Tech Matters Blog | Power Up What Works

Tech Matters

Technology tips and teaching strategies aligned with PowerUp WHAT WORKS.

Sep

3

2014

Modeling to Teach Math

As a mathematics coach at an elementary school, I met with teachers at the end of last year to set professional development goals for this year. They all agreed, “Let’s focus on modeling.” Striving to meet the needs of their students in relation to... More...

Aug

28

2014

Listen to this Story

Lately, when I’ve been the passenger during a long car ride, I’ve been listening to The Moth Radio Hour (www.themoth.org), where “true stories are told live.” I love hearing the excitement in a storyteller’s voice as I follow the arc of a story. I... More...

Aug

20

2014

Teach-ing Syl-la-bles: A Video Playlist

Syllabication is a core decoding skill, and as such, a basic foundational reading skill. As explained in The English Language Arts Common Core State Standards, foundational skills are not an end in and of themselves, but rather, a core component of... More...

Aug

14

2014

The Changing Face of Research Project Reports

An educational rite of passage is for students, somewhere from the upper elementary grades through high school, to carry out one or more research projects and present/report out their findings. Recognize this familiar scene: A student is... More...

Jul

30

2014

Let the Ideas Flow: Prewriting and Tech Tools

Prewriting frees the inner writer. Commonly considered the first step in the writing process (prewriting, drafting, and reviewing), it is that “protected” time for generating ideas without the pressure of producing a draft right away. The University... More...

Jul

24

2014

Semantic Mapping: A Tool for All Reasons

As a teacher, literacy specialist, and consultant, I always found semantic maps (also called graphic organizers or webs) to be a hot discussion topic. Teachers found endless uses. Some used graphic organizers for vocabulary—to help students perceive... More...

Jul

15

2014

Struggling Readers, Self-Questioning, and Digital Text

Many struggling readers are passive rather than active readers. They have difficulty interacting with and making personal meaning of the ideas in the text. One evidence-based strategy that helps students’ reading comprehension is self-questioning.... More...

Jul

11

2014

2speak + 2listen + 2write + 2read = Math Language

The title of this blog is written as a tongue in cheek “equation.” The purpose was to show the four parts of language development critical for mathematical learning: to speak, to listen, to write, and to read. Being able to understand (listen and... More...

Jul

8

2014

Using Word Clouds for Summarizing

The goal of summarizing a larger selection of text (e.g., an article, story, or chapter) is to distill the gist, key ideas, or main points. A summary, according to Webster’s, is the “general idea in brief form.” It is reducing the larger work into... More...

Jun

30

2014

Using 3D Printing in the Classroom to Engage Students

Once more likely to be found in research institutions and universities, 3D printers are starting to pop up in schools and homes across the country. This new technology has the potential to change the way we teach and learn; from creating models, to... More...