Monday, March 16, 2015

Exit Tickets: What a Great Assessment Tool!

Most teachers use some type of assessment to gauge the effectiveness of their lessons and to discover what their students are learning.  Author, Rhonda Stewart, has some excellent examples of exit tools that you can use - on paper and also online.  Ms. Stewart offers prompts for students to select and respond.  Paper samples are reproducible for you, the reader.  Online exit ticket examples are also shown, a tool Ms. Stewart recently discovered.  This is an excellent article that should help you with instruction.


Using Exit Tickets as an Assessment Tool.  Rhonda Stewart. 3.13.15.  Scholastic - Top Teaching Blog
http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/top-teaching/2015/03/using-exit-tickets-assessment-tool



Thursday, March 12, 2015

A Look at Today's Math Classroom

Math teachers everywhere are making major instructional shifts to fit the challenges of Common Core math.  The article below from the Teaching Channel features examples of classrooms engaging in this process.  What excitement kids have in these classrooms!  Enjoy and see what you can do in your classroom.


What Does Math Look Like in today's Classroom?  Gretchen Vierstra. 3/10.15.  TeachingChannel - Tchers' Voice
https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2015/03/10/math-in-todays-classroom/

How Are We Teaching Students to Remember?

We spent a great deal of effort to lesson planning and its execution in class: key vocabulary, important facts, and class discussion followed by testing.  Students then perform very well.  However, according to our author, Naphtali Hoff, several days later, there is empty silence when the teacher asks a related question.  What happened?  This is what the following article is about---how to teach retention of important information in the curriculum.  Yes, in this digital age, "Googling" is a handy answer, but do we want today's learners to use this crutch all the time?  Of course not!  Read how you can teach your students how to develop long term memory.  Excellent article and not to be missed. 
Our readers would love to read your Comments.  So please share your thoughts.


Put retention in the plan.  Naphtali Hoff.  3.9. 15.  SmartBlog on Education - Leadership
http://smartblogs.com/education/2015/03/09/put-retention-in-the-plan/?utm_source=brief



Tuesday, March 10, 2015

Build Trust and Confidence With Your Students

From the land down-under, Australian teacher Emma Waters reflects on the writings of poets, Tao Te Ching and the 14th Century poet Hafiz to see how their words might apply in a 21st Century school classroom.  She offers 7 excellent ideas for creating a productive classroom environment which is based on trust and confidence.  Excellent.


Why it is important to be a centered (centred) leader. Emma Waters. 3.9.15.  Britannica - Digital Learning: Australia

Relationship Building Among Teachers & Students of Different Cultures

Positive relations between students and their teachers are a "must" in order for good learning to take place.  The first order of business for us as teachers is to 'listen' rather than 'do'. As the author, Jose Vilson so aptly points out, we have a lot on our plates that are action orientated with little time left for listening and reflecting.  Mr. Vilson points out 3 essential strategies that are needed to work successfully with culturally and/or racially diverse classrooms.  Excellent!


Empowering Educators Through Cultural Competence.  Jose Vilson.  3.10.15.  edutopia
http://www.edutopia.org/blog/empowering-educators-through-cultural-competence-jose-vilson





Friday, March 6, 2015

Technology to Motivate Struggling Learners

All of us are more apt to learn something when we are motivated to do so.  So many struggling readers are presented with the same print media that has proven extremely difficult for them.  How great it is if we presented these learners with material that they enjoy and can learn from.  That's what this article is about.  Read how technology can be a great motivator.


A New Approach to Designing Educational Technology - Is the biggest learning disability an emotional one?  Chris Berdik. 3.4.15.  Slate