Cinco de Mayo

As a follow up to the last entry, there is another festival coming up this weekend. Cinco de Mayo is scheduled for Saturday May 3rd at Finley Park. There are all kinds of events planned surrounding the Mexican heritage. see more information at: 

                          www.hispanicconnections.com   

International Festival

As some of you may know, my husband is of Puerto Rican descent. Every year (almost), he takes part in a festival that is sponsored by  International Friendship Ministries of Columbia. The purpose of International Friendship Ministries is to provide outreach to internationals in South Carolina. My point in mentioning this is that this would provide a wonderful source as a field trip one day if you are ever doing a unit on International studies. The festival lasts for three days starting on Friday. Friday is open for educational purposes i.e. student field trips. I am not sure if there is a cost to the students but I know that the experience they receive is incomparable. They are given a "passport" once they arrive and for every booth they visit, they receive a stamp. Each booth represents a country. These booths are run strictly by volunteers willing to donate their time to the education of the masses about their nationality. On Saturdays, for those that might me interested in a visit personally, there is entertainment available all day on a set stage and food from around the world. There are also booths that sell items of interest from the country they represent. I have gone for a few years straight now and I learn something new every year. The festival is usually held in April, so it has already passed this year, but you can always check the website for future festivals. 

www.ifmusa.org

     

Learning Centers

Thanks everybody for your learning center presentations! I found it funny how many of us had the same subject, yet it was presented in so many different ways. I also feel that this sharing of information goes back to the whole lesson on collaboration. By sharing our work, we enrich the lives of children. The children that we will all eventually teach will gain from all of our hard work. At least that is what I keep in mind when I am struggling to get an assignment completed. Thanks to all of you for making the class an enjoyable one and I wish you all success and happiness in the future. Maybe we'll see each other soon! Have a great summer! Don't forget about those great community resource projects that we all did.....you may want to visit one of them over the summer.   

Columbia Museum of Art

Just recently, I made a trip to the Columbia Museum of Art for my Art 108 course. I am slightly embarassed to admit that I have never gone there before. I guess that is what happens when you get married and have children and go back to school full time. But anywho, I just wanted to tell anyone else that has not been there before that it is well worth the trip! I was shocked at the caliber of art pieces that the museum has procured right here in Columbia, SC. They carry such names as Monet, Botticelli, and drawings by Daumier. They even offer free admissions on Saturday's courtesy of Blue Cross/Blue Shield of SC. Right now there is a special exhibit on Egypt that was very interesting. Check out more at: www.columbiamuseum.org 

Children with Disabilities

I was sad to have missed the presentation for the children with disabilities. It is actually a subject very near and dear to my heart. My son (who is now 18), was diagnosed with ADHD when he was 4 years old. Over the years we struggled with his disorder both at home and at school. I tried to educate myself by reading books, going to seminars and  through support from other parents going through the same things. I still don't think that I know everything there is to know or that what I did learn was of much consequence in the long run. However, one of the factors that I found most frustrating over the years is the lack of understanding of teachers and educators. I certainly understand the dilemma they face in the classrooms today. There is overcrowding and a lack of resources and funds to provide an exceptional education for our children. And an "Exceptional" education is what each child deserves! I feel like exposure and continued education in this subject is important to the evolution of today's classroom. Please feel free to visit the National Institute of Mental Health website for more info on this very important subject: 

www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/attention-deficit-hyperactivity-disorder-adhd/index.shtml     

I was once again thrilled to learn of another source for teachers out there today....ETV Streamline is one of the most convenient tools when used correctly. My daughter is in 2nd grade and has had the opportunity to benefit from it in her school and classroom. Just recently (well, in November) they were studying the whole Pilgrim and Native American lesson and they were able to streamline some of the specials on the Native Americans of different tribes to learn about. The most amazing thing is that the children were the ones who suggested they watch them and of course the teacher took advantage of the children's interests. I have not had the chance to watch anything myself, but I plan to do so this summer while at home with the children. 

www.etv.streamlinesc.org or www.itv.scetv.org for South Carolina Educational Television website.  

SC DISCUS....who knew? I am always amazed at what is available to us that we don't know about. I look forward to being able to use this great resource in my classroom some day. Cathy, I appreciate you bringing this information to us. As an educator and a student, its good to know that we can access resources that are filtered and checked for accuracy. www.scdiscus.org