Solving Problems for Real World, Using Design - NYTimes.com

"An important element of the school, Mr. Kelley says, is having students start small, and as they gain what he calls “creative confidence” with each success, they can move toward bigger, seemingly intractable problems. It is not all that different, he said, from teaching someone to play the piano."
 - one of the founders of the D.school aka Hasso Plattner Institute of Design at Stanford University

My wish: that all schools included the component of thinking and problem-solving

College Comparisons

Quick side by side comparison.

This Really Happy 13-Year-Old Hacks His Education, And Now I Regret I Didn't Do The Same With Mine

Students and parents, listen to this!

No Fear Shakespeare: Twelfth Night

Sentence Diagramming Puzzles

For those who are in the thick of studying diagramming.

Words - Latin to English

Latin to English. Thanks, Andrew!

Using a Quote Properly

Great examples of how to use a quote and not step into plagarism.

Prezi - Ideas matter.

Powerpoint or Prezi?

Copy of FakeBook Template - Google Drive

Thanks, Brett. Google at it again!

Child Nagging and Negotiating - End It With Three Simple Words

"Asked and Answered"

▶ THE CALL OF THE WILD by Jack London - FULL AudioBook | Greatest Audio Books - YouTube

Lord of the Flies audiobook - YouTube

Hints for Writing Effective Paragraphs of Literary Analysis

Close Reading Strategies by Terri Verhaegen on Prezi

LibriVox | free public domain audiobooks

Need audio for your text? Check to see if your novel or text is available on this free site.

Call of the Wild

Need audio for your novel?

Diagramming Sentences Index: Everything You Need To Know

visuals are sooooo helpful

Writing tips and tricks

83 excuses for not writing . . . and why those mornings are the best time to write

Tips on doing well in SL/HL History - History - IB Survival

Helpful guidelines and tips.

Tips for writing IB A1 Essays - Paper 1, Paper 2 and WL1 - Languages A1/A Literature - IB Survival

IB survival tips

Teen Texting: The Ruin of Romance

On texting and relationships - all of them . . .

7 Questions to Ask When Considering a Gap Year - US News and World Report

Walkabout

Walkabout: "I am interested in the Walkabout challenge because it promises what I most want for my own children. No one can give life meaning for them, but there are a number of ways we can help them to give life meaning for themselves. Central to that meaning is their sense of who they are in the scheme of things and their confidence that, no matter what the future holds, they can decide and act, that they can develop skills to be justifiably proud of, that they can cross the most barren outback with, a certain grace and find even in simple moments a profound joy. I hope that by exploring what they can do and feel they will come to know themselves better, and with that knowledge that they will move through today with contentment and will look forward to tomorrow with anticipation. I think a challenging walkabout designed for our time and place can contribute to that kind of growth." - Maurice Gibbons

Dr. Hallowell: Treating ADHD, Dyslexia, and Central Auditory Processing Disorder - 8 YouTube conversations

I'm a huge fan of Dr. Hallowell. A specialist who's practical and enthusiastic, he knows what it means to have ADHD. Take a listen.

Lord of the Flies - Mrs. Graham English & World History Pilot Course

Thank you, Mrs. Graham!

Lord of the Flies

Lord of the Flies Adventure Maze: Map of the Island

Shakespeare - Macbeth

Thanks, Mr. Parr!

Purdue OWL: MLA Formatting and Style Guide

MLA. Double check your bibme info against the MLA format.

Graphic Organizers - Analyze

Writing Analyses

Writing an Analysis

Visual graphic organizers and clear directions on how to write an analysis.'

Biology with Bozeman Science - YouTube

Videos concerning biology, chemistry, physics, and earth science. Thank you for the link, Brett!

How to parent a middle school child

Visuwords™ online • Visual Dictionary, Visual Thesaurus

Thank you, Bryson!

4 Ways to Write a Rhetorical Analysis

Children's Books - Fiction, Classics, Audiobooks & More - Simon & Schuster

Teen Books Online at Simon & Schuster

Biology and Earth and Environmental Science Ms. Schwippert's Home Page including EOC review

You're going to appreciate Ms. Schwippert! Look at the gold mine! Thank you!

AP Environmental Science Notes

Thank you, Providence High School teacher, Ms. Duncan!

The Book Thief Summaries

Sometimes it's tricky to understand. This guide should help you to review.

It's Elemental - Element Math Game

Making sense of:

Protons
Neutrons
Electrons
Atomic Mass
Atomic Number

13 Colonies Interactive maps and information

Count of Monte Cristo Character Guide

It's complicated.

Neuroscience For Students - Explore the nervous system

Might be useful for research. Thank you for the link, Mr. Lombardino.

The Book Thief online text

The Book Thief Character Map

The Book Thief

Character descriptions

13 Colonies Map: 13 colonies names matching map game

Sentence Diagrams & The One Question You Should Be Asking

Danteworlds

Plot Structure of Oedipus the King

A graphically organized plot line

Atomic Number, Mass Number, and Net Charge - 7 minute YouTube

Protons, Neutrons, and Electrons. Super short and clear visual explanation.

Livescribe :: Never Miss A Word

In favor of wifi Sky pen. There are some glitches here and there. Definitely, ask for live chat support.

Paper Mate PhD Three Function Multi Pen - Professional Customer Service - SKU: PAP69072

Thanks, John, for the recommendation!

Introduction - The Latin Dictionary

Remind101 | Free and Safe Text Messaging for Teachers

Teachers -please remember that some students don't have a phone AND some students lose phone privileges.

ENG 1001: Effective Arguments with Claims, Evidence, and Warrants

Claims, Evidence, and Warrants - definitions and examples

Constitutional Amendments

If you're working on memorizing the amendments, then this quiz is for you. The amendments are broken into sets. You'll be able to review the answers and then check for memorization online.

Our range of Latin and Greek apps | Romans Go Home!

Possible resource for Latin students . . .

Latin I alphabet cues | Quizlet

Alphabet pronunciations with cue words. Use the LEARN mode and take short quizzes until mastery is reached.

Latin Tutorial Video Clips

Thank you to Providence High School's Latin teacher, Mr. Spencer, for these helpful videos.

How Memory Works: 10 Things Most People Get Wrong — PsyBlog

#5 "Memory is unstable

The fact that the simple act of recall changes memory means that it is relatively unstable. But people tend to think that memory is relatively stable: we forget that we forgot and so we think we won't forget in the future what we now know.

What this means is that students, in particular, vastly underestimate how much effort will be required to commit material to memory. And they're not the only ones."

Spanish Language & Culture | Home

Good resource for study

Learn Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese, Latin, and German | Conjuguemos

Fantastic resource for language studies

"From One Second to the Next" - Texting & Driving - It Can Wait

Powerful! Second chance reminders for us all to drive consciously. Werner Herzog's 35 minute documentary chronicles 4 accidents. All of them preventable.

The Board Dudes SRX Medium Point Colored Mini Dr... : Target

Favorite mini-dry erase markers. Found them at Target.

Quartet® Dry-Erase Board, Plastic Frame, 11" x 17" | Staples®

My favorite dry erase board.

9 things to give up to become a better writer

Quick read. I've received Daphne Gray-Grant's Power Writing email for several years now. You might appreciate her writing reminders and insights, too. Her notes usually take less than 3 minutes to read.

Poisonwood Bible Characters flashcards | Quizlet

Feel free to copy to your own Quizlet.

The Poisonwood Bible Quizzes

Test your comprehension.

The Poisonwood Bible Character Map

Good visual of the characters' identities and relationships

Zippy Forms

Before you fill out all those school and athletic forms - take a look at what technology brings to your finger tips!

How to talk to your daughter about her body

Thank you to Michelle Icard - think Michelle in the Middle - for passing on this sage advice. Awesome!

Gifted Students and Underachieving - FamilyEducation.com

Good article. Also, take a look at Dr. Ned Hallowell's recommendations in Delivered from Distraction.

The Rebelution | a teenage rebellion against low expectations

Hey, teens! I thought you'd appreciate the Harris brothers belief that the teen years aren't to be wasted and that you have much to offer. Their challenge - in 100 days - do one hard thing each day. Here's a link to their worldwide reaching blog.

MyScript Calculator for iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPhone 5, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation), iPod touch (5th generation) and iPad on the iTunes App Store

Fast calculator. Write on your phone's screen with your fingers and the numbers are transformed. A Providence High School student's recommendation. Thanks, Jake!

White Noise - App

Those whole house attic fans, which provided the ultimate white noise, are a thing of the past. This app is handy for studying, resting, and/or sleeping.

Livescribe tutorial - YouTube 4:32

Straightforward directions on how to take notes and record using the echo pen.

How to Get the Most Out of Studying | Samford University | Birmingham, Alabama

I've posted Dr. Chew's series last summer - but just in case you'd like a refresher - here it is again. I think video 3 on deep processing and part of video 4 (on reading and note taking) are the most relevant to high school students. Take some notes (stop and rewind at will) and consider how you'll apply deep processing to your studies inside and outside the classroom. I promise you'll find the process rewarding.

Smartpens - engaging technology

Step into the 21st century! Smartpens can be a fantastic support for the student with dysgraphia.

GUYS READ

Wondering what books boys may enjoy reading?

Misunderstood Minds . Basics of Writing | PBS

Overview of writing development. Page links to attention, reading, and mathematics.

Study Guides and Strategies

The process and types of writing . . . Great resource. Specific outlined lists of just what to do.

Think Technology: Graphic Organizers

Variety of graphic organizers.

Graphic Organizers & Outlining

Quick links to writing organizers.

A Guide to Critical Thinking and Analytical Writing

Thank you, Amy Rukea Stempel! Your blueprint for analytical writing is a great guide for teachers and students.

Literary Analysis Essay Graphic Organizers

A set of graphic organizers to help you plan your literary analysis essay.

Aguanomics: The Big Thirst -- The Review

If you're reading "The Big Thirst," you might find these outline notes helpful.

Videos « The Talent Code

What do you think? I know imagery helps me to understand. What about you?

AppGratis — Daily free apps!

Not to overwhelm you, but . . . there's technology available to make your life easier and amusing!

WallMates Calendars & Writing Surfaces

At-A-Glance's easily removable calendar that sticks to the wall. I like the 18" x 12" Dry Erase Monthly Planning Surface. There's a blank dry erase sheet available, too. Remember you'll need dry erase markers and an eraser.

Multiple Choice Questions

OVCSA Academic Center for Excellence offers tips on taking multiple choice tests.

Essay Prompts and What to do

Essay command words: what they mean and how you should respond.

Apps - Graphic Organizers - Technology Integration for Teachers

Top 50 Apps For Time Management

Multiple Choice Questions - What to do

Reading Your Textbooks Effectively and Efficiently

A Student Guide to Multiple Choice Exams

Ocean Floor

SAT - College Board - A Question a Day

Why not practice with a question a day or free online tests? Time yourself. No pressure. Think about what you're doing and determine to enjoy it. Really. Your mind is that powerful.

Dr. Julian Reed Homepage - on Exercise and Learning

"Dr. Reed is an Associate Professor in the Department of Health Sciences at Furman University in Greenville, SC and is an Affiliate of the Prevention Research Center in the Arnold School of Public Health at the University of South Carolina in Columbia. His area of research focuses on examining the impact of built environmental supports on physical activity."

PIRATES and ANSWER

Test-taking Strategies

Charlotte Christian High School Calendar 2013-2014

Charlotte Mecklenburg Schools 2013-2014 Calendar

Just in case you needed to know.

SparkNotes: The Cold War (1945–1963): Quiz

Solid online quiz

History outlines for U.S. beginnings to the Cold War

Short, simple outlines for foundations of the United States of America through Cold War.

Cold War Begins

Quick outline

WWII Begins

Limited Q and A. Sometimes you need the brief notes. Here are a few to help you.

WW II & the Cold War

Short overview to refresh your memmory.

Terms of the Treaty of Versailles

Think BRAT = Blame Reparations Army Territory

Europe and North America after WWII flashcards | Quizlet

Romeo and Juliet Famous Quotes flashcards | Quizlet

Copy to your Quizlet and study often.

Scenes from Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet - The complete text of Romeo and Juliet

Scenes and quotes. Study well. And don't forget you do need to know important quotes.

Easiest iPad Tool Ever!

How to store your pdf documents in iBooks on your iPad.

Parts of a Flower

Online labeling - parts of a flower

World Biomes

Download or Read Online - Free Books from Classicly.

Thoughts on 20-something: Meg Jay’s talk | TED

If high school is behind you and you're wondering just how your life is going to take shape, then listen to Meg Jay's 15 minute TED TALK. She presents a framework and a perspective on the value of our 20's. Ideas that may change the course of life for those:

• trying to figure out just which direction to go after high school
• just graduating from high school 
• in college
• just graduating from college
• who are twenty-something
• in their early thirties

Timeline for Romeo and Juliet

Plot timeline. Sunday through Thursday.

Common Application Essay Prompts 2013

INSTRUCTIONS The essay demonstrates your ability to write clearly and concisely on a selected topic and helps you distinguish yourself in your own voice. What do you want the readers of your application to know about you apart from courses, grades, and test scores? Choose the option that best helps you answer that question and write an essay of no more than 650 words, using the prompt to inspire and structure your response.

Remember: 650 words is your limit, not your goal. Use the full range if you need it, but don't feel obligated to do so. (The application won't accept a response shorter than 250 words.)


• Some students have a background or story that is so central to their identity that they believe their
application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

• Recount an incident or time when you experienced failure. How did it affect you, and what lessons
did you learn?

• Reflect on a time when you challenged a belief or idea. What prompted you to act? Would you
make the same decision again?

• Describe a place or environment where you are perfectly content. What do you do or experience
there, and why is it meaningful to you?

• Discuss an accomplishment or event, formal or informal, that marked your transition from
childhood to adulthood within your culture, community, or family.

5 reasons you might want to learn more

Amen!
Scroll down to read Daphne's blog entry titled "5 Reason You Might Want to Learn More."

The Ebbinghaus Forgetting Curve – And How To Overcome It

Box Plots Lesson

Box Plots Lesson:

'via Blog this'

FREE Flashcards Study Helper for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad on the iTunes App Store

Thank you for this recommendation, Tyler!

EARTH :: GEOLOGY :: OCEAN FLOOR image - Visual Dictionary Online

Ocean floor diagram with definitions

Stay Focused With StayFocusd For Google Chrome And Say Goodbye To Distractions

Thanks, Sam! For all of us (me included) who like to spend a bit of time looking around on the web. This tool will help us to stay focused . . . meaning it allows us to block out websurfing time. See what you think. It's a Chrome download.

Coursera - a free online university

Text 2 Mind Map - Simple mind mapping online

Webs help you to understand the big picture and the details. Outline the text and watch your map develop. Print and study. That's the important part - study!

The Big Read | To Kill a Mockingbird

audio version

Logical Consequences: Don't Default to Taking Away Valuables

Michelle Icard of Michelle in the Middle writes: "Don’t default to taking away the cell phone, favorite article of clothing, or xBox every time. You’ll just end up with a child who loses trust in your ability to be rational and, as a result, will work very hard to sneak around you."

Verbals - a short study guide

You know - verbals: gerunds, infinitives, participles

Verbals

Definitions and examples

Three Huge Mistakes We Make Leading Kids…and How to Correct Them

'There will be times our young people do need our help, or affirmation. But—healthy teens are going to want to spread their wings. They’ll need to try things on their own. And we, the adults, must let them. Here are some simple ideas you can employ as you navigate these waters:"

The Learning Virtues - NYTimes

Jin Li's research sheds light on the culture of East and West students: "Westerners tend to define learning cognitively while Asians tend to define it morally. Westerners tend to see learning as something people do in order to understand and master the external world. Asians tend to see learning as an arduous process they undertake in order to cultivate virtues inside the self."

NYT columnist David Brooks comments, "I’d just note that cultures that do fuse the academic and the moral, like Confucianism or Jewish Torah study, produce these awesome motivation explosions. It might be possible to champion other moral/academic codes to boost motivation in places where it is absent."

ASK GRAMMAR

Select your quiz by opening the top bar.

The Grammar Gorillas

Terrific site for elementary and middle school students. Two online quizzes: nouns and verbs; all parts of speech

Teaching Metacognition

Metacognition and Student Learning - Do Your Job Better - The Chronicle of Higher Education

Outliers: The Story of Success: Malcolm Gladwell

Students, parents, teachers, mentors: Read this book and consider the importance of community - intelligence - opportunities - 10,000 hours.

Animal Cell - diagram with definitions

Thank you Ms. Brennan. One sheet with diagram and definitions.

Relax! You’ll Be More Productive - NYTimes.com

Tony Schwarz, CEO of The Energy Project and author of "Be Excellent at Anything," writes, "Working in 90-minute intervals turns out to be a prescription for maximizing productivity. Professor K. Anders Ericsson and his colleagues at Florida State University have studied elite performers, including musicians, athletes, actors and chess players. In each of these fields, Dr. Ericsson found that the best performers typically practice in uninterrupted sessions that last no more than 90 minutes."

Now, how does this research play out for students facing 2+ hours of homework each night?

'via Blog this'

Why Discrete Math Is Important

Consider these course steps.

Homework Charts, Free Printable Homework Charts

Parents and teachers, post chores, routines so that children (this includes teens) will know what to do. Avoid being the fountain of all daily information and directions. Just scroll down to find a chart that meets the need.

It’s the P.Q. and C.Q. as Much as the I.Q. - NYTimes.com

Says NYT columnist, Thomas L. Friedman, "We know that it will be vital to have more of the “right” education than less, that you will need to develop skills that are complementary to technology rather than ones that can be easily replaced by it and that we need everyone to be innovating new products and services to employ the people who are being liberated from routine work by automation and software. The winners won’t just be those with more I.Q. It will also be those with more P.Q. (passion quotient) and C.Q. (curiosity quotient) to leverage all the new digital tools to not just find a job, but to invent one or reinvent one, and to not just learn but to relearn for a lifetime. "

World History MPHS Ms. Abernathy's wikispace

Yeah, Ms. Abernathy, MPHS World History teacher! She's posted super resources for World History. Such organization. Thank you!

National Coalition of Auditory Processing Disorders

Dr. Jay R. Lucker explains: What is an auditory processing disorder? What are the causes? What is auditory processing disorder like?

Aaron Swartz: An open letter to his prosecutor

Profound message. Now examine the ways in which Kornbluth builds his argument - the descriptions, the analogy, the sentence patterns . . .

The Problem with In-School Testing | LinkedIn

This dialogue sheds light on the dilemma: "My child is struggling in school. Should I seek an private evaluation or not?"

U.S.C. Exhibit Shows Fractals Built From Paper - NYTimes.com

On Ideas and Play
"Despite these explorations, none of these people will be able to pass a university geometry exam, and there will always be vast areas of math inaccessible to nonprofessionals. Nonetheless, many important mathematical concepts can be expressed without formal symbols. After all, nature does it without an alphabet.

Everyone knows about think tanks; at the Institute for Figuring, we have set ourselves up as a “play tank.” By inviting people to play with ideas, we encourage them to experience not just the beauty inherent in mathematics, but its awesome structural power."

The map as history : a multimedia atlas of world history with animated historical maps

Need to SEE and HEAR to understand? This resource helps students to understand historical political changes in the world.

The Renaissance

Why Italy?

 Renaissance Art

The High Renaissance
Renaissance Literature
Daily Life
  Northern Renaissance

THE REFORMATION

10 Ways You Shoot Yourself in the Foot in the Workplace

The Art of Styling Sentences: 20 Patterns for Success - Ann Longknife, K. D. Sullivan - Google Books

I like this resource. Anyone who wants to learn how to write effective sentences by looking at models and patterns and then practicing these patterns in isolation and combination will find this resource helpful.  Grade 9+

Notes on the Ballad Form

Grammarly | Instant Grammar Check - Online Proofreading

You can download a free version. Upgrades cost. Does your school use Grammarly?

Echo Smart Pen by Livescribe :: Never Miss A Word

Ahh! Technology!