Weekly Reader Reboot, New Community College Blog & More

Weekly Reader Gets a Reboot! - The enduring children's magazine (I loved reading them in elementary school myself) has launched a new website as part of a sweeping effort to bring it into the digital age and meet the needs of teachers and students.  There are now digital editions of WR as well as a web-based reading comprehension program in addition to a slick redesign of the traditional magazines.  Here's a snazzy Flash video about the change.

New Blog Launched: Community College Spotlight - Written by Joanne Jacobs, the blog will focus on what President Obama has called "an essential part of our recovery in the present and our prosperity in the future."  Ms. Jacobs always knows how to find the most interesting stories, so CCS is definitely worth checking out.

Accepting limits [Seth Godin's Blog] - "Just because it's difficult to grade doesn't mean it shouldn't be taught."  Amen.

Infographic: Texas' New Textbooks - The Onion skewers the recent actions of the Texas Board of Education.

Textbooks Going Green [Betty's Blog: Timely Teacher Talk] - Tips on recycling and other things to do with old textbooks.

Why We Fail at Teaching the Language of Data

May 2010's Wired magazine has an interesting article by Clive Thompson on why we should learn the language of data. In short, he argues that we rely too much on anecdotal evidence and simple cause-and-effect solutions to difficult, multifaceted problems. We can't seem to look at data critically, whether it be polls and other research with poor methodology or counter-intuitive conclusions based on good data (think of the not-so-obvious ideas coming out of the Freakonomics camp).

Why is this so critical? "We live in a world where the thorniest policy issues increasingly boil down to arguments over what the data mean," says Thompson. "If you don't understand statistics, you don't know what's going on--and you can't tell when you're being lied to."

Thompson doesn't explain why this is true, but I have some ideas on that: our national and state standards and priorities for mathematics have to be at the top of the list of culprits.

We do teach a bit of basic data analysis all the way through high school, but not nearly enough.  Schools certainly spend a lot of time on probability, if you consider how the topic seems to be revisited every year from late elementary onward.  Unfortunately, a lot of that work veers too far away from the practical (You have 4 red marbles, 3 blue marbles, and 6 yellow marbles in a bag...) to be something students can really get engaged in. 

Problem solving, finding reasonable answers, determining what data is needed to solve a problem are all things we gloss over in order to practice multiple-choice questions and breaking down cryptic word problems.  Since our national and state priorities seem to be focused on the still-vague notion of "21st century skills" and preparing students for the growing number of high tech jobs (regardless of whether students are interested in pursuing those kinds of jobs or not), we focus more on a broad range of algebra, geometry, trigonometry and calculus skills throughout the middle and high school grades.  By the time many students finish high school, they're a jack of all mathematical trades, master of none.

Aside from problem solving skills, we don't spend enough time on proportional thinking (everything from using percents to measurement and scale) and just plain number sense that everyone could use on a daily basis.  What we're left with is a nation of people who fear math, who run to a calculator for the most rudimentary problems, and as Thompson pointed out, who don't know when they're being lied to.

What do you think?  Sound off in the comments.

Fun and Easy DIY Tetris-Style Magnetic Blocks

It's no secret to longtime readers of this blog that I'm a huge Tetris fan, and not just because it's fun: I've shared with you research about how it can reduce stress and build your brain as well.  Now I'm going to show you how to make your own blocks to create a your own hands-on, analog puzzle game.

You'll need one package of inkjet magnet sheets (you can get them at any office supply store for $10-15), enough ink to print five full-color sheets, and an exacto knife or quality scissors.

Download the five PDFs that contain the pieces arranged in a grid as you see below and print them on each magnet sheet (most come in packages of 5).  Make sure to give the magnet sheets time to dry after you print them.  I've also included a blank grid that you can use for creating your own block designs if you wish.

• Block Puzzle Sheet #1
• Block Puzzle Sheet #2
• Block Puzzle Sheet #3
• Block Puzzle Sheet #4
• Block Puzzle Sheet #5
• Blank Block Puzzle Sheet

Each of the seven classic pieces used in most versions of the game are here, arranged so that 40 blocks are fit into the five sheets.  Each piece is made up of 1.5" squares so that they're big enough to be easy to use and see from a distance.

As for what you could do with this, I thought I would show you:



If you have ideas for using these blocks, the magnet sheets or anything related, share your ideas in the comments.  I'm excited to hear what you guys come up with!

2 Things Every Teacher Deals With, Go Green & More

Teacher. [Look at my happy rainbow!] - Mr. Halpern shares a story about his students playing "school," with one pretending to be him. It reminded me of the many, many times when students pointed out my quirks, mannerisms, common sayings and so on. Their observations certainly don't end in Kindergarten!

when being a teacher takes over your life [Mrs. Awesome Blogs] - Mrs. Awesome reaches a point that all dedicated teachers must deal with eventually.

11 Small Ways to Save Big on Ink [Wise Bread] - For teachers, schools and parents that print a lot (i.e. everybody!), this is a good primer.  In honor of yesterday's Earth Day event, here's more on saving ink and paper:

• Print Less Pages, Use Less Ink with GreenPrint World
• Free Font to Save Ink and Toner
• How To Work Around Paper and Copy Limits

New explore.org Education Page - I first wrote about this site a few months ago, and now they've added K-12 lesson plans built around their documentary film library.  There's a lot of interesting stuff on a wide range of subjects--a great way to engage kids post-testing.

Mensa Selects Its Favorite Brainy Games of 2010 [Wired: GeekDad] - I haven't played any of these yet, but I'm going to seek them out.  There's also mention of previous winners that you might have played (or should).

Free Shipping Coupon for 'Ten Cheap Lessons'

Just got word of a free shipping coupon you can use to get Ten Cheap Lessons: Second Edition from Lulu.com:

Just enter the code FREEMAIL305 at checkout.

The deal ends 5/1/10, so you only have about a week to take advantage of this.  The fine print is below.

Disclaimer: Use coupon code FREEMAIL305 at checkout and receive $3.99 towards your final shipping cost. This amount is the US mail cost for a single book order. Please note: there will be a shipping total listed on your order receipt. This coupon code will reduce your final order total by $3.99, which is the US mail cost for a single book. Purchase must be 3rd party content. Self-purchases of your own content are not eligible. Discount cannot be used to pay for, nor shall be applied to applicable taxes or shipping and handling charges. Shipping destination must be a valid US address. Promotional codes cannot be applied to any previous order. No exchanges or substitutions allowed. Only one valid promotional code may be used per account. Coupon cannot be used in combination with other coupon codes. Offer expires on 5/1/10 at 11:59 PM. Lulu.com reserves the right to change or revoke this offer at anytime. Void where prohibited.

Teachers Share Their Best Brain Breaks & Contest Winners!

Over the last two weeks, teachers have been sending in their best ideas for brain breaks.  A brain break is a simple mental and physical exercise, taking no more than a minute or two to complete, that helps re-energize and reengage your students in the classroom.  These submissions were part of a contest to win one of two copies of the book Energizing Brain Breaks by David Sladkey.  First, here's our two winners, as picked by the author himself:

Winner #1, Molly Tanner:

Try to blink one eye while snapping on the opposite side's hand 15 times in a row alternating eyes. [In other words,] blink you left eye while simultaneously snapping with your right hand and then blinking your right eye while snapping with your left hand.

David says: “I love the BLINK one. I'm going to use that one tomorrow.”

Winner #2, Janet Frey:

Four Corners

• label each corner with a number 1, 2, 3 or 4
• have one person be "it" - they sit blindfolded in the middle the of the room
• everyone else picks a corner to stand in
• "it" says a number and the people in that corner are out
• people move to new corners and "it" keeps saying numbers until there is just 1 person left

David explains: “I like Janet's because you can incorporate your lesson ideas into this. For instance, you could have students move to one corner of the room for an answer to a multiple choice question. Or even an opinion question where you have to commit to a corner and be prepared to explain why.”

After reading all of the entries, I knew it was going to be tough to pick two winners, which is why I asked David to judge them! Here are the rest of the great submissions for the contest:

Students have to move their right foot in a clockwise circle, and then with their right pointer finger, they need to write the number 6 in the air.

They have to grab their right ear lobe with their left hand, and their nose with their right hand. Then they switch (grab their left ear lobe with their right hand...)
--Andrea Ryan

Students stand up. You come up with some alliterative sentences or sayings. Pick the letter that is causing alliteration (in the phrase “birds and bubbles balance on the big, beautiful banister” the letter is ‘B’) and the kids sit down or stand up every time they hear it. The goal is to go faster and faster with each repetition.
--Summer Haskell

Have the students quickly re-seat themselves in alphabetical order by last name. Based on the age level, you could also have students re-seat themselves by age, day of birth (June 1st birthday would go before February 10th birthday), height, alphabetical by first name, etc. This requires the students to get up, move around, talk to their other classmates (a terrifying feat for some in high school), and work together.
--Rachel Miller

Would You Rather

• everyone stands up
• teacher asks a question, usually silly, and designates a spot in the room for each option (ex. would you rather be big foot or be loch ness monster? big foot stands by the door, loch ness stands by the windows)
• a few students tell why

Simon Says (led by a student)
-- Janet Frey

Drumstick tap

1. grab out two skinny objects that are the same size ie pencils, rulers, drumsticks.
2. hold one object in each hand in the middle of the object between your thumb and index finger (similar to a pencil grip only with more fluidity).
3. tap one end of the pencil in you right hand on the top of the pencil in pencil in your left, the "momentum" of the hit will cause you to flip directions of the tap causing the bottom of the pencil in your right hand to hit the pencil in your left on the bottom side.
4. The pen in your left will then flip so that the bottom flips to hit the pen in your right hand on the bottom and flip again to hit it on on the top.
5. Then you repeat the process.

--Janelle Keune

My students love to play BUZZ at any random time I might just say BUZZ 7. Everyone stands up. Proceeding in a circular motion we start counting. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, BUZZ...you can't say 7, any multiple of 7, or any number with a seven in it (17), instead you must say BUZZ. This causes the person to your left (the next person to count) to be out. They sit down. If you miss your BUZZ you are out and count continues with the next number. This game works with any number, but 6-9 seem to work best.
--Lauran Tyndall

I have taught my 2nd graders an activity that is great for practicing skip counting whole class. We call them our "skip counting chants," and we use them to learn our 2's, 5's, and 10's. For counting by 2's up to 20, we touch things that we have 2 of: eyes, ears, shoulders, elbows, hands (show 10 fingers when you say 10) hips (give them a shake!), thighs, knees, shins, feet. Even works backwards starting at the feet! We do cherry pickers/windmills for counting by 5': arms out 5! touch right hand to left foot 10! arms back out 15! touch left hand to right foot 20! and so on. For counting the 10's, we do jumping jacks up to 100.
--Marie Hoag

Have the class line up at the front of the classroom. Then on a count of three, they have to sit down in Alphabetical order according to first names (and last names if there are two students with the same first name). When this becomes too easy, have the students sit down in reverse alphabetical order.
--Jennifer Wagaman

Two students partner up and do a rhythmic chant:

Double Double This This,
Double Double That That,
Double This,
Double That,
Double Double This That

Whenever the students say "double," they make two fists and hit the bottom of their hands against the other student's.

Whenever the students say "this," they slap hands together, like two high fives.

Whenever the students say "that," they flip their hands around and "high five" the back of their hands against the other person's.

It ends up working out like this:

Fist, Fist, High Five, High Five,
Fist, Fist, Flip Five, Flip Five,
Fist, High Five,
Fist, Flip Five,
Fist, Fist, High Five, Flip Five

The last one is definitely the trickiest!

This could easily be done individually against a desk, too, and you can let students try it on their own time or you can chant the words together as a class so that it's easy to transition back to more structured work.
--Jenny Wilson

For my review and more information about David's book, read Engage Your Students in a Minute with Energizing Brain Breaks.

Cookbook Math, Great Board Game & PSA Project Idea

Math for America deadlines approaching [Math Be Brave] - Jesse sends out a reminder about two of the important program's fellowships for teachers in five regions across the country.

Fun, Spatial Thinking for the Entire Family [Wired: GeekDad] - A review of the game Blokus and its educational qualities.

PSA Project Idea [Math Teacher Mambo] - Longtime readers know I love projects, and this is one that I wish I had come up with first!  Students create a public service announcement for something you always or never want to do in math. 

Ratio: A Cookbook Review [Wise Bread] - I know what you're thinking: Mr. D, why are you linking to a cookbook review?  As you might have guessed by the book's title, Ratio focuses on making your own variations on all types of food based around ratios of different ingredients that work together.  Sounds like a recipe for a fun math lesson!  (Insert laughter/groans here.)

Innovative Ways to Engage Learners with Cell Phones Using Research-Based Strategies [The Innovative Educator] - A great compliment to the smartphone article I discussed earlier this week.

Earth Day Lesson Ideas and Resources

Earth Day Celebrates its 40th Anniversary on April 22, 2010!

Forty years ago, on April 22, 1970, more than 20 million people converged in small towns and major cities across the United States to help launch the modern environmental movement. That first Earth Day was part teach-in, part call-to-action and part celebration. At Earth Day Network, our Education program continues a successful history of environmental education initiatives dating back to the first Earth Day in 1970.  We are continuing this tradition for the upcoming 40th anniversary of the first Earth Day on Thursday April 22, 2010. We have hundreds of resources to help go green and get involved in Earth Day.

Here’s a list of fun activities you can do with your kids to teach them about the environment:

• Pull out invasive plants and replace them with native species.
• Ride bikes, walk or take public transit.
• Volunteer at a local Earth Day event.
• Write a letter to a local policymaker.
• Start a family garden and grow healthy food. Start a compost pile and use a rain barrel.
• Switch out light bulbs for energy- efficient CFLs.
• Learn about the history of the environmental movement. Use activity ideas from Earth Day Network lesson plans.
• Paint an eco- mural. Use green art supplies.
• Make art from recycled objects.

• Play educational games Environmental Jeopardy.
• Use the interactive online Ecological Footprint quiz.
• View and discuss films on Earth Day TV.
• Clean up your playground, schoolyard, walking paths or watershed.
• Hold a recycling or waste reduction contest.
• Take your class outside.
• Compost your good scraps.

Need help? Contact education@earthday.org for resources, ideas and support!

This is a guest post from Sean Miller, Education Director of Earth Day Network, a Washington DC-based nonprofit that works on environmental issues across the globe.

'Energizing Brain Breaks' Contest Extended 1 More Week!

Last week, I reviewed the book Energizing Brain Breaks, a treasure trove of simple ideas for engaging students in just a minute or two.  I launched a contest to giveaway the two copies of the book I had, but I didn't do a good enough job of promoting it! 

Read Engage Students in a Minute with Energizing Brain Breaks, then submit your own "brain break" to me via email (teachforever@gmail.com) by next Monday, April 19th.  Details are in the post.

Any help you can provide to spread the word is appreciated, especially by the people who could win one of the two copies of the book!

The Future of Education, in the Palm of Your Hand

The cover story in April's issue of Fast Company, A Is for App: How Smartphones, Handheld Computers Sparked an Educational Revolution by Anya Kamenetz, is really interesting.  I'm always amazed that business magazines like Fast Company and Inc. seem to have a better understanding of the future of technology in education than those that focus intently on education

Kamenetz, the author of DIY U: Edupunks, Edupreneurs, and the Coming Transformation of Higher Education, looks at how the abundance of cheap handheld technology is empowering kids worldwide.  A lot of it focuses on the creation and expansion of TeacherMate (a device I'd love to test out), but there's a lot of talk about the development and usage of this kind of technology around the world.

The story is illustrated with anecdotes from kids using a wide range of technology across the country: iPhones, netbooks, iPod Touch, XO laptops and the aforementioned TeacherMate.  The kids love their devices and explain how they're helping them learn: "I got the XO last year... We can do math games, and it teachers us times tables, subtraction, and adding.  I think I'm better at math because of the XO," said one young student from Alabama.

I like the idea of technology helping to make up for the limited skills of teachers, or at least filling in the gaps.  In the article, one educator explains that in Nepal, many English teachers don't know English very well, so these kinds of devices fill the gap.  I wish every elementary student would have access to something that could help them learn vital math skills.

The conclusions that Kamenetz draws--that these devices could ultimately mean a new role for teachers, but that it's still a hard sell here and now--are well-founded and worth discussion.  Read the article and share your thoughts in the comments.

Math Teacher Fights His Own Shadow [Video]

Now this is how you use an LCD projector in the classroom:



Read more about this video on mental_floss.

Honest Abe, Math Madness, and Frankie Was Right

High school teacher turns March Madness into 'Math Madness' - Read how Bay Area teacher Sol Henik engaged his students with some friendly competition that incorporated the excitement surrounding last month's NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.  This is the kind of creative thinking that I wish every teacher (math or otherwise) would employ!

100 Best Blogs for the Classroom Teacher - I'm humbled to be included on this list, which is a great starting point for teachers looking to expand their personal learning network.  I would encourage you to look at blogs outside of your subject or grade level, because you're bound to find inspiration and ideas that you never would by keeping a narrow focus.

Relaxed Minds Remember Better [Lifehacker] - Maybe this is why Frankie says relax.

Support the Creation the Martin Luther King, Jr. National Memorial in Washington, D.C. - A new memorial for MLK is on pace to open on the National Mall in fall 2011, but there's still a bit of fundraising to be done.  This site contains various ways to support the cause, including videos, stories, banners and news to share with all of your social networks.

Lincoln. [Look at my happy rainbow!] - I consider Mr. Halpey one of my favorite teachers, event though he never had me as a student.  If you don't subscribe to his blog, you're seriously missing out.