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On the Teaching Professor blog, the author starts with: "In May I finished a second edition of my Learner-Centered Teaching book. Revising it gave me the chance to revisit my thinking about the topic and look at work done since publication of the first edition ten years ago. It is a subject about which there is still considerable interest." And that it is. Check out the five characteristics of Learner-Centered Teaching helped me to think about my own thoughts of Learner-Centered engagement as a Tech. Coordinator who loves teachers and teaching.

There are still some educators that don't seem to know the no nos for teaching with a projector or interactive whiteboard (IWB). Here are ten no nos to avoid as you teach with technology.

I like the reflective process this teacher is using to improve her teaching literacy to her students. The methods she is practicing and refining are in contrast to the "one and done" reading approach she mentions students practicing outside of class. A favorite quote in the reflection: "In my class we explore the why--the story behind history. Pace carefully and read closely, and students will discover the why--especially when they can discuss the questions they've had time to think about." Instead of the teacher "teaching" content, the students explore that content and find meaning for themselves that is relevant and connective to other learning experiences.

So many great points by veteran teachers - one with over 50 years of teaching experience - on what makes a great teacher - not just the quality, but the process of becoming/sustaining excellence in teaching

"I've been teaching students how to write for 12 years, but this week I had a realization that made me question the purpose of writing in school." Catlin Tucker brings up some important points to consider in the writing process and her own process as a teacher.

A presentation by Richard Byrne on how to use some different digital collections of Primary Source documents to teach high school social studies lessons in Honors level classes, as well as other classes. 

Teaching quality has been defined as "instruction that enables a wide range of students to learn" (Darling-Hammond, 2012), and it is the strongest school-related factor that can improve student learning and achievement (Hanushek, 2011; Nye, Konstantopoulos, and Hedges, 2004; Rivkin, Hanushek, and Kain, 2005). Knowing this, what is the best way to foster and provide ongoing support for good teaching practices? While every school is unique, research has identified several elements that can almost universally increase the chances for successful teacher development and create a powerful and positive school community.

"Research has shown that teaching quality is the strongest school-related factor that can improve student learning and achievement. In order to cultivate high-quality teaching, support for ongoing professional learning in schools is essential. " Five articles, including a comprehensive bibliography with links to all the studies and reports cited in these pages.  1. How effective leadership supports prof. learning 2. Key components for productive PD programs 3. PLC's 4. Recommendations for evidence-based programs

Catlin Tucker, Honors English teacher, shares: "The SAMR model (substitution, augmentation, modification and redefinition) explores the impact of integrating technology on both teaching and learning. It attempts to outline a progression that educators follow in their journey towards redefining teaching and learning with technology. I've used this model as a guide to identify where a particular lesson or activity falls on the spectrum of technology integration, but it does not  reflect the teacher's evolution." Read the rest of her post.

College writing/literature instructor shares how he uses Google Docs to teach writing.

Vicki Davis models student transparency to improve her teaching, using a discussion format and parent surveys.

Teaching Channel has some engaging videos covering a variety of topics that also support the Common Core.

Katlin Tucker, a dynamic high school teacher presents her approach-pedagogy-instructional strategies to transform teaching and learning. She demonstrates ways she helps engage students and grow skills in several areas, including communication, comprehension & critique, collaboration, content knowledge, etc. A couple of her main tools include Collaborize Classroom and Google Docs. 

This blog post will get you to ask yourself, "What is the role of a teacher?" Some of the comments show the wide diversity in views among educators - those who would abandon schools if they could (LIsa Nielsen), others who have the paradigm of the student making the instructional choices and the teacher just floating around and helping students, and those who see the teacher as embodying many different skill sets and who work out of a strong relationship with their students. The current educational shifts in pedagogy and goals in education have had a profound impact on teaching. Reading this post will help stimulate and hopefully clarify you own views.

"As educators, we aim to be connected to advance our craft.  On another level, we hope to teach students to use networks to prepare for them for a changing job market.  But what is the best way to approach PLNs?" This blog post has some great tips for developing your PLN and transforming your own learning.

So you have been ordered to integrate technology in you classroom. Only problem is, you only have one computer or have limited access to computers. Here are 10 ways you can use. In addition, these are just great teaching/learning strategies for any classroom and could be used for PBL.  Created by Kimberly Scott - see her blog: www.ingeniousteaching.blogspot.com

Great interactive visual resources for anatomy and physiology - some for the iPad.

The post really points to the possible pitfalls of online courses. It also suggests the importance of examining & evaluating the effectiveness of online courses - including the teacher's pedagogy and instructional methods - and student receptiveness, level of engagement, and success in courses. The comments after the post provide a lively discussion. Blended learning seems to get high marks.

Backchanneling has a lot of promise with students in many different content areas. Here is a Social Studies teacher who shared her first experience using Today's Meet as a tool for doing formative assessment and teaching critical thinking skills during a film she showed students. Check out the learning process she shares in her reflection.

"Mr. Robb's Math is a YouTube channel containing 555 videos produced by high school mathematics teacher Bradley Robb. Mr. Robb's videos explain and demonstrate solving problems in Algebra I, Algebra II, and Calculus. Most of the videos are recorded while Mr. Robb is teaching. You can find the videos on the Mr. Robb's Math YouTube channel or visit Mr. Robb's website WowMath to find the videos organized in sequence with accompanying screenshots."