This retelling by Robert D. San Souci of the traditional British ballad tells of a trick played on the Sheriff of Nottingham by Robin and his Merry Men.

Although the story line can’t exactly be considered deep, the illustration style and colors used are extremely suited to the period and setting of the piece. An interesting classroom extension would be to compare and contrast this Robin Hood tale with others.

I would recommend Robin Hood and the Golden Arrow as either a classroom or family read aloud book. The full color illustrations will capture the attention of children, making it a suitable title for curling up with or reading after a chilly recess.  Available in early October, 2010.

Photo Credit: Amazon

Keeping all your kiddos on point is no small feat.  Wandering minds and fidgety bodies can interfere with even the best laid instructional plans. Here are 10 classroom management strategies to promote full-class participation at multiple grade levels.

Classroom Management Strategies that Get Every Student Participating

Thumbs Up / Thumbs Down

This is a great group response strategy for true / false and yes / no questions. It’s simple, usable from K – 12 and requires absolutely no special equipment or prep.

Laminated Index Cards

A favorite filler activity of mine to integrate basic math skills for younger grades is to create response cards using large blank index cards with the less than (<) symbol on one side and the greater than (>) symbol on the other.  I laminate them for stability from year to year, and write basic math equations on the board with the appropriate symbol missing.  I then ask the class to respond as a group with their individual cards. It’s a quick way to assess which students are still having trouble identifying the proper symbol to use. You could also use this technique to create true / false or yes / no answer cards. It would be a great sight word builder for ESL classrooms.

Individual Response Boards

You can use individual-sized chalkboards, white boards cut from large pieces of shower stall board, or make bargain white boards with copy paper and sheet protectors. Use appropriate writing utensils and make sure students each have an old sock to erase their boards with in between questions. Use this technique with brief math problems, multiple choice questions delivered orally and much, much more.

Choral Reading

This can be used at any grade, whether it’s in a primary grade classroom reading the assigned poem for the week, or in a high school classroom working on a readers’ theater play with portions designed to be read chorally in group presentations.  Not every reading assignment will be perfectly suited to this, but those that are provide a great opportunity to keep students on task and involved.

Oral Cloze Technique

This is similar to choral reading in that all students respond at once. However, the response is limited to a word you have left out as they follow along during a teacher read aloud of a certain passage or paragraph. Basically, it’s like a cloze worksheet without the worksheet. This works great when you need to review something quickly like directions, or introduce a key word such as a vocabulary term.  I particularly like to use this technique when I want to make sure the students are involved, but find myself in a situation where it’s more appropriate for me to do the oral reading. It doesn’t happen all the time, but when it does I feel like I’m covering all of my bases.

Delayed Student Selection

Basically, I’m speaking of asking the entire group a particular question so they all become engaged with figuring out a way to answer appropriately. Then I call on an individual student after everyone’s had a chance to figure out how they would reply. A great way to keep this fair is to select a learner from a mug full of wooden craft sticks with all student names written on them. It keeps things random and fair, without letting the students know in advance who will be called on.

Call to Action

Require all students to locate a word on a reading handout and perform a certain action on that word (circle it, underline, draw a box around it, etc.) before calling on the group or an individual to say what that word is.  It’s a good idea to make the word critical to the lesson you are about to begin, such as if that word is related to a lab experiment, writing assignment parameters or a math concept review.

Team Reviews

Students love to review for tests in game format. Break them up into small groups to compete tournament style, or have two main groups competing. Try having learners play content review games one on one with a buddy, or against a few people at once in a learning center. Here are several more ideas for test reviews that rock, including a couple of my favorites: chalkboard relay races and a review technique that uses little more than a paper bag.

Put Them in the Hot Seat

Assign study groups and have students prepare for a round table discussion where their fellow students and possibly some guest teachers ask them any number of questions related to the content material. Film it like a reality TV show and make sure everybody gets grilled.

Line Up Question and Answer

Make answering a content question a prerequisite for lining up at the door for recess, lunch, catching the bus home, etc.  Do this orally or have some questions prepared ahead of time on folded papers placed in an empty bucket or bowl.  Call on students randomly from your popsicle stick coffee mug management system and then choose their review question manually as well. If a student answers a question wrong they need to sit back down. Personally, I don’t like to have this be miserable for the kiddos, so if they answer the second one wrong as well, I let them get help from a friend already in line and encourage them to review more at home on their own. Math and geography flash cards are great for this activity as well, as they require absolutely no prep time and don’t cut into other lesson time when you know your students really could use the extra review time on the material in question.

What are your favorite tips for full-group participation or keeping all of the students on their toes?

Photo Credit: Rubens LP

Norton Juster’s tale of an angry ogre features whimsical watercolor illustrations of an old-world village setting.

A picture book suitable for older elementary students, The Odious Ogre is loaded with excellent vocabulary terms, and sure to inspire any group of third and fourth graders who are assigned it as a reading task.

I found the “killing him with kindness” method used by the heroine to best the ogre a bit hilarious, and worthy of working into a class discussion.

This book seems particularly well suited to illustrated retellings taken through all stages of the writing process as a holistic culminating assignment. I recommend The Odious Ogre to any third or fourth grade classroom teacher, student or parent of that age group. A great addition to home, school and classroom libraries.

Photo Credit: Scholastic

This is article is by education writer Haley McLeod, and features various podcasts classroom educators should find valuable.

Teachers are well aware that learning is a life-long process. With the education world rapidly changing, educators must continually adapt their teaching styles to coincide with changing technology and education expectations. For podcasts in specific subject areas, please visit the Education Podcast Network, which provides links to education podcasts sorted by category. For now, here are several top podcasts that focus on general education improvement and current events.

ESL Teacher Talk: As the United States becomes more diverse, English as a second language teachers are in more demand than ever. ESL Teacher Talk is ideal for teachers who have students in their class who are learning English as a second language. The podcast discusses topics as classroom management, lesson plans, and job searches specifically for ESL Teachers. The podcast also includes links to supporting education materials, videos, and other downloads.

The Education Gadfly Show: The Education Gadfly show, run by the Thomas B. Fordham Institute, examines current education issues such as school choice, teacher quality, and government legislation. In Ohio and around the country, The Fordham Institute advocates for more widespread education options and teacher accountability. Through 90-second mini-debates and “Rate that Reform,” the hosts educate the public about current events in the education world.

K-12 Greatest Hits: BAM! Radio, a prominent voice in the education community, compiles all of their most popular podcast segments into this podcast. Each episode is hosted by an Executive Directors of one of the many education associations in the United States. Through interviews with well-known educators and advocate groups, this podcast provides insights on the current issues of the education world.

NPR: Education Podcast: The National Public Radio podcast on education is a fantastic overall resource for educators, providing information on the science of learning, classroom dynamics, and other relevant topics. The podcast also covers current education news stories from around the world.

Teachers Teaching Teachers: Run by three working teachers in New York City, Paul Ellison, Susan Ettenheim, and Thomas Locke, this program provides a weekly podcast, skype conversation, and live webcast. This podcast is ideal for teachers struggling with implementing new technologies in the classroom. Together with fellow educators, they search for the most effective practices for studying, research, and technology; in addition, the podcast hosts review new media by testing it themselves.

The Teacher’s Podcast: The popular duo of Mark Gura and Dr. Kathy King explore recent news, research, and resources in the education world each week on The Teacher’s Podcast.  Together, Mark and Kathy are authors, professors, teachers, and education technology experts. The pair provides new and abundant resources for teachers and discusses methods of professional growth.

The Tenacious Teacher: Useful for all genres of teaching, The Tenacious Teacher is a podcast that provides strategies for everyday teaching and tools for managing responsibilities as an educator. This podcast is perfect for educators wanting to learn more about classroom dynamics and approaches for maintaining a productive classroom environment.

Teaching Tips by Teachtopia: Teaching Tips, by Teachtopia, serves teachers in grades K-12 and covers a variety of academic subjects, including science and math, language arts, social studies, and physical education. Each podcast focuses on a specific tip, either on a certain subject and or sometimes just on general teaching resources. Technology advice and help is also incorporated.

Teachers Connecting Podcast: Teachers Connecting Podcast focuses on providing new, unique lesson ideas, listening to fellow teachers’ stories, and exploring new technologies such as interactive whiteboards. One of their main focuses is the use of SMARTBoards and utilizing podcasts in teaching communities. This podcast has been rewarded honors such as Edublog Best Use of Audio 2007 and Microsoft Innovative Educators.

The Whole Child: The Whole Child is a podcast that recognizes the need for innovation and change in an education system rooted in the previous century. Technology has altered society rapidly, yet the education system remains the same. The Whole Child still recognizes the need to provide a solid foundation in the basic subjects (math, reading, writing, etc.), but also is pushing for a “whole child approach to teaching, learning, and community engagement.”

Haley McLeod is a guest blogger for My Dog Ate My Blog and a writer on online universities for Guide to Online Schools.

Photo Credit: Electric Images

This review is for the title Edible Schoolyard: A Universal Idea, by Alice Waters.

This book tells the story of how a garden transformed a middle school in crisis.

What started as a simple project blossomed into an elaborate legacy that has lasted for years. Through intense community, teacher and student involvement, along with Alice Waters’ commitment and vision, a middle school now has a food program that embraces students holistically throughout their entire careers at the school.

Others are taking this schoolyard’s lead and starting their own unique school gardens. I see this program as one that could also be used for therapeutic recreation purposes, or at the community level.

Check out Alice Waters’ book and be inspired.

Photo Credit: Chronicle Books.

Are you an instructor with no space of your own? Stuck floating from room to room, finding an available corner to offer your support services from? If you’re finding it difficult to function on the fly, here are several teaching tools to get you on the right professional track.

TEACHING TOOLS ON WHEELS

Wheeled Metro Shelves

While I’ve previously touted the benefits of using metro shelving in the classroom, the taller five-shelf variety likely won’t be suitable for moving between classrooms. However, both Lowe’s and Sam’s here in the United States sell waist-high sets of metro shelves suitable for adding heavy-duty castor wheels. This shelving, at least at Lowe’s, has available add-ons such as extra individual shelves and attachable sliding drawers, enabling you to seriously “pimp” your rolling resource cart. Use s-hooks to hang difficult-to-stack items via handles or drawstring mesh bags. Your rolling classroom can be stocked at the dollar store for very little money. Use a tackle box for small supplies.

Stair-Friendly City Carts

Let’s face it. You can’t always count on a school that schedules all of your classes on the same floor. You could have several flights of stairs to climb with no elevator, or be assigned to outdoor portable classrooms which may not have a ramp. These urban grocery carts designed for apartment dwellers with stairs would come in handy for teachers in such situations.

Wheeled Briefcases

Not only are these great for weekend business trips, they are well-suited to meet the needs of the roaming educator. Granted, it probably won’t work for a floating music, science or art teacher. However, high school math or history teachers should be able to use a rolling briefcase and get by just fine with a laptop, teacher’s edition text book, and minor office and grading supplies.

Lockable Storage Carts

These are particularly useful if you don’t have a secure closet to lock your things in every night, or need to leave your files and test copies in a room full of high school students while you grab your lunch break. You can keep a tight lid on your sensitive documents while maintaining mobility and organization. Two of note include this lime green metal push cart and this lockable rolling cart with a fold-out computer stand.

Personal Luggage Carts

For those dealing with multiple school locations, consider a few clear totes with snap-on lids and a sturdy folding luggage cart. You can easily transport your supplies between locations in the trunk of your car and assemble your rolling classroom on the fly when you arrive.

Tool Cabinets

It’s way less money for a rolling tool cabinet on ‘roids than it is for one of those locking specialty teaching cabinets I’ve seen priced at over three thousand dollars. Try the stackable, multi-drawer variety with different sizes of storage space, similar to the styles professional mechanics use. Use inexpensive rubberized shelf liner on the bottom of the draws to store eye droppers and petri dishes safely if you are a science teacher. Art teachers could use a similar strategy for brushes and paint sets. Stanley also used to make a tiltable, wheeled two-drawer cart with detachable top tool box. This, along with a tote bag, could make a decent floating classroom for a social studies teacher.

Rolling Cart of Opportunity

This is basically the bare bones solution of grabbing whatever extra media cart is left over in the supply closet and snagging extra containers from the thrift store. It might not be the most aesthetic solution, but it will get the job done and you can fine tune it as you go.

LOGISTICAL TEACHING TOOLS

Digital Storage Solutions

In addition to your laptop and thumb drive, consider Google Docs or cloud storage to keep your data safe and mobile. Monthly curriculum subscriptions are another way to keep your hard copies of lesson plans and unit themes to a minimum, keeping you as portable and flexible as possible.

WiFi

If your school doesn’t have it, perhaps your PTA can assist you with purchasing mobile WiFi service from one of the cell phone companies that currently offers it.  Being able to get online at each classroom, and on your free planning periods will be critical to staying up to date and organized.

Electrical Plug Adapter

Hit your local box hardware store and pick one up. They are great for turning one outlet into several if your host teacher has most of the electrical resources in use. The cost is minimal and they also come in handy for the same reason at airports. (Here’s a related article on just such travel items you can buy at the hardware store.)

Dish Tubs

These cost way less money than the “cubbies” of the same size in the teacher supply catalog. Save your classroom supply budget for something jazzier and pinch pennies on storage tubs by picking up the dish washing variety at dollar or department stores.

Accordion Files

These help your documents stay put with a securable top and have enough space to handle assignments from multiple sets of students. Accordion files can also fit easily into a lockable rolling cabinet or the trunk of your vehicle.

Retractable Extension Cord

Even with an adapter, the nearest voltage access may be in a very inconvenient corner of the room. Having a retractable extension cord will keep you prepared without having to untangle a long cord with every classroom relocation.  This retractable cord by Coleman even has three outlets on the receiving end.

Power Strip

If the best you are able to finagle from the supply closet is a basic hand-me-down extension cord with no extra outlets, then you will definitely need a power strip. Here’s one by Belkin that should serve to keep your laptop running, Blackberry charging and have extra slots left over for perhaps a decadent electrical pencil sharpener. (Live large people, live large.)

Evacuation Tote

As a teacher in the Middle East, having a classroom bomb bag was mandatory for me . As a floating teacher, you never know when a fire drill or other evacuation will be launched unexpectedly . Having an evacuation tote with your grade book, parent contact information and room for your laptop, smart phone and other essentials is just a smart idea. Even smarter? Have one of these “grab and go” bags as part of your standard set up, be it a messenger bag or shoulder tote. This way, the routine is streamlined into your daily system and nothing is likely to be forgotten.

There you have it, readers. Teaching tools for educators on the move, as thoroughly as I can explain the concept. Are you the “floater” at your school? If so, how do you handle the logistics, politics and day-to-day issues? Share your thoughts and experiences in the comment section below. I’d love to hear from you.

Disclosure: This article contains affiliate links for products I feel provide solutions to the issues addressed in this article.

Photo Credits: Photo of children by Trek Hound. Product photos courtesy of Amazon.com.

We all want to stay on top of the latest info in the classrooms, but science teachers have an extra burden, as traditional texts are outdated practically before they’re printed. Sure they’re fine for traditional concepts and historical biographies, but what about the newest and coolest science research? That’s where these five resources come in handy.

• Eureka Alert brings breaking science news directly to your inbox or RSS reader. Topics include agriculture, archaeology, mathematics and more. Stay on the cutting edge in your classroom with free article updates.
• Live Science offers legitimate science articles relating to health, animals technology and the environment provide great fodder for science-based current events in the classroom.
• Phys Org posts serious news articles on not only physics, but chemistry, nanotechnology, space and more.
• Looking for the latest in science research news? Science Daily delivers with articles on fossils and ruins, matter and energy, health and medicine and numerous other subjects. Turn your students loose on quality science reading for free.
• Wired Science also brings some interesting material to the science education table in the form of an easy-to-read blog students will find accessible and hip.

Do you have a favorite online science resource for the classroom? Share your knowledge in the comment section below.

Photo Credit: Image Editor

Looking for an affordable way to organize and update your classroom? Consider metro shelving.

I’ve already documented my love affair with industrial-style metro shelving over on Wise Bread. This stuff is cheap, sturdy and stylish. It’s also uber-easy to put together and comes with some fun add-ons that contribute greatly to its usability.

Extra shelves and pull-out drawer features provide custom storage for minimal cost. With a base set of metro shelves available at your local Lowe’s for around seventy-five dollars, and add-ons for around fifteen USD each, you can request a jazzy storage update for your classroom for much less than it would cost your district for a more expensive set from the supply catalog.

The galvanized steel storage bins available in the same aisle will also stand the test of time when it comes to storing playground gear.  Use your metro shelving setup to store baskets of books, a classroom herb garden and more. If you are required to empty out your classroom every summer, you can also use metro shelving to organize your garage and provide at-home organization for your teaching supplies.

Not only do these rigs come raised up on wheels, making them a breeze for the custodian to clean under, any set I’ve ever purchased also comes with the hardware to screw them into the wall, making them extra safe for the kiddos.

Related Readings: In addition to this teaching tools post which features metro shelving for rolling classrooms, check out these two on using metro shelving to design affordable spa bathrooms and gourmet kitchens on a shoestring.

Photo Credit: Back Garage

Keeping parents up-to-date on what’s going on in the classroom can sometimes be difficult. Fortunately, there are many free tools on the web that can help teachers streamline the communication process and get parents the information they need. Here are 10 online tools that are free, helpful, and easy to use.

Edublogs – Created specifically for educators, Edublogs makes it easy for teachers to create free and fully customizable classroom blogs. Edublogs uses WordPress technology and provides technical support through their forums.

GroupTweet – GroupTweet is a unique Twitter application that can turn any Twitter account into a group communication hub that allows direct messages and group updates. Updates can be kept private with a protected profile.

Engrade – Used by 150,000+ teachers around the world, this useful suite of tools can keep parents up-to-date on assignments, grades, class events, and other important information. Engrade is private, free to use, and available to parents 24/7.

KeepandShare – KeepandShare is a free file sharing service that allows users to share files, slideshows, photos, online calendars, and other materials online. There is no software to install and all group members are automatically notified when a new file is added. KeepandShare also offers users complete control over who sees what within a group.

LearnCentral – This social network for education allows teachers to post learning content and host virtual meetings with two-way VoIP, multipoint video, an interactive whiteboard, application sharing, and other handy features.

Yugma – Yugma is a web conferencing and screen sharing service that works across multiple platforms. Teachers can use it to conduct free meetings with up to 20 attendees.

Phonevite – Phonevite is an award-winning web application that allows users to send free phone reminders and alerts in three easy steps. The app is a great for reminding parents about parent-teacher conferences and other special events.

Remember The Milk – Remember The Milk is a free, web-based task manager that works with Gmail, Google Calendar, Twitter, and other popular tools. Teachers can use it to share, send, and publish tasks, lists, and other information for parents.

Microsoft Office Online – Microsoft Office Online is a good place to find parent communication templates and forms. Some of the documents available for download include permission forms, progress reports, and parent message templates.

Education World – Education World also offers several useful templates for parent communication, including assignment notifications, conference reminders, permission slips, and progress reports. The templates can be edited, emailed, and printed.

This has been a guest post from education writer Karen Schweitzer. Karen is the About.com Guide to Business School. She also writes about online degrees for OnlineDegreePrograms.org.

Photo Credit: ChrisL – AK

In the world of online teacher tips, high school educators often get the short end of the academic stick. For whatever reason, many of the lesson ideas tend to be geared towards younger students. Secondary educators, this article’s for you.

These three online resources each provide significant academic support to materials many of you already cover in class. Use them to supplement, enrich or integrate them into your regular lessons as you deem appropriate. The choice is yours.

SmartHistory.org

Designed to bring art history discussions and lessons to all who need or want them, this site allows exploration and study of the works of Gaugin, Picasso, Matisse and more. Articles, brief videos and even audio presentations overlayed with the image of a particular artist’s piece, all combine for an in-depth resource teachers and art history enthusiasts alike will enjoy.

The audio visual presentations and articles would each make great small or whole group activities, as well as independent homework assignments where students are required to provide a written response or answer predetermined questions.

World Digital Library

This growing digital collection of cultural treasures and historical documents contains items from around the world, such as one of a kind antique maps, political photos and even immigration paperwork for Maria von Trapp, the woman made famous by the show “The Sound of Music”. Helpful for research, or preparing presentations requiring specific, hard-to-find images. This project was initiated by UNESCO and the United States Library of Congress, and supported by numerous international organizations.

Academic Earth

A treasure trove of video lectures from top universities such as Princeton, Stanford, Harvard and Yale, just to name a few. Topics range from math and science to the new testament as history and entrepreneurship. Great for those topics that intersect with what your advanced high school students are studying, as well as for those students who want to get a feel for the type of lectures they need to be prepared for in college.

Related Readings: bulletin boards for older classrooms, a free Middle East studies resource and a complimentary ESL news resource for educators.

Photo Credit: Rexand Sharkey