Posts by Alison Anderson
Personalized Learning
Yes! Zeens in the Classroom!
I know if I announced to my middle school students, “I want you to create your own digital magazine,” a lot of hands would be thrown over heads and many loudly whispered “yeses” would be heard immediately. With the new site Zeen.com, I actually can give my classes this dream assignment.
Personalized Learning
Enroll Monsters In Kindergarten
The kindergarteners at my school enter with an incredibly wide range of literacy abilities, so we know we need to quickly focus on their reading skills immediately in order that everyone, from the high achievers to the ones still struggling to recognize their letters, will end the year strong. Not always an easy task. Therefore, it becomes a joint effort for all the teachers who work with the Kindergartners, to support the building of their literacy skills.
Personalized Learning
Why a Badge Is Better Than an A+
We are not totally gamifying our classrooms or currently using Edmodo, so this year I was not really considering the possibility of awarding my students digital badges. That is, until I recently came across this awesome site and FREE web tool for teachers, classbadges.com and I knew I had to have these for my students.
EdTech
It’s Always Been Personal For Kelly Tenkely
It was Kelly and her iLearn Technology blog that truly opened up the world of Educational Technology for me. I knew when I couldn’t wait for her next blog update to arrive in my email, that her enthusiasm was contagious and I was catching the Edtech bug. She not only shares and then describes great tools but always gives ideas for integrating them. Her posts ignited my own passion for using technology to reach students and provide them with the tools so that they could not only learn but feel excited and successful in school.
EdTech
What to Expect When You’re Expecting … iPads
All this iPad talk is leaving many parents very nervous about this all really means for their children: Are these devices really worth the money? Will their children’s learning truly benefit from these tools? Will iPads only add to “screen time,” hinder social skills and, ultimately, disconnect them from their peers? What is the magic the iPads create for students?
EdTech
Got iPads? Now Get Apple TV
"Some things never change" is not a quote heard very often in the field of educational technology, where we are constantly striving to stay caught up with the development of everything digital. Still, it can be a very true statement in the classroom.
Personalized Learning
Virtual Projects to Add to Real World Field Trips
Nowadays, when someone talks about a “21st century field trip," they are most likely referring to a virtual field trip. Virtual field trips are incredible examples of how the Internet can change the learning experience for students today. They can take a tour of Versailles, cruise around with the Rovers on the surface of Mars, even travel back in time and "walk" around Ancient Egypt in a format that was unimaginable just a few years ago.
Personalized Learning
10 Ways to Ensure Parents Won’t Need to Ask ‘What Did You Do at School Today?’
I think parents don’t like it, or, at the very least, get annoyed when they ask their children, “what did you do at school today?” and the answer is “nothing.” (I actually know this to be true, not from statistics or action research, but because I am a mom and this is usually what my kids answer when I ask and I get annoyed).
Personalized Learning
Storytelling: Open Your Classroom to the World
Documentaries have been my favorite genre of film for a long time. I think it was Hoop Dreams, back in 1994, that truly got me hooked. It wasn't an action film or thriller that I typically chose to see with my friends at the theater, but, still, I was mesmerised by these two boys playing basketball and surviving life by focusing on their love for the game of basketball. I truly loved it because it was storytelling at it's absolute best.
Personalized Learning
It’s Time to Disrupt the System
For as long as I have been involved in education, the focus for finding the key to fixing education has always been about providing professional development for the teachers and administrators. The philosophy is top-down with the intent that knowledge will eventually trickle down to benefit the students.