Instruction


 * Flipped Classroom**

Panelists share different ways to "flip" a classroom] panel of educators at this week's International Society for Technology in Education conference, led by flipped classroom pioneers Aaron Sams and Jonathan Bergmann, discussed the different ways to flip a classroom. Some panelists talked about having students view video lectures at home, while others said they use the strategy to provide videos of topics students consistently need help with in class. One thing all the educators had in common, however, was a desire to individualize learning for their students. Education Week/Digital Education blog (6/26)


 * New education platform from TED could help power 'flipped learning']] TED, a nonprofit organization devoted to spreading big ideas through a series of conferences and a free video platform, has continued its expansion into education by launching a brand-new TED-Ed website with tools to help teachers use video in the classroom. [ Read More ] ||


 * Kahn Academy**

The new episode will explore what's new and improving in education and will feature __speakers__ ** Sal Khan **__, internet educator and one of "Time" magazine's 100 most influential people.__

// ** Maker Faires exhibit do-it-yourself education ** This blog post offers eight videos and several suggestions for bringing the spirit of Maker Faires and DIY, or do-it-yourself, education into the classroom. "Teachers who love hands-on learning and the DIY movement are a match made in heaven -- and nowhere is this better represented than the Maker Faire," Amy Erin Borovoy writes in this post. Edutopia.org/Amy Erin Borovoy's blog (5/18) //

**New PD Online course: Teaching With Poverty In Mind** Rooted in the work of Eric Jensen, co-founder of the United States' first brain-compatible learning program, ASCD's new Teaching With Poverty In Mind PD Online course delves into current research to help you understand how poverty affects the developing brain. You'll learn about the effects of poverty on students' health and academic performance and connect with strategies for combatting the many negative effects of poverty in an academic setting. Learn more.//

Rebecca Alber in this blog post offers six end-of-year projects that include her three essential elements of engaging classroom activities: choices, creativity and constructing. The projects she suggests include writing commercials, on-campus field trips and students teaching other students a favorite topic or skill. Edutopia.org/Rebecca Alber's blog (5/21
 * Engaging activities to end the school year**

TED-Ed on Wednesday launched an educational website featuring lessons based on its original animated videos for grades K-12. Each lesson includes a three- to eight-minute video, multiple-choice quizzes, open-ended questions and links to related information. In addition, teachers can choose to "flip" the video and create customized lessons. TED-Ed's Lessons Worth Sharing beta version currently features video lessons on numerous topics. Forbes/Techonomy (4/25)
 * New TED-Ed site offers video lessons for students**

Some students in an Ohio school district are spending part of their winter break at school as part of the district's "Wildcat Camp." The students spend three hours each day receiving tutoring in math, reading and other subjects as well as other help from teachers. The Cincinnati Enquirer (12/28)
 * School camp offers students extra help during winter break**

High-school science teacher Fred Donelson is letting students use his classroom during the holiday break for projects or to receive extra help. "Over the holidays, a lot of these kids are doing projects and experiments that are due right after the break. I like to be here if they need help or if things don't work well," he said. Donelson, who heads the high school's science department and science academy, notifies students of the open-classroom hours via Twitter. The Columbus Dispatch (Ohio) (12/29)
 * Students work on in-class science projects over the holidays **


 * The power of student feedback ** Winter breaks are a great opportunity to reflect on classroom practice as well as plan to make the second half of the school year even better. In a recent Inservice blog post, director of professional development and author Bryan Harris recommends that teachers use student feedback about different elements of the classroom environment and instructional methods to help guide that positive change. Learn more about collecting this type of data in the post. Read on.

//Magazine project helps students bolster their writing skills// // Middle-school language arts teacher Kathie Marshall says she helps students improve their writing skills by having them create magazines about topics that interest them. In this column, Marshall, who is a member of the Teacher Leaders Network, offers tips for taking a similar approach to this yearlong project, including allowing students to collaborate, familiarizing them with the magazine genre and using specific publication standards. Education Week Teacher (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (6/14)  //How to use data analysis to improve classroom instruction]]// // Ronald S. Thomas, a retired school administrator who is now the associate director of the Center for Leadership in Education at Towson University, supports the use of data analysis to improve academic instruction. Among other things, he suggests schools use data to determine what students do and don't know, and figure out how to close that gap. Education Week (premium article access compliments of EdWeek.org) (6/15)

Students archive digital content for nationwide time-capsule project A nationwide project sponsored by the Internet Archive and the Library of Congress has students creating virtual time capsules of primary-source websites and digital content that reflects their lives and interests. The K-12 Web Archiving Program is aimed at teaching students collaborative, problem-solving and critical-thinking skills as they choose sources and sites to include. eSchool News (free registration) (7/4)