December 2011

Searching the Gateway

Submitted by Peggy on Fri, 2011-12-30 18:41

If you are reading this, you have probably already noticed the all-new Gateway. I hope you are as excited as I am about all the new features! Like always, it is free to become a member of the site, and now you can choose to sign in through your Facebook account to make sharing and discussing resources with your colleagues even easier than before. (Don’t worry if you aren’t a Facebook junkie, though. Plenty of teachers are still using the Gateway without it!) Please take some time to explore the site to find some perfect activities for the new year. As you look around, please let us know what kinds of resources and discussions you are looking for. We count on your feedback to make sure we cover topics that are important to you.

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Teacher to Teacher: Discussing Online Resources

Submitted by Peggy on Wed, 2011-12-07 08:44

Joann did a wonderful job of explaining the goals of our weekly columns, so I hope you read her post first! I would like to join her in welcoming you to the new Gateway and inviting you to make the Gateway an integral part of your teaching. As you explore, you will find tens of thousands of resources that include lesson plans, activities, units, and examples of best practices. When you choose a resource to use in your classroom, you will be able to see the alignment of that resource to your state standards, and share that resource with your colleagues. It's a simple way to find and share standards-aligned resources.

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Vote for Me!! Political Campaign Propaganda

Submitted by Peggy on Fri, 2011-12-02 17:02

The year leading up to a presidential election is full of political advertisements and media coverage of political scandals. Students who are not familiar with specific propaganda techniques may form opinions on political issues and candidates without fully understanding the truth behind the advertisements. An informed citizen is able to think critically about things they see in the media to separate fact from fiction. This skill needs to be taught in the classroom. The saturation of politics and political advertisements in the media will make this coming year an ideal time to study political campaigns and advertising propaganda.