| Social Studies – Preparing Students for College, Career and Civic Life |  |
- Tenn. teacher brings historical figures to life
Christopher Columbus and Abraham Lincoln have stopped by fourth-grade teacher Kristin Risdahl's classroom at Brickey-McCloud Elementary School in Knox County, Tenn. Risdahl dons costumes and takes on the role of these and other historical figures to help engage her students and provide them a learning experience she says she didn't have at their age. "She's definitely one of those very unique teachers who goes outside the box, out of her way to make social studies come alive," school principal Robbie Norman said. The Knoxville News-Sentinel (Tenn.)(free registration)
(11/26)
 
- The benefits of teaching students about effort
 Effort empowers learning, writes Kevin D. Washburn, executive director of Clerestory Learning. In this blog post, he suggests teachers emphasize effort in the classroom by avoiding the oversimplification of historic and scientific achievements by including stories about struggle and success. He also suggests showing the relationship between effort and results, and separating "strategy from individual worth." SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education
(11/21)
 | Teach Holocaust History with Echoes and Reflections
Echoes and Reflections is the leader in Holocaust education, providing teacher training programs across the U.S. Earn professional development credit and explore classroom-ready materials― lessons include maps, photos, primary source documents, visual history testimony, and connections to standards. Find a program today!
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| Professional Development
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- Mentoring helps develop effective teachers
Great teachers are not born, they are made, says Shira Loewenstein, associate director of New Teacher Support at Yeshiva University. In this blog post, she offers suggestions for teachers hoping to mentor new educators. She recommends becoming part of a formal mentoring program and opening up the classroom to novice teachers. Edutopia.org/Shira Loewenstein's blog
(11/21)
- The journey of one technology-rich school
Eric Sheninger, principal at New Milford High School in New Jersey, writes in this blog post about his school's efforts to integrate technology. He writes that his school's successful journey included a coherent vision, a focus on connecting with fellow educators through social media and an understanding of the value of technology. He also writes about the need for professional development, support and a staff that embraces technology. SmartBrief/SmartBlog on Education
(11/26)
- Texas teachers to be featured in PD videos
The University of North Texas plans to publish videos on its website intended to highlight effective teaching and demonstrate best practices for educators. The university has filmed examples of excellence in teaching at Texas' Amarillo Area Center for Advanced Learning. "If you hang around the good crowd, you pick up those qualities. By way of the Internet and these videos, we're having new teachers hang around the good crowd," curriculum specialist Mike Gentry said. Amarillo Globe-News (Texas)
(11/24)
| Technology in the Classroom
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- A guide to Twitter for educators
Educators are increasingly using Twitter to connect and share resources and insight, asserts Amy Erin Borovoy, Edutopia's digital media curator. In this blog post, she offers resources to help teachers use Twitter in the classroom. Included are tips for educators new to Twitter, hashtag basics and ideas about what teachers should post. Edutopia.org/Amy Erin Borovoy's blog
(11/23)
- Moving education into the 21st century
Today's students need to be prepared for a 21st-century workforce, yet they are being educated in a 20th-century manner, writes Howard Elias, president and chief operating officer of EMC Information Infrastructure and Cloud Services. In this blog post, he advocates for the flipped instructional model as the solution to transforming the classroom and the way students learn information. Forbes
(11/27)
| Social Studies & Civic Life
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- Teen's research leads to book of Mass. town's history
Eamon McCarthy Earls, 18, spent his senior year writing a history book about Franklin, Mass., called "Franklin: From Puritan Precinct to 21st Century 'Edge City.' " Born and raised in Franklin, Earls said he already knew some information about the community, but he did more research at the library and Historical Commission and by conducting interviews with residents. "I really try to make it a story that people can follow, and see where all the pieces come in," said Earls, now a University of Massachusetts Amherst freshman. The Boston Globe(tiered subscription model)
(11/28)
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 | The foolish man seeks happiness in the distance; the wise grows it under his feet."
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