The Best Books for Grades 6-8 - WeAreTeachers

Thought this was a great list.  Just putting it out on the blog for teacher reference.  Happy reading.

The Best Books for Grades 6-8 - WeAreTeachers

Don't be afraid of Google images

We no longer have to be afraid of Google images because we can do all kinds of advance searches and you can teach the kids how to filter things much better.

No sure how to do it?

Click on the gear box and explore search tools.

Oh Boy do I have something I want to try

This could be something that would help train students to use Google apps...8th graders...Chromebooks, iPads and internet safety.

www.ninjaprogram.com

Check this out

You might find some helpful stuff here as well:

https://sites.google.com/site/techtipsuf/home

Ipad Lessons

Try these ipad lessons from Pinterest

http://pinterest.com/techchef4u/ipad-lessons/

More Google Stuff...Thanks Chad Kafka

HMS Teachers check this out.  You might want to look at these tools to help you with Google Docs and what not!

https://sites.google.com/site/kafkaworkshops/sandbox

A little something I found for all you Google users

Check this out!

http://www.teachhub.com/100-google-tricks-teachers

List of what I have read thus far Summer of 2013

This is what I have read so far...I know there is more before the summer is over.  Keep reading fellow teachers!

Deck Z
The Cardturner
May B
Psion Beta
The Candymakers
Pie
Legend
Smells Like Dog
Envy
Inferno
The Book Whisperer
The Unwanteds (almost done)

Another great article from Nerdy Book Club

This is another great article/blog from Nerdy Book Club.  Perhaps it will make you think about what you say to kids which causes that "fixed" mind set for students and adults.

http://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2013/04/15/confessions-of-a-former-really-good-reader-by-tobey-antao/

Something to ponder, "am I the expert?"

This comes from David Robinson's Blog, The Direction of Intention.

Are you the expert?

http://thedirectionofintention.com

Create A New Circle Of Thought

Posted on March 25, 2013by davidrobinsoncreative

746. Join me in inspiring truly powerful people. Each day I will add a new thought, story or idea to support your quest and mine.

I am cleaning out old files and rediscovering some small gems. This one is useful for educators and the national non-conversation we continue to have about education. This gem is from the Circle Project years when Patti and I used Vicious and Virtuous circles with our clients as a way of clarifying their challenges. We also used them to clarify our challenges or to prepare for a training/teaching session. This Vicious circle came from our preparation to lead a train-the-trainer session. Imagine the phrases move clockwise around a circle so that the final phrase returns to the first. The challenge, of course, it to discover and change the premise of the vicious circle, transforming it into a virtuous circle:

I Am The Expert, requiring that I have all the answers

And when I must have all the answers, I can never say, “I don’t know.”

And when I can’t say, “I don’t know,” learners and questions become dangerous,

And when questions become dangerous, controlling the learner is my primary intention.
And when I need to control the learner, I train against surprise,

And when I train against surprise, my training becomes transactional,

And when my training becomes Transactional, I relegate the learner to a “passive receiver,”

And when the learner is relegated to being a passive receiver,

I am The Expert, requiring that I have all the answers…

Everything we need to know to revolutionize education: interrupt the loop OR do the opposite. Begin with this phrase and see what new loop you might create:

I refuse to be The Expert, requiring me to help my students find their own answers,

And because they must find their own answers, we begin by saying, “I don’t know.”

And when we can say, “I don’t know,” learners become questioners so there’s a reason to learn,

[the rest is for you to create – or go back and alter my start. Have fun revolutionizing a system badly in need of your new circle of thought!].

Posted in Education, Truly Powerful People | Tagged circle, education, learn, revolution | 1 Comment

Thanks David!

Read and think...

What do you think? Read the article and let me know.

http://doug-johnson.squarespace.com/blue-skunk-blog/2013/3/21/allergic-to-reading.html

Letting Kids Choose

http://www.reading.org/general/Publications/blog/engage/engage-single-post/engage/2013/03/18/in-the-classroom-whose-taste-matters

This is an article that was shared with me, that makes me tear up just thinking about the story in it. Letting students have choice is very powerful. Letting students have choice in what they read is very powerful. Read and think about this for yourself.

From Nerdy Book Club

http://nerdybookclub.wordpress.com/2013/03/04/storytelling-by-david-rockower/

I found this article about life long reading.  I find the authors frankness about his own struggle with reading refreshing and  he is a 6th grade teacher.

Enjoy

The Adventures of Library Girl: Of Book Talks and Book Reviews

I share this because I feel the same way as this librarian does about book reviews.  It is so important to me to have one on one contact with students about books.  Thanks to all teachers at HMS for sharing the students with me even if it is just for a moment to find a good book.

The Adventures of Library Girl: Of Book Talks and Book Reviews: I'm a book talker, not a book reviewer. I love talking to kids about books.  That moment when you know you've hooked a kid - when you kno...

One of my favorite apps..

One of my favorite apps is FasterScan HD.  If you haven't used it yet go for it!

How do you find it?  Search "FasterScan HD" in your apps on your iPhone, iPod or iPad.  

(HMS teachers this can replace scanning at the copier, you can scan from your desk)

Thinking about Skype? Why not?

Take a look at this website for reasons to use Skype in your classroom.

http://www.teachingdegree.org/2009/06/30/50-awesome-ways-to-use-skype-in-the-classroom/

How about a virtual field trip?  How about talking with a classroom in Australia?  What about a project with one of the elementary teachers in town?  The skies the limit on how you could use it in the classroom.  :)