Educational Links of the Day 8/18/14

 

How a Bigger Purpose Can Motivate Students to Learn

http://blogs.kqed.org/mindshift/2014/08/how-a-bigger-purpose-can-motivate-students-to-learn/ 

It was no surprise that students often said that making money, attaining fame or pursuing a career that they enjoyed were important to them. But many of them also spoke of additionally wanting to make a positive impact on their community or society — such as by becoming a doctor to take care of people, or a pastor who “makes a difference.”

Creating opportunities for self-discovering and expression while implementing the Common Core--obviously aimed at manufacturing worker bees--is education's vital mission.  

Video Playlist: Strengthening Lessons for the Common Core

https://www.teachingchannel.org/blog/2014/08/08/video-playlist-strengthening-lessons-for-the-ccss-equip/?utm_content=bufferadbcf&utm_medium=social&utm_source=facebook.com&utm_campaign=buffer 

 Teaching Channel has partnered with Achieve.org on a three-part series featuring tools for Common Core lesson planning. 

Analyzing the efficiency of lesson plans--pre- and post-lesson develops phenomenal delivery also.

5 Ways to Help Your Students Become Better Questioners

http://www.edutopia.org//blog/help-students-become-better-questioners-warren-berger?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+EdutopiaNewContent+%28Edutopia%29 

The humble question is an indispensable tool: the spade that helps us dig for truth, or the flashlight that illuminates surrounding darkness. Questioning helps us learn, explore the unknown, and adapt to change.

Empowering the students to efficiently question-even requiring that-marinades the process of learning. 

Also check these websites for more interesting articles: Edutopia,  TeachHUB,  TeachThought,  MindShift KQED.

Behind the Headline: Kids’ Brains Reorganize When Learning Math Skills 

http://educationnext.org/behind-headline-kids-brains-reorganize-learning-math-skills/

Will a new study of what brains look like when kids do math finally end the math wars? Probably not, but the study’s findings do support the notion that drilling kids on math facts so that they can come up with the answers automatically will help kids with higher-level math later on.

It appears using a pencil helps format the brain.

The Best Tablets For Education

http://www.edudemic.com/best-education-technology/the-best-tablets-for-education/ 

Tablets like the iPad are increasingly popular in classrooms around the globe. But there are a lot more tablets available to teachers and school districts than iPads. That’s the idea behind this list.

Schools in this area are also seriously looking at Chromebooks. 

Top ed-tech stories to watch: Maker movement makes waves

http://www.eschoolnews.com/2014/08/18/ed-maker-movement-526/ 

Having students complete hands-on projects isn’t new. For years, many educators have championed a constructivist, learning-by-doing approach in schools.

The greatest challenge is finding teachers to organize and maintain these programs. 

Check out these websites for more interesting articles: Edudemic, eSchoolNews , and  EdTechReview.

 And always look for free ed tech at Free Technology for Teachers .

Do ADHD Drug Holidays Work?

http://www.additudemag.com/slideshow/90/slide-1.html 

Are you considering a break from ADHD medication? Here's what you need to know about the pros and cons of taking a drug holiday — and how best to approach a break or reduced dose.

Medication is an option that needs constant maintenance.

7 Secrets to Keeping Accommodations On Track

http://www.additudemag.com/adhd/article/10822.html 

 Each teacher is responsible for implementing the IEP or Section 504 accommodations in his or her classroom. Staying actively involved in your child’s education keeps you up to date on how well the accommodations are working.

This is for parents, but Special education teachers also need to monitor in similar fashion.

10 Things You Need to Know About LD Evaluation 

http://ncld.org/parents-child-disabilities/ld-testing/10-things-to-know-about-learning-disability-evaluation 

If you suspect that your child has a learning disability (LD), identification through a formal evaluation will help you know for sure. An evaluation will allow you to better understand your child’s strengths and weaknesses in learning, and may help to qualify your child for special education services.

Knowledge is power. 

Check out these websites for more interesting articles. 

National Center for Learning Disabilities , Special_Ism, Special Needs Digest.

This site will describe your rights as parent or educator: Wrightslaw.