"Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day…" - 5 new articles

Ten years ago, in another somewhat futile attempt to reduce the backlog of resources I want to share, I began this occasional “Ed Tech Digest” post where I share three or four links I think are particularly useful and related to…ed tech, including some Web 2.0 apps.

You might also be interested in checking out all my edtech resources.

Here are this week’s choices:

FlashDrop lets you share large files for free.  I’m adding it to THE BEST TOOLS FOR SENDING LARGE FILES.

Mock Social lets you create fake text chats. I’m adding it to The Best Tools For Creating Fake “Stuff” For Learning.

Forty News tells you about major events that took place on each day forty years ago. I’m adding it to The Best “Today In History” Sites.

This is from Recommendo:

MyTaxReceipt shows you a breakdown of how your U.S. federal taxes get spent — enter your Zip code and the amount you paid in Federal taxes (or you can use the default average for your Zip code). It generates a receipt-style summary showing what portion goes to defense, healthcare, interest on debt, and dozens of other categories. It’s eye-opening to see actual dollar amounts. The site also lets you message Congress about your spending priorities with one click. 

I’m adding it to The Best Sites For Learning About Taxes.

DeskCap is a free screen recorder. I’m adding it to The Best Tools For Making Screencasts.

     

I have posted regularly over the years about different goal-setting strategies I used with my students (see Best Posts On Students Setting Goals).

I never did find one that worked very well.

Recently, I read a NY Times piece on “Vision Boards” – I was skeptical of vision boards. A WNBA Hall of Famer changed my mind.

If I was still in the classroom, I’d probably give it a try.  Here are some resources, in addition to the Times article:

Here’s a lesson plan on creating one digitally, along with this one, Student-Created Vision Boards with Google Slides.

Vision Board Ideas for Students: Turning Goals and Dreams Into Reality is from K12.

Vision Board for Goal Setting is from OTAN.

     

60 Seconds Knowledge seems like it could be a pretty useful YouTube channel for educators.

They create short videos providing the answers to intriguing questions.

I could see teachers showing them followed by a short writing prompt.

For example, students could be shown this video and asked to write about times in their own lives and in other points in history where people won the battle but lost the war, and reflect on why that might have happened:

 

     

I regularly highlight my picks for the most useful posts for each month — not including “The Best…” lists. I also use some of them in a more extensive monthly newsletter I send-out. You can see older Best Posts of the Month at Websites Of The Month (more recent lists can be found here).

You can also see my all-time favorites here. I’ve also been doing “A Look Back” series reviewing old favorites, too.

Here are some of the posts I personally think are the best, and most helpful, ones I’ve written during this past month (not in any order of preference) – also note that I group many updates on the Trump administration’s current attack on education and democracy in weekly posts you can find here):

Google Translate’s “Practice” Feature Finally Makes Itself A Useful Tool For Language Learning – It Now Assesses Your Pronunciation!

Inductive Teaching Has Always Been An Effective Strategy, Perhaps Even More So In The AI Era

UCLA Unveils Free Online Multimedia High School Textbook About Asian Americans & Pacific Islanders

No Sh_T Sherlock, Another Study Finds That Just Because Your Students Do Well At Advantaged School Doesn’t Mean You’ll Have The Same Success At A Low-Income One

Yes, A Big Study Came Out Today Highlighting Plummeting Test Scores But, No, I Don’t Think It Tells The Whole Story

Yet Another Study Finds Reasons To Be Very Cautious When Using Value Added Measurements To Evaluate Teachers

Google Unveils A Hub Of Tons Of Resources Related To The 250th Anniversary Of The U.S.

More Research Shows What Most Educators Know: Teachers Get Better As They Gain More Experience

The “Birth Lottery” Shows Your Possible Life Trajectory If You Were Born In A Different Country

I Like This Ideas Of Language “Upgrading” Instead Of Language “Correction”

A Key Issue Often Overlooked In Efforts To Reduce Use Of Laptops In Class – It’s Going To Make More Work For Teachers

Study Identified A Long Overlooked Aspect Of Student Achievement – The Impact Of Student Mobility

I’m Not Sure Show How Important It Is To Use This Strategy In Teacher Credentialing Classes, But It’s A “Must-Do” When Working In Class With Student Teachers

What I Do As A Volunteer Tutor In Our County’s Juvenile Facility

“Twin Pics” Looks Like A Good Classroom Game To Support ELL Writing

Check Out The “Open FactBook”

The NY Times Tiny Memoir Contest Is The BEST – & You Can Use Their Materials & Models Anytime Of The Year

“Storybuilder” Is An Easy Tool For Creating “Choose Your Own Adventure” Stories

“How to Use Artificial Intelligence With English Learners—According to Teachers”

“12 Ways Administrators Can Support Teachers”

“To Teach (and Reach) English Learners, Center Their Identity”

     

Are Students Really Learning? How to Check for Understanding is the headline of one of my recent Education Week columns.

One of the best methods is to make student thinking visible.

Here are some excerpts: