Edutopia
Edutopia: Innovative Practice: 5 Strategies for the Early Learning Classroom
Project- and play-based learning are essential in the early grades to develop creative learning dispositions during the brain's most active period of synaptic growth. Here are five strategies that can be implemented in early learning...
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Edutopia: Student Led Conferences: Resources for Educators
Whether you already do student-led conferences or are interested in making a shift, this list includes a variety of go-to examples, guides, tips, and forms to help launch or improve these meetings.
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Edutopia: Longer Recess, Stronger Child Development
With an hour-long recess, elementary schools can help children develop through increased creative play, authentic SEL, and adequate physical regulation. This article explains the benefit of active play.
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Edutopia: How to Put Self Directed Learning to Work in Your Classroom
Self-directed learning is a natural pathway to deep understanding and efficacy. This article discusses the benefits of self-directed learning, the components necessary for this type of learning, and how to implement it in your school.
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Edutopia: Activities That Prime the Brain for Learning
Brain breaks and focused attention practices help students feel relaxed and alert and ready to learn. Brain breaks create a state of relaxed alertness, while focused attention practices help students slow down and focus on a stimulus....
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Edutopia: Are You Tapping Into Prior Knowledge Often Enough in Your Classroom?
Learning progresses primarily from prior knowledge, and only secondarily from the materials we present to students, studies show. This article offers some research behind why we need to stop hurrying through lessons and take the time to...
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Edutopia: Media Smarts: Students Evolve From Consumers to Critics and Creator
This article from Edutopia offers an overview of both the importance of media literacy and some innovative examples of teaching media literacy.
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Edutopia: Establishing a Culture of Questioning
This article discusses establishing a culture of questioning. When students consistently ask meaningful questions, they get comfortable taking the risks that lead to learning. SL.11-12.1c Questions/Part
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Edutopia: Making Digital Communications Accessible
This article is intended to provide guidance to educators on how to make their digital content accessible to families with many different needs, but the suggestions can also help students understand how to make their own content...
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Edutopia: Common Core in Action: 10 Visual Literacy Strategies
Explicitly teach a collection of competencies that will help students think through, think about, and think with pictures.
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Edutopia: Common Core in Action: Teaching Online Ethics
Looking at the responsible use of intellectual property is one key element of digital citizenship that can be connected to eighth grade Common Core Standards. How do we as educators help students respect other people's work and not abuse...
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Edutopia: Brisk and Bright Approaches for National Poetry Month
Ninth grade teacher Brett Vogelsinger offers twelve active ways to incorporate poetry into almost any class. Use these during National Poetry Month (April) or anytime throughout the year.
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Edutopia: Game Based Learning: Ideas for Using Minecraft in the Classroom
A brief article with some excellent ideas on how to incorporate Minecraft into the classroom. (Published April 13, 2012)
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Edutopia: Simulation Nation: The Promise of Virtual Learning Activities
Using the power of simulation as a teaching and learning tool seems like a natural fit. The article and accompanying video outline some successful endeavors to marry technology and simulation with education.
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Edutopia: Measuring What Counts: Memorization Versus Understanding
The author considers a situation from her own math classroom that lead her to re-evaluate her ideas about assessment. She follows with advice for developing what she calls "applied learning" in the classroom.
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Edutopia: New Skills for a New Century
Doing Project Based Learning in schools is one way to prepare students for life in a new century. The article explains the basis for PBL in schools.
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Edutopia: Ten Tips for Personalized Learning via Technology
A list of 10 relevant tips how the educators of Forest Lake Elementary deploy a powerful array of digital-technology tools to challenge and support each child at his or her own level.
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Edutopia: Common Ground: Teaching Kids the Benefits of Working Together
Article discusses how cooperative learning helps create the essential skill of working (and compromising) within a group.
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Edutopia: The Kentucky Derby, Springboard to Lessons in American Culture
The Kentucky Derby offers many opportunities for teaching students about American culture and history. Numerous ideas are suggested here for engaging students in this American tradition. (Date of article: 4/30/10)
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Edutopia: Clowning Around
Insightful article offering advice about understanding and successfully handling a "class clown." Also includes common mistakes teachers make in dealing with this type of student. Available in PDF format.
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Edutopia: 5 Ways to Help Your Students Become Better Questioners
The following blog gives techniques to encourage more questioning in the classroom environment.
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Edutopia: Teaching Students How to Ask Productive Questions
This article gives insight into how to improve engagement, comprehension, and critical thinking by teaching students the process of asking insightful questions. Included is a comprehensive, metacognitive framework of questioning skills...
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Edutopia: How to Use Play for Learning
Play is a primary and integral mode through which children make sense of the world, and that it is essential to their development and well-being. This article offers ideas on how to balance play and academic expectations in your classroom.
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Edutopia: Six Tips for Brain Based Learning [Pdf]
Discover the research behind Brain-Based Learning. This resource includes classroom projects and resources as well as a reading list.