Yearly Archives: 2016

/2016

How to Choose an Edtech Tool

There are so many different edtech tools out there to use with your students that it can feel overwhelming trying to decide which ones to use.  LinkedIn has put together a short (less than an hour!) course that can help you evaluate the usefulness and fit of any tool that you're considering using.  You need [...]

By | 2016-10-13T08:49:28-05:00 October 13th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Tool Tip Tuesday: FANschool

An understanding of current events is hugely important for today's students, but it can be hard to get them invested in things that are happening countries or even states away.  FANschool transforms the study of news events into a fantasy sports game where students research either countries or states and draft them based on how [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:48:36-05:00 October 11th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

World Teacher Day

Yesterday was World Teacher Day, but we at MXN think the work teachers do deserves much more than just one day.  Thank you for the countless hours you put in and all the hard work you do to make sure your students succeed.  We couldn't do this without you!

By | 2017-09-12T11:04:43-05:00 October 6th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Tool Tip Tuesday: Storyboard That

With the shift to more visual forms of education over verbal (graphic organizers, anyone?), lots of teachers are turning to storyboarding and its cousins.  Some students are intimidated by these assignments because they are self-conscious about their artistic skills, so a program that allows them to use pre-created artwork to create their storyboards is ideal. [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:42:25-05:00 October 4th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Changes to Title I Funding

Since its passing, the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (now Every Student Succeeds Act) has provided funding for low-income schools through language present in its Title I.  After failing to lay out a set of rules to update the "supplements not supplants" stipulation for funding, the Department of Education finally handed down its regulations at [...]

By | 2017-09-12T11:04:55-05:00 September 29th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Tool Tip Tuesday: Animals, Adaptation, and the Galapagos Islands

I've been working with second graders recently at the local nature center and they're learning about the ways animals adapt to survive so this got me looking for resources that can be used to fill that particular standard.  Smithsonian has some great interactives that cover the topic of adaptation and its sister concept, evolution.  A [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:42:35-05:00 September 27th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Character Every Day

If you're looking for a way to introduce character education into your classroom but don't know where to start, check out the resources from Let It Ripple.  Their resources are organized by different character strengths and include things like articles, books, lesson plans, movies, games, and links to outside resources and organizations.  Further, the character [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:42:49-05:00 September 22nd, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Tool Tip Tuesday: OER Aggregators

Today's Tool Tip Tuesday is a little different.  Instead of reviewing one particular website or tool, today I'm listing a handful of websites where you can find Open Educational Resources, which range from online interactive activities to readings to quizzes to high-quality images.  Most websites are organized by grade and subject level so you can [...]

By | 2017-09-12T10:42:57-05:00 September 20th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Personalized Learning Report

Education Elements has put together an annual report about the impact of personalized learning over the last school year. Check it out here (bonus: unlike a lot of end-of-year educational reports, it's actually readable!)

By | 2017-09-12T11:05:09-05:00 September 15th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments

Tool Tip Tuesday: Bainbridge Reading Games

Christina Bainbridge, an early elementary teacher from Michigan, has put together a great list of online resources that help students practice reading skills.  Topics covered include phonemic awareness, alphabetic principle, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Website: http://www.bainbridgeclass.com/readinggames.htm Subject: Reading, Language Arts Grade Level: K-3 Price: Free

By | 2017-09-12T09:50:22-05:00 September 13th, 2016|ePortal|0 Comments