Differentiating Instruction | Canadian Education Association (CEA)

10 no-fuss strategies for inclusive classrooms

http://www.cea-ace.ca/education-canada/article/differentiating-instruction

"Many teachers believe that differentiation is complex, time consuming, and necessary for only a few learners. In this short article, the author shares ten "no fuss" ideas that are not only easy to design and implement, but effective for many students in the diverse classroom, including students with and without disabilities."

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Student Participation Strategy: "Talk Moves"

Encourage students to make connections with each other

http://www.teachingchannel.org/videos/student-participation-strategy

Lynn Simpson, a 4th Grade teacher from Washington state, uses a series of "Talk Moves" to encourage participation and collaboration in her class. A few simple hand signs ("I agree with you") along with some participation verbs (repeating, revoicing, revising, adding) make the classroom a more engaged and interactive learning place.

Watch this 2 minute clip -

"How do talk moves encourage students to make connections with each other? Which "talk moves" do you use in your classroom? Which could you add? What can you learn from Ms. Simpson about encouraging students to change their minds?"

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Digital Storytelling Tools For Teachers and Students

"Storytelling sites and apps"

http://elearningindustry.com/free-digital-storytelling-tools-for-teachers-and-students

While you may have seen some of these tools in other places, this list of 17 storycreation URLs plus 4 Free iOS apps for digital representation might contain a new gem or two.

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Reading with Meaning (Second Edition) - Stenhouse Publishers

Teaching Comprehension in the Primary Grades

http://www.stenhouse.com/shop/pc/viewprd.asp?idProduct=9702&r=et12052

This book is available at the DRC.

"In the second edition of Reading with Meaning, Debbie Miller shares her new thinking about comprehension strategy instruction, the gradual release of responsibility instructional model, and planning for student engagement and independence. Preview this resource on the Stenhouse site. You can also download a Study Guide in PDF format and watch a short video podcast with Debbie Miller."

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Where Is The Internet? | Ideas with Paul Kennedy | CBC Radio

"A swirling fog of particles that pulse with light"

http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2012/06/11/where-is-the-internet/

"Can you come up with an answer? Most of us can't. And those who do have an answer - those in the field - often respond in technical language and with explanations that are intellectually counterintuitive. Barbara Nichol asks experts in the field a simple question: where is the Internet?"

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Gamestar Mechanic

Explore the game design experience

http://gamestarmechanic.com/

"Gamestar Mechanic leads users through the game design experience. This site teaches the basics of game design and systems thinking in a highly engaging environment. Share your game ideas with other community members. NB: There is also a teacher's page with useful lesson plans."

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Infographic describing TL participation in Pro-D

NCLE study of collaboration by and with TLs

http://www.ala.org/aasl/sites/ala.org.aasl/files/content/researchandstatistics/NCLE_AASLinfographic_FINAL-download.pdf

Some interesting stats regarding teacher-librarian involvement if professional learning communites in schools.

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Teachers Manual to A Paperless Classroom

How to move to digital

http://www.readability.com/articles/vycdb8dn

What basic steps can a teacher take to move to a more digital workflow?  SOme kind of class/teacher portal is essential. Add to this an easy way to share documents and you are on your way. Read the rest of the article for more ideas.

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Wonderopolis »What Is Mercury?

A god, a planet and an element!

http://wonderopolis.org/wonder/what-is-mercury/

A short clip plus a writeup about this interesting word - whether you're studying the solar system, roman mythology or minerals, there's something here for you.

Explore the tabs: "Did you know?" "Try it out!" "Wonder Words" "Still Wondering?"

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The National Reading Plan - find out more

Reading is essential

http://nationalreadingcampaign.ca/initiatives/what-did-you-read-today/

http://nationalreadingcampaign.ca/resources/research-on-reading/

"Reading is essential to the quality of our lives and to our ability to take our place as citizens in a democracy. The National Reading Plan addresses ways to ensure that each of us — regardless of age, background, income level, level of education, or location — has access to reading of all kinds and in all platforms."

Consider sponsoring your own "What did you read today?" contest - maybe use these cheerful logos. Put them on a bookmark, and ask kids to submit their selections after reading along with their name, for a draw. Could be fun!

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Schoolyard Science - preview online - borrow from DRC

Great Science - Just go outside!

http://www.nsta.org/pdfs/BookBeat201304CamouflageInNature.pdf

Take a look at the activity "Camouflage in Nature" from Thomas Lord and Holly Travis's Schoolyard Science:101 Easy and Inexpensive Activities (grades K–12) to help students observe and explore while getting physical exercise and learning what scientists do.

(View the first chapter online - borrow the entire book from DRC!)

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The 25 Books Every Kid Should Have on Their Bookshelf – Flavorwire

A list of 25 essential books - is your favourite here?

http://flavorwire.com/383217/the-25-books-every-kid-should-have-on-their-bookshelf/view-all

See if you agree with this selection of essentials for kids made by Flavorwire...

"This month marks the 70th anniversary of one of our favorite children's books of all time, the beautiful, contemplative novella The Little Prince. To celebrate the book's legacy (and to encourage any parents currently dragging their feet to get it for their little ones), we've put together a list of 25 essential books that every kid should have on his or her bookshelf growing up."

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Creating a Virtual Collection on a Shoestring

The value of a recreational reading collection for academic libraries

RECORDING (55 minutes)

As part of the "Library 2.012 Worldwide virtual conference", Sarah Dahlen presents her session: A "Novel" Approach to Recreational Reading: Creating a Virtual Collection on a Shoestring. While her presentation is aimed at academic libraries, she makes valuable points about the value of recreational reading, particularly for high school venues. Her presentation is available as a webarchive from Collaborate/Blackboard.

(Click on the recording link above, download the applet and once the session window opens, click the play button at the bottom of the window.) It may take a few moments before Blackboard launches.

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The YouTube phenomenon

YouTube superstars: the generation taking on TV

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2013/apr/07/youtube-superstars-new-generation-bloggers

"An interesting article about the YouTube phenomenon.  Topics include media communications, business education, technology, creativity, engaging & self-motivated learning and more.

The first instalment of Cook's 12-part Becoming YouTube." (May not be appropriate for classroom use.)

See also: YouTube UK: 20 of Britain's most popular online video bloggers introduces 20 most popular video bloggers whose videos have millions views.

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Redacting newspaper articles with a permanent marker

Some "Blackout Poem" links to explore

http://newspaperblackout.com/

Austin Kleon is reputed to have begun this artform. The resulting poems can be both whimsical and strangely powerful.

• http://learningparade.typepad.co.uk/learning_parade/2011/07/newspaper-blackout-poems.html
  
• http://www.bitrebels.com/design/newspaper-blackout-poems-a-creative-way-to-write-poetry/
  

On an iPad - Pull a screenshot of text into your camera roll. Then open it in a drawing program. Hide the "non-content" with a black line. Try using the horoscope section for good language variety. See if the Sports section creates a different feel than the editorial or lifestyle sections.

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Useful Web 2.0 tools - a basic list

What digital tools are YOU using?

https://www.dropbox.com/s/619ru2ym510n87k/Handout_QuickGuidetoWebTools.docx

As a teacher who has written two books about using technology in schools, one of the questions Bill Ferriter (who teaches 6th grade language arts in North Carolina) gets asked all the time is, "So what digital tools are YOU using in the classroom?"

The dropbox link above gives you some very useful tools to try with your own students.

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Readlists - leverage your Kindle, Kobo or iPad

Bundle your web-reading into an e-book

http://readlists.com/

Save your web-reading for later - on a bus, a plane, at home - etc.

"What's a Readlist? A group of web pages—articles, recipes, course materials, anything—bundled into an e-book you can send to your Kindle, iPad, or iPhone."

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Book Reviews for Kids Books by Common Sense Media

Information so you can decide

http://www.commonsensemedia.org/book-reviews

Another source of reviews for books.

"Common Sense Media rates media based on age appropriateness and learning potential. We rely on developmental criteria from some of the nation's leading authorities to determine what content is appropriate for which ages. Research on how kids learn from media and technology informs our learning ratings. Our goal is to give you trustworthy information so that you can decide what works."

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What to do with tech challenged students

What if all your kids aren't tech geniuses...?

http://plpnetwork.com/2013/04/05/online-teacher-emergency/

Pick a handful of tools and use them well.

"Many people assume that students today are all fully immersed in online activities and proficient with the latest — or at least the most popular — digital devices. Not true.

"It's better to start small – simply, neatly and in an organized fashion, rather than jump around from tech tool to tech tool, just because something looks good or sounds cool (that can be so tempting, we all know).

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60 Second Adventures in Astronomy

A series of twelve animations on astronomy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIkvVQrOpMM&list=EChQpDGfX5e7CSp3rm5SDv7D_idfkRzje-

More for older students, funny and informative clips on astronomical topics.

"Ever wondered where the Universe came from? Or more importantly, where it's headed? Voiced by David Mitchell, this series of twelve 60 second animations examines different scientific concepts from the big bang to relativity, from black holes to dark matter."

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Verse novels and verse novelists

Great content about verse novels

http://versenovels.com/

"VerseNovels.com is a site dedicated to verse novels and verse novelists. It is a clearing house for reviews and posts about verse novels from all over the web, while also being a site for original reviews, interviews, excerpts and other great content about verse novels for middle grade, teen and adult readers."

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Coffitivity - a coffee shop right on your desktop

A mix of calm and commotion to do your work

http://www.coffitivity.com/

Research shows it's pretty hard to be creative in a quiet space. And a loud workplace can be frustrating and distracting. But, the mix of calm and commotion in an environment like a coffee house is proven to be just what you need to get those creative juices flowing. Our team has delivered the vibe of a coffee shop right to your desktop, which means when your workspace just isn't quite cutting it, we've got you covered.

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