Group items tagged

"How are we creating learning which is transformational? What role are ICT tools playing in achieving this? What Is 21st C Pedagogy? How Is It Different? These are all wonderful questions that are being asked. Understandings generated through such questions can only inform and improve our practice. "

How are we creating learning which is transformational? What role are ICT tools playing in achieving this? What Is 21st C Pedagogy? How Is It Different? These are all wonderful questions that are being asked. Understandings generated through such questions can only inform and improve our practice.

"Guy Kawasaki last week wrote an item describing 'ten things you should learn this school year' in which readers were advised to learn how to write five sentence emails, create powerpoint slides, and survive boring meetings. It was, to my view, advice on how to be a business toady. My view is that people are worth more than that, that pleasing your boss should be the least of your concerns, and that genuine learning means something more than how to succeed in a business environment. But what should you learn? Your school will try to teach you facts, which you'll need to pass the test but which are otherwise useless. In passing you may learn some useful skills, like literacy, which you should cultivate. But Guy Kawasaki is right in at least this: schools won't teach you the things you really need to learn in order to be successful, either in business (whether or not you choose to live life as a toady) or in life. Here, then, is my list. This is, in my view, what you need to learn in order to be successful. Moreover, it is something you can start to learn this year, no matter what grade you're in, no matter how old you are. I could obviously write much more on each of these topics. But take this as a starting point, follow the suggestions, and learn the rest for yourself. And to educators, I ask, if you are not teaching these things in your classes, why are you not?"

Some very applicable skills for our pupils! An apt read for today.

"Digital Citizenship is being respectful and responsible while on the internet. It can be when you are writing a blog post, or even when you are chatting on a social network. A lot of times when kids are on social networking, kids write mean stuff on the internet where everybody can see. It's easy to say things you don't want to say. It's also trying to keep away from "bad" people. They don't know you and you don't know them, and they might be looking at your page any minute. It's being careful and not sharing personal information such as last names, addresses, phone numbers, and so on to stay safe. These videos can show you how it's like."

Digital Citizenship is being respectful and responsible while on the internet. It can be when you are writing a blog post, or even when you are chatting on a social network. A lot of times when kids are on social networking, kids write mean stuff on the internet where everybody can see. It's easy to say things you don't want to say. It's also trying to keep away from "bad" people. They don't know you and you don't know them, and they might be looking at your page any minute. It's being careful and not sharing personal information such as last names, addresses, phone numbers, and so on to stay safe. These videos can show you how it's like.

"A machine is a tool used to make work easier. Simple machines are simple tools used to make work easier. Compound machines have two or more simple machines working together to make work easier. In science, work is defined as a force acting on an object to move it across a distance. Pushing, pulling, and lifting are common forms of work. Furniture movers do work when they move boxes. Gardeners do work when they pull weeds. Children do work when they go up and down on a see-saw. Machines make their work easier. The furniture movers use a ramp to slide boxes into a truck. The gardeners use a hand shovel to help break through the weeds. The children use a see-saw to go up and down. The ramp, the shovel, and the see-saw are simple machines."

A machine is a tool used to make work easier. Simple machines are simple tools used to make work easier. Compound machines have two or more simple machines working together to make work easier. In science, work is defined as a force acting on an object to move it across a distance. Pushing, pulling, and lifting are common forms of work. Furniture movers do work when they move boxes. Gardeners do work when they pull weeds. Children do work when they go up and down on a see-saw. Machines make their work easier. The furniture movers use a ramp to slide boxes into a truck. The gardeners use a hand shovel to help break through the weeds. The children use a see-saw to go up and down. The ramp, the shovel, and the see-saw are simple machines.

"Welcome to the Books Go Global space! We will use this space to share and post our multimedia book reviews so that everyone can enjoy them! We will be using VoiceThread to create our reviews, but are open to using different tools as the year progresses and new tools are developed. Right now, this project is being conducted in English with fourth grade classes around the world, but we would love to open it up to other age ranges and languages over the course of the year. We are actively looking for more partners, so please feel free to sign up here! Once you've signed up, check out the teacher planning page to see how to get started."

4th grade Welcome to the Books Go Global space! We will use this space to share and post our multimedia book reviews so that everyone can enjoy them! We will be using VoiceThread to create our reviews, but are open to using different tools as the year progresses and new tools are developed. Right now, this project is being conducted in English with fourth grade classes around the world, but we would love to open it up to other age ranges and languages over the course of the year. We are actively looking for more partners, so please feel free to sign up here! Once you've signed up, check out the teacher planning page to see how to get started.

"Worldmapper is a collection of world maps, where territories are re-sized on each map according to the subject of interest. There are now nearly 700 maps. Maps 1-366 are also available as PDF posters. Use the menu above to find a map of interest. We also have a series of maps on the visualisation of the world's population using a new mapping technique: Worldmapper Population Atlas."

Worldmapper is a collection of world maps, where territories are re-sized on each map according to the subject of interest. There are now nearly 700 maps. Maps 1-366 are also available as PDF posters. Use the menu above to find a map of interest. We also have a series of maps on the visualisation of the world's population using a new mapping technique: Worldmapper Population Atlas.

Life as a teacher, especially one fresh off attending your own classes, can be hard. You have to wake up early, work late and manage a classroom full of kids, each with their own diverse needs and expectations. Luckily, there are numerous teachers out there who are willing to share their expertise and classroom experiments with teachers young and old. Here are some great blogs that offer insights into what classes of kids are doing around the world as well as providing some great advice on everything from dealing with parents to figuring out grades.

don't let the 100 make you go ARRRRRRRRRRRR Infowhelm! It is broken up into grade areas so hopefully you can find one nugget of gold to help make your classroom blog even better.

"Science Games Children have inquiring minds. They are always asking 'why' and are forever curious as to how things work. Science is a great way to satisfy this thirst for knowledge, but it has to be presented in a fun and easy to understand format. Games are undoubtedly one of the best mediums to do just that. The best online science games are engaging, educational and provide ongoing learning opportunities. The six that I have chosen for you today all meet, or exceed, this criteria and can be used with kids both young and old."

Good to add to your weebly.

"Lately, I have discovered many cool free apps that are incredible for creating digital stories, reading stories, and interacting with stories. These apps are incredibly engaging and meet the needs of our diverse learners. They allow learners to interact with the plot, characters, and even design of the story. They also support multiple learning styles because they are visual, have sound, and animation. Students can even begin to craft their own stories using their voices, drawings, images, videos, and so much more!"

"I really enjoy Flickr, as I noted in a previous post: A Dozen Flickr Fun Favorites!. There are so many gifted photographers posting marvelous photographs. And, don't you just love photographs that are available under a Creative Commons license?"

I really enjoy Flickr, as I noted in a previous post: A Dozen Flickr Fun Favorites!. There are so many gifted photographers posting marvelous photographs. And, don't you just love photographs that are available under a Creative Commons license?

"Welcome to the Great Plant Escape! My name is Bud. My good friend Sprout and I are helping Detective LePlant on his search. You will find that plants are an important part of your life. We will need your help to find clues, do experiments, and solve problems as we journey into the world of plants. He promises lots of fun, but remember, we're here to solve a mystery! Good luck! We'll be with you all the way! "

Welcome to the Great Plant Escape! My name is Bud. My good friend Sprout and I are helping Detective LePlant on his search. You will find that plants are an important part of your life. We will need your help to find clues, do experiments, and solve problems as we journey into the world of plants. He promises lots of fun, but remember, we're here to solve a mystery! Good luck! We'll be with you all the way!

"So, what does the sea look like when millions of barrels of oil rise to the surface and spread around? The sight is not pretty. The sight of the size cannot be understood from figures in barrels and gallons. We need a bird's eye view to comprehend the scale of the disaster and also to understand the areas that are getting affected. Here are a few ways of looking at the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico."

So, what does the sea look like when millions of barrels of oil rise to the surface and spread around? The sight is not pretty. The sight of the size cannot be understood from figures in barrels and gallons. We need a bird's eye view to comprehend the scale of the disaster and also to understand the areas that are getting affected. Here are a few ways of looking at the BP oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.

"The "Top 25" Websites foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. They are free, Web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover."

The "Top 25" Websites foster the qualities of innovation, creativity, active participation, and collaboration. They are free, Web-based sites that are user friendly and encourage a community of learners to explore and discover.

"While Performous might be classified as a karaoke program, it is actually much more than that. Instead of just displaying the lyrics, notes are also displayed and the performance is scored based on how well you actually hit the notes. Unlike in most other games in this genre, you will also see the precise pitch that you are singing, so that you can see what you are doing wrong and easily (well, everything is relative) correct your pitch."

Robyn, this could be for you?!

"Free Tools for Teachers. These tools are designed for teacher-facilitated instruction, and include sample problems to give teachers instructional suggestions. For each tool you will find a short instructional video, standards alignment (including the recent Common Core State Standards), key vocabulary, and IEP goals. Select a topic below to get started. Concepts to Procedures Higher Order Thinking Identifying Fractions Order Fractions on a Number Line Comparing Fractions Unitizing with Pattern Blocks Adding Fractions with Common Denominators Unitizing Fractions on a Grid Subtracting Fractions with Common Denominators Estimating with Benchmark Fractions Equivalent Fractions Equivalent Fractions with Word Sentences Finding Common Denominators Adding Fractions with Uncommon Denominators Subtracting Fractions with Uncommon Denominators Conceptua™ Math fractions tools are partially funded through a Phase I, Small Business Innovation Research grant (SBIR) from the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD): Grant # 1R43HD061108-01. Latest News 05.28.2010 New Free Tool: Comparing Fractions! This new free tool lets students compare 2 or 3 fractions, use visual supports, and work with >, < or = signs. Try It Now! » Read more » Like Conceptua Math? Tell your friends! Featured Video Conceptua Math Overview See what's available and then get started using the tools. "

Free Tools for Teachers. These tools are designed for teacher-facilitated instruction, and include sample problems to give teachers instructional suggestions. For each tool you will find a short instructional video, standards alignment (including the recent Common Core State Standards), key vocabulary, and IEP goals. Select a topic below to get started.

Purpose: Flowering plants produce seeds encased in fruit. Three kinds of fruits are berries, drupes, and pomes. Oranges, grapes, and tomatoes are berries. Their seeds are embedded in the flesh of the fruit. Peaches and plums are drupes. Drupes have one seed enclosed in a hard case surrounded by flesh. Apples and pears are pomes. Pomes have several seeds enclosed in a core surrounded by flesh. Objectives: Different kinds of plants form different amounts of seeds. Some plants form only a few seeds while others form many seeds. The fruit is the part of a flowering plant that contains seeds.

There's no denying the power and popularity of the Google search engine, and in comparison to other similar search engines such as Bing, where results are based on page rankings and algorithms, they excel. But there are other ways to search the web, using what are known as semantic search engines. Using a semantic search engine will ensure more relevant results based on the ability to understand the definition of the word or term that is being searched for, rather than on numbers. Semantic search engines are able to understand the context in which the words are being used, resulting in smart, relevant results.

As the self-styled 'puzzle playground' Smart-Kit.com offers plenty of opportunities for your students to explore and flex their mental muscles. There are some great games here that really set it apart from the other sites on this list. For instance, the physics games are very good, the adventure games are taxing, and the quick thinking games really give students the opportunity to perform under pressure. There are even some IQ test questions here that can be used as problems of the day or extension work. Some of my favorite brain games on this site are Truck Loader, Trafficator, and the amazing Little Wheel. Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/106947.aspx#ixzz1EGaRJ6xx

One of my favorite brain training game sites right now is BrainGames360.com. They have a great collection of high quality games that are all designed to test the different facets that are associated with brain games. Each one is tagged with the cognitive skills it tests, so it is easy for the teacher to track down the type of skill they are looking to practice with their students. All the games have HTML codes that let you put your favorite games on your own classroom blog or website, and they are all organized into categories like Logic, Strategy, Reflex and more. Try Mini Train, or Get Groovy, to get a taste for what the games on this site are like. Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/106947.aspx#ixzz1EGaIrAFx

"The brain training learning games at ProProfs are a great way to engage your students in some higher level thinking skills. Currently they have 26 games and they represent a good variety of the kind of skills you would expect in this genre of learning software. So, it's no wonder that ProProfs is often rated among the best online games for gifted children. The 60 Second Brain Game is an intense visual and audio test, while Double Bubble and Colour Balls are equally challenging, and get harder the more you play them. There are also a whole collection of other educational games on this site, so if you haven't been here before, you should definitely check it out, because there is a lot to like on this site."

Brain training games are a great way to promote higher level thinking skills in students, but finding the right activities to practice these skills can be difficult. So, if you are looking for the best brain training learning software programs online, you have come to the right place. Read more: http://www.brighthub.com/education/k-12/articles/106947.aspx#ixzz1EGc7gHc5