Monday, October 22, 2012

Graphic Organizer Tool

Worksheet Works allows you to create online worksheets using customizable graphic organizers!
http://www.worksheetworks.com/miscellanea/graphic-organizers.html
Thank you Liz for this one!

Saturday, September 8, 2012

Teachers Pay Teachers

http://www.teacherspayteachers.com/
This is an interesting site: it allows teachers to upload lessons and other teaching ideas, and they can make them free or charge a fee to get them (many are in the $1 to $2 range, though at the time of posting, over 40,000 resources are totally free).

I do have a few thoughts about the site:
(1) It offers a weath of ideas for sharing - especially among the free resources but in some cases just by reading the descriptions of the paid resources
(2) There's no real quality control, so if you are interested in something, do your homework and look at free things that writer/teacher has produced before you purchase
(3) From a socio-political standpoint, I do have some concerns about how it both financializes and commodifies teaching and learning. I share this resource with some reservations about what it ultimately promotes in the profession - which is not exactly communities of professionals who share to help each other and students. By the same toke, I do appreciate that teachers who produce good materials want to be recognized and remunerated for their efforts.

Just as an example, I was quite impressed to find a free PowerPoint deck on the use of Agusto Boal's forum theater (something I've used in the past, but a little differently than the person who posted it).

I was interested in the degree to which equity-related classroom resources were available, and while there are some, I would definitely encourage people to "cast a broader net" in their quest for these things for alternatives (there are lots out there that I feel are more grounded in evidence and theory). I suspect this is true of many resources on TPT, since there is no real editing or quality control mechanism.

If you decide to participate in the site (as producer or consumer), do so thoughtfully, and consider the implications of your particiaption!!!!

Laura

Monday, September 3, 2012

Teaching Ideas -

Came across this great blog with lots of photos - the teaching ideas a great, and are a good jumping-off point to adapt for different grades and subjects. The examples are elementary, but secondary teachers can be creative and make them work for older learners: http://tunstalltimes.blogspot.ca/

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Friday, January 20, 2012

Paws in Jobland (grades 3-5)

Here's a very comprehensive resource with some great lesson formats: http://www.collegefortn.org/images/tn/pdfs/Paws_Lessons_3-5.pdf

Paws is a dog, and the lessons deal with careers. Now, as charming as the lessons are, career talk at the grade 3 to 5 level is questionable from a developmental perspective. Nonetheless, many ideas are transferable!

Thursday, January 12, 2012

Learning styles are a myth

Great video here; Professor Daniel Willingham describes research showing that learning styles are a myth

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIv9rz2NTUk&feature=related

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Mystery snack bags: Wealth Allocation

Here is a great lesson idea that can be adapted: http://ecedweb.unomaha.edu/lessons/popcorn.htm
The basic concept is this: take a bunch of brown lunch bags, fill them with different things ranging from popcorn to crumpled paper, to perhaps even coins mixed with paper.
Then, distribute them under the guise that they are donated snacks. Once students open them, you can discuss resource or wealth allocation in a variety of ways; this can be extended for trade, etc.