More technology resources

Hey teachers,

Here are a few more sites to check out to help you incorporate technology in your classroom!

http://www.webquest.org/
This Website provides resources for WebQuests and is useful for students of all ages.
http://www.nettrekker.com/
This Website is also great for exploring beyond the classroom (but it’s not free)
http://making-history.com/
This Website is the gaming headquarters for Making History and can be used for cross-curricular units

https://www.edmodo.com/

This website is a great way to connect and collaborate with students and parents

 

Common Core

If you’re a teacher in the United States then you know that there is a lot of focus and debate on the Common Core lately. Proponents of adopting the Common Core State Standards say an introduced shared national assessment system may be more beneficial in determining how schools are performing across the nation. This would in turn benefit students overall. Opponents of a national assessment system believe that if the federal government becomes involved states will have less control, certain topics will be left out and funding will become an issue. Whether or not you’re a proponent of the CCSS, I feel that they still have a place in education. Since I teach internationally I am not held to the same accountability as teachers in the U.S. However, I use he CCSS as a frame of reference along with the PYP when using backwards design to write a unit or lesson plan.

Achievethecore is a great resource for lessons that align with the CCSS. The site also provided professional development sessions and research.

Gender inequality in education: using gender inclusive language in the classroom

Both boys and girls have similar goals of educational achievement and similar abilities. However, through research we know that gender inequality exists both at the primary and secondary school levels. Some reasons for this are that curricular materials portray boys/girls/men/women differently, boys are allowed more leniency for classroom mis-behavior and boys are called on more often than girls. Sadker and Sadker (1994). Another possible reason inequality exists is because of the language teachers use in the classroom. In an online article from Sheknows.com the author mentions that what we call our kids in the classroom does matter. I think it is important as educators that we evaluate how we address our students in the classroom. Is our language equitable to all students?

You can check out the full article here:http://www.sheknows.com/parenting/articles/1053415/boys-girls-purple-penguins-what-we-call-our-kids-matters

 

Classroom management and discipline: What works?

As educators we have all faced a situation where we have had to use classroom management to redirect the actions of a misbehaving student. But what works when it comes to discipline and classroom management? What does the research say about best practices?

This American life Brings up some great questions regarding student discipline in the podcast “Is this working?” You can find the full episode on their website here: http://www.thisamericanlife.org/radio-archives/episode/538/is-this-working

A simple Google search about research on classroom management will provide loads of information and articles. One of my favorite researched based strategies is the STOP and THINK social skills program described by project ACHIEVE.

 

Using technology in the classroom: BAND phone app

Hi everyone!

Have you heard of the phone app called BAND. It is a social media platform specifically for groups. You can create a group for each class. Every group that is created has its own ‘wall’ for group posts and members can upload photos, videos, documents etc. It’s a great platform for sharing ideas and posting questions for student responses. Students can respond to you, other students and further classroom discussions. It’s also a great way to keep the communication lines  between teacher and students active. Another great feature is the calendar function which can allow the teacher to share academic calendars, assignments and such. A coworker told me about it and said it was an excellent way to communicate with all students and to encourage communication between students. If you want to learn more about BAND you can read about it on Wikipedia.

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