5 More Seth Godin Ideas Every Educator Should Read

This past summer I shared 5 Seth Godin Ideas Every Educator Should Read, but I knew I'd have more of his wisdom to share in short order.  Here you go:

The warning signs of defending the status quo - You won't hear me arguing to change for the sake of change, but these are things to consider when there's uncomfortable changes on the horizon.

Back to (the wrong) school - Echoing Sir Ken Robinson, Godin points out that we're preparing students for an economy (and world) that no longer exists.

Confusing obedience with self-control - I'm having trouble thinking of examples of how we don't do this in most schools.

The facts - Applied to teaching: you need more than facts (you'll fail if you don't complete this, you'll get in trouble if you do that) to convince your students of anything.

Yelling and whispering -"Yelling... is a waste of time, regardless of how urgent the issue is."

Teaching Economics with Games and Activities

The field of Economics is at the cornerstone of our everyday existence. There is no aspect of our day to day functioning that it does not impact in some way, shape or form.

Whether we’re shopping at the local mall, dining out at a restaurant, toiling away at our jobs, or simply having our cars serviced, there’s no escaping its basic principles, practices and reach. That is exactly why today’s student benefits from understanding its relevance and how it defines and shapes the future.

Even though it’s a serious topic, class instruction doesn't have to be boring and strictly “by the book.” You’ll find that the class environment and experience will be much more enjoyable and enlightening through combining various teaching methods, including games and activities. Games and activities are great teaching tools to encourage interaction, comprehension and retention.

With this in mind, here are a few creative and fun ways to teach learners of varying ages and levels about economics.

1. Schoolhouse Rock Series - Have you heard of this clever product? For those that haven’t, Schoolhouse Rock was a series created by David McCall that made learning various subjects really cool and fun. Inspired back in the ’70s when his son was having difficulty remembering and mastering mathematical concepts, he came up with the idea of using rock music as a teaching tool, and produced a line of musical educational products that addressed an array of subjects---from math, to grammar, to the constitution, It originally aired as musical shorts on Saturdays, back in the ’70s on ABC, but all of the original videos are available on DVD. Its effectiveness existed in using key phrases, colorful language, alliteration and other devices to boost memory and to create lasting connections.

2. Monopoly Game - Monopoly is a board game originally created by Parker Bros that imparts important and useful concepts and vocabulary words for students of economics. Participants will use strategy to buy and sell property, learn about applicable taxes, and handle money transactions in the process. Hugely popular, the game is still enjoyed today by adults as well. Besides the fun factor, it’s a great way to incorporate aspects of monetary economics.

3. Add technology to your assignments. Online activities can also bring a new dimension to your efforts. There are many online resources that provide puzzles, worksheets, vocabulary lessons, and even interesting links to follow. How do you find them? Simply “Google” the key words in the search engine. For example, to find your subject, type in “economic games” and you’ll yield a listing of perhaps thousands of leads. The more specific your inquiry, the more successful the search. Try it.

4. Bring students current on current events. Bring a recent newspaper to class and find relevant headlines that can be discussed in the classroom. For example, President Obama’s job creation plan, or the rising price of gas. The want ads can be used to discuss career goals, entrepreneurship, and taxes. Sales ads can be the catalyst for a conversation of wants vs. needs. Get the picture?

Follow these four techniques and tools to make learning economics a fun and rewarding experience for your students. Also, keep in mind that we are living in a day and age (and video culture), where “entertainment value” is increasingly important, even in the classroom.

This is a guest post by Troy Edwards, who writes for the blog What is Economics? where you can learn about and study economics 101. He has been in education for 10 years as a teacher and administrator. Currently, Troy is a math and social studies teacher in a special settings school for disadvantaged students.

Student Self-Publishing, Solar Energy Lessons & More

Tikatok Across the Curriculum - This Barnes & Noble-owned website, which allows kids to publish their own books, will be releasing a free series of activities, projects and more for incorporating writing across the curriculum in grades K-8 over the next year.  There will be one new module released each month on their website.

U.S. Department of Energy Solar Decathlon Curriculum - There was an exciting event going on recently on the National Mall: teams of college students from around the planet are showing off solar-powered houses that aim to maximize efficiency while keeping costs low (and designing something people might actually want to live in).  The DOE has created four lesson plans on solar energy for middle and high school students to supplement the event.

28 Creative Ideas for Teaching with Twitter [MindShift] - See my earlier posts Weekend Reader on Social Media in the Classroom - Sept 2011 and 5 Thoughts & Ideas for Embracing Social Media in Education.

A Non-Designer's Guide to Creating Awesome Diagrams for Slides [Lifehacker] - If you must make slides (please don't), here's some creative guidance.

Learning Anywhere, Anytime: MIT Bringing Education to Cell Phones [GOOD] - For more on using cell phones in education, read last month's Weekend Reader on Cell Phones in the Classroom.

Using Comic Books & Graphic Novels in the Classroom

This is a guest post by elementary teacher and frequent contributor Adrian Neibauer. You can reach him on aneibauer@cherrycreekschools.org.

Photo courtesy: Enokson

WHY use comic books/graphic novels in the classroom?

The short answer: I teach by whatever means necessary…even comic books.

The long answer: I use comic books/graphic novels in my classroom because I intend to change the way teachers look at literacy instruction. I want to give teachers supplemental literacy instructional tools: comic books and graphic novels, in order to increase their male students’ level of intrinsic reading motivation. I want to prove to parents and educators that I can adequately teach students to use critical thinking skills and reading strategies with comic literature.

Here are some great resources for those just starting out:

• The Graphic Classroom
• The Twelve Best Comic Books for the Classroom
• No Flying No Tights - Graphic novel review website
• Free Online Comic Books
• Graphic Novel Reporter
• MAKE BELIEFS COMIX! - Online comic creator for kids.
• First Second Books 
• FREE COMIC BOOK DAY! It happens once a year, but you get free comics!

Most local comic book stores have $1.00 comics. It is probably the cheapest reading material I can find, and it is great for buying multiple copies for a guided reading table. Just be sure to read/preview any/all comics you purchase.

Graphic novels are a bit longer and more expensive, but they make some great ones for potential novel studies…especially if you want to read a classic and compare it to the graphic novel version.

SMART board USERS:
I created interactive SMART board lessons for each of the eight essential reading strategies I intended to teach: Inference, Questioning, Prediction, Summary, Connections, Visualizing, Determining Important Ideas, and Synthesis. I also included an introduction to reading comic literature so that every student enters each lesson with a basic schema regarding how to read a comic book/graphic novel. I intended for this curriculum to take about nine weeks to teach, with one week dedicated to each of the reading strategies and the introduction. However, I want to reiterate that this comic curriculum is only meant to supplement already best reading instructional practices taking place in the classroom; therefore, teachers can use these lessons as they see fit in their classroom.

• Comic Book Curriculum Chart [Google Doc]
• Comic Conventions [PDF]
• Comics and Reading Strategies [PDF]
• Comics and Reading Strategies [SMART Notebook]
• Comic Book Survey [PDF]
• Intro to Comics [SMART Notebook]

NON-SMART board USERS:
Throughout this process, I encountered some challenges. Each interactive SMART board lesson took considerable time to create. At times, I struggled with embedding various comic examples from my newly purchased books within each lesson. I do not own a scanner, so I relied on the Internet and my document camera to display the graphic novel example(s). There is a growing popularity in digital comic literature, but as with any new technology, it is not free. In the future, I plan to pursue this option.

Marvel's Digital Comics is a great resource for grades 4-5 or for anyone with a projector. You can view free samples of tons of great comics. NOTE: Always preview any literature, even comic literature, before showing it to students.

Marvel Kids is geared for the younger grades (K-3).

BOOK RESOURCES:
Adventures in Graphica by Terry Thompson is by far the BEST book of teachers wanting to get some comics and start teaching. Terry has amazing lessons that are ready to use for any classroom!

Understanding Comics by Scott McCloud. Great for anyone interesting in a more in-depth analysis of comic literature. It is written in comic format, which makes some of the heavier concepts easier to understand.

Basically, use what you have available. Teach student to read comics correctly, and then you can easily make the transition to regular text. DO NOT let anyone tell you that comics are easier reading than traditional literature. I own a copy of the graphic novel adaptation of the 9/11 Commission Report. It is a DIFFICULT book!

Finally, present comics as just another medium for traditional genres. There are comic mysteries, memoirs, short stories, poetry, you name it. Don’t feel like you need to be an expert. Kids love learning/exploring new and uncharted territory together with you. Just have fun reading!

5 Resources for Connecting Math to the Real World

Move Over, Sal Khan: Sixth-Graders Create Their Own Math Videos! [Mind/Shift] - Kids using screencasting software, tablet computers and the web to make math tutorial videos.

Flickr: Math in the Real World [via Twitter] - Looks like a class project idea to me! See also Flickr: MAA Found Math's Photostream.

Ideas to Make Math Exciting [via Twitter] - Aimed at helping early elementary and other younger kids.

How Do We Get More Students Interested in Math, Science & Tech Careers? [INFOGRAPHIC] [Mashable!]

When Will I Use This? Why Math Education Needs to Adapt to the Real World - Education - GOOD

Weekend Reader on Video Games in Education: Sept 2011

Three Qualities That Make Video Games Better Teachers Than Teachers - EdReach [via Twitter]

Game Design Engages Students in STEM - High School Notes [US News] - A few years ago I got to take part in a robotics workshop at UMass Lowell, and while I never got the chance to follow through, I had no doubts about how much it would engage and excite students. I think any kind of entry level programming, robotics or game design you can get kids involved in will have amazing results in the classroom and in their long term participation in STEM majors/careers.

8 other ways gaming is good for your kids [via Twitter]

Cosmic Log - Gamers solve molecular puzzle that baffled scientists - A couple of years ago I wrote about exposing my students to Foldit, the online game that tapped into human ingenuity for science.  Gamers have just made perhaps their biggest breakthrough through a puzzle that will help the fight against AIDS.

Million Moms March Challenge Launches Educational Alternative to FarmVille [Mashable] - I'm really excited that a group with a lot of visibility is pushing for the development of more educational social games.  In a perfect world, I'd like companies like Zynga to step up and help develop and market these themselves.  They know how to combine social connections with the right game mechanics to make addictive, fun games--why reinvent the wheel?  I wrote more on this idea for the Educational Games Research blog last year.

Review for a Test with a Fake Test

One idea that's mentioned but not fully explored in Ten Cheap Lessons is creating a fake test as a review tool.  Essentially you take a set of problems similar to what will be on your test and work them out   incorrectly, purposely making the kinds of mistakes you've seen your students making over and over again.  Your students basically become the teacher, finding the error(s) and the correct answer.

In previous years I've went overboard trying to make this "test" seem authentic, but this year I decided to just be honest and direct.  "All of these problems were solved incorrectly.  All of the answers are wrong," I told them.  "These are the mistakes I've been seeing too many of you continue to make, and I don't want you to make them again on the test."  If you've been reviewing something for what seems like forever, or you simplify have a stale routine, this is an easy way to shake things up.

In the example below (which my students worked on yesterday), you'll see the key mistakes circled along with the correct answer in red.  The student version had no such marks (there was another side to this page as well that I chose not to include).  

Share your versions of this kind of review assignment (along with any other creative ideas you have) in the comments.

Weekend Reader on Social Media in the Classroom - Sept 2011

Why Schools Should Learn To Use Online Services Like Facebook & YouTube Rather Than Banning Them [Techdirt]

50 Reasons to Invite Facebook Into Your Classroom [MindShift]

Tiny Bursts of Learning [Betchablog] - On Twitter as a powerful professional learning tool for teachers.

3 Tips for Teachers Using Social Media in the Classroom [Mashable!] - Written for college, but the 3 tips apply across the board.

Common Sense Social Media Policies in Schools: Working with It Instead of Banning It [The 21st Century Principal]

Make a Music Video, Win $170K in Tech for Your Classroom!

Last year I shared a $75K classroom tech makeover contest from eInstruction.  This year, the company will give away more than $170K in their 2011 Classroom Makeover Contest!

Entering the annual contest is straightforward: "Make a short, creative music video demonstrating how you and your students use technology to enhance learning in the classroom."  There will be winners for three categories: K-5, 6-8 and 9-12.

Here's the winning 9-12 video from 2010 (my favorite of the three).

Entries are due by October 25th.  Read the details and official rules on the official 2011 Classroom Makeover Contest website.  Send in links to your entries!

September Weekend Reader on Cell Phones in the Classroom

Are Schools on the Verge of a Mobile-Phone Revolution? [GOOD]

Cellphones in the Classroom [Cool Cat Teacher] - A slideshow by Vicki Davis (aka Cool Cat Teacher) on figuring out whether cell phones are the right fit for your classroom and how to best utilize them.

A 21st-Century Twist on Current Events Classroom Activities [The Next Generation of Educational Leadership] - Use smartphones, iPads or plain old laptops to make current events truly current.

Class, Turn On Your Cell Phones: It’s Time to Text [MindShift]

QR Codes in the Classroom [Learning Today] - With a smartphone, these codes become amazing interactive tools that any teacher (or student) can create and use.

Related: Read my recent post It's Time for Leaders to Embrace Cell Phones in the Classroom for more on this topic.

OfficeMax Print Center Coupons for Teachers

OfficeMax recently shared some teacher-focused coupons for their ImPress Print Center that you can print out from this Google Doc.  The first deal has expired (I apologize for not sharing these sooner, but school has already started), but there are two coupons that run through September 24th:

• $8.99 on 18”-by-24” posters (regular price is $17.98)
• 50% off on lamination services 

Download the coupons here.  I hope you are looking to avoid too many out-of-pocket expenses, but these should help if you can't avoid it!

Make Everything a Whiteboard: IdeaPaint Classroom Makeover Contest

IdeaPaint, the dry erase whiteboard paint company, is running a 360° IdeaPaint Classroom Makeover contest.  Just post a video or photo gallery of the space you want to makeover along with a description of why you want to do so, and submit via their online form.

Two schools will have up to 500 square feet of their classrooms professionally painted with IdeaPaint!  Deadline for submissions is September 30th.  Click through to read all the details.

I'm curious to see your submissions, or any spaces you've already used whiteboard paint to engage your students. Share links and ideas in the comments.