Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 3/31/17

Here are some interesting sites that I’ve found this week, thanks to my PLN. As a teacher, I feel we have to keep up to date concerning research in our field and current issues in the education system. I hope some of these inspire you, inform you, and even have you asking questions. Thank you for coming by and visiting!

Note: Each resource is labeled with a level and subject area to make it easier to use.

Levels:  E: Elementary; M: Middle; H: High; G: General, all levels; SN: Special Needs; T: Teachers

Subject Areas: LA: Language Arts, English, Reading, Writing; M: Math; S: Science; Health; SS: Social Studies, Current Events; FA: Fine Arts; Music, Art, Drama; FL: Foreign Language; PE: Physical Ed; C: Career; A: All

Arcademics – “Boost student engagement & fact fluency with our free multiplayer educational games, math games, language arts games, and more!” (L:E; SA:LA,M)

Cram – “Online flashcards are a great way to study! Cram is your number one online educational resource. We have a wide selection of flashcards for you to study, memorize, test yourself on, and more. Learn a foreign language, practice your multiplication table or prepare for your MCAT by memorizing every bone in the body. Whatever it is you want to learn, Cram has you covered. Flashcards are effective because they are founded on the principles of rote and memorization. With Cram.com, you can use our web-based flashcard maker to create your own set. Once you create your online flashcards, you will be able to study, export or even share it with your fellow classmates. You can collaborate perfectly with anyone, anytime. Get cramming today!”  (L:T; SA:A)

Mr. Nussbaum – “MrNussbaum.com was developed with the idea that crucial concepts, themes, ideas, and fact sets taught in the classroom can be enhanced over the internet through interactivity. Furthermore, for teachers to have a reliable k -8 internet site to use in the computer lab or in the classroom, that likely covers one or many themes currently being taught. MrNussbaum.com offers dozens of interactive games specifically designed to pinpoint one or several essential concepts taught in elementary years, and dozens of research themes designed to make the process of gathering information interactive and enjoyable. MrNussbaum.com, however, does not just present information, but in addition, provides numerous interactive activities to complement the presentation of interactive information.” (L:E,M; SA:A)

Quizlet – “Search millions of study sets or create your own. Improve your grades by studying with flashcards, games and more. “(L:G; SA:A)

HoodaMath – Math games for all grades (L:G; SA:M)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Saving the Important Things

Recently at church, my pastor talked about how the words of the bible are like putting food in a colander. According to the Merriam Webster dictionary, a colander is a perforated utensil for washing or draining food. Your pour the food in the colander and the liquid drains out but the food stays in. The important words (Jesus’s words) stay in the colander and the words we don’t need to save drain out.

This had me thinking about the information that we learn in school. Hopefully our brains work like the colander and the important things stay in while the unnecessary stuff flows out. This keeps our brains from getting filled with too much information that we don’t need which give us room that need for the important stuff.

But what about students with disabilities. Maybe their “colander” has holes that are too big. Maybe too much information flows away and is unable to hold the important things in. That might be why they have trouble remembering things or sorting through what is important or what is not. If this was a colander in my kitchen, I might put another colander with smaller holes on top of it to help. These students need to learn coping skills that help them figure out how to hold on to the important things. I might need to help them find the other tool that will work for them. Maybe eventually, they won’t need the extra tools or maybe the coping skills become so natural that they don’t notice any problem anymore.

Then, there is the student where the holes are too small and too much information stays in their brain. This could be so overwhelming and hard to distinguish between what is important and what is not. I will need to help the students learn skills that will sort through this information and help them learn to cope with this problem. Maybe students will learn this skill and it will become intuitive.

I think the hardest thing for me is to learn which students have which type of “colander.” I need to pay closer attention to how they are learning information. Rather than just focusing on giving the information, I need to know if my students are having any processing problems.

Do you look at your students’ processing problems? How do you do this? Please share.

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I think the hardest thing for me is to learn which students have which type of “colander.” I need to pay closer attention to how they are learning information. Rather than just focusing on giving the information, I need to know if my students are having any processing problems. 

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Do you look at your students’ processing problems? How do you do this? Please share.