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Blog: Ed Tech Today

Don't Forget the Tunes!

Noise level is something we have to control every second in our classroom. It can't be too noisy, or others will be bothered, including the teacher next door. I was always conscious of my class's noise level so I didn't become a nuisance. It is never much fun to hear the "Wow, your class must have been really excited about something today" line from your partner across the hall.

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Blog: Ed Tech Today

Money Saving Strategies for Schools

Editor's Note: This week's Pulse blog comes from Fatima Haris~ an educator in Pakistan.

Less is More

It is very important that we reduce our expenses in schools. Instead of the fancy soft board displays~ we can use recycled material. In my school~ the same displays are rotated on different floors so that cost is cut down while maintaining the quality. There is no compromise on the quality of service rather more time and energy is spent on each child...

Blog: Ed Tech Today

Learning at the Carpet

Many teachers believe that teaching from the carpet is a practice that should end after Kindergarten. The argument is that the students should practice self-control and be able to learn from their seats. In the real world, adults are not able to sit down on the floor to work. My view is that these teachers are correct. But, I am not teaching adults in the workplace. I am teaching children, who do not have the same level of concentration or maturity that an...

Blog: Ed Tech Today

Happy Presidents' Weekend-Fun...

John Quincy Adams brought his pet alligator to the White House He also liked to skinny deep in the Potomac River. A reporter once sat on his clothes until he gave her an interview! John F. Kennedy was the first president to have been a Boy Scout James Garfield was the first president to be left- handed AND could write with both hands(and different languages at the same time-Greek and Latin) George Washington was a spelunker, loved searching in caves. Presidents' Weekend is almost here. I...

Blog: Ed Tech Today

Happy 200th Birthday, Charles Dickens(...

When you think of Christmas, probably,the book which has been made into the most movie and television specials is,A Christmas Carol.With the 200th birthday, of British writer, Charles Dickens, on Feb.7,1812,I thought this might be a great time to share a webquest on one of the most famous writers of all times. Two quotes of Charles Dickens: A day wasted on others is not wasted on ones self. An idea, like a ghost, must be spoken to a little before it will explain itself. Here is the link to...

Blog: Ed Tech Today

Relevance--what's in it for me?

Greetings,

What's in it for me? That's a question we all ask when sitting in front of a teacher or speaker or someone who is taking upour time. It is also a question your students ask themselves constantly, and if you can't provide a strong answer, you can bet that you're going to have attention and discipline problems in the classroom.

So much of classroom discipline deals with keeping student in line through incentives, consequences and other techniques....

Blog: Ed Tech Today

Should students be given weekly...

This week~ "Cooperative Learning 365~" an EducationWorld Facebook fan~ asks:


Should students be given weekly spelling tests?


ANSWER: First of all~ thank you for your question. Weekly spelling tests are a time-honored tradition in American elementary schools. For quite some time now~ however~ schools across the U.S. have elected to cut them out of their curriculum. Why? Because many education experts~...

Blog: Ed Tech Today

Stopping the Fidgeting!

Being an observer in a classroom can be extremely enlightening or extremely frustrating. Students can be engaged in learning or engaged in what they are currently playing with in their desks. Unfortunately when a teacher is trying to teach 20 or more students at one time, that task may seem almost impossible because he or she is attempting to maneuver content, control large behaviors, and keep all students learning at the same speed.

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Blog: Ed Tech Today

Incentives in the Classroom. Do you use...

Some will say that teachers shouldn't offer incentives in their classroom, I am not one of them. I think just like adults appreciate being recognized for their efforts, it helps to have some type of incentive program in the classroom.

I used "Golden Tickets" which seemed to work well in my classroom. Students received 10 golden tickets for 90 above on quiz/tests), they received 3-5 golden ticket points for class participation ,3-5 points for...

Blog: Ed Tech Today

Preparing Teachers for the Urban...

How can new teachers be prepared for the challenges of the urban classroom? College professor Dave Weiss, who taught for more than 30 years in Chicago, offers some personal suggestions in this week's Pulse blog post.
Some school districts have already instituted a one-year student teaching program. This allows the novice to experience the practicalities of beginning the first day of school and the end of the school year. This would be an excellent program if instituted...

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