Professional Development Newsletter #4.04

October 4, 2013 // Volume 4 Issue 4

In this issue:

October is Energy Awareness Month

Fifty Ideas for you Class Web Page
Engaging Homework Help Resources
Using Evernote to Improve Personal Productivity

Professional Development Newsletter Archive

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October is Energy Awareness Month

This is an excellent opportunity for bringing awareness to some of our students. Following is a website that might prove interesting and helpful.

(http://www.eia.gov/kids/energy.cfm?page=teacher_guide)

The site has a wide range of ideas that can be used in the classroom and home settings. Thank you to Karen Hargrove for sharing this great resource.

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Fifty Ideas for Your Class Web Page

Here are some ideas from Michelle Vance, the District Technology Director of Ontario Local Schools in Ontario, Ohio. Michelle writes, "As classrooms move toward blended learning or the flipped classroom, the teacher's webpage can play a big part in “after school” help for students and parents. The webpage, either classroom- or grade-level, can be designed to include numerous items that are helpful to parents, community members, and students. It provides a place for parents to go after hours to view information about homework assignments, calendar of events, classroom pictures, study links, and more."

Check out her blog post on the Tech & Learning Web site: http://www.techlearning.com/Default.aspx?tabid=67&entryid=6483

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Engaging Homework Help Resources

With school back in session, curriculum directors, teachers, and students are eager to begin the new school year armed with tools for learning in the classroom and mastering concepts at home. Homework help resources can aid students and parents as they work through math assignments, craft essays, and more.

Below are a number of homework help resources. We’ve included apps and websites in order to offer a wide variety of help for students who may have access to different devices at home.

Apps

BuzzMath Middle School
Using this app, middle school students can personalize their math learning in an engaging, challening manner. The app features more than 270 Common Core-aligned practice activities, instant feedback to help students master skills, detailed reporting tools, and more.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/buzzmath-middle-school/id593186620?mt=8

iFormulas
iFormulas is a quick and easy way to access often-used mathematical formulas. This app will help students list and categorize hundreds of math formulas. Students also can designate their favorite formulas for quick access.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/iformulas/id346888659?mt=8

Word Wonderland 
Students can lead a frog through an adventure as they receive game-based help developing word sorting. The app, from McGraw-Hill School Education Group, is geared toward students in kindergarten through second grade. Upgrades are available for a fee.
iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/word-wonderland-primary-lite/id604126451?mt=8
Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.atm.wordElemLite

Web sites

Fact Monster
A number of academic topics are covered on this help site, including a homework center, an almanac, a collection of cool facts, and games and quizzes. The site also features polls, daily history facts, birthday, and analogies, and more.
http://www.factmonster.com/

BJ Pinchbeck’s Homework Helper
This homework help site connects students with online resources for many school subjects, including foreign languages, current events, science, math, and computer science and programming.
http://bjpinchbeck.com

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Using Evernote to Improve Personal Productivity

If you've been searching for a new productivity system or want to make better use of Evernote, give The Secret Weapon a try.  The Secret Weapon (TSW) offers a "Getting Things Done" structure and workflow for Evernote notebooks.

Once you’ve implemented TSW, each to-do in your life—which has some Action Pending, will be safely organized into its proper contexts, waiting its turn to be brought out and processed. Your email Inbox will be empty each day. What’s the result? Controlled, optimized throughput, with “no task left behind.”

Links:  Evernote // TSW site

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