Yesterday was the 18th anniversary of the untimely death of Hip Hop Giant Notorious B.I.G. Looking back at this moment in pop history, I still remember what it was like in 1997 when I was a senior in high school learning that one of my favorite rappers was dead. My AP Literature class was abuzz […]
classroom
Posted inFeatured, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Languages, Literacy, Science, Social Studies
Do you Speed Date?
No, this is not an article on helping your dating life, though if you are a teacher and are dating, my heart goes out to you. Speed dating is a strategy to “spice” up your classroom. The concept is to have two rows of students each with a concept or person to teach. Put a […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, English Language Learners, Instructional Strategies, Technology
Flipped Learning: My Apology to Veteran Teachers
Eight years ago, I walked into my first classroom armed with my English Education degree, an American Literature book, and the state Comprehensive Curriculum. The only experience I had was my student teaching, but I wasn’t worried thanks to a mentor teacher and my state comprehensive curriculum which I thought was the greatest thing since […]
Posted inHigh School, Instructional Strategies, Literacy, Uncategorized
The Pros and Cons of Advanced Placement
Brace yourselves, Advanced Placement exams are coming. Advance Placement and Pre-Advance Placement classes have flooded our schools. Are they here to stay? Well, only time will tell. Just like any curriculum or whim the government decides to implement in our schools. We need to take an honest look at AP courses and what they can […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines, High School, Literacy, Uncategorized
Testing a Thousand Madelyns
My niece is a beautiful little girl. She is a beautiful girl on the outside, the kind of little girl who cannot take a bad picture. She is also beautiful on the inside. She is her mother’s helper, fiercely loyal to her older brothers, and a wonderful example for her younger brother and sisters. She […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, From the Front Lines, Instruction & Curriculum, Instructional Strategies, Professional Development, The International Teacher
What Makes a Good Lesson? The Beauty of Absence
Staff Writer: By Melissa Kandido What makes a good lesson? A plan. Yes, of course. But even with the plan, we know there might be issues that arise that keep our plan from being executed ‘just so.’ We have to be open to technology mishaps, schedule hiccups, etc. So the plan is just a base […]
Posted inInstructional Strategies, Mathematics, Middle School, Uncategorized
The Algebra Walk
The understanding of algebra is one of the keys to succeeding in higher level math courses. For this reason we must find a way to help more students become competent in algebra. I have mentioned in previous articles that I taught algebra to 8th graders in an urban middle school. I repeat it here so […]
Posted inCurrent Events in Education, Educational Apps, Featured, Technology, Uncategorized
Net Neutrality and Educational Technology
On February 26th, 2015, the FCC approved new rules involving net neutrality. This means that the neither government nor Internet service providers can inhibit access to and/or creation of online content. According to NPR, “the Open Internet Order helps to decide an essential question about how the Internet works, requiring service providers to be a […]