It’s back to school, time to start using anchor charts as reading strategies to help students with their reading skills, and reading comprehension. Anchor charts are essential tools to support and re-iterate the lessons taught in the classroom. Although the acronym PIE (persuade, inform, entertain) are associated with an author’s purpose activity or anchor chart, some have expanded on PIE, creating the acronym PIE’ED, which includes five author’s purposes (persuade, inform, entertain, explain, describe). Here is a list of great […]
Category: Tools
Research Beyond Google
Over 1.2 trillion Google searches are done per year; that’s more than 40,000 searches per second. It’s so easy to type in a few keywords or a question when searching the web. Despite the magnificence of Google and other search engines, they cover only 4% (about 8 billion pages) of the world wide web; the additional 96% goes way beyond Google… The most significant portion of the world wide web, the invisible web, is inaccessible by search engines like Google. It’s also […]
Best Mind Mapping Software For Classrooms and Learning
During the Roman Empire In the 3rd century, Porphyry from Tyre mapped Aristotle’s Categories in what became known as the Porphyrian Tree. The Porphyrian Tree was possibly the first mind map. (#1) Many famous philosophers and scholars throughout history used mind maps for notetaking: Leonardo Da Vinci, Albert Einstein, Madame Curie, Michelangelo, and Thomas Edison. Tony Bunzan, however, made mind mapping popular. In his BBC TV series, Bunzan coined the term “mind map” and showed the audience how to create […]
Top 18 Virtual Reality Apps That Are Changing How Kids Learn
Technology progress influences the way kids learn, and it’s constantly changing. Internet, smartphones, and apps have connected people globally without caring about the distance. Within seconds you can communicate with anybody anywhere. Virtual reality has taken it a step further. Now it’s possible to visit these faraway places or go back in time without moving an inch. Technology, like virtual reality apps, has brought the real world into the classroom and once again, changing how kids learn. With most kids […]
Helpful Newspaper Templates For Students In Your Classroom
The secret about a newspaper is the articles are current and of interest to the reader. Some adults will read a newspaper from the front page to the back page. Others will go directly to a specific section, like sports or financial section, in the paper. There are those who like reading the obituaries. A classroom newspaper has the same function as the daily paper. It provides current news that students want to read about. Also, creating newspaper develops reading, […]
Setting SMART Goals In Your 2018 Classroom
Dreaming big dreams and desiring to achieve something worthwhile is natural to people. Setting the concrete goals to achieve these dreams is a skill that everybody of all ages needs to learn. It’s not natural for adults; neither is it natural for kids. A study done at Dominican University showed that people who had written goals, were committed to achieving the goals and had an accountability system in place, achieved more than those who didn’t have written goals. Like any […]
7 Great Uses For OneNote & Lense In The Classroom
If you haven’t heard of OneNote, it’s time you did. It’s often been described as a “digital 3-ring binder” because it’s a great resource for storing all your digital information. While that is true, it doesn’t capture just how full-featured OneNote has become over the years. When you add the capabilities of Office Lense to the mix, you have a powerful learning framework that can really help simplify teaching in your classroom. Here are 7 ways OneNote and Office Lense […]
9 Sets of Multiplication Flash Cards For Engaging Math Practice
Using flash cards, including multiplication flash cards has long been accepted as a simple, yet effective way to teach children skills that require memorization. Flash cards use repetition to teach a skill and increase recall and therefore, confidence. The idea of flash cards is quite simple. Sit down with a child, show them the problem or question on the front of the card, and then allow the child to think about and provide the answer. As they practice, the repetitive […]
118 Ways To Educate Yourself For Free This Summer
At 99 years of age, Doreetha Daniels graduated with an associate degree in social sciences from the College of the Canyons in California. Her goal was to better herself. Dr. Denise Parks published a study in the journal Psychological Science that proved that the challenge of learning improved memory skills in older people. When she followed up a year later, she discovered study participants had maintained their improved memory. There are many benefits never to stop learning: You have the choice […]
Moderate to Severe Developmental Disability: Eight Essential Skills for Living
Most evaluation tools and curricula arrange skills according to the way a typical child might acquire them. Essential for Living by Patrick McGreevy, PhD BCBA-D et al takes a different approach. They group skills into categories of “must-have,” “should-have,” “good-to-have,” and “nice-to have.” This instrument also identifies deficits in functional skills that might be the root cause of maladaptive behaviors. In this way, educators, therapists, caretakers, and parents can prioritize skills on an education or service plan according to how […]
7 Of The Best Screencasting Software Tools For Classrooms
Sometimes it’s just quicker and easier to show someone an idea or concept rather than try to say it to them. Other situations demand that you present an idea in multiple formats. I know when I was in school (back in ancient, rotary-phone days), it would have been really helpful if my teacher could have sent me home with a recording of exactly how she tackled the example calculus problem. That way, I could have watched and re-watched her instructions at […]
Your Chime: Helping Children Regain Control Through Mindfulness
I’m a big believer that everyone can benefit from practicing mindfulness. While there are some differences in what that means to different groups, all generally agree it involves taking time out of the day to calm the mind and concentrate on experiencing and living in the here and now – not the past, nor the future (both of which are really constructs created in our head anyway). This act of “clearing the mental decks” helps me to live life with […]
2017 #HOUROFCODE is here
Overview The Computer Science Education Week (December 4-10) is upon us, and with it comes one of the biggest education movements in history, Hour of Code. 475 million students have participated in an Hour of Code since it’s beginning and in just 60 minutes sparked a global movement to promote computer science and programming in our schools. Here’s some tools and tips to help you as you prepare. Name: Hour of Code Pricing: Free Compatibility: Everywhere Access: Everyone Privacy: n/a A Quick Look Hour of […]
5 New Ways I Learned this Summer Without Stepping Foot in a Classroom
Oh summertime. Basking in the sun, putting my toes in the sand, water lapping at my feet. Well, that was just a dream this summer, but I did get to learn in some creative ways. Let me share them with you. 1. Teacher’s First Book Club How many of us have great intentions to go out and read the 50 best books to read this summer? Well I couldn’t tackle 50 but I did read a few including, “Integrating Technology in […]
Word of the Day — Akin
The following is adapted from Episode 32 of the Word of the Day Podcast. Akin, an adjective, means “like or similar to,” and is perfectly suited for making comparisons between things. The etymology is pretty interesting. Akin contains within it the word “kin,” which means, “family or relatives.” If this reminds you of the word “clan,” then you have the right idea: Clan, in Gaelic, means children or offspring. So if someone is in your clan, they’re family. In a […]
9 Lunch Boxes and Accessories for Kids
Ask almost any kid what their favorite part of the day was and they’re likely to tell you lunchtime and recess! Having a break in the middle of the school day helps students to socialize, spend some pent-up energy, and most importantly, refuel for the remainder of their lessons. Whether they’re ordering from the cafeteria or brown-bagging their lunch, it’s so important that they have access to healthy food that’s filling and nourishing. Make mornings easier and mealtimes fresher with […]
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A Mom, Two Kids, and a Water-Testing Kit [Review]
This week, my kids and I were very excited to try out our new water-testing kit. The older two (ages seven and five) love science, AND they drink a great deal of water, so this was the perfect experiment for us to work on together. The Product Test Assured’s 4-pack Kit for Schools and Science Fairs comes with four tests, which are to be used to evaluate four different samples of water. For each sample, test strips are provided to […]
Is The Next John Glenn or Neil Armstrong Sitting In Your Class? Encouraging The Next Generation Of Space Explorers
Within all of us, there lies a desire to explore. It can be as simple as trying a new cuisine or as complicated as diving into the depths of an ocean to see the vibrant colors of coral reefs. It drives us to push past our comfort zones and reach for the stars. Learning how to harness the innate need to pioneer new frontiers in our students can be difficult at times, perhaps even overwhelming. Each year we are faced […]
Developing A Conceptual Understanding of Maths with GeoGebra
Teaching for conceptual understanding is one of the strong themes running through many articles on this site. There is a world of difference between students being able to “do mathematics” and students understanding the mathematics they are “doing”. Tweet It is clearly advantageous for learners to be both proficient in mathematics as well as to understand the mathematics conceptually. As is argued by many commentators, simply practicing routines is not an effective way to develop conceptual understanding. However, there are […]
The Word of the Day Podcast—A New Way to Inspire Language Learners
To expand on a popular saying: Give a man a fish, and he’ll eat for a day. Teach a man to fish, and he’ll pass a fishing test and then forget how because he wasn’t all that into fishing in the first place. Inspire a love for fishing, and he’ll fish for a lifetime. I think most teachers want to get their students to that third stage—where learning is no longer a trial, but a game, an endeavor, a creative […]