May 2013
29 posts
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How to Grow Your Own Film Academy →
After months of planning, city officials in Elk Grove, California, are preparing to open a community recycling center equipped to handle hazardous household waste materials. If the new facility is goi
Seems like an interesting classroom or club idea…
mrbaltz asked: I did a cool intro and hook into my Russia unit by doing a Zombie Apocalypse simulation using desk maps and chernobyl radiation maps. Let me know if you would want to see it!
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Zombie-Based Learning -- "Braaaaaaains!" →
You read that correctly: Zombie-Based Learning. When I started learning about it, my inner geek squealed with joy. I’ve always loved zombies. I’ve watched all the movies and even read the original Wa
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Lisa Nielsen: The Innovative Educator: Could PBL... →
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In response to my lobbyist commentary...
dizzyksc said: After spending the past five years studying political science, my peers and I have concluded that this country severely lacks in civic education. There has been no incentive for schools to teach civics or for government to push for civic education.
What do you all think? Is civic education getting the short end of the stick? What can we do about it?
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3 Tools to Connect Your Classroom in Under 3... →
Are you short on time? Or maybe you’re just short? Or maybe like me…you are BOTH. :) When I first started to digitally connect with my students 3 years ago, I tried a class Facebook group. At the…
And all of these are often blocked in schools…
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Today I explained what a lobbyist is...
We were talking about the chocolate industry and how they invest in lobbyists to stop restrictions on the child labor used to produce cocoa.
There juniors in HS were completely shocked and appalled by the idea that companies could pay people to go represent them and attempt to manipulate Congress. They were even more shocked by the idea that companies then invest in campaigns for elections.
...
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5 Great Tools for Creating Your Own Educational... →
These fun, mostly free tools can help educators easily create their own Infographics, and bring a very modern twist to instruction. “A picture is worth
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What are you planning to do this summer with your...
I’m going on a vacation…
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So...a student asked to do an independent study...
Anybody every done an independent study? I’m not sure what a teacher is supposed to do with it. Any ideas?
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Discussing female circumcision/female genital...
So, after asking you all for advice on the topic, I finally got around to teaching my students about it. Here are some interesting reflections on the discussion:
- I added some extra interest for the topic by mentioning that there would be a really interesting but controversial topic discussed in the next day of class. I referenced that is is something that I even struggle with teaching due to...
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Any ideas for teaching about Western Africa?
There are a lot of countries, so it probably doesn’t pay to talk about all of them individually or anything but I’m looking for ideas, activities, projects, or any overall topics for the region that may be of interest.
10 Reasons To Try 20% Time In The Classroom →
jbizzle329:
Google does it. Your classroom could too. Why not try a little creative thinking with 20% time in the classroom?
This is interesting because we kind of do this in the Montessori upper grades. We allow kids to research and plan field trips, pick science and S.S. topics and teach the class, as well as jump in and learn the answers to their own questions. The kids take a lot of...
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George Osodi: Kings of Nigeria - Artscape - Al... →
Teaching my students about stereotypes that have existed in Africa by using staged images by Europeans, about modern Africa, and about the oil spill in the Niger Delta. Great video supplement…
Teachable moments
Cool, sorta "jock" student: YOLO, sir.
Me: Hold on a sec.
Student: *smirk* What, don't you believe in YOLO sir?
Me: Actually I quite like the sentiment. But do you want to know a way to say the same thing but have people think you sound really smart?
Student: Huh?
Me: Well, you know how the sorts of people who always say "YOLO" are often using it as an excuse to do stupid stuff, so people think they're stupid? Well, I can tell you a way to say exactly the same thing, but people will think you're being really smart instead.
Student: Yeah, alright.
Me: Carpe diem. It's Latin, and it means "seize the day". So it's literally exactly the same sentiment as "you only live once", but people who hear it will think you're really smart when you say it. Carpe diem is YOLO for smart people.
Student: ...Could you write that on the board, sir?
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Allergies are making it hard to think while lesson...
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Any ideas out there for teaching about the Bosnian...
For my genocide and human rights HS class…
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Is it time to eliminate parent-teacher...
Our school got rid of half of them due to low turnout because all parents use email, it seems…
April 2013
80 posts
What I do at the end of the school year
dancingcows:
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Anyone else chaperoning prom this year?
Excited? I know that I am…
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How To Handle Sleepy, Unprepared, And Unmotivated... →
They enter your classroom bleary eyed. Some have bed-head and pillow lines etched on their faces. A couple are still finishing up breakfast. One boy appears to be wearing the same pajama top he wore to bed the night before.
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Should I discuss female circumcision in Africa...
I’m covering regions of Africa where 99% of the female population has faced this according to the WHO. These are high school Juniors.
Cheating to Learn: How a UCLA professor gamed a... →
watercolorwinters:
I don’t think of this as cheating, or it could be because cheating has such a negative connotation. how can something that’s so good be labeled bad? I think what this professor did is brilliant.
How to Add Voice Comments to Google Documents →
world-shaker:
iamlittlei:
everyfiredies:
windycitylibrarian:
um…how awesome is this??
Cooooooool! Actually, the voice comments function is one of my favorite parts of Turnitin.com. I’m glad I can leave them on Google Docs too!
Oh, neat!
Love it! I wish it was an integrated feature instead of a free, outside service, but this is definitely going into my toolbox.
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Anyone ever seen the movie The Killing Fields?
Thinking of showing it in my Genocide History class…but haven’t seen it yet and I don’t want to spend $8 if it is a terrible idea since I would have to purchase it.
“I worked on integrating the iPad to be part of our classroom, not a separate...”
– http://iteachwithipads.net/how-it-began/ -Kristi Meeuwese #education #edtech #reading #kindergarten #appleeducator (via edtech-collaborative)
Strategies to Combat Stereotypes →
“People often think of prejudice as a simple, single phenomenon — general dislike for members of other groups — but recent research suggests that there are actually multiple, distinct types of prejudice,” according to Arizona State University researchers.
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How do you deal with students that are openly...
…and they won’t stop making terribly offensive remarks…
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Next Week's School Shooting Victims Thank Senate... →
I feel as though The Onion is moving more towards combative irony than ever before.
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Interesting things from a day of discussing the...
- Every class had someone that immediately jumped to the conclusion that it was “Arabs” or “Muslims” placed the bombs.
- Every class was filled with students who were shocked by that first student’s comments and tried to change their opinion.
- One student pointed out that terrorist attacks happen almost every day and only ones in the US get any attention by the US...
