tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36658831407704608472024-03-13T11:11:12.422-07:00GCSEC Curriculum CornerStephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-91745119259306048572016-09-09T13:30:00.000-07:002016-09-09T13:30:26.692-07:00<iframe width="100%" height="600" src="https://www.smore.com/hzyjy-curriculum-corner?embed=1" scrolling="auto" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true" style="min-width: 320px;border: none;"></iframe>
Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-60292155834240497822015-10-06T07:38:00.004-07:002015-10-06T07:38:30.981-07:00Something fun and easyYou know all those cute printables you buy on Teachers pay Teachers and you think...who has time to do all of this??? Well Scholastic has a site that you can use for simple labels, word walls words, and word lists with different borders, fonts, and other fun stuff! Best part... it's FREE!!!!<br />
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Check it out here!<br />
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<a href="http://www.scholastic.com/teacher/word-workshop/">http://www.scholastic.com/teacher/word-workshop/</a><br />
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Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-52665533177696483122015-09-04T09:07:00.002-07:002015-09-04T09:08:19.402-07:00And We're Back...part IISometimes life gets away from you. And sometimes projects get away from you. Like this blog, which was sorely neglected by me last year. Hopefully I'll be able to communicate better with it in this coming year. You will always be able to find up to date professional development listed on our Upcoming Events page and as always AIMSweb help on our AIMSweb Assistance page.<br />
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I hope your school year has started off in an AWESOME fashion. Please GCSEC folks, let us know if you have any curriculum wants, needs, or desires and we shall do our best to provide.Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-23193062492121347722014-08-18T07:09:00.000-07:002014-08-18T07:09:04.196-07:00And we're back!It's official the 2014 -2015 school year is upon us! Your friendly neighborhood curriculum specialists had a busy summer, between travels, summer school, Camp Math & Read, and other events our summer flew by!<br />
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Be sure to check out the <a href="http://gcseccurriculumcorner.blogspot.com/p/upcoming-events.html">Upcoming Events </a>page for all our up to date professional development coming up! Register online and we hope to see you soon!<br />
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As always drop us a line if you need anything!Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-8712479959215074472014-03-17T11:43:00.000-07:002014-03-17T11:43:36.217-07:00Illinois Reading ConferenceI know you will all be shocked to discover that I was once again "author stalking" at this years Illinois Reading Conference. I may or may not have even signed up to help in the autograph booth during James Patterson's signing. Needless to say, I have many new books, autographs, and pictures to add to my collection!<br />
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The conference is always full of wonderful presentations. From academics, to authors, to teachers who are in the trenches, I always come away with many new ideas to use students!<br />
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This year Jean Ann and I had the pleasure of presenting once again. And as I'm sure it's no surprise to anyone who knows us, we presented on games! Check out our presentation and handouts on our newsletters/handouts link! BEWARE!!! We are already brainstorming for next year!!!!Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-44872283098031708572014-01-16T11:06:00.002-08:002014-01-16T11:06:56.901-08:00Goal Writing ReviewAnnual Review time is right around the corner! If you are looking for a refresher on how to write Meaningful, Measurable, and Manageable goals check out this<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5VvqcgdvbNERkwyRnZkSnRBeDg/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank"> link!</a><br />
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Also, here is a link to a quick and easy <a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B5VvqcgdvbNEdTVhTUtVVXE1OHc/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">AIMSweb goal cheat sheet</a>! :-)<br />
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Feel free to contact us if you need further assistance!<br />
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<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-30204417893811989782013-12-13T08:14:00.001-08:002013-12-13T08:14:47.663-08:00Grading Writing....True confession. I HATED grading my students writing. It was most definitely not a strong point in my teaching. I have the deepest respect for those English teachers taking home hundreds of essays over the weekend to grade. I can't imagine doing that.<br />
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One of my English teacher buddies posted this the other day. She has begun using the program and loves it. It is a way to grade, give feedback, and possibly shorted the amount of time spent on grading. In watching the demo I honestly felt that it was a streamlined version of what we are able to do in Google Docs. But, with the added Common Core component, it would be something I would be curious to try if I still had a classroom!<br />
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Check it out!<br />
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<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-62144709679163557922013-12-04T09:00:00.000-08:002013-12-04T09:00:17.002-08:00What's your lollipop moment?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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I LOVE THIS! It shows how something so small can have a HUGE impact!</div>
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<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-35149675729142378452013-11-08T06:25:00.002-08:002013-11-08T06:25:48.915-08:00Every kid needs a champion<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You need to watch this...really...watch it...NOW!</div>
Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-15522709644343037292013-11-01T06:53:00.001-07:002013-11-01T06:53:11.668-07:00BAD teacher!This is such a hot topic right now. Somedays I feel that everywhere I turn teachers are being blamed for everything. Check out <a href="http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/2013/10/bad-teacher-how-blaming-teachers-distorts-the-bigger-picture.html" target="_blank">The Cornerstone's blog post</a> and read Angela's review and opinion on Kevin Kumashiro's book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Teacher-Blaming-Teachers-Distorts-Teaching/dp/0807753211?tag=donations09-20" target="_blank"><u>BAD teacher</u>!</a><br />
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<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-1864981546746099502013-10-16T08:17:00.001-07:002013-10-16T08:17:59.355-07:00The Educator & Social MediaRight along with bullying and Common Core, Social media is a hot topic in education right now. I won't go into and rehash much of what has been already written, but I will direct you to some awesome blog posts and articles along the way.<br />
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Personally, I've been a Facebook addict for years. I don't often post much, but trust me, if you are my friend, I am stalking you. I've joined and been added to several educational/teacher group pages. Many are deemed private, to protect the members of the group and give them a safe place to communicate with others. I find these pages a blessing and a curse. While many times there are teachers posting questions seeking advise that I find is an excellent use of the page, most are just using it as an open forum to gripe. Now, I fully understand the cathartic values of a well placed gripe session. But sometimes I feel like people take it as a contest to see who has the worst school, colleges, parents, administration, and state government. That being said, if you'd like to collaborate w/ educators on Facebook stick to the open pages (not private) and many companies pages offer great collaboration as well. I'm a big fan of Really Good Stuff's page (and their catalogue and products). Several friends and colleges also created "teacher" accounts. Allowing for their students to connect with them on the site, but not their personal pages.<br />
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Over the past year I've become more of a fan of Twitter. Both personally, to stalk celebrities, authors, and athletes, and professionally, to stalk award winning teachers, practitioners, and presenters. Again, I don't post much, and haven't quite grasped all the lingo and how to knowledge that goes into twitter, but I do retweet posts quite often. As you can see here -----><br />
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Also, twitter gives you only gives you 140 characters to get your message across. So, right there the gripe session is reduced.<br />
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What I love about twitter is I can be directed to great articles, blog posts, and interactive websites recommended and written by educators. Connect with professionals who have similar job descriptions, and keep on top of educational topics in a more concise and convenient manner. Twitter is also where you need to be to connect with teen students now. Teens are leaving Facebook in droves. Oh they still have an active page. But, when your grandma friends you, it's no longer the cool place to be.<br />
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For more info on Twitter and education...Check these sites below!<br />
<a href="http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb10/vol67/num05/Why-Teachers-Should-Try-Twitter.aspx">http://www.ascd.org/publications/educational-leadership/feb10/vol67/num05/Why-Teachers-Should-Try-Twitter.aspx</a><br />
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<a href="http://www.schrockguide.net/twitter-for-teachers.html">http://www.schrockguide.net/twitter-for-teachers.html</a><br />
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<a href="http://rossieronline.usc.edu/twitter-for-teachers/">http://rossieronline.usc.edu/twitter-for-teachers/</a><br />
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Find teachers to connect with here:<br />
<a href="http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com/w/page/22554534/FrontPage">http://twitter4teachers.pbworks.com/w/page/22554534/FrontPage</a>Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-5715570125236053542013-10-08T09:41:00.001-07:002013-10-08T09:46:57.586-07:00Parent Support Night<div style="text-align: center;">
Just a reminder that our <i>GCSEC Parent Support Night aka Fun Night</i> is<br />
Thursday, October 17 from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. </div>
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Registration is open until October 11th.</div>
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<a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1JNsPcXgV-ectVkKEv21-6bPK-yYAhjh2jWwgPYe0Ab4/viewform" target="_blank">Click here to Register</a></div>
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Come and join us for a fun evening!</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5VvqcgdvbNEX2liNDVkRjllUms/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">Download Flyer Here</a></td></tr>
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<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-73390891329259856152013-09-30T11:30:00.002-07:002013-09-30T11:39:35.026-07:00Beans & Cups!Have you ever struggled teaching regrouping in addition and subtraction? Well, watch Jean Ann as she shows you a neat little trick using beans and cups!<br />
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<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-15290427978184710252013-09-23T07:37:00.000-07:002013-09-23T12:17:57.812-07:00StarWalk Kids Media***UPDATE*** Check out Liz's comment below!!!!!<br />
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It is my goal to update this blog once a week during the school year. Sometimes I feel like Jean Ann and I are overflowing with information. Other weeks...crickets...*chirp chirp chirp*. That is how I felt last week. So, I didn't do an update, and planned on an AWESOME one for this week to make up for it. Then, at a board meeting this weekend for the Illinois Reading Council, author Seymour Simon and his wife Liz Nealon spoke to us about their new project StarWalk Kids Media.<br />
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Now, Seymour is a noted non-fiction Children's author. His books are beautiful, filled with outstanding pictures, rich text, and even make me excited about topics I would normally force myself to read or teach. His wife is a former producer of Sesame Street and MTV (back when it was cool). Seymour joked that she was way over qualified to help out with this project so the only way he could get her involved was to marry her! So, when you put them together with other greats in the education world you get a great website.<br />
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StarWalk Kids Media is a website which allows teachers to access to interactive ebooks based on topic and reading level. </div>
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For each book the site also offers lesson plans, linked to common core developed by guru's in the field like Linda Hoyt. (If you've done any reading coursework in the last decade you will have a book written by her in your stack)</div>
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Liz gave us a demo of how the site works, it seemed simple to navigate and easy to implement into a classroom. She answered questions and continued to take suggestions. </div>
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So, check out the website, <a href="http://www.starwalkkids.com/index.php">http://www.starwalkkids.com/index.php</a>, sign up for the free trial, and have some fun with StarWalk Kids!</div>
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Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-29012860914545105072013-09-12T16:35:00.001-07:002013-09-12T16:35:16.236-07:00More Words of Wisdom from the Kid President<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-58095452601592206422013-09-10T14:09:00.000-07:002013-09-10T14:09:36.263-07:00Beware...Stephanie is having fun with technology...Ok. So for those who are really tech savvy...what I have learned is no big deal. BUT for me it is AWESOME! First of all, you can all now SUBSCRIBE to this blog!!!! Just type in your email address, prove that you are a human, and then you will receive an email notice every time I post on the blog. (Yes, I send out notices, but not for every post. <i>"Ain't nobody got time for that!") </i><br />
Subscribe here----------------------><br />
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Then, I also started a twitter account just for work ya'll! I'll be retweeting some great tweets from some of my favorite educators! If you have any suggestions on who I should follow, just follow me and let me know! If you are not on twitter, and have no desire to be on twitter (I understand, I started only to stalk celebs) you can see the newsfeed right over here! -----------------><br />
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If you can't see it, then most likely your school is Fort Knox internet secured. Just check it out at home. You can see all my tweets and retweets without having to have your own account.<br />
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And then finally, in my following of awesome educators I've stumbled up on a blog called <a href="http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/2013/09/teach-like-a-pirate-book-review-and-giveaway.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheCornerstone+%28The+Cornerstone+Blog%29" target="_blank">The Cornerstone</a>, the author has some great tips, pinterest pages, teacher pay teachers pages ect. ect. ect. You should check her out and subscribe, especially when she has a post about <a href="http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/2013/09/the-best-teacher-freebies-for-september.html" target="_blank">the best teacher freebies!</a><br />
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<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-77076673624558316292013-08-29T11:53:00.002-07:002013-09-11T06:13:04.859-07:00Greg Tang<div style="text-align: center;">
So, it's no secret that Jean Ann and I are BIG fans of games. So, when she discovered that one of our favorite math authors and game creators had updated his <a href="http://gregtangmath.com/" target="_blank">website </a>to allow kiddos and teachers alike to play online math games FOR FREE...well we had to let you know.</div>
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Greg Tang is AWESOME. He's written several books, including</div>
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<span id="goog_974646733"></span><span id="goog_974646734"></span>and created the game Kakooma</div>
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Among many other fun games. The website offers teaching tips, alignment to CCSS, works with elementary to high school, and is just plain fun. So check it out! </div>
<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-62259043286659897092013-08-22T08:23:00.000-07:002013-09-11T06:13:16.100-07:00PBS Idea ChannelWhat happens when your best friend (Katie) is a brilliant microbiologist with a PhD, teaching at the collegiate level? You find that you are in a constant battle to one-up each other on nerdy pop culture. Doctor Who, Sherlock, Firefly, The Big Bang Theory (Katie actually understands the stuff that Sheldon talks about) and most importantly Game of Thrones are often our main topics of discussion. For the most part, she wins our battles. But I do have to say she has an unfair advantage hanging with college kids and being....well...brilliant.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">To be fair, Katie also speaks football, basketball, and hockey. <br />
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Throughout our discussions, she's introduced me to several fun YouTube channels. One is created just to get people thinking and can be used as a discussion starter for middle and high schools. Some of the topics may work in some upper elementary classes.<br />
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<a href="http://www.youtube.com/user/pbsideachannel" target="_blank">The PBS Idea Channel</a></div>
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The channel posts a new video every Wednesday. The videos are fast-paced, current, and the host, Mike Rugnetta, reminds me of my teacher friend Matt.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Seriously, when I watch the episodes I think...Matt could totally do that!</td></tr>
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Topics include and range from </div>
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"Doctor Who is a Religion"</div>
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to "Math Might not Actually Exist"</div>
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to the hot button in education right now</div>
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"Google is Knowledge"</div>
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and of course, it's on the internet, so it must have some cats.</div>
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They even spent one episode visiting a classroom that watches, discusses, and then comments on the videos weekly.</div>
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For those of you who are reading this going, "That's great but YouTube is locked down tighter than Fort Knox at my school." Have no fear!!!!! You can find the videos on the <a href="http://video.pbs.org/program/idea-channel/episodes/" target="_blank">PBS website.</a></div>
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Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-46771857549165271072013-07-30T10:10:00.002-07:002013-09-11T06:24:16.400-07:00Welcome Back!You can always tell when school is about ready to start. The back to school ads start, you can't avoid the school supply section at Target or Walmart, and for those on pinterest the school pinning is on overload.<br />
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I always look at all the teacher blogs that are pinned. With pictures of a perfectly decorated classroom that is theme based. Where do these teachers find the time to do this? Let alone maintain a blog about it? It opens the question of "<a href="http://thecornerstoneforteachers.com/2013/07/the-culture-of-cute-in-the-classroom.html" target="_blank">The Culture of Cute in the Classroom</a>" which has evidently become a hot topic in education. Jean Ann and I have debated it and in our humble opinions (and a combined 53 years experience) say it depends on the teacher. If having a "cute" classroom invigorates the teacher...then go for it!<br />
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What's your opinion?Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-92064420587383796912013-05-28T13:56:00.001-07:002013-05-28T13:56:32.985-07:00Have a GREAT Summer!!!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Many of you are finishing out your school year this week. Jean Ann and I both hope you have a wonderful summer! We will be in and out most of the summer (between summer school and camp) so feel free to email us if you need to!</div>
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<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-41169382203428868702013-04-12T12:29:00.003-07:002013-04-15T12:36:10.924-07:00GAME NIGHT!!! Part III<div style="text-align: center;">
Once again Jean Ann and I will be hosting our <i style="font-weight: bold;">Award Winning GAME NIGHT!!!!</i> This time I can legitimately state we are award winning...I've got the certificate to prove it.</div>
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We will be meeting next <b>Thursday</b> the 18th from <b>4:00 p.m. - 5:30 p.m.</b> either in our office or in the GCSEC board room (depends on how many people will be attending)</div>
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Please <a href="mailto:sbenson@grundyspecialed.org" target="_blank">RSVP</a> by Wednesday the 18th!</div>
<br />Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-86367409367675690222013-04-12T12:28:00.000-07:002013-08-19T13:07:07.628-07:00Confession, I Stephanie Benson am...an Author Stalker.<br />
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Yes, it's true. There is no 12 step program to help (not that I want it), and I've only been told once by an author that he was going to need more security with me around (I responded that until I see the restraining order he was going to have to deal with me).<br />
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For the last 11 years I have attending the Illinois Reading Conference (one of if not the best reading conference in the state) and twice have attended the International Reading Conference. Not only do the conferences fill you with fabulous ideas to use in the classroom and reinvigorate your teaching, they also provide countless opportunities to meet (and stalk) your favorite children's and young adult authors.<br />
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Here are a few of the authors I've stalked...um met.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k9rADbQSxWY/UWhebE-YXuI/AAAAAAAAAX4/W9JTGAnicNk/s1600/Screen+shot+2013-04-12+at+2.26.09+PM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="255" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-k9rADbQSxWY/UWhebE-YXuI/AAAAAAAAAX4/W9JTGAnicNk/s320/Screen+shot+2013-04-12+at+2.26.09+PM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Rosemary Wells</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-um1HF4an-K0/UWhZIwTVLYI/AAAAAAAAAXo/0COn_-SB418/s1600/Screen+Shot+2013-03-20+at+8.43.22+AM.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="302" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-um1HF4an-K0/UWhZIwTVLYI/AAAAAAAAAXo/0COn_-SB418/s320/Screen+Shot+2013-03-20+at+8.43.22+AM.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marc Brown Author of the Arther books.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mg35Ia_yHUY/UWhZIx5SNzI/AAAAAAAAAXs/9qC-iDGI-8k/s1600/SDC12326.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-mg35Ia_yHUY/UWhZIx5SNzI/AAAAAAAAAXs/9qC-iDGI-8k/s320/SDC12326.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laurie Lawlor</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWfdGLndggk/UWhZGSawFuI/AAAAAAAAAXc/ezjTfURXURc/s1600/SAM_0488.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-VWfdGLndggk/UWhZGSawFuI/AAAAAAAAAXc/ezjTfURXURc/s320/SAM_0488.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brian Selznick</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ks-6xD4bprA/UWhZDuCsWHI/AAAAAAAAAXE/Myysn9pTQWY/s1600/IMG_3062.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ks-6xD4bprA/UWhZDuCsWHI/AAAAAAAAAXE/Myysn9pTQWY/s320/IMG_3062.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jordan Sonnenblick "Drums, Girls, and Dangerous Pie"</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LkaGLkk0l18/UWhZDxVNSII/AAAAAAAAAXQ/xO1jSUCCYms/s1600/IMG_3064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LkaGLkk0l18/UWhZDxVNSII/AAAAAAAAAXQ/xO1jSUCCYms/s320/IMG_3064.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">AVI</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CpiCSlKa3GY/UWhZEP9qxZI/AAAAAAAAAXU/a-_fbMojO_Y/s1600/Patricia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-CpiCSlKa3GY/UWhZEP9qxZI/AAAAAAAAAXU/a-_fbMojO_Y/s320/Patricia.jpg" width="318" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My personal favorite Patricia Polacco!!!!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-65V9zwNA9W8/UWhZCRAEntI/AAAAAAAAAW8/_fLqV_aMzi8/s1600/IMG_3060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-65V9zwNA9W8/UWhZCRAEntI/AAAAAAAAAW8/_fLqV_aMzi8/s320/IMG_3060.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Eric Rohmann (still haven't received his restraining order)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nr8BVnEj9x8/UWhZCC6YDfI/AAAAAAAAAW4/e2PV1Say05Q/s1600/IMG_3056.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nr8BVnEj9x8/UWhZCC6YDfI/AAAAAAAAAW4/e2PV1Say05Q/s320/IMG_3056.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Richard Peck (he is AWESOME!!!)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WGdl-u65ewE/UWhZBymjldI/AAAAAAAAAW0/sbAR-I1i7ts/s1600/IMG_2994.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WGdl-u65ewE/UWhZBymjldI/AAAAAAAAAW0/sbAR-I1i7ts/s320/IMG_2994.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Simone Eckeles<br />
Confession #2 I LOVE romance novels...she writes great YA ones!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tuGeIlPI_yY/UWhY8qIrwgI/AAAAAAAAAWU/VotHJDxpc6s/s1600/IMG_1424.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tuGeIlPI_yY/UWhY8qIrwgI/AAAAAAAAAWU/VotHJDxpc6s/s320/IMG_1424.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jack Gantos...Rock Star!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tz_uzIHzRzs/UWhY-ayUVpI/AAAAAAAAAWc/WWTJQrHgTI8/s1600/IMG_1429.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-tz_uzIHzRzs/UWhY-ayUVpI/AAAAAAAAAWc/WWTJQrHgTI8/s320/IMG_1429.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Nick Bruel...Mr. Bad Kitty</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1xSaYF78bvU/UWhZA2OjQSI/AAAAAAAAAWk/q1t_DKzim9o/s1600/IMG_1548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1xSaYF78bvU/UWhZA2OjQSI/AAAAAAAAAWk/q1t_DKzim9o/s320/IMG_1548.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Craig Pierce and his greyhound Honey</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5bWkE68xY9c/UWhY6xjfX-I/AAAAAAAAAWM/YRtYLbqwAmY/s1600/IMG_0678.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5bWkE68xY9c/UWhY6xjfX-I/AAAAAAAAAWM/YRtYLbqwAmY/s320/IMG_0678.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Marion Blumenthal Lazan</td></tr>
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Now I could go on to state I've also met and had books autographed by Christopher Paul Curtis, Neal Shusterman, Steven Layne, Andrea Beatty, Tim Green, Katherine Patterson, Andrew Clements, Seymour Simon, Gary Paulson, Sharon Draper, R. L. Stine, Heather Brewer, Kristina Springer, Joan Bauer...and many others. Not to mention that I'm email buddies with Blue Balliett & Aaron Reynolds, facebook friends with Matthew Cordell, and have Kat Falls' cell number....</div>
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yeah...I have a problem, but if it means I get to hug Henry Winkler...I don't care.</div>
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Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-40772509267071153682013-04-05T12:10:00.000-07:002013-04-15T12:36:53.493-07:00We need your help!Jean Ann and I are busy planning Camp Math & Camp Read. Our Superhero theme is a fun one to work with. If you've seen any fun activities that you think would be appropriate we'd love to have you share them with us. We are also looking for some old t-shirts (adult Large or bigger) with either a plain front or back to create capes for all our little super heroes.<br />
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Camp is open to all Grundy County kiddos with an active IEP who are completing Kindergarten - 7th grade. Scholarships are available! Help us spread the word! Parents can apply online <a href="https://docs.google.com/a/grundyspecialed.org/forms/d/1QC6tiG9hq6U_m2qonJ9zQKjXOEFcWtBXgsNgkeCyO7s/viewform" target="_blank">here</a>, or printable apps are available <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5VvqcgdvbNEVlp0d0l2SVpzQXM/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here!</a></div>
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Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-83195544352355144982013-03-17T09:49:00.001-07:002013-04-15T12:37:39.386-07:00Illinois Reading Conference--Literacy for LifeJean Ann and I spent the last few days down in Springfield learning, presenting, and laughing! The Illinois Reading Conference is hands down one of the BEST conferences to attend in Illinois. Jean Ann and I had fun presenting on...you guessed it... GAMES. We had an awesome group! We ran out of room and handouts! If you missed it, or if you didn't get the handout, you can download the handouts <a href="https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B5VvqcgdvbNEdHFqejJhMU85QUU/edit?usp=sharing" target="_blank">here</a>, and videos of the games we presented are below. <br />
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Stay tuned for more on the IRC conference later this week! Did you know that I am an <i>Author Stalker</i>? And I'm not alone....Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3665883140770460847.post-34501446930547020082013-03-08T12:28:00.002-08:002013-03-08T12:28:44.911-08:00Meaningful, Measurable, Manageable Goals Part IIJean Ann and I would like to let you all know how much we've enjoyed going around the county and chatting with you about goal writing. We've had great conversations, fun presentations, and emailed questions that made us truly think! Keep the emails coming, and as always contact us with any questions!Stephanie Bensonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07989330432707430607noreply@blogger.com0