by TeachThought Staff What are the principles of modern learning? Well, that depends on how you define ‘learning’ and what you’d consider ‘modern.’ Richard Olsen put together this useful visual way, way back in 2013–a chart that lays out three categories of a modern approach to learning–Modern, Self-Directedand Social. These broad categories are then broken … Read more
Here is typical exchange that I’ve often heard between teachers who were evaluating a student’s writing together. It’s relatively easy to evaluate the content in students’ writing. We can usually agree about how well it is organized, how clear the ideas are presented and how deep the support is. The challenge comes when trying to … Read more
Disclosure: Tract is an advertiser on FreeTech4Teachers.com Last fall I introduced many of you to Tract as a platform for Genius Hour activities, for PBL, and for remote learning. Many of you have reported that it has been great for all of those things. Now I’d like to suggest another way to think about using … Read more
Pexels / Pixabay The Ikea Effect (see Video: “How the ‘IKEA effect’ can motivate people to work) [& learn] harder”) – basically, we are more invested in something if we feel we contributed to creating it – is not big news to just about anyone. As many experienced teachers know, this holds true in the … Read more
Dear WearTeachers:As a high school teacher, the special treatment our football team really gets under my skin. They’re incredibly well-funded and have tons of support staff. Meanwhile, I can’t afford lab equipment for dissections, and my only help is a TA. Plus, the players are always getting out of class for football-related events. The coaches … Read more
(This posting includes a handout which you are welcome to use with your students.)* One day, I ran into an exasperated-looking colleague in the copy room at our school. She had just come from her ESL class in which she wanted to check some homework whole class. To do this, she asked, “What is the … Read more
How Inquiry Teaching Can Help Us Through Divided Times by Drew Perkins, Director of TeachThought PD Educators and education, in general, political are getting swept into the morass of culture wars and polemic battles playing out in our media and processes and the downstream effects aren’t only disspiriting, they’re dangerous. Dangerous to and for the … Read more
Over the last four weeks I’ve highlighted different ways to use TinyTap to create educational games for your students. This week I’m going to take a slightly different approach and share ideas for using TinyTap’s soundboard option to make interactive lessons and games. A soundboard in TinyTap lets you add an image to a slide … Read more
WOW. This is certainly a clever book that packs a punch. “My message is that we’ll be watching you. This is all wrong. I shouldn’t be up here. I should be back in school on the other side of the ocean. Yet you all come to us young people for hope. How dare you. You … Read more
Hi, friends! Happy New Year! I think we can all agree that we are ready for 2021! 2020 is a year we will NEVER forget! Today’s post features some fun and simple ideas for New Year’s that you can do in your classroom or with your children at home. Upon returning from winter break, I … Read more