No matter your grade level or subject, mastering the art of conducting a successful question and answer period is critical. Every teacher who's been at it for a while has experienced the joy of when their students are 'on it' and actively engaged with questioning, not just by giving the right answers, but by seeming excited by the fact that they know the right answers. They also know the fear of when they see nothing but blank stares either through lack of knowledge or lack of caring.   Continue Reading...

What if you could see your students' learning outside of the classroom? Perhaps an after school job that is improving reasoning skills; or an online video game which is strengthening the ability to collaborate; or just simply a website that is assisting in the improvement of analytical reading skills. That would be nifty...yes, nifty.   Continue Reading...

Today there is a very happy 14 year-old in school. Last night, she created her own Facebook profile after months (years) of pleading to parents. Her "technology is power" aunt may have had something to do with it. And her Facebook-savvy cousin was more than happy to assist in the birth of an online profile.   Continue Reading...

Here are the four latest Best Practices Weekly editions – don't forget to go to www.bestpracticesweekly.com to sign up for the weekly emails or to see archived editions!   Continue Reading...

Mrs. Sherry Crane, a teacher at Wattsburg Area Elementary in Eerie, Pennsylvania, was one of the many deserving educators to receive a national grant from the AAE Foundation in June. Mrs. Crane teaches 1st grade reading and applied for a grant to add to her classroom library for an independent and partner reading program.   Continue Reading...

Games are such a powerful tool in education, that it often saddens me that they're not used more. Especially as kids get older, we tend to think that we must be earnest and serious in what we teach, and many times games, if played at all, get relegated to review instead of taking their proper place as a way of obtaining information.   Continue Reading...

We are regularly reminded that our students are 21st century learners. We know that we need to be infusing them with 21st century skills. And don't forget that all of this is because the 21st century job market and 21st century technology demand a different kind of worker, a different kind of thinking. But here is a little food for thought: who is teaching these little digital natives? Obviously, we the teachers have a good hand in that education. So how would you rate yourself as a 21st century educator?   Continue Reading...

Teachers, you have so many good ideas for your classroom. Well, here is something that will make those ideas a reality—winning a $500 teacher scholarship or classroom grant. It is worth taking time to apply.

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This Saturday, September 17, is Constitution Day/Citizenship Day, commemorating the September 17, 1787, signing of the U.S. Constitution. In recognition, Congress has mandated that every educational institution receiving federal funds take a day to teach about our country's most important document. Since September 17 falls on a Saturday this year, institutions may celebrate either the preceding or the following week. If you are planning on discussing the constitution with your students, there are some fantastic resources for reading, sharing and contributing.   Continue Reading...

Teachers around the world are gearing up for the new school year -- but the experience is going to be vastly different for new teachers. Where an experienced teacher has the knowledge of what worked and what didn't, a new teacher is going to be bombarded with tons of new info and the need to process it! Not to mention, they will be preparing for the most important piece of all: their classroom instruction.   Continue Reading...

This Sunday is the ten year anniversary of the terrorist attacks that changed our country forever. In light of this milestone, many education experts have raised the question about how to address this tragedy and our ongoing wars with students, especially with those students who have no memory of the day. While there are no national or state guidelines for teaching this recent and still emotional part of our history, many teachers are, for the most part, on their own as they decide how to explain and teach these events to a broad range of students. If you are planning discussing the attacks with your students, there are some fantastic resources for reading, sharing and contributing.   Continue Reading...

This is an exciting week at AAE. Today, the professional development branch of the AAE blog has a new partner, Best Practices Weekly (BPW). BPW is a free non-profit professional development service for teachers that summarizes education research into bite-size chunks for busy educators.   Continue Reading...

Academic and reading company, Scholastic released their top games and suggestions for teachers to get to know their students this new school year. With classes just beginning, now is the perfect time to brush up on good icebreaking ideas for your classroom.   Continue Reading...

Let's see if following anecdote takes you on a walk down memory lane:"I was watching my sister-in-law struggle to write a paper. She wasn't struggling with what to say, but with the physical process of writing. She was sitting at the kitchen counter trying to type a passage into her laptop, her elbow shakily propping open the book from which she was quoting. She was forced to look back and forth from the book to the screen; she'd lose her place; the book would slip and close; the whole thing was terribly awkward. I thought, 'There's really gotta be a better way to do that.' "   Continue Reading...

As we energize a new set of students to tackle curriculum for their betterment, I hope we will do the same for ourselves as educators. And, in true form, I suggest Twitter as the curriculum that we should tackle.   Continue Reading...

Ms. Stephanie Proud, a teacher at Providence Hall Charter School in Herriman, Utah, was awarded an AAEF scholarship to outfit her classroom with new writing supplies. The funding will allow Ms. Proud to create a permanent writing center in the classroom, complete with a post office, a variety of writing utensils and materials, including individual whiteboards, student journals, and bookmaking supplies. AAE Director of Professional Development Jill Newell was on hand to deliver her certificate personally alongside her principal.   Continue Reading...

With the beginning of the school year just weeks or days away, many teachers will be returning early to set up their bulletin boards and classrooms. That is an exciting time—except that there's so much stuff to put up. In addition to organizing the room and making it inviting, teachers must put all the required teacher-made pieces in place, lest an omission be noted in a walkthrough observation.   Continue Reading...

Last week involved a trip down to Arkansas for a Differentiated Instruction training in Russellville for teachers in Hector School District. We were lucky enough to hold the training at an Arkansas Tech University facility, Lakepoint Conference Center, on the banks of Lake Dardanelle. And, as usual, I was more than happy to have some real Arkansas BBQ provided by Fat Daddy's. Pulled pork is delicious, and the sides...well, I digress.   Continue Reading...

Let's discuss Google products today. It really can't be ignored; think about it. When searching on the internet how often is this phrase heard, "I don't know, Google it." It became a genericized trademark in less than ten years. The products are quality and it's all free.

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Free classes. Free content. Varied learning formats. Reliable. Standards based (NSCD, AASL, ISTE). Certificates of completion. The Library of Congress (LOC) offers professional development (PD) using primary sources. As pointed out by eSchool News, “Approximately 19 million primary resources have been digitized, and [they are] are a mix of photos, maps, posters, and other exciting materials.” Looks like a professional learning opportunity worth investigating.   Continue Reading...