Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 1/15/2021

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

Time Capsule – “The National Postal Museum recently worked with artist Bel Mills to create a video tutorial on how to make your own time capsule using household items, including business return envelopes. This project is one way to create a unique version of mail art, which is art that can include postal items (such as envelopes or stamps) or is sent through the mail. For many of us, our worlds have become physically smaller in the past few months, which gives the everyday objects that surround us even more significance. Objects tell a unique story, and a time capsule places this story in a personal or historical context. To help you understand the history of time capsules and the impact they can have, we created a Learning Lab collection about time capsules. This resource guides learners of all ages through the background of time capsules and the steps you could take to create your own, including ideas for what contents to include.” (L:G;SA:A)

Zooniverse – “Zooniverse gives people of all ages and backgrounds the chance to participate in real research with over 50 active online citizen science projects. Work with 1.6 million registered users around the world to contribute to research projects led by hundreds of researchers.” (L:G;SA:A)

Financial Literacy – “This post shares 15 carefully selected games and activities to teach kids of all ages money management best practices to make more confident decisions when it comes to their wallets.” (L:G;SA:A)

Petra – “Over 2,000 years ago, the Nabataeans created Petra—the city of stone. Journey with us behind the iconic facade from the movies, and discover one of the great wonders of the world, forgotten by time itself.” (L:G;SA:SS)

How China Is Using Artificial Intelligence in Classrooms – “A growing number of classrooms in China are equipped with artificial-intelligence cameras and brain-wave trackers. While many parents and teachers see them as tools to improve grades, they’ve become some children’s worst nightmare.” (L:T;SA:A)

Original photo by Pat Hensley