Pineapple Tidbits: a little of this and a little of that

-by Susan Hitt

Not surprisingly, the land of the Internet is filled with amazing resources and inspiration for educators. However, it goes without saying that finding the time for teachers to sit down and sift through the overwhelming amount of videos, tech sites, blog posts, podcasts, etc. is a daunting task. Plus, who has the time to do that? Well, grab your coffee (or hot tea, which is my own preference) and scroll down to see the resources I've curated for this today's Pineapple Tidbits! 

Top 5 Blog Posts of 2017

by Susan Hitt

As 2017 comes to a close, I thought I'd take a moment to highlight the top 5 Education Celebration blog posts from 2017. So without further ado, let's take a look at the top 5 posts of the year:

Four Reasons to Try Actively Learn

-by Hannan Moon, Laney HS
@MrsHanMoon

In my last blog post, I mentioned a college professor who always encouraged teachers to keep students engaged and learning outside of the 4 classroom walls. In an effort to keep the learning alive after class hours, I’ve been searching for programs and activities that are easily accessible to students, easily manipulated by me, and easily gradable. The latest program that I’m using is Actively Learn. This program meets all my criteria: easy for me, easy for students, and keeps the learning outside of class.

Blended Learning: The Station Rotation Model

This post originally appeared on Aligned on September 6, 2017, by Susan Hitt.

Differentiation. It’s a commonly used term within education, but just because it’s a common term does not mean it’s easy to accomplish. Differentiation means altering instruction to meet the variety of needs students bring to the table during a class period. As teachers, we know we need to meet the needs of each of our students; however, when working with a classroom of 25 or more students, this is often a daunting task for even the most seasoned of educators.

Pineapple Tidbits: Episode 1: a little of this and a little of that

-by Susan Hitt

One of the reasons I started this blog was to foster collaboration among fellow teachers by providing them a platform to share their successes in the classroom. Another reason I wanted to start this blog is that there is So.Much.Good.Stuff out there in the land of the Internet! Every time I check Twitter or my email I'm inundated by the latest and greatest TedTalks, YouTube videos, educational newsletters & blog posts all filled with tips and tricks for the classroom.

Don't get me wrong, having so much information at my fingertips is amazing. I remember those old card catalog days, laboriously sifting through hundreds of cards with tiny print which then sent me on a scavenger hunt around the library. Thankfully, now, with just a few keystrokes and a wifi connection, I can access with ease whatever topic for which I'm currently seeking more information. 

5 Google Classroom Tips to Help You Work Smarter

Delia is a High School English teacher at Hoggard High School. This post first appeared on her blog rELAtable.

When I first set up my Google Classroom, I wasn't sure how I would incorporate this new tech tool into my teaching repertoire. I am not a fan of using technology simply for the novelty of it, so I hesitated to use Google Classroom until I learned how it could help my students and me. Over the past school year, I was able to experiment with this blended learning platform, and I was always impressed by how it made my life easier and made learning more accessible for my students. Here are 5 things I learned:

3 Key Takeaways from the Core Advocates National Convening

-by Susan Hitt

No one understands the life of a teacher better than another teacher. This knowledge helps form instant bonds between near strangers when opportunities to meet and discuss our profession arise--like at conferences. I had this opportunity just a few short weeks ago at the National Core Advocates convening in Denver, Colorado. It was an incredible weekend of learning and networking.

For me, after attending any educational conference, I return to work excited to share with anyone and everyone all the helpful tips, tricks, and tools I learned. It was hard to pick just three from my most recent conference, but I narrowed it down to the following as my favorite, most impactful sessions:

Padlet: A Must-Try Digital Tool for Your Classroom

Brenna Sheehan, Laney HS

Padlet is a digital canvas to create beautiful projects that are easy to share and collaborate. It acts like a virtual pinboard in which students can post video clips, photos, links, comments, etc. This awesome digital tool is not just for students to use! I’ve used it to create an introduction to The Kite Runner that serves as the base of a webquest (scroll down to see this Padlet). You can also create a group Padlet for several people to collaborate. This would work really well on a group project or simply serve as an inspirational pinboard for your class.

Engaging Students to Think Outside the Classroom Walls with Flipgrid

-Hannah Moon, Laney High School

Becoming a 21st-century educator requires many of us to take a step back and evaluate ourselves, our teaching practices, and our students. For our students to be thoroughly engaged, we as educators must put ourselves in the desks of our students—how do they learn in today’s age of technology? What will keep all students engaged? How can we use the students’ knowledge of technology to our advantage?