Feed readers
are probably the most important digital tool for today's learner because they
make sifting through the amazing amount of content added to the Internet
easy. Also known as aggregators, feed readers are free tools that can
automatically check nearly any website for new content dozens of times a
day---saving ridiculous amounts of time and customizing learning experiences for
anyone.
Imagine
never having to go hunting for new information from your favorite sources
again. Learning goes from a frustrating search through thousands of
marginal links written by questionable characters to quickly browsing the
thoughts of writers that you trust, respect and enjoy.
Feed readers can
quickly and easily support blogging in the classroom, allowing teachers to
provide students with ready access to age-appropriate sites of interest that are
connected to the curriculum. By collecting sites in advance and organizing
them with a feed reader, teachers can make accessing information manageable for
their students.
Here are several
examples of feed readers in action:
Used specifically as
a part of one classroom project, this feed list contains information related to
global warming that students can use as a starting point for individual
research.
While there are literally dozens of different feed reader
programs to choose from (Bloglines andGoogle Reader are two
biggies), Pageflakes is a favorite of
many educators because it has a visual layout that is easy to read and
interesting to look at. It is also free and web-based. That
means that users can check accounts from any computer with an Internet
connection. Finally, Pageflakes makes it quick and easy to add new
websites to a growing feed list—and to get rid of any websites that users are no
longer interested in.
What's even
better: Pageflakes has been developinga teacher version of their tooljust for us that includes an online grade tracker,
a task list and a built in writing tutor. As Pageflakes works to perfect
its teacher product, this might become one of the first kid-friendly feed
readers on the market. Teacher Pageflakes users can actually blog and create a
discussion forum directly in their feed reader---making an all-in-one digital
home for students.
For more
information about the teacher version of Pageflakes, check out this
review:
A complete unit to help students explore all aspects of the controversy surrounding sampling and fair use. Includes online video. Scroll to the bottom for an educator guide, discussion questions, and printable handouts.
“Students can critically read in a variety of ways:
When they raise vital questions and problems from the text,
When they gather and assess relevant information and then offer plausible interpretations of that information,
When they test their interpretations against previous knowledge or experience …,
When they examine their assumptions and the implications of those assumptions, and
When they use what they have read to communicate effectively with others or to develop potential solutions to complex problems.
I have been using Duolingo since November and is it fantastic. Not only is it free, but the system works. I am studying German and Spanish and I am amazed at not only how much I have learned, but how much I have retained.
t also helps them assign the appropriate balance of points in relation to the importance of each target as well as the number of items for each assessed target.
At first when looking at this test plan, I questioned how an English teacher who gives very few "tests" in favor of application essays would create a test plan. However, then I realized that each of the learning targets is really just a criterion on a rubric. Instead of having a certain number of questions, each category is worth a different weight. That makes the test plan idea make much more sense in my mind.
minimizing any bias that might distort estimates of student learning.
Will the users of the results understand them and see the connection to learning?
From a formative point of view, decision makers at the classroom assessment level need evidence of where students are on the learning continuum toward each standard
This site is a great way for anyone to expand their vocab. It allows teachers and students to create lists and has thousands of already made lists from literature, speeches, history, current news, plus more.
Get some weird and wonderful story starters. Just click on the button to view one of the million starters. There is also a junior version for younger writers at http://www.thestorystarter.com/jr.htm.
Checklist to use before embarking on a blogging project with students
