Edutopia

Edutopia have another ebook out for teachers. Last year I blogged in August about the books available at this site.

This latest addition is Six Tips for Brain-based learning. If teachers (and parents) understand how the brain works they are better equipped to help the students with their learning, this may include such things as increasing retention or it may be focussing attention. As the book points out most teachers are already using many of the techniques and strategies that they are discussing here.

As I read this book I think about how this relates to the use of ICT in the classroom, for example the use of graphic organisers. There are many Web 2 tools we can use e.g. Webspiration (the Beta version was free but alas they no longer have this version), Bubbl-us(free), Gliffy (which you can use for free and then do a screen dump).

Edutopia

Eudtopia have free downloadable books for teachers. The latest is Ten Tips for Classroom Management which looks at all areas of the school. In their tip about the relationship between schools and home they suggest going digital and using Edumodo which offers a free platform where you are able to set up a secure social-networking site for you, your students and your families - this would have been a great site during our earthquakes (for those with access to the Internet!!). Many of our schools ban social networking sites such as Facebook (one school I was working in had also banned Delicious accounts!) so this might be acceptable for them.

Other (free) books they have available include:

• Ten Top Tips for teaching with New Media
• Summer Rejuvenation Guide
• Ten Top Tips for Assessing Project Based Learning
• Home to school resource guide