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Get your mind started--

  • How can students' hobbies and interests be incorporated in the subject(s) you teach?
  • Would you want to be a student in your own classroom? Why or why not?
  • Put yourself in the position of your students for a second. What are your ultimate goals for them, academically and personally, at the end of the school year?
  • How do you show your students they are important?
  • What are your classroom's values?
  • Think of an alternative or enhancement for what is presented in your students' textbooks for every lesson you teach. Even if you must use the textbook, how can you take learning a step farther?
  • What were a few of your most memorable lessons this year? If you cannot name them yourself, then your students may not be able to do so as well.
  • How would your ideal school day be structured?

    Virtual Education Conference--
    [Professional Development]

    In June 2015, I had my very first Edcamp experience, and the degree of inspiration there was phenomenal. I thought recently... what would epitomize my ideal professional development experience? As one who posts on Twitter, pins unique ideas on Pinterest, blogs, and has maintained educational websites for over a decade, I gathered together some tremendous resources for you. Welcome to my online professional development experience, bringing together some of the coolest articles and ideas I have read and/or seen about education.

    I am not personally affiliated with these sites.

    Jumpstart Inspiration--

  • Talks From Inspiring Teachers
  • "Edcamp: Teachers Take Back Professional Development" by Kristen Swanson

    Epic Tech Resources You Can Use--

  • ZipGrade
  • ClassBadges
  • ExitTicket Student Response System
  • Socrative-- For Online Assessments with Students
  • TinyScan-- .pdf scanner to scan documents
  • "The Best Ways to Use Google in the Classroom" by Pamela DeLoatch
  • "How to Get More Out of Your PLN Using Twitter" by Denise Scavitto
  • "How to Use Twitter to Grow Your PLN" by Betty Ray

    STEAM--

  • Sylvia Todd-- "Super Awesome Sylvia" and the Maker Movement
  • 21centuryedtech.wikispaces.com-- "STEM to STEAM to STEAMIE"
  • 21centuryedtech.wikispaces.com-- "Over 25 STEAM Links Filled with Resources and Information"
  • littleBits STEAM Resources-- "Incorporating littleBits in the Classroom"
  • "The Maker Movement: A Learning Revolution" by Sylvia Martinez and Gary Stager
  • "24 Unique Maker Education Resources For Teaching and Learning" by Mike Acedo (Teachthought.com)
  • The Maker Map || Find or Map Maker Resources
  • "Maker Movement Resources: Some of My Favorite Research and Articles", compiled by Jeremy Holien
  • Quotes: "How the Maker Movement Can Change Higher Education" on Epicenter.Stanford.edu
  • "How the Maker Movement is Moving Into Classrooms" by Vicki Davis
  • "Designing a School Makerspace" by Jennifer Cooper
  • "STEM Education for Middle School" by The Maker Mom (Kim Moldofsky)
  • Texas Instruments' STEM Behind Hollywood
  • Engineer Your Life-- For Girls
  • Engineer Girl-- Engineering for Middle School Girls
  • eGFI-- Engineering Challenges and So Much More
  • TED Talk by Dan Meyer-- Math Class Needs a Makeover
  • Dan Meyer's Three-Act Math Lessons
  • The STEM Collaborative-- Real-Life Math
  • "Phoenixville Area Middle School Combines Subjects in Cutting-Edge Program" by Eric Devlin and Jarreau Freeman
  • TED Talk-- Jack Andraka: A Promising Test for Pancreatic Cancer
  • Innovation Gets Crowdfunded: 10 Incredible Class Projects on Takeapart.com
  • 6 Hands-On Math Ideas for Older Kids (Ages 8+), posted on Natalie on Planet Smarty Pants

    Language Arts--

  • "Integrating Daily Poetry in the Classroom: 5 Tools to Support Your Efforts" by Brett Vogelsinger
  • "Where? When? Setting!" Neat Lesson Plans for Setting from Teaching in Room 6
  • A Little Guide to the Cornell Note Taking Method
  • 41 Ways to Go Beyond the Book Report on Byrdseed
  • Socratic Seminar Tracking Chart
  • #likeaBOSS: Lesson on "Formal Writing Style" in ELA from SecondarySara on TpT
  • Annotate a Textbook with Sheet Protectors
  • "Notice and Note Book Study: Defining Signposts" by Teaching with a Touch of Twang
  • Freebie for Grades 7-12 Educators-- English Language Arts Word Wall
  • "Expository Text-- Steve Jobs and the Tools of Rhetoric, Non-Fiction, Common Core" by Laura Randazzo on TpT
  • "Google's Newspaper Archives" by Brandee Green of Creating Learners
  • Grammar Made Easy by The Yuniversity
  • Interactive Vocabulary Notebooks, posted by The Inspired Apple
  • Get Graphic: The World in Words and Pictures
  • Women With Character Who Inspire Lesson Plan-- PBS Newshour Extra

    Middle School--

  • "The Middle/High Years/Movin' Up to the Middle" by Rick Wormeli
  • "Difficult Passage: Gifted Girls in Middle School" by Dr. Gail Post
  • "Caught in the Middle: How to Help Survive the Middle School Years" by Dr. Gail Post
  • "Transitioning from Elementary to Middle School: Tips for Parents of Gifted Students" by C. Pierson Yecke
  • "Kids Speak Out on Student Engagement", compiled by Heather Wolpert-Gawron, posted on Edutopia
  • "Resolving the Confidence Crisis" by Terri Apter
  • Self-Esteem Activity Guide for Youth Leaders of Girls, Ages 10-14, from Dove
  • "Helping Girls Unlock Their Leadership Potential" by Anne O'Brien
  • "13 Great Leadership Books for Your Teen to Read" on Raisingceokids.com

    Building a School and/or Classroom Community--

    The Room--

  • "Designing Your Classroom Space (With Before and After Photos)" by Erin Klein
  • Classroom Cribs-- Brain-Friendly Learning Spaces
  • "For Back to School, Reimagine Classroom Design" by Mind/Shift
  • "How to Make Your Classroom a Thinking Space" by Suzie Boss

    Inspiring Campuses--

  • Anne Frank Inspire Academy-- a 21st Century School in Texas
  • Design 39 Campus-- California

    Manifesto--

  • "Share This With All the Schools, Please" from Momastery (Glennon Doyle Melton)
  • "Create a Community of Kindness in Your School" by Gloria Moskowitz-Sweet and Erica Pelavin
  • "10 Star Wars Lessons-- Lead or Lead Not-- There is No Try" by Dr. Howie DiBlasi
  • Angela Maiers-- The "You Matter" Manifesto
  • Todd Nesloney-- Administrator Who Impacted His School in Texas
  • Borrowed Lessons-- Identity: A Lesson on Self-Esteem
  • "Age of Distraction: Why It's Crucial For Students to Learn to Focus" by Katrina Schwartz
  • "Remake Your Class-- Collaborative Learning Video" from Edutopia.org
  • "Why Creativity in the Classroom Matters More Than Ever" by Kristen Hicks
  • "Five Ways to Bring Innovation into the Classroom" by Tina Barseghian
  • "50 Ideas to Bring Entrepreneurship Into the Classroom" by Lisa Chesser
  • "Passion Projects in the Classroom" (Genius Hour) by Jennifer Runde

    Dealing with Stressful Situations--

  • "How Meditation Can Help Students Master Life" by Dustin Le
  • "Teaching Gifted Learners to Manage Stress in High School" by Elizabeth Shaunessy

    Technology--

  • "4 Important Apps for a Paperless Classroom", posted on Educatorstechnology.com
  • ISTE-- Project ReimaginED
  • The Teacher's Guides to Technology and Learning by Edudemic (Twitter, Flipped Classrooms, Google Glass, Badges in Education, the Library of Congress, Digital Scavenger Hunts, Pinterest, and Keeping Students Safe Online)
  • Step-by-Step: How to Create a Collaborative Class eBook by Langwitches (Silvia Rosenthal Tolisano)
  • 7 Wonderful Google Docs Tutorials for Teachers, created by Anson Alexander
  • "Why Minecraft Rewrites the Playbook for Learning" by Mimi Ito

    (c) Ms. Jasztal, over the course of many years--2014-2019, and beyond. Remember again, I am not affiliated with any of the websites above.