Thames Parent Programming: Free Parent Bookshelf!!!

Thames Academy understands the challenges and joys involved in parenting. We also know that parenting a son/daughter with a disability adds an additional layer of advocacy, emotion and responsibility to a parent's job. Thames Academy believes it is important to support parents and caregivers of our students and so we have created many ways to connect with you and offer you support.

-*NEW* Parent Bookshelf - Our newest parent resource is a collection of books for parents which are available to take, borrow and read at your leisure. The books are on a variety of topics and multiple copies are available for you to read for free!

     A few of the titles on our Parent Bookshelf include:


           

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Jennifer Sullivan publishes article on Sociology & Photography

Thames faculty, Jennifer Sullivan, wrote an article that was published in the Spring 2015 American Sociological Association newsletter for the section on Teaching & Learning. Her article, "Seeing History Through the Lens of a Camera" describes a class visit to the New London Public Library in the Mitchell College special topics course, "Visual Sociology: Photography."

CLICK HERE to read Jennifer Sullivan's article

Jennifer has a personal interest in photography and brings photography into the Thames classroom as well. Check out Jennifer's blog post about bringing photography into the classroom.

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Inside the Classroom: Cram.com used to help students study

Thames Academy teaches students college readiness skills including how to prepare and study for exams. Thames Academy holds midterm and final exams in some of its college level courses and the instructors embed study strategies into these courses.

 Introduction to Sociology, which is taken by all Thames students is a 3 credit college level course with a midterm and final exam. This semester Thames faculty, Jennifer Sullivan, is using an innovative, fun teaching tool to help students prepare for their upcoming exam.

The picture above is from a website called Cram.com. This website allows students to create virtual flashcards of key terms, hear the flashcards being read aloud, and includes 2 games to help students learn the flashcard content. In Sociology class yesterday, Oct. 9, students used the above matching game to begin studying terms for the upcoming midterm exam. Thames instructors know that repetition and small, manageable chunks of information help students better retain information. 

Check out Cram.com!

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Jacquie Jewett & Jennifer Sullivan present at CSCA Annual Conference

Jacqueline Jewett and Jennifer Sullivan presented a workshop session titled "Successfully Bridging the Gap Between High School and College for LD Students: Be Prepared" this week at The Connecticut School Counselor Association Annual Conference.

The conference was attended by over 300 guidance counselors and was held on the beautiful Mitchell College campus. CLICK HERE to view the powerpoint presentation presented by Jacquie and Jennifer.

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Inside the Classroom: Brain Breaks (w/pics)

Sociology students frequently take "brain breaks" to keep students engaged and help them practice flexible thinking and transitioning. Enjoy a look inside our classroom!

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In the Classroom: Making Sociology Real through Photography (w.lots of pics)

Intro to Sociology (3 credit college-level course) students connected classroom content to their daily lives in an experiential way by taking photographs! 

In class, students have been studying the meaning of culture and cultural universals. To help make these concepts "real," students were given an assignment to photograph "Thames Academy Culture."

Look below at some of the pictures they captured:

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In the Classroom: Benefits of Juggling (w/pics)

Thames Academy instructors use innovative teaching strategies in the classroom to engage students and facilitate the learning process. Students in Jennifer Sullivan's Introduction to Sociology class participated in an "out of the box" learning strategy this week by developing a new skill. They learned how to juggle!

There are many benefits and connections between learning to juggle and the educational process:

1 - Juggling improves hand-eye coordination and gross motor skills

2 - Juggling improves patience and perseverance

3 - When done with a partner, juggling encourages socialization and team work

4 - Juggling requires flexible thinking and adaptability

5 - Juggling provides a 'brain break' for students with attention challenges in the classroom

Take a look inside our classroom!

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Technology Blog Article: iPad Workshop Week 2

Check out the newest article on the Technology Blog called "iPad Workshop Week 2." Students and Thames Academy faculty are exploring educational uses of iPads and this week downloaded the app, Educreation.

CLICK HERE to read the article 

OR 

click on the Technology Blog tab on the top of our blog.

Ron Samul, Thames faculty and Alessandro, student

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Jen Sullivan presents at Eastern Sociological Society 2015 conference in NYC

Thames faculty, Jennifer Sullivan, listening to a round table discussion on
 Digital Sociology: Future of the Discipline 

Thames Academy Faculty, Jennifer Sullivan, presented at the Eastern Sociological Society annual conference in New York City last weekend, February 28 - March 1. The topics she presented on were:

The Photoshop Controversy: Examining Authenticity in Advertising and the Effect of Social Media on Young Women's Body Image

Scholarly Publishing versus Social Media: Examining the Ways Women Communicate and the Implications for Closing the Gender Gap

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