There are both good and bad reasons to use Microsoft PowerPoint in the classroom. Here are some, in descending order of value: A good reason: you want to convey information that is best grasped with visual input, such as maps, graphs, or photos. A fairly good reason: you want to… Continue reading
It’s a long time since filmstrips were the best way to add multimedia in the classroom. Not only do we have many more options in terms of technology for providing visual data for our students, but the reality is that we get a higher percentage of our information from visual… Continue reading
A classroom blog gives you a place to report daily on what happens at school, to have conversations with students without time pressure, to share resources and information. So how can you get started with one? Free blogging platforms There are lots of places online where you can set up… Continue reading
We love science museums and discovery centers! Whether it’s the stuffy old fashioned Museum of Natural History with stuffed creatures in glass cases or the hands-on kind, a science museum is always a pleasure. Science City is like a science playground. Science City’s website — well, let’s just say they… Continue reading
Sure, there were bucking broncos and bulls to ride, but our favorite things at the Rodeo of the Ozarks were the sheep and the goats. Muttonbusting is an event in which little buckaroos attempt to ride sheep. It was a muddy evening when we went, so the kids were attempting… Continue reading
What if you could go on a field trip without losing class time, coming up with funding, or having to carry anyone’s jacket? Virtual fieldtrips give you that option. What’s a virtual field trip? It’s a visit to an interesting place via the world wide web. Here are a… Continue reading
I’ve just read The Multiplayer Classroom: Designing Coursework as a Game by Lee Sheldon. Sheldon, who teaches video game design, set up his whole classroom as a multiplayer game in which students went on quests and leveled to the next highest grade. He has written a book about it… Continue reading
The story of Atlantis, the wonderful kingdom that sank beneath the ocean, captures student imaginations and provides terrific teachable moments for science, literature, and social studies. The only written record of Atlantis, and the origin of the story, is in the Dialogues of the Greek philosopher Plato, where he writes… Continue reading
When you have a computer lab or technology class to decorate, you have limited choices when it comes to ready-made gear. My theory on this is that the way computers look changes so frequently that manufacturers couldn’t get their money’s worth out of a design before people were giggling… Continue reading
“Retrofuture” refers to earlier ideas about what our current time would be like. Now that we’ve hit the 21st century, we have lots to choose from — people making predictions in the 1900s often chose the 21st century to write or draw or make movies about. Have your students explore… Continue reading
