Author: Jacqui

This is a great article for new teachers who might not have seen the traditional classroom experience. One teacher offers tips to help new starters who did their training in lockdown to feel at home in their classroom:

New Teachers: 10 Ways to Claim Your Classroom Space

The first terms as an early career teacher are daunting: and it can be a while until you feel completely settled in your new role. But your classroom is the place you’ll spend the majority of your time, and it’s crucial that you feel ownership of it, as well as at home within it. 

Many of you will have carried out a lot of your teacher training remotely – and therefore, may feel a little uncertain about how to claim classrooms as your own. Here’s my advice.

Read on

Here’s more advice for new teachers from Ask a Tech Teacher:

6 Tech Best Practices for New Teachers

New Tech Teacher? I Understand You

Technology and Teaching: A Conversation with Teachers

Tech 101 for Teachers

13 Tips for New Tech Teachers You Don’t Want to Miss

Promoted by National Geographic, here’s what you should know about Geography Awareness Week which occurs November 15-19, 2021:

Too many young Americans are unable to make effective decisions, understand geo-spatial issues, or even recognize their impacts as global citizens. National Geographic created Geography Awareness Week to raise awareness to this dangerous deficiency in American education and excite people about geography as both a discipline and as a part of everyday life.

Each year more than 100,000 Americans actively participate in Geography Awareness Week. Established by presidential proclamation more than 25 years ago, this annual public awareness program encourages citizens young and old to think and learn about the significance of place and how we affect and are affected by it. Each third week of November, students, families and community members focus on the importance of geography by hosting events; using lessons, games, and challenges in the classroom; and often meeting with policymakers and business leaders. Geography Awareness Week is supported by access to materials and resources for teachers, parents, community activists, and all geographically minded global citizens.

Here are excellent web resources to promote your geography lessons (click headings for more links):

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As many of you know, I have two wonderful children–one a LT CDR in the Navy and one a SSG (Staff Sergeant) in the Army. One day, they will both be veterans. I also have a long family history of relatives who fought for America. So today, I salute them and all others who have put their lives and dreams aside to support America’s values and principles. I can’t say it better than these videos:

Here are some websites to both teach and involve students in this important day:

1. Bet You Didn’t Know: Veterans Day
2. Difference between Memorial Day and Veterans Day
3. The History and Evolution of Veterans Day
4. Veterans Day by the Numbers
5. Veterans Day: How it started and why we honor it–video

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Do you ever worry that core subjects are getting lost in the muddle of all the other stuff that is becoming part of the accepted curriculum in K-12 schools? I’m purposely not naming any of those because that’s not the subject of this article so I don’t want to distract (but feel free to add your thoughts in the comments). One of the becoming-forgotten subjects I have begun to fear is Civics so I loved this article from Commonwealth Magazine on how this understanding our our form of government in America is not forgotten, in fact taught well:

Mass. getting good grades on civics, history

AS THE COUNTRY engages in a heated debate over what civic education should look like, a new report by The Thomas B. Fordham Institute suggests that the nation should emulate the model we’ve developed here in the Commonwealth.

The State of State Standards for Civics and U.S. History in 2021 grades every state on their civics and history standards that guide teaching and learning in these content areas. Massachusetts earned a grade of A- (the highest grade earned by any state) and is listed as one of only five exemplar states.

Read on…

For more websites that teach civics for MS and HS, check out these:

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Here are the most-read posts for the month of October

1. National Bullying Prevention Month
2. October is Dyslexia Awareness Month
3. ow Tech-savvy Teachers Do It
4. Tract–A new way to learn
5. Tech to Help With Masks
6. Digital Citizenship Week–Oct. 18-22–Here’s What You Need
7. Artificial Intelligence in Education: Anecdotal Evidence
8. Remote Learning Varies Around the Country
9. Halloween Projects, Websites, Apps, Books, and a Costume
10. Getting up to Speed: Teacher Prep and Technology Integration

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Every month, subscribers to our newsletter get a free/discounted resource to help their tech teaching.

November

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Here’s a preview of what’s coming up on Ask a Tech Teacher in November:

• Tracts and Genius Hour: A Great Combination
• Halloween projects, lesson plans, apps, and a costume
• Digital Storytelling
• Civics in Schools
• College or Career
• Google Earth Lesson Plans
• Geography Awareness Week
• Digital Citizenship
• Managing Difficult Parents
• Rigorous Mathematics

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October 24th – November 7th

My wonderful son is changing his duty station from Okinawa Japan to Fort Dietrich Maryland. To celebrate his return to the US, we are taking a 3,700+ mile road trip across the country, from California to Maryland with a stop over to see my daughter, also in Maryland. We have a lot of sights to see, at the top of the list SpaceX’s center in Bolsa Chica Texas and Florida.

See you-all in a few weeks!

Three holidays are fast-approaching–Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. If you’re a teacher, that means lots of tie-ins to make school festive and relevant to students.

Here are ideas for Halloween projects, lesson plans, websites, and apps (check here for updated links):

Websites and Apps

1. 30-day Halloween fitness challenge
2. Build a Jack-o-lantern (in Google Slides)
3. Carving Pumpkins
4. Carve-a-Pumpkin from Parents magazine – Resolute Digital, LLC (app)
5. Enchanted Learning
6. Halloween games, puzzles–clean, easy to understand website and few ads!
7. Halloween ghost stories
8. Halloween counting & words games – IKIDSPAD LLC (app)
9. Halloween Kahoot Games (video for teachers)
10. Halloween Science
11. Halloween WordSearch – FinBlade (app)
12. Halloween Voice Transformer (app)
13. Landon’s Pumpkins – LAZ Reader [Level P–second grade] – Language Technologies, Inc. (app)
14. Make A Zombie – Skunk Brothers GmbH (app)
15. Math vs. Zombies (app)
16. Meddybemps Spooky
17. Readwords reading collection for Halloween
18. Readworks Halloween Reading Resources
19. Signing Halloween–a video
20. Skelton Park
21. The Kidz Page
22. WordSearch Halloween – AFKSoft (app)

Projects

1. ASCII Art–Computer Art for Everyone (a pumpkin–see inset)
2. Lesson Plan: Halloween letter for grades 2-5
3. Make a Holiday Card
4. A Holiday Card
5. A Holiday flier

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Illuminate Education has an interesting video (on-demand) about Navigating a New Era of Special Education. Here’s a preview:

Research shows that more students will not meet grade-level benchmarks this fall due to COVID learning disruptions. In this on-demand webinar, experts provide guidance on how to ensure students receive adequate supports while reducing unnecessary special education referrals. Watch it now.

If you’re looking for more resources on special education in your classroom, check out our resources:

October is Dyslexia Awareness Month

How Wearable Technology is Changing Education and Easing Disabilities

Favorite Shortkeys for Special Needs

How Smart Tech and IoT are Making Educational Spaces More Accessible

Is Orton-Gillingham Right For Your Students?

A Helping Hand: Assistive Technology Tools for Writing

3 Great Special Needs Digital Tools

Long list of Special Needs Websites

@illuminateeducation @illuminateed #specialneeds #specialeducation

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