I am adding this just because I keep a copy of my columns. The business manager asked if I would consider writing this column of information for the students and teachers.
It’s that time again.
Shake off the summer, slide into the new clothes, pack a lunch, find the keys, snatch up the text books and lesson plans. Last week’s teacher orientations pave the way for Wednesday’s flood of students arriving at school via buses, cars, trucks or the sidewalk.
The opening of the school year also changes my work tempo. In late July, I re-enter my role as the Newspapers In Education coordinator. A fancy title which means I address a heap of envelopes to stuff with forms asking last year’s NIE teachers to request a set of classroom newspapers.
Already Donna in circulation is making a list and checking it twice from the dozens of request forms she’s received.
Of course, the News-Times is only able to deliver newspapers to Union County school kids twice a week because we receive the generous support of local businesses, individuals and organizations.
To enhance the NIE program in the classroom, the News-Times has gathered many ideas for use the of newspapers at every grade level and in every subject.
A few samples.
Physically: Try a few coordinating exercises: Place one page of the paper unfolded behind your back. Now, fold it in half, fourths and eighths. Or, wad it up into a tight ball and toss it back and forth over your head 10 times without dropping it to the floor – or pass it back and forth with a partner.
For young children: Find words in the newspaper that begin with each letter of the alphabet. Cut the word out of the newspaper and paste it onto a sheet in alphabetical order.
Those who can read a newspaper story might draw a face to show how they liked the story, then write what their thoughts in a speech bubble.
Or have students find a photograph, read the caption detailing what is happening in the picture and write down their creative imagination of what happened before or after the picture event.
Identify the parts of speech in a news story.
Cut out numbers to paste into number patterns. Write the numbers using words.
Study the business section and ads for information on interest rates for borrowing money and rank the different rates.
That’s just a few ways that the newspaper can be used in the classroom.
The News-Times has many more. Teachers are welcome to call or stop by the office and ask Betty, Nicole, Lacy or Kayla for a copy of the lesson plans and ideas we have at the office.
The Arkansas Press Association also provides a resources online at http://www.arkansaspress.org. After logging into the website, scroll down to the NIE Links for teachers.
Also, at the beginning of the second semester the El Dorado News-Times NIE program sends teachers from kindergarten through the eighth-grade an age appropriate activity to do and submit for publication. We publish representatives of the best from each grade and each school. If a school does not participate in the yearly Student Express, individual students may submit their grade level’s activity. Homeschoolers are also welcome to join any of the programs. Send me your contact information to be included in the mailings.
After Labor Day, we will again be publishing the weekly Education section to let others know what is happening. Every week parents, grandparents, teachers and school supporters submit stories and pictures about students’ activities. We do not charge to be published in this section. We welcome your child’s picture and write-up. With a few exceptions, we have been able to publish a picture or two of most events: Class outings, science experiments, fund raisers and school competitions such as Quiz Bowl, FBLA, Odyssey of the Mind and spelling contests or whatever else is happening. Besides hard copies, the News-Times accepts digital pictures attached to an e-mail. Be sure to identify each person with a first and last name, then include the text in the body of the e-mail.
Once a week, the News-Times publishes a well written student generated column – typically written by a high school junior or senior.
As with any submission sent to the newspaper, the editor has the final say and may make, or ask for, corrections to clarify the content.
Classroom teachers again will receive recognition through the “Meet the teacher” feature. If you have a teacher you would like to have highlighted, call us or your school’s principal and suggest the name.
I’m looking forward to another year of school news, the Student Express and hearing how teachers use their free set of classroom papers that local businesses and organizations provide.