Useful Information In and Out of the Classroom 8/4/2023

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

Hello History - “An AI powered app that lets you have life-like conversations with historical figures” (L:G; SA:A)

17 AI Tools and Resources for Teachers - “I’ve put together a list that highlights some AI tools that you might want to try.” (L:T; SA:A)

Images to Inspire - great images to use for writing prompts! (L:T; SA:LA)

Hyperdocs - “HyperDocs are digital lesson plans that are designed by teachers and given to students.” (L:T; SA:A)

Centripetal Force - a collection of resources on this topic (L:T; SA:S)

Original photo by Pat Hensley

Scrapbook Pages from July 2023

Digital scrapbooking is a great activity to use in the classroom. It can be used to capture memories, share important information, or focus on a specific event. This would be a great alternate activity for book reports and even group projects. Here are some examples that I made in June. I use the website Gingerscraps for ideas and even free digital kits.

2023 Goals Review for July

I had a very productive July! It was extremely hot so I spent a lot of time indoors knitting. I hope next month to read a lot more books since we will be traveling. 

 

1. Learn something new. - I learned Tunisian crochet to make a couple of dishcloths. I’m still practicing my watercolor painting and my ukulele.

2. Knit at least 1 sweater - I finished with my sweater. (Collins Tee)

3. Yarn - more out than in (use more yardage than I buy) – I hope I can achieve this goal but I need to get busy knitting! As of July 31:

●                  Yarn used - 7719 yds.

●                  -Yarn bought - 9009

3. Complete a shawl - I finished my Shawlography shawl

4. Try 4 new recipes. - I tried one new recipe involving Polska Kielbasa in June and Don enjoyed the meal.

5. Stretch regularly (at least 20 days out of the month) - We are walking and exercising regularly

6. Create at least 2 scrapbook pages each month. - Made 10 pages for July (Total - 70)

7. Participate in the Photo a Day challenge – Completed through July.

8. Read the Bible every day. - yes

9. Read 100 books - Read 14 in January, 2 in February, 6 in March, 5 in April. 4 in May, 3 in June,  3 in July (Total: 37)

10. Read 12 nonfiction books. – (total: 7).

-   Enough Already: Learning to Love the Way I Am Today by Valerie Bertinelli

-   Prince William: The Man Who Will Be King by Penny Junor

-   I Still Believe: A Memoir by Jeremy Camp

-   Call the Midwife by Jennifer Worth

-  I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy

-  Nowhere for Very Long by Brianna Madia

-  My Extraordinary Ordinary Life by Sissy Spacek

What are your goals for this year? Please share.

Rubrics

(Now that summer is here, it is time for me to discuss different educational topics alphabetically. Please join in the conversation and tell me what you think!)

I like to start off with a rubric that helps me decide on what I want to evaluate. Then I can plan on how to teach activities that will have students master the skill that I’m teaching. Rubrics are a great way to make evaluating students.

Rubrics are a great way to assess student work in a clear and consistent way. They can be used to grade written assignments, presentations, projects, and more.

Here are some of the benefits of using rubrics in the classroom:

• They provide clear expectations for students. Rubrics let students know what is expected of them before they start an assignment. This helps to reduce uncertainty and anxiety, and it can also help students to focus their efforts on the most important aspects of the assignment.
• They promote consistency in grading. When teachers use rubrics, they are less likely to be influenced by their personal biases or preferences. This helps to ensure that all students are graded fairly.
• They provide feedback to students. Rubrics can be used to give students specific feedback on their work. This feedback can help students to identify their strengths and weaknesses, and it can also help them to improve their work in the future.
• They can be used for self-assessment. Students can use rubrics to assess their own work. This can help them to develop their self-awareness and self-regulation skills.

Here are some tips for using rubrics in the classroom:

• Start by identifying the learning objectives for the assignment. What do you want students to learn from the assignment? Once you know the learning objectives, you can start to develop the criteria for the rubric.
• Make sure the criteria are clear and specific. Students should be able to understand what is expected of them without having to guess.
• Use a variety of levels of performance. This will help students to see how their work compares to the expectations.
• Use clear and concise language. The language of the rubric should be easy for students to understand.
• Share the rubric with students before they start the assignment. This will help them to understand what is expected of them and to focus their efforts on the most important aspects of the assignment.
• Use the rubric to give feedback to students. When you give feedback to students, be sure to refer to the criteria in the rubric. This will help students to understand why they received the grade they did.

Rubrics are a valuable tool for assessing student work. By following these tips, you can use rubrics to help students learn, grow, and improve.

Do you use rubrics in your classroom? What do you use them for? Please share.

Questioning

(Now that summer is here, it is time for me to discuss different educational topics alphabetically. Please join in the conversation and tell me what you think!)

Questioning is an essential part of the learning process. Asking the right questions is also a great way to model for students how to ask questions. Students have to learn how to ask questions because many times they don’t know what they need or how to ask for it. Questioning helps students to:

• Develop critical thinking skills. When students are asked to answer questions, they are forced to think critically about the material. They must process the information, identify the key concepts, and formulate a response. This helps them to develop their critical thinking skills, which are essential for success in school and in life.
• Engage with the material. Questions can help to engage students with the material and keep them interested. When students are actively thinking about the material, they are more likely to remember it.
• Identify gaps in knowledge. Questions can help teachers to identify gaps in students' knowledge. This allows teachers to provide targeted instruction and ensure that all students are on the same page.
• Promote discussion and collaboration. When students are asked questions, they have the opportunity to discuss their answers with their classmates. This can help to promote discussion and collaboration, which are essential skills for learning.
• Assess student understanding. Questions can be used to assess student understanding of the material. This allows teachers to track student progress and make necessary adjustments to their instruction.

There are many different types of questions that can be asked in the classroom. Some common types of questions include:

• Fact-based questions: These questions require students to recall factual information.
• Conceptual questions: These questions require students to understand and apply concepts.
• Problem-solving questions: These questions require students to use their knowledge to solve problems.
• Critical thinking questions: These questions require students to think critically about the material and form their own opinions.

The type of question that is asked will depend on the learning objective. For example, if the learning objective is for students to recall factual information, then fact-based questions would be appropriate. If the learning objective is for students to understand and apply concepts, then conceptual questions would be appropriate.

Effective questioning is a skill that takes time and practice to develop. However, it is a skill that is essential for effective teaching. By asking thoughtful questions, teachers can help students to develop critical thinking skills, engage with the material, identify gaps in knowledge, promote discussion and collaboration, and assess student understanding.

How do you teaching questioning in the classroom? Please share.