Educators Technology- 2012 edblog winner

Great straight forward resource. Try it, you'll like it.

As I continue my journey as a parent consumer of public education and an educator, I am noticing that effective education is becoming increasingly more dependent on how I model my learning experiences and how I work with technology.  In fact, I believe those two areas impact how my daughter thinks about learning and the…

I want to say that after taking the Navigators course I am more excited to incorporate netTrekker into our Common Core planning maps.

It’s the end of December and everyone is ready for a long winter break. It’s that time of year when the to-do lists at home are long and the tempers at school grow short. One might assume that a day long inservice session, set for December 20^th, is a recipe for disaster.

Enter St. Lucie educators - bubbly, enthusiastic and eager to learn! Twenty five educators drift into the computer lab at district office. Soon they learn they will be the first district cadre to…

During the Civil War, women took on a variety of jobs that were an important part of the overall war effort. During the mid-1800s the woman was the centerpiece of the home. In addition to cooking, cleaning and raising the children, she would often help with small jobs around the home or farm. Etiquette manuals of the…

I want to know how technology can make us better environmental stewards vimeo.com/60583551 #vimeo @knovation @edsurge

— Kristen Olson (@knemzek) March 15, 2013

As we honor and remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. this site, Understanding Race: Race in the U.S.A http://understandingrace.org has much to offer.  Whether you have 5 minutes or want to develop a full lesson there are great ways to use this in your classroom.  It has possibilities for students of all ages.



Target Audience:  Middle School through High School, Social Studies, Government, or English…

When one thinks of a traditional social studies classroom, they probably think of the teacher standing in front of the room lecturing about historical facts and figures. The students are sitting quietly taking notes and are expected to recall the information for tests. Today’s classrooms are digital environments with computers, projectors, applications and in some cases mobile devices. How can we take some of the traditional ideas of a social studies classroom, combine them with technology…

When one thinks of a traditional social studies classroom, they probably think of the teacher standing in front of the room lecturing about historical facts and figures. The students are sitting quietly taking notes and are expected to recall the information for tests. Today’s classrooms are digital environments with computers, projectors, applications and in some cases mobile devices. How can we take some of the traditional ideas of a social studies classroom, combine them with technology…

New Year’s Eve is always a day to look back and reflect on the past.  As an educator, I have found this time to be critical also to reflect on the first half of the school year.  It is always good to take stock of how things are going.  It is even appropriate to journal or jot down some notes during this reflective period.  We all know that WE ACT ON THE THINGS WE WRITE DOWN.

Ask yourself these tough questions:

1)  Which students are finding great success…

In times like these it is more important than ever to reach into the lives of your students and better understand where they are each day. With increasing demands on time, changing schedules, and more students on your roster than ever, finding ways to reach out and understand their mood can be a challenge. Do you have an effective way to measure your classroom temperature? Allow me to share a great idea I recently discovered.

I have always had the privilege of working with some…

What can we learn from looking in the door of the next classroom, or visiting a nearby school, or by leaving the…

In late August, I had the delightful opportunity to present to educators at Lake Superior State University during an inservice day planned by our friends at the Eastern Upper Peninsula (EUP) ISD in Michigan. After the session, a couple of new acquaintances suggested I enjoy the beautiful…

Today, we are highlighting our content in celebration of Constitution Day. We have curated a wonderful collection of materials from across our collections. Explore these rich…

It’s that time of year again, when kids across the nation head back to school, full of hope and anticipation. Shiny hallways, uncluttered classrooms, anxious smiles - a perfect time for International Dot Day – a reminder that each and every day we have an opportunity to expand students’ horizons and encourage them to make their own unique mark on the world.

Reading The Dot always takes me back to my undergrad years as an elementary education major. With fear and…

Got direction?

“Create a classroom learning environment that does not repeat the mistakes of the past”, said my cooperating teacher in 1970. 

So, I vowed...My students would have to do more than just process information.  They would problem solve by doing relevant projects that challenged them academically and creatively.  Our students would learn about cultural diversity, and marvel at the similarities.  I would adapt…

Our first content exhibit is ready to take off - it's been exciting to look at highlighting our content for a specific subject or topic, in this case, we've highlighted amazing resources from 5 different areas in relation to space and space travel (to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the space program):  Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Math (also known as STEM or STEAM). Check it…

In recent years, the instructional framework of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) has received growing attention, yet many do not understand what UDL is or how to actually implement it in their learning environment.  In…

How will YOU use games in YOUR classroom this school year?

Game-Based Learning

BrainPOP's approach to the use of use of games as teaching, learning, and assessment tools is one way we’re working to rewrite “the laws of learning.”  Last summer, we launched GameUp™, featuring top online game titles that tie right in to your curriculum. Our GameUp partners include:

• American Public Media/The Wilson…

97% of netTrekker Search users see positive impact on students; more that three-fourths rate as extremely valuable teaching resource. 

WOW - It's results like this that convince me that teaching with digital resources and tools means being more effective and more productive.  As…