12 Must Watch TED Talks for Teachers January 11, 2015 TED is another wonderful source of educational and inspirational videos to use in your class and for your professional development. A few days ago TED released its annual list of the most popular talks of the year featuring a number of interesting presentations covering different topics (e.g ). However, the list we have curated for you below goes beyond’s TED official collection to embed some wonderful talks directly relevant for us in education. We invite you to check it out below and as always share with us your feedback. Enjoy 2- How to Escape Education's Death Valley by Sir Ken Robinson 3- The Key to Success ?
The 10 Skills Modern Teachers Must Have There’s been a lot of talk recently about what it means to be a learner in the 21st Century. Earlier this year, we put together a guide with skills important for students today. So, why not a list for educators, too? The list goes beyond technology and social media. Check out what skill we think makes a modern teacher, and let us know your thoughts on the matter in the comments below. Image via flickr and Chicago 2016 Engage in Professional Communities: Teachers can sometimes lead a very solitary existence at school—spending all of their time tutoring before and after school and scarfing down lunch in front of the copier or spending their free period, if they’re lucky enough to have one, at their desks while grading papers. However the Essential skills for today’s teachers go far beyond “knowing how to use an iPad” and into the realm of connectedness. Editor’s note: This is a revised version of an article written by Jeff Dunn that originally appeared on March 12th, 2013.
When someone says teachers don't deserve a raise, show them this letter This heartfelt eye-opening letter first appeared on Amy Murray’s Blog, miss night’s marbles and really shows you what teachers go through for our children every single day. Dear Parent: I know. You’re worried that THAT child is detracting from your child’s learning experience. Your child, this year, in this classroom, at this age, is not THAT child. I know, and I am worried, too. You see, I worry all the time. But I know, you want to talk about THAT child. I want to talk about THAT child, too, but there are so many things I can’t tell you. I can’t tell you that she was adopted from an orphanage at 18 months. I can’t tell you that he is on an elimination diet for possible food allergies, and that he is therefore hungry ALL. I can’t tell you that her parents are in the middle of a horrendous divorce, and she has been staying with her grandma. I can’t tell you that I’m starting to worry that grandma drinks… I can’t tell you that his asthma medication makes him agitated. That’s okay, you say.
20 Things You Can Do In (About) 10 Minutes For A Smoother Running Classroom When the school year begins, teachers spend a lot of time getting the classroom ready, planning lessons, and getting to know his/her students. The following list includes 20 ideas that you may not have thought of that can help produce a successful classroom. Each item takes no longer than an hour and can make a big difference throughout the year. 1. Traditional classrooms are normally arranged in a linear format with all the desks facing one direction. If your room allows it, arrange the desks in small groups with no obvious front. 2. To get the day off on the right foot, start with an inspirational quote or quiet meditation. 3. With a class size of 16 or more, chances are one or two students will be absent at least a couple times a week. When a student comes back, they go to the board and take the assignments they missed. 4. When the school year begins, take a few minutes out of your day to sit with your students and design the class rules. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
22 Powerful Closure Activities Too many university supervisors and administrators criticize the absence of lesson closure, a dubious assessment practice likely caused by the improper use of Madeline Hunter’s lesson plan model (PDF) as a de facto checklist of eight mandatory teaching practices -- anticipatory set, objective and purpose, input, modeling, checking for understanding, guided practice, independent practice, and closure -- a custom that Hunter decried in 1985 (PDF). Although it offers multiple benefits, please don't view closure as a professional must-do. What Is Closure? Closure is the activity that ends a lesson and creates a lasting impression, a phenomenon that Colorado State University professor Rod Lucero calls the recency effect. Teachers use closure to: Check for understanding and inform subsequent instructionEmphasize key informationTie up loose endsCorrect misunderstandings Students find closure helpful for: Creative Closure Activities 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Have kids sketch a book cover. 11.
Interactive Classroom Activities | The Sheridan Center for Teaching and Learning Students learn through their participation in the attainment of knowledge by gathering information and processing it by solving problems and articulating what they have discovered. Each activity below provides students with opportunities to deepen their learning by applying concepts and articulating new knowledge and many of these activities also provide the instructor feedback about the students’ learning. Entry/Exit Tickets Entry & Exit tickets are short prompts that provide instructors with a quick student diagnostic. Entry tickets focus student attention on the day’s topic or ask students to recall background knowledge relevant to the day’s lesson: e.g., “Based on the readings for class today, what is your understanding of ___________?” Learn more about entry and exit tickets, and see examples. Free Writing/Minute Paper/Question of the Day Exercise These are activities that prompt students to write a response to an open question and can be done at any time during a class. Ice Breakers
Elige Educar — 9 ideas para evaluar de forma entretenida Evaluar es uno de los trabajos más desafiantes y complejos que realizan los profesores en la sala de clases. Es un proceso importante porque a partir de éste se pueden tomar decisiones respecto de los aprendizajes que los alumnos están construyendo y a la vez, permite mirar la efectividad de las estrategias que se utilizan para ello. Considerando la evaluación formativa como un proceso vital para que los alumnos logren aprendizajes significativos, es que quisimos compartirles esta nota del sitio Edutopia que entrega diversos tips para hacer de este proceso algo más atractivo para los estudiantes y también para los docentes ¡Esperamos que sean de ayuda!
13 Common Sayings to Avoid When I was a new teacher in middle school several centuries ago, I occasionally said things to students that I later regretted. In the last few years, I have witnessed or heard teachers say additional regretful things to students. Recently I asked students in my graduate courses (all practicing teachers) if they ever told their students anything they regret. After hearing these regrets and talking with children about what teachers said that bothered them, I compiled a list of things that never should be said. I've narrowed my list to 13 representative items. 1. Students feel insulted when they hear this, and while some accept it as a challenge to do better, more lose their motivation to care. 2. Of course we occasionally are disappointed in things that our students do. 3. This is the challenge that some teachers might throw down when walking away from a student after a private discussion about behavior and hearing that student whisper something. 4. 5. Rules are about behavior. 6. 7. 8.
Diez consejos para convertirte en un profesor inolvidable [Infografía] -aulaPlaneta Seguramente tienes unos cuantos maestros en la memoria que recuerdas con especial cariño y quizá debas a alguno de ellos la inspiración que te llevó a convertirte en profesor. Conseguir ese efecto en tus alumnos no es sencillo, pero hay algunas claves que pueden ayudarte a marcar la diferencia, despertar su motivación y ayudarles a amar el conocimiento y disfrutar con el aprendizaje. Te damos diez consejos para conseguirlo. 1. Despierta su curiosidad. El niño curioso aprende mejor, con más interés y más implicación y, además, se acostumbra a mantener los ojos abiertos en cualquier ámbito de la vida. Descarga en PDF la infografía “Diez consejos para convertirte en un@ profesor@ inolvidable” ¿Qué te parecen estos consejos? aulaPlaneta se presenta a los Premios Educa.
5 competencias digitales que deben tener los profesores actuales ¿Sabes cuáles son las competencias imprescindibles en torno al manejo de las TIC que deben tener los educadores actuales? La tecnología ya forma parte del día a día de muchas aulas y centros educativos, por lo que numerosos profesionales 2.0 adoptan de forma progresiva la transformación digital. Coincidiendo con el Día Mundial del Docente el 4 de octubre, IMF Business School ha analizado las 5 competencias digitales básicas para los docentes. En Silicon Valley triunfan los colegios sin ordenadores ni WiFi A día de hoy, los estudiantes utilizan su smartphone como una extensión de su cuerpo, emplean herramientas tecnológicas para estudiar y planificar sus tareas o aprenden de forma interactiva y mediante contenidos multimedia, mostrando que son propensos al aprendizaje a través de los recursos TIC. 5 competencias digitales básicas en la educación