Educational Links of the Day 8/21/14

Ferguson Teachers Use Day Off As Opportunity For A Civics Lesson

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/08/19/341651494/ferguson-teachers-use-day-off-as-opportunity-for-a-civics-lesson?utm_source=facebook.com&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=npr&utm_term=nprnews&utm_content=20140819

"We're building up the community," says Tiffany Anderson, the Jennings School District superintendent. She has organized the teachers helping with cleanup, is offering meal deliveries for students with special needs, and has mental health services at the ready.
"Kids are facing challenges. This is unusual, but violence, when you have over 90 percent free and reduced lunch, is not unusual," Anderson says. "Last week, I met with several high school students, some of whom who are out here helping clean up. And we talked a little bit about how you express and have a voice in positive ways."

The times I have observed teachers uniting outside of school were union marches for better contracts. I greatly admire these folks.

Empowerment: The key to excellent teachers in schools

http://smartblogs.com/education/2014/08/18/empowerment-the-key-to-excellent-teachers-in-schools/?utm_source=brief  

Policies and procedures don’t make change happen. Mandates and targeted funding don’t either. People do. So many of us know what needs to be done to move our education system forward yet we tend to await the next latest directive on what to do, how to do it and how to measure it.

The article stated that the best teachers did not choose the more challenging demographics--as a teacher who chose a challenged district, I represent that! I did serve with many excellent teachers, Did we need more. Of course, but let's not denigrate the troops who are serving now.

Four Skills to Teach Students In the First Five Days of School

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/08/four-skills-to-teach-students-in-the-first-five-days-of-school-alan-november/ 

“Before the internet there were two important things to teach: content and skills, like writing,” November said. “Now there’s a third skill which is to build out your network to the world.”

Revealing to students how empowered they are to learn is an exciting privilege. 

Also check these websites for more interesting articles: Edutopia,  TeachHUB,  TeachThought,  MindShift KQED.

5 Tips to Help Teachers Who Struggle with Technology

http://www.edutopia.org/blog/help-teachers-struggling-with-technology-josh-work?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=post&utm_campaign=blog-work-tech-tips-teachers-image-repost 

"I'm not very tech savvy" is the response I usually hear from teachers that struggle with technology. Whether it's attaching a document to an email or creating a PowerPoint, some teachers really have a difficult time navigating the digital world. As schools around the globe begin to embed the use of technology in their learning environments, these teachers can be left feeling frustrated and marginalized by the new tools they are required to use but do not understand. 

No staff should feel marginalized for any reason. To solve that problem, not only do we need to be better trained in tech, but many need lessons in courtesy.

100 Ways To Use Google Drive In The Classroom

http://www.teachthought.com/technology/100-ways-use-google-drive-classroom/

Students and educators have a wealth of learning and productivity tools available to them online. Google offers some of the highest-quality resources on the web to meet all your study and teaching needs, and all you need to access them is an internet connection.

I need to get-with-it with Google more and more.  The time to learn is nothing compared to the time we save.

Google Tutorials 

http://www.freetech4teachers.com/p/google-tools-tutorials.html#.U_YfqWNgh-w 

This page contains tutorials for using Google tools. The tutorials that I've created you are welcome to use in your own blog, website, or professional development session. Before using the tutorials created by others, please contact their creators.

I believe Richard Byrne has our best interests at heart and so I plan to delve into these and learn more.

Check out these websites for more interesting articles: Edudemic, eSchoolNews , and  EdTechReview. 

ADHD Adults: Feeling Antisocial?

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/8919.html  

One way to make socializing more enjoyable is to forge friendships with those who share common interests and are OK with making tentative plans or doing something on the spur of the moment. Having friends is key to living a happy life, but what works for most people may not work well for someone with ADD/ADHD. 

Each of us can find friends that celebrate our quirks and enjoy our company. But even in our own uniqueness, we can work to be a better friend. All of us.

5 Common Myths About Dysgraphia 

http://ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/dysgraphia/common-myths-about-dysgraphia?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ldorg 

 Are you unsure if what you’re hearing about dysgraphia is accurate? If so, it’s not surprising. There are a lot of misconceptions floating around. Without the right information, it’s hard to support a child with dysgraphia.

The student in your class that can't keep up with a skill-maybe writing- check and see if these this information can help. General Education teachers would find a frequent perusal of this site very helpful for information to understand many students in their classes, even if the students never qualify for special services.

Advocating for your Child and Finding Resources in your Area 

http://www.ncld.org/ld-insights/blogs/parent-advocacy 

Your child has the right to a free and appropriate public school education. Getting involved in his or her education is among the most important things you can do as your child’s advocate.

 

Check out these websites for more interesting articles. 

National Center for Learning Disabilities , Special_Ism, Special Needs Digest.