November is National Epilepsy Awareness month. Having a daughter with this disorder, it is something that has transformed not only her life but the lives of every person in her life. A previous den post by Jannita Demian (thanks Jannita!) spoke of how this disorder affected her family’s life as well. This is a far [...]
Do you live within a few hours of New York City? Are you looking for a great reason to head to the Big Apple? Discovery Education is hosting an event in New York City on Saturday, November 19. As part of our Discovery Education Wilkes University Instructional Media Program we are hosting several events around [...]
I had the privilege of hearing Dr. Yong Zhao speak two summers ago at the MA New Literacies Symposium and again at the MassCUE Conference on October 27th. I think you will be encouraged by this Asian educator’s perspective on the American education system, especially during this data driven environment. His views on what we’re [...]
I have had several conversations with teachers recently about using Twitter in the classroom. Most of the conversations had a negatively slant to any use of Twitter. I want to try and help teachers understand that although Twitter may not be a tool for every situation it certainly has a place in education both as [...]
The MassCue conference is behind us once again! I think it rains every year!! Gillette Stadium is a great setting for the conference and I even got to say hello to Robert Kraft! It was amazing what the elevator people were going through to see what elevator he would take and how they would have [...]
http://cct2.edc.org/dig_lit/web/resources.html This site is worth checking out. It’s not flashy and I almost dismissed it but it has a lot a great information and resources if you investigate..
We are well into October and the school year is moving quickly! I find as an educator this is the perfect time of year to update my personal and professional learning communities. Fall is probably the busiest time for most educators but a perfect opportunity to add to a network of educators to build resources [...]
One of my professional goals this year is to open up the learning experience for my students by using technology to connect them with the world. The global collaborations my students have been experiencing have far exceeded my expectations. The four walls of my room are only an illusion, and I now realize that the [...]
One of my favorite blogs is “Free Technology for Teachers” by Mark Byrne. Everyday he shares an interesting tool or classroom resource. He also explains how the tool may be useful in an educational setting. For example, today (9/21) there is a 5-minute video posted explaining the Aurora Borealis and vocabulary building resources and widgets. While perusing other [...]
I can grow with a little help from my friends… As educators, we need to continue our journey on the road to discovery and be life-long learners. It is always appreciated when a friend passes along an opportunity to collaborate and learn with others in the field of education. I have recently received two such [...]
As we begin yet another new school year, I think we all look for inspiration, motivation, and new challenges to keep our passion for educating at it’s peak.. I received a link to an article in the September 3, 2011 Sunday New York Post, written by Matt Richtel, titled “Grading the Digital School, In Classroom [...]
How many of your students watch, listen, or read about important events happening in the United States and the world? If they are like my students and my children, knowledge of current events is extremely limited. Flocabulary is a great tool to use in your classroom to quickly review the week’s happenings through The Week [...]
Every once in a while we have the opportunity to be a part of a new initiative. Here is your chance! Through my PLN I learned of a relatively new web resource for professional development and a platform for sharing best practices (Beta version launched in June). It is called Teaching Channel, a California Public [...]
The Discovery Education Summer School last week was a wonderful opportunity to get fired up for the new school year! A big “shout out” to all the people involved… “Thank you so much for sharing your expertise and time.” In Dedham, MA, we had a group of eight people participate for the four days. It was [...]
posted by Christine Cote… I attended a training session on the use of PQARs and am excited to try this practice in a classroom. What is a PQAR? PQAR stands for Picture Question Answer Response. Imagine showing an image to your class of Neil Armstrong and asking them what they can tell you about [...]
“Edutopia is a Web site published by The George Lucas Educational Foundation (GLEF). Founded in 1991 by filmmaker George Lucas and venture capitalist Steve Arnold, the Foundation celebrates and encourages innovation in K-12 schools. Edutopia’s editorial agenda is based on documenting, disseminating and advocating solutions related to six core learning strategies. Project-based Learning Integrated Studies [...]
The principal at Burlington High School in Burlington, MA is providing a great way to stay connected over the summer. Following the model of the “unconference” used at Edcamp, BHS will be hosting mini-Edcamps Tuesday mornings this summer. It is a great opportunity to make new connections and share ideas. The following was posted on [...]
There are thousands of beautiful and powerful images on the Web for educational use, and some of the best are found on Discovery Streaming. These images are great for so many educational projects and presentations. Below are three ways to use images that may be new to you. 1. Zooburst- 3D Storybooks http://www.zooburst.com/zb_gallery.php This web [...]
Since I was unable to attend ISTE this year, I was excited to see a link to some webcasts and keynotes on Richard Byrne’s blog “Free Technology for Teachers.” I am looking forward to checking out some of the great things I missed and thought you might want to as well. ISTE Resources
Social media .. think about connecting with today’s students by using a medium they are well familiar with – social networks. But rather than using an actual social media environment that may not be a) appropriate in your school, or b) something you want to take on, think about creating a fake “Facebook” page as [...]
Each year students leave with their summer reading lists and are expected to do a report or summary type project upon their return to school. Why not give them the option to create a book summary in Photo Story or create a Glog. Students love to be creative and given the opportunity to express themselves. [...]
After the deluge of rain and tornadoes in the New England area this spring, on June 2, the Massachusetts DEN LC had a beautiful spring day for their visit to the South Shore Natural Science Center (SSNSC) in Norwell, MA. We had 20 educators, LC members and future STARS share a guided tour of the [...]
June 1 Workshop Join us for an afternoon and evening of 21st Century Classroom Ideas! Education Leader of Iditarod Education, Diane Johnson will conduct two workshops for teachers who would like to participate in creative lessons to engage their students in many curriculum levels. Iditarod – a 21st Century Teaching Tool for the Classroom Embassy [...]
A hearty congratulations to two of our very own DEN STAR/LC members who achieved recognition last evening at the annual DENny Awards webinar! Robin Talkowski was recognized (again!) for her creative, informative and thought provoking personal blog, as well as her oversight of the Massachusetts DEN Blog in her capacity as Blog Chairperson! Way to [...]
Join the DEN MA LC for a special free event… South Shore Natural Science Center 48 Jacobs Lane Norwell, MA Thursday, June 2, 2011 5:00 pm – 7:30 pm Come see what’s hot and new in natural science educational programs at the Science Center. • Experience a springtime tour of the facility with one of [...]
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