Free Maths Worksheets for Teachers

Math Aids is undoubtedly a treasure trove of free dynamically created math worksheets. It features more than 895 unique worksheets for all grades from kindergarten to grade 12. These worksheets are organized into 74 math topics all of which are accessible through the left hand column.

Math Aids is free to use and does not require any sign-up. Just head over to its main page and sift through the topics listed on the left. Each of these topics features a wide variety of worksheets. The great thing about these worksheets is that they come in a format that allows you to customize them on site by adding text, changing values..etc to suit your specific teaching needs. After you finisih customizing your worksheets you can then print or download  the PDF version which usually includes answer keys.

Math Aids does not only provide you with ready made high quality math worksheets but also allows you to create your own worksheets to use with you students. If you are a math teacher, a parent or home schooler interested in measuring your learners mastery of basic math skills or giving them extra practice, then Math Aid is definitely a must have.

Post Source : http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/05/over-800-free-dynamic-math-worksheets.html

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Learning and Literacy by Games

James Paul Gee is one of the renowned scholars and authors in the field of New Literacies Studies. Most of Gee's work over the last few years focused on the study and analysis of digital and video games. His book " What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning and Literacy" is a culmination of his work in this field.

In this book, Gee analyses some popular games such as first-person shooter games, fantasy role-playing games, real-time strategy games, and simulation games and draws out a set of learning principles that are embedded within these games and which make them  more engaging, challenging, and ultimately fun to play. Comparing the kind of learning that takes place in these gaming affinity spaces to the one that take place in school environments, Gee found out that the "levels of textual and cognitive interaction in traditional schooling are decidedly wanting" (Kalantzis & Cope,  "Literacies" ).

Gee contends that gaming affinity spaces where gamers get to virtually meet and discuss the content of their games, help each other solve game-related problems, these spaces are multimodal sites of literacy in which students navigate narratives as powerful as any in the literary canon." They do this as character, as players, as actors in the narrative. They negotiate text and image."

Upon the analysis of several video games , Gee sketched out some of the main benefits these games have for learning and literacy. The table below taken from Literacies(a book I am reading this week) features some of them.

Post Source : http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/05/the-benefits-of-games-on-learning-and.html

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Free Moocs

The summer vacation is around the corner and while it is a great time for us to have a break from the classroom routine, it is also the convenient time for us to do things we always wanted to do but we were not able to because of lack of time and busy time schedules.You might have plans for some freelance reading, learning a new digital literacy, writing a short story...you name it, but whatever your plans are you should always keep in mind that as teachers we are constantly looking for new opportunities to expand our knowledge and grow professionally. Your plans should always operate within this framework.

Image source: https://www.flickr.com/photos/gforsythe/

Yes summer vacation is a golden opportunity for you to learn new things and MOOCs ( Massive Open Online Courses) are among the top choices I would recommend. If you haven't tried a MOOC before then grab one this summer and explore the learning experience it provides. It is definitely worth trying. Open Culture features a list of more than 800 MOOCs from top universities from all around the world. The majority of these MOOCs offer " certificates" or " statements of completion" (not a university credit). You can sift through this list and pick out the ones that interest you. Courses in these MOOCs are organized by start date and some of these courses (called evergreen) are not time bound and you can start them anytime you want. Evergreen courses are featured in the bottom of the list.

Related: MOOCs Explained for Teachers

If you find the number of the MOOCs featured in Open Culture too overwhelming then consider this curated list I made specifically for teachers and educators. These are some great MOOC courses that  will start next June.

1. Technology in A Foreign Language Class (NI) - Canvas Network - June 3 (5 weeks)
2. Tangible Things: Discovering History Through Artworks, Artifacts, Scientific Specimens, etc. (CC) – Harvard on edX – June 2 (5 weeks)
3. 5 Habits of Highly Creative Teachers (NI) - Northwest Colorado BOCES on Canvas - June 2 (5 weeks)
4. Understanding Research Methods (SA) – University of London on Coursera – June 2 (6 weeks)
5. Programming for everybody
6. Model Thinking (CC) – University of Michigan on Coursera – June 2 (10 weeks)
7. Evolution: A Course for Educators (NI) – American Museum of Natural History – June 2 (4 weeks)
8. Education in a Changing World (SA) – Open2study – June 2 (4 weeks)
9. Teaching Adult Learners (SA) – Central Institute of Technology on Open2study – June 2 (4 weeks)
10. Decision Skills: Power Tools to Build Your Life (NI) - Decision Education Foundation on NovoEd – June 16 (6 weeks)
11. Crafting an Effective Writer: Tools of the Trade (SA) – Mt. San Jacinto College on Coursera – June 20 (5 weeks)
12. The Addicted Brain – Emory on Coursera (NI) – June 23 (8 weeks)
13. Teaching Goes Massive: New Skills Required (NC) – University of Zurich on Coursera – June 23 (3 weeks)
14. Assessment and Teaching of 21st-Century Skills (SA) – University of Melbourne on Coursera – June 30 (5 weeks)

Post Source : http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/05/over-800-free-moocs-to-help-you-grow.html

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Pillars of Digital Literacy

Essential Elements of Digital Literacy

• Cultural – Look at the context in which the literacy is situated
• Cognitive – How do we think when we are using a device (vs when we are not)?
• Constructive – We should aim to use technology in a constructive (vs a passive) way
• Communicative – We should be using technology to enhance our communications
• Confident – You need to be confident to jump in feet first and explore/use/master/learn technology
• Creative – Using technology in the classroom requires some creativity and risk taking – don’t stick to the basics when you can test out a new idea or use for technology
• Critical – You need the ability to look at the technologies you’re using (and what you’re using them for) with a critical eye
• Civic- We should be using the technologies available to us for greater good (which can be widely defined)

Post Source : http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/05/the-8-pillars-of-digital-literacies.html

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Flipped Learning

Just come across this wonderful visual entitled "Growth in Flipped Learning" and want to share it with you as well. The visual is created by Sophia and Flipped Learning Network and features some interesting stats about the actual use of flipped learning methodology.

According to the Flipped Learning Network,  Flipped learning is  "a pedagogical approach in which direct instruction moves from the group learning space to the individual learning space, and the resulting group space is transformed into a dynamic, interactive learning environment where the educator guides students as they apply concepts and engage creatively in the subject matter. "

Snapshot taken from Sophia's graphic

Here are some of the highlights from this graphic :

• 78% of teachers have flipped a lesson in 2014
• 96% of teachers who have flipped a lesson or unit would recommend that method to other teachers.
• the majority of flipped teaching still occurs in high school
• 9 out of 10 teachers noticed a positive change in student engagement since flipping their class.
• 71% of teachers stated improved grades since using flipped classroom
• Close to half of teachers flip their class 1 or 2 times a week showing it doesn't need to be on everyday activity
• 93% of teachers who are flipping their classroom started as their own initiative.
• 74% of teachers said that their flipped learning efforts are supported by their school administration

Post Source : http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/05/awesome-new-flipped-learning-graphic.html

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Learning Trends

Blended learning can tick a lot of boxes for a lot of different teachers who teach in potentially quite different scenarios. From 1:1 classrooms and schools with plenty of iPads to BYOD classes filled with different types (and amounts) of technology, blended learning can help nearly every teacher make learning more personalized and more interesting for their students.  Implementing a blended learning program in your classroom can be a great way to put the technology tools you have – whatever they may be – to use. The handy infographic below takes a look at 10 blended learning trends that are showing up in today’s classrooms. Keep reading to learn more!

10 Blended Learning Trends

1. The student-centered learning experience – focus on the students rather than on the teacher offers a more inquiry driven and experiential learning experience
2. Soaring numbers of digital learners – the number of students participating in classroom-only education is shrinking (albeit slowly) while the number of students participating in some type of online learning is steadily growing (despite making up a much smaller percentage of students)
3. Building higher order thinking skills – students are required to look at information more critically rather than just trying to memorize what is presented to them in class
4. Realizing benefits for both teachers and students – this approach benefits not only the students, but teachers too!
5. A framework for data-driven decision making in education – a blended approach offers more data and information for teachers, administrators, and parents to make more informed decisions
6. A personalized learning approach – by a lean, blended and interactive approach
7. Productive gamification – bringing students to deeper learning
8. The mobile world is where learners live now – more so for personal than school use
9. Students have personal access to mobile devices – smartphones, tablets, laptops and digital reading devices trump desktops
10. The need for more broadband – 72% of schools in the US lack the broadband access they need to support digital learning

Post Source : http://www.edudemic.com/blended_learning_trends/

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New Learners vs New Teachers

I am actually reading a book by Kalantzis Mary and Bill Cope entitled "Literacies". In this wonderful work, the authors take you into an eventful journey back into the history of literacy and guide you through the major changes that marked the use of literacy in each era and how teaching pedagogy has been shaped by the meaning that literacy takes in each of these eras. The book also outlines four major approaches to literacy : Didactic literacy , authentic literacy, functional literacy, and critical literacy. Each of these approaches has its own ramifications in education and pedagogy. I will write more in details about these four types of approaches in an article to be published in the few coming weeks.

As I was reading "Literacies" I came across this wonderful chart that captures the essence of the thinking and values that lie behind the new assigned roles of teachers and student. These roles are informed by the new conceptions of literacies which regard learning and teaching as a collaborative process of meaning making.

Table taken from " Literacies"

Post Source : http://www.educatorstechnology.com/2014/05/a-handy-chart-featuring-new-learners-vs.html

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