Black History Resources

TeachersFirst recently shared a collection of 11 Black History resources in their weekly newsletter.  There is something for every grade level as well as content ideas.  You can view it here.

Celebrate all Black History

In this blog post from Edutopia, Hedreich Nichols suggests we broaden our view of black history to include less known (though widely renowned) individuals.  She provides several suggestions to help you add to your students' understanding of achievements outside of Dr. King and Rosa Parks (the two names I hear mentioned most in classrooms).

New this month in Storyboardthat

 

Storyboardthat publishes a monthly newsletter- this month features Black History, Presidents’ Day, and Valentines Day.  You can also read past issues.

February in BrainPOP

 Please see this newsletter from BrainPOP with the February highlights. Black History, Presidents Day, the Olympics and more!

Let the games begin!

Looking for Winter Olympic content?  I will admit to staying up for all hours to watch ice skating. Check out the site from Classroom Champions and NBC.

BrainPOP and SEL

 Theme: Wellness and Resilience

Right now is an ideal time for educators and students to focus on skills that support mental health, teamwork, and perseverance. BrainPOP supports this need with our collection of SEL resources that offer detailed lesson plans for educators and encourage students to connect their stories to the stories of others. 

Kami Connect- Free PD- 2/26/22

 

Kami Connect is back for 2022! As the world’s biggest virtual EdTech experience, there’ll be no shortage of incredible speakers, hilarious host moments, and most importantly, invaluable insight you can take back to your classrooms – and this year, we’re bringing a celebrity guest 😱 Catch it all (or even just a little) on  February 26, 9 AM PST | 12 PM EST Registrations are free and open now! Sign up to get your link to the conference live stream, plus your Certificate of Attendance after the event.   Click here to register

Cartoons for Student Voice

In this blog post (from TeachersFirst) Ruth Okoye shares several ideas on how to use political cartoons in your classroom.  Reviews of several sites are also included.

Ideas for Student Choice

In this recent blog post from Screencastify, Olivia Nelson suggests 5 ways to incorporate student choice using video.  I am partial to Number Two (using Screencastify Submit).

Student Engagement versus Empowerment

Kami recently hosted a podcast with Adam Bellow (who I met at a DE event years ago and who is now the CEO of Breakout EDU).  In the Teacher-Teacher podcast, Adam shares his views on empowerment and why breakout games foster these behaviors.  Even though we don’t have any of his products, I found the session informative and inspiring.  What’s the one small step you could take today to reach your goal?

Virtual Field Trips (integration ideas)

Virtual field trips recently came to mind as part of an assignment in the winter TeachersFirst Book Study (we are reading Teach Boldly - Using Edtech for Social Good by Jennifer Williams).  How I wished I had seen this article before I wrote my response.  In this blog post from National Geographic, James Fester shares his implementation suggestions and sites.

Play snowball toss to build community

 

Here is an activity Matt Miller (Ditch the Textbook) recently shared on his blog. Since we don’t have any real snow…

This snowball toss game is another awesome idea from Esther Park:

• Teams will have 1 min to fill in as many snowballs with their team color.

Team w/ the most snowballs wins!

Using Emojis 🎉🐝️⛳️

Monica Burns shared an article in Edutopia with several ideas for emoji use in the classroom.  I have been using emojis as part of my Google naming process.  I find it easier to look for the image and can quickly locate a file. Her rating ideas and using emojis as visual clues for directions sound promising.

Digital Citizenship and MLK

In this flyer from Common Sense Education, there are several suggestions (based on grade level) for lessons that promote strong digital citizenship.

Student Portfolios

Earlier this year I worked with some teachers on student portfolios.  If you are interested in using Google Sites as a student portfolio, check out this article from Kasey Bell (ShakeUpLearning).

Google Drawing Suggestions

Kasey Bell  (from ShakeUpLearning) recently shared a blog post with several ideas for Google Drawings.  From graphic organizers to vision boards, you might find something for your students.  Please see her blog post here.

PBS January Offerings

The January newsletter from PBS has a variety of teacher resources.  There are several self-care ideas as well as a Prek-2 planning calendar, materials for 6012 to Expand Narratives via Media and Digital Notebooks as well as Ken Burns suggestions for video clips.  Please click here to view.

Looking for some high quality (after hours) PD?

TeachersFirst has long been one of my favorites- and they recently shared their winter program.  Here’s what they said:

6 free virtual workshops! Expand your technology skills and energize your teaching practice. Engage with our edtech coaches and learn with other educators. Earn certificates of participation

Please click here for registration information. ( I’ll be on two of the sessions!)

MLK + PBS

PBS shared today some ideas for celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King.  Please click here to see their suggestions.

Black History in Math Class

This was an interesting article from Middle Web from Mona Iehl.  I can relate to her desire to show students the wide range of mathematical talent and more importantly, that they are represented in that group.  She offers several suggestions to merge cultural awareness with math.

Who (or what) is it?

Here’s an interesting slide template from Slidesmania for use with either SEL (getting to know your students) or for other definitions.  Here’s a silent video on how to use the Slides- Edit theme (no longer called master) to make your changes. 

Making pictures talk

Did you ever want to make an image talk? ChatterPIX does a great job on an iPad or iPhone.Blabberize Edu looks good but is subscription-based (and Blabberize is filled with ads).

Here’s a suggestion from Tony Vincent that uses Screencastify and the Google drawing tools to make a slug talk!  Granted, it doesn’t have the bells and whistles but watch his video and see what you think!

What do the bells say?

Here’s a high school mini-lesson from ReadWriteThink on onomatopoeia.  What I like about their format is the ease of organization and implementation.

January BrainPOP Resources

As you are planning your lessons, consider these BrainPOP resources:

Feature Control from Kami

In the past, the only way you could limit student features was via Google Classroom (or your Learning Management System).  With our pending move to OnCourse classroom next year, I was afraid we might lose this option.

Nothing to worry about- Kami has now integrated that feature into their own platform.  Here’s the press release::

Feature Control with Kami

Formerly named “Feature Restrictions”, this tool allows you to pick and choose which tools your students have access to when completing assignments – previously only available through your LMS, it’s now accessible from Kami’s own sharing feature!

Click here for a short video.

SLIME for the New Year

No, this is not the Nickelodeon Kid’s Choice Award.  It's a blog post from John Spencer that will help you get off on the right foot. The video above talks about the benefits of maintenance.
 

It will be here before you know it!

The 100th day of school is a time for celebration.  Here from TeachersFirst is a list of ideas (and some websites) to help make this a memorable occasion. I liked the variety of options (including math and community service).

Martin Luther King Jr Resources

TechersFirst recently shared a series of Martin Luther King Jr resources.  They are listed by grade level and include lesson plans, activities, and content resources. There is also an integrated lesson plan for primary classes.

Using Questions to help support Executive Functions

Sarah Kesty had me right at the beginning of her article- how many teachers have shared their now in-person students are having trouble with organization and other “student” skills.  Her article in Edutopia provides some suggestions for helping students grow in their executive function.

January 4th Deadline

Join me (and several other educators) for the Teachers First Winter Book Club.  Click here for the details.  It runs for only 6 weeks with many optional activities.  The book this cycle is Teach Boldly.