Teaching New Literacy

Multimedia is vital in today's world for the classroom. Today's generation not only must have access Toy Theater's Spin Art  to it and the skills that go with it, but the adequate experience to prepare them for the future's skilled labor market. One thing I'd like to point out as imperative in the classroom is not a typical one: downtime and physical breaks. Students are desk-bound - and at earlier ages - far more than in our historical and educational past. I find breaks and physical movement absolutely required for a balanced and healthy (and happy) classroom if one expects their students to be able to learn and absorb the high requirements that simply keep rising. This will continue until the trend reverses, as current research predicts this cycle will end with less traditional (and no longer necessary) content, as well as increased focus on legitimate future skills for the 21st century. My all-time favorite "feel good" children's song, w...

While we have investigated many apps for literacy in the classroom thus far, some are standouts for me. Out of dozens of apps I wrote about several favorites, but some rose to the top of my list for use in my own classroom. Usability and presentation was a large factor for me. Software for students - especially younger ones, should be fun, engaging, and as frustration-free as possible. For early childhood, my top pick is Felt Board . It enables young students to use a time-tested and classic activity, but digitally - which also adds features not available with real felt pieces. For teachers or upper elementary and above, I love Piktochart . This is an infographic wizard that makes presentations both attractive and easy to make. Whether for teaching, student presentations and/or projects, it is a flexible and beautiful method of presenting information. A wonderful runner-up app (particularly good for visually representing relationships or flowcharts) is Popplet . It's an attr...