The Flipped Classroom

Created by Knewton and Column Five Media

ThinkTank and NoteStar

Tis the season for research papers. These past few weeks I have seen almost every ELA teacher in the labs with their students. I have also seen reams and reams of paper being used to print research information. This is why I have chosen to re-post the February 21st post on ThinkTank and NoteStar.
Many times students will not know where to start or even know how to put their ideas together. Students will truly need some modeling before feeling comfortable with developing a topic for a report or project. ThinkTank will help support the students thinking and NoteStar will help the students stay organized without taking down a forest!

And the Answer Is!

https://jeopardylabs.com/

Higher Order Thinking (HOT) is something we all want to offer in our lessons. The Jeopardy Labs is a great tool to differentiate but yet offer HOTS to all students. When doing a research project most students just play the role of a hunter gatherer. Once they have gathered all the information needed they then just plop their findings into a presentation. Yes Jeopardy Labs is a presentation tool but it brings the students thinking to a higher level.The students are required to take the information and place it into a question format in their own words. It takes a higher level thinking to take facts and make questions out of them. The higher the student the higher the questions.

No account is required but a password is required to protect your template. By having a password you can go back and edit at any time.

Google Scholar

Did you know that all Wisconsin residents with a library card has FREE access to BadgerLink. This service offers articles,journals, books, video, and podcast. What makes this service so valuable is the fact that all information is from reputable sources that are solid and good.
http://www.badgerlink.net/

We also have another resource that has reputable sources in the forms of articles, journals, and books, and that if you do not have a library card you can access. This source is Google Scholar.
http://scholar.google.com/schhp?hl=en

Creating Google Forms

Google Forms is a great educational tool!  It's an easy way to create surveys, quizzes, and forms to collect information.  To get started you have to have a free google account (which all Menasha employees do), and then the forms are created under Google Docs.  Once you have created a form, the responses collected are put into a spreadsheet format.  These responses can also be viewed as piecharts and graphs.  The video will show you just how easy it is to create a Google Form.

Using iPad Apps to Stay Current with Education

If you have an iPad, there are some great apps right at your fingertips to help keep you current with educational news and trends.  There are two apps that I really like, both in what I like to call "magazine format" which allows you to flip through pages and browse news stories.  Flipboard and Zite are both free apps on the iPad (iPod touch and iPhone).  You can customize subjects and add your Google Reader content to both of these apps.  Flipboard allows you to share articles via Twitter, email, and favorite items in twitter.  Zite allows you to share articles via Twitter, Facebook, Delicious, and email.  Both apps are great ways to stay current, and don't take a lot of time out of your day.  Just a few minutes every day, and you can browse all the latest headlines in education.
Flipboard
Zite

Digital Learning Day

Menasha Joint School District is participating in the Digital Learning Day, February 1st!!!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 13, 2011
MEDIA CONTACT:
Jason Amos
(202) 828-0828
jamos@all4ed.org

Twenty-seven States Committed to Celebrate Digital Learning Day
States Pledge Support for National Awareness Campaign Highlighting Technology’s Role in School Reform and Strengthening Instructional Practices

Currently, the following states are signed up as partners for Digital Learning Day: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Rhode Island, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

The celebration of Digital Learning Day will be tailored within each participating state. Some activities these states are planning include a proclamation from the state governor, a showcase of student work through digital learning, lesson plan contests for teachers, announcements of digital learning projects, and highlights of promising practices within and among states.

All are welcome to participate in this celebration of innovation. Act now! Join the important national and local discussions by signing up to learn more about Digital Learning Day at http://www.digitallearningday.org.

The Alliance for Excellent Education is a Washington, DC-based national policy and advocacy organization that works to improve national and federal policy so that all students can achieve at high academic levels and graduate from high school ready for success in college, work, and citizenship in the twenty-first century. For more information about the Alliance for Excellent Education, please visit http://www.all4ed.org.