Category: News

Comprehensive, up-to-date news coverage, aggregated from sources all over the world by EduindexNews.

Book Talks Advertise Great Reads

What better place to find a spokesperson for reading than in your own classroom?

Once a month I invite students to choose a book they read and present a short, 2 to 3 minute book talk. From the start of the school year, it’s helpful for you to model the book talking process by giving short talks on new additions to your classroom library or on favorite books, magazines, or graphic novels you want to spotlight.

When a students says that a book was the “best” or “I couldn’t put it down” or “I thought about it all day,” they become topnotch salespersons for a favorite book. Students’ recommendations inspire their peers to check out an author, a topic, or a specific title. That’s why book talks are great advertisements for reading; they can also serve as assessments.

HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA TO BOOST EMPLOYEE ENGAGEMENT

Businesses with higher levels of employee engagement are 21 percent more profitable than those with disengaged employees, according to a 2016 Gallup report. Yet, a jaw-dropping 87 percent of employees report not feeling engaged at work.
The stats—and there are plenty to choose from (you\’ll find a comprehensive list here )—may vary in the percentages, but the message remains the same: Engaged employees are more productive, and companies are missing out on a large chunk of their workforce\’s productivity when people are unsatisfied.
Given that engagement is a perennial concern, it\’s surprising how little progress we seem to have made at re-engaging the workforce since the term \”engagement\” was first coined more than 25 years ago. Despite the considerable time, effort and money thrown at solving the employee engagement enigma, it has eluded employers. In 2013, Gallup found that 89 percent of workers were either actively disengaged or not engaged — and there\’s only been a 2 percent improvement since then.
So, what is wrong in the house of engagement, and more importantly, what can be done to put it right?

What We\’ve Learned About Employee Engagement

Well, we\’ve learned a few things about what doesn\’t work: We know, for example, that doing annual engagement surveys does not mean a company takes engagement seriously, and that \”happy\” employees are not the same as engaged and productive employees. We know that money does not unlock the door to engaged employees.
We also know a few things about what does work: Successful companies set clear expectations for people, give people tasks that suit their skill sets, develop those and other skills and ensure those people\’s opinions are heard and valued. Highly engaged employees believe in what they are doing and what their company is doing.
These are \”basics,\” but of course they take time to put into place and may require a huge level of cultural change for a company. And change programs have a somewhat checkered history of their own. Throw the word \”culture\” into the mix, and changing engagement requires a transformation rather than change—and the complexities are magnified even further.

Engagement Requires a Transformation Not a Change

While the HR industry may be getting better at change management for distinct projects, such as introducing a new performance management system, we are far less adept at the wider idea of transformation. In fact, McKinsey experts estimate, 70 percent of transformation programs fail. And employee engagement definitely falls under the transformation category in many companies.
It\’s accepted wisdom that people hate change, and a major element of that loathing is to do with the loss of control people feel when something is \”done\” to them rather than \”with\” them. So, while it\’s essential for employee engagement to have backing from the highest level to set the agenda and strategy, it also needs buy-in from the lowest level.

Use Social Media to Listen to Your Employees Needs

If you want to be successful at employee engagement, don\’t spend too long sitting round the boardroom table discussing engagement strategy. Social media technologies provide an easy platform for people from all corners of the business to express their ideas, their gripes and their fears. Just ask your staff directly via social media what\’s important to them.
Better still, don\’t just ask them, but listen to what they are saying among themselves unprompted and act on it. They are the people with the first-hand knowledge of what\’s going on at ground-level: the glitches in processes that don\’t work, the opportunities missed and the ideas to make their workplace better. They are best placed to set the engagement agenda.
Of course, a company\’s ability to take advantage of the power of enterprise social platforms depends on their starting point and their company culture. For some, it will be a natural progression, for others it is a step into the unknown. Even though using social media channels is old hat for many, it has yet to penetrate some businesses.
The advantage for companies is that it doesn\’t require a huge ERP-level investment of time and money. It\’s relatively easy and cheap to try out different social media technology in pockets of the business to see what floats or flounders.
Technology alone, of course, is never the complete answer. But in the case of employee engagement, technology has huge potential as an enabler, simply because it can put employees in the driving seat.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

Professional Development: It’s Connected Educator’s Month

October is Connected Educator’s Month! That means that the academic world is practicing the art of networking now – and it also means it’s the perfect time to connect with the people and professional development resources that can make you a better teacher.
We’re all busy, for sure, but you should never neglect your networking capabilities. Today, TeachHUB.com contributor Jordan Catapano offers up an overview of what you should be doing AFTER October ends to keep the proverbial networking beacon shining, including:
  • Reflect on What You’ve Gained.
  • Learn and Explore More.
  • Stick with Other Connected Teachers.

How have you gotten connected this month? How do you plan to continue being connected the rest of the year?
Learn more about how to keep your professional development options open once October is over >>

Halloween Classroom Activities for Any Grade

Teachers around the world scratch their heads this time of the year, wondering how in the world they can tie an educational activity into Halloween.
But we’re you’re favorite spooky resource for figuring out how to creatively recognize the day normally associate with trick-or-treating and petty vandalism.
The article outline above outlines activities like”
  • Spooky Story Writing
  • \”War of the Worlds\” Activities
  • How-to Halloween Writing

Elsewhere, TeachHUB.com is a tremendously effective website for Halloween costume ideas and more. Here’s a roundup of what we’ve posted:

Teacher Interview Questions and Answers

    We have become a tremendous resource for job seekers looking for a teaching job. One of our consistently popular articles, 6 Common Interview Questions for Teachers and How to Answer Them, offers up the most popular teacher interview questions according to our educational experts, and gives suggestions on well-thought-out answers.
    Other helpful employment-related articles we’ve published include How to Survive a Group Interview, 3 Proven Ways to Get a Teaching Job, and Interview Disasters and How to Avoid Them. Study these articles and ace your way through the hiring process!
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

    Classroom Activities: Morning Meeting Yoga

    As we all know, the morning routine sets the tone for the entire day. Starting the day on a positive note is an imperative.
    However, a good and often overlooked method of beginning the day is with classroom activities like yoga.
    Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox, who also is a seasoned elementary school teacher based in Upstate New York, looks at some classroom activities you can use to implement a yoga morning meeting sequence into your school day.
    Janelle’s ideas include easy steps to implementing yoga, including:
    After a few breaths, have students reach their arms up and over their heads then dive down to touch their feet as they exhale. Encourage students to hang here for a few breaths and shake their heads “Yes” and “No” while either holding their elbows or hanging their arms loosely.
    Next, have students do a sitting mountain pose by sitting at their seats with their feet planted firmly on the ground and their hands on their laps. Instruct them to sit up tall and slowly breathe in and out through their nose.
    After this sequence, have students do a seated back bend. To do this pose, students should start in seated mountain pose, place their hands on the back of their chair, and push back so that they are looking up at the ceiling. Another option is to do this pose standing.
    She also includes a paragraph on Encouraging Breathing : “One of the hardest things students have when first learning yoga is how to breathe properly. If you find that students are forgetting to breathe, then encourage them to count as they inhale and exhale. You can also teach them how to properly breathe when just sitting in a chair before you even teach them a new pose.”
    Janelle sums up her article thusly: “Before trying it in the classroom, make sure that you take a class or try a free one on YouTube. This will help you feel confident when instructing students. Namaste.”
    Do you incorporate yoga classroom activities into your morning meeting? Which poses do you like to do? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

    Classroom Games that Incorporate Spelling

    Spelling tests are almost universally despised by students, and there are doubts about the educational longevity of what students retain after the test is administered — many teachers contend that students forget how to spell the words soon after the test is over.
    But with a little creativity – in the form of classroom games – educators can overcome the mundane nature of the time-honored spelling test.
    Today, TeachHUB.com frequent contributor Janelle Cox introduces some classroom games involving spelling that are designed to engage as well as educate your students, including:

    • Spelling Word Relay
    • Sink and Spell
    • Spelling Boom!
    • And more!

    Remember, classroom games are fun, beneficial for students and give  them something to look forward to. Employ them as often as you can!
    What spelling games do you play in your classroom? Do you have fun ideas that you would like to share?
    Get our ideas on classroom games involving spelling>>
    Get a Teaching Job: Cover Letter Tips
    When you’re seeking that new (or first) teaching position, you can never underestimate the power of the cover letter.
    Recently we outlined several surefire cover letter tips that could possibly land you a teaching job, including:
    • Keep your cover letter on target
    • Keep your tone conversational
    • And more!

    What cover letter tips have we missed? Do you have any surefire tips?
    Get our teaching cover letter tips>>
    Let Us Solve Your Professional Development Issues
    Did you know that the K12 Teachers Alliance, the parent company of TeachHUB.com and TeachHUB magazine, can be the solution for your next in-service session?
    We sure can! And our team of experts can address a variety of topics, from gifted education to Singapore math to bully prevention!
    Our solutions are tailor-made, designed to fit any budget, and are 100 percent guaranteed!

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

    My Teacher Survival Kit

    My students’ supply list have been handed out, mailed out, and posted on our school website for the last six weeks. The list includes pencils, papers, markers, colored pencils, and all of the normal necessities needed throughout the year.  Now that they are all set, it is time for me to start putting together my yearly list of things I just can’t do without, what I like to call “my survival list!”

    We all have the basic supply list of pens, paper, paper clips, staplers, etc… but those items are not the “supplies” I need to start gathering. I am referring to the special teacher supply list need to survive the school year.

    Over the years, I have come to realize that my second home is my classroom. As much as I hate to admit it, if I had a bed there, I would probably sleep there most nights! I have discovered many times the need for items on my list and couldn’t have survived those after school meetings, parent/student conferences, open houses, or all other after school functions without these supplies. They are really that vital!

    Using Skype in the Classroom

    Imagine taking your class on an \”around the world\” field trip or having your favorite children\’s author lead today\’s read-aloud. You can do both of these and more without leaving your classroom thanks to Skype.

    Skype is free communication software that allows you to make calls, instant message and video conference online. Here are just a few of the endless possibilities for using this ed tech tool in the classroom.

    One amazing experience you can have with Skype in the classroom is a virtual author visit or other amazing guest

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

    Top 5 Start of School Myths

    Because of the somewhat mythical nature of the first weeks of school, there exist many \”old wives\’ tales\” and bits of wisdom that are constantly recycled by veteran teachers, instructional books, and (worst of all) pre-service workshops taught by Master Teachers.

    In the interest of clearing up misconceptions and righting some wrongs, I’m busting the top five myths about the first days of school:

    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

    Technology in the Classroom: 15 Useful #Hashtags

    Today on TeachHUB.com, guest contributing writer Kelvin Fogarty takes a look at some emerging technology in the classroom, in the form of #hashtags on Twitter. Specifically, Kelvin looks at the 15 most useful #hashtags in education today.
    Kelvin’s list, and explanations of each, includes:

    And More!
    What #hashtags would you add to our list? Let us know in the comment section of the actual article. We’d love to hear your thoughts!
    We look at 15 useful technology in the classroom #hashtags to explore.>>
    Technology in the Classroom: Campuseek App Review

    Campuseek will help you organize your thoughts immensely when you’re looking for the right college.

    For more great educational reviews targeted for both teachers and students, download your free issues of TeachHUB Magazine. 

    Get our Campuseek review>>
    Subscribe to the TeachHUB.com newsletter

    The TeachHUB.com weekly newsletter is the very best way for you to receive the best updates from TeaachHUB.com.

    By subscribing to the TeachHUB.com newsletter, you’ll get the best news of the week delivered straight to your inbox every Friday. The newsletter contains the best of our lesson plans as well as links to some great archived articles we’ve published in the past.

    Sign up to get the latest articles about issues affecting education now>>

    Let Us Solve Your Professional Development Issues
    Did you know that the K12 Teachers Alliance, the parent company of TeachHUB.com and TeachHUB magazine, can be the solution for your next in-service session?
    We sure can! And our team of experts can address a variety of topics, from gifted education to Singapore math to bully prevention!
    Our solutions are tailor-made, designed to fit any budget, and are 100 percent guaranteed!
    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCzOJDJZHoBttdHAjJsnN9w?sub_confirmation=1

    Teaching Strategies: The Ten Rules of Writing

    By the time kids get to high school, the methods they use to go about writing are often hard to break. Remember that writing is the linchpin, in many ways, of the educational process – all things stem from a well-crafted essay.
    With that in mind, today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Jordan Catapano, himself a seasoned English teacher in the Chicago suburbs, takes a look at ten rules for writing that he employs in his classes.
    Jordan’s rules include:
    • Don’t Be Boring!
    • Make a Mess
    • Follow the Process
    • And More! 

    Jordan sums up his article like this: “To reinforce them as we go, I put these on a bookmark, hang them around the room, informally quiz students, and ask them to progressively apply these rules throughout the year. After spending a year writing with me, I want them to have a richer understanding of what truly goes into composition beyond the traditional, academic formula. I want them to know these rules and to have the confidence to apply them in ways they see fit in their education and beyond.”
    What do you think of this list? What “rules of writing” would you add or subtract from here?
    Get our teaching strategies that include the 10 rules of writing>>
    Common Core, PARCC: The New Ed Glossary
    Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent writer Jordan Catapano (an English teacher in the Chicago suburbs) takes a look at 10 relatively new words that have popped up in the last 10 years, and what they mean.
    Jordan’s list includes:
    •  Common Core State Standards
    •  PLC
    •  Flipped Classroom
    •  And More!
    What else is “new” in education that wasn’t around ten years ago? Tell us your favorite buzzwords, concepts, and initiatives!

    WHY MICROLEARNING IS BECOMING A MAINSTREAM STRATEGY

    It’s taken a while, but the corporate world has started to recognize the power of bite-sized, timely, highly specific training—known as microlearning.
    These micro-lessons—usually packaged as a 3 or 4 minute video, podcast, infographic, game, whiteboard animation or quiz—give learners what they need to know in a quick and engaging way. It’s no coincidence that many of these formats are highly visual; while we can process and understand images in blink of an eye, it actually takes twice as long to process words. In fact, 80 to 90 percent of the information our brains process is visual.
    According to a 2017 report, 38 percent of talent development professionals already use microlearning—and another 41 percent plan to start within the next year. The reason for the growth is simple: It produces results.

    Jogging the Memory

    One of the key ways microlearning produces results is through its ability to tackle the most significant problems facing traditional training—most notably, the retention rate of information.
    In 1895, Herman Ebbinghaus discovered that within 24 hours of learning something new, 67 percent of that learning will be forgotten. That’s because too much information will cause what psychologists term “cognitive overload”—in other words, it will halt or slow down the transfer of information into long-term memory. Chopping up the information into tasty small morsels, tackling one or two key points, will lessen that cognitive load. Better yet, presented in different ways, it could even boost memory.

    The Impact of Technology

    While this information about memory and learning retention is old news, it’s only now taking off to such an extent because digital technology makes it easy and accessible to create such “microlearning” content. People don’t need to step away from the workplace to learn, they can learn during the day at a time and pace that suits them. They are in control.
    Home décor firm, At Home, for example, uses microlearning to help with everything from onboarding to training in customer service and compliance. The company was able to train 2,500 staff members in four weeks instead of six months, and reduce onboarding time by 90 percent. Not only that, but it raised employee knowledge about critical safety topics by 14 percent. And since it takes just a few minutes a day, it is easy for workers to fit it in their everyday tasks.

    Grab Their Attention

    Making learning short is not enough to make microlearning a success; you still need engaging content that is more than simply a condensed version of an hour-long training course.
    Combining gaming with microlearning is a great way of ensuring that people engage with the content. Medical device brand Philips Healthcare, for example, used gamified microlearning to teach sales training about a new sleep therapy platform. The company replaced their WebEx classroom training sessions with a sales performance platform, which has built-in competitive gaming. They soon saw engagement rates soar as high as 99 percent for their voluntary training—unprecedented engagement rates for the company.
    The key to remember is this: Microlearning content may be short, but that doesn’t make it simple. Find ways for employees to be actively engaged with the content—whether that’s incorporating quizzes, gamifying the experience, or providing personalized suggestions—and you’re guaranteed to get much better results than if they were passively reading a training guidebook or sitting in a classroom

    Summer Vacation: How Pets Can Help Kids Learn

    Did you know that pets are a great way for kids to keep learning through the summer months?
    It’s true! Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Janelle Cox takes a look at some of the ways that interacting with pets can help kids learn. Her ideas include:
    • Reading to Pets
    • Make Toys for Pets
    • Learn the Value of Money
    • And More!

    Janelle sums up her article thusly: “The summertime can be tough to get children to want to learn. But, you can make it easy on them by simply telling them to simply go play with their dog. Pets can be a lot of fun and may be just be the key to getting and keeping students learning all summer long!”
    Do you have any pet-related activities that students will love to do during the summer months at home?
    Get our ideas on how pets can help kids learn>>
    Classroom Management: Guest Speakers Support Learning
    To enhance the real-world aspects of your class, you should think about bringing in guest speaker to provide a glimpse into the lives of an interesting local person.
    Yesterday on TeachHUB.com, writer Janelle Cox examined how guest speakers can make an impact on a class and how to set one up. Her ways included:
    • Choosing a Guest Speaker
    • How to Get the Most from Your Speaker
    • How to Host a Guest Speaker

    Janelle also detailed ideas on how to carry out each idea.
    In summation, Janelle noted: “Inviting guest speakers to your classroom is a not only a wonderful way for students to learn about a specific topic, but it also introduces them to other professions and career opportunities. Whether you invite a veteran, policeman, author, professor, nurse, veterinarian, dentist, musician, or lawyer, your students will leave the experience with more knowledge then they came into with.
    Do you invite guest speakers to your classroom? Which speakers did you find had the most impact on your students and why?

    Teaching Strategies to Keep Learning Fresh Over Summer

    he dreaded “Summer learning Loss,” also known as the “Summer slump,” is a very real issue affecting kids everywhere in the U.S. Some studies ascertain that kids lose two months of reading and math skills during the months when school isn’t in session.


    So as educators, how do we prevent the loss of those valuable skills? Today on TeachHUB.com, frequent contributing writer Jacqui Murray, who is a veteran technology teacher in Northern California, looks at some time-honored teaching strategies that will certainly help with the summer slump. She breaks it don by subject; for instance, check out these examples:

    Math: Grades 2-5: Set up a summer lemonade stand. Kids learn to measure ingredients, make change, listen to potential customers, and problem solve. If you can’t put one up on your street, use a virtual lemonade stand.

    History: Grades 3+: Read current events on a kid-friendly website like Newsela. If students are older and prefer to find news via a Google search, install an extension like Readability to remove ads and other distractions from the website before reading.

    Reading: Any age: If students use a collaborative reading tool like Subtext, encourage students to read the books together, add comments, and reply to the observations of classmates.

    Writing: Grades 2+: Write a two-sentence review of something your student read. It could be a book, but maybe it’s a website, a favorite blog, or instructions for a new online game. The focus is that they read and summarize briefly.
    In summation, Jacqui notes: “Whatever your summer activities, as often as possible, make them child-paced, child-directed, and inspiring. It’s the process that’s important, not the product. Enjoy watching how your child’s brain works.”

    What are some of your teaching strategies to combat the “Summer slump”? Share your ideas with the TeachHUB .com community!