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See all the wonderful things Christina Torres has made

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See all the wonderful things Christina Torres has made

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Class Twitter Account: How Your Students Can Tweet | Teacher Tech

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Class Twitter Account: How Your Students Can Tweet | Teacher Tech

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I have had several teachers how they can have their students tweet without having a Twitter account. I highly encourage teachers to have a class twitter account and a class hashtag. Here is how to use the class Twitter account.

Tweet Pictures

Provide a window into your classroom by posting pictures of your class and class activities. Blur out the faces of students whose parents do not want their child's pictures on social media. I recommend posting at least 5 pictures throughout the day.

Tweet Questions

When your students ask questions, post those to the class Twitter account. Use the class hashtag.

Follow

One thing that is great about Twitter is that the stream of tweets you see is only the people you follow (plus some ads). If you're judicious about who your class Twitter account follows, it would be safe to project the class Twitter stream. I recommend following @USGS which tweets some great pictures and news facts that are appropriate for schools. Also find other classes that are in your same grade level to follow.

Additionally here are some people on Twitter who you should probably NOT follow since their tweets are not aimed at school-aged children, but who are experts in their field. They might be good to ask questions of or invite to Google Hangout to answer student questions. http://tinyurl.com/tweetexperts Please add people to the list who you know might be good for students to tweet questions to.

Students Twitter

Most likely you are not going to have your students create Twitter accounts to tweet from class. Instead, use the class Twitter account to allow students to tweet. Do NOT give the students the class Twitter account password. Instead, I created this spreadsheet to facilitate tweeting.

http://tinyurl.com/tweetmyclass

Create a copy of the spreadsheet above. Replace cell D2 with the class hashtag.

Change the sharing to allow your students to edit. Link to the spreadsheet within your LMS or in the "About" tab in Google Classroom.

Students would add their tweets to the collaborative spreadsheet into column A. The number of characters (Tweets have a 140 character limit) and a link to create the tweet. The hashtag is automagically attached to the tweet.

Using the spreadsheet allows the students to actually compose the tweet. However, you approve the tweet before it is sent out.

Be Logged Into Class Twitter Account

Make sure you are logged into the class Twitter account when you click on the blue link.

Copyright secured by Digiprove © 2015

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Class Twitter Account: How Your Students Can Tweet - Teacher Tech

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I have had several teachers how they can have their students tweet without having a Twitter account. I highly encourage teachers to have a class twitter account and a class hashtag. Here is how to use the class Twitter account. Provide a window into your classroom by posting pictures of your class and class activities.

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Here's What Actually Happens In Shakespeare's Most Famous Plays

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Here's What Actually Happens In Shakespeare's Most Famous Plays

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"I wasted time, and now time doth waste me" need not apply to your procrastination habits. If you're in need of a quick Shakespeare refresher (say, before watching a modern-day adaptation), consulting a timeline of how events unfolded could come in hand. Does Titania fall in love with Bottom before or after the fairy king bewitches her with a potion? How exactly, do the final moments of Romeo and Juliet's love affair transpire? Obviously the Bard is worthy of a close read, but the below timelines from The Shakespeare Book are a fun refresher.
To relive your high school English class days, reacquaint yourself with the events of Shakespeare's famous plays:

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Here's What Actually Happens In Shakespeare's Most Famous Plays

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"I wasted time, and now time doth waste me" need not apply to your procrastination habits. If you're in need of a quick Shakespeare refresher (say, before watching a modern-day adaptation), consulting a timeline of how events unfolded could come in hand.

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Changing students' ideas of social justice through narrative pedagogy (Book, 2005) [Boise State University Albertsons Library]

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Changing students' ideas of social justice through narrative pedagogy (Book, 2005) [Boise State University Albertsons Library]

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Changing students' ideas of social justice through narrative pedagogy (Book, 2005) [Boise State University Albertsons Library]

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Get this from a library! Changing students' ideas of social justice through narrative pedagogy. [Fernanda M Morales]

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Challenging Our Stories as Teacher Educators for Social Justice: Narrative as Professional Development | Page | in education

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Challenging Our Stories as Teacher Educators for Social Justice: Narrative as Professional Development | Page | in education

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TEDxHampshireCollege - Jay Smooth - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race - YouTube

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TEDxHampshireCollege - Jay Smooth - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race - YouTube

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TEDxHampshireCollege - Jay Smooth - How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love Discussing Race

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Giving Students Ownership of Learning: the 21st Century Fishbowl Protocol | Blog | Alabama Best... - Linkis.com

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Giving Students Ownership of Learning: the 21st Century Fishbowl Protocol | Blog | Alabama Best... - Linkis.com

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Volume 29, No.1 - Fall 2014 - Rethinking Schools Online

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Volume 29, No.1 - Fall 2014 - Rethinking Schools Online

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On Racism and White Privilege | Teaching Tolerance

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On Racism and White Privilege | Teaching Tolerance

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On Racism

Racism is a doctrine or teaching, without scientific support, that does three things. First, it claims to find racial differences in things like character and intelligence. Second, racism asserts the superiority of one race over another or others. Finally, it seeks to maintain that dominance through a complex system of beliefs, behaviors, use of language and policies. Racism ranges from the individual to the institutional level and reflects and enforces a pervasive view, in white dominated U.S. culture that people of color are inferior to whites.

Racist beliefs include things like "White people are smarter than people of color," or "White people make better teachers." Racism can manifest itself in terms of individual behavior through hate crimes, or in institutional behavior through employment discrimination. Racism might manifest in individual language through the use of slurs, or in institutional policy through a school's selection of Eurocentric textbooks.

Related to these relatively obvious manifestations of racism is a subtle system that also contributes to the maintenance of the racial status quo. That subtle system is white skin privilege.

On White Privilege

White skin privilege is not something that white people necessarily do, create or enjoy on purpose. Unlike the more overt individual and institutional manifestations of racism described above, white skin privilege is a transparent preference for whiteness that saturates our society. White skin privilege serves several functions. First, it provides white people with "perks" that we do not earn and that people of color do not enjoy. Second, it creates real advantages for us. White people are immune to a lot of challenges. Finally, white privilege shapes the world in which we live - the way that we navigate and interact with one another and with the world.

White Privilege: The Perks

White people receive all kinds of perks as a function of their skin privilege.

Consider the following:

When I cut my finger and go to my school or office's first aid kit, the flesh-colored band-aid generally matches my skin tone.

When I stay in a hotel, the complimentary shampoo generally works with the texture of my hair.

When I run to the store to buy pantyhose at the last minute, the 'nude' color generally appears nude on my legs.

When I buy hair care products in a grocery store or drug store, my shampoos and conditioners are in the aisle and section labeled 'hair care' and not in a separate section for 'ethnic products.'

I can purchase travel size bottles of my hair care products at most grocery or drug stores.

My father, who has worked in economic development for 30 years, would explain away these examples of white privilege as simple functions of supply and demand economics. White people still constitute the numerical majority in this country, so it makes sense, for example, that bandaid companies would manufacture "flesh-tone" bandages for white people.

Even if I concede to his argument (and ignore the "buying power" of communities of color), it still does not change the impact of these white privileges. As a white person, I get certain perks that people of color do not; I get the bandages and the pantyhose and the shampoo at the hotel that works with my hair. And in a new grocery store, I will not have to scan the aisles for my hair care products. They will be in the section called "hair care." This is how I experience the world.

"White privilege is a hidden and transparent preference that is often difficult to address. Only on closer inspection do we see how it creates a sense of entitlement, generates perks and advantages for white people and elevates our status in the world."

These seemingly benign perks also demonstrate a danger on closer examination. Let's say that I forgot to pack my shampoo for a business trip. When I get to the hotel, I see that the complimentary shampoo is not the standard Suave product to which I am accustomed but rather Pink Oil Lotion for African American hair. I would be surprised and might even think to myself: "Those black folks and all their lobbying ... This is so unfair!" I expect these perks. As a white person, I think I am entitled to them.

White Privilege: The Advantages

Certainly, white privilege is not limited to perks like band aids and hair care products. The second function of white skin privilege is that it creates significant advantages for white people. There are scores of things that I, as a white person, generally do not encounter, have to deal with or even recognize.

For example:

My skin color does not work against me in terms of how people perceive my financial responsibility, style of dress, public speaking skills, or job performance.

People do not assume that I got where I am professionally because of my race (or because of affirmative action programs).

Store security personnel or law enforcement officers do not harass me, pull me over or follow me because of my race.

All of these things are things that I never think about. And when the tables are turned and my white skin is used against me, I am greatly offended (and indignant). The police department in my community, like so many other law enforcement agencies throughout this country, uses policing tactics that target people of color. Two years ago, I was driving down Rosa Parks Boulevard, a street that runs through an all-black and impoverished area of town, at night. I was looking for a house that I had never been to before, so I was driving slowly, stopping and moving as I searched for numbers on residences.

Out of nowhere, this large police van pulled me over, blue lights flashing and sirens blaring, and a handful of well-armed police officers jumped out of the van and surrounded my car. I did as I was told, and got out of my car. ("Hands above your head; move slowly!") I then succumbed to a quick physical pat-down, as well as a search of my car. The officers had pulled me over -- not only because of my erratic driving -- but also, because, in the words of one officer, I was "a white woman driving down Rosa Parks after dark." They thought I was looking to buy drugs.

When I went to the office the next day, I relayed my story to several white colleagues. They shared my sense of violation, of anger, of rage. These co-workers encouraged me to call our legal department and report the incident. I later told the story to a colleague who is black and who lives on Rosa Parks. "You just never have to worry about those things, do you, Jennifer?" she asked and then walked off. In twelve words, she succinctly challenged my sense of privilege.

White Privilege: The World View

The third thing that white privilege does is shape the way in which we view the world and the way in which the world views us. The perks and advantages described above are part of this phenomenon, but not all of it.

Consider the following:
* When I am told about our national heritage or "civilization," I am shown that people of my color made it what it is.
* Related, the schools that I attend or have attended use standard textbooks, which widely reflect people of my color and their contributions to the world.
* When I look at the national currency or see photographs of monuments on the National Mall in Washington, D.C., I see people of my race widely represented and celebrated.

As a white person, I see myself represented in all of these places. And, until a couple of years ago, I never questioned that representation - or why people of color were excluded. After all, people like me have done a lot for this country and for the world. If people of color had done their part, so the theory goes, they too would see themselves represented.

Well, people of color have done more than their share for this country. There is an old saying that the victors of war get to write the history of the world. White privilege works this way, too. Since white folks have been in control for so long, we have determined what is valuable or interesting or useful in terms of education. Greek and Roman mythology, Chaucer, and other canonized works have been selected and revered through the ages as critical components of any "solid liberal arts education."

I rarely have to question the validity of these selections - this is, after all, what is valuable and considered "the real stuff." And I am entitled to a good education, aren't I? I never question how or why some things are valued and others are not - why some things are important to "us" and other things are not. When people begin talking about diversifying a curriculum, one of the main things that opponents say is: "I am not willing to lower standards for the sake of minority representation."

The Black Student Coalition at my college, for example, lobbied the faculty to diversify the readings for the Literature 101 class, a required course for first-year students. One professor objected, saying: "You want me to replace Chaucer with the likes of Alice Walker?" Why do we value Chaucer more than the literary offerings of Alice Walker, Toni Morrison, or Audre Lorde? Who assigns that value and on what basis?

Things are starting to change slowly. Perhaps your high school hosted programs during Black History Month or during Asian and Hispanic Heritage Months. Maybe your college offered courses in Black, Latino, Caribbean, Native American, Asian or ethnic studies. These are good places to start, but we should not need separate months or classes. Black history is U.S. history; Chicano literature is valuable literature.

White privilege is a hidden and transparent preference that is often difficult to address. Only on closer inspection do we see how it creates a sense of entitlement, generates perks and advantages for white people and elevates our status in the world.

Excerpted from White Anti-Racist Activism: A Personal Roadmap by Jennifer R. Holladay, M.S. (Crandall, Dostie & Douglass Books, Inc., 2000)

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Racism is a doctrine or teaching, without scientific support, that does three things. First, it claims to find racial differences in things like character and intelligence. Second, racism asserts the superiority of one race over another or others. Finally, it seeks to maintain that dominance through a complex system of beliefs, behaviors, use of language and policies.

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Colonial laws prohibiting blacks and whites from marrying one another suggest that some blacks and whites did marry. Laws imposing penalties on white indentured servants and enslaved blacks who ran away together likewise suggest that whites and blacks did run away together. Laws making it a crime for Indians and blacks to meet together in groups of four or more indicate that, at some point, these gatherings must have occurred. As Benjamin Franklin is said to have remarked in the Constitutional Convention, "One doesn't make laws to prevent the sheep from planning insurrection," because this has never occurred, nor will it occur.

The social elites of early America sought to manufacture racial divisions. Men of property and privilege were in the minority; they needed mechanisms to divide people who, in concert, might threaten the status quo. Individuals' different skin colors were not sufficient to keep these people apart if they came to see their interests in common. Which is not to say that racism was merely a ruling class plot, but as Howard Zinn points out in chapters 2 and 3 of A People's History of the United States, and as students see in this lesson, some people did indeed set out consciously to promote divisions based on race.

Because today's racial divisions run so deep and can seem so normal, providing students an historical framework can be enlightening. We need to ask, "What are the origins of racial conflict?" and "Who benefits from these deep antagonisms?" A critical perspective on race and racism is as important as anything students will take away from a U.S. history course. This is just one early lesson in our quest to construct that critical perspective.

Published by Rethinking Schools.

Read " How American oligarchs created the concept of race to divide and conquer the poor" by Courtland Milloy in The Washington Post about a D.C. teacher's use of the Color Line lesson.

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Colonial laws prohibiting blacks and whites from marrying one another suggest that some blacks and whites did marry. Laws imposing penalties on white indentured servants and enslaved blacks who ran away together likewise suggest that whites and blacks did run away together.

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The Zinn Education Project is my compass in a sea of corporate textbooks, packaged common core curriculum and standardized testing. My entire curriculum is based on lessons that can be found on the Zinn Education Project.

High School Social Studies Teacher, Portland, Ore.

Your support is needed to help more students learn people's history. 100% of Zinn Education Project funding comes from individuals like you. Donate today.

By Ursula Wolfe-Rocca

From voter ID laws to voter-roll purges, gerrymandering to poll closures to the deadly in-person voting conditions during a pandemic, the right to vote is under attack and the stakes are high. It is critical that students learn about the fight for voting rights, past and present.

April 28, 1987: Benjamin Linder Murdered in Nicaragua...

Pledge to Teach the Truth...

I can UNDERSTAND pessimism, but I don't BELIEVE in it. It's not simply a matter of faith, but of historical EVIDENCE. Not overwhelming evidence, just enough to give HOPE, because for hope we don't need certainty, only POSSIBILITY.

-Howard Zinn

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Zinn Education Project: Teaching People's History

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The Zinn Education Project promotes and supports the teaching of people's history in middle and high school classrooms across the country. Based on the lens of history highlighted in Howard Zinn's best-selling book A People's History of the United States, the website offers free, downloadable lessons and articles organized by theme, time period, and reading level.

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Log in or register to find out your implicit associations about race, gender, sexual orientation, and other topics!

Or, continue as a guest by selecting from our available language/nation demonstration sites:

GO!

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Log in or register to find out your implicit associations about race, gender, sexual orientation, and other topics! Or, continue as a guest by selecting from our available language/nation demonstration sites: GO!

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How to Navigate Social Justice Issues in the Classroom – PTE013

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How to Navigate Social Justice Issues in the Classroom – PTE013

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Teach About Mike Brown. But Don’t Stop There. | Rethinking Schools Blog

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Teach About Mike Brown. But Don’t Stop There. | Rethinking Schools Blog

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Teach About Mike Brown. But Don't Stop There.

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By Renée Watson This time last summer, I researched articles and collected poems about police brutality, racial profiling, and the murders of black men in the United States. The George Zimmerman verdict was fresh on my mind and I wanted to talk about it with my students once school was back in session.

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Our Nation's elementary and secondary education systems are falling behind the rest of the world. The Administration supports an agenda that provides school choice for parents, better prepares students to compete in a global economy, modernizes an antiquated federal student aid system, and holds higher education institutions more accountable to students and taxpayers alike.

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Resources | White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics

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Resources | White House Initiative on Educational Excellence for Hispanics

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Teaching Students to Stand Up and Speak Out | Edutopia

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Teaching Students to Stand Up and Speak Out | Edutopia

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If a student dropped to the linoleum floor hungry and ill, as a classroom community, we would come to her aid immediately. We would offer food and comforting words and search out medical support from the school nurse and possibly even dial 9-1-1.

Yet when students leave the classroom, they follow the social norms we've established here in America: If you see homeless who are ill and hungry, keep walking. Don't encourage that "behavior" by giving them money. If they want help, they can get it.

I don't want to oversimplify the issue of homelessness and poverty in the richest country in the world but that fact that we even have a problem is the problem. The US census this year revealed that nearly half of Americans reported as low income or living in poverty. Homelessness in America has grown exponentially since the late 70s. It's everywhere. And with the current high unemployment rate, it might not be far off before we add children visibly living on the streets to that mix.

In the Classroom

As teachers, we are given the charge and entrusted with preparing students intellectually, ethically, emotionally, and socially. The latter three meaning everyday we are guiding and nurturing students into helpful, altruistic, empathetic citizens -- and we expect them to act according to this creed while on school grounds and within classroom walls.

But how about when they leave campus? Are we preparing students and arming them to be allies rather than bystanders, to be advocates for those in need in our larger community, as well as stand up to injustices when necessary?

When it comes to teaching and the notion of neutrality, Howard Zinn said it best in his book, You Can't Be Neutral on a Moving Train: "Education becomes most rich and alive when it confronts the reality of moral conflict in the world."

In 1963, while teaching history at Spelman College (an all-black women's college in Georgia), Zinn was so rattled when he was told by the University president to ignore the civil unrest (i.e. civil rights movement) happening all around him and was basically ordered to just do his job as a professor -- teach. He rejected this, and joined his students in protests, petition signing, and sit-ins. He was fired. (Zinn's book A People's History of the United States is used today in middle and high school curriculum across the country.)

Social Justice Lessons

In the classroom, how might we tackle the "moral conflicts" Zinn speaks of that we see in the neighborhood, our city and state, our country, and the world community?

Consider any of these activities:

1. Have students write a narrative about a time they witnessed bullying or mistreatment of another, and how they made the choice to be a bystander. Have the students share their stories in small groups and then re-write them, changing their role to ally.

2. Create a class brainstorm of all the things happening in the community that they consider wrong, unjust, unfair, and unkind. Decide on a class to take on one of those injustices and become activists for that cause. (Perhaps they will choose children who are homeless and have a bake sale, or host another type of fundraiser.)

3. Choose an important issue or select something from the class brainstorm from above, and lead students in a letter writing campaign to a local or state politician.

4. Using Political Cartoons from history that vilified a specific group, have students analyze why these depictions are morally wrong and the detrimental effects they have on both the group and society as a whole.

Helpful Resources

Linda Christensen's books, Reading Writing and Rising Up and Teaching for Joy and Justice: Re-Imagining the Language Arts Classroom.

Young people's acts of heroism, courage, and compassion are highlighted and shown to play significant roles in history in Zinn's book, A Young People's History of the United States: Columbus to the War on Terror.

The Zinn Education Project offers resources to use with the Zinn's History book.

Teaching for Change website offers tools, training and strategies for teachers to help students "be citizens and architects of a better world."

How do you teach students to stand up and speak out?

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Teaching Students to Stand Up and Speak Out | Edutopia

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If a student dropped to the linoleum floor hungry and ill, as a classroom community, we would come to her aid immediately. We would offer food and comforting words and search out medical support from the school nurse and possibly even dial 9-1-1.

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Teaching for Change Building Social Justice Starting in the Classroom

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Teaching for Change Building Social Justice Starting in the Classroom

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Teaching for Change provides teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where students learn to read, write and change the world.

By drawing direct connections to real world issues, Teaching for Change encourages teachers and students to question and re-think the world inside and outside their classrooms, build a more equitable, multicultural society, and become active global citizens.

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Teaching for Change provides teachers and parents with the tools to create schools where students learn to read, write and change the world. By drawing direct connections to real world issues, Teaching for Change encourages teachers and students to question and re-think the world inside and outside their classrooms, build a more equitable, multicultural society, and become active global citizens.

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Elie Wiesel: First Person Singular | PBS

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Elie Wiesel: First Person Singular | PBS

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Elie Wiesel: First Person Singular | PBS

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"To forget nothing, to efface nothing: that is the obsession of survivors; to plead for the dead, to defend their memory and honor ... survivors have only words, poor ineffectual words with which to defend the dead." - Elie Wiesel

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3 Sept 2020 Civil Rights FILMS

Freedom Riders

Threatened. Attacked. Jailed. Could you get on the bus?

Watch Film

The Vote | Interactive
Celebrate the strategies and tactics of the movement in a new interactive experience.

Video Gallery
Stream these American Experience documentaries anywhere, anytime. We will update this page as new films become available

Collection
The role of protest, agitation and struggle in the evolution of the country we live in today.

Film
One hundred years after the passage of the 19th Amendment, The Vote tells the dramatic culmination story of the hard-fought campaign waged by American women for the right to vote, a transformative cultural and political movement that resulted in the largest expansion of voting rights in U.S. history.

The Vote | Article
For many women, the 19 th Amendment was only the beginning of a much longer fight.

Collection
The history of America's ongoing struggle with race, democracy and justice.

Let's Stay in Touch! Dismiss

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Threatened. Attacked. Jailed. Could you get on the bus? Watch Film The Vote | InteractiveCelebrate the strategies and tactics of the movement in a new interactive experience. Video Gallery Stream these American Experience documentaries anywhere, anytime. We will update this page as new films become available Collection The role of protest, agitation and struggle in the evolution of the country we live in today.

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PBS LearningMedia | Teaching Resources For Students And Teachers

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Inspire your students with thousands of free teaching resources including videos, lesson plans, and games aligned to state and national standards.

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Teaching Tolerance provides free resources to educators-teachers, administrators, counselors and other practitioners-who work with children from kindergarten through high school. Educators use our materials to supplement the curriculum, to inform their practices, and to create civil and inclusive school communities where children are respected, valued and welcome participants.

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Classroom Resources | Teaching Tolerance

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Classroom Resources | Teaching Tolerance

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From film kits and lesson plans to the building blocks of a customized Learning Plan-texts, student tasks and teaching strategies-our resources will help you bring relevance, rigor and social emotional learning into your classroom-all for FREE.

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See what's new with book lending at the Internet Archive

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Persuasive Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School | Squarehead Teachers

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Persuasive Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School | Squarehead Teachers

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1. Convince your parents to raise your allowance.

2. Should at least two years of foreign language classes be required for high-school graduation?

3. Should there be a dress code at your school?

4. Persuade your parents to listen to your favorite music.

5. Your principal has asked you to suggest one way of improving your school to make it a better place for students. Think about the changes that are needed at your school. Pick one change you feel would really make a difference. Write an essay to convince your principal that your idea is one that should be adopted.

6. Convince your teacher to read a favorite book of yours to the class.

7. Children watch too much television. Do you agree? Take a stand and support it. Convince your reader of your position.

8. Are part-time jobs for high school students a good thing or do they hinder getting an education? Take a stand.

9. Students are allowed to drop out of school at age 16. Should the state lower the school dropout age? Write an essay to support your view on the subject.

10. Should your school require uniforms? Convince your reader why or why not uniforms should or should not be required in your school.

11. Convince your parents to take you to a particular place.

12. Should gum chewing (use whatever is forbidden at your school) be allowed on the school campus?

13. Should community service be a requirement for graduation from high school?

14. Suppose you want a pet, and your parents are not sure you should have one. Think of the reasons for having a pet. Think of what you can say that would change your parents' minds. Write a paper to convince your parents to allow you to have a pet.

15. Persuade your mom to let you have your favorite food any time you want it.

16. Should the state legislature add ten days to the school year? Write to convince your reader of your side of the argument.

17. Should we do away with extra-curricular activities such as Art, P.E., and Music and go back to the basics, or are these classes necessary to a student's education?

18. Should homework be eliminated?

19. Considering the rights of non-smokers, write an essay about whether smoking should or should not be permitted in public places. Convince your reader of your position.

20. Should students be allowed to drop out of school?

21. If you could make a suggestion to change the school dress code, what one suggestion would you make? Now write to convince your reader to adopt your suggestion.

22. Your teacher has asked for suggestions on a place to visit for a field trip. Where would you like to go? Now write to convince your reader to adopt your suggestion.

23. We have rules everywhere. Argue to support the need to change a rule or situation that affects you.

24. Vandalism is becoming a problem in today's society. Do you think teenagers who vandalize should pay fines or serve mandatory community service to help repair the damage? Write an essay to convince your reader of your position.

25. Should students hold after-school jobs? Convince your reader of your point of view.

26. Parents, courts, and cities often impose curfews on teenagers. What do you think of curfews? Are they helpful in saving lives and keeping teenagers out of trouble, or are they just another insult to responsible teenagers? Think of some arguments to support your opinion. Alternative for younger students: Most people make their children come in before dark. What do you think of this? Does having to come home early keep kids out of trouble, or are they just another insult to responsible kids? Think of some arguments to support your opinion. Now, write an essay to convince your reader of your opinion regarding requiring kids to be home after dark.

27. Many adults disagree whether sex education should be taught in the schools. What is your opinion on this matter? Should sex education be taught in the schools? Take a stand. Write an essay to convince your reader of your point of view on whether sex education should be taught in the schools or not. Alternative for younger students: Some things are taught in school that students do not think should be taught. Think of one thing you are required to learn in school that you do not think should be included in the curriculum. Now, write an essay to convince your teachers to abandon that part of the curriculum.

28. The state writing assessment test puts pressure on students and their teachers. On the other hand, student writing all over the country has improved since this test has been implemented. What is your opinion on the matter? Should there be a state writing assessment test, or should this particular test be eliminated? Write an essay to convince your state of your opinion on whether there should (or should not) be a state writing assessment test.

29. Parents, schools, and society all impose rules, but schools especially have a set of rules that must be followed. Think of one school rule that you really dislike. Think of some arguments against having this rule at your school. Now, write an essay to convince your principal and teachers to abandon this particular rule.

30. Universities require that an entering freshman must have taken at least two years of a foreign language in high school in order to be considered for admission. Some teacher and politicians think that high schools should require two years of a foreign language for graduation. What do you think of this possible requirement? Should high schools require two years of studying a foreign language for graduation? There are many arguments for and against this. Write an essay to convince the powers-that-be whether or not two years of a foreign language should be a requirement for graduation from high school.

Alternative for younger students: Research has shown that the younger you are, the easier it is to learn a foreign language. Should we start requiring that students begin taking a foreign language in elementary school? Take a stand, and convince your reader of your opinion on requiring foreign language in elementary school.

31. Most families assign chores to the children (teenagers). Most children (teens) object to having these chores imposed upon them. What is your opinion? Do you think that children should have assigned chores to do at home, or do you think you have enough to do already?

32. There is controversy (argument) going on in the country about requiring seat belts in school buses. What is your opinion? Should seat belts be required in all school buses? Write an essay to convince the powers-that-be of your opinion regarding the matter of whether seat belts should be required on school buses.

33. High schools do not offer all the elective courses that students would like to take. Think of an elective course you would like to take that your school does not offer at this time. Think of some reasons why you think this course should be offered. Now, write an essay to convince the administration at your high school to offer the course of your choice.

34. In Europe, the driving age is 18 because those governments feel that teens are not mature enough to handle the responsibility and the rules of driving in order to avoid accidents. In America, the driving age is still 16. Some people would like to raise the driving age in America to 18. What do you think? Should the driving age be raised to 18? Write an essay to convince the legislature of your position in the matter of raising the driving age to 18.

35. Most school systems have a separate school for pregnant teens to keep them away from other teens and to give them special classes to help them raise their babies. Do you think that pregnant teenagers should have to attend a special school, or do you think that they should be allowed to remain in their current school? Write an essay to convince your reader of your point of view. Should pregnant teenagers have to attend a special school? Alternative for younger students: Many school systems have special schools for students who misbehave all the time and disrupt the classroom so that little learning can take place. Do you think this is a good idea? What is your opinion? Write an essay to convince your school system of your point of view.

36. Many students object to the requirement of taking P.E., saying that it is not necessary. What do you think? Should physical education remain a required course at your school? Write an essay to convince your principal of your point of view. (Note: You can substitute any unpopular course here.)

37. American teenagers have argued that they drink anyway even though it is illegal for them to do so. Adults feel that they are too young to drink alcohol. Should the drinking age be lowered? What do you think about this? Think about some teens that you know. Think of some arguments to support your opinion. Now, write an essay to convince your reader of your opinion on whether the drinking age should be lowered or not.

38. In recent years, there has been much controversy over the previously solemn ritual of high school graduation. Students (and parents) at some graduation ceremonies have become rowdy and playful. What do you think of this? Should high school graduation continue to be the solemn occasion it has been in the past, or should students (and parents) be allowed to yell and "cut up" during the ceremony? Write an essay to convince your graduation committee of your opinion concerning the matter. Should graduation be a solemn occasion? Alternative for younger students: Some schools have graduation ceremonies in the fifth and eighth grade before students have completed their education. What do you think of this? Should students have graduation ceremonies before they finish all of their education or not? Think of some reasons to support your opinion. Now, write an essay to convince the reader of your point of view.

39. You hear the older generation complaining that they wished they had watched what they ate when they were younger so they wouldn't have the health problems they have as older persons. What do you think of this? Should teens (children) watch what they eat? Should young people be health-conscious and eat healthily even though they have few health problems now? Write an essay to convince your reader on your point of view on whether or not children should watch their health through their choices in food.

40. Teachers and educational experts say that TV is rotting the mind of today's youth. They maintain that young people watch far too much television. Do you think this is true? Do you think that children watch too much television? Should parents restrict the number of hours their children watch? Write an essay to convince your parents of your point of view on this issue. Should parents limit your TV viewing?

41. Years ago, in some cities, there were separate public schools for girls and boys, especially at the high school level. Boys went to one school and girls went to another nearby, an entirely different school. Do you think this is a beneficial idea? Should boys and girls attend separate schools? Write an essay to persuade school officials whether or not they should separate boys and girls into different schools.

42. Most teens (children) complain that they get too little allowance. What do you think? Should you get more allowance? Think of some arguments to raise your allowance. Now, write an essay to the adults in your home to convince them to raise your allowance.

43. In many households where teens reside, possession of the family car is a conflict. How would you convince your parents to lend you the car? Think of some arguments you could use. Write an essay to convince the adults in your home to lend you the car whenever you want it. Alternative for younger students : In many households where there are children, there are many arguments over the use of the telephone. How would you convince your parents to get you a phone of your own? Think of some arguments you could use. Now, write an essay to convince your parents that you need a phone of your own. (Note: If some of your students have no phone in their home, perhaps they could convince parents to buy an outfit or handheld video game that their parents could afford.)

44. Students complain about having too much homework. Do you think this is true? Do your teachers assign too much homework, or do they not give you enough for you to learn the subjects? Write an essay to convince your teachers either to give you more or less homework.

45. Test scores show that the United States is educationally behind other developed countries in Europe and Asia. We need to take a course of action to improve our education. Some think that the school year should be extended year-round with only short breaks between semesters. Others think it would not help. What do you think? Write an essay to persuade the reader of your opinion on the matter. Should the school year be lengthening?

46. Many people think that smoking is a dangerous habit that kills many from lung cancer. They think that cigarette smoking is not only dangerous for the people who smoke, but also for others around them. They think that the tobacco companies lure young people into smoking (convince young people to smoke) with their clever advertisements. Do you think that smoking should be made illegal? Do you think that no one should be allowed to smoke at all? Or, do you think the choice of smoking should be up to the individual person? What is your opinion? Take a stand. Should all smoking be banned and made illegal? Write an essay to convince the reader of your point of view.

47. In the 1920's it was illegal to sell or to drink alcohol. Today alcohol still causes many problems for the people who drink and for their families. There are also many deaths caused by people (teens) who drink and drive. Should alcohol be made illegal again? Would making it illegal solve some problems, or would it impinge (limit) the rights of adults to do what they want to do? What do you think? Should the sale and drinking of alcohol again be made illegal? Write an essay to convince the reader of your point of view.

48. Many people are convinced that violence on TV influences children and teens to be violent in real life. Do you think that this is true? Do you think that the violence on TV is responsible for increased violence among today's youth? Take a stand on this issue and write an essay to convince your reader of your position on whether TV causes violence in real life.

49. Some schools in the United States are requiring that students volunteer for several hours each semester to help on a community problem. What do you think? Write an essay to persuade your reader of your point of view on whether students should be required to volunteer for several hours each semester to help on a community problem.

50. School dress codes often cause conflict among students and teachers. If you were on a committee of teachers and students to set the dress code at your school, what one item of your dress code would you argue to allow students to wear? How would you convince your fellow committee members to accept your idea to allow students to wear this item? Now, write an essay to convince your fellow dress-code committee members that the clothing item you chose be allowed at your school. (Note: Conversely, {to be contrary} you could have a prompt to argue one item of clothing that should not be allowed at your school.)

51. Your local TV station is going to hire a student reporter for the evening news program, and you would like the job. Think about your local evening news program and why you should be chosen as the student reporter. Now write an essay to convince your local TV station to hire you as their student reporter.

52. The drama teacher is selecting students to act in a play about famous people. Think of yourself and some of your friends. Think who would be best suited to act in such a play and why they would be good at it. Now write an essay to convince the drama teacher to use that person in a play.

53. A national organization is honoring a teacher. Who should that teacher be? Think of some of the excellent teachers you have had in the past or have this year. Pick one whom you think should be honored by this award. Think of some reasons why you picked this teacher. Now write an essay to convince the national organization to honor the teacher you picked.

54. The School Advisory Council has money to spend in one of the following ways: improving the cafeteria, buying computers, getting interesting speakers for assemblies, or taking field trips. Pick one of these choices and think why you chose it over the others. Now write an essay to convince the School Advisory Council why they should spend their money on the choice you suggest.

55. The City Council wants a teen as a member to represent your age group. Think of yourself and the teens you know. Who would make an excellent representative on the City Council? Think of some reasons why you chose this person. Now write an essay to convince the City Council to select your choice.

56. Imagine that your school does not have a school newspaper. Your principal wants to begin one. Is a school newspaper a good idea? What do you think? Write an essay to convince your principal of your point of view.

57. A good friend of yours is thinking of moving to your town. Think of some attributes of your town that would appeal to your friend. Now write an essay to convince your friend to move to your town.

58. Imagine that you had a friend who ate only junk food, and you know that this is not good for him or her. Think of some reasons why eating junk food is not good for people. Now write an essay to convince your reader of your opinion.

59. A movie director is looking for teens to act in a movie that will be set in your town. Think of yourself and all the teens you know. Who would you choose to act in this movie? Think why you would choose this person. Write an essay to convince the movie director of your choice.

60. If your school is going to grant your grade level one privilege that other grades in your school will not have, what should that privilege be? Think of one privilege that you would like to have that you do not have now. Think why your class should be granted this privilege. Write an essay to convince the administrators of your school to grant this privilege to your class for the rest of the year.

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Persuasive Writing Prompts for Middle School & High School

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1. Convince your parents to raise your allowance. 2. Should at least two years of foreign language classes be required for high-school graduation? 3. Should there be a dress code at your school? 4. Persuade your parents to listen to your favorite music. 5. Your principal has asked you to suggest one way of improving...

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21 Clever Writing Prompts That Will Unleash Your Students' Creativity

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21 Clever Writing Prompts That Will Unleash Your Students' Creativity

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21 Clever Writing Prompts That Will Unleash Your Students' Creativity

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Random Item / Person selector / Generator fruit machine

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Random Item / Person selector / Generator fruit machine

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We share evidence and practitioner-based learning strategies that empower you to improve K-12 education.

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200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing - NYTimes.com

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200 Prompts for Argumentative Writing - NYTimes.com

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We published an updated version of this list, "401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing," as well as a companion piece, "650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing." We also now have a PDF of these 200 prompts.

Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and get five new Student Opinion questions delivered to you every week.

What issues do you care most about? What topics do you find yourself discussing most passionately, whether online, at the dinner table, in the classroom or with your friends?

Our annual Student Editorial Contest invites you to write an evidence-based persuasive piece on an issue that matters to you. To help jump-start your brainstorming, we have gathered a list of 200 writing prompts from our daily Student Opinion feature that invite you to take a stand.

Though you won't be limited to these topics for the contest, you'll see that our list touches on every aspect of modern life, from politics to sports, culture, education and technology. We hope the range inspires you, and we hope the fact that each question links to at least one related Times article gives you a starting point for finding evidence.

So skim the list below to think about the topic you'd most like to take on.

For more information, here are links to our spring 2014 editorial-writing contest, a list of winners from that contest and a related lesson plan on argumentative writing.
Education

1. Is Cheating Getting Worse?

2. Should Students Be Able to Grade Their Teachers?

3. Does Your School Hand Out Too Many A's?

4. Should Middle School Students Be Drug Tested?

5. Should Reading and Math Be Taught in Gym Class Too?

6. How Seriously Should We Take Standardized Tests?

7. How Well Do You Think Standardized Tests Measure Your Abilities?

8. Do You Spend Too Much Time Preparing for Standardized Tests?

9. Should Schools Offer Cash Bonuses for Good Test Scores?

10. Should We Rethink How Long Students Spend in High School?

11. Do Schools Provide Students With Enough Opportunities to Be Creative?

12. What Are You Really Learning at School?

13. How Important Is Arts Education?

14. Does Gym Help Students Perform Better in All Their Classes?

15. Who Should Be Able to See Students' Records?

16. Are Children of Illegal Immigrants Entitled to a Public Education?

17. What Is the Right Amount of Group Work in School?

18. Is Your School Day Too Short?

19. Do You Think a Longer School Calendar Is a Good Idea?

20. Should the Dropout Age Be Raised?

21. Should Students Be Allowed to Skip Senior Year of High School?

22. How Does Your School Deal With Students Who Misbehave?

23. Should Schools Be Allowed to Use Corporal Punishment?

24. How Big a Problem Is Bullying or Cyberbullying in Your School or Community?

25. How Should Schools Address Bullying?

26. Should Schools Put Tracking Devices in Students' ID Cards?

27. What Do You Think of Grouping Students by Ability in Schools?

28. Do We Need a New Way to Teach Math?

29. Does Class Size Matter?

30. Should All Students Get Equal Space in a Yearbook?

31. Is Prom Worth It?

32. How Important Are Parent-Teacher Conferences?

33. Should All Children Be Able to Go to Preschool?

34. Should Colleges Use Admissions Criteria Other Than SAT Scores and Grades?

35. What Criteria Should Be Used in Awarding Scholarships for College?

36. Do You Support Affirmative Action?

37. Do College Rankings Matter?

38. How Necessary Is a College Education?

39. Should Engineers Pay Less for College Than English Majors?
Technology and Social Media
40. Are the Web Filters at Your School Too Restrictive?

41. Does Technology Make Us More Alone?

42. Are You Distracted by Technology?

43. Do Apps Help You or Just Waste Your Time?

44. Do You Spend Too Much Time on Smart Phones Playing 'Stupid Games'?

45. Has Facebook Lost Its Edge?

46. Does Facebook Ever Make You Feel Bad?

47. Should What You Say on Facebook Be Grounds for Getting Fired?

48. Should People Be Allowed to Obscure Their Identities Online?

49. What Should the Punishment Be for Acts of Cyberbullying?

50. Is Online Learning as Good as Face-to-Face Learning?

51. Do Your Teachers Use Technology Well?

52. Should Tablet Computers Become the Primary Way Students Learn in Class?

53. Can Cellphones Be Educational Tools?

54. Should Computer Games Be Used for Classroom Instruction?

55. How Young Is Too Young for an iPhone?

56. Should Companies Collect Information About You?

57. Would You Trade Your Paper Books for Digital Versions?

58. Are Digital Photographs Too Plentiful to Be Meaningful?

59. Do You Worry We Are Filming Too Much?

60. Would You Want a Pair of Google's Computer Glasses?

61. How Would You Feel About a Computer Grading Your Essays?

62. What Role Will Robots Play in Our Future?

63. How Many Text Messages Are Too Many?

64. How Much Do You Trust Online Reviews?
Arts and Media: TV, Music, Video Games and Literature
65. Why Do We Like to Watch Rich People on TV and in the Movies?

66. Do TV Shows Like '16 and Pregnant' Promote or Discourage Teenage Pregnancy?

67. Does TV Capture the Diversity of America Yet?

68. Is TV Too White?

69. Is TV Stronger Than Ever, or Becoming Obsolete?

70. Does Reality TV Promote Dangerous Stereotypes?

71. What Current Musicians Do You Think Will Stand the Test of Time?

72. What Artists or Bands of Today Are Destined for the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame?

73. What Musician, Actor or Author Should Be a Superstar, but Hasn't Quite Made It Yet?

74. Will Musical Training Make You More Successful?

75. Should Video Games Be Considered a Sport?

76. Should Stores Sell Violent Video Games to Minors?

77. Can a Video Game Be a Work of Art?

78. Do Violent Video Games Make People More Violent in Real Life?

79. When Should You Feel Guilty for Killing Zombies?

80. What Game Would You Like to Redesign?

81. What Were the Best Movies You Saw in the Past Year?

82. To What Writer Would You Award a Prize?

83. Do You Prefer Your Children's Book Characters Obedient or Contrary?

84. Where Is the Line Between Truth and Fiction?

85. Can Graffiti Ever Be Considered Art?

86. Do We Need Art in Our Lives?

87. What Makes a Good Commercial?

88. Why Did a Cheerios Ad Attract So Many Angry Comments Online?

89. Does Pop Culture Deserve Serious Study?
Gender Issues
90. Do Parents Have Different Hopes and Standards for Their Sons Than for Their Daughters?

91. Is School Designed More for Girls Than Boys?

92. Is There Too Much Pressure on Girls to Have 'Perfect' Bodies?

93. How Much Pressure Do Boys Face to Have the Perfect Body?

94. Do Photoshopped Images Make You Feel Bad About Your Own Looks?

95. Is It O.K. for Men and Boys to Comment on Women and Girls on the Street?

96. What Should We Do to Fight Sexual Violence Against Young Women?

97. How Do You Feel About Rihanna and Chris Brown Getting Back Together?

98. Do Fraternities Promote Misogyny?

99. Why Aren't There More Girls in Leadership Roles?

100. Why Aren't More Girls Choosing to Pursue Careers in Math and Science?

101. Should Women Be Allowed to Fight on the Front Lines Alongside Men?

102. Do You Believe in Equal Rights for Women and Men?

103. Are Women Better at Compromising and Collaborating?

104. Do Boys Have Less Intense Friendships Than Girls?
Sports and Athletics
105. If Football Is So Dangerous to Players, Should We Be Watching It?

106. Should Parents Let Their Children Play Football?

107. Should College Football Players Get Paid?

108. When Do Pranks Cross the Line to Become Bullying?

109. Has Baseball Lost Its Cool?

110. Are Some Youth Sports Too Intense?

111. Is It Offensive for Sports Teams to Use Native American Names and Mascots?

112. Where Should Colleges and Sports Teams Draw the Line in Selling Naming Rights?

113. Should Colleges Fund Wellness Programs Instead of Sports?

114. Is Cheerleading a Sport?

115. How Big a Deal Is It That an N.B.A. Player Came Out as Gay?

116. Should There Be Stricter Rules About How Coaches Treat Their Players?

117. Should Athletes Who Dope Have to Forfeit Their Titles and Medals?

118. Should Sports Betting Be Legal Everywhere?

119. Should Home-Schoolers Be Allowed to Play Public School Sports?

120. Would You Want a Bike Share Program for Your Community?
Politics and the Legal System
121. What Local Problems Do You Think Your Mayor Should Try to Solve?

122. If You Were Governor of Your State, How Would You Spend a Budget Surplus?

123. When Is the Use of Military Force Justified?

124. What Is More Important: Our Privacy or National Security?

125. Should the U.S. Be Spying on Its Friends?

126. Do You Trust Your Government?

127. What Do You Think of the Police Tactic of Stop-and-Frisk?

128. Do Rich People Get Off Easier When They Break the Law?

129. Should Rich People Have to Pay More Taxes?

130. Do Laws That Ban Offensive Words Make the World a Better Place?

131. Is It Principled, or Irresponsible, for Politicians to Threaten a Shutdown?

132. Do Leaders Have Moral Obligations?

133. Do Great Leaders Have to Be Outgoing?

134. How Should We Prevent Future Mass Shootings?

135. Should Guns Be Permitted on College Campuses?

136. Would You Feel Safer With Armed Guards Patrolling Your School?

137. What Is Your Relationship With Guns?

138. Do You Support or Oppose the Death Penalty?

139. When Should Juvenile Offenders Receive Life Sentences?
Parenting and Childhood
140. Do We Give Children Too Many Trophies?

141. When Do You Become an Adult?

142. When Should You Be Able to Buy Cigarettes, Drink Alcohol, Vote, Drive and Fight in Wars?

143. Should the Morning-After Pill Be Sold Over the Counter to People Under 17?

144. Should Birth Control Pills Be Available to Teenage Girls Without a Prescription?

145. Is Modern Culture Ruining Childhood?

146. Are Adults Hurting Young Children by Pushing Them to Achieve?

147. How, and by Whom, Should Children Be Taught Appropriate Behavior?

148. What Can Older People Learn From Your Generation?

149. Do 'Shame and Blame' Work to Change Teenage Behavior?

150. How Should Children Be Taught About Puberty and Sex?

151. Is Dating a Thing of the Past?

152. How Should Parents Handle a Bad Report Card?

153. Should Children Be Allowed to Wear Whatever They Want?

154. How Should Educators and Legislators Deal With Minors Who 'Sext'?

155. Do You Think Child Stars Have It Rough?
Health and Nutrition
156. Is Smoking Still a Problem Among Teenagers?

157. Are Antismoking Ads Effective?

158. Is Drinking and Driving Still a Problem for Teenagers?

159. Do You Think a Healthier School Lunch Program Is a Lost Cause?

160. How Concerned Are You About Where Your Food Comes From?

161. Is It Ethical to Eat Meat?

162. Do You Prefer Your Tacos 'Authentic' or 'Appropriated'?

163. Should the Government Limit the Size of Sugary Drinks?

164. Should Marijuana Be Legal?

165. Should Students Be Required to Take Drug Tests?
Personal Character and Morality Questions
166. Do Bystanders Have a Responsibility to Intervene When There is Trouble?

167. Should You Care About the Health and Safety of Those Making Your Clothing?

168. Can Money Buy You Happiness?

169. Does Buying and Accumulating More and More Stuff Make Us Happier?

170. Are We Losing the Art of Listening?

171. Do People Complain Too Much?

172. Can Kindness Become Cool?

173. Which Is More Important: Talent or Hard Work?

174. How Important Is Keeping Your Cool?

175. When Should You Compromise?

176. Is Your Generation More Self-Centered Than Earlier Generations?

177. Can You Be Good Without God?

178. Have Curse Words Become So Common They Have Lost Their Shock Value?

179. What Words or Phrases Should Be Retired in 2014?

180. What Words or Phrases Do You Think Are Overused?

181. Should Couples Live Together Before Marriage?

182. How Important Do You Think It Is to Marry Someone With the Same Religion?

183. How Long Is It O.K. to Linger in a Cafe or Restaurant?

184. Does Keeping a Messy Desk Make People More Creative?

185. How Important Is Keeping a Clean House?
Science
186. Should Scientists Try to Help People Beat Old Age So We Can Live Longer Lives?

187. Given Unlimited Resources, What Scientific or Medical Problem Would You Investigate?

188. When Is It O.K. to Replace Human Limbs With Technology?

189. Do You Think Life Exists - or Has Ever Existed - Somewhere Besides Earth?

190. Should Fertilized Eggs Be Given Legal 'Personhood'?

191. How Concerned Are You About Climate Change?
Other Questions
192. Is It Wrong for a Newspaper to Publish a Front-Page Photo of a Man About to Die?

193. What Causes Should Philanthropic Groups Finance?

194. Should Charities Focus More on America?

195. Should the Private Lives of Famous People Be Off Limits?

196. Did a Newspaper Act Irresponsibly by Publishing the Addresses of Gun Owners?

197. Would You Rather Work From Home or in an Office?

198. What Time Should Black Friday Sales Start?

199. Do You Shop at Locally Owned Businesses?

200. How Much Does Your Neighborhood Define Who You Are?

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We published an updated version of this list, "401 Prompts for Argumentative Writing," as well as a companion piece, "650 Prompts for Narrative and Personal Writing." We also now have a PDF of these 200 prompts. Sign up for our free weekly newsletter and get five new Student Opinion questions delivered to you every week.

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technology rocks. seriously.: Student Selectors & Grouping Tools

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technology rocks. seriously.: Student Selectors & Grouping Tools

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When I first started teaching 20 years ago I always had a coffee can full of popsicle sticks with my students name on them sitting on my desk .

When I needed to ask a question, I pulled a stick from

the can to randomly choose a student.

My old coffee can is now gone and instead there are tons

of great options for selecting students online!

They are super easy to use and so much fun- for you and for your students

I use these in my classroom and also when I'm training teachers.

Keep in mind that these toosl don't have to be limited to names and that you can enter lists of numbers, vocabulary words, research paper topics, characters in a story- basically anything you can create a list of.

The possibilities are endless!

{John obviously has a great sense of humor because when you click on his page,

the title at the top of the tab reads: Teach meet victim selector!}

The Random Name Selector allows you to randomly pick
names from a list you've created.

Once you have entered your student's names and clicked the Go button,

a name is selected {and said aloud}, you are given several choices.

You can start a two minute timer or a seven minute timer.

You also have the option of removing the name from your list.

It has fun animation, sound effects, and a large fun font
s o it's perfect for displaying on your SmartBoard.

John has even allowed an option for embedding the tool in a webpage-

To use the interactive, just click on in your names, numbers, or words. Then click Change Names, and type
Go!

This Dartboard Student Selector chooses a student from a dartboard.
There are options to save your class, remove names once selected, clear darts after each throw, and reset names. You can also increase the rate of your dart throw. What a fun student selector!

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When I first started teaching 20 years ago I always had a coffee can full of popsicle sticks with my students name on them sitting on my desk . When I needed to ask a question, I pulled a stick from the can to randomly choose a student.

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George Lucas Educational Foundation Celebrating 30 years

Differentiated Instruction

Go beyond the jargon for a quick look at a few of the many ways to differentiate instruction in the classroom.

Differentiated Instruction

Go beyond the jargon for a quick look at a few of the many ways to differentiate instruction in the classroom.

Linda Darling-Hammond discusses how well-placed direct instruction can scaffold rigorous, student-centered project-based learning.

Virtual gatherings for professional learning are convenient and likely to continue, but they should be designed differently than in-person gatherings.

Teachers should have a say in how they'll meet learning goals, and schools need a clear way to determine that these goals are being met.

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George Lucas Educational Foundation Celebrating 30 years Differentiated Instruction Go beyond the jargon for a quick look at a few of the many ways to differentiate instruction in the classroom. Differentiated Instruction Go beyond the jargon for a quick look at a few of the many ways to differentiate instruction in the classroom.

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8 Weeks of Free Teacher Resources for Back to School | Edutopia

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8 Weeks of Free Teacher Resources for Back to School | Edutopia

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13 Free Teacher Downloads for Back to School | Edutopia

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All of Edutopia's downloadable and printable back-to-school resources are collected here for easy classroom reference.

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7-Step Prep: Make a Weekly Plan for YOU! | Edutopia

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7-Step Prep: Make a Weekly Plan for YOU! | Edutopia

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You know what it's like when you go grocery shopping tired, hungry, and without a list? How all of the sudden, your cart is filled with bags of potato chips and a large assortment of artichokes on sale that you're just sure you'll use at some point? And how you're munching through half a ripped-open package of cookies as you mosey down each aisle like some sort of supermarket zombie with outstretched hands? Yeah, been there.

Now think about what happens instead when you enter on a full stomach, with a meal plan and clear list in hand. Better outcomes are ensured -- you eat healthier, save money, and waste less food. Plus, you go home without those telltale crumbs across your chest.

Let's apply that same clear and prepared mentality to planning for a week of your time.

I already know you plan incredibly well for your students, but how about all that other time? Like before and after school? And during prep periods? Here are seven prep steps to help you maximize your non-student time. Your goal is to produce a weekly worksheet, an hour-by-hour view of your time, and to-do's for the week ahead.

1. Select a Tool to Plan Your Week

You could use a handwritten template, go totally digital, or use a typed-in template. All three options are provided as examples (click on images to enlarge). For the purposes of illustration, I will work through my colleague Drew's Weekly Worksheet (PDF template in #3 below) for the remainder of this post. The choice is yours, but whatever you choose has to give you a clear view of both your time commitments and the things you actually have to get done -- all in one location.

2. Have a Meeting with Yourself

On Thursday or Friday, take 30-45 minutes to sit down with everything you've accumulated during the week. You know, the post-it notes, random pieces of paper handed to you by students, memos from the office, and all of those homework assignments. Take your stuff and sort it into short-term to-do's, long-term to-do's, and follow-up from meetings. Slowly get it all in the right places. Drew explains:

I try to discipline myself to have my meeting with myself at school so I can print my new weekly worksheet. Occasionally, if it is a particularly busy Friday, I will put it off until Saturday morning, but I much prefer to do it Friday afternoon so I can maximize relaxation on the weekends.

Your goal is to leave this meeting with your following week's worksheet totally ready.

3. Set Priorities for the Week

I'm not talking about teeny-tiny to-do's here. I'm talking about what matters most. Look at Drew's Weekly Worksheet to the left (click on image to enlarge). He is focused on "reinvesting students in Big Goals for Math" and "finalizing Baltimore field trip plans." What are your priorities? Boosting student attendance? Improving your classroom culture? And what about the personal stuff, like planning a baby shower or helping your parents get to the doctor?

4. List Out All Your Meetings and Appointments

Hopefully, you have been keeping a long-term calendar, but if not, empty your brain and your email inbox of all grade-level meetings, report card nights, and staff retreats. And don't forget your own child's pediatrician appointment or your brother's birthday! I am going to boldly recommend that you mix your professional and personal calendars into a single location to help you avoid collisions!

5. Determine How You Will Use Your Free Time

I get it. You don't have much "free" time. But we need to make the most of what we have. So list out how you plan to use your before-school, prep period, lunch, and after-school time -- for the entire week. At a loss? Try using some of the strategies here. Drew carefully plots out his to-do's by category: To Prep, Emails/Calls, Wedding (congrats, Drew!), Errands/Home/Personal, and Next Week. I especially love his "To Prep" category.

6. Allow Flexibility for the "Hallway Ambush"

You know what I'm talking about -- when you can't even take an innocent trip to the restroom without someone stopping you to do something? Take your weekly worksheet with you wherever you go so that you can always write everything down in the same place. Keep it on a clipboard, folded in your pocket, stowed in an Arc notebook, or stashed in a planner. This is why you see so many changes on Drew's weekly worksheet!

7. Review and Adjust Daily

Things change. Life happens. At the end of every school day, sit down for five minutes and cross off what you've accomplished, roll over what didn't happen to another time slot, or decide to delete something you had intended to do. It happens to all of us.

Your teaching week will never go exactly as planned. Plus, that would be boring! But by planning for a week at this level of detail, you will actually bring greater flexibility to your job -- and your life. Emergencies and last-minute requests won't faze you, and you may just decide that you can relax on the couch in the evening after all -- if you plan it in, of course!

How do you plan your week? And how successfully do you manage the ever-changing details?

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7-Step Prep: Make a Weekly Plan for YOU! | Edutopia

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You know what it's like when you go grocery shopping tired, hungry, and without a list? How all of the sudden, your cart is filled with bags of potato chips and a large assortment of artichokes on sale that you're just sure you'll use at some point?

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The Epic BYOD Toolchest (51 Tools You Can Use Now) | Edutopia

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The Epic BYOD Toolchest (51 Tools You Can Use Now) | Edutopia

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We’ve collected dozens of apps and tools for your bring-your-own-device classroom, with options for student writing, presentations, screencasting, assessment, and more.

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New Teacher 911: Help for Novice Middle Level Educators | MiddleWeb

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New Teacher 911: Help for Novice Middle Level Educators | MiddleWeb

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Is your first classroom - brimming over with middle grades students - just weeks away? Teachers writing at MiddleWeb have ideas to help you launch your new career!
In a hurry? Check out 25 of MiddleWeb's Best New Teacher Resources. ✻ Not a newbie yourself but down the hall from one? Amber Chandler's Supporting New Teachers at ShareMyLesson gives mentors and everyone else helpful suggestions. ✻ Sara Ketcham, writing at NEA Today, explains how In First Year of Teaching, Acting More, Reacting Less, Can Reduce Anxiety. ✻ So You Wish It Had Been Different: Three First-Year Struggles is a Teaching Channel post by former National Teacher of the Year Sarah Brown Wessling. Save to read next June or read now for a heads-up on making your first year closer to what you hope for. And here are more quick ideas worth sharing:
What makes middle graders special?

The developmental needs of tweens and young teens are unique, says popular professional development consultant and former teacher Rick Wormeli, and flourishing as a middle grades teacher requires special skills. In this MiddleWeb post he starts by offering five strategies tailored to young adolescent learners. (Find lots more from Rick - from handling homework to whether to befriend students - here at MiddleWeb.)

Middle school students, in particular, are a unique breed, says teacher and consultant Jennifer Gonzalez, and they need teachers who are tuned in to the intense dichotomies of adolescent life and learning. She offers teachers new to the middle level helpful tips in 8 Things I Know for Sure about Middle School Kids.

After 20+ years of teaching, Cheryl Mizerny knows middle school is where she's meant to be. In her MiddleWeb blog, It's Not Easy Being Tween, Cheryl shares six aspects of young adolescents that make middle-level teaching the toughest job she's ever loved. ( Also see her article "How to Become a Tween-Centered Teacher.")

In a MiddleWeb interview, Tween Teacher Heather Wolpert-Gawron notes that while many teachers avoid the middle grades, others like herself are captivated by the energy and emotion of young adolescents. She suggests strategies for building a classroom community to suit the young adolescent mind and body. And in a more recent post, Heather uses her own national survey data to argue that every teacher, new or veteran, should "Bring Your Personality and Humor on Day One."

Find more of our favorite MiddleWeb posts highlighting the remarkable qualities of young adolescent students and the ways we adults can best support them as they grow in this collection of our most popular posts for novice teachers.

What's ahead in the classroom

We asked teaching consultant Annette Breaux to write about three of the most pressing questions new teachers have in the weeks before they open their classroom doors to students for the first time. Here's her advice on discipline, classroom management, and daily procedures. Annette teams with Todd Whitaker in one of our most popular articles, What an Effective Teacher's Classroom Looks Like - not physical layout but classroom culture.

Teaching expert Regie Routman has written a delicious article for MiddleWeb readers, blending two of her greatest passions: teaching and cooking. Her Optimal Learning Model will new teachers looking for a solid foundation as they launch their careers. If you teach writing, you'll also want to see her advice on removing roadblocks.

When teacher Marsha Ratzel writes her Welcome Back to School letters to parents and caretakers this fall, she will include some basics. But she also wants them to know exactly what their children can expect in her classroom: challenge, support and concern.

To get the latest news from MiddleWeb, drop by the website for our weekly additions and subscribe to the MiddleWeb SmartBrief for free, thrice weekly emails for grades 4-8 educators.

Content area prescriptions

Several MiddleWeb bloggers share ideas gleaned from their subject area practice. Here are their suggestions for new teachers.

As school begins this year, quite a few educators will face a new and potentially daunting assignment: Teach STEM - Science + Technology + Engineering + Math. In her STEM by Design blog curriculum expert Anne Jolly offers help - six essential tips that can help "sudden" STEM educators survive a challenging start and achieve success.

Our three original Future of History bloggers - Jody Passanisi, Shara Peters, and Aaron Brock - got together to brainstorm what they wished they had known during their first year of teaching social studies. They tackle curriculum, classroom setup, teachers toolkit, and more.

Too often co-teaching teams, no matter the content area, simply take turns as they focus on general student needs, rather than blending their strengths to serve all the learners in the room. Co-teaching coach Elizabeth Stein, our Two Teachers in the Room blogger, shares ideas and resources to build strong partnerships.

In a MiddleWeb guest article, Vermont science coordinator Kathy Renfrew shares her vision of how middle grades teachers and coaches can be NGSS Superheroes: leaders in developing science classrooms that are student-driven and focused on teaching scientific subjects in ways that relate to the real world. (Also see Kathy's new science blog. Her first post shares ideas about blending science and children's literature.)

Books for newbies, reviewed here

MiddleWeb's book review collection is a gateway to the knowledge and know-how of expert educators. One to read right now is the review of Julia G. Thompson's The First-Year Teacher's Survival Guide: Ready-to-Use Strategies, Tools & Activities for Meeting the Challenges of Each School Day 3rd ed. Find lots more timely suggestions in the review of another classic, What Every Middle School Teacher Should Know, 3rd ed. by Dave F. Brown and Trudy Knowles.

Discover The 12 Touchstones of Good Teaching: A Checklist for Staying Focused Every Day in Bryan Goodwin and Elizabeth Ross Hubbell's book. And find a guide to your first year in 2016's Your First Year: How to Survive and Thrive as a New Teacher by Todd Whitaker, Madeline Whitaker and Katherine Whitaker.

You Can Do This: Hope and Help for New Teachers features Robyn R. Jackson looking back at her experiences as a novice teacher, considering school/life balance, relationships with parents, and more. For a look at using technology to help build relationships, read the review of Standing in the Gap: Empowering New Teachers Through Connected Resources by Lisa Dabbs and Nicol R. Howard.

If teaching reading is part of your assignment, be sure to check out a pair of lesson-rich books from consultants Gravity Goldberg and Renee Houser, both former staff developers at the Teachers College Reading and Writing Workshop. Reviewer Pam Hamilton says the What Do I Teach Readers Tomorrow set (fiction & nonfiction) will be a life saver for new teachers.

Beyond MiddleWeb

Speaking of Lisa Dabbs, although her weekly #ntchat (New Teacher Chat) on Twitter retired earlier in 2017 after seven years, lots of helpful educators still use the hashtag to share tips and advice. You'll be amazed, in fact! You can also get Lisa's great ideas at Facebook and hear her conversations at BAM Radio. Find out what else Lisa is up to at her website, Teaching with Soul.

When your first year of teaching turns really stressful, remember to connect with Roxanna Elden. The teacher and author of See Me After Class: Advice for Teachers by Teachers recalls her challenges as a first year teacher and has developed a series on free emails to help newbies. Launched in 2015, the New Teacher Disillusionment Power Pack will appear every few days for a month.

You can also sign up for Roxanna's The School Year Starter Kit (Or, Everything You Should Have Learned at New Teacher Orientation), "a free, three-day email series meant to help rookies cut through information overload and focus on the few, basic things that will most help them prepare for the first day of teaching."

Roxanna tackles a necessary if less frequently addressed topic in Is the first-year teacher in your life crying in the car? Here are five things you should know (Hechinger Report, December 2015). Something to share with family and friends.

Larry Ferlazzo, teacher, author, and tireless curator of his Websites of the Day, offers What Educators Wish They Knew When They Began Teaching at his Education Week Teacher blog, Classroom Q&A. The three-part series featuring comments by education leaders joins earlier posts Advice to New Teachers From Veterans and his classroom management collection. In a June 2016 post, Ferlazzo shares the views of four veteran educators in Classroom Rules - Ways to Create, Introduce & Enforce Them. Limited access to EdWeek Teacher is free with guest registration.

Discover a treasure trove of video advice about managing those first critical classroom weeks (and beyond) at the Teaching Channel. The free site is packed with videos featuring teachers in action, including a series, The New Teacher Survival Guide, that's well worth viewing. You can search the website by the guide title or age or subject area. Also at the Teaching Channel is Back-to-School Countdown: How to Build Classroom Culture, a vlog series from Sarah Brown Wessling.

Get a taste of ASCD's Educational Leadership journal with What I Wish My Professors Had Told Me by Jennifer Collins. Also in the May 2016 issue is Caring for Teachers by Carol Ann Tomlinson. Find more locked and unlocked articles here. Among other things, ASCD also offers a free twice-monthly email newsletter, ASCD Express. You can check out the ASCD Express "Tips for New Teachers" archive here.

Selecting from their vast collection of freely accessible blog posts, videos, discussions and more, Edutopia offers a one-stop page for new teachers.

Tune in to BAM! Internet Radio to catch helpful discussions from educators, for educators. Conversations include New Teachers: Three Things They Didn't Teach You in Education School, What Savvy Teachers Know About Managing Disruptive Student Behavior, and Rethinking Boundaries Between Teachers and Students: Tough Teacher, Trusted Friend Or...
Do you have favorite free or low-cost new teacher resources? Please share them in a comment, below.
And, finally, have you added 'teacher voice' to your list of concerns? Find an explanation of why teachers can face severe hoarseness and how to avoid it in Teacher Voice Problems Are an Occupational Hazard. Here's How to Reduce the Risk by Cindy Long in NEA Today.

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moving to middle school. recommendations

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Help for New & Novice Middle Level Teachers

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Is your first classroom - brimming over with middle grades students - just weeks away? Teachers writing at MiddleWeb have ideas to help you launch your new career! In a hurry? Check out 25 of MiddleWeb's Best New Teacher Resources. ✻ Not a newbie yourself but down the hall from one?

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Education World: Icebreakers Archive | Classroom Icebreaker Activities | Ice Breakers | Back to School | First Day of School

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Education World: Icebreakers Archive | Classroom Icebreaker Activities | Ice Breakers | Back to School | First Day of School

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Check out these articles on everything from preparing for the first day to dealing with homework woes, coping as a new teacher and ensuring smooth sailing for substitute teachers. Be sure to explore our 12 volumes of icebreakers and first day of school activities that help students and teachers get to know each other.
Best of the Icebreakers
Volume 1: Tell Me About You Activities
Volume 2: 14 Activities for the First Days of School
Volume 3: Engaging Activities for the First Days of School
Volume 4: Activities for the First Day of School
Volume 5: All-About-You Activities for the First Days of School
Volume 6: Get to Know Your Classmates Activities
Volume 7: Getting to Know One Another
Volume 8: Who's in the Classroom?
Volume 9: My Classmates and Me
Volume 10: Back-to-School Activities
Volume 11: More Fresh Ideas for Opening Day
Volume 12: Excellent Activities for Getting Students Warmed Up

Tools for Teaching: Starting the New School Year
On the first day of school, the first question in students' minds is, "Who are you?" Their second question is, "Who are they?" Students do better in class when they are comfortable, relaxed, and "at home." A very good reason to devote the lion's share of your first class period of the year to creating comfort.

The First Days of School: A True Tell-All Book! (An e-Interview with Harry and Rosemary Wong)
Whether you're a nervous neophyte facing your first day of school or a skilled veteran facing another first day of school, The First Days of School: How to Be an Effective Teacher, by Harry and Rosemary Wong, is a must read.

A Quotation a Day: Just What the Language Doctor Ordered!
Many teachers have discovered the power of famous quotations. Such quotations can be used to develop students' writing and critical thinking skills. Included: "Why use quotations?" plus a quotation a day for 180 days of school.
Buy the book of worksheets to accompany this article.

First Year Teacher's Primer
Humor, connections and self-reflection go a long way in ensuring that you'll have a great year! These tips from a veteran educator and teacher trainer are also good reminders for teachers who are well beyond their first year.

'How To' Books for First-Year Teachers
Last year, Lynne Rominger, a fledgling high school English teacher, longed for a manual to guide her through her first year teaching -- so she co-wrote Your First Year As a High School Teacher and Your First Year As an Elementary School Teacher.

MORE GREAT IDEAS FOR THE NEW SCHOOL YEAR

Principal Goes Door to Door With Back-to-School Message
Tired of low student turnouts on the first few days of school, Hartford, Connecticut, principal Dr. Robert E. Morris decided to remind parents about the opening of school. In person. Staff and community members joined Morris walking door-to-door.

First-Day-of-School Activity: The Kissing Hand
Teachers Amanda Dobson submitted this week's lesson, which uses a popular children's book to help alleviate young students' first-day-of-school jitters. (Grades pre-K-2)

Back to School Templates

Last updated 9/19/16

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Back to School Archive | Education World

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Check out these articles on everything from preparing for the first day to dealing with homework woes, coping as a new teacher and ensuring smooth sailing for substitute teachers. Be sure to explore our 12 volumes of icebreakers and first day of school activities that help students and teachers get to know each other.

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Achievethecore.org :: ELA / Literacy - ELA / Literacy Lessons

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This is an illustrated informational text that describes the many characteristics of butterflies. Through a poetic narrative, students ...

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Resources and books for students & teachers of color.

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TeacherPop: English - Middle School and High School on Pinterest | 27…

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TeacherPop: English - Middle School and High School on Pinterest | 27…

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Non-fiction: Your middle school language arts students will love this stuff.

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I'm Ms. Torres. You can find out more about me here.

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I am a teacher and writer in Honolulu, Hawaii. Visit my website.

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Free Teacher Resources | Digital textbooks and standards-aligned educational resources

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Free Teacher Resources | Digital textbooks and standards-aligned educational resources

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Free elementary, middle and high school teacher resources, including puzzlemaker, student games and activities and lesson plans.

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50 Incredibly Useful Links For Learning & Teaching The English Language -

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50 Incredibly Useful Links For Learning & Teaching The English Language -

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Teaching a new language to non-native speakers may be one of the most challenging educational jobs out there, so ELL teachers can use all of the help they can get! Thankfully, many excellent resources for ELL and ESL exist online, from full-service websites to reference tools and communities, all designed to make the task of educating ELL students just a little bit easier and more effective.

We've scoured the Internet to share 50 of the best of these resources, and we hope you'll find lots of valuable content and tools through these incredibly useful links for ELL educators.
Websites
Resource tools, printables, and other great stuff for ELL educators are all available on these sites.

1. UsingEnglish.com: On UsingEnglish.com, you'll find an incredible collection of tools and resources for learning and teaching English as a second language, including a grammar glossary, printables, and teacher handouts.

2. EverythingESL: EverythingESL is an awesome place to find ESL teaching resources, from lesson plans to teaching tips and resources.

3. Colorin Colorado: Colorin Colorado is full of useful information, activities, and resources for ELL teachers, especially those at the Pre-K to third grade level. However, most activities can be adapted all the way up to high school, making this a diverse and useful website.

Articles & Advice
Check out resource lists, journal articles, and ideas for best practices in ELL on these links.

1. Preschool English Language Learners: This resource list from the state of Illinois has a variety of support resources for preschool English language educators, with scholarships, journals, books, and more.

2. Doing What Works: Visit Doing What Works to find best practices for teaching Literacy in English to kindergarten through fifth-grade learners.

3. What Works Clearinghouse: In the What Works Clearinghouse, you'll find scholarly publications for effective outcomes in English language learning.

Organizations
Take advantage of the great opportunities and resources available from these organizations that benefit ELL teachers.

1. National Council of Teachers of English: This professional association for educators in English studies, literacy, and language arts offers plenty of benefits for bilingual teachers.

2. National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition: Find data, grants, even professional development resources for ELL educators from the National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition.

3. TOEFL: As the official language test for education, TOEFL's website is incredibly useful for sharing test-taking and studying information with students.

4. International Reading Association: This association of literacy professionals has excellent resources for literacy educators, including journal articles and an educator community.

Learning Resources
Enrich your students' learning by sharing these excellent English resources that they can check out in the classroom or on their own.

1. Culturally Authentic Pictorial Lexicon: Check out this lexicon that offers images demonstrating the true meaning of the word, making it easier for English language learners to understand.

2. ManyThings: On this website, you'll find quizzes, word games, puzzles, and a random sentence generator to help students better grasp English as a second language.

3. bab.la: Bab.la is a really fun site for ELL learners, with reference tools like a dictionary and vocabulary, supplemented with quizzes, games, and a community forum.

4. ESL Basics: On this site, you'll find free English videos for both students and teachers.

5. English Pronunciation: Okanagan College's resource offers 13 different unit lessons for learning and teaching English pronunciation.

6. BBC Learning English: In this website from the BBC, students can find help with grammar, vocabulary, and pronunciation, with plenty of references to current events. Plus, you'll find a special section for ELL teachers.

7. : ESL Gold is, no joke, golden, with seemingly endless learning resources for English. Students can practice pronunciation, find a book to study, and even talk to someone in English on this site. Plus, teachers can find a job, search for textbooks, discover games, and so much more.

8. Real English: Check out this free site for learning English, with loads of videos from real English speakers, plus quizzes and community support.

9. Repeat After Us: In this online library, students can get access to a huge collection of English texts and scripted recordings.

10. Google Translate: An awesome resource to use for simple translations, Google Translate can help your students see how its done and better understand translations between two or more languages.

11. ESL Cyber Listening Lab: Direct your students to this ESL cyber listening lab with study guides, quizzes, and even teacher features.

12. Vocabulix: This online tool is designed to help jumpstart students' vocabulary skills, with more than 90 vocabulary lessons, and the option to create lessons of your own.

13. Wordsteps: Wordsteps makes it easy for students to build their own vocabulary collection, and even access their vocabulary through a mobile device for English language learning on the go.

With these resources, you can find great ways to communicate more effectively, explore lessons, and be a great ELL teacher.
Teaching Resources

1. Utah Education Network English Language Learner Resources: Check out this list of great resources for ELL, with teaching ideas, forums, and even news and research.

2. One Stop English: Specially designed for English language teachers, One Stop English has a monthly topics series, news lessons, and even an app for on the go ELL teaching.

3. Casa Notes: This ingenious tool allows ELL teachers to effectively communicate with non-English speaking parents. You'll be able to quickly make and customize notes that you can translate and send home to parents, effectively communicating information about field trips, conduct, homework, and more.

4. ESL Party Land: A great site for ELL teachers, ESL Party Land has lesson plans, strategies, worksheets, flashcards, quizzes, games, and even vocabulary resources to help you be a better ELL teacher.

5. Clip Art Collection: Check out this collection of royalty-free, language-neutral clip art designed to be used for foreign language instruction.

6. Activities for ESL Students: Thousands of teacher contributions can be found on this site full of quizzes, exercises, and tests for teaching English as a second language.

7. Szoter: Using this online annotation tool, ELL teachers can write directly on images to explain their meaning to students.

8. Oxford University Press Learning Resources Bank: A service of Oxford University Press, this learning resources bank for English language teaching has courses, titles, and interactive English reading tools.

9. English-Test.net: Encourage students to self-test with this website, offering free English tests, grammar exercises, and worksheets.

10. EduFind English Online Tests and Learning Games: Check out these test and games that offer a great way for students to test and improve their English language skills.

From reference books to a pronunciation guide, you and your students will get a lot of use out of these links.
Reference

1. Dictionary.com: This site isn't just for looking up words, although it's quite useful in that function. Dictionary.com also offers a word of the day, games, quotes, translation, and much more.

2. Thesaurus.com: Like Dictionary.com, Thesaurus.com goes beyond simple reference, bringing inspiration and fun in the form of synonyms, fun word facts, and even search trends.

3. Common Errors in English Usage: Read Paul Brian's Common Errors in English Usage on this website, and even get links to the book's blog, calendar, and entry-a-day Facebook page.

4. Play & Learn English: Through the Early Childhood Education Network's Play & Learn English resource, you can share letters, print, shapes, writing, and other relevant images for learning the English language.

5. Idiom Site: With the help of this site, English language learners can make sense of common idioms.

6. Fonetiks: Direct students to this incredibly useful pronunciation guide with instant sound and samples by native speakers.

Get help and regular feedback for ELL education from these communities and blogs.
Communities & Blogs

1. Learning the Language: On Education Week, Lesli Maxwell covers educational policy and social issues relating to English language learning in the US.

2. Dave's ESL Cafe: Check out Dave Sperling's ESL cafe, where ELL teachers and students alike can enjoy a great community of English learning, plus job resources and stuff for teachers.

3. Englishtown: Join this community of English learners from around the world to gain insight for your ELL students.

4. Larry Ferlazzo's Websites of the Day: Want a regular dose of ELL resources? Check out Larry Ferlazzo's blog that shares news, learning resources, and other great links for ELL teachers.

5. ESL Podcast: Follow this podcast to share English language learning opportunities with your students on a regular basis.

6. ESL Resource Center: The ESL Resource Center is "where English and people connect," offering live chat rooms and forums for English practice. There are even ideas for drama and role plays, teacher development, and story telling resources.

7. Teacher Talk: Several ELL teachers contribute to this blog, sharing teaching practices, materials, ideas, and guides.

8. Pain in the English: This fun blog is a great resource for explaining gray areas of the English language to your students.

9. TEFLtastic with Alex Case: Follow Alex Case's blog to find news, views, and reviews for English language teaching.

10. The English Blog: Visit The English Blog to find resources, reviews, and much more for both learners and teachers of English.

11. Inspiration Lane: Inspiration Lane is designed to be an interactive reading activity to share with your entire ELL classroom with new learning content each day.

This is a cross-post from content partners at onlinecollegecourses.com; featured image attribution flickr user leaflanguages

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50 Incredibly Useful Links For Learning & Teaching The English Language

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Teaching a new language to non-native speakers may be one of the most challenging educational jobs out there, so ELL teachers can use all of the help they can get! Thankfully, many excellent resources for ELL and ESL exist online, from full-service websites to reference tools and communities, all designed to make the task of educating ELL students just a little bit easier and more effective.

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Listing over 3 million free books on the Web
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Online Student Collaboration - Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

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Online Student Collaboration - Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything

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Online collaboration is a way for students to both feel comfortable in an environment larger than their classroom and also a way to teach them the aspects of becoming a global citizen. If you find a...

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Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything - Home Page

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Kathy Schrock's Guide to Everything - Home Page

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As an educational technologist, I continue to learn each day. When I develop new presentations or explore a new passion, I create a page of resources. This site will serve as the entry point to these resources, ideas, tips, and tricks. The links to the pages are below.

If you have any comments or ideas to share, or want to find out how you can have me come speak to your school, district, or conference attendees, in-person or virtually, please drop me a line! Social networks are in the footer.

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As an educational technologist, I continue to learn each day. When I develop new presentations or explore a new passion, I create a page of resources. This site will serve as the entry point to these resources, ideas, tips, and tricks. The links to the pages are below.

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Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students.

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Not your everyday calendar, here you can find important events in literary history, authors' birthdays, and a variety of holidays, all with related activities and resources that make them more relevant to students.

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Student Collaborative Text

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Newsela | Nonfiction Literacy and Current Events

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Newsela | Nonfiction Literacy and Current Events

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It's time to improve literacy skills during social studies instruction and ensure that readers of all abilities have what they need to access grade-level social studies concepts.

Join us on Thursday, December 7 for a look at scaffolded materials that provide extra literacy support while building key social studies concepts and skills.

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Newsela | Content and assessment platform

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Content Aligned To National & State Standard, Flexible To Support Relevant Curriculum. Find the Perfect Piece Of Content For Lessons. Go beyond the book.

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All the Novel-Based Curricula!

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Complete Works: Series Trailer Online | Hulu

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Complete Works: Series Trailer Online | Hulu

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For any Shakespeare Unit

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A new comedy series set in the world of a collegiate Shakespeare competition. Hal, a Shakespeare-obsessed Midwesterner, makes it to the finals only to discover that even theater geeks can be cutthroat.