I Want to Teach Forever

5 Quick Fixes for Better Health & Stress Relief

2012-05-25T08:00:00.000-05:00

Spend Five Minutes a Day Outdoors to Increase Self-Esteem [Lifehacker]

Be at Peace in Less Than 5 Minutes [Wise Bread]

Fill Out This One-Minute Form Every Day and Find Out Why Your Life Sucks (or Doesn't) [Lifehacker]

20 Minutes of Exercise a Day Is Enough to Get You Fit [Lifehacker]

Keep a Journal of Awesomeness to Boost Your Self Esteem [Lifehacker]

Notice a trend here? You should probably be following Lifehacker directly, and cut out the middleman.

Help Students Calculate The Grades They Need To Pass

2012-05-24T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is an end-of-year activity for any subject, although your students will need to be able to do at least a little basic algebra to complete it: calculating exactly what they need to pass the semester and for the year overall.

Perhaps this is a sad statement on my performance this year, but it looks like a little less than half of my students are either likely to fail or could go either way depending on this last grading period and their semester exam grades. Thus it was especially important for them to know the minimum grades they would need to earn for the last six-week grading period and the semester exam to pass.

The graphic organizer below asked them to look up their grades for Semester 1 and the two grading periods we've completed so far on our online system. Then, I gave them the two equations needed to calculate the minimum average they needed.

Your situation in terms of grading periods, exams and policies might be different, so of course you will need to make several edits.***

The Grades You Need to Pass handout [Google Docs]

Why this needs to be so complicated, I do not know. If you have a better or different way of accomplishing the same thing, please share it in the comments.

***In our case, we have six grading periods and two semester exams that all count equally (thus 70 x 8 = 560 for the year). Our minimum passing grade is a 70. Students who average a 70 for the year, even if they failed one of the semesters, get the full credit for the year. So while students who failed the first semester might need a certain grade to pass the second semester and get half credit, a higher grade is likely needed to get the full year's credit. The 2x is used instead of x because there are two equally important grades left: the last grading period and the semester exam.

How to Make a Copy of Google Docs I've Shared

2012-05-23T09:46:00.001-05:00

Most of the documents I've shared over the past few years are Google Docs that I've made publicly viewable. Anyone can see them, make a copy to their own Docs folder or save a copy on their computer.

The only thing I don't allow anyone to do is be added as an "editor" who can change these documents permanently, for obvious reasons. Yet I've been getting many email alerts that readers want to "share" certain documents, when I know what they really want to do is have a copy they can edit.

The key is that the "Share" button is not the one you want to use:

To save a copy of something I've shared to your Google Docs, simply click File > Make a Copy. Google will create the copy immeadiately and you'll see the filename change to "Copy of..." and then the original name. This is your copy to edit, save, print or even share as you please.

You can also download any Google Docs you can view in multiple formats by clicking File > Download As. Sometimes the formatting and fonts will change a bit in the conversion, but you'll be able to edit or print offline.

Here's a helpful how-to video if you need it:

Book Giveaway: One Grain of Rice by Demi

2012-05-22T11:16:00.001-05:00

A few years ago I learned about a really fun and unique way to introduce exponential functions to students: using the book One Grain Of Rice: A Mathematical Folktale by Demi.

Set long ago in India, the beautifully illustrated folktale tells the story of a greedy raja (the powerful ruler) who lives lavishly while his people go hungry.

One day, a young girl named Rani returns some of the raja's rice to him after it had fallen out of a basket. The raja offered her anything she wanted as a reward.

"Very well," said Rani. "If it pleases Your Highness, you may reward me in this way. Today, you will give me a single grain of rice. Then, each day for thirty days you will give me double the rice you gave me the day before. Thus, tomorrow you will give me two grains of rice, the next day four grains of rice, and so on for thirty days."

The raja, lacking number sense, thinks this is entirely reasonable and agrees. Thirty days later, let's just say a fool and his rice are soon parted.

Here are a few lesson ideas using this book:

I am giving away my copy of One Grain Of Rice to any math teacher or parent who wants to use it as a different way of introducing these kinds of functions. Just send me an email (teachforever@gmail.com) with the subject "One Grain of Rice" between now and Friday 11:59pm CST to enter. Good luck!

Collected End of Year Ideas & Resources

2012-05-21T09:20:00.001-05:00

You have to look at the end of the school year in a couple of different ways. First, you need to be prepared with engaging things to do with your students. Secondly, you need to think about logistics, cleaning and paperwork that you need to finish so you can check out for the summer. On top of that, you should be asking for feedback from your students and reflection on what went well and what didn't this year.

I've shared a lot of ideas on both fronts over the years, and I'm hoping to collect most of it here to help for years to come.

Lesson Ideas

Six End of Year Lesson Ideas and Projects
How to Keep Students Engaged After Testing is Over [Video]
Test Prep Idea #1: Take-Home Test w/ Key - Adapt this state assessment prep idea for your semester exams.
Test Prep Idea #2: Word Wall Review - See above.

Getting Feedback & Reflecting on the Year

Sample End of Year Survey
End of Year Survey for Graduating Seniors
Try This Teacher Reflection Exercise
On Success, Part 3: Fostering Positive Change in Students - A reminder about making a "good things I accomplished this year" list while it's still fresh in your mind.

Logistics

As I look at what I have gathered here, I realize there are still many things I've done at the end of the year that I haven't shared yet. I'll continue to add to this post in the future.

Weekend Reader on Gamification in the Classroom

2012-05-18T08:00:00.000-05:00

Ben Bertoli's ClassRealm Is Gamifying the Classroom [Wired:GeekDad] - Bertoli has wrapped a classroom management system in the guise of an RPG-style game.

New Book: The Gamification of Learning and Instruction [Educational Games Research]

ZisBoomBah - A new website that encourages healthy eating habits in younger kids using game elements. Worth trying out with your elementary-age students. A similar resource appropriate for older students and adults was shared recently on Lifehacker: SuperBetter Is a Game that Rewards You for Healthy Living and Working Towards Your Goals. I'm fascinated by the idea of using these kinds of services to engage kids over the long run.

National Competition Promotes Digital Badges for DIY Learning [GOOD] - Badges are just an adaptation of "achievements" that are used in so many modern games.

Pearson-backed Startup Aims to Be the Zynga for Learning and AT&T’s Largest Donation Ever Creates A National Hub For Learning Through Video Games - Ironically, I called on Zynga to be the Zynga of education in a post about games and education last year. I'm not as excited about a textbook/test prep company like Pearson being involved, even just as a backer, but it's something. AT&T is playing the same role with another educational video game company. These are good times for learning games!

Book Giveaway: Awakened by Angela Watson of The Cornerstone

2012-05-17T08:00:00.000-05:00

What does it take overcome the daily stress and frustration that so many teachers face?

This is the central question addressed by Angela Watson's second book, Awakened: Change Your Mindset to Transform Your Teaching. Watson, creator of The Cornerstone and longtime veteran of the classroom, has a simple, yet thought-provoking answer: change the way you think.

The mental game is of course, the key to longevity in this job. If you don't master the game, it will consume you: at best, you'll quit and at worst, you'll keep teaching but be ineffective and miserable.

Watson makes it clear that the source of her own shift in mindset was a spiritual awakening, a reconnection to her Christian faith that had been lost to her for a time. While her lessons are grounded in faith, those who don't consider themselves very religious won't feel that they are being preached to at all. Watson explains that she hopes her experience and ideas will be something you "wrestle with... and use your questions and disagreements to bring you closer to the truth."

That being said, as you dive into the rest of Awakened, there's actually relatively little mention of God or religion. Watson instead dives deep into tons of relevant research on the types of habits and mindsets that create problems for you and how to overcome them.

This is an incredibly practical, easy to read book that deal with issues most of you reading this confront each day. I noticed many parallels to Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word, but Watson focuses exclusively on changing your mindset and expectations to help you survive and thrive in the classroom. If you're searching for answers, Awakened may indeed have them.

I have a copy of Awakened that I'm going to give away to a lucky reader. I would like to share this book with someone who is in the classroom now, but struggling and wondering whether to continue teaching next year. If that description fits you, send me an email (teachforever@gmail.com) by Friday 11:59pm CST and let me know you're interested in the book.

Have you already read Awakened? Share your thoughts on it in the comments.

An Educator's Reading List for Surviving & Thriving, Part 2

2012-05-15T08:00:00.000-05:00

This is part two of a recommended reading list that helped inspire and supplement the ideas in my book Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word. These are, in my opinion, your must-reads for surviving and thriving in education.

Blogs
Seth Godin - Godin is a marketing and entrepreneurship guru whose ideas translate easily to what teachers need for the classroom. Read Seth Godin Ideas Every Educator Should Read and 5 More Seth Godin Ideas Every Educator Should Read for examples.

Lifehacker - As I wrote last year: "Lifehacker has consistently been one of the most useful websites for me in and out of the classroom since I first started reading it. It's a blog focused on productivity and efficiency--two keys for a long, successful career in education." Read some examples in Five New Resources for Teachers from Lifehacker and find more in most weeks of Five for Friday.

Eduwonk - The best place to keep up with what's going on in education news, research and reform across the country, written by Andrew Rotherham (who is a co-founder of Bellwether Education Partners and writes the "School of Thought" column for TIME). I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Rotherham a couple of months ago and his passion for quality research and writing about education is inspiring. His colleague Sara Mead writes a thoughtful, well written education policy blog for EdWeek that's also worth your time.

Other Websites
Twitter - Even though most of my experience with the social media juggernaut began after my book was published, the power of Twitter to help you learn and grow is unmatched. It's the most fully realized version of the personal learning network idea suggested throughout the book.

Facebook - If you haven't opened yourself to the possibilities of Facebook as a classroom resource, check out pages I used in my Algebra 1 and MMA classes this year. That experiment is a realization of my dream to integrate social media into the classroom, and while it did not work out as I would have liked, it's a huge step in the right direction. The most popular website in the world is also a great way to network with other teachers.

***

I tried to focus on the resources I used before (and since) I published the book, so of course there are many other resources I've learned about since then that are just as indispensible. That, however, is a subject for another time. Check out yesterday's post for more!

An Educator's Reading List for Surviving & Thriving, Part 1

2012-05-14T08:00:00.000-05:00

I recently ran a workshop for new and preservice teachers at The University of Texas-Pan American (where I'm working towards a masters in Educational Administration) on some of the overarching themes and specific pieces of advice from my book Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word.

After the workshop, I kicked myself for not creating a recommended reading list with all the sources that inspired many of the ideas in the book. I refer to these books, magazines and blogs all the time here on the blog, but haven't yet collected them together. I've included links to relevant posts I've written about each source as well. Enjoy!

Books
Teaching with Love & Logic: Taking Control of the Classroom by Jim Fay and David Funk. No single book has shaped me more as an educator than this classic. It will revolutionize the way you manage your classroom and help you build strong relationships with your students, which is a base from which to do amazing things. You can hear a bit about one of the main ideas in this video (skip to about 3 minutes in).

The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss. This one always gets a laugh when I mention it to colleagues, but if you put aside the central conceit and concentrate on the ideas that apply directly to what teachers do, you'll create a more sustainable way of life:

Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap... and Others Don't by Jim Collins. This book should be standard reading for anyone who wants to be a leader in the classroom and especially if you want to move into a school or district leadership role. Collins draws examples from the business world, but the principles of good leadership don't change--indeed, the main ideas of this book have become recurring themes in my graduate school program in Educational Administration.

Magazines
Fast Company - FC is a magazine about entrepreneurship and business that will inspire to anyone who wants to help their students succeed and be prepared for the 21st century. They write about the nature of creativity, power of design, innovations in education, and how technology is shaping our world so you can keep on top of what's next. Here are some reflections I did on education-related FC articles:

It's Time for Leaders to Embrace Cell Phones in the Classroom [July 2011]
The Future of Education, in the Palm of Your Hand [April 2010]
What Educators Can Learn From the Most Creative People in Business [July 2010]

GOOD - Consistently great writing on education and anything else having to do with being "what is sustainable, prosperous, productive, creative, and just". Liz Dwyer is the Education Editor and does an amazing job. GOOD articles are regularly shared in my weekly Five for Friday posts.

More recommendations tomorrow!

5 More New Web-Based Resources for Teachers

2012-05-11T08:00:00.000-05:00

The Teaching Channel [via Eduwonk] - A collection of how-to videos on lessons, planning, management, etc plus much more. They're aiming to be an "online personal assistant" for teachers. Eat your heart out, Siri.

Apps in Education [found via Twitter] - A growing blog focused on iPad/iPhone apps that are useful in the classroom across subjects and grade levels. Instead of just reviews or lists, visual arts teacher Greg Swanson asks key questions and forces us to critically assess our use of these devices in education.

Teach.com [via http://twitter.com/#%21/USCTeacher on Twitter] - A new resource from USC's Rossier School of Education. Read more about the launch here.

MIT Announces Platform for Free Online Courses [Mashable] - MIT is going to improve the organization of their already available online course materials, making them even more useful.

TED-Ed Launches Innovative Customized Learning Web Initiative [Wired: GeekDad] - Turn TED videos into an interactive, online lesson.

2 No-Hassle Teacher Appreciation Week Deals

2012-05-10T11:55:00.000-05:00

Education publisher McGraw-Hill's Teacher Appreciation Week site is offering the chance at a $200 gift card, access to free mobile apps and more.

Red Roof Inn is offering teachers a 15% discount for the entire month of May. Just use VP+ code 604276 when making reservations, or refer to the code upon arrival at the hotel.

Have you seen any good national TAW deals? Share them in the comments.

5 More iPad Resources for Your Classroom

2012-03-23T08:00:00.001-05:00

All the Awesome Things You Can Do with a Long Press on Your iPhone, iPad, or iPad touch [Lifehacker] - Quick and easy tips to share with your iPad-wielding students.

My Guide to iPad Deployment in School [Creating Lifelong Learners]

iPad App Lets Kids Publish Physical Books [Mashable]

Apple’s iTunes U Morphs Into a Tool for Full Online Classes [Mashable]

Apps in Education: Collaborative Whiteboard Apps for the Classroom [Apps in Education]

Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word & Ten Cheap Lessons Paperbacks Now Under $10

2012-03-13T11:07:00.000-05:00

I've cut the prices on both paperback versions of my books (the first edition of Ten Cheap Lessons and Teaching is Not a Four Letter Word) so that they're under $10 each when you get them direct from Lulu.com. This is most likely a permanent price cut. There are also various e-book versions you can find through my author spotlight that are an even better deal.

Looking for coupons to save even more? Follow me on Twitter and Facebook, where I share coupons for free shipping and more from Lulu regularly.

*Note that the prices on Amazon and B&N are higher because I'm required to mark them up so that those companies can get their cut of the sales. The best deal was and is through Lulu.

Weekend Reader on Homework

2012-03-09T08:00:00.000-06:00

Nashville Schools' Homework Assignments Will Now Include Country, Rock And Rap [Huffington Post]

Friday's Five: Reasons You Shouldn't Grade Homework [A Teacher's Life for Me]

Homework in the 21st century [End the Race to Nowhere]

Top 5 reasons I don't assign homework [ROLE Reversal]

The Homework Debate [Finding Common Ground]

5 New Apps for Tablets/iPads in the Classroom

2012-03-02T08:00:00.004-06:00

Do Students Understand the Material? A New App Helps Teachers Know For Sure [GOOD] - Free and accessible from any computer, including iPads, smartphones, etc. More about this app from Mashable: New App Tells Teachers When Students Are Confused.

10 Apps for Finding Apps [Mashable]

5 Essential Classroom Management Tools for Teachers [Mashable] - A really great list featuring a mix of familiar and not-so-familiar tools.

3 Free iPhone Apps for Creating Your Own Stop-Motion Videos [Mashable] - You should give your students as many tools to create content as possible on tablets and related devices.

5 Free Homework Management Tools for the Digital Student [Mashable]

Obvious side note: If your classroom is full of one-to-one technology, Mashable should be a daily read for you. They cover new apps and uses of tablets, smartphones, social media, etc perhaps better than anybody.

5 Research Studies to Apply to Your Life and Classroom

2012-02-24T08:00:00.005-06:00

Try Exercising During the Middle of the Day for an Energy and Productivity Boost [Lifehacker] - For your health, and maybe something you could also apply with your students (brain breaks are a good idea).

It's Time to Bust the Myth That Girls Don't Like Science [GOOD]

Burnout Is Real: How to Identify and Address Your Burnout Problem [Lifehacker]

Is Angry Birds Keeping Your Brain Healthy? [Mashable] - Spoiler alert: the answer is yes.

Avoid Working Long Hours of Overtime to Reduce Your Risk of Depression [Lifehacker]

I know this is very Lifehacker-heavy, but they do as good a job as anybody of keeping up with interesting research. It should definitely be on your regular reading list.

3 Fun Online Games For Reviewing Slope and Linear Equations

2012-01-23T08:00:00.002-06:00

We've been reviewing finding slope on a graph, using the slope-formula, and writing equations depending on the given information (two points, slope and a point, just the graph) the past two weeks. These three fun flash games were successful in keeping my students' attention for a full 50 minute period, which doesn't happen frequently.

Algebra vs. The Cockroaches - Cockroaches walk back and forth along a linear path, and you must fill in the slope, y-intercept or both to draw a line to kill them. It starts with vertical and horizontal lines, then direct variations, then slope and y-intercept together as the levels progress.

Slope-Intercept Game - Students answer questions about the slope of an equation that's not in slope-intercept form, finding the slope of a line between two points, etc. If they get it right, they get to shoot a basketball with a character they customize at the beginning of the game.

Linear Equations Game - The game is called "Save The Zogs" and it works pretty much like Algebra vs. the Cockroaches: find the line where most of the "zogs" are aligned, then write the equation that will "save" them. It starts off pretty easy but gets challenging quickly.

I challenged students to reach certain levels on each game, but they were into them without the goals. In the Slope-Intercept basketball game, students would play the entire round over again because they wanted to get the answers correct and get more chances to shoot a basket.

If you've found fun, engaging online games for middle or high school math, please share them in the comments.

Is This The Most Facinating Teaching Blog of 2011?

2012-01-21T09:56:00.001-06:00

My 2008 post Lesson Idea: Probability using Deal or No Deal has been nominated as The Most Fascinating Blog in 2011, in the Teaching Blogs category. I'm always excited about positive feedback, and it's a great honor to be nominated for this kind of award.

Voting starts today and ends January 26 at 11:59 PM EST. If you've used my Deal or No Deal probability game in the past, or just think it's a good idea, I'd love to have your vote. Voting is quick and easy: click on the emblem you see or on this link.

There's a lot of URLs to sort through that are randomly reshuffled for each voter, so look closely for http://www.teachforever.com!

Thank you to the person that nominated me, and thanks in advance to anyone who takes the time to vote for me.

Easy Ways to Incorporate Tablets into the Classroom

2012-01-17T08:00:00.019-06:00

by flickingerbrad, on Flickr

Technology is changing education in some exciting ways, particularly for kindergarten and high school students. eBooks and eReaders, which are already proven to be an effective learning tool for undergraduate and masters degree students, are now being implemented in many primary school classrooms across the country. As a result, students who previously carried heavy backpacks full of large textbooks are now able to lighten the load by carrying all of their textbooks on a tablet. Similarly, teachers are able to teach children more effectively and provide information in new and exciting ways. As more schools realize the value of utilizing tablets in the classroom, more children and teachers will enjoy the benefits of this innovative device.

Out with Large Books, in with a Small Tablet?

Oftentimes students look at the thick textbooks they are given at the beginning of the school year and feel overwhelmed by the amount of material they will have to read and learn. However, when these tomes are replaced by a sleek, modern and small tablet, some educators have found students are much more excited about the school year as their workload seems more manageable.

California middle school teacher, Jeannetta Mitchell explains to KQED that she has experienced this exact phenomenon in her algebra class. According to Mitchell, when students are presented with iPads instead of textbooks, “They believe they're going to learn what they have to form it because they don't see the whole book. They see bits of information as it's presented.” Mitchell also liked that the tablet helps her students learn how to arrive at answers by providing a step by step guide to solving math problems, as opposed to a textbook that simply provides answers in the back of the book.

Innovative Teaching Methods

by flickingerbrad, on Flickr

Mitchell adds that she makes good use of the iPads in her classroom by using them to teach video lessons. She feels these lessons are helpful for students since they can view videos of lessons during at home study, giving them more access to the material. Students can even record what the teacher says in class and access it at home as many times as needed. This serves as an excellent alternative to traditional note taking, since students often miss key aspects of a lecture when forced to write everything down by hand.

Educators can also utilize tablets to create interesting power point presentations. The best part about using tablets to create a presentation is that the teacher can make changes during the presentation and add the student's ideas using the stylus to create a personalized and dynamic presentation.

Supplemental Materials Provide Additional Insights

Besides simply producing textbooks, publishers are now also creating supplemental materials for tablets to accompany the books. For example, Pearson offers assessment and gaming apps to go along with their history textbooks. Virginia students are using these tools as part of a pilot program to determine if they are effective or not. Overall the students and teachers involved in the pilot program want to continue, but the transition has not been without growing pains. Teachers cite time spent learning to use the device and choose appropriate content as some of the issues that need to be addressed.

However, overall the teachers are optimistic about incorporating tablets into their classrooms. Math teachers have found apps that help teach students fractions and decimals, while other teachers feel that the supplemental material that can be accessed in addition to the basic textbooks are especially beneficial for students.

Tablets are a relatively new technology, but are gaining popularity very quickly in the classroom. Not only do tablets have the potential to change the way classrooms are run and make learning more exciting, but their versatility and convenience also make them an effective educational tool.

This is a guest post by Marina Salsbury. Marina planned on becoming a teacher since high school, but found her way instead into online writing after college. She writes around the Web about everything from education to exercise.

Feed Your Students a Hot Cup of Alphabet Slope

2012-01-15T16:24:00.000-06:00

Years ago I found this short "Sloping Letters" activity which asks students to view the letters of the alphabet as line segments with positive, negative, zero or undefined slopes. I liked the idea because it makes students focus only on visually identifying slopes, which is a skill that makes all the follow-up easier.

As we were revisiting slope last week, I took that idea and expanded it: I had my students break down every letter of the alphabet and label the slopes of each segment. I call it Alphabet Slope.

First, we did quick notes on the four types of slope mentioned above. The way I explained it, depending on how you look at certain letters, you can break them down in multiple ways: for example, the letter D could be made up of an undefined slope and a non-linear piece as seen above, or you could include two small zero slope segments on the top and bottom. I didn't go as far as have students turn the letters into blocky versions that had no non-linear parts, but you could very well do that with your kids.

The Sloping Letters activity is a great wrap-up for the Alphabet Slope activity. It forces the students to look back at their work and think about the pieces.

If they've studied slope before, this will take about 25-35 minutes, but for students looking at it for the first time, it might take a bit longer.

Alphabet Slope activity (PDF)
Sloping Letters follow-up activity

Do you have other ideas about helping students visually identify slopes, or to think about slope in different ways? Share them in the comments.

Weekend Reader on Enhancing STEM in Education

2012-01-13T08:00:00.001-06:00

Bots High — A Documentary on High School Combat Robots [Wired: GeekDad] - One word: robotics!

The $25 Handheld Computer That Could Transform Technology Education [GOOD] - I'm really excited about this and thinking about getting one for myself.

Creating a New Generation of Computer Science Geniuses [GOOD] - Alternatively, you could enroll your kids in Codeacademy.

A Complete Education in Robot Builder’s Bonanza [Wired: GeekDad] - Sounds like this is the bible for future builders.

Six-Year High School Lets Students Earn a College Degree and a Job at IBM [GOOD] -

Weekend Reader on Using Video in the Classroom

2012-01-06T08:00:00.001-06:00

Gube Curates Kid-Safe YouTube Videos for iOS [Lifehacker]

Five Reasons Why YouTube Rocks the Classroom [KQED Mind/Shift via Twitter]

Using Flip Videos in High School Math Class [Reflections of a High School Math Teacher]

45 Interesting Ways to use your Pocket Video Camera in the Classroom [via Twitter]

Five Alternative Devices to Replace the Now-Dead Flip Cam [via Twitter]

Keep Up With My Curated Lists of YouTube Videos for Math Class

2012-01-04T08:00:00.013-06:00

Last semester I started seeking out videos to supplement my teaching. There are hundreds, often thousands of videos explaining most major topics in math, but most of them simply won't work with my students. Almost anything with a person in front of a whiteboard or even just problem sets worked out on the screen is unusable, and this unfortunately seems to be the majority of what's out there (at least on YouTube).

What I need are videos that are funny, memorable and engaging so that key topics stay in their brains. Sometimes I just need a clip that reminds them why it's important to learn math. The videos also need to be as short as possible, both to fit into the period and to keep my students' fleeting attention.

Here are the 2 lists I've started building:

Shown in Math Class
Suggested for Math Class

I've added comments where I thought they'd be helpful. While I do teach Algebra 1 and Math Models, I think these will work in a variety of math classes. I intend to add to each list regularly; please keep me accountable and call me out if I don't!

P.S. If you're skeptical about this, keep in mind that the majority of my students are ninth grade repeaters. If these videos work for them, they will work for anybody.

December Reader on Gaming in Education

2011-12-23T08:00:00.002-06:00

How Gaming Is Changing the Classroom [GOOD] - I've seen some of the ideas discussed here in action as my students have begun using Khan Academy to supplement what we're doing in the classroom. It's powerful stuff.

If Only My Class Were a Video Game…Game Design for the Classroom [The 21st Century Principal] - Mr. Robinson reflects on Jane McGonigal's book Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World and more.

GOOD Video: Can Learning Be as Fun as Playing Video Games? - Education [GOOD] - An innovator talks about using game mechanics to inspire intrinsic motivation. We need more people who think like this.

Game Creation for Kids With Wario Ware DIY [Wired: GeekDad]

Motion Math: Helping Drive iPad and Education Research [Wired: GeekDad]

BONUS: I also wrote on this topic last year for Educational Games Research: read No Need to Reinvent the Wheel to Revolutionize Educational Video Games.

BONUS #2: Read Your #Snowpocalypse Reader: Video Games & Education from last December for even more links on this topic!

There's Never a Time When You Can't Start Over

2011-12-21T08:00:00.025-06:00

Today is the last day of the semester for me, which makes this a good time to share some advice to help you reflect and plan for next semester. Back in October I went to a TFA School Leadership Summit in Houston, and while I was there I was asked to record a brief audio for the organization's Corps Stories oral history project.

I decided to talk about the critical points in the year where everything seems to be going wrong, and some ways you can get things back on track. I'm certainly thinking about my own advice going into next semester, and I hope you find it helpful as well. Enjoy:

"There's never a time when you can't start over." | Corps Stories