“Why must I learn this?” is a common question asked by students. I’m never fully convinced that I answer this to the satisfaction of the class but I do try to provide both guiding questions and reasons for our global studies in a Modern World History course. It shocked me to discover a generation of […]
Educational Apps
Posted inEducational Apps, Featured, Technology
Disruptive Innovation: Gaming and Education [Part 2]
Like most boys his age, my 11 year-old son is a gamer. He plays a myriad of video games, and together, he and I are avid tabletop gamers. His gaming life is full of colorful characters, mysterious landscapes, adventure, challenge, triumphs, and, yes, lots of failure. But no matter how much failure he encounters, […]
Posted inEducational Apps, School Improvement, Social Studies, Technology
Generating Work Flow in 1:1 iPad Classroom
I’m finishing this first full quarter with the 1:1 iPad classroom but apps do not hold attention spans this time of year. With April, love springs to life in all of its awkward forms. Attention spans are diverted towards prom invitations and long looks out windows; lacrosse, melting snows on the softball diamond hold great appeal. Thus […]
Posted inEducational Apps, Uncategorized
4 Ways to Use Twitter to Connect at Educational Conferences
Until three years ago I knew nothing about Twitter. I kept hearing about it from my students. I reluctantly signed up for a Twitter according to the directions and for months it sat there. That was until one night after watching a rerun from my favorite Scandal episode and I just wanted to find out […]
Posted inClassroom Management, Educational Apps, Featured, Instruction & Curriculum, Literacy, Middle School
Classroom Library Management: Organize Your Investment!
After 18 years of teaching, I have an amazing classroom library. I also realized that since I’m not working on a ‘Dewey Decimal System’ it’s very difficult to locate specific books when I need them. I have my library organized into three different groups: theme books that align with my teaching for the year, picture […]
Posted inEducational Apps, From the Front Lines
There's An App for That
By Guest Writer Mindy Thierolf [fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] Recently I was watching one of those early morning news programs, and they were interviewing a man that was giving a list of the five best […]
Posted inEducational Apps, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum
Pioneering 1:1 iPads Meets Resistance?
It is risky business, changing everything you teach and control in order to move towards a tech heavy classroom. I am one week into a 1:1 iPad rollout for all of the juniors and seniors at our rural high school. We are the last assigned group in our school wide transition to 1:1 iPads that […]
Posted inEducational Apps, Instruction & Curriculum, Social Studies, Technology
Mobile Devices in the Hands of our Children Part 3: More Apps
[fusion_builder_container hundred_percent=”yes” overflow=”visible”][fusion_builder_row][fusion_builder_column type=”1_1″ background_position=”left top” background_color=”” border_size=”” border_color=”” border_style=”solid” spacing=”yes” background_image=”” background_repeat=”no-repeat” padding=”” margin_top=”0px” margin_bottom=”0px” class=”” id=”” animation_type=”” animation_speed=”0.3″ animation_direction=”left” hide_on_mobile=”no” center_content=”no” min_height=”none”] There are so many great apps available and realistically there are quite a few bad apps too. So how is a teacher to filter through and find engaging fun for the […]