Why Greeting Students Feels Good
I start every period of the day the same way. When the bell stops ringing, I smile and say “Good morning, my wonderful ones” (or “Good Afternoon,” after lunch). Each class responds differently. Some respond in unison with an energetic “Good Morning, Ms. Minkin,” some just say hello, some even mumble. But I don’t care.…
Classroom Chat Room – A Great First Technology Project
If you are just dipping your toes into the waters of technology, classroom chat rooms are an easy and powerful project to try first. Chat rooms are a great way to have a classroom discussions that enable and invite more students to participate than the traditional teacher-call-on-students model (or even less teacher-focused models like Socratic…
How We Keep on Teaching, Despite The Grief?
A few years back, a pre-service teacher told me that she had been up late the night before crying because a student she was connected to was being bounced around the foster care system. She believed he was slipping through the cracks and was fearful about his fate. “How do you keep on teaching?” she…
Using iMovie in the Classroom
When the computers at school are older than the students, it’s hard to integrate technology into the classroom. Fortunately, many schools are experimenting with iPads and if you are lucky enough to get a few, I encourage you to start having your students use the iMovie app. iPads are self-contained media-making devices, and there is something…
Digital Book Talks Using Free App on the iPad
Looking for a great project for students to demonstrate their thinking? Want a better way for students to present their learning? Interested in getting some listening and speaking skills into your students’ repertoire? Educreations might be the answer for you. Educreations is a free web and iPad based platform designed for teachers to record audio-visual…
