Badges

I am a big fan of badges. I think they are creative ways to inspire teachers and students alike. I haven't started badges in my class because I have been intimidated. I thought they needed to be created and displayed in websites like Credly. That is until I came across this video.

This video is fantastic because it shows a great way to display and track badges. It shows how it is easy to issue badges and how to use them in the class. I highly recommend this quick video!

Google Classroom

I had a lot of fun using Google Classroom and creating a collaborative conversation lesson for teachers of any grade level. To view the lesson I create please follow the link below:

https://classroom.google.com/c/NjkxNTk3NTQxNlpa

It will take you to the pre-assignment as well as collaborative conversation training itself.

Google Classroom is a great tool for teachers and administrators alike. I can see teachers from the upper grades using this platform with their students. Administrators could use this to develop professional development training for their teachers.

Anything is Scary at First

This short but powerful video can be used in professional development seminars as a great introduction. It is moving and inspiring, and I think something every adult can relate to.

 

Theme Spark

Theme Spark is a great resource for teachers. It generates rubrics for any grade level and any topic. 

At my school, our staff was having a challenging time creating rubrics for collaboration and presentation; especially at the kinder and first grade level. Theme Spark not only has rubrics for those but you can change them to be measure grade levels and/or proficiency levels. For any teacher or administrator leading a PLC I highly recommend ThemeSpark. This is a great tool that can help guide conversations within a PLC.

Project Based Learning

My district is sending me and some coworkers to a project based learning conference. The conference is being organized by the Buck Institute of Education. I do not know to much about project based learning and wanted to do some research before I attended the conference. This video I felt was a good introduction and I thought I'd share. 

Financing Schools in California

I came across this resource for an assignment and found it extremely succinct and thorough. Administrators need to know the business behind running a school, and the laws the must abide by. This article is a great resource for anyone considering administration.
http://www.ppic.org/main/publication_show.asp?i=1001 

Thinking Maps

 This year our school has focused on developing the comprehension skills of student through Thinking Maps. Every professional development our principal shares a new strategy that can be used with Thinking Maps. Every morning my students review the eight Thinking Maps and the skills they are used for. I have seen a significant impact on my students and their work. The imagine above is from one of my students. Notice how this third grade student used a Thinking Map to organize her thoughts before answering each question.

I highly recommend checking out Thinking Maps at: http://thinkingmaps.com/