Recent Posts

Innovation Goes Mainstream: Reflections from Sean Banville

Fourteen years ago, a student at my college asked to use ‘the computer’. His next question stumped me. “How do you turn it on?” I failed in my attempts to help him. How was I to know the power button on the Apple Mac was on the keyboard? I was an EFL teacher! I made [...]

Classroom Advent Calendar on the Cheap

As December approaches, many teachers are looking for ways to celebrate the Christmas holiday that keep both classroom discipline and budget in check. An advent calendar is one way to do that, provided you select affordable rewards and activities. Here is a way to incorporate a traditional holiday advent calendar into your current classroom routine, [...]

Physical Education: Seven Pieces of Equipment for a Frugal Program

With tight budgets and position cuts the norm in many school districts, physical education often ends up being on the classroom teacher’s list of responsibilities. How do you implement a sustainable physical education program without diverting valuable classroom budget dollars on supplies? Here are seven simple suggestions to get you started.
Hula hoops.
Great for using with [...]

10 Free Resources for Learning and Technology Professionals

There are many free resources online designed to help learning and technology practitioners design curriculum, plan lessons, advance their career, and engage students in the learning experience. This article by Karen Schweitzer offers a list of 10 free resources to explore:
TED – This non-profit organization is dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Each year, TED hosts an [...]

How To Work Around Paper and Copy Limits: Guest Post from Tom DeRosa

Teachers are used to working with limited resources, but few issues impact your daily instruction as much as limits on paper, the number of copies you can make, or both. In my career, I’ve dealt with all three. There were schools with strict copy quotas per teacher or department, overworked machines that broke down weekly, [...]

News

10 Free Resources for Learning and Technology Professionals

There are many free resources online designed to help learning and technology practitioners design curriculum, plan lessons, advance their career, and engage students in the learning experience. This article by Karen Schweitzer offers a list of 10 free resources to explore:
TED – This non-profit organization is dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Each year, TED hosts an [...]

Stock Up on Classroom Supplies at Dollar Tree!

Got a PTA group that wants to support you, but they’re on a budget? Need to replace some basics and score a few craft supplies? Look no further than your nearest Dollar Tree. Read on.
While I agree that for many items one dollar store is as good as another, there are a few areas [...]

Project Hack: Some Thoughts on Glue Sticks

Tired of cleaning out individual glue caps with the closest available paper clip? I hear you. Here’s why glue sticks are one of my favorite classroom supplies . . . and why they always went on my new student “back to school” buy list during my classroom days.
No leaks.
Not on the desk areas, not [...]

Movie Review: The Great Debaters

Starring Denzel Washington and introducing several new talents, this movie is for more than coaches of debate teams.
Set in the south during the era of segregation, this film tells the story of an inspirational teacher, some motivated, capable students, and the changing consciousness of a nation. Sometime towards the middle of the movie, Denzel [...]

May Round Up

Well, loads of articles have made it into our corner of the blogosphere this past couple of months. In case you’ve fallen behind on your reading, or haven’t had the chance to sign up for our R.S.S. feed, here are a few of the highlights.
· What’s in YOUR Bomb Bag -An extreme teaching article with [...]

Classroom

Classroom Advent Calendar on the Cheap

As December approaches, many teachers are looking for ways to celebrate the Christmas holiday that keep both classroom discipline and budget in check. An advent calendar is one way to do that, provided you select affordable rewards and activities. Here is a way to incorporate a traditional holiday advent calendar into your current classroom routine, [...]

Physical Education: Seven Pieces of Equipment for a Frugal Program

With tight budgets and position cuts the norm in many school districts, physical education often ends up being on the classroom teacher’s list of responsibilities. How do you implement a sustainable physical education program without diverting valuable classroom budget dollars on supplies? Here are seven simple suggestions to get you started.
Hula hoops.
Great for using with [...]

10 Free Resources for Learning and Technology Professionals

There are many free resources online designed to help learning and technology practitioners design curriculum, plan lessons, advance their career, and engage students in the learning experience. This article by Karen Schweitzer offers a list of 10 free resources to explore:
TED – This non-profit organization is dedicated to “Ideas Worth Spreading.” Each year, TED hosts an [...]

How To Work Around Paper and Copy Limits: Guest Post from Tom DeRosa

Teachers are used to working with limited resources, but few issues impact your daily instruction as much as limits on paper, the number of copies you can make, or both. In my career, I’ve dealt with all three. There were schools with strict copy quotas per teacher or department, overworked machines that broke down weekly, [...]

Free Classroom Fitness Program for Teachers

Trying to find time to honor any type of fitness program in the classroom when PE has been virtually stripped from your school’s curriculum? Lucky to fit in one group activity per week along with all of the unexpected assemblies, special ed integration consults, math reviews and more? Kathy Kaehler, healthy living expert and personal [...]

Career

Innovation Goes Mainstream: Reflections from Sean Banville

Fourteen years ago, a student at my college asked to use ‘the computer’. His next question stumped me. “How do you turn it on?” I failed in my attempts to help him. How was I to know the power button on the Apple Mac was on the keyboard? I was an EFL teacher! I made [...]

How To Work Around Paper and Copy Limits: Guest Post from Tom DeRosa

Teachers are used to working with limited resources, but few issues impact your daily instruction as much as limits on paper, the number of copies you can make, or both. In my career, I’ve dealt with all three. There were schools with strict copy quotas per teacher or department, overworked machines that broke down weekly, [...]

Guest Post from Karen Schweitzer: 20 Professional Development Resources for Teachers

For most teachers, education doesn’t end when a degree is earned. The teaching profession demands continuing education, and in certain cases, advanced education. Fortunately, there are many online resources that can help teachers with professional development. Here are 20 resources for educators to explore:
NCATE – The National Council for Accreditation of Teacher Education (NCATE) accredits [...]

Ten Tips for First Year Teachers

 
The first year in the trenches can be overwhelming, to say the least. You come out feeling prepared only to realize very quickly there’s still lots to learn. You’re on your own now though, so leaning on your advisors and host teacher from your internship are no longer an option, particularly if you landed a [...]

Classroom Coupons: An Easy No-Cost Management Tool

Constantly looking for ways to positively reward good behavior without dipping into your own personal funds? If you’re teaching intermediate to older grades, they love getting classroom coupons and extra passes. Design your own in a size that lets you fit at least four-six coupons on a page, allowing a place to add the date, [...]

Media

Wall-E

 
A futuristic movie portraying just how Earth could end up if the rate of consumption and trash production doesn’t slow down. Cleverly done, as a single robot character on his own is able to carry the entire first portion of the film.
The trash level and toxic fumes have so consumed the planet that humanity is [...]

Nim’s Island: A Movie Review

Starring Jodie Foster, Abigail Breslin and Gerard Butler, this movie features a young girl (Nim) living alone on a remote island with her plankton studying Dad and corresponding with her favorite adventure novelist, Alex Rover.
When Nim’s Dad gets delayed and stranded in a dangerous storm, Nim reaches out to her adventure writing hero, Ms. [...]

The Golden Compass

 

 
Looking for a magical tale of intrigue from the great frozen north? This wondrous story of a parallel universe may be just the ticket.
Sam Elliott, Nicole Kidman and Daniel Craig star in this film chronicling the journey of a young girl on a quest to save her world, and the one beyond. Warrior bears, [...]

Mr. Magorium’s Wonder Emporium

A magical store where toys come to life is the backdrop for this film starring Natalie Portman and Dustin Hoffman.
The Wonder Emporium, run by Mr. MaGorium, is getting ready to change hands. Dustin Hoffman’s character (MaGorium) wants to give the store to his long time manager and apprentice Mahoney (Portman) as his legacy to [...]

Nanny McPhee: A New Mary Poppins?

What do you get when you combine the talents of Angela Lansbury, Colin Firth and Emma Thompson?
A magical tale of love, responsibility and growing up. Emma Thompson plays Nanny McPhee, the latest in a long string of nannies hired by Mr. Brown (Colin Firth) who have previously been easily run off by his seven resistant [...]