Articles Tagged With: teaching resources
-
Brain-based learning: Teaching to the Brain
image from iStock
Brain Awareness Week is a worldwide campaign that brings schools, families, and communities together to celebrate the brain—and it begins next week (March 11-17). So in honor of this celebration, I plan to focus this post around a teaching technique known as brain-based learning.
You may ask, isn’t all learning brain-based? Not exactly. With brain-based learning, specific methods are brought in that allow the brain’s natural learning processes to function. Its core principles state that (from HERE):Each brain is unique
The brain can perform several activities at once
Learning involves … -
Tactics for Teaching English-Language Learners
Teaching English-Language Learners (ELLs) is one of my favorite topics. I’ve taught ELLs in three countries overseas and have volunteered in ELL settings in the U.S. It is wonderful how common it is for classrooms in the U.S. to be filled with many different language speakers–but it is also extremely challenging for both teachers and students.
Because this is so common, it is important for every educator to understand that they will need to step into the shoes of a language teacher at some point. So, when that time comes—or if … -
5 Amazing Black History Month Stories to Share with Your Students
Dr. Carter G. Woodson
This February, many educators and students are celebrating Black History Month in honor of African Americans and their contributions to Civil Rights. This history is not only important to the African American culture, but also to our country as a whole; making it a crucial topic to cover in the curriculum.
With this said, I thought these news stories would be really neat to share with students. They are taken straight from the front pages of newspapers, which date all the way back to 1857 and up to … -
Project-Based Learning: How to do it
So far, in my series of blog posts on Project-Based Learning (PBL), I have shared what PBL is and why it should be used. While it is easy to tell someone about PBL and the benefits involved, the same is not true for explaining how to do it. Because each class is unique, deciding how to use PBL is really up to the teacher and the students. So, I must preface this last post in the series by saying–these are general guidelines that can (and should!) be customized to your …
-
Pinterest Resource Roundup: Anchor Charts
Pinterest is full of resources for teachers (we shared some HERE and HERE); however, one resource idea has particularly caught my eye lately: anchor charts. These charts promote literacy skills by outlining or describing procedures or strategies on a chosen subject. The teacher takes the role of the scribe while the students brainstorm the ideas, and when completed it is hung up in the classroom for all to see. Then, as the year continues and more knowledge is gathered about the anchor chart topic, additions and corrections can be made.
… -
Winter Lesson Plan Roundup
Image from iStock
The hustle and bustle of the holiday season will soon be over, and our labors will have to focus again on school and work responsibilities. The weather has chilled down tremendously, and one could argue that most days we all wish to stay under the warmth of our covers. Among the commotions of the holiday break and frostier weather, we are also coming up to the halfway point in the school year. These factors influence us to feeling lackadaisical and burnt-out, and the winter months become a challenging …
-
Google Tools for Educators
Google remains a staple tool in my everyday tasks, and I realize more and more how much I rely on its use. In fact, it is safe to assume that majority feel this way, and that most of us turn to the Google search bar when we have a question or need a resource.
Image from iStockFor teachers, the Google search bar is commonly used to hunt down sites and downloads to use in lesson plans. However, it can begin to feel a bit daunting when trying to narrow it down …
-
Valentine’s Day Lesson Round-Up
Valentine’s Day is commonly celebrated in the classroom by giving students free time to share candies and cards. After an hour-or-so of ingesting treats and becoming boisterous, students take a while to settle down and gain focus again. While fun, I find that this way of celebrating is not exactly conducive to learning. Personally, I think giving a lesson that incorporates the holiday is a wonderful way to salvage precious teaching time. I find that Valentine’s Day-themed lesson plans can still provide the feeling of festivity, and students are even …
-
Facebook Apps for Students and Educators
It has been long argued that Facebook has no place in education. Yet, most would be shocked by the relevance it has among teachers and students. One of the strongest arguments for the use of Facebook in schools is the mere fact that it is a website in which students want to use, and probably already routinely use. As Facebook progressively gains acceptance, the question then stands: how should Facebook be applied to endorse learning?
Image from iStockFacebook apps are an excellent way to use Facebook in the classroom. In fact, …
-
Five Education Blogs We Loved Following in 2011
Image from iStock
With the close of yet another year, one often reflects on moments passed and things to come. I am astounded by the new innovations that are debuted year-round, and this last year proved to be no different. Not only am I amazed by the advancement of technology, but also how it is being applied in education. Ways to creatively use these tech tools in the classroom are constantly being blasted all throughout the worldwide web. More specifically, blogging has had a huge impact on putting technology-integrated lesson plans …