Homework for the Teacher
Evaluating the Impact of Project Activities on Student Learning
When students know exactly what is expected throughout the course of your project, while understanding and believing in the goals of the project, you can expect to see dramatic growth in many areas. Over 70 major studies by a variety of research centers clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of cooperative and collaborative learning on a wide range of outcomes when teachers construct a classroom framework that keeps students moving along with purposeful and productive learning. Print and use this checklist ("Construct a Classroom Framework Conducive to Learning") as a way to ensure ongoing and periodic assessment of student learning.

Making your expectations clear for project-based learning activities is no longer a frustrating chore, thanks to online tools that help you generate a checklist or rubric at the touch of a button! Let’s try a few.

If you’re experiencing discipline problems related to collaborative activities, The Master Teacher’s "You Can Handle Them All" online resource is a gift just waiting to be opened by you. Click here, and then select Misbehaviors at School.

Reading Strategy Spotlight
Retelling or synthesizing requires the putting together of ideas in a new way. It pulls together the processes of recalling, ordering and recreating of information into a coherent whole. It invites students to collect an array of facts and connect them to a central theme or idea. Giving students the opportunity to synthesize generates a deeper understanding of what they read.

Student Activity Sheet
Printable pages designed to complement the current week's Reading Strategy Spotlight and to help students organize their thoughts, reflect upon reading material, and look for organizational patterns in online text.

BBs: Weekly Nuggets of "Best Practices" and "Brain Research"
Amazing Illusions to Use with Your Students!

TechKnow Disaster Preparedness Page
Printable Computer Skills Mini-Posters & activity sheets for those times when the network crashes or equipment is unavailable. You can print a different page each week.

Fifth Grade Computer Skills Test Item Bank
Visit the NC 5th Grade Test Item Bank and print all the questions related to telecommunications objectives 1.3, 3.6, and 3.7. (Videoconferencing will be addressed in TechKnow Park Weeks 31-36.) Contact your local Media and/or Technology Director for the user name and password to access the item bank. Please retain the security of this test to maintain its validity.

NC WiseOwl:
Web Sites of the Month

NC DPI Web Resources

Check your progress to date with information and computer skills!

Trouble Terminator