If you missed any of our 12 Days of School Furniture contest on Facebook, here’s a recap of the clues and answers. Thanks to all who played, and of course, thank you to our generous manufacturers, without whom this giveaway would not have been possible!

12th Day

Clue: Check our recent blog posts for your first clue. There are 12 of these in red, green and blue. Put them in your classroom to improve motor skills through play. Your preschoolers will stay entertained all day.

Answer:  12 Soft Play Blocks from ECR4Kids

11th Day

Clue: These 11″ plastic activity chairs are a great height for your young students. They come in five fun colors – blue, green, red, yellow and sand – and are made by the same manufacturer as the prize awarded this morning.

Answer: 11″ Plastic Activity Stack Chairs from ECR4Kids

10th Day

Clues: 1) This product can help you become the next Picasso, when you draw, chalk or paint a flower or rainbow. Made by the only manufacturer of the contest to date, this product has room for two to create.
2) If you like to use lots of colors with the above prize, this set of 10 will help you organize. With colors written in two languages on the side, you can proclaim that ‘rosa’ is ‘red’ with great pride.

Answers: 10 Learn Your Colors Paint Cups and an Adjustable Art Easel from ECR4Kids

9th Day

Clue: Kids will think these are pretty cool. Markers or chalk…choose the correct writing tool. They’re lightweight, portable and small. Letters or numbers, they can practice them all!

Answer: 9 Student Whiteboards from United Visual Products

8th Day

Clue: “Discover” these chairs whose name rings a Bell. Their 12″ seat height is great for kids just learning to spell. They have a comfy shell seat and legs of four. With features like these, who could ask for more?

Answer: 8 12″ Discover Series School Chairs from Artco-Bell

7th Day

Clue: Today’s featured product helps you engage the audio learners in your room. Let seven students use this at once, each with full control of their own volume. The included multimedia player fits tapes or CDs, so your students will master language skills with enjoyment and ease.

Answer: Listening Center with 7 Headsets & a CD/Cassette Player from Oklahoma Sound

6th Day

Clue: A 6-pack of these will help preschoolers count sheep. They neatly stack once kids wake from their sleep. Wider than most, in primary blue; they assemble quickly, and are washable too!

Answer: 6 Traditional Standard Cots from ECR4Kids

5th Day

Clue: “Rack” your brain to find our next prize. It helps you sort and organize. Five vertical sections and six horizontal trays, bring order to your busy work days.

Answer: Steel Combination Rack with Five Vertical Sections & Six Horizontal Trays from Safco

4th Day

Clue: These stylish chairs come in five seat “flavors” of fun. They’re easy to store – simply collapse when done. Constructed with plastic, these chairs are lightweight. Use them indoors or out – for either they’re great.

Answer: 4 Plastic Folding Chairs from OFM

3rd Day

Clue: LISTEN closely, what do you HEAR? Is that Santa, and his eight reindeer? No, these animal friends have a different job to do. Blocking out noise, and teaching lessons too! Wearing these, kids will feel very cool. They’re a perfect fit for your elementary school.

Answer: 3 styles of Animal-Themed Listening First Headphones from Califone

2nd Day

Clue: Listen to lessons or your favorite band, on a media player that fits in your hand. Two positions and headphones double the fun and make group learning easier for everyone.

Answer: Two-Position MP3 Listening Center from Califone

1st Day

Our final prize is the beautiful Power Rest Recliner Executive Chair from OFM, available in burgundy or black. The adjustable chair reclines in five positions and has padded armrests, a headrest and a full vinyl back.

Remember the anticipation of snow days? Sitting by a static-filled radio and listening to the alphabetical listing of school closings, hoping to hear your school’s name, was a part of growing up for most of us. Snow closings meant a day of snowball fights, sledding, playing games in our pajamas and napping until noon. Snow days also left our parents scrambling to find a last-minute sitter, teachers racking their brains on how to rearrange lesson plans and administrators worrying how missed days would affect the school calendar.

Eventually, virtual learning will likely be the end of snow days. Supporters like the idea of fewer interruptions in learning and no more “make-up” days  being added at the end of the school year or during spring break.

“Even if you can’t continue on at the same pace, being able to keep students on track can make a huge difference,” said Doug Levin, executive director of the nonprofit Missouri State Educational Technology Directors Association said in a Washington Times Associated Press article.

There are some obvious obstacles. Not everyone has access to a computer and some winter storms cause power outages, leaving some students at a disadvantage. Still, virtual snow days are an option many schools are exploring.

How do snow days affect you? What do you think about using virtual learning to alleviate some of the problems caused by snow days?

In our November 19th post, “Online Education Isn’t Slowing Down,” we discussed the continuing growth of online college courses and degrees. In the same spirit of adaptation and accessibility, more and more big-name universities are expanding into new cities. According to a New York Times article, Northeastern University is spending $60 million to expand into Charlotte and Seattle. The goal (besides increased revenue) is to match graduate programs to the specific labor needs of each city.

It’s no surprise that schools like Northeastern are feeling the pressure to compete with online schools like the University of Phoenix. Recent tough economic times have students searching for more cost-effective ways to pursue a degree.  Online universities and community colleges have seen their enrollment numbers explode in recent years.  Building campuses in cities where a large number of young professionals are looking to pursue a graduate degree just makes sense. . .or does it?

Physical buildings cost money, and building rapport in a new community can be even more of a challenge. Philadelphia-based Drexel University opened a campus in Sacramento two years ago, but they’ve struggled to meet enrollment requirements. These two challenges alone make the online model — with its lower operating costs and convenience — look much more attractive.

Only time will tell if students embrace the expansion model.  Will Cornell still be Cornell if it isn’t in New York? Or will graduates relish the idea of campuses close to home?

Do you think the university expansion model will catch on, or will it fail to catch hold amid the growing online education movement?

Social media use continues to be a hot topic in the education world. Four months ago, we posted about the Missouri law that banned electronic communication between students and teachers. Since then, the state repealed the ban and instead mandated that all Missouri school districts develop their own social networking policies.

Though no new laws have been introduced, school administrators around the country are seeking to create stricter guidelines for teacher-student interaction online. School boards in 12 states are updating or revising their social media policies this fall.

Teachers who use social media regularly worry that restrictive policies will limit their ability to engage students outside of the classroom. Other teachers take the opposite stance, feeling that firmer guidelines protect them.

Facebook Chief Security Officer Joe Sullivan offers some safe tips for teachers engaging in social media with their students:

Create a Friend List: You can create a Friend List called “Students” and adjust your privacy settings to control exactly what your students will see. For example, you might allow students to see your basic profile information, but not your tagged photos or wall posts.

Use Facebook Groups: You can create a Facebook Group for a course you’re teaching or a specific class project, and invite all your students to join the group. That will provide a public way for you and your students to discuss relevant topics.

Notify Parents: It’s always a good idea to notify parents and receive their permission before asking students to join Facebook. Explain to parents exactly how the tool will be used in the classroom — and make sure all students are older than 13.

Do you think stricter social media policies limit teachers or protect them? What guidelines do you use in your social media interaction with students?

Coping with the deployment of a loved one is a difficult task for anyone, but for a child, the situation can be especially scary and hard. Kids may question why their parents have to miss important events like holidays and birthdays, or worry whether or not Dad or Mom will return home safely.

Tarawa Terrance Elementary, located on a Marine base at Camp LeJeune in North Carolina, is one school that helps its students better understand a scary topic like deployment. Counselor Gregory Bole, a former Marine, meets with students frequently, offering advice, asking questions, and most importantly, listening to students as they discuss their feelings on deployment. In addition to the in-school counseling, many deployment support clubs are available for children.

According to a recent New York Times article, about a quarter of the 45,000 Marines stationed at Camp LeJeune are deployed at any given time.

SurvivingDeployment.com offers the following advice, based on suggestions from the American School Counselor Association and the National Association of School Psychologists:

• Consistency and Routine – Above all else, kids need routine, consistency and structure during this time. They are feeling insecure because of all of the uncertainties regarding the deployment and they need a predictable routine and home life.
• Good Communication – Kids often have a lot of questions during deployment. Daily, honest (yet age appropriate) discussions about feelings (yours and theirs) can help ease tension and relieve concerns.
• Attention and Good Times – This is a great time to plan special events and start new hobbies. Children can feel neglected during deployments because one parent is gone and the other parent is busy and stressed. Children should have many opportunities to feel loved and special during the deployment.
• Healthy Lifestyle – Not only do children need to have fun, but they need to be healthy. They should maintain healthy diets, have opportunities for exercise and not spend all their time in front of the TV.
• To Be a Kid – Do not discuss your fears in depth with them, and do not expect them to take the place of your spouse. Also, be careful about how much exposure your child has to the news. When my husband was gone I was glued to CNN and only realized I needed to limit my TV watching when my four year old asked me, “Why is that building blowed up?”
• Reassurance – In deployment situations children often feel a loss of control and stability; they have experienced a major change and could do nothing to prevent it from occurring. Reminding them that you will always love them no matter what and that you will survive this deployment together will help ease their anxiety.
• A Good Behavior Plan – While it is important to understand that misbehavior during deployment can be a result of negative feelings, it is also important to set limits and have consequences. Parents can eliminate a lot of problems by making a chart and pre-determining consequences for specific behaviors. For example, if you don’t put your bike away, you will lose bike privileges for one day. Parents can also set up positive behavior controls such as sticker charts or marble jars.
• Physical and Emotional Expressions of Love – Hugs, High Fives and “I Love You” go a long way in helping children cope with difficult situations.

Is deployment a situation that you have dealt with at your school? How do you help your students cope?

College students are wrapping up exams and hitting the road home for holiday break. Between studying, packing and a lack of funding, there’s not been much time for shopping. Hanukkah is only nine days away, and Christmas will be here in less than two weeks.  So what can a broke college student give their parents that will be meaningful during this hectic time?  We found an article from US News & World Report that has some great ideas. Here are a few of our staff’s favorites:

• A day off from cooking dinner (including clean-up)
• A day of volunteering with parents at their favorite organization
• A personal scrapbook of the work you’ve been doing in college
• A framed portrait with siblings

Keep in mind that a hand-written letter of appreciation and love is one of the best things a parent can receive from their child.

And if you’re the parent buying for your college student? There’s also a list of 10 useful gift ideas.  Here are five sure bets:

• An emergency kit that includes band-aids and other first aid supplies
• Gift cards to essential places, like the grocery or drug store
• A basket of toiletries like soap, toothpaste and laundry detergent
• A job-hunting kit that includes a nice portfolio, pen and high quality paper for printing resumes
• A personalized business card holder

We’d like to hear about the gifts you’ve given to the college students in your life.  And we wish you all safe holiday travels and a relaxing winter break!

Teachers spend hours outside of the classroom preparing lesson plans. What if you could get paid for all that time and effort? Many teachers do, thanks to the website TeachersPayTeachers. The self-described “marketplace for educators” makes it easy for teachers to sell their lesson plans to other teachers.

At least two teachers are making a living off writing and selling their lesson plans. Rachel Lynette works seven days a week, with a goal of making $100 per day. By all accounts, she is successful, earning more than $3,300 in October. Lynette began selling lessons when she left her full-time teaching job to raise two children.

Deanna Jump also found quick success on TeachersPayTeachers. In the past year, she has earned $230,000 selling her lesson plans to other teachers around the country. Jump, who has been on the site for three years, still teaches Kindergarten and only sells lessons that she has used in her classroom.

However, the practice of selling lesson plans is not without controversy. In a 2009 article on the subject, The New York Times reported that there has been some dispute over who owns material developed for public school classrooms. If teachers use district resources to create the lesson plans, should districts share in the proceeds? Jump and other sellers on TeachersPayTeachers defend themselves, noting the hours they spend outside of the school day developing lessons. “This is my second job,” Jump says.

Do you think it’s ok for teachers to sell their lesson plans? Have you ever sold your lesson plans? If not, would you?

The frenzy to locate and purchase the “hot” toy of the year is underway. Chances are your child’s holiday wish list includes a tech gadget, superhero, or some other mass-marketed item. While these toys may provide entertainment and even some educational benefit, sometimes the old-fashioned classics just can’t be beat. A prime example: wood blocks.

Who doesn’t remember that special set of well-loved blocks from their childhood? All you needed were colorful shapes of wood and a big imagination.  Castles, forts, houses, cities – they all came to life with a little patience and trial and error. But it turns out that playing with blocks builds a foundation for learning more complex math concepts down the road. And one study suggests that block play improves language skills in toddlers. In group learning settings, collaborative block building provides teamwork opportunities for students. The positive aspects of block play are endless.

So consider adding a set of blocks to your holiday lineup this year.  We carry several varieties at excellent prices.  You don’t need to spend a lot of money to inspire your child’s imagination!

As the holidays approach, parents often find themselves asking the same question year after year. “What gift will I give my child’s teacher?”

It’s become fairly common for students – especially those in elementary school – to give their teachers a small token of gratitude before school lets out for winter break. Even seasoned parents, and parents who are teachers themselves, second-guess what is appropriate. Is a gift card too impersonal? Is a mug too cliché? Are home-baked goods a no-no? Should I skip gifts all together?

Disney Family Fun offers good gift-giving advice and guidelines. Some basics to keep in mind:

• Avoid overly expensive gifts that could appear as bribes.
• Stay away from anything too personal like perfume and most jewelry and clothing.
• In public schools, religious and cultural gifts are discouraged.
• Teachers, especially those who have been teaching for many years, have usually received dozens of generic mugs and ornaments.

The website Christmas Gifts for Teachers polled teachers to find out what they most wanted. Gift cards and certificates were the most popular choices in the poll.

Teachers, what are your favorite gifts to receive from your students? Parents, what are your favorite gifts to give?

Most research has proven over the years that the smaller the class size, the better overall performance of students. Reducing class sizes was a priority of the No Child Left Behind Act, but the economic downturn and financial woes for many public school districts have made it difficult for schools to improve the teacher-to-student ratio.

According to a recent New York Times article, schools in New York City anticipate an increase in class size this year. The same is true for schools across the nation where budget cuts and reductions in staff have left teachers packing more students into their classrooms.

My daughter’s school made teacher cuts at the end of 2010-2011 school year that have resulted in larger class sizes for some grade levels. The biggest hit was first grade, where the number of grade-level teachers was reduced from five to four. Each teacher has an average of seven more students when compared to last year. I applaud the teachers as they’ve handled the change beautifully. Still, the classrooms seem cramped, with the lack of storage and addition of desks.

Most states have policies in place that limit the number of students allowed in each class. Check out this map at Education Week to see your state’s limits.

Have you seen an increase in class size in your district? What challenges do you face because of the larger class sizes?