Resource Roundup: Digital Learning for Educators

Every month we feature a Resource Roundup to highlight a key topic in technology integration and teaching and learning with digital materials. This month’s topic: Digital Learning for Educators!

Professional development activities—especially those that are collaborative— are resource hungry. Effective teaching resources that have direct application to the Common Core Standards can excite teachers’ imaginations.Below are several resources with the potential to stimulate creative juices, motivate ideas, and help teachers strengthen lessons.Check out these resources; discuss how they can be used; use them in your classroom; and reflect upon them with your colleagues.

• Beyond Slices of Pizza, Teaching Fractions Effectively by the National Mathematics Advisory Panel and the Department of Education, discusses the importance of teaching fractions to students as it is the first abstract math concept they are approached with which will lead to their understanding of algebra. Common metaphors, such as the slice of pizza in reference to fractions, often confuse students later in learning multiplication of fractions and beyond. The five part video series discusses best approaches to take in educating students on the not-so-simple subject of fractions.
• Often times a classroom is comprised of students of various backgrounds and levels of learning. The Learning Classroom: Theory into Practice 4. Different Kinds of Smart - Multiple Intelligences is a 30 minute Professional Development session for educators, which delves into the different levels of intelligence within a classroom. The mini-seminar focuses on how teachers can utilize the different levels of student intelligence in teaching a lesson. When viewing this video, consider how to reach students at every level by employing a UDL classroom.

In addition to different levels of learning and intelligence, students have different backgrounds in language. Duolingo and Mindsnacks are two free language learning apps that are great PD resources for teachers looking to break the language barrier with students who speak another language. Mindsnacks teaches Chinese, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish; Duolingo teaches English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, and Spanish. Once you sign up online you can access either app from any apple device, making it easier learn a new language to connect to ELL students. Mindsnacks also has apps devoted to students, including vocabulary to increase language proficiency and reading skills.

Also, be sure to search for Professional Development resources on PowerUp WHAT WORKS!