End of the Year activities

http://www.educationworld.com/a_curr/responsiveclassroom/responsiveclassroom016.shtml

Blogger Marylynn Clayton makes suggestions for end of the year activities to keep students engaged in learning. Charts and reflections are the main points of this blog. Clayton suggests personal reflections from the year. These would be used to talk about what each student learned and how they improved from the beginning of the year. In a history class, I would use these reflections to talk about each students' favorite topic from the year and go into depth what they learned during that time. This would also be a good time to bring out any unanswered questions. Students can help students remember and comprehend what happened during a certain time period.  A fun way for any grade level to reminisce on the year would be a drawing wall, where each student draws out an event they found interesting and admiring everyone's work when all is done.

Twitter

Cheryl Costello tweeted a link to 25 ways to get the most out of twitter.While most of the tips in the beginning of the blog were for novice twitter users, many of the latter tips would be useful in the classroom. It was stated to use hash tags on twitter to further find topics of interest. I also learned new tips to get further into twitter. Although it has always been there, i I was oblivious to the advanced search bar to the left of the screen. Twitter can be used effectively in the classroom to find differing opinions on very specific topics. This blog post would be beneficial to educators as well as students. With a tool as new as twitter, it may be difficult to have an educator and student be on the same level of knowledge for the new material. I would use twitter for my students to find information and opinions from experts in a certain field.


http://www.edudemic.com/25-ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-twitter/

Cheryl Costello @cherylcostello · Apr 19

25 Ways to Get the Most Out of Twitter | Edudemic #PLN #Twitter #socialmedia http://www.edudemic.com/25-ways-to-get-the-most-out-of-twitter/ …

0 retweets3 favorites

Gaming in History

History Education @thenhier · Apr 10

Interested in using computer games in the history classroom? Read (and comment on) the latest THEN/HiER blog. http://thenhier.ca/en/content/gaming-history-classroom-lessons-learned-playing-civilizations …

http://thenhier.ca/en/content/gaming-history-classroom-lessons-learned-playing-civilizations

Scott Pollock uses games in his history classes to help students understand pieces of history that they do not discuss in class. Pollock used examples such as how geography and technology played a part of the rise and fall of civilizations. Pollock wanted his students to use what they saw in the games, to help them study and better understand WHY things happened. Involving games in the classroom has been a popular topic and should certainly be considered by  all educators at some time or another. If I was teaching about the Watergate Scandal, I would want to make sure that students understand why Richard Nixon did what he did, instead of just explaining his actions. It may be difficult to find games for every historical event but if it is going to benefit the students, the time would not be wasted. 

Karl Kapp

Gamification is used as a tool in classrooms to help engage and motivate students in their learning. Simulations are used for learners to practice specific behaviors. Gamification seems like it would be very useful in math classes and sciences classes more so than history classes. With history, there is not much to practice, unlike math using multiple math problems to practice the material. In my classroom, I may use gamification to ensure the understanding of material that is being delivered. Matching games may be most effective to remembering names and dates.

Star Wars in the classroom

Ryan O'Donnell talks about how he uses Star Wars in his history classes to convey a theme in real life history. O'Donnell uses cases of political change in Star Wars to show how the Roman Empire has fallen. This blog gave me the idea to integrate popular shows and movies into daily lesson. Especially in history, this would be very beneficial. I remember in high school my history teaching my junior year would relate historical events to every day life. One specific instance was when American wanted to separate from the king but still receive assistance, it was like a teenager wanting to leave their house but still have their mom come over to make their bed.

http://www.innovatemyschool.com/industry-expert-articles/item/1355-star-wars-the-ultimate-teaching-resource.html

ABC's

Education Week led me to a link about professional in teaching. This, of course, is a very important aspect of education. How an educator presents themselves will have an impact on how the students learn and react to the teachers authority. The website "Career Corner" lists what characteristics are essential for a good educator; which include knowledge, competency, honesty, integrity, accountability, self regulation, and image. To me, the most important characteristics from that list are competency, honesty, and accountability. Every teacher should know the material they are teaching.It is practically impossible to teach students a subject you do not know yourself, or at least to an appropriate degree. Before the information is passed to the students, you as the educator, are responsible for that material. You must have accountability of your work. Teachers must also remain honest. Things that should be brought to the attention of administration should not be neglected. You have a duty as a teacher to ensure the safety and well being of each of your students. After reading this short article, I will be more aware about what I do and how I present myself in and out of the classroom.

Education Week @educationweek · 4h4 hours ago

The ABC's of being a "professional" educator: http://blogs.edweek.org/topschooljobs/careers/2015/04/the_abcs_of_being_a_profession.html?cmp=soc-edit-

http://blogs.edweek.org/topschooljobs/careers/2015/04/the_abcs_of_being_a_profession.html?cmp=soc-edit-tw

A tweet from Ed