Tuesday, August 26, 2014

TEDx: Shawn Achor - "The Happiness Advantage: Linking Positive Brains to Performance"

If you lay a foundation of happiness in your school or classroom or your life then productivity, creativity, energy, and satisfaction will follow. It doesn't work the other way around.

Here is to a happy new school year.


Friday, August 22, 2014

Tailor reading level for student Google searches

I just saw a great tweet from Tara Becker-Utess.



Tara is building upon an idea that Tammy Lind presented at Best of MACUL presents CUE Rock Star this summer in Saugatuck. The cool thing about most techniques designed for struggling learners is that almost anyone can benefit from them. Tara and Tammy inspired me to lay out the quick and easy steps that allow students to search by reading level. This will come in hugely handy this year as I teach my elementary students to formulate effective searches.

Here you go.

  1. After performing a Google Search, click on Search Tools

  2. Next click on reading level

  3. Choose the reading level. In my example I am simulating third graders doing African animal reports. I will ask them to click "Basic" and this will return only results that are the easiest to read.


These three clicks can greatly tailor the types of search results students receive, making the experience more useful for everyone.

Here is more great stuff from Tammy's ISTE 14 presentation on this very topic.

Thursday, August 14, 2014

All of the motivation you need for a great school year

Whether you have been "back at it" for weeks or if you have removed all months and weeks from your calendar after next in hopes of preventing the inevitable, here is a little motivation from the genius of Michael Mills at the University of Central Arkansas to get the juices flowing for a great school year.



Michael and a panel of other educators want to continue their mission of hacking professional development. If you liked the video, give them a vote to present at South by Southwest this Spring in Austin, TX.