Tools for (Formative Assessment) When teachers know their students well, they can build strong connections that lead to better learning. Knowing students’ interests, strengths, and weaknesses help teachers tailor learning experiences for their students. Formative assessment involves the teacher collecting information about what students know, don’t know, and want to learn. There is a very wide variety of digital formative assessment tools that can be used for free (often charging for extra features). One of the biggest advantages to using these kinds of tools is that they give every student in a class a voice. Ideas for iPad Movie Projects (Stop Motion) The Popularity of Stop Motion Effects Stop motion movies date back to the early 20th century, but they have seen a resurgence of late with popular releases like Wallace and Gromit, Chicken Run, Coraline and Frankenweenie topping box offices around the world. So, how do they do that? The premise is simple. You take a series of still photographs, each one just slightly different from the last, and you play them back to back to simulate a motion picture video. All it really takes is patience, creativity and the right equipment. Planning How to Make a Stop Motion Video All movies need a story. Some people like to script out what they will do for each scene, while others like to create storyboards that give a more visual idea of what will happen at each stage of your movie. Choosing Materials & Backgrounds for Your Movie Backgrounds can be fabricated out of cardboard, poster paper, or fabric, depending on your needs. The Right Equipment to Make a Stop Motion Movie The Best Stop Motion Video Apps
Maintaining Your Sanity In The Pressure Game Of Teaching Maintaining Your Sanity In The Pressure Game Of Teaching by Kay Bisaillon Editor’s Note: You may have noticed we’ve taken a slightly different approach to connected educator’s month. In addition to our connected educator coverage recently–Becoming A Connected Educator and Connected Professional Development Is Now An Imperative–we’ve also been addressing the idea of sustainable teaching as an important tangent (connected teachers being happier teachers). The post below furthers that theme. One year ago, I wrote the article, Why Good Teachers Quit. It was hard to write and I struggled with sharing my friend’s frustration and exhaustion. The article I shared created a conversation I was humbled to read. It also scares me in so many ways. What Can Educators Do? 1. I know that seems very basic. Find your voice. Create a conversation with your co-workers, write blogs, attend conferences and EdCamps, and continue the dialogue. 2. Use the question, “What does this do for student learning?” 3. 4. 5.
6 Fun ESL Games For Your Shyest Students To learn English, you have to speak in English. But not every student is comfortable blurting out unfamiliar phrases, taking risks or making mistakes. You want everyone to be involved, so how can you reach out the shyer, quieter students? Getting shy students to talk can happen with ESL games. Within the first 10 minutes of class, you know which student is going to be the class clown, which student is going to answer every question, and which student is going to try to become invisible. 6 Fun ESL Games for Your Shyest Students 1. Build confidence by starting with a comprehension game. “Find a person who is wearing glasses.” Everyone runs to grab the hand of a person wearing glasses. Whoever is left without a hand to hold stands in the middle. Is wearing red.Has words on his/her shirt.Can curl his/her tongue.Can touch the floor without bending knees. The teacher can have a prepared list of finds or can ask the students to make up their own. 2. Divide your class up into groups of five or six.
12 Top Tips for Teaching on Skype - Lindsay Does Languages Teaching on Skype has quickly become a big part of my business. It’s a valuable part too – I can go from one lesson to another without the risk that’s always there with “real life” lessons of getting stuck in traffic. This means I can teach more. Instead of one lesson 3-4 then 4.15-5.15 then 5.45-6.45, I can work from 3 straight through to 6! Giving me an extra 45 minutes to catch up on some work, teach someone else, or even finish earlier! Woop! With the likes of italki becoming bigger and more essential language learning resources by the day, teaching online is big business. Firstly, if you’re already ready to get started, you need the 3 Month to Skype Tutor Checklist. Click below to download it now and get started right away! 1. It doesn’t matter if your laptop is old or your headset is your gaming one. As your business grows, so will your list of equipment you use to run it. 2. 3. My absolute essential for “real life” teaching is a whiteboard. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. “But hey!
Introduce the RAN Graphic Organizer (Padlet) We are starting a new Inquiry Unit on Animals and we are in the "Immersion phase" of the inquiry circle. Which means, I am inviting curiosity, teaching background knowledge, and inviting students to wonder about different animals. One of the things that I want my students to include in their Inquiry learning is what their animals habitat is. I also wanted to introduce them to a new graphic organizer called the RAN strategy, which stands for Reading and Analyzing Nonfiction. A RAN chart is a lot like a KWL chart. However, the students start with prior knowledge then after reading or watching something about the topic they move their sticky to a new column based on if their information was right or if it was a misconception. I took a screen shot of part of a RAN chart and used it as the background to the padlet wall. We then watched the following habitat video and I had students fill in the the New Learning column.
Zaption - Interact & Learn with Video Lessons Teachers: Once in a Lifetime Professional Development Opportunity Now Open! Calling all teachers—this is the moment you’ve been waiting for! We’re looking for 25 K-12 educators currently teaching in the U.S. or Canada, to join us in 2015 for an all-expense-paid, adventure of a lifetime. This field-based PD experience could take you to the Arctic, Greenland, the Galapagos, Holland & Belgium, or even Antarctica! Photograph by Susan Seubert Applications are open until January 4. Click here to learn more and apply today! Photograph by Valerie Craig Photograph by Eric Guth The Grosvenor Teacher Fellow (GTF) program is a professional development opportunity made possible by a partnership between National Geographic Education and Lindblad Expeditions. Like this: Like Loading... Related Teachers: Join us for the adventure of a lifetime Calling all teachers! In "Classroom Ideas" Six educators voyaging to the land of the polar bear Endless days. Educators on Expedition: Touch, See, Hear, Smell, and Build! In "Exploring Our World"
Games & Activities - Minnesota Urban Debate League | Augsburg College Here are some resources to help with your debate team: Speech Responsibilities Exercise Spar Debates Exercise Public Speaking Games They Said, We Say, We Win This graphic organizer helps students recognize how to create clash with their opponents arguments and think about why the judge should prefer their arguments. Impact Analysis This graphic organizer helps students think about the probability, timeframe, and magnitude of their impacts well before the round. Claim, Warrant, Data This graphic organizer helps students understand the argument made by each card Frayer Model This is a generic graphic organizer for learning new vocabulary. Debate Games/Drills This is a laundry list of a variety different games and drills you can do with students in practice.