Technology Teaching Resources with Brittany Washburn: Math Digital Tools to Use in the Classroom Using technology in the math classroom can be incredibly powerful, especially if we’re using digital tools to redefine how we’re teaching and presenting concepts. These math digital tools to use in the classroom do just that. Here are a few applications and websites you can start using right away in your classroom. Primary Grades BrainPOP Jr. Math Playground The best learning happens when kids are engaged and having fun. Addition Snake Reminiscent of the old Atari centipede game, users guide the snake by clicking on the screen to move him to chomp the solutions to given addition equations. Intermediate Grades Khan Academy Although Khan Academy has learning videos for grades starting at Kindergarten, it is a favorite for intermediate grade students and teachers because of the self-paced instruction. Estimation Estimate length, area, and volume in a 3D simulation with varying levels. Brittany Hi, I'm Brittany.
Free, fun educational app for young kids | Khan Academy Kids Preschool Reading Activities & Curriculum Preschool age children are excited to learn. Curiosity is at a premium, making this the perfect age to lay a solid foundation for literacy skills. PreK learners do well with a blend of interactive lessons, learning games, hands-on activities including printable worksheets, solid assessment methods, and positive reinforcement. Preschool language arts lessons will incorporate all strands of English language arts. Preschool Reading – What are the Standards and Curriculum? There are multiple steps in helping your child become proficient at reading. Time4Learning’s award-winning preschool program combines technology, animated characters, original stories and enjoyable music to inspire a love of learning in the littlest e-learners. 4 Steps to Teach Preschool Reading Vocabulary Development Vocabulary development plays an important role on the path to reading. Phonics are a vital building block in a preschool reading program. Language Arts & Reading Comprehension Literary Response Literary Response
Five Ways to Create and Use QR Codes In Your Classroom As I do every year, I am taking this week to relax, recharge, and ski with friends. While I'm away I will be re-running the most popular posts of the year. This was the second most popular post in March, 2014. Recently, through the Free Technology for Teachers Facebook page I was asked for suggestions for tools for creating QR codes. Here are five suggestions that I often make in regards to creating and using QR codes in classrooms. Russel Tarr developed the QR Treasure Hunt Generator. Goo.gl is Google's URL shortening tool. QR Droid's QR Code Generator allows you to create QR codes that link to websites, chunks of text, phone numbers, email addresses, contact information, calendar events, and location coordinates. QR Voice is a free tool that allows you to create QR codes that when scanned will play a short audio message. TagMyDoc is a tool that allows you to apply a QR code to Word documents and PDFs that are stored on your computer.
25 Ways to Ask Your Kids 'So How Was School Today?' Without Asking Them 'So How Was School Today?' | liZ Evans This year, Simon is in fourth grade and Grace is in first grade, and I find myself asking them every day after school, "So how was school today?" And every day I get an answer like "fine" or "good," which doesn't tell me a whole lot. Or at least get a full sentence. So the other night, I sat down and made a list of more engaging questions to ask about school. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14. 15. 16. 17. 18. 19. 20. 21. 22. 23. 24. 25. So far, my favorite answers have come from questions 12, 15 and 21. And the answers we get are sometimes really surprising. As my kids get older, I know I am going to have to work harder and harder to stay engaged with them -- but I know it's going to be worth the work. This post originally appeared on Simple Simon and Company. Like Us On Facebook | Follow Us On Twitter | Contact HuffPost Parents Also on HuffPost: Alamy By the afternoon, I can get pretty frazzled. 1.
Technology Teaching Resources with Brittany Washburn: Classroom Management Ideas for Specials Teachers Classroom management can be so tricky, especially for a new teacher. I know I struggle with wanting my classroom environment to be "special" while also keeping students serious and focused enough to cover some intense topics. I am fortunate to have supportive team mates, but 4 out of the 5 of us have been doing this less than 6 years. We had to put our heads together to come up with a plan that would work for all of us, and it is still evolving. We really needed a way to communicate with the homeroom teachers. The time we have between classes is so limited, so we had to come up with something quick and meaningful. The only time a letter (and point) is taken away is for voice level infractions. Establishing Classroom Expectations We work so hard at the beginning of each school year to make sure all students understand the expectations. Whenever I have to take away a letter I stop the entire class and talk about why they are losing a letter. Classroom Teacher Buy-in Student Buy-in Brittany
Home Progressive Phonics - Home Progressive Phonics is an all-in-one reading program that is easy, fun, and totally FREE---that's right, totally and completely free! And with Progressive Phonics, ANYONE can teach a child to read and write in just a few minutes a day, which makes it ideal for parents, teachers, tutors, volunteers and home-schoolers. No experience necessary. Just pick a book and start reading it with your child/students. Matching handwriting worksheets and activity sheets for each book -- when children write what they learn, they learn it better. Also teaches the essential sight-words (and phonics rule-breakers) that most phonics programs fail to teach. Instant access -- download and use today. Our books can be read on-screen or printed on your color printer. But don't judge a book by it's home page. "Thank you so much for this amazing series. "These books are great.
Education Week The Flipped model can clearly be a fad, but it doesn't have to be if it is done with integrity. Old model of parent communication - Monthly newsletters with important dates & info. New model of parent communication - Classroom websites, district Facebook pages, school Twitter pages... and monthly newsletters . But what about flipping communication? Most schools are looking for new and innovative ways to engage parents. Unfortunately, due to outside influences such as increased accountability, or to inside influences such as...well, staff and school leaders that don't get along, some school leaders are nervous about flipping anything. They have a fear that the reaction to flipping will look something like this... (iStock Photo) Last year I posted a blog about flipping parent communication and there were mixed reactions. To many educators, flipping faculty meetings or parent communication sounded like an odd thing to do and I received the following questions. Why Flip Our Communication?
Aiming for Discipline Instead of Punishment With our most difficult students, the current way schools try to discipline students does not change their behavior, and often it escalates the problems. Discipline, unlike punishment, is proactive and begins before there are problems. It means seeing conflict as an opportunity to problem solve. Discipline provides guidance, focuses on prevention, enhances communication, models respect, and embraces natural consequences. It teaches fairness, responsibility, life skills, and problem solving. There are times when students need to be removed from the classroom and school for aggressive, volatile actions, but upon re-entry we should make a plan of action that begins to address these actions in these brain-aligned ways. The neurobiological changes caused by chronic negative experiences and a history of adversity can trigger a fear response in the brain. Young people with ACEs have brains that are in a constant state of alarm. Preventive Brain-Aligned Strategies The research is clear.
living non living worksheet 2 Académie de Nancy-Metz A Parent's Resource Guide to Social and Emotional Learning Encouraging Kindness and Empathy Cultivating Kindness and Compassion in Children (Center for Child and Family Well-Being, University of Washington, 2014) This summary of a public lecture by Kimberly Schonert-Reichl underscores the importance of promoting social and emotional learning, reviews some of the research about cultivating kindness and compassion in children, and discusses five practical strategies that parents can try. For even more parent tips, read Schonert-Reichl's Kindness Booklet. Back to Top Cultivating Perseverance and Resilience Carol Dweck on the Power of "Yet" (GreatSchools, 2013) Stanford University professor Carol Dweck, research pioneer on “fixed” versus “growth” mindsets, discusses how a simple change of language can inspire children to think differently about their capabilities. Fostering Gratitude Mindfulness, Emotional Intelligence, and Focus Home, School, and Community Partnerships Children’s Social Selves and Technology Additional Resources