Spring is here. As we look forward to longer, warmer days, it’s a good time to look around your home or apartment and identify the elements that might pose a danger to you or others. You might also eliminate conditions that could cause unnecessary damage.
Here are five simple things that can make your home or apartment safer.
1. Prevent break-ins.
Did you know break-ins increase in the spring and summer? The Justice Department says a home in the U.S. is burglarized every 20 seconds. Many of these are crimes of opportunity from thieves looking for an easy target. Simply locking doors and windows, not leaving garage doors open and installing extra lighting and a security system can reduce the risk. Trimming back bushes from around the home, having a dog and joining a neighborhood watch group are also good ways to deter a burglar.
2. Fire-proof your home.
Many of us may not know that fires burn hotter and faster than in the past. New tests show the open floor plans of modern homes, synthetic furniture and tons of electronics can cause a spark or a flame to flash into a major blaze in just three to five minutes. It’s important that we eliminate clutter, install smoke detectors on all levels of the home and in all bedrooms, have fire extinguishers available, and have an escape plan. It’s also essential to create defensible space around your home in case of a wildfire. Remember, too, that smoking materials are the leading cause of fire deaths.
3. Eliminate trips and falls.
While you can’t prevent all of them, you can make certain that stairs are in good repair with firm handrails, toys, newspapers and other clutter are picked up, rugs have a non-skid backing and bathrooms and showers have safety handles and no-slip bathmats. Adequate lighting inside and outside also helps. Not only will these actions protect your family, but they help prevent you from being sued if someone hurt themselves at your home or apartment.
4. Prepare for natural disasters.
This is the beginning of storm season. Do you have a safe area in case there is a tornado or earthquake? Do you know your risk for flood, fire or weather events? Now is the time to make certain your home is as disaster proof as possible, that you have an evacuation and communications plan, and prepare an emergency kit with extra food, water, medicines, etc.
5. Check appliances, pipes and wires.
Water from broken pipes, loose fittings and clogged drains can cause serious damage to your home. Inspect the backs of refrigerators, washers and other water sources for cracked pipes or rusted connectors. Frayed wires and clogged vents can cause fires, as can fireplaces and heaters that haven’t been cleaned and checked.
No matter how well you plan, you need home or renters insurance to protect your most valuable asset and your possessions. Homeowners and renters insurance also provide temporary housing and additional living costs while your home is repaired, as well as liability protection in case you get sued. Don’t forget that earthquakes and floods are not covered under your homeowner or renters insurance. You need separate policies for those.
Formative assessment is meant to monitor student learning and provide teachers information to help guide instruction during a lesson or unit. It can help teachers target areas of weakness, identify strengths, and differentiate. Using appropriate formative assessment strategies can help improve instruction and student achievement. It doesn’t have to be time consuming. These no-prep formative assessment methods can save you time while informing your instruction.
Four Corners: Students will choose a corner based on their level of expertise of a given subject. Once students are in their chosen corners, allow them to discuss their progress with others. Questions may be prompted by the teacher. Corner One will pair with Corner Three and Corner Two will pair with Corner Four for peer scaffolding.
So What? Journal: Identify the main idea of the lesson. Why is it important? State 2–3 reasons these concepts are important.
Misconception Check: Present students with common or predictable misconceptions about a particular concept or process. Ask students to agree or disagree and explain why. Can also be presented in the form of a multiple-choice or true-false quiz.
Inside-Outside Circle: Students will form one inner and outer circle. The inside and outside circles face each other. Within each pair, students will quiz each other with questions they have written. The outside circle moves to create new pairs. Repeat.
Triangular Prism: Have students provide feedback about their learning by displaying a card with the color that corresponds to their level of understanding (red, yellow, green).
Decisions, Decisions: Give students a question, prompt, or problem to solve. Provide time to respond independently. Then have students move to a side of the room that corresponds to their response. Each side will share out their reasoning. Allow students to change sides after the discussion.
Sketch: Visually represent new knowledge. Challenge students to use a drawing rather than words to show understanding of a concept. This is the perfect exercise for those kids who have difficulty speaking out in class.
Whip Around: Pose a question or a task and have students individually respond on a scrap piece of paper, listing at least 3 thoughts/responses/statements. When finished responding, all students will stand. Then randomly call on a student to share one of his/her ideas. Have students check off any items that are said by another student (or themselves) and sit down when all of their items have been shared with the group. Allows general understanding or gaps to be revealed among the whole group.
Letter: Explain the concept or lesson in a letter to a friend (also a great way to practice letter writing).
Cubing: Display 6 questions from the lesson. Have students in groups of 4. Give each group one die. Each student will roll the die and answer the question with the corresponding number. If a number is rolled more than once, the student may elaborate on the previous response or roll again. Responses may be written or shared orally.
3-2-1: Have students write a response to teacher generated questions. Teacher questions may vary according to the particular concept/ process: 3 things you found out 2 interesting things 1 question you still have OR 3 key words 2 new ideas 1 thought to think about.
Quickwrite: Without stopping, write what most confuses you. Visit with students individually or have a class discussion to help clarify confusions.
What no-prep formative assessment strategies do you use in your classroom?
April is Distracted Driving Awareness Month. It’s a good reminder that we all need to be more aware of what we are doing as we motor along America’s byways and highways. However, you’re not alone if you get a pit in your stomach every time your teenager grabs the car keys and heads out on the roads. Many parent’s biggest fear is that something might happen while their teen is out driving.
Sadly, there is a reality behind that fear; getting behind the wheel is one of the most dangerous things a young person can do. Teen drivers are much more likely to be texting or using a device while driving than any other age group. They are also more prone to dangerous interactions with their passengers. Accident rates for all drivers have gone up the past two years, but drivers aged 15-20 years old were more likely to be involved in crashes attributed to distracted driving, which is the leading cause of death for people in that age group.
Here are some startling statistics that show why:
At any given moment, approximately 660,000 motorists are using or manipulating a cell phone
70 percent of people ages 16-19 and 88 percent of ages 19-24 admitted in an insurance industry survey that they regularly text while driving
At 55 miles per hour, the average text takes a person’s eyes off the road long enough to travel the length of a football field
60 percent of teen crashes involve distractions behind the wheel
Teen driving deaths increase around prom and summer season
Most of these are preventable tragedies. Sadly, they impact thousands of families every year like Amanda C., a California teen who survived a previous crash while texting and driving, but not a second similar crash a year later. Seventeen year old Alex B. from Texas lost her life when she rolled the truck she was driving while texting, and 21 year old Casey F. from Pennsylvania was killed instantly when a distracted driver hit her while she was crossing the street.
Ironically, an analysis of the last messages in fatal crashes attributed to texting found many common words such as: “love you;” “home soon;” “need to stop texting, unsafe;” “send me the directions;” and “OK.”
So what can you do to protect your teens?
Enroll them in a safe driving course
Follow the graduated driver licensing rules: no driving at night and no or limited passengers for the first six months or for a full year
Require seat belts and safety restraints be worn at all times
Enforce a no cell phone/texting policy
Urge young drivers to observe all speed and safety regulations
Provide a vehicle that offers the best protection in crash tests
Set a good example for them to follow
A great resource is Impact Teen Drivers. The nonprofit educates teens about the deadly consequences of distracted driving. They offer evidence-based, peer-to-peer programs and information to empower young drivers to make good choices behind the wheel. They also hold a twice a year Create Real Impact contest, rewarding students ages 14-22 for their creative messages discouraging distracted driving. California Casualty is committed to making our roadways safer and we are a major sponsor of Impact Teen Drivers. We urge you to learn more at www.calcas.com/impact-teen-drivers.
Emergencies happen daily, and firefighters are the heroes to come to the rescue. As technology is constantly changing, it’s important that firefighters stay updated on the newest vehicles that have lithium-ion batteries and alternative fuel.
Here are some suggested guidelines for firefighter safety:
• Wear full PPE and SCBA
• Identify the type of vehicle involved
• Stabilize vehicle
• Use large volume of water to cool the fire and battery
• If possible, follow the wrecker to the storage area and place the car away from other vehicles, buildings, or combustibles.
Firefighters are trying to keep pace with the changing components and features of these cars. With new technology developing daily, firefighters face a challenge with new cars.
Now that the day-to-day job is in the past, you can look forward to a life afterwards. So you maybe asking yourself, what to do now? It’s a new chapter in life and the opportunities are endless. Here are ideas to consider for your new life in retirement.
Staying Active. Gardening, playing tennis, taking walks, or even chasing grandkids are great ways to keep active throughout retirement. It also has health benefits such as reducing cholesterol, promotes stronger bones, helps improve strength and balance.
Find Your Creative Side. It’s important to also exercise your brain. Studies show that picking up a hobby has positive effects such as reducing your risk for Alzheimer’s. So pick up that paint brush and paint a masterpiece, or strum a new song on the guitar.
Get to Know Your Friends. Now that work doesn’t interfere with your social life, take time to spend more time with friends, or even family. It doesn’t just help bring everyone together, but it has cognitive benefits, such as happiness. Who doesn’t enjoy an afternoon with friends?
Spend Time Volunteering. Put it on your schedule to do volunteer work. Volunteering helps with your mental health bringing happiness and personal satisfaction.
Going into retirement doesn’t have to feel like the end of the world. Think of it as a new open door to life. Staying healthy and happy will lead to a longer enjoyable life.
