Monthly Archives: March 2016

//March

HMH Marketplace

Textbook publishers Houghton Mifflin Harcourt are expanding their influence in the world of instructional materials.  HMH has just released HMH Marketplace, which is a centralized location where teachers can browse resources for use in their classrooms ranging from traditional printable worksheets and lesson plans to apps that students can use on their devices.  Prices for [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:53:44-05:00 March 31st, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Tool Tip Tuesday: KidsGeo

This website provides tons of information about the geologic and geographic processes that have shaped the world to the present day.  There are several lessons that students can click through as well as games and songs that reinforce the information presented.  Through this website, students can also access other websites on the KidsKnow domain, such [...]

By | 2017-09-12T09:49:15-05:00 March 29th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

The Educal

If you're interested in professional development, or looking to get more involved with the changing face of 21st century education, the Educal is a good resource to use.  It is a calendar and a map that list educational conferences and summits happening worldwide, although most of them are US based.  They also take submissions of events, [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:54:04-05:00 March 24th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Tool Tip Tuesday: Wolfram Alpha

Wolfram Alpha is a great way to make the internet work for your students. It takes the input and rather than just searching for it like other search engines, it analyses the input and returns interesting information.  Searching for words can give you the frequency that those words turn up in written language, the date [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:54:15-05:00 March 22nd, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Technology Illiteracy

The Program for International Assessment of Adult Competencies (PIAAC) has released the results of their latest wide-scale study, and they aren't good.  Full results can be read here, but the breakdown is that besides the US's usual below-average global performance in math and literacy, we are now scoring last in technological literacy as well.  This is surprising [...]

By | 2017-09-12T09:47:19-05:00 March 17th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Tool Tip Tuesday: Glose

Glose is one of my favorite online reading platforms because of all the free content it provides as well as the options it allows for tailoring the service to your students' needs.  Like other reading platforms, there are tons of books to purchase but what really sets Glose apart is the large library of free [...]

By | 2017-09-12T09:51:09-05:00 March 15th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Alternative Assessments

Because of changes to federal testing regulations, more schools are pushing to assess things like joy and grit along with other socio-emotional skills.  Some teachers think this is a great idea because it prepares students for the real world, while others are worried that this can open up an uncomfortable can of worms.  What are [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:54:28-05:00 March 10th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Tool Tip Tuesday: Logic Puzzles

In this increasingly computer-driven world, logical thinking is something that students need now more than ever. But how can we get kids using their brains that way?  Remember those grid-based logic puzzles that we all did during elementary and middle school? (I know I sure do!)  Now there's a website that offers thousands of unique puzzles [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:54:40-05:00 March 8th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Is Personalized Learning Worth It?

The trend in education seems to be shifting rapidly towards totally personalized education, and there is certainly a place for technology in assisting teachers with this undertaking.  But no one has really stopped to talk about whether personalized learning can actually reduce the achievement gap.  Diane Tavenner, CEO of Summit Public Schools, a blended learning [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:55:00-05:00 March 3rd, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Tool Tip Tuesday: Purdue Online Writing Lab

An oldie but a goodie, the Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL) is an invaluable resource for any student (or teacher) who is writing a formal paper.  In addition to the popular style guides that help students with the specifics of MLA, APA, and Chicago writing styles, the website also offers lessons on mechanics, grammar, spelling, [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:55:22-05:00 March 1st, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments