TeenTribune, TweenTribune, TTJunior & TTEspañol
TeenTribune, TweenTribune, TTJunior, and TTEspañol are daily news sites for students in grades 1-12. The most compelling, relevant and interesing news for kids aged 8-18 are posted each day. Stories are selected by teens and tweens working closely with professional journalists. Students can comment upon these stories.
Unlike other news sites for kids, TeenTribune and TweenTribune are easy to use, updated daily and allow teens and tweens to participate in so many ways. But most importantly, these sites encourage teens and tweens to seek out news on a daily basis. Our democracy depends upon a well-informed public, so it's important to foster a daily news-reading habit at an early age.
I like how current events are available and geared for students at grade levels and in Spanish. The Spanish version is a great opportunity for EL as well as Spanish classes.
Check it out and click below to sign up. It's fast, easy and free!
Grades 1-3: http://tweentribune.com/junior
Grades 4-8: http://tweentribune.com/
Grades 9-12: http://tweentribune.com/teen
In Spanish: http://tweentribune.com/spanish
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Saturday, September 22, 2012
District Wide Information
New Professional Books
The list of book titles below are new professional books that Marcia Ivers and I saw at the ISTE Conference and felt would be great resources for teachers in the district. If you are interested in checking out any or these books contact the MHS media center.
101 Best Web Sites for Teacher Tools and Professional Development by James Lerman
Educators will be amazed to discover the tremendous variety of free, powerful, and practical teaching tools that are now available online. For busy teachers have little time to track down and verify the usefulness of these web-based tools, Web expert James Lerman has collected the best of the best and profiled them here.
Digital Citizenship in Schools by Mike Ribble
Today, billions fo people all over the planet interact using various technologies. This interaction has created a digital society that affords its members opportunities for education, employment, entertainment, and social interaction. As in any society, it is expected that digital citizens act in a certain way - according to accepted norms, rules, and laws. Most of today's students are entirely comfortable with technology, but are they using it appropriately? Do they understand their roles and responsibilites in a digital society? How can teachers help students become responsible digital citizens?
Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom by Frank W. Baker
The average 8-18 year old spends over 10 hours a day consuming media. Unfortunately young people's minds are often shut off as they watch TV, surf the web, or listen to music. Help your students tune in so they can begin to analyze messages and understand techniques used to influence them. Teach your students to question marketing, recognize propaganda, and understand stereotypes, and you'll also be teaching them valuable critical thinking skills they need for a successful future.
Cell Phones in the Classroom: A Practical Guide for Educator by Liz Kolb
Kolb starts out by sharing case studies that illustrate practical ways teachers and administrators from schools around the world are using cell phones for classroom projects, homework assignments, and communication with parents. She also includes resources such as sample lesson plans, tutorials for mobile-supported web 2.0 tools, strategies for involving students without cell phones, and guidance on planning and preparation.
Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education by Liz Kolb
Liz Kolb sees cell phones as powerful technology in the hands of students. Kolb provides a vision in which engaged students use the tools of their choice to enhance learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Mini lessons and powerful resources throughout the book are easily adaptable and appropriate for almost any grade level. This book also features guidelines for cell phone ettiquette, and a discussion of the future of cell phones in education.
Bookmapping: Lit Trips and Beyond by Terence W. Cavanaugh and Jerome Burg
With bookmapping, students can use technology to expand their understanding of the locations they visit and connect literature with geography, social studies, and more. Bookmapping allows students to plot the locations of a story on an interactive map, adding multimedia and hyperlinks about the setting, characters, and plot. And maps offer much more, helping students see places in the book up close.
Safe Practices for Life Online: A Guide for Middle and High Schools by Doug Fodeman and Marje Monroe
This new edition offers practical advice to help middle and high school students stay safe online by making better choices and minimizing their risks. Cyberbullying, identity theft, phishing schemes, false advertising, the challenges of Facebook, and more are all fully explained. This essential resource contains dozens of classroom-tested exercises and hundreds of links to websites, documents, and resources.
Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day by Jonathon Bergmann and Aaron Sams
It all started with a simple observation: Students need their teachers present to answer questions or to provide help if they get stuck on an assignment: they don't need their teachers present to listen to a lecture or review content. From there Jonathon Bergmann and Aaron Sams began the flipped classroom. Learn what a flipped classroom is and why it works, and get the information you need to flip your own classroom. You'll also learn the flipped mastery model, where students learn at their own pace.
From Fear to Facebook: One School's Journey by Matt Levinson
"From Fear to Facebook is an insider's view of the journey from peril to possibility with digital media in school communities. Matt Levinson gives a clear picture of how communities need to work together to create safe, innovative opportunities for kids to learn with digital media. From Fear to Facebook tells the story of the cultural shift happening in schools with technology and provides a road map for how to navigate this sea change with buy-in from all key stakeholders. The stories [Levinson] shares are grounded in the day-to-day challenges and opportunities that accompany digital media. From Fear to Facebook should be required reading for schools looking to figure out how to optimize technology to enhance teaching and learning."
-Jim Steyer, CEO and Founder, Common Sense Media
Digital Storytelling: Guide for Educators by Midge Frazel
This book offers an overview of digital storytelling and its variations, including e-portfolios, digital photo essays, and scrapblogs. This book aligns
digital storytelling to the NETS for Students, and each chapter includes a list of resources and links.
The list of book titles below are new professional books that Marcia Ivers and I saw at the ISTE Conference and felt would be great resources for teachers in the district. If you are interested in checking out any or these books contact the MHS media center.
101 Best Web Sites for Teacher Tools and Professional Development by James Lerman
Educators will be amazed to discover the tremendous variety of free, powerful, and practical teaching tools that are now available online. For busy teachers have little time to track down and verify the usefulness of these web-based tools, Web expert James Lerman has collected the best of the best and profiled them here.
Digital Citizenship in Schools by Mike Ribble
Today, billions fo people all over the planet interact using various technologies. This interaction has created a digital society that affords its members opportunities for education, employment, entertainment, and social interaction. As in any society, it is expected that digital citizens act in a certain way - according to accepted norms, rules, and laws. Most of today's students are entirely comfortable with technology, but are they using it appropriately? Do they understand their roles and responsibilites in a digital society? How can teachers help students become responsible digital citizens?
Media Literacy in the K-12 Classroom by Frank W. Baker
The average 8-18 year old spends over 10 hours a day consuming media. Unfortunately young people's minds are often shut off as they watch TV, surf the web, or listen to music. Help your students tune in so they can begin to analyze messages and understand techniques used to influence them. Teach your students to question marketing, recognize propaganda, and understand stereotypes, and you'll also be teaching them valuable critical thinking skills they need for a successful future.
Cell Phones in the Classroom: A Practical Guide for Educator by Liz Kolb
Kolb starts out by sharing case studies that illustrate practical ways teachers and administrators from schools around the world are using cell phones for classroom projects, homework assignments, and communication with parents. She also includes resources such as sample lesson plans, tutorials for mobile-supported web 2.0 tools, strategies for involving students without cell phones, and guidance on planning and preparation.
Toys to Tools: Connecting Student Cell Phones to Education by Liz Kolb
Liz Kolb sees cell phones as powerful technology in the hands of students. Kolb provides a vision in which engaged students use the tools of their choice to enhance learning both inside and outside of the classroom. Mini lessons and powerful resources throughout the book are easily adaptable and appropriate for almost any grade level. This book also features guidelines for cell phone ettiquette, and a discussion of the future of cell phones in education.
Bookmapping: Lit Trips and Beyond by Terence W. Cavanaugh and Jerome Burg
With bookmapping, students can use technology to expand their understanding of the locations they visit and connect literature with geography, social studies, and more. Bookmapping allows students to plot the locations of a story on an interactive map, adding multimedia and hyperlinks about the setting, characters, and plot. And maps offer much more, helping students see places in the book up close.
Safe Practices for Life Online: A Guide for Middle and High Schools by Doug Fodeman and Marje Monroe
This new edition offers practical advice to help middle and high school students stay safe online by making better choices and minimizing their risks. Cyberbullying, identity theft, phishing schemes, false advertising, the challenges of Facebook, and more are all fully explained. This essential resource contains dozens of classroom-tested exercises and hundreds of links to websites, documents, and resources.
Flip Your Classroom: Reach Every Student in Every Class Every Day by Jonathon Bergmann and Aaron Sams
It all started with a simple observation: Students need their teachers present to answer questions or to provide help if they get stuck on an assignment: they don't need their teachers present to listen to a lecture or review content. From there Jonathon Bergmann and Aaron Sams began the flipped classroom. Learn what a flipped classroom is and why it works, and get the information you need to flip your own classroom. You'll also learn the flipped mastery model, where students learn at their own pace.
From Fear to Facebook: One School's Journey by Matt Levinson
"From Fear to Facebook is an insider's view of the journey from peril to possibility with digital media in school communities. Matt Levinson gives a clear picture of how communities need to work together to create safe, innovative opportunities for kids to learn with digital media. From Fear to Facebook tells the story of the cultural shift happening in schools with technology and provides a road map for how to navigate this sea change with buy-in from all key stakeholders. The stories [Levinson] shares are grounded in the day-to-day challenges and opportunities that accompany digital media. From Fear to Facebook should be required reading for schools looking to figure out how to optimize technology to enhance teaching and learning."
-Jim Steyer, CEO and Founder, Common Sense Media
Digital Storytelling: Guide for Educators by Midge Frazel
This book offers an overview of digital storytelling and its variations, including e-portfolios, digital photo essays, and scrapblogs. This book aligns
digital storytelling to the NETS for Students, and each chapter includes a list of resources and links.
Sunday, September 16, 2012
District Wide Information
U.S. Election Resources for Social Studies Teachers
http://www.fractuslearning.com/2012/08/27/us-election-resources-teachers/
As the election season gears up with more advertisements, signs posted in yards in your neighborhood, or billboards check out the link above with ideas for engaging your students in this opportunity to better understand civics in our country. There are resources at various grade levels. If you haven't checked out iCivics game (founded by Sandra Day O'Connor) and resources click on this link www.icivics.org
Check out the following link too for 10 ways to teach about election day.
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/10-ways-to-teach-about-election-day/
Who Owns Your Digital Library?
http://www.fractuslearning.com/2012/09/06/owns-digital-content/
I think this is a fascinating question to consider. The link above to the this titled article can help answer this question. This is something to share and discuss with students in your classroom. If you polled the teachers in your building or the students in your class, more than likely the response to this question you would get is, "Me. I bought it." According to this article this is where reading the fine print in the terms of service for Apple or Amazon. The terms of service grants you "nontransferable" rights to use content on up to five devices. Read this article find out more.
http://www.fractuslearning.com/2012/08/27/us-election-resources-teachers/
As the election season gears up with more advertisements, signs posted in yards in your neighborhood, or billboards check out the link above with ideas for engaging your students in this opportunity to better understand civics in our country. There are resources at various grade levels. If you haven't checked out iCivics game (founded by Sandra Day O'Connor) and resources click on this link www.icivics.org
Check out the following link too for 10 ways to teach about election day.
http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/11/01/10-ways-to-teach-about-election-day/
Who Owns Your Digital Library?
http://www.fractuslearning.com/2012/09/06/owns-digital-content/
I think this is a fascinating question to consider. The link above to the this titled article can help answer this question. This is something to share and discuss with students in your classroom. If you polled the teachers in your building or the students in your class, more than likely the response to this question you would get is, "Me. I bought it." According to this article this is where reading the fine print in the terms of service for Apple or Amazon. The terms of service grants you "nontransferable" rights to use content on up to five devices. Read this article find out more.
Sunday, September 9, 2012
District Wide Information
Minnesota Department of Education Reading Rocks Reading Rockoctober Program runs from October to April. This program promotes that with Reading Rocktober, students will be motivated to:
•Read for fun
•Read more often
•Improve their reading skills and overcome reading obstacles.
Check it out at http://readingrocksmn.com/index.html and register your school building at http://readingrocksmn.com/register.php. This program may easily piggy back with the daily reading many classes ask students to do for their daily reading, but students set goals and can earn reward from participating sponsors.
•Read for fun
•Read more often
•Improve their reading skills and overcome reading obstacles.
Check it out at http://readingrocksmn.com/index.html and register your school building at http://readingrocksmn.com/register.php. This program may easily piggy back with the daily reading many classes ask students to do for their daily reading, but students set goals and can earn reward from participating sponsors.
Monday, September 3, 2012
District Wide Information
Banned Websites Awareness Day http://www.ala.org/aasl/advocacy/bwad is Wednesday, October 3rd and Banned Book Week is Sept. 30th - Oct. 6th. http://www.ala.org/advocacy/banned/bannedbooksweek
Every year I post about Banned Book Week (this year celebrating 30 years). This year I encourage teachers to celebrate the freedom to read books that have been challenged and access websites that were once blocked (i.e. YouTube). If you are seeking books or resources that have been banned to help celebrate the freedom to read, be in touch with me. I have several resources. This is a great way to teach about First Amendment rights (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/censorshipfirstamendmentissues)
Every year I post about Banned Book Week (this year celebrating 30 years). This year I encourage teachers to celebrate the freedom to read books that have been challenged and access websites that were once blocked (i.e. YouTube). If you are seeking books or resources that have been banned to help celebrate the freedom to read, be in touch with me. I have several resources. This is a great way to teach about First Amendment rights (http://www.ala.org/advocacy/intfreedom/censorshipfirstamendmentissues)
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