Thought for Today: “Learning never exhausts the mind” Leonardo Da Vinci
New Resource!
Thought for Today: “Learning never exhausts the mind” Leonardo Da Vinci
New Resource!
Jasmine Dyoc on behalf of EducatorLabs sent us this great list of resources. EL is a team comprised of school librarians and media/market research specialists who work (or volunteer!) as curators and conservators of the scholastic web. Enjoy these links and show your appreciation at Educator Labs.
The 10 Best STEM Resources http://www.nea.org/tools/
Calculators for Kids: Making STEM More Accessible http://www.mortgagecalculator.
STEM Resources from STEMCollaborative.org http://stemcollaborative.org/
NSTA: Freebies for Science Teachers http://www.nsta.org/
Science Fair Project Ideas, Answers & Tools http://www.sciencebuddies.org/
The Science of Addiction: K-12 Integrated Prevention Curriculum http://www.
National Association of Biology Teachers: Resource Links by Topic> http://www.nabt.org/websites/
Medical Animation Library http://www.pennmedicine.org/
Explore the Human Heart: Games, Lesson Plans and Print Outs https://www.acls.net/a-look-
O2 is an excellent website with advice and techniques to help parents understand how their kids can use social media safely
Special for Thai Teacher
http://primarymath.ipst.ac.th/
Student Centered Learning
SOLE
New TED talk by Sugata Mitra! He is moving on from “hole in the wall” to a more developed framework for learning called Self Organized Learning Environment or SOLE. The talk is here and this is his toolkit for implementing SOLE SOLEToolkit.
Math
For fast calculations and just plain fun: www.wolframalpha.com/input 
For help and exercises in basic math: www.purplemath.com For OK quick solutions to math problems but still annoying that they want to sell you the math books and tutoring: http://mathforum.org/dr.math For help with math homework: www.intmath.com/help/send-math-email.php For help with math that is interactive: www.squarecirclez.com/blog For more math fun: www.heymath.com
For the best presentations in math from a beginning to end math curriculum: www.khanacademy.org
As I said under that science heading if I could give this site a Six Star rating I would ; it is that good! For free math download for teaching: http://www.geogebra.org
Elementary Math : kindergarten through eighth grade
For an excellent , interactive math site that is sorted for degree of difficulty , K -8, we highly recommend: http:// www.aaamath.com
Science
For learning about the human body and mind , don’t miss the interactive diagrams and picture covering each system of the human body. www.bbc.co.uk/science/humanbody
Well written explanations of how things work with well done videos as supplements to these explanations. www.howstuffworks.com
For answers to a lot of science questions — although the answers are not as precise as one would like they are thought provoking. www.last-word.com
I love this site! A master teacher on camera gives great lectures from elementary to advanced topics of science and math : www.khanacademy.org Rating: Five Stars ( I would give 6 Stars if our rating went that high!)
A splendid web site for both adults and children. Right now there is a great section , under education, on experiments that both adults and children can do together in an hour or less using very inexpensive materials. www.scientificamerican.com
For classes learning about the environment and climate this site is a must. climate.nasa.gov
A science teacher’s dream site. Full of exciting lesson plan ideas, especially for the interactive classroom. Special thanks to one of our viewers , Ken Trottier, a teacher at Concordia in Bangkok, for bringing this site to our attention. www.sciencespot.net
YOU WANT IT ALL? Here it is!
All right, if you are looking for a web site that will give you a video demonstration with an outstanding teachers demonstrating teaching best practices, this is the best site we have found. I only wish it was in Thai as well as English. I hope this site will be a model for a site we can create for Thai teachers and administrators. This is an outstanding resource for teacher training as well as giving teachers tools in all subject areas to work with. www.pbslearningmedia.org Rating: Five Stars ( If we could give a higher rating , we would fly to the moon for this site!)
For those who want it all, I mean a complete college education, why not attend MIT for free in your own home. MIT offers this incredible opportunity ( sans degree) to learn from video classes taught by their instructors . There are 2,ooo courses offered ranging from everything from aeronatics , to engineering , to music , to math, to literature. A pity more folks don’t know about this incredible advanced learning site and use it. We would give the site six stars if we went that high in our rating. This is the best web site for advanced learning we have discovered thus far. http://ocw.mit.edu
Language and Literacy
TEFL All Levels www.qualitytime-esl.com/spip.php?rubrique3
Another of one of our viewers excellent recommendations, here is a teacher friendly web site that makes exciting lesson planning a joy. Good downloadable handouts too. www.usingenglish.com ELSresource
Finally, an outstanding TEFL web site with a Thai author and made for Thai teachers in particular. http://www.preawpan-elt-resource-based.com/
The International Baccalaurate (IB) programme
For those teaching the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, I highly recommend Harvard Professor Sanel’s web site to stimulate critical thinking : www.JusticeHarvard.org
Useful Teacher Sites:
ALPS: Active Learning Practices for Schools – Project Zero’s site about implementing ideas into classroom practice. http://learnweb.harvard.edu/alps/ rating: four stars
ThinkQuest is a yearly competition for teams of students led by teacher/coaches. The competition offers exciting awards in many categories. It is divided into two flights: grades 4-7 and grades 8-12. http://www.thinkquest.org
Resources for 21st century teaching and learning. As would be expected at a Microsoft site they are pushing their tools, nonetheless, the site does emphasize lesson plans incorporating creativity, critical thinking and collaboration and the role of technology in 21st century learning: www.innovativeteachertoolkit.com
Microsoft Partners in Learning www.partnersinlearningnetwork.com
Completely free teacher training videos for teachers who want to learn about technology and ICT in education. www.teachertrainingvideos.com
This site provides information about Harvard Project Zero, an educational research group at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, led by Howard Gardner and his colleagues. Project Zero seeks to understand and enhance learning, thinking, and creativity in the arts, as well as humanistic and scientific disciplines, at the individual and institutional levels. http://pzweb.harvard.edu/
There is some frustration trying to access games in their entirety only to find out you have to be a paying member to do that; however, there are many wonderful game and exercise ideas that can be done at no cost. www.enchantedlearning.com Rating: Four Stars
SKYPE claims 13,692 teachers are involved in this world wide communication network. Signing up as a teacher with your class provides you and your students with world – wide access to different cultures and languages plus an incredible range of human resources: www.education.skype.com
Importance of interactive and student centered learning Profile of Chandralekha Singh’s interactive teaching style. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQra4baNwP8
Teaching strategies on effectively reaching kinesthetic, visual, and auditory learning styles. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNxCporOofo
History, Culture and the Environment
If you are looking for an outstanding web site to help teach world cultures, geography or environmental studies look no further than here. Visual learners will have their eyes pop out and the magnificent photos and graphics. Check out the map maker. The videos are also exceptionally well made and their are some inspirational movies too. www.nationalgeographic.com
Useful, broad review of historical topics from ancient to modern history in a very pleasing graphics interface. There are also good worksheets. The games are fun. I enjoyed the game A Journey Through Time. Many thanks to Steve Ward for this web site suggestion. http://www.historyonthenet.com
Elementary School
Let the games begin–and fun learning too. Warning this site is for elementary school age kids ,but the games can be addictive for adults. Brilliant graphics. I wish I was a kid again: www.pbs.orgRating: Five Stars Special thanks to Marise De Quadros for the following URL suggestions. Marise used these web sites with her 6th grade class in Melboune.
Students with Special Needs
General Special Ed
In special education, the standard course of study should be modified and simplified to help kids with special needs to remember. Learn about research-based instructional programs that are used to teach reading in special education with help from a special education teacher in this free video on teaching strategies in special education. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C6uYhDU5tvg –
Creating a Life Skills Portfolio for Special Education Students – A life skills portfolio for special needs students usually includes stories that are related to specific social skills. Discover how anecdotal records are kept for special needs students with help from a special education teacher in this free video on special education students. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx2v6nhWsqo&NR=1–
Deaf
Gallaudet project in Thailand – Engaging deaf signers as Family Mentors to help young deaf children towards full participation in home life. http://research.gallaudet.edu/sl/ – [English text] Deaf Thai A-Z Story – storytelling by deaf Thai (no subtitles) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdseU9ISoPc –
Deaf Thai : Number Story – storytelling by deaf Thai (no subtitles) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cYiqYLIk_s –
Martin Momoda, Voice for the Deaf (Laos) http://www.betterplace.org/projects/1069-voice-for-the-deaf-laos/blogs/3732 [English text] Free downloadable (pdf format) good practice guides on learning, teaching and assessment for staff teaching d/Deaf students (from University of Wolverhampton) – although the guides refer to BSL (British Sign Language) many of the suggestions can be used for teaching deaf in other countries. http://www2.wlv.ac.uk/teachingdeafstudents/– [English text]
Deafblindness
To learn more about how to analyze and adapt teaching strategies to teach social skills to students who are visually impaired or deafblind on an equivalent level with their peers. https://secure2.convio.net/psb/site/SPageServer?pagename=Webcasts_SocialSkills_TomMiller
Welcoming Students with Visual Impairment to Your School – guide for training public school personnel and families about the needs of students with vision loss is a multi-media set of modules that has been developed to provide vision professionals with a user friendly resource to help them share meaningful information about students with visual impairment to a wide array of audiences and venues. https://secure2.convio.net/psb [product – book] Perkins series of on-demand webcasts are presented by experts in the field of visual impairment and deafblindness. Many of the techniques and strategies can be applied to other subjects and grade levels as well as used for children without disability. http://www.perkins.org/resources/webcasts/[videos with English subtitles]
Learning disabilities
Children with learning disabilities, or LD, struggle to accomplish tasks such as reading. This site gives a simple six step guide to teaching children with learning disabilities how to read. http://www.livestrong.com/article/212026-how-to-teach-learning-disabled-children-to-read/[English text]
Books and articles
Costa and Kallick (2000) Integrating and Sustaining Habits of Mind Barrow and Tamblyn (1980) Problem-Based Learning Tomlinson (1999) Differentiated Learning Wylie, E.C. (2008) Tight but Loose
Schools
Capitol School, The (Alabama) http://www.capconnect.com/
The Chariho Regional School District (Rhode Island) http://www.chariho.k12.ri.us (check out the well written curriculum)
The Ross School (New York) http://www.ross.org
San Jose Elementary School (Florida) http://www.duvalschools.org/sanjose
Thought for Today: “Learning never exhausts the mind” Leonardo Da Vinci
Creating a Life Skills Portfolio for Special Education Students – A life skills portfolio for special needs students usually includes stories that are related to specific social skills. Discover how anecdotal records are kept for special needs students with help from a special education teacher in this free video on special education students. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hx2v6nhWsqo&NR=1–
Deaf
Gallaudet project in Thailand – Engaging deaf signers as Family Mentors to help young deaf children towards full participation in home life. http://research.gallaudet.edu/sl/ – [English text] Thai Sign Language http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sUOguPgEi5Q&feature=related
Deaf Thai A-Z Story – storytelling by deaf Thai (no subtitles) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UdseU9ISoPc –
Deaf Thai : Number Story – storytelling by deaf Thai (no subtitles) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4cYiqYLIk_s –
Martin Momoda, Voice for the Deaf (Laos) http://www.betterplace.org/projects/1069-voice-for-the-deaf-laos/blogs/3732 [English text] Free downloadable (pdf format) good practice guides on learning, teaching and assessment for staff teaching d/Deaf students (from University of Wolverhampton) – although the guides refer to BSL (British Sign Language) many of the suggestions can be used for teaching deaf in other countries. http://www2.wlv.ac.uk/teachingdeafstudents/– [English text]
Deafblindness
To learn more about how to analyze and adapt teaching strategies to teach social skills to students who are visually impaired or deafblind on an equivalent level with their peers. https://secure2.convio.net/psb/site/SPageServer?pagename=Webcasts_SocialSkills_TomMiller
Welcoming Students with Visual Impairment to Your School – guide for training public school personnel and families about the needs of students with vision loss is a multi-media set of modules that has been developed to provide vision professionals with a user friendly resource to help them share meaningful information about students with visual impairment to a wide array of audiences and venues. https://secure2.convio.net/psb [product – book] Perkins series of on-demand webcasts are presented by experts in the field of visual impairment and deafblindness. Many of the techniques and strategies can be applied to other subjects and grade levels as well as used for children without disability. http://www.perkins.org/resources/webcasts/[videos with English subtitles]
Learning disabilities
Children with learning disabilities, or LD, struggle to accomplish tasks such as reading. This site gives a simple six step guide to teaching children with learning disabilities how to read. http://www.livestrong.com/article/212026-how-to-teach-learning-disabled-children-to-read/[English text]
Books and articles
Costa and Kallick (2000) Integrating and Sustaining Habits of Mind Barrow and Tamblyn (1980) Problem-Based Learning Tomlinson (1999) Differentiated Learning Wylie, E.C. (2008) Tight but Loose