This content unit gives an overview of the use of STARLOGO software (FREE) for education from MIT. This is an awesome software and curriculum!

Standards in education are generally developed for the following reasons: Assessment, Achievement, Accountability, Focus, and Transparency. What do you think?

Kathy, You make an excellent point, thank you! I was merely trying to spark some dialogue. I didn't realize that Classroom 2.0 at Diigo was about sharing technology, particularly Web 2.0, links. Again, thanks for pointing that out. Best regards, Ellen

Formative assessments are, by definition, assessments that are used constantly to determine student mastery. They are a tool that can be used to reshape teaching. In order to use formative assessment correctly, an educator must first understand both his/her curriculum and what the state/school district expects a student to know at the end of the course.

Consider what it is that you want for the children in your home, school or community. From each pair, think about whether you lean more toward A or B:

Is it cheating when a student does a search for test answers on the internet? I don't mean conducting research on the Civil War in order to study for a test. I mean, what if the student enters search terms in Google to find the answers to "Mr. Johnson's 10th grade American History Civil War exam" to find out the answers to the exact test which they will be taking in the hopes (or knowledge) that a previous student has posted the information online. Most of us would come down on the side of "Yes, that is cheating." or at least an attempt to cheat.

Online Teacher PD Course: Understanding Learning Challenges http://tinyurl.com/cogskills ONLY $10 thru Feb w/code: cogskills2011

In addition to Social Network sites the Internet offers many popular services that have become part of most teens social network including chat, instant messaging, blogs, peer-to-peer networks, text messaging and gaming. What are your thoughts about the use of social networks in the classroom, teachers connecting with students in online social environments and social networking sites in general for education?

Most gifted learners demonstrate: above average ability, commitment to task and a high level of creativity. A simple checklist can sometimes help the classroom teacher to consider the characteristics of each student in a classroom. This initial instrument might guide something as basic as determining the makeup of tiered instruction groups. The following checklist is a tool that might be useful in considering each child's learning attributes, not only those considered to be gifted:

Often, the first knowledge a teacher has of an English Language Learner (ELL) in the classroom is his name on a roster. It may look different from typical U.S. names. You may not know how to pronounce it. Sometimes you may be able to guess what language an ELL speaks by looking at his name and sometimes not. How can you prepare to best welcome this learner?

There are several reasons why all educators should be aware of best practices in reading instruction. One of the arguments is that sound reading enables improved student understanding across all content areas.

"What influences what we learn?" and "How are influencers determined?"

As a school administrator, mentor teacher, school board member or educational leader you are responsible for providing a safe and secure environment within which students and faculty will work. In the past this has involved building details in the physical world; the brick and mortar. In schools today this now includes the online world. You must have, at least, a basic level of understanding in the areas of

In teaching, there is a shift of focus that takes place at around 4th grade where literacy instruction changes from "learning to read" to "reading to learn." It is a known phenomenon that a number of students who did quite well in the primary years struggle with this new type of reading.

This online course for teachers helps them to understand computer concepts as well as how to use and navigate computer systems. It's important for educators to start with computer basics in order to best understand technology. And the first step is to develop a familiarity with the machine that they are primarily working on.

Eaton-Johnson Middle School is located in North Carolina, approximately 45 minutes north of Raleigh. The school is considered by the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction as a rural school, however, this is also inner city. Eaton-Johnson Middle School is located in a district with a high unemployment rate, high crime rate, and a high gang rate. When the school first implemented Synergy, the school was also suffering from low teacher morale, an unclear mission, and very little parent involvement. We had to do something, because EJMS was also considered a priority school which meant that the state was looking very closely at our instructional programs, teachers, school community, and the administration.