StoryMaker: A Site That Actually Gives Students a Voice (And Not Just Lip Service) Common Sense Education 2022-11-08 | StoryMaker is an extension of PBS' Student Reporting Labs. It's a civic media site that helps students both understand and create media as well as think through civic issues. Teachers can select skill-focused lessons on things like conducting interviews or using cameras. These functional lessons help build students’ digital storytelling ability. Teachers can then have students move on to projects (like the Student Journalism Challenge) that push students to develop and use different production (e.g., principles of photography) and journalistic (e.g., fact-checking) skills. Some lessons can be done in one or two class periods while others are projects designed to last several weeks. There's a handy resource library teachers can use to find activities with the right topic, challenge level, and duration. There's also a range of topic-based starting points on the homepage teachers can use to kick things off that fit with their curriculum.Best of all: Since the site's connected with PBS NewsHour, students' content has the potential to be shared with a national audience. For more, check out our review of StoryMaker: commonsense.org/education/reviews/storymaker---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
CTRL-F: This Is How You Teach Fact-Checking in the 21st Century Common Sense Education 2023-01-31 | CTRL-F is a roughly seven-hour, four-part news and media literacy program designed by @CIVIXCanada - a Canadian organization dedicated to strengthening democracy through civic education. Through the program, students will gain a step-by-step method for investigating claims on the internet.Developed for 7-12 graders, each of the four lessons inform and build on each other and contain introductory reflection activities to pique interest, expert-led videos, and direct instruction slide decks to reinforce new concepts followed by practice examples. There's also pre- and post-assessments with answer keys and a culminating activity where students design a handbook that compiles the skills they've learned. Program materials can be accessed via Google or Microsoft's suites or via PDF. This is a news and media literacy course that's pushing beyond stale approaches grounded in a a pre- or early-internet frame of mind. CTRL-F incorporates more modern notions of how the web works, how various actors manipulate media, and how fact-checking and thinking must evolve to deal with how all the contexts students encounter information online.For more, check out our review of CTRL-F: commonsense.org/education/reviews/ctrl-f---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Share My Lesson: This Is a Site Youre Gonna Wanna Bookmark Common Sense Education 2023-01-24 | Share My Lesson offers over 420,000 teaching resources, ranging from lesson plans to handouts to articles and webinars, covering all core academic subjects for Pre-K through adult education and classroom concerns like student management, social emotional learning, and trauma-informed instruction. The site also offers a ton of on-demand professional development resources.Share My Lesson is community-based and allows you to join subject-based communities to create and share resources with other educators. You can even create your own community group to develop or source handy activities, presentations, worksheets, and more.The site’s dashboard has three key sections that merit checking on a regular basis: Recommended, Latest News, and What to Address This Month. You can also opt to receive notifications instead. Otherwise, plan to set aside a lot of time to explore the site and build familiarity and stock up on ready-to-use lessons (once you’ve vetted them a bit more) to have on hand for sub plans or when you’re in a pinch. For more, check out our review of Share My Lesson: commonsense.org/education/reviews/share-my-lesson---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
NexGen News: Looking for Video Newscasts for Your Classroom? Common Sense Education 2023-01-17 | Every two weeks, NexGen News produces several video news stories related to current events. Each news story is supported by an article on the same topic, plus a detailed lesson plan (with slide deck) that has suggested classroom activities, discussion questions, and extensions. To use NexGen News, teachers can connect students to their account and then assign videos and articles. If teachers have a Pro account, they can also assign built-in quizzes and written-response questions. The lessons are released only once every two weeks, but they're so in-depth you could easily spread learning out over the course of two weeks. Lesson plans for each news topic are detailed, offering differentiation options for ELLs and gifted students, plus extension activities in art, tech, and writing. One caveat: NexGen News suggests using the platform for grades 3–8, but we feel it's best suited to middle school. Resources could be used for elementary school, but teachers will need to adapt content for younger students.For more, check out our review of NexGen News: commonsense.org/education/reviews/nexgen-news---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Artsonia: Give Your Art Students an Authentic Audience Common Sense Education 2023-01-10 | Artsonia Kids Art Museum is a free art sharing site where teachers, students, and parents can upload original works of art and then give and receive feedback or purchase items featuring the artwork. Students of any grade can join classes by scanning a teacher-generated QR code and begin uploading their work immediately. Teachers can create a school page on Artsonia and use it to share what their students have created via galleries, which include a description of the project, materials used, and national standards addressed. Projects may include drawings, paintings, ceramics, photographs, writings, yarn art, 3D paper crafts, and other mediums. This unique approach encourages students to create not only for themselves, but for an audience as well, and because the platform is cumulative, kids can use it to track their progress and see their work mature over time. For more, check out our review of Artsonia: commonsense.org/education/reviews/artsonia-kids-art-museum---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Meet The Digital Citizens! Common Sense Education 2023-01-06 | Help little kids understand big ideas with our fun, friendly characters!Visit commonsense.org/education/meet-the-digital-citizens to find lesson plans and activities for every episode. Watch every episode on YouTube here: youtube.com/watch?v=8pnZYI7mLnU&list=PL8TjVyuBdsCkRYC4oLYycdVRFvQcm3dsyArms, Legs, Guts, Feet, Heart, and Head: Our beloved digital citizenship characters have been part of our curriculum for many years. They've helped younger students connect with our fun lessons, and they've helped everyone sing along with their favorite songs.With our new "Meet the Digital Citizens" series, each video-based lesson connects one of our characters to a foundational digital citizenship concept in a way that's easy for little kids to understand.#digitalcitizenship #digitalcitizens #commonsensemedia
Meet the Digital Citizens: Feet Common Sense Education 2023-01-06 | Help little kids understand big ideas with our fun, friendly characters!Visit commonsense.org/education/meet-the-digital-citizens to find lesson plans and activities for every episode.Meet the Digital Citizens is a six-part video series featuring our digital citizenship characters: Arms, Heart, Guts, Feet, Legs, and Head! These six characters are part of our K-2 lesson plans, and each represents a topic from our curriculum.In this short, introductory digital citizenship lesson, students will meet Feet, one of our six Digital Citizen characters! Feet explores the meaning of digital footprints and shares why it is important to watch where we “step,” being careful about what we share.#CommonSenseEducation #DigitalCitizenship #DigitalCitizens
Meet the Digital Citizens: Guts Common Sense Education 2023-01-04 | Help little kids understand big ideas with our fun, friendly characters!Visit commonsense.org/education/meet-the-digital-citizens to find lesson plans and activities for every episode.Meet the Digital Citizens is a six-part video series featuring our digital citizenship characters: Arms, Heart, Guts, Feet, Legs, and Head! These six characters are part of our K-2 lesson plans, and each represents a topic from our curriculum.In this short, introductory digital citizenship lesson, students will meet Guts, one of our six Digital Citizen characters! Guts explores what it means to be safe on the internet, sharing three simple rules for doing so.#CommonSenseEducation #DigitalCitizenship #DigitalCitizens
Meet the Digital Citizens: Head Common Sense Education 2023-01-02 | Help little kids understand big ideas with our fun, friendly characters!Visit commonsense.org/education/meet-the-digital-citizens to find lesson plans and activities for every episode.Meet the Digital Citizens is a six-part video series featuring our digital citizenship characters: Arms, Heart, Guts, Feet, Legs, and Head! These six characters are part of our K-2 lesson plans, and each represents a topic from our curriculum.In this short, introductory digital citizenship lesson, students meet Head, one of our six Digital Citizen characters! Head introduces the topic of news and media literacy (in a kid-friendly way), sharing why it is important to be curious and ask questions, so that we can know what’s true and what’s unbelievable.#CommonSenseEducation #DigitalCitizenship #DigitalCitizens
Meet the Digital Citizens: Heart Common Sense Education 2022-12-29 | Help little kids understand big ideas with our fun, friendly characters!Visit commonsense.org/education/meet-the-digital-citizens to find lesson plans and activities for every episode.Meet the Digital Citizens is a six-part video series featuring our digital citizenship characters: Arms, Heart, Guts, Feet, Legs, and Head! These six characters are part of our K-2 lesson plans, and each represents a topic from our curriculum.In this short, introductory digital citizenship lesson, students meet Heart, one of our six Digital Citizen characters! Heart explains the importance of being kind, sharing ways to show kindness to others both online and in person.#CommonSenseEducation #DigitalCitizenship #DigitalCitizens
Meet the Digital Citizens: Legs Common Sense Education 2022-12-27 | Help little kids understand big ideas with our fun, friendly characters!Visit commonsense.org/education/meet-the-digital-citizens to find lesson plans and activities for every episode.Meet the Digital Citizens is a six-part video series featuring our digital citizenship characters: Arms, Heart, Guts, Feet, Legs, and Head! These six characters are part of our K-2 lesson plans, and each represents a topic from our curriculum.In this short, introductory digital citizenship lesson, students meet Legs, one of our six Digital Citizen characters! Legs shares why it’s important to stand up for the people we care about, explaining how we can do that online and in person.#CommonSenseEducation #DigitalCitizenship #DigitalCitizens
Meet the Digital Citizens: Arms Common Sense Education 2022-12-21 | Help little kids understand big ideas with our fun, friendly characters!Visit commonsense.org/education/meet-the-digital-citizens to find lesson plans and activities for every episode.Meet the Digital Citizens is a six-part video series featuring our digital citizenship characters: Arms, Heart, Guts, Feet, Legs, and Head! These six characters are part of our K-2 lesson plans, and each represents a topic from our curriculum.This introductory digital citizenship lesson introduces students to Arms, one of our six Digital Citizen characters! In this quick, video-based lesson, Arms explores the meaning of media balance and shares why it's important to balance our time online so that we have time to do all that we love!#CommonSenseEducation #DigitalCitizenship #DigitalCitizens
Fandom Forward: Media Literacy Activities That Peel Back the Layers of Pop Culture Common Sense Education 2022-12-20 | Fandom Forward, formerly known as the Harry Potter Alliance, is an international nonprofit that helps people learn media literacy and cultural critique and then connects them with political organizing and activism. Fandom Forward features toolkits and resources from a variety of media including Pokémon, Steven Universe, Star Wars, and Black Panther. The site's materials help fans see how the media they consume reflects social, cultural, and political struggles today. The site is mostly geared toward teens and young adults. The reading level is fairly high, and the topics can be heady, controversial, and complex.Teachers could use the site's toolkits to help teens learn and practice media literacy. The toolkits are also handy for exploring issues like sexism, ableism, climate change, media manipulation, racial justice, and more.For more, check out our review of Fandom Forward: commonsense.org/education/reviews/fandom-forward---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Adobe Express: Your New Favorite Quick and Easy Graphic Design Tool Common Sense Education 2022-12-13 | Adobe Express is a media creation and graphic design platform that works in a web browser and a mobile app. There's a free K12 education platform for schools that also includes access to the Adobe Photoshop Express mobile app and Adobe Premiere Rush, a desktop video creation platform. To get started, use a premade template to customize a quick poster or graphic organizer for your classroom. If you have an hour, visit the Adobe Education Exchange website for the K–12 version. Here you can search for lesson templates and watch short, self-paced videos that teach you the ins and outs of Adobe Express and how to maximize creative learning.Adobe Express is good for making teacher materials, but the real magic happens when you hand it over to your students. Create a free Adobe Express classroom account or work with your technology department to connect students to Adobe Creative Cloud. Adobe Express integrates with the most popular learning management systems, making it easy to assign and manage projects. Students can invite each other to collaborate on a shared project and can share it in a variety of ways.For more, check out our review of Adobe Express: commonsense.org/education/reviews/adobe-express---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Next Gen Personal Finance: A Sprawling, Standout Financial Literacy Site Common Sense Education 2022-12-06 | The Next Gen Personal Finance website contains extensive free resources, both created by NGPF and sourced from other reputable platforms. The site is organized into a few key sections, including an arcade with simulations and games, a curriculum browser with units and multiweek pathways on personal finance topics, and a math section with focused activities that build math skills. Resources range from videos and discussions to full lessons and assessments. Most of the resources are in Google Docs, Slides, or Sheets, so they can be downloaded to your own Google Drive and customized. Teachers can also access a library of free professional development (PD) resources, including webinars, conferences, and courses.For more, check out our review of Next Gen Personal Finance: commonsense.org/education/reviews/next-gen-personal-finance---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Is Time for Kids the Best News Source for Elementary? Common Sense Education 2022-11-22 | Time for Kids is a digital and print magazine for elementary students. The news stories provide good examples of journalism written by actual journalists at appropriate grade levels. Select articles are written by kids. Time for Kids is published in three grade-based editions: K–1, 2, 3–6. Readers can flip through the digital magazine, view it as a webpage, or print it. Teachers and students can also sort news stories by topic and search for specific titles. The news stories cover topics across educational content areas plus areas of personal interest such as sports and entertainment. Teachers will find many articles relevant to their lesson plans, and students will find articles that they enjoy reading on their own. Each edition comes with lesson guides, plans, quizzes, and printables that help teachers get started right away. Time for Kids integrates well with Google Classroom via premade Google Form quizzes and quick article sharing in Classroom.For more, check out our review of Time for Kids: commonsense.org/education/reviews/time-for-kids---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Convene the Council: We’re a Little Torn on This Foreign Policy Game Common Sense Education 2022-11-01 | Convene the Council is a game for grades 6-12 by iCivics that focuses on foreign policy and diplomacy. Students take on the role of the President of the U.S. and preside over the National Security Council. By playing the game, students might pick up a few things about foreign policy decisions, specifically what motivates decisions, how decisions impact the United States and the world, and what agencies/departments are responsible for carrying out policies. However, students might also just quickly click through the text and select a decision without any consideration. The game makes this surprisingly easy, displaying how a decision will likely affect the priorities. It's also difficult to do really badly. In this way, Convene the Council is a decent platform for introducing foreign policy decision-making, but it'll really come alive with active teaching that encourages students to discuss and think through decisions, and maybe even dig into past and present foreign policy struggles.For more, check out our review of Convene the Council: commonsense.org/education/reviews/convene-the-council---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
10 Years of Digital Citizenship Week: Where Weve Been, and Where Were Going Common Sense Education 2022-10-19 | Ten years ago, Common Sense established the first-ever Digital Citizenship Week. But the digital world looks a lot different today than it did in 2012. Digital citizenship has grown and evolved over the years, and at Common Sense, we've been leading the charge to ensure students have the skills they need to grow with the digital world. In this discussion with our partners at Project Zero, we will reflect on what we've learned over the last 10 years, and most importantly, highlight how digital citizenship education needs to evolve to meet the challenges of the next 10 years and beyond. Panelists: Carrie James, Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education; co-author, Behind Their Screens Emily Weinstein, Project Zero, Harvard Graduate School of Education; co-author, Behind Their Screens. Merve Lapus, Vice President, Outreach and National Partnerships, Common Sense Kelly Mendoza, Ph.D, Vice President of Education Programs, Common Sense Education (Moderator)
Thisissand: An Abstract Art Tool With Immaculate Vibes Common Sense Education 2022-10-11 | Thisissand (This is sand) is the perfect blend of art and stress relief. Students simply go to the website and click the screen to begin dropping sand. The sand can be set to cycle through multiple colors or a single color. The sound of falling sand is almost like moving water, and the effect is the same: very relaxing. Some teachers may find Thisissand a unique addition to their suite of mindfulness or SEL activities. For example, teachers working on helping students with self-awareness and self-management can teach students to use Thisissand as a stress management tool when they're coping with challenging emotions. While using the tool, teachers or other experts could help students focus on breathing to settle themselves or gather their thoughts. Thisissand is a great option for free choice, indoor recess, or quiet time. As seemingly every color is available, teachers and students may find it interesting to create something that represents their mood or feelings in that moment. Some students will find ways to make complex pieces of art!For more, check out our review of Thisissand: commonsense.org/education/reviews/thisissand---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Moshi Kids: This Goldie Hawn-Approved Mindfulness App Is Free for Teachers Common Sense Education 2022-10-04 | Moshi Kids: Sleep & Meditation is a an app and website for PreK-5 with an enormous collection of audio recordings for SEL, mediation, and mindfulness. These recordings include nature sounds, music, stories, and even guided meditations to help kids calm down, relax, and hopefully even fall sleep when the time is right. Teachers can select stories and meditations based on specific SEL skills like improving emotional control, empathy, problem-solving, transitions, and self-awareness. The website features downloadable lesson plans, articles, and classroom management ideas featuring the Moshi characters. Teachers can send these home to parents in emails, newsletters, or a backpack. At daycares or early childhood settings with kids who take naps, teachers have a variety of audio options to incorporate into their daily routines to promote more restful nap times. For more, check out our review of Moshi Kids: commonsense.org/education/reviews/moshi-kids-sleep-meditation---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Hypersay: Is There Anything This Presentation Tool CANT Do? Common Sense Education 2022-09-27 | Hypersay is a website that helps teachers create and host interactive presentations or lectures. Users can upload presentations in PDF, PowerPoint, or Google Slides format and then add features like discussions, polls, questions, interactive images, and embedded videos into the presentations. When they're done they can host a live and participatory presentation -- including with audio and video of the presenter. While it duplicates the features of some other platforms teachers might be using, for those starting from scratch (or with a pile of stale slide decks they want to dress up) Hypersay could be just the thing.For more, check out our review of Hypersay: commonsense.org/education/reviews/hypersay---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
VOXPOP: No Fuss Spin on Student Debate and Roleplay Common Sense Education 2022-09-20 | The VOXPOP website gives teachers the opportunity to use role-play-based simulations to explore essential events from American history. With almost all preparation and materials included in the VOXPOP site, you can involve your class in an active examination of Shay's Rebellion, the Nullification Crisis, the Dorr Rebellion, the New Deal, the Pullman Strike, and the response to the AIDS epidemic. VOXPOP will take care of assigning students to different stakeholder roles, provide all the materials for understanding basic content and perspectives, and help you facilitate students' analysis and discussion of how the United States evolved. They even offer suggestions for how you might use it during a 60-minute class or split it between two periods.Though the simulations don't "cover" all the content related to each of these formative moments in American history, you can use the simulations to have each student learn essential content through active participation and analysis of competing ideas.For more, check out our review of VOXPOP: commonsense.org/education/reviews/voxpop---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Equity Maps: Struggling to Track and Assess Classroom Discussions? Common Sense Education 2022-09-13 | Equity Maps is an iPad and macOS app that enables teachers to track speakers and behaviors during small- or large-group conversations. It can be a novel way for teachers to track and better assess students' group communication skills and habits, but teachers will have to be consistent and build in time to reflect on what the data says. Teachers will also need to be patient and thoughtful with using the data. Is a talkative student dominating discussion, or just overeager? Is a quiet student feeling silenced, or just someone who takes a lot of time to process and needs an opportunity at the very end to speak up? Still, mindful and well-structured use of Equity Maps could help students build valuable self-control and self-awareness skills. For more, check out our review of Equity Maps: commonsense.org/education/reviews/equity-maps---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
ByteLearn: A Math Homework Helper Thats Not Built for Cheating? Common Sense Education 2022-08-30 | ByteLearn allows students (grades 6 through 8) to work on a variety of math concepts with a helpful step-by-step AI guide to walk them through each part of the process. Teachers can assign work to their class and then track how their students are doing through the extensive (and easy to follow) teacher dashboard. The interface is easy to use, and there are lots of hints and fun things for the students, like celebratory GIFs for getting the right answer! ByteLearn also uses adaptive/differentiated learning to provide targeted questions to individual students based on their previous responses. The walkthroughs are wonderful: well-paced, friendly, and thorough. Struggling students will definitely find them helpful. Plus, there are links to further explanations of key terms. And if you need a printable, there are a few downloadable worksheets as well.For more, check out our review of 99math: commonsense.org/education/website/99math---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Start the School Year with Positive Digital Connections Common Sense Education 2022-08-26 | Join the Common Sense Education team to learn more about Digital Connections, a new interactive video series for middle school students. You can use this interactive at the beginning of the year to introduce key digital citizenship themes and help your students practice balance, kindness, vigilance, and purpose when they go online.
99math: A Game Show App Just for Math!? Common Sense Education 2022-08-16 | 99math is a quiz game that tests math skills via live and practice games. Teachers pick a skill and then run live class games where students compete against each other (and against themselves over a series of games). At the end of three rounds, students see who did the best and was most accurate. They also can dig into a report on their success question by question. Teachers also get reports of student performance, including accuracy and incorrect answers. Teachers can then assign practice sets for students to complete at their own pace.For more, check out our review of 99math: commonsense.org/education/website/99math---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
S.S. Grin: An SEL Game That Cleverly Gets Students To Consider Tone and Subtext Common Sense Education 2022-08-09 | S.S. Grin is a paid game that teaches students social and emotional skills, especially those that help them be better friends and teammates.The player takes on the role of a new recruit on the ship the S.S. Grin, which is tasked with protecting Pacifico Island. Each of the crew members has their own strengths and interests: friendship, respect, planning and thinking ahead, stop and think, listening, and emotions. This crew must help out the inhabitants of Pacifico by completing tasks presented as different vignettes -- similar to story-based adventure games like The Secret of Monkey Island. These situations require students to use their knowledge, context clues, and foresight to be able to determine their next move in the game.S.S. Grin places value on process over perfection, so students must rely on real-life resources, regulation strategies, and other pro-social supports to complete their goals. And students have to pay attention to more than the content of what's being said. Each interaction in S.S. Grin is layered with elements like tone, inflection, and appropriateness. For more, check out our review of S.S. Grin: commonsense.org/education/website/ss-grin---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Show Students How Machine Learning Works With Teachable Machine Common Sense Education 2022-08-02 | With Teachable Machine, a project by Google, students use the camera or microphone on their device to train their computer to see or hear something and predict what it is. Advanced students can then export this model as code and use it for creative projects. Use the site to introduce machine learning to students, and have students start with the tutorial. Students can work in groups to determine what input (from the camera) should produce which outputs. Take the time to discuss what students learned after experimenting, and make connections to other machines like Amazon Alexa. Then, use the numerous extension materials such as interactive guides, examples of student experiments, and video explainers to motivate advanced learners or inspire a class that's just beginning to learn about artificial intelligence. Learning doesn't have to be limited to coding or computer science classes, however. Art or music classrooms could use Teachable Machine to create more expressive projects. For more, check out our review of Teachable Machine: commonsense.org/education/website/teachable-machine---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
ISTELive 22 Common Sense Selection for Learning seals! Common Sense Education 2022-07-19 | At the biggest event of the year for educators and companies working in learning, media, and technology, Common Sense Education recognized 17 innovative products with our Common Sense Selection for Learning seal!
Rock by Rock: A Project-Based Learning Approach to Elementary STEM Common Sense Education 2022-07-19 | Rock by Rock offers project-based inquiries that help elementary students dig deep into a topic related to STEM, specifically animals, the environment, and conservation. Extensive guides help teachers present each topic, and guide students through the process which could take weeks to a whole school year. Student workbooks and online modules -- with text-to-speech features -- guide them through the material. Along the way students gather info, interact with multimedia presentations, consider thought-provoking questions, and engage in hands-on activities. For more, check out our review of Rock by Rock: commonsense.org/education/website/rock-by-rock---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Put Little Kids on the Path to Financial Literacy With Milo’s Money Common Sense Education 2022-07-12 | Milo's Money is an intro to financial education for 5- to 7-year-olds. The program features a book -- accessible online or in print form -- about a young dinosaur named Milo as well as a web-based game. In the book and game, Milo learns about money (pound sterling, since the publisher is based in the U.K.). Milo also learns that money is a thing we get in exchange for work. When he isn't sure what to do with his coins, he gets advice from all sorts of people and learns that coins can be used for things we like or, as Milo's aunt explains, that coins can be saved. Other characters teach Milo about sharing, donating, and even investing his money.The site has a variety of printable resources to support the book and game, ranging from coloring sheets to more learning-oriented activities.For more, check out our review of Milo's Money: commonsense.org/education/website/milos-money---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
EarSketch: A Coding Tool for Aspiring DJs, Rappers, and Beat Makers Common Sense Education 2022-07-05 | EarSketch is a website that allows students to use code (JavaScript or Python) with musical tracks to create and mix music. Students can work with the built-in library of sounds, instruments, and samples or add their own to create original musical works. In terms of creating original music, it's similar to GarageBand, but EarSketch also includes the use of code to create scripts and program different functionality. EarSketch isn't a simple tool, but it offers tremendous potential for teachers who want to really bring STEAM into their classrooms. It goes way beyond the common maze-based games that students often start with to learn coding and dives straight into using code to create brand-new media. It's also inextricably linked to self-expression and to creating music. Since coding doesn't interest all students, EarSketch has great potential to hook students with a passion for music and editing. They'll see a whole new way to use code. For more, check out our review of EarSketch: commonsense.org/education/website/earsketch---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Radio General: A WWII Game Packed With Learning Opportunities Common Sense Education 2022-06-21 | Radio General is a strategy game that aims to simulate the chaos of World War II battlefields. Since it was a time when armies didn't have access to satellite imagery and other modern-day communication and surveillance technologies, Radio General offers a novel way for players to control their military: verbal communication. It does a good job of teaching two main lessons: first, how to deal with uncertainty, limited information, and chaos, and second, what World War II was like for someone not on the front lines. The player has to build a tolerance for making impossible but sound decisions, combining both strategic thinking and executive function. And they must do so while attempting to minimize confusion and miscommunication. Watch the developer's trailer of Radio General featured in this video: youtube.com/watch?v=QrYF7mNxFZ8&ab_channel=FoolishMortalsFor more, check out our review of Radio General: commonsense.org/education/game/radio-general---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Sneak Peek Common Sense at ISTE Live 22 Common Sense Education 2022-06-17 | Common Sense EducationISTE Landing PageWWW.COMMONSENSE.ORG/EDUCATION/ISTE22
Closegap: Start Each School Day With an Emotional Health Check-in Common Sense Education 2022-06-14 | Closegap is a free tool educators can use to set up daily check-ins with students focused on emotional and mental health. There are tailored questionnaires for grades PK-2, 3-5, and 6-12. Students answer simple but important questions that get them to reflect on how they're feeling, how their lives are going, and if their needs are being met. Educators get data back they can use to plan classroom, school, and family support. Students can also view their progress over time.For more, check out our review of Closegap: commonsense.org/education/website/closegap---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Proven Sustainable: Look To Indigenous and Resilient Cultures for Lessons on Sustainability Common Sense Education 2022-06-07 | Proven Sustainable is a free website that seeks to share the perspectives, experiences, and voices of Indigenous, Aboriginal, First Nations, and other resilient cultures that have managed to live sustainably for at least 500 years. These perspectives are meant to help address and think through how broader worldviews must start to address global issues like climate change. To this end, the site offers learning materials focused on perspectives from 16 groups of people -- from the Inuit in the far northern hemisphere to the Khomani San in southern Africa. Proven Sustainable pairs quotations from representatives of these groups alongside images that highlight that group's cultural knowledge. For each group there's a background page and a slide deck with these quotes, images, and supporting contextual information for further research and exploration.For more, check out our review of Proven Sustainable: commonsense.org/education/website/proven-sustainable---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Pilot Light: The Way to the Brain Is Through the Stomach Common Sense Education 2022-05-31 | Pilot Light is a free food education curriculum that integrates food-based lessons with traditional classroom education. It includes both activities aimed at parents to do at home with their children and lesson plans for teachers to implement in the classroom. Pilot Light's materials are an excellent recipe for integrating learning into the everyday activities of preparing and eating food. Students will connect food and nutrition concepts to lessons in reading, writing, math and measurement, science, health and nutrition, history, cultural awareness, and the environment.For more, read our review of Pilot Light: commonsense.org/education/website/pilot-light---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Quizizz Is Now One of Our Favorite Apps: Heres Why Common Sense Education 2022-05-24 | We've had our eyes on Quizizz for awhile, and over that time they've made thoughtful changes that turned it from a good app to a truly great one. It's now our top choice in the quiz and game show app category, offering a perfect variety of question types and tweaks. However, it's much more than just a quizzing tool. It's now a platform for building interactive lessons, kinda like Nearpod or Pear Deck. Watch the video to see what stuck out for us, and make sure to check out our full round up of quizzing apps: commonsense.org/education/articles/the-best-quiz-and-game-show-apps-for-classroomsAnd check out our review of Quizizz: commonsense.org/education/website/quizizz---------Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Gooru Helps You Sort Through and Assign Out Great Free Resources for Learning Common Sense Education 2022-05-17 | Gooru is a web-based "learning navigator" platform for discovering and exploring online learning content. Teachers can use this "GPS for learning" to create classes, choose content for their students (by selecting from the site's extensive content library or linking out to their own resources stored elsewhere), create assessments, and then monitor students' progress. The site features millions of resources -- including videos, worksheets, activities, and more -- all sourced from more than 500 publishers, including reputable content providers like Khan Academy and PBS Learning Media. For more, read our review of Gooru: commonsense.org/education/website/gooru---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
What We Can Learn from Mister Rogers Blueprints Common Sense Education 2022-05-06 | GET PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT CREDITInterested in receiving professional development documentation? Fill out this short survey:commonsense.tfaforms.net/4761504Fred Rogers was more than a nice guy in a sweater — he was also a learning scientist who was decades ahead of his time. In this session, we’ll talk with Gregg Behr and Ryan Rydzewski, authors of When You Wonder, You're Learning: Mister Rogers' Enduring Lessons for Raising Creative, Curious, Caring Kids. Together, we'll explore how Fred engineered Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood to develop the “tools for learning” proven to boost students’ academic outcomes and social-emotional well-being. We’ll also discuss how teachers, tech coaches, librarians, and other educators can use Fred’s blueprints to nurture those tools today, igniting hope in learning spaces nationwide. With examples from Remake Learning, we’ll share inspiring, actionable ways to follow in Fred’s footsteps.TAKEAWAY: drive.google.com/file/d/19eQpHjOH9fPhDXodwnC2KOrrgI1TX5bv/viewSPEAKERSJennifer Ehehalt (@jehehalt) Senior Education ManagerCommon Sense EducationGregg Behr (@greggbehr)Executive Director of The Grable Foundation and co-chair of Remake LearningRyan Rydzewski (@RyanRydzewski)Science and Education WriterRecorded on 5/6/2022WATCH LIVEGet registration notifications by email each week – sign up for Common Sense Education's Digital Classroom newsletter: commonsensemedia.org/newsletters. See more videos from the series: youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8TjVyuBdsCm83SWlcCqv3yfnORe0g7_qABOUT COMMON SENSE EDUCATIONCommon Sense Education supports K–12 schools with everything educators need to empower the next generation of digital citizens. Our innovative, award-winning Digital Citizenship Curriculum prepares students with lifelong habits and skills, supports teachers with training and recognition, and engages families and communities with helpful tips and tools. Schools everywhere rely on our free curriculum, expert advice, and edtech ratings to help kids thrive. Visit us at commonsense.org/education/.Tags: Common Sense Media, EdTech, Digital Citizenship, Professional Development, On demand, K-12, Special Education, SPED
Create an Asynchronous Audio Backchannel for Reflection, Feedback, or Fun With Synth Common Sense Education 2022-05-02 | Synth is a voice recording platform that allows users to create and contribute to podcast-like channels featuring a mix of audio and commenting. The end result is an asynchronous conversation on a particular theme or topic. Teachers invite their students to contribute to a channel via a link, set the cadence for contributions, and select whether they want to moderate all contributions. It's a tool that can be used equally with students or with colleagues, for fun or for learning.For more, read our review of Synth: commonsense.org/education/website/synth---------Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Skew the Script: These Algebra and Stats Lessons Tackle Hot Topics, Use Real Data Common Sense Education 2022-04-26 | Skew the Script is a free website with math lessons for middle and high school classrooms. The focus is on combining high-interest, real-world topics -- like who's the great basketball player of all time -- with real world data sets. Lessons show students how mathematical concepts can be used to explain and understand the world. The resources are separated into two main sections, each tackling a few important math subjects: AP Stats and Algebra I and II. Each section features detailed units with several lessons. Lessons include instructional handy video, a set of handouts, and a slide deck for easy implementation.For more, read our review of Skew the Script: commonsense.org/education/website/skew-the-script---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Young Kids & Screens: Healthy Development in the Digital Age Common Sense Education 2022-04-22 | Join Common Sense for an interactive session for early childhood educators (working with kids age 0–8). We'll cover how to facilitate meaningful conversations with parents and caregivers about helping young kids develop essential life skills, both with and without the use of screens. The session will review Common Sense's six turnkey workshops, available in English and Spanish, all designed to share useful strategies with parents and caregivers.Early Childhood Toolkit: commonsense.org/education/early-childhood-toolkit
BoomWriter: This Free Writing and Publishing Site Could Seriously Motivate Kids Common Sense Education 2022-04-19 | BoomWriter is a web-based writing platform that focuses on getting students to collaborate, both as writers and readers. Teachers can assign three types of writing projects: Story Book, Student Journal, and Other. StoryBook allows students to co-author their own books. Teachers provide a "story start" -- essentially a first chapter -- and students write a follow-up chapter, submitting them for teacher approval. Meanwhile, other students vote anonymously on approved chapters; only the winning chapter's author is revealed, and their chapter is then added onto the story. From there, students go back to the drawing board, write versions of chapter three, submit for approval, and vote again. The process repeats until the book is finished. Check out this great walkthrough of BoomWriter: youtube.com/watch?v=GpzeoaACVSoFor more, read our review of BoomWriter: commonsense.org/education/website/boomwriter---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Royelles: This STEAM Game Encourages Girls and Non-Binary Kids to Boldly Go Common Sense Education 2022-04-12 | Royelles is a STEAM app specifically designed to appeal to and inspire girls and non-binary kids. Players start by working through 12 story segments where they hear from a real life NASA employee. After, there's a space-themed STEAM game. The focus throughout is on positivity and empowerment. Players create avatars and see themselves as superheroes who can achieve anything. There's also a good amount of science-based activities layered throughout the experience and a lot of examples of women and non-binary people who have found success in STEAM fields.For more, read our review of Royelles: commonsense.org/education/app/royelles-gaming-for-girls---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Helping Students Cope with Social Media in Uncertain Times Common Sense Education 2022-04-08 | With more and more news about war and conflict finding its way to social media platforms, how can we best support our students to think critically about what they're viewing? Join Common Sense as we share basic ways to leverage discussions of social media posts and videos to support your students' emotional and academic development. We will offer strategies that teachers can use to get through this latest round of stress and help kids feel empowered when viewing media.If you are interested in receiving continuing education documentation, complete this form and an email will be sent to your inbox. commonsense.tfaforms.net/4761504
Los niños pequeños y las pantallas: Talleres para familias con niños de cero a ocho años Common Sense Education 2022-03-30 | Organiza talleres para padres y cuidadores en inglés y español con recursos personalizables y listos para usar sobre los niños y el uso de los medios. Los talleres están pensados para familias con niños entre 0 y 8 años. Mira este corto video para aprender más.
Young Kids & Screens: Workshops for Families with Kids Age 0–8 Common Sense Education 2022-03-30 | Host engaging events for parents and caregivers in English and Spanish with ready-made, customizable workshops on children's media use. Best for families with children age 0–8. Watch this short video to learn more about these free resources.
ELA Teachers: Youre Gonna Wanna Bookmark (or Revisit!) ReadWriteThink Common Sense Education 2022-03-29 | ReadWriteThink is a free website for teachers (K-12) with a resource library of lessons, interactive activities, and printables for literacy instruction. It was created by by the National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) and is assigned with NCTE standards, International Reading Association (IRA) standards and Common Core, where applicable. This site is a gift for language arts teachers. There's a wealth of high-quality and accessible content here, spread out across grade levels and for the both students and teachers alike. Lesson plans and activities are well-designed and encourage depth of learning; however, many materials are PDFs which makes remixing a bit more difficult. Resources are considered classroom-tested and evidence-based, and feature author bios with credentials to verify that fact. For more, read our review of ReadWriteThink: commonsense.org/education/website/readwritethink---------Sign up for our weekly newsletter: commonsense.org/education/newsletterSubscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/CS_Edu_YTFollow us on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/commonsenseedJoin us on Facebook: facebook.com/CommonSenseEdCheck us out on Pinterest: pinterest.com/commonsenseedu
Online Safety: Practicing Safe Engagement in a Digital World Common Sense Education 2022-03-25 | With young people spending more and more time online, adults are increasingly concerned about their safety and exposure to risk. As a result, parents and educators frequently request resources to prevent harms from threats like cyber grooming and online predators. This session will focus on identifying strategies and dispositions that K–12 educators can use to teach students to think critically about the various relationships they're engaging in online. Take away lesson plans and interactive games that you can easily bring into your class tomorrow.
