The Classroom Nook Blog

21st Century Teaching Ideas for 21st Century Learners

Teacher Training Rachael Parlett Teacher Training Rachael Parlett

FREE Summer Professional Development for Teachers

This summer, I've got six FREE email workshop series for you to choose from, each with different lengths and commitments. Whether you want to get a jump on Back to School prep, master the readers and writers workshop model, or grab a mix of teacher tricks, there's something for everyone! Pick what works best for you and dive in!

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Creating a Multimedia-Rich Classroom: 3 Tips for Success (From the Upgrade Your Teaching with Multimedia Workshop Series: Part 10)

We've covered a ton of incredible ways to upgrade your instruction and assessment using technology and multimedia tools. We’re waving goodbye to those old worksheets, maps, and student printables and saying hello to a more engaging and interactive learning experience! Here are some tips for success to help make the transition into multimedia instruction seamless.

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Classroom Technology, Teacher Training Rachael Parlett Classroom Technology, Teacher Training Rachael Parlett

Upgrade Your Assessments - (From the Upgrade Your Teaching with Multimedia Workshop Series: Part 9)

Multimedia instruction aims to give learners an immersive, dynamic, and engaging learning experience. The whole point is to help them truly understand and remember what they're being taught. So, if that's what we're aiming for with instruction, why not carry those qualities over to our assessments? Our assessments should mirror our instruction. They should be just as immersive, dynamic, and engaging. By doing this, we can ensure that students are being assessed in a way that aligns with how they've been learning.

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Classroom Technology, Teacher Training Rachael Parlett Classroom Technology, Teacher Training Rachael Parlett

Upgrade Your Textbooks! (From the Upgrade Your Teaching with Multimedia Workshop Series: Part 8)

You likely have a stack of textbooks sitting somewhere in your classroom. And if your students are like mine, busting out the textbook often is followed by moans of unimpressed students who would rather NOT be reading from a textbook. So - allow me to introduce a few multimedia alternatives that will turn those moans into cheers!

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Upgrade Your Classroom Management (From the Upgrade Your Teaching with Multimedia Workshop Series: Part 7)

We’ve talked a lot about how we can infuse multimedia into everyday learning, but - let’s not stop there! We can also use multimedia tools to level up our classroom management. Having a clear classroom management system is critical in any elementary classroom. I’ve got some awesome tools that you’ll want to keep in your bag of tricks to keep things fresh and exciting in your classroom!

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Upgrade Your Reading Activities! (From the Upgrade Your Teaching with Multimedia Workshop Series: Part 6)

Today, let’s talk reading! Your reading block is likely one of the most important parts of your day! Since that’s the case, let’s make sure it’s engaging, fun, and full of interaction. Infusing a little multimedia magic in your reading block is just what the doctor ordered!

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Upgrade Your Student Printables! (From the Upgrade Your Teaching with Multimedia Workshop Series: Part 5)

Let’s face it, student worksheets keep students accountable and allow teachers to track progress. And - I’m not suggesting we throw them away, but allow me to introduce some multimedia alternatives that you can throw into the mix to keep things relevant and fresh when you’re looking to add a splash of multimedia to your instruction. If you’re just getting started with adding multimedia layers into your instruction, this is a good place to start. Let’s transforming would-be worksheets into multimedia experiences gives students new opportunities to apply their learning.

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Classroom Technology, Teacher Training Rachael Parlett Classroom Technology, Teacher Training Rachael Parlett

Upgrade Your Maps! (From the Upgrade Your Teaching with Multimedia Workshop Series: Part 4)

No doubt about it, learning how to read and navigate a map is a crucial skill. But let's face it, those days of unfolding massive trifold maps (and struggling to fold them back) are long gone. It's time to embrace the 21st-century upgrades for all our map exploration needs! Say goodbye to the old-school ways and get ready for some exciting new multimedia-infused options. We've got a world of digital tools at our fingertips to make map exploration a breeze.

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Classroom Technology, Teacher Training Rachael Parlett Classroom Technology, Teacher Training Rachael Parlett

Upgrade Your Multiple Choice Worksheets! (From the Upgrade Your Teaching with Multimedia Workshop Series: Part 3)

Let’s first look at how you can upgrade your multiple choice worksheets. I want to share 3 multimedia alternatives. One of the easiest ways to add an interactive layer to your instruction is to gamify your activity. And, lucky for us, we have tons of options available to use to accomplish this. But - it can be overwhelming when we have too many options, so I’ll share my top 3 tools:

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Classroom Technology, Teacher Training Rachael Parlett Classroom Technology, Teacher Training Rachael Parlett

Upgrade Your Teaching With Multimedia Workshop Series: The Benefits & Impact of Multimedia Instruction (Part 2)

WHY should you be using multimedia in the classroom? WHY is it worth paying attention to (especially when your teacher plate is already full!) WHY does multimedia instruction keep popping up in conversations about education? Well - that’s where our conversation is going to take us today. Let’s talk about the benefits and impact of multimedia. As you might suspect there has a been a lot of research and study done to show how multimedia and technology impacts the brain.

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