"Parents who restrict their children's use of new media technologies may be acting counterproductively in the long run, particularly if they invoke afterschool homework time as the reason. Their children's scholastic achievements at college lag behind the academic performance of same-age peers, a University of Zurich study shows."
"It's a lesson in scholastic humility: You waltz into an exam, confident that you've got a good enough grip on the class material to swing an 80 percent or so, maybe a 90 if some of the questions go your way."
Story StartersGrades: PreK–K, 1–2, 3–5, 6–8This interactive tool creates quick writing prompts to help young students delve into creative writing.
Immigration: Stories of Yesterday and TodayGrades: PreK–K, 1–2, 3–5, 6–8Take a tour of Ellis Island, explore an interactive immigration timeline, and meet young immigrants in this online activity!
Science ExplorationsGrades: 3–5, 6–8, 9–12With the help of audio, text, photos, and video, students thoroughly explore six science topics, from the Galapagos Islands to giant squid.Read more >
the power of compelling questions that drives deep interest, understanding, caring, and the application of 21st century skills.
During a whole group inquiry, students gain competence by being guided through the process and develop necessary skills and tools to aid in self-initiated inquiries. Often students don't have the necessary background knowledge to pose their own questions or lack understanding in identifying a question worthy of investigation so the large group approach is essential when getting started.
Begin by examining your curriculum and identifying a topic that you think will be interesting to students.
Questions are open-ended in nature with no 'correct' answer; in fact, the answer is unknown. Inquiry questions represent what is at the "heart of the matter" and frame the unit as a puzzle or problem to be solved.
Your role in the large group inquiry is one of coach or facilitator.
Get your poetry juices flowing with the Poetry Idea Engine. Created with GoCyberCamp, this activity will allow you to write haikus, free verse, limericks, and more!
A great site with activities, quizzes, videos and even karaoke about every area of the science curriculum. Very useful when introducing new topics.
http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Science
This is a resource-rich site, with a math, language and comprehensive science content. Slideshows, videos and comprehension quizzes have made this a site I will use often.
"For kid makers, having a dedicated space to work on projects can be pretty wonderful, and it just might help them create more than they ever imagined. A workspace doesn't need to be huge -- a small workbench that is efficient, compact and flexible in its use and storage can fit almost anywhere. Here are some tips on how to design and set up a mini maker space made just for your kids."
94%? Do they use it to do their homework, or while they do their homework? There is a huge rift between how adults and students use technology largely because of why they use technology. While I use Twitter to find a great resource for a digital citizenship project, one of my students might use it to find the party at Brian Halloway's house.