Tips from your TIS

Here is a link to a series of Flash “tests” that could be used in the elementary classroom. These would be SmartBoard friendly. There are links to this Los Angeles teacher’s web site, which also might be of interest. Enjoy. Peggy

Mr Anker’s Tests

In July of 2007, Jane Hart, head of the Centre for Learning & Performance Technology, asked experts about their top 10 productivity and teaching tools. You can look at the 2007 list as well as contribute to the 2008 Tool List at the following web site.

http://c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/top100.html

You may be interested in taking a look at this CrossWord Puzzle generator.
It allows you to
*import your own word lists and clues
*save word lists
*save PUZZLES (to use from year to year or class to class)
*Make multiple puzzle designs from one word list
*Print your puzzle
*Insert into your webpage-with INTERACTIVE features–GREAT FOR
PRACTICE)
*Choice of giving your students the WORDS or CLUES only (great for
vocabulary words and spelling)
*Saves in a variety of formats
*Having students create clues gives teachers another option for project/assignment

It is called ECLIPSE CROSSWORD. It can be found at
http://www.eclipsecrossword.com/

ePals is now offering SchoolMail, Schoolblog, and In2Books free for schools. These services were formerly available only via a subscription. Further information can be found in the article below from THE Journal.

http://www.thejournal.com/articles/21246

It is estimated that well over 40% of our learners are visual learners. To learn more about visual learners and teaching strategies to support the visual learner visit:

http://www.cuyamaca.net/eops/DSPS/resourcesvis.asp.
http://www.trcc.commnet.edu/ed_resources/tasc/Training/Visual_Learning.htm

While Graphic organizers are extremely helpful for students with all learning styles, they are particularly useful for visual learners. There are a number of websites and software applications (ie Inspiration) that can help students and teachers organize information into meaningful patterns. One of the best resources is

http://www.readwritethink.org/

If you click the purple tab for Student Materials, you will access a number of interactive graphic organizers. Click on the Animal Inquiry organizer first. The interactive link will open up a series of graphical screens with prompts for entering information. At the end, students can print the organizer with their notes included. (NOTE: This web based organizer does not give students the option to save. So, teachers will need to prepare students ahead so information can be entered in one session at the computer. There is nothing wrong with printing out an incomplete organizer, and finishing by the tried and true pencil entry method.) Besides the interactive organizer, there are also links to lessons that incorporate the tool.

One of the best is the Persuasion Map. This tool can be used for more than organizing reasons to support a position. It could be used to organize paragraphs of an essay. The essay’s theme would be the first entry. The main ideas of each paragraph would go into the next text boxes and supporting details for each main idea into the last text boxes. Students in 4th grade studying regions of the United States could use it to answer an essay question, “Explain which region of the United States would be the best one to visit. (or live)”

Take a look and share some of the other uses for the Persuasion Map or any other organizer from Read, Write, Think that you integrated into a lesson.

The e-Learning for Educators: Missouri Project is part of an eight-state
online professional development project scheduled as a five-year effort.
The program is funded by a U.S. Department of Education Ready to Teach
grant. e-Learning for Educators is a program for developing and
delivering high quality online professional development designed to
increase teacher knowledge and skills to improve student performance.
Experienced Missouri educators facilitate online professional
development courses for teachers. Future plans include creating
additional online courses geared specifically to the needs of Missouri
teachers. Collaborators leading the effort include the Missouri
Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE), KETC/Channel 9
(PBS in St. Louis), Missouri State University and the University of
Missouri (eMINTS National Center).

Registration for Fall courses is now open. Discounts are available for
groups of 3 or more teachers taking the same course. Fifty partial
scholarships (paying one-half of the $125 registration fee) are now
available on a first-come, first-served basis. Graduate credit is
available at the low cost of $100 per credit. See
http://www.elearningmo.org/ for details.

Make sure that teachers you are in contact with are aware of this super
opportunity.