The CoolCatTeacher
DECEMBER 8, 2017
Vicki Davis on episode 205 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. When I first started teaching, I used to believe some things about the profession that I just don’t believe any more. In today’s final episode of season 2, I reflect on those lies and how I’ve grown in my practice.
A Principal's Reflections
DECEMBER 3, 2017
“ We can't be afraid of change. You may feel very secure in the pond that you are in, but if you never venture out of it, you will never know that there is such a thing as an ocean, a sea. Holding onto something that is good for you now, may be the very reason why you don't have something better.” ― C. JoyBell C. There is nothing easy about change. The process is fraught with many obstacles and challenges.
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Digital Promise
DECEMBER 6, 2017
Thanks to the successes of campaigns like the Hour of Code and this week’s Computer Science Education Week, educators, policymakers, and families around the country are realizing the value of coding and computer science in K-12 education. But how do “code,” “computer science,” and, “computational thinking,” fit together? What is motivating their introduction into schools, and how might they change education?
Teacher Reboot Camp
DECEMBER 8, 2017
“Numbers have an important story to tell. They rely on you to give them a clear and convincing voice.” – Stephen Few. When learners design their own infographics they interpret their data, information, research and facts. Students create a meaningful connection with the data and share with others the important bigger picture the data tells.
This white paper examines and proposes revisions to the "Seven Principles for Good Practice in Undergraduate Education" introduced by Arthur Chickering and Zelda Gamson in 1987 for today's technology-driven world.
The CoolCatTeacher
DECEMBER 5, 2017
Dr. Marina Umaschi Bers on episode 202 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Children as young as four can start coding, but not in ways you might think. Today, Dr. Marina Umashchi Bers from Tufts University discusses her research findings about what works (and doesn’t) with young children in the classroom.
Ask a Tech Teacher
DECEMBER 4, 2017
Every day it seems, the world gets smaller. Studies show that 244 million people worldwide live in a country other than their birthplace. Doesn’t sound like a lot? In fact, it’s a 44% increase from the year 2000. Where it used to be sufficient to teach students how to thrive in their home country, that falls woefully short in a world where the internet reaches everyone, anywhere, where geopolitical borders have little effect on international activities, where the customs and culture
EdTech Update brings together the best content for education technology professionals from the widest variety of industry thought leaders.
Teacher Reboot Camp
DECEMBER 7, 2017
“History cannot give us a program for the future, but it can give us a fuller understanding of ourselves, and of our common humanity, so that we can better face the future.” - Robert Penn Warren. As the New Year approaches we often reflect on the past year to set new goals. One way for learners to reflect on the past is by creating a personal timeline of the important events of the past year.
The CoolCatTeacher
DECEMBER 4, 2017
Sam Patterson on episode 201 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Teachers don’t have to be experts or “geeks” to use coding to improve literacy, use higher order thinking skills, and excite students in their classrooms. Elementary and primary students can learn to code. For Hour of Code week this week, learn how you can go past the Hour of Code and use coding all year long!
Ask a Tech Teacher
DECEMBER 8, 2017
Need a few websites to fill in sponge time? Here are Holiday websites that will keep students busy while teaching them: 12 Days of Christmas. Christmas puzzles and games. Christmas—history—fun video. Gift Hunt –updated version of 12 Days of Christmas–just as much fun. Holiday Crossword. Holiday Elf Games. Holiday Hangman II. Holiday music II –sing along with the music–the site provides the words.
EdTech4Beginners
DECEMBER 6, 2017
Fake news has recently been a popular topic, and teachers need to deal with this important issue in schools. How could you teach it? Start by asking children to visit this fantastic (completely made-up) website about a ‘tree octopus’! Give the children about 10 minutes to explore the website. You could ask them to find specific information if you wish.
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Managing a K-12 campus with constant pressure to meet performance metrics is challenging. And tardiness can significantly limit a school from reaching these goals. Learn more about why chronic lateness matters, and key strategies to address the following impacts: Data errors caused by manual processes Low attendance and graduation rates that affect a school’s reputation Classroom disruption, which leads to poor academic performance High staff attrition and “The Teacher Exodus” Unmet LCAP goals t
Teacher Reboot Camp
DECEMBER 2, 2017
“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched. They must be felt with the heart. Wishing you happiness.” – Helen Keller. Tis the season to be jolly! Inspire students to write, doodle, sketchnote, and exchange ideas with the holiday and winter themed prompts below. Find resources for visual, video, and augmented reality writing prompts.
The CoolCatTeacher
DECEMBER 6, 2017
Dave Harms on episode 208 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. History teacher David Harms uses simulations to teach history. Whether it is World War 1, 2, the Cold War or the American Civil War, learn how these immersive “games” teach history much more deeply than most textbooks.
Ask a Tech Teacher
DECEMBER 6, 2017
DialMyCalls (an AATT sponsor) has a special Christmas offer for kids: Free Santa Calls To Your Family This Christmas. This Christmas we have a great gift for everyone! Whether you’re an existing DialMyCalls user or not, you can take advantage of our completely free phone call from Santa. Imagine the look on your child’s face when they receive a personalized phone call from Santa with his or her name on it!
EdTech Magazine
DECEMBER 7, 2017
By Meghan Bogardus Cortez Educators help students become better at typing with these best practices.
Speaker: Chris Paxton McMillin, President of D3 Training Solutions
There are plenty of great authoring tools for developing eLearning, but the one you select could directly impact your course's outcomes. Depending upon your learners’ needs and your organization’s performance goals, you could be overlooking considerations that impact the both effectiveness of your courses and how long it takes to finish them. From general capabilities to specific workflow structures, some aspects are critical when it comes to learning objectives and deadlines.
Teacher Reboot Camp
DECEMBER 3, 2017
“Put it before them briefly so they will read it, clearly so they will appreciate it, picturesquely so they will remember it and, above all, accurately so they will be guided by its light.” – Joseph Pulitzer. When I was a child, my father only accepted homemade gifts. My sisters and I spent several days creating various publications with construction paper and markers, including magazines.
The CoolCatTeacher
DECEMBER 7, 2017
Enrique Cachafeiro on episode 204 of the 10-Minute Teacher Podcast From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter. Several virtual reality options are available for classrooms. Today’s guest, Enrique Cachafeiro talks about the hardware, software options, and future of virtual reality. He also discusses how educators can join the innovators who are crafting and exploring this new education paradigm today.
Ask a Tech Teacher
DECEMBER 7, 2017
Here are the most-read posts for the month of November: 10 ways to use QR Codes for Hour of Code. 10 Projects to Kickstart Hour of Code. Websites for Hour of Code by Grade. Coding and US Security. 18 Thanksgiving Sites and Apps and 4 Projects for the Holiday. Jacqui Murray has been teaching K-18 technology for 20 years. She is the editor/author of over a hundred tech ed resources including a K-8 technology curriculum , K-8 keyboard curriculum, K-8 Digital Citizenship curriculum.
User Generated Education
DECEMBER 2, 2017
One of the legacies I want to leave with my students (of all ages) is a desire to engage in global stewardship. For more about this see my post, Empathy and Global Stewardship: The Other 21st Century Skills. As part of my gifted education classes, I am asking my 5th and 6th graders to choose, explore, research, and report via their own Google Sites on one or two of the 17 Global Goals found at The World’s Largest Lesson.
Speaker: Amanda Davis, Chief Experience Officer and Liam O'Malley, VP of Association Solutions
The "new normal" is now a little less new, a little more normal. Does that mean your current LMS strategy is in need of a refresh? Is your organization or association leaning into the always-evolving eLearning environment to ensure you have the tools and content to remain relevant through all this change? There are many complex decision-making processes within your learning & development strategy and LMS lifecycle management, including: Selection.
Teacher Reboot Camp
DECEMBER 6, 2017
“At the end of the day, the most overwhelming key to a child’s success is the positive involvement of parents.” – Jane D. Hull. One goal teachers often struggle with is communicating regularly with parents. Sending emails or texts to every parent is time-consuming. Additionally, English might not be their first language. The following free web tools and apps help teachers communicate with parents quickly and often will translate messages into several different languages.
Battelle for Kids
DECEMBER 4, 2017
Sharing our most promising ideas or strategies is great, but often we leave so much of the thinking behind our work invisible thereby severely limiting collaboration. As NTN has explored formal improvement science with our schools, some practical tools have surfaced. These tools provide promising ways of organizing local school improvement work while also making ideas more visible and accessible to others.
Neo LMS
DECEMBER 5, 2017
Working memory, sometimes called short-term memory, is the part of your brain’s memory capacity that deals with immediate tasks. Remembering directions, where you saved the document you were just typing, or what you said you’d pick up from the store are all tasks that require effective working memory. It’s especially important for kids to develop strong working memory to help with literacy, social skills, and confidence in the classroom.
EdTech Magazine
DECEMBER 4, 2017
By Meghan Bogardus Cortez Computational thinking skills and other STEM creativity mark this celebratory week.
This whitepaper explores integrating the PowerTeaching pedagogical approach within a HyFlex (Hybrid Flexible) educational model, focusing on employing cooperative learning strategies and efficient classroom management techniques.
Ditch That Textbook
DECEMBER 8, 2017
In the end, parents and teachers really do have the same goals. Parents want to see their kids become the best human beings they can be. Teachers want to see that, too. If teachers communicate their efforts toward that — and if parents communicate to teachers — that chain of communication can only benefit everyone. […].
Teacher Reboot Camp
DECEMBER 4, 2017
“Games are an extraordinary way to tap into your most heroic qualities.” - Jane McGonigal. Students love playing digital games and research shows that powerful learning can occur with game-based curriculums. This is why the first mission in my new book, Hacking Digital Learning Strategies: 10 Ways to Launch EdTech Missions , has students create video game walkthroughs for their peers.
EdNews Daily
DECEMBER 3, 2017
Op-ed. Personalized learning needs to go away. I could sit here and argue that it needs to go away because companies are trying to replace our most valued resource – teachers – with computers and algorithms that will sterilize learning. I could also easily argue it’s because privatizing education and giving learning data to closed corporations are the biggest mistakes we’ll ever make.
Neo LMS
DECEMBER 7, 2017
We discussed constructivism a while back: in a nutshell constructivist teaching methods hold that students build knowledge through their experiences, rather than through instruction. The key concept is active learning , which dovetails neatly into today’s topic where I will share with you three incredible Project Based Learning (PBL) case studies, that I hope will inspire you to be more ambitious in designing, developing and implementing PBL in your classroom.
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K-12 looks different these days. But one thing remains the same: you need a reliable learning platform that serves as the foundation for teaching and learning––for all students, in a variety of learning experiences. Discover how the Instructure Learning Platform supports today's K-12 classroom through: A central, consistent, connected hub of the digital learning environment.
Doug Levin
DECEMBER 5, 2017
As quoted in: Schaffhauser, Dian. “ The Problems with FERPA and COPPA in 21st Century Learning.” T.H.E. Journal. 5 December 2017. Doug Levin, president of EdTech Strategies, suggested that the two agencies review their rules from the perspective of school student data security. Levin, who maintains the “ K-12 Cyber Incident Map ,” noted that both sets of regulations “presume that schools have the resources and knowledge to assess their own data security practices, to say nothin
Teacher Reboot Camp
DECEMBER 5, 2017
“In comics you see the drawing, you see words, you see rhythm, you see the story.” - Lorenzo Mattotti. Students enjoy learning with comics and creating them. Comics help students visualize their learning. I’ve gotten students to create comics to illustrate logical fallacies , summarize articles, provide instructions, and express themselves.
Ed Tech from the Ground Up
DECEMBER 4, 2017
Last spring we decided to launch a series of webinars since we had never done webinars before. We know teachers are pressed for time but eager to learn and hone their craft. We thought giving teachers and administrators the option of a free webinar might interest them and be convenient to listen to live, or view the recording in their own time. What we found blew us away.
EdTech Magazine
DECEMBER 8, 2017
By Meghan Bogardus Cortez The TEALS program reshapes CS education for hundreds of schools.
Speaker: Richard Goring, Director at BrightCarbon
Have you ever caught an employee sleeping during training? Compelling content is paramount, but trying to do so with the same tools you've always used is complicated, right? Wrong! Powerpoint has excellent features that, with a bit of creativity, can help you improve your presentations and keep your people engaged without going over budget. By utilizing newer components that enable interactive sequences, navigable content to respond to your audience, and pop quizzes for informal knowledge checks
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