Mimio Educator

I Think I Can: How Teachers’ Beliefs Impact Student Learning

Posted by Kelly Bielefeld on Thu, Jul 26, 2018

This article could be very short. What makes teachers effective? One simple, truthful answer: Teachers believing that they can be effective.

It isn’t that easy—is it? In some ways, it is. A teacher’s belief in their own efficacy is the starting point for many things that follow: high expectations, connecting with all students, working hard, and collaborating as a professional. If we don’t believe that our work will actually make an impact, then many of these are a waste of time.

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Topics: tips for teachers

Building a Makerspace From the Ground Up

Posted by Kelly Bielefeld on Tue, Jul 24, 2018

Creating a makerspace in a school or classroom is a great idea for many reasons. In a well-run makerspace, engagement is high, critical thinking is taking place, and collaborative problem solving is occurring among students. What’s not to like?

But the prospect of getting a makerspace off the ground can be overwhelming. We are in the process of launching one in our school next year and have learned a few things along the way.

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Topics: The Maker Movement, tips for teachers

A Different Kind of Education

Posted by Kristy Nerstheimer on Thu, Jul 19, 2018

When I first became a teacher, I had no idea what a perk my profession would turn out to be once I became a mom. I went into teaching because I love children and couldn’t wait to educate them, but once I had children of my own, I was able to be at home with them since we share all the same breaks. Coincidentally, I am married to a fellow educator, so we have all enjoyed special family time together over the years. We decided to make these moments even more special by creating a goal of taking our daughters to all 50 states—and that’s just what we did.

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Topics: tips for teachers

Genius Hour Part 2: Making Genius Hour Work

Posted by Kelly Bielefeld on Thu, Jul 12, 2018

In the first article on Genius Hour, we provided an overview of the philosophy behind genius hour and why teachers should consider trying out the concept. We also gave some considerations for getting started—things like how to schedule the time, the standards to support the learning, and the comfort level with putting it all together.

If a teacher is ready to pull the trigger, what happens next? It is hard to know where to start or what to do. Should I dabble in it or go full steam ahead? Should I start the year with it or wait a few weeks to get routines down? How am I going to grade this—or should I even grade it at all?

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Topics: Administrator Resources, tips for teachers

5 Tips for Your Students to Help With Fast and Effective Learning

Posted by Annabelle Fee on Tue, Jul 10, 2018

 

Between extracurricular activities, classes, and increasing workloads, students have a lot on their plate. With such hectic schedules, it can be difficult to clear the outside influences and pressures to focus on the task at hand. However, the situation can be improved if habits are changed to seize the maximum out of each study session. Here are our top five tips for fast and effective learning: 

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Topics: tips for teachers

Summer Training, Learning, and More!

Posted by Travis Rink on Fri, Jul 6, 2018

Summer is here and it’s time to kick back, relax, and unwind after a long year of teaching!

But once you’ve recharged, why not use some of your free time over the break to learn something new? Check out the selection of Quick Learn sessions being offered this month:

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Topics: tips for teachers

Genius Hour Part 1: Genius Hour Overview

Posted by Kelly Bielefeld on Mon, Jul 2, 2018

Over the past few years, the term “genius hour” has caught fire and become more common in classrooms. If you have heard this term before but weren’t sure what it means, here is a short primer about the topic.

The origins of genius hour are pretty simple. In Daniel Pink’s book Drive, he discusses some insightful research about motivation. He cites three key areas that are most effective in motivating people (and students): autonomy, mastery, and purpose. He asserts that traditional incentives for behavior—things like rewards and punishments—only work with certain types of tasks, like rote learning or repetitive tasks. For tasks that require depth of thinking, creativity, and problem solving, we are much more motivated by having a sense of purpose, a feeling of autonomy, and a hope of mastery.

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Topics: Administrator Resources, tips for teachers

Summer Recharge

Posted by Kristy Nerstheimer on Tue, Jun 26, 2018

We made it—summer is finally here! Sometimes I feel like the Energizer Bunny throughout the year since I just keep going and going and going. While everyone is excited to have a break, it does seem like our summers keep getting shorter and shorter, so we need to make the most out of the time we have. And just like the Energizer Bunny, every battery needs a little recharging. Here are some tips to help you recharge this summer:

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Topics: tips for teachers

Facilities Matter: How to Create Effective Spaces for Learning and Teaching

Posted by Kelly Bielefeld on Tue, Jun 12, 2018

For all the time, energy, and money we put into books, technology, and curriculum, it’s easy to forget about the importance our school facilities play in student learning. The spaces we provide for students to learn in create an environment that is conducive—or not conducive—to deep learning. And while it might feel that as teachers we can’t impact our physical classroom too much, we can have a greater impact than we may think.

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Topics: Administrator Resources, tips for teachers

Top 5 Factors to Consider Before Buying Interactive Tools

Posted by Holly Fritz-Palao on Thu, Jun 7, 2018

Thinking about purchasing new interactive tools for your school? There are many factors you should consider before taking the leap to ensure that you choose the right solution to best suit your needs. Here’s where you should start: 

  1. “What Do I Buy?” vs. “Why Should I Buy?”

Planning for many technologies often seems to start with asking, “How many should we buy and which brand?” But it’s usually better to begin by asking, “Why are we thinking about buying these?” and “Are we buying tools to help the teacher do an even better job, or are we focused on tools to equip the students with new skills?” A well-considered purpose can provide strong guidance for subsequent decisions about choosing, implementing, and adopting any technology, including interactive flat panel displays, touch projectors, and student handheld devices such as iPads, Chromebooks, and Android tablets.

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Topics: Education Technology, Whole-Class, tips for teachers

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