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"What Makes a Great Teacher? Image credit: Veronika Lukasova Also in our Special Report: National: "How America Can Rise Again" Is the nation in terminal decline? Not necessarily. But securing the future will require fixing a system that has become a joke. Video: "One Nation, On Edge" James Fallows talks to Atlantic editor James Bennet about a uniquely American tradition-cycles of despair followed by triumphant rebirths. Interactive Graphic: "The State of the Union Is ..." ... thrifty, overextended, admired, twitchy, filthy, and clean: the nation in numbers. By Rachael Brown Chart: "The Happiness Index" Times were tough in 2009. But according to a cool Facebook app, people were happier. By Justin Miller On August 25, 2008, two little boys walked into public elementary schools in Southeast Washington, D.C. Both boys were African American fifth-graders. The previous spring, both had tested below grade level in math. One walked into Kimball Elementary School and climbed the stairs to Mr. William Taylor's math classroom, a tidy, powder-blue space in which neither the clocks nor most of the electrical outlets worked. The other walked into a very similar classroom a mile away at Plummer Elementary School. In both schools, more than 80 percent of the children received free or reduced-price lunches. At night, all the children went home to the same urban ecosystem, a zip code in which almost a quarter of the families lived below the poverty line and a police district in which somebody was murdered every week or so. Video: Four teachers in Four different classrooms demonstrate methods that work (Courtesy of Teach for America's video archive, available in February at teachingasleadership.org) At the end of the school year, both little boys took the same standardized test given at all D.C. public schools-not a perfect test of their learning, to be sure, but a relatively objective one (and, it's worth noting, not a very hard one). After a year in Mr. Taylo

Math applications (apps) for iPod Touch offer students and teachers are excellent ways to focus students in math classes. Although many Math Apps are loaded with ads and other distracting information, I have found several that are add free.

Teaching math to elementary students is critical for establishing a foundation of success in mathematics. There is a need for some basic memorization of facts, because students who do not memorize arithmetic functions struggle in upper grades. However, math must be fun and interesting, along with making connections with real-world applications.

As a mobile learning device, the iPod Touch encourages learning anytime, anywhere! Applications available for this digital device support and encourage students to develop a greater understanding of math concepts through the lens of personalized learning.

You might think this is dumb, but I don't for one reason. If you look at the various senses, smell is one of the most powerful. I recall reading a study stating that if students smelled a certain smell in math class and smelled that same smell as they took the math tests, that they scored better. You can literally recall a smell years later. It is one of the most basic senses. So, although some think the smell-o-vision talked about in this Gizmodo article is "dumb" I know that there will be applications in education (and sales, most likely - just travel to the mall and smell the smells they pump out front of a Cinnabon or Starbucks.) Smell is powerful but it will likely be a bit more time until the practical applications come to market.

LiveBinders is a web 2.0 tool which provides the ability to save and organize materials for your science or math class. The great thing about this free tool is that you can update the resources instantly to ensure your lessons include the latest ideas, tips, and resources in science and math.

Math and Science fellowships for beginning math and science teachers.

Math and Science teachers -- beginning teachers should consider applying for these fellowships. These are in the United States. Here is what the ocmpany says about the fellowships (applications due Jan 15): "The prestigious KSTF Teaching Fellowship is valued at nearly $150,000 over the course of five-years and supports aspiring teachers of promise as they embark on careers teaching high school science and mathematics. Designed to meet the financial and professional needs of beginning teachers, the Fellowship exposes educators to a variety of teaching resources, new curriculum materials, and research and experts in the field. Most importantly, the program fosters professional development within a community of high school science and mathematics teachers and prepares Fellows to become leaders in their field."

I'm not sure how the licensing is working for them. I didn't think you could have one app and share on 40 ipods, but that is what the Charleston County School District says they are doing. From the article: ""Everything from vocabulary, to e-book reading, to art, to science," said CCSD Media Services Coordinator Connie Dopierala. CCSD hopes to invest in a set of 40 iPod Touches for every school in the district, at $150 each. Students can learn math or grammar on inexpensive application programs. "We can download a 99-cent app and load it on all 40 iPod Touches or however many, and that's very cost-effective with taxpayer dollars," said Dopierala."

Throughout our years of teaching we have used (and continue to use) movie clips in our classrooms to enhance content and engage our students. This listing is a sample of the types of movies we find useful. The accompanying worksheets are our mathematical interpretations and applications of information presented in these clips.

Siemens Stem applications due by February 9th. Here is the overview of how things will be this year. They will have a program at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and also at the Pacific Northwest national Laboratory. 50 middle and high school educators are invited to apply. do you teach Science, Technology, Math, or Engineering. Apply.

These management and technical issues include how to name the iPods, recharging , syncing, accessories, play-lists, transferring apps, iTunes account, and many more. Like all technology tools, classroom management is always an issue. Here are a few recommended " Dos" tailored for a classroom set of iPod Touches.

The Extraordinary and the ordinary- the projected trajectories of current computer technologies and their application for sustained mind controlling outcomes. It's already here- we will be interacting with computers with our minds. Incredible applications for learning.

Both wikis and blogs provide teachers with a a dynamic process for integrating Web 2.0 technology in their science and math classes. These two types of online tools offer students a more engaging process for learning. Both are relatively easy tools which do not require teachers or students to learn any special program tools or computer skills. Their uses and applications are only limited by the vision and purpose for helping students learn.

A fun and useful area and perimeter 2D shape tutorial and interactive activities for you whiteboard. Learn how to find the area and perimeter of rectangles and triangles and then complete the questions. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Maths