Teachers are taking a well deserved rest over the winter break. However, somehow it is difficult to leave the classroom and students behind. Every experience is translated into how that can be a teachable moment in the classroom. While taking a few moments to troll the internet, check out West Virginia PBS LearningMedia, a free digital platform with over 100 thousand media resources. The site is searchable by grade level, preK to adult development, subject area, media type. It has a student portal and even better, has been curated so students are able to search freely.
So, take a few minutes of time this holiday to check out some of the resources on West Virginia PBS LearningMedia. It just might expand your classroom as you join millions of educators around the country bringing public media into the classroom.
If you are interested in hosting a West Virginia LearningMedia training for you school please call us at WVPB Education, 304-556-4904.
Is there a process for innovation? In the following “Innovation 101” lesson plan from The Henry Ford’s curricula, your class hears from some of America’s most iconic innovators and learn how they spark innovation in the workplace and beyond.
Students will gather insights from Steve Wozniak, inventor and co-founder of Apple, as he explains how he discerns innovative thinkers and engineers on campus and supports their creative thinking. “Inside, they want to be an inventor and designer, and they are often very independent. They are harder to manage,” he says. “Give them a lot of freedom. Let them build devices for their home on their own. Give them some of the parts. . . and let them build what they think of.”
They’ll also hear from architects William McDonough and Toshiko Mori, as well as product designer Don Chadwick while learning more about the difference between invention, innovation and discovery. Use this lesson plan to help your class of prospective innovators build important 21st-century skills such as critical thinking, problem solving and self-directed learning! GO: http://to.pbs.org/1OqdXiz
Two teachers in West Virginia have been selected as part of the 100 educators in the 2014 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators program.
The program rewards tech-savvy K-12 educators from across the country who are serving as leaders in the education technology space and incorporating digital media in classrooms to promote student engagement and achievement with year-long hands-on and virtual professional development opportunities.
In West Virginia, Erika Klose from Winfield Middle School and Erin Sponaugle from Tomahawk Intermediate School will be serving as PBS LearningMedia ambassadors and helping their peers embrace and share strategies for integrating digital media throughout the curriculum.
The 2014 PBS LearningMedia Digital Innovators will receive year-long professional development opportunities that include virtual trainings, access to premium and exclusive resources, and invitations to special events. In addition, the top 16 applicants will serve as leads of the program and will receive an all-expense paid trip to Washington, D.C. to participate in a two-day digital education summit where participants will engage in hands-on learning, collaborate with peers and hear from digital technology thought leaders.
Credit WVPublic.org
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Erika Klose is a teacher at Winfield Middle School in Putnam County.
“West Virginia Public Broadcasting is proud to recognize Erika and Erin for their dedication to trulychanging the way students learn through technology and digital media,” said Scott Finn, executive director. “We are honored to provide educators with one-of-a-kind resources, tools and trainings that will further enhance their skills and enable them to share these skills with other educators in the state.”
West Virginia Public Broadcasting began West Virginia LearningMedia in 2013. “This is a free service that more than 2,700 state educators are using for multi-media content and lessons plans aligned with state education standards,” Finn said. “Many locally produced programs are also available, including The Road to Statehood, a documentary about the birth of West Virginia.”
Klose teaches seventh grade science at Winfield Middle School. Her course covers physics, chemistry, biology and earth and space science. Prior to teaching she was a geologist for the United States Geological Survey.
Credit wvpublic.org
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Erin Sponaugle teaches in Berkeley County and is 2014 West Virginia Teacher of the Year.
Sponaugle is a fifth grade teacher at Tomahawk Intermediate School in Hedgesville. She has taught for 11 years and is the 2014 West Virginia Teacher of the Year.
PBS LearningMedia received hundreds of applications from leading teachers throughout the U.S. and its territories. An esteemed group of judges selected the 100 educators based on submissions of videos and written essays that addressed how they are leading innovation in digital teaching in their classrooms and schools.
About West Virginia Public Broadcasting: — West Virginia Public Broadcasting tells West Virginia’s story through high-quality programming and services including West Virginia Public Radio, West Virginia PBS, Mountain Stage®, wvpublic.org and Ready To Learn®.
About PBS LearningMedia: — As America’s largest classroom, teachers of children from pre-K through 12th grade turn to PBS for digital content and services that help bring classroom lessons to life. PBS LearningMedia, a partnership of PBS and WGBH Educational Foundation, is a free media-on-demand service offering educators access to the best of public media and delivers research-based, classroom-ready digital learning experiences to engage students in exploring curriculum concepts that align with National and Common Core State Standards. Nationwide, more than 1.4 million teachers have registered access to more than 35,000 digital resources available through PBS LearningMedia. More information about PBS LearningMedia is available at www.pbslearningmedia.org or by following PBS LearningMedia on Twitter and Facebook.
