Articulating an Impact on Student Learning by Elizabeth Burns, Assistant Professor, School Library Program, Department of Teaching & Learning, Darden College of Education, Old Dominion University The Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), passed in December 2015, positions school librarians as Essential Personnel and provides potential dedicated funding to effective school libraries–IF we make them understand why school librarians matter. ESSA falls short, however, of identifying what characterizes an effective school library program. School systems follow the new norm in education: accountability is standardized in the evaluation process. When we discuss the multiple ways library program is critical to student learning, school librarians should: Looking to ESSA requires us to carefully and intentionally articulate the librarian’s instructional roles and the expertise required in an effective program. Traditional library statistics are one way school librarians can demonstrate an effective school library program. Tags: ESSA
Kids' Book Review: Teachers' Notes & Lesson Plans Due to the upkeep of this list of teacher/librarians' notes and lesson plans, and the fact that links often break or change, we will only be adding sporadically to the list when notes/plans directly come to hand. In light of this, we have included publisher links to a vast amount of teaching resources, below, which will help you in your search for fabulous teaching material. Every effort is made to provide accurate links, however, if the publisher/book/author website changes or deletes them, some links could appear broken here. Do let us know if you find a broken link so we can delete it from the page. If you are looking for a certain book that is not featured here, we recommend searching the publisher website for the book in question, googling the title along with either 'teaching notes' or 'lesson plans', or contacting the publisher directly to ask if there are any notes available. Most publishers these days are providing this valuable resource. EK Books Teaching Notes Teaching Notes
Teaching sustainability cross-curriculum In partnership with the Department of Education's Environment Education Centres we have developed a suite of free teaching resources that address the Sustainability Cross-curriculum Priority and use a student-centred, project based methodology. These resources are linked to the NSW Syllabus and Australian Curriculum and are structured for student group tasks. Learning for sustainability seeks to enable and empower students to make decisions and take actions that contribute to creating a sustainable society and ecosystem. Project based learning allows student to develop knowledge and understanding from multiple subjects and helps them apply this in the context of their school, classroom or local environment. The Sustainability Action Process (SAP) provides this and is a preferred pedagogical approach for teaching sustainability as well as an essential set of knowledge and skills for students to learn. SAP has five steps: Primary years 3 to 6 Secondary years 7 to 10
The Top 10 Reasons Students Cannot Cite or Rely On Wikipedia 10. You must never fully rely on any one source for important information. Everyone makes mistakes. All scholarly journals and newspapers contain “corrections” sections in which they acknowledge errors in their prior work. And even the most neutral writer is sometimes guilty of not being fully objective. Thus, you must take a skeptical approach to everything you read. The focus of your search should be on finding accurate information and forming a full picture of an issue, rather than believing the first thing you read. 9. 8. In March 2009, Irish student Shane Fitzgerald, who was conducting research on the Internet and globalization of information, posted a fake quotation on the Wikipedia article about recently deceased French composer Maurice Jarre. Fitzgerald was startled to learn that several major newspapers picked up the quote and published it in obituaries, confirming his suspicions of the questionable ways in which journalists use Web sites, and Wikipedia, as a reliable source.
The Toughest Little Bird You've Never Heard Of : Krulwich Wonders... They're nothing to look at. They're not colorful. They seem so ordinary, in mottled brown, black and gray, if you noticed them at all, you'd think, "ah, just another shore bird, pecking at something in the water." But you'd be so wrong. They are the only birds known to fly more than 7,000 miles nonstop, that means no food breaks, no water breaks, no sleep breaks, no pausing, just pushing through cyclones, storms, headwinds, flappity flap, flap for days and nights — and this is their championship season. As you read this, a bunch of Bar-tailed Godwits or Kuakas, as they're called in New Zealand, are hanging out in western Alaska, eating a rich medley of clams, worms, seeds and berries, guaranteed to add ounces to their slight frames (check our exclusive Kuaka Workout Program below). Then they wait. According to wildlife biologist Bob Gill and his colleagues at the U.S. Fighting The Winds Pacific winds will constantly change; both for them and against them. Nobody Does It Better
15 STEM YouTube Channels for Energizing Flipped Learning Flipped learning in the STEM classroom can be fascinating and fun. As you may know, YouTube—a flipped learning marvel in its own right—features many custom user channels designed specifically to cater to the needs of STEM teachers and learners. Below are 15 of the coolest and most popular STEM YouTube channels you’ll find. Have fun exploring, learning, and flipping out over STEM. 1. SciShow SciShow explores the unexpected. 2. Numberphile is a channel that features many creative and interesting videos about the world of numbers, created by Brady Haran. 3. STEM Education is committed to making a difference in the lives of underprivileged children, particularly girls, by empowering them through STEM learning. 4. Unique among STEM YouTube channels, VSauce was created by the entertaining and informative Michael Stevens in the summer of 2010. 5. TED Talks has got it all, including many fascinating videos with a strong STEM focus. 6. 7. 8. Who says science can’t be art? 9. 10. 11. 12. 13. 14.
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Using Math Apps to Increase Understanding From content consumption to content creation, there are many ways to use mobile devices with students. They can create how-to videos for authentic audiences, explain their thinking through screencasting, or use scannable technology in the math classroom, for example. Mobile devices can also be used to help students practice foundational math skills and build their math fluency. You might decide to use an app on this list as part of an intervention plan or add it to a newsletter for families. In order for students to tackle the multistep word problems they’ll be asked to solve as early as elementary school, they need to have mastered addition, subtraction, and multiplication facts. Operation Math (iOS $2.99, Android $1.99) This app turns your students into spies who travel around the world on different missions. Sushi Monster (iOS free) Scholastic’s app offers children multiplication and addition problems.
Visions of the Future Imagination is our window into the future. At NASA/JPL we strive to be bold in advancing the edge of possibility so that someday, with the help of new generations of innovators and explorers, these visions of the future can become a reality. As you look through these images of imaginative travel destinations, remember that you can be an architect of the future. Click on any of the thumbnails below to learn more and download a free poster sized image. › Learn more about the posters Can I get copies of these posters from NASA or JPL?
Mirror - Reading Australia Introductory activities – before reading Mirrors and mirroring: Prior to introducing the text, introduce the concept of a mirror. Lead students in a discussion of the function and purpose of a mirror. Especially consider the nature of the reflected image. Lead in with a discussion of mirrors in our culture: what are they used for, where do we find them, what functions do they serve? Cultural context: Explain to students they will be exploring a picture book partly set in Morocco. First experience of the text: Examine the entire cover of Mirror, both front and back. What sorts of cultures seem to be represented here? Introduce the skill of visual language analysis or reconnect to prior learning through an initial analysis of the symbolic, written and technical codes of the cover. How is attention drawn to the child figure? Introduce critical literacy concepts through interrogation of the cover. Additional activities that could be incorporated if time permits or to provide differentiation: Plot
10 Great Movies for the STEM Classroom If you're looking to get kids excited about STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math), show them the ways that popular media uses -- and misuses -- the concepts you teach daily. Used as part of a lesson, clips from movies can reinforce topics, spark discussion, and promote new perspectives. There's still a great need to introduce kids, and especially girls, to STEM fields like neurobiology, nanotechnology, and civil engineering. Whether it's a short clip from a Hollywood film to reinforce the concept of gravity or a feature-length documentary that highlights the work of engineers, incorporating movies into your lessons can help kids connect what they're learning in the classroom to the world at large. And even after the credits roll, you can extend the learning: Create a model, start a debate, or begin a community project that the film -- and your teaching -- inspires. Here are 10 film picks that showcase essential STEM skills for school, home, the workplace, and beyond. Grades 1+