Creative Educator Past Issues:
This issue is full of articles and strategies for connecting with our students and making learning effective and relevant. Articles this month address hard-to-reach learners on both ends of the learning spectrum, encouraging you to engage students by adjusting HOW you teach rather than changing WHAT you teach.
This issue is dedicated to the concept of student-centered learning. Kathleen Cushman, author of "Fires in the Mind" demonstrates how to support student development of drive and mastery. Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager contributed insightful articles on the computer lab and computer literacy, once again challenging our assumptions
This issue features an article on reaching and teaching English Language Learners and includes specific strategies for building language proficiency with Pixie. For secondary math and science educators, Brad Smrstick shares some great ways to support learning with student created animations. Gary Stager brings us back to thinking about paper in Genius of Print, and Sylvia Martinez encourages us to Say the Change We Want to See!
This issue features an article on action research and we encourage you to take the time to learn more about this process and begin using it to tell your classroom story. This issue also includes articles to help you better implement, support, and share your work with student projects. David Cochran's great article on capitalizing on the talents of students with special needs helps us remember that these students are differently-abled, not disabled.
The articles in this issue on using comics, podcasting, digital storytelling, and designing effective projects will provide ideas and inspiration for making your classroom a more active and creative learning environment. As a fan of making learning fun, We encourage you to explore the article by Dr. Henry Olds and Dr. Walter F. Drew that demonstrates the importance of play in developing cognitive skills.
With articles on Universal Design for Learning (UDL) and opinions and ideas from Gary Stager and Liz Allen about designing student project work, you will find strategies you can use in your classroom to foster creativity, investigation, thinking, problem solving, and more. Bernajean PorterÃs second article on digital storytelling also focuses on practical applications in the classroom.
This issue includes some ideas for using interactive whiteboards and document cameras. Whether your students are just starting to write or are already accomplished writers, learn how to engage them in literature by publishing with Pixie. If you are responsible for planning and implementing professional development, the article on a Project-Based Approach to Technology Staff Development will provide new ideas and new directions for your program.
If TIME is your nemesis, don't miss the feature article from David Cochran on making the most of your time. With the wealth of information now available on line, information literacy is more important than ever. Explore how Liz Allen combined WebBlender and the Big 6 Information Literacy Process for engaging student projects that build these important skills. This issue also contains articles on collaboration, podcasting, and building early literacy skills.
As teachers, we need to be aware of the level of thought of activities so we can be assured that we are providing a variety of experiences for our students and helping them develop higher levels of thinking. This issue feature article explores the New Bloom's Taxonomy and ideas for projects you can implement right away. This issue also contains articles on building science skills through clay animation with Frames and creative activities with Pixie.
This issue's feature article is on the power of clay animation to engage students and help them build 21st century skills. The issue also contains several articles on effective project design from an overview of the process to the specific steps of writing an effective authentic task. You will also find articles on creative approaches to math lessons and strategies for using the Recipes4Success during professional development.
