The Pronunciation of the Final "s"

The Silent Letters

 Have you ever wondered why a word is not pronounced as it is spelt? I am sure, you would have felt awkward more than once over this issue. Sometimes they arise due to silent letters whereas at other times it is due to stressed pronunciation. These are the two major categories of confusion when it comes to English pronunciation. In this article we would explore the possibilities and nuances of silent words and their pronunciation.

Silent Letters

Let us begin by understanding what a silent letter is in alphabetic writing system. A silent letter is a letter that appears in a particular word, but it has no effect on the pronunciation of the word. In other words silent letters effectively exist in written world whereas they do not make their presence felt in verbal world. This fine line of difference not only causes problems for non-native English speakers but also for the native English speakers. It becomes difficult to guess the spelling of the word by hearing its pronunciation.

Causes for silent letters:

Over the period of time the sound has dropped out of the spelling of the word. This essentially means they would still be retaining the same spelling but a different pronunciation. The word knot would fit this historical change quite aptly. Apart from this historical change, the major cause of these silent letters is English language borrowings from other languages. Words like Khaki made their presence felt from non-native English origins. Since accent and pronunciation differ, letters may be silent for some speakers but not for the others. In some accents, is silent in such words as hard, feathered; in h-dropping accents, is silent. A speaker may pronounce in “often” or “tsunami” or neither or both. All of these make silent letters more than important for English communication. Just to quote an example, how else would you differentiate a whole from a hole or a plumb from a plum without the help of silent letters?

Examples of Silent Letters

Unfortunately there are no hard and fast rules to learn silent letters. Their usage is learnt by prior exposure and experience. Here is a list of silent letters for your learning purpose.

Check out this video for more details 

Building a Teacher Support System Using Collaborative Web Tools

Building a Teacher Support System

 Using Collaborative Web Tools.

Each day, somewhere around the world, a teacher will walk into a classroom and plant a seed in a student. Each interaction a teacher has with a student is an opportunity to plant positive learning seeds. It is a moment to encourage students to explore their curiosities, pursue their passions, and get excited about the learning process. For many teachers this is a stressful and challenging process. Several of them feel like chained elephants bounded by their curriculums, national standards, standardized tests results, and education policy. This reality results in various missed teachable moments and missed opportunities for teachers to instill a desire for learning. This reality means teachers are drilling, teaching to tests, and lecturing. They are too frightened to take risks and capitalize on teachable moments.

Support through a school social network

Schools have the ability to support teacher innovation, risk-taking, and collaboration by setting up a support and mentoring system in their schools. Various free web tools and social networks offer teachers the ability to connect with each other and collaborate. In the We Connect Video, various teachers and students delineate the reasons to collaborate and learn through social networks. 

Which tools are the best?

Administrators need to decide on which tools best meet their needs. Various schools have instilled a support network using a combination of tools, such as:

• having a hashtag on Twitter to place announcements or host a chat
• setting up a Facebook group for their teachers
• setting up a group on Edmodo, Wiggio, or a Ning
• creating a collaborative wiki or blog
• setting up virtual meetings on Google Hang Outs on Air
• setting up a Moodle for teachers and students

These platforms help teachers mentor each other online, share lesson ideas, host virtual meetings online, collaborate on lesson ideas, create a database of various lesson resources, post questions, answer questions, share frustrations or barriers they face in classes, share solutions to various problems and so much more. The online collaboration tool is not meant to replace frequent face- to- face collaboration. It is meant to spur and support the collaboration that takes place in these meetings year-round. The benefits include that these platforms are easily accessible anytime and anywhere there is an Internet connection.

When school administrators decide to create an online collaborative platform, they should consider the following:

• What are the platforms’ communication options?
• What archiving options does the platform have?
• What are the storage options?
• How much time is the staff willing to dedicate to participating on the platform?
• How user-friendly is the platform?
• Does the staff have access to the platform in and out of school?
• Does the platform support asynchronous and synchronous learning?

How do we get teachers to contribute their knowledge?

Administrators then need to determine how to best motivate teachers to use the platform to support each other and collaborate. They also need to consider how to motivate teachers to participate by sharing materials and knowledge. Many schools miss this crucial step and feel the platform has failed. Creating a collaborative environment and getting teachers to participate will take time and support. First, the teachers have to be trained on how to use the platform. Various of these collaborative tools have video tutorials and step by step manuals on how to use the platform. These should be some of the first items listed on the platform and shared at a hands-on workshop. 

School administrators can also jumpstart the process by pulling aside teachers who exhibit great leadership skills in various subject areas and departments and give them specific roles on the platform. School administrators should discuss with these teacher leaders why the platform is in place and what they hope to accomplish with the online collaboration. They should seek their ideas in getting teachers to participate and collaborate. Some roles they can ask for help in immediately is sharing materials online. They should also ask the teacher leaders to support questions asked in the group or show support through likes or comments when teachers do post items in the group. 

School administrators can also show support of their platforms by mentioning resources that were shared at meetings, functions or in the school paper or intercom announcements. More teachers will be encouraged to share their resources and more of the resources will be used. The idea is to get the online support to translate into instructional practice. This means that the sharing cannot just be online. School administrators need to take that extra step to highlighting what takes place online so that teachers see that the online platform is fully supported by the school leadership.

How online collaboration translates into school culture

Online collaboration improves a school’s culture and environment because when teachers improve their practice, students benefit. Online collaboration, when supported and implemented effectively, allows for continuous learning and collaboration. Teachers who are supported and learn continuously are better teachers. They reflect on their instructional practice and make improvements. They get excited by an idea and try it. They tend to have a proactive approach to the problems they face in their classrooms versus shutting down and hoping to get through the year. They tend to communicate better with parents and students. They also tend to have a better attitude and mood, which enhances student learning. Too many schools have policies that currently block social networks instead of taking advantage of their benefits. Our students are already learning on social networks. It is time we began to familiarize ourselves with the process so that we can raise digital learners who use these tools to collaborate and problem solve.

 

The Modern Educator is More Than a Teacher

Why do classrooms and schools operate almost the same way they did 100 years ago? 

A group of middle schoolers from the Dallas-Fort Worth area began asking themselves this question during a class discussion of Orson Scott Card’s science fiction novel Ender’s Game. 

More importantly, they began to wonder, “Could children, using the internet, have a dramatic impact on the world around them? Could they influence public opinion, and make a mark on their world?”

 Thus began “Education Evolution,” a class video project that brings a student perspective to what’s going wrong in the modern classroom, and offers up ideas of how it can be fixed.

The students began working on the project back in January, generating ideas, storyboarding scenes, and dividing the work into groups. When you watch the product of their months of work, the video above, it’s easy to think they simply want more technology—more learning via laptops, tablet technology, and software—in classrooms. But it’s also clear that they’re clamoring for an end to a factory-based model of education. No more sitting in rows facing forward while a teacher lectures at a whiteboard, no more rote memorization and multiple choice testing. Instead, they want collaboration, learning driven by student interests, and project-based tasks.

But why listen to what a bunch of seventh and eighth graders think about schools? Their teacher, J. Fletcher, recently wrote on the project blog that his beliefs about teaching and learning have changed because of his students.

These students really are right. Educational needs aren’t the same as when I was in middle school twenty years ago. The modern educator is a facilitator, an organizer, and a guide—the modern educator is NOT a teacher. We are no longer (or should no longer be) in the business of giving information. The information is out there, easily grasped. It’s our job to present it to the students in a way that makes them want to learn themselves. That’s basically what this video—and this whole project—is about. We’re still using exactly the same methodologies—with, in some cases, niftier tools—that we used twenty (one hundred!) years ago. Lecture and listen. Drill and kill. Review and test, always test, again and again. Repeat with next unit. That was onerous and tired twenty years ago when I was a student. Why are we still using it now?

Fletcher and the students hope their video goes viral and that it sparks conversation and real change in the way teachers and schools operate.

Check the video and judge by yourselves 

 

Tell us what do you think ??????

5 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers

 

Here is some detailed information about some of the procedures I set up in my own life that have allowed me to be more effective. These 5 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers may help teachers who are struggling to maintain their sanity.

 

Habit 1:Communication Procedures

Without question, one of the most essential elements of any good relationship is clear and open communication. As a teacher, practically everything that we do in the classroom is communication in one sense or another.

With this in mind, it becomes evident why communication procedures are the most important skills for us to develop.

I have previously written regarding some positive ways to communicate with others. This article is well worth the reading. However this time, we’ll look at some procedures that can be set up that will facilitate greater communication.

The first step to more effective communication is to eliminate unnecessary informational inputs from your life. We have to do this first by getting organized. Since I’ve written about this before, I’ll summarize very briefly here:

How do we eliminate information?

Inbox – Have one place where all incoming physical information goes and process it no more than once a day.

Email – Do not leave emails in your inbox after you are finished with them. Email responses generally yield more emails, so be conservative with responses.

Trash Can – In most cases, when in doubt, throw it out.

Phone – Don’t answer it during business hours. Emergencies usually end up being solved without your intervention. If you are necessary, one phone call will not be the only attempt to reach you!

But aren’t there exceptions?

Habit 2: Classroom Procedures

The procedures that you lay out in the classroom are the most outwardly evident procedures that you have in place. For this reason, they are key elements of your overall classroom management plan. Much of the procedures really depend on the age-group you teach. Since I teach middle school, my procedures are very middle-school oriented. These procedures can be broken up into three categories:

1. Beginning of class

The tone of the entire class is established before the students walk in the door. We’ve all heard the old adage, You never get a second chance to make a first impression. This holds true for the school year, as well as every single class day. For this reason, Harry K. Wong recommends in his book The First Days of School to greet students at the door each day. I don’t always do that, but I find that when I do, the tone of the class is much more manageable throughout.

2. Middle of class 

Once the tone of the class has been established by a well-refined entry procedure, the majority of clastime is spent in the learning process. How can we get the most learning out of every single class?

1. Talking

When is it appropriate for students to talk and when is it inappropriate. We cannot assume that students come to us with this knowledge. Even if they have the knowledge, they will test the waters to see what they can get away with and what is not allowed. To be successful, you must know what is allowed and forbidden beforehand.

2. Leaving the classroom

Do students get to abuse restroom privileges in your class or do they have to hold it in until the wet their pants? I have discovered that once one person goes, more usually realize they need to go also. Do they leave the class without a hall pass? Are there limited numbers of hall passes in a grading period?

3. Moving around in the classroom

When are students allowed to get out of their seats? What if they really need to sharpen their pencil?

I know some teachers have students move desks during class. What is the procedure to make that happen? What about when the whole class is going to the library? How do we line up?

4. Staying seated

What are the students expected to have at their seats? What if they forgot their pen? Or if they are about to have a restroom emergency, can they leave and then answer questions later? How should they sit in their chairs? Is it acceptable to put feet in chairs or across aisles?

Again, all of these are personal choices. There is no one right answer for any of these.

3. Ending of class

The ending of class will help to determine how much information is retained and how much is forgotten. One of the primary keys to success is finishing well.

1. When to end class

You control when the class period ends, unless you allow the bell to take that authority away from you. I used to think differently. I have usually rehearsed until the bell rang, and then had the students put their instruments away. This year, I am going to aim to be finished before the bell rings. This is harder because too much time before the bell rings can allow them to lose focus. So I’m going to establish a procedure where all announcements happen at the end of class to allow for better information retention as well as to maintain better focus.

2. When to put books and supplies away

I remember putting my books away about 4 minutes before the teachers finished with class. How important is it to you that your students stay focused until you dismiss them?

3. How to leave class

If you give middle school students their choice, the answer to this is running and screaming down the hallways. The procedure must be in place on the first day if you want to avoid this.

Your decision on these procedures are things that you should write down. I give my students a “Rehearsal Procedures” page on bright colored paper at the beginning of each year. We consult those procedures from time to time if necessary. Writing things down helps you to more clearly know what your goals are. Writing things down helps the students to more completely know what is expected of them. It’s a win-win situation.

 Habit 3: Relationship Procedures

In teaching, as in most any businesses — and life in general — relationships will either make you successful, or else make you fail. Our relationships spring ultimately from the first habit; our ability to communicate well. But good communication skills alone are not enough to establish powerful relationships. There are more important elements. Here is where again I point out the important role that reading How To Win Friends And Influence People has played in my life. Outstanding book.

While on the subject of 5 Habits of Highly Effective Teachers, I felt it important to once again go over some of these vital social graces. They may be second-nature for some people. For me, most of these things do NOT come naturally. Doing a quick Google blog search about social skills and teachers tells me that the only problem most teachers seem to have is teaching special needs students how to fit into a social environment, or getting students with ADHD to calm down. So I guess that makes me the oddball.

Nevertheless, these are skills that really helped me to grow up and become a better teacher, and just an all-around nicer person to hang out with. :)

1. Look people in the eye

2. Smile

3. Remember as many names as you can

4. Offer greetings to anyone and everyone

5. Ask questions

6. Talk about your own mistakes

7. Keep clean

8. Give liberally

These skills will definitely help you in life. Maybe you know them already, but I would guess that at least one or two of them are things you could improve. I know writing this article made me feel guilty!

Habit 4: Personal Procedures

What are some of the personal habits that are important to me? As I’m sitting here in the middle of the summer writing this, I realize that some of my structure has left my life. I stay up too late, and I wake up too late. I take longer than normal getting ready in the morning, and I sit and read a lot more now than I do during the school year. But disregarding that, here are some of the things that are important to me to keep my sanity outside of work hours during the school year.

1. Wake up early

2. Meditate

3. Arrive early

4. Drink water

5. Exercise

6. Relax

7. Socialize

8. Go to sleep early

9. Keep private matters private

This is my personal list. I’m sure plenty of people have other things that work well for them. The key is stepping back and analyzing what really works for you and what doesn’t. If something is in place that doesn’t benefit you, get rid of it and replace it with either more relaxation time or something else that will benefit you in the long-run.

Habit 5: Community Procedures

How do you interact with your community? I know for many teachers, this is a frightening proposition. Reading some things that other teachers post, it seems that most teachers who live in the same community wherein they teach either participate in public activities either in fear, out of seeming ignorance, or with balance. this is probably my weakest area and something I am seriously working to get better at. If you have any suggestions, I’d love to hear them.

1. Participating in fear

2. Participating out of seeming ignorance

3. Participating with balance

What about you????

what habbits do you think are associated with highly effective teachers???