Learning What You Don't Know - Innovation In Action

It is not uncommon for teachers learning how to integrate technology in their classrooms to say, "how do I know what I don't know?"  Technology is changing rapidly and I understand how intimidating it may be for educators to keep up with innovations.  Here is a resource to help you "see" innovation in action.

Teacher TV, a video and resource library website from the UK, is one of those places to help you conquer the "what don't I know" blues.  Here is what the site says about learning with their videos.

This website is supported by the UK Department of Education but is managed by an independent media consortium.

The goal of Teacher TV is to provide quality professional development
resources for teachers.   
About Teacher TV provides additional information. Teacher TV keeps it simple and the website is easy to navigate and allows for searches by subject and grade level (Stages) to it applicable to all teachers.

While Teacher TV provides outstanding videos for teachers to watch, they depend on teachers sharing videos of best practices in classrooms.  The videos are by teachers, for teachers.  Teacher TV sponsors video submissions including contests like "Tomorrow's Teacher." 

Check out Teacher TV and see what other teachers are doing in their classrooms.  It's one way to learn in 2010 that is easy and that you can do anywhere, anytime.  I hope you enjoy Teacher TV.  I would love to hear what you think about this resource. This site can help you find an answer to what you don't know.  Please share your thoughts with a comment.

Happy Friday!

Lesson Support - Who is your hero?

English classes in the schools where I have been working are beginning a unit on non-fiction writing and it is also bullying awareness week.  I was researching resources to support the English teachers and I came across a website I haven't visited in a while.  This not for profit organization supports anti-bullying efforts that are important for our schools and I can't think of better examples of 

Have you seen the My Hero Project website?  According to the website, "the MY HERO Project was founded in 1995 by Karen Pritzker, Jeanne Meyers and Rita Stern as a response to the lack of positive role models in the media for children. This not-for-profit website was built on the belief that people of all ages from around the world would participate by sharing stories, art, and short films that illuminate heroes from all walks of life."

Students are able to submit writing, art or short films to My Hero Project and the site has teacher resources and lesson plans.  My Hero Project activities address the ISTE NETs and the connection is stated on the site.

There is a well developed set of resources, galleries of work, and lesson plans to support the mission of the site.  Students can register and create a "my hero webpage" on the site.  

I hope you will check out My Hero Project.  It is an inspirational project that is worth exploring.  Let's get kids exploring a hero, developing creative projects and participating in the lesson activities that you will find on the site.

Leave a comment about your experience with My Hero Project.

BBC Squirt the Dog - Keeps it Simple and Fun

Squirt the Dog is an excellent interactive from the BBC schools website that teaches angles.  What keeps it simple is the fact that students can read, manipulate, answer challenges that support critical thinking, and take quizzes on the material. 
The web layout is easy to understand and teachers can choose the type of activity that meets the objective of the lesson.  I appreciate the creativity and I think students will want to figure out the correct angle to squirt the dog.  When you open the site, you will see the html code at the bottom of the screen.  You can copy and paste the code into your website or a blog.  It's very easy and exactly what I did here.

This is the screen you see on the shape, space and measuring activities provide opportunity for plan, reading and the quiz.

The activities are from the UK BBC - KS2 Bitesize website.  I encourage you to check out the material that will engage your students while teaching basic math, problem solving and critical thinking.

BBC - KS2 Bitesize

Write a comment, if you find this site useful in your teaching.  Try to squirt the dog!