Teachers are the ones interacting with the kids every day — those very individual, often vulnerable young people at the ideal center of a school’s focus. And not merely interacting with, but guiding, hearing, interpreting, counseling, correcting, encouraging, alloparenting, and instructing.
Teachers’ names and faces are the ones kids remember as they move through school and into their adult lives.
So if schools want to serve kids, let’s face it, what’s good for teachers is good for schools.
A Tablet is Not a Computer
This is the most helpful premise to have when integrating a tablet into a classroom and one that often gets ignored. The purpose of a tablet is best thought of as a consumption and creation device, not a small computer. They are meant as a compliment to the computer, not a replacement. Seeking to make one’s tablet a computer may lead to frustration as well as discount the strengths of the tablet. Start by considering what the tablet can do and how it can compliment your curriculum to engender active learning. Read on for great classroom tablet tips
We’ve produced a reading tracker worksheet for students to use to document their daily readings and for teachers to track progress. This serves to hold students accountable for their reading and gives them a tool to share with peers.
We’ve also produced a tracker for teachers to use to evaluate student progress. It contains several rubrics with space to add your own.
November 6th is almost here. The following are a list of election-related teaching resources. Discover more resources here.
The Newseum Digital Classroom’s interactive timeline for the 2012 Presidential Election traces the major media moments of “Decision 2012.” Newseum’s site also houses lesson plans as well as a glossary of relevant terms.
PBS Learning Media aggregates, curates, and contextualizes election-related resources for K-12 classrooms. Available resources encompass both current events for the 2012 Presidential Election and in-depth learning opportunities that can be used in any study of the U.S. government and election processes.
ReadWriteThink’s Election Day lesson plan provides framework for students in grades 3-12 to engage with the election through mock campaigning and essay-writing.
The Office of the Federal Register’s site has many resources on the election, with a particular emphasis onexplaining the electoral college.
The Library of Congress’ online repository is a source for many photos and historical data on Election Day throughout the years.
The New York Times’ The Learning Network collects teaching ideas and resources, providing excellent opportunities for using primary sources in the classroom.
Explore more resources on our Elections and Politics Pinterest board.
Adams Book Company 