Aid Education with Historic Newspapers

June 19, 2015
Britain is commemorating the centenary of the start of World War One. That's 100 years since the
start of the First World War.

Starting in 2014 and lasting until 2018, the First World War Centenary is the birthday of WW1. From
exhibitions and concerts to a movie and football match, a whole gamut of events will take place to celebrate the anniversary.

World War One is remembered, primarily because it was the first war fought on a continent wide
scale, from 1914 to 1918, and resulted in the League of Nations. If you’re looking to teach students about the significance of the First World War, why not do so with educational pack?

To explain further, the UK’s largest private archive of old newspapers, Historic Newspapers, stock
more than seven million genuine original newspapers in their ever-growing collection.
Looking after the world’s biggest private archive of original newspapers means Historic Newspapers
are exceptionally passionate about history. It’s for this reason they decided to select interesting and
important coverage from significant historical dates – all in the name of learning – with a view to
teach others about the past, as it was reported at the time.

Best of all, they’re offering these teaching packs completely free of charge – all of which are
available to schools, universities, libraries and accredited education establishments – to help
students discover the cause and consequence of historical events. 

A newspaper book is a wonderful way to teach children about World War One, as each newspaper is
filled with stories from eyewitnesses who were present at the time, making it a pleasurable way to
aid learning and engage a pupil’s interest and imagination. The World War One newspaper book can
be used to discuss the changing nature of conflict, the cooperation between countries, the shift of
alliances and the lasting impact of the war on national, ethnic, cultural and religious issues.
A newspaper offers teachers the chance to encourage chronological understanding, evoke a sense of
period and provides a framework to discuss today’s events in a historical context.

The World War I Pack contains a book of compiled newspaper coverage, including Battle of Loos,
Gallipoli Withdrawal, London Air Raid and War is Over. The other two education packs available
contain complete newspaper reprints on World War II and Major Events.

By Thomas Walker

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Google Docs + Kaizena = Digital Writer’s Notebook

March 21, 2015

Guest post by: Gerard Dawson

When it comes to teaching writing teachers usually either spend hours responding to individual papers by hand or find common errors and address those through mini-lessons. Both options work, but make sacrifices.  The first former sacrifices time and energy, the latter sacrifices individual attention.

Lately a third option has worked best to improve my students’ writing. I call it “the digital writer’s notebook.”

It’s a two-tool system:

• Students write several drafts of similar writing in a Google Doc 
• The teacher uses Kaizena to give short feedback until students eventually create a final draft

In my freshmen class students meet weekly word count goals in a specific genre (expository, persuasive, descriptive etc.). They write several different drafts in the same genre of writing, or complete parts of one larger piece, step-by-step.

Again, all of the writing for the unit goes in one Google Doc. This way, the student can  easily use past feedback for the upcoming writing.  Doug Fischer and Nancy Frey have referred to this use of formative assessment for future learning as “feed forward.”  Using these process students develop stamina and confidence, and I can provide them feedback, but still leave them in control of their own improvements.

The Fine Print

For full disclosure, here are the issues that may arise using this approach:

1. Students fall behind quickly if they don’t meet their word count goals.  The cumulative effect of receiving and using feedback is lost if students don’t provide anything for the teacher to give feedback on.
2. There is a learning curve with Kaizena, the Google Doc add-on used to provide feedback. It takes a few demonstrations before students get it.
3. Some students ignore certain drafts, knowing that they’ll only choose on to revise.

Start with “easy wins”

In the beginning of the year, the writing requirements were smal: students were asked to write 250 words per week in their Google Doc, and they could include anything that they’d written in their paper writer’s notebooks.  This made meeting the 250 word goal easy.

By starting with “easy wins,” students developed confidence.  As the word count requirements gradually increase, the students rise to the challenge because they’re used to meeting the requirements.

Why Word Counts?

Establishing word count goals has been crucial for scaffolding growth in student writing. Word counts eliminate any “gaming” possible with writing assignments.  No finagling font sizes, no altering margins, and no changing the periods to a larger font size (the last technique is clever, but still dishonest).

Word counts get students elaborating on their ideas even when it’s difficult.  At 450 words but shooting for 500?  Figure out how to fully explain that idea from paragraph three. First drafts are about addition, second drafts are about subtraction.

Following this maxim, students are provided with word counts for the first drafts, but on final drafts I leave with them with the words of Kelly Gallagher’s rhetorical question that he asks students when they ask him, “how long should this essay be?”

It goes something like, 

KG: “How long is a piece of string?”
Student: “As long as you decide to cut it?”
KG: “Exactly.”

So, word counts place a sort of maturity and authenticity to the students writing assignments.

Support along the Way

As students write, I use Kaizena to give focused, actionable feedback.

The resources feature of Kaizena acts as a force multiplier of my time and student learning. I am can share a website or video with students that they check out and apply independently.  When this works well, students gain control of their own learning instead of relying on me to make revisions.

Overall, this practice allows me to:

• Identify trends to address in mini-lessons without relying on it as the only means of instruction
• Hand over the revision process for students to take charge of
• Make revision manageable for students, and make providing feedback manageable for me

The digital writer’s notebook is a paperless way to have students develop writing stamina, receive lots of feedback, and become self-directed learners.

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Teaching Preschool Children to Thrive in the Classroom

January 29, 2015
While each teaching role is important, perhaps none is more important as the role of teachers involved in pre-K, as this is such an important time in a child's life and is quite often when a child determines whether or not he or she enjoys learning and an academic environment. It may be reassuring or it may be unsettling to discover that your role as a pre-K teacher is so important, but here are some interesting tips from Walnut Montessori Pre-school to help you engage your preschool students in a thriving learning environment.

• While you cannot control the circumstances and environment which your students are exposed to outside of school, it should be reassuring to know that a great teacher and a great classroom environment can make all the difference in a child's attitude about school. Sometimes it takes a bit of insight into best practices and child development in order to know how to help a child succeed, and that is where this list of tips for teaching preschool children to thrive in the classroom comes into play:
•  Remember that young children learn through play: Young children learn best through playful interaction with their environment. Children love to role-play and pretend, but these activities are so much more than just play. Children make sense of their environment, of human interactions, and of encounters and experiences they have had through the day by role-playing these scenarios over again. It is important for young children to learn through play, and so your role as teacher is to take advantage of and harness a child's ability to learn while playing. There are many activities you can set up and encourage to help a child learn the best way he or she knows how.
•  Keep in mind that all children are naturally curious: Children love to learn; it is only as a child enters late elementary grades or middle school that their interest in learning wanes for a variety of reasons. As a pre-K teacher, it is your responsibility to keep a child's natural curiosity kindled and burning. Provide a stimulating and creative environment that encourages a child to engage and to learn.
• Set a routine: Young children respond well to routines, and if they are used to procedures and routines, they will better cope with stressful situations or any difficulty they may encounter throughout their day at preschool.
• Transition effectively: Young children have a difficult time transitioning from one activity to the next, particularly if they are enjoying the activity they are involved in. Find effective ways to transition, such as giving warning before a change in activity and perhaps setting up a fun transition procedure, such as singing a song while transitioning or playing upbeat music while the children transition. 

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