Complete Index
-
Thanksgiving For Kids: Crafts, Recipes and Learning Tools - November 19, 2009 04:30 PM
They can’t wait to dig into the turkey and pies, but many kids could use a refresher course in the origins of Thanksgiving. Luckily for parents and teachers, there are excellent Thanksgiving crafts, simple recipes and games for kids to learn about this distinctly American holiday. -
Teachers and Librarians Weigh in on “Twilight” - November 19, 2009 08:00 AM
“The Twilight Saga” of books and films has millions of teenage and preteen fans, but its controversial themes have sparked a debate over its place in the classroom. -
Reinvigorating Literacy Education in the US - November 19, 2009 07:00 AM
In addition to a slew of studies, initiatives, programs and methods that aim to teach American children to read, a new federal bill would provide much-needed funds for literacy programs. -
Working Parents Struggle to Raise Bilingual Kids - November 16, 2009 08:00 AM
Although the benefits of bilingualism for academic and professional success are well recognized, many parents find it challenging to teach their native languages to their children. -
Travel Through US History at Gettysburg - November 14, 2009 07:00 AM
Gettysburg is famous for its Civil War history, its 20,000-acre battlefield, dramatic stone monuments and affecting cemetery. A popular destination for schools and families with children, Gettysburg presents a wealth of educational opportunities, but is surrounded by a quaint town that allows for parental relaxation as well. Take a virtual visit to Gettysburg using the Web sites in this article, and get a pre-trip history lesson that will enhance your visit. -
What's Happening to Writing Skills? - November 13, 2009 09:00 AM
With the advent of the writing portion of the SAT, schools have put more emphasis on writing skills. But are they actually being taught, and what happens when students reach college? -
Virtually Visiting Art, Photography, and Music Museums - November 13, 2009 08:00 AM
Some of the world's most famous pieces of art and photography hang on the walls of museums spread around the corners of the globe. Today, with the aid of a computer, you can virtually tour many of these museums without leaving your home. Check out these fabulous sites that feature the world's best art, photography, architecture, and music. -
Educators That Rock!: Danah Boyd - November 13, 2009 05:00 AM
Last week, findingEducation caught up with Dr. danah boyd at the American Association of School Librarians National Conference in Charlotte, N.C. boyd is an internationally recognized social media expert researcher for Microsoft Research New England, a fellow at Harvard University's Berkman Center for Internet and Society, and an ethnographer, blogger and contributing author to the book “Hanging Out, Messing Around, and Geeking Out: Kids Living and Learning with New Media.”
boyd explains on her blog that “there are a lot of reasons … some personal and some political” as to why she decided to omit the capital letters in her name. A keynote speaker at the conference, she drew from her research on social networking sites such as MySpace and Facebook to explain how kids use these tools to communicate and to “create digital bodies” to express themselves.
In her online biography, boyd describes herself as a bored and rebellious student that went to “smart kids camp” in the summer but had trouble fitting in until she went online. “The Internet opened the door of possibilities to me. I found other smart kids year round ... Strangers taught me so much about the world and about myself,” she wrote.
“Unstructured environments are critical to social learning,” boyd said in her talk. Educators must “work with the grain, not against it.” She told findingEducation, “It's not about getting kids to be passionate about the things that librarians and teachers are passionate about, but using what kids are passionate about as gateways to learning.” -
Web Sites for Researching History - November 12, 2009 12:00 PM
These 10 trustworthy Web sites provide detailed accounts of historical events and figures, and collections of primary source material designed to help middle and high school students research U.S. and world history. -
Motivating Students to Read - November 12, 2009 10:30 AM
The reading curriculum in the U.S. has been criticized for emphasizing a standard list of classics, and for catering too heavily to female readers. What are some practical solutions? -
Visiting Children's Museums: Online and In Real Life - November 12, 2009 07:00 AM
Children's museums are places of learning and wonder, often with plenty of hands-on activities for the kids. In this feature we profile some of the outstanding children's museums that you can visit with your kids in person, or virtually explore online. -
History, Science and Industry Museums on the Web - November 11, 2009 07:00 AM
Once, museums and libraries appeared to hold rare books or pieces of fine art captive in the name of preservation. But now, libraries and museums make viewing these objects a simple matter for anyone with a computer. -
World’s Greatest Libraries: Past and Present - November 10, 2009 10:00 AM
Explore some of the most significant libraries from the ancient and modern world, including the largest, the oldest and the most technologically advanced, as well as those with unique collections, architecture or locations. -
Students Using Laptops in Class Do Worse on Tests - November 09, 2009 03:30 PM
Diane Sieber, a University of Colorado professor, found that students who use laptops in class average 11 percent worse on tests than their peers. -
Education Vacation: A Trek Through Ireland: Dublin to Derry - November 09, 2009 12:30 PM
In Ireland, you’ll find a mix of new and old, including an ancient walled city and a bustling modern capital. Experience the chill of a centuries-old prison, take a cliff-lined hike or soak in the scenery at the birthplace of a revered writer. -
Educators That Rock!: Torrey Maldonado - November 09, 2009 12:00 PM
Torrey Maldonado is an author, a sixth-grade social studies teacher at Middle School 88 in Brooklyn, N.Y., and a trained specialist in conflict resolution. Maldonado, who describes himself as a Black Puerto Rican, says he was inspired to become a teacher by his mother, who gave him homework she created herself, and by a few good teachers in Red Hook."I had a lot of teachers who encouraged students to become factoid regurgitators, and then I had a lot of teachers who encouraged us to learn the stories in history and see the humanity behind the facts and behind the dates," he told findingEducation.
Maldonado's first book, "Secret Saturdays," will publish in April 2010. Learn more about "Secret Saturdays" at TorreyMaldonado.com. -
Jupiter's Moons: The Galilean Satellites - November 09, 2009 08:00 AM
When Galileo first saw Jupiter's four largest moons, he realized that Earth was not the center of the universe. Since then, we've discovered many exciting things about Jupiter's moons. -
Make Search Engines Work for You: Tips for Better Searches - November 08, 2009 09:00 AM
No search engine is perfect, but armed with a few tips for better searching you can get great results out of (almost) any search engine. -
Mars: All About the Red Planet - November 08, 2009 08:30 AM
Our neighboring planet Mars has long been subject to Earthly questions and speculations; how much do we really know about the fourth planet from the Sun? -
Educators That Rock!: Blake Harrison - November 08, 2009 05:00 AM
This week findingEducation caught up with Blake Harrison, a.k.a. Emcee Escher, rapper, educator and creative director of Flocabulary, to hear how he and Alex Rappaport, cofounder and executive producer, are bringing their energy and passion for hip-hop to the classroom.
By weaving words into rhymes with infectious beats, Harrison and Rappaport knew they could engage students and ultimately teach them something. Their first CD, released in 2004, put vocabulary words in context, helping prepare students for the SATs. Since then, they’ve developed programs for teaching world and U.S. history, math, science and even Shakespeare. They’ve taken their music on tour, held teaching workshops and created a current events series called The Week in Rap, now being broadcast on Channel One, a national TV news network for teens. -
Saturn's Rings and Many Moons - November 07, 2009 06:45 AM
Saturn is one of the most recognizable planets in our solar system, yet much about the gaseous planet and its beautiful rings remains a mystery. -
Educators That Rock!: Josie Carbone - November 07, 2009 05:00 AM
Josie Carbone, the founding principal of Girls Prep Bronx, an all-girls charter school for pre-K through first-grade students in the Bronx, New York, got involved in teaching while volunteering to teach Spanish at a local elementary school during high school. After graduating from college in 1997, she worked with Teach For America in New York. Carbone taught for six more years before becoming involved with the New York charter school movement in 2003. -
Understanding the SKILLs Act and the Argument for Library Media Specialists - November 06, 2009 03:30 PM
Recently re-introduced to Congress, the SKILLs Act aims to help students navigate digital information, and could alter perceptions of the book-bound librarian. -
Space Debris: Asteroids, Comets and Meteoroids - November 06, 2009 06:45 AM
Comets, asteroids and meteoroids are plentiful in the asteroid belt and Kuiper Belt regions of the solar system, and every once in a while, they venture near Earth. -
Educators That Rock!: Joyce Valenza - November 06, 2009 05:00 AM
A few weeks ago, findingEducation spoke with Joyce Valenza, an information specialist and author who manages the Springfield Township High School Library in Erdenheim, Pa. Valenza is also a blogger for School Library Journal, a former tech columnist for the Philadelphia Inquirer and a lecturer on education issues and technology.
Valenza sets the bar exceedingly high for librarians. Inspired by the benchmarks set by the American Association of School Librarians (AASL), she recently published "14 Ways K-12 Libraries Can Teach Social Media" (Tech & Learning, 21 Sept. 2009) and her own Manifesto for 21st Century School Librarians, which calls for librarians to acquire the necessary skills to guide learners in new and emerging information and communications landscapes.
“If you call yourself an information professional, you have to be a professional in the information landscape of your time,” says Valenza. -
Educators That Rock!: David Lee King - November 05, 2009 11:42 AM
In Topeka, Kan., the library is the second favorite place for teens to hang out. “We’re sort of kicked out at the mall,” they tell David Lee King, the Topeka & Shawnee County Public Library’s digital branch and services manager. As a result, the building, particularly the new media area and gaming room, are a little noisier than your average library. But King, a former DJ and assistant recording engineer, and now an author, blogger and librarian thought leader, takes pride in all the bustle. “Not too many people can say, ‘Yeah, teenagers think that the library’s cool.'"
On Oct. 28, King is launching the Library 101 Project with fellow information specialist Michael Porter. The project will include a music video, educator essays and 101 resources.
-
Pluto: The Dwarf Planet - November 05, 2009 06:30 AM
In 2006 the International Astronomical Union defined the term "planet" for the first time. Pluto did not meet the qualifications and was downgraded to a “dwarf planet,” or object #134340. -
Educators That Rock!: Patrick Sweeney - November 04, 2009 09:00 AM
This week findingEducation sat down with Patrick Sweeney, a fifth-grade teacher at Boones Ferry Primary School in the West Linn-Wilsonville School District of Oregon. Sweeney teaches all subjects in his mixed-level, self-contained classroom. How does he keep 27 students with different ability levels engaged and excited about learning while covering the necessary curriculum?
Sweeney is a big proponent of project-based learning and teaming, both within and across grade levels. By bringing interests he’s passionate about into the classroom, and combining them with project-based learning principles, he’s come up with some pretty creative ways to get kids excited about coming to school every day. -
Children’s Book Author Profile: David Ezra Stein - November 03, 2009 07:00 AM
David Ezra Stein's children’s books celebrate joy and simplicity, eschewing flash in favor of genuine introspection. His subtle interweaving of lessons in self-sufficiency and acceptance of change is neither intimidating nor heavy-handed. Themes of friendship and nature, seen in “Pouch!” and “Leaves” and “Monster Hug!” appeal to an international audience. -
Elementary Schools Renew Focus on Career-Related Learning - October 29, 2009 08:00 AM
A U.K. program introduces elementary school kids to various careers and encourages them to tap into their interest and talents, which may be crucial to success later on.
November, 2009
October, 2009
