21st+Century+Skills

Teacher How To's

Bring your classroom out of the dark ages with these essential skills for every 21st century teacher!

**Top 10 Tips for Using Technology in the Classroom** media type="youtube" key="xiisteObuhk" height="273" width="336" align="left"

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= **TEST MAKING MADE EASY** = //by Tyler Martz//  Whether it’s multiple choice, true-false, short answer, or essay, test making is a skill every teacher needs. The days of hand written tests are obsolete! Even in the world of ever-changing Microsoft products, they all still have one thing in common, they make you do the work. The “21st Century Teacher” needs a better way and easytestmaker.com has provided that way. Simply fill out a quick, free registration form and you will be on your way to the easiest test making experience ever. Check it out, click the image, and you won’t be disappointed!



Managing Your Grade Book
by Ashley Tucker

Keeping track of the student’s grades is one of many important task teachers are responsible for. There are various sites and program that makes it easier for teachers to manage their grade book. Many teachers are going to stick with the program the school provided them with but there are many other sites and programs a teacher can use that may be better suited for them.

Mygradebook.com is one of the many online Websites dedicated to helping teachers with managing a grade book. It has unique features such as grade management, school home communication, and different grade books for different grade levels. Mygradebook.com is secure, affordable and a great site to use not just for organizing your grade book but for online quizzes and more. If you want a site that can help you effectively manage your grade book, has online access and is easy to navigate join mygradebook.com. **//Click on the apple to visit mygradebook.com.//**

Excel is a spreadsheet application by Microsoft Windows and Mas OS X. This particular spreadsheet allows you to make graphs, tables, and even do calculations. The features Excel offers make it an excellent tool to use for your grade book. You can simply put the grades in and arrange for it to automatically average the grades for you. The way the spreadsheet is designed makes it easy to divide between the different assignments and test. **// For a tutorial on how to use Excel click on the icon. //**

=**Create a Class Blog** = //by Aubrey Turner//

I'm sure you've heard of the internet trend 'blogging'. Maybe you've even read a few of your friends' "online journal entries". //But,// have you ever thought about using a blog as a classroom tool? A class blog is a great way to interact with students as well as introduce them to appropriate online behavior. Because blogging isn’t just about writing posts; it’s about sharing your learning and reflecting on what you have learned.

__** Steps To Creating a Blog: **__ 1. Find a blog **hosting website**; such as, 

2. Create a **Username and Password** 3. Edit Blog **look and feel** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">4. Establish blog **rules/precedures** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">5. Contact **parents** <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">6. **Post your first blog**!
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">easy to remember
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">appropriate
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">unique
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">introduce to blog
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">get permission
 * <span style="font-family: Verdana,Geneva,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">help navigate

__<span style="font-family: 'Arial Black',Gadget,sans-serif; font-size: 150%;">**What Can you Post in a Blog?** __
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Homework Assignments
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Class Calendar
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Peer Collaboration
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Announcements
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Interesting Links
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Lecture Notes
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Important Documents
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Syllabus
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Rubrics
 * <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 120%;">Permission Slips

__ **Important parts of the blogging process include encouraging students to:** __
 * 1) Read each others posts
 * 2) Interact and comment on each others posts by challenging each others thoughts and views
 * 3) Write posts in response to each others posts





<span style="background-color: transparent; color: #333333; display: block; font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 1.83em; height: 1.13em; line-height: 1.13em; margin: 0px 0px 5px; max-height: 1.13em; overflow-x: hidden; overflow-y: hidden; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-align: center;">**<span style="background-color: transparent; font-size: 22px; margin: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Top 10 Reason's to Use a Blog in the Classroom ** media type="youtube" key="PfJETK3am1M" height="257" width="316" align="center"

= Computerize Your Seating Charts = //Cecily Whitley//

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%;">Seating charts are an advantage to every classroom. They help you, as the teacher, and the students in learning the other student’s names. Not to mention they make taking roll faster and easier. Seating charts also help in establishing dominance and control in the classroom on the first day. <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> Making a seating chart on computer software or online makes them even more beneficial. By creating a computerized version of a seating chart, teachers can save a copy to their computer or a USB drive in case your printed version gets lost. Instead of redrawing the seating chart, they can simply print out another copy. Another advantage is that if students or desks need to be moved, or even if the whole room needs to be moved around, on the computer just click, delete, and drag instead of erasing and drawing. Teachers are able to incorporate everything that is in their classroom onto the seating chart, including posters, storage, clocks, trashcans, etc. When making a seating chart on the computer, teachers can use different shapes, colors, fonts, etc., and the best part is that your personal drawing ability does not matter!

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0pt;"> These days there are many different websites and software available to make personalized seating charts for free. There are websites where teachers can create a seating chart on their website and print it out, without downloading. An example of a basic and easy seating chart maker is on the Scholastic website for teachers. This website creates a template where you can pick the size of your room, and add already made shapes. There are also websites that allow teachers to print out their already made seating charts so that all you have to do is enter in your students' names. Teachers can even create their own unique and personalized seating charts with the various Microsoft Office tools and software like Microsoft Excel. Click the image below to see a tutorial on how to do this.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: 0pt;">Seating Charts are an essential part of any classroom. Computerize them and make your life easier!