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March 2012 - Posts
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Draw A Stickman was on The Best “Fun” Sites You Can Use For Learning, Too — 2011 list. Here is how I described it there: Draw a Stickman is an amazing adventure where you…draw a stick and he comes to … Continue reading → Read More...
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I just sent out my free monthly email newsletter to about 2,000 subscribers. If you’re interested, you can subscribe here. Read More...
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Here’s my monthly round-up of new “The Best…” lists I posted in February (you can see all 874 of them categorized here): The Best Resources For Learning About the Health Care Debate — March, 2012 The Best Fun Videos About … Continue reading → Read More...
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Url2pin is an extremely easy web tool to use — just copy and paste a url address into it and — within seconds — you have a “pinnable” image you can use on Pinterest. It’s very handy. One negative, however, … Continue reading → Read More...
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Here’s a short clip of Bill Moyers interviewing the late Howard Zinn, author of The People’s History Of The United States, in 2009. I’ve also embedded the entire interview right below the clip. Read More...
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Here’s an extraordinarily touching short video about a blind dog found among some garbage. It’s going to be hard for most people, including my ESL students, not to get a few tears in their eyes. I’ll show it to students … Continue reading → Read More...
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As regular readers know, this year I’ve been teaching United States History to English Language Learners. I have completely overhauled and updated my class blog from three years ago, and now have a pretty complete blog with resources and assignments … Read More...
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Every month I make a short list highlighting my choices of the best resources I shared through (and learned from) Twitter, but didn’t necessarily include them in posts here on my blog. Now and then, in order to make it … Continue reading → Read More...
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I’m a big proponent of the Picture Word Inductive Model as a strategy for English Language Learners to develop reading and writing skills (I describe it in detail in this month’s ASCD Educational Leadership in my article, Get Organized Around … Continue Read More...
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Here’s a video I’m adding to The Best Sites For Learning About St. Patrick’s Day (& April Fools Day): Read More...
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The Atlantic reports: A Wisconsin panel has voted to hold a recall election on June 5 for Gov. Scott Walker, after the efforts of his opponents in last year’s fight to end state workers’ collective bargaining rights and limit their … Continue reading Read More...
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GOOD has just published a very good series of infographics explaining the economy. It’s called All About The Benjamins. I’m going to add it to The Best Sites To Learn About The Recession. Read More...
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Where are you on the global pay scale? is a new interactive from the BBC. Type your monthly income in (they make a point of saying the calculations are done on your own computer so that your data is safe) … Continue reading → Read More...
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Saturday is Cesar Chavez’s birthday, and it’s officially recognized by many states. “Remember Cesar Chavez” is a photo gallery from The Los Angeles Times. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About Cesar Chavez. Read More...
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Check out this 1969 video that imagined the Internet. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About The History Of Technology: Read More...
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I’ve written a lot about different ways to use photos in class with English Language Learners and with native English speakers (see The Best Ways To Use Photos In Lessons). By far, my favorite way is through the Picture Word … Continue reading → Read More...
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Clozes, also known as “gap-fills” or “fill-in-the-blanks,” are short texts with blanks. Students have to “fill in” what they believe to be the missing words. They are excellent tools for assessing reading comprehension and vocabulary development. We use Read More...
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I’m adding this video to The Best Sites To Learn About Robots: Read More...
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What Is The NEA Hoping To Do With Its “New Action Agenda”? is the new “question of the week” at my Education Week Teacher blog. I’m looking forward to hearing people’s responses…. Read More...
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Here are the newest additions to The Best Resources For Showing Students Why They Should Continue Their Academic Career: Graduates’ Pay Is Slipping, but Still Outpaces Others is from The New York Times. Unemployment Rate for Demographic Groups is an … Read More...
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Source: pinaquote.com via Larry on Pinterest The World Policy Institute has just published an interesting article titled “Brave New Math.” It’s focus is question whether the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) of a country is the best metric to … Continue reading Read More...
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As regular readers know, the publisher of last book (and its upcoming sequel!), Eye On Education, sponsored an online conference last week that included Webinars from a number of educators (including me). It seemed to get good reviews from participants. Read More...
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California State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson has just created an “Educator Excellence Task Force” and I, along with a number of talented teachers, been appointed to it. Dr. Linda Darling-Hammond and Superintendent Chris Steinhauser Read More...
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Here are the newest additions to The Best Resources For Learning About the Health Care Debate: Justices Tackle The Big Question: Can Congress Force You To Buy Insurance? is from NPR and is the best short piece I’ve seen laying … Continue reading → Read More...
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The Difference Between Parent “Involvement” & Parent “Engagement” is the title of my newest post over at Education Week Teacher. It’s the final post in my three-part series on parent engagement issues. Read More...
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Perpetual Ocean is a NASA video showing ocean currents over a two year period. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About The World’s Oceans. Read More...
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Bridge8, an organization in Australia, recently produced these excellent animations on critical thinking, along with an accompanying resource for teachers. I’m adding them to The Best Resources On Teaching & Learning Critical Thinking In The Classroom: Read More...
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“The Big Future” is a brand-new college planning site that looks pretty impressive — for English Language Learners and mainstream students alike. The New York Times published an article about it. Here’s an excerpt: The College Board, the nonprofit association Read More...
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CNN has just created a very good video explaining the elements of the health care reform law. I’ve embedded it below: I’m adding it to The Best Online Resources For Learning About Health Care Reform. That “The Best…” list, though, … Continue reading Read More...
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I’ve recently found some pretty good Pinterest resources that I’m adding to The Best Guides To Figuring Out Pinterest: Pin A Quote lets you drag a bookmarklet to your browser and then lets your create a “pinnable” image of any … Continue reading → Read More...
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I’m sure there are plenty of fun videos out there about books and reading, and I hope readers will point me in the direction of others besides the ones on this list. You might also be interested in A … Continue reading → Read More...
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Here are the latest additions to The Best Sites To Learn About James Cameron’s Record-Setting Dive: James Cameron’s Deepsea Challenger: an interactive guide is from The Guardian. Here’s a press conference he had with the world’s media after his return Read More...
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I’ve previously posted about the incredible English-learning activities created by Mrs. Haquet, who teaches English in France. I have several of her sites on The Best Beginner, Intermediate & Advanced English Language Learner Sites list. She’s been creating Read More...
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Finishing The Year Strong is a popular article I wrote last year for Education Week. People might find the ideas in it useful…. Read More...
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As I write this post, James Cameron is at the ocean’s deepest point. I’m sure I will be adding new resources to this list. Here are my choices for The Best Sites To Learn About James Cameron’s Record-Setting Dive: Deepsea … Continue reading → Read More...
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Here are the newest additions to The Best Sites For Online Photo-Editing & Photo Effects: PicMonkey joins the many other tools on the list by offering many different kinds of photo-editing features. Clipi just offers the ability to resize photos, … Continue Read More...
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Earlier this week, the Council on Foreign Relations’ Independent Task Force on U.S. Education Reform and National Security (chaired by Joel Klein and Condoleezza Rice) was released. Happily, it received attention for a couple of days and then dropped Read More...
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There have been several important articles and studies recently on the topic of motivation. I thought I’d bring them together in one post, and then add them to My Best Posts On “Motivating” Students: Make Standards Engaging is by Bryan … Continue reading Read More...
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The British Natural History Museum and the BBC hold an annual Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition. I’ll be adding this list to The Best Photos — In The World? Here are the most recent winners, as well as winners … Continue reading → Read More...
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Education Secretary Arne Duncan made what I called his biggest mistake when he supported the L.A. Times publication of teacher ratings. Yesterday, he performed what I can only call incredible gymnastics in changing his position. He claims he supported Read More...
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Today, Pasi Sahlberg was interviewed on the radio by Cornel West. It’s embedded below. I’ve added it to The Best Resources To Learn About Finland’s Education System. Read More...
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Here are the newest additions to The Best Resources For Learning About the Health Care Debate: A Viewer’s Guide to Supreme Court Arguments on Health Care Law is from The PBS News Hour. What Happens If The Individual Mandate Falls? … Continue reading Read More...
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I periodically post a list of my most popular posts on parent engagement that appear in my other blog, Engaging Parents In School. It’s that time again. And, if you’re interested, I also periodically post a list of my best … Continue reading → Read More...
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I’ve written a lot about the importance of being positive in the classroom (see My Best Posts On Why It’s Important To Be Positive In Class). And here comes even more research that emphasizes its importance. The New York Times … Continue reading → Read More...
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NASA put a video camera on a booster rocket and this is what it recorded. You can read more about it here. Read More...
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Embedplus is a nice tool that’s on The Best Tools For Cutting-Out & Saving Portions Of Online Videos (Or Annotating Them) list. They recently added a really neat dictionary feature called Learn how to pronounce words (and use them). You … Continue reading Read More...
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The BBC has created a very, very large infographic titled “How Big Is Our Solar System?” Scroll down (which is a little odd) and it will take you from the surface of earth to the far reaches of space. It’s … Continue reading → Read More...
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Oops, in my previous post, The Web 2.0/Social Media Tools I Use Everyday & How I Use Them, I forgot to include photo tools! I’ll add this section to that post: Instagram & Flickr I regularly use the camera in … Continue reading → Read More...
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My Best Posts For Tech Novices (Plus A Few From Other People) is a fairly popular “The Best…” list, and I thought that a post like this one today would be a useful addition to it. In addition, this is … Continue reading → Read More...
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Brad Patterson is famous for his “blog challenges,” where he chooses a topic or idea, contributes one, and then invites other ESL/EFL teachers to contribute, too. A tweet by Voxy, today, has prompted me to make my own “blog challenge.” … Continue reading Read More...
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Next week, the United States Supreme Court will hear arguments about the constitutionality of the health care reform bill passed by Congress and signed into law by President Obama two years ago. I have a very extensive list of resources … Continue reading Read More...
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A Conversation About Building Trust Between Parents & Teachers is Part Two in my three part series on parent engagement over at Education Week Teacher. It’s a “conversation” between two leaders in the parent engagement field, Steve Constantino and Joe Read More...
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“It’s amazing how much it’s possible to figure out by analyzing the various kinds of data I’ve kept,” Stephen Wolfram says. To which I say, “I’m looking at your data, and you know what’s amazing to me? How much of … Continue reading → Read More...
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As regular readers know, I don’t spend a whole lot of time on direct grammar instruction (you can read more at The Best Sites For Grammar Practice). Sometimes, though, it can be useful and/or students can want grammar reinforcement opportunities, … Continue Read More...
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Every year, people throughout the world are encouraged to turn-off their lights in recognition of Earth Hour. This year, it takes places on Saturday, March 31st, 8:30 PM. I’ve updated The Best Sites To Learn About “Earth Hour.” Read More...
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Google released a “Street View” of portions of the Amazon today. You can go to the site; read Google’s post about it and see their links to special highlights, and read TechCrunch’s post about it. I’m adding the info to … Continue reading → Read More...
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Here are the newest additions to The Best Resources For Teaching & Learning About World Water Day: World Water Day is a photo gallery from The Atlantic. World Water Day Challenge is a collection of infographics. World Water Day 2012 … Continue reading Read More...
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Regular readers are award of the concerns I have about the usefulness of the new Common Core Standards (see The Best Articles Sharing Concerns About Common Core Standards). My Teacher Leaders Network colleague Anthony S. Colucci has just written an … Read More...
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Here are three tech lists from TIME Magazine: The 140 Best Twitter Feeds of 2012 from TIME. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Beginning To Learn What Twitter Is All About. 30 Best Apps for Apple’s New iPad … Continue reading → Read More...
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Today was the first day of the Spring season in the Northern Hemisphere, and I’ve just updated The Best Sites For Learning About The Spring Season. Additional suggestions are welcome. Read More...
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What Isn’t for Sale? is an article by Professor Michael Sandel that appeared in The Atlantic over the weekend. It’s an excellent companion piece to my Washington Post column today, Bribing students: Another ‘magical solution’ that doesn’t work. In fact, Read More...
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The famous song “Little Boxes” by Malvina Reynolds is a fun song to use with English Language Learners, and an opportunity to explore deeper issues besides vocabulary. Now, a band has created a music video of the song where they … Continue reading → Read More...
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I’ve just posted Part One in a three part series on parent engagement over at Education Week Teacher. This first piece, Ways To Build Trust Between Parents & Teachers — Part One, includes guest responses from the President of the … Continue reading → Read More...
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How Do Things Fly? is a great new interactive site from the Smithsonian. It is THE site to learn about anything related to flight. You can design and virtually fly your own plane, and you can even design and print-out … Continue reading → Read More...
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Check-out the just-released Symphony of Science video about dinosaurs. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About Dinosaurs: Read More...
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I periodically post “most popular” lists of websites (and books) that I think educators might find useful. Of course, there are a number of ways to gauge “popularity.” I just view these lists as opportunities to check-out some new sites, … Continue reading Read More...
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Humanline is ….a visual library of history, art and science that is free for educational use. You can download images and use them in classroom environment in any way that you want. Currently there are more than two thousand high-quality … Continue reading Read More...
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Six3 lets you send a free video message via iPhone, PC or Mac. Registration is required, but it takes seconds. It’s very easy to use. I’m adding it to The Best Applications For Sending Online Video Messages. Read More...
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Here are some recent education policy related posts and articles: Evaluating Teacher Evaluation is by Linda Darling-Hammond and others. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About Effective Student & Teacher Assessments. Public Schools Good Read More...
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Mind, Brain and Education is a very good paper from an organization called Jobs For The Future (I’ve never heard of them before, but that’s more of a reflection on my limited universe than on anything else). It gives one … Continue reading → Read More...
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The Northern Lights were filmed from the International Space Station recently. You can read more about it here. I’m adding the video to The Best Sites For Learning About The Northern Lights. Read More...
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Here are the newest additions to The Best Articles Sharing Concerns About Common Core Standards: Why Common Core Standards Will Fail is by Larry Cuban. Standardization: From Carnegie Units to Common Core Standards is a guest post at Larry Cuban’s … Continue Read More...
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The New York Times has published what will probably be the best article I’ll ever read about St. Patrick’s Day. It’s titled It’s About Immigrants, Not Irishness. Here’s how it ends: So let’s have one day — March 17 — … Continue reading → Read More...
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Here’s a fun video using Seinfield to illustrate the levels of Bloom’s Taxonomy. I don’t necessarily think it’s as good as the Star Wars or Pirates of the Caribbean videos already on The Best Resources For Helping Teachers Use Bloom’s … Continue reading Read More...
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Here are the newest updates to The Best Guides To Figuring Out Pinterest (by the way, you can follow me here on Pinterest): Pinterest Revamps Profile Pages: Streamlined Content, Cleaner Interface, New Board Layout is from TechCrunch. Six things I … Continue Read More...
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Here are the newest additions to The Best Sites For Learning About St. Patrick’s Day (& April Fools Day): Let’s Have Fun With English has a nice video exercise on St. Patrick’s Day. CNN has a ton of St. Patrick’s … Continue reading → Read More...
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Eye On School Success looks like a pretty darn good online conference this week, and it will include a Webinar led by me on Helping Students Motivate Themselves. It’s sponsored by education publisher Eye On Education. The two day conference … Continue Read More...
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As NPR put it in their headline above this video of Richard Feynman: “Great Teacher, Short Question, Wild Answer” Read More...
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Here are the newest additions to The Best Sites For Learning About Possible Life On Other Planets: Infographic: Is There Alien Life Out There… on Earth? is from GOOD Magazine. What Do You Say to an Alien? is from The … Continue reading → Read More...
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CronoZoom is a wild browser-based history of the universe — about 14 billion years worth. It’s hard to describe it, and I don’t even know what “The Best…” list to put it in — other than it will certainly be … Continue reading → Read More...
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Oreo cookies has developed an ingenious advertising campaign using oreo cookies to illustrate seventeen important moments in history. Students will love them — and I love them! I’m thinking of showing them to my U.S. History class and challenging them Read More...
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Next month is the one hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. I’m sure tons of additional resources will come online between now and then, and I’ll keep on updating this list. But I figured it would be helpful … Continue reading → Read More...
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With attacks on teachers growing, and “school reformers” bringing their ideas and power to legislators, we should definitely be making our visits to them. Alexander Russo, education writer and former Congressional staffperson, has written a short and Read More...
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I periodically post “most popular” lists of websites (and books) that I think educators might find useful. Of course, there are a number of ways to gauge “popularity.” I just view these lists as opportunities to check-out some new sites, … Continue reading Read More...
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Here’s a video of a very sneaky penguin. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About Penguins. Read More...
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Last week, I wrote about how my students were in middle of one of my favorite units — about focusing on neighborhood assets. You can read more about it there. We’re now finishing it up, and students have developed their … Continue reading → Read More...
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How Can We Build Trust Between Parents & Teachers? is the question of the week for my Education Week Teacher column. Please feel free to leave your responses there or here…. Read More...
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Telling students it’s okay to fail helps them succeed — study is the title of a Valerie Strauss blog post about a recently published study. Here’s an excerpt from her post: Telling children that it is perfectly normal to sometimes … Continue reading Read More...
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Measuring the U.S. Melting Pot is an interactive map from Bloomberg. It shows the distribution of ethnic heritages county-by-county across the United States. I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About Immigration In The United States. Thanks to Read More...
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TIME Magazine has a very interesting article on a recent study comparing retention of information and concepts by students reading e-books and paper books. Here is its conclusion: …it may be that physical books are best when you want to … Continue reading Read More...
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The United Nations has designated March 22nd as World Water Day. I have a lot of resources at The Best Resources For Teaching & Learning About World Water Day. I haven’t gotten a chance to completely update it, but most … Continue reading → Read More...
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In the next week or two, The Washington Post will be publishing a piece I’ve written about some recent examples of schools paying students cash for attendance and performing academic work. While I was writing it, I revisited a well-known … Continue reading Read More...
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What Principals Look For In A Prospective Teacher is my newest post at Education Week Teacher. It includes guest responses from Eric Sheninger, Pam Moran, and Pete Hall. Read More...
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Earlier today, I wrote a post titled Does Getting Better At Metacognition Physically Alter The Brain? In it, I described some interesting studies done on metacognition using MRI’s. I contacted the author of the study with a question, Dr. Stephen … Continue Read More...
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Here’s a fun music video shot with a camera on a dog. It’s a light-hearted addition to The Best Sites For Walking In Someone Else’s Shoes. Johnny Neon ‘Hearts’ from Dave Meinert on Vimeo. Thanks to Adverblog for the tip. Read More...
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I’ve posted a lot about the importance of metacognition, and how I try to help students recognize its importance and apply it. The Wellcome Trust in the United Kingdom just published a report on a very interesting study on metacognition … Continue reading Read More...
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GCF Learn Free’s reading site has been on several “The Best..” lists for its simple reading instruction, which is excellent for English Language Learners and new readers. They’ve kept that site, and have also added several multilingual features to specifically Read More...
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Earlier today, I posted about TED’s new TED-ED video channel (see “TED” Launches Channel For Education Today). In a post today on their blog, TED lists links where teachers can propose lessons that they think would be good ones for … Continue reading Read More...
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Do’s & Don’ts For Teaching English Language Learners is the title of a new post Katie Hull Sypnieski and I have written for Edutopia. It’s an excerpt from our upcoming book, The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide. Feedback is welcome… Read More...
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Twitter has just purchased Posterous, the super-easy blogging platform that lets you post via email — among other ways. Though they say it’s fine to continue to post there, its announcement about its future doesn’t sound particularly reassuring to me…. Read More...
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A first grader created a Rube Goldberg Machine. That in itself makes this a neat video to watch. The “kicker,” though, is that he makes some explicit connections to the scientific method, too. I’m adding it to The Best Resources … Continue reading → Read More...
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TED, the organization known for its short, thought-provoking videos, began a new channel dedication to education today. It’s called TED-ED. Here’s how it describes the initiative: It offers up original video content that marries the talent of great teachers Read More...
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Here are some new educational policy-related posts and articles that I’ve found useful: Turnarounds: The SIG Mystery is a post from Alexander Russo that in turn links to a three part series in the Denver Post about the mystery of … Continue reading → Read More...
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Sixty-two thousand people rallied at the Wisconsin state capitol yesterday to support the rights of workers and the recall of Governor Walker. You can read about it here, and watch this video: I’m adding it to The Best Resources For … Continue reading Read More...
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Stephen Gillett shared this great photo of an 1880′s hotel sign, suggesting that tech explanations need to be “simple and easy.” Agreed! I’m adding it to My Best Posts For Tech Novices (Plus A Few From Other People). Read More...
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“Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, “What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?” This is his answer.” Read More...
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This week in class I’m going to start taking photos (and have students taking photos) using iPhone apps that let you provide an accompanying audio commentary. The best app for this kind of excellent speaking practice exercise is Fotobabble. The … Continue Read More...
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I do a lot of Preview/View/Review in my U.S. History classes — give a preview of the content in Spanish, then have the primary lesson in English, followed by a short review in Spanish. I use many of the resources … Continue reading → Read More...
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It’s been one year since the tragic Japanese earthquake and tsunami. You might also be interested in the “The Best…” lists I compiled at the time the natural disaster occurred: The Best Sites For Learning About The Japan Earthquake & … Continue reading Read More...
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Here are the newest additions to The Best Sites For Learning About The History Of Technology: Here’s a 1980 commercial for a mobile phone: The Associated Press has an interactive showing the history of the Kodak company. The History Of … Continue reading Read More...
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There have been a number of recent studies and articles on self-control and willpower. They’re interesting enough to post here, but not useful enough, I think to add to My Best Posts About Helping Students Develop Their Capacity For Self-Control: … Continue Read More...
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One of the most important ingredients of success in teaching (and in community organizing) — if not the most important one — is building relationships. I harp on that in all my books, I repeat it constantly on this blog, … Continue reading → Read More...
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The earth is being bombarded today by a huge solar storm. Here are some resources to learn more about these kinds of storms: How solar storms work – interactive comes from The Guardian. What will happen when the solar storm … Continue reading → Read More...
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Making Faces is a cool interactive that teaches “feeling” vocabulary by having users create models of faces reflecting those emotions. It can be a little tricky sometimes, but it also provides hints. I posted about the site a few years … Continue reading Read More...
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I’ve previously highlighted CNN’s great series of “Explain It To Me” videos at The Best Online “Explainer” Tools For Current Events. They’re two-to-three minute video clips on current news topics, like this one on addiction: Lauren Ready, the producer Read More...
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A Lesson in Teaching to the Test, From E.B. White is a must-read commentary over at The New York Times. In it, Anne Stone shares a great excerpt from E.B. White’s “The Trumpet of the Swan” and relates it to … Continue reading → Read More...
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What Do Principals Look For In A Prospective Teacher? is the new “question of the week” for my Education Week Teacher column. Feel free to share your responses there or at this post…. Read More...
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Here’s today’s Zits comic strip: Here’s today’s Zits comic strip: Read More...
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The MetLife Survey of the American Teacher: Teachers, Parents and the Economy, the 28th in an annual series commissioned by MetLife and conducted by Harris Interactive, was released today. You can read the press release summarizing its findings here, Read More...
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ZooWhiz is a good — and free — Australian site with tons of interactive games and exercises for pre-school, elementary, and middle school (and for English Language Learners who are even older). Users have to register for the site, and … Continue reading Read More...
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March 7th is World Read Aloud Day this year, and here are a number of useful resources: World Read Aloud Day Activities World Read Aloud Day Blog Tools and Tips for World Read-Aloud Day is from The New York Times … Continue reading → Read More...
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I periodically post “most popular” lists of websites (and books) that I think educators might find useful. Of course, there are a number of ways to gauge “popularity.” I just view these lists as opportunities to check-out some new sites, … Continue reading Read More...
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My new Education Week Teacher column is titled “Thoughts On The Meaning of ‘Rigor’” and includes responses from Barbara Blackburn, Cris Tovani, Ira Socol, Nancy Flanagan and Paul Thomas. And I’ve including a “bonus” chart created by me! I think … Continue Read More...
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I’m looking for a folktale or fable that gives an example of someone trying to help, but their help only ends up making things worse for the person they’re trying to help (that sentence seems a little weird, but does … Continue reading → Read More...
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We’re in the middle of one of my favorite units — where we focus on our neighborhood’s assets instead of its deficits. I explain it more in detail at A Lesson Highlighting Community Assets — Not Deficits, and have a … Continue reading → Read More...
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Robert Krulwich had another thought-provoking column at NPR yesterday — Inside-Out Your Mind. He shares a number of excellent examples, including the video I’ve embedded below, that encourage people to be creative by thinking the opposite — “inside-out.” Read More...
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The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency just announced their robot just set a speed record for a legged-robot — 18 mph. You can read more about it here at the BBC, and you can see it in action in … Continue reading → Read More...
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The Atlantic recently published three collections of Civil War photographs. I’m adding them to The Best Sites For Learning About The American Civil War. The Civil War, Part 1: The Places The Civil War, Part 2: The People The Civil … Continue reading Read More...
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Several states are considering requiring mandatory retention of third graders who don’t read at grade level. Here are some articles and posts about this insanity, and I’m adding them to The Best Resources For Learning About Grade Retention, Social Promotion Read More...
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Value-Added Evaluation Hurts Teaching is a very important commentary written by Linda Darling-Hammond for Education Week. I’m adding it to The Best Resources For Learning About The “Value-Added” Approach Towards Teacher Evaluation. Read More...
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I’ve recently updated The Best Websites For K-12 Writing Instruction/Reinforcement. Additional suggestions are welcome. Read More...
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Here’s my monthly round-up of new “The Best…” lists I posted in February (you can see all 863 of them categorized here): The Best Resources For World Book Day — March 1st — February, 2012 The Best Photos — In … Continue reading → Read More...
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Unfortunately, it’s that time of year again. You might find The Best Posts On How To Prepare For Standardized Tests (And Why They’re Bad) helpful. Read More...
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I’ve updated The Best Sites For Learning About St. Patrick’s Day (& April Fools Day). Additional suggestions are welcome. Read More...
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Albatros bookmarks from Oscar Lhermitte on Vimeo. Read More...
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I’ve updated and revised The Best Sites For Learning About Women’s History. March is Women’s History Month in the United States. Read More...
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To quote from the UPI, “Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, and many other countries around the world. Holi, is celebrated by people throwing colored powder and colored water at … Continue reading Read More...
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Watch this video of robot “quadrotors” play the James Bond theme song and read more about it (and see another video) at The Atlantic. I’m adding it to The Best Sites To Learn About Robots. Read More...
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It’s always nice to find a web tool that can be used for a number of purposes, and David Kapuler (whom I have previously nominated for an Edublogs Award) has found one with MentorMob. It lets you very easily create … Continue reading → Read More...
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Check out this clip from last night’s “Colbert Report,” People Who Are Destroying America – Teachers. Thanks to Mike Klonsky for the tip. The Colbert Report Get More: Colbert Report Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,Video Archive Read More...
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Smithsonian Magazine just announced the fifty finalists in their annual photo competition. You can see the finalists, and the winners from their previous nine years, here. You can also see a related photo gallery created by the Boston Globe’s Big … Continue Read More...
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A colleague of mine, Diane Staehr Fenner, is working on a project related to advocacy for ELs. She is interested in hearing from teachers and administrators across the country who advocate for their school’s English learners so that the students … Continue Read More...
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I’ve previously posted on the topic of teacher’s attire (see A Question On Teacher Attire). In that post, I wrote about how I have worn a tie and sport coat every day I have taught (except for when we’ve gone … Continue reading → Read More...
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A few times each year, I bring my Beginning and Intermediate English Language Learner students to music and art classes at our school. Since most have to take extra periods of English during their high school career, they don’t have … Continue reading Read More...
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Vocre is a free iPhone app that TechCrunch describes like this: It’s almost magical how Vocre works; Speak into the app while your iPhone is vertical, flip the phone horizontal and the phone’s accelerometer cues the app to translate and … Continue reading Read More...
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Vsnap lets you send a sixty second online video message very easily. Free registration is required. I’ve taken the opportunity to completely revise The Best Applications For Sending Online Video Messages. Read More...
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“Socrates Fails Teacher Evaluation” is a great post by Heidi_Hayes_Jacobs. It’s a must-read. Here’s how she ends it: The results were posted in the Agora for all to see the quality and performance of their teacher. Socrates failed. He simply … Continue Read More...
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Adam Simpson has just posted the 27th Edition of the ESL/EFL/ELL Blog Carnival! It’s filled with excellent posts where teachers are describes lessons when their students were in the state of “flow” — when they were completely absorbed in what … Continue Read More...
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