Content Literacy

It's from CNN a respected news source and it is geared toward students. A quick look around found topics ranging from politics to sports to hurricanes. 

I love Blip.fm and I like the idea of sharing favorite videos from TV as well. I think it's a stretch for extensive use in the classroom, but it is an option in some cases.

What you can do with us Upload as many videos as you want-you get nearly unlimited space with ViddlerRecord videos directly to the site using your webcam!Post comments and tags at specific points in the videoShare your videos with RSS and iTunesKeep your money! We are 100% free!

Videos from Snag Video that have been identified as educational in nature. 

Site for sharing video covering many topics, not just for educational purposes.

Video sharing for students and teachers.

Great weekly 60 second podcast that can be used as an incredible starter. I just listened to three podcasts that involved solar power, Mars, laughter and morality, and regressions to liars. If you can't start a conversation or class with those topics you aren't very imaginative!

Another site to access already made charts/graphs or to have students create and share their own visual displays of information. 

Problem Based Learning Academy is a well designed wiki with lots of interesting links/resources if you are interested in learning more about problem based learning. 

11 Techy Things for Teachers to Try This Year The new school year is here for many teachers. For those who haven't started school yet, the new school year will be here soon. If you've set the goal of trying something new in your classroom this year (shouldn't that always be one of our goals), here are eleven techy things teachers should try this year.

Math videos to help explain skills/concepts. Tends to be very skill based, but offers multiple takes on the same skill so if a students doesn't get it from one person the next might be a better fit, short videos makes it plausible that a student might use, GREAT integration of vocabulary. Well worth incorporating into classroom practice to help students understand how to use formulas or manipulate equations. Also they are GREAT models if you want kids to create their own.

The Common Core State Standards focus on core conceptual understandings and procedures starting in the early grades, thus enabling teachers to take the time needed to teach core concepts and procedures well-and to give students the opportunity to master them.

Uses for Diigo as a classroom research tool. 

Interesting article on the brain. Worth reading, it is insightful that many decisions we make are influenced by what we think is brain research. Always interesting to get more information. 

Reading is a Problem-Solving Process. Why Not Try the Thumb Method? New blog post by Denise Finley about supporting students while they learn to read scientifically!

The website says: "THE Place For Educational Games!Our research-based and standards-aligned free educational math games and language arts games will engage, motivate, and help teach students. Click a button below to play our free multi-player and single-player games! In the future we'll add features enabling you to save records, tailor content for differentiated instruction, and pinpoint student problem areas." I think using the games in conjunction with a holistic approach to developing skills would make for a great way of getting students to practices some skills. Let students play, set goals, monitor those goals, reflect on their progress, and apply strategies/heuristics to specific problems they struggle with would create an environment in the classroom where learning was fun, self-monitored, and successful. 

Edutopia is just confirming what we all know and believe. Why is it such a hard thing to implement well in the classroom?  We need to continue fighting for the chance for every student to have opportunities and expectations for communicating in class everyday as a regular/routine part of their learning. 

National Educational Technology Standards, Electronic Portfolio Templates Some interesting things to think about collecting and organizing for an e-portfolio.