Great Games and Simulation Tools for teaching STEM Content

We are always looking for new games to help kids learn.  Check out these ideas:

http://blog.discoveryeducation.com/blog/2011/10/08/great-games-and-simulation-tools-for-teaching-stem-content-p2/

Map Puzzle Game

We created a new map game today, and I thought you might like to try it to.  Get a map of the USA (or any country, for that matter).  Take turns giving each other clues to guess which state you are describing.

For example, my 8-year old gave the clue NAORI.

The answer?

Nevada, Arkansas, Oregon, and Rhode Island

My 11-year old gave the clue: GVURF

The answer?

Georgia, Vermont, Utah, Kansas, and Florida

My daughter challenged her brother to find her initials (AKS) twice on the map.

The answer?

Kansas and Arkansas

Finally, we asked our son Daniel to find his name in one of the states.

The answer?

Rhode Island

The kids had a blast playing for 30 minutes!

Have fun learning,

ann

Great Group Games for Kids: Reviews from Community Leaders

“ Any leader of children’s groups is sure to find fitting games and inspiration in this excellent guide. ”    Youth Today

“Ragsdale and Saylor have done it again…and just in time.  As children today tend to drift farther from humanistic play, the experiential, hands-on content of Great Group Games for Kids entices them back from the brink of button-pushing isolation.  Purposeful play once again trumps electronic recreation.  Well done, ladies. ”   Karl Rohnke, Author of Silver Bullets

“These team-building games would be great for classes, scout troops and church groups!”    Janet, Youth Services Librarian

“This is a great resource for any adult who has occasion to interact with a group of kids who might need a quick game to either get their focus, keep their focus, or get them playing together. There are 150 games listed, and they vary from icebreakers to relay races to art games to large space games and even games with water balloons or marshmallows.”    The Magazine for Homeschool Families

Find out more about the book, or get your own copy of Great Group Games for Kids here.  Bulk orders are available at special prices – just ask for more info.

10 Recommended YouTube Edu-tainment Channels

10 Recommended YouTube Edu-tainment Channels

http://www.emergingedtech.com/2012/03/10-recommended-youtube-edu-tainment-channels/

(There are some great educational resources on this list!!)

Free Curriculum – Finding Your Place to Serve

Service Sampler: Finding Your Place to Serve

This section of our free service-learning curriculum offers ideas and examples of 11 different service-learning experiences based on broad community categorical issues such as caring for animals, promoting peace, or caring for children. Each outlined experience only takes 3–4 hours. The topical areas are there to inspire and to prompt thoughts on what best fits your youth, your organization, and your community. Each experience outlines activities for the entire service-learning cycle: from preparation to action to reflection to celebration to demonstration.

The currriculum is very flexible. A weeklong summer camp can be thoughtfully designed to first expose youth to a variety of issues before delving more deeply into what they believe are the important concerns and issues that need to be addressed through service-action they plan and carry out. Or, monthly excursions into the community can be done topic by topic to offer an abundance of experiences. A regular and ongoing basis could allow more time for youth to explore and reflect on the nature of each challenge and also to consider possible solutions to make the world better.

You can download a copy of the entire curriculum – for free – at http://theassetedge.net/seasons-of-service.pdf.

Or if you’d like us to come lead your staff or youth through a train-the-trainer of “Finding Your Place to Serve” or the entire Seasons of Service curriculum, contact us at cad@TheAssetEdge.net.

Game Developer Gives 7-Year-Old Best Birthday Present Ever

If your kids are interested in technology, you might be able to use this resource:

http://martinkool.com/post/17611582440/game-developer-gives-7yr-old-best-birthday-present-ever

Changing Our Minds About Kids: 6 Strategies to Resize Our Leadership

Six shifts we need to make in our thinking IF we really want to engage children and youth:

http://blog.growingleaders.com/leadership/resize-our-leadership/

LEGO & Education: Make a Lapbook

If your kids like legos, and you want them to learn, then you’ll enjoy reading this quick post with lego educational ideas!

http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/lego-education-lapbook/

List of What Makes a Good Teacher – created by students

There are lots of good lists on how to be a good teacher, but I love that this one was written by students!

http://educationaltechnologyguy.blogspot.com/2012/03/list-of-what-makes-good-teacher-created.html

10 Sites to use with Mobile Phones in Education

thought teachers and youth workers might be interested in this article I just read:

10 Sites to use with Mobile Phones in Education

http://cyber-kap.blogspot.com/2012/03/10-sites-to-use-with-mobile-phones-in.html

Dr. King on Community Action

“Cowardice asks the question, ‘Is it safe?’ Expediency asks the question, ‘Is it politic?’ Vanity asks the question, ‘Is it popular?’ But, conscience asks the question, ‘Is it right?’ And there comes a time when one must take a position that is neither safe, nor politic, nor popular, but one must take it because one’s conscience tells one that it is right.”

Martin Luther King

This is one of the quotes we discuss in the MLK Day chapter of our free service-learning curriculum, Seasons of Service.  After reading the quote, we ask young people to consider an issue from their community and discuss these questions:

• What is the safe thing to do with regards to this issue?
• What would be the politic thing to do?
• What would be the vain thing to do?
• What would be the right thing to do?
• What are we going to do?

You can download a copy of the entire curriculum at http://theassetedge.net/seasons-of-service.pdf.

Or if you’d like us to come lead your staff or youth through an MLK Day event or a train-the-trainer of the entire Seasons of Service curriculum o, contact us at cad@TheAssetEdge.net.

Free MLK Day Curriculum on Service-Learning and Social Justice

Martin Luther King Day: A Day On, Not A Day Off

This core element of our free Seasons of Service curriculum provides outlines for three half-day experiences for running an MLK Day event with your youth group. It includes:

• Three levels of activism depending on the level      of experience of your group with service-learning: novice, intermediate, and experienced.
• Three four-hour outlines for a half-day      experience, including the work that needs to be done prior to MLK Day and      what needs to follow after MLK Day.
• Use of quotes by Dr. King for each level to      frame each experience in context of his life and vision as well as      providing a platform for current issues and concerns.
• Sample outlines of what other agencies and      programs have done with their groups.

The goal of this particular section is to provide you with options for introducing and engaging your youth with activist concepts by starting right where they are. The novice, intermediate, or experienced levels look at different ideas within each level and allow youth to explore the meaning of serving, equity, leadership, and justice through advocacy.

You can download a copy of the entire curriculum – for free – at http://theassetedge.net/seasons-of-service.pdf.

Or if you’d like us to come lead your staff or youth through a train-the-trainer of the MLK Day curriculum or the entire Seasons of Service curriculum, contact us at cad@TheAssetEdge.net.

Candy in the Classroom

If you are looking for some SWEET learning opportuniities, check out these educational candy activities!

Educational Technology Spotlight: Plane Math Activities

Help your youth learn math skills through these airplane games!

Educational Technology Spotlight: Favorites from an Elementary Teacher

November 19th, 2012

Margie Christoffer is the computer teacher at Pleasant View Elementary School.  She compiled a list of educational websites to let grade school children use during computer class.  We thought you might like to see it too!

pbskids.org – games

crayola.com – treasure hunt

earthsky.com – universe info

madsci.org – science

historychannel.com – history info

jackhanna.com – animals pictures

funbrain.com – games

geographic.org – countries info

learn2type.com – typing practice

google.com/sky – galaxy live shots

h t t p ://bit.ly/le1ES – Cool Brain info

wordworld.com – reading K-2

vocabulary.co.il – games about words

AAAmath.com – math games

coolmath.com – math games

 

Filed under Educational Technology, Science Fun | Comments Off