Search results matching tags 'elementary' and 'education'

A Problem of Articulation

Anonymous — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:56:00 GMT

Ever tried explaining electricity to a nine year old? I gained another level of respect for Virginia's elementary school teachers tonight. My daughter has a test tomorrow on electricity. Nothing complicated: open and closed circuits, conductors and insulators, series and parallel circuits, resistance, etc. We used iPod headphones, turned switches on and off in the house, and even made some sparks with jumper cables to see the principles of electricity at work.

She really got it. Then I started quizzing her with the study guide. Maybe she didn't get it after all. She could show me and even explain what all of the terms and concepts were all about while we were moving around the house and looking at electricity at work in our world. But something about putting it into clearly articulated words, absent the tangible examples, escaped her.

After a little work, she managed to articulate a little better, but when I read the definitions from the page for her to identify, she struggled a little more. The terms and language used in the review guide didn't quite match the language she had used to understand the concepts.

Tomorrow, I don't know how her teacher will assess her. I'm sure that with over twenty other students taking the test at the same time she won't have a chance to just explain it to him, much less show him. If she's asked to write about it her chances are much better. I do know that at least by next year she will have to answer multiple choice questions about it for the fifth grade Virginia Standards of Learning test, the type of test that doesn't value what you know or give you the chance to express what you've learned-- it is the type of test that exposes what you don't know and expects the student to understand the narrow scope pre-determined by the "standard-setters" and "test-makers."

My experience tonight leads me to wonder how many students are harmed because teaching them to truly articulate their learning is no longer valued. We expect to assess learning through an easy and streamlined process. We define what should be known, how it should be expressed and if students learn to articulate differently than what is prescribed they are punished rather than rewarded.

I don't have a well "articulated" conclusion to my thoughts, but after spending time engaged in learning with my daughter I found myself sad that even though I'm convinced that she understands, I'm not sure how she'll test. And in our world today, the test is all that matters.

(Post-Script- I first wrote this post over a month ago. My daughter aced the test. It was fill-in the blank and short answer.)

Top Kindle Fire Elementary Education Apps for Social Studies

Anonymous — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 10:55:00 GMT

Below is a list of the top Kindle Fire Educational apps that I use in my intermediate classroom for social studies. My students love the opportunity to use the devices! If you are interested in any of the apps for your android device, simply click on the picture and it will take you to amazon.com where you can download them for either FREE or a small fee.

Each app is rated based on a 5 "flame" system.

1 flame = app was terrible, never want to use again

2 flames = app was OK, but didn't find it worthwhile

3 flames = app was somewhat useful

4 flames = app was useful and fun

5 flames = app was amazing! Want to use it all the time!

Kids Maps: This app provides students with a chance to place the 50 states onto a United States map by simply touching the state and dragging it to the appropriate area on the map. You can change the settings for sound and music as well. This is an excellent tool for students to review where the 50 states are located. RATING: 5 out of 5 flames! The app is $1.99.

U.S. Presidents: This app provides a visual picture of each U.S. President along with information such as: the president's birth and death (if applicable), political party, term in office, vice president, and some trivia. There are options to just learn about the presidents, take a quiz, and even link up through wikipedia if connected to the internet to learn more about each president. This is a great resource for students to learn more about the Presidents of the United States. RATING: 4 out of 5 flames. The app is FREE.

50 States: This app helps students learn more about the 50 states. It provides information for each state such as: when it was admitted to the union, the area, state bird, capital city, state flower, highest point, largest city, and population to name a few. It also has a function where there is a quiz that students could take based on the above categories. There is also a United States map in which you can click on a state and get the information as well. RATING: 4 out of 5 flames. The app is FREE.

Geo Quiz: This is an app for students who would like a challenge in categories such as: countries and flags, capital cities of the world, oceans/rivers/lakes, mountains and peaks, forests/deserts/plains, extremes, the big picture, the great explorers, climate change, and food. There is also the option of mixing the categories into a random choice of 20 questions. The quizzes are difficult, but so much can be learned from the answers that are shared. The app is FREE.

As more social studies apps become available for the Kindle Fire we will be rating and adding them to this blog post as well.

Make sure to check out our other blog posts about using the Kindle Fire in the classroom and for future ratings too!

Top Kindle Fire Education Apps for Math

Anonymous — Sun, 19 Feb 2012 02:33:00 GMT

Below is a list of the top Kindle Fire Educational apps that I use in my intermediate classroom for math. I have used them all successfully for both remediation and enrichment after teaching the concepts tied to our curriculum. My students love the opportunity to use the devices for math! If you are interested in any of the apps for your android device, simply click on the picture and it will take you to amazon.com where you can download them for either FREE or a small fee.

Each app is rated based on a 5 "flame" system.

1 flame = app was terrible, never want to use again

2 flames = app was OK, but didn't find it worthwhile

3 flames = app was somewhat useful

4 flames = app was useful and fun

5 flames = app was amazing! Want to use it all the time!

Card Droid Math Flash Cards: This app provides flash cards for multiplication and division (also addition and subtraction). You can change the settings which allows you to choose the problem set the students will do. It makes it individualized based on the students' needs. You can change the amount of problems from 10-50, can change the color of the background, and even the sounds! RATING: 5 out of 5 flames! The app is $.99.

Math Bingo: This fun game provides problems to solve for multiplication and division (also addition and subtraction) while playing bingo! You can select a level of difficulty for each game: easy, medium, hard. If you are looking for enrichment or a challenge for your higher learners, this isn't an app for them. Even the hard levels are easy. But my lower level students loved this game. RATING: 4 out of 5 flames. The app is FREE.

Math Training for Kids: This app allows multiplication and division practice (also addition and subtraction) at the same time if you choose. You can customize the problem sets where it can have a mix of two different types of problems. There are levels of difficulty that you choose from. You can also change the problem set from 10 to 100. Once again, the only drawback for higher level learners is that the "hard" level is way too easy. But for lower level learners it is a great app. There is a "statistics" button that keeps track of how well the students do on each problem set. That is a great feature to see the students' progress. RATING: 4 out of 5 flames. The app is FREE.

Peter’s Pig Money Math: This is an app for students to practice counting money. There are three levels: easy, medium, hard. You can sort money into jars, count the value of money and select the correct amount, and choose which pile of money has the greater amount. This is great practice for those students that struggle with coins. RATING: 5 out of 5 flames for money counting! The app is FREE.

There were some math apps that received a 1-3 flame rating. Those apps were: A+ Flash Cards, Let's Do the Math, Fun Math Tricks, Awesome Arithmetic, Flash Math, and Flash Cards Math. So I took those apps off of my device and will not use them with my students.

As more math apps become available for the Kindle Fire we will be rating and adding them to this blog post as well.

Make sure to check out our other blog posts about using the Kindle Fire in the classroom and for future ratings too!

Scenes of the Jungle

Anonymous — Tue, 03 May 2011 14:13:57 GMT

I enjoyed one of the most beautiful scenes of a jungle on my trip to Costa Rica. We were high in the mountains above the Pacific Coast rain forests surrounded by beautifully maintained gardens.

Every morning I would watch the clouds rise from the valleys into the sky.

And every evening settle down into the valleys for a long rest.

Many of the mountains were very high. These ones rise above palm plantations.

The trees were amazing. I tried to hug a few, but they were too big.

Many of the trees have enormous buttress roots. They help hold up the massive trees. People used this strategy when building huge buildings before they were built with metal and concrete.

Is this where chocolate comes from?

Not only can the canopy be delicious, but also fun. The animals climb along the massive branches in the dark canopy. We prefer to fly, zzzzzzzzzzip!

Down from the emergent layer in the sun into the dark unknown.

Under the canopy in the understory and forest floor, it sure is dark! No wonder baby trees take so long to grow big.

Down here there is plenty of water. Just not enough sun for many plants to grow on the forest floor.

Speaking of the sun, I think it is time it went to bed. All of this exploring has worn me out.

Good night!

Teaching Speaking Videos: Techniques, Feedback & Monitoring

Anonymous — Thu, 07 Apr 2011 15:03:00 GMT

Teacher trainer John Kay expounds on his tips on teaching speaking on this set of videos for the British Council. They aren't new, but even if you think you know it all, have a listen - it may refresh some of the stagnant cells! It did mine! ;-) I first read about these videos in Barb Sakamoto's Starter-PLN Daily.

Strategy to Improve Attention Span

Anonymous — Mon, 22 Nov 2010 00:20:00 GMT

If you’ve followed me for long, you know I love to blog about things I’m learning in the BrainSMART Masters degree program. I’ve recently discovered something new and phenomenal! I came across it in a book used by the BrainSMART program called, Building the Reading Brain, by Nevills and Wolfe (2009). It’s a strategy to help students extend their concentration and attention span. Working

Free Webinar On Scratch… A Free Program From MIT… Imagine, Program, Share!

Anonymous — Thu, 18 Nov 2010 00:36:53 GMT

Are you itching for ways to engage and empower students and their inherent creativity? Scratch will bring instant relief to a classroom of kids ready to collaborate, innovate, and create! Please join me as I present some Scratch Basics while informing educators how to get students Scratching across the curriculum! This Scratch Webinar sponsored by the awesome people at the Siemens Stem Academy and the Discovery Education Network is bound to create a rash of enthusiasm. I also wish to thank in advance both Steve Dembo and Hall Davidson, two of the very best, for the moderation they will be providing. The date and time is Tuesday, November 30 at 7:00 PM EST! Please join me, and while you are at it, subscribe to this 21centuryedtech Blog by either RSS or email. You can also check out my 21centuryedtech Wiki or follow me on Twitter. Most of all, please register for this free Scratch Webinar and join me for a journey into 21 Century Learning! Have a great week! – Mike

When was the last time you got a good smell of a Crayola Crayon? It really doesn’t matter the color! Just the scent will turn on the imaginative juices possibly lost since Kindergarten! Or perhaps you remember the hours you spent with Tinker Toys. An adventure filled with a constant flow of unchecked time building, tweaking, and tinkering! Then there was the Easy Bake Oven. A true childhood dream of combining, remixing, and creating. The brilliant inventors at MIT’s Life long Kindergarten Group have found a way to repackage, reinvent, and integrate these same concepts and come up with an ingenious package called Scratch. It is a mix of on-line experiences, computer programing, animation, game creation, multi media, fine arts, science, social studies, language arts, math, and collaboration. Join me in this Scratch Webinar to discover why Scratch is a must for every 21st Century classroom!

Do you want to build a game? Scratch can do it. Do you want to create a work of art. Count on Scratch to allow you to fit together the Master Pieces! Do you want to discover mathematic? You can count on Scratch to make sense out of numbers and number theory. Do you want to tell a story? Scratch can do that with pictures, sounds, and movement! Do you wish to experience sound and music? Scratch will carry quite a tune! There is simplicity for elementary, challenges for middle school, and complexity for the older students. Educators can help students Scratch their way through any level and curriculum.

Perhaps your school is fascinated by STEM, or intent on pulling in the fine arts by creating STEAM! Possibly your classroom is venturing into the world of Project and Problem Based Learning. It may be the 21st Century Skills that you are building with students each day. Scratch can be used as a tool to promote all of these awesome avenues that promote student centered high level learning!

This really is a must attend webinar where you will learn…

1. Scratch basics

2. Why you must incorporate Scratch

3. How to get the free program and more

4. How to get students started

5. How to get students far ahead of you

6. Opportunities in every curriculum at all levels

7. Ways to promote 21st Century Skills

8. Methods to promote community and on-line collaboration

9. The art of creating, remixing, and innovating

10. Ways to explore resources at MIT and beyond

You will discover how to get students a basic beginning and later get them involved in animation, drawing, interactive art, games, math, music, simulations, and even a possible contest. You will view student creations while listening to their experiences. Most of all this webinar will introduce you to a vast amount of resources and ideas to send you and your students on a quest that will allow them to imagine, program, and share! I will even show you ways to bring Scratch outside of the computer’s environment allowing interaction in awesome, inspiring, and relevant ways! While this webinar will only “Scratch” the surface, it will provide the foundation to incorporate Scratch into your curriculum and get students excited about STEM education and opportunities.

Please send and retweet this post to educators across the internet and share with other colleagues in your building! When you sign up for the Scratch Webinar, be sure to also subscribe to this Blog. Be on the look out for my up-coming post bringing you links to resources uncovered in the Scratch Webinar. In fact, that is just one more reason to turn on the RSS feed or email subscription to my 21centuryedtech Blog. You will also find information and resources at my 21centuryedtech Wiki and I hope you are itching to follow me on Twitter at mjgormans! Again, please join tthe educators that will participate in this free Scratch Webinar from Siemens, Discovery Education, and yours truly! I look forward to sharing and learning from you! I am also excited to view your comments, replies, and back channel chat on Tuesday, November 30 at 7:00 PM EST! As always, thanks for stopping by and keep progressing, as you continue to transform your classroom for the 21st Century! – Mike

Learning to Teach to the Brain

Anonymous — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 21:00:00 GMT

Image via WikipediaI mentioned to someone that I’m getting my Masters in Brain Based Teaching. The response was, “Isn’t all teaching brain based?” I used to think so also. I’m now in my second course of the BrainSMART program (available through Nova Southeastern University). I am learning extremely valuable information. Knowledge that is transforming my teaching! I’ve learned that the

Games For Education - It works!

Anonymous — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 19:20:00 GMT

I set this game up for it to be used to demonstrate that games such as these are useful methods for teaching something you have no idea of. In this case, it's a point-and-click game on parts of the face, and the language I have chosen is Indonesian. Try it! If you're looking for parts of the face/body in English look here: http://acliltoclimb.blogspot.com/2010/04/

Transforming Teaching

Anonymous — Thu, 21 Oct 2010 17:51:00 GMT

I’m working on my lesson plans for next week. I can no longer plan without all the knowledge I’m gaining from the BrainSMART program vying for attention in my mind. This program is truly revolutionizing my teaching experience, and by extension, the experiences of my students. If you’ve been following my blog, you’ve been witnessing the change in progress. I’m having FUN teaching! The Change I