Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, June 13, 2020

SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... The latest news and resources in education since 2007

Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007


SPECIAL CORONAVIRUS UPDATE
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... 
The latest news and resources in education since 2007







Three Resources With Good Ideas For Encouraging Online Student Interaction
Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay I’m adding these resources to THE BEST IDEAS FOR ONLINE ACTIVITIES TO USE WHEN TEACHING ELLS REMOTELY – SHARE MORE! : 7 Strategies Designed to Increase Student Engagement in Synchronous Online Discussions Using Video Conferencing is from Catlin Tucker. Maximising the learning potential of ‘Show and Tell’ is from The Hands Up Project. This video is from ASCD, and

YESTERDAY

7 Money Mistakes to Avoid in the Pandemic
Here are 7 ways people sabotage their own finances during the pandemic, and what you can do instead.
Pins Of The Week
I’m fairly active on Pinterest and, in fact, have curated 21,000 resources there that I haven’t shared on this blog. I thought readers might find it useful if I began sharing a handful of my most recent “pins” each week (I’m not sure if you can see them through an RSS Reader – you might have to click through to the original post). You might also be interested in MY MOST POPULAR PINS OF 2019 Here
Three New Videos That Can Help Teaching About Confederate Monuments
I’m adding these three new videos to The Best Resources For Teaching About Confederate Monuments :
Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL
BiljaST / Pixabay Six years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2019 – PART ONE and THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2019 – PART TWO. A
June 20th Is World Refugee Day – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources
June 20th has been declared World Refugee Day by the United Nations. I just did a quick clean-up of The Best Sites For Learning About World Refugee Day .
CBS News Video: “Confederate statues across the country are being removed”
I’m adding this new CBS News video to The Best Resources For Teaching About Confederate Monuments :
Three Accessible Ways To Search For & Find My “Best” Lists
(Note: I am going to publish this same post once each month to remind regular readers and inform newer ones about how to access my “Best” lists) As regular readers know, I have about 2,100 categorized and regularly updated “Best” lists. You can find all of them in broad categories here . The link to that page can also be found at the top right of my blog: My Best Of Series I also have them all on
“Teachers Can Make Lessons Relevant by Listening”
Teachers Can Make Lessons Relevant by Listening is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Four educators share ideas on how to help students see how lessons are relevant to their lives, including by listening, connecting to their experiences, and inviting them to create projects based on their own interests. Here are some excerpts:

JUN 11

SEL Weekly Update
I’ve recently begun this weekly post where I’ll be sharing resources I’m adding to The Best Social Emotional Learning (SEL) Resources or other related “Best” lists. You might also be interested in THE BEST SOCIAL EMOTIONAL LEARNING RESOURCES OF 2019 – PART TWO Finally, check out “Best” Lists Of The Week: Social Emotional Learning Resources . Here are this week’s picks: Reframing Achievement Setba
Classroom Instruction Resources Of The Week
Each week, I publish a post or two containing three or four particularly useful resources on classroom instruction, and you can see them all here. Of course, this is a crazy time for “classroom” instruction…. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES ON CLASSROOM INSTRUCTION IN 2019 – PART TWO. Here are this week’s picks: Planning Lessons with Complex Text is from Timothy Shanahan. I’m a
“Connected Papers” Is An Excellent New Tool For Doing Academic Research
Connected Papers is a cool new tool for academic research that I learned about through Pedro de Bruyckere. I would strongly encourage you to go to his blog post for a more detailed explanation, but it basically creates visual “webs” of cited sources in academic papers. I’m adding it to The Best Tools For Academic Research .
Useful Resources For Teaching & Learning What “Unfund The Police” Means
UnratedStudio / Pixabay The phrase “Unfund The Police” has been in the news a lot lately in the wake of George Floyd’s murder. Here are some resources that might be useful when teaching about it in class: What Would Efforts to Defund or Disband Police Departments Really Mean? is from The NY Times. Good context on “defund police” phrase meaning. https://t.co/bDG0jJVgiP — Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche
This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Useful Posts & Articles On Ed Policy Issues
Note: This is a sort of “catch-up” post on ed policy issues combined with new info on budget issues related to COVID-19 Here are some recent useful posts and articles on educational policy issues (You might also be interested in THE BEST ARTICLES, VIDEOS & POSTS ON EDUCATION POLICY IN 2019 – PART TWO ): A Significant Error in Policy Thinking is by Larry Cuban. I’m adding it to The “Best” Lists Of
Useful New TED-Ed Video For Civics: “Which voting system is the best?”
mohamed_hassan / Pixabay Which voting system is the best? is the topic of the latest TED-Ed lesson and video:
CBS News Video: “Protests are a U.S. tradition, leading the way for social change since the country’s founding”
OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay Here’s a new from from CBS News that I’m adding to The Best Sites For Learning About Protests In History :
“Schools Can ‘Reinvent Themselves in the Fall'”
Schools Can ‘Reinvent Themselves in the Fall’ is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Three educators recommend ways that schools can adapt in the fall, such as emphasizing inquiry-based learning and building relationships. Here are some excerpts:

JUN 10

Here Are My Summer Plans
geralt / Pixabay Today is the last day of our school year. So, here are my professional plans for the next two-and-a-half months: 1. Katie Hull and I have to finally finish the second edition of The ESL/ELL Teacher’s Survival Guide . It will be at least twice the size of the first edition, and will include guest chapters written by all your favorite ELL teachers from around the world. And it’s go
Most Popular Posts Of The Week
I’m making a change in the content of the regular feature. In addition to sharing the top five posts that have received the most “hits” in the preceding seven days (though they may have originally been published on an earlier date), I will also include the top five posts that have actually appeared in the past week. Often, these are different posts. You might also be interested in IT’S THE THIRTE
“Schools Should Be ‘Community Connecters’ When They Reopen”
Schools Should Be ‘Community Connecters’ When They Reopen is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Three educators share what they think school reopening should look like, including making it an opportunity to emphasize literacy and community connections. Here are some excerpts:

JUN 09

Ed Tech Digest
Eight years ago, in another somewhat futile attempt to reduce the backlog of resources I want to share, I began this occasional “” post where I share three or four links I think are particularly useful and related to…ed tech, including some Web 2.0 apps. You might also be interested in THE BEST ED TECH RESOURCES OF 2019 – PART TWO , as well as checking out all my edtech resources . Here are this
New Resources On Race & Racism
Events this week have – once again – highlighted why we (and I mean us white educators) need to emphasize anti-racist education. I’m adding these new resources to various “Best” lists. You can find links to all of those many lists that relate to race and racism at “Best” Lists Of The Week: Resources For Teaching & Learning About Race & Racism: There has been increasing demands to “Defund the Poli
June 19th Is “Juneteenth” – Here Are Related Teaching & Learning Resources
Here’s a description of Juneteenth from TIME : Juneteenth is a contraction of the date “June Nineteenth.” On that day in 1865 in Galveston (then Texas’ largest city), Union General Gordon Granger issued General Order Number 3, which stated: “The people of Texas are informed that, in accordance with a proclamation from the Executive of the United States, all slaves are free.” Coming 10 weeks after
CA Dept. Of Education Release Not-Very-Helpful Guidelines For Reopening Schools
Pexels / Pixabay The California Department today released a 62 page guidebook for school districts about how to reopen schools in the fall. It’s different from the state health guidelines released last week (see STATE OF CALIFORNIA RELEASES SCHOOL REOPENING GUIDELINES – IT’S GOING TO BE A HELL OF A FALL ) and, to tell the truth, probably less helpful. This new document is primarily a list of ques
Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL
BiljaST / Pixabay Six years ago I began this regular feature where I share a few posts and resources from around the Web related to ESL/EFL or to language in general that have caught my attention. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2019 – PART ONE and THE BEST RESOURCES, ARTICLES & BLOG POSTS FOR TEACHERS OF ELLS IN 2019 – PART TWO. A
This Week’s Resources To Support Teachers Coping With School Closures
Wokandapix / Pixabay I have a number of regular weekly features (see HERE IS A LIST (WITH LINKS) OF ALL MY REGULAR WEEKLY FEATURES ). This is a relatively new addition to that list. Some of these resources will be added to The Best Advice On Teaching K-12 Online (If We Have To Because Of The Coronavirus) – Please Make More Suggestions ! and the best will go to The “Best Of The Best” Resources To
Hong Kong Protest Began One Year Ago Today – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources
StockSnap / Pixabay The amazing Hong Kong pro-democracy protests began one year ago today. There are many related resources at The Best Sites For Learning About Protests In History .
“Visions for the Next School Year”
Visions for the Next School Year is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Four educators offer suggestions for how to reopen schools in the fall, including highlighting the importance of “outside-of-the-box” thinking and leading with identifying goals first. Here are some excerpts:

JUN 08

There Is A Discussion Worth Having About Reading Instruction, But Using The Murder Of George Floyd To Support Your Point Is Not The Way To Do It
OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay I agree with some of what Natalie Wexler writes – there’s a lot of good stuff in the book, she co-authored, The Writing Revolution , and she makes an important point about the need to help our students learn broad background knowledge to enhance reading comprehension. I’m not as enthusiastic about some of her other stances in the so-called “Reading Wars” (see The Bes
Important Article About The Hmong Community
The Hmong American community, power, privilege and a place in Asian America seems like a good and important overview of the Hmong community today. As you probably know, there’s been an increased level of coverage of the Hmong because one of the police officers charged in Mr. Floyd’s death is Hmong (see tweets below). I’m adding this post to The Best Websites To Learn About Hmong Culture & History
Father’s Day Is Coming Up – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources
AnnaliseArt / Pixabay Father’s Day is on the third Sunday of June. You might be interested in The Best Father’s Day Sites .
Three Good Resources On The Role Of Protests In Social Change
geralt / Pixabay I’m adding these three new resources to The Best Sites For Learning About Protests In History : What Protests Can Do is from Five Thirty Eight. Other Protests Flare and Fade. Why This Movement Already Seems Different. is from The NY Times. You might also be interested in The Best Posts & Articles On Building Influence & Creating Change.
National Superintendents Organization Estimates The Added Costs Of Reopening Schools & It Looks Bad
Report: No Way to Reopen Schools Safely Without Federal Bailout is the headline of a new article in U.S. News. It talks about a new report from the School Superintendents Association that estimates that in order to reopen under the CDC guidelines, “the additional expenses for an average school district of about 3,700 students total $1.8 million.” For a district like ours in Sacramento, that could
“Teachers ‘Cannot Stop at Conversations’ About Racism”
Teachers ‘Cannot Stop at Conversations’ About Racism is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Three educators discuss what teachers can do in response to George Floyd’s death, including not stopping at conversations and instead moving to action.

JUN 07

The Best Online Tools For Remote Teaching – Share Your Own
geralt / Pixabay Here are my choices for the best online tools for remote teaching. This list is divided into three sections: 1.The tools I used teaching ELLs and my Theory of Knowledge classes this past year and which I expect to continue to use next fall. 2. The tools I plan on using when I teach ELL U.S. History next year. 3. Tools I’m exploring over the summer to determine if I want to use th
Guest Post: “My Year As An ELL Peer Tutor”
Editor’s Note: Elizabeth Venegas is graduating from our school, Luther Burbank High School, this week. She is an amazing student and person. She volunteered as a peer tutor all last summer and in previous summers to help Newcomers, and did the same during the school year – including working as a peer tutor in our virtual daily live classroom. She wrote this guest post. You might also be intereste
Video: Barack & Michelle Obama’s Commencement Addresses Today For High School Graduates
Barack and Michelle Obama gave commencement addresses today as part of Dear Class of 2020 . They were both good, though I think Michelle’s was a bit better and more useful as a teaching tool with students. Here are both of them. Let me know if you disagree! I’m adding this post to The Best Commencement Speeches .
“Four Ways Schools Can Support Teachers to Become ‘Actively Anti-Racist’
Four Ways Schools Can Support Teachers to Become ‘Actively Anti-Racist’ is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Three educators share what schools should and should not do to support teachers to become anti-racists, such as lifting up black student voices and bypassing prepackaged “character-building” lessons that don’t address racism. Here are some excerpts:
What Advice Would You Offer For Having Online Asynchronous Class Discussions When Teaching Remotely?
pencilparker / Pixabay I didn’t really have any asynchronous online discussions this year – my ELL classes met live daily, and my IB Theory Of Knowledge classes focused on preparing and giving live Oral Presentations, as well as writing a final essay. However, there’s no time like the present for preparing for the future! I know many teachers have used Google Classroom to facilitate asynchronous
Research Studies Of The Week
I often write about research studies from various fields and how they can be applied to the classroom. I write individual posts about ones that I think are especially significant, and will continue to do so. However, so many studies are published that it’s hard to keep up. So I’ve started writing a “round-up” of some of them each week or every other week as a regular feature . By the way, you mig
June 12th Is The World Day Against Child Labor – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources
PublicDomainArchive / Pixabay The United Nations has declared June 12th to be The World Day Against Child Labor . You might be interested in The Best Resources For The World Day Against Child Labor .
Helpful Resources For Teaching About George Floyd’s Death
Wokandapix / Pixabay I’ve been sharing lots o resources about George Floyd’s murder (see PART SIX: IMPORTANT TWEETS ABOUT THE MURDER OF GEORGE FLOYD ). I thought it would be useful to take the resources from those lists, and new ones, that I think are most useful for teachers trying to figure out how to incorporate it into their lessons (now, if they’re still teaching, or in the future). I’m addi

JUN 06

State Of California Releases School ReOpening Guidelines – It’s Going To Be A Hell Of A Fall
The State of California just released school re-opening guidelines . I don’t think there is anything surprising in their recommendations (you can read a summary at The San Francisco Chronicle’s article Temperature checks, masks for teachers: California releases stringent school reopening rules ). There was, however, one pleasant surprise about the state providing a lot of supplies to schools at n
Four Important Articles About Making Social Change
Alexas_Fotos / Pixabay I’m adding these first two articles to The Best Sites For Learning About Protests In History : A History of Violent Protest is from Slate. People shaming the current uprisings are deliberately misinterpreting American protest history. is from Slate. I’m adding this next article to The Best Resources For Teaching & Learning About The Protests That Are NOT Against The Nationa
Video: “The Tallest Buildings Comparison”
MichaelGaida / Pixabay I’m adding this new video to The Best Sites To Learn About The World’s Tallest Buildings :
My Latest BAM Radio Show Is On “How Can Teachers Best Deal With Sexual Harassment in the Classroom?”
How Can Teachers Best Deal With Sexual Harassment in the Classroom? is the topic of my latest Education Week Teacher column. The show, which was recorded prior to school closure, features Martha Caldwell, Toni Faddis, Dr. Laura McGuire, and Jennifer Schwanke. They have all also contributed written commentaries to my Ed Week Teacher column. I’m adding this show to All My BAM Radio Shows – Linked W
Here’s How I Ended My Classes This Year
geralt / Pixabay I had my final classes of this school year yesterday, and both my ELL Newcomer and IB Theory of Knowledge classes followed a somewhat similar agenda. In both classes, I asked students ahead of time to prepare one inspirational sentence they would share with everyone “that would help their classmates get through the summer. The examples I gave included: “Things will get better!” “
“‘The Problem With Kindness’: SEL & the Death of George Floyd”
‘The Problem With Kindness’: SEL & the Death of George Floyd is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Three educators offer suggestions for educators in the face of George Floyd’s death, among them, 
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... | The latest news and resources in education since 2007