With the new revised Periodic Table there was the need for a new Periodic Table song...and here it is. Not only are the elements in order, the song also explains the new set-up of the table.
You may want to partner this with the new TED-Ed Periodic Videos that have been published. There is a video for every element.
If you find the New Period Table Song moving a bit too quickly you can find a version that is slowed down HERE. You will also find the words to the song in you click "Show More" under the video (for the song versions) and you will find links to download the song.
As students have to learn this new chart many will find the song entertaining and a great way to learn the elements. The videos from TED-Ed provide an avenue for students to learn about the elements by watching a video, which many will also find entertaining.
"Financial literacy is about much more than balancing one's (online) checkbook. Financial literacy represents a cross-curricular mindset, a sophisticated understanding of how money, media, and messaging unite in the public sphere."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Can we teach students in elementary and middle school the concepts of financial literacy? With the right resources the answer would be yes.
ASIDE has provided a range of excellent resources in this post. You will find an excellent infographic that covers the Story of Money, beginning with bartering animal hides and teeth as well as shells up to a gold coin minted in Australia in 2011 that weighs (take a breath) 2,231 pounds. (There is a great math problem to be solved.)
A number of videos are also provided. One looks at student debt and one is a TED-Ed video.
There are also additional resources provided.
Financial literacy is an important concept for students to learn, and I would think the earlier they understand the concepts the better off they will be. To learn more click through to the post.
Dyslexia affects up to 1 in 5 people, but the experience of dyslexia isn't always the same. This difficulty in processing language exists along a spectrum -- one that doesn't necessarily fit with labels like "normal" and "defective." Kelli Sandman-Hurley urges us to think again about dyslexic brain function and to celebrate the neurodiversity of the human brain.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Learn more about the brain and dyslexia in this five minute video from TED-Ed. Find out what type of teaching works best for students with dyslexia, and experience how it feels for students with dyslexia to decode words. You will also find questions you may use with students, additional resources and a forum for discussion.
In June 1776, a little over a year after the start of the American Revolutionary War, the US Continental Congress huddled together in a hot room in Philadelphia to talk independence. Kenneth C. Davis dives into some of the lesser known facts about the process of writing the Declaration of Independence and questions one very controversial omission.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Here is a TED-Ed video that is applicable to this weekend (at least in the United States). There are some important facts that many of us do not know about the Declaration of Independence and this video presents them in an accessible format. TED-Ed videos tend to be short (this one is just under 4 minutes) and also have additional resources as well as some thought provoking questions and a discussion.
Take four minutes of your day and find out if you know the facts shared in this video.
The World Wide Web is used every day by millions of people for everything from checking the weather to sharing cat videos. But what is it exactly? Twila Camp describes this interconnected information system as a virtual city that everyone owns and explains how it’s organized in a way that mimics our brain’s natural way of thinking.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Once again TED-Ed hits a home run in explaining a complex concept simply. This video, which looks at the World Wide Web will help students understand the difference between the World Wide Web and the Internet as well as teaching them about how hyperlinks mimic the way our brains learn and much more. As always you will find a quiz, additional resources and an online forum/
This is a short, fairly concise video explaining the world wide web. It delineates the difference between the web and the internet and briefly touches on servers, languages and more. Simple and elegant.
These Fun, Free Web Applications Make it Quick and Easy to Create Cool Learning Content (Watch out Though, Other Teachers Will be Banging Down Your Door Looking
Beth Dichter's insight:
Five resources are shared in this post, with explanations about how to use them in your classroom. All have free versions available.
* LessonPaths(http://www.lessonpaths.com/)allows you to put together groups of web resources and other digital resources in one location. (This was called MentorMob.)
* Blendspace (https://www.blendspace.com/schools) is similar to LessonPaths but with a different look to it. Check them both out to see which fits your needs.
* Geddit (http://letsgeddit.com/)provides a space where you can ask questions and students can respond using most any digital device that can access the Internet.
* TED-Ed (http://letsgeddit.com/)is a resource that provides lessons that include a video, questions, resources and a discussion forum and allow you to flip any lesson you find. Additional videos are added frequently.
* Powtoon (http://www.powtoon.com)allows you to create videos using templates. It is a little more complex to learn and you will be limited to five minute videos unless you subscribe. There is an educational version available.
Have fun exploring these tools and creating content to engage your students!
This list of webistes offers suggestions for sites with tools to help teachers to create interactive learning environment from surveys, to lessons, to making short videos. Super helpful escpecially since there's both free and paid versions available. You can have teaching tools on a zero or low budget.#education#technology.
"If you are looking for web tools to create video lessons or platforms to help you flip your classroom , the tools below are probably what you need."
Beth Dichter's insight:
Are you considering flipping your classroom or incorporating video lessons? Are you looking for tools that will help you insert questions this post will share five tools with you:
I've only used eduCanon, which is a good tool, but I couldn't get the embed code to work in our Sakai LMS. It only requires a paid version to use short answer questions.
How does a computer work? The critical components of a computer are the peripherals (including the mouse), the input/output subsystem (which controls what and how much information comes in and out), and the central processing unit (the brains),...
Beth Dichter's insight:
This TED-Ed video explains how a computer works in simple terms. I suspect that children in early elementary would learn from it as would many students in upper elementary and middle school. Although technology is prevalent in their lives many have no concept of what is happening inside a digital device. This video will help them learn, and since it is from TED-Ed there is a quiz and the ability to flip the video!
In this series, Joy Lin tackles six superpowers and reveals just how scientifically realistic they can be to us mere mortals. Lesson by Joy Lin, animation by...
Beth Dichter's insight:
Do you teach science? If so take a look at this series which looks at superpowers and explores them. The six videos explore Flight, Immortality, Invisibility, Super Strength, Super Speed and Body Mass. There is a lesson available for each superpower that is divided into four sections: Watch (the video), Think (questions students answer - a combination of multiple choice and open answer), Dig Deeper (resources for further exploration) and Discuss (a forum is available online). You may also choose to flip the lesson and make it your own.
These are many great videos on TED-Ed that are available and we know our students are engaged when they watch videos. Take some time to explore the videos at TED-Ed and consider using them in your classroom.
Tech columnist David Pogue shares 10 simple, clever tips for computer, web, smartphone and camera users. And yes, you may know a few of these already -- but there's probably at least one you don't.
Beth Dichter's insight:
The video is short, about 10 minutes, and you probably will learn at least one or two new tips...and you will probably have a few chuckles too!
TEd-Ed is a great resource to find videos. This post provides a look at six of their videos. Each video has a multiple choice quiz as well as some questions with short answers. They also include additional resources. You also have the ability to flip the lesson on your own. A tour of TED-Ed is available at http://ed.ted.com/tour.
This post shares six videos in six subject categories (out of 11 categories). Click through to see videos on:
Richard Byrne shares a number of tools he uses in the classroom when using "documentary videos and new clips." How do you have students dicuss what they have seen? Pen and paper does not provide "immediate feedback" but the tools he suggests have that ability. Each of the tools listed below is discussed and an explanation is provided for each tool with some hints on how to use it. The tools included are:
"When I wrote How "Flip This Lesson" by TED Ed Could Help Teachers More, on May 10, 2012, I got some push-back from tededlogan who wrote, "Hey there, Jumarqui. Thanks for doing this. I really enjoyed it, and it is helpful to hear and see a visitor interpreting the site out loud. However, I wanted to quickly point out that you didn’t click one of the more powerful features available on TED-Ed. The "flip this video" button."
This post goes on and provides a "video and step-by-step how-to guide for anyone interested in creating their own flipped lesson on TED Ed."
"Germs are found on almost every surface we come in contact with, which makes it incredibly common for our bodies to be exposed to them. But why are some of these germs relatively harmless, while others can be fatal? Yannay Khaikan and Nicole Mideo explore this question by examining germs’ varying modes of transmission."
Beth Dichter's insight:
As flu season approaches teaching students about germs is something we try to do in many classrooms. To make it a bit more understandable this TED-Ed video provides a look just how germs may spread. The language is appropriate for a range of grades (as terms are also explained).
And as all TED-Ed videos you will find a list of additional resources as well as a quiz and a discussion questions.
"Bringing technology into the classroom often winds up an awkward mash-up between the laws of Murphy and Moore: What can go wrong, will — only faster.
It’s a multi-headed challenge: Teachers need to connect with classrooms filled with distinct individuals. We all want learning to be intrinsically motivated and mindful, yet we want kids to test well and respond to bribes (er, extrinsic rewards). Meanwhile, there’s a multi-billion-dollar industry, in the US alone, hoping to sell apps and tech tools to school boards.
There’s no app for that."
Beth Dichter's insight:
There may not be apps for good teaching but there are ways to think about how you use technology that will improve the classroom. This post provides 8 recommendations. They are listed below but check out the post for additional information.
1. Keep learning goals ahead of the technology.
2. Opt for the open ended.
3. Don't let tech make learning easy.
4. Take feedback seriously.
5. Stay skeptical of individualized learning - for now.
Great reminder that embedding learning in technology is not a 'revolutionary takeover' of the classroom. To my sceptical colleagues here in the UK, your jobs and traditional teaching methods are quite safe.
Nurdles are the tiny, factory-made pellets that form the raw material for every plastic product that we use, from toys to toothbrushes. And while they look pretty harmless on land, they can really wreak havoc on our oceans. Kim Preshoff details the nurdles’quest for ocean domination, shedding light on the particular features that allow these pervasive polluters to persist for entire generations.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Have you ever heard of a nurdle? Do you know how they are impacting the ocean and the potential consequences of them? This TED-Ed video shares the history of nurdles (they date back to the 1900s) and their impact on the ocean, and our lives.
This topic is one that many students would understand and they could develop a plan to educate their community about nurdles and what can be done. There are many resources provided in the Dig Deeper session that would allow students to explore and learn more. If you teach science, or are looking at issues that impact the globe in social studies, or are interested in teaching students about global issues that have a range of impacts this would be a great place to start.
For most of history, scientists weren’t quite sure why our hearts were beating or even what purpose they served. Eventually, we realized that these thumping organs serve the vital task of pumping clean blood throughout the body. But how? Edmond Hui investigates how it all works by taking a closer look at the heart’s highly efficient ventricle system.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Teaching students how the heart works is a difficult task. This TED-Ed video makes it much easier. In less than 5 minutes students (and teachers!) may gain a much better understanding of how the heart works. If you are able to get hearts from pigs or sheep to dissect students will quickly gain a clear understanding of exactly how the heart works.
You will also find additional resources, including: a link to the first TEDx talk where a student from Teddington School, a secondary school in England, explains how he learned this by working with Dr. Hui as a mentor, questions (both multiple choice and open reponse), and an online forum.
"While sugar is easy to spot in candy, soft drinks and ice cream, it also hides out in foods you might not expect -- including peanut butter, pasta sauce and even bologna! Robert Lustig decodes confusing labels and sugar's many aliases to help determine just how much of that sweet carbohydrate makes its way into our diets."
Beth Dichter's insight:
How difficult it is to determine how much sugar is in a processed food? Because sugar can be labeled 56 ways. If you do not know all the variations of how sugar can be listed there is no way to determine how much sugar is in the product.
As always this video includes a Think section with 7 questions, a Digging Deeper section with additional resources, and access to an online forum.
In the past decade, the US honeybee population has been decreasing at an alarming and unprecedented rate. While this is obviously bad news for honeypots everywhere, bees also help feed us in a bigger way -- by pollinating our nation's crops. Emma Bryce investigates potential causes for this widespread colony collapse disorder.
Beth Dichter's insight:
Honeybees play a critical role in food production. They are a key pollinator and colony collapse disorder may soon have a significant impact on not only the cost of food but what is available. This TED-Ed video looks at this issue. As always you will find a "Think" section with questions students may answer as well as an in-depth look at additional resources.
"When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice."
Beth Dichter's insight:
The more I look through TED-Ed videos the more I find that are useful to use with students. This one explores how sugar affects the brain. As always there are a series of questions you may use after viewing the video as well as additional resources and an online forum question. And if you are interested you can flip the video for your use.
The more times I watch Ted-ED videos the more impressed I am with the quality of the presentations...and the fact that they also supply questions (typically multiple choice and short answers), additional resources and a forum. This particular presentation is an individual sharing their disability, but it also addresses the concepts of fixed mindset and growth mindset, in a way that will engage students. I think it could be used to bring up these two concepts for a great classroom discussion.
High school science teacher Tyler DeWitt was ecstatic about a lesson plan on bacteria (how cool!) -- and devastated when his students hated it. The problem was the textbook: it was impossible to understand.
Beth Dichter's insight:
The way one teaches makes a difference, and Tyler DeWitt provides us with a look at one way to teach science...so that the students will be engaged! You might also want to check out his YouTube channel at http://www.youtube.com/user/tdewitt451.
Wonderful video about the importance of keeping children engaged with science, over ensuring that every child has to know every single about a progess.
I've seen this TED talk before and it really hits the nail on the head for many students in science. Why would anyone want to pursue a career in science if all they get to experience are facts and figures with a bit of experimentation thrown in! I actually based my Literacy and Numeracy assignment on this. The learning experience for students was to develop a creative story based around a pathogen of their choosing. They had to include how the pathogen was spread, what it did to the person who contracted it (symptoms) and how that person was treated. It was aimed at year 9 students within a biology based unit of work. I would love to implement it one day to see how students respond.
I've seen this TED talk before and it really hits the nail on the head for many students in science. Why would anyone want to pursue a career in science if all they get to experience are facts and figures with a bit of experimentation thrown in! I actually based my Literacy and Numeracy assignment on this. The learning experience for students was to develop a creative story based around a pathogen of their choosing. They had to include how the pathogen was spread, what it did to the person who contracted it (symptoms) and how that person was treated. It was aimed at year 9 students within a biology based unit of work. I would love to implement it one day to see how students respond.
"Interactive video is a powerful new tool that allows teachers and learners to enhance video they make themselves–as well as the videos they discover on the Web–with text, images, maps, links, and other media...It appears that a new subgenre of interactive video creation tools is emerging...if you want to be part of the conversation, if you believe that video can do more than talk at you, you’ll be a lover of these powerful interactive annotation tools for video."
Beth Dichter's insight:
If you are looking for "powerful interactive annotation tools for video" look no further than this post from Joyce Valenz. She discusses seven tools that you may want to explore:
* Mozilla Popcorn Maker
* The Mad Video
* TED-Ed's Flip this Lesson
* wireWax
* YouTube Video Annotation Tools
* Embed Plus (available as a Chrome extension and coming soon for Firefox
* Blubbr
Each of the tools is discussed and in most cases samples of work are also provided.
Educator Jessica Wise and her cohorts have come up with a compelling Ted-Ed video on how novels throughout history have helped shape real-world events.
"Reading and stories can be an escape from real life, a window into another world -- but have you ever considered how new fictional experiences might change your perspective on real, everyday life?"
Looking at a wide range of books, including 'Pride and Prejudice', 'Harry Potter' and 'The Hunger Games', "learn how popular fiction can spark public dialogue and shape culture."
If you have not yet had a chance to check out TED-Ed, check out this video. Many other great videos are also available through TED-Ed.
"This post includes a number of wonderings . . . For the past few days, there has been some controversy over a TED talk that included some commentary about classism...The basic premise was that the talk was censored from public viewing due to it being offensive to the wealthy folks that pay to attend the TED conference."
Gerstein goes on to raise a number of questions we should consider, such as is "the digital divide...an intellectual or pedagogical one" and what schools are using/sharing the new Ted-Ed Lessons Worth Sharing? Great questions to ponder.
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Thx Beth Dichter!