Scholastic Top 20 Teacher Blogs

  



Yes, we made it to Scholastic Top 20 Teacher Blogs! It's all because of you, many thanks for everything! We are #7 (see our URL?)...click the image to enlarge. Here are the rest of our awesome and inspiring bloggers who made it to Scholastic Top 20:

1. Best for Hands-on Activities
Mrs. Cassidy’s Classroom Blog
The Lowdown: Canadian first-grade teacher Kathy Cassidy invites readers into the classroom to interact with students and her dynamic lessons.
Why We Love It: Besides sharing fun ideas like making fairy-tale characters out of clay, Cassidy lets us witness her students’ learning firsthand by posting lots of videos and photographs. And another bonus: We get to learn from Cassidy’s many guest speakers, too!
Why She Loves Blogging: “My favorite thing about blogging,” says Cassidy, “is that the students literally have a worldwide audience. They see themselves as writers because people can and do read and comment on their work.”

2. Best News From the Trenches
Teach for Us
The Lowdown: Teach for America teachers share the ins and outs of the sometimes controversial program.
Why We Love It: Whether you want TFA dirt (like how tough the boot-camp training really is) or warm fuzzies (like one blogger’s quest to get her student to love books by reading with her nightly over the phone), you’ll find the goods in this collection of blogs from TFA corps members working all over the country.

3. Best Student Teacher Blog
Docere Est Discere
The Lowdown: Galen “Mr. B.” Broaddus discusses his journey toward becoming a teacher.
Why We Love It: From tips for up-and-coming student teachers to his own reflections on his process, Mr. B. reminds us how far we have come. Perfect for those days when we’re feeling just a bit jaded.
Why He Loves Blogging: Broaddus enjoys the feedback. “Knowing that there are other teachers (or teacher candidates) out there who are working the front lines and having the same concerns that I have had is comforting, and we work through them together,” he says.

4. Best for Art Teachers (or Other Happy Finger-Painters!)
The Teaching Palette
The Lowdown: Teachers Hillary Andrlik and Theresa McGee cover useful resources (like the best iPhone apps for art teachers), classroom-management techniques, and art-worthy news.
Why We Love It: With arts programs always under threat, it’s nice to feel like there’s an online home for people who value the importance of watercolor and oil paints.
Why They Love Blogging: Both McGee and Andrlik enjoy the opportunity to connect with teachers nationally and internationally. Says McGee, “Art education has a unique set of challenges, and blogging has created an online forum to share ideas.” Adds Andrlik, “Our readers often give us new insight on a topic or provide a fresh perspective based on their unique experience.”

5. Best for Tech Wannabes Creating Lifelong Learners
Mr. Needleman.com
The Lowdown: Tech wiz Mathew Needleman provides quick tips on integrating tech into the classroom.
Why We Love It:: Needleman skips the jargon and explains how to incorporate iPhones in the classroom, clarifies podcast copyright laws, and discusses making digital movies, putting even the technologically challenged at ease.

6. Best Forward-Thinking Tech Blog
Integrating Tech
The Lowdown: Pennsylvania teacher Scott Snyder is always ahead of the technological curve.
Why We Love It: Who would have thought texting, Tweeting, and chat rooms made for good lessons? Snyder uses all of these, plus Skype and Chatzy, to conduct discussions in the classroom. You can also follow him on Twitter: @Thespian70.

7. Best Special-Ed Blog
Digital Anthology
The Lowdown: Award-winning special-education teacher Maria Angala posts daily lessons and classroom videos.
Why We Love It: There’s no hard-core pedagogy here—other than that determination can make all successful—but we get to see the kids’ creativity at work. And if you want something more theory-based, Angala keeps another blog at teachersol.blogspot.com.
Why She Loves Blogging: Says Angala, “Our social workers read the blog to understand my students’ inner feelings.”

8. Best for Super Science Ideas
ScienceFix
The Lowdown: Middle school science teacher Darren Fix entertains with science lessons and experiments.
Why We Love It: Watch his Mr. Wizard––style experiments—like using a jellyfish to learn genetic engineering.
Why He Loves Blogging: Says Fix, “Posting stimulates my creativity and leads to new ideas. It’s a positive experience in a profession that unfortunately dwells on the negative too much.”

9. Best Superintendent Straight Talk
The Principals Page
The Lowdown: Illinois superintendent Michael Smith chronicles his days.
Why We Love It: Smith’s blog discusses everything from Ferris Bueller to teaching conferences to a surefire way for President Obama to fix education.
Why He Loves Blogging: Says Smith, “It allows a small-town superintendent to be involved in national or worldwide discussions on education issues.”

10. Best for Kid Book Reviews
A Year of Reading
The Lowdown: Teachers Franki Sibberson and Mary Lee Hahn review new children’s books.
Why We Love It: The reviews are always teacher-focused, pinpointing possible readers as well as how a book might be used in the classroom.
Why They Love Blogging: Says Sibberson, “The writing helps
us stay current on books and with teaching.”
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