Category: Web resources

Thank you Big Deal Media…

Every fall for many years, I have looked forward to the release of Big Deal Media’s Big Deal Book for K-12 Technology. The collection of resources, PD opportunities, grant ideas and more is a fun way to dig into the school year. I also love that it is in print and ebook form and is easy to share with colleagues. Big Deal Media’s K-12 Technology Newsletter is another great way to keep the ideas flowing throughout the year.

Today I also want to thank Big Deal Media for the opportunity to write a post for their blog, Teaching4Tomorrow. It is fun to be able to share ideas with an expanded community of educators. For the past year or so, digital tools to support the 4C’s have been a focus of presentations and professional development I have been offering and when I started writing the post, it was pre-COVID. Now, with that added lens, I hope the ideas shared help even more educators who are navigating digital teaching in new ways.

Teach on!

I miss teaching about the US Supreme Court

Last spring, after 21 years at Totino-Grace High School,  I decided it was time to make a change in primary employment. I now drive across the Twin Cities every day and work with the Upper School faculty at Breck School as an Academic Technology Coordinator. The position is evolving, and I enjoy working with faculty on ways to leverage technology to support teaching and learning and designing quality research-informed learning activities for any classroom. That being said, I do miss teaching about the US Supreme Court. I must miss it a lot as I am waking up my blog after years of dormancy, and offer the following.

 

oblique_facade_3_us_supreme_court

If you’re ever in Washington DC, I cannot strongly enough encourage you to check out the US Supreme Court, located just East of the Capitol building. Oral arguments and decisions are open to the public, and even the open self-guided walking tour is impressive. Until the opportunity to visit presents itself, here is a quality short background piece from CNN on the US Supreme Court, this Crash Course walks through the Supreme Court procedures.  As there are only 9 sitting justices, I often found that students would be intrigued when they could hear the justices speak and share their stories. With that in mind, here are two playlists, one from YouTube and one mostly from C-SPAN,  with collections of videos showcasing available interviews with or talks by the sitting justices.

 

A New Look at the War of 1812

The USS Constitution Museum published a new website which has an interactive experience for K-12 students focusing on 19th century naval life and the War of 1812. From an interactive exploration of Old Ironsides to a role-playing game which puts the player in the position of a sailor, to an exploration of those who served on board the USS Constitution, this is a fun and engaging web-resource. Lesson plans, ideas for classroom integration, and activities for families are also offered on the site.