Helping students think about their future is one of the goals of college and career readiness. Students need time to research occupations, decide what career path they want to take, which things they are good at, and, most importantly, what they are passionate about. There are tons of sites on the Web to help students
November 2018: Technology can support social-emotional learning
One of the perks of being an instructor for the Wilkes University/ Discovery Master of Science degree in instructional media is access to the research databases at Wilkes’ Farley Library. (Students in the masters program get access to these databases, too, as well as a subscription to Discovery Education Streaming!) I conducted a research query
October 2018: Using tech to help differentiate instruction
Differentiated instruction is defined by Carol Tomlinson as “an approach to teaching that advocates active planning for and attention to student differences in classrooms, in the context of high quality curriculums”. Carol Weselby, in a 2014 blog post, breaks down the components into manageable categories, which, taken as a whole, is simply good teaching! Design
September 2018: Favorite tools for schools
If you are reading this blog post, chances are you do not need to be convinced students should be creating projects and products to showcase acquisition of content knowledge. And you probably already have a pedagogical model you use for infusing technology seamlessly into the curriculum to enhance teaching and learning. It may be SAMR,
August 2018: Plan your work, work your plan
There are many technology devices in your classroom — from computers to tablets to VR headsets. No matter what hardware and software your students are using in the classroom, I feel the planning process is most important component of infusing technology meaningfully into teaching and learning. STEP 1: Sound pedagogy Take a look the pedagogical
July 2018: Creative classroom configurations
Take a look at any kindergarten or grade one classroom. There are areas for whole class assembly, quiet reading corners, tables for small groups of students to use for collaborative activities, and carrels for students who need a place to think, write, or record. I believe all classrooms should have these same components. Besides the
June 2018: Digital storytelling PD workshop
I have addressed digital storytelling in the past for Discovery Education and on this blog. In January of 2013, I wrote about the research which supports digital storytelling and the CCSS. And, in the same month, I moderated a digital storytelling session as part of the Discovery/Wilkes Masters program in Instructional Media as seen below. WHY
May 2018: One way to put the A in STEAM
The NGSS document is full of standards which begin with the phrase “students will create a model to illustrate”. We customarily think of a model as something three-dimensional, like a diorama, a 3-D printed object, or a SketchUp creation. However, the dictionary also states it can be a “system or thing used as an example to
April 2018: Find your ed tech passion
I feel technology should always support teaching and learning in a meaningful way. And I know you do, too. As educators, we try new ideas, hardware, and software as they become available. But how do you decide on your real passion in the area of educational technology? I challenge you to step back from your
March 2018: Citation formats for elementary students
My February 2018 Kathy’s Katch blog post covered the topics of finding and citing online images. The post received a lot of positive attention, and some educators asked me for suggestions about how younger students can learn to cite . I have recently re-worked a document outlining this process on my Guide to Everything Web