50 Common Core Resources for Teachers

The Common Core State Standards for Mathematics, English Language Arts (ELA) and Literacy are rigorous, internationally benchmarked, and aligned with college and work expectations.  The standards set requirements for literacy across the content areas, including history/social studies, science, and technical subjects.

What are the shifts?

Click on this link for awesome resources for teachers:  50 Common Core Resources For Teachers

Next Generation Science Standards

The Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) were released on April 9.  The new standards establish learning expectations for students K–12 by combining three important dimensions: science and engineering practices, disciplinary core ideas, and crosscutting concepts.  NGSS provides an approach to science instruction that will significantly change the way science is taught and learned.  North Dakota will explore adopting these standards this summer.

Click HERE for a quick video introducing the NGSS.

Click HERE to view the standards.

Click HERE to explore The NSTA Learning Center.

Dear Teachers Everywhere...

It’s Teacher Appreciation Week 2013, with Tuesday designated as National Teacher Day.  

This is the week that we celebrate our teachers for the gift of learning.  

Darlene Johnson shared this blog post with me, 

and I would like to share it with you.

Jen Hatmaker does a great job of explaining how teachers make a difference.  

Her words are far better then mine could ever be.  

Click here to read her letter:  Dear Teachers Everywhere...

Summer is just around the corner.... do you have your book list?

The snow is finally melting, the Red River has crested and we are looking at our May calendars.  Before we know it, May 24^th will be here and it will be summertime when the living is...a little bit easier.

We all look forward to the warm, lazy weekends and afternoons, the lure of the lawn chair, the deck, or chaise lounge.  Those are precisely the moments when you need a roundup of the season's most delectable reads for yourself, your children…. and don’t forget to recommend some to your students.

As an adult be sure to show children and young adults that reading is important to you.  In other words:  “Model, model, model”.  Children who observe adults reading become readers themselves.

Make summer reading a way to connect with others.  Encourage students to discuss books with others.  This can be with family, in a book club or on a blog.  Talking about books brings excitement to reading. 

Make time to read over the summer.  Encourage young readers to set aside an hour a day just for books.  Encourage them to keep a reading journal — even if it's just the book titles.

Listening to reading is a good way to enjoy a book as well.  Check out audio books from your library or download them into iTunes.  Listening to books on the car or on the plane is good way to occupy time during travel.

What to recommend?

Top 10 Best Selling Picture Books:

Steam Train, Dream Train, by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld

Peoms to Learn by Heart, by Caroline Kennedy. Illustrated by Jon J Muth

Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site, by Sherri Duskey Rinker and Tom Lichtenheld

The Dark, by Lemony Snicket. Illustrated by Jon Klassen

This is Not My Hat, by Jon Klassen

Press Here, by Hervé Tullet

Emeraldalicious, by Victoria Kann

Pete the Cat:  I Love My White Shoes, by Eric Litwin

Let’s Go For a Drive!, by Mo Willems

Pete the Cat and His Four Groovy Buttons, by Eric Litwin. Illustrated by James Dean

Top books for Intermediate Grades:

Wonder, by R. J. Palacio

The One and Only Ivan, by Katherine Applegate

Timmy Failure, by Stephan Pastis

I Funny, by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein

Chomp, by Carl Hiaasen

Out of My Mind, by Sharon M. Draper

The False Prince, by Jennifer A. Nielsen

‘Who Could That Be At This Hour?’, by Lemony Snicket

The Apothcary, by Maile Meloy

Young Adult:

The Fault in Our Stars, by John Green

Divergent, by Veronic Roth

The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky

What Really Happened in Peru, by Cassandra Clare and Sarah Rees Brennan

Insurgent, By Veronica Roth

Looking for Alaska, by John Green

The Book Thief, by Markus Zusak

Paper Towns, by John Green

An Abundance of Katherines, by John Green

Legend, by Marie Lu

Thirteen Reasons Why, by Jay Asher

Cinder, by Marissa Meyer

Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs

Eleanor and Park, by Rainbow Rowell

Series:

The Hunger Games, by Suzanne Collins

The Mortal Instruments, by Cassandra Clare

Beautiful Creatures, by Kami Garcia and Margaret Stohl

Big Nate, written and illustrated by Lincoln Peirce

Magic Tree House, by Mary Pope

The Infernal Devices, by Cassandra Clare

Percy Jackson & The Olympians, by Rick Riordan

Heroes of Olympus, by Rick Riordan

Kingdom Keepers, by Ridley Pearson

Good Reads for Teachers:

Choice Words: How Our Language Affects Children’s Learning, by Peter Johnston

Kindergarten Literacy, by Anne McGill-Franzen

Do I Really Have to Teach Reading?: Content Comprehension Grades 6–12, by Cris Tovani

Learning to Trust: Transforming Difficult Elementary Classrooms Through Developmental Discipline, by Marilyn Watson and Laura Ecken

The Reading Zone: How to Help Kids Become Skilled, Passionate, Habitual, Critical Readers, by Nancie Atwell

What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Literacy and Learning, by James Gee

The Disciplined Mind: Beyond Facts and Standardized Tests, the K–12 Education that Every

Child Deserves, by Howard Gardner

Schooling America: How the Public Schools Meet the Nation’s Changing Needs, by Patricia Albjerg Graham

The Wisdom of Practice, by Lee Shulman

The Educated Mind, by Kieran Egan

Mosaic of Thought: The Power of Comprehension Strategy Instruction, by Ellin Oliver Keene and Susan Zimmermann

A Teacher’s Sketch Journal, by Karen Ernst

Wondrous Words, by Katie Wood Ray

Misreading Masculinity: Boys, Literacy, and Popular Culture, by Thomas Newkirk

When Kids Can’t Read—What Teachers Can Do: A Guide for Teachers 6–12, by Kylene Beers

6+1 Traits of Writing: The Complete Guide, Grades 3 and Up, by Ruth Culham

The Fluent Reader, by Timothy Rasinski

Awakening the Heart: Exploring Poetry in Elementary and Middle School, by Georgia Heard

Five Minds for the Future, by Howard Gardner

Intelligence Reframed: Multiple Intelligences for the 21st Century, by Howard Gardner

The World is Flat: A Brief History of the 21st Century, by Thomas Friedman

The Courage to Teach: Exploring the Inner Landscape of a Teacher’s Life, by Parker Palmer

Teacher Man: A Memoir, by Frank McCourt 

Teaching Content with Games

Who doesn’t like to play games?  Not only are games fun, interactive, and social, but they're also great tools for learning.  Research has shown that using games in the classroom has a significant effect on student learning.  When students are engaged in academic games, we can see a 20 percentile gain in achievement.

Use Inconsequential Competition When Playing Classroom Games

Using points gives students a sense of competition, but points should not be used as part of the grading process.  Students can be arranged into teams of four to play games four or five times during a unit.

Target Essential Academic Content in Game

Marzano suggests that game questions focus on the most important content within the unit.  The most efficient way to maintain an academic focus is to organize games around important terms and phrases.  The questions and answers should be phrased in such a way that they are quickly understood and quickly answered.

Debrief Information after the Game

The whole point of playing academic games in the classroom is to provide opportunities for students to examine important content in a lively and enjoyable venue.  It is important for teachers review the game and discuss which questions were difficult and which were easier - and why.  The discussion after the game is often the most important part of the project.  When students process, they increase understanding.

Have Students Revise Their Notes After Games

The analysis after the game may inspire new understanding for some students.  Giving them time to rewrite their notes ensures that they have the information needed to best understand the content.

Marzano’s research shows that if done well, games do have a significant effect on student achievement.  To learn more read the following articles:

The Art and Science of Teaching / Using Games to Enhance Student Achievement

Art and Science of Teaching / Ask Yourself: Are Students Engaged?

Why Tweet?

“Twitter lets me hear from a lot of people in a very short period of time.” - Robert Scoble, blogger

Why Tweet?  What is the value of Twitter in the workplace?
Professionals and organizations are using this social networking tool to learn and share with each other about specific topics.  I personally use  Twitter  to learn, follow professional organizations, share and connect with educators from all over the world.  I see Twitter as part of my Personal Learning Network (PLN).

Click here for a quick video about Twitter.

Here are some Twitter resources, tips, and tricks:

1. You can only use 140 characters per "tweet".  When sharing urls, it may be helpful to use url shortener websites such as:

http://goo.gl/

https://bitly.com/

http://tinyurl.com/

2.  You need a twitter name or "handle".  Example: @libraryhat, @tweetjre

3.  Retweeting:  You can RT, or forward someone else's tweet.  Click on the Retweet Button. 

4.  Use #hashtags!  Helps create a searchable topic.  A hashtag is a word, or a series of characters with the "#" sign in front of it.  For example: #science.  Use a #hashtag when tweeting valuable information or provide a useful resource.  For a great list of #hashtags, go to http://hashtags.org/

5.  Make a point to tweet things that you personally value and that you think other people will value. 

6.  When someone is talking to you/about you in a tweet and mentions your handle name.  Everyone who follows you can see this:  Mention@username

7.  Direct Message:  This is a private message between two people.  You can only DM people who follow you.

8.  Follow:  A Twitter friendship.  When you following someone you subscribe to their Twitter updates.  Every time they tweet it will appear on your Twitter home

9. Brush up on your  Twitter  etiquette:

• thank people for following you
• thank people for "retweeting" one of your tweets.
• thank people for "mentioning" you in one of their tweets.
• don't take credit for someone else's idea's, thoughts, etc.
• you don't have to follow everyone that follows you.
• people don't have to follow you if you follow them.

10.  To learn more visit the following websites to learn more about Twitter.
Twitter Guide Book – How To, Tips and Instructions by Mashable

The Twitteraholic’s Ultimate Guide to tweets, hashtags, and all things Twitter

The Ultimate Guide for Everything Twitter

11.  Have fun!  Enjoy learning from others and contribute to your PLC when you can!

InfuseLearning - Learner Response Application

InfuseLearning is a free student response application that allows teachers to send out a set of questions, prompts, and quizzes.  This is a great formative and summative assessment tool.  Students can provide their responses via any device:  tablets, notebooks, computers, phones, iPods, etc. Infuse Learning even allows student to draw responses, students can doodle diagrams to show learning.  Infuse Learning also has ability to have questions read to users (in multiple languages). 

This is a robust tool can be used in unique ways to allow all students to participate, increase student engagement, and inform instruction.