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It's probably one of the most commonly used strategies evident in classrooms around the world, but researchers from the University of Liverpool have concluded that group work can actually harm memory. In a joint study, psychologists from the University of Liverpool and the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) have revealed that collaborating in a group to remember information is harmful...

We all remember science lessons from our school days. Whether the lessons were with the more 'characteristic' teachers in the school, or whether you all released the gas taps when the teacher foolishly left the room, we all seemed to miss the link that science is life! And what an opportunity science teachers have in releasing the magic of life to their pupils, answering BIG questions like "Why am I like my parents?", or "What will my life be like in 2050?", or "Why is Pripyat a deserted town?"

A good Easter themed 'Remember the colour of the egg' game. Memorise what you see and paint the egg correctly to score points. http://ictmagic.wikispaces.com/Easter

Languages are important. We teach them to children. But we ignore computer programming languages - perhaps some of the most important fluencies anyone can acquire. Instead, we black box them and hope they MIGHT look at doing this in college, when in fact, many of the best jobs and opportunities lie in languages: both "foreign" languages and computer languages. Thought provoking blog post about a conversation: "Many interesting and stimulating things were said, but one I remember was from Peter Pham over dinner. It was a simple line, "why do we teach languages in junior high and high school but not a computer language?" that had profound meaning to me."

As you work to integrate Common Core standards into your classroom, it may help to look at sample lessons. In this set, you can see lessons, presentations, and assessments working with informational text (grades 3-5). Remember that you can search the site by grade level and common core standard and that other subject areas besides Common Core are included on the site.

An alphabet chart that you may print out and use for your classes to help them remember the sounds of letters.

The sooner kids realize that most magazine images are photoshopped, the better. I remember a model on a tv show being asked what it feels to look like her and responding thatbwith all the photoshop on her photos that she wished she looked like herself too! This is a great thing and some would like advertisers to start disclosing the percentage of their photos that are photoshopped.

What will people say about you as a principal or leader when you are gone? Here is a touching post written by a technology teacher in mourning. I also want to point out that this is one case that spammy comment scumbags make me mad. Add your kind comment of condolence so a good person can be remembered well. I hope the author will take off the spammy comments. (This I one reason I love Disqus, which can be added to just about any blog. I stops the comment spammers cold.)

Remember the old feltboards we used to use? Now, we have one for your Interactive whiteboard. Talk about the different words as you pull them into the tree. You could decorate the tree and have it on your board during your class party!

A video discussing the semantic web (as some call Web 3.0) - this is still being discussed, however, with personal assistants (Siri) and the ability to communicate to increasingly intelligent devices that access the web, it is likely that some of the technologies we have today are transitional technologies that are transporting us from Web 2 to Web 3 as we speak. Remember, however, that although we are moving ahead, that the characteristics of previous "webs" are still there. We can still search like we did in Web 1 and we are certainly seeing explosive growth in social media (Web 2) but Web 3 is here. I think this video is a nice explanation.

A friend went to Rome for Chinese New Year and I remember seeing this amazing site years ago. Great one to show for art teachers

Get your artists to create a Doodle 4 Google! Entries are due March 20. Start doodling. They also have a Teachers Pack and other things that you will need to help participate. Remember that only one application per student is allowed but you can have an unlimited number from your school. The 50 state winners will be flown to Mountain View, California. I went there for Google Certified Teacher training and it was awesome.

This has to be the coolest app ever. Create a quiz on Quick Key and then you can print out a bubble sheet. Snap a picture of the quiz with your iphone and it will grade it for you! Wow. Just remember that if all you do is bubble in - you're probably not testing very well. Hat tip to Richard Byrne's Awesome Facebook page for this one! (Free Technology for Teachers)

The student blogging challenge starts next week. Here's the page to register your class. Remember, you can choose which challenges to participate in. It's a great way to build an authentic audience for your students!

This article describes the use of markdown in notetaking. I'm looking for information on using markdown in Evernote, but am not sure it is doable. It is funny how things come around. The reason people like markdown is it means that it saves you from lifting your hand up to touch the screen. The reason we touch the screen is because we got rid of the mouse. We got rid of the mouse because touching the screen was easier. We started using a mouse because it was too hard to remember all of the keyboard commands. But we are using markdown keyboard commands because it is easier and faster than touching the screen. ;-) Although this may be odd to some of you, it does point out that as you become more proficient, you can become more productive and markdown is one of those ways.

Must read letter over at Edweek from a mom of one child who died at Sandy Hook and one who survived... if you want to be affirmed and remember why you teach, this is the post you should share with everyone. "Your courage will support students who are left out and overlooked, like the isolated young man who killed my daughter. At some point he was a young, impressionable student, often sitting all alone at school. You will have kids facing long odds for whom your smile, your encouraging word, and your willingness to go the extra mile will provide the comfort and security they need to try again tomorrow. When you Google "hero," there should be a picture of a principal, a school lunch worker, a custodian, a reading specialist, a teacher, or a bus monitor. Real heroes don't wear capes. They work in America's schools. "When I asked my son's teacher why she returned, she responded, 'Because they are my kids.' " Being courageous requires faith. It took faith to go back to work at Sandy Hook after the shooting. Nobody had the answers or knew what would come tomorrow, but they just kept going. Every opportunity you have to create welcoming environments in our schools where parents and students feel connected counts."

Two studies were released in an attempt to "quantify the benefits of mobile technology in education and the infrastructure needed..." In these students students had tablets and Internet access at home and at school. Of course, I'm not sure that it is tablet computers that give benefits, Internet access, cloud computing, or a combination, but I'm sure these studies will be touted by many far and wide. Of course, remember if they had strapped the tablets to the kid''s back and hadn't used them - they would have had lower scores. All improvement is all in how technology is being USED to teach. "The studies put Android tablets in the hands of students and their teachers in two schools - eighth-graders at Stone Middle School in Fairfax County Public Schools and fifth-graders at Falconer Elementary School in Chicago Public Schools - and provided wireless access to the students both in school and away from school. (The devices were HTC Evo tablets.) Researchers then followed the students' activities over the course of a year, with the aim of evaluating "how access to these devices for communication with teachers and classmates increases comfort with technology, extends the learning day, and allows students to develop digital citizenship skills within a safe and secure learning environment.""

This NPR article on the school situation in Philadelphia is heart wrenching. Poverty impacts everyone, especially children. For those who have never seen it, it is hard to understand. I remember in Mumbai, seeing kids with a tiny notebook and pencil down to the nub that had been used the whole school year - kids were erasing unimportant things (if they still had an eraser) to add more to their notebooks. Yes, there are many places that desperately need school supplies and help and Philadelphia is one of the many cities who are really struggling. Take time to read/listen and understand and set up this holiday season to help. ""Clothing, books, all of the school supplies, backpacks," Kantor says. "And you see some kids that are really suffering. Some kids don't ever have a dime. They have one pencil, they have a spiral book, and they don't have any of the supplies." Other teachers say they've had to bring in cleaning supplies - even toilet paper. But lots of nonmaterial things gnaw at Kantor: She says some parents, many of them single moms, seem overwhelmed and disengaged. Kantor says she knows they're stressed out and tries to reach out by phone, but is too often left discouraged."

More than 5.4K people are excited about these apps on Mashable.Remember that parents are BUYING apps to help kids in your subject. Why not test them out and recommend them to parents in your weekly emails or your website/blog.

Some great tools for simple quizzes but remember this -- if they only thing you use technology for is to give a quiz - you are totally missing the point. Totally.