Latest News and Comment from Education

Saturday, August 3, 2019

This Week With 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


This Week With Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... 

 The latest news and resources in education since 2007







NPR “Fresh Air” Interview Show Puts Archives Online
Fresh Air, the iconic NPR interview show with Terry Gross, has just put its archive of all past shows online . Many, though not all, also have their written transcripts available. Plus, you can easily create playlists and share them, too. So much to listen to, so little time….
I’ll Be Starting A New Season Of BAM! Radio Shows Later This Month – In The Meantime, You Can Listen To 200 Past Shows!
Regular readers know that I’ve been recording ten-minute radio shows to accompany my Education Week Teacher columns for several years. I interview one-to-four educators who contribute to each column. I’ll be starting up a new season later this month. In the meantime, though, you can listen to two-hundred previous shows at All My BAM Radio Shows – Linked With Descriptions . \
Two New Interactive Maps Show How Climate Change Will Affect Where You Live
Here are some new additions to The Best Sites To Learn About Climate Change : The BBC has a 3D map that shows the climate from the past 100 years in a location and then projects its climate for the next century. It’s called How Much Warmer is your City? The University of Maryland has created a somewhat similar interactive map projecting the climate sixty years into the future. Here’s a video talk
A Look Back: Deliberate Practice & Red Herrings
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! l ist… This post originally appeared in 2015. I just don’t understand why some researchers spend so much time trying to debunk the value of deliberate practice. Another big study was released this week (thanks to Dylan Wiliam for the tip). Rethinking Expertise: A Multifactorial Gene–Environment Interactio
James Baldwin Was Born On This Day In 1924 – Here Are Related Resources
© 2013 AK Rockefeller , Flickr | CC-BY-SA | via Wylio James Baldwin was born on this day in 1924. I’ve shared a fair number of related resources over the years, and thought it would be useful to collect them here in one place. Even though this isn’t a “Best” list (I’m sure there are lots of other excellent resources out there), I’m still adding it to “Best” Lists Of The Week: Resources For Teachi

AUG 01

Video: “Newly naturalized Americans reflect on citizenship in a fraught political era”
StockSnap / Pixabay I’m adding this video segment from tonight’s PBS NewsHour to The Best Websites For Learning About Civic Participation & Citizenship :
New PBS NewsHour Video Segment: “Can reparations help right the wrongs of slavery?”
JamesDeMers / Pixabay I’m adding this segment from tonight’s PBS NewsHour to A BEGINNING LIST OF THE BEST RESOURCES FOR TEACHING ABOUT REPARATIONS :
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 2,000 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
Pins Of The Week
I’m fairly active on Pinterest and, in fact, have curated 19,000 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 Seven Most Popular Pins In 2018
Useful Resources For Learning About The 400th Anniversary Of Bringing Enslaved Africans To America
KlausHausmann / Pixabay As The New York Times writes : Four hundred years ago, on August 20, 1619, a ship carrying more than 20 enslaved Africans arrived in Jamestown. Though America did not even exist yet, their arrival marked its foundation, the beginning of the system of slavery on which the country was built. There will be a lot of new resources coming online over the next two weeks, and I’ll
Sometimes Having Problems Accessing My Blog?
Mocho / Pixabay Edublogs is a great blog-hosting problem, and I highly recommend them. That being said, they’re still trying to fix a bug that now-and-then takes this blog off-line and gives a message saying “No Posts Found” when you come here. It started six weeks ago, and they’re still working hard to nail down the problem. It’s affecting other, though not all, blogs hosted on their platform. W
A Look Back: What Can We Learn About Classroom Management From Abraham Lincoln?
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… This post originally appeared in 2011. WikiImages / Pixabay The New York Times has a fascinating article today about Lincoln and The Mormons . It explains that he basically made a deal to leave them alone and they left him alone. This is what he told a Mormon leader: When I was a boy on the farm in
Now Students Can Transcribe Smithsonian Historical Audio Recordings & Not Just Written Texts
I’ve shared a lot about how various institutions crowdsource transcribing historical handwritten text, and how that kind of project can make history come alive for students (see The Best Sites Where Students Can Transcribe Historical Texts ). The Smithsonian now has a project that lets people listen to historical audio recordings and asks them to transcribe what they hear. It seems pretty cool –
“How Can We Promote Resilience in the Classroom?”
How Can We Promote Resilience in the Classroom? is the new question of the week at my Education Week Teacher column. Feel free to leave responses in the comments section there or here…

JUL 31

Around The Web In ESL/EFL/ELL
BiljaST / Pixabay Five 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. . Also, check out A Collection Of My Best Resources On Teaching English Language Learn
A Look Back: Collective Punishment In The Classroom
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… This post originally appeared in 2011. waldryano / Pixabay A few days ago I wrote a post titled Emphasizing Pride, Not Shame, In Classroom Management . In it, among other things, I shared some of the things I say to students if I know they are going to have a sub the following day. A friend saw the
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 TWELFT
New Study Finds That Specific Ninth-Grade Intervention Very Effective & It’s Remarkably Similar To What We Do At Our School
Kunnasberg / Pixabay The American Institutes of Research just released a study finding that a program called Building Assets, Reducing Risks (BARR) was very effective at improving academic progress for ninth-graders and enhancing their connection to school. Here’s how Ed Week summarized the program : …incoming freshmen are grouped into cohorts of about 30 students who take the same reading, math,
Video: “Here’s How the European Union Works”
TheAndrasBarta / Pixabay I’ve previously shared Two Decent Videos About The European Union. They are still the ones I’d use in my Geography class. However, if you want one that is decent, but more detailed, you might find this video that was just shared by The Atlantic to be a reasonable alternative:
California State Department Of Education Unveils Ethnic Studies Curriculum
geralt / Pixabay The California State Department of Education has just unveiled a proposed Ethnic Studies Curriculum . The Sacramento Bee has an excellent article about it: California ethnic studies curriculum would be a first in U.S. The state wants feedback Here’s the state announcement: California is committed to providing excellent educational opportunities to all students. Research shows tha
New Animated Video Explaining The International Baccalaureate Program
geralt / Pixabay The YouTube channel “Sprouts” has just published this animated over of the International Baccalaureate Program. It’s not an official IB production, but seems to give a decent overview. As regular readers know, I’ve taught IB’s Theory of Knowledge class for years and regularly share related resources on this blog. Following the video, I’ve added links to previous posts about IB th
“Q&A Collections: Teaching English-Language Learners”
Q&A Collections: Teaching English-Language Learners is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. All Classroom Q&A posts offering advice on Teaching English-Language Learners (from the past eight years!) are described and linked to in this compilation post. Here’s an excerpt from one of them:

JUL 30

Have Students Help The Library Of Congress Transcribe Documents From The Women’s Suffrage Movement
amberzen / Pixabay There are a lot of places where students can help preserve history by transcribing historical texts, and they’re listed and described at The Best Sites Where Students Can Transcribe Historical Texts . The Library of Congress has just announced a project where they are inviting people to help them transcribe materials from the Women’s Suffrage Movement. You can also read more ab
“Lunch-Shaming” Is In The News & The PBS NewsHour Just Did This Segment On It
geralt / Pixabay I’ve previously shared articles on lunch-shaming, including Over The Top, Ya’ Think? District Tells Parents Kids May Be Sent To Foster Care If Lunch Bill Not Paid. Tonight’s PBS NewsHour ran this segment on the topic:
Ed Tech Digest
Six 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 ONE , as well as checking out all my edtech resources . You might also w
A Look Back: An Effective Five-Minute Lesson On Metacognition
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… This post originally appeared in 2011. geralt / Pixabay I often write about helping students exercise, and be aware of, metacognition (see Another Lesson Combining Metacognition, Writing, Speaking, & Listening ) and include extensive lesson plans about it in my latest book . Also, of course, check o
Video: “Why the US has so many tornadoes”
Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay I’m adding this new Vox video to The Best Resources For Learning Tornadoes :
“Q&A Collections: Parent Engagement in Schools”
Q&A Collections: Parent Engagement in Schools is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. All Classroom Q&A posts offering advice on Parent Engagement in Schools (from the past eight years!) are described and linked to in this compilation post. Here’s an excerpt from one of them:

JUL 29

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. You might also be interested in THE BEST RESOURCES ON CLASS INSTRUCTION IN 2019 – PART ONE. Here are this week’s picks: Helping Students to See the Beauty in a Place Like Baltimore is from Crawling Out Of The Classroom. I’m adding it to The Best Ways T
A Look Back: Now This Is An Important Study!
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… This post originally appeared in 2012. picjumbo_com / Pixabay Readers know that I do my best to follow new research and explore — and experiment — with ways to apply their findings to the classroom (or, in some cases where I believe the process used is ethically questionable and of dubious value, cr
Study Finds That Black Students Receive Fewer Warnings Than White Before Consequences Escalate
A new study finds that, though African American male students tend to receive more severe consequences than their white peers when it comes to classroom discipline issues, they also receive fewer warnings leading up to them. Here’s another excerpt from the Science Daily article, Black students receive fewer warnings from teachers about misbehavior: “While at first glance, disparities in teacher w
“Poverty USA” Shows Each County’s… Poverty Statistics
Poverty USA is from the Campaign For Human Development, and shows different poverty-related statistics for each county in the United States. I’m adding it to The Best Visualizations Of Poverty In The U.S. & Around The World . Thanks to Google Maps Mania for the tip.
Infographic: “Earth Overshoot Day”
WikiImages / Pixabay This infographic came from Statista : Earth Overshoot Day came on July 29 this year. This is the second time the day, which marks the time at which humanity has used up its allotment of natural planetary resources for the year, occurred in the month. It had occurred in August between 2010 and 2017. I’m adding it to The Best Interactives Showing How Long Our Non-Renewables Wil
This Week’s “Round-Up” Of Useful Posts & Articles On Ed Policy Issues
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 ONE ): WHY ARE MORE SCHOOLS GOING AFTER FAMILIES FOR LUNCH DEBT? is from PS Magazine. How segregation keeps poor students of color out of whiter, richer nearby districts is from Vox. I’m adding it to The Best Resources Fo
The Best Fun and/or Interesting Resources On Venn Diagrams
Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay The Guardian published a fun article on Venn Diagrams today , and I thought it would be a good excuse to publish a related “Best” list. Of course, I’ve published a bunch of post s explaining different ways I use Venn Diagrams in lessons. This eclectic collection, though, is more on the humorous or unique side, along with a couple of particularly useful ones thro
“Show Me the Money! Ways Teachers Can Raise Funds for Their Classrooms”
Show Me the Money! Ways Teachers Can Raise Funds for Their Classrooms is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Suggestions on how teachers can raise private monies to support their classroom are offered by Alfonso Gonzalez, Holly Spinelli, Susan Lafond, Amanda Koonlaba, and Barbara Gottschalk. Here are some excerpts: I’m adding it to my other resources on education funding .

JUL 28

A Look Back: Ducklings Video Demonstrates Great “Differentiated Instruction”
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… mcpdigital / Pixabay In this video, some ducklings were able to get over the curb on their own. However, several found that it was just too high. Look at how someone provides assistance to those having trouble, and how he doesn’t tell them what to do. Instead, he offers it as an option, as a choice
Quote Of The Day: Another Reason To Be “Data-Informed” & Not “Data-Driven”
I’m a data scientist who is skeptical about data is an interesting article at Quartz by Andrea Jones-Rooy. She goes on to say: When you encounter a study or dataset, I urge you to ask: What might be missing from this picture? What’s another way to consider what happened? And what does this particular measure rule in, rule out, or incentivize? I’m adding it to The Best Resources Showing Why We Nee
Wow! Wordwall Looks Like A Great – & Free – Site For Creating Online Learning Games
I have just learned about Wordwall from ELT Planning, which has a great post about it In fact, I think the post provides a better explanation of Wordwall than the actual site does! The screenshot above shows all the different templates you can use for creating games, and you can assign them to students (you’re given an url address to share) and get their results. There are also a zillion other ga
“Author Interview: ‘The Right Tools'”
Author Interview: ‘The Right Tools’ is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. In it, Towanda Harris answers a few questions about her new book, “The Right Tools: A Guide to Selecting, Evaluating, and Implementing Classroom Resources and Practices.” Here are some excerpts:
Visual Histories Of World Wars I & II
janeb13 / Pixabay The American Battle Monuments Commission has tons of interactives related to both World War I and World War II. The best ones are: The Great War: A Visual History World War II: A Visual History I’m adding them to: The Best Resources For Learning About World War I The Best Online Resources For Teaching & Learning About World War II (Part Two)

JUL 27

Video: “How Far Back in Time Could an English Speaker Go and Still Communicate Effectively?”
geralt / Pixabay I’m adding this new video from “Today I Found Out” to The Best Videos Documenting The History Of The English Language:
A Look Back: “What I Cannot Create, I Do Not Understand”
I thought the summer might be a good time to re-share posts from My All-Time Favorite Posts! list… www_slon_pics / Pixabay “What I Cannot Create, I Do Not Understand” That’s what was on Nobel-Prize winning physicist Richard Feynman’s blackboard when he died . I found this image in an article at Scientific American titled Hunters of Myths: Why Our Brains Love Origins . The entire article is somewh
My Most Popular Tweets Of The Month
PhotoMIX-Company / Pixabay I used to post weekly collections of my best tweets, and used Storify to bring them together. Unfortunately, Storify went under. Fortunately, however, Wakelet was a new tool that was able to import all of a person’s Storifys. So you can see all those previous Twitter “Best” lists here . I don’t want to risk putting all the work into those posts again and risk losing the
Animated Video Of “Made To Stick”
AbsolutVision / Pixabay The Heath brothers have written a number of books that can be applied to education. I’ve previously posted about an animated description of one of them: Video: “DECISIVE by Chip and Dan Heath – 




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