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June 22, 2015
Thinking Teachers Teaching Thinkers®
Happy Father’s Day! Whether you have children IN your home or your “kids” are the students in your classroom, you are making a difference in the lives of children everyday. TeachersFirst wants to say thank you and Happy Father’s Day! We hope you get a chance to celebrate (and maybe grill some steak).
ISTE—One Week To Go!
As always, TeachersFirst is headed to the ISTE conference next week! If you cannot afford a trip to Philadelphia, we can help! We will be sharing an OK2Ask® On Demand webcast from ISTE. Plan to watch and listen to teachers as they share their fabulous ISTE discoveries. It is almost like being there—without the airfare. Mark your calendars now! The OK2Ask® On Demand link will be front and center on the TeachersFirst home page.
If you live in the Philadelphia area and would like to see the EXHIBIT HALL ONLY at ISTE, we have a few Exhibit Hall passes. Apply for a pass here. We will mail passes out to qualifying applicants on a first come, first served basis while supplies last.
If you are going, plan to meet up with us there. Why not attend one of the sessions, listed below. Be sure to stop by our booth in the exhibit hall #1512. You might just earn a free t-shirt!
Tablets: 1...2...3...Go! (Room: WH210)
Monday, June 29, 8:30 - 11:30 am
Explore and Create: Workshop
Ruth Okoye, Karen StreeterResources to Make Your Gifted Classroom Sizzle (Room: B220)
Monday, June 29, 12:45 - 1:45 pm
Explore and Create: BYOD
Kevin Bower, Melissa HenningEd Tech Coaches: Meet the Magicians (Room: PCC 201BC)
Monday, June 29, 5:30 - 6:45 pm
Engage and Connect: Birds-of-a-feather
Ruth Okoye, Lynne Horiuchi, Melissa Henning, Vivian PoutakoglouEd Tech Coaches Playground: Cast a Spell for Learning! (Room: PCC Level 3 Overlook)
Tuesday, June 30, 9:30 am - 1:00 pm
Explore and Create: Playground
Ruth Okoye, Lynne Horiuchi, Melissa HenningTen Digital Tools for Common Core Elementary English Language Arts (Room: PCC Level 3 Overlook; Station 6)
Tuesday, June 30, 9:30 am - 10:30 am
Explore and Create: Playground
Gretchen StingTop Free Tools to Differentiate, Communicate, Assess and Organize BYOT Classrooms (Room: B307)
Tuesday, June 30, 10:45 - 11:45 am
Explore and Create: BYOD
Kevin Bower, Louise Maine, Melissa HenningInstructional Technology Coaches: Franchising to Support Academic Achievement (Room: PCC Broad Street Atrium, Table 37)
Tuesday, June 30, 4:00 - 6:00 pm
Participate and Share: Poster
Ruth Okoye, Karen StreeterFocusing on Science Inquiry With Flipping, Differentiation and Common Core (Room: PCC Broad Street Atrium, Table 21)
Wednesday, July 1, 8:00 - 10:00 am
Participate and Share: Poster
Louise Maine
It Is OK2Ask Summer 2015
Summer OK2Ask sessions resume in early July and will be held on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays for five weeks. All regular summer sessions begin at 6pm EDT. OK2Ask® is a series of free, online sessions for self-directed professional development. Learn more about OK2Ask. Registration is now open for all summer sessions. Mark your calendars now for the summer learning that YOU choose.
Talking about TeachersFirst?
Summer is PD season. If you feature TeachersFirst in teacher professional development workshops, teach a grad class about us, or coach teachers about TeachersFirst in your role as a technology integration specialist, we can help. Complete this form telling us where you plan to feature TeachersFirst. We will send out TeachersFirst cards and an ever-popular Thinking Teacher T-Shirt for qualifying sessions. Compete the form NOW to be sure supplies do not run out.
Register now for TeachersFirst's Summer Book Club
We are very excited to be planning a new Professional Development offering for our members. We will be hosting a book club for those who are interested in professional summer reading. Our book club will offer 45 professional development points for those who read the book and participate in the discussions. We will also have the author join us for two webinars! Our parent company, The Source For Learning, will purchase the books for all participants. Space is limited. For more information please click here.
Summer Celebrations
June is the time for thank-you gifts to school staff and parent volunteers. Find resources for Ramadan, Father's Day, and Independence Day (July 4). Turn to the TeachersFirst Classroom Planning Calendar during the summer months and throughout the entire year.
Dream Vacation
What would be your dream vacation? Maybe you enjoy a refreshing trip to the mountains, a relaxing day at the beach, or a busy day in the city? This week’s Teacher Poll asks: What would be your dream vacation? Place your vote on the teacher poll on the TeachersFirst home page.
Summer Sparklers for Students
Some schools may already be finished for the year; others have a few weeks to go. If you are preparing for a June departure, NOW is the time to share the TeachersFirst Summer Sparklers with parents and students. Prevent “summer slide” while inspiring creativity (and learning) with this handpicked collection of creative tools, clever sites, individualized challenges, and interactives for all ages. Put the link on your summer learning web page and share it in your monthly e-newsletter. Parents will appreciate it!
Shout Out to DAD
Happy Father’s Day! You may have children of your own (at home or grown). Possibly your “kids” are the students in the class that you influence everyday. The XW1W question for the week of June 21: What (if anything) will you do to celebrate Father’s Day?
Make this the year you make a class Twitter account to learn from classes near and far. Your students can hear about life in other places and cultures through #XW1W. TeachersFirst’s Across the World Once a Week (#xw1w) project uses simple tweets (or links to blog posts) to share the responses to a weekly question. Help your class “see” what life is like in other places. It all works because of something called a hashtag. Learn how to get started with these simple directions and FAQ.
Featured Sites
This week in our Featured Sites find art, economics, Europe, and more:
- Twitter chat finder
- European Borders now and then
- Differentiate Reading for the Young
- Shapes
- Sound Waves
- Wacky Weather
- Learn with Legos
- Digital Citizenship for all ages
- A Nerd Maker
- And more
IMPORTANT NOTE: If you are reading this June 28 or later, the link above will take you to the Featured Sites for the current week. Find the archived June 21 Features here, and don’t miss our many other recent additions from the link at the bottom of the Featured Sites page.
As you grill your favorite summer foods, let TeachersFirst offer you virtual treats for professional development, classroom management, lesson ideas, and more!
The TeachersFirst Team