Watch Know Learn

We stumbled across WatchKnowLearn.org and wanted to share this resource with you.  WatchKnowLearn has indexed approximately 50,000 educational videos, placing them into a directory of over 5,000 categories. The videos are available without any registration or fees to teachers in the classroom, as well as parents and students at home 24/7.  WatchKnowLearn provides videos from several sources including: Teacher Tube, Curriki, brightstorm, National Geographic, Vimeo, Hulu, and more.

Ed Reports

EdReports.org, a new, independent nonprofit designed to improve K-12 education in the United States, will launch in winter 2014. EdReports.org will provide free, web-based reviews of instructional materials series focusing on alignment to the Common Core and other indicators of high quality as recommended by educators, including usability, teacher support and differentiation. These Consumer Reports-style reviews will highlight those instructional materials that are aligned to the higher standards states have adopted so that teachers, principals and district and state officials charged with purchasing materials can make more informed choices.

EdReports.org will first review K-8 mathematics materials. Subsequent reviews will cover secondary math and K-12 English Language Arts.

Educators and instructional experts from across the country are driving their materials-evaluation process. All reviews will be conducted by expert educators.


Currently, EdReports is seeking talented K-12 teachers, principals, instructional coaches, district and state staff, and ELA and mathematics content experts across the country to serve as Content Reviewers. Reviewers work in small clusters (or teams) with fellow educators to receive intensive training on the EdReports.org review criteria, conduct reviews of both print and digital yearlong instructional materials and collect evidence to support EdReports.org ratings. Reviewers will collaborate with talented ELA and mathematics educators and experts from around the country to conduct reviews.

EdReports.org has already started reviewing grades K-8 mathematics but ongoing reviews of 9-12 mathematics and K-12 ELA will begin in Spring 2015 and last approximately 3-4 months.

Check out the website for more information.

More NIXEREST

 

Differentiated Kindergarten Goal Setting

How to Ask and  Answer Questions

 

Math Vocabulary

  

Anchor Charts for Math

 

 

 Science

Social Studies

Why Is Math Different Now? - Video to Share with Parents

Why is Math Different Now from raj shah on Vimeo.

In this video, Dr. Raj Shah explains why math is taught differently than it was in the past and helps address parents' misconceptions about the "new math".

Dr. Shah is the owner and founder of Math Plus Academy (mathplusacademy.com) an academic enrichment program with two locations in Columbus, Ohio. Math Plus Academy offers class in math, robotics, programming and chess for kids from KG to 9th grade. Math Plus Academy is on a mission to show kids the joy of mathematics and science.

Thanks for sharing, Dr. Kelli Rogers!

Nixerest 2014

RECESS EXPECTATIONS

As students leave the building for recess, they are reminded of playground expectations. Students made beautiful, informative posters to hang by the outside doors to help fellow students stay on the right track during recess.

BUILDING CLASSROOM COMMUNITY

Isn't this a great poster made by one of our classroom teachers?  We LOVE that all expectations are written in a positive manner.  

LOVE THIS CHALKBOARD ON THE DOOR FOR SPECIAL NOTES

MATHEMATICAL PRACTICES POSTERS AND TODAY'S MATH FOCUS

VERY VISIBLE TO STUDENTS

YES, WE STILL TEACH SOCIAL STUDIES.

YOUR CLASS PICTURE GOES HERE...

WE HAVE THE CRAFTIEST TEACHERS!!!

 

GUIDED MATH SMALL GROUPS - BUILD

After last summer's book study, Guided Math in Action K-5 by Dr. Nicki Newton, we have a number of teachers who are implementing guided math in their classrooms.  BUILD is one way to organize what the other students are doing while the teacher meets with a small group.

Here's what the other students are working on as the teacher meets with small groups in math:

MATH ANCHOR CHARTS

Anchor Charts are an important part of the learning process. It is important to note that anchor charts are created with the students during class time. Complete anchor charts should not be made prior to the learning or reused from class to class or year to year. The collaboration and creation of the charts with the students is an extremely important part of the learning that takes place in the classroom.

The anchor charts then become a resource for all the students in the classroom. Anchor charts should be neat, colorful and easily seen anywhere in the classroom. They are placed around the room for the students to refer to during their independent work time.  Some teachers take pictures of their anchor charts and house the pictures in a notebook. Students use the notebook as a resource.  Using the charts is not cheating, but rather a way to build students' confidence and help the students be problem solvers and thinkers.