If you are looking for new ideas for your science, technology, engineering, or math classroom, get started by following some of these Pinterest boards:

Best Kids Science Experiments – Steve Spangler fans will enjoy this collaborative board and visual playground of icky activities to engage students in the scientific process.

Citizen Science Programs – Check out these pins and find a citizen science project for your class to participate in.

Earth Science – Kids Discover offers a host of interesting boards for teachers, but geo-geeks will especially appreciate these pins to earth science articles, videos, and images.  

Explore and Get Outdoors – The National Wildlife Federation’s board of ideas on getting kids back to nature.

Explore the Natural World – STEM educators will appreciate this board by PBS, featuring stunning images of nature that blur the boundaries of science and art.

Invertebrate Love – View these stunning images and videos of strange sea critters lacking skeletons.

iPad Landia – With the integration of iPads into more and more classrooms comes the need for finding quality apps and educational best practices. Get started with iPad Landia.

Los Alamos National Lab – Cool collection of boards for those who embrace their inner geeks. Pocket protectors anyone?

NASA EDGE Vodcasts – Engage students with these vodcasts by NASA EDGE. Maybe one of your students will become a rocket scientist.

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center – Don’t miss out on any “Wicked Cool Space Stuff.” Follow any or all of these boards from the Maryland Space Center.

NGSS: Next Generation Science Standards – The standards are out. Become familiar with them and stay up-to-date with NGSS progress with these pins by The Einstein Project.

Scientific Explorer – An essential collaborative board dedicated to “exploring scientific knowledge”.

STEM Education, Websites, and Blogs – Get your STEM ideas flowing with this resource board.

STEM STEM STEM – In case the name was unclear, this collection of pins by the National Science Teachers Association helps teachers stay up-to-date with trends in STEM education.

STEM Works – The STEM-Works program strives to increase science, technology, engineering and mathematics skills in communities nationwide and maintains this collection of boards including pins about CSI, jobs, lesson plans, robotics and more.

Students Like Tech! – Follow Edutopia’s board for EdTech ideas and trends.

Teaching with Sci-Fi – Even reluctant science students may enjoy a good science fiction book.

U.S. Department of Energy – Get the latest information on everything energy related, from STEM education to green energy.

Video Lectures in Mathematics – Looking for a refresher course on differential equations, a tidbit on the history of math, or a good math joke? Check out this collection of boards with over 1,400 pins to math lectures.

Women in Science – These photos of groundbreaking women in science, courtesy of the Smithsonian Archives, link to further information about these pioneers.

Follow Test Designer on Pinterest to keep up with our newest free printables, premium worksheets, and blog articles!

While there are thousands of great videos scattered about YouTube, these are ten channels that house a collection that will improve your lessons and your students’ understanding of social studies.

1. The Century: America’s Time

This series, produced by ABC at the turn of the century, breaks down major moments in American history with archived film footage and interviews with participants and regular people who lived through those moments. The small chunks of information make this series an invaluable tool for reinforcing concepts with visual primary sources.

These videos also work well for a world history class, as events like World War II and the Cold War are an important part of that curriculum, too.

2. Credit Made Clearer

These Capital One produced videos are wonderful companions to lessons about borrowing. They use fun animation, simple concepts, and important economic terminology. There’s even a corresponding website that provides vocabulary and notes to go along with the videos.

3. Days that Shook the World

This BBC series highlights the most important moments in history with incredible production values and accurate, well acted recreations. Watch the episode on Hiroshima for the best example of why this series is a much watch for any history teacher, and a must add to any history teachers’ arsenal of resources.

4. Khan Academy

What makes Twitter and Facebook so popular? Why do kids prefer to text message in code than write in full length English? It’s because they prefer bite sized chunks of information and the movement towards these small doses of content is exemplified by the Khan Academy. Here you will find a huge library of lectures ranging from five to 20 minutes that use relevant and interesting visuals to teach about a specific topic. Wondering what that FICA Tax is that’s taken out of your paycheck? Watch this. Need a quick primer on how communism is different than capitalism? Here ya go.

5. The Associated Press

It is hard to spend time on current events due to time and curriculum constraints, but whenever there is a historical topic that connects to a modern one, we should make it a priority to discuss that connection. For example, the AP has dozens of very short videos on the current situation in North Korea that can be used in conjunction with a Cold War unit.

6. Miller Center: American President

This channel provides a breathtaking database of presidential speeches and occasions that can accent any lesson in modern American History. From clips of the famous Kennedy – Nixon presidential debates to President Clinton’s take on gun control after the Columbine school shooting, these videos make it simple to enhance an already stellar lesson plan with relevant primary source video.

7. US Holocaust Memorial Museum

Search through the playlists available on this channel and marvel at the resources they have compiled. Heartbreaking stories of loss, uplifting stories of love, and everything in between.

8. History for Music Lovers

I don’t know exactly what to make of this, but it may be the most creative mixture of pop culture and history that I have ever seen. The team at History for Music Lovers rewrites songs from the last forty years of pop music to teach about a historical figure or period. They also film music videos, complete with costumes and plots, to accompany their song parodies.

Watch The French Revolution, as sung to Lady Gaga’s Bad Romance, William the Conquerer set to Justin Timberlake’s Sexy Back, or  relive the Eighties with Billy Idol’s Eyes without a Face transformed to The Crusades.

Some of the songs will be before your students’ time, but the effort and creativity on display is sure to break any generational walls.

9. Biography Channel

The Biography Channel on You Tube has endless “mini – bios”, all around five minutes in length; a perfect amount of time to spend on a video clip within a lesson plan.

10. National Women’s History Museum

From guest lectures to documentaries, this channel provides a thorough library of the impact of women on American society and life.

You Tube may provide students with music videos and clips of teens getting pranked by their friends, but it also can be a tool for learning. Use the channels above to augment your materials and find your own to show students that the web is also a place for education.

While many children are boisterous and creative through imaginative play, some struggle deeply with shyness.

Shyness has positive points, but when it is so extreme that it affects their daily life in a negative way, then there may be ways to help.

Group activities for shy kids can be very beneficial when executed correctly. Timid kids can learn to find strength in numbers and to be accepted in ways they previously feared.

It might seem the worst thing you could do is put a shy child in the middle of a team or arranged social circle – but in many instances it can also help.

Classroom Structure

While some kids may never be the spokesperson of the group, they may contribute ideas to a more outgoing member of the team and feel proud where they otherwise would’ve just been silent.

An attentive teacher will recognize a shy student who is struggling, and will often try to help.

One way to help is to arrange the classroom so that desks are in pairs or small clusters rather than individual rows. This promotes teamwork in the classroom – the various clusters of desks work together to come up with an answer, or they brainstorm together for an activity.

Leading the Way

Many shy children tend to be excellent students or independent workers.

Why not tap into these positives by asking them to mentor younger children?

Whether in the classroom or on the soccer field, the opportunity to build relationships with younger kids can make the shy child feel more comfortable and able to speak up more in other life situations.

This works even better if they can be paired with another to assist a handful of younger ones. This mentorship system is the core of the Montessori school structure – it has been known to raise confident and capable children, and in some instances, abolish shyness.

Get Active in the Classroom

Although it may seem a recipe for disaster, one of the best activities for shy kids is group physical activities or sports. They experience victories without having everything rest on their shoulders, but also learn the important lesson of other people counting on them to be confident and do well.

Team activities have proven time and again to be effective in bringing children out of their shell, and don’t include the pressure of individual sports like gymnastics or figure skating.

When Shyness is a Problem

If a child is so shy that they are experiencing anxiety attacks, problems even walking into the schoolyard or signs of depression, encourage the child’s parents to seek the help of a health care provider right away.

While many kids are shy and go through life in a simpler, quieter way, shyness can sometimes lead to more serious issues. Sometimes even a one-time therapy session with a quality counselor can get to the bottom of the situation and help the little one to feel more confident and secure in who they are.

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Sarah Antrim is a blogger and social media manager for ActivityHero, a website that helps parents find, plan and book kids classes and summer camps. She blogs extensively about kids activities, providing parents fun and time-saving tips on how to engage kids. As a mother of two, Sarah firmly believes in the company’s mission to keep kids active & healthy.

Participate in the Sustainability Counts! Energy Challenge

The theme for 2013’s Mathematics Awareness Month is the “Mathematics of Sustainability.” Consider combining this theme with Earth Day (April 22^nd) activities and participate in the, “Sustainability Counts! Energy Challenge.” Receive a certificate of participation for teaching a lesson on math and sustainability and even better, work with students and colleagues to increase energy savings for your school.

Ask Fermi Questions

Quick! How many drops of water are in a gallon? No calculator allowed! Nobel Prize winning physicist Enrico Fermi was known for his capacity to perform rapid mental estimations. The goal of answering a Fermi question is to find an answer on the correct order of magnitude instead of an exact number. For example, I would estimate there are about 20 drops of water in a teaspoon and 768 teaspoons in a gallon. To make it easier, I can round 768 to 800 and guess that a gallon has around 16,000 drops of water. Whether the precise answer is 10,000 or 90,000 does not matter for a Fermi question, what matters is the answer is on the correct order of magnitude (10⁴ in this case). To get started, visit fermiquestions.com.

Write to Manufacturers about Metric Misuse

Ask your students to make a list of products at home and record the metric labeling for volume or mass printed on the labels exactly as they appear on the products. Then have students compare the labels with the U.S. Metric Association’s guide to “Correct SI-Metric Usage.” Chances are, at least one of the products will be metrically mislabeled. Next, have each student write to a manufacturer and either point out incorrect metric usage (politely!) or thank them for promoting good metric usage. As a bonus, many manufacturers will kindly respond to student letters.

Explore Math in the Workplace

Dispel the myth that students will never use math once they leave school by inviting professionals to your class to share how they use math in their careers. Take a field trip a local business willing to give a tour and discuss the importance of math in the workplace. Students may be surprised to learn how often math is used outside the classroom. For more information, Kids.gov offers a list of mathematics related careers.

Watch a Math Movie

What student doesn’t love a movie? From Stand and Deliver to Moneyball to Good Will Hunting, finding a movie featuring math content isn’t difficult. Get started by checking out this list of movies featuring positive math themes. Also, read Test Designer’s article on using movies in the classroom.

Just For Fun

Count the number of math terms used in this article! Better yet, have your students write stories or poems using math vocabulary and share them with their classmates.

Read our articles, “How to Write Higher-Order Math Questions” and “Top STEM Competitions – Could Your Student Be the Next Winner?” for more math education ideas.

How often should I show films?

You should show films as often as your curriculum calls for it. Movies give the students the unique ability to see history happen in a modern medium with special effects and a cultural significance that you cannot recreate in your classroom. The key to using movies well is to use them wisely. They should serve as a complement to your more traditional methods of conveying information.

For example, a primary source about the modernization by the Meiji government of Japan in the late 1800s gives the students the ability to visualize history while improving their skill of interpreting text. But if that source is followed by a clip of the Tom Cruise film “The Last Samurai”, the students see their vision come to life. The students can make a T chart of the traditional and modern aspects of Japan they see in the clip. Think of all of the skills used in this ten minute activity: drawing upon prior knowledge that was gained through reading a first hand account, comparing and contrasting two vastly different eras in Japan, and interpreting the film not as a Hollywood production but as a secondary source.

Don’t let the stigma of showing films alter your best judgment as a professional. Cops still eat doughnuts despite the public’s negative connotation. Teachers should still show movies despite the public’s misconception as to why we show them.

How much of the film should I be showing?

I have worked with teachers who earned nicknames such as “Lights Out” and “Matinee” for their use of movies in the classroom. It wasn’t their frequent use of film that earned them these monikers; it was their reliance on showing FULL LENGTH Hollywood movies on a regular basis. This is not a pedagogically sound practice on any level. Movies are more useful in the social studies class through a series of short clips, not when they are shown in their entirety. The few exceptions to this rule include Glory, Schindler’s List and Hotel Rwanda because these are stories that more completely tell of the emotions and individuals that make history happen and make it special. These stories cannot be properly told in ten minute clips.

When I was in high school, my tenth grade teacher showed the class the film “Gandhi”. The entire 191 minute movie. Today, I use three specially selected clips from the movie (less than thirty minutes in total) to illustrate the themes of human rights violations, collapse of imperialism, and the importance of the individual.

Which films are appropriate to show?

There is no one right answer to this question so I recommend you ask your school’s administration before showing any movie – even just a clip! – that is rated above the age of your class. Some districts have an approved movie list that is constantly reviewed and updated.

Below is an abbreviated list of films that would be ideal to show in the social studies classroom. Again, I advise that you view the film and find clips that apply to your lesson and reinforce the themes and concepts that you are trying to deliver to your students.

American History

1492: Conquest of Paradise (Exploration)
The Crucible (Salem Witch Trials)
The Last of the Mohicans (French and Indian War)
1776 (Revolutionary War)
Amistad (Slavery)
Glory (Civil War)
Gettysburg (Civil War)
Lincoln (Civil War)
The Godfather Part II (Immigration)
The Grapes of Wrath (Depression)
Saving Private Ryan (Invasion of Normandy/World War II)
We Were Soldiers (Vietnam War)

World History

Gladiator (Bread and Circus/Roman Empire)
Luther (Reformation/Diet of Worms)
Elizabeth (Reformation/Absolutism)
The Last Samurai (Japanese Imperialism)
The Last Emperor (Qing Dynasty)
Flyboys (World War I)
All Quiet on the Western Front (World War I)
The Lost Battalion (World War I)
Gandhi (Indian Independence)
Schindler’s List (Holocaust)
Thirteen Days (Cuban Missile Crisis)
Hotel Rwanda (Collapse of Imperialism/Genocide)

Not only can watching films enhance students’ understanding and interest in a topic, having your class make a movie is an excellent method for assessment that asks the kids to interpret and analyze material to make an organized and accurate representation of history. With smartphones and almost every pocket and programs such as Windows Moviemaker becoming available to more districts, the ability to use film as a tool for assessment is more relevant than ever. Students can create a documentary or newscast that discusses history as it happens. This makes set design and wardrobe very easy. A more detailed project can be to have them act out history as it happens. Posting these projects on YouTube is another way to view films and share them with other classes. There are numerous examples of similar projects online, enabling you to show students both good and poor examples of what you would like them to do.

Don’t let parents, administrators, or colleagues shame you into ignoring such a popular and effective medium. Hollywood films can be used as an effective tool for learning if they are used in the proper manner. Follow the tips above for maximum impact on your students.

e-learning for Kids provides animated mini-courses covering manyscientific disciplines for elementary and middle school students. Students can work their way through each course and take the provided quiz when finished.

Edheads offers a variety of exceptionally well-designed interactives with accompanying teacher guides. Their virtual surgeries are particularly impressive . For example, let your students play brain surgeons with the virtual Deep Brain Stimulation Surgery.

Kids.gov offers a great list of interactive science games, videos, and resources from many government agencies about all branches of science, careers, and science fair projects. Use the tabs along the top of the page to search for content by grade or for teacher resources.

KS2 Bitesize by the BBC brings science alive with their collection of living things, materials, and physical processes interactives. Each topic includes animated activities, background reading, and a quiz.

Learner.org provides dozens of interactives across scientific disciplines and is searchable by grade level. Be sure to try Amusement Park Physics, where students investigate the physics of amusement park rides by constructing animated roller coasters.

NASA Quest brings the expanses of the universe to K-12 classrooms with their innovative collection of interactive resources. Challenge students to design robotic airplanes to explore Mars, solve air traffic problems, or take part in the next NASA Quest Challenge.

PBS LearningMedia offers an extensive collection of interactive STEM resources. Search this collection of videos, audio files, interactives, and images by discipline and grade. The “Background Essays” and “Discussion Questions” offer great starting points for classroom use. Resources are free, but you need to register for an account after viewing three.

Scholastic offers a range of interactive activities geared toward elementary and middle school students. Check out the “Weather Watch” module. Students will enjoy playing Mother Nature with the Weather Maker interactive and solving real-world “weather mysteries” with the Weather Detective Web Quest.

Thinkport virtually transports students from the classroom around the world and through time. This Maryland-based collection of interdisciplinary interactives includes comprehensive teacher guides and is well worth spending time on regardless of where you live. Challenge students to try their eco-detective skills with “EnviroMysteries.”

Wonderville will grab students’ attention with their engaging collection of science-themed activities, comics, games, and videos. After all, what student wouldn’t want to try “Poo Power” in science class?

Looking for more web-based teaching resources? Read Test Designer’s article, “Ten Social Studies Web Resources.”

Despite the rapidly growing numbers, homeschooling families often still face skepticism. Despite the skepticism, homeschooling figures rival charter school enrollment and it is seen as a viable alternative to expensive private schools. As a result,homeschooling rates will most likely continue to increase. Whether you are a homeschooling parent, thinking about homeschooling, or simply interested in educational trends, here is a primer on homeschooling:

1. Homeschooling is Legal

Today, families may choose to homeschool in all fifty states. Typically, a parent must submit paperwork notifying the school of his or her intent to homeschool. However,  each state and often each school district, sets its own regulations and these rules can vary greatly. For example, in some states like Oregon homeschooling students are still required to partake in standardized testing at certain grades. In Nebraska, homeschools are treated as private schools and must cover specific subjects. In Alaska, families do not even need to notify the state or district of their intention to homeschool. The National Home Education Network maintains an At-a-Glance State Information page for anyone looking to learn more about homeschool regulations.

2. Homeschooled Students are Socialized

The stereotype that a typical homeschooled student lacks social skills and sits at a desk six hours a day, working either in isolation or just with a parent has been shattered over the past decade. The increase in the number of homeschoolers has lead to an increase in the number of homeschool organizations providing support, activities, outings, and resources. Often homeschooled students study with siblings and other local homeschoolers, are members of youth sports leagues and even participate in public school co-curricular activities. In fact, in states like New Hampshire homeschooler access to public school co-curricular activities is protected by law. Many museums, libraries and organizations now offer programming geared specifically toward homeschoolers. For more information about homeschool organizations, visit Home Education Magazine’s state-by-state list of support groups.

3. Homeschooling Can Be Affordable

How much does it cost to homeschool? This will depend on the family and choice of curriculum, but $500 to $600 annually per student is frequently cited. Yet, the largest cost of homeschooling is often the loss of income when a parent leaves the workforce. It may not come as a surprise that the increase in the rate of homeschooling has coincided with the widespread availability of the internet. Although the majority of homeschooled students come from two parent families with a stay-at-home parent, the internet has opened the doors to telecommuting, off-hour options, and freelance work allowing many more parents to homeschool while still contributing to household incomes.

4. Homeschool Curriculum Choices are Abundant

The purchase of curriculum packages or enrollment in an online program is a large portion of the direct cost of homeschooling a child. Considering students typically study several subject areas and require new materials and courses as they progress academically, the cost can add up over the years. However, with ingenuity and research many families manage to educate their children at home on modest budgets. With the growing popularity of homeschooling, free and low cost educational resources have flourished. For example, TestDesigner.com offers free printable worksheets for a wide range of grade levels and subjects. Several major online schools provide courses for homeschooling students and a number of elite universities, including the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, now offer massive open online courses, providing a free option for secondary students transitioning to college. Many homeschooling websites, like The Home School Mom, provide ample information to help parents make informed decisions as to the homeschooling method best for their children.

5. Homeschooling Isn’t Always a K-12 Commitment

It is not uncommon for families to homeschool for a period of time and then transition students into schools. Sometimes the homeschooling parent must return to work for financial reasons, the homeschool dynamic no longer works for the family or the students themselves express the desire to enroll in school. The reverse can also be true. A student may transition from school to homeschooling when the current educational circumstances are not meeting the student’s needs. Some homeschool situations are temporary, for example, when a student is bullied, for family relocation or when a medical condition arises. Ideally, a strong partnership between parents and school personal will help students transition successfully either way.

The decision to homeschool is a personal one, just as is the decision to send a student to a public, charter, private, or parochial school.  The key is to make informed decisions about the best educational methods for each individual child.

“5 Development Goals for Teachers to Set for New School Year” – Helping our students become better learners begins with us becoming better educators, implement one or more of these suggestions and you’re well on your way.

“5 Essential Thinking Skills to Teach in September” – Read about the five critical thinking skills every teacher should strive to instill in their students, no matter the subject.

“Social Studies Summer Reading Suggestions” – Peruse these reading recommendations for kids and teens throughout the year.

“5 Ways to Make Your Classroom a Learning Center” – A classroom is more than four walls, here are some ideas on how to utilize your space to its full potential.

“How to Prepare for Your Next (or Your First) Classroom Observation” – Even the most experienced educator can get butterflies at observation time, use these tips to prepare.

“Top STEM Competitions – Could Your Student Be the Next Winner?” – Inspire your students to apply the science concepts they have studied by participating in one of these top twenty STEM competitions.

“How to Write Higher-Order Math Questions” – Challenge yourself to write more meaningful math questions using the tips provided in this article.

The Test Designer Team hopes these articles provide ideas and inspiration for 2013 and wishes you the best in your teaching endeavors for the coming year. Visit the Test Designer Blog again soon, more great articles are in the works!

To format an equation, login to TestDesigner.com and begin creating a question. Click on the “Insert a Math Equation” button located above the question field. A box will open in which you can enter an equation while selecting from a wide variety of math symbols available under the headings on the right side of the box.

Once the item is complete, select “Insert Equation” and you will return to the question creation screen. Special math tags will appear around the problem in this view, but the finalized format will appear after saving the question or when viewing in it “Preview” mode.

A simple way to get started is by visiting our section on “How to Write Math Equations” and clicking on any of the sample formulas shown on the page. The selected equation will automatically populate in the sandbox at the top of the page. You can then copy-and-paste the coding for this equation into a question you create and edit numbers or mathematical notation to fit your needs.

When creating items, multiple equations can appear in both questions and answers as well as in science questions. View the following links for examples of individual problems and free worksheets created with our equation editing tool:

Sample Math Equations and Worksheets

Quadratic
Integral
Angles
Function
Exponent
Addition
Fraction
Simplifying Monomial Expressions Worksheet
Multiplying Radicals Worksheets
Graphing Absolute Value Inequality Worksheet
Vertical Angles Worksheet
Logarithmic Equations Worksheet 

Sample Science Equations and Worksheets

Scientific Notation
Chemical Equation
Cellular Respiration
Density
Velocity
Balancing Chemical Equations Worksheet
Naming Compounds Worksheet

For information about including graphics with problems, read our post, “Using Math Images on TestDesigner.com.”

Tip #1: Type up a lesson and include ALL of the necessary components.

My lesson plans in year 15 of my career don’t resemble my lesson plans from year 3 of my career. After being in this profession for so long, there are a lot of components of my lesson that I incorporate automatically, so I don’t bother to include lesson plan sections such as key questions, medial summary, and vocabulary words. But I would never walk into a pre-observation without a fully realized and prepared lesson plan.

Tip #2: Don’t over prepare.

A common mistake among those being observed is to try to do too much in order to make an impression. Packing in different methods, tons of content, and numerous activities into one lesson tells your observer that you’re presenting an atypical lesson. Keep it simple, and use what works for you in a usual lesson.

Tip #3:  Don’t go outside of your comfort zone or do anything that can backfire.

If your students do not behave well in groups, do not put them in groups. If you are a more traditional teacher, don’t become a modern dynamo on observation day. If you can help it, don’t do anything that you cannot completely control. Internet connections go down. Guest speakers run late. You Tube takes down copyrighted videos all of the time.

Tip #4: Schedule your observation for late in the day with a subject you teach more than once per day.

There’s nothing wrong with a dress rehearsal to fix any mistakes or oversights. If you’re given the option to choose when you are observed, give yourself a chance to teach it once before you teach it in front of an administrator.

Tip #5: Put the best version of you on display.

Figure out what it is that you do best, and do it well on observation day. Bells and whistles, buzz words, and technology don’t make you a good teacher. Your personality, dedication, content knowledge, and interaction with students are what will impress any administrator worth his or her salt.

I am preparing for my first observations in seven years. These observations will comprise of 60% of my year end evaluation that will rate me as highly effective, ineffective, or somewhere in between. I’m not nervous, but I will be careful to follow the rules above to ensure that I put forth a good representation of who I am in the classroom.