on the program.

http://www.heros-inc.org/classsizeresearch.htm.

Their other websites are  www.reduceclasssizenow.org and www.national-class-size-database.org.

Response on how much is spent on school supplies

The Michigan Education Association conducts a poll each week on its Web site. Last week’s poll saw 409 votes around the question: How much money do you spend out-of-pocket each year to buy classroom supplies or items for your students? The results of the poll were:

12.2% – $250 or less
38.9% – Between $250 and $500
48.9% – More than $500

The fact that almost half of the respondents spend over $500 reflects the comments made on the Michigan Education Association’s Facebook page and on this blog earlier this month. Thanks for all your responses.

In case you missed it, the podcast of the last radio show “Who’s Paying for School Supplies?” is now available here. Listen and let us know what you think.

How much did this school employee spend on books?

The August Voices of Michigan Education radio program, which airs Saturday across the Michigan Radio Network (see stations listed to the right) asks the question: “Who is paying for school supplies?” Connie Boylan, a Library Media Parapro from Traverse City Area Public Schools, tells her story in this YouTube video.