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Matters, the column that Bill Breitsprecher writes for
Madison's Voices newspaper. The content of
this page represents the For the Young at Heart section
of the paper. Any questions, comments, or ideas you
would like to share? I would love to hear from you at webmaster@clubtnt.org.
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About School Matters
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These reflections appear as a regular column in Madison's
Allied-Dunns Marsh community newspaper, Voices.
Discussions about schools and the educational needs of
children are important. How do we deliver skills across
diverse learners? In many
ways, America is a very different place than it was even a
generation ago -- a good education in the 21st century may
require a very different set of skills than the previous
century. No, we don't have all the answers; which is why
we believe it is important to share ideas.
June/July 2008. Want to get kids excited about books?
Sing with them before you read to them! by Bill
Breitsprecher. I read a lot of books to young
children - Kindergartners, first-graders, and second graders.
I believe that as an elementary school librarian/media center
director, we must make the time we share in our library
special - it’s a celebration. We share a love of books, a love
of reading, a love of language. Click
HERE to read more.
Hear my reading song, "I
Love it When You Read to Me!" (streaming video, .flv).
For printable, downloadable lyrics, please click
HERE (.pdf file).
March/April
2008. Our Children: Keepers of the Bears, by
Bill Breitsprecher. Every fall, I conduct a survey with
my Kindergarten students to determine how many bears are in
the community. Participation is voluntary – it’s a way to have
fun with counting. Young children are enthusiastic about
learning numbers. Click
HERE to read more.
March/April
2008. Children Love Their Teddy Bears, by Bill
Breitsprecher. An enduring, traditional form of stuffed
animal, Teddy Bears comfort children. The name Teddy Bear
comes from one of Theodore Roosevelt's hunting trips. There
were several other hunters competing, and most of them had
already shot something. A few friends of Roosevelt who were
hunting with hounds treed an American Black Bear after a long
and exhausting chase and suggested Roosevelt shoot it. Click
HERE to read more.
October/November, 2007.
Babies Love It When You Read To Them! by Bill Breitsprecher. So when is
it time to read to your child? IT IS NEVER TOO EARLY!
It’s a great way to bond with a baby - hold a child on your
lap, let them rest their head on your chest and feel the
warmth of your body and the vibrations as you talk to them -
reading a fun book. Click
HERE to read more.
August-September,
2007. Summer Reading is Fun & Builds Lifelong Learning,
by Bill Breitsprecher. Many educators talk about helping
students build "lifelong learning" habits. This is because
today's youth live in an environment that changes and evolves
- especially as it relates to technology. "Lifelong learning"
means that a person is ready to adapt and has the information
and technology literacy skills to keep up. Click
HERE to read more.
Happy Birthday Book Talk
Video
July 1 - 31,
Happy Birthday to You! by Bill Breitsprecher. When
you're a kid, what day is more fun than your BIRTHDAY! Sure,
holidays like Halloween are Christmas are fun, but you have to
share them with everyone else. A birthday, however, is a
special celebration JUST FOR YOU! Click
HERE to read more.
Youth
& Technology on
Heart
and Soul - Webcast from Madison's "The Pulse" 1670
am. CLUB TNT Webmaster & Media Specialist, Bill Breitsprecher
joined Richard Brown and Betty Banks to lead a community
dialog about youth, technology, and schools. In addition
to an audio Webcast and podcast, we provide an outline of key
issues including: what
information and technology literacy means, what kids think
about
technology in schools, the
digital divide,
technology in schools, and how
technology impacts literacy, There are also
links for
printable, downloadable resources (.pdfs) and links to
other great
Websites about youth, schools, and technology. Click
HERE for some of the issues we will discuss.
May 31 -
June 30. Kids & Computers! by Bill Breitsprecher.
Like all new tools, the key to bringing technology into
schools is to find ways to effectively use it. Today's
software is so much more than an electronic "typewriter" or
"slide projector." Often overlooked, is the socialization and
language opportunities technology enables. Computers can
encourage students and teachers to interact more. The full
benefits of technology will be realized when school computer
labs are set up to allow two or more people to work together
with a computer. Click
HERE to read more.
April:
Alcohol Awareness Month, by Bill Breitsprecher. Some
may ask, “WHY ARE WE TALKING ABOUT ALCOHOL” in this month’s
section for and about youth? April is Alcohol Awareness
Month. Alcohol abuse affects people of all ages - children,
teens, adults, parents, and even grandparents. It is important
for families to talk about alcohol abuse and drugs. These are
important subjects to discuss with our children. Click
HERE to read more.
Celebrating Our
Collective Heritage: Honoring Hispanic Americans, by Bill
Breitsprecher. In 1968, Congress authorized
President Lyndon Johnson to proclaim National Hispanic
Heritage Week. In 1988, this celebration was extended to a
month. Because of this, many American’s believe that the
influence of Hispanic Americans is recent. Longer than America
has been a nation, however, Hispanic settlers have greatly
impacted the culture and history of the “New World.”
Click HERE to read more.
Summertime is
Reading Time! by Bill Breitsprecher. Its
Summertime. Students of all ages welcome a break from school.
Schoolwork may be done for now, but please don’t stop reading.
Why not use summertime to find some run reading? For
youngsters just learning to read, summertime is the best time
to have a caring person read to them, perhaps mom, dad, a
grandparent, aunt, uncle, brother, sister; or even a librarian
or volunteer at the local library. Click
HERE to read more.
Asian Pacific American
Heritage, by Bill Breitsprecher, May 31, 2006. I
once spent some time in a community with a large Asian
American population. There seemed to be a great deal of
resentment toward these new Americans. I was told that there
were protests, some with violence, when this new ethnic group
arrived. This seemed hard to believe; it disturbed me. Click
HERE to read more.
Math "Prime Time",
by Bill Breitsprecher, April 7, 2006. Math is
important - the "young and young at heart" can often use a
"quick refresher." Mom and dad can share math with kids.
Students of ALL ages need math skills. Seeing when a number is
divisible by another is important. We need it to work with
fractions. It is also the starting point for factoring -
writing numbers as multiplication. Click
HERE to read more.
Please Remember
the Children, by Bill Breitsprecher, February 24, 2006.
Imagine segregation. African Americans couldn’t go to
most schools, restaurants, parks, hotels, swimming pools, or
amusement parks. There were separate drinking fountains and
bathrooms. The situation looked overwhelming. Like many of
his followers, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was discouraged.
One night when Dr. King asked who would demonstrate with him,
ready to go to jail, the children stood up. Click
HERE to read more.
Every Picture Book
Tells a Story, by Bill Breitsprecher, January 19, 2006. Picture
books bring to mind the colorful books that children enjoy.
Some picture books merely feature illustrations of a story
that is mainly presented as text. Others carefully present
each picture so that the next illustration is put in context –
the pictures actually tell the story. Click
HERE to read more.
To Nonreaders, by
Bill Breitsprecher,
November 4, 2005.
Perhaps a newspaper column directed to “nonreaders” sounds
odd. Maybe the term “reluctant reader” is more
appropriate. Some studies seem to suggest that teenagers
report they are reading less for fun.Is this true? Is it
important? Click
HERE to read more.
Great News, School will be starting soon!
by Bill Breitsprecher, August
25, 2005. Are ya ready? It’s
almost that time of year. I hope everyone had a great
summer. I also pray that students will enter the new
school year refreshed, with open-minds and positive attitudes.
Click HERE
to read more.
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I'm
happy to be here! This is an exciting time to be
involved with education. Technology is changing the world,
our economies, and even our schools. As someone that has
worked with virtually every generation of PC hardware and
software, it is amazing to think how far we have come. I
won't bore you with the details -- let's just say that today's
computers are so powerful and easy to use. Click
HERE to read more.
The "Hub" of an Elementary School? by Bill Breitsprecher.
Reading is a fundamental skill; it underlies much of the
curriculum taught in schools at all levels. While teaching the
basics of grammar and language is important, children need to
develop a personal interesting in reading in order to build
the skills that today's "accountability" movement demands. The
Library Media Centers (LMC) offers an important opportunity
connect students with reading and learning. Click
HERE to read more.
Children and Recreational Reading: It's FUN, and GOOD
FOR YOU TOO! by Bill Breitsprecher, November 4, 2005. Most librarians
do not ask children if they like to read - it is better to
simply assume they do when they are given appropriate books.
It's all about "match-making." Finding a book that a
child will want to read is the key. Click
HERE to read more.
Books for Children, by Bill Breitsprecher. Children’s books come in
different formats. Small books that a very young child
can actually hold in his or her hands are called
“hand-books.” They tend to have no words and
illustrate stories in pictures. Because of their size,
they may not be convenient to read and share with a child –
they are meant for children to hold and enjoy. To an
adult, they are very small. Click
HERE to read more.
Reading and Young Adults: Reading
Needs Change as
Children Grow, by Bill Breitsprecher. Across groups of young adults,
reading levels vary within a given age group.
High-interest books can encourage a youth to master
higher-level language. When talking about recreational
reading, many assume the discussion is about fiction. Click
HERE to read more.
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 Featured Books
Each issue of VOICES newspaper contains some
reading suggestions for children off all ages. Until
they learn to read, children love being read too and its FUN
for both the reader and the child. Just because a child
is learning to read on their own does not mean that reading
aloud has to stop. Reading to each other! An older
child or even a young adult may enjoy sharing books as either
a reader or listener too.
Math
Picture Books: A comparison of 3 books that introduce
children to mathematics, by Bill Breitsprecher.
Let’s look at 3 picture books about math: David Adler’s
Fraction Math, Stuart Murphy’s Spunky Monkeys on
Parade, and Greg Tang’s Math Fables. All
three are beautiful books, ones that children will enjoy. Each
would be fun to read to a child; all are about basic math
skills. Click HERE to read more.
Nonfiction
Picture Books: A comparison of 2 bibliographies of Dr.
Martin Luther King, by Bill Breitsprecher. Real life stories read and sound to children like fiction books - so they represent an excellent way to teach the concept of fiction and nonfiction to young readers. Publishers and educators have also recognized the value that this format provides when introducing social issues and multi-culturalism. Increasingly, these books are written and published to reflect important figures that are part of a typical school's curriculum.
Click HERE to read more.
Picture Book Review:
Mama Cat Has Three Kittens, written and illustrated by
Denise Fleming, by Bill Breitsprecher. The idea
that, within a family, one child prefers to act differently is
a recurring theme in children's books. This story features
Mama Cat and her three kittens, Fluffy, Skinny, and Boris.
Mama Cat does the things that you would expect a cat do, wash
her paws, walk on stone walls, sharpen her claws, chase
leaves, dig in sand, and take the proverbial "cat-nap."
Click HERE to read more.
- About
Denise Fleming. Denise Fleming is an artist
that lives in Toledo, Ohio with her husband, David, her
daughter, Indigo, seven cats, and one dog. She loves her
animals and her cat, Gigi, was the inspiration for Mama Cat.
Click HERE to read more.
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Illustrations in Mamma Cat Has Three Kittens. The
book is beautifully illustrated with vivid pictures; bright,
bold colors; interesting textures; depth; and character. The
illustrations are created with colored cotton fiber pulp and
stencils. The resulting stylized artwork is unique and gives
her books a flavor of their own. Working with this medium,
Denise Fleming is able to pepper her pictures with extra
touches of eye-catching colors. Click
HERE to read more.
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Denise Fleming's Pulp Painting Techniques. All
the images for her books are created by pouring colored
cotton pulp through hand-cut stencils. This results in
images that are set in hand-made paper - the paper is the
picture and the picture is the paper. The results are truly
stunning and lend a dreamy feel that captures the
imaginations of her readers. Click
HERE to read more.
Happy Birthday to You,
written and illustrated by Dr. Suess, by Bill Breitsprecher. When you're a kid, what day is more fun then your BIRTHDAY! Sure, holidays like Halloween or Christmas are fun, but you have to share them with everyone else. A birthday, however, is a special celebration JUST FOR YOU! In this book, readers find out about a wonderful place called Katroo, where a birthday is really a special time for you. A Birthday Bird makes sure that the day is special and memorable.
Click HERE to read more.
More Great Birthday -Themed Picture Books!
About Dr. Suess. Born as Theodor Seuss Geisel in Springfield, Massachusetts, he earned a doctorate in literature at Oxford University in 1927. He started his writing career submitting cartoons and humorous articles for Judge, which was at that time a leading humor magazine.
Click HERE to read
more.
Complete Listing of Dr. Suess's Children's Books. While
Dr. Suess never won any of the prestigious awards that are
used to honor "great" literature, his name is
synonymous with the picture book genre. No, he did not
invent these books and he is not without his critics.
Generations of children have learned to read with his
whimsical, poetic verse and stylistic illustrations.
Here is a comprehensive look at his work. Click
HERE to
read more.
Multi-Cultural Literature
for Teenagers: Acknowledging the Strength and
Richness of Human Diversity. Like it or not, the world is full of people and countries that do not live their lives or view the world as typical Americans do. Is this a problem? I don't know, but it really is just the way things are. Have you ever tried to discuss personal religious beliefs with a group of people that hold different faiths? If so, maybe you saw that people can hold strong views about what they believe.
Click HERE to read more.
Picture Books Featuring
African American
History
More Great
Picture Books
Chapter Books Celebrating
African American
History
More Great
Chapter Books!
Reading for enjoyment develops the mind and builds
language skills. Books that are written for teenagers
also introduce readers to different perspectives and life
stories. Increasingly, American is becoming a more
diverse place -- reading about the lives of others allows us
to better appreciate and celebrate that diversity. Here
are some books that are popular with young adults; please
click on the titles below to learn more about these great
books.
 Teen
Reads Honoring Asian Pacific American History
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American Eyes: New Asian-American Short
Stories for Young Adults, Edited by Lori Carlson. These
ten short stories reflect the conflict Asian Americans face in
balancing an ancient heritage and an unknown future. Includes
Taiwan, China, Japan, Korea, Vietnam & Philippines.
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Stella: On the Edge of Popularity, by
Lauren Lee. Hoping to be accepted by a popular
seventh-grade clique, a Korean American girl is embarrassed by
her family's heritage--until a series of events gives her a
better sense of who she is.
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Necessary Roughness, by Marie Lee.
Sixteen-year-old Korean American Chan moves from Los Angeles
to a small town in Minnesota, where he must cope not only with
racism on the football team but also with the tensions in his
relationship with his strict father.
Teen Reads Celebrating
African American
History
More Teen Reads:
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Studying Math
- Math books are meant to be read... but not like novels.
Work though the book very slowly and carefully with pencil
and paper in hand.
- Do not expect to comprehend each new concept with equal
ease. What is easy for 1 person is hard for another.
- Math is a cumulative subject. Missing one topic
impairs the ability to master new material.
- Math is similar to a sport. It cannot be learned
by just watching or listening. It requires practice!
Why Study Math, by
Bill Breitsprecher. For many, math classes represent
our greatest “challenge” at school. It may seem abstract and
far removed from our lives. Some that may have had difficulty
with some math concepts when they were younger and are now
afraid. Others may feel overwhelmed by the fact that there is
just one right answer – there is no room to “bluff” or “fudge”
the numbers. Click HERE to
read more.
Math is Distinctly
Different from Other Academic Subjects, by Bill Breitsprecher. Math is very different than
other subjects in school. It is all about applying concepts,
processes and ideas. It is not possible to “memorize” all the
answers, we need to learn and use the steps to finding the
answer. It takes practice. Click
HERE to
read more.
How to Read a Math Textbook,
by Bill Breitsprecher. Do you like to read? Do
you like to read math books? Getting the most out of a math
textbook means reading it carefully – math books are very
different than other types of books. They do no “flow” like a
novel – typically, math books alternate between text and
examples of math problems. Click
HERE to
read more. |
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Information literacy is knowing when there is a need for
information, being able to identify, locate, evaluate, and use
that information for the task at hand. Whether we as
individuals like it or not, the structure of information has
changed to a digital format. Information literacy today
demands technology literacy too.
What is Information and Technology Literacy and
Why is it Important? by Bill Breitsprecher. Information technology is the driving force behind our "new-world" economy. Because information technology skills represents information gathering, organizing, and problem solving tools that students will need to be successful in their education and careers.
Click HERE to read more.
Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction:
Information and Technology Literacy Resources, by Bill Breitsprecher.
In 1998, Wisconsin's Model Academic Standards for Information and Technology Literacy were published. The idea was to identify and define the knowledge and skills relating to access, evaluation, and use of information and technology that today's students need to succeed.
Click
HERE to read more.
"Take Five!"
Research Process. Knowing when you need
information, how to find it, evaluate and organize it is an
important skill. Information literacy is important in our
personal life, school, and business. There are many good
systems to break this process of finding information to solve
a problem. The most popular method presented in school is the
Big6. "Take
Five" presents a simple system that emphasized research as a
process, the results can then be used to synthesize and create
any type of project. Click
HERE to read
more.
Technology in the Classroom
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Computers and Language Arts Skills.
Keyboarding (and previously typewriting) skills have been
mainstays of Business Education for years. Less
attention has been paid on the positive role that
keyboarding and computer classes can play in development
of secondary students’ English skills. While
traditional academic approaches work with some groups of
students – today, schools are being challenged to
document that ALL students are achieving high standards.
Click
HERE to read more.
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Computers and the Writing Process. Writing is a process and getting students to look past the accomplishments of a first draft is one of the challenges of teaching and reinforcing writing skills. According to the National Council of the Teachers of English, the writing process consists of
(1). Prewriting, (2). Rough Draft, (3). Revising with Major Changes in Ideas and Organization,
(4). Editing for Surface Errors Such as Spelling and Grammar,
(5). Publishing the Final Draft for Others to Read.
Click
HERE to read more.
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Math and MS Excel. Math skills are
used in business everyday. In fact, we probably use
the skills that are taught in Math classes much more often
than we realize. Click
HERE to read more.
Links and Additional Resources: Integrating Information and Technology Literacy
Across the Curriculum
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Serving Allied Dunns Marsh Neighborhoods and Beyond -- "We are
each other's most valuable resource." Voices
Newspaper is published bi-monthly by the Allied Dunns Marsh Neighborhood Association through Voices, Inc.
PO Box 1163 Madison, WI 53701. Phone: 608-250-5205
- Editorial Email: news@madisonvoices.com
- Advertising Email: sales@madisonvoices.com
- Editor: Lucy Gibson
- Managing Editor: GBD
- Copy Editors: Betty Banks, Jeanne Erickson
- Sales-Layout-PR: Leccia and Associates, Inc.
- Technical Support, Media Specialist, and Webmaster, Bill Breitsprecher
& Breitlinks (www.breitlinks.com
)
- Illustrator: Marcus Nickels
- Photography: Lucy Gibson, Jeanne Erickson, Bill Breitsprecher
- Columnists:
- Betty Banks, This 'N That
- Bill Breitsprecher, School Matters
- Ken Coffeen, Commentaries
- Susan Corrado, It's All About Health
- Gail-Perry Daniels, Letters to the Village
- Armena Ketchum, Conversations with Armena
- Lauren Brown-Perry, Commentaries
- JoAnn Pritchett, Ask JoAnn
- Tiger and Pooka Bear, All The Best Answers
- Reporters/Contributing Writers:
- Robert Artis
- Jeanne Erickson
- GBD
- Lucy Gibson
- Brenda Gonzalez
- Alice Howard
- Mary Mullen
- Leslie McAllister
- Alderperson Brenda Konkel
- Representative Therese Berceau,
- Senator Fred Risser
- Distribution: Allied Dunns Marsh Neighborhood, Business, Institutions and Direct Mail
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The purpose of this page it to extend the breadth and depth
of the coverage in Voices newspaper. Our
goal it to make available a variety of resources, on a
continuing basis, to support parents, students, and educators.
Right now, we have a humble, simple start, but please check
back to see how our resources will grow. Each issue of
Voices can only cover a few topics relating to education and
children -- we will use this page to keep those resources
organized and to continue a dialog with our visitors about
topics and issues that are important to members of our Comm-Unity.
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Thoughts
from a 
Information
and 