Saturday, August 15, 2020

THIS WEEK IN EDUCATION 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 IN EDUCATION
Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day... 
The latest news and resources in education since 2007

 


The Kindle Edition Of “The ELL Teacher’s Toolbox” Is On Sale Today For $4.99
Our publisher just told us that Amazon, for some reason that is strange and mysterious to us, has just made the Kindle edition of our book, The ELL Teacher’s Toobox , on sale for today only for $4.99. You can find tons of free excerpts from it here.

YESTERDAY

Ed Tech Digest
Nine 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 2020 – PART ONE , as well as checking out all my edtech resources . Here are this w
“Strategies for Engaging Students in ‘Meaningful’ Online Learning Experiences”
Strategies for Engaging Students in ‘Meaningful’ Online Learning Experiences is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Four educators share instructional strategies for online instruction, including adapting face-to-face techniques like “think-pair-share” and “learning stations.” Here are some excerpts:
Today Is The 75th Anniversary Of The Japanese Surrender – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources
skeeze / Pixabay Today is the 75th anniversary of the Japanese surrender that ended World War II. You might be interested in The Best Online Resources For Teaching & Learning About World War II.
Saturday’s Four “Must-Read” Articles On School Reopenings
Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : A Florida school district wanted to wait to reopen school buildings. Gov. Ron DeSantis threatened to cut its funding. is from The Washington Post. Families Priced Out of ‘Learning Pods’ Seek Alternatives is from The NY Times. Is Your Child’s School Ready to Reopen? is f
The Best Virtual Tours Of Zoos
InspiredImages / Pixabay I’m going to have a number of my Beginning ELL students return to my class this year (which will be a combination Beginner/Intermediate one). As I did in the spring, I’m going to push heavily for a very student-driven curriculum. Nevertheless, we didn’t get to our animals unit last year, and I think at some point students will want to do it. Of course, virtual tours of zo
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

AUG 13

‘Teachers Need to Focus on What We Can Control This Year’
is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Two teacher guest contributors and I highlight lessons that we learned in the spring, including emphasizing what we can control and not worrying (much) about what is outside of it. Here are some excerpts:
Friday’s Three “Must-Read” Articles On School Reopening This Year
Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : Remote Learning Is Hard. Losing Family Members Is Worse. is from The NY Times. How Trump’s Push to Reopen Schools Backfired is from The NY Times. A generation left behind? Online learning cheats poor students, Times survey finds is from The L.A. Times.
Special Edition: 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
9/11 Is Coming Up In A Month – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources
Alexas_Fotos / Pixabay 9/11 is coming up next month. I’ve just reviewed and revised The Best Sites To Help Teach About 9/11 .

AUG 12

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 INSTRUCTION IN 2020 – PART ONE. Here are this week’s picks: 7 Classroom Management Mistakes—and the Research on How to Fix Them is from
“‘Making Personal Connections’ Will Be Key This School Year”
‘Making Personal Connections’ Will Be Key This School Year is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Four educators share how they are going to apply lessons they learned in the spring to this new school year, including by reaching out to students as well as to parents. Here are some excerpts:
Thursday’s Five “Must-Read” Articles On School Reopening
sweetlouise / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : 925 Quarantined for Covid. Is This a Successful School Reopening? is from The NY Times. Schools Left in the Lurch as Negotiations on Coronavirus-Relief Bill Collapse is from US News. Despite setbacks, Trump administration doubles down on push to reopen school buildings is from Chalk
New U.S. Citizenship Resources
LAWJR / Pixabay Here are new additions to The Best Websites For Learning About Civic Participation & Citizenship : CITIZENSHIPstudyguide Welcome To The Civics Practice Test! is from the USCIS. REEP World Citizenship Resources. Quiz: Can You Answer the Hardest Citizenship Test Questions? is from The NY Times. American History for English Learners is from Many Things. Can YOU pass the U.S. citizens
Wow! Check Out This ABC News Video Segment: “ELL students left behind amid COVID-19 and virtual learning”
lucdecleir / Pixabay I can’t remember when a major broadcast news outlet last did a specific story on English Language Learners. Well, ABC News did this one today:
Pins Of The Week
I’m fairly active on Pinterest and, in fact, have curated 22,000 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 2020 – PAR
Video Of Student Panel Talking About Their Distance Learning Experiences In The Spring
OpenClipart-Vectors / Pixabay I’ve done a lot of professional development sessions for teachers at our school, and having student panels are always the most popular parts of them. Plus, they are great learning experiences for the students! I’ve share videos of several them: A New Student Panel Of ELLs Is Presenting At Our Staff Training Tomorrow – Here Are Videos Of Last Year’s Presentations Vide
Online Or In The Classroom, It’s Important To Pronounce Student Names Correctly!
Clker-Free-Vector-Images / Pixabay As we enter a new school year, just a reminder: We teachers have to correctly pronounce our students’ names! If you don’t think it’s important, or you need help with strategies on how to get them right, check out The Best Resources On The Importance Of Correctly Pronouncing Student Names.
Listen: Radio Interview With…Me, On Remote Teaching With ELLs
Tumisu / Pixabay Rosa Isiah interviewed me on her great radio show about “Preparing for the Increased Demands of Hybrid Teaching With English Language Learners.” In case you’re interested, she also had previously interviewed me about Myths and Misconceptions About ELL s. I’m adding it to the “About Me” section of this blog .

AUG 11

“Lessons Learned From ‘Quaranteaching'”
Lessons Learned From ‘Quaranteaching’ is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Douglas Fisher, Nancy Frey (co-authors of “The Distance Learning Playbook”), Dr. Isabel Morales, and Kiera Beddes share lessons they have learned from the spring, including the need for “empathetic feedback” and community-building. Here are some excerpts:
The “International Day Against Nuclear Tests” Is On Aug. 29th – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources
WikiImages / Pixabay The United Nations has declared August 29th to be the International Day Against Nuclear Tests . There are several specific resources you might be interested in: The Best Sites For Learning About The Marshall Islands – we have a lot of Marshallese students at our school, and the legacy of nuclear testing in their home is a terrible one. There are a number of resources on that
Four “Must-Read” Articles On Reopening Schools In The Fall
geralt / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : Some remarkable pictures of kids in schools around the world is from The Washington Post. ‘Like saying I don’t love her’: Parents torn as some schools face greater reopening risks is from USA Today. The New School Suspension: Blocked From Online Classrooms is from Huff Post and, unfortun
Google Education Updates Galore!
Simon / Pixabay Google announced a bunch of updates to its education offerings today. See much of them at Go back to school with Google . One of the many updates is supposedly the ability to generate a link instead of code for Google Classroom, though it doesn’t show up for me, yet. Google Assignments is supposed to make Grading made easy with Assignments, an app for your LMS . Here’s a new video
Fun Video “Ad” For A Library
LubosHouska / Pixabay I’m adding this fun video to The Best Fun Videos About Books & Reading :
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

AUG 10

“‘Don’t Forget to Breathe’ During Distance Learning”
‘Don’t Forget to Breathe’ During Distance Learning is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. Five educators share recommendations for effective distance learning, including limiting the number of online tools teachers use with students and not assuming that caregivers will be around to help with schoolwork. Here are some excerpts:
Tuesday’s Three “Must-Read” Articles & One “Must-Watch” Video On Reopening Schools In The Fall
geralt / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : School reopenings are being touted as good for students’ well-being, but that’s wrong appeared on NBC News. Teachers Across the Country Worry About a Rush to Reopen Schools is from The New Yorker. The Woeful Inadequacy of School-Reopening Plans is also from The New Yorker.
Here’s How I’m Setting-Up My iPhone As A Doc Cam
Free-Photos / Pixabay The Internet is awash with ways teachers can turn their iPhone into a document camera. Here’s how I’ve done it – I can’t guarantee it’s the cheapest, but I would be surprised if anyone found an easier way. I found the video below, which explains it very well. I downloaded EpicCam from the app store. Then downloaded this software for my desktop. Then I bought this cellphone h
Illinois District Models What We SHOULDN’T Be Doing: It Creates Distance Learning Dress Code, Including No Pajamas
Really? Should we really be trying to control what students wear in their own homes? Apparently, school district leaders in Springfield, Illinois think they should. You can read about it at the NY Times article, No Pajama Pants Allowed While Learning From Home, Illinois District Says . One of my students in the spring began to sign-in not wearing a shirt. I had a private and respectful conversati

AUG 09

August 23rd Is “International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition” – Here Are Teaching & Learning Resources
The United Nations has declared August 23rd to be International Day for the Remembrance of the Slave Trade and Its Abolition. You can find many related resources at their website . Check out USEFUL RESOURCES FOR LEARNING ABOUT THE 400TH ANNIVERSARY OF BRINGING ENSLAVED AFRICANS TO AMERICA . You might also want to explore The Best Resources For Learning About Human Trafficking Today .
Monday’s Four “Must-Read” & “Must-Watch” Articles & Videos About School Reopening This Fall
kaboompics / Pixabay Here are new additions to THE BEST POSTS PREDICTING WHAT SCHOOLS WILL LOOK LIKE IN THE FALL : Chaos coast to coast as a school year like no other launches is from The Washington Post. Why Black families are choosing to keep their kids remote when schools reopen is from The Hechinger Report.
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 2020 – PART ONE. Finally, check out “Best” Lists Of The Week: Social Emotional Learning Resources . Here are this week’s picks: Motivate Your High Perform
“Q&A Collections: Advice for New Teachers”
Q&A Collections: Advice for New Teachers is the headline of my latest Education Week column. All Classroom Q&A posts on Advice for New Teachers (from the past nine years!) are described and linked to in this compilation post. Here’s an excerpt from one of them:
Ed Tech Digest
Nine 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 2020 – PART ONE , as well as checking out all my edtech resources . Here are this w
Federal Eviction Ban Has Just Expired & One-Third Of U.S. Renters Can’t Make August Rent – What Does This Mean For Students?
I have previously posted about the coming eviction crisis and how it could impact our students and schools (see Federal Eviction Ban Expires Today; California’s Expires In September – How Will Schools Cope With Big Increase Of Homeless Students? ). It’s looking even worse today. Are schools ready in September and October for huge increases in homeless students? Read more about it two articles fro

AUG 08

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
Video (& Lesson Plan): “Should Cops Be In Schools?”
Utility_Inc / Pixabay San Francisco public television has produced this video and lesson plan . I’m adding it to TEACHING RESOURCES ABOUT IF POLICE SHOULD BE IN SCHOOLS .
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
“Q&A Collections: Science Instruction”
Q&A Collections: Science Instruction is the headline of my latest Education Week Teacher column. All Classroom Q&A posts on Science Instruction (from the past nine years!) are described and linked to in this compilation post. Here’s an excerpt from one of them:
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 

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