10 | FEBRUARY 2018 | WWW.TECHLEARNING.COM WWW.TECHLEARNING.COM | FEBRUARY 2018 | 11
TRENDING
CLASS TECH TIPS
15 Current Events Websites for Students
It’s now easier than ever to connect
students with up-to-date, high-interest, and
relevant articles to promote discussion.Podcast for Kids—Wow in the World, Student-
Friendly Podcast
This podcast from NPR provides dozens
of short, engaging episodes on a range of
topics exploring our amazing world.FOR MORE OF MONICA BURNS’ CLASS TECH TIPS, VISIT TECHLEARNING.COM4
WAYS CHARTER SCHOOLS CAN
IMPROVE LITERACY OUTCOMES
When Michelle Riojas and fellow teachers at
Somerset Academy Miramar (FL) implemented
a new literacy solution, these four strategies
helped ensure improved literacy and reading
outcomes:1
Know a Student’s Deficiency. Knowing where
a student stands and the areas where he or she is
deficient is a crucial first step. By zeroing in on the
specific problem (or problems), instructors can teach
to the specific need.2
Leverage Outcomes Monitoring. Pulling
reports according to grade level enables teachers
to pinpoint quickly which students need more help and which ones are making progress.3
Use Collaboration and Teamwork. Parents, students, teachers, reading coaches, and
administrators all play a role in those positive outcomes. Technology is a great enabler, but it
doesn’t replace the human factor.4
Set Reasonable-but-Lofty Expectations. At a webinar a year ago, the person who was
helping Riojas with the implementation plan asked her, “What percentage of your kids do you
anticipate will be using the reading program on a daily basis or a weekly basis for completing their
assignments?” “100 percent,” she said. “She questioned that goal, but I stood behind it,” Riojas says.
“We’re now very close to that number. I tell our teachers all the time that there’s really no excuse for
not having 100 percent participation. Achieving this goal takes hard work on the part of the teacher
and the reading coach. We’re all very involved in our students’ literacy success.”DIGITAL
LEARNING
D AY:
FEBRUARY 22
Digital Learning Day, the
nationwide celebration of edtech
hosted by the Alliance for
Excellence in Education, will be
held on February 22. How will
your school celebrate? Add your
#DLDay 2018 event to the official
DLDay map and tag
@OfficialDLDay to have your
celebration highlighted on Twitter.
Find other events by following
the #DLDay hashtag on Twitter to
see events like yours, meet other
educators participating in DLDay,
and build your professional
FOR MORE GO TO GO TO WWW.TECHLEARNING.COM/FEB18 learning network.ISTOCK/THINKSTOCKGoogle Street Views for Your Classroom
There are over three thousand Google street
view experiences to choose from on this
special section of their website.WWW.TECHLEARNING.COM | FEBRUARY 2018 | 11