Educational Documentaries

Some of you might be interested in perusing this educational site I came across, Snag Learning. I was looking for some good, educational films or documentary snippets I could show my World Cultures class for Hispanic Heritage Month and stumbled on to this site.

You can search by subject, and I've added the links here to make it easier for you, (arts & music, foreign language, history, math & science, political science & civics, world culture & geography) or search by grade level, or by specific channel (your choices are PBS, National Geographic, Explore, and Sundance). The few I checked out were really good. There are some full-length films, as well as some shorter 10-15 minute films that you might be able to work into your lessons if you need an extra "boost" to show your students something and not just talk about it. Let me know what you think...

Prezi...A New Way to Present

The first time I saw a presentation created on Prezi, it was as shocking as being slapped in the face with a fish (sorry for the bad simile...we're working on figurative language in English class!). It was so out of the ordinary and honestly, way cooler than PowerPoint. Then I started creating my own Prezis; when I found it was easy--I fell deeper in love.

Benefits:

• Your trusty PowerPoint or Keynote slides can be "Prezified!" There's a simple import tool to "Prezify" your existing presentations
• It's cloud-based (meaning it's on the internet), so if your computer crashes...your Prezis aren't lost
• It's more interactive and visually pleasing than Keynote or PowerPoint
  
• Video, images, hyperlinks, and sounds can be embedded
• Prezis can be made public and editable--so a person can search for a Prezi that's already been created by someone else and then use it in your own class or make a copy of it and tweak it for your own use
• People can collaborate on Prezis and create one together
  
• Prezis can be printed as handouts for your students
  

Applications:

• Use it to create presentations that will knock your students right out of those uncomfortable desks
• Have your students create their own Prezis---they can embed them on their own blogs or websites OR email you the link for viewing and grading

Take a few minutes and learn how to use Prezi! Here's the Google Docs presentation I "Prezified" to create for our teacher in-service tomorrow:

Stories of Teachers' Impact

One of my absolute favorite parts of Fridays is listening to StoryCorps--an oral history project--on NPR. This I weekend I learned of a new StoryCorps project called the National Teachers Initiative. This new project includes recording and airing the stories of teachers in an oral history fashion. NPR will be airing these during their Sunday Weekend Edition shows.

The teaching profession and education has been the source of much scrutiny lately, so it's refreshing to me to see a positive portrayal of teachers on a national media outlet. I'm thrilled that StoryCorps is recognizing the good work teachers do and is devoted to telling our stories. The first story has aired on the radio and is posted on NPR's website. Give your busy week a jump start and listen to the first story for a dose of encouragement.