SYWTT on Pinterest Blogging & Technology by Joel Wagner - August 21, 2016August 21, 20161 I have heard about Pinterest for years but never got into it. I don't need new recipes or DIY projects to not do, so why even bother? Well, I was wrong.As I have been getting back into blogging in recent months, I've begun to see some of the value in Pinterest. As I explore it, I see a lot more value. So much so that I have created a few boards that I regularly update and you may find helpful. If you've never used Pinterest, you can check the boards out below without even going to the dreaded site. You'll be glad you did. They are: New Teacher Resources Teaching Resources Music Ed Links Blogging Resources
5 Tips For Effective Parent-Teacher Communication General by Tess Pajaron - August 18, 2016August 18, 20162 One of the major downfalls for young teachers is poor parent-teacher communication. Too often we forget that parents can be some of the best allies we have in reaching our students, and that we all have a common goal. Early positive communication is the single most effective way I have found to avoid later conflicts down the road. In today's article, Tess Pajaron tackles the issue of effective parent-teacher communication. While it might be the kids that you see every day, parents are a huge deal when it comes to doing your job effectively. A parent can be an ally behind the scenes, supporting our work and encouraging their children to trust in us and take our lessons seriously. Getting a parent on board requires
10 Mistakes New Teachers Make (And How To Avoid Them) New Teachers by Joel Wagner - August 8, 2016February 6, 202025 If you're anything like me, you gained a great deal of academic knowledge about your content area in college and very little actual knowledge about getting students to stay quiet long enough to learn from your abundant knowledge base. Over the years, I have observed young teachers enter the profession and make many of the same mistakes. I have compiled a list of 10 mistakes new teachers make. Nobody makes all of the mistakes, but invariably we all go through a few of them within our first few years of teaching. Mistake 1: Many new teachers try to be "the cool teacher" and end up being "the pushover" I get it. We all want to be liked by our students. The mistake many teachers make is that they
Level Up Your Teaching: Engaging Students Through The Power Of Classroom Games General by David Reeves - August 5, 2016August 4, 20162 Learning only happens when students are engaged, but unfortunately, teachers continue to struggle with engagement, especially when children enter middle school. One way to keep kids engaged and improve student retention is through classroom games. Games — in the classroom and outdoors — that incorporate an educational component get kids excited about learning, and are a great tool in the arsenal of teachers of any grade level, but especially when students are nearing or in middle school. Here are some tips to help make your classroom games effective. Take Advice From Game Designers As a teacher, you know that classroom time is valuable. You don't want to fill it with anything that is wasteful, so are games worthwhile? Games are effective at motivating,
Gamification of Education: How to Bring it into Your Classroom General by Kelly Smith - August 4, 2016August 3, 20160 If only students loved attending class as much as they loved playing video games. Sometimes, the issue is that the benefits and achievements of education just aren’t as tangible or immediate as the rewards of leveling up in a video game. Video games are fun, and attending school is compulsory. What if you could restructure your classroom to function like a video game? It’s a novel idea, but a surprising amount of educators have taken this approach – and it’s starting to catch on!  Leveling Up In school, you slowly build your intellectual strength. In a game, you level up. It’s a clear promotion, and the recognition you receive for achieving the next level is extremely rewarding. In most games, higher levels
5 Great Books About The Science Behind Growth Mindset General by Joel Wagner - August 3, 2016August 5, 20163 Rigor Grit The "10,000 Hour Rule" Growth Mindset We hear these buzzwords thrown around a lot in educational circles these days. Why? Because they're catchy! But what do they mean? The concepts are interrelated, and they stem from a series of recent research projects. Today we'll look at a few new books about the science behind growth mindsets. Peak: Secrets from the New Science of Expertise by Anders Ericsson and Robert Pool This is the book that initially resparked my interest in this subject. Anders Ericsson was the researcher who studied "deliberate practice" back in the 80s and early 90s. Some of the those studies centered on violin students in a German music conservatory. The analysis concluded that the students who performed the best at the University level, and who would eventually
10 Ways to Integrate Social Media into Everyday Class Lessons Blogging & Technology by Amy K. Williams - August 2, 2016August 1, 20163 In recent years, many schools have cautiously begun to let up the reins on electronic device usage. Countless teachers each year find themselves in hot water over inappropriate use of social media. I know teachers on both the pro and con side of using social media. Today, Amy K. Williams explores some of the potential benefits that you can have if you decide to integrate social media into your teaching. 10 Ways To Integrate Social Media In The Classroom Far too often, we hear about all the negative aspects of social media and how it is harming our youth. It’s easy to dismiss social media as a resource in the classroom due to the tales of cyberbullying, online predators, and sexting. However, we need to
July 2016 On SYWTT Blogging & Technology by Joel Wagner - August 1, 20160 July 2016 was a great month as I continue getting back into the blogging groove of things. Below are some highlights. I discovered Pinterest and began to see that many of the articles on my site don't look so great on there. As a result, I began making images to go along with my new articles. Additionally, I have begun going back through the archives to create images for some of the more popular older articles. As time progresses, I will get to more and more of them. Along with that, I continue going back and adjusting formatting of old articles, as web standards have changed quite a bit since 2007. I have also started work on curating some of the articles by creating resource
New Teacher Resources New Teachers by Joel Wagner - August 1, 2016August 6, 20177 So you got that elusive first teaching job. Congratulations. If you experience is anything like mine has been, you now get to spend a few days learning district policies, and then get thrown into the classroom with minimal further instructions. Over the last decade or so, I have been very interested in helping new teachers navigate the difficulties of their first few years, and have written extensively on the topic. This Resource Post contains links to these articles. The Foundation 10 Mistakes New Teachers Make (And How To Avoid Them) 10 Things To Do Before The First Day Of School 10 Things I Wish Someone Had Explained Before My First Teaching Job 10 Things A First Year Teacher Should Do Learning New