Mentoring Minds - instructional materials to develop critical thinking skills

Mentoring Minds - instructional materials to develop critical thinking skills

Mentoring Minds is an educational publishing company that develops K-12 instructional materials to help students develop critical thinking and problem solving skills. Experienced educators create the materials based on research and cover topics such as critical thinking, differentiated learning, instructional strategies, classroom management and more.

The company's main goal is to provide materials that help students increase their critical analysis and reasoning skills, along with problem solving skills. The curriculum does this through research based lessons and real-world connections.

Products include ELA, Math and Vocabulary curriculum programs, Professional Development tools, Critical Thinking programs, Assessments, RTI and more. The products combine print and online resources, as well as teacher editions and resources. You can take a guided tour of their products here: http://guidedtourdemo.mentoringminds.com/01/

Pricing is very reasonable and all of their resources qualify for Title I, III, and V Part D Funding. They will even help you find ways to fund your purchase.

Each state has a consultant that would work with you to provide the solution that best fits your needs.

Total Motivation Reading is one of their more popular products. It integrates critical thinking with ELA support and is aligned with the Common Core Standards. It unpacks each CCS so that teachers can find the gaps in student learning and fill them in.

Mentoring Minds bases all of their products on research to make sure that the resources will be effective in the classroom. You can read about their research here.

They also have a section call Thought Leadership, where they share free tips, research, articles and resources that help teachers improve teaching and learning.

These products can be very useful in helping struggling students, as well as helping all students learn critical thinking and problem solving - skills that all students need for the future.




Disclaimer - this article is a paid sponsored post by Mentoring Minds.


Related:

Important Skills Students Need for the Future

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PowerUp WHAT WORKS - free resources for struggling students and those with disabilities

PowerUp WHAT WORKS - free resources for struggling students and those with disabilities

PowerUp WHAT WORKS is a free resource to help teachers help struggling students and those with disabilities. It is part of the OpenEd collection. PowerUp WHAT WORKS (www.powerupwhatworks.org) provides customizable materials, lesson plans, instructional strategies, videos and more to enhance learning for students with diverse needs, and to personalize learning with technology and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). OpenEd (www.opened.com) is the creator of the world’s largest online collection of standards-aligned resources.

PowerUp allows teachers to access training and resources to allow them to enhance learning for students with disabilities, personalize learning with technology. It is evidence-based, standards-aligned, and technology-focused.

The sites has tips and resources for teachers, administrators and more, with lesson plans, assessments, videos, playlists, ideas for integrating technology, professional development, and much more.

It is easy to search and find resources and there are some great things. You can also browse all resources or click on each menu item above for more information and resources.

Take a look.










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More Than a Tech - blog about leading a successful technology department in a public school district

More Than a Tech - blog about leading a successful technology department in a public school district

I just found out about a new blog out there, More Than a Tech. The blog is about EdTech but especially about leading and managing an IT department in a public school district.

Topics being covered include EdTech Resources, Customer service, Ticket prioritization, Navigating the political landscape of a school district, Budgeting, Planning for the future and other topics.

I'm adding this to my Feedly account to follow along.

Check it out.






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The Future of Libraries - what does it look like?

The Future of Libraries - what does it look like?

Libraries, like schools, are changing with technology. The typical library full of books will be going away and be replaced with a space for accessing digital resources and getting help finding resources. Many libraries are struggling to change and even attract visitors.

Here is an infographic with some interesting details about the library of the future:



Future of Libraries


Here is an article with more about this. https://www.webcheckout.net/blog/library-future/







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Keyboard Shortcuts for Google Docs

Keyboard Shortcuts for Google Docs

Just like most software, Google Docs has keyboard shortcuts available. Google has a great support article with all of the Google Docs keyboard shortcuts, by OS, listed.

It lists the shortcuts for PC, Mac, Chrome OS, Android and iOS.

Keyboard shortcuts are great productivity tools that help speed up what you are doing. Everyone should know the basic, like cut, copy, paste, but you should also learn others for functions you use a lot.






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MolView - free 3D visualization of molecules and compounds

MolView - free 3D visualization of molecules and compounds

MolView is a free web based tool that allows you to visualize 3D models of molecules and compounds. It's easy to use and fun. It includes databases with compounds, proteins and spectral data, as well as change and manipulate the models. It's based on WebGL and HTML5 and works on pretty much all devices.

Acetaminophen molecular model:

There is a PDF of the manual available for download and it is well written.

This is a great tool for science students, especially in chemistry and biology, to help them visualize and understand molecules, compounds and even DNA components.




Related:

More Chemistry Resources

More Biology Resources





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EMS Week is Next Week - thank an EMT and Paramedic

EMS Week is Next Week - thank an EMT and Paramedic

Next week is National EMS Week (May 17th - May 23rd). This year's theme from the American College of Emergency Physicians is EMS Strong.

In my other life I am an EMS-Instructor and Paramedic. I have been involved in EMS since 1988 in college. I have not been able to work on the road for the past few years due to a severe back injury, but I still feel a part of EMS as an EMS instructor and instructor-trainer, although that role has been limited since my daughter's birth. I responded to New York City after 9-11 as a paramedic and I spent 15 years as a paramedic in the city I now teach in. I was also a volunteer paramedic and the Lt. of Training for my town's EMS service.

Take this week to thank an EMS provider in your town. The First Responders, EMT's and Paramedics are everyday heroes who are often overlooked by the media and public. Firefighters and Police Officers are usually in the news, but EMS providers, whether volunteer, commercial, hospital based, or municipal, are working everyday, helping people, at the expense of their time, health, and family. EMS providers experience high incidences of knee and back injuries and spend countless hours maintaining their skills. They provide an invaluable, life-saving service, while dealing with drunks, combative patients, rude patients and family, for low pay and minimal respect.

Teach your students about EMS. What it is, how to call 911, and when to use 911. Tell them more about it as a career.  

Here are some resources on EMS Week and EMS.
EMS Week Homepage

http://www.ems.gov/
What is EMS?
About EMS 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Emergency_medical_services

Say "thank you" to one this week to show your appreciation.

EMT's and paramedics dedicate their lives to serving the public. They are on standby 24 hours a day, even on Christmas. They save lives. help others during times of illness and injury. EMS are the ones in the ditches rescuing passengers from a car accident. They are the ones who risk their lives to save others. Through the course of a year, EMS personnel are rarely recognized for their heroic efforts. They are never thanked for their hundreds of hours of continuing education. However, EMS Week is a perfect time for the community to recognize and thank them.


To all my brothers and sisters in EMS - Stay safe out there. EMS providers have a high rate of back and knee injuries, are assaulted by patients, and have very high stress. We've lost some of our own over the years and the EMS community always comes together to help each other out.

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20 Free Online Resources to Upgrade Your Studying Process

20 Free Online Resources to Upgrade Your Studying Process

Guest Post by Julie Petersen. Julie is a tutor and a blogger, who features the latest career and educational trends in her articles. At present time she is working on her first ebook dedicated to online learning. You may see Julie's latest publications and contact her via Linkedin

All students would agree that it is difficult to study. When you just have too many assignments and projects to work on apart from the other responsibilities, you really need to develop good studying habits if you want to get good grades in class. Thanks to the Internet, there are free online resources that you can use to upgrade your studying process.

1. How-to-study.com

This website is a home to lots of free study skills resources not just students but as well as for teachers. It contains 100 practical articles, study tips and self-assessment exams.

2. Studygs.net

Studygs.net is a home to various study guides and strategies that you can use in various types of learning. They provide valuable information that you can use for learning, research, writing, project management, etc. the site also has exercises and games to make your studying more fun.

3. Quizlet.com

This website gives you study tools that you can use to learn more effectively. At Quizlet.com, you get to access different tests, study games and flashcards which add fun to your learning experience. The site is free to use and you can access it on your mobile device anytime and anywhere.

4. Studentblog.accaglobal.com

Reading content related to students is also useful as you get to know many interesting facts and certain experiences that you can personally relate to. The student blog of Acca Global offers nice posts that you can read to further improve your studying and learning habits.

5. Essaymama.com

Essaymama.com is a reputable writing service which regularly publish really useful articles on their official educational blog. These articles are written by professional tutors and writers, so if you are looking for reliable and practical studying tips, infographics and essay samples, this is one site to visit.

6. StudyBlue

Studyblue.com offers one of the biggest libraries of study materials online. The site has more than 350 million digital notecards covering various topics from Algebra to natural science subjects. Anywhere you go, you can access these online study materials. To get started, you can sign-up for a free account.

7. Howtostudy.org

Howtostudy.org is basically a site where you can get lots of very useful online resources that can help you succeed in college. From study guides, strategies to writing techniques, the site gives tips and essential information that you can use to create topnotch papers and to ace your exams. The site provides various tools for organization, time management, learning styles, etc.

8. StudyStack

Studystack.com offers free flashcards for students who want to add fun to their studying and learning experience. To have access to these flashcards, you can just login with facebook or register an account. You can search the site for various subjects from mathematics to medical related subjects.

9. 4tests.com

Practice is essential especially if you are taking a major exam. The Internet is home to various resources where you can take free practice exams. 4tests.com provides you with free online practice exams. Whether you are taking up TOEFL, ACT, SAT or GED, you can choose among the free practice exams that you can use to test your knowledge and skills and to see if you are finally ready to take the exam.

10. Study.com

Learning has never been so fun and creative with Study.com. The site has various videos that can help students in their learning. These videos are taught by the best teachers to ensure that students get to access quality materials. To enjoy the complete features of the site, you sign up for a free trial.

11. Studyguidezone.com

If you are looking for free resources for students, professionals and for others who are taking up exams, this site is the one of the best sites to use. Study Guide Zone provides various resources and study guides that you can use in taking business tests, primary and secondary tests, undergraduate tests, etc.

12. Novelguide.com

Novel Guide is a great website where you can read summaries of various literary works. Apart from the sypnosis and analysis of these works, you also get to access interesting articles, reports, essays and even videos that you can use when you are studying a particular literary work.

13. Pinkmonkey.com

Pink Monkey is a useful resource site for students, teachers and even professionals. The site has printable notes, digital library, study guides and other online materials. Pink Monkey also provides parents tips for parents who want to help their kids in school.

14. Shmoop.com

Taking a test requires preparation and practice. With Shmoop.com, you get to have a great site that offers solutions for schools. Apart from students, it is also a site for teachers. In this site, you get to access valuable materials for you to pass your exam with flying colors.

15. Hippocampus.org

Hippocampus.org provides you with thousands of free videos. From subjects like mathematics to biology, you get to enjoy watching these videos where you get to learn so many things about a particular subject. This is a site perfect for free education resources for middle school and college students.

16. Bookwolf.com

Are you looking for a great site where you can access free literature booknotes? Bookwolf.com offers a wide array of literature booknotes that you can use to have in-depth analysis of various literary works. You can just choose among the different literary works in their library.

17. Gradesaver.com

GradeSaver is unlike no other resource site for students. The site offers topnotch study guides as they are written and edited by students from Harvard University. You can rely on these high quality study guides. Apart from that, there are also literature essays, writing help articles, lesson plans and a whole lot more.

18. Quill.org

To write without any error, you have to keep on practicing and honing your writing skills. When you access the site, there are various writing and grammar exercises and activities that you can use to work on your writing skills.

19. Bookrags.com

Being top of your class is now made more possible with the help of websites like Bookrags.com. Through this site, you can access more than 6,000 study guides, 22,000 essays and other useful materials not just for students but as well as teachers.

20. Gutenberg.org

Project Gutenberg is home to about 46,000 ebooks that you can download for free. Whether you are looking for your favorite classical work to other literary work, you can just search the database of the site and download the book that you want to read. You can download the material in kindle, epub or txt format.

Related:

More Resources on How to Study

More Study Aids

zen.do - free tool to take notes and turn them into flashcards

Wordstash - digital flashcards

Braineos - Flashcard games to make your brain happy!

Student Study and Help Sites

Gooru - online study tool with great resources

Thinkbinder - free way to create online study groups with lots of features

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Padlet - free online multimedia notes and collaboration - great for projects

Padlet - free online multimedia notes and collaboration - great for projects

Padlet is a free service that lets you create online "sticky notes" that you can share and collaborate on. The notes can include images, links and videos, can be moved and arranged and can be embedded into a website.

It's great for brainstorming, story boarding, organizing, projects and more. It is available online and even has a Chrome app and extension, a Kindle app, Safari and Firefox extensions, and a Wordpress plugin.

It's easy to use and fun and very useful.

If you are looking for more features and the ability to have school accounts, privacy, control and more, take a look at Backpack (not free).

Related:

More Collaboration Tools and Resources

More Writing Tools and Resources

Samepage - app to get more done with contextual collaboration

Slack - free, easy to use, communications/collaboration platform - great for teams and schools
Google for Education Resources






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TitanPad - free, simple online document collaboration

TitanPad - free, simple online document collaboration

TitanPad is a free tool for collaborative writing on a single document. It is simple and easy to use and requires no sign in or login to create a public document., You can create a private document with a free account. 

It is similar to Google Docs, but much simpler. Up to 8 people can work on a single document at the same time, with their edits being color coded.

You can also import and export text to and from TitanPad.

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This can be very useful in education for quick collaboration sessions in the classroom or meetings. 

Take a look. 

Related:

More Collaboration Tools and Resources

More Writing Tools and Resources

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Filechat - collaborate on documents, pictures and videos in GDrive and Dropbox

Filechat - collaborate on documents, pictures and videos in GDrive and Dropbox

Filechat is a new, free service that allows you to collaborate on documents, photos and videos in Dropbox or Google Drive. Instead of just commenting on a document or file, users can chat, like and vote on any of their files in Drive or Dropbox. You can even have multiple conversations with different teams or groups. It adds more "social" features to collaborate with others in a tailored caht room that is based in a file or folder.

Users can store their files in their preferred platform and use Filechat to collaborate with anyone. It also includes a search tool.

The "owner" of the Filechat discussion invites others to view and collaborate on the files and controls access. They can also give participants the ability to add files, vote and chat.

The mobile app allows you to get notifications, preview and edit files and participate in the conversations.

 

  

It is free, with premium levels coming shortly. It is available online and for Android and iOS. Support for OneDrive, Box and Amazon Cloud Drive are coming soon too.





Related:

Samepage - app to get more done with contextual collaboration

Slack - free, easy to use, communications/collaboration platform - great for teams and schools
Google for Education Resources





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Edueto - Create Original Online Activities - great for formative assessment

Edueto - Create Original Online Activities - great for formative assessment

Edueto is a free service that allows teachers to create their own online activities for students. Teachers can create exercises such as quizzes, matching, writing, sorting, equations, sequences and more and assign them to their students to complete. Student progress is tracked. There are also exercises created by other teachers that you can use and even edit.

It's easy to use and can be a great way to do formative assessment with your students using different formats.


Thanks to Larry Ferlazzo for discovering this. Check out his blog here: http://larryferlazzo.edublogs.org/ 



Related:

Assessment Resources

Online Assessment Resources

Online Assignments Resources




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Droplr File Sharing Service changes to Freemium model

Droplr File Sharing Service changes to Freemium model

File sharing services are very popular. While I usually use Evernote or Google Apps for my work and share from them, there are times when I need to share files in other ways.

I wrote about one file sharing service, Droplr, back in 2012. Back then, the free account was 1 GB of storage and 25 MB file size uploads. There was also a Pro version that gave you 1GB uploads and 100GB of storage for $3/month or $30/year.

Droplr has just announced that they are going to change to a freemium business model. The paid version is $4.99 per month. Now, you will be able to use their clients and share screenshots, images, files and videos of your desktop through email and social networks for free. The links will expire after a week though. The pro plan, which lets you keep them longer, costs $9.99/month.

So, you can do some cool stuff for free, but there are limits.




Related:

CX - file sync, share and backup service with 10GB free account

JustBeamIt file sharing service comes in very handy - also has links to more file sharing services

File backup, share, sync services - lots to choose from

Let's Crate - easy, free, file sharing

minus - file sharing service

eBackpack - educational file sharing and backup

YouSendIt - easy file sharing, sync, and sign

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SAMR and Google Apps - great ideas and tips

SAMR and Google Apps - great ideas and tips

SAMR stands for “Substitution – Augmentation – Modification – Redefinition”. It is a framework for using technology to transform learning.

Substitution: Using new technology for an old task - good, but not the best way. For example, digital worksheets are still worksheets.

Augmentation: Using additional new technology for an old task - this can make some tasks better.

Modification: Using new technology to change an old task - this is good. Virtual labs for example can show students the theory and concept better than a physical lab.

Redefinition: Using new technology to create new tasks - this is great. Get students to collaborate, create, explore and solve problems.

Below is an infographic with some tips and ideas for using Google Apps with the SAMR Framework.





Find more education infographics on e-Learning Infographics


Here's another graphic that illustrates SAMR well.

Related:

Google for Education Resources

Google Apps and Chromebooks Web App Recommendations - a whole lot!
The Benefits of Educational Technology





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Color Enhancer Chrome Extension - very useful for people with color vision difficulties

Color Enhancer Chrome Extension - very useful for people with color vision difficulties

Google Chrome (browser and OS) has some great built-in accessibility features, as well as some excellent extensions that add accessibility features.

Google just released a new one that is very useful for people with vision issues, especially with colors. Color Enhancer is an extension that allows the user to easily select a color filter that improves color perception. It's very easy to use and works nicely. I have a mild red-green color deficiency and this helped me with some websites.

Click on the extension and follow the directions. It's that simple.

Related:

Google Accessibility Features in Chrome (OS and Browser)

Google for Education Resources

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Livescribe 3 App now available for Android Devices

Livescribe 3 App now available for Android Devices

Back in January, Livescribe announced that Livescribe 3 would be available for Android this spring. Well, it is now available in preview mode with full public release in a few weeks.

I love my Livescribe SmartPen. I use it all the time to take notes at meetings and keep myself organized. I love how it also records audio and keeps it in sync with your handwritten notes and can sync over WiFi to my Evernote account.

Livescribe released the Livescribe 3 last year with an iOS app that let you sync directly to your iPhone (and into Evernote and OneNote). It also allows searching handwriting, converting handwriting to digital text and more. "Your Livescribe 3 pairs with Livescribe+ to instantly sync everything you write on paper directly onto your iPhone or iPad. Your notes become more useful when they are organized, tagged, searchable and converted to text."

The Android App works on Android 4.4.2 KitKat and above. The Android app also works the same as the iOS version. It's very simple, showing you the physical notebook connected to your pen. The notebook pages scroll from left to right chronologically. 

To download the apps for your Android device, visit:

• Livescribe+: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.livescribe.companion
• Livescribe Link: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.livescribe.smartpenutility

Related:

Livescribe Sky WiFi Smartpen - save notes and audio via WiFi to Evernote

Analog (ie paper) resources that work with digital




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Evernote Announces new Pricing Levels and Features (still has free version)

Evernote Announces new Pricing Levels and Features (still has free version)

Evernote is my go-to organizing tool. I use it for lesson plans, lesson resources, project planning and tracking, client information, blog ideas, and personal stuff like important documents, photos and more. I pay for the Premium version because I wanted the premium features and believe that it is worth every penny. Evernote is an absolutely amazing tool that keeps getting better.

Evernote recently announced new pricing levels and features. The best part is the less expensive middle level gives features that used to be part of the premium level. Current premium users were moved to the new premium level. There is still a free version, so don't worry.

Evernote Basic - free - can install on multiple devices, supports up to 60MB in monthly uploads and 25MB individual note sizes. 

Evernote Plus (new) - $2.99/ month ($24.99 per year) - 1GB montly uploads, individual notes up to 50MB, offline access to notes on mobile apps, passcode lock of notes and ability to turn emails into notes in Evernote.

Evernote Premium (upgraded)  - $5.99/month ($49.99/year) - unlimited monthly uploads, individual notes up to 200MB each, presentation mode, search in Office documents and attachments, Chat, annotate PDFs, scan and digitize business cards, and more.

Evernote is an excellent app that is well worth the price. 

Go here to sign up for an Evernote Account.



Related:

Evernote for Education Resources

Examples of using Evernote as: teacher, student, admin

Contact me if you would like training and support in using Evernote

Evernote Tips and Tricks Series (updated often)





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