Get Published in Innovate

Innovate Online, the Online Journal of Education is looking for articles for two of its special issues: e-Learning and Building an Evidence Base Supporting K-20 Online Learning. If you are interested in online learning and have ideas about making it work for all students, perhaps you'd like to submit a manuscript for publication? If so, you'll want to review the writing guidelines. Articles are due no later than June 30, 2007.

WritetoLearn Wins

The Web-based program WritetoLearn is an online tool for helping kids develop writing skills and improve reading comprehension. It won the BESSIE (Best Educational Software) Award as the best upper elementary site for language arts. WritetoLearn is the Pearson product that can evaluate student writing. Judges who evaluated WritetoLearn suggested that if this product was used with students in fourth and fifth grades there would be "far fewer literacy problems in secondary schools, and much happier students."

How Are You Using the Internet?

The Pew Internet and American Life Project has a new report out that details use of media resources by American adults. While 85% have Internet access or cell phones and most people have both, only 8% appear to be using the technologies for self-expression and interactivity. Are you in that 8%? You can check to see in this Pew Quiz. How are you and your students using the Internet and digital devices such as MP3 players, digital cameras, and personal digital devices? What creative ideas do you have for using these to enhance learning?

How's Your Memory?

Homeschool.com has valuable tips to help you and your students through use of Memorization Tips. It's just one resources you'll receive if you sign up for Homeschool's free biweekly eZine.  You don't have to be a homeschool teacher to appreciate this very nice resource.

Who's Rating Your Performance as a Teacher?

Today's students can rate their teachers online on sites like Rate My Teacher. There are other sites developed by students for their schools or communities, and some schools and districts have tried to take action against these sites. Over the years, many colleges and high schools have used student evaluations as an indicator of teaching performance. These evaluations completed on paper are usually anonymous, but they are also used within a school or district, not published for all to see. What are your opinions about these public ratings of teachers?

iPod for Learning not Cheating?

We've been bombarded with news lately about cheating with MP3 players. Okay, we agree. Kids, if they want, can find ways to cheat with just about anything-if we are not vigilant about what's going on in our classrooms and if we don't understand what kids can do with tech. But why not emphasize how we can turn the devices kids love into tools for learning? Duke University is doing just that. So is kindergarten teacher Carol Pitetti. How about you? Why not share your ideas about using MP3 players in learning.

Can We Help All Children?

People say it's impossible to help all children in our schools succeed because "high-poverty, high-minority schools are low-achieving". Karin Chenoweth in her Ed Week article, It's Being Done, claims that's not true and has data to back up her statement. She gives examples elementary schools in the Indian River School district in Delaware and other schools throughout the nation. The key, according to one principal, is to find out which students are going to have difficulty and develop ways to help them. Expectations are all important-belief that the children can succeed.

Note: Ed Week allows you to read two articles a week without a subscription. You'll need to sign in if you haven't done this before.

Are Laptops Expensive Pencils?

Schools have struggled for years about whether or not giving laptops to all students is a good idea. The answer, according to Andy Carvin in Schools drop laptop programs - but are they dropping the ball as well?, is no if teaching techniques stay the same. Many students are using their laptops as expensive pencils, which divert their attention away from studies. With the costs of keeping laptops going added to the cost of the laptops, some school districts are phasing out their laptop programs. Carvin says that laptops have the ability to add greater access, mobility, creativity and collaboration to learning, but are we in the schools taking advantage of those abilities? Add your two cents worth...

On Not Getting into Harvard

Your students have to be gifted to get into Harvard. Right? But you've probably come across lots of gifted kids who weren't accepted or wouldn't have been if they'd applied. If so, or if parents are pounding at your door demanding that you help Junior get into one of those Ivy schools or other equally easy-to-get-rejected schools, you'll enjoy Michael Winerip's article, Young, Gifted, and Not Getting into Harvard in the New York Times.Note: To view New York Times articles, you may need to sign in. Don't worry; it's free.

Free Podcast Music and Sounds

If you are into making podcasts or even just thinking about the possibility of creating podcasts with or for your students, you'll probably be interested in adding some music or sound effects to your work. Most of the professional-sounding audio podcasts include music at the beginning and end. But with all the copyright problems, where can you find audio files you can use? At Flashkit. It's a place to test shareware in your productions. At Flashkit, you can search for the types of sounds you want. Just type in keywords such as "happy", "children", or "crazy", or whatever fits with your topic, and the site will come up with sounds you can try. It's fun and it will make your podcasts fun, too.