Saturday, September 15, 2012

What Does it Mean to Teach in the 21st Century?

This presentation compiling the big ideas of leaders in instructional technology perfectly summarizes what it means to effectively teach students today. With information a click away, the role of teachers has shifted. We have a big responsibility to engage students with digital tools, and help them learn to filter information effectively and responsibly. As the presentation suggests, teachers can start small: choose one thing to add to your next unit to better engage students with 21st century tools.

Tuesday, September 4, 2012

Math Live

MathLive is an educationally-sound, completely full-featured online tool that can help introduce math concepts and encourage problem-solving skills. Each video-based episode includes an animated overview of a math topic, interactive tools, teacher notes, activity sheets, and assessments. Created for educators in Alberta, MathLive is entirely free (there's no "premium" content or ads encouraging "upgrades). The videos use Flash technology, so this site isn't accessible on iPads, but it is ideal for use with classroom projectors and interactive whiteboards.