Educational Links of the Day 8/23/14

How Play Wires Kids’ Brains For Social and Academic Success

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/08/how-play-wires-kids-brains-for-social-and-academic-success/ 

 When it comes to brain development, time in the classroom may be less important than time on the playground.

And not to mention getting oxygen to the frontal cortex.

Brain Study Gives a Peek at Move From Problem-Solving to Fact-Finding in Math

http://blogs.edweek.org/edweek/inside-school-research/2014/08/brain_study_gives_a_peek_at_mo.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+InsideSchoolResearch+%28Education+Week%3A+Inside+School+Research%29 

Fluent math-fact retrieval is a predictor of later math achievement, the Stanford Medicine News Center notes. 

Acquiring a basic skill, such as math facts, also gives students confidence for more complex tasks.

As Testing Frenzy Grows, So Does Opt-Out Movement

http://dianeravitch.net/2014/08/23/as-testing-frenzy-grows-so-does-opt-out-movement/ 

Across the U.S., students are returning to classrooms where even more time will be devoted to standardized exam preparation and administration. Over the summer, some districts developed hundreds of new tests to comply with mandates from federal and state politicians who are still not listening to their constituents.

Want better test scores? Use chld development principles all the way through secondary. 

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

How Kids Are Learning to Code While Playing Minecraft

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/08/how-kids-are-learning-to-code-while-playing-minecraft/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kqed%2FnHAK+%28MindShift%29 

 Teachers are already capitalizing on their students’ fascination with the computer game Minecraft to teach everything from math to history. Now, a new add-on teaches kids to code their own modifications to the game.

It is also helpful to relay to the students the computer skills they are learning as they play.

Enhance Student Writing Style with Free Interactive Map

http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/08/enhance-students-writing-style-with.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+educatorstechnology%2FpDkK+%28Educational+Technology+and+Mobile+Learning%29

First, students start with identifying their thesis statement or goal. Then, they move on to determine three main supporting arguments to back up their thesis statement or claim. For each of these supporting arguments they are asked to provide a substantiated fact or a set of examples to validate it. All of these ideas are sketched in an interactive map graphic that students can draw on  to organize their arguments. Then end product or finished map can then be saved, emailed, or printed.

An online graphic organizer--saves trees.

4 Ways to Enhance Your Class with Google Hangouts

http://www.edudemic.com/4-ways-enhance-class-google-hangouts/ 

If you are familiar with Google Tools, then you have probably heard of Google Hangouts or even used them yourself. Hangouts is Google’s video conferencing tool, and it’s an incredibly powerful way to engage with others. 

Google continues to empower teachers to communicate.

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

Researchers to Journalists: Stop Blaming Mothers 

http://www.specialneedsdigest.com/2014/08/researchers-to-journalists-stop-blaming.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FLUdSt+%28Special+Needs+Digest%29 

Being pregnant these days can be more stressful than ever, with growing lists of dos and don'ts. Don't eat sushi, don't drink alcohol. Exercise, sure, but not too much. Then there's our society-wide unease about the rise of developmental disorders. 

Autism, as with many other disabilities, are complex mysteries. Placing blame on parents raising a special needs child is not only counterproductive but cruel.

A Special Educator Shares Her Perspective on the Common Core State Standards 

http://ncld.org/students-disabilities/common-core-standards/special-educator-shares-her-perspective-common-core-standards 

According to research, students with LD spend more time on task in the classroom when technology is thoughtfully integrated into instruction. It’s not merely the novelty of technology that excites students, but rather the access to the curriculum that technology gives them. 

Technology, when appropriately used, is an effective extension of executive function.

What’s the Difference Between ADD and ADHD?

http://www.ncld.org/types-learning-disabilities/adhd-related-issues/adhd/difference-between-add-adhd?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=ldorg 

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) are both brain-based conditions that affect people’s ability to stay focused on things like schoolwork, social interactions and everyday activities such as brushing teeth and getting dressed.

Information concerning ADD and ADHD should be frequent topics for professional development for all educators.

Check out these websites for more interesting articles. 

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