Susan Fitzell-Educational Consultant & Speaker
Practical Strategies to Get High Test Scores Now!
On-Screen Timer to Keep Kids on Track!
During a recent seminar, Brenda expressed a need for an on-screen timer; something that she could put on the desktop to “signal students that their time is up.” We did a little research and found a solution that help you too!
TimeLeft is a free desktop utility that can be used for a variety of clock and timer applications. The main feature of TimeLeft includes a powerful customizable reminder, which can show a message, play a sound file (many formats, including mp3), open a link or program, or even turn off your monitor or shutdown your pc.
Wordle.net
I’m always looking for ways to make learning motivating and fun. Vocabulary development and even spelling are a passion of mine that has been building for the past year. I constantly hear teachers lament that students don’t remember vocabulary. Reading deficiencies, many times exacerbated by poor vocabulary development are impacting test scores – both state and SAT and ACT. In addition to that, students are developing their own vocabulary and Read the rest of this entry »
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A Dozen Ways to Web Surf Efficiently!
1) Use Google Alerts to save time with searches you do on a regular basis.
Step 1: Go to Google – www.google.com
Step 3: Click on “News Alerts” in the left hand column
Step 4: Click on “You can also sign in to manage your alerts”
Step 5: Either sign in with your ‘Google account” or click on “Create an account now.”
Step 6: If you created an account, accept the terms.
Step 7: Enter your search term, choose how often you want an alert and then click on “Create Alert.”
For example, create an alert for ‘math lesson plans’, or ‘response to intervention’, or ‘autism’, or ‘(your name).’ Now, every time someone posts something on the internet with that topic, Google will send an alert to your email box.
PDF Editor
Useful Program
Nitro PDF Professional allows you to edit text and images in PDF files. Textbook company worksheets will be malleable to your specifications. If you want to add or subtract questions, the basic structure is already there for you play with. With Nitro PDF you aren’t forced to choose between creating your own worksheets from scratch or submitting to exactly what the companies think your students should be focusing on.
It costs $99 to purchase the program. There is, however, a free 14 day trial available as a download here.
For a simple PDF viewer/creator/converter/printer, you can also download Primo PDF for free.
Create Your Own Posters
Wonderful Displays
Designing your own posters is a great way to fill your classroom space with a personalized feel. Everywhere your students look, there could be hanging reminders of past lessons, or posters foreshadowing what’s to come, or simply to Read the rest of this entry »
Visual
This educational video set has earned high praise for it’s ability to blend an irreverent sense of humor with an “educational assisting program designed to beef up students’ language skills before taking the SAT test.” ~ Jeremy Wheeler, All Movie Guide
Auditory
Who hasn’t had a song stuck in their head, at one time or another? Using the naturally catchy nature of tunes to have your students leaving your classes humming the answers to next weeks test seems to sell itself. The following are a couple of links that offer educational songs for download. There are songs for all grade levels as well as subjects.
SongsForTeaching.com
Kinesthetic
The following was an idea suggested to me by Megan Taylor of Ozark, MO, as a method for getting physical learners to take hold of abstract ideas. kinesthetic spelling: Use your body as the letters on the line. For example: “Political” – P-stand, o-sit, l-stand, i-sit, t-stand, i-sit, c-sit, a-sit, l-stand. When an entire class spells out a word and performs this, it also adds a visual and auditory dimension to the idea.
