Positively Persistent Teach (on summer break): Archive

Blogging Sites to Use in High School

The school I’m student teaching at is going to a 1:1 initiative this spring semester and I’m extremely excited to be working with this opportunity. When I was in high school, one teacher had us keep blogs. Most of our posts were responses to our readings and answers to questions the teacher assigned. I’m dying to use blogs in my classes this semester.

I know I’m sacrificing the literal written word for laptop usage, but if they can post from anywhere at anytime, I think they might be a little more willing to actually write and share their thoughts and ideas. My only problem is that I can’t decide which blogging platform to use. We used blogspot when I was in high school, but I haven’t used it since then, so I don’t know very much about it anymore. Tumblr would be ideal—the ease of following, liking, responding—but I think it would be far too easy for them to find inappropriate material on here and I’m sure the school wouldn’t be cool with that.

I’m just going to have to some extensive research on the different sites, I suppose.

I totally think tumblr would be perfect for this. Great opportunity to read each other’s work and do some peer-editting, keep track of assignments, students to comment on each other’s work, plus you could reblog anything you wanted to share with the whole class on your page!

Jan 19, 20115 notes

Jan 19, 2011

#twitter #teachers #lpn

Best part of my day?

When the student I work with at school for pull-out services and tutor on the side after school showed up at the library so excited. He pulled out a math timed test where he got 50/50 on his multiplication facts.

Sure, they were the lower facts, but I am just bursting with pride today ladies and gentlemen.

Jan 19, 2011

#education

You might have wondered as we did - is there a safe, well-lit web site for children where they can learn about current events around the world without the bias, sensationalism and often inappropriate content in mainstream media? When our quest did not yield anything, we decided to start one.

I will be using this with my struggling readers to improve their non-fiction reading strategies. Oooh, what a gem this is!

Jan 19, 20112 notes

#struggling readers #non-fiction #reading comprehension #language arts #current events

Jan 19, 20114 notes

#autism

I put the following in David Karp's ask box:

Hi David,

I love your site, and I am happy to hear all you are planning to do with tumblr. I have talked with Rich about some ideas I had about using tumblr for teachers and in classrooms. There are a lot of teachers on here, and there’s a potential for tumblr to do a lot of awesome things for our profession and our students. I know Rich is looking into some of my ideas, and I am very excited about that. In the meantime, our community of teachers would really love a Teaching or Teacher section in the directory. Too many things fall under educational, and it would help us build our community if we had our own section in the directory. Thanks so much!

I will also be mentioning this on my twitter, with the tumblr hash tag. Perhaps if it comes up in any of the staff members tumblr tracked tags, we’ll hear something. If you have a twitter feel free to do the same.

Jan 19, 20112 notes

world-shaker:

Tumblr founder David Karp showed up yesterday to christen his company’s new office in Richmond, Virginia.

At the opening celebration, the popular blogging platform’s founder spoke extensively about the startup’s plans for the future — plans that definitely set it apart from the product-focused startup scene on the West Coast and plans that will make the most of the company’s recent $30 million round of funding.

In an interview with local writer Johnny Hugel, Karp said that community — a huge part of Tumblr’sTumblr
success so far — would play a larger role than product in the near future.

He’s even making community management, especially in creative communities such as fashion and film, a central goal for Tumblr.

“You look in fashion, creative writing, photography, music, so many of these creative circles,” said Karp, “and we have these really substantial communities that now live on Tumblr.

Don’t forget Education, whichneedsitsowndirectory.

Tumblr could do so much for education. I hope they get that!

In fact, I may have another idea….

Jan 19, 20113 notes

#education

This could be a good home-school connection activity as timelines are part of the standards!

Jan 19, 201117 notes

#social studies #timeline #lesson idea

Jan 18, 20119 notes

Don't you think there should be a category in the directory called "Teachers?" It seems to me that the "Educational" category could apply to just about anything that conveys some sort of knowledge. There are categories for photographers, comedians, filmmakers, entrepreneurs, and musicians, so where's the love for teachers?

I totally agree, and have made this suggestion in e-mail conversations with a tumblr employee. He’s looking into seeing if it can be done. :-)

Jan 18, 2011

I like your blog! :) I am a former teacher and I have meshed together my love for education and design into one. I have just started a blog about educational space design to inspire educators- to inspire students. I'm still not familiar with everything on tumblr but is there a way I can list my blog under education in the directory?

In order to be listed on the directory, you have to have people recommend you.

We do have a teacher roll call that girloffscript organized, and I can certainly pass your name on to her.

Plus, hopefully by posting your question on my blog you will catch the attention of my followers.

I really like your posts with pictures of classroom organization ideas!

Jan 18, 2011

Jan 17, 2011996 notes

Jan 17, 201130,966 notes

#martin luther king jr. #law #justice

“Thank you to public school teachers. I know you don’t get paid like it, but you’re doing the most important work in America.” —Ian Brennan, one of writers/producers of Glee, accepting the best comedy Golden Globe. (via girlwithalessonplan)

Jan 16, 2011389 notes

#education

The Noun Project collects, organizes and adds to the highly recognizable symbols that form the world’s visual language, so we may share them in a fun and meaningful way.

Here is our pledge to you:
FREE
The symbols on this site are and always will remain free. We believe symbols can not be effectively shared with the world if they are not free.
SIMPLE
Everyone likes simplicity. We want you to be able to come to our site and effortlessly find and obtain what you are looking for. Simple as that.
FUN
We think a language that can be understood by all cultures and people is a pretty amazing thing. We also think our symbols and the objects or ideas they represent are works of art worth celebrating. Check out our store.

This would be good for a number of things, including finding symbols to use with autistic students. Also, many of the symbols are universal symbols so it would beneficial to use in special education as well. Finally, it would be good to use to help build English vocabulary with ESL students.

Jan 16, 201137 notes

#nouns #visual learners #special education #esl #education

There is no doubt that many writers, adults and students alike, pay attention to the visual imagery in their narratives, but one often neglected sense is that of smell. Though scents can spark a pleasant memory, induce strong emotion, and cause our face to cringe up in disgust, it is unfortunately regularly forgotten. It’s time to remind your students about the power of the nose.
Start with Poetry
No matter what grade level you are teaching, your students are sure to enjoy the antics of Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout. In this Shel Silverstein poem, Sarah refuses to take the garbage out until fills up the entire continental United States. In a catalog of trash, Silverstein includes an abundance of sensory details focusing on smell, such as “coffee grounds, potato peels” and “curdled milk and crusted pie.”

Have your students read it aloud, or you can listen to a humorous song version. As they are reading, they could highlight or circle all the words that emit a sense of smell. When finished, have them pick their favorite or most disturbing word that exhibits the sensory detail and then share with a partner about the power of that word choice.

(Click to continue reading)

Jan 16, 20113 notes

#teaching #writing #shel silverstein #sense of smell #language arts #education

I love this! Schedules are important for Autistic students!

Jan 16, 20115 notes

#autism #circle time #special education #teaching #education

“But how do you remain detached from 5-year-olds who are not only clueless about the world into which they’ve been born but who are also maddeningly cute?[…] I’ve learned that when these adorable little children come over and ask for a hug for no reason at all, you put the notion of journalistic detachment aside and accept the hug graciously. I’ve also learned that if you hug one kindergartner, three more will come over and want one, too.” —

What our children need: a quick hug, shoes tied, role models

In which a journalist encamps in IPS kindergarten rooms for a year.

(via girlwithalessonplan)

Do you have money burning a hole in your pocket?

Want to help me get some real, actual maps in my classroom?

CLICK THAT LINK! WOOOOOOOO!

Jan 15, 20114 notes