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A good article about how one college history professor used WikiSpaces to help his students become more engaged in the study of history and the writing process. With some modification for age/grade appropriateness this might be an interesting project idea for RCS history classes. This might also work well for learning in English classes (classes create Wikis based on novels/books read?). Key selections from the article: "Students did not agree on the merits of the wiki. Some were deeply offended when other students eliminated or modified their contributions. Others found the chance to pick apart other's words and conclusions exhilarating. Regardless, most students seemed to grasp the important lesson I hoped to share: that history is the conversation we have about the past. History is about the authorial choices scholars make. History is about the evidence included and the evidence excluded. By asking students to participate in a joint-writing exercise, they were compelled to pay attention to the language others used, the phrasings and structure employed, the anecdotes emphasized, the facts obscured." "The wiki, while not perfect, may help us change the way our students think about history. It may help them be more attentive to language and argument. Importantly, it may help them value civil discourse as a civic virtue."

This teacher chose to have his students create RSA Animate-style videos as "an easy way to make them visualize their information, make connections, and re-tell their facts in a story that had a very tight story line that flowed.  All skills that would transfer nicely to any traditional essay." He really emphasizes the preparation and planning stages, which is great. He also talks about the process, which is useful.  All said, a great resource.

A good article about one teacher's experiences with and criticisms of the "flipped classroom". This teacher focused on creating a learning environment that was student centered and put the ownership for learning on the students. Def. take some time to read this article if you are interested in and/or trying to "flip" any of your classes.

Selected key quotes from the article: "As I shifted my classroom from teacher-centered to student-centered, my students began to do lots of their their own research. Sometimes this resulted in them teaching each other. Sometimes they created a project with the knowledge they were acquiring. But the bottom line was that their learning had a purpose that was apparent to them, beyond simply passing the unit exam." "As this new way of learning played out over time, my students found they didn't need me to locate or create videos for them. Instead, they learned how to learn, and they were able to find their own resources. For me, this was a much more important skill than following my directions or using the resources I told them to use." "My students differentiated their own instruction. They worked at their own pace, since they chose their own resources. They could do extra work at home if they felt it necessary." "I talked to every student every day. I could look at their work, have them articulate their thinking process, and see where they were struggling. I could spend time helping those who really needed it."

With over 56 million videos, there is something helpful here for all grade levels and subject areas. A great resource to find teaching materials to use in your classes!

Article that lists 7 great YouTube channels which provide a whole lot of science videos to use for learning. Most videos seem to be interactive, engaging, and right to the point. Good resources for finding ideas for in class experiments and videos that model proper procedures/techniques.

Compendium of student activities, grouped by student interest.

A great overview article on ePortfolios. Includes many tips, suggestions, and guidelines for developing an ePortfolio program with your students and classes.

This is the place to start if you are considering using ePortfolios with your students/classes. Dr. Barrett is an authority in the field of ePortfolios in the classroom. There are a ton of helpful resources and research articles related to ePortfolios here.

"This is the workspace for an online course Introduction to E-Portfolios in K-12 Schools, developed by Dr. Helen Barrett." https://sites.google.com/site/k12eportfolios/home

Additional resources from Helen Barrett: http://electronicportfolios.org/ Be sure to check out the following sections located on the page that opens from the above link: 1. "Electronic Portfolio Development" 2. "Frequently-Asked Questions" 3. ePortfolio Google Groups (might be a great way to connect with other teachers using ePortfolios!)

Outstanding YouTube video of Dr. Helen Barrett talking about how and why ePortfolios promote "deep learning" and reflection within students. This is a must watch 20 minute video for anyone interested in using ePortfolios with their students/classes.

Click the link below to access more ePortfolio video resources from Dr. Helen Barrett: https://sites.google.com/site/k12eportfolios/schedule/lesson-1

Apps: Linear Program Plotter, Vernier Physics, DataAnalysis Teacher: Jennie Howell Jennie's used the iPads and several math specific apps with her Algebra 2 classes to graph linear programming models and find the equation of quadratic models. Read her documentation to learn more.

https://docs.google.com/a/riverdale.edu/document/d/1dlyX5YgMqc7ZYglgu5RXdrZ9zYkJX8DODa8TSwDpoLU/edit Click the above link to learn how all the Algebra II teachers are using iPads/apps to teach all sections of this course.

Video demos of the Motion Math apps: http://youtu.be/5UDWKpq9Xoo http://youtu.be/97t9mZQV0aE http://vimeo.com/33657502 http://vimeo.com/27732712 http://vimeo.com/15358368

Semi-independent research on the use of Motion Math in a classroom shows significant results in both math performance and self-efficacy. It's important to note that this research was partially funded by Motion Math, and it's not a peer-reviewed study. Still, though, the results are intriguing. The Wired review of the study: http://www.wired.com/geekdad/2011/12/motion-math-education-research/ The GameDesk writeup: http://www.gamedesk.org/projects/motion-math-in-class/ The GameDesk full study: http://www.gamedesk.org/reports/MM_FINAL_REPORT.pdf

From Red Jumper (app developer): "The simple way to create beautiful books on your iPad. Read them in iBooks, send them to your friends, or submit them to Apple's iBookstore."

Here is a great example of how a 6th grade Math teacher had his students use Book Creator to produce "iBooks on solving One-Step Equations." http://timeproject.edublogs.org/2013/01/08/creating-equation-ibooks-with-book-creator/#comment-311

Book Creator App Tutorial Guide: http://mgleeson.edublogs.org/2013/01/21/book-creator-for-ipad/

Long list of iPad apps broken down by how you'd like to use the iPad for teaching and/or learning in your classes.

Learning objectives that can be met with an iPad, plus specific applications to apply for each objective.

An interesting article out of Stanford that cites research supporting the idea that flipped classrooms should be flipped!

Watch this 3 minute video to learn about how you gear more of your in class instructional time towards helping students learning important course specific content, concepts, and skills. Even though this video is done using a high school math classroom, there are helpful ideas here for all subject areas.