apps for educational use Reading Comprehension Strategies & Resources Socratic seminars are a form of inquiry and discussion between students, based on asking open-ended questions and answering open ended questions to stimulate critical thinking, reading comprehension and to illuminate ideas and deepen understanding of literary concepts in texts. It is a dialectical method, often involving a focused discussion with key open-ended questions about a text read by all participants in which students ask questions to debate different points of view; one participant may lead another to discover new perspectives and ideas, thus strengthening the inquirer's own point and knowledge. Reading Comprehension Stems Free Reading Lessons and Assessments Students must be exposed to complex concepts like Latin and Greek Roots 70 plus times to gain a usable knowledge and deeper understanding of the concepts. English Comprehension Library Reading comprehension is the desired outcome of all reading programs. intention may leave you seeking new processes to improve student results.
K-5 iPad Apps According to Bloom's Taxonomy An elementary library media specialist reviews iPad apps as they map to an updated version of Bloom's Taxonomy in this six-part series. Diane Darrow is an artist, Reading Recovery teacher, and library media specialist at Bel Aire Elementary in Tiburon, CA. You can follow her on Twitter at @dianedarrow. In this six-part series, I will highlight apps useful for developing higher order thinking skills in grades K-5 classrooms. Part One: K-5 iPad Apps for Remembering Part Two: K-5 iPad Apps for Understanding Part Three: K-5 iPad Apps for Applying Part Four: K-5 iPad Apps for Analyzing Part Five: K-5 iPad Apps for Evaluating Part Six: K-5 iPad Apps for Creating
A Juicy Collection of Bloom's Digital Taxonomies! Today, educators are overwhelmed (literally drowning!) by thousands of web 2.0/social media/apps that they can use for learning and teaching. But, where/how to start? The LMS can certainly not solve all our learning and teaching needs and requirements. One way to find the right tool (or app) for a learning context/activity/situation, is to look through the eyes of Bloom's taxonomy. But, please keep in mind that many tools/apps can easily be used for all the levels of Bloom's taxonomy with an open and creative mindset. Here is a collection of Bloom's digital taxonomies that I have discovered until now: Updated version (2014): Old Version: * Click on the image to view the full size, or the 'Source' under each version to discover more about them (origin). (The following three diagrams below are not Bloom's Digital Taxonomy stuff, but included anyway!) Source Source Source Source (Download the PDF version)
5 Free iPad Apps I Love Using In My Classroom My students love using their iPads for everything. Sometimes it’s hard to determine how to create activities that are meaningful and fun. Students who are encouraged to be an active participant in their learning, retain more information and are more engaged in their learning process. Listed below are 5 of my favorite app-tivities to use in my class. They all are free and very easy to create. For printables and directions, visit me at: www.funintegratingtechnology.blogspot.com. Wordsalad This app creates word clouds in a quick, fast, fun way! Corkulous This app is a sticky note app that allows the creater to create sticky notes on a cork style board. BingoBaker Create free printable Bingo Cards with Bingo Baker (www.bingobaker.com). Think – Pair – Share Students can use an app such as Corkulous or Notes to create their thoughts of a passage, problem, etc. JigSaw Many apps (Notes, KeyNotes, SonicPics, StoryKit, Sock Puppet etc.) will allow you use the JigSaw method in your class.
Reading Educator Bloom's Taxonomy provides a structured presentation of human cognition from low-level thought processes like simple recall to higher-order thinking skills like synthesis and evaluation. Bloom offers a "stair step" description of the levels of human understanding, with each new level building on previous levels. Bloom's taxonomy divides human cognition into five levels. Recall questions require students to repeat or retell information. Analysis involves separating the main ideas or components of a larger whole—that is, dividing a whole into its smaller parts. Comparison refers to noting the similarities and difference among the component parts. Inference means making predictions or generalizations through deductive or inductive reasoning. Using deductive reasoning, students start with a general statement or principle and then explain how specific details relate to it. Evaluation means reaching a conclusion supported by evidence. Steps to Bloom's Taxonomy Questioning: Learn More:
iPad fury: Parents furious after school tells them to buy tablet for children Headteacher of Rossett School in Harrogate, North Yorks, causes anger with requestSome parents say they can't afford the £300 tablet and fear 'two-tier' inequality By Daily Mail Reporter Published: 12:37 GMT, 8 December 2012 | Updated: 12:37 GMT, 8 December 2012 Hard-up parents were left furious after a school asked them to fork out hundreds of pounds on iPads for lessons and homework. Staff at Rossett School in Harrogate, North Yorkshire told children to ask their parents to buy them the £300 tablet for their work. But the request has infuriated parents, hundreds of whom attended a showdown meeting with the headteacher over the cost. A row has broken out at Rossett School in Harrogate, North Yorkshire after parents were asked to buy iPads for their children One parent at the 1,400-pupil co-educational, which has academy status, said: 'This could create a two tier system. 'We can probably afford one, but not everyone can, especially if you have more than one child.
10 ways to differentiate learning Once upon a time in the olden days, the teacher stood out front and taught the whole class the same material in the same way. Everyone was expected to do the same tasks, some passed and some failed and were labelled ever after. The focus was on teaching, not on learning. One size was supposed to fit all and if you learned in a different way, too bad for you. Time passed and it turned out that everyone didn’t learn in the same way after all. She needed to think about differentiation in a different way. 10 ways to differentiate learning… 1. Give the students (at least some) ownership of their learning. 2. One size does not fit all. 3. Learners don’t need total mastery of all the skills before they can apply them. 4. Blogging, film making, global interactions, social media, photography, gaming (and much more!) 5. Encourage learners to follow their interests. 6. It’s not about a test at the end. 7. Create a culture of thinking, questioning, wondering and exploring. 8. 9. 10. Like this:
25 Ways To Use iPads In The Classroom by Degree of Difficulty In case you haven’t heard the news, we’re putting out a special mini-issue early next week. It’ll be available in the Edudemic Magazine iPad app and, best of all, FREE to subscribers! If you’re not (yet) a subscriber, it’ll be just $0.99. The following is an excerpt from just one of the articles in the mini-issue. It’s all about iPads in education, Apple’s role in the future of learning, and much more than that. So you’ve got one or a few iPads that you want to use in the classroom. 5 Innovative Mind-Mapping Tools For Education What do you do when you have an elaborate project, assignment, or paper that needs to be quickly organized? Do you fire up Microsoft Word and whip up an outline? Do you pull out a pen and paper and start sketching? What if you could have the best of both options with a free online tool? XMind Definitely one of the easiest ways to embed a mind map into your blog or website. The biggest feature to me is the ‘Pro’ feature which lets you record what an audience (or your classroom) says directly into the mind map as an .mp3. MindMeister MindMeister is a powerful tool that is great for mind-mapping on the go. The software is now at version 6.0 which brought on the ability to ‘theme’ your mind maps so they look all the snazzier. The killer tool is far and away the ability to collaborate, though. iMindMap Sample From ThinkBuzan iMindMap Basic is a free Mind Mapping software which will get you Mind Mapping quickly and easily. SpiderScribe.net Click to enlarge! Google Docs Other Mind Mapping Tools