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DDoo tthhee MMaatthh.. HHeellpp SSaavvee LLiivveess.. St. Jude Math-A-Thon is a fun math program for students grades K-8 that helps raise money for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital® at no cost to your school. Through this program, students build essential math skills through a series of engaging, standards-based math activities, all while raising money to fight childhood cancer. About St. Jude Founded by the late entertainer Danny Thomas, St. Jude is one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly diseases. Children from all 50 states and from around the world have been treated at St. Jude, and thousands more have benefited from our research – research that is shared freely with the global medical community. The daily operating cost for St. Jude is $1.7 million, which is primarily covered by public contributions. We treat the world’s sickest children for free – no family ever pays St. Jude for anything. Call Txting 2 Lrn 1-800-FUNBOOK (386-2665) to get started today. mathathon.org By Anne Trubek Two recent studies show texting improves spelling. St. Jude patient Max The average the clock. However you exemplifies the general line are not based on research. at age 4 American teen, look at it, cell phones have of attack: Teens who text do (No negative association has acute myeloid leukemia you may not be revolutionized the way kids not read books, he asserts. been made between texting Curriculum developed by ©2012 ALSAC/St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital (10412) ILLUSTRATION: MIGUEL DAVILLA cstGipte1nohao0vei grg averaml enresm myrsr ieo,1 no opdcu3turneeae0tettxrnyp eh ots,tatms hsfh. oc, N aTotoreaah inhcn laeblemk ato l4omthsett,eoye’d:0,s x sns30 aa ttt,m ,0 c os3daaec uo3tvarvdoe9rroeyeriexv sur,drm tea-ynisygn ed .-gs - cryloaHo“aeTo ofpicm semHsuidopntx eoenohmoitcnwortinalnrituni vdasinsgn ben ?ph tiui M neicaoCNetxag uoahccit trkalesoaeid nlet .ltnli alos gtnecFne ea UieaaNdlgsrsl ca eiSgu ahtwartueerdeu r sessrswpawo is gcianh ednyne’o,s. k”d , ttAiBMsslanohioongta erStefcndgyytiusuin ia ’.cttcgrl ld htYheeslSu—a elo Meltarnyuihaept’S cs tesh:eme . a”y A“ra achS bivdtkrgheaoeorshfpo r i ownvtaasw rator grieb elo eia iet noatn eec t f aat.oeab et fsTeuuc hrytnhseuzhe eeaszre -tyg er aitelapttyfiooimonlat nl weug ddigterner eih,arr sc glacetilcoenooe yaorsd go,sdpvf si:skaiifo eon,nTf n rnraesdge datsrtp x t eh.sosieetntkuetli ultnit itilbem dnglchxes oigpo.iset)nn.irtw s nI Tocc wn,ogulvr u aen aerfisananny sitsc,dso te teto o nxh,s f - e 49 SCHOLASTIC INSTRUCTOR SPRING 2012 VEM-10412_MAT_ScholasticMagazineAd_fy12_.indd 1 2/6/12 4:15 PM INS5•Spelling[tk]v7.ag.indd 49 2/29/12 9:26 AM TEXTING TO LEARN FACT: Texting helps to my friends and adopt a FACT: Textisms have activity: nections between texting If neither of these options ONLINE students read. more formal means when historical roots. Talk about audience. and note-taking: Why do works for you, suggest talking to colleagues,” Raval TOOLS both use abbreviations? students write short-answer A British study published told the Telegraph. In other Abbreviations are a natural Ask students to write a How do you communicate textisms on dry-erase There are a growing in the Journal of Computer words, students change how part of the evolution of lan- 20-word text to a friend big ideas using few words? boards or slates. number of resources Assisted Learning found a they spell according to the guage. OK, the most popular about what they did last phonology of new words Together, brainstorm a list that can help you use positive correlation between circumstances and the audi- American word in the world, night. Then have them will help students remember of curriculum-related text- activity: texting in the class- texting and literacy, conclud- ence. They know to spell out was invented during the age rewrite that text to their their spellings. You can isms students might use in Study character. room. Here are some ing that texting was “actually the word tomorrow in a paper, of the telegraph, because it parents. Finally, they should also ask students to match their notes. of our favorites. driving the development of but when making plans with was concise. Teachers found rewrite it for you. Discuss vocabulary with existing Make literature and history phonological awareness and friends, they go with tom. classparrot.com OK as inappropriate then as how we use different text-speak (pairing uproari- activity: relevant to your students’ reading skill in children.” they do c u l8r today. But OK vocabulary, syntax, and ous with LOL, for example) Get immediate digital lives by asking them In other words, contrary to FACT: Texting is Atelxlotw-ms eysosua tgoe s aelnedrt fsr ee found its way into our lexi- even spelling for different as a memory device. feedback. to send texts from the point what you might think when a fun way to play con soon enough, and these audiences. Knowing which of view of a character or to students and par- faced with “creative” usages with words. ents—think “Spelling days we couldn’t do without “code” to use for which audi- activity: Student response systems, real-world historical figure. such as ur for your, 2 for to, it. The most popular tex- ence is a key skill for any Learn effective or “clickers,” offer kids What would Romeo text test tomorrow” or “Don’t and w8 for wait, kids who Why would an educator ever forget your field trip tisms are already becoming 21st-century student. note-taking. the opportunity to “text” Juliet? What would Abraham text may be stronger read- want to discourage kids official: The Oxford English replies to your questions or Lincoln message Mary Todd money.” ers and writers than those from playing with words? Dictionary added OMG last activity: At its heart, texting is a prompts (search “8 Clickers on the eve of the Gettysburg who don’t. The more adventurous kids polleverywhere.com year. New technologies— Break down words. form of shorthand and to Consider” at scholastic Address? Encourage half are with spelling, usage, and Lets you create easy from the printing press to a skill that may come in .com/instructor to see our of your students to take FACT: Texting boosts grammar the better. Rather polls that you can text the telegraph to the cell Try challenging students to handy when students picks). Some schools allow the point of view of the phonology. than pulling out our hair, to students and then phone—inevitably inspire come up with textisms for encounter a teacher or students to text answers sender, and the other half to we should remember that immediately view the new spelling, new abbrevia- yet-unabbreviated vocabu- professor who speaks a with their personal cell assume the point of view of To abbreviate message as msg texting is writing. And srsly, results. Perfect for tions, and new words. lary words such as fallacious mile a minute. Talk with phones, using apps that turn the recipient. Then let the or tonight as 2nite, you have to what tableau could be more quizzing science facts or or conundrum. Exploring the students about the con- smartphones into clickers. connections begin! understand how sounds and LOL-worthy than a gaggle of responding to literature. FACT: Texting does letters work, or how words children sitting quietly by not distract students. are put together. Texting their lockers, writing away? studyboost.com encourages students to think Enables students to Well, it’s no more of a about these relationships, FACT: Inventing new answer and discuss distraction than the time- helping them to understand textisms is creative. topics of your choosing honored habit of secretly how words are built. A study inside or outside of passing notes (those kids— in the Australian Journal Creating a textism isn’t easy. class, all via text always writing!). It is just of Educational Development You have to break the word message. the latest back channel for & Psychology showed that into something short and students to use during class. texting improves spelling catchy without sacrificing clickerschool.com Of course, teachers should because it increases these meaning. Try it: Choose a Turns any phone or have rules about when phonological skills. longish word, and come tablet into a clicker- kids can text, and for what up with an abbreviation style student response reason. Not because texting FACT: Students know you might use in a text. system that can accom- itself is bad, but because when not to text. The 160-character limit modate both multiple- students should be paying promotes creativity among choice and short-answer attention to the teacher. If you’re worried about texters just as tight metrical questions. Other than setting firm grading a pile of The Catcher and rhyming patterns do cell-phone policies, one way in the Rye essays written among poets. cel.ly to minimize back-channnel Facilitates group texting in text speak, fear not. In texting is to openly embrace and allows you to curate research conducted for a the platform in your class- responses (so you can dissertation at the City room as a tool for learning. push Brenda’s answer University in London, Your willingness to explore to everyone, for exam- graduate student Veenal students’ favorite form of ple, but not Johnny’s). Raval found that most communication may help students avoid text isms in to establish mutually their schoolwork. “They are respectful boundaries. See able to ‘code-switch’ the our fresh ideas for incor- same way that I would... porating texting into your use slang when speaking lessons on the next page. 50 SCHOLASTIC INSTRUCTOR SPRING 2012 INS5•Spelling[tk]v7.ag.indd 50 2/29/12 9:28 AM INS5•Spelling[tk]v7.ag.indd 51 3/1/12 8:06 AM INST JAN 2011_P039.indd 1 1/10/11 12:28:30 PM