Maupin House Blog

More Support for Using Graphic Novels in Your Classroom

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Thu, 08 Aug 2013 10:00:00 +0000

If you are an educator or librarian and need help getting support for the use and inclusion of comics, graphic novels, and manga in the secondary classroom (especially ELA) and in school and class libraries, then James Bucky Carter's Rationales for Teaching Graphic Novels is the perfect fit. Included on the CD are an explanatory introduction, a genre guide and title list, and more than 100 rationales for graphic novels from almost every genre, complete with info on grade level and audience, plot summary, strengths and unique characteristics of the work, possible objections, ideas for implementation, ideas for thematic braidings, awards, reviews, and resources/references. These rationales can be used as part of a contract with parents and administrators that lays out how the texts are to be used and to help teachers feel secure in bringing the text into their classrooms, either on their shelves for independent reading or as part of a curriculum.

And if you are looking for a way to make word study come alive for students in grades five and up, reluctant readers, and ELLs, then you'll want to check out Super-Powered Word Study, also from Carter and artist Erik A. Evensen. Fifteen short mini-comics provide the engaging framework for illustrating the meanings of words and word parts in context. Games and activities allow students to interact with roots, suffixes, and affixes while all of the weekly word study explorations engage students to think about language, consider word formation, improve reading fluency, and create their own stories. This innovative book/DVD resource offers:

A highly interactive approach to word study, complete with games, activities, and practice assessments;
Prompts and optional extension activities for additional opportunities for creative writing and language exploration;
An interactive software program for projectors, whiteboards, and student computers supporting the lessons and enabling students to create their own comics; and
Easy-to-use, reproducible PDF files of the comics, riddle cards, word sorts, student notebook pages, sample comics scripts, and comics templates.

Be sure to check out both resources and download free samples at maupinhouse.com.

Graphic Novels from Capstone

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Wed, 07 Aug 2013 10:00:00 +0000

If you're looking to make graphic novels a bigger part of your classroom reading selection this year, then Capstone has an abundance of resources for you. The "Safe Graphic Novels" page offers free downloads of a graphic novel template, lesson plan, a letter to educators, and more. You can also order a free graphic novels kit by filling out the form at the top of the page. Be sure and check out the many graphic series Capstone has to offer, as well as the professional resources from author Katie Monnin on using graphic texts in the classroom: Teaching Graphic Novels, Teaching Early Reader Comics and Graphic Novels, Using Content-Area Graphic Texts for Learning, and Teaching Reading Comprehension with Graphic Texts.

Common Core 411

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Wed, 24 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000

There are a lot of opinions, misconceptions, and now even some backlash when it comes to the Common Core State Standards. So where you can you get objective information on the subject? Here are a few links from eSchool News that should help you form your own opinion on the CCSS:

A Q & A that seeks to separate fact from fiction regarding the CCSS.
A summary of the four most common contentions with the CCSS: 1) limited resources for implementation; 2) Underdeveloped high-stakes testing; 3) not aligned for college readiness; and 4) stifling creativity.
Practice tests: According to the website for Smarter Balanced Assessment Consortium, “the Smarter Balanced Practice Tests provide an early look at sets of assessment questions aligned to the Common Core for grades 3-8 and 11 in both English language arts/literacy and mathematics. The release of the Practice Tests follows the Smarter Balanced Pilot Test, the first large-scale tryout of items and performance tasks, conducted February-May.”

Should Schools Adopt Google’s 20% Innovation Policy?

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Tue, 23 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000

According to Edutopia blogger, tech staff developer, and author A.J. Juliani, Google’s policy of allowing employees to use 20% of their work time to focus on self-chosen, innovative projects can have major benefits when applied in the school setting. We all know allowing for student choice can improve motivation and incite students’ passion for learning, but Juliani notes that the innovative time can also help students exceed grade-level standards. Would you consider adopting this 20% innovation policy for the year to see how it benefits your students?

Ten of the Best Apple and Android Apps for Education

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Mon, 22 Jul 2013 10:00:00 +0000

As you start to make your fall preparations, check out eSchool News’ 2013 round-up of the best apps for your iPad, iPhone, or Android here. Their annual list has been updated to consider Common Core State Standards and other school reform measures. Do you agree with the list or have any apps to suggest to fellow educators?

Are you a connected educator?

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Fri, 21 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Most teachers are seamlessly using technology in the classroom today, connecting with their students' interests and learning needs like never before. But how can being a "connected educator" help in terms of professional development, inspiration, and peer support? No one tool is going to work for every teacher, but Edutopia's Elana Leoni shares her "ten tips for becoming a connected educator," many of which can be implemented right away. Do you have any tips to add? How have you become a more connected educator, and what else have you been wanting to try?

A New Approach to Discipline

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Thu, 06 Jun 2013 14:45:00 +0000

Lincoln Alternative High School, a notoriously troubled school in Walla Walla, Washington, changed its student discipline approach from the typical suspensions and expulsions to what Principal Jim Sporleder calls "discipline with dignity." The results were a dramatic drop in suspensions, expulsions, and written referrals. The approach is grounded in the concept of asking kids what's bothering them and why they're lashing out. Most of the time, the problems were at home and transferred into the classroom. Simply by talking to the kids, a change took place. So how did Sporleder arrive at this seemingly transformative strategy? According to this article from ACES Too High News:

John Medina – a developmental molecular biologist who’s an improbable cross between an old-time rip-snortin’ preacher and Jon Stewart – just drilled a hole in Sporleder’s brain and dropped this in:

Severe and chronic trauma (such as living with an alcoholic parent or watching in terror as your mom gets beat up) causes toxic stress in kids. Toxic stress damages kids' brains. When trauma launches kids into flight, fight or fright mode, they cannot learn.It is physiologically impossible.

Sporleder was three years into an exhausting stint as principal of the Lincoln Alternative School. He’d asked for the position after reading a report about the troubled school. The report quoted a couple of Lincoln High’s kids: “We’re the dumping ground,” one said. “Who cares about us,” another said. It wasn’t a question.

So what do you think? Would this work at your school? Would your principal and teachers be willing to make a big change and try "discipline with dignity?"

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Wed, 05 Jun 2013 10:00:00 +0000

The New Media Consortium, the Consortium for School Networking, and the International Society for Technology in Education recently released the Horizon Report K-12, which predicts which technologies will have the biggest impact on learning in the immediate future. ESchool News provides a nice summary of the report's forecast (below). What do you think? Was anything left out? Do you agree with the list and each technology's predicted implementation timeline? Would you add any other challenges to the list that affect the trends?

Learning technologies that will become widespread and widely-implemented in a year or less:
1. Bring your own device initiatives
2. Cloud computing
3. Mobile learning
4. Online learning

Technologies and practices that have the potential to change teaching and learning but are two or three years from popular practice include:
5. Electronic publishing
6. Learning analytics
7. Open content
8. Personalized learning

Four or five years down the line, learning technologies that may dramatically influence education include:
9. 3D printing
10. Augmented reality
11. Virtual and remote labs
12. Wearable technology

Several key factors are driving technology trends:

Education paradigms are shifting to include online learning, hybrid learning, and collaborative models
Social media is changing the way people interact, present ideas and information, and communicate
Openness–concepts like open content, open data, and open resources, along with the notions of transparency and easy access to data and information–is becoming valued
As the cost of technology drops and school districts revise and open up their access policies, it is becoming more common for students to bring their own mobile devices
The abundance of resources and relationships possible on the Internet is challenging us to revisit our roles as educators

Key challenges include:

Ongoing professional development needs to be valued and integrated. “The good news is that it actually is getting simpler,” said Larry Johnson, CEO of the New Media Consortium and founder of the Horizon Project. “The professional development that we’re going to need is going to be more pedagogical than technological, and I think that’s a very good sign.”
Too often, it is education’s own practices that limit broader uptake of new technologies
New models of education are bringing unprecedented competition to traditional models of schooling
K-12 must address the increased blending of formal and informal learning

It's Children's Book Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Mon, 13 May 2013 20:36:00 +0000

Children's Book Week runs May 13-19 this year. It's "the annual celebration of books for young people and the joy of reading," according to BookWeekOnline.com, which hosts the annual Children’s and Teen Choice Book Awards, the only national book awards program where winners are selected by young readers. You can celebrate nationwide through events at schools, libraries, bookstores, and your own home. Fifty cities are hosting events, so be sure to check out the Official Events and Local Events pages for specifics. Parents and teachers, let your kids download the 2013 Book Week bookmark by Grace Lin and order the free 2013 Poster by Brian Selznick! Voting for the book awards will be open at bookweekonline.com from March 19-May 9.

Looking for Some Inspirational Posters to Celebrate Teacher Appreciation Week?

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Wed, 08 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Promethean has some free poster downloads to celebrate the meaningful impact educators have on all of our lives. Thanks to teachers for all you do!

Happy Teacher Appreciation Day!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Tue, 07 May 2013 10:00:00 +0000

Edutopia has a great round-up of ways to celebrate Teacher Appreciation Month and Day, so be sure to check out their list here, which includes quotes, videos, and even a list of retailers offering discounts to educators. Teachers, of course, need to be thanked and recognized year round, but please make an extra effort this month --and today--to show your appreciation. Get even more inspired with this playlist of teacher appreciation videos. And to teachers everywhere...THANK YOU!

IRA Wrap-up

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Fri, 03 May 2013 03:01:00 +0000

We enjoyed seeing so many of you at the International Reading Association conference in San Antonio a couple weeks ago. It was the first time Maupin House appeared in the Capstone booth, and it was a great partnership. We debuted Katie Monnin's new graphic novel, Teaching Reading Comprehension with Graphic Texts: An Illustrated Adventure, had lots of authors present and sign books in the booth after sessions, and heard great feedback from teachers on what they need in their classrooms. Hopefully, you saw resources in our booth that inspired you and also attended valuable sessions. In case you missed it, IRA sent a friendly reminder email that many of the conference presenters made their handouts and resources available online to attendees in the iPlanner. You can search for a specific session, click on the title, and see a link on the pop-up with available handouts to download. We hope you had a successful, invigorating conference...See you next year!

See You at IRA!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Just a reminder that Maupin House and Capstone Classroom will be in booth #2806 in the IRA Exhibit Hall. The Exhibit Hall is open Saturday, April 20 from 10 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sunday, April 21 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m., and Monday, April 22 from 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m. Come visit us for author meet-and-greets, book signings, giveaways, discounted purchases, and more! And to all attendees, presenters, and exhibitors: have a great conference this year!

Visit Maupin House Authors in the Capstone Classroom Booth at IRA!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Wed, 17 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Make the most of your Exhibit Hall time and visit the following Maupin House authors at the Capstone Classroom booth #2806!

Saturday, April 20 (Exhibits open 10 a.m.-5 p.m.)

11-11:30 a.m.: Emily Cayuso, author of Flip for Comprehension, Flip for Non-Fiction Comprehension, and Flip for Word Work: Phonics, Spelling, and Vocabulary
12:30-1 p.m.: Susan Koehler, project editor for the CraftPlus Daily Writing Lessons and author of Crafting Expository Papers: For Teachers of Developing Writers in Grades 4-10, Models for Teaching Writing-craft Target Skills (Second Edition), Purposeful Writing Assessment, and The Complete K-5 Writing Workshop: Connecting Process, Writing Skills, and Management
1-1:30 p.m.: Elaine Weber, author of Guided Highlighted Reading: A Close-Reading Strategy for Navigating Complex Text
2:30-3 p.m.: Kaye Hagler, author of Take Five! for Language Arts: 180 Bell-Ringers that Build Critical-Thinking Skills

Sunday, April 21 (Exhibits open 9 a.m.-4 p.m.)

9:30-10 a.m.: Jane Feber, author of Active Word Play: Games and Activities That Build Vocabulary, Creative Book Reports: Fun Projects with Rubrics, and Student Engagement Is FUNdamental: Building a Learning Community with Hands-on Activities
12:30-1 p.m.: Jane Feber is back if you missed her in the morning or want to chat again!

Monday, April 22 (Exhibits open 9 a.m.-3:30 p.m.)

11-11:30 a.m.: Maggie Van Aken, author of Let’s Find out about That!: Ready-made Information Literacy Prompt Sets for Grades 6-12 (Social Studies)

Planning Your Time at IRA

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Tue, 16 Apr 2013 11:00:00 +0000

Big conferences can be overwhelming, but IRA has some helpful online tools to make scheduling sessions and exhibit time much easier. After you look over the 2013 Convention Program and "Guide to the Stars" (which tells you where and when your favorite authors will be speaking and signing in the Exhibit Hall), go to the interactive iPlanner to create a printable itinerary, which you can also email to yourself. Printed copies of both the convention program and "Guide to the Stars" are available in the registration area on-site. Check out our blog tomorrow for a listing of Maupin House authors you can visit in the Exhibit Hall at the Capstone Classroom booth #2806!

Top 5 Reasons to Visit the Exhibit Hall at IRA 2013

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 16:00:00 +0000

A recent IRA e-newsletter article offers some great reasons for carving out enough time to explore the Exhibit Hall at IRA this year. So, if you still haven't scheduled the time to do so when you're in San Antonio at the end of this week, let this list motivate you to update your calendar. Then, come see all the wonderful Maupin House and Capstone Classroom authors and their resources in booth #2806!

You can get on-trend. Check out the latest professional development products, services, resources, and tools in the Exhibit Hall. More than 230 companies will offer hands-on activities, informational sessions, and opportunities to network. Then, take your newfound knowledge back to your school and dazzle everyone with how cool and cutting-edge you are.
You can expand your autograph collection. There are more than 275 book signings scheduled for this year’s Exhibit Hall. See when and where to find your favorite authors, illustrators, and PD gurus in the Guide to the Stars, which is now available online.
You can get free stuff. Books, bags, tons of cool swag—you’ll find it all in the Exhibit Hall. And don’t forget to pick up a copy of the IRA Coupon Booklet at Registration; it includes special discounts, raffle entries, and vouchers for more complimentary items.
You can check your email. Not everyone has a smart phone, but even if you do, Wi-Fi can be spotty in crowded areas. Head to Bridge Hall or the lounge between Halls A and B to take advantage of the complimentary webstations.
You can check your bags. No need to cart around heavy, unwieldy luggage. Drop it off at the bag check just outside Hall C. (Nothing wheeled is allowed in the Exhibit Hall anyway.)

Celebrate National Library Week!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 02:06:00 +0000

Just a friendly reminder to remember and celebrate your local library this week and every week. Many libraries are holding special events in honor of National Library Week, April 14-20. To view the PSA and learn more, visit http://www.ala.org/conferencesevents/celebrationweeks/natlibraryweek. April is also School Library Month, so be sure and visit the American Association of School Librarians' Facebook page for updates and events.

Teaching Reading Comprehension with Graphic Texts is now available!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 20:11:00 +0000

Katie Monnin's new, innovative resource, Teaching Reading Comprehension with Graphic Texts: An Illustrated Adventure, is now available for purchase on the Capstone Classroom and Maupin House websites. In this engaging professional book, written in graphic novel format, Dr. Monnin shows K-12 teachers how to read, understand, and teach the unique vocabulary and anatomy of the graphic text format alongside traditional, print-based literature and content-area selections. Graphic texts are not only loved by students, they address today's reading standards for teaching multi-modal texts that combine print and images. Now you can make the most of the graphic text-driven format in your reading program today!

Greetings from the Capstone headquarters in Mankato, Minnesota!

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 17:36:00 +0000

Even though I'm blogging in a completely different (and much colder) state than my usual Florida, I feel right at home in Minnesota, thanks to a warm welcome from everyone here at Capstone's headquarters in Mankato. I had the pleasure of meeting up with Capstone Classroom's Lynnette Brent, senior product manager, and Justine Dunn, acquisitions editor, both of whom traveled here from the Chicago office and are working hard on new Maupin House titles. It's been great meeting more of the Capstone family and learning about how Maupin House fits in with their already impressive catalog. Everyone is excited about the opportunities Maupin House offers for growth in the professional development arena and, most importantly, how we can continue to provide helpful tools for teachers in today's classrooms.

One project we've been hard at work on is Katie Monnin's graphic novel for educators, Teaching Reading Comprehension with Graphic Texts. It's almost ready to go to press, so be on the lookout for the book on both the Capstone and Maupin House websites, as well as at the International Reading Association conference April 19-22 in San Antonio. In the meantime, here's a page to pique your interest. Thanks to everyone at Capstone for their hard work on this book and for a great few days!

Register for the AASL graphic novels webinar with Katie Monnin

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Mon, 04 Feb 2013 20:50:00 +0000

From ALA.org:

KQ Webinar: Aligning Graphic Novels to the Standards

Tuesday, February 12, 2013 | 7:00 p.m. ET/6 p.m. CT/5 p.m. MT/4 p.m. PT

Register Now

Presenter: Katie Monnin
One of the most exciting opportunities facing today’s teachers and librarians is how to dualistically teach contemporary literature to both the standards and the real world applications students face each and every day in a more and more diverse literacy world. Fortunately, graphic novels offer one possible answer. Deemed by contemporary literacy scholarship to be one of the most viable and popular contemporary literary formats, graphic novels can be aligned to both the standards and the real life applications facing today’s students. This webinar will focus on how to not only align graphic novels to the Common Core State Standards, NCTE/IRA Standards, and the AASL learning standards, but also to the real world, contemporary reading and writing literacy realities.

Katie Monnin is an assistant professor of literacy at University of North Florida in Jacksonville. She has presented nationally at conferences on teaching graphic novels in the classroom, image and print-text literacies, and new media. Katie is co-editor of Florida Reading Quarterly. Her book, Teaching Graphic Novels, was a finalist for the 2009 ForeWord Education Book of the Year! She was selected to be a judge for the 2013 Eisner Awards.

Note: Webinar is open to AASL members and eCOLLAB subscribers only. Registrations will be accepted until 10:00 am on Tuesday, February 12. A seat in the webinar is guaranteed to the first 100 attendees. As a webinar registrant, you will receive follow-up correspondence from AASL.

Capstone Acquires Maupin House Publishing, Launches Capstone Professional

noreply@blogger.com (Emily Raij) — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 02:01:00 +0000

If you haven't heard the news, Maupin House has been acquired by Capstone. Below is the Capstone press release with more information. We'll continue to blog here and sell books at www.maupinhouse.com. Be on the lookout for new titles from Maupin House and Capstone Professional in the coming months!

MINNEAPOLIS, Minn. – Jan. 3, 2012 – Capstone, a leading publisher of children’s books and digital products and services, announced today it has acquired the assets of Maupin House Publishing, a Florida-based publishing company. Maupin House is an award-winning publisher of more than 200 professional resources on literacy topics for pre-K-12 educators, administrators, and parents. The acquisition launches Capstone Professional which will provide professional development services for educators through onsite and online training, webinars, books, and e-books, among other avenues.

“We are excited to welcome Maupin House to the Capstone family and grow our professional development services for our customers. Maupin House has built a significant presence in the marketplace, publishing for more than 20 years. We will build upon their success and seamlessly place their titles in many of our existing markets,” said Tom Ahern, Capstone CEO.

Among Maupin House’s bestsellers include the Caught’ya! Grammar with a Giggle series by Jane Bell Kiester, That’s a GREAT Answer! by Nancy Boyles, Razzle Dazzle Writing by Melissa Forney, and the CraftPlus® K-8 Writing Program, a writing curriculum with lesson plans, assessments, CDs, templates, student handouts, and more, aligned to the Common Core Standards. The publisher has received numerous accolades for its titles, such as the International Reading Association's Young Adults' Choices Award, Learning magazine’s Teacher's Choice Award for the Classroom and Teacher's Choice Award for the Family, the Mom's Choice Award, the London Book Festival Runner-up, the Association of Educational Publishers' Distinguished Achievement Award, and Independent Publisher’s Gold Book Award.

Maupin House founder and CEO Julie Graddy will remain in her current role to support the acquisition of new titles and facilitate a smooth transition. “We are delighted to be associated with this quality company that appreciates the value of our products and the contributions of our authors. We look forward to Capstone moving Maupin House to the next level, and in the process, enhancing Capstone’s success as well,” said Graddy.

Capstone will transition Maupin House’s order fulfillment to its distribution center in Minnesota immediately.

About Maupin House
Maupin House has published quality professional resources by and for pre-K-12 educators on literacy-related topics since 1989. The practical resources focus on helping teachers to engage students while teaching to Common Core State Standards. Publishing topics include resources for close reading, RTI implementation and support, teaching with digital tools and graphic text, literacy coaching and writing workshop management, academic vocabulary craft-based writing workshop, and non-fiction reading and writing. For more information, visit www.MaupinHouse.com.

About Capstone
Capstone is a leading publisher of children’s books in nonfiction and fiction, digital products and services and literacy programs. Capstone’s content comes in a variety of print and digital formats including board books, picture books, interactive books, apps, audio and databases. Imprints under Capstone include Capstone Press, Stone Arch Books, Picture Window Books, Heinemann Raintree and Compass Point Books. For more information, visit www.CapstonePub.com.

Author Katie Monnin named 2013 Awards Judge!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 17:40:00 +0000

Maupin House author Katie Monnin is one of six comics experts selected to judge the 2013 Eisner Awards, which take place at Comic-Con International in San Diego. Katie is the author of Teaching Graphic Novels (2010, a finalist for ForeWord's Educational Book of the Year Award), Teaching Early Reader Comics and Graphic Novels (2011), Using Content-Area Graphic Texts for Learning (2012), and Teaching Reading Comprehension with Graphic Texts (2013). According to the Comic-Con website, "The Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards, considered the 'Oscars' of comics, turn 25 in 2013. The most prestigious of the industry’s awards, the Eisners are given out at a gala ceremony on the Friday night of Comic-Con International: San Diego." There are more than two dozen awards categories for both creators and works, and the judges choose the nominees to appear on the 2013 Eisner Awards ballot.

Comic-Con International is "a nonprofit educational organization dedicated to creating awareness of and appreciation for comics and related popular artforms. primarily through the presentation of conventions and events that celebrate the historic and ongoing contributions of comics to art and culture."

To read more and browse bios for all six judges, click here.

Fab Friday Giveaway: The Practical Guide to RTI

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 30 Nov 2012 19:58:00 +0000

Start, customize, and sustain Response to Intervention with The Practical Guide to RTI

In The Practical Guide to RTI: Six Steps to School-Wide Success, Rebecca Johnson and Vicki Weatherman show principals and teachers a three-tiered RTI implementation process, with a focus on Tier 2 and Tier 3, for K-6 schools.

To do this, Johnson and Weatherman use first-hand experience to demystify the RTI process by using clear, conversational language and step-by-step directions.

The Practical Guide to RTI goes beyond the typical RTI instructional guides by providing several case studies, a glossary, lists of additional resources, and an exclusive link that allows you to download customizable charts, forms, and templates.

Barbara Cockerham, an assistant professor of the School of Education at California Baptist University and Editor of The California Reader, said:

“This is a useful, step-by-step guide to RTI both for those who are just getting into it and those who need to think of it in a new way. It takes the process seriously and has plenty of detail but provides the big picture as well. The case studies make it especially helpful when a school asks, ‘Well, what does it look like for kids?’ This isn’t a book just for the library but will serve as a daily guide for educators at all levels.”

Want your own copy of The Practical Guide to RTI ? Win an e-book by liking Maupin House on Facebook and being one of the first five fans to comment on our most recent post about this giveaway.

Teaching Made Easy with the Help of Google

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 19 Nov 2012 16:43:00 +0000

As a teacher, it’s nice to realize that big companies like Google are keeping you in mind with tools, including apps, Chromebooks, and education search, to help make the hustle and bustle of the classroom more manageable.

The apps tool enables you to control your data and who you share it with – plus it’s always backed up online so there are no worries about losing important documents. With the calendar app, alert faculty members of upcoming meetings and your students of upcoming due dates. The docs app allows you to share, collaborate, and edit documents in real time – meaning no emails back and forth with new changes every five minutes. With Gmail, schools can have their own personalized email address to match their school’s (you@yourschool.edu).

Google has also just launched its own computer – the Samsung Chromebook – for $279. According to Google, the “ultraportable,” lightweight laptop has more than 6.5 hours of battery life which makes it easy for students to take it “wherever they want to go.” A great aspect for teachers is the web-based management console which makes it easy for teachers to control a group of Chrome devices and users. With this console, you can also pre-install and block certain apps (such as games like Angry Birds or Cut the Rope) and can apply policies, apps and settings to different groups (such as only students, or only a certain classroom of students). This means you can ensure students have a computer to work on without all of the distractions of games or websites – and you can monitor what they’re using the computer for at all times.

Search Education is the final tool Google offers to make things easy in the classroom. The site helps teachers make their student become better web searchers with lesson plans and activities, search tips, daily challenges, and live training. It’s important for students to use web search to find the appropriate source for their task, whether it’s science homework or a question about grammar. The lessons help you meet Common Core Standards while getting your classroom engaged and excited about technology.

Overall, these are great tools to make your life simpler while using, and showing off, your technology skills. Whether your school is looking to purchase computers for student use, or you’re looking for a way to give feedback on student essays more easily – Google has you covered.

Fab Friday Giveaway: Everyday Content-Area Writing

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 16 Nov 2012 19:59:00 +0000

Content-area writing skills are important for success both in and out of the classroom.

In Everyday Content-Area Writing, Kathleen Kopp shows intermediate-grade teachers how to integrate writing into daily instruction to help students develop writing skills and a deeper understanding of subjects like math, science, and social studies.

To do this, Kopp includes suggested writing resources, ready-to-go templates, unit assessment plans, sample projects, and prompts in the book along with tips for establishing a supportive writing environment.

Gail Bockiaro, a fourth-grade teacher at Forest Ridge Elementary School said, “Kathleen Kopp makes teaching writing fun, and my class always looks forward to the next activity. Her ideas keep even the most reluctant writers engaged. Carefully laid-out lesson plans make implementation a breeze. These are not boring drills. ‘Table Talk’ is definitely one of my favorites. This proved to be an authentic writing assignment following a social studies field trip. It was another way to assess the students’ learning. Writing is learned best through example, and Kathleen’s books give the teacher a model to use for every lesson.”

Kopp, who has been teaching for nearly 20 years, has written several professional books on content-area learning and technology proving her dedication to the subject

In a review on Amazon.com, Midwest Book Review said they believe Kopp is committed to “the belief that ‘students must be taught how to use writing as a means to learn...content areas.’”

The review also said the book “is sure to be a touchstone tool in the business of teaching writing to mid-elementary students.”

Want your own copy of Everyday Content-Area Writing? Win your choice of a free print copy or an e-book by liking Maupin House on Facebook and being one of the first five fans to comment on our most recent post about this giveaway.